Lifeline 1/?
Damn song-bunnies sunk their fangs in for this one
Rating: T
Warnings: Tissues? and Slash of the Prowl/Jazz variety
Pairings: Prowl/Jazz (G1)
Summary: A working holiday for Prowl and Jazz takes an unexpected and deadly turn
It was the perfect day to be at sea
The thought ran through Jazz’s processor as he looked out of the small window of the small, empty cargo plane he was in. Below, he could see the aqua-blue waters of the Indian Ocean and the tiny white-crested waves that formed the closer they got to land. Passing over Mauritius probably, if his geography was right.
Above, the sun shone down with nary a cloud and part of Jazz wished they could have stayed back at the Maldives where they’d spent the better part of two days on a diplomatic visit/holiday. Prowl had certainly relished the chance to get away from the general bustle and chaos of the Ark for a while and spend time with his partner, and Jazz loved seeing him more relaxed and for once enjoying the work they had to do.
The visits were part of an effort on the part of the Autobots to see how they could improve the lives of less-fortunate people living in impoverished countries elsewhere in the world. They’d spent the better part of a fortnight in India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives talking to the people and governments and teaching them how to use their natural resources and cultural heritage productively.
Coming from a planet that once had both in abundance, Optimus Prime had felt it necessary to send out his two officers best suited for the job. So here they were now, flying their way across the ocean and making their way to Cape Town, South Africa.
They’d chartered an old cargo plane to make the trip, figuring that it was less likely to draw any attention from passing Decepticon air patrols who would relish the chance to take down the Autobots’ second- and third-in-command. So even though the Decepticons probably knew of Jazz and Prowl’s trip, they didn’t know how the two were travelling or what their route was.
Which was fine as far as Jazz was concerned.
He smiled gently when he felt Prowl press against his back to look over his shoulder and out the window, and let his fingers lace with Prowl’s when the other’s hand closed over his.
“Hmm?” he asked.
“What are you plotting this time?” Prowl asked softly into his audio.
Jazz smiled a little more. “Wouldn’t you like t’know,” he teased, turning his head to press a soft kiss to Prowl’s cheek.
“I would, actually.” Prowl smiled at the kiss and returned it.
“Then I hate t’disappoint ya, but I ain’t plottin’ anythin’.” He chuckled at Prowl’s mock pout. “Yet… Why? Would you like me t’be plottin’ somethin’?”
Prowl kissed his neck. “Well your last two… ideas… ended rather pleasantly so I would not be averse to another one.”
“I know… but I don’t think Shankar and Naveen would be too pleased if we decided t’join the mile-high club in the back of their plane.” Jazz grinned and nodded to the thin partition separating them from the pilot and co-pilot. “Ain't that right Shankar?” he called.
A laugh came from the front of the plane. “I hear nothing, Sir.”
Jazz grinned. “Good man.” He turned back to Prowl. “Besides, I hear Cape Town has a lovely coastal strip, so why bother with a cramped aircraft belly when there’ll be plenty of scenic locations later?”
“Mmm, you have a point,” Prowl relented. “In the mean time I will just have to settle for this.”
He turned Jazz’s face up to his and kissed him thoroughly enough to make Jazz almost want to reconsider the prospect of joining the mile-high club right then and there - Prowl’s mouth was just that talented.
“Uh… Shankar?” Jazz called again as Prowl released his mouth to kiss his way down the Porsche’s neck and shoulder. “How long till we reach Cape Town again?”
It was Naveen who answered and Jazz swore he could hear the laughter in the cockpit. “Five more hours, Sir.”
The mech sighed and turned to capture Prowl’s mouth in a heated kiss of his own. This was going to be a long flight….
*****
The rattling of the plane caused Jazz to stir and lift his head off Prowl’s shoulder, visor glowing dimly. Prowl himself was looking out of the window, much like Jazz had done earlier. The Porsche stifled a yawn and shifted, crawling a bit in the cramped space till he was sitting facing Prowl.
“Didn’t you get any rest?” he asked.
“Some,” Prowl replied. “But I’ll rest better once we’ve landed.”
Jazz chuckled. “Skyfire did offer to fly us, y’know. You’re the one who said the cargo plane was a better option.” He patted the hull of the Douglas DC-3.
“It was the more logical option.” Prowl smiled over at him and looked back out of the window again. The color of the sea had turned to a darker blue the further south they went, the warmer Indian Ocean gradually giving way to the colder, deeper beginnings of the Antarctic. “And I don’t think Skyfire would have appreciated us making out in his cargo hold.”
“And ya think they appreciated it?” Jazz grinned and jerked his thumb towards the cockpit.
“Yes, well… they’re far less likely to say anything about it.” Prowl smiled again and Jazz felt warmed inside.
They sat in comfortable silence for a while, just enjoying each other’s company and watching the sea below as they passed over it. The sun was still up though it had changed its location since the last time Jazz had looked out, and he figured it was probably mid- to late-afternoon.
He started to think ahead. Ideally they’d be landing soon and it’d be early evening at the most, which would leave him enough time to find a nice spot to be with Prowl. It’d be nice if they could have Table Mountain as a backdrop while the sun set over the ocean before them. It was wishful thinking, but he was going to try. Besides, Prowl looked absolutely stunning in that rosy twilight.
Prowl looked at the half-dreamy expression on Jazz’s face and forced down a chuckle, reaching for Jazz’s hand and running his thumb lightly over the black fingers. “What’s on your mind?”
Jazz returned to the present at the touch to his hand, and smiled at Prowl. “You… and a sunset.”
“Ah, plotting at last, are we?”
“Maybe…” Part of Jazz’s visor flickered in a wink.
The Datsun gave a soft laugh. “Oh Jazz… never a dull moment with you around.”
The Porsche smiled triumphantly and looked out of the window again, watching the propeller spin with a soft, muffled hum. Outside, the sunlight caught on something that glinted beyond the plane’s wing, and he tilted his head, sharpening his vision, frowning slightly.
“Jazz?” Prowl caught the change in the mech’s expression.
“Get down!” Jazz shouted and threw himself at Prowl, knocking them both to the floor where they lay flat. “Shankar! Naveen! Evasive manoeuvres NOW! Dive!”
There was scrambling in the cockpit and the two mechs felt the nose of the DC-3 start to dip. The left engine exploded with an unholy noise and Jazz winced. Shrapnel sliced through the body of the plane and Prowl flattened his doors against his back as much as he could to avoid being hit by any.
“What happened?!” he shouted to Jazz over the roar of the wind that whipped around the cabin.
“Missile!” Jazz yelled back. “Decepticon!” He held on to Prowl as the plane shook and dropped a few hundred feet, dipping sharply to the left. He could hear the two humans screaming at each other as they tried to regain control of the plane and right it enough to make an emergency landing.
“How?!” Prowl asked.
“Don’t know. Doesn’t matter right now.” Jazz glanced back worriedly at the cockpit, then to the left and right. A sinking feeling in his fuel tanks told him this wasn’t going to end well. “We have to get out of here.”
He started to rise to his knees, Prowl following. “Jazz, jumping is too risky. At this height hitting the water will be about as good as hitting concrete. It maybe better to stay inside and let the plane take the damage.”
“We might not have that option.” A roar of a jet engine came from outside, and Jazz spied a flash of dark blue. “Dirge. That settles it. Get the exit hatch open.” He gave Prowl a push. “Go! I’ll get the humans.”
“Jazz!” Prowl hesitated a second, then turned to do as Jazz said, punching the hatch that would lower the exit ramp at the back of the plane. “Jazz, hurry!”
Jazz had crawled towards the now open partition and could see the cockpit beyond, and the two men straining at the controls. “Shankar! Naveen!”
The humans turned to look at Jazz just as the cockpit blew, taking the two pilots with it. Jazz ducked to avoid the flames and shrapnel, feeling the heat sear across his back. He could spare only a moment of horror, dismay and sadness for the two men before he turned and lunged for Prowl.
He ploughed into the other black-and-white mech and sent them tumbling through the exit hatch, and soon they were free-falling through the sky. He locked his arms around Prowl and felt Prowl do the same for him.
A few seconds later there was an almighty explosion as the plane blew up above them, raining fiery pieces of debris around them. Jazz heard Prowl give a cry as something hit one of his doors and then let out a pained yelp himself as something struck his back. He could feel moisture on his face, but wasn’t sure if they were tears or condensation.
The sea rushed up to meet them.
Prowl tightened his hold. “I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
They slammed into the water….
******
******
I'm coming back to PJ after what... a year or so? XD I think I'm gonna need a couple of cheerleaders for this one.