TG 'verse. Panacea's repair facility in Iacon. Reunited.
Ironhide gently patted Starforge's back as the sparklet clung to him uncertainly and looked around the repair facility hallway with wide optics that told of his fear of this strange and solemn place. "Easy, little britches. Nothin's gonna hurt ya here."
Starforge looked up at him. "But there's people that're hurt here."
"Yeah. But the docs're seein' to it they all git better." He wished he could lift his son and comfort him, but the stress of the past few orns had him too shaky to do much more than be firm enough to touch. "Yer Aunt Pansy works here, remember?"
"She gets mad when you call her that." One small brow plate lifted.
"I know." Ironhide chuckled.
"Starforge?" Chromia put her head out of a doorway only a few meters away from them.
"Mama!" He let go of Ironhide to run to her.
"Hey, little britches. Shhhh, everythin's alright, baby. You don't gotta cry. I'm here. Yer daddy's here. 'N so's your sister." She brought him inside so that she could sit in a chair and cuddle him close as he wept with relief and pent up sadness at being apart from she and Nova.
On the berth Nova turned her head to watch them with a frown of concern, but then brightened as she sensed a familiar presence near her. "Daddy!"
"How's my princess?" Ironhide hove shakily into view, hastily wiping at his optics.
"I'm okay." She sighed and gave him a look. "You 'n 'Forge don't needta go cryin'."
"I know." He gently slipped a hand under her head and lifted her slightly so that he could kiss her on the forehead. "'N I'm glad."
Her scowl faded as her small arms went around his neck. "It's all okay. Uncle Roddy says the badguy won't come back any more, 'n that the birds'll help us keep an optic out for any more've 'em."
Ironhide rubbed her back and thought of Rodimus' horrified interview with Blaster a few days earlier after the Prime had learned that his Head of Communications had turned his back while Laserbeak dropped the would-be assassin into the energon generator, then glanced over at the little blue spybird who perched quietly on the back of the other chair and watched them with friendly blue optics. He still wasn't sure what to think of the telepathic security mecha, despite Laserbeak and Blaster's assurances that they didn't read minds but only picked up on hostile thoughts and feelings. "Yer right, darlin'. But I can't help...."
"Bein' an old softy." Chromia chuckled, then looked down at Starforge. "How about we order in some'a that fizzy energon y'all like?"
His face brightened, and he turned to look at his sister, who grinned back at him encouragingly.
"Two yellow globes?" he asked eagerly, requesting Nova's favorite flavor.
"How 'bout a yellow one 'n a purple one." Chromia snuggled him close again as Ironhide wound up sitting on the berth with Nova using his legs for a pillow.
"Yeah, 'Forge," said his sister contentedly. "You don't always gotta be like me."
His face went blank with surprise at this thought, but then he perked up again and wriggled free of Chromia to go and climb up on the berth and lay beside his sister, who put an arm around him and sighed with contentment.
"When are you comin' home?" he asked softly, hugging her back.
"Aunty Pansy says tomorrow. But you-all're stayin' here till then, right?" She leaned back to focus on him better, then turned her head to look at Ironhide.
"Yeah," he said, his voice gruff as the urge to cry hit him again. "Nothin's movin' us outta here now till we kin bring you along, darlin'."
"Good." She sighed and turned her optics off. "Wake me up when the fizzy comes?"
"Sure thing, sweetspark." Ironhide gently rubbed both small backs and watched as his sparklets slipped into recharge, then sighed and leaned back. "'Mia...."
"Right here." She carefully got herself up beside him so that the little ones weren't disturbed as he lost solidity. "You needta go back 'n git some rest."
"I ain't leavin' ya." He stuck out his chin and scowled.
"Yer no good ta anybody when yer this tired," she argued sternly, but he just shook his head and folded his arms across his chest.
"Fine." She opened her chest panel. "If ya won't go home, then come here."
"Whaaat?" He stared.
"Yer needin' communion. Rest by my spark 'n quit lookin' like somebody jes' filled yer liquid nitrogen tank with whipped cream."
He blinked, only now remembering that long ago prank. "Ya sure? It might not be too comfortable."
"Neither's touchin' you right now. I kin feel yer hurtin'." She gave him a commanding look.
He sighed, then dwindled to a ball of glowing light and snuggled next to her spark.
"Good," she said softly, closing the panel and then patting it gently as she leaned back against the wall and powered her own optics down. "Now let's all get some rest."
Starforge looked up at him. "But there's people that're hurt here."
"Yeah. But the docs're seein' to it they all git better." He wished he could lift his son and comfort him, but the stress of the past few orns had him too shaky to do much more than be firm enough to touch. "Yer Aunt Pansy works here, remember?"
"She gets mad when you call her that." One small brow plate lifted.
"I know." Ironhide chuckled.
"Starforge?" Chromia put her head out of a doorway only a few meters away from them.
"Mama!" He let go of Ironhide to run to her.
"Hey, little britches. Shhhh, everythin's alright, baby. You don't gotta cry. I'm here. Yer daddy's here. 'N so's your sister." She brought him inside so that she could sit in a chair and cuddle him close as he wept with relief and pent up sadness at being apart from she and Nova.
On the berth Nova turned her head to watch them with a frown of concern, but then brightened as she sensed a familiar presence near her. "Daddy!"
"How's my princess?" Ironhide hove shakily into view, hastily wiping at his optics.
"I'm okay." She sighed and gave him a look. "You 'n 'Forge don't needta go cryin'."
"I know." He gently slipped a hand under her head and lifted her slightly so that he could kiss her on the forehead. "'N I'm glad."
Her scowl faded as her small arms went around his neck. "It's all okay. Uncle Roddy says the badguy won't come back any more, 'n that the birds'll help us keep an optic out for any more've 'em."
Ironhide rubbed her back and thought of Rodimus' horrified interview with Blaster a few days earlier after the Prime had learned that his Head of Communications had turned his back while Laserbeak dropped the would-be assassin into the energon generator, then glanced over at the little blue spybird who perched quietly on the back of the other chair and watched them with friendly blue optics. He still wasn't sure what to think of the telepathic security mecha, despite Laserbeak and Blaster's assurances that they didn't read minds but only picked up on hostile thoughts and feelings. "Yer right, darlin'. But I can't help...."
"Bein' an old softy." Chromia chuckled, then looked down at Starforge. "How about we order in some'a that fizzy energon y'all like?"
His face brightened, and he turned to look at his sister, who grinned back at him encouragingly.
"Two yellow globes?" he asked eagerly, requesting Nova's favorite flavor.
"How 'bout a yellow one 'n a purple one." Chromia snuggled him close again as Ironhide wound up sitting on the berth with Nova using his legs for a pillow.
"Yeah, 'Forge," said his sister contentedly. "You don't always gotta be like me."
His face went blank with surprise at this thought, but then he perked up again and wriggled free of Chromia to go and climb up on the berth and lay beside his sister, who put an arm around him and sighed with contentment.
"When are you comin' home?" he asked softly, hugging her back.
"Aunty Pansy says tomorrow. But you-all're stayin' here till then, right?" She leaned back to focus on him better, then turned her head to look at Ironhide.
"Yeah," he said, his voice gruff as the urge to cry hit him again. "Nothin's movin' us outta here now till we kin bring you along, darlin'."
"Good." She sighed and turned her optics off. "Wake me up when the fizzy comes?"
"Sure thing, sweetspark." Ironhide gently rubbed both small backs and watched as his sparklets slipped into recharge, then sighed and leaned back. "'Mia...."
"Right here." She carefully got herself up beside him so that the little ones weren't disturbed as he lost solidity. "You needta go back 'n git some rest."
"I ain't leavin' ya." He stuck out his chin and scowled.
"Yer no good ta anybody when yer this tired," she argued sternly, but he just shook his head and folded his arms across his chest.
"Fine." She opened her chest panel. "If ya won't go home, then come here."
"Whaaat?" He stared.
"Yer needin' communion. Rest by my spark 'n quit lookin' like somebody jes' filled yer liquid nitrogen tank with whipped cream."
He blinked, only now remembering that long ago prank. "Ya sure? It might not be too comfortable."
"Neither's touchin' you right now. I kin feel yer hurtin'." She gave him a commanding look.
He sighed, then dwindled to a ball of glowing light and snuggled next to her spark.
"Good," she said softly, closing the panel and then patting it gently as she leaned back against the wall and powered her own optics down. "Now let's all get some rest."