TG'verse. Prime's compound in Iacon. Nearly a week after Sunstreaker's passing
Rodimus walked down the hallway of the barracks, grinning and exchanging greetings with most of the Transformers that he passed. It was the start of the main down shift, so the place was full, and much visiting was going on from room to room and in the hallways themselves. The just-finished Peace Summit was a big topic of conversation, and the Autobot Prime heard it being discussed and speculated on through twenty doors and from nearly as many clumps of conversationalists or ball players in the hall. Most of these mechs and femmes were too young to remember what peace was really like, and Rodimus sighed as he heard some of what they were saying.
Then he brightened and chuckled as he stopped in front of an open door at the end of the hall. "Hey, Red Alert; Sideswipe. I'm sorry it's taken me so long to get here."
The Security Chief looked up from where he sat on the berth with his arm around his spark-mate, his blue optics still holding the slightly preoccupied look of a mech who's trying to work out where he ends and his lady begins. "It's not your fault the Sisters have a lousy sense of timing."
"Is she asleep?" Rodimus' voice softened.
"Yes." Red Alert gently rubbed Sideswipe's shoulder, then smiled as he felt her answering affection and heard her sigh as she snuggled closer. "Being broken from Sunstreaker isn't easy for her."
Then he looked up again. "Come in. We've still got one chair."
"Still got?" Rodimus slipped into the room and settled on the bit of furniture in question.
"Inferno broke the other one yesterday, while impersonating a rampaging Dinobot." Red Alert shook his head.
Rodimus laughed and leaned back. "It was good to see those guys again. Archiva's taking good care of them."
"I missed them," said the Security Chief. "But Firestar told us about their visit."
"And then Inferno started remembering old times?" Rodimus rested his hands on his knees, his optics twinkling as he remembered some of those old times.
"Yes." Red Alert shook his head again. "The idiot."
"Awww, we all know you couldn't love the guy more if you were build brothers." Rodimus chuckled, his grin widening teasingly.
"Actually, we are."
"Oh? You found the record, then." The teasing faded into interest.
"Yes. One separate-sparked triad with a fire theme, created circa _____."
"Wow, you're older than I am."
"We knew that, and how is it relevant?"
Rodimus just gave another chuckle, but then sobered. "How are the two of you adapting?"
Red Alert shifted how he was leaning back against the wall, then murmured softly over his link to Sideswipe as she startled and mentally reached out for him. "It's hard sometimes... feels like I'm missing part of my systems. And I can feel that Sideswipe's experiencing the same thing. Linking with Inferno and Firestar helps, but it's something that we're just going to have to get used to."
"Take your time," said Rodimus gently. "There's no rush for you to get back on duty. Just focus on healing, alright? Don't make Sunstreaker look back and wish she could kick your skid plate."
"She wouldn't wish," returned Red Alert. "She'd find some way to do it. But I haven't got much choice in the matter, anyway. Sideswipe needs me." His mouth twitched as his mate sent an unconscious burst of affection and reassurance.
"Is it quiet enough here? You know you were welcome to spend more time in Repairs." The Prime frowned with concern as he heard what sounded like a minor cheerful riot break out just up the hall.
"This is home, Rodimus. I've lived here all my life that wasn't spent on Earth. Some of the voices are different, but this is where Sideswipe and I are used to being. The repair bay was too quiet, even with Panacea's... contributions."
The younger mech couldn't hold in a grin at the reference to his mate's habit of temperamental commentary. "Hey, all the conferences kind of wore her out."
"I think they wore out everyone who was involved," said Red Alert soberly. "Did they do any good, do you think?"
"Oh yeah." Rodimus nodded as he reached into subspace and produced a box of energon goodies, which he tossed gently to land within his friend's reach. "They did a lot of good. And they'll do more. There were a lot of seeds planted last week."
"Organic terminology." Red Alert leaned his head back against the wall as he looked up the reference and understood it. "Good."
"Sunstreaker did her part," added Rodimus gently. "I... said some things after she crossed over, and it looks like they struck home."
Red Alert's chin firmed as he said again, quietly, "Good."
Rodimus leaned forward to pat him on the foot, then rose from the chair and turned toward the door. "Get some more rest. And tell Sideswipe I said 'congratulations'."
"Yes, sir. And thank you." Red Alert watched him go, then looked down at the femme snuggled against his side and in his mind and kissed her gently on the forehead before he followed her into recharge.
Then he brightened and chuckled as he stopped in front of an open door at the end of the hall. "Hey, Red Alert; Sideswipe. I'm sorry it's taken me so long to get here."
The Security Chief looked up from where he sat on the berth with his arm around his spark-mate, his blue optics still holding the slightly preoccupied look of a mech who's trying to work out where he ends and his lady begins. "It's not your fault the Sisters have a lousy sense of timing."
"Is she asleep?" Rodimus' voice softened.
"Yes." Red Alert gently rubbed Sideswipe's shoulder, then smiled as he felt her answering affection and heard her sigh as she snuggled closer. "Being broken from Sunstreaker isn't easy for her."
Then he looked up again. "Come in. We've still got one chair."
"Still got?" Rodimus slipped into the room and settled on the bit of furniture in question.
"Inferno broke the other one yesterday, while impersonating a rampaging Dinobot." Red Alert shook his head.
Rodimus laughed and leaned back. "It was good to see those guys again. Archiva's taking good care of them."
"I missed them," said the Security Chief. "But Firestar told us about their visit."
"And then Inferno started remembering old times?" Rodimus rested his hands on his knees, his optics twinkling as he remembered some of those old times.
"Yes." Red Alert shook his head again. "The idiot."
"Awww, we all know you couldn't love the guy more if you were build brothers." Rodimus chuckled, his grin widening teasingly.
"Actually, we are."
"Oh? You found the record, then." The teasing faded into interest.
"Yes. One separate-sparked triad with a fire theme, created circa _____."
"Wow, you're older than I am."
"We knew that, and how is it relevant?"
Rodimus just gave another chuckle, but then sobered. "How are the two of you adapting?"
Red Alert shifted how he was leaning back against the wall, then murmured softly over his link to Sideswipe as she startled and mentally reached out for him. "It's hard sometimes... feels like I'm missing part of my systems. And I can feel that Sideswipe's experiencing the same thing. Linking with Inferno and Firestar helps, but it's something that we're just going to have to get used to."
"Take your time," said Rodimus gently. "There's no rush for you to get back on duty. Just focus on healing, alright? Don't make Sunstreaker look back and wish she could kick your skid plate."
"She wouldn't wish," returned Red Alert. "She'd find some way to do it. But I haven't got much choice in the matter, anyway. Sideswipe needs me." His mouth twitched as his mate sent an unconscious burst of affection and reassurance.
"Is it quiet enough here? You know you were welcome to spend more time in Repairs." The Prime frowned with concern as he heard what sounded like a minor cheerful riot break out just up the hall.
"This is home, Rodimus. I've lived here all my life that wasn't spent on Earth. Some of the voices are different, but this is where Sideswipe and I are used to being. The repair bay was too quiet, even with Panacea's... contributions."
The younger mech couldn't hold in a grin at the reference to his mate's habit of temperamental commentary. "Hey, all the conferences kind of wore her out."
"I think they wore out everyone who was involved," said Red Alert soberly. "Did they do any good, do you think?"
"Oh yeah." Rodimus nodded as he reached into subspace and produced a box of energon goodies, which he tossed gently to land within his friend's reach. "They did a lot of good. And they'll do more. There were a lot of seeds planted last week."
"Organic terminology." Red Alert leaned his head back against the wall as he looked up the reference and understood it. "Good."
"Sunstreaker did her part," added Rodimus gently. "I... said some things after she crossed over, and it looks like they struck home."
Red Alert's chin firmed as he said again, quietly, "Good."
Rodimus leaned forward to pat him on the foot, then rose from the chair and turned toward the door. "Get some more rest. And tell Sideswipe I said 'congratulations'."
"Yes, sir. And thank you." Red Alert watched him go, then looked down at the femme snuggled against his side and in his mind and kissed her gently on the forehead before he followed her into recharge.