mbv, Rachel's and Jack's apartment, Homecoming
Rachel: *PINpoints... and gets home this time. Sets Steeljaw down and looks around as Fred and some of the other drones run to greet her* *wonders where Skylar and Pandita have taken Melissa, and also....* Jack?
Jack: *getting up off the step* I'm out here, Rachel...
Rachel: *goes to the door and heads down to where he is, there on his favorite step to think on* I wonder if the neighbors saw that.
drones: *peek through the screen door to watch her*
Jack: ...I hope not. We've already got enough trouble as it is...
Rachel: *reaches him and puts her arms around him, just glad to have him home*
Steeljaw: Mrrrt....*brings out a note he found on the table where he was checking for possible leftovers*
Jack: *Slight blush* Hey...we'll be okay. We've just gotta figure out where the other 'bots landed...
Rachel: *breathing in Jack smell and wondering at half remembered memories of him laying near to her when she was damaged after they first came down* Probably to their own living places. *then looks down at Steeljaw*
Steeljaw: *Swishtail*
Note: *from Pandita* "Skylar has decided that Miss Melissa is in need of proper attire. We shall return once we have purchased what is necessary...Miss Lisa is assisting us in this matter."
Rachel: *reads note, and then shows it to Jack* Come on... you're probably hungry, and it looks like the drones miss you.
Jack: *raised brow* Who is Pandita? And I'll get some toast going...Fred and Fluffy had better not have caused too much trouble...
Rachel: No, you will get fresh clothes and sit and let me make you some toast. *heading back up the stairs* Pandita is the guy I told you about. And other than an argument with Skylar Fluffy has been very good. So have Fred and the others.
Jack: Awww...C'mon...I think I can get the toaster to not spit smoke this time... *chuckling and heading to his bedroom to change clothes*
Fred: *goes with him*
Rachel: You aren't touching my new toaster. It's against the rules. *smiling as she says it, and as she takes his favorite strawberry cream cheese out of the tiny fridge*
Jack: *another chuckle, and then he's gently patting the head of the current in-progress drone, before grabbing his pajamas out of the top drawer of his dresser* I think the University can get by without me for one more day....
Moofy: *Soft chirrup to Fred, eyes light up briefly*
Fred: *clicks softly to new brother and to Jack and plays a holo-clip of what happened while Jack was away*
Jack: *small frown as he works on buttoning the buttons of his nightshirt* ... I take it there's still no sign of Optimus?
Fred: *plays the little bit where Rachel mentioned Optimus to Steeljaw the night before*
Jack: ... *nods, smiling a bit* I'm glad he's safe...the glitch could'a told us where he was... but I bet he had his reasons... *finishes buttoning his nightshirt and gets his pajama pants on, before grabbing his toolkit and carrying it out to his usual seat. Moments later, he's returning and gently picking Moofy and all the parts of the drone that aren't in place yet, and carrying the drone out to the living room as well* Let's see if we can't get you finished today, alright, Moofy?
Moofy: *cheery chirp!*
Rachel: *looks over her shoulder at the chirp and blinks, perking* Another one?
Fred: *joins siblings in sitting at Jack's feet*
Jack: *nods* Once I get the little guy finished, he'll be able to run around with the others.
Rachel: *chuckles and brings over the toast, thickly spread with the beloved cheese* What's his specialty?
Fluffy: *sitting right on Jack's foot, looking pleased with himself*
Jack: Tracking...If you or anyone else ever gets lost, if he knows their spark signature, he'll be able to find them within a 200 mile radius. *clicks to Fluffy*
Moofy: *beeps happily to Rachel*
Rachel: *beeps back, and then clicks to the new drone as she sets the plate of toast on the arm of Jack's chair* Skylar will love him.
Fluffy: Thrrrpt
Jack: *chuckles* Think I should give Moofy Skylar's spark signature and have him track our friend down once I'm finished? *puts down his tools in favor of grabbing some toast*
Lyra: *climbs up the back of Jack's chair and deedles happily at how high she climbed*
Rachel: Ah.... Nah, let's keep him at home for now. Hi, Lyra. I thought you'd gotten stuck in the wall again.
Lyra: *plays a cheery little melody for Rachel*
Rachel: *pulls her camp chair close and has some toaster waffles with chocolate mint syrup as she listens to the tiny bot's song, her expression saying how much she enjoys the little thing's company*
Lyra: *scrabbles down the back of Jack's chair, before scrabbling over to Rachel's chair and climbing up to offer snuggles*
Rachel: *brings her over to her shoulder and runs gentle fingers across her head* My pretty girl.
Jack: *finishes his toast, and brings out his magnifying lenses from his subspace, before setting to work on finishing Moofy*
Rachel: *talking to Lyra, and to Fred, who decided he needed some love too and is nearly sitting on her food. Gently moves the little green guy to her other shoulder and resumes eating herself* Do you want me to work on personality programming for Moofy?
Jack: *nods without looking up from what he's working on*
Rachel: *requests the drones to bring her little box from under her bed, the one where she keeps the electronics she's managed to cobble together from things available on Earth* I'm still surprised we didn't bring more medical equipment to Earth. I'm sure I would have at least tried....
Jack: ...*quiet sigh as he looks up from his work, pushing his magnifying lenses up and away from his eyes* Rachel...most of what was brought...was destroyed when your shuttle crashed...
Rachel: *silent blinking as she eats the last bite of waffle. Then she sets the plate aside* Oh. ...Patrick. says I'm the only survivor.
Jack: *somber nodding* Even though Merlin and I nearly lost you at one point...
Rachel: *quietly* I knew that. *takes the box and holds the little drones that brought it close, looking down at them* I seem to remember you laying close to me at one point. And your voice calling to me from a distance.
Jack: *nods, remembering* I scared Perceptor when he arrived to find me hooked up to your systems to keep you from going out...
Rachel: *looks up* Going out again, you mean. I know I was gone for at least five minutes.
Jack: *nods* I just wish...we could've gotten to the others in time to save them as well...
Rachel: *quietly* Who died?
Jack: *just as quietly* Huffer, Brawn, and Windcharger...
Rachel: *closes her eyes* And?
Jack: *cycles air for a moment* First Aid.
Rachel: *hand over her mouth, her face creased with grief though she's not crying*
Jack: *quietly, as his intakes hitch* When you went out...I thought for sure you were gone forever... Perceptor did all that he could for the others...but they were already too far gone by the time we had both arrived...
Rachel: They might have had a chance if I hadn't insisted we carry the last of the energon.
Jack: *darkly* They might've had a chance if those &$*#^*& Decepticons hadn't attacked us.
Rachel: *still grieving silently, the faces of her friends scrolling through her processor*
Jack: *moving to get out of his chair so he can hug Rachel and click quietly to her*
Rachel: *leans her head on his shoulder* First Aid was so young....
Jack: *gently as he rubs Rachel's back* We'll see them again someday... Perceptor and I put up markers for them...
Rachel: Brawn kept saying we were going to make it. And Huffer wasn't even complaining. The last thing I remember is Windcharger cracking a joke.
Jack: *continues to gently rub Rachel's back, at a loss for what to say*
Rachel: *feels the shoulder of his PJ top grow wet under her face, but leans against him a little longer, admitting to herself finally how much she's come to rely on her friend since their arrival to Earth. Then she grabs hold of his words... the same ones she's told others* *softly* When all are one.
Jack: *just as softly* When all are one...*gently* I just hope Smokescreen isn't making bets on how long it'll be before he sees us again...
Rachel: *small laugh, and then a few sobs*
Jack: *Gently* Would you like to go visit the markers?
Rachel: *circulating air and feeling herself calm* Not tonight.
Jack: *nods, frowning slightly* Alright...
Rachel: I have to be here when those two bring Melissa back. *gives him a squeeze, feeling thankful he'd been spared, then sits up and wipes at her eyes*
Jack: *nods* And to make sure that they didn't try to dress Melissa in men's clothing like Skylar tried to do with Petra that one time?
Rachel: He was just trying to make Prowl feel better. *manages a smile*
Jack: *Mock indignation* It's not my fault nobody told me beforehand that I was basing Prowl's alt-mode on his size-class... and that that particular size class happened to fall within the size limits of human females...
Rachel: *smile's a little stronger, though mourning lurks in her blue eyes* Maybe we can go tomorrow. I already know the material we're studying.
Jack: *nods, and then jumps slightly when Steeljaw headbutts his leg* Steeljaw!
Rachel: *looks down at the cat* What is it?
Steeljaw: *stretches up in an attempt to patpat Rachel's hand*
Rachel: *smiles at him* Thanks, buddy.
Steeljaw: *gently headbutts Rachel's leg*
Rachel: *scoops him up to distract him from an activity that might uncover more than she wants him to know* Will you stay and hold down the fort tomorrow?
Steeljaw: *puuuuurrrrr, nod, kitty kisses!*
Rachel: *thrrpth* You're related to Blaster alright.
Jack: *Chuckles a bit as he moves to settle in his chair again, after shooing a few of the drones out of it*
Steeljaw: *smirk, puurrrr, love me, yes?*
Rachel: *gently rubs his ears, then sighs and looks through the front window* How are you for rest, Jack?
Jack: Well...aside from after I passed out from the high grade I had, I've been up for awhile...
Rachel: *looks at Moofy to see how much more work he needs*
Moofy: *mostly finished, aside from his personality matrix, and a means of getting around*
Rachel: *gets her box and sets it on Steeljaw, then sets about encoding personality programming into a little chip* As soon as this little fellow is done we better both get to bed. //Skylar?//
Skylar: //Yes, Rachel?//
Jack: *sets to work on getting Moofy's means of moving around done* Alright....that sounds like a plan.
Rachel: *smiles slightly as she works* //Where are you? It's getting pretty late.//
Skylar: //Heading home from shopping...Lisa helped us pick out clothes for Melissa.//
Rachel: //When did you start out? Oh wait. Just how big a wardrobe has Melissa got now?// *slight dread in her voice*
Skylar: *tells Rachel the time they started out, which was only a few hours ago* //I swear, Lisa had her trying on EVERYTHING in the stores we went to....but Melissa's got enough outfits for a couple of weeks...and apparently a lot of what she's got is stuff that can be mixed and matched...what's up with that, anyways?//
Rachel: //A lot of clothes for human females is coordinated outfits. 'Mix and match' just means we can do with it what you guys do with yours. Except for the socks of two different colours.//
Skylar: //Hey. that only happened once!//
Rachel: //*chuckling* Oh, and Jack's back. So you'll have to sleep on the floor if you stay here again.// *no idea that Skylar's been sleeping beside Melissa on the futon*
Skylar: //riiight...actually, we're going to head back to Merlin's...I prefer not to be in danger of exploading oatmeal in the mornings.//
Rachel: //The exploding oatmeal was you.//
Skylar: //no it wasn't...not the time I remember...or maybe that's exploading coffee I'm thinking of...//
Rachel: //You tried warming it with your gun? Remember?//
Skylar: //...Hush, you.//
Rachel: //*laughs* Pot, meet kettle.//
Skylar: *Razzes Rachel over comms*
Rachel: *laughs out loud*
Fred: *looks up curiously*
Fluffy: *in Pandita's voice* Skylar isn't nice.
Jack: *Snerks* He wouldn't be Skylar if he wasn't a bit of a hard case, Fluffy.
Fluffy: *looks innocent*
Rachel: //So are you just stopping by to drop Melissa off?//
Skylar: //no...as much as I enjoy your company...there's more room at Merlin's...//
Rachel: //What do you mean?//
Skylar: //There's more room at Merlin's.//
Rachel: //What has that got to do with dropping Melissa off before you go home?//
Skylar: //I'm not dropping Melissa off. She's coming with me, because I don't want her to be frightened if I'm not there.//
Rachel: *blinks* //....// *hadn't realized how attached he's gotten to the skittish little femme*
Skylar: //Rachel?//
Rachel: //Do you plan on taking her to class?//
Skylar: //Not till she's ready... We're working on explaining school to her...//
Rachel: //Who'll stay with her in the meantime?// *finished with the personality matrix, though she's not too sure what she put in there. Offers it to Jack*
Skylar: //Lisa tried to volunteer, but I don't think Melissa will have any problems...//
Jack: *Carefully installs the personality matrix, and then adds a few finishing touches to Moofy's limbs, before closing everything up and bringing the little drone online*
Rachel: //You don't, do you?// *frown shows in her voice. She's in den mother mode*
Skylar: //Pandita only has half-days of class. He'll be home each day around noon.//
Rachel: *shakes head* //There's no way you're giving her back, is there?//
Skylar: //Nope.//
Rachel: //Whatever. But I'll need to look at her ankle... I guess Merlin can do that.//
Skylar: //He said he would... I've got to go... we're getting on the bus now. Skylar out.//
Rachel: //Rachel out.// *looks at Jack* I guess you don't get to meet Pandita and Melissa tonight, after all.
Jack: *looks up from clicking to Moofy, who is wiggling in the older mech's lap* ?
Rachel: Skylar's taking Melissa to Merlin's. *looks at Moofy and clicks to him*
Moofy: *happy beeps, stretches out and makes his wobbly way to Rachel*
Jack: ah...oh well. There's always tomorrow.
Rachel: *gently gathers the little drone up and holds him close, maybe slightly squishing Steeljaw in the process. She's a little sober as she thinks of the trip planned for tomorrow* *soft clicks to the little drone, who is as beautiful in her eyes as all the others are*
Steeljaw: Mrrrrt! *snuffs at Moofy*
Jack: *quiet chuckle as he gets up*
Rachel: *looks up at him, sitting there in her gimpy camp chair and surrounded by six little drones* I'll get the dishes. You go ahead.
Jack: *clicks quietly and gently pats Rachel's arm* Get some rest when you can...
Rachel: Don't worry. *smiles as she turns her attention back to Moofy and the others*
Fred: *getting the dishes himself! ...With Fluffy and maybe Lyra's help*
Lyra: *playing a bouncy tune as she skitters off with a plate on her head*
Rachel: Good night, Jack. And welcome home.
Jack: It's good to be home... *small nod to Rachel, before he gathers up his tools and heads to his bedroom*
Rachel: *cuddles the little ones and communes quietly with her creator for a few moments before setting everyone down and going to retire on her camp cot, snuggly wrapped in the heavy folds of her battered army sleeping bag*
Steeljaw: *curls up at Rachel's head, purring quietly as Moofy makes his wobbly way up to snuggle with Rachel*
Fred: *explaining to Moofy that no one is allowed inside Rachel's covers, but that they're allowed to sleep on top of her. Also explains that this can lead to quick trips to the floor, but that these won't hurt him*
Rachel: *hand on Moofy as she drops to sleep*
Moofy: *quiet clicks*
Jack: *comes to check on Rachel some time later that night. After a short time of watching her sleep, he silently retreats to his bed*
((co-written with random_xtras))