Don't Save Me Ch. 9
Summary: Prowl finally meets his creation
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: just more emotional smuck
-thinking-
Flashback
:bond:
"I want to see her."
Shocked, Jazz looked up to see Prowl standing at his office door. Prowl being in his office didn't bother Jazz, what surprised Jazz was that this was the first time Prowl had spoke to him in three weeks.
Jazz paced nervously. Prowl was supposed to be back hours ago and with his end of the bond closed off, Jazz had nothing to do but worry.
At the sound of the door opening, Jazz turned to see Prowl walk into their quarters.
"Prowler! There ya are, I was worried." Jazz made to move towards his mate but stopped when the bond opened and he felt a rush of emotion from Prowl; anger, happiness, sorrow, pride, guilt, relief, confusion.
Taken aback by the flood across the bond, Jazz sent a pulse of comfort, only to be rebuffed.
"Prowler what's wrong?" Jazz asked. "Where were you, I've been worried."
"Medbay."
Jazz continued to watch Prowl's stoic expression, hoping to catch a hint of what was going on through Prowl's head. "What were ya doin in the medbay?"
"I was talking to Ratchet." Prowl answered. "We were discussing the Decepticon we have in custody.
Jazz swallowed. He had the feeling that he would regret asking but… "Why are ya interested in another psychopathic Con? We're probably just gonna keep him 'round for interrogation...
"That psychopathic Con, Jazz, happens to be the creation you wanted to talk about."
...Wait, what? Prowl's creation was in the brig?
"Prowl, are ya sure?" Jazz asked, feeling the sense of hurt and betrayal coming back. "I mean it could be just any Con down there."
"Yes, Jazz. I can feel the pull on my spark, besides Ratchet has graphs of our spark signatures" Prowl replied, irritation in his tone.
"Ratchet also told me how he had to take a trip down there because someone pulled her against electric bars."
So that was the she Prowl cried for at night. Jazz understood now why Prowl was angry. He had harmed his offspring. He could feel anger and hurt from Prowl. Not only had that but his reaction to Prowl's questions about the Decepticon hurt Prowl, badly. "Prowl, I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything by it."
Prowl watched Jazz with a cold glare and replied "No you're not."
With that, Prowl had walked to their bedroom and Jazz had stayed up the rest of night thinking of a way to apologize to his bondmate.
The next morning, Jazz told Prowl he was sorry, but received no answer. Prowl had ignored him ever since. Prowl had even gone far enough to close his side of the bond. It had been three weeks of slow, lonesome torture for Jazz to have his mate be so close, yet so far away from him. And now Prowl was here, wanting her.
Prowl watched Jazz as he waited for his mate to respond. He knew he shouldn't have ignored Jazz but he needed to sort through his thoughts and emotions and he couldn't do that while he felt Jazz's bias, not with this. He knew what he wanted to do, but he didn't want to do it without Jazz's support. He remembered how Barricade would scheme and manipulate, he didn't want to feel anything like that. Not again, he didn't want to be without Jazz again.
"Please Jazz, I need to do this. I'm not sure I can do it on my own."
Prowl watched Jazz from the door, after a few moments of silence he turned to leave.
: Wait. :
Prowl stopped with his hand on the door. He didn't move as he listened to Jazz cross the room to him. He didn't look over his should as Jazz wrapped his arms around his waist and laid his head between trembling doorwings.
-My hand is shaking- Prowl noted as he waited for Jazz to say something.
: Why? :
: Because, because I remember. The nightmares she...she was in them... : Jazz clutched Prowl closer as his doorwings began to tremble. Crooning, he encouraged his mate to continue.
: Barricade did..horrible things. But a sparkling, a little sparkling made him, me feel. I, he was cruel. She was trained to kill and ignore all pain. But Barricade, I..he loved her. No matter what, she was worth it. But I only know her through Barricade. I..I just want to see her for myself. I...want that. I… : Jazz began to stroke Prowl's doorwings to calm him.
"It's alright, love. I understand, I do" Jazz soothed. "I'm not sure I like it, but if that's what ya really wanna do, we'll go." If only he could ignore the ache in his spark.
: You mean it? :
Jazz chuckled. "Course Prowler. I love ya too much to not mean it." Sending pulses of love and reassurance, Jazz smiled as he felt Prowl relax in his grip. Even though he told Prowl it would be okay, he still worried about what would happen to Prowl when he decided to go to the brig.
"Not to kill the mood, but when do ya wanna do this?" Jazz asked his mate as Prowl extracted himself from his hold.
"Now."
"Right now?" Prowl nodded.
With a sigh, Jazz shrugged. "Lead the way, Prowler."
It's the real authentic
Leave ya'll dented
Forget what ya heard
If I said it, I meant it
Did it for real
While ya'll pretended
Back for more
Startin' the war to end it
Raw
Rippin' like I'm working a chainsaw
New York to Cali
New Jersey to Crenshaw
Speak the gift while you plead the fifth
My team is sick
We eat, sleep, and breathe this shit
Rough and rugged
Kill 'em soft
We don't leave one standin' when we breakin' 'em off
Takin' a loss?
Not a chance in your life
If being fresh is wrong, I don't wanna be right
Stop, drop, and roll
We got soul
Safe to pop off when we lock and load
So this how we get this done
You can check on the rep, yep, second to none
Check on the rep, second to none, yea
This how we get this done
You can check on the rep, second to none
Check on the rep, second to none, yea
This how we get this done
You can check on the rep, second to none
Bumblebee looked over to the femme. She had her doorwings folded in as she leaned against a wall of her cell. He had managed to drag her into brief conversations, though he still ended up playing music most of his shift. Bumblebee did take the femme's comment about how she preferred his music to the twins' constant fighting as a compliment. Bee couldn't help but to feel a little pride that he was the only one the Decepticon would talk to. When anyone else came in she'd just ignore them.
In a way Bee felt glad that he could talk to the Con. He had felt more isolated from his comrades lately and it bothered him. It seemed like everyone had their own problems and didn't have time for the camaro. So Bumblebee had no one to talk to and since he was still recovering from his last encounter with the enemy he spent a lot of time on guard duty.
It wasn't so bad, Bumblebee reasoned. He could play music as loud as he wanted; play videogames, text Sam in class, and try to learn more about the femme in the cell as she caught onto his radio speak when his vocalizer gave out. Speaking of which, Bumblebee could see that she had her optics dimmed, which meant she either liked the song or she didn't hate it. Feeling mischievous, Bee changed the music track.
See the lights
See the party, the ball gowns
I see you make your way through the crowd
And say hello, little did I know
That you were Romeo, you were throwing pebbles
And my daddy said stay away from Juliet
And I was crying on the staircase
Begging you please don't go, and I said
Romeo take me somewhere we can be alone
I'll be waiting all there's left to do is run
The femme onlined her optics to glare at Bumblebee. He knew she couldn't stand Taylor Swift and yet he had the ball bearing to turn it on. He would have to pay.
"Why you little…" She broke off, flaring her doorwings, and growling at the figures at the door.
Confused at the sudden change of behavior, Bumblebee turned to see what caused her to get so upset.
"Hey Bee," Jazz greeted. "How about you an' me go outside for a bit, while Prowler has a chat with the she-con?"
Bumblebee thought about it. Jazz's request seemed sincere. Glancing towards Prowl, Bumblebee noticed that Prowl's gaze was on the femme. Turning his head, Bee could see that the femme was watching Prowl as well.
-Well she is Prowl's daughter, what could go wrong? - Bee thought to himself. Turning back to Jazz, he answered, "Let's go."
Prowl sent a silent thank you to his mate as Jazz and Bumblebee left the brig. He couldn't believe it, the child he had as another identity was in front of him. A child that came from his spark, yet he didn't raise her, not really. Swallowing Prowl finally croaked out, "You're alive."
"Of course. Did you think I would let myself be ripped apart for your desertion?" the femme answered. Even as her body began to slowly relax, she stayed alert. The mech before her may be her creator, but he was not Barricade. She didn't think Prowl would lash out like Barricade did at times still one could never be too sure.
Prowl watched as the femme lowered her doorwings. He knew she was attempting to appear unfazed and he wasn't fooled. She was as unsure of what to do and how to act as he was.
Prowl scanned her body, knowing that under the femme's armor, her protoform would be riddled with scars. Some being left behind from wounds he inflicted.
A wave of guilt poured through Prowl. He had taken an innocent sparkling, his own daughter, and turned her into a murderer. "I'm sorry."
"For what?" the femme asked. "You haven't done anything. Yet."
"I tortured you! I'm your creator and I tortured you! It was my duty to protect you and instead I..I.." Prowl looked at the ground. It was too painful to look at her when all he could see were the gashes and energon covering her body during training sessions.
"You made me strong."
Prowl gaped. "What?" he asked softly.
"You made me strong" the femme repeated. "The torture as you like to call it was necessary. I had to learn to ignore the pain, to not scream or beg for mercy. I had to learn how lie and hide my true motives until the last moment. If I didn't I would have been terminated. You know this, so why feel guilt?"
"Because," Prowl whispered, "I turned you into a monster."
"Maybe" the femme agreed. "But it takes a monster to make a monster."
Bumblebee watched Jazz pace back and forth. Lying in the sun, Bee began to wonder if he did the right thing letting Prowl and the Decepticon femme be alone together. Growing tired of watching Jazz pace, Bee sent a questioning chirp to his friend.
"I'm fine Bee" Jazz responded as joined Bumblebee in lying in the sun. "I'm just' worried about Prowl that's all."
"It's okay Jazz" Bumblebee assured his friend. "Who knows? This may be good for Prowl."
Jazz frowned. "How's it gonna be good for him? What if she's just trying to use him to get outta that cell? Or maybe she's just another reminder of Barricade that's here to get a kick outta haunting him till' he can't take it anymore."
"I'm sure that's not it Jazz. If it was don't you think she would have asked to see him or told us Prowl was her creator instead of waiting for us to bring it up?"
"How would you know?" Jazz snapped. "You don't hear him cry at night Bee! You can't feel the guilt and pain that's constantly eating at him."
"Maybe Prowl feels guilty for leaving her with the Decepticons" Bee tried to assure his friend. "Ratchet says that now Prowl has admitted to having a kid, it should help his recovery."
Jazz sighed. "I know. Sorry I yelled at cha Bee. I shouldn't have taken it out on you."
"It's okay Jazz. I know you didn't mean it. I guess if I had a bondmate I'd worry too."
"Don't sound so sad Bee" Jazz laughed. "You'll find someone when you're older. You're too adorable not ta like."
"Hey!"
Suddenly Jazz stopped laughing as his visor flashed.
"Prowl!" Jazz jumped up and took off for the brig.
"Jazz wait!" Bumblebee called as he stood to follow the silver mech.
Bumblebee made it to the brig's entrance in time to see Prowl transforming and driving off with Jazz on his heels. Worried he rushed inside the brig to see the femme sitting in her usual spot against the wall, only this time instead of staring at him with her predatory gaze she was staring at the ground.
Walking over to the cell, Bumblebee knelt down so they could be at eye level as the femme looked up to acknowledge him.
"What happened?" he asked.
"He's not Barricade."
With that the Decepticon turned her back to her yellow guard.
Only one thought went through Bumblebee's mind as he watched the Decepticon -What happened?-