Prodigal Son

Chapter 34

Author's note: ..... I'm sorry.... :(
Look, I got no excuse.
I'm so, so sorry if you guys thought I died, or are getting impatient waiting for each next chapter. I know I really have to be testing your patience.
STILL COMMITTED TO FINISHING... EVEN IT TAKES UNTIL THE HEAT DEATH OF THE UNIVERSE
-

There were times when heatwave appreciated silence.
Amid a neverending cycle of chaos, sometimes, he needed a moment of peace. A moment to ground himself, to breath, to focus.
But now?
He wasn't sure the silence was helping.
He paced around the firehouse, devoid of life aside from his own pacing steps.
Working with Woodrow? Agent Fowler and Raphael? Would that work?
He knew the importance of adapting to the unexpected, but changing partners was a different category.
Of course, that was assuming he'd even be a part of the proceedings.
Team leader or no, he didn't know when Ratchet would lift his own medical grounding.
He wasn't about to question the grumpy old medic, but still.
He really couldn't stand being idle.
And then...
There was still the matter of their new assignments.
Optimus had confided in him, he had started to rework their assignments, and reconsider posts more suited to each of them.
But...
Could they really leave Griffin Rock? Now?
He knew each of their partners would follow them. Optimus had even seemed supportive of the idea.
After all, he knew he couldn't split up this family. He wouldn't dream of it.
But...
He knew there was one member who couldn't follow.
The one he was determined not to leave again.
He sighed, frustration filling him.
As his own conflict echoes around the bunker, he again realized.
Sometimes, silence was the most suffocating of all.
His hand drifted to his neck, and he absently rubbed the blue ribbon, before drifting to the medallion.
....
It was funny, really.
Upon his earliest days, if asked, he'd say he only wanted one thing.
Recognition.
Respect.
Admiration.
But...
It hit him now.
As he stared at the medallion, the embodiment of what he'd craved so heavily, he realized.
It was hollow.
He pulled it off his neck, reflecting.
He realized now, the wisdom of the Prime.
What he'd demanded from the earth wasn't what he needed.
What he'd demanded from Prime wasn't he needed.
Compassion had melted his spark, melted his raw anger, and he'd learned to love.
The medallion was the wishes of the past, the wishes of the him he'd long grown beyond.
Heatwave sighed, and as he gazed at the walls of the bunker, he felt his legs absently move forward, almost of their own Accord.
He stared deeply around the place he'd come to call his home.
At the newspaper clippings on the walls, at Boulder's paintings, at Graham's diploma, at the shelves of Dani's athletic trophies, at the framed photos of the team.
His hand drifted forward, and found a blank spot, a large screw jutting out, almost waiting for him.
Without a word, he hung up the medallion by it's metal loop, the blue ribbon draping down behind it, swaying against the brick.
Heatwave stared at the medallion, and he sighed, but a smile tugged at him.
He knew he didn't need it.
He'd fought for what really mattered.
So it would stay here.
A memory of how far he'd come.
And a reminder to keep moving forward.
-
"Dad, are you SURE about this?"
"Not to knock uncle Woodrow, but-"
"You do remember the Dolphins, right? And the pirate incident?"
Charlie chuckled, sighing as he faced his children.
"I know, I know. But... I think it's time we accept some help, don't you?"
Cody fiddled with the Heatwave figurine, a tight smile on lips.
"I say he deserves a shot."
Kade groaned, his face buried In his hands.
"Of course you would..."
"I have a thing for second chances."
"Don't need to tell me that..."
Dani rolled her eyes, then knitted her fingers together.
"Alright, so, we're being replaced. Just them? Three on a rescue team are bad odds."
Charlie nodded, then checked his notebook.
"Yeah, about that. Fowler had the same concerns, and Raphael had an idea. He had some suggestions on who to call in, and since their current mission just wrapped up, some friends of his might be willing to lend a hand."
Charlie looked over the names written down, and frowned.
"Although... It was the weirdest thing... Fowler looked like he was going to have an annurism...."
Graham raised an eyebrow at that.
"Really? I thought nothing phased him."
"I know, shocked me too. But he looked like he was going to have a heart attack, over somebody named.... Miko Nadekai."
Kade's eyes went wide.
"Wait, I remember that name! Raphael was telling me about her, she was on the original team prime!"
Charlie nodded, looking over his notes.
"Yeah, that's what Raphael said. There's also a... Jack Darby."
"Holy crap, him too? He was partnered with... I think her name was Arcee?"
Cody nodded, pointing over at him.
"Yeah, Arcee. Bumblebee told me about the other Bot members of team prime once."
Charlie chuckled, reflecting on the expression on the other man's face.
"Well, whoever she is, he said something along the lines of... 'Prefering the second coming of Unicron to the anarchy unfolding on this backwards island, and that this is his hubris for tempting fate.'."
Dani only snorted, taking a deep swing of her coffee.
"Welcome to Griffin Rock... They're gonna die here."
"WOAH, DANI!"
"MORBID MUCH?!?!"
"ONE PERSON IN THE HOSPITAL AT A TIME!"
"Look, I'm just saying!"
Charlie sighed, but was smiling as he did so.
"Alright, alright. Wether we like it or not, we're off duty. ALL of us. But, no harm in telling them the ropes. Or some warnings."
Graham muttered under his breath,
"The Mayor's speeches are worse than any bank robbery..."
There was some dark chuckling at that, but Cody's smile dropped.
"... Hey, guys?"
Everyone glanced over, and Kade imedianty leaned in, grasping his shoulder.
"Hey, what is it? Are you alright?"
He rubbed his hand across the fuzz of the yellow sweater, sighing.
"I mean... I'm just... You guys don't know when you're going back out, right? Heatwave said he doesn't know when Ratchet is gonna clear him, and I haven't been able to talk to the other bots much, but I know they're not grounded. And... Well... Heatwave said.. he wasn't sure about what Optimus would do about their new assignments."
Everyone lapsed into an uncomfortable silence.
Kade sighed, glancing at his brother's grip on the heatwave toy.
"... I know, buddy. I know."
"... So I wasn't the only one thinking about that?"
Graham opened the nightstand's drawer, pulling out the other Bot figurines, passing them out without a word.
"There's definitely a reason we're all in therapy, but I'll give us one plus. We don't abandon family."
Dani nodded, her hand trailing over the Blades figurine.
"... So, I take it our plans are the same? Because mine is. Where they go, we go."
Graham's thumb trailed over Boulder's head.
"We're family. But... Are we forced to choose?"
Charlie let the figurine of Chase lay limp in his hand, sighing.
"You don't choose with family. But we don't abandon our own..... ANY of our own."
Kade pulled Cody in closer, watching him grip the Heatwave figurine.
"... We'll find a way to make it work. We're not just leaving you, Cody."
"Wait, is that what you thought?"
Dani leaned over, using the Blades figurine to lightly bonk Cody on the head.
"Cody, of course we're not leaving you!! We could never!"
Graham nodded, his hand joining Kade's.
"We promised we'd be here for you, Bud. We're keeping that promise."
"But the Bots-"
"We'll figure it out."
Charlie nodded, his eyes speaking to the sincerity of his tone.
"No family left behind means we stick together. But sometimes, priorities have to be taken. Right now... You're our priority. And we're not leaving you."
Cody could only look down, his hand tracing over Heatwave.
"... Family sticks together. They're family too. So we can't leave then either."
"And we won't. We just... Need to figure it out."
-
The oceans had always intrigued him, despite how little he was able to explore them.
Their vastness, their depth, their mystery.
It reminded him of the vastness of the stars, the abyss of space.
He stared out at the churning waves, the way the light reflected on the water.
He closed his optics, and just let himself feel his surroundings.
The wooden dock under his feet, the breeze passing him, the distant caw of seagulls, he could truly feel it all.
And, he could feel the vibrations on the deck, hear the anxious steps.
He didn't need to ask.
He knew.
"Heatwave."
"Optimus, Sir."
His optics fluttered open, and he motioned outward.
"Beautiful, is it not?"
"Eh. The salt makes me chafe."
"This world is quite beautiful, Heatwave. But in the throws of war... Beauty is blind."
Heatwave sighed, nodding at the Prime's words.
"I understand. No time to take in the small things when you're focused on winning a war."
Optimus turned, carefully studying Heatwave as he turned his eyes from the waters.
"You are troubled?"
"Maybe... I don't know, sir."
"I take it you've been reflecting on current events, and how that may impact the future. It rather... The future of one young man."
Heatwave sighed again, a hand trailing over the scars and chipped paint on his cab.
"Was I that obvious?"
Optimus took a step closer, his hand grasping Heatwave's shoulder.
"You are concerned about your new assignments interfering with the promise to ease Cody through his recovery, correct?"
"... Yes, Sir."
Optimus turned back towards the sea, his hand drifting away.
"... I have thought about that, Heatwave. After all, you are a family. And I would assume that for your updated assignments, your partners will again follow."
"That's what I'm thinking... But right now, all of our partners are on Medical Grounding. And we..."
"You do not wish to leave during a vulnerable time such as this."
"... Like you said, sir. We're family. And right now... We have to stick together."
"I wouldn't want anything else."
Optimus turned back to him, a small, somber smile present on his features.
"Heatwave... You've done wonderfully, all this time. I assigned you to become part of a human family, and it's a task you've completed wonderfully. I cannot seperate this family."
The prime grasped his shoulder, his expression soft.
"Heatwave. When I first assigned you here, you were not happy about this arrangement. But... The proof of your growth presents itself here. So many years ago, you were willing to disobey my orders to leave this place. Now... You are willing to disobey me to stay. You've honored yourself, Heatwave. The least I can do, is honor you."
"Sir... I'm not sure I'm following."
Optimus chuckled softly, his gaze trailing to the waves.
"I've spoken with Ratchet, as well as Doctor McSwain and Doctor Oliver. Aside from Cody, the other human members of the rescue team are benched for a period of mental recovery. While you are presently medically grounded, Ratchet is in agreement. Yourself, Blades, Chase, and Boulder would also benefit from a granted recovery period. Until your partners are back on duty, you are all on leave."
Heatwave froze.
He opened his jaw, but no words came out, seemingly frozen in his voice box.
"... Sir... I... But... But the town-"
"The mental health of full team needs to be catered to, Heatwave. You have suffered wounds... And they are not just physical."
"But... The rescues, who-"
"I have Spoken with Blur, Salvage, High tide, and Quickshadow. And should my services be required, I shall lend myself as well. As for their temporary partners, I have faith in the acting team, as well as very dear friends that are soon to arrive."
"Optimus... Sir... Are... Are you sure -"
The Prime's hand gently traced Heatwave's cab, gingerly feeling the gouges in the metal.
"... In the heat of war, physical wounds are treated. But the wounds inside... Rarely get closure. You have the time, Heatwave. So you shall be granted it. I am granting you time to recover, and time to spend with your family."
".... Sir... I can't thank you enough..."
Optimus slowly pulled away, and approached the edge of the Dock.
He slowly lowered himself, and sat down on the edge, his legs sinking into the cool water.
"... We all deserve time, Heatwave. There are so many Sparks that could not be granted that. So many Sparks torn apart not by loss of Energon, but by loosing themselves from the pain inside. My spark aches for those whom I could not grant time for proper healing. But I am able to grant the time to you, and so I shall."
Heatwave was quiet, then slowly, made his way over to Optimus, and sat down beside him.
The crash of the waves filled the comfortable silence, and Heatwave closed his optics.
... He wasn't sure before.
But now, he felt secure.
He felt he was allowed to believe that everything would work out.