![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ante_luceUm. Kinda mean to a little mech in this one. *flee*
Title: Baby Boom (or, Why you should always read the manual first) Chapter 5
'Verse: G1 Transformers
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: TF cussing
Optimus cycled air thoughtfully, putting aside the mountain of datapads he still had to go through to consider the current situation at the Ark. With three of his mechs out of commission in sparkling form, two of them officers, and he occupied with having to care for Prowl, the rest of the Autobots were being roped in to shoulder the overflow of both his and Prowl and Jazz’s workloads, granting the bots insight into just how much work it was to keep the Ark functioning.
Perhaps, he mused, this experience would give some of their more notorious pranksters pause the next time they decided to cause trouble and disruption. Or perhaps not, he allowed, somewhat resignedly. As it was, he was thankful that Sideswipe was being occupied with a sparkling of his own.
Speaking of the sparklings, he found his thoughts wandering to the one under his care. He had been extremely fortunate. The baby tactician was a veritable angel compared to the others (both he and Skyfire had nothing but sympathy for Ratchet, Sideswipe, Mirage and Bumblebee). Optimus puzzled over why Red Alert had been so nervous about leaving Prowl with him. So his SIC had shared a younglinghood with the security director, and maybe that afforded Red Alert some insight into Prowl’s behaviour, but it seemed like the Lamborghini was simply over reacting.
He chuckled. Walking in on Red Alert, surrounded by the sparklings, clicking and chirping away, was a scene he’d long cherish. Word of the incident had spread through the Ark, especially after the mech had carried Starscream and a recharging Wheeljack to Ratchet. And so, while Sideswipe was still the go-to mech for seekerling sitting, Red Alert had been bumped up the list of potential sparkling sitters, and the Prime often found himself leaving Prowl in the mech’s care.
Prowl seemed to like Red Alert too (frag it, he wasn’t jealous), and Optimus supposed that was due to the tactician’s history with Red Alert. They had grown up together, after all, and Prowl’s sparkling mind probably recognised the security mech as a familiar face.
Primus help him. He was jealous.
= = =
Red Alert sighed. Prime had been leaving Prowl with him more and more often lately, citing the increasing workload building up due to the two officers’ incapacitation. While he understood the need, he wondered why Optimus never asked one of the other imprinted on mechs to sparkling sit.
Prowl had remained silent on the matter. But the security director could see the frequent (and lengthy) separations were beginning to affect the sparkling. The tactician was trying to keep it under control, but he was starting to get cranky and irritable. Recharge periods were short and often interrupted, his energon intake was beginning to decrease, and Red Alert was starting to worry.
“Prowl, are you alright?”
The little mech shot him a look, and Red Alert sighed.
“Alright, that was a redundant question. We need to get Optimus to stop this.”
“Yes, it was.” The Datsun’s reply was short, and little doorwings drooped apologetically after he’d made it. “Sorry. But what do you expect me to do, ‘Lert? Prime has a lot of work to do, and watching me at the same time is probably too much trouble.”
The use of his old nickname prompted a smile, and the tone (he was sure Prowl didn’t realise how plaintive he sounded) prompted a pang in his spark. “Figures you’d only say that out loud when no one else can comprehend you. In any case, I think Prime just feels you prefer me over him. And I can see why, you talk more around me.”
It wasn’t just Prowl though. All the sparklings seemed to like conversing with him. He supposed it got frustrating, being not understood and simply talked at all the time. Fortunately, none of the mechs had decided to use baby speak (here he added the qualifier ‘yet’), he had a feeling Starscream would hurt someone if they’d tried.
“… He’s jealous? That’s illogical. He can’t understand sparkling talk. I’d only be distracting him from more important matters if I clicked at him all day. You, on the other hand, needed the information I had to give you. And it would be impolite not to speak to you at least a little.”
“One, he doesn’t know about you, speaking of which, we need to tell him, and soon. Two, matters of the spark are hardly logical, don’t give me that look, Prowl. I’m guessing he can’t help it.” Red Alert smirked at the sparkling glaring at him.
“You are very cute.”
= = =
The final straw came when the sparkling tactician woke from another too-short nap, then curled into a little ball and let out a faint, miserable whine. The Lamborghini rose from his seat in front of his monitors, scooped up the sparkling and strode in the direction of Prime’s office, comming Inferno to take over his post while he ‘beat some sense into Prime’.
“Optimus. This has to stop.”
His commanding officer looked up from his work, faceplates tired and expression wary. “What has to stop, Red Alert?”
“This! This leaving Prowl with me all the time!”
“Red, I can’t give Prowl the attention and care you can-”
“That’s slag and you know it. I’m just as busy as you are.”
“I’m sorry if it’s starting to impede on your duties, but you are still better suited to watch him right now, I have a vid transmission with Cybertron in a few breems and-”
“I. Don’t. Care. You’ll deal with him now, or deal with Ratchet later.”
That said, Red Alert carefully placed the baby Datsun in front of Optimus and turned to leave. The Prime stood, picking up the sparkling, and made to call the mech back. He was stopped by the sound of a whimper. Looking down at the little tactician, he was surprised to see Prowl reaching up for him, making distressed little noises, coolant starting to glimmer at the corners of the sparkling’s optics.
Guilt tugged at him, but he couldn’t have Prowl with him when the transmission from Cybertron came through. Holding out the sparkling, he tried once more to get Red Alert to take the Datsun back.
That plan crashed and burned when the whimpers got louder, and Prowl started to cry in earnest.
Hurriedly, the Autobot leader pulled the sparkling close to his chestplates, gently stroking trembling doorwings, murmuring in comforting tones to the little mech. Prowl never cried, staying mostly even tempered and quiet. He must have really upset the sparkling.
The guilt that had niggled at him previously now charged unceremoniously through his spark as he soothed a very unhappy black and white sparkling, softly repeating, “I’m sorry, it’s alright, you can stay,” over and over until the sobs tapered off and Prowl fell into recharge in his arms. Red Alert directed a stern look at him.
“Prowl is a sparkling, and you are his imprintee. He likes me, fine, but he needs you. Don’t do this to him again.”
Optimus Prime could only nod in acquiescence, and the security mech smiled grimly, before marching out of his office. Sighing, the Autobot commander sat behind his desk once more, settling the Datsun in his lap. Prowl stirred briefly, clutching at his chassis as if afraid he’d leave, and the guilt hit him again. Seeing the tactician engulfed by that ray had nearly stopped his spark. Finding out that the mech was a sparkling, and lying offline on the battlefield had threatened to do it again. Was it any wonder that he’d gotten all protective of the little chevroned mech? And later, when Prowl seemed to be so fond of Red Alert, that he’d feel a little hurt, no matter how pleased the baby SIC was when returned to him?
Just then, his console sounded and the vid screen lit up, showing the image of Elita-1. He straightened, focusing his optics on the camera that would relay his image to Cybertron. They exchanged warm greetings, messages for the bots on either side of the connection, then got down to business. Business that was interrupted when he had to rearrange Prowl to keep the sparkling from slipping.
When he glanced up once more he found Elita staring at him.
“… ‘Lita?” He ventured. The other commander was looking at him with a mixture of surprise and shock.
“Optimus Prime.” He winced inwardly at the use of his full designation. “Is that a sparkling?”
Title: Baby Boom (or, Why you should always read the manual first) Chapter 5
'Verse: G1 Transformers
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: TF cussing
Optimus cycled air thoughtfully, putting aside the mountain of datapads he still had to go through to consider the current situation at the Ark. With three of his mechs out of commission in sparkling form, two of them officers, and he occupied with having to care for Prowl, the rest of the Autobots were being roped in to shoulder the overflow of both his and Prowl and Jazz’s workloads, granting the bots insight into just how much work it was to keep the Ark functioning.
Perhaps, he mused, this experience would give some of their more notorious pranksters pause the next time they decided to cause trouble and disruption. Or perhaps not, he allowed, somewhat resignedly. As it was, he was thankful that Sideswipe was being occupied with a sparkling of his own.
Speaking of the sparklings, he found his thoughts wandering to the one under his care. He had been extremely fortunate. The baby tactician was a veritable angel compared to the others (both he and Skyfire had nothing but sympathy for Ratchet, Sideswipe, Mirage and Bumblebee). Optimus puzzled over why Red Alert had been so nervous about leaving Prowl with him. So his SIC had shared a younglinghood with the security director, and maybe that afforded Red Alert some insight into Prowl’s behaviour, but it seemed like the Lamborghini was simply over reacting.
He chuckled. Walking in on Red Alert, surrounded by the sparklings, clicking and chirping away, was a scene he’d long cherish. Word of the incident had spread through the Ark, especially after the mech had carried Starscream and a recharging Wheeljack to Ratchet. And so, while Sideswipe was still the go-to mech for seekerling sitting, Red Alert had been bumped up the list of potential sparkling sitters, and the Prime often found himself leaving Prowl in the mech’s care.
Prowl seemed to like Red Alert too (frag it, he wasn’t jealous), and Optimus supposed that was due to the tactician’s history with Red Alert. They had grown up together, after all, and Prowl’s sparkling mind probably recognised the security mech as a familiar face.
Primus help him. He was jealous.
= = =
Red Alert sighed. Prime had been leaving Prowl with him more and more often lately, citing the increasing workload building up due to the two officers’ incapacitation. While he understood the need, he wondered why Optimus never asked one of the other imprinted on mechs to sparkling sit.
Prowl had remained silent on the matter. But the security director could see the frequent (and lengthy) separations were beginning to affect the sparkling. The tactician was trying to keep it under control, but he was starting to get cranky and irritable. Recharge periods were short and often interrupted, his energon intake was beginning to decrease, and Red Alert was starting to worry.
“Prowl, are you alright?”
The little mech shot him a look, and Red Alert sighed.
“Alright, that was a redundant question. We need to get Optimus to stop this.”
“Yes, it was.” The Datsun’s reply was short, and little doorwings drooped apologetically after he’d made it. “Sorry. But what do you expect me to do, ‘Lert? Prime has a lot of work to do, and watching me at the same time is probably too much trouble.”
The use of his old nickname prompted a smile, and the tone (he was sure Prowl didn’t realise how plaintive he sounded) prompted a pang in his spark. “Figures you’d only say that out loud when no one else can comprehend you. In any case, I think Prime just feels you prefer me over him. And I can see why, you talk more around me.”
It wasn’t just Prowl though. All the sparklings seemed to like conversing with him. He supposed it got frustrating, being not understood and simply talked at all the time. Fortunately, none of the mechs had decided to use baby speak (here he added the qualifier ‘yet’), he had a feeling Starscream would hurt someone if they’d tried.
“… He’s jealous? That’s illogical. He can’t understand sparkling talk. I’d only be distracting him from more important matters if I clicked at him all day. You, on the other hand, needed the information I had to give you. And it would be impolite not to speak to you at least a little.”
“One, he doesn’t know about you, speaking of which, we need to tell him, and soon. Two, matters of the spark are hardly logical, don’t give me that look, Prowl. I’m guessing he can’t help it.” Red Alert smirked at the sparkling glaring at him.
“You are very cute.”
= = =
The final straw came when the sparkling tactician woke from another too-short nap, then curled into a little ball and let out a faint, miserable whine. The Lamborghini rose from his seat in front of his monitors, scooped up the sparkling and strode in the direction of Prime’s office, comming Inferno to take over his post while he ‘beat some sense into Prime’.
“Optimus. This has to stop.”
His commanding officer looked up from his work, faceplates tired and expression wary. “What has to stop, Red Alert?”
“This! This leaving Prowl with me all the time!”
“Red, I can’t give Prowl the attention and care you can-”
“That’s slag and you know it. I’m just as busy as you are.”
“I’m sorry if it’s starting to impede on your duties, but you are still better suited to watch him right now, I have a vid transmission with Cybertron in a few breems and-”
“I. Don’t. Care. You’ll deal with him now, or deal with Ratchet later.”
That said, Red Alert carefully placed the baby Datsun in front of Optimus and turned to leave. The Prime stood, picking up the sparkling, and made to call the mech back. He was stopped by the sound of a whimper. Looking down at the little tactician, he was surprised to see Prowl reaching up for him, making distressed little noises, coolant starting to glimmer at the corners of the sparkling’s optics.
Guilt tugged at him, but he couldn’t have Prowl with him when the transmission from Cybertron came through. Holding out the sparkling, he tried once more to get Red Alert to take the Datsun back.
That plan crashed and burned when the whimpers got louder, and Prowl started to cry in earnest.
Hurriedly, the Autobot leader pulled the sparkling close to his chestplates, gently stroking trembling doorwings, murmuring in comforting tones to the little mech. Prowl never cried, staying mostly even tempered and quiet. He must have really upset the sparkling.
The guilt that had niggled at him previously now charged unceremoniously through his spark as he soothed a very unhappy black and white sparkling, softly repeating, “I’m sorry, it’s alright, you can stay,” over and over until the sobs tapered off and Prowl fell into recharge in his arms. Red Alert directed a stern look at him.
“Prowl is a sparkling, and you are his imprintee. He likes me, fine, but he needs you. Don’t do this to him again.”
Optimus Prime could only nod in acquiescence, and the security mech smiled grimly, before marching out of his office. Sighing, the Autobot commander sat behind his desk once more, settling the Datsun in his lap. Prowl stirred briefly, clutching at his chassis as if afraid he’d leave, and the guilt hit him again. Seeing the tactician engulfed by that ray had nearly stopped his spark. Finding out that the mech was a sparkling, and lying offline on the battlefield had threatened to do it again. Was it any wonder that he’d gotten all protective of the little chevroned mech? And later, when Prowl seemed to be so fond of Red Alert, that he’d feel a little hurt, no matter how pleased the baby SIC was when returned to him?
Just then, his console sounded and the vid screen lit up, showing the image of Elita-1. He straightened, focusing his optics on the camera that would relay his image to Cybertron. They exchanged warm greetings, messages for the bots on either side of the connection, then got down to business. Business that was interrupted when he had to rearrange Prowl to keep the sparkling from slipping.
When he glanced up once more he found Elita staring at him.
“… ‘Lita?” He ventured. The other commander was looking at him with a mixture of surprise and shock.
“Optimus Prime.” He winced inwardly at the use of his full designation. “Is that a sparkling?”
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-12 05:18 pm (UTC)That was lovely. And Red Alert is quite right. Optimus needs to know SOON.
Hmmmm...So it's Elita on the other end. Is that why Optimus couldn't have Prowl with him? I can't wait to see her reaction. But to the sparkling and the story behind it. Hopefully, Optimus has a reputation for being unfailingly honest, so it will be believed, but imagine what the Cybertronian rumor mill will come up with.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-12 05:46 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-12 05:48 pm (UTC)awww. poor little torn sparkling Prowl. you make a good point, babies don't have a sense of guilt about demanding what they need from their adults. too bad Prowl's grown-up mind is saying "No, don't be an inconvenience." when his baby instincts are saying "Prime, NOW DAMMIT!"
*huggles* very darling, can't wait for more. 83
(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-12 07:11 pm (UTC)...oh my. Is it terrible of me to giggle at the thought of Elita's entire force - or most of them - finding the quickest way to get to Earth in order to 'make sure the mechs aren't corrupting the sparklings'?
Great work!
(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-12 08:38 pm (UTC)See Elita glare! See little Prowl pout! See Elita melt into a puddle of isn't-he-cuteness! See Shockwave being dropkicked from the planet, so Elita can use the Spacebridge to visit the cute little sparklings...
Evil Laugh
(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-12 08:59 pm (UTC)Poor Prowl!
Annnnnd I really wanna know ASAP what Elita's response to a herd of sparklings is gonna be.
Excellent chapter!
(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-12 09:35 pm (UTC)They haven't been using baby talk at the sparklings? Uh oh, its only a matter of time now. XDDD
Ah, Optimus, you are really getting your bumpers handed to you today, aren't ya? First by Red Alert, then by Prowl, and now Elita-1 has stepped up to the plate. Definitely a lot of explaining to do. XDD
(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-12 09:38 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-12 09:54 pm (UTC)and oh, elita's gonna be mad...
(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-12 11:00 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-12 11:05 pm (UTC)...
CAN'T WAIT FOR THAT! ^O^ Jejejeje. Good for Optimus that he can cook up a good logical explanation, and that's going to be funny to read. I'll be looking forward for Elita's reaction to baby Prowl.
By the way... ó.ò Poor Baby Prowl! Sparkling's instinct are a pain, specially to him. AND HE WAS SO CUTE IN THIS CHAPTER!! ó.o I want a sparkling like him for myself. ::sobs::
Excellent Chapter. You never cease to amaze me. You're Great. HERE, have a cookie all to yourself! ^¬^
TAKE CARE!!
MISAO-CG.
PS: n.n How are the other sparklings doing? o.o
(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-12 11:27 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-13 12:45 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-13 05:21 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-13 05:22 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-13 05:24 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-13 05:26 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-13 05:31 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-13 05:31 am (UTC)And his "brother" Starscream will probably work off some of his own frustration by taunting him about it at first...until he starts to sympathize a bit from his own enforced inactivity science-wise. ;)
(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-13 05:32 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-13 05:35 am (UTC)Yep, poor Opti, but he does deserve a little of it ;P
(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-13 05:44 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-13 05:45 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-13 05:48 am (UTC)(Other sparklings are doing alright-ish. Their situations will be coming up soon.)
(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-13 05:53 am (UTC)