Chapter Text
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry!”
Dot barely had time to register Thrash’s voice before her adoptive son raced around her, then dropped to huddle against the ground, servos over his helm.
“Hey, Thrash,” Dot said. “Did you annoy Twitch again?”
“It was an accident!” Thrash exclaimed, not leaving his fetal position.
“No, it wasn’t!” Twitch yelled, arriving with an agitated flare of her turbines.
“Okay, okay, both of you calm down,” Dot said, raising her hands. “Twitch, put your swords away.”
Grumbling, Twitch did as she was told. Dot knew she’d never really hurt Thrash on purpose, but for two Terrans still figuring out their own strength, swords were just a disaster waiting to happen.
“Twitch, what happened?” Dot asked.
“I’d just finished my nest in the apple tree when Thrash started poking it and broke it!” Twitch said, glaring daggers at Thrash.
Dot looked at Thrash.
“It was an accident!” Thrash repeated.
“You accidentally poked Twitch’s nest?” Dot asked.
Thrash wilted slightly. “Okay, so I was poking her nest. I didn’t think it was so flimsy!”
“I worked hard on that nest!” Twitch yelled.
“Twitch, yelling isn’t going to fix your nest,” Dot said, sympathetic but firm. “Thrash, since you broke Twitch’s nest, you’re going to help her put it back together.”
“But-” Thrash blinked. “I don’t know how to build nests!”
“Twitch will give you directions,” Dot said, looking back at Twitch. “Does that sound fair to you, Twitch?”
Twitch thought about it for a second, then nodded. Dot stepped aside, letting Twitch grab Thrash’s arm and drag him, still protesting about not knowing how to build nests, back toward the pasture.
Only once they were out of sight and hearing did Dot dare laugh.