[Fic] Story of a Lifetime, part 18.4
Part 18: Belief, faith, truth, trust
Chapter 4 of 4
Warning: extra-long chapter ahead. Here we go!
From the moment he arrived, Jazz could tell Prowl was distracted. The younger mech was tired but that was nothing unusual: he had probably been overworking, like he always did if he wasn't actively distracted away from his office. This pensive brooding was new though, and Jazz did not like it at all. Nor did he like the fact that Prowl had moved from the central apartment they had had since Metroplex was completed into this new block. When he had asked about that Prowl had said that it had made sense for those stationed long-term on Earth to have the central apartments, and to be fair this was more spacious and even had its own private courtyard, but it just didn't feel right.
Then there was the fact that Prowl had not wanted to go to one of the communal areas to get some energon. It was nice to just spend the time together, but it worried him that Prowl had returned to his more reclusive ways, avoiding socialising.
Still, Prowl was obviously pleased to see him and it was nice to just cuddle up together on the couch, watching the admittedly pleasant view of the setting sun, and talk. Spending time exploring Cybertron again on his reconnaisance missions had revived his memories of how the planet used to be, and made him aware of how much Prowl would need to know in order to pretend he had been there. It was a talk he had been practicing ever since he got approval to come back to Earth, and Prowl listened attentively, occasionally asking questions but mostly happy to just let Jazz ramble.
"Not all my time's been spent on missions." he admitted after awhile. "Had time to do some diggin' in the archives. Took awhile, but there wasn't much else t'keep me occupied, an' after awhile I dredged up my original designation."
Prowl blinked at him.
"You looked it up?"
"Yeah, well you keep askin' me, so I figured..."
"So you truly don't know what it was?" Prowl interrupted him.
"Didn't." Jazz agreed. "An' the name still don't mean a lot t'me now. I knew 'Jazz' wasn't m'name anymore'n Meister was, but it's who I am now."
"So who were you before?"
"Factory worker from Kalis named Rimshot."
"Rimshot." Prowl echoed thoughtfully.
"Yeah, so the records say. I was one o'three commissioned for a new manufacturin' plant they were buildin', the other two were Ricochet an' Stopwatch. Dunno what happened to the other two, but I was bein' picked up by the Enforcers for this an' that pretty much the moment I got my final upgrades, an' then I got shipped off-planet to a refinery on Moon Base 2. Which, funnily enough, is where I'm stationed now."
"So where did your primary accent come from?"
"Curveball, I guess. He's the one who ordered my programmin' wiped - that I know - but who knows, maybe I'd been usin' it before I met him. There were places you could get stuff like that changed if you knew the right mechs t'ask. Some o'the records were corrupted in places but I'm pretty sure I started name swappin' an' gettin' into the less'n legal stuff before I was 250. Guess we got somethin' in common after all, eh? Neither of us wanted t'wait to grow up."
"Rimshot." Prowl considered, then shook his head. "He sounds like a rogue, and not at all suitable as an Autobot officer."
"You could say the same about me." Jazz pointed out.
"Many have."
"Say what?" Jazz blurted, then laughed. "Primus, Prowler. That's the first joke you've cracked since I got here. Caught me by surprise."
Prowl sighed, his gaze drifting a little, and Jazz returned to his earlier concern. Time to push for an answer.
"What ain't ya tellin' me, Sparkles?"
Prowl shook his head firmly.
"I don't want to talk about work, that's my worry not yours. It's nice to have you here, let me just enjoy your company and the peace of not having to think. How is Bluestreak faring with the twins?"
"He's doin' fine, but I ain't gonna be distracted that easy. Talk t'me."
"I'd rather listen to you talk."
Jazz wrapped his arms around Prowl's waist and rocked him gently.
"Y'know, I've been thinkin'. That whole agreement we made back on Syrenex has given us nothin' but grief. We only ever bring it up when we're tryin' t'hide somethin', an' that ain't healthy, babe."
"How convenient that such an idea occurs to you now, rather than when you invoke it yourself." Prowl murmured.
"I ain't sayin' there won't be times we gotta keep secrets. But this usin' it to hide behind when stuff goes wrong's gotta stop. I know you're upset about somethin', Primus knows that's the only time you ever clam up like this, an' I don't wanna go back out there leavin' you back here upset. I wanna help."
"And if you can't?"
"Then at least you get t'talk about it. Cause you don't talk to many other'n me, an' most of'em're elsewhere."
Prowl sighed heavily but didn't respond. Jazz waited, rocking him back and forth, content just to hold him but hoping for more. And finally Prowl stirred.
"Optimus has lost faith in me."
The words were so faint he had to replay them through his processor to be certain of what he heard, then he snorted.
"That's daft."
"It's true."
"He toldja that?"
"Not directly. But he... He has left me here indefinitely with Magnus."
There was a spike of anxiety and despair through the bond, but it was masked again before Jazz could properly explore it.
"I thought you were just here til the negotiations for the European defences were done with?"
"That's changed. I don't know why. Jazz, I'm going crazy down here. All I do all day is data analysis, I don't even get put on the patrol roster anymore. It's been months since I've been in my alt form, or even left Metroplex. And Arcee's driving me insane, changing her mind all the time on what she wants done when and demanding information that I'm sure she never asked for..."
"Whoa, put the brakes on there, since when do you take orders from Arcee?" Jazz asked indignantly.
"It's what I've been ordered to do."
"Ordered? By who? By Optimus?"
"No, by Magnus, but he's acting on Prime's orders."
"Doesn't sound like it t'me. The boss's is waitin' for you before we make the next push - why would he just keep you here?"
Prowl just shook his head miserably.
"Why the slag haven't you said anythin'?" Jazz demanded, pulling Prowl around in his arms to stare at him.
Prowl avoided his gaze.
"Optimus knows I'm here. He put me here. He told me to do what Magnus asked until he summoned me. If he wanted me back, he would call for me. I must have done something wrong, Jazz, but I don't know what. I spend all my spare time thinking about it and I get nowhere. This is clearly a punishment of some sort but I cannot fathom why or what I could do to remedy my errors."
"But why would he do it like this? If he's angry at someone he usually tells'em straight up." He paused. "Has Springer been givin' you a hard time? Maybe he's behind all this."
Prowl shook his head again.
"I hardly see him, it seems he is avoiding me. Mostly I see only Ultra Magnus and Arcee, and Hot Rod who has taken over Bumblebee's place with Carly and Daniel."
"What does Blaster think of all this? Or Red?"
"I don't know. I haven't spoken to them in months. Everyone's very busy and I... they watch me so closely, they don't like me interfering..."
The misery was almost palpable now, smothering, and Jazz instinctively pulled Prowl closer, holding him as he started to keen quietly.
"I don't know what to do, Jazz. I was programmed to serve the Prime and he has sent me here, away from him where I have no purpose. I don't know how to fix this."
"We'll figure it out, Sparkles. I promise. I'll get to the bottom o'this, just you wait."
"What the slag is goin' on, boss?"
Optimus looked up in surprise.
"Jazz? I didn't expect you back so soon. Did you enjoy your break?"
"Yeah an' you can stuff your greetin's, too. Why're ya treatin' Prowler like he's got a bad case o'cosmic rust?"
"I'm doing no such thing."
"Sure you are. Why's he down there on Earth playin' admin aide to Maggie's lieutenants when he should be out here doin' his job?"
Optimus frowned.
"I was unaware that he was."
"Well that's no excuse. Clearly Magnus feels he can make him do it, an' Prowler's pretty clear that you said he had to do whatever that chrome-aft said no matter how much he didn't want to. He says he tried t'tell ya what was goin' on an' you wouldn't listen!"
"Jazz, calm down. I have my reasons."
"Which you didn't feel like tellin' him? Primus, boss, why? What's he done to deserve this?"
Optimus considered deflecting Jazz's questions, knowing that the mech was unlikely to take this well, but just as quickly decided that any delay would only make it worse. Jazz had an uncanny ability to find out the truth of even the most tightly-held secrets and prevaricating now would only make him angrier when he learned that truth.
"Magnus asked for Prowl to remain on Earth for a short period..." he began.
"So he can slaggin' well persecute him." Jazz growled.
The interjection caught him off-guard.
"Why would he want to do that?"
"Maybe cause that glitch-drone of a lieutenant of his's been doin' nothin' but complain to'im for centuries about how Prowl treated the Wreckers back on the Escaphalion. I wasn't even there, but I've heard'im goin' on about it. That mech sure knows how to hold a grudge."
"I was unaware of that."
"So you'll call him back? Right now?"
"No, not yet."
"Why not?"
"Magnus has a theory, based on Prowl's behaviour, that he is in fact a deep cover agent."
"Oh slag me! Prime that's crazy! Prowl's as loyal as they come! If anyone's dodgy, maybe it's Magnus we should be askin' questions of..."
"Jazz, enough." Optimus stopped him, raising his voice and looking at him sternly until his third officer subsided so he could continue. "Prowl has never been anything but loyal to the cause as far as I have ever been able to determine, and I am not convinced Magnus is correct. But he had a compelling theory. Prowl did rise rather quickly through the ranks..."
"Because he knew his stuff." Jazz exploded. "Next you'll be tellin' me you think he planned Luciana to be attacked, too, like the Neutrals say."
"You have to admit, Jazz, the theory has some basis. Prowl's plans have often been grandiose and elaborate, only a step away from absurd in some cases. And in the most important cases, remarkably successful. How is it that the Decepticons have come close, but never actually killed or captured him? But then, why should they wish to if they had an agent that high in our hierarchy?"
"He ain't no spy."
"I believe that." Optimus assured him. "But the theory is still plausible. Which is why I agreed to give Magnus some time to investigate it, and why I could not tell Prowl what was going on. I believed nothing would come of it, and I still believe that, but I could not ignore it."
"You coulda asked me. I told you I checked out everyone an' I did."
"It's in your interest not to look too closely, given your relationship with him. That's not a criticism, Jazz, simply the truth. And that is why I agreed to give Magnus time to find concrete evidence. If he fails to do so within two Earth years, he has agreed to drop all of his accusations and Prowl will return to here. That was the agreement, and unless you can give me strong evidence to the contrary, that is the agreement that will be seen through."
Jazz's fury had evaporated now.
"That makes more sense'n I wanna hear, boss. Fact is, if you had asked me, I mighta suggested somethin' similar. For someone else, anyway. Prowl's... well, I know he's on the level."
"How? Tell me how you know, Jazz. Convince me. Why does he have no history in the faction prior to joining us on the Ark? Where had he been?"
Jazz looked conflicted, but folded his arms tightly across his chest.
"He ain't a spy." he repeated more quietly. "Truth is... ah, Primus, he'll hate me for tellin' ya this, but it's the only way, ain't it? Truth is, he ain't got any back story t'tell: he just ain't old enough."
Optimus frowned.
"What are you saying?"
"He was a sparklin' when he came aboard the Ark that first time." Jazz spelt it out plainly, grimacing. "Maggie ain't the first one to worry about where he came from. CB put a whole squad of us on it when he first turned up, an' what we found was that he shoulda been dropped off at the nearest sparkling centre, not recruited. But the fact was you needed another strategist, an' he had the skills, an' he wanted to work."
"But he's Praxian." Optimus floundered. "He had to have been activated before the city was levelled - no-one else ever built those frames."
"Someone else must've." Jazz shrugged. "He might play mentor to Blue and seem like an elder next to Smokey, but he's only a fraction of their age. He's closer to Bee than any of the others in the crew, he just works real hard to make sure no-one ever figures it out."
"Why wasn't I told? Why was he kept on board?"
"I jus'told ya. You needed him. An' he wanted t'be there. An' it made him one o'the few mechs CB ever trusted, because we could track his movements pretty much right back to his activation. It's why he had so much faith in him. Faith I thought you had too, before this. But you're breakin' him, treatin' him like this, lettin' Magnus run roughshod all over him. He ain't gonna tell Maggie what I just told you, so they're gonna keep runnin' in circles until one of'em gives in or goes crazy an' the way it's goin' it ain't gonna take much more for Prowl t'break completely. I won't let that happen, boss. I'll take'im away an' go Neutral first."
Optimus shook his head dazedly.
"A sparkling? But he never acted that way. And... wait. This is why Ratchet was so angry at you at Syrenex, wasn't it? You were sparkmates before he was of age."
Jazz's frown turned into a glower.
"Am I the only fraggin' mech in the galaxy not to know about all that? Yeah, I knew he was underage, but it ain't like we were spendin' much time together wit' all the missions I got sent on. It was a dumb thing to do, but I didn't know it'd hurt him an' he didn't know either. Not that it makes a difference now: it ain't like I'm gonna walk out on him.
"But that's none o'your business anyway. What should matter to you is that you've got an army waitin' to make a move an' gettin' edgy cause they're standin' still, an' your plan-maker's stuck on Earth writin' reports on the quality of the air filtration systems for a femme who doesn' respect him an' a commander who thinks it's good to shut him up in his office for even longer'n he'd normally do himself!"
The visitors had landed the shuttle and made it to within a few steps of the main complex by the time Ultra Magnus caught up with them.
"Prime! I had not heard you were coming."
"I did not announce my intentions." Optimus told him coolly, striding onwards.
Jazz was with him, Magnus noted, the mech looking more formal and serious than he had ever seen.
"Is there something wrong?" he asked.
Neither answered him, heading inside then turning down a corridor. They were heading for Prowl's office, he realised. But why?
Jazz suddenly split off, moving in a different direction and Prime followed, Magnus keeping pace.
"Optimus, what is going on?" he hissed.
"I've come to retrieve my second in command."
"But I've got another six months yet."
"And what evidence have you gathered?"
"None so far, but..."
"Then I am ending this experiment. I have been presented with compelling evidence to the contrary of your theory, so Prowl will be returning with me. Now."
"What evidence? And from what source? Surely not from Jazz? He's his lover, for pit's sake, of course he'll defend him!"
"I told you I already had serious doubts about your theory, but I was willing to let you try to convince me. That is not the same as giving you permission to demote him to a position subordinate to your own staff. Do you deny that he has been working under Arcee's orders?"
"Well I don't always have time to monitor him personally, and I thought you'd prefer I kept my distance to avoid any accusation of bias. Which I still think is the case with any opinion coming from Jazz!"
"I disagree. The information Jazz gave me was objective and verified by Curveball's reports..."
Optimus broke off sharply as they came around a corner to find Prowl scrubbing the floor with a small brush. Magnus grimaced. He had told Arcee to push him harder to get a response, but this did not look good at all.
"Prime..." he began.
"Not one word." Optimus growled. "Prowl?"
Prowl's attention had been on Jazz who had snatched the brush out of his hand and was helping him up to his pedes, and only now seemed to notice that Prime was present.
"Sir."
"You look tired, Prowl. When did you last recharge?"
"I..." Prowl hesitated, glancing at Magnus, then straightening stiffly. "My shift finishes shortly."
"Jazz tells me you have been doing quadruple shifts recently. Is that true?"
"It has not been scheduled that way." Prowl replied diplomatically. "Some priorities have simply required it."
"Like cleanin' the floors?" Jazz snarled.
"Is this a punishment?" Optimus asked, gesturing to the floor.
Prowl did not answer.
"Who assigned you to this duty? Prowl?"
Still no answer, then Jazz swore and grabbed at him, swinging him round.
"Come on, Prowler, don't freeze up now, focus!"
"Ah hah!" Magnus declared triumphantly. "You see, he's incapable of handling stress. He's a liability, and unstable and totally unsuitable for the po..."
He got no further as a black and white blur crossed the distance between them and punched him solidly in the jaw.
Prowl came online to the dull ache and disorientation that always accompanied one of his rare freezes. He expected to see a medic, but instead it was Jazz looking down at him. Which reminded him of how he had gotten here. Sitting up with his partner's help he found Optimus standing nearby and First Aid tending to Ultra Magnus whose jaw was sitting on a trolley nearby.
"Feelin' better?" Jazz asked, handing him a cube of energon and hopping up on the berth beside him, one arm snaking around his back to hold him close.
"Embarrassed, but at least more rested. What happened?"
"Maggie an' I had a bit of a chat about how he's been treatin' ya."
"You hit him."
"Yeah, that was most of it."
"You should be incarcerated for that." Prowl said absently, feeling dazed.
"Normally so." Optimus nodded, approaching. "However it seems that if Magnus chooses to press charges over this then both Jazz and First Aid intend to press charges over your work schedule since you have been here, which I would strongly endorse. It would also delay your return to Ovacalix. I had hoped you would be able to come now."
"I would be glad to." Prowl nodded and tried to rise but Jazz casually held him back.
"Finish your cube first, or Aid won't letcha go."
"I should be restricting you to here until your energy levels have normalised," the Protectobot medic commented, not turning from his current task, "but I have been convinced to let you go so long as Prime and Jazz ensure you rest on your trip back."
"He'll rest." Jazz promised firmly. "Right, Prowler?"
"I will follow your instructions." Prowl agreed, letting his optics drop offline.
Jazz's arm tensed around him.
"Doc? Somethin's wrong."
"I'm fine." Prowl countered, quickly onlining his optics again, but First Aid was already moving over to him and scanning him.
"Yes you are." he confirmed after a moment. "Just drained. I think perhaps I should put you in medical stasis for the trip."
"Perhaps we should stay for a short while." Optimus considered.
"I ain't havin' him be here a click longer'n he has t'be." Jazz countered angrily. "Only reason I agreed to stayin' this long was that Maggie's s'posed t'be makin' an apology. Which we ain't heard yet."
The commander glared at Jazz but then nodded to Prowl.
~It seems that matters got out of hand.~ he acknowledged across an open comm line. ~I won't question your loyalty further.~
"That ain't what we agreed." Jazz growled. "Keep goin'."
~I apologise for the way you have been treated.~ Magnus continued grudgingly, not sounding at all sorry. ~And I will be making a public statement to that effect.~
"Doesn't sound sincere t'me. Maybe you an' me should go have a little chat in private, eh Maggie?"
"Enough." First Aid interrupted. "Jazz, I will not have you threatening my patients in my bay - behave or you can wait outside. Magnus, go and wait in treatment room 4. I'll send Pipes to you there. Prowl, finish your cube then lie down again and rest. I'll go and mix up some fortified energon for you to take with you."
"Blaster'll make sure it's heard by ev'ryone." Jazz said firmly, watching them go. "The word'll get out. Lets see that fragger try t'do this to anyone else after that."
Prowl shook his head slightly, sipping dutifully at his energon.
"That will undermine confidence in the command team here on Earth."
"Well they're jus' gonna have t'deal wit' that, aren't they? They made this mess, they can clean it up. They'd be doin' a whole lot more'n that if I had my way."
"The matter is not closed, Jazz." Optimus spoke up. "Once Prowl has fully recovered we will discuss this further, as agreed."
The thought of having to discuss these events in detail made Prowl flinch. What had been done to him had been wrong, but it was also true that he had failed entirely to handle this trivial matter himself. Just like with Nolan he had needed to be rescued. Admitting the specifics of that failure to the Prime was almost worse than anything they could have done to him.
"I'd rather end it here and now. All I want is to be back at work."
"They deserve for it to all come out." Jazz told him, rubbing his back comfortingly. "I know there's a whole lot you ain't told me yet. It'll help."
"No, it'll only make them resentful. I'd rather let it go. They didn't physically harm me, Jazz."
"But they made ya feel worthless, an' that's worse."
"For that, you have my sincere apology." Optimus said, stepping forward. "I should have listened when you tried to tell me what was happening. I simply didn't expect them to take it so far."
"I only want to do my job and find a way to end this war, Prime." he said tiredly. "That's all I've ever wanted to do."
"I believe you. It was wrong of me to question that, after all your loyalty and sacrifices."
The careful wording, heavy with insinuation, jolted him to alertness and he looked at Jazz in alarm.
"I told him about your age." Jazz explained apologetically. "Had to, to explain how you couldn'ta been a Con before you joined us."
The tension drained away quickly and he slumped against Jazz, then tried to straighten again, embarrassed.
"I don't know why I'm so dizzy." he complained.
"You'd used up all your reserves." Optimus told him. "The shock of the glitch on top of that nearly drove you into stasis. Prowl, I wished you'd trusted me earlier with the truth about your age."
"You would have sent me away to safety."
Optimus frowned.
"Which is where you should have been, it seems, though at least you were sensible enough to wait until your upgrade into your adult frame."
"We wouldn'ta made it this far wit'out him." Jazz said stoutly, then helped him lie down again. "Stay there until Aid's done wit'ya. I'm gonna go grab some stuff t'bring with us an' I'll meet you two at the shuttle. Anythin' in particular you want brought along I wouldn't think of?"
Prowl shook his head.
"Well then, I won't be long. Prime, you'll keep an optic on him?"
"Of course. It's the least I can do."
Jazz wasted no time in gathering up a few momentos from Prowl's rooms, noting the strangely amateur paintjob on one of the spare room walls but not able to make sense of what might have happened. He took a few of Prowl's favourite human books, the chess set Chip had given him, and the painting Sunstreaker had done of the two of them in gratitude for accepting their courtship of Bluestreak. Which left only one thing outstanding.
Leaving the accommodation area he headed through to the main administration block. It wasn't too far, but Autobot City was still much larger than the Ark and it took a few minutes. He saw several others he knew, a few of whom tried to get his attention, but he was not in the mood for chatting. Complicit or not, none of the ones based here had made any effort to help Prowl or even to check if he was alright. It would take Jazz time to forgive them that insult to the mech who had saved their lives so many times.
Reaching the secure offices he didn't hesitate to enter the familiar space but was unpleasantly surprised to find the room was not empty. The femme slouching in the chair with her feet up on the corner of the desk froze when she saw him, then leapt up.
"Arcee? What're you doing here?"
"This is my office."
"Your office." Jazz said flatly, stalking inside, his temper rising again. "Femme, this is Prowl's office. Designed for him by Grapple, built by him an' Hoist, an' out-fitted by Hoist an' Wheeljack. That chair's his chair, designed so he don't have t'cramp his doorwings."
"Magnus put me in here." she said defensively. "Prowl's been given a different office down the hall."
"Then why's most of his datawork still here?" he asked, gesturing to the shelves and stopping just in front of her.
"Because there isn't spa... I mean, it's none of your business, you shouldn't even be in here - I didn't invite you..."
"I'm Third in Command. You don't need t'invite me. I can go where I like. An' Prowl's business is my business, an' what I've been hearin' about the way you've been treatin' him ain't exactly makin' me happy."
He saw alarm cross her face, then be replaced by determination.
"You just don't want to accept the truth. He's a traitor, Magnus knows it, and if you hadn't interfered we would've proved it by now."
"Back off, missy. You're in the wrong an' I ain't got no problem wit' pushin' the point, but I'm in a hurry. I jus' want Prowl's garden an' t'get outta here. You lot can all go frag yourselves for all I care, I'm done wit'ya."
"The crystal garden? It's not here."
"I can see that. Where is it?"
"He took it home when I took over the office. I haven't seen it since."
"Well it ain't there either." Jazz frowned, looming over her. "An' I've known too many liars not to be able t'pick a lie when I'm told one to my face. Where is it?"
"It's the truth! He took it."
"But?"
She squirmed.
"Back off or I'll call security!"
"What's going on here?" a new voice asked from behind him.
"Stay outta this, Springer." he advised. "I'm about ready t'lay inta you just on principle. You know Prowl didn't deserve t'be treated like this. You should all be locked up. Or exiled'd be better, that way we wouldn't have t'deal wit'any of ya again."
"Magnus has his reasons..."
"Frag him. An' frag you too. I've known Cons who'd be ashamed o'what's gone on here. But I'm sick o'talkin' to all o'ya. Where's Prowl's garden?"
"I don't have it." Arcee ground out.
"It's gone." Springer responded almost simultaneously.
Jazz turned around, the answer unexpected.
"Whaddaya mean, gone?"
The triplechanger grimaced.
"There was an accident, it got smashed. It couldn't be saved."
"An accident." Jazz spat. "How coincidental. What kind of accident?"
"For the love of Primus it was just a few crystals...!" Arcee began, then yelped as Jazz reached behind him and grabbed her by the neck, his attention still mostly on Springer.
"How'd it happen?"
"A prank gone wrong." Springer said quickly, his own gaze on Arcee. "Let her down."
"Make a move an' she's gonna need a medic's help before y'get here. What kinda prank?"
"Just some graffiti. It got knocked over. Jazz, it wasn't planned, it wasn't part of anything, it was just an accident. Let her go."
Jazz paced over to him, dragging Arcee along with him, ignoring her attempts to break his grip.
"This doesn't end here." he promised quietly. "Prime's agreed that once Prowl's recovered an' things're settled we're gonna have a full trial. You lot're gonna face justice for this an' that's the only reason I'm lettin' it drop for now. But if any of ya ever so much as talk about'im again, I'll hear about it. An' I'll come back for another conversation wit'ya, an' this time I won't have Prime around t'hold me back. Are we clear?"
Springer nodded quickly but Jazz watched him for several more clicks before dropping Arcee and shoving past the mech.
"Pray I don't have t'come back here lookin' for ya." he called over his shoulder. "Y'really won't like it if I do."
Epilogue
"You should have let it run its course." Prowl sighed as he rearranged the furniture in his new Ovacalix office to suit his preferred layout.
"An' left you there all miserable?" Jazz scoffed. "Sparkles, you were fallin' apart."
"I could have coped for another six months."
"Yeah, an' then what? Chances are Magnus woulda begged for longer. An' without good reason to say no, Prime might've even agreed to it." He paused. "You sure you ain't mad I told him about your age?"
"Revealing the truth of my age was the blackmail Nolan threatened me with. If it had not been still valid at the time I may well have called his bluff just to break his hold over me; I cannot be annoyed with you over something I considered revealing myself. This at least gives an excuse to stop Optimus querying more closely the events at Syrenex. I don't believe Ratchet will volunteer the information about our relationship given his silence thus far, but he may not hold back if asked directly."
"That's very..." Jazz began, then hesitated.
"Logical?"
"Pragmatic, I was gonna say. You know if Prime finds out about the bond, or about you bein' a carrier, he might still act on it even this late in the game."
"Then we must continue to ensure he does not consider it." Prowl said smoothly. "Your revelation about my age has covered that nicely for now. And with the war so close to a positive conclusion, there is no reason why we can't dissuade his interest for just a little longer."
"Mm." Jazz hummed. "Babe, you really need t'rethink this stuff wit'Magnus an' Arcee. They shouldn't just get away wit' all this, it ain't right."
Prowl looked away, making a fuss of straightening the picture hanging on the wall.
"Arcee was following orders, at least so far as she understood them. And Ultra Magnus had his reasons..."
"An' they both went way too far." Jazz cut him off, crossing his arms. "I don't wanna hear ya defend'em, I want the details of what they did. An' if you won't tell me then I'll find other ways o'findin' out."
"Don't." Prowl asked, looking back at him. "Please? Let it lie?"
"It ain't right. An' you know Prime's not happy about it either."
Prowl headed back to the desk, standing by the chair and looking down at the blank screen.
"He shouldn't have to worry about me. He has an entire army to consider. Ultra Magnus is a good commander. He kept the troops on Cybertron together and focused for a very long time when there was no news from us. He found a way to bring them to us on Earth. His staff are perhaps over-committed to him, but I can understand why. They have relied on him for so long, as we rely on the Prime..."
"Prime'd never do this to anyone. It ain't the same."
Prowl sighed.
"At least let us sort out regaining Cybertron first." he suggested. "Once we regain control of the homeworld, then we will have time for less important matters."
"Promise?"
"I promise I will think about it. You will need to be satisfied with that."
His hands twitched over a small pile of datapads, clearly wanting to read through them, and in spite of his frustration with Prowl's determination to avoid dealing with Magnus Jazz couldn't stop himself smiling.
"Straight back to work, huh?"
Doorwings twitched apologetically.
"I need to get back to some normality..."
Jazz nodded and kissed him on the cheek then pushed him down into his chair.
"Course ya do. I get it. Still, I got medical orders to make sure you take proper breaks, so only one joor, ya hear me? If y'ain't back in our quarters a breem after that I'm gonna take drastic action."
"Such as involving Ratchet, I assume?"
Jazz grinned sauntering towards the door.
"Nope, not yet - that's a threat for later if you really push it. For now I'm just gonna tell Blue you're overworkin'. Good luck stoppin' him fussin' over ya. See ya in a joor, Sparkles."
End of Part 18.