The Diego Diaries: Aftermath 3 (420)
-0-On the road in Michigan
"Driver?"
Silence.
"Driver! Where are we going?"
The figure of the driver didn't remark nor turn to look at Bay and his assistant who was looking deeply alarmed.
"Are we being kidnapped?" his assistant asked. Loudly. "IT'S TRANSFORMER FANS! THEY'RE KIDNAPPING US BECAUSE YOU FUCKED WITH THEM KILLING JAZZ AND IRONHIDE AND ALL THE REST!"
Bay glanced at his assistant, then leaned forward to place his hand on the shoulder of the driver. When he did, the driver disappeared. Bay sat back immediately with a stunned expression on his face.
Then another figure appeared. It was their size but it wasn't like them. It was Springer. "Hi. Remember me?" he asked with a humorless smile.
They did.
-0-Morning, Autobot City, Mars
Ratchet sat at the table absently eating breakfast as he checked the overnight downloads from the hospitals.
Hero who was sitting on the table drinking her sippie cup paused. "Ada? What are you doing? Is it a good book?"
Ratchet glanced up at her, then smiled. "Not as good as you, princess."
She smiled brilliantly, then returned to her breakfast.
The mechs were on the ground having finished earlier. Running around happily, they played contentedly. Sunspot was in the berth room getting his book bag together with Spot ever at his side.
"Ironhide? Where's Prowler?" Ratchet asked pausing a moment in his reading.
"In here with me," Ironhide's voice said from the big berth room at the other end of the apartment. "I'm fixing him up."
"Oh," Ratchet said returning to the data. No one had died. Many had made huge progress. Apparently eating regularly had medicinal purposes he thought wryly. Frag Galvatron he added just in case.
"ADA. WE GO 'KOOL?"
Ratchet looked down and smirked as Praxus and Orion stood side-by-side looking up at him. "Yes, you do. One doesn't learn about triangles without applying themselves."
"OKAY!" Orion said with a giant smile. Then he ran off happily.
Praxus who watched him looked up at Ratchet raising his arms to be held.
Ratchet plucked him up, kissed him madly, then grinned.
He grinned back, then pointed to the floor.
Ratchet sat him down and watched as he jigged off happy as a clam. Grinning, he looked at Hero who was watching them with her little cup in her servos. "Boys," Ratchet said with a grin.
She nodded. "Boys," she replied.
Laughter was had by all.
-0-The night before
"And that's sort of my story."
Hot Rod nodded. "Nice story."
Smokey smirked. "I missed all the good stuff. I missed most of the war. Running around the universe hiding with relics is hardly what I was hoping for."
"You'll get your turn," Roddy said as he leaned back, his gaze taking in the youngster before him. He was really good looking. It was evident to him, the blend of a good looking bot like Smokescreen and a really, really good looking bot like Devcon. The paint scheme was of a different kind, not bright and flashy like his own. Blue, shades of it and white was nice on the optics. The kid was inexperienced, came from a good home, was well educated, smart and enthusiastic.
He was perfect.
"I hope so," Smokey said dourly. Then he brightened. "Tell me what you've done."
So Roddy did.
-0-At the home front
Blackjack sat on the couch with a harnessed Praxus in one servo and a harnessed Orion in the other. They were sitting on 'Grandpa's' servos watching the show. Hero was getting her harness and Prowler was wrapped in blankets stuffed into his Seeker bag. His little smiling face with its brilliant red chevron was peeking out. On his helm was a little green sweet pea hat complete with a little green curling stem. He was adorable.
The door opened as Alor, Tie Down and Ravel stepped in laughing over a joke. They looked down.
Hero smiled upward at them.
"What a smart looking little femme you are," Ravel said with delight. "I love that little white hat and coat, Ironhide. You keep the infants so well."
"Who would've known?" Alor asked with a smirk. "I hear you had to trick him into sparking," he said looking at Ratchet who was gathering bags and a small representation of Mars that Sunspot had brought home for a project and report.
"Old mech was a sissy," Ratchet said with a grin.
Momentary pauses for meaning were met with loud guffaws.
Alor looked at his son. "Sissy."
"Can't make me feel badly, Ada," Ironhide said with a grin.
"He's beyond shaming," Blackjack said glancing at Ironhide. "If he were capable of it, he'd be an ada, too."
"What about you?" Ironhide said glancing with a gimlet optic at his atar.
"We only had one. We wanted children, then We had you," Blackjack said smoothly. "That's when we decided to quit when we were behind."
Loud laughter and guffaws met that.
Ironhide grinned at all of them. "I SEE IT'S 'KICK IRONHIDE IN THE AFT DAY' TODAY!"
"It's," Ravel said sweetly as he took Sunspot's servo. "Are we ready to go?" he asked with a bright smile.
Everyone nodded having an awww moment, then walked out. The door closed behind them.
-0-A knock on the door
Rambler opened the door then smiled. "You don't have to knock, Grandada and Grand Ada. Come in."
Kestrel and Tagg walked in hugging, petting and kissing their way to the kitchen where Prowl was talking to Venture and Miler.
"Good morning," Tagg said with a smile.
"Good morning," Miler said hugging Kestrel. "I see you stayed in your apartment last night."
"It seemed like a nice place to study," Kestrel said. "The infants were rather happy last night," he said staring down at the little mechs who stood among their legs.
"We had a pillow fight," T-Bar said with a grin. "Then we played with the trains. Rambler had to practice on his piano."
"I can see," Miler said with a chuckle. "How is school?"
Kestrel smiled, almost embarrassed at being asked. "We're having a great time. The catching up takes concentration but Tagg did well on his preliminary exams. I'm so proud of him."
Optimus who had come up behind enveloped them both in his arms. "You did? That is great. I knew you would excel if you tried school."
"We enjoy it. There's no pressure here. I'm so grateful that students can go to school and not worry about everything else," Tagg said nodding. "We do intend to work and pay our way."
Everyone shook their helms.
Prowl grinned slightly. "You two are incorrigible."
"A lifetime of habit, Prowl," Kestrel said with a slight grin.
"Get out of it," Optimus said to general laughter. "Are we ready?"
"I am," Kestrel said picking up Rambler to kiss him on the cheek. "How was the new group, son?"
"They were in a very bad condition. They were abused and had to flee for their lives. They had little to start with and nearly did not make it," Optimus said picking up T-Bar.
The infants were gathered as they walked to the door for the short ride down. They would link up with Ironhide and his posse. The ride to Terra would be jolly.
-0-The night before
They'd talked a long time, then headed out into the night. Club Cybertron was packed with the younger set so they danced, talked and drank high grade together. By the time that they headed back to the bachelor barracks where Smokey had an apartment at last, the youngling wasn't feeling any pain.
And his peds, too, probably.
Riding up the elevator trading slag with other young mechs they reached his floor. Walking down the corridor laughing and talking, they paused before Smokey's door. Leaning against it with a sappy grin on his handsome face, Smokey stared at Hot Rod.
Hot Rod for his part stared back with his own grin. "You're cute when you're drunk."
Smokey smirked, then leaned forward placing his servos on the big mech's chassis. "You're pretty cute yourself. Do you wanna come in?"
Hot Rod grinned, then nodded. "Sure."
Smokey chuckled, then turned around to fumble with the door. It opened, then they both froze.
"Hi, boys."
They looked at the figure in the doorway, then blinked. Glancing at each other, then back to the figure, Smokey leaned slightly forward. "Grandada?" he asked just before a strong servo gripped his arm and pulled him into the apartment.
A smirking face and cool optics met Hot Rod's own. "Good night, Roddy."
Roddy blinked, then nodded. "Good night, Devcon."
Then the door shut. Firmly.
Hot Rod stood a moment staring at the closed door. "Slag," he whispered, then he walked off.
Alone.
-0-On the way to school, jiggity-jig
The atars and grand adas ambled along the sidewalk paralleling the fence that enclosed the huge playground of the Sparkling Day School. They'd dropped off the younglings at their Day School before taking the subway ride on the orange line to Terra. Hordes of genitors, grand genitors and care givers walked and carried their little bits to school dropping them off for another day of learning.
The mechs of Clans Ironhide and Prime chatted and laughed as the infants paused in their walk to examine every crack and tiny rock they encountered.
It was a usual day in the city.
-0-The night before
"GRAND ADA!"
"That's who I'm."
"WHAT DID YOU *DO* JUST NOW!?"
"Saved you from a mistake."
"BUT … BUT … I *LIKE* HIM!"
"That's irrelevant."
"WHY!?"
"Because Roddy is a player."
Pause.
"SO!?"
"No one takes advantage of what's mine as long as I can move."
"HE WASN'T *TAKING* ADVANTAGE!"
"He didn't get the chance."
"BUT … BUT!"
"You're over energized. That's a prescription for disaster."
"BUT … *GRANDADA*!"
"Stand still, youngling. Right there." SPRAY! SPRAY!SPRAY!SPRAY!
SPUTTER! "THAT WAS *FREEZING*!"
"It was supposed to be. Sober up, youngling."
"I'M *NOT* DRUNK!"
Pause.
"Well, maybe a little. BUT THAT'S *BESIDE* THE POINT!"
(grin) "That's the only point, Smokescreen."
Pause.
"Oh." He considered that, the fact that his Grand Ada had used his entire name. Someone was in deep slag when that happened. He hoped it wasn't him. Yes, he was that drunk. "BUT *GRAND ADA*! I *LIKE* HIM!"
"You're cute when you snivel, grandson. Dry yourself off. Then come out here and drink something I made."
"I DON'T *WANT* TO DRINK IT!"
(Grin) "I'll be out here."
Smokey stood in his wash rack with a towel in his servos as the light of sobriety began to shine brightly in his face. All of him tingled but not in the manner he'd hoped for when he invited Hot Rod in.
/ … slag.../
He dried off and walked contritely into the dining room to sit and drink his grand ada's sobriety concoction. It actually tasted pretty good. But then, this was Grand Ada's only grandson. He made sure it tasted good.
What else are grand adas for?
-0-In a field
The small version of Springer sitting in the front seat of himself grinned. "When this car stops get out."
They looked at him with terrified optics.
The car stopped. The doors opened.
Both of them scrambled out and stood back watching the magic. Both vehicles began to transform. When they were finished, Springer and Drift, Autobots of Mars and other parts way the hell out there stood towering over them.
Springer wasn't smiling.
Drift was smirking.
Bay and his assistant were frozen in place.
Then Springer knelt and leaned into their faces.
-0-Last night
"Feeling better?"
"*NO*!"
"Are you sober?"
"*I DON'T CARE*!"
"Have you done your school work?"
Pause.
"You didn't."
"Grand Ada?! Really!?"
(Grandada rose to walk to the coffee table nearby retrieving a stack of books and datapads. Sitting down, he went through them. Pushing them forward, he stared pointedly.) "Do your schoolwork, Smokescreen."
(Grandson stared at grand ada and knew the jig was up. He sat down his glass and picked up his datapad frowning heavily) "Slave driver."
"Do you want me to tell your genitors?"
(Concerned optics glanced sharply at Grandada) "*NO*!"
"Then work. You will graduate with a degree and have a skill. I had to make it happen with Smokescreen for your atar and for you as a sparkling and youngling. You will collect a career degree and have that in your tool kit or I'll put my ped up your aft. You do understand don't you?"
(Bemused optics firm with resolve met aggravated optics that knew they couldn't win.)
He nodded.
"Good. Get on it. And by the way, we always make our berth and clear the sink before leaving for the orn. Right?"
"Yes, Grandada," Smokey said in defeat, his voice showing just a smidge of a whine.
Devcon stood then leaned down to kiss Smokey's helm. "You're my greatest delight. I'll do it today. You're responsible for the next zillion times."
"I suppose you're going to check in every orn?" he asked in aggravated angst.
Dev paused to looked back. He smiled and nodded. "If that's the way you want to play it. Remember, grandson … I defeated the system on Cybertron to get you and your atar a first class education. Remember that."
Smokey watched him go into the berth room to make crooked things straight. "I remember." He vented a soft sigh. "Slag," he whispered, then turned to do his homework for school. As he did he prayed to Primus that his Grand Ada wouldn't know he skipped class the night before.
He didn't know that Devcon already knew.
-0-TBC September 4, 2013 edited 5-2-14 12-04-2022