randomplaces | Nottabeater'verse. Jazz and Bee family quarters. Surprising aftermath.

Soundwave smiled inwardly as his check with Wisp earned him an affectionate laugh and a tease. His mate was changed... after so many millennia she couldn't not be... but that dancing sense of humor that had first caught his attention so many vorns ago was still there. And, as it had back then, her brightness lightened his own silent and taciturn nature. With her at his side he lived again instead of merely existing.

And Jazz would tease him rusty if he ever got wind of Soundwave thinking such thoughts, though the silver mech waxed just as poetic about his own bond-mate.

Family. Friendship. Forgiveness. I have so much more here than I deserve, he noted to himself as the door to Jazz and Bumblebee's quarters slid open in front of him. Both mech and femme were working today, but Waltz was here, 'grounded' to quarters for her participation in a recent brawl between her younger brother and some mechs in the Nexus. The young femme was babysitting her smaller siblings, and Soundwave was dropping in to tell them some stories and pass the afternoon in their bright company.

Only... things didn't look so bright.

He looked up at a grumpy looking Honey hanging from the ceiling, and then scanned the room and zeroed in on the couch where Waltz lay curled around a sleeping Kriti. "Waltz?"

She started, then stirred slightly and moved her head to look at him, her dark optics dull. "Oh... Uncle Soundwave. ...I didn't hear you come in."

He tilted his head in a frown, then limped over quickly and hopped up beside her to gently lay a hand on her back.

"Nnnnn." She gave a little whimper. "Don't... please don't shake things."

"What's wrong?" he demanded, worry squeezing his spark.

"...Sick." She hid her face again against her tiny foster sister. "Everything's spinning."

There was no fever. None of the usual signs of a virus. Soundwave frowned and commed Ratchet and Jazz.

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Jazz is at a stop light. His human hologram sits next to Sam in the drivers seat, which goes to cup his ear when he gets the signal. :Yo! What's up Sounders?:

"I'm telling you, man, Hamster Dance on endless loop is evil..." Sam trails off and looks over at his friend, their music discussion forgotten in a perk of interest.

//Jazz, can you return to base?// There's concern in his friend's usually flat voice.

"Sam, call your boss, tell him there was an emergency." Jazz takes back over as driver and switches on his turn signal at the next exit.

//On my way right now. What is wrong?//

"Right." The teen's eyes go wide as he fumbles out his cellphone and stammers and spazzes through an explanation as to why they can't come get that last pizza and have to go home like yesterday!

//Waltz is ill. Ratchet's looking at her now.//

That sound Sam? That's the sound of Jazz switching to high gear.

They arrive at base in record breaking time, most likely with Sam screaming the whole time.

"Sam, get out."

Screaming, and yelling about Optimus killing them. He's more than happy to bail out the moment the door's open and lay on the floor of the entrance garage and hug the concrete.

Jazz unfolds and runs past Sam and to the Elevators. He's down in medbay faster than most people can blink and growling at everything. "What happened? Where is Waltz?"

"Right here." Ratchet's voice is soft, but holds warning that Jazz had best not disturb his patient. He's still scanning the young femme, paying particular attention to her chest area. Over to one side Soundwave wears Honey on his back and cuddles a whiny wriggly Kriti in silence.

Jazz is trying to be calm, as best he can. His youngest girl means the world to him just as much as all his other children. "Any idea what's wrong yet?" He mumbles, trying to hang back.

"I know exactly what's causing her illness," rumbles Ratchet, gently soothing Waltz's back as she curls up again. "I'm just trying to find out how it's possible."

"Ratch...don't beat around the bush with me, what's wrong with my little girl?" Jazz says, his voice flat.

The medic glances at Soundwave, and the smaller mech nods and turns to limp out of the room, taking Honey and Kriti with him. Once the door has closed behind him Ratchet turns back to Jazz.

"She's morning sick."

Waltz starts at this, her expression filling with confusion, and the yellow mech gently rubs her back again.

"The sparklet is developing normally, but I can't find any trace of spark codes other than Waltz's own."

Jazz sits down roughly on the floor. "How...how could that have happened? Waltz...Waltz ain't got a mech or a femme and I...I never heard of pathogenic babies in our kind."

"As I said, I'm trying to determine that." Ratchet frowns and folds away his scanner, then looks down at his patient. "Waltz, has anything unusual happened to you lately? Perhaps when you were in the Nexus?"

"I...." Her voice is small and frightened. "There was the fight... but I got knocked into some water. I...."

"Shhhhh," says Ratchet softly as she starts to cry, his mind going to something that Hormah said about her youngest sister. "It's going to be alright. No one is angry with you... where was the water you were knocked into?"

"I...I ain't mad baby girl." Jazz says finally getting up to take one of his daughters hands. "I'm scared too, but we can get through this. So don't panic."

Her slender, sturdy fingers curl around his odd ones as she blinks tears and nods. "It... the fountain."

"The one with the warning tape on it?" asks Ratchet, understanding and irritation dawning in his expression.

"Frickin' Nexus." He nuzzles his child soothingly. "Poor lil' girl."

//Oughta find one that pushed her and make him responsible.// He comm's to Ratchet.

//I'll report this to Optimus.// Ratchet's expression is gruff as he continues his gentle back rub.

"I... think I'm gonna purge," says Waltz faintly.

Jazz gets out of her way, joining in the back rubbing, purring softly even as he gives Ratchet a look.

//I will make them wish they were responsible if they don't. Tell Op that's fair warning.//

Waltz retches at the bucket that Ratchet hurries to get, but nothing comes out. After awhile she settles down on her front with her hand tucked under her cheek as her brown optics stare sadly down at the floor.

Ratchet rumbles and nods. "Waltz, can you tell us what the two mechs looked like? Scatcat's description of them wasn't very helpful."

"They called each other 'Sunny' and 'Sides'," she murmurs.

There is a pause from Jazz for a moment. "An they looked like us? Was one red and the other gold?"

"No. They were the tech with the big chins. But yes... those colours." She shutters her optics. "Want Mama...."

Jazz pats her, obviously even more mad at the two mystery mechs than he was before. But taking care of his daughter is first and for most in his mind.

"Soundwave's managed to contact Bumblebee. She's coming back." Ratchet sighs as he sees Waltz's systems settling down a bit.

Waltz, for her part, pushes herself up a little in quest of Daddy hugs.

Nottabeater'verse. Jazz and Bee family quarters. Surprising aftermath.

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