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Baldi rung his hands together nervously as he looked out the window of the moving car. The world moved past him speedily as Princi drove. He took in the view, Beautiful trees of multiple different types as far as the eye could see, pines, maples, Oaks and more. He knew this place well. Baldi had finally left the city that he had spent over a year recovering in. He was heading home.
That thought, As exciting as it was, also made him nervous. Baldi had no idea what lay in wait for him. Princi had said The others were excited to see him back home after all this time, but was that the truth? Were they really going to be excited to see him, or would they be mad that he had left without telling anyone where he was going? Baldi didn’t know, all he could do was trust Princi.
“Are you nervous?” Princi asked, apparently having picked up on Baldi’s emotions, or perhaps his stiff posture, Either way, Princi knew something was off. “Maybe a little”, Baldi admitted. “It’s been over a year since I’ve seen any of you. What must you be thinking?” “I can’t speak for everyone, but I know that I’m thinking about how much I missed you. We all love you, Baldi, that much I know for certain. In a years time, there wasn’t a day that went by where someone didn’t ask me for an update on you, and update I unfortunately couldn’t give. “
Baldi opened his mouth to try to apologize, but Princi held up a hand, silencing him. “Don’t, you had to do what you thought was right. I realize that now. Although I wish she would have at least told me where you were going, I understand why you didn’t. You felt the need to protect us all from yourself. You felt that leaving to receive treatment on your own was the Best way to resolve this. I’m not gonna make you apologize for that. But you’re here now, with us. All I ask is that you let us in when you need us. We are family, Baldimore, we help each other when things look tough.”
“I agree, and I promise I’ll never run out on you guys like that again. I just really needed help, and I didn’t want to drag you all into my recovery process. But I’m doing better now.” “I’m glad, but just so you know, even during the tough days, you still have the never ending support of all of us to get you through them. Obviously the children are a little too young to hear some things, but Sweep and I, will be here for you through it all.” “Thanks, I appreciate it. Remember, I’ll be here for all of you, too. This is a two-way street, you know.” “I figured you’d say that. Look, we’re home.”
Princi was right, The two of them were just pulling into the driveway of the house they had built specifically for their little family, fondly known to everyone as the wooden house, as it had a very homey wood grain vibe to it that was evident the moment one walked inside.
Baldi hesitantly stepped out onto the property that he had officially called his home for the last several years. Everything seemed so foreign to him now, after spending over a year involuntary incarceration. He was here, he was free. Life had somehow given him a second chance and although he knew he didn’t deserve it, he would gladly take it just to be with the ones he called his family again.
“You’re doing great, they’re all inside waiting for you”, Princi encouraged. Slowly, Baldi walked up to the front porch of his home, carefully approaching the front door that he had ever so naturally walked in and out of only a little over a year ago. Now it didn’t seem right, it didn’t feel like his home any longer. Baldi Felt like he didn’t deserve to live here among such wonderful people, when he himself was subpar in comparison. But Baldi knew he had to put these feelings of self-doubt behind him and focus on the future, and that started now.
Baldi twisted the door knob, opening the thick wooden door, not at all surprised to find it unlocked. He stepped across the threshold, Princi following right after him. “Everyone, i’m back, and look who I brought with me”, Princi called out. It was now or never, all at once, Baldi Heard what seemed like thousands of feet rushing towards his destination, followed very quickly by a boisterous chorus of the word Baldi, as soon as the younger children laid eyes on him.
Suddenly, the math teacher found himself enveloped and one of the biggest group hugs he had ever been a part of. Everyone was hugging him and holding him, checking him over to make sure he was really there, To be sure that everything would be all right now.
He really couldn’t believe just how much he was loved. The overwhelming amount of love and support brought tears to his eyes.
The ones who were hugging him, consisting of Playtime, Bully, and Arts And Crafters pulled back, allowing Baldi to catch his breath as well as allowing some other familiar faces to slip into the green clad man’s Field of vision. “BALDI!” Sweep yelled, pushing past everyone and wrapping his firm, well muscled arms around the man in question, actually lifting Baldi himself completely off the ground and spinning him around for a few seconds before placing him back down. “How are you, man?” “I’m… doing better than I was, Sweep.” “That’s good to hear.”
“BALL BALL!” First Prize couldn’t wait a moment longer, yelling his favorite nickname for Baldi into the sky. He had to reunite with his adopted father now! And nobody was going to get in his way. Grown man or not, First Prize loved his dad and the times they got to spend together. It saddened First Prize’s heart to know that ball ball never got a chance to see him graduate high school, but at least he was home, at last.
“Hi, sweet one”, Baldi Said as he bent down to give his oldest son a hug so he wouldn’t have to try too hard to reach up from within his wheelchair. The last time Baldi had looked at his son, he was convinced he had failed him. In a way, he still believed he had. He had ran away for a whole year without telling anyone, even his beloved son who he told everything where he was going. Because of this, he had missed First Prize graduating from high school, and really becoming an adult. It was too late now, he had missed that mile stone. He could never forgive himself for that, but it wasn’t going to stop him from being a part of every other aspect of his sons life.
“I missed you, ball ball.” “I missed you too, First Prize.” “Hey uh, First Prize? I hate to cut this short, but we’d like to see him too, you know”, A very familiar yet very unexpected voice broke through the silence after a few minutes of Baldi and First Prize doing nothing but hugging.
Baldi broke out of the hug in pure shock. He looked up to find four unexpected faces staring back at him. “Aries, what are you doing here?” “Keepin your family alive, that’s what. Makin sure they’re doin all right since you’ve been gone.” “I appreciate that, I really do, but what about the war?” “Ah, don’t worry about that. The war’s been at a low point during all this, and you know ole prime.” “He never seems to act unless we do first”, Baldi and Aries said in unison. “I really missed you Ace”, Aries said, referring to Baldi by his Decepticon name. “I missed you too Airy, come here.” The two held each other for a very long time, relishing in the fact of reuniting with each other once again, until Aries was eventually tapped impatiently on the back of his shoulder.
“Ahem, hate to interrupt his Lordship, but quite a line is forming behind you, we’d all like to see him if you don’t mind.” “Okay my second in command, I get the message”, Aries replied, stepping back to give Baldi Space to see the others. “Star, it’s so good to see you”, Baldi yelled. “It’s good to see you too, Baldi”, Star replied, his thick British accent sounding like home to Baldi.
“Kay”, Baldi yelled with joy upon noticing the red clad Doctor. “Aww, it’s good to see you Home, Baldi”, Kay said, offering a hug and a smile.
“Cameron?” “Oh Baldi, i’m so glad you’re all right! I’ll admit, you had us worried there pal.” “Cam, I’m so sorry!” Baldi suddenly became very self-conscious, he needed to apologize to Cameron for practically abandoning First Prize for an entire year, but how could he do that with everyone watching, especially First Prize himself? “Come on , You guys”, Princi said, steering all the kids including First Prize towards the kitchen. “Let’s go put the finishing touches on Baldi’s surprise.” Classic Princi, Reading the room so well and doing anything he could to get Baldi what he needed. He would owe him for this later, this and so much more.
“Cameron”, Baldi said again once the room was clear. “I’m so sorry, for everything. I never intended for any of this to happen. I never knew I was capable of such a thing, and the last thing I wanted was for our son to get caught up in the middle of it all.“ “Whoa whoa, calm down Baldi”’, Cameron held his hands up in a peaceful gesture. “It’s okay, I’m not mad or anything. Princi did a very good job of explaining the entire situation to us. We’re all entirely on your side. Trauma is a nasty thing to deal with.”
“But that’s no excuse, besides, I abandoned him for over a year! How are you not furious with me? I deserve to have you be.” “Stop right there! You did not abandon him. You did something far more commendable. You went to get help for yourself, to better yourself for him and everyone else around you. You did what most people in your situation wouldn’t do, Baldi Baldimore, you admitted you had a problem, and then you went to fix it.”
“But.” “Come on Baldi, I know deep down you knew he would be okay. He had Princi, he had Sweep, and today you come to find out he had all of us, too.” “I know, it’s just, in 1980 I made a promise to you that he would always be kept safe and he would always have a loving home. I know giving him up was the hardest thing you ever had to do Cameron. I feel like my actions haven’t made your choice any easier to live with.
“Actually, what happened here has only served to further reassure me that First Prize is well taken care of.” “Huhh? I don’t, I don’t understand.” “I can only assume you improved yourself for him as well as the other children.” “Well of course I did, but.” “You Love him enough to work on yourself. You took the time necessary to improve your outlook on life. You went through an entire years worth of psychotherapy just to come back here and reunite with your family. I know he means the world to you Baldi, a sire Can tell. That’s why I know this is still the perfect place for him.”
“Aside from all of that, planet earth is his home. We of course know he’s half seeker, but that doesn’t change the fact that he was raised in a very human environment. He even has deer Ellie May’s Skintone, he looks like her in so many other ways, too. My, she’d be so shocked at how he’s grown.” “Oh Cam, I know we both miss her.” “Of course we do, but he lives on in memory of her.
Besides, he’s an adult now. I couldn’t take him from you even if I wanted to. He could of course choose to come live with me but why would he? I know he wouldn’t leave you. You were there for him in his formative years, when he needed you most. If anyone had abandoned him, it was me.” “No Cameron, when are you going to stop thinking this way? He loves you, you realize that, right? He knows what you went through. He’s known for a long time. You made a promise to Ellie May that you wouldn’t expose your baby to the harshness of the war. You had no other options.”
“We all have made decisions in the past that we’re not proud of.” The pair jumped at the unexpected third voice. “But what matters is the decisions we’re making now, to better our future”, Aries finished. “You’re right”, Baldi and Cameron agreed. “Heck, if you want living proof that someone who made really rash decisions in the past can come out on top and actually live to see a better tomorrow, look at me, Lord Megatron himself.
I may be still in the middle of a 4 million year long war that started because of major misunderstandings, and some bad actions on my part, I’ll admit. But I’m still at the highest point in life that I’ve ever been. I went from an energon minor by day, gladiator by night to a father of two beloved biological daughters and an adopted older son, that’s you, Cameron. I went from having virtually nothing to having everything I could ever want in life, a family. “
“That’s what you have, Baldi. They’re right in there”, Aries pointed his thumb to the kitchen. “They’re workin on a big surprise dinner for you, it’s really somethin special. I mean you should see the cake! It’s all big and double layered and green with white icing, and it’s rumored to have green pudding in the middle. My point is, do you wana spend the rest of your life feelin sorry for yourself about things you did in the past? Or do you wana get in there and spend your future with the ones you love and that love you enough to do all this for you. Cos if I were you, I wouldn’t miss a minute of this.”
“You’re right, Airy. I don’t want to miss any more pivotal moments of any of your lives. Although I’ll never forget what happened, and I’ll never entirely come to terms with my past actions, sometimes it’s important to add the future, and subtract the past. It’s good to be home.
The end!