Thanks for all the feedback! You have no idea how awesome it felt to get all these review alerts in my e-mail while I was away at Philly for a wedding. :) I'm glad more people are reading! Also, thank you for the favs and alerts!
Sorry for the wait! I'll try to make it up to you!
Week 3
Another week had come and gone faster than a freight train and Francesca could hardly believe how much work and studying Ratchet had stuffed her with. The first couple of weeks went smooth, and she had no problem keeping up, but it seemed as soon as Ratchet had gotten to know her strengths and weaknesses and even got to know her better, he began to throw more at her and she was afraid that she would soon be unable to catch it all.
For the first time ever, she had failed to do something properly, but she soon managed to figure it out on her own and get it done before Ratchet could find out. He told her that if she ever had any questions, that she should feel free to ask him them, but he was hardly ever around with all the meetings and checkups he had been doing. Any questions she had, remained hidden in her mind, unanswered forever.
She was up later than usual and had even stayed up all through the night trying to figure out every problem he asked her to work on. It was all too much to handle and she was afraid that soon she would start to disappoint him.
But that wasn't going to stop her from trying her best to handle any problem tossed her way. She was better than that.
And then there was the heat, which had begun to drive her almost insane. The doors were always open and a breeze never entered. Some of the soldiers had given her small fans from other hangars, but even that was little use. All they did was blow the heat around.
She coughed, closed her eyes and wiped the sweat off her forehead and back of her neck. She groaned, picking her pen back up, but dropped it. She bent down to pick it up."Are you okay?"
She gasped with a jump and dropped the pen again. This time, it hit the floor. "I'm good," She mumbled as she bent down to pick it up. She hadn't been too happy with him recently.
"Are you sure?" He asked, stepping in further. He took a seat behind his desk and eyed her curiously. "You seem.." He paused, as if trying to think of the right words. "upset with me lately."
She was surprised. Was she that obvious? She didn't try to look upset with him, but she guessed he was right. She shrugged, but didn't make eye contact. "N-no," she stuttered and then mentally cursed to herself. She was definitely being obvious now. "No, I'm fine. Just.. tired," she smiled as she looked back down at her papers and began to write again. Ratchet nodded and then shook it off, looking down at his data pads to try and complete some of his own work. Then, suddenly realizing that she did have a question, she looked back up. "Um, what did you say the number one cause of Cybertronian deaths in the last billion years was?" She laughed. It was hard to imagine somebody living for a billion years.
Ratchet's head jerked up the second she spoke. He paused, thinking. Then he replied with, "The number one was battle," he seemed confused as to why she would need to ask that.
She shook her head and closed her eyes. "My bad. I meant number two," She put on an innocent grin and chuckled.
He smiled, but deep inside, he knew there was something wrong. He knew her well enough to know she didn't just forget things. "That would be oxidation. It causes rust if we are exposed to too much water or moisture and could result in closed piping or even wear out our cables enough to make them snap," he paused as if to think. "It's actually tied with lack of energon because of its scarcity."
She nodded. "I see, but I thought you could make energon?" It was true that Ratchet had discovered a way to create energon using some of Earth's materials with the help of Wheeljack.
"Yes. Doesn't mean it's not scarce," He laughed.
She chuckled, feeling a bit idiotic for asking. "Thanks," she continued to write.
"Easy," Ratchet sighed as he watched Francesca, who was hastily unbolting things and squeezing her hands through areas she didn't know were sensitive from all the work he had done over his entire lifetime with little rest. "It isn't a race, Cesca. You're just giving me a checkup."
"I kinda.." Francesca paused, taking a breath. She had been holding it due to the fact she was nervous when it came to giving Ratchet checkups. "wish that I had scanners,"
Ratchet chuckled, "Believe me when I say that I wish the same. It'd be easier for us both. But I'm enjoying this. It's been far too long since I've received a checkup."
Francesca shook her head with a laugh. "I mean," she tilted her head to the side and gave a confused look. "Everything seems good, it's just your wires and cables and stuff seem so.. tight," she made the mistake of touching one and giving it a slight pull, as if to loosen it.
Ratchet jumped so fast and hard, it knocked her over. Quickly realizing what he'd done, he went to help her up. "Primus, are you okay?"
She took the offered finger and lifted herself up. Ratchet was surprised to see she was laughing. "I-" she had to pause to take a breath. "I'm fine, really. I am, but I totally forgot that the cables are more sensitive. I'm sorry, Ratchet."
He shook his head. "It wasn't your fault. I shouldn't have jumped like that. The cables are stiff because it has been far too long since I've gotten the rest I needed."
She raised an eyebrow. She assumed the cables were like muscle but some minor differences. Well.. maybe she could help him out. "Lay down," she said, almost demanding.
He was confused for a moment. "Uh, why?"
"Just do it," she grinned. "I gotta get the shoulder plating off of you."
"But that isn't part of the check-"
"Please?" she interrupted. "You'll like it." He'd like it? That alone made him ponder even more what she wanted to do as he gave in and laid back. She began right away, unbolting and cutting wires that were required to be cut in order to get the armor off. When she was finished with that part, she asked, "Okay, now can you kinda sit up a little? I gotta get the back part."
He did exactly as she asked. "What do you plan on doing?"
She smirked, "Just relax for a second." He almost growled. Why did humans have to be so difficult? He just asked a question. Why couldn't she answer? "Alright, you can lay back down now. Now," she thought to herself as she examined him. "I don't know how I'm gonna do this, but let's try this first," without a warning, he felt her weight, which wasn't much at all, on his chest. He look down to see that she was sitting on his chest plating.
"What on Earth-" he paused when he felt the tiny hands work their way between the under armor and onto the cables. He jolted just a little, trying to contain himself so he didn't send her flying again. "Let me guess," he gasped just a little before continuing. "You're a massage therapist, too?"
She laughed out loud and shook her head. "No. This, my friend, is all natural instinct."
"I'm not going to lie," he began, feeling his cooling fans kick on as she moved her hands over the smaller cables and then the bigger ones in an almost pattern-like fashion. "I like natural,"
She couldn't help but blush slightly at how much he was shuddering under her touch. She could definitely tell he hadn't had treatment like this in a long time, if not ever. She ended up shifting her position to she was sitting on the ground just next to his head. He was too wide in the shoulders to do both at the same time, so she worked one side.
She watched as he fiddled with his fingers. "Are you nervous about something?" she asked.
"What?" He seemed confused, but then he realized what he was doing and rested his hands flat on his chest. "Oh, no. I'm okay. I'm just.. well, can I be honest with you?"
She nodded, standing up and heading over to the other shoulder. She sat down and continued. "Okay, sure. What's on your processors?"
"I don't want what I'm about to say to make you feel awkward, but, a long time ago I once had a femme who," he made a noise that sounded as if he was clearing his throat. "well, she was basically my everything and she used to do things like this and lately.. you just remind me of her a lot."
"Was she the one who passed away?" Francesca asked.
Ratchet shifted his head so he got a good look at her. He squinted his eyes. "How do you know this?"
"I was informed when I first got here of what happened," she explained. "I never asked you about it, though. I felt it was appropriate if I just kept my mouth shut."
"Oh," he looked away. "Yes, she was the one."
"I'm sorry, Ratchet," Francesca furrowed her eyebrows, removing her hands from his cables.
He shook his head gently, staring up at the ceiling. "Things like that happen often from where I come from. I should've known it was only a matter of time before the same thing happened to me."
"Have," she paused, as if making sure it was okay to ask. "you ever considered moving on?"
To her surprise, he let out a puff of air from his nose in a small laugh. "This," he motioned a hand towards the entire med bay. "is my way of moving on. Continuing what I do best. What I've been doing since before I even met her."
"What was her name?" Francesca asked as he sat up.
Ratchet, still sitting on the ground, positioned himself so he had a better view of the tiny human. "Xaviera," he smiled.
"That's a pretty name," Francesca smiled back.
He chuckled, "Something the both of you have in common, too."
Francesca laughed and looked away, shaking her head. "I never really liked my name."
"Xaviera was the same," Ratchet told her and this made Francesca look back up at him. "but maybe it was because her and her spark creators didn't get along too well."
"Why not?" she raised an eyebrow.
Ratchet smirked, but it was more like a 'little boy who had just stolen a cookie from the cookie jar' smirk. "Me. They hated me. I used to get into yelling matches and fights with her father all the time. He was stubborn, I was stubborn. It just didn't mix."
"How surprising," she said sarcastically with a laugh, shaking her head.
Ratchet gave her a proud look. "And that is how I got into the habit of wrench-throwing."
Weird way to end this one, but I think I like it. :D I figured he and Cesca needed some small bonding time. ^.^
Thanks for alllll your reviews! And im sorry this took SOO LONG! :(
