TF: Christmas Challenge – Love 3/3

[wildernesstales]

Rating: PG
Series: G1
Pairings: Prowl/Jazz, Ratchet/Ironhide/Wheeljack
Summary: While waiting for the shuttle casualties to recover, Jazz poses an interesting question
Warnings: This part is fluffier than the fluffy pink quill I got for Christmas…  And it still counts as AU
Disclaimer: As per usual, the good things in life are not mine to have, but belong to someone else... in this case Hasbro, Takara and IDW and anyone else I’ve forgotten…
Authors Note: Written for the 

prowlxjazz Christmas challenge, which is based around the four candles of advent.  This one is for Love.
This could kind of be seen in the same series as the Hope, Peace and Joy sets
Feedback makes friends. Flames dealt with by the masters of paranoia and fire, Red Alert and Inferno.  


Part One
Part Two

 

 

“D’ya ever wonder what we’d be doing now if we weren’t fighting?”
“What’s brought that on Jazz?” Prowl asked.  They were still in the med. bay; First Aid and Perceptor refusing to allow them to leave until all the gas had been expelled from their systems and their energy levels had returned to normal.  Wheeljack and Jazz had virtually refused to leave their lovers’ sides and had camped out in the med. bay too.
“Dunno.  Just thinking what things would have been like if we hadn’t all joined up…”
“I know exactly where I’d be.” Ratchet muttered, ignoring Wheeljack’s laugh.
“Oh yeah?”
“He’d still be up to his optics in work.” Wheeljack supplied.  “That’s the downside of being the best on the whole of Cybertron Ratchet.”
“Heh.  What about you Ironhide?” Ironhide powered up his optics and sat up slowly.
“Would have never had a choice not to join up.  Was always next to Prime.”
“His little lapdog.” Ratchet muttered affectionately.
“Yeah, where Prime goes, Ironhide is sure to follow.” Wheeljack chimed in.  Jazz laughed and even Prowl managed a smile.
“I’d still be working in my lab.” Wheeljack said after a pause.
“And still blowing things up no doubt.” Ratchet countered with a smile.
“I had three inventions blow up, that’s all!” Wheeljack whined.
“What about you Jazz?” Ironhide asked, recognising the beginning of a thoroughly annoyed Wheeljack tantrum.  “What did you do before the war that you could still be doing now?”
“Music my man, music.” Jazz replied wistfully.  “Though I doubt I could have done anything but join up.”  Prowl gently squeezed Jazz’s hand, giving him the silent support he needed.
“Why?”
“Not much point being a musician in a dead town.” He answered flatly.
“Oh come on… surely there must have been other places you could play?”
“Wouldn’t have been the same though.  Lost the band in the destruction.”
“Ah… didn’t know that Jazz, sorry.”
“It’s all right Ironhide, ain’t something I normally talk about.”
“So what brought this all on?” Prowl asked again.
“Just thinking I guess.  About how close it were.  And what I could have lost.”
“We’ve lost friends before though.”
“Yeah, but I ain’t ever lost someone I loved before.” Jazz said, staring down at Prowl who opened his mouth wordlessly.
“I’ll agree with you there Jazz.” Wheeljack agreed.
“I changed everything I was before the war after the city fell around me.  Now that were a life-changing experience.  I think Bluestreak’s the only one who knows what it can be like to see your entire city, your home, destroyed in front of your optics.  Anyways… I decided then that I’d avenge their deaths and so I joined up.”
“Noble of you.” Prowl commented.
“Doubt that… just didn’t have much else to live for so I figured why not change it all and do something worthwhile?”
“Can’t believe you changed everything for your friends Jazz.” Ratchet said thoughtfully shifting slightly in his berth.
“Would do it again if I had to Ratch.  Those guys meant almost everything to me, only fair I take out a few Decepticons on their behalf.
“I’ll admit, I never realised your reasons for joining the Autobots was revenge Jazz.” Prowl said.
“Yeah well, like I said, it ain’t something I tend to talk about.”
“Give the kid a break Prowl.” Ironhide muttered.  “The number of Autobots that joined up for revenge was huge.”
“I know.  I just find it hard to process that someone who is so good at what they do joined up seeking vengeance.”
“Heh, I’ll take that as a compliment Prowl.”
“Please do.”
“Actually, I think we all gave up our lives Ratchet.” Jazz said, shifting to make himself more comfortable on a medical berth that was only meant for one mech., not two.
“Huh?”
“Well… think about it.  I’ve seen you in battle.  You’d have never willingly shot anyone if we were back on Cybertron and there weren’t no war.  And you ‘Jack, you wouldn’t be struggling to invent all these weapons that have the potential to explode.  And Ironhide would have his nice cushy office job.”
“What about Prowl?”
“I would have been lonely.” The tactician answered Ratchet’s question curling closer to Jazz and offlining his optics, putting an effective end to the conversation.
“Ain’ that the truth.” Wheeljack muttered, gaze torn between Ironhide and Ratchet.