TF-'verse. Nellis AF base. Bringing home a stray.

[random_xtras]

There are two couches in the common room of the hanger. One is large enough to accommodate an over thirty foot mech comfortably.

Optimus is sprawled on the smaller one, his long legs stretched out in front of him as he holds a datapad in one hand and cuddles an armload of Elita and sparklings with the other. He doesn't look away from the huge plasma TV as he hears someone PINpoint in. "Welcome back, Ratchet. Arther Ryan called while you were out, and asked that you contact him as soon as possible."

"Oh so now he calls," growls the CMO. "Well, he's too late. I've already taken the other offer."

Then he pauses and looks at his alt, aware of the dusty concrete floor scattered with toys, the Transformer-sized DDR game in the corner, and the drunken black pickup sleeping it off in the courtyard behind them. "Welcome to the base."

Optimus looks up quizzically.

Comments

[l33tmedic.livejournal.com]

Typically when one hears "brace yourself", it's an invitation to prep in whatever manner one finds acceptable. For an Autobot turned Maximal turned fused Pretender now with more organic oriented components, this equaled out to shifting down into beast mode just a moment before PINpointing out of the Nexus. It's the Maximal and Pretender ends agreeing on one thing - beast mode is safer, more durable and recovers from unexpected injuries quicker. It's almost instinctual.

Ratchet, in bear mode, backs up a step, sniffing at the air and taking in several new scents along with the new sights. His rounded ears perk at the sound of Optimus' voice... The mech sounds almost exactly like the bear Ratchet's Prime. He experiences a moment of home sickness and nostalgia, but it's brief, chased off by the fact that this other Prime doesn't smell or look like the one he served under.

At his alt's welcome, Ratchet tries to get his head together. The animal part of him is still sorting through all the scents, sounds and sights. "Thanks. It looks like you have quite the set up, here..."

[random_xtras]

"Wait till you see the new facility." Ratchet sets Columbia down on her feet and watches her run to join the snuggle pile next to Optimus. "This is our Prime, and this..." A tiny dove grey femme. "...Is Elita. The truck's Ironhide. And the sparklings are... Rap and Honey. Isn't Bumblebee on duty at the safe house?"

"She hadta come get somethin'," says the cobalt blue sixteen footer comfortably.

"Who?" Optimus interrupts gently but firmly, looking at the bear.

"Oh." Ratchet rubs the back of his neck in a gesture that he picked up from Sam. "This is Ratchet."

[l33tmedic.livejournal.com]

For a moment, Ratchet is entirely distracted by the introduction of Ironhide. He almost pads towards the idling Cybertronian for a better look, but thinks better of it. That isn't YOUR Ironhide, Ratch. Put a lid on it. Just because this one looks like your Ironhide the very last time you saw him...

While not shy by nature except in the presence of a few femmes in his past, Ratchet finds it difficult to look Optimus Prime in the optics, but forces himself to come around his alt's side to where he can be easily seen. It then strikes him that perhaps he should shift modes so he's more on the level with the rest. Mentally playing through the "maximize" command in his own processors to instill a better sense of control in an unfamiliar place, he transforms up into robot mode. "Good to make your acquaintance. My own home recently, er, 'fell in on itself' would be the way to put it, I guess. So...well... I just don't want to impose."

[random_xtras]

Optimus looks back at him, straightening up on the couch and absently muting the television without using the remote. "You're looking for somewhere to stay, then?"

The little six foot mint green femme with the big blue optics and the little starfish hands hops down from the couch then and walks over to confidently hold her arms up to this new Ratchet. Pickame!

"Er, no, Honey. Why don't you come see Uncle Ratchet instead?" The native medic reaches for her, only to watch her dance away and then put her hands on her hips at him.

[l33tmedic.livejournal.com]

"If just temporarily, although Ratchet did mention there was also a safe house behind Blue's bar," the bear mech responds, feeling a bit out of place in all this. "I'm also a field medic and surgeon, and having been on Earth for about two decades, I've also got extensive knowledge of human medicine. If he needs assistance with anything-" Ratchet nods to his alt "-I can probably help him out. And well...if you're looking for another decently capable fighter, I can stand my ground. This shell's got a few armaments to it. Don't really know what your situation is here in terms of Decepticons or any other threats."

Ratchet's attention shifts suddenly as Honey approaches him. He's not spent too much time around very young Cybertronians and although he's seen them around in the Nexus, one actually walking right up to him for attention is a new on on him. Something about it is rather cute, though, so when Honey doesn't let the other Ratchet take her up, bear Ratchet pulls her into his arms and hoists her up, resting her side against his chest. "Hey. Come to say hello?"

[random_xtras]

Optimus gives a deep chuckle as he watches the sparkling snuggle against the newcomer with happy little beeps and a "Bbbbbb!" He'd already been inclined to trust the other mech on the basis of him being a Ratchet, but he trusts Honey's judgment of character, and her vote of confidence shows him that he's got nothing to worry about.

He's about to reply when Bumblebee steps out of the hall and walks over to stand in front of the taller mech with her hands on her hips and a twinkle in the optics that she passed on to her daughter.

"What the heck is this?" she says with amusement. "Chewie lives!"

Ratchet groans and facepalms. "Bumblebee, please."

She only laughs at him, pats Honey, and then continues on her way with a wink of light from the little rhinestone ornament on her thigh.

[l33tmedic.livejournal.com]

If Ratchet had his bear ears on his helm, they probably would have laid flat. "'Chewie'? Bah! I'm better looking than a Wookie!" There is still a bit of amusement in his tone, so he's not completely offended by the nick name.

Then it strikes him that his alt refered to the femme as "Bumblebee." He stares after her for a moment. "'Bumblebee'? Well... That's...different. Not bad, but different. You lot have a lot more females hanging around then my group ever did."

Turning his attention back to the sparkling in his arms, Ratchet tilts his head and touches the middle of his chevron to Honey's forehead. He's not sure if the gesture is one they know, but where he's from, it's an unspoken sign of affection...and not one he uses too lightly, himself. But Honey seems to have won him over fairly quickly.

[nottabeater.livejournal.com]

"Bbbbb," says the little one softly, shuttering her optics and leaning into the gesture. She knows this. Daddy and Mama do it. Then she starts softly playing 'Twinkle, twinkle, little star' on her radio.

"Yes. That was Bumblebee." Ratchet sighs, though his mouth is twitching at the Honey cuteness and his alternate's response to Bee's crack. "Honey's creator, and Jazz's sparkmate."

[l33tmedic.livejournal.com]

Ratchet takes a few seconds to let that sink in. "...that'll take some getting used to... Jazz as Bumblebee's sparkmate, I mean. Interesting to see how things differ."

Honey's reaction makes him grin, almost making him wish he had a sparkling of his own. He's not entirely sure if Delphia would want one, however...and he's not sure how good of a example he'd be. As much as he glitched about First Aid, Ratchet felt he wasn't really the best mentor to begin with. "I think Honey likes my fur." He winks at the little one. "You like bears, kiddo?"

[random_xtras]

"Wait till you see Jazz's shell," says Ratchet soberly. "Or meet Ironhide's grandsons."

There's an irritated beep from the courtyard at mention of the black truck's name. //Leave me alone. I'm asleep.//

Ratchet rolls his optics and shakes his head, then smiles at Honey. "She likes her Winnie the Pooh bear."

"Bbbb!" Honey giggles and reaches to touch the fur. "Bwee!"

[l33tmedic.livejournal.com]

Ratchet glances in the direction of Ironhide, still feeling the pull to go speak to him despite his logical side telling him it's just not worth it. Not his Ironhide. Instead, he tries to keep his attention focused on his alt and Honey, who seems to be interested in petting him.

"I guess a sparkling being brought up here on Earth might want stuffed animals, same as a human child," he reasons as he sets Honey on her own two feet again. In the mood to humor her and feeling almost a little playful himself, Ratchet transforms to beast mode and sits down. He rather resembles an extremely large, white circus bear with the way he's sitting in such a human-like fashion. "You can pet, kiddo."

[random_xtras]

"That could be part of it." Ratchet goes to one knee, totally forgetting Optimus, who is watching them with amusement. "She's the only one to really show the behavior, though Columbia has a blanket that she's fond of."

"Hey." Rap wants to know as he sits up. "Can I feel your fur too, man?"

Ratchet glances at the sixteen foot cobalt blue sparkling, then turns back to his alt and speaks to him privately via comm. //Rap is actually younger than Honey. He just processes at a higher level.//

[l33tmedic.livejournal.com]

"Each to their own, even in youth." Bear Ratchet seems to have forgotten about Optimus watching, as well, he's so caught up in conversation and dealing with the younglings. As Rap gets involved, he tilts his head to one side and takes his alt's private message into consideration. He can handle one sparkling, but the idea of two being about him makes him a bit nervous for some reason he can't quite explain. Nevertheless, he nods and lays down on the floor like a big bear rug. "If you want. Just don't make it a point to pet in the opposite direction my fur lays... It feels odd that way."

[nottabeater.livejournal.com]

"Like George's." Rap nods as he comes to hunker next to him and carefully study the fur along his shoulders. "Oh... this is real. Sweeet!"

"Bbbb!" says Honey, moving in for more snuggles.

//Perhaps,// says Ratchet privately. //Sometimes I worry that I damaged her when I moved her to her shell.//

[l33tmedic.livejournal.com]

Thinking some reassurance might be in order, Ratchet responds to his alt on the same secure frequency. //How long ago was she sparked and moved? I've built my own share of shells and had to work on moving sparks into them. Sometimes things just go a bit awry, but work themselves out again later.//

Ratchet allows the two sparklings to examine him and well...cuddle or pet him as they will. Truthfully, he'd probably snarl and snap at a fully matured mech if they attempted to treat him in such a manner, but these two get a free pass, if just based on youthful curiosity. "It's real...and it sheds out, unfortunately. An accident with some transwarp technology followed by a jolt from an altered CR/scan chamber left me this way. I used to transform into an ambulance."

[random_xtras]

//She was sparked nearly eight months ago. Moved to her shell nearly six months ago,// says Ratchet. //The fact that her father was dead when she was sparked... could also be a factor.//

"Dunno what transwarp means," says Rap thoughtfully. "Or CR chambers. But I got a big brush, if it'd help."

[l33tmedic.livejournal.com]

//"Was dead when she was sparked"...?// The response carries a note of surprise with it. As bear Ratchet's universe's Cybertronians did not have the ability to reproduce in quite the same manner, the explanation strikes him as even more out of the ordinary than what he is accustomed to...

Glancing at Rap, Ratchet frowns. "If it helps, just take all that explaining to mean 'it was an accident and a bad one, at that'. Sometimes when you mess with science, you're playing with fire...and it can blow up in your face." He nods at the mention of a brush with a bit of a grimace, however. "Well, if you've got a brush, I wouldn't refuse borrowing it."

[random_xtras]

//Yes. He was a wandering free spark. He got a little too close to Bumblebee while keeping her from dying, and a little while later we found Honey's spark in Bumblebee's spark chamber.// Ratchet sounds bemused as he relates the incident.

Rap actually laughs. "Uncle Ratchet had somethin' do that the other day." Then he hops to his feet, one Bumblebee-type hand pushing down on his knee as he does. "Alright. I'll go get it. BRB."

Honey giggles and snuggles. She likes this guy.

Then she turns her head and looks at Optimus, who's still smiling at them.