Title: Setbacks - Puppy Love Interlude 3
Fandom: Transformers G1 AU
Author: FuziPenguin
Pairing/Characters: Jazz, Prowl
Rating: PG
Word Count: 972
Summary: Jazz takes his responsibilities very seriously.
Warning: Could be seen as Jazz/Prowl, but intended as a friendship piece. They are 'like this' as Jazz has previously said :) Speculations on 'tab A, slot B' will have to just continue on as before.
Disclaimer: This is a piece of fiction. No harm was intended in the creation of this work. All rights belong to the original creators.

Jazz threw himself onto the couch with an aggravated ex-vent, staring sightlessly at his lap in frustration. Even without looking, he could feel Prowl's placid gaze on the side of Jazz's helm, and it managed to annoy him even further. So he very maturely slouched farther down and crossed his arms over his bumper.

"I take it from your… negative reaction… that Mirage has lost the assailant?" Prowl inquired.

Jazz ventured a glance at his companion to see Prowl seemingly absorbed in the data pad held in his hands. The screen flickered rapidly as Prowl pursued its contents by direct uplink. It didn't mean that his fellow Enforcer wasn't paying attention to Jazz's mini tantrum; on the contrary, Prowl's modified processer was quite used to handling multiple sources of input in order to run dozens of tactical simulations simultaneously.

"Yes," Jazz growled, turning his glare back onto the floor.

There was a pause before Prowl spoke.

"That is unfortunate. But Mirage has picked up cold trails before; perhaps he will do so again. It is still early; chances are fair."

"Fair!?" Jazz exclaimed, shooting upwards to begin pacing in front of the couch in short, angry strides. "That's what the paramedics said about Siders' chances! 'Fair'! Frag, Prowl! He was attacked in the building! My building!"

Jazz slid to a stop in front of Prowl, bent slightly at the waist wiith his thumb pressed against his chest. He felt it heaving with the force of his harsh ventiliations, felt the righteous anger bubble up once more.

Prowl's optics flicked away from the data pad to fully focus on Jazz. Carefully unplugging himself from the pad, Prowl placed it to the side and rested his hands palm-down on his thighs.

"To be…"

"Don't ya dare say 'fair'!" Jazz growled an interruption, pointing at Prowl.

"… accurate," Prowl continued, his expression turning slightly disapproving. Jazz sheepishly dropped his hand and placed it on his hip instead. "Ratchet was more than likely the target. And I have been in contact with Sideswipe's surgeon; the surgery went well without complications. He will be fine after a few days of rest."

"Great! That's good, Prowler. I mean it," Jazz said, nodding rapidly. "But it doesn't negate the fact that that fragger got past us!"

"Got past you, you mean?" Prowl asked, and damn if he didn't the nail right on the head.

The building was supposed to be a safe place for the oft-targeted Enforcers who lived there, and Jazz had spent a great deal of both time and credits to ensure extra security measures were in place. On top of that, Jazz had been the one on patrol duty tonight, so it was a hit to his professional pride that the assassin had found a way in and around Jazz's vigilance.

"You cannot be everywhere at once, nor is any location ever completely secure. I do not blame you, Jazz. They do not blame you."

"No. Just I do," Jazz said, unable to keep the bitterness out of his voice as he plopped back down next to Prowl. Jazz didn't understand why Prowl wasn't more upset; this was their home. Ratchet and the twins were supposed to be safe here. They all were.

Then again, Jazz could count on one hand the amount of times he'd seen Prowl's composed visage crack. Showing his emotions wasn't something that Prowl did often. Unlike Jazz, who was often an open data pad.

"You are quite the accomplished tracker yourself," Prowl offered after a long moment of Jazz's continued sulk. Jazz briefly considered it, but then shook his head.

"Thanks. But Mirage has 'Bee with him. Too many mechs out there could muddy up the waters. Best I go and figure out how the fragger got past the scanners," Jazz said with a sighed ventilation. Past the spark scanners and the energon readers and all the other expensive doodads he had installed throughout the building.

"And yet…" Prowl said delicately, after nearly five minutes of them both staring at the opposite wall, "… you are still here."

Jazz turned his head to the side to meet Prowl's optics, wishing the visor wasn't such an integral part of his frame. Prowl was secretly a soft, melty energon goodie on the inside, no matter how stern and strict he appeared on the outside. On more than one occasion, Jazz had witnessed Bluestreak's pleading optics wear his cousin down in a matter of seconds. Working with that he had, Jazz settled for downturned lipplates and a dejected slump to his shoulders that was only a quarter feigned.

Prowl studied him for a long minute before huffing slightly. "You are ridiculous," he murmured, lifting the arm closest to Jazz up in invitation. If a small, fond smile lifted the corners of Prowl's lips, well, no one but the two of them were around to witness it.

Jazz eagerly tilted to the side and down, wriggling for several moments until his head was positioned squarely in Prowl's lap, one arm curling beneath and around Prowl's knee.

A hand landed atop Jazz's helm, thumb lightly rubbing the outer edge of his sensory horn. Visor dimming, Jazz's engine slowed down to a purred idle, tension draining out of his frame.

He needed to physically look over the scanners to make sure they hadn't been tampered with. In all likelihood, the attacker had used one of the illegal spark dampeners occasionally found on the black market. However, it didn't hurt to scour the building for possible clues to the assassin's identity.

But for now, he would absorb as much of Prowl's calm as he could, let it wash away his fury until his processer was clear once more.

Clear enough to track down this drone reject and teach him what it meant to come into Jazz's domain uninvited.