TPF. The /Nemesis/, Dallas' Back Yard, and Autobot Outpost Omega One. Missing Package

[dens_extra_pups]

Knockout: *smirks as he manages to do something he'd have never thought to do if he wasn't seriously overcharged, and will probably never remember how to do later. Just intercepted a space bridge transmission from Tau Station* *and is now blinking at the tiny box that resulted* Now what the scrap could that be? *tries to stand, wobbles and flops back into chair* *snort* Steve, bring me that box.

Steve: Yes, sir. *will move to bring the tiny box over, puzzlement in her voice* Is it supposed to be this light?

Knockout: I have no idea. *squints one optic at the box* ...Better do a non invasive bomb scan.

Steve: *will move to get the box situated for the scan* Ready, sir.

Knockout: Idiot. I wanted you to... Are you getting life sign readings?

Steve: *slight tilt of her head* ... Yes...

Knockout: *cautiously lifts the lid of the box, and then stares blankly at the contents, which are padded on a soft polishing cloth* ...The scrap?

little green and brown thing: *widens big green eyes and starts to chirp and click amiably*

Steve: ... SCRAPLET!!!!

Knockout: ... *watches the Vehicon paste herself across the inside of the locked door, then turns his attention back to the little thing* Well, I have no idea why the Taubots are making miniature Cybertronians, and right now I really don't care. I just want a nice quiet undisturbed sleep, and I think I know someone who'd just love to play with something like you. *couple tries to get the box closed, and then loads it and ground bridges off the Nemesis*


Dallas' backyard on a bright Saturday morning


Dallas: *smug satisfaction as she sits in a deck chair on her new back patio. Has a nice, new, concrete driveway, a nice walkway up to her front steps, and an actual garage now, in addition to the concrete patio. Plus, it's her day off, and she has nowhere to be*

Knockout: *appears and then falls on his aft. ...And laughs about it*

Dallas: *startles and manages to get her deck chair to fold on itself* What the?!

Knockout: Dallas, energon goodie, I have a present for you! *holds up the box, which is... crying?*

Dallas: *getting herself untangled from her chair* If you kidnapped someone's baby... *will move to approach*

Knockout: *grin fades, and he studies the box with one brow quirked* ...Baby?

Dallas: Yeah. Little human, can't fend for itself? *reaching for the box now*

Knockout: No... It's not human. *gives box, but is a very thoughtful looking drunk now*

box: *more soft, frightened whimpers and squeals*

Dallas: *will lift the lid, and blink* ...What is it?

Knockout: I think... it's a baby Cybertronian.

Dallas: *blink blink. Will gently lift the little thing* ... You guys can reproduce?

Knockout: Obviously. *rubbing his chin as he ponders*

baby bot: *so much talk for Dallas. Was so scared, is so glad to see somebody! Chirp chirp chirp*

Dallas: *small smile* Aren't you just a chatty little thing? *will baby dance now* Givin' me the rundown, huh?

baby bot: *heard his name! She knows his name! FLAIL!*

Dallas: Ack! *trying to keep hold of the little thing*

Knockout: *doesn't notice all this* I think... I'm going to pass out. *snerk*

Rundown: *stops and looks toward the bot* *coo*

Dallas: *as she resumes baby dancing* There's room in the garage.

Knockout: *pauses and quirks brow* Garage?

Dallas: *nods toward the new steel building* It's even got a heater for the winter. *proud of her own cleverness*

Knockout: Ohhhhh. *gets up. Nope, tries. And then tries again*

Dallas: ... Or I could just get a car blanket from the garage. *so amused*

Knockout: *drunken dignity* I was honouring the memory of a dearly departed friend.

Dallas: ... *wince* Sorry...

Knockout: *rubs face and tries again* ...By drinking his energon ration.

Dallas: ... Good grief. *so amused again* *more baby dancing*

Knockout: *finally on his feet and weaves from side to side a bit, then walks over to the garage and goes inside. Thankfully, the door was open* *sees soft thing with his own quilt of stitched together car blankets. Will flop facedown on top of everything and conk out*

Dallas: *soft chuckle, will move to fix her chair. Will then spend some time teaching the baby bot how to play "Peek-a-boo"*


Elsewhere


Witchblade: *looking over at bridge portal* I don't see anythin', guys.

Mistfire: *frowns and looks at 'Rail from where they're both standing in front of the screen in the Tau space bridge portal room* //'Rail, if you screwed up with this...//

'Rail: //I checked the coordinates three times before we sent Rundown.// *so puzzled* //Unless there was a bridge malfunction...//

Mistfire: //Don't even say that.// *voice just went low and dangerous*

Witchblade: *optics wide* You were sending Bubby??

'Rail: *slightly guilty look*

Witchblade: 0.o RATCHET! WAAAAKE!

Ratchet: *hurrying in from the infirmary, where he was sorting supplies*

WakeJumper: *is that thud of a mech falling off his berth, where he was napping after finally getting Lumen to go to sleep around the time everyone else was waking up*

'Rail: *to Mistfire* //I'm going to run a diagnostic. The other possibility is that somehow, someone managed to intercept.// *bristling just a bit with worry*

Ratchet: We'll run diagnostics on our end as well. *moving to do so*

WakeJumper: *hurrying in* What's wrong?

Witchblade: *is going to glare tearful death at 'Rail as she waits*

Optimus: *strides in from where she'd been playing with sparklets in the nursery with June, her optics narrowed as she listens to what's going on here in the control room*

Ratchet: *startles at the same time 'Rail does* That... Shouldn't be possible!

'Rail: *really bristling now* //You're right. It shouldn't be, but some slagger, somehow, has managed to intercept.// *just a bit mad?*

Mistfire: *deadly quiet* //Who was it?//

'Rail: *growl* //I don't know. But we'll find the glitch.// *moving to get to work on trying to trace the intercept*

Ratchet: We'll do likewise. *action to words is a go*

Witchblade: How long is this gonna take?

Ratchet: *quietly* It might take a bit. *is sorting through all the data*

'Rail: *plugged into the mainframe, optics a bit bright as he does the same*

Optimus: *gentle big hand on Witchblade's shoulder* *quietly* There is only one other group here on Earth who have space bridge technology. Do any others in your area have it, 'Rail?

'Rail: *absently* //Nope. Just us.//

Optimus: *quietly* Check Decepticon frequencies, WakeJumper.

WakeJumper: *nod, moves to do so*

Steve: *speaking quietly over a private frequency about the scary little green and brown thing in the box*

Steve: *shivering sympathy for his word mate*

WakeJumper: ... *working on finding out where the transmission is coming through*

Steve: *asks if it's still on the Nemesis.

Steve: *says she isn't going to look!*

WakeJumper: ... *quietly* Just need to find the ship now.

Mistfire: *looks up sharply* //What?//

WakeJumper: *to Mistfire* 'Con ship.

Optimus: *optics go pale* He's on Megatron's ship?

WakeJumper: Either is, or was very recently. *so much frown*

Ratchet: We'll need to confirm that...

Steve: *assures his mate that the scary little bot is gone, and then starts talking reassuring mush*

WakeJumper: ... Well, now we need to find out where he was taken.

Witchblade: Taken? *so sad*

WakeJumper: We'll find him. And you and Misty get first dibs at trashing the glitch responsible.

Mistfire: //We won't get a chance. I just 'fessed up ta Dad what I did.//

WakeJumper: 0_0 Oh, scrap.

Optimus: *wince* Great.

'Rail: *as he disconnects from the mainframe* //I almost feel sorry for the glitch responsible. Almost.//

Ratchet: ... We're in for trouble, aren't we?

Optimus: Yes. *lifts brows and turns to go back to the nursery*

Ratchet: ... *sigh* *moves to follow Optimus*


Dallas' place, a bit later


Rundown: *happily drinking from the bottle that a droopy Knockout prepared and gave to Dallas*

Dallas: *totally charmed by the adorable little thing* *carefully holding the bottle so Rundown doesn't get hiccups*

Rundown: *pauses to see if he can blow the bottle up, then giggles*

Dallas: Awwww...

Rundown: *grins up at her, a dribble of his fuel coming from the corner of his mouth*

Dallas: *will move to wipe at the fuel* Uh-oh... *soft chuckle*

Rundown: Bbbbbbb! ^^

Dallas: *chuckling more now* You are too cute for your own good.

Rundown: Whaha!

Dallas: *will drape a towel over her shoulder and gently pat Rundown's back*

Rundown: *wriggles and snuggles and chats and then poots*

Dallas: *chuckle* Feel better?

Rundown: o.0?

Dallas: *so amused* *will set the bottle aside for now, and baby dance*

Rundown: *sigh and cuddle with his head under her chin. Then looks puzzled and looks at her chest. Tries again, wibbles. Then sighs and relaxes as he finds her heartbeat*

Dallas: *soft humming of a lullaby attempt*

Rundown: *another big sigh and a nuzzle for his blankie, and then the little guy's asleep*

Dallas: *will make sure the little guy's wrapped in his blanket, then moves to check on Knockout*

Knockout: *sprawled half off his bed and giving a line of ants on the floor a very zonked and contemplative look*

Dallas: ... So I have to put out ant bait... Joy...

Knockout: ...What? *doesn't move*

Dallas: Ants can wreck havoc on electrical systems, and they get into food...

Knockout: *activates laser eyes!*

ants: *sizzle*

Dallas: ... Nice.

Knockout: *squints to make sure he got them all, and then gives her a lazy, hazy grin*

Dallas: *chuckles and moves to sit down so she can lean against him*

Knockout: *smile goes languid and enticing* Put the doll in its box and have a little nap with me.

Dallas: *soft chuckle, will move to gently tuck Rundown into the doll cradle she found when she was first cleaning the house, and that she moved out to the garage for safekeeping*

Rundown: *looks up at her* Uh?

Dallas: *soothing sounds as she gently makes the cradle rock*

Rundown: *big sigh as he holds onto his blankie and settles back to sleep*

Dallas: *small smile, will move to snuggle up to Knockout*

Knockout: *turns onto his side as his smile widens and he gently puts a hand around her* Hmmm. Nice.

Dallas: *slight blush* *gets comfortable* It's times like this that I'm glad I don't own a cell phone. Nobody can bother us by calling. *grin*

Knockout: Oh yes. Turn off communicator. *grins wickedly as he does so*

Dallas: *so amused*

Knockout: *sleepy nuzzle for her hair* My energon goodie.

Dallas: *noooo idea what that means, but at this point, she doesn't care. Snuggles*

Knockout: So cute...

Dallas: *BLUSH*

Knockout: Awww, and that only accents it. *griiin*

Dallas: *blushing more now*

Knockout: *optic shutters droop* My cute little femme who keeps me shiny. *lowers head to put his forehead to hers, and then conks out*

Dallas: *bit of an inner squee, then she's snuggling close and shutting her eyes* *will rest here, lulled by the purr of his systems and the warmth of his plating, till Rundown calls her to feed him again*

((Written with random_xtras))