This story was inspired by the scene in "Transformers: The Last Knight" when Crosshairs tells Izabella not to expect any bedtime stories. Well, to me, Crosshairs is really a big old softy underneath that tough exterior and expert shot. :)
Transformers: The Last Knight belongs to Hasbro. I own nothing. Warning: has some spoilers for "Transformers: The Last Knight" movie.
Bedtime Stories
Izabella woke up sharply, having heard a noise outside. Catching her breath, she looked to see a tall, green mech standing outside, gazing up at the sky. Seeing it was nearly midnight and everyone else was sound asleep, she got up and quietly headed out, carefully stepping over the mini-Transformers so that she wouldn't wake them. She was soon outside and heading towards Crosshairs.
She heard snoring and turned to find Hound lounging back on some junk and snoring while Bumblebee, Hot Rod, and Drift were sleeping quietly nearby. The fourteen-year-old had to hold back a giggle at both Hound's snoring and the peacefulness of the other three bots she had seen look so fierce in battle. Smiling, she continued over to her main target, slipping on a little bit of junk, but regaining her balance.
Crosshairs was gazing up at the sky when he heard some of the junk move and without turning around, he turned on his heat sensors and found someone moving towards him. A scan told him who it was. "Up a little late, aren't you, Little Miss Sunshine?" He asked without turning around.
More than used to the sharpshooter's gruff tone, she stood as tall as she could. "Could ask the same about you, Mr. Grumpy," she shot back cheekily before continuing her trek until she was standing on top of a pile of junk in front of him.
Crosshairs snorted. "You're lucky you're a youngling, kid, and that I like you," he said. "Last person who gave me cheek ended up on his back with me as victor."
Izabella giggled, though she didn't doubt his words. "You're just a big softy inside that tough exterior," she said, still feeling cheeky.
A green finger gently poked her side and made her fall back into Crosshairs' open right hand. "Don't go spreading it around," he said, though his voice lacked the usual gruffness. "Or you'll be begging for mercy from the punishment I'll give you."
Feeling a finger wiggle into her side, she squeaked, just managing to hold back a giggle as she got his hidden warning. She then sat in his hand as he sat down on another pile of junk. "So, why are you up, Izzy?" He asked gently.
"Heard a noise outside and saw you standing out here," she said.
"Ah, must have shaken some of the junk loose when I walked by," he said. "Sorry, kid."
She looked up at him in surprise. She had been teasing that he was a big softy under his tough exterior, but he was showing that he really did have a soft spot. "Um…I was just teasing you earlier," she said.
"I know, kid," he said. "But you've grown on me and I do have a soft spot for sparklings."
Izabella hated being called 'kid' by adults, but because it came from a mech who had lived much longer than she had, she decided she didn't really mind it. She then hung her head and a few tears came to her eyes. "You remind me of Canopy," she said softly. "He was protective too, but like both a dad and a big brother to me."
Crosshairs smiled. "Ah, yeah, Canopy," he said. "He used to work at a sparkling center, caring for sparklings. He loved it and he was really good with sparklings."
"I miss him," the teenage girl said softly.
A gentle finger rubbed her back. "He was a good mech," the green mech said softly. "He hated the war and strived to be a rescuer and get sparklings, younglings, and innocents to safety. Makes sense when he came to Earth he'd do the same for you humans. He had a big spark, bigger than Cybertron."
Izabella felt tears come to her eyes and she wiped them away. "I wish I could've fixed him," she admitted. "But…it was too late."
"He died a hero keeping you and those kids safe until Cade showed up," Crosshairs said, his voice still gentle. "He'd be proud of you today, Izzy."
She sniffled. "Thanks, Cross," she said, appreciating the mech's comfort.
"Just curious, kid. How did you meet up with Canopy?"
She adjusted her position to sit Indian style. "After the Decepticons killed my parents, I grabbed some things and ran," she said. "I kept an eye out for the cops to avoid them so they wouldn't catch me. But one cop did find me and tried to pursue me, but I ran, running down alleyways to lose him and even after I lost him, I kept running, running into a huge place of ruins and junk. I had just climbed up on some junk when it shifted and I slid down it, landing on the ground and backing up fast as Canopy revealed himself. We then heard sirens in the distance and he quickly moved over me, shielding me until we couldn't hear the sirens anymore. Canopy then picked me up and told me to rest, that he'd watch over me. And that was it. I stuck around with him and he gave me shelter and a home."
Crosshairs smiled. "He saw you were just a sparkling and took it upon himself to protect you," he said. "Like I said, he had a big spark."
Izabella looked up at him. "Who was the first Decepticon you took on and beat in battle?" She asked.
He chuckled. "Ah, that was something," he said. "The first dirty 'Con I had to face was Barricade and his little slimy creep Frenzy. Nasty buggers."
Turning on a hologram projector, he showed her what the two 'Cons looked like. She was surprised Frenzy was about her size. "That must have been a heap of trouble, dealing with a big bully and having that little creep leaping about," she said.
"Oh, it was," Crosshairs admitted. "I had just gotten a few shots at Barricade when Frenzy managed to sneak up on me and was trying to get at some circuitry. I had to think fast then."
"What did you do?"
"I was on top of a large building and I relied on my paratrooper training," he said. "I jumped and then activated my parachutes. The force knocked the little bugger loose from me and as he was falling, I sent a couple shots after him to put him out of commission."
He sighed. "Little creep moved and didn't get the full power of the shots, but they did graze him pretty good. Knocked him out and kept him down while I took care of Barricade. He tried using sharp weapons against my guns, which didn't bode well for him. I had him pinned before he managed to throw out his spike ball and chain and surprise me. I managed to turn away in time and so only got the very end of it, but it damaged my knee. Still, I made both those creeps retreat, so it was a victory for me."
Izabella suddenly perked up. "Wait, you said you were standing over him in victory," she said. "How could you have done that with your knee damaged?"
Crosshairs chuckled. "Did I say the person I was standing over was Barricade?" He asked, gently poking his finger into her stomach, which made her squeak again. "Nah, the one who gave me cheek and ended up on the ground was Sunstreaker."
"Who's he?" The teenager asked.
"A mech who's very annoying to me," the green mech replied. "Obsessed with looking his best and can be a smart aleck, but deep down he is a brave mech and a good warrior, so that helps us deal with his cheekiness."
"What happened that he was cheeky to you and you put him in his place?"
A chuckle left the green mech again. "Oh, he was being smart with me that he could take down more enemies with his gun than I could with my two guns. I told him he couldn't take down a mech like me even if he tried. Well, he tried, but he was soon on the floor, squealing like a sparkling. Thank goodness the rooms were soundproof so no one heard his laughter and walked in on us."
It took a moment for Izabella to piece together what he was implying and she burst into laughter, covering her mouth to try and muffle her laughter so she didn't wake up the others. After she got her laughter under control, she looked up at the green mech. "He was ticklish?" She asked.
"Oh, yeah," Crosshairs said, chuckling. "He never sassed me again."
The teenager giggled again before remembering something. "Hey, Cross," she said. "Back before Bumblebee and Cade went to go see that Earl, you told me you don't do bedtime stories."
He cocked an eyeridge at her. "I said don't expect any bedtime stories," he said, his voice full of gentle amusement as one finger wiggled playfully into her side. "Doesn't mean I don't tell stories or won't tell a sparkling a story."
Giggling, Izabella had little luck pushing away his finger before he stopped, letting her rest. "Softy," she said teasingly before yawning.
"Only to kids like you, Izzy," he replied before leaning back against some junk, feeling tired. He placed the fourteen-year-old girl on his chest just over his spark and covered her with one hand. She settled down and smiled.
"Canopy used to hold me to his spark to calm me down when I was upset," she said. "I used to listen to his sparkbeat and it would put me to sleep."
Crosshairs gently stroked her head with one finger. "Another reason I like you, Izzy," he said. "You give me a chance to feel like a father in a way."
She smiled again. "You'll make a great dad someday, Cross," she said honestly before falling asleep.
The green mech smiled at her, hoping someday the war would be over and he would have a chance to be a father. Or perhaps he'd take in a kid like how Canopy did with Izabella when she had first met him. He nodded to himself. Someday, it would be possible.
He soon followed the teenager into a sound sleep.
I just had to and I'm not sorry. :) Crosshairs is one of my favorites. :)
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GoldGuardian2418