TG 'verse. Iacon. Who left Sideswipe alone with the sparklet?
"Red Alert?" Tigatron shifted his sleeping son in his arms as he paused in the Security Director's office door.
"Yes?" The busy mech didn't look up from the monitors he was surveying.
"I think that you need to come to the park."
Red Alert looked up at the gravely amused tone in the other's voice. "...Why?"
"You must see." Tigatron's mouth twitched at the corners.
"...When people say things like that it's usually something awful." Red Alert pushed his chair back, face set in grim apprehension.
"I do not know that it is awful. But you must see it." Tigatron turned and led the way out, gently rubbing Windstripe's back as the sparklet whimpered and clung.
It was awful.
Red Alert stared in horror at Sideswipe as his spark-mate stood on the shoulder of Optimus Prima's memorial statue and shouted that she was the king of the whole slagging world. Below her, a hysterically giggling Cometchaser was frenetically doing laps around the statue's base, pausing every few clicks to lift his arms and yell approbation of his mother's proclamations. To one side Springer was curled in a ball, his intakes gasping as he struggled to cool his systems and continue laughing at the same time. Airazor stood with ruffled feathers and an expression of utter flabbergast nearby.
Red Alert gave the Prime's Second a reproachful look as he strode forward to snag his son. "Cometchaser, stop. You're going to overheat."
"We're king of the whole slagging world, Dad!" The normally grave and quiet sparklet giggled maniacally.
"...How much energon have you had?" Red Alert frowned as he noticed the signs of a goody high.
"Half of what Mom bought! The little half, but that's okay, cause I'm littler!" More giggling.
"I am terrible and beautiful!" came the bellow from above. "Look on me, you rubes, and despair!"
"Oh, Primus. Now she's mangling poetry." Red Alert hid his face against Cometchaser for a moment.
"Ima little wild flower!" came the gleeful sparklet's response.
Red Alert just lifted his head and gave him a 0_o look.
A hand touched his shoulder, and he startled, the lights on his head flashing as he realized that someone had walked up behind him without him sensing the approach. But then he saw who it was and relaxed. "Skytrail. Will you hold Cometchaser while I go after his mother? I'm afraid if I say anything to her she'll fall."
The silent mech paused and gave the sparklet an uncertain look, but then nodded and held out his arms.
"And now, ladies and gentlemechs! You will see the second... wait... first now? The most beautiful femme on Cybertron shake her boo- tay!"
"NO!" said Red Alert before he could stop himself, hearing another explosion of helpless mirth from Springer. "No booty shaking!"
Someone wolf whistled piercingly, and then yelped as someone else hit them in the head.
"Well," said another bystander philosophically. "At least she's not pole dancing."
"Primus... help me," groaned Red Alert as he handed over his son and turned to scale the statue after his wayward mate.
"Whoa!" Inferno skidded to a stop and gaped. "Holy slag, how'd she get up there?"
"Oof! Ow...." Red Alert lay on his back and watched the sky spin. "Good question. Give me a boost?"
"Sure thing." The taller mech stooped and made a stirrup of his hands.
"Oh yeah, I can belly dance!" said Sideswipe happily.
Red Alert groaned again as Oriental music rang out overhead, then braced himself as he was boosted, quickly shifting his footing to Inferno's shoulder as he looked the statue over for places he could put his hands and feet.
"You know, Prima's probably laughing her aft off right about now," said Inferno.
"No. That's Springer." Red Alert leaped and clung.
He progressed exactly two feet, and then there was a rush and a clang, and he was laying on his back again half on and half off the statue base and trying to figure out how he'd gotten there.
"Red!" Sideswipe was suddenly beside him, cradling his head in her lap. "You shouldn't climb that thing! You could get hurt!"
Red Alert stared up at her, then shut his optics off and whimpered slightly as Inferno went down with a clatter and a burst of mirth.
"Red?" Sideswipe's voice shook slightly. "Inferno, stop laughing and help me get him to Panacea, quick!"
"Right." It took two tries for their brother to regain his feet.
"I'm alright." Red Alert tried to sit up, only to blink and lay back again. "I think I landed on my head."
"Yes. I believe that you did." Tigatron looked quizzically at Cometchaser, who was frozen in Skytrail's arms with an 'O' of shock on his mouth.
The silence lasted for a few more clicks, and then the sparklet squealed. "That was awesome, Dad! Do it again!"
"No... not today." Red Alert grumbled as Inferno scooped him up and carted him toward Panacea's realm. "What were you two eating, anyway?"
"Uh...." Sideswipe looked around, blinking. "I can't remember. We threw away the boxes.
"...How many boxes?"
"...A few?"
"SIX!"
"Dear Primus...."
"No wait. We didn't eat that many." Sideswipe stopped and looked at Cometchaser.
"Uh huh!!!!"
"Oh. Uh... I guess I might be a little cratered."
Red Alert facepalmed and muttered mournfully.
Later, sitting on the berth in the bedroom of his family's new home, he watched as Sideswipe snuggled Cometchaser and recharged, realizing that even with days like this one there was nothing he would trade for this pair, or the other two who shared this apartment.
"They look so peaceful," said Firestar softly from the door.
He nodded, optics still on the quiet tableau.
"How are you feeling?" She tilted her head, optics twinkling.
"Honestly?" Red Alert lifted his brow plates. "Relieved."
"Relieved? That Swiper's okay?"
"No." He reached out and gently stroked his resting mate's cheek, then bent down and kissed Cometchaser's helm. "I'd been a little worried about how they were going to fit in with you two. But now I know they'll be just fine."
"...Is that a crack?" Firestar gave him a mock 'look'.
"How many times has Inferno been on that statue now?" His mouth twitched.
"Er... I lost count."
"And how many bars have you danced on?"
"Heh... most of them?"
Red Alert nodded. "Just don't teach my mate and child any new bad habits, alright?"
"Can we learn from them?"
"If Inferno's still eating treats I'll put him in the brig."
Firestar laughed and stepped back from the door. "I'll tell him."
"You do that." He watched her go, then turned his attention back to Sideswipe and Cometchaser and fell back into weary but content reverie.
"Yes?" The busy mech didn't look up from the monitors he was surveying.
"I think that you need to come to the park."
Red Alert looked up at the gravely amused tone in the other's voice. "...Why?"
"You must see." Tigatron's mouth twitched at the corners.
"...When people say things like that it's usually something awful." Red Alert pushed his chair back, face set in grim apprehension.
"I do not know that it is awful. But you must see it." Tigatron turned and led the way out, gently rubbing Windstripe's back as the sparklet whimpered and clung.
It was awful.
Red Alert stared in horror at Sideswipe as his spark-mate stood on the shoulder of Optimus Prima's memorial statue and shouted that she was the king of the whole slagging world. Below her, a hysterically giggling Cometchaser was frenetically doing laps around the statue's base, pausing every few clicks to lift his arms and yell approbation of his mother's proclamations. To one side Springer was curled in a ball, his intakes gasping as he struggled to cool his systems and continue laughing at the same time. Airazor stood with ruffled feathers and an expression of utter flabbergast nearby.
Red Alert gave the Prime's Second a reproachful look as he strode forward to snag his son. "Cometchaser, stop. You're going to overheat."
"We're king of the whole slagging world, Dad!" The normally grave and quiet sparklet giggled maniacally.
"...How much energon have you had?" Red Alert frowned as he noticed the signs of a goody high.
"Half of what Mom bought! The little half, but that's okay, cause I'm littler!" More giggling.
"I am terrible and beautiful!" came the bellow from above. "Look on me, you rubes, and despair!"
"Oh, Primus. Now she's mangling poetry." Red Alert hid his face against Cometchaser for a moment.
"Ima little wild flower!" came the gleeful sparklet's response.
Red Alert just lifted his head and gave him a 0_o look.
A hand touched his shoulder, and he startled, the lights on his head flashing as he realized that someone had walked up behind him without him sensing the approach. But then he saw who it was and relaxed. "Skytrail. Will you hold Cometchaser while I go after his mother? I'm afraid if I say anything to her she'll fall."
The silent mech paused and gave the sparklet an uncertain look, but then nodded and held out his arms.
"And now, ladies and gentlemechs! You will see the second... wait... first now? The most beautiful femme on Cybertron shake her boo- tay!"
"NO!" said Red Alert before he could stop himself, hearing another explosion of helpless mirth from Springer. "No booty shaking!"
Someone wolf whistled piercingly, and then yelped as someone else hit them in the head.
"Well," said another bystander philosophically. "At least she's not pole dancing."
"Primus... help me," groaned Red Alert as he handed over his son and turned to scale the statue after his wayward mate.
"Whoa!" Inferno skidded to a stop and gaped. "Holy slag, how'd she get up there?"
"Oof! Ow...." Red Alert lay on his back and watched the sky spin. "Good question. Give me a boost?"
"Sure thing." The taller mech stooped and made a stirrup of his hands.
"Oh yeah, I can belly dance!" said Sideswipe happily.
Red Alert groaned again as Oriental music rang out overhead, then braced himself as he was boosted, quickly shifting his footing to Inferno's shoulder as he looked the statue over for places he could put his hands and feet.
"You know, Prima's probably laughing her aft off right about now," said Inferno.
"No. That's Springer." Red Alert leaped and clung.
He progressed exactly two feet, and then there was a rush and a clang, and he was laying on his back again half on and half off the statue base and trying to figure out how he'd gotten there.
"Red!" Sideswipe was suddenly beside him, cradling his head in her lap. "You shouldn't climb that thing! You could get hurt!"
Red Alert stared up at her, then shut his optics off and whimpered slightly as Inferno went down with a clatter and a burst of mirth.
"Red?" Sideswipe's voice shook slightly. "Inferno, stop laughing and help me get him to Panacea, quick!"
"Right." It took two tries for their brother to regain his feet.
"I'm alright." Red Alert tried to sit up, only to blink and lay back again. "I think I landed on my head."
"Yes. I believe that you did." Tigatron looked quizzically at Cometchaser, who was frozen in Skytrail's arms with an 'O' of shock on his mouth.
The silence lasted for a few more clicks, and then the sparklet squealed. "That was awesome, Dad! Do it again!"
"No... not today." Red Alert grumbled as Inferno scooped him up and carted him toward Panacea's realm. "What were you two eating, anyway?"
"Uh...." Sideswipe looked around, blinking. "I can't remember. We threw away the boxes.
"...How many boxes?"
"...A few?"
"SIX!"
"Dear Primus...."
"No wait. We didn't eat that many." Sideswipe stopped and looked at Cometchaser.
"Uh huh!!!!"
"Oh. Uh... I guess I might be a little cratered."
Red Alert facepalmed and muttered mournfully.
Later, sitting on the berth in the bedroom of his family's new home, he watched as Sideswipe snuggled Cometchaser and recharged, realizing that even with days like this one there was nothing he would trade for this pair, or the other two who shared this apartment.
"They look so peaceful," said Firestar softly from the door.
He nodded, optics still on the quiet tableau.
"How are you feeling?" She tilted her head, optics twinkling.
"Honestly?" Red Alert lifted his brow plates. "Relieved."
"Relieved? That Swiper's okay?"
"No." He reached out and gently stroked his resting mate's cheek, then bent down and kissed Cometchaser's helm. "I'd been a little worried about how they were going to fit in with you two. But now I know they'll be just fine."
"...Is that a crack?" Firestar gave him a mock 'look'.
"How many times has Inferno been on that statue now?" His mouth twitched.
"Er... I lost count."
"And how many bars have you danced on?"
"Heh... most of them?"
Red Alert nodded. "Just don't teach my mate and child any new bad habits, alright?"
"Can we learn from them?"
"If Inferno's still eating treats I'll put him in the brig."
Firestar laughed and stepped back from the door. "I'll tell him."
"You do that." He watched her go, then turned his attention back to Sideswipe and Cometchaser and fell back into weary but content reverie.