The Diego Diaries: Things (599) edited
-0-In the conference room off the classroom, Sparkling Day School, Terra, Autobot Nation, Mars
They stood on a table top staring at the group of grinning adults sitting around it. It felt better to the pair that all of them were smiling. What it meant in the long run however, neither knew. They just stood holding servos, smiling like maniacs.
"These two make me laugh," Laret said as she glanced at Neo. "What shall we do? Do you think this can be a start of detente?"
"I don't know," Roto said with a chuckle, "but I do believe that some of these infants are a lot more crafty than we give them credit for."
"Do we let them off the hook or what?" Nova asked glancing at Herling. "If we get this wrong, then we reinforce the wrong behavior. If we don't and they're sincere, what then?"
"A classic no win," Herling said with a grin. "Executive decision," he said pulling the little bots over to stand before him. They stood holding servos, their little expressions solemn. "You two will no longer fight. You may not slap. Ever. Right now, you can play. If you do this again, I will make sure you sit on the chairs forever."
They looked at him understanding clearly 'no', 'not' and 'fight'. The rest they could determine from the tone. Glancing at each other, they looked at Herling. Orion reached out to touch his face. "You mad?" he asked worriedly.
"Not yet," Herling said with a chuckle. "Be good!"
They looked at him a moment, then each other. "You can good?" Orion asked with a curious expression.
"I good. You?" Han asked with the same expression.
"I good. I do good. Me good. You good?" Orion replied.
Han nodded, then both stared at Herling. "We good," Orion said with confidence.
It was difficult but everyone held their laughter long enough for Herling to put both babies on the ground. They looked up smiling, then turned to run out the door for the toys. They would play by themselves. Neither one would play with the other.
Roto would take notes with a grin on his face.
-0-Prowl's office, Ops Center, Fortress, Autobot City, Mars
He turned off the computer after going over a lot of data, finally settling on a basic format for a femme and a color scheme that would reflect her heritage and parental hopes and dreams. Sitting back, staring at the pile of work on his desk, Prowl considered the short term future. In less than three decaorns they would include a daughter into their family. When he had told his genitors and those of Optimus, the joy had been electrical.
"PROWL! THIS IS SO WONDERFUL!" -Venture and Miler
"PROWL! THIS IS SO WONDERFUL!" -Tagg and Kestrel
The little mechs had their own reaction: "ADA! THAT IS SO GREAT!"
It was unanimous.
He grinned, then turned to the desktop and its obligations to the colony. He would work with his usual lazer focus until shift was over.
-0-The Pit Stop, Autobot City, Mars
Ratchet walked in pausing long enough to see where Ironhide was sitting. It was the lull between shifts so he had called Ratchet to come have a late lunch with him. He walked to the table and sat down peering into Ironhide's cupped servos with a grin. "Nice," he said.
Prowler in his Seeker bag smiled brilliantly, his little immature red chevron brightening with happiness. He was tucked in, lying like a little pear in his bag with a propeller top beanie on his little helm. Ironhide had no use for them until Ratchet plopped one on Sunspot's helm. Now he was the Apostle of the Propeller Beanie, happy to show off his infants whenever they wore their own.
It made Ratchet smirk.
"Sparkling looks like a caution," Ratchet said.
"A! A!A!A!" Prowler offered. He smiled brilliantly waiting for the torrent of praise he expected from his doting parents.
"I see," Ratchet said glancing at a wary Ironhide. He reached over to take the infant gently. Kissing him, Ironhide slid the baby into his carry hold. "Well, we have a situation then do we?" Ratchet said sitting back to grin at the big hulking mechanism of his dreams.
"I hope not," Ironhide said. "We have a lot to do, little mech and me. We're only now deciding how to narrow down his favorite munition. He also has an opinion on things that I'm coming to depend upon."
"I see," Ratchet said with a grin. "What will you do when he gets netted by the schools?"
Ironhide looked at Ratchet with surprising sorrow. "I will fall apart forever."
Ratchet looked at him, then squeezed Ironhide's arm. "You know, it will come to that some orn. I won't make it happen unless he gets to be Sunspot's age. But I want you to remember that it will happen."
"Don't remind me. I love my sparklings, Ratchet. I like having one with me. We talk and wander around. They like the armories and all the mechs and femmes like them. Everyone thinks Prowler is a great little mech."
"They have great taste in infants," Ratchet replied. He sat looking at Ironhide who glanced away. "So ..."
"What do you want me to say? They will have to pry him out of my servos. We're a team. Little mech tells me he likes his life the way it is. He's partial to the armory. Could be a munitions expert in the making."
"So, he's taking a technology path forward?" Ratchet asked.
"He has the knack. Little mech has abilities … skills," Ironhide said as his voice trailed off. He glanced at Ratchet with fearful optics. "You aren't going to turn me in are ya?"
"No," Ratchet said squeezing his servo. "I'll leave that up to the truant officers."
"Maybe he can be home schooled. The humans do that. Maybe he can be home schooled and come with me during recess."
"Who would teach him, Ironhide?" Ratchet asked with complete fascination.
"Me. I know things. I can teach him," Ironhide said.
Ratchet stared at him, then grinned. "You are officially insane."
"Don't tell anyone, okay?" Ironhide asked as the waiter came to their table. They ordered, then the waiter hustled off. "We have at least seven more to go, Ratchet. We agreed on a team. Eight down, seven more to go."
"I'm glad you remembered. I think its pretty wonderful of you to volunteer," Ratchet said with a grin.
"Delusional," Ironhide said with a grin of his own.
"Wimp," Ratchet said as the twins entered the restaurant. Sitting back, he watched them come to the table and pull out chairs. "Hi."
"Hi," Sideswipe said as he sat resting his elbows on the table. "What's up?"
"Nothing." -Ratchet and Ironhide
Sideswipe grinned. "You're hiding something."
"What?" Ironhide asked. "What do you know?"
Sideswipe glanced at Sunstreaker, then Ratchet. "What do you mean?"
"I don't know nothing. No one tells me anything. Remember that," Ironhide said as the waiter brought food to the table for Ratchet and himself. He took the twins' order, then left.
The twins stared at Ironhide, sitting back, their arms folded over their chassis. Ratchet and Ironhide stared back a moment, then grinned. "You look cute when you sit like that. Remember it always,"
Ratchet said looking down at the 'Reuben sandwich' sitting on his plate.
"Conferences for us tomorrow. We'll do Kaon's, then the twins in three orns. Did Ironhide tell you what we decided to do at the last GTA meeting?"
"I heard the Genitor-Teacher Association decided to conference around everyone's schedules. Smart move. It makes it easier for us even if it doesn't for them," Ratchet said as Ironhide nodded. "We have Orion, then three orns later, Praxus. Hero and Sunspot will be on the same orn two later. It'll be a good thing. I have two orns on Earth with the presentation."
"Tell me again … how did we get rooked into that?" Sideswipe asked as the waiter put their plates down before them. Pulling beer out of subspace to place on the table, the waiter hurried off to serve someone else.
"You started this, Sideswipe," Ratchet said. "Your inside knowledge about what we're like and what the femmes have told you is needed. So suck it up."
Sunstreaker snorted. "Yeah, Sideswipe. Suck it."
A fist to the shoulder took care of that impertinence. They ate their lunch, caught up on the gossip and bitched. All in all, a typical meal with the Fam.
-0-In the Sparkling School
They lined up to go outside for the playground. All of them wore their jackets and hats. It was cold outside but the sky was clear. When they walked to the elevator, they gathered inside going down with cheerful laughter and comments together. When they reached the lobby, they walked to the other big doors toward the back, making their way to the playground where they ran with joy for the toys.
Aides and teachers took up their spots, chatting as they watched the infants run about and play. Han and Orion ran with abandon around the playground laughing loudly as they watched their pursuers over their shoulders. Olo and Mimi chased them, the tiny bots keeping up amazingly well as they ran about. Others played on swings, climbing and bouncy toys.
It was awesome.
-0-Later that afternoon
The siren rolled over the city signaling the end of school half a joor later. Ratchet stood by his window watching as traffic began to pick up heading toward Terra and the tower next door. Ironhide had the afternoon off and would pick up the sparklings. Alor would get Sunspot. He would finish up his outline for the presentation.
He considered Ironhide's angst over Prowler. It was hard to watch because Ironhide was not given to this kind of thing. He was a tough mech but his children were first. He made sure they had what they needed including his time and attention. They were always bundled in cute things, had enough for school to excel and activities for their development. He was even on the Genitor-Teacher Committee for the colony.
Ratchet grinned. "Old phony," he said quietly. "I won't turn you in but they will get you, Ironhide. You can't hide from them forever." He grinned, then turned back to his mountain of information and the outline of his chosen speakers. It would all be pared down to something easy to present, something that would let the humans know a little more of them and their people. It would be ready by the end of his shift.
-0-Inside a carry hold
Hero sat on her tiny aft, her 'dandelion' hat and coat snuggling her. Sitting next to her was Praxus and Orion. They swayed gently as their big old pa walked back to the underground station that would take them to their home. Prowler who was lying swaddled in his blankets and Seeker bag smiled at them as they sat in the warmed dimly lit carry hold that was the combination 'junk drawer' and infant carrier for their species. Ironhide had redirected heat and the right level of light to make them comfortable. He was built to insulate them from cold and too much jostling.
Ironhide walked to the platform to wait. Others were there waiting as well, chatting about the game, conferences or work in the new cities that were rising rather swiftly to the south of where they were. When the train for Autobot City arrived, he stepped on and moved aside to stand, gripping a metallic strap overhead to steady himself as more joined him. It would take minutes to reach Autobot City but he would stay on until he reached Temple Station. Then he would get off and take the infants to RTR Tools for a kiss and a cookie with the grand genitors.
The train pulled out of the station and disappeared into the tunnels with speed.
-0-TBC January 25, 2014 If you are reading What Makes No Difference Is No Difference, I updated. I will try and update more often. The twins are bummed that I am not. :D:D:D