[TF] Rain or Shine 10

[dracoqueen22]

Rain or Shine
Part Ten

“You’re sure you want to do this?” Blurr asked, unable to hide the skepticism from his voice.

“Absolutely!” Tailgate declared as he picked up the stool, moved it, set it back down, and climbed up onto it, all to see Blurr over the counter. “It’ll be fun. Cyclonus said I needed to get out more, and Whirl likes it here, so I thought, why not?”

Why not indeed.

Blurr glanced to the end of the counter, where Cyclonus had taken up a seat which used to be Ricochet’s before he started actually earning his keep. The former Decepticon had a single cube of engex, and a preemptive glower for anyone who might think to speak crossly to his adorable not-quite-minibot partner.

Tailgate wasn’t the only bartender Blurr had hired, just the one who made him a little bit skeptical, but Whirl had asked, and Blurr had been unable to say no to Tailgate when he’d boldly strolled into New Maccadams and asked for a chance to prove himself.

“That’s good enough for me,” Blurr said. “But you know, if you need any help... “

“I have Riptide’s comm, and Bluestreak’s comm, and Jazz’s comm though I’m not going to use that one, and I have your comm.” Tailgate ticked each designation off on his fingers. “I used to help out at Swerve’s all the time, you know. I’ve done this before.”

“I remember. It’s just--”

“Just that he’s attached to this bar and worries himself sick over it,” Ricochet said as he appeared out of nowhere, his hands resting on Blurr’s shoulders, leaning in to plant a kiss on his cheek. “Blurr, are you harassing the new hires again?”

Blurr rolled his optics and dipped out from under Ricochet’s touch. “It’s not harassment,” he said, just as a deep, pulsing ache ripped through his chassis. He paused, hands going to his abdomen, as the fluttering started within him.

He knew this sensation.

“Frag,” Blurr said.

“What is it?” Ricochet asked, but there was excitement in his field, as though he’d already guessed the cause of Blurr’s exclamation.

“Ain’t it obvious?” Whirl laughed from the doorway, arms waving in the air. “Blurr’s going into labor. That kid of yours is on the way.”

“He’s right,” Blurr said with a wince as the cables around his gestational tank contracted, trying to push it further south. “Call Jazz, have him pick up Echo and meet us at the medcenter.” He paused as another, sharper ripple stole his vents. “Rebound’s coming fast.”

Ricochet grinned, his face stretched wide. He raised his hands, pumping his fists in the air, before clapping them. “All right, mechs. You know the drill. Whirl, watch the door. Tailgate, serve the drinks. Cyclonus, you do you.”

Blurr sighed, but it was a relieved sort of sigh. He felt comfortable leaving New Maccadam’s in the trio’s hands, with help only a comm away. Besides, he’d have to get used to it. He did promise Ricochet he’d spend less time at the bar, and more time with the family, and this was a good first step.

He headed for the door, knowing Ricochet would follow if he wanted to participate this time, but not wanting to delay any further. This was his least favorite part of the carrying process, and honestly, he was ready for it to be over. He was ready for Rebound to be in his arms and out of his gestational tank.

“Good luck, boss,” Whirl said with a salute and a wink from his single optic, which never ceased looking strange. “We’ll hold down the fort.”

“I really don’t want you to call me boss,” Blurr said on his way out the door, but Whirl laughed, and that was as good as admitting a weakness Whirl intended to keep exploiting.

Blurr was going to be boss until the end of his days.

“Hey, where are you going without me?” Ricochet demanded as he caught up to Blurr outside the door, his face pinched with irritation.

“You were taking too long,” Blurr informed him as another contraction made him stagger, and Ricochet grabbed him, steadying him. Oh, Primus. Maybe they’d have to call someone to pick him up.

Ricochet looked at him for a moment, and the next thing Blurr knew, he was being swept into Ricochet’s arms as though he weighed nothing.

Well.

He supposed that worked, too.

“You’re doing the hard part,” he said, to Blurr’s unasked question. “This is the least I can do.”

“I could get used to this,” Blurr said, and another cramp echoed through his abdomen, making him groan. “Ricochet, hurry.”

Rebound was apparently tired of waiting.

~


Blurr, as always, had the worst timing.

Ratchet's finger hovered over the holo-board, right over the button which would have signed him as off-duty for the day, which he was ten seconds from touching before the notice of Blurr's labor came through his comms line. Routed there by the on-duty medic who knew Ratchet was on-call for Blurr's inevitable labor.

He sighed and dismissed the holo-board.

Damn Racers and their inconvenient timing.

He commed Drift, because his conjunx would be severely annoyed if he missed Rebound's birth, and Ratchet hadn't informed him.

Well, soon enough he'd be celebrating the birth of their own sparkling.

Ratchet grinned to himself, a little bubble of joy in his spark. Drift had carried the bulk of their excitement since they'd confirmed his sparking, but Ratchet had to admit, he was growing more and more excited as well.

He hadn't expected to survive the war, now here he was with a conjunx and a sparkling on the way. He had a family.

It was something of a miracle.

Ratchet commed the on-call medic to direct Blurr to a private delivery room while Ratchet himself scrubbed up and gathered the necessary supplies, including the last extender he'd need to assist Blurr with his valve-birth. It wasn't going to be easy, but it wasn't impossible either.

He made his way to the delivery room, supplies in hand, and braced himself for the likely event he'd have to banish Ricochet to the waiting room again. When he walked in, however, they were kissing. Because of course they were kissing.

Ricochet had a hand on Blurr's abdomen, his other gently cupping Blurr's jaw, and they were kissing tenderly, like Ratchet had never seen before. He almost hated to interrupt, save that he heard the sharp intake, saw the ripple of tension across Blurr's frame, and felt the buzz of impending birth in the air.

"All right," Ratchet said. "Let's get this one out before you decide to work on the third."

They broke apart, neither of them bothering to look guilty.

"Charming as ever, Ratchet," Ricochet drawled.

Blurr, however, flinched and curled forward a little, his engine revving into a higher pitch. "Just two," he managed around a labored vent. "This is the last one."

"Or three maybe," Ricochet said as Blurr grabbed his hand and squeezed, making him wince. "We'll talk later."

Ratchet snorted and eyed Ricochet with speculation. "Are you going to behave this time?"

Ricochet crossed his chassis with his other hand. "Cross my spark. I'm going to catch him, remember? First face Rebound is gonna see is mine."

"Don't drop him," Blurr wheezed.

"Frag you." Ricochet chuckled and pressed his forehead to Blurr's, a wide grin splitting his lips. "Carried you, didn't I? And not a single bump to the head."

Ratchet resisted the urge to groan aloud. They could be sickening sometimes. Instead, he tossed a set of gloves. "All right. Enough flirting. Looks like Rebound's ready to get here sooner rather than later."

Ricochet pressed a kiss to Blurr's forehead before he moved aside, making room for Ratchet to scan Blurr with every diagnostic he had at his disposal.

"No matter what, I want them both to be okay," Ricochet said as he rested his hands on Blurr's knees and pinned Ratchet with a look. "Do whatever you gotta do, Doc. This is my family here."

Ratchet wasn't offended. He'd seen enough nervous partners to know it wasn't personal. "You're in the best hands."

"I'll be fine," Blurr said in an exasperated tone, but it petered off into a hiss as a visible contraction wracked his frame. "But you won't be if you don't let Ratchet do his job and get Rebound out."

Ratchet chuckled and patted Blurr on the shoulder. "It's going to be fine."

"I know it is." Blurr cycled a ventilation, his armor flaring to vent excess heat. "So let's do it already."

~

"Unca Jazz!"

Jazz grunted as Echo all but threw himself into Jazz's arms, flinging his arms around Jazz's neck for the biggest hug his little frame could manage. Jazz rocked back on his heels, but caught himself, standing and lifting Echo into his arms.

"Hey, bitty-bot. Guess what?"

"What?" Echo squeezed him tighter, strong enough to hold on and let himself dangle if Jazz let go.

Which he didn't. He knew better than that.

"You get to meet your little brother today," Jazz said as he swung Echo around to his hip, an easier place to carry him, and nodded his farewell to Echo's teacher. He and Bluestreak both were on the List.

"Really?"

"Really, really," Jazz said.

Echo bounced in his arms, and Jazz grunted a little, trying to keep a hold of him. "Is that where we're going? To see my brother?"

"Sure are."

Bluestreak waited for them outside, looking soft and amused, and Echo's delight reached new bounds as he saw Bluestreak, instantly holding out his arms to be held. Traitorous fragger loved his Uncle Boo even more than Unca Jazz.

"Boo! Boo! Guess what?" Echo said as Jazz grunted and handed him over, letting him clamber over Bluestreak like he was playground equipment.

"I don't know. Why don't you tell me?" Bluestreak asked as Echo clambered to sit on his shoulders, tucked behind Bluestreak's head with the arch of his sensory wings to keep him from falling.

"I get to see my little brother today!" Echo said as he grasped Bluestreak's head once they started to move, heading with haste toward the medical center.

Bluestreak exchanged an amused glance with Jazz and gasped theatrically. "Really?"

"Yeah!"

Jazz grinned as Echo started to babble, first about his new brother, then about some kid in his class he didn't really get along with, but he hadn't bit anyone today, so they could tell Daddy that and be proud of him. But okay he did bite Bell just a little, but it was Bell's fault for putting his fingers near Echo's mouth, and not even Compute was mad at him.

Bluestreak listened attentively, responding when appropriate. He was so good with Echo Jazz worried sometimes that he secretly harbored a desire for sparklings of his own, but he'd never gotten so much as a whiff of envy whenever they had to give Echo back to his parents.

They were good uncles. Sparklings needed good uncles.

They arrived at the medcenter long before Echo ran out of stories. Drift met them in the lobby, to Echo's infinite delight, and took them up to the waiting room where he'd had the foresight to acquire a small box of toys to distract Echo while they waited.

"I know what you're thinking," Bluestreak murmured once they were sat in comfortable chairs, Echo on the floor in front of them, where he'd dumped out the entire box of toys to play with. Drift was down there with him, helping Echo line up all of the small cars.

Jazz tilted his head. "Oh, yeah? What is it?"

Bluestreak took his hand, gave it a squeeze. "I love Echo, and I'm sure I'll love Rebound, but I promise you, I don't want any of my own." He grinned. "My favorite part of having them is when I get to give them back."

"I guess you might have a clue then." Jazz squeezed Bluestreak's hand.

"I'd like to think I know you pretty well... recent events notwithstanding," Bluestreak said.

Shame burned Jazz's cheeks. He cycled his vocalizer to try and chase it away. He'd apologized; they'd talked. They'd continue to talk. He was reasonably sure Bluestreak had forgiven him. Jazz wasn't sure if he'd forgiven himself.

"I'm going to take the job," Jazz said, leaning in closer and lowering his voice so Drift couldn't hear, not that Drift wasn't fully engrossed. "It'll feel weird to work with Screamer, but I think it's what I need to do."

"Good." Bluestreak pulled their joined hands up, brushing a kiss over Jazz's knuckles. "Though I think if you don't work a two-week notice for Blurr, he will rip your spark out."

Jazz laughed. "Yeah, and then Ricochet would finish me off."

As if summoned, the door opposite opened and Ricochet emerged, cradling a meshblanket swaddled bundle in his arms. His field glowed with pride and happiness, and the big grin on his face reflected that.

"Daddy!" Echo was the first to react, scrambling to his feet, knocking over his tower of blocks, and nearly smacking Drift in the face as he ran to greet his sire.

Ricochet crouched to meet him, wrapping his free arm over Echo's shoulders and planting a kiss on his forehead. "There's my bitlet. You ready to meet your little brother?"

"I am. And protect him, too. Just like you said." Echo beamed.

"That's right." Ricochet pinched his cheek. "Okay, sit down and be very still."

It never ceased to amaze Jazz just how good his brother was his sparkling. How tender and caring, and how much he actually enjoyed it.

Echo obeyed and Ricochet very, very carefully lay the wrapped bundle in his son's lap, though he kept a hand hovering nearby, ready to react. The other peeled back the blanket, and Echo's optics shone with affection.

"This is your little brother, Rebound," Ricochet said.

"He's so little," Echo said, and rested a single finger on Rebound's cheek.

Ricochet chuckled. "He'll get bigger. Just like you." He playfully tapped Echo's nasal ridge.

Echo giggled.

Ricochet looked up at the rest of them then, the joy still shining in his visor. "Well, Jazz. Blue. Aren't you going to come over here and greet your godling?"

Jazz went still. Bluestreak did, too.

"What?" Jazz asked. He was on his feet before he made the conscious decision to stand, and ended up tugging Bluestreak with him, their fingers locked in an iron grip.

Ricochet smirked and stood up, stepping around Echo who was now under the watchful optic of Drift who looked at Echo and Rebound with affection and envy. Drift even had a hand on his own abdomen, as though imagining himself sparked.

"Drift and Ratchet are Echo's godsire, but I want you two to be Rebound's," Ricochet said. "Blurr agrees."

Jazz's mouth opened and closed, at a loss for words. He exchanged a glance with Bluestreak, whose optics were as wide and surprised as his own.

"Well?" Ricochet prompted.

"Um," Bluestreak said.

"We, uh..." Jazz flushed with panic as he looked at the small bundle cradled protectively by Echo. It seemed like a huge responsibility, so huge he hadn't even been upset when they'd asked Drift and Ratchet to be Echo's godsire.

Bluestreak squeezed his hand and added a reassuring pulse of his energy field. "We accept," he said. "That's what family is for, right?"

"Right," Jazz said, and nodded. "It's an honor."

"You sure?" Ricochet cocked his head, then turned and scooped his sparklings from the floor, Rebound tucked into the crook of one elbow while he caught Echo up on his hip. "Cause you don't sound sure." The bundle of Rebound squeaked in protest.

"You took us by surprise is all," Jazz said.

"We figured you'd ask Drift again," Bluestreak said.

"Yes, we figured that, too," Drift added, a bit of a grump on his face as he rose from the floor, pretending to dust off his knees. "We aren't good enough anymore?"

Ricochet rolled his optics behind his visor, the light shifting in a familiar pattern. "Don't get greedy." He looked at Bluestreak then, a note of seriousness in his tone. "You were there for my family when it mattered. That's why. If you're not comfortable, fine, we'll go with the sparkling thief back there, but we mean to offer it to you first."

"I'm sure," Bluestreak said, and he took a step forward, pinching Echo's cheek before looking at Rebound, who chose that moment to yawn quite adorably.

Damn, but Jazz had some cute nephews. They were going to be sparkbreakers some day, he was sure of it.

Bluestreak smiled and looked back at Jazz, who inclined his head. "We're both sure," Bluestreak said.

"Glad to hear it." Ricochet jostled his two sparklings. "Now I gotta get these to Blurr before he has a spark attack, but we'll talk more later. At the party." He turned to go.

Jazz's forehead furrowed. "What party?"

"The party Rebound's godsires are going to throw to welcome him home," Ricochet threw over his shoulder, and then he was gone, through the doors, off to join Blurr in what Jazz assumed was the recovery room, leaving Bluestreak to stare at him agape, and Drift to laugh.

Jazz knew there had to be a catch.

~

There was a party.

It was a good party.

Ricochet had to hand it to them -- Bluestreak and Jazz had definitely come through. They'd turned New Maccadam's from a somewhat dive of a bar, to a brightly colored place filled with balloons and streamers and an endless playlist of nauseating pop music which had to be Jazz's idea of revenge.

There was a table piled high with nothing but sweet treats, and another table with rows upon rows of flavored energon cubes, their bright hues a cheerful accent to the rest of the explosion of color.

It’s a bit nauseating, really. Ricochet was absolutely certain this was a form of revenge on his brother’s part.

Still.

Blurr was happy, and their attendees were having a great time. Ricochet hadn’t seen either of his sparklings in the last ten minutes, lost to whomever wanted to dote on them next, leaving Ricochet to freely cuddle his mate in the corner booth.

“We better enjoy this while we can,” Ricochet murmured into Blurr’s audial, his arm slung over Blurr’s shoulder, tucking his Racer against his frame. “We’re going to be exhausted from now until forever with two bitlets underfoot.”

“If you had it your way, there’d be three,” Blurr grumbled.

Ricochet chuckled and brushed his mouth over the curve of Blurr’s cheek. “Maybe when they’re older I can convince you... ?”

“Not likely.”

Well, he’d said he didn’t want a second either, but there Rebound was, tucked safely in the crook of Whirl’s arm. Once upon a time, Ricochet wouldn’t have believed any of his sparklings safe around the notorious Wrecker, but the only one more tender than Whirl was Drift. More remarkable was how comfortable Rebound seemed to be around Whirl. There wasn’t so much as a peep or a cry from the newborn.

And judging from the way Cyclonus and Tailgate were both eying their very happy third, perhaps they would be having a sparkling in their future as well.

“We’ll see,” Ricochet said.

Blurr muttered something Ricochet probably wasn’t meant to hear, but he didn’t move except to snuggle closer and occasionally pick the best bits from the snack plate Ricochet had brought for him. He was still rather sore, and staying still and comfortable was high on his to-do list.

Ah. So that’s where Echo went.

Ricochet snorted a laugh as Jazz walked by, dancing to the music, Echo on his shoulders, laughing and holding tightly to Jazz’s sensory horns.

“They’re okay?” Blurr asked.

“You mean my brother and Bluestreak?”

“Who else?”

Ricochet settled into the booth and lightly dragged his fingers over Blurr’s opposite shoulder. He couldn’t resist touching his mate, and this was as much as he could get away with at the moment.

“They’ll be fine,” Ricochet answered. He was sure of it. They’d both learned their lesson, and last Ricochet heard, Jazz was working for Starscream and the Decepticons-who-were. It was a job guaranteed to keep Jazz occupied, entertained, and less inclined to spend his time feeling bitter toward Prowl.

“Good,” Blurr said, just as the music abruptly cut off with a screech of static, making them both cringe.

“Sorry, sorry!” Drift said, raising his hands and his voice to be heard above the confused murmurings. “I just need to borrow your attention for a moment.”

“No one told me we’d have to listen to a speech!” Whirl said from across the room, and in his arms, Rebound gurgled a happy agreement. Seriously. Brat had no fear.

Drift shook his head as Ratchet joined him, his expression one of someone who was trying to hold on to a grump and failing at him. “No speech, just an announcement, if you don’t mind me stealing a bit of the thunder.”

“Steal it,” Blurr said as he popped a sweet treat into his mouth, fatigue starting to wear on him. He was far from recovered.

Soft laughter bubbled up from the crowd. Drift beamed at them, and it was pretty clear whatever he had to say involved Ratchet, too, because he stood behind his conjunx, his hands on Drift’s shoulders as if supporting him.

“Thank you for sharing the stage,” Drift said, and noisily cycled his vocalizer. “So we’re here to celebrate Rebound’s arrival, and that’s all well and good, but it’s a celebration and I believe that means it’s the best time for some good news.”

“Get on with it!” Someone else shouted, and it took Ricochet a second to track the voice to another Wrecker at the other side of the room, though he couldn’t recall the name at the moment.

Ratchet, however, glared in that mech’s general direction, and a polite silence immediately fell. People even stopped shifting and twitching and making accidental noise. Now that was some power.

Drift reached up and laid a hand over Ratchet’s on his shoulder. “Good point. I’ll just say it then.” He drew in a deep vent and said, “I’m sparked. We’re sparked. We’re having a femme.”

The silence lingered for a moment until it was broken by an applause which was almost deafening. Drift grinned so wide, his usually carefully concealed sharp denta were on full display, and if it were possible for a mech to spontaneous combust with happiness, Ricochet thought Drift might do it then and there.

Ratchet, for his part, looked happy as well, though not quite to the same extent as Drift, whose other hand was now resting over his abdomen, where there was not, and probably wouldn’t be, evidence of the sparkling in his gestational tank. He was built a bit better to carry one than Blurr, after all.

“It’s about time!” Whirl shouted, loud enough to be heard, and laughter followed in the wake of it, even as mechs surged toward Drift, offering congratulations. The music started up again, just as cheerful and nauseating as before.

"Huh," Ricochet said. "Well, good for them. I have to agree with Whirl. It's about time."

Blurr sighed. "Yeah, but... there goes our babysitter. And one of my bartenders. I'm going to have to hire another one." He groaned and shoved a handful of treats into his mouth. "Should've just given him Echo."

"Hey now!"

"I'm just joking." Blurr cracked a smile, and despite the fatigue, it was a genuine one. "I'd never give up one of ours. Not even to Drift." He paused, optics tracking the crowd. "Or Whirl for that matter. Do you think we're getting Rebound back?"

Ricochet laughed and patted Blurr's knee. "I'll go get him." He stood up and stretched, preparing to plunge into the crowd.

"Get Echo, too," Blurr said. "Don't want him to forget who his parents are."

"Yes, dear."

Ricochet grinned. It was the same as Blurr admitting his missed his sparklings. He loved them. He just had a harder time showing it. But he'd have killed Quicken sure enough, without a moment's thought, and for Ricochet, if that wasn't an act of love, what was?

He kissed Blurr on the cheek. "Be right back."

"If you're lucky, I won't have eaten all of these when you do," Blurr said, and his smile was sharp and playful and promising.

Ricochet's insides curled with heat. Blurr wasn't in much shape for a good 'face, but there were ways around that. He could be creative.

"You're such a brat," Ricochet said, and Blurr laughed, lounging back in the booth like a king upon his throne.

"Fetch my children, Ricochet," he said.

"Yes, dear.”

He found Echo with relative ease, and Jazz surrendered him willingly. Not that he had a choice because Echo leapt for Rebound’s arms with a gleeful cry of “Papa!”

“Hey, bitlet. Having fun with your uncle?” Ricochet pulled him for a nuzzle, and Echo grabbed his face to hold him in place. He was strong already and would only get stronger.

“Always,” Echo chirped and clambered into place on Ricochet’s shoulder, holding his head to keep his balance. He liked to be tall, to see as much as he could. “Where’s Bon?”

“That’s what I’m trying to find out.” Ricochet kept one hand on Echo so he didn’t fall. “You see Whirl anywhere, kiddo?”

“Uuuuum.” Echo squirmed and twisted all around before he pointed excitedly to the far corner. “He’s over there, Papa. With ‘Gate and Horny!”

Ricochet barked a laugh. “Please tell me ya call Cyclonus that to his face. That’s priceless. You’re my son all right.” He gave Echo a little bounce and plunged back into the crowd, accepting congratulations and back pats along the way.

Whirl and his – friends? Mates? Partners? Ricochet still wasn’t sure what to call them – all sat around the table, and Rebound was asnooze in his arms as though Whirl was nothing to be afraid of. Damn but he was a cute kid.

He and Blurr made the prettiest sparklings. Rebound resembled Blurr more than Echo did, though his paint leaned more toward shades of red. He had Blurr’s optics, too.

“I think that belongs to me,” Ricochet said as he strutted up and pointed to the bundle in Whirl’s arms. “Ask Cyclonus here if you want your own.”

“Don’t think I haven’t.” Whirl stood and the careful transfer of newborn sparkling began. Whirl had a surprisingly delicate touch. “Give me time.”

“It will take some convincing,” Cyclonus said in his usual dour tone, though his optics brightened a little as he watched Rebound stir in Ricochet’s arms.

Tailgate pouted as he cupped his engex. “Look, it’s not my fault I don’t think we’re ready yet. It’s a big responsibility!”

“Honestly, it can’t be much different than caring for Whirl,” Cyclonus said.

“Oy! I resemble that remark!”

Ricochet left them to their bickering and slipped back into the crowd. Rebound started to squirm then, making noises of dissatisfaction, and it seemed to clear the path for him. Hah. Mechs might’ve been here to welcome Rebound, but no one wanted to listen to a wailing infant.

“He wants Mama,” Echo said, still gripping Ricochet’s head as the table finally came into view, Blurr guiltily licking his fingers clean as many, many of the treats were gone from the tray.

“Sure does,” Ricochet agreed, and when he slid into the booth next to Blurr, he said as much, transferring the little bundle into his mate’s arms. “Think he’s hungry.”

“You’re carrying the energon he needs, too,” Blurr muttered, but he was all smiles as he took Rebound into his arms and juggled the infant energon out of subspace. “Come on, bitlet. I’ll bet all this excitement is getting to you, huh?”

Echo clambered down into Ricochet’s lap and leaned eagerly over his arm, watching Blurr feed his ‘Bon.’ As much as he’d fussed about Rebound’s arrival, he’d suddenly become thrilled about being an older brother as soon as they were introduced.

Ricochet had such good kids. He was proud of Echo.

“He’s so cute,” Ricochet said as he stroked Rebound’s cheek, the sparkling greedily sucking down the energon. “How did we get so lucky to wind up with two fragging cute sparklings?”

“You were lucky to end up with me for a carrier,” Blurr said as he flicked a smug glance at Ricochet. “We both know where they got their looks from.”

Ricochet held his own chassis. “Ouch, Zippy. That’s a shot straight to the spark.”

“He’s really cute, Mama,” Echo said. “When will he be big enough to play with me?”

“Not for a while yet, Echo,” Ricochet answered, bending down to plant a kiss on Echo’s forehead. “You’ve got five years of growing on him. You just gotta be patient.”

Echo draped himself over Ricochet’s arm like a limp noodle. “Aww. I’m tired of bein’ patient,” he said. “You always say be patient.”

“Well, I can’t make time go any faster, kiddo.” Ricochet caught Blurr’s gaze and grinned, his mate subtly rolling his optics as he continued to feed Rebound, occasionally wiping away drops of escaping energon.

Much like Echo, Rebound was a messy eater.

“You said you could do anything,” Echo pointed out, looking accusingly over his shoulder at Ricochet.

“He’s got you there.” Blurr laughed. “You did say that. I remember. I was there.”

“Fair point, little bit. I’ll see what I can do, but until then...” Ricochet rubbed Echo’s back before leaping into attack mode. “It’s tickle time!”

Echo’s shrieking laughter caused quite a few nearby mechs to cringe and skitter away, as Echo rolled in Ricochet’s lap, trying to avoid Papa’s nimble fingers.

Rebound spat out the end of the bottle and gave them all a mulish glare as though the noise offended him as well. Definitely Blurr’s kid, that one. He also looked two short vents from starting to wail, but Blurr popped the bottle back into his mouth, and Rebound started sucking it like a champ.

Crisis averted.

This was Ricochet’s family, perfect in their imperfections, adorable in their faults, and he loved them with every pulse of his spark.

So he leaned over and kissed Blurr – chaste because of the crowd and the kiddos – before he went back to mercilessly tickling Echo while Blurr fed Rebound, and the rest of their family and friends celebrated around them.

Ricochet couldn’t imagine a more perfect life.

The End