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Characters:Ratchet Location: The roads of Jasper, NV Content Warnings: n/a Plot Summary: After being cleared to return to duty Optimus invites Ratchet out on a drive with him so that the two can speak openly without having to worry about being interrupted.
He felt better getting out from the base for a little while. Even just this far things seemed less hectic and all consuming. He still didn't know why it was he didn't have memory of things after they'd hit the space bridge aboard the Ark. He still got lost in the Outpost from time to time, even having to pull up a map in order to navigate halls that should have been familiar to him by now. Everyone was doing their best to help, and for now he didn't think anyone but those that had been in medical when he'd told Ratchet, as well as his command staff, even knew anything was different about him. He'd prefer it to stay that way.
He'd asked his closest friend to come out with him, to just drive and not have anything to really do. They were both so busy, but Ratchet was the one mech he trusted above all others, and it was difficult to get him away from the medbay when he wasn't spending time with his family unit. Which was fine, but for what he wanted to discuss he didn't want the constant interruption of family or duties or some new medical or professional emergency. He just wanted some time with his best friend.
And getting off base afforded him the chance to see this planet for the first time with his own optics. He'd been looking things up on the 'internet', learning what he could of the culture, the indigenous species, and the languages that dominated this planet. It wasn't their world after all, and he had to adapt himself to it not it to him. He made sure his comms were properly encoded for an Autobot frequency before starting to speak. ::There is so much diversity to this planet, I find I'm constantly in awe of it.:: Cybertron was beautiful in its way, but it was dead and cold compared to this planet. He vented internally and picked at his processors for the right way to say what he wanted before finally deciding just to ask the other mech exactly what was bothering him.
::Ratchet? So much has changed with this gap in my memory. I can't help but wonder what all has changed for me and those that I know on a personal level. You and I are still friends, aren't we?:: He was anxious about that, Ratchet had been his friend for a long time. ::I would like to say we are, but allot can change in the amount of time I lost. I seem to no longer be on friendly terms with my second, though I could have sworn he and I were friends when last we spoke.:: Prowl avoided him at the best of times, and outright refused to speak to him at worst. He wanted the air cleared with the ones closest to him in his life, preferably without a very public issue involving it.
It wasn't terribly often that Ratchet left the Autobot base these days, especially now that Nightshade was part of the mix. It was easier for him to stay behind not just for her, but to be prepared should an emergency arise. Just getting the medic to take a break wasn't always an easy task considering what he had been through, but there were those who could manage such a task easily.
Optimus was one of those very few.
He still wasn't entirely sure what had caused his friend's sudden amnesia, but he never once faulted Optimus for it. Surely there was a cause, and surely there was a way to reverse whatever had happened. The CMO would rest at nothing until his friend could remember everything.
Until that day, he didn't mind filling the gaps for Optimus. He may not remember, but he would at least be armed with the knowledge of what had been happening on Earth. It was vital.. especially in this time of war.
When Optimus asked if the two of them could go for a short drive, Ratchet couldn't say no.
He immediately packed up an emergency medkit just to be safe and tagged along with his Amica. While he wasn't certain of what the former data clerk had wanted, he honestly did not mind spending some quality time with his friend. Ratchet had been a bit more focused on the road to pay attention to the surrounding area that he didn't need to be concerned with, and had been caught off guard by Optimus' question.
Were they still friends..?
::Of course we're still friends, Optimus. No matter how much time has passed, that is the one constant that you don't need to worry yourself about. I'll always be ready to help you when you need me.. even if things are constantly changing around us. Even if I have my servos full between the little one, assisting Pharma through his traumas, and keeping the medical bay running. I don't know what's happened between you and Prowl aside from his concerns with carrying, but just know that I'm still here for you.::
Post by Optimus Prime on Apr 26, 2018 21:42:13 GMT
His air brakes hissed loudly as he settled low on his wheels, feeling relief wash through him over the others words. Finally, someone was who and what they were supposed to be in his life. Ratchet was his best friend, the one he trusted above absolutely everyone else, to lose that trust and friendship...he wasn't sure he'd cope very well with it.
::That soothes my mind very much. Perhaps I should just ask him what it is I've done to offend him so that we can work together again.:: He vented then pushed thoughts of his troublesome second far away. ::I haven't had the pleasure of meeting your little spark, does she take after you?:: He was aware there were several sparklings on base now, and he'd been carefully going over their files trying to memorize each one in turn. Along with all the files he had to go over from his missing time. It left him with very little down time to enjoy for himself, so this outing was a much needed break.
::Are you doing alright?:: Pharma wasn't the only Autobot medic that had been abducted recently. That Ratchet's had come as a result of Jazz's defection made no difference. He had to believe he'd wrecked havoc on the Nemesis getting his friend back, as the very thought made his spark burn with fury. He sincerely hoped he'd done serious damage during the rescue.
Ratchet had honestly been happy that his words alone had helped ease Optimus' thoughts. He still didn't know what all to make of this sudden memory lost, but all of the 'changes' around the base certainly could not have been easy for him. If nothing else, he was one of the few things that would have remained the same.
::I would love to introduce you to her one day. Nightshade's a sweetspark, and I'm sure she'd like you. She certainly does take after me, though.. she takes after her carrier too. Not to say that's a bad thing that she takes after Wheeljack, too, but she does take after me more. She's shy, but she cares so much about those she gets to know.::
Primus knew that the little one was already getting good at throwing toy wrenches, though thankfully not at anyone.
The CMO nearly hit the breaks at Optimus' question, not answering right away. He needed a moment to really think on it, especially with so much that had been whirling around his processor for some time now. He didn't really have as many mechs or femmes to vent to that weren't already aware of what had happened with the kidnapping, but he would only tell those closest to him how he really felt about things.
::Physically.. I still harbor so much regret from.. what happened. I know there's no possible way I could have predicted what Jazz would have done. You would be the first one to tell me that, but.. I should tell you.:: Ratchet moved closer to Optimus as they continued to drive, just wanting to stay close.
::While I was on the Nemesis.. I not only was forced into working on the Synthetic Energon formula, but I experienced first hand how brutal the DJD can be.. Between Tarn and Kaon alone I almost offlined.. I'm sure that you had to have been finding some way to safely retrieve me, but even then Wheeljack couldn't sit still long enough to wait. Even though he was carrying.. He still tracked down the Nemesis with Pharma. I don't know how, but.. they did. They found me and tried to get me out, but.. Kaon captured Pharma in the process.. If I hadn't been so weak.. I could have saved him. I could have prevented everything that happened to him.. I nearly lost everything because of Jazz's choice..::
Post by Optimus Prime on Apr 29, 2018 18:10:36 GMT
::I certainly hope she takes after you. One headstrong individual blowing up the base is more than enough to deal with at a time.:: His tone was light, not meaning it as anything other than a joke. ::I worry more about accidentally crushing one of the sparklings, I'm so big.:: He was also perhaps one of the gentlest mech, though rarely got the chance to show that side of himself anymore. War wasn't kind to those of such a disposition.
It had been a very long time since he'd been the sometimes clumsy Orion Pax. He'd learned to manage the sheer size of his person ages ago so that he wasn't constantly having to stumble around to keep from literally plowing someone over when he needed to go from place to place. There were also those much larger than himself, and he found that having confidence in himself helped very much in managing his own person and personal space.
Optimus drew back to the conversation, shaking himself mentally to keep on track. Especially as he'd asked such a difficult question. He listened intently, taking in everything Ratchet said and filing it away to look through more later.
::While I can't say I condone Wheeljack risking himself while he was carrying, or getting Pharma involved as well despite his intentions...Well I can't say I wouldn't have done something equally as reckless. I don't know what I was planning before I lost my memories, I can only speak for myself as I am now. I've been told many times I think too much with my emotions and not enough with my head. If one of my friends is in trouble I'm likely to try whatever I can to get them back safely. Even if it means making a target of myself to do so.::
He changed lanes, casually going around a slow moving construction vehicle of some kind before he continued. He felt a rumbling sort of rage at just how badly his friend had been treated while aboard the Nemesis, but managed not to let it boil over into his comms. ::You did everything you could. Don't beat yourself up over something you couldn't control. In the end everyone got home, even if it was after a traumatic experience.::
Optimus couldn't get over the fact that one of his most loyal soldiers had chosen to defect. Jazz was a problem that needed solving. He knew too much about their forces, was too good at his job, to be allowed to roam free in the service of the Decepticons. It pained him, but if the opportunity arose, Jazz needed to be destroyed. ::Jazz is a problem for another time, I think. I don't know what he was thinking, or why he did what he did. It baffles me.:: And may at least partially explain why Prowl was so averse to his presence now. No buffer against social norms for his second meant he tended to shut down.
Ratchet immediately caught onto Optimus' joking, finding himself unable to keep a chuckle back. He couldn't picture Nightshade blowing the base up, at least on purpose, but the thought definitely was there given her carrier's love for explosives. Granted, he at least knew what he was doing with bombs. They'd just have to make sure they were always out of her reach. ::If Nightshade could handle Jetfire's size, I'm fairly certain she will be alright in your arms. I trust you.::
And trust him, Ratchet did. He trusted him most of all aside from his own Conjunx and his adopted sire. He had known Optimus long before the war, back in the days of Orion Pax. At that point, it had been an easy choice which side he would choose in the war given their history together.
He didn't quite feel his Amica's anger in that moment when he poured his spark out to the mech. Ratchet had been far too focused on his own emotions, though listened to his friend's words. It really was true though. There was no way he could have helped Pharma, and Pharma had even told him he'd allowed himself to be captured in an attempt to save the CMO.
::I.. admit I wasn't entirely thrilled with the idea of Wheeljack coming for me.. or Pharma either for that matter. I know I couldn't have possibly changed their minds, but the entire time I was on that ship.. I wished they wouldn't come for me. Not because I didn't want them to, but I was afraid of what would happen if they did. It was dangerous enough without factoring the Decepticon Justice Division into the mix..::
A small wave of relief washed over Ratchet's spark as Optimus validated that he had done everything he possibly could have done. With every escape attempt, with trying to sacrifice himself to save the three lives most important to him.. there wasn't much more the CMO could have done.
::I don't understand either..:: He paused for a moment, trying to recall any moment where Jazz had acted strangely before the incident. ::I remember.. he came to the medical bay one day with knee joint troubles but had been less than cooperative. He tried to run, and when I tried to grab him to put him on the berth, he attacked me. I.. just thought it was instinctive reaction at the time.. He then wanted me to look into his processor because he felt something had been wrong, but when I did he grabbed one of my wrenches and tried to attack me again. I pegged it to be a memory he was caught in, but.. now that I think about it, do you think that was the first sign?::
He grinned internally at his friend's words, deeply pleased that he still had the others trust. Especially with something so precious and fragile as a sparkling. ::That means much to me, Ratchet. Thank you.:: He'd known this mech for longer than he could even remember sometimes, and he wished he could remember the intermittent amount of time between where his memory ended and his life picked back up again. If only for the good memories to fortify him during the darkest times of this war.
Optimus' engine idled for a time while he listened to his friend speak, taking it all in and letting the knowledge wash over him. And there was something in there that he suddenly felt the other mech should know, even though he was certain he already did. ::Even if you could have changed their minds, and they hadn't come for you, I certainly would have.:: News of the DJD didn't bode well at all for things. Aside from being brutal members of the Decepticon army they are also some of the most lethal and well trained soldiers at Megatron's disposal. And loyal.
Their conversation came back towards Jazz and he vented loudly, hearing his brakes hiss in annoyance and some frustration over the matter of his master spy turned traitor. ::Is there any way he could have been somehow influenced by another source?:: Could his trust in Jazz not have been misplaced after all? Could the smaller mech have been fighting what he was doing, been looking for help without really realizing what was happening to him? These were questions he would put to his tactician, and ones that he felt would get him the others undivided attention.
Last Edit: Jun 28, 2018 8:55:40 GMT by Optimus Prime
It still seemed so silly to Ratchet. Optimus had been so worried about harming the little sparklings, but Ratchet knew better. His friend was the type that wouldn't hurt so much as an ant without feeling remorse. He did what he had to do when it came to this war, but he knew that his friend could handle the smallest of Cybertronians. He knew he could do careful.
The medic felt his spark flutter at Optimus' words. It meant a lot to him that Optimus would have eventually come for him had Wheeljack not beaten him to the punch. He was glad that Wheeljack had.. if only for the fact that they still had much they needed to complete before Nightshade had separated from his Conjunx's spark. He could only imagine how different things would have been if his friend had been the one on the ship instead. Would he have come to bargain.. or would he have pulled something similar to what Wheeljack and Pharma had done..? The CMO had never imagined Optimus to be the careless one, so the former had stuck out the most in his processor. ::I appreciate that, Optimus. More than you realize.::
It was then that Optimus raised another question, causing Ratchet to think even harder. Was there some way to prove that something had caused Jazz to do this? Had someone made him? ::I... honestly don't know. At first I tried to reason with myself that perhaps this was one of saboteur jobs, but.. he would have told me. He would have told you as well.. As the days passed, I began to get that feeling less and less.. especially when I didn't see him after my capture.::
::Perhaps I mellowed with age, but as I am now I would have stormed the Nemesis with or without my soldiers behind me and wrecked a path of destruction so terrible they would regret ever daring to take you.:: He said this cheerfully, though his tone was dark. ::I'm aware this is foolish, but there are lines Megatron should know better than to cross with me. I do not fear his elite soldiers.:: And taking Ratchet would have crossed one of those lines. Not that Megatron would care about that, but it was one of those things that truly enraged the otherwise calm natured Prime. You messed with Ratchet only if you wanted to be ripped apart by an angry Prime. His friendship mattered that much to him, and of all those he knew it was his CMO that was closest to him.
Optimus' engine growled a little with the turn of his thoughts and he had to force himself back to the present lest he sink too much into thinking about the past. ::I'm just glad you're back safely now.::
Discussion of Jazz brought him fully back to the topic at hand and for awhile he was silent as they managed the road. ::I might have known and forgotten. I need to finish going through the mountain of datapads I have in my office. I wish to believe the best of Jazz, especially given his closeness to Prowl. No matter the circumstances, I don't see him simply abandoning Prowl without a very good reason. But I will be looking into the matter, I promise you.::
The thought of Optimus just barreling through the Nemesis was quite an odd thought, but something Ratchet understood. Closest friend, and everyone always relied upon his medical skills. Things were different now in his processor now that Pharma and Blizzard were here. Even still with the Decepticon Justice Division around, it was rescue attempt Ratchet honestly didn't want anyone to make.
Once the DJD was involved, it was only a matter of time before you were terminated.
::Honestly.. I'm glad to be back, too.::
As his friend continued to speak, a simple statement forced Ratchet to slam on his breaks momentarily before shaking off the surprise and continuing his trek. Had Optimus known what Jazz was doing..? If so.. then it had to be yet another saboteur job! Even still, the thought of his best friend potentially having knowledge of what was going on spun around in his processor to the point of making him near dizzy. Even with the memory loss, if Optimus had found anything confirming that he knew.. it would hurt more than Ratchet could even imagine.
::For.. Prowl's sake I hope that's the case..:: The medic sighed, not really wanting to argue the matter. Honestly there wouldn't have been much point in it. They'd just have to wait until Optimus found something. ::Not to really change the subject or anything, but.. once this war is all over.. what do you think will happen? I was sort of hoping to open a medical clinic, but did you have any sort of plan for yourself?::
He actually slowed himself when Ratchet hit his breaks, fearing for a moment that they were under attack until the other shook it off and regained his speed. Startled then. ::I'm sorry, did I upset you?:: He hadn't meant to, he really just wanted things to work out for those around him. Optimus wanted to comfort the other over the matter, not upset him further. Primus knew it had been a trying enough time without him adding to it. Memory or not, he didn't like to think about his friend being damaged like that. It enraged him.
So he let the other change the subject, though it took him a long moment to decide how to answer. ::I...would be content to remain in a place where I could be surrounded by my friends and protect their happiness. Should I survive this war I would perhaps build a small library and teach the little ones about our history so that they wouldn't have to repeat the mistakes we made along the way.::
::No.. No, you didn't. I'm sorry for worrying you. I just.. hope that you can find what you're looking for.:: It honestly didn't sit well with him knowing that his best friend possibly being in on Jazz's plan. So much had been sacrificed, and the months of mental scarring wasn't something Ratchet was going to just glance over. In the end, he knew that he couldn't hate Optimus for any of it. He just wished that he knew Jazz's plan.. so that he himself and others could have been spared the pain of what had come of it all.
What didn't come as a surprise to the CMO was his friend's aspirations provided the war ended favorably. Optimus always had enjoyed his job as a data clerk, and it only made sense that he'd want to go back to that life if he could. It was another one of those cases where the caste system had landed them in the perfect line of work, although that wasn't to say it wasn't without it's flaws of course.
::Honestly.. I think you would make a great historian and teacher, but only if you really wanted to be. Just with your job as a data clerk as well as your vast experiences with the war and the like.. you could give out so much knowledge to anyone who sought it out. If things weren't the way they were now.. I think the little ones at the base would love to hear your historical knowledge.::
::Primus knows I have the patience to teach them anything if I set myself to it. Dealing with unruly soldiers gives one excellent practice on their patience.:: He made a low humming sound, letting his processor wander as he warmed up to this subject. ::I think I would enjoy being overcome by a pile of excited sparklings. Honestly, is there anything sweeter than seeing their little faces and knowing they are happy to see you?::
He had been a data clerk once, a very long time ago. For him it didn't seem so long ago that he was Orion Pax, a simple data clerk with no higher aspirations in life.
What he really wanted was a sparkling all his own, one he could raise up and care for and who he could devote his entirety to protecting and providing for. Though, the offspring of a Prime was destined to be a Prime, as they were born. That would be okay though, but he wasn't saying that. Instead, he focused on the mech he drove alongside.
::Maybe I'll travel a little before settling in. I do want to see more of this beautiful planet.::
::I can only imagine. The Twins of all bots could give anyone the ultimate lesson on patience. I can't tell you how many times I've thrown wrenches their way, and.. fixing the damages afterwards of course.:: Even still, Optimus' words brought a bit of a warm feeling to his spark, and a smile would have shown had he not been in vehicle mode. ::It's.. the most gratifying feeling in the world. Not only just when they're happy to see you, but when they smile and tell you how much they love you. It's enough to melt any spark, honestly. You'd have to have no spark at all to not be touched by that.::
Ratchet had always wanted to have a family unit, and especially a sparkling of his own. Even with it now, nothing really could have prepared him for the joys Nightshade had brought. Even his time raising Strongarm had been a small sampling of what he could expect, and not one moment of it had he regretted.. outside of the time he didn't get to spend helping Wheeljack through the carrying process of course.
However, that was beyond his control.
::That's where you and I differ. You want to see more of it, but I can't wait to leave this planet. I'll stay of course because I'm needed here, but the moment the opportunity arises should the war end? I can't imagine myself not booking it.:: Ratchet chuckled a bit, stopping at an oncoming stoplight. ::It's a unique planet, but too much organic life for an old bot such as myself.::