wildernesstales | TF: Christmas Challenge

Rating: PG
Series: G1
Pairings: Prowl/Jazz, Ratchet/Ironhide/Wheeljack
Summary: The Autobots start to move back to the moons of Cybertron in order to continue the fight against the Decepticons, meaning that several couples are split up.
Warnings: You ordered angst with a side order of fluff, right? Oh, and it’s AU, completely AU! Character ‘deaths’
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. And I would just like to state that in my opinion, the movie should never have happened. They killed off the majority of my favorite characters… so this fic completely ignores the events of the movie! Yes, I too am guilty of rewriting the movie… so this would count as very AU. And I think I managed to channel

sbx whilst writing this, so I apologise if I’ve inadvertently ‘stolen’ any ideas… *shamed look*
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

“Man, I can’t believe it’s gonna happen.” Prowl looked up as Jazz spoke.
“What?”
“Can’t believe we’re leaving.” Putting down his datapad, Prowl stood and pulled Jazz into a comforting hug.
“With any luck we will soon be able to return.”
“You’re telling me that’s likely?”
“We wouldn’t make the move back to Cybertron’s moons if the outcome was unlikely.”
“I guess. Just never thought I’d leave ya know?”
“I know.”
“And not leave with you either.”
“We will be travelling together.”
“S’not the same though.” Jazz pouted, prompting Prowl to pull him just a little bit closer. Of the two of them, Jazz was taking their imminent separation harder.
“I know. But we will be able to keep in contact. And there will no doubt be times when we can get together.”
“Just got too used to having you around all the time.”
“And having me all to yourself.”
“Yeah, that too.” Jazz smiled despite himself, nuzzling closer against Prowl.
“We really should continue… ah… packing.” Prowl’s vocaliser hitched as Jazz ran his hands along the bumper of Prowl’s car form.
“Can think of better things to do…” Jazz murmured, twisting in Prowl’s grasp.

**~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~**

They made an unhappy crowd, waiting for the shuttle to land Prowl thought. Strategy had determined who was needed where, meaning that friends and lovers would be separated. Wheeljack stood forlornly in the docking bay, both Ratchet and Ironhide trying their best to convince him they would return soon.
“Nothing will stop me coming back ‘Jack.”
“Don’t say things you can’t promise Ratchet.”
“Do you think I won’t take care of him?”
“I know you will, I just wish I was there with you.”
“Wheeljack, on my spark, we will come back to you!” Ironhide wrapped his arms around the inventor, pulling him close and looking for all the world as though he never wanted to let go. Prowl knew exactly how he felt. He took small consolation in the fact that he and Jazz would not be as far apart as Ironhide, Ratchet and Wheeljack. Unfortunately, it did little to ease the turmoil in his spark. Knowing that the only way they would be reunited was the end of this war only made Prowl more determined to come up with the best strategy to overcome the Decepticons.

As the shuttle landed, Prowl watched as Wheeljack reluctantly let go of Ironhide and Ratchet.
“I’ll be back before you know it.” Ratchet murmured, giving Wheeljack one last kiss.
“You’d better.” Wheeljack warned. “You’d both better!” He took a step backwards and watched as they boarded the shuttle, both pausing in the hatch to look back at their lover. Ironhide gently placed a hand on Ratchet’s shoulder and guided him into the shuttle.
“Looks like it’s our turn.” Jazz muttered. Prowl nodded and they both made their way towards the shuttle.
“Prime’s running late.” Prowl turned before they reached the shuttle hatch and scanned the assembled crowds.
“Probably giving Ultra Magnus some last minute instructions.”
“Highly unlikely. All eventualities have already been considered and noted down in the instructions we left him. I do wonder where he…” Prowl stopped mid sentence as he saw Optimus Prime make his way towards the shuttle, the crowds parting easily before him.
“Just going over a few things with Ultra Magnus.” He explained as he strode onto the shuttle past them. Prowl didn’t say anything.

Prowl took his seat next to Jazz, searching for his partner’s hand and squeezing.
“We will be back Jazz.”
“I know… just when?”
“I don’t know Jazz…”

**~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~**

Two months later and Jazz was sick of the bleak expanse of Cybertron’s moon. The moon base had been constructed quickly and provided no entertainment. His daily routine consisted of watching the monitors for Decepticon activity and recording it and waiting for Prowl’s communication.
“Jazz, report security status.” Jazz keyed in the communication frequency and Prime’s face appeared onscreen. Quickly he checked the monitors before acknowledging the Autobot leader.
“No Decepticons in this sector Prime.”
“What about Moon Base 2?” Jazz opened up the communication frequency to the base on the second moon on Cybertron, smiling when Bumblebee and Spike appeared on the screen.
“Jazz to Moon Base 2, Jazz to Moon Base 2.”
“Bumblebee and Spike here.”
“Any Decepticon shenanigans in your area?”
“No sign here.”
“All clear Prime.” Jazz reported back to Optimus Prime.
“Thank you Jazz.” Prime turned away from the screen and began talking to Ironhide. “We’re sending a shuttle back to Earth, I want you, Prowl and Ratchet to take it down.” Prime turned back to the monitors. “We’ll be sending it up as soon as the pre-launch checks are run. Keep an optic on it until it’s out of range.”
“On it.” Both Jazz and Bumblebee answered simultaneously.

Jazz watched as the shuttle powered up, launching itself into the darkness of space, thrusters glowing hot. At his side, Cliffjumper muttered.
“That ain’t right.”
“What?”
“Got a blip on Decepticon activity just now.”
“Huh. Rescan, see whether we get anything else.” Jazz turned his attention back to the shuttle, watching it carry his partner back to Earth.

**~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~**

“Prime. You need to get down here. There’s been an incident.”
“Magnus?”
“It’s the shuttle Prime. The Decepticon’s boarded it before it landed.”
“And?” Optimus Prime resisted the urge to tell Ultra Magnus to just get on with it already, whilst simultaneously opening a communication frequency to Jazz.
“It’s just the strangest thing. We found the wreckage and what we thought were the bodies of the occupants.” Prime winced as Ultra Magnus dispassionately recounted what had happened. Occupants indeed, they were his troops, more than his troops, his friends.
“We’ll have to hold a memorial service.”
“Hey wait what?” Jazz’s voice broke into the communication.
“I’m sorry Jazz, but it seems that the Decepticons…”
“That’s just it Prime. They didn’t!”
“What?”

**~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~**

As soon as the shuttle landed, Jazz was out the open door, racing along to the medical bay where he knew Prowl was. Perceptor was waiting for him outside.
“Now Jazz, just remember that he is still very low on energon. I cannot permit you to stay for too long.”
“Understood Perceptor, just lemme in!” Perceptor stood aside and Jazz stepped through the doors, giving a low whistle at the sight he saw before him. Wheeljack was standing between the berths containing Ironhide and Ratchet. He crossed immediately to where Prowl lay, staring down into the blue optics of his lover.
“Hey there.” He said softly. Prowl managed to smile up at him. “What the slag happened?” Jazz continued in the same tone of voice.
“I miscalculated.”
“Heh, you’re telling me Prowl.” Ironhide piped up, barely managing to avoid the swat Wheeljack aimed at him.
“Emergency stasis.” Ratchet explained. “We all hit it when Prowl flooded the shuttle with gas.”
“Got rid of the Decepticons though.” Prowl countered.
“Yeah, but I couldn’t land the darn shuttle offline could I?” Above the good-natured bickering, Wheeljack and Jazz shared a look, both eternally grateful their lovers were still functioning.
“We’ll never get rid of them.” Wheeljack joked.
“Nope. Love’s stronger than most anything.”
“Deactivation included evidently.”
“Yup.” Jazz rested a hand on Prowl’s undamaged shoulder and vented a sigh of relief.