And now for some more challenge stuff - Joy
Title: Sacrifice
Rating: G to PG-13
Pairings: Prowl x Jazz. Implied Ironhide x Ratchet, Hound x Mirage, Inferno x Red Alert. Hinted Twins x Bluestreak, Trailbreaker x Wheeljack.
Summary: Sometimes giving is just as good as receiving. Especialy when your sacrifices make someone else happy and Prowl is more than willing to make some sacrifices.
Notes: This is kind of a two-parter that leades/explains This Picture. Some of the hinted/ implied couples were included as a little 'homage'/dedication to some of you wonderful people of the community. You can't see much of them on this one, but I asure you there'll be more of those couples too on the next part.
Thanks to nkfloofiepoof for beta reading this for me.
"Drive safely an' call right away if 'nything happens. Alright?" Jazz instructed as he followed after Prowl towards the entrance of the Ark.
"I will. Have fun at the party." The tactician stroked his mate's cheek before he stepped out and transformed into his alt mode to drive away towards the nearby city. Jazz watched his mate drive away and let out a soft sigh. No party would be as enjoyable if his Datsun was missing.
It was the third Christmas the Autobots spent on the planet Earth, and the celebration had become a tradition among them by now. But this time, Jazz wouldn't be able to enjoy it as much as the previous years.
After almost two years living on Earth, Prowl had decided to justify his 'disguise' and add yet another task to his already quite extensive roster of obligations by applying to become an actual officer of Oregon's police department. The department was more than happy to accept him, offering to weave away all the requisites and tests and accept him right away. However, Prowl refused the offer as he thought it unfair and potentially dangerous for those he was supposed to serve if his knowledge of the subject wasn't properly tested by competent authorities.
He excelled his exams as expected by the other Autobots, and now Prowl was by all rights a police officer. In consideration of his Autobot duties, his shifts were usually short and far in between, but he was also the first to be called into action if a very dangerous situation required the department's attention.
Contrary to Jazz's initial worries, the new duties invested on his lover didn't lead to his overworking. He was still as adamant as usual about finishing his reports and other duties before he allowed himself some rest and leisure time, but he had learned to process his workload on a different, surprisingly more efficient way than he had done in the past. Jazz attributed the change to his actual interaction with other humans in his new line of work, but the important fact was that they spent as much time together as they did before Prowl joined the force.
Jazz sighed heavily as he watched his mate's alt form until it was out of his field of view entirely. Two days ago, he received his copy of the schedules planned for the week and had found out Prowl would be performing both patrolling duty around the Ark during the morning and a late night patrolling shift on the city, rendering him unable to partake of their traditional Christmas celebration.
The saboteur had been initially a little upset about discovering his mate would be missing the party, but Prowl's reasons left little room for him to argue.
"This is the third year we're holding a Christmas party. It would be the third year in a row neither most of the Mini-bots nor Red Alert or Trailbreaker would get to enjoy the celebration," Prowl explained. "I think this time it's only fair if they get to enjoy the festivities the same way we have in the previous years. And on that note, I believe some human officers around the city could use the day to spend it with their families on Christmas Eve for a change."
The saboteur had no means to argue his lover's 'logic', nor had he the desire to. As much as he wanted Prowl there, he knew his mate was sacrificing that time with him for the sake of other's enjoyment. In true holiday spirit, he was gifting his comrades, both Autobots and officers, a little bit of joy for Christmas. Jazz wasn't going to discourage his mate's kind gestures by any means.
With a little smile, the Porsche headed back into the depths of the Ark to oversee any last minute touches before their celebration began. He couldn't help but chuckle heartily as he watched the other Autobots going about the recreation room happily as the last touches were given.
Inferno was beyond ecstatic at the chance of spending the holiday with his beloved Red Alert, a feeling Wheeljack definitely shared as he, too, would get to spend the holiday with Trailbreaker whom he had grown very close to in the recent months. Bumblebee beamed with joy at being able to experience the holidays with his mini-bot friends.
The twins were already causing mischief, trying to pry presents from under the huge pine tree that had been decorated with care by all Autobots alike despite Bluestreak's attempts to pull them away. Wheeljack had started the tradition of adding a personal bauble to the tree in addition to the sets of colored baubles they changed every year.
The previous year, the engineer had been watching a documentary that covered the manufacture of glass baubles in some country and sparked the idea of creating their own baubles to add a personal touch to the tree in addition to the plastic baubles Spike, Sparkplug, and Carly provided them. He had gathered all the information, prepared the procedures and materials, and had called all the Autobots to teach them the technique with plenty of visual aid from some borrowed documentaries. One by one the Autobots had blown and shaped their own baubles, and Sunstreaker surprised everyone by hand painting each one with great finesse.
That time had been quite a memorable moment. Those who couldn't blow their own baubles for lack of mouth or uncovered lip components were helped by a friend. Prowl had blown Prime's own bauble while Hound and Mirage had helped to blow Warpath's and Powerglide's. Blaster, Eject, and Rewind had blown Ramhorn's and Steeljaw's. Ratchet and Trailbreaker helped to blow Wheeljack's. Swoop took it upon himself to blow the baubles of the Dinobots and so on.
One by one, each bauble had been blown and shaped to each Autobot's whim and each one was painted by Sunstreaker to match either the color scheme or personality. Each bauble was beautifully crafted and represented not just one Autobot but the bonds they shared as comrades, as brothers in arms, and, most importantly, as friends.
Jazz grinned to himself as he watched his and Prowl's own baubles. His was an iridescent white with a plethora of metallic red and blue designs carefully painted over the teardrop shape of his ornament, and beautiful silvery glitter accented the painted shapes. Prowl's, in comparison, was far more subtle but no less beautiful - a satin black bauble decorated with delicate silvery swirls and a single touch of iridescent white glitter at the bottom of the sphere which made it as elegant as his lover's way to carry himself.
The moment the baubles were placed was as important, if not more so, than the party itself. It represented the moment when all came together without worries or sorrows and placed their personal mark on the shared tree - a moment where all they could feel was the joy of this little piece of glory, something they never had on Cybertron.
"Alright, everyone! Let's get th'party started. Sunny and 'Sides, get away from that tree and let's bring in the high-grade!" Jazz ordered as he made his way to the bar where Perceptor and Wheeljack had left the energon goodies they had prepared for the occasion.
Everyone relaxed and enjoyed the party as the time passed, and Jazz appreciated with great detail just how meaningful Prowl's little 'sacrifice' had been for some 'bots among the Ark. Brawl was beaming in joy and happiness, singing - rather badly - along with Cliffjumper and Huffer to seasonal tunes. Inferno danced around the room with Red Alert in his arms. The security officer smiled and laughed, truly rid of his worries by the cheerful music and the content face of his lover.
Ironhide and Ratchet danced and laughed, true happiness beaming brightly on the CMO's face. His demeanor was kind and friendly even to the banes of his existence, the Lamborghini twins. Trailbreaker, Perceptor, and Wheeljack chit-chatted on and on about many things, enjoying their mutual company amidst energon cubes.
Everyone was happy - everyone was having a great time. And although Jazz was currently missing the presence of his mate, he felt content and satisfied with seeing the others enjoying themselves. After a last look around the room, he joined Blaster, Bluestreak, and the Twins for some dancing and chatting.
---------------
Prowl drove across the streets of the city as he patrolled his route. He deviated every now and then to look for a certain establishment he had contacted previously in the week, hoping they didn't forget about his appointment.
Despite his insistence about his new job being but a service to the community that now housed the Autobots, the department insisted in repaying the tactician with a salary, much like any other active officer. The Datsun couldn't help but feel strange about being the only Autobot with a bank account and the only one that earned income in local currency. They had no need for money, really. Most of what they needed was often donated by the city and other governments as thanks for keeping the Decepticons at bay or were gifts in appreciation for their protection.
Such little use for money had left about a little over a year's worth of paychecks sitting intact on his bank account generating quite the savings - savings he intended to put to good use tonight. The Datsun stopped outside of the establishment he had been looking for and transformed, tapping a finger gently on the crystal of the window display, and soon an elderly lady and a younger woman came out.
"Oh, you're here sir." The elderly lady smiled as she adjusted her thick glasses and gave a small nod to her companion. The younger woman disappeared inside the store for a moment. "We just got your order ready."
"Thank you, ma'am." Prowl nodded politely and opened a panel inside his forearm containing his personal terminal. Wheeljack and Ratchet had adapted it to be able to link to his bank account to allow him to transfer funds from his account to someone else's to process payments as a replacement for a debit card. The store's owner handed him a receipt containing the amount to be paid and the information for the transfer. After a few minutes fiddling with his terminal, the lady's assistant confirmed the payment and carried out two large items packed in brown paper.
"Thank you for your purchase! Have a Merry Christmas, officer!" The lady smiled as she waved to the Autobot who subspaced the items. Prowl offered a little smile back to the lady, nodding his thanks and wishing her happy holidays as he moved back onto the pavement and transformed back to continue his patrol duty.
Prowl wasn't the best at public displays of affection nor affectionate details such as gifts. Each Christmas, Jazz was the one to go out of his way to acquire or make something special for him - a photograph of them racing in their alt modes, an 'energon cake', a poem, and even a song had been his presents for the past two Christmases. Prowl, being the practical, logical one, had always returned the gesture with items the other could use like lubricant or air freshener, even his favorite scented type of cleaning solution. Although he knew his mate appreciated the gesture and enjoyed his gifts thoroughly, Prowl felt they paled horribly in the 'meaningful department'. This year, he'd make sure his gifts would hit the 'meaningful' part as much as they could hit the 'practical' side.
-----------------
Outside of pulling over a couple of vehicles that were over speed limits and escorting an ambulance to the local hospital for an emergency cesarean, the night had been mostly incident-free.
By the time his shift was officially over and he made his way back to the Ark, the sun was beginning to rise over the horizon. The Autobot tactician stopped and transformed as he made his way into the base, heading to his office as he began to subspace the items he purchased the night before. Once inside the office he sat before his desk, quickly signing up the report he had written on the way to the Ark to send him to his superiors in the police department. With that out of the way, the Datsun turned his attention to an assortment of items carefully laid on his desk. He removed the brown paper covering the items he purchased last night, revealing a huge, custom made roll of blue ribbon decorated with lighter blue and red stripes, matching Jazz's Martini Racer's paintjob. The other item was a large pack of custom made wrapping paper, splattered with white Autobot sigils all over a glittery orange background.
The cruiser wrapped a series of items carefully in a bag-like shape, tying it carefully with the custom ribbon. After a quick inspection to make sure the bundle's appearance was flawless, he subspaced it with a small smile spread across his face.
He picked a different roll of black paper left over from the previous christmas and wrapped a small box with it, adding a white pre-made ribbon to it before he cleaned his desk and left his office. Prowl made his way to the now empty recreation room where evidence of the good time spent by his comrades was scattered. He knelt by their large tree where all presents remained untouched despite the twins' attempts to score an early present. He laid his own gift under the tree and left the room, checking his internal clock. At that hour, the only Autobots online would be Ramhorn, Steeljaw, and Skyfire. Prime, Ratchet, Ironhide, and Perceptor wouldn't be up for another hour or so, and the rest of the Autobots would surely remain at least four more hours in recharge.
The tactician stopped at the doors of his quarters and entered the code, slipping silently into the room. He smiled lightly as his sight focused right away on the far end of his and Jazz's quarters where their berth laid. Jazz was curled up on his side of the berth, recharging peacefully. Prowl moved silently to the berth, laying on it as carefully as he could, not wishing to disturb his mate's slumber. Once settled on the berth, he wrapped an arm around Jazz's form and pulled him closer, feeling his body's warmth transferring to his own frame. Jazz stirred lightly and nuzzled against the familiar hood of his mate's chest.
"Mnn... Welcome home, Prowler..." Jazz looked up a bit to his lover, lazily wrapping a leg around Prowl's body to keep him close. "How was work?"
"It was alright. I take it the party was fun?" Prowl moved a little to settle more comfortably on their recharge berth.
"Mmhmm. Ya made a lot o' 'bots happy with that all-nighter. Merry Christmas, love." Jazz kissed the Autobot insignia on his mate's chest before he offlined his optics once again, too tired to stay online much longer.
"Merry Christmas, Jazz." Prowl held his beloved close and offlined his optics, allowing the soft, almost inaudible purring of Jazz's engine to lullaby him into recharge.
Rating: G to PG-13
Pairings: Prowl x Jazz. Implied Ironhide x Ratchet, Hound x Mirage, Inferno x Red Alert. Hinted Twins x Bluestreak, Trailbreaker x Wheeljack.
Summary: Sometimes giving is just as good as receiving. Especialy when your sacrifices make someone else happy and Prowl is more than willing to make some sacrifices.
Notes: This is kind of a two-parter that leades/explains This Picture. Some of the hinted/ implied couples were included as a little 'homage'/dedication to some of you wonderful people of the community. You can't see much of them on this one, but I asure you there'll be more of those couples too on the next part.
Thanks to nkfloofiepoof for beta reading this for me.
"Drive safely an' call right away if 'nything happens. Alright?" Jazz instructed as he followed after Prowl towards the entrance of the Ark.
"I will. Have fun at the party." The tactician stroked his mate's cheek before he stepped out and transformed into his alt mode to drive away towards the nearby city. Jazz watched his mate drive away and let out a soft sigh. No party would be as enjoyable if his Datsun was missing.
It was the third Christmas the Autobots spent on the planet Earth, and the celebration had become a tradition among them by now. But this time, Jazz wouldn't be able to enjoy it as much as the previous years.
After almost two years living on Earth, Prowl had decided to justify his 'disguise' and add yet another task to his already quite extensive roster of obligations by applying to become an actual officer of Oregon's police department. The department was more than happy to accept him, offering to weave away all the requisites and tests and accept him right away. However, Prowl refused the offer as he thought it unfair and potentially dangerous for those he was supposed to serve if his knowledge of the subject wasn't properly tested by competent authorities.
He excelled his exams as expected by the other Autobots, and now Prowl was by all rights a police officer. In consideration of his Autobot duties, his shifts were usually short and far in between, but he was also the first to be called into action if a very dangerous situation required the department's attention.
Contrary to Jazz's initial worries, the new duties invested on his lover didn't lead to his overworking. He was still as adamant as usual about finishing his reports and other duties before he allowed himself some rest and leisure time, but he had learned to process his workload on a different, surprisingly more efficient way than he had done in the past. Jazz attributed the change to his actual interaction with other humans in his new line of work, but the important fact was that they spent as much time together as they did before Prowl joined the force.
Jazz sighed heavily as he watched his mate's alt form until it was out of his field of view entirely. Two days ago, he received his copy of the schedules planned for the week and had found out Prowl would be performing both patrolling duty around the Ark during the morning and a late night patrolling shift on the city, rendering him unable to partake of their traditional Christmas celebration.
The saboteur had been initially a little upset about discovering his mate would be missing the party, but Prowl's reasons left little room for him to argue.
"This is the third year we're holding a Christmas party. It would be the third year in a row neither most of the Mini-bots nor Red Alert or Trailbreaker would get to enjoy the celebration," Prowl explained. "I think this time it's only fair if they get to enjoy the festivities the same way we have in the previous years. And on that note, I believe some human officers around the city could use the day to spend it with their families on Christmas Eve for a change."
The saboteur had no means to argue his lover's 'logic', nor had he the desire to. As much as he wanted Prowl there, he knew his mate was sacrificing that time with him for the sake of other's enjoyment. In true holiday spirit, he was gifting his comrades, both Autobots and officers, a little bit of joy for Christmas. Jazz wasn't going to discourage his mate's kind gestures by any means.
With a little smile, the Porsche headed back into the depths of the Ark to oversee any last minute touches before their celebration began. He couldn't help but chuckle heartily as he watched the other Autobots going about the recreation room happily as the last touches were given.
Inferno was beyond ecstatic at the chance of spending the holiday with his beloved Red Alert, a feeling Wheeljack definitely shared as he, too, would get to spend the holiday with Trailbreaker whom he had grown very close to in the recent months. Bumblebee beamed with joy at being able to experience the holidays with his mini-bot friends.
The twins were already causing mischief, trying to pry presents from under the huge pine tree that had been decorated with care by all Autobots alike despite Bluestreak's attempts to pull them away. Wheeljack had started the tradition of adding a personal bauble to the tree in addition to the sets of colored baubles they changed every year.
The previous year, the engineer had been watching a documentary that covered the manufacture of glass baubles in some country and sparked the idea of creating their own baubles to add a personal touch to the tree in addition to the plastic baubles Spike, Sparkplug, and Carly provided them. He had gathered all the information, prepared the procedures and materials, and had called all the Autobots to teach them the technique with plenty of visual aid from some borrowed documentaries. One by one the Autobots had blown and shaped their own baubles, and Sunstreaker surprised everyone by hand painting each one with great finesse.
That time had been quite a memorable moment. Those who couldn't blow their own baubles for lack of mouth or uncovered lip components were helped by a friend. Prowl had blown Prime's own bauble while Hound and Mirage had helped to blow Warpath's and Powerglide's. Blaster, Eject, and Rewind had blown Ramhorn's and Steeljaw's. Ratchet and Trailbreaker helped to blow Wheeljack's. Swoop took it upon himself to blow the baubles of the Dinobots and so on.
One by one, each bauble had been blown and shaped to each Autobot's whim and each one was painted by Sunstreaker to match either the color scheme or personality. Each bauble was beautifully crafted and represented not just one Autobot but the bonds they shared as comrades, as brothers in arms, and, most importantly, as friends.
Jazz grinned to himself as he watched his and Prowl's own baubles. His was an iridescent white with a plethora of metallic red and blue designs carefully painted over the teardrop shape of his ornament, and beautiful silvery glitter accented the painted shapes. Prowl's, in comparison, was far more subtle but no less beautiful - a satin black bauble decorated with delicate silvery swirls and a single touch of iridescent white glitter at the bottom of the sphere which made it as elegant as his lover's way to carry himself.
The moment the baubles were placed was as important, if not more so, than the party itself. It represented the moment when all came together without worries or sorrows and placed their personal mark on the shared tree - a moment where all they could feel was the joy of this little piece of glory, something they never had on Cybertron.
"Alright, everyone! Let's get th'party started. Sunny and 'Sides, get away from that tree and let's bring in the high-grade!" Jazz ordered as he made his way to the bar where Perceptor and Wheeljack had left the energon goodies they had prepared for the occasion.
Everyone relaxed and enjoyed the party as the time passed, and Jazz appreciated with great detail just how meaningful Prowl's little 'sacrifice' had been for some 'bots among the Ark. Brawl was beaming in joy and happiness, singing - rather badly - along with Cliffjumper and Huffer to seasonal tunes. Inferno danced around the room with Red Alert in his arms. The security officer smiled and laughed, truly rid of his worries by the cheerful music and the content face of his lover.
Ironhide and Ratchet danced and laughed, true happiness beaming brightly on the CMO's face. His demeanor was kind and friendly even to the banes of his existence, the Lamborghini twins. Trailbreaker, Perceptor, and Wheeljack chit-chatted on and on about many things, enjoying their mutual company amidst energon cubes.
Everyone was happy - everyone was having a great time. And although Jazz was currently missing the presence of his mate, he felt content and satisfied with seeing the others enjoying themselves. After a last look around the room, he joined Blaster, Bluestreak, and the Twins for some dancing and chatting.
---------------
Prowl drove across the streets of the city as he patrolled his route. He deviated every now and then to look for a certain establishment he had contacted previously in the week, hoping they didn't forget about his appointment.
Despite his insistence about his new job being but a service to the community that now housed the Autobots, the department insisted in repaying the tactician with a salary, much like any other active officer. The Datsun couldn't help but feel strange about being the only Autobot with a bank account and the only one that earned income in local currency. They had no need for money, really. Most of what they needed was often donated by the city and other governments as thanks for keeping the Decepticons at bay or were gifts in appreciation for their protection.
Such little use for money had left about a little over a year's worth of paychecks sitting intact on his bank account generating quite the savings - savings he intended to put to good use tonight. The Datsun stopped outside of the establishment he had been looking for and transformed, tapping a finger gently on the crystal of the window display, and soon an elderly lady and a younger woman came out.
"Oh, you're here sir." The elderly lady smiled as she adjusted her thick glasses and gave a small nod to her companion. The younger woman disappeared inside the store for a moment. "We just got your order ready."
"Thank you, ma'am." Prowl nodded politely and opened a panel inside his forearm containing his personal terminal. Wheeljack and Ratchet had adapted it to be able to link to his bank account to allow him to transfer funds from his account to someone else's to process payments as a replacement for a debit card. The store's owner handed him a receipt containing the amount to be paid and the information for the transfer. After a few minutes fiddling with his terminal, the lady's assistant confirmed the payment and carried out two large items packed in brown paper.
"Thank you for your purchase! Have a Merry Christmas, officer!" The lady smiled as she waved to the Autobot who subspaced the items. Prowl offered a little smile back to the lady, nodding his thanks and wishing her happy holidays as he moved back onto the pavement and transformed back to continue his patrol duty.
Prowl wasn't the best at public displays of affection nor affectionate details such as gifts. Each Christmas, Jazz was the one to go out of his way to acquire or make something special for him - a photograph of them racing in their alt modes, an 'energon cake', a poem, and even a song had been his presents for the past two Christmases. Prowl, being the practical, logical one, had always returned the gesture with items the other could use like lubricant or air freshener, even his favorite scented type of cleaning solution. Although he knew his mate appreciated the gesture and enjoyed his gifts thoroughly, Prowl felt they paled horribly in the 'meaningful department'. This year, he'd make sure his gifts would hit the 'meaningful' part as much as they could hit the 'practical' side.
-----------------
Outside of pulling over a couple of vehicles that were over speed limits and escorting an ambulance to the local hospital for an emergency cesarean, the night had been mostly incident-free.
By the time his shift was officially over and he made his way back to the Ark, the sun was beginning to rise over the horizon. The Autobot tactician stopped and transformed as he made his way into the base, heading to his office as he began to subspace the items he purchased the night before. Once inside the office he sat before his desk, quickly signing up the report he had written on the way to the Ark to send him to his superiors in the police department. With that out of the way, the Datsun turned his attention to an assortment of items carefully laid on his desk. He removed the brown paper covering the items he purchased last night, revealing a huge, custom made roll of blue ribbon decorated with lighter blue and red stripes, matching Jazz's Martini Racer's paintjob. The other item was a large pack of custom made wrapping paper, splattered with white Autobot sigils all over a glittery orange background.
The cruiser wrapped a series of items carefully in a bag-like shape, tying it carefully with the custom ribbon. After a quick inspection to make sure the bundle's appearance was flawless, he subspaced it with a small smile spread across his face.
He picked a different roll of black paper left over from the previous christmas and wrapped a small box with it, adding a white pre-made ribbon to it before he cleaned his desk and left his office. Prowl made his way to the now empty recreation room where evidence of the good time spent by his comrades was scattered. He knelt by their large tree where all presents remained untouched despite the twins' attempts to score an early present. He laid his own gift under the tree and left the room, checking his internal clock. At that hour, the only Autobots online would be Ramhorn, Steeljaw, and Skyfire. Prime, Ratchet, Ironhide, and Perceptor wouldn't be up for another hour or so, and the rest of the Autobots would surely remain at least four more hours in recharge.
The tactician stopped at the doors of his quarters and entered the code, slipping silently into the room. He smiled lightly as his sight focused right away on the far end of his and Jazz's quarters where their berth laid. Jazz was curled up on his side of the berth, recharging peacefully. Prowl moved silently to the berth, laying on it as carefully as he could, not wishing to disturb his mate's slumber. Once settled on the berth, he wrapped an arm around Jazz's form and pulled him closer, feeling his body's warmth transferring to his own frame. Jazz stirred lightly and nuzzled against the familiar hood of his mate's chest.
"Mnn... Welcome home, Prowler..." Jazz looked up a bit to his lover, lazily wrapping a leg around Prowl's body to keep him close. "How was work?"
"It was alright. I take it the party was fun?" Prowl moved a little to settle more comfortably on their recharge berth.
"Mmhmm. Ya made a lot o' 'bots happy with that all-nighter. Merry Christmas, love." Jazz kissed the Autobot insignia on his mate's chest before he offlined his optics once again, too tired to stay online much longer.
"Merry Christmas, Jazz." Prowl held his beloved close and offlined his optics, allowing the soft, almost inaudible purring of Jazz's engine to lullaby him into recharge.