There and Back Again
Sep. 14th, 2010 11:19 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ante_luceTitle: There and Back Again
'Verse: tf_ic Transformers, TF:A
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: TF cussing.
Notes: First off, this is in first person. Next, this fic references events and interactions that happened within![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
tf_ic_prompts, so it may be a little (or heck, a lot) unclear at points. Feel free to ask for clarifications ^_^;;
A what-if fic. Not canon for how Nexus works.
I wake with a start, head slipping off the hand propping it up, and blink at the desk in front of me.
I know this desk. It's mine, has been for vorns, even if it doesn't see much use, what with me in the Guard and all, always running (or flying) off on one mission or another.
Something is wrong.
I shouldn't be here.
There is a datapad on my desk, a report half written on its screen, and without looking I know what's in it.
It can't be... I can't-
Someone knocks on the door and it slides open, letting a bot I can't immediately name in.
“Sir, the Council would like your report soon.”
“I know, I know, gimme a minute, reports were never my strong suit.”
I smile at his stern expression, hiding my bewilderment behind the easy-going mask that is my trademark, processors churning, finally giving me a name to go with the face.
“I'll take it to them the second I'm done, Cliffjumper, Guard's honour.”
Cliffjumper huffs, but he leaves, and I stare at the datapad and the words on the screen, trying to recall what, for me, were words from a lifetime ago.
Megatron was taken into custody on the organic planet known as 'Earth', where previous intelligence had indicated he had rebuilt a base of operations after the end of the Great War...
I resist the urge to write 'I told you so'.
= = =
It was real. It had to be.
= = =
Report dropped off, I go looking for a certain mech. I have to know, and there's no one else here who can answer my questions. Not for certain. I don't know when any of the others left. I never asked, not that it seemed particularly important to at the time. And this mech arrived there after me. If he hasn't gone yet, then I might have a chance to confirm... Confirm what? Whether or not I'm glitching?
“Ever have a dream so real, you actually thought it was?”
His reaction to my question is textbook I-want-to-sound-important-and very-busy-so-I'm-going-to-be-short-with-you. He doesn't know. Not yet.
You've been here three weeks? I only just saw you!
It's a pathetic lead, but it's the only one I've got. I don't know if time passes the same way between the two places. Frag, I don't even know if he'll remember going, although I seem to.
Funny how Sentinel just became the most important bot in my life. Three weeks. I can wait that long.
= = =
I'm going insane.
= = =
Another cycle, another visitor to my corner of Autobot HQ.
“Hey mech, what can I do for you?”
“You can call Sari, she's asking about you. All of us from the Earth team have checked in with her- those of us who still can, at least...”
Before I can say anything to break into his self-recrimination, he's pulled himself together enough to carry on.
"Anyway, call. Soon."
“I know. It's just been kinda crazy on my end.”
Huh, the truth, even if he takes it in a completely different way. He shakes his head and looks sadly at me.
“Needs of the many, boss-bot.” I wave at the reports on my desk, grinning at him. Unlike Cliffjumper, this mech isn't fooled, not for long.
“Look, I know you miss him, we do too. It'd probably do you a lot of good to talk to one of us.”
One look in his optics and I know that he doesn't know. Still, it's good advice, if only I could talk about what happened without getting hauled off to the nearest medic.
“I'll call her.”
He nods, smiling, and leaves. Optimus will be a great leader, I know it.
= = =
I don't know if I can wait three weeks.
= = =
Sari yells at me for not calling sooner, and while in the midst of dragging out a promise to visit soon, I see it happen. A pause. A blink. A flicker in her eyes. She shakes her head slightly, clearly trying to keep from crying, then looks at me, pulling on a smirk and asking.
“What? Do I have something on my face?”
Taking a chance, I smile faintly and reply.
“Nope, you're still as pretty as a flower, sweetspark.”
She goes pale.
“I'm not crazy.”
“If you're crazy, then I have fine company in crazy-land.”
“ It was real. You were there.”
“I was.”
“Oh... Oh! You have to go back!”
She's crying, and I bow my head, putting all my spark in my promise.
“I will.”
= = =
I have to tell Sari that Ratchet does not remember yet.
She makes me swear to pack the doc off to see her the moment he does.
One does not deny a determined techno-organic femme anything. I didn't.
= = =
I go looking for another mech, and find him exactly where I expect him to be.
He remembers, which is unexpected but makes things much easier. I hand over the environmental readings I took my first day there, those of the normal zone as well as of that strange in-between one that I stumbled into.
He vanishes into his lab, muttering something about 'visiting'.
I send Wheeljack after him to make sure he refuels on occasion. And to let me know when Perceptor finds something.
= = =
It's been three weeks.
= = =
Sentinel hasn't noticed how closely I've been sticking to him. Then again, I can't exactly be lousy at what I do for a living. But it's during a casual conversation that I spot that flicker in his optics.
“Hey...”
“Mm?”
“About that question on dreams...”
= = =
Sentinel remembers, but he doesn't want to and soon considers it all a dream for real.
= = =
I get the call from Wheeljack late one cycle.
I'm at the lab less than 5 decaclicks later.
Perceptor has a strange rectangle floating in the centre of his lab, a construct of silvery grey light and black smokiness. I head straight for it.
Wheeljack stands between me and the portal.
“You can't! We don't know where it goes!”
But I do. I can't explain it, but I do. One look at Perceptor and I know he feels the same way. But he's the scientist, no doubt he wants more data before leaping into the potential unknown.
I set my comm. to transmit what data my scans can gather to them, then fling myself through before anyone can stop me.
= = =
Almost there...
= = =
I land in the in-between, but not quite as deep within it as before. There are landmarks here, if you look, and I find my way back out eventually, driving as slowly as I can bear to.
Darkness gives way to greenery, though the sky is still dim. Is it evening or morning here? I don't know, and I don't care. The road flashes under me as I pour on the speed, scrambling into root mode, through the trees and up the path to the building in front of me.
How long have I been away?
Too long.
Everything looks a little run down. Grass is sprouting at the front step. There are creepers steadily climbing up some of the pillars. I head around the back and my breath catches.
The rock garden is pristine, as neatly raked as ever.
I enter the Dojo silently, moving through the darkness to push open another door, stopping in my tracks when I spot the mech sitting cross legged in the middle of the room, optics dark.
A blue visor flashes online and we stare, trapped in each others' gazes.
Before I know it I'm running towards him, and then we're both on our knees clinging to each other, me whispering his name as he runs disbelieving hands over my helm.
“Prowl...”
“Jazz.”
= = =
He kisses me and I am home.
'Verse: tf_ic Transformers, TF:A
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: TF cussing.
Notes: First off, this is in first person. Next, this fic references events and interactions that happened within
tf_ic_prompts, so it may be a little (or heck, a lot) unclear at points. Feel free to ask for clarifications ^_^;;A what-if fic. Not canon for how Nexus works.
I wake with a start, head slipping off the hand propping it up, and blink at the desk in front of me.
I know this desk. It's mine, has been for vorns, even if it doesn't see much use, what with me in the Guard and all, always running (or flying) off on one mission or another.
Something is wrong.
I shouldn't be here.
There is a datapad on my desk, a report half written on its screen, and without looking I know what's in it.
It can't be... I can't-
Someone knocks on the door and it slides open, letting a bot I can't immediately name in.
“Sir, the Council would like your report soon.”
“I know, I know, gimme a minute, reports were never my strong suit.”
I smile at his stern expression, hiding my bewilderment behind the easy-going mask that is my trademark, processors churning, finally giving me a name to go with the face.
“I'll take it to them the second I'm done, Cliffjumper, Guard's honour.”
Cliffjumper huffs, but he leaves, and I stare at the datapad and the words on the screen, trying to recall what, for me, were words from a lifetime ago.
Megatron was taken into custody on the organic planet known as 'Earth', where previous intelligence had indicated he had rebuilt a base of operations after the end of the Great War...
I resist the urge to write 'I told you so'.
= = =
It was real. It had to be.
= = =
Report dropped off, I go looking for a certain mech. I have to know, and there's no one else here who can answer my questions. Not for certain. I don't know when any of the others left. I never asked, not that it seemed particularly important to at the time. And this mech arrived there after me. If he hasn't gone yet, then I might have a chance to confirm... Confirm what? Whether or not I'm glitching?
“Ever have a dream so real, you actually thought it was?”
His reaction to my question is textbook I-want-to-sound-important-and very-busy-so-I'm-going-to-be-short-with-you. He doesn't know. Not yet.
You've been here three weeks? I only just saw you!
It's a pathetic lead, but it's the only one I've got. I don't know if time passes the same way between the two places. Frag, I don't even know if he'll remember going, although I seem to.
Funny how Sentinel just became the most important bot in my life. Three weeks. I can wait that long.
= = =
I'm going insane.
= = =
Another cycle, another visitor to my corner of Autobot HQ.
“Hey mech, what can I do for you?”
“You can call Sari, she's asking about you. All of us from the Earth team have checked in with her- those of us who still can, at least...”
Before I can say anything to break into his self-recrimination, he's pulled himself together enough to carry on.
"Anyway, call. Soon."
“I know. It's just been kinda crazy on my end.”
Huh, the truth, even if he takes it in a completely different way. He shakes his head and looks sadly at me.
“Needs of the many, boss-bot.” I wave at the reports on my desk, grinning at him. Unlike Cliffjumper, this mech isn't fooled, not for long.
“Look, I know you miss him, we do too. It'd probably do you a lot of good to talk to one of us.”
One look in his optics and I know that he doesn't know. Still, it's good advice, if only I could talk about what happened without getting hauled off to the nearest medic.
“I'll call her.”
He nods, smiling, and leaves. Optimus will be a great leader, I know it.
= = =
I don't know if I can wait three weeks.
= = =
Sari yells at me for not calling sooner, and while in the midst of dragging out a promise to visit soon, I see it happen. A pause. A blink. A flicker in her eyes. She shakes her head slightly, clearly trying to keep from crying, then looks at me, pulling on a smirk and asking.
“What? Do I have something on my face?”
Taking a chance, I smile faintly and reply.
“Nope, you're still as pretty as a flower, sweetspark.”
She goes pale.
“I'm not crazy.”
“If you're crazy, then I have fine company in crazy-land.”
“ It was real. You were there.”
“I was.”
“Oh... Oh! You have to go back!”
She's crying, and I bow my head, putting all my spark in my promise.
“I will.”
= = =
I have to tell Sari that Ratchet does not remember yet.
She makes me swear to pack the doc off to see her the moment he does.
One does not deny a determined techno-organic femme anything. I didn't.
= = =
I go looking for another mech, and find him exactly where I expect him to be.
He remembers, which is unexpected but makes things much easier. I hand over the environmental readings I took my first day there, those of the normal zone as well as of that strange in-between one that I stumbled into.
He vanishes into his lab, muttering something about 'visiting'.
I send Wheeljack after him to make sure he refuels on occasion. And to let me know when Perceptor finds something.
= = =
It's been three weeks.
= = =
Sentinel hasn't noticed how closely I've been sticking to him. Then again, I can't exactly be lousy at what I do for a living. But it's during a casual conversation that I spot that flicker in his optics.
“Hey...”
“Mm?”
“About that question on dreams...”
= = =
Sentinel remembers, but he doesn't want to and soon considers it all a dream for real.
= = =
I get the call from Wheeljack late one cycle.
I'm at the lab less than 5 decaclicks later.
Perceptor has a strange rectangle floating in the centre of his lab, a construct of silvery grey light and black smokiness. I head straight for it.
Wheeljack stands between me and the portal.
“You can't! We don't know where it goes!”
But I do. I can't explain it, but I do. One look at Perceptor and I know he feels the same way. But he's the scientist, no doubt he wants more data before leaping into the potential unknown.
I set my comm. to transmit what data my scans can gather to them, then fling myself through before anyone can stop me.
= = =
Almost there...
= = =
I land in the in-between, but not quite as deep within it as before. There are landmarks here, if you look, and I find my way back out eventually, driving as slowly as I can bear to.
Darkness gives way to greenery, though the sky is still dim. Is it evening or morning here? I don't know, and I don't care. The road flashes under me as I pour on the speed, scrambling into root mode, through the trees and up the path to the building in front of me.
How long have I been away?
Too long.
Everything looks a little run down. Grass is sprouting at the front step. There are creepers steadily climbing up some of the pillars. I head around the back and my breath catches.
The rock garden is pristine, as neatly raked as ever.
I enter the Dojo silently, moving through the darkness to push open another door, stopping in my tracks when I spot the mech sitting cross legged in the middle of the room, optics dark.
A blue visor flashes online and we stare, trapped in each others' gazes.
Before I know it I'm running towards him, and then we're both on our knees clinging to each other, me whispering his name as he runs disbelieving hands over my helm.
“Prowl...”
“Jazz.”
= = =
He kisses me and I am home.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2010-09-14 03:43 pm (UTC)*ded from happy* ^___^;;
*nuzz*
(no subject)
Date: 2010-09-14 04:26 pm (UTC)Glad you like it ^_^
(no subject)
Date: 2010-09-14 05:07 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-09-14 03:46 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-09-14 04:30 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-09-14 04:05 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-09-14 04:31 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-09-14 07:47 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-09-15 01:46 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-09-15 09:41 pm (UTC)Hobbit reference!
Date: 2010-09-14 11:57 pm (UTC)It was the only title I could think of ^_^;;
Date: 2010-09-15 01:53 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-09-15 01:13 am (UTC)Why does Prowl always seem to get the short stick in canon anyway?
(no subject)
Date: 2010-09-15 01:55 am (UTC)