Trick or Treat

 by Moonfire

Rodimus Prime was having a panic attack. Or at least the closest thing to one a transformer could experience. His laser core was vibrating so hard he thought for a brief moment it might hammer its way out of his chest plate. Panic was starting to sink in.

He had lost Rusty. No, no, no, he hadn't lost Rusty. He just couldn't find her at this particular moment. Rodimus had turned his back for a second to answer a question from Springer. Ok, it hadn't been the exact lengths of a second but how could a child wander away when his attention had been diverted for one hundred and twenty six seconds?

Rusty's parents were going to kill him. No, no, no, Optimus was going to kill him first. That's it; his life would be over as soon as Optimus found out that Rodimus had lost Rusty. He could see the scene unfolding now. Optimus consoling Rusty's parents, telling them that it had been all Rodimus' fault their baby girl was missing, and would they please accept this box of scrap parts that was all that was left of the now dead Rodimus Prime?

He had fought against the Decepticons, fought against the Quintessons, had assumed the mantel of leadership when Optimus Prime had died and now co-led the Autobots with his return. He wasn't the young, often reckless and irresponsible, Autobot that he had been before as Hot Rod. People respected and answered to him now, damn it!

Rodimus didn't have any experience being a parent before Rusty had come into his life. He often wondered how human mothers did what they did all without a set of instructions to guide them. Optimus and Rodimus often played the game of trial and error in raising Rusty and there were times they both wondered if they were doing the right thing by raising her at all. One look in Rusty's grey eyes was all it took to remind them however, how important and special she was to them and that she needed them. Her parents certainly weren't parents to her after all.

So, where was she? The moment that he had noticed that the little ghost wasn't next to his side he had started to look for her. At six, Rodimus knew that children were easily distracted by things in their surroundings and there was enough hoopla going on to distract anymore. Central Command was decorated for the holiday of Halloween. About three hundred adults and children in costume were all around him. Some were dancing to the music coming from the center of the square while others were eating from the long snack table set up on the other side or they were standing around in groups talking. There were booths set up so the children could play simple games for prizes or candy. Children raced to and fro and while it was a safe environment being at Central Command, Rodimus had promised that he wouldn't let Rusty out of his sight. What if someone kidnaped her? What if she somehow got hurt?

[[Rodimus?]] The younger Prime froze. [[Is everything alright? Is Rusty having a good time?]] Did he know? How could he know? Damn it, Optimus knows everything!

[[Everything's fine.]] That's it; just breathe and keep the answers short and sweet. Don't ask; don't tell.

[[I'm almost finished and should be able to join you two soon.]]

[[I'm sure Rusty will be glad to hear that.]] He stayed completely still until he was sure Optimus had retreated. Optimus and Ultra Magnus were having a meeting about troop rotation or something like that. Rodimus couldn't remember now. The point had been that Optimus had work to do (as always) but Rodimus had been free. When Rusty had asked to go to the Halloween Festival he had agreed to take her. They had even picked out her ghost costume together earlier that morning.

"Keep an eye on her. You know how some of the adults can get at gatherings like these. If Rusty gets overwhelmed by all the excitement, bring her back but keep an eye on her," Optimus had said right before Rodimus had walked out the door to his office.

"What do you think I'm going to do? Lose the little girl?" he had scoffed playfully and walked out. Didn't Optimus trust him? That conversation had been an hour ago and now, it was Optimus' suspicions come true.

Wait, was that Rusty? A child in a white flowing ghost costume was standing in line for the food tables. Rodimus wasted no time in making his way around the crowd and over to the child.

"Hey Rusty, I thought I lost you there for a second," he said with relief as he reached out and picked up the child. While the ghost he held in his hands didn't say a word of protest, a woman on the ground sure did.

"What do you think you're doing?! Put him down!" she commanded. Rodimus turned to see a women dressed as a doctor with her arms crossed over her chest and anger written all over her features. Wait, did she say "him"?

"You're …not Rusty, are you?" he asked the child with the white cloth covering his face except for his eyes which Rodimus now noticed were brown. The child's head shook back and forth. Rodimus kindly sat the child back on the ground and watched as he ran to the protection of his mother who scowled and turned away. Rodimus scanned the crowd again thinking it wasn't a good idea to add kidnapping charges along with losing Rusty.

Rodimus was about to loose his patience when an idea came to him. He stayed still, deactivated his optics, and tuned out everything going on around him. He reached out with the same senses that he could Reach out to Optimus with and focused on nothing else except Rusty. He recalled her detail by detail and in his mind he suddenly heard her laughter. His optics snapped on and two seconds later he had located her near a booth where the prize was a small yellow duck that would quack when you clapped your hands. Not taking his optics off of her he made his way over to Rusty.

"Lady Friend," he called out to her. Much to his relief the ghost with grey eyes turned around and took off the top part of her costume that concealed her face and that bright red hair.

"Roddi, look at the duck! Watch," she said and clapped causing the duck to dance around and quack. For a reason Rodimus would never understand the little girl giggled and giggled. He noticed she was carrying a small bag and asked her about it. She hadn't had it before they came to the festival.

"They're marbles," she said, carefully opening the bag and showing him. "You have to be careful not to let them out of their bag cause I dropped one and it went under that table were you was and I went to get it and when I came out you were gone but I wasn't scared because I could still see where you went."

Marbles? Oh, that's right. Rusty and he had been standing next to a booth were the prize was a bag of marbles when he had lost her. While she had been under the table capturing her lost marble he had been having a panic attack. The young Autobot Leader sighed and agreed to Rusty's having the duck. He had found his Rusty again, hell she could have the whole booth full of ducks if she wanted.

A few moments later Optimus held his promise and joined them. Rusty proudly showed him the marbles and the duck. While she was helping herself to a cupcake with orange frosting at the snack table, both Primes stood off to one side and watched her being a child, a moment of being young and carefree, no worries except who would play marble with her later.

Both Primes watched her although Rodimus a little more so than usual.