God Help the 'Bot
Revision Notes: 'Improbable Not Impossible' got a face lift so to speak not only in spelling and grammar but in its overall status.
Summary: Astoria. Powerglide. By the very laws of nature one would think it beyond impossible. But then again, stranger things have happened...right?
Chapter Notes: YouTube is my friend. When I saw the episode which spawned this I noticed the old man who initially defended Astoria. Granted he was flung aside like a rag doll but still it was the thought that counted.
Chapter Rating: T
Disclaimers: Transformers is the property of Hasbro and concept licensed through Takara Co. All original characters however are created by ciscogirl/ciscogoldengirl and protected by copyright laws. This work was created only for enjoyment, not with the goals of credit or monetary gain in any fashion.
The day she returned to them she was strangely giddy despite having been through what many considered to have been hell. She canceled every single party she had planned for the next year while simultaneously promoting dozens of hard working individuals. Despite the many promotions, (and the raises, oh the raises were making everybody delirious) it was the bit about the parties being canceled which caused several board members to all but cry from joy.
That alone had caused them to break out a one hundred year old bottle of red wine (somebody had whispered it was actually two hundred) when she had finally left them to go to her office at later that evening. She had given the excuse of wanting to be alone before leaving for home, saying she was still shaken up. Only Perry Harrison, the eldest on the board of directors, took note of the absence of the necklace and the fact that she looked far from shaken. If anything, she looked as if she were ready to leap into the sky and dance on thin air rather then try and recover from a traumatic experience.
So as the others had already been generously pouring out seconds (and in some cases, fourths) of the wine, Harrison had made his way through the building, up to Astoria's personal rooms. In all honesty they had been placed near the top floors not just because of her status in the company, but also to keep her out of the way period. When he had finally reached her office door, finely crafted out of solid oak, he had been braced for the worst. He hadn't bothered to knock but rather barreled through in the idiotic hope that by going fast, he'd shock Astoria out of whatever stupor she was it.
He hadn't expected himself to be in a stupor and as such it took him completely by surprise.
"Astoria…what happened?"
For the first time that day she lost the little grin she had been carrying around since she had first stepped out of the limo and into the crowds of the bloodthirsty media and her equally vicious board members. She looked rather small in her suddenly barren office room, the normally expensive furniture having been replaced with several comfortable leather chairs, a lamp, and a good solid desk. Gone were the ridiculous modern art pieces, the sculptures of things not even Picasso would have liked, as well as the hat rack that normally had the most fashionable hats for that week.
As for Astoria herself, she had scraps along her arms, her hair was still a tangled mess and her yellow sun dress had obviously seen better days. But she wasn't wearing any makeup and her smile was genuine, making Harrison realize she looked far better without the makeup.
"Do you really want to know?" Astoria asked quietly though it seemed like a shout in the office. Outside a night janitor was buffing the floor, singing the latest hit, and very poorly at that. And several floors down Harrison was positive the others were still celebrating and would remain there until their wives would call, ordering them to drag their drunken selves home.
Astoria moved to the window and hugged herself, looking across the city's illuminated skyline. With the board she had been vague on many parts of the story while with the media she had said even less, diving back into the relative safety of the building before they could follow. And for a girl who loved attention, it had sent warning bells clanging around in Harrison's skull.
"If I see the daughter of my friend waltzing in from what should have been hell and smiling…you scared us all." He replied.
"You mean I scared you."
"Fine, you scared me." He replied, watching her closely. Even if he was a grouch and the first to complain over her parties and fits, he was also the only one to ever stay and help her understand exactly what was going on with her own company. The others frowned at this, preferring to keep her as lost as possible in reference to her own company. Besides, what would a spoiled brat know about running a successful multi-million dollar corporation?
"You know, I'm such an idiot it isn't even funny." Astoria muttered to which Harrison said nothing. She grinned cheekily, turning around to wink at him. "But I'm the only one who keeps all you old geezers on your toes. What would you all do without me?"
"Astoria."
"Fine," Dropping the bravado, she took in a breath as if preparing herself for battle. He wondered how true that metaphor was. "I threw away Daddy's formula."
"I'm old, not blind girl." he grumbled before moving to settle down in one of the leather chairs.
The girl frowned, or rather, pouted. "You could have fooled me. And weren't you the one always telling me never to let anyone touch it? It wasn't enough that Daddy made me promise but you had to every day…"
"Thank God I did."
"…but I threw it! I threw it and it exploded and it was like so awesome because it didn't matter anymore!" she rambled, eyes sparkling and Harrison felt like a sledgehammer had plowed into his chest.
"You're in love."
She didn't even hide it. Not from him anyway, he knew enough that had somebody else accused her of such a thing she would have exploded in their faces. It was common knowledge that one of richest girls in America was single and happy with that fact. She always claimed it was because she had yet to meet anyone who wasn't a wimp.
"God help the boy."
"He's not a boy!"
"Yes, yes, whatever. God help the man." Donald had warned him about his daughter even when the child had only been three. He was sure the man was up on some cloud laughing it up at his friend's pain. Hell, he'd be willing to bet even Martha was also laughing it up with Donald over how their daughter was torturing him.
"He's not a man either."
"What? Then what the hell could…" he stopped his motion of leaping to his feet to argue with the little chit and landed back in the chair heavily. "A Decepticon?" And here I was actually grateful to the Autobots. I never should have stopped at the National Guard. We got her too late. They brain washed her.
"Of course not, they're all disgusting and have no taste whatsoever! Not to mention they don't know how to treat a girl." Sneering, Astoria flipped a bit of her hair of her shoulder contemptuously. Harrison almost missed the way she tensed her shoulders, almost. "I'm not an idiot Harrison. Machines and I don't get along but I'm not an idiot."
"Then who's the poor soul you've caught in your claws?"
"Oh now that's just harsh old man."
He shrugged loosely, trying to get his heart back to its normal rhythm. "The truth hurts. Now spit it out."
For the first time since her thirteenth birthday Harrison saw hesitation in her eyes. Slender hands fisted themselves into her already wrinkled dress and she kept looking anywhere but him.
"Are you mad if he's made of metal?" she asked in a tiny voice and his heart thawed just the slightest, much to his own disgust. Brat though she was, Astoria was a naïve girl with every person having forced her to living in a glorified playpen. She had all the makings of a truly cunning businesswoman and yet no one had even allowed her to truly get involved with the company's projects. What angered him the most was the fact that he had been one the individuals to have kept her penned up for so long.
But Harrison would see that changed. If she had survived being abducted by Decepticons when so many hadn't been as lucky then there was a reason for it. And selfishly he wanted to have at least something making him look good when he finally croaked. Being a Catholic and then divorcing several times in thirty years certainly couldn't be very good for his records. No wonder you became Methodist Donald. Less hassle.
"Was it for the right reasons?"
"Harrison?" he would have rolled his eyes had she not looked so damnably innocent with that light blush on her cheeks and her wide eyes.
"Was it for the right reasons?" he said between clenched teeth. Being the thoughtful, caring man wasn't his persona. He was a cold-hearted bastard of a businessman. And damn it he liked it that way! Only for Donald's kid would he make himself considerate of another's feelings. Besides that, she was the only one who knew what he wanted for Christmas and his birthday.
She didn't hesitate, her eyes glazed over in remembered fear and the determination she usually had when she wanted something done her way. "They would have killed him if I hadn't. He came back for me when he didn't have to."
One of the Autobots. Not as bad as a Decepticon. Why couldn't it have been a politician's son or a drugged-up band member? Straightening in the chair he gazed at her coolly. Whoever the metal man was, he probably didn't even realize he was holding the poor girl's heart in his clumsy hands. Well Donald, when your kid does something, she doesn't do it like anybody else, I have to give her that. Too bad she's like you in the ways of love though. "If he tries anything I'm going to fry his circuits and have him reformatted as a toaster oven." Being an overprotective grump he could do. That was easier.
Snapping out her musings she scowled, "You wouldn't dare!"
Harrison eased out of the chair before it messed with his backbone any further. He made a note to have the girl switch the chairs for something proper with a firmer cushion. "I am your legal guardian. As such it gives me the sole right to position my foot up anyone's ass if they mess with you, even if that someone has a shiny metal ass."
Casually straightening he winced at the pops he heard. "But then again, any machine that can withstand you for extended periods of time is worthy of me at least letting them live without a boot mark to the ass." Just don't remember the moment when one of those flying garbage cans knocked me on my ass and that statement will look good.
Luck was on his side as she just rolled her eyes before biting her lip, becoming hesitant again. "So you don't mind?"
About you and a walking tin can? Or about throwing away Donald's life work? Harrison mused. But to be fair he knew Donald wouldn't have been upset, in fact, Harrison seriously thought he would have backed his daughter completely; at least in reference to saving someone's life. Now the part about romantic thoughts over an alien life form he wasn't so sure what Donald would have thought.
Thinking for a moment, Harrison concluded he didn't even want to know what the man would have thought. Donald had always been an eccentric, overly protective father.
Walking over to her he gazed down at her and his smirk softened ever so slightly. "Just as long as you realize that I'm going to want to talk to this fellow and scare him witless." Inwardly though he couldn't help but rephrase he initial outburst. God help the 'Bot. I don't think he realizes what he's in for with her.
"Harrison, you could scare the bogeyman with that mug of yours." Astoria shot back though her lips twitched slightly and that depressing look in her eyes vanished.
Good, she isn't the kind of female who should frown. Astoria's anything but an angst-filled woman. Smirking at her he straightened his hopelessly rumpled jacket. He hadn't changed since before Astoria's party. "Only if that bogeyman works for BlueSky Firm."
"Is business all you think about?"
"Only during my waking hours dear girl, only the waking hours. Seeing as how our Lady of the Chair won't do anything for the company I have to take the initiative."
It was then he saw it. A faint spark in her eyes that he had only seen in the eyes of her father. It sent a thrill racing down his throat before making her heart pump just a bit faster in excitement. Tilting her head to one side she grinned up at him. "Well, about that. What would you think about giving dear old BlueSky some friendly competition? We can't have them take over the skies you know. And I need some help understanding this business jargon you and the other old men keep spouting off."
They'll be no more holding you back; even if we could I doubt you'd sit by quietly without putting up a hissy-fit. Harrison mused before returning her grin with one of his own, though it was decidedly wicked, not just mischievous.
"I'm all ears my dear. I'm all ears."
