Author's Notes: Thanks for the reviews and favorite story / author. The adventure continues. Yes her boo boo bunny looks like Ironhide. Both black armor, growling noises and two round shapes on the front. And boo boo bunnies exist, you can buy them premade now to slip an ice pack in. The terry cloth kind, however. The technological ones are still banned to base. Breem is 8.3 minutes and Joor 6.5 hours, Onward to hopping fun.
Hippity Hoppity Homeward
Ironhide vented deeply, his lighter purple optics unchanging as she lay on the med bay berth. The blue laced with anger of red and self-processing. Sleeping, the paleness of Annabelle's face only accentuated the forming bruise down the left side. Beeps and pings of the monitors barely intruded, his sensors locked on the improving readings. A silver wrench flung by, caught absently in his black armored hand.
"For the tenth time, she will recover. Listen to me now, play it through your processors later but trust me as you have over the centuries." Ratchet reminded, leaning over the monitors to face the warrior mech. The green yellow armor reflecting the signals, ignored by both. "Her parental units are recharging in their room. They trust me. There is no internal damage with blood loss minimal."
"Shouldn't have lost any," he ground out.
"The boo boo bot sealed the jagged edges and alerted us. As emergency medical," Ratchet tapped the shape, a black cube recharging on the main monitor. His processor shied away from the urgency of the call flashing across his systems, realizing Annabelle was injured and down.
"One breem she is out of my sight. Told her to stay on the bike path and she disobeys. One breem and she is hurt."
"Hurt but not offlined old friend," Optimus comforted. His armored presence not required but med bay the first place he had gone. "She slipped on a lava rock slope, slicing her leg and striking her head. The bicycle helmet you gave her preventing serious injury. The boo boo bot bunny did its assigned task. She is young but strong and will recover. Three earth days is short to their recovery systems. Go and rest. Do not make me order you." The ancient Prime vented softly, remembering Prowl's advice on Annabelle. Nowhere in the galaxy would be safe from Ironhide if she or Chromia offline or is badly injured. Statistically there is little or no chance we could contain him if he became enraged. Not even you Prime.
"Her internal systems are functioning. Damage is external and heal over time," Ratchet stated. "You need to recharge and greet her in the morning. Not wobbling and making her worry. If Chromia were here and not deep space with Magnus team she would haul your sorry aft back to your quarters."
In the end, their arguments helped but not enough. The old mech recharged on the floor by her berth, his systems tied into the monitors. Any changes and he would know instantly. Sunrise dawned across the military island, her parents and Ironhide greeting her warmly as eyes opened.
"I'm sorry," she said, trying to not rub on her sore jaw, instead pulling at the bedsheet. "I only wanted to pick the pretty flowers growing sideways."
"We just want you well pumpkin," Will comforted, both parents sitting on either side of her, tons of room remaining on the Autobot size berth.
"Hide saved me, didn't you?"
"Yes. Beat Ratchet there. Intercepted the distress signal," he stated.
"Beat me is right," Ratchet grunted, rubbing at a ding in his armor plating. "We collided on the path and flattened your wheeled conveyance."
"My bicycle? That's ok. Wheeljack promised a new one."
"Honey, we will see about that. Your birthday is still a ways off," Sarah cautioned, the look she gave the mechs full of warning. All toys requiring her approval after Optimus and Prowl signed off.
The screaming of the general alarm making them jump; Annabelle giggling then wincing in pain as Ironhide and Prime gestured empty hands. Med bay protocols locking down weapons and subspace pullers, blocking them. "Stay safe!" she called, rubbing at her jaw ache. Whatever Will would have said gasped out as Ironhide's black armored hand swept him up to chest plates and running for the double doors behind Prime. Ratchet's optics slowed, then returned to full spinning.
"Distress call inbound. Returning flight is off the landing coordinates. Way off. I need to go. Twins will guard," Ratchet explained, a step behind the others, spinning into his transform and racing off.
Afternoon time had Sarah eating and talking to the remaining Autobots in the main hangar, getting updates on the incoming shuttle. None mentioning the twins being out of the brig long enough to protect Annabelle. Or the threats openly sent on the comms from Ironhide and Ratchet should anything get inside medical bay to Annabelle or Sarah while they were gone.
::Sides:: Suntreaker sent, a mischievous idea forming. The twin lounged on a wall cabinet, holding his polishing rag in the air. The yellow armor reflecting a high sheen including the locks on every cabinet that had engaged when the room's security recognized their spark signals.
::Yes Sunny?:: Sideswipe answered quietly, watching Annabelle intently. Bruises were common on the soldiers, signs of fighting or battle. The discoloration disquieting to the mech on a sparkling size being.
::Bunnies multiply:: Sunstreaker
::No. I know where you are processing and Prime already ruled no advanced Cybernetic technology outside this base. Only medics can have them. And a certain human who has our weapons specialist wrapped around her fingers:: Sideswipe reminded, his attention on adjusting a wheel bolt to prevent noise if he rolled around the room.
::Boo boo bot bunnies Prime specified. And our Autobot Commander, hero and ancient bearer of the Matrix is also known as the bunny bot bouncer:: Sunstreaker
::Bounce us in the brig if we disobey::Sideswipe
::High tech the treaty forbids. A tweak there, an adjustment there and she has new friends to play with. For her. She makes a large impact around here and we do want her happy:: Sunstreaker
::Impact is what we make if anything goes wrong from Ironhide blasting us with his arm cannons:: Sideswipe
::It won't. They will never find out:: Sunstreaker smiled, compiling a supply list for their needs.
Ratchet noticed the second bunny, pink and white and assumed Arcee had left it. Or Elita One. A quick scan showed the normal external shape, recharging next to the black one on top of the medical monitors. Programming details missed as it never transformed when any bot could see it or access coding. Incoming wounded from the shuttle team, though minor injuries, rotated the file to a back processor, both bunnies leaving with Annabelle to the farm.
A week home and the pink bunny unfolded one night, hopping up to the window and sending out an encrypted signal. Autobot sensors, placed around the family farm failed to announce the aerial delivery, a package drone encrypted with Autobot passwords allowing access before flying into the barn. Opening, small shapes by the dozens flowed out following preprogrammed commands. Most to hide and wait in standby, two sent directly to Annabelle's bedroom. Gaining entry through an open window, they settled in and began recharging.
Beeping, the alarm clock announced morning before a single push sent it sailing to the floor. Rustling and movement of her jacket across the floor away from the clock brought her wide awake and sitting upright. Climbing out of bed, bare feet on carpet she moved closer, favoring her still healing leg. Rustling deep in the jacket, her curious and unafraid. A quick glance confirming her two boo boo bot bunnies on the headboard, watching her. Gently, she reached down and unfolded the jacket.
"Babies," she breathed. Two squares with bright blue optics blinked up at her. The first cube larger, the red and blue of Optimus with ears straight up and tilted back feet pads. The second smaller, a longer body the yellow green of Ratchet. Its front paws mutli-toed. A touch of her finger and they hummed, reassuring. Sitting down slowly, she heard the black and pink bunnies leaping off the headboard before going nose to nose with the new arrivals. Humming, they surrounded the jagged edges of her healing leg scar.
"Shh, don't let mommy or daddy know you are here. I like secrets," she said. "I wish there were more of you."
To be continued…
