Chapter 10! Woooo! Yeah, again, sorry for the wait. This one took a while for me to type up. It'll be another while until I type up and post the next chapter. Thank you all again for being patient with my slow ass. XD
Anyway, quick announcement for those who didn't read my Clare Roberts once shot, Slave for the Tyrant or just hadn't looked at my profile in general. I posted a poll regarding a 4th story for Clare Roberts. If anyone is interested, take a look and vote!
Happy reading/writing
The moment we entered the lower bunker, we here hit by a chorus of voices. I looked over towards the shooting range, and saw my Autobots crowded together and chatting. In the middle of the circle of mecha, Jolt, the little idiot that he was, found it appropriate to reenact Clare's entrance. I would have been impressed by how accurately he did so, strut and all, but I was too anxious about the Ark's location as well as Mearing getting called in.
Clare didn't seem offended by Jolt's theatrics. She merely watched the 'bots with a smirk on her face. Good, she was amused. Better than her being annoyed. I absently stroked her little body and went over to the 'bots. As I grew closer, I noticed everyone was there. Even, to my surprise, Wheeljack was among the ones who were snickering at Jolt. Mirage must have dragged the old scientist down. Wheelie was also with them as well. He was sitting on Wheeljack's shoulder, laughing away at the show. At least everyone was in good spirits now. Even Ironhide was smirking faintly when he glanced our way at Clare. 'He would get a real kick from this, the old fragger,' I thought dryly.
When I entered the circle, Jolt backed away and everyone went silent. I felt a hint of anxiety mixed with amusement. I guess that they assumed I was displeased by the situation. On the contrary, I was cheering internally by my little mate's defiance. But I couldn't let everyone know that, know could I? Before I decided what to say first, Jazz spoke up.
"Baby girl, what in the pit's name possessed you to do that?" he asked, his voice raised more than usual. It was very rare for the silver mech to show his ire but I suppose Clare had that affect on all of us.
"Jazz they weren't letting us in. At all!" Bumblebee said defensively as he stepped in front of me, in attempts to get between Clare and Jazz. He was her guardian, so it was automatic and instinctive. The young scout froze, realizing that he was in front of me as well, and moved back to my side and muttered an apology. But even then, his large optics glared at Jazz when he added, "Like I said before, several times, Optimus and the others need to know about our findings with Simmons and Dutch."
"Glad that we're not forgotten," I heard Simmons mutter. Glancing over, I saw the two human men standing away from the group. It was probably a wise decision for them to do so.
"I agree with Jazz," Ratchet said, frowning at Clare. "Child, that really was uncalled for."
"Lay off, Ratchet," Ironhide snarled. "May I remind you that you suggested to sneak out of base while we were in lockdown just a couple cycles ago?"
"That is different from what Clare just did," Ratchet snapped back.
"Enough. What's done is done," I said, tired with all the arguing. "Clare knew what she did wasn't…well thought out." Saying 'wrong' felt harsh. "But it was affective. It grabbed our attention and let us know that something serious is going on. And it also put most of us in a good mood."
"You can say that again," Ironhide said and got a chorus of agreement from everyone, excluding Ratchet who was sighed in irritation. Even Wheeljack seemed delighted about it all.
"I'm just ticked that we missed it," Chromia huffed, with Flareup nodding vigorously.
"You should have recorded it, Jolt!" Arcee retorted, a whine hinting her vocals.
"Aww! I should have!" Jolt hollered, smacking his helm. "You all needed to see Jazz and Bee's faces! It was as if Shockwave himself came into the base!" I glanced at my lieutenant. He was shaking his helm but smirking. I was glad that he wasn't truly angry with Clare.
I allowed for the group to continue talking. It was the least I could do to let them stay calm and a little happy. Even Clare, Simmons, and Dutch joined in on the conversations. They grinned and laughed with my Autobots as they described Lennox's appalled expression. But, as much as I wished for this peace to last forever, time was running out. Charlotte was most likely on her way. I was unsure about how she would react to all this but I wasn't going to take any chances. I raised my empty hand, and everyone, humans included, went silent. I set Clare on the nearest berth. Bumblebee and Jazz followed, bringing Simmons and Dutch, and placed them with Clare. My Autobots looked from the humans to me.
"These three, our human allies outside of NEST, have found the Autobot craft: the Ark," I announced, holding my servo over the three humans. I looked to Simmons and nodded, motioning him to continue.
"Thanks for the intro, big guy," Simmons drawled and I gave him a curt nod. He turned back to the others and raised his voice when he said, "Just to make things clear, I know Clare said that we found the Ark-"
"We did," Clare snapped.
"-But it's only a theory."
"A theory? You caused all this trouble just to tell us a theory?" Ratchet asked incredulously.
"It's better than what you guys have right now. Which, last time I checked, was nothing," Clare retorted and the medic narrowed his optics at her.
"It's a plausible theory," Dutch murmured shyly to Ratchet.
"Who the frag are you anyway?" Sideswipe asked, eyeing the fair-haired man.
"I am Mr. Simmons' assistant and bodyguard. I assure you that I am a true ally."
Ironhide waved his hand, uninterested at the moment in Dutch's loyalties, and brought us back to the more important subject. His optics turned to Clare, and he grunted, "So, in theory, where on Earth is the Ark?"
"That's the thing," she said. "We don't think it's on Earth at all."
3 Hours Later
"Prime, Mearing is just a few miles away from base," Lennox said through a comm. link. He's been anxiously giving me updates on Charlotte's approach for the last hour or so. After Clare, Simmons, and Dutch had shared their information to us, I allowed my Autobots to scatter. I've ordered them not to tell Lennox or any NEST soldier anything about our recent updates at all. The human soldiers were not a part of this until Mearing hears this first. I was thankful that we all agreed, so there were no protests and everyone who wanted to leave left.
Wheeljack went back up to his lab, fiddling around with one of his many inventions. Primus watch over him and please keep him from accidently setting himself on fire again. It was the femmes' turn to go out, so the three motorcycles where out of the base. Jolt, Sideswipe, and Mirage decided to stick together and went to the shooting range. From the sound of it, the three idiots were merely gossiping than actually working on their firing skills. Jolt still continued the conversation on Clare's entrance. Imp.
Clare sat on the berth with Bumblebee, Jazz, and Wheelie. The four chatted away quietly. She appeared calm and even laughed out loud at something Wheelie said. Bumblebee seemed to have lost his brief hostility towards Jazz and was sitting beside him, cheerful as ever. Jazz was also back to his laidback self again, though he would occasionally give the lift a quick glance.
Ironhide, Ratchet, and I stood close by Clare and her group. The two older mechs were speaking to Dutch and Simmons. By speaking, I meant Ironhide was interrogating Dutch while the other two merely watched. I would have stopped my weapon specialist from doing so but neither Dutch nor Simmons seemed to be really bothered by it. I was mildly surprised by how calm and polite the younger male was. He stared up at Ironhide with the respect and attentiveness of a soldier. He's been trained in something elite. He's been interrogated before. I was impressed and a bit intrigued, but I wasn't paying much attention to the conversation. I was in my own thoughts for most of the time.
Clare stated that the Ark wasn't on Earth. It was, again, in theory, on the Earth's moon. It made perfect sense. It had been undiscovered, my the majority population, while still being within human range. But someone, or someones, must have found it, considering the evidence Agent Simmons shared with us. It was so close but I couldn't go up to the moon. At least, not without the American Government's help. This was going to be a problem.
The heavy sounds of the lift lowering brought my attention to it and the human female riding it. Mearing stood, frowning at me, as she came down. 'Here we go,' I thought as she struts up to us. Her piercing dark eyes stared at me, to the four other 'bots, to Clare and Wheelie, and then finally down to Dutch and Simmons, where she froze. I watched, slightly curious by her reaction, as Mearing stood and stared right at Agent Simmons. Glancing down at the man, I could see a smug smirk on his face.
"Seymour Simmons," was the only thing Mearing said.
"Charlotte Mearing," the ex-agent answered mildly.
Everyone seemed intrigued by the two humans'. Even Ironhide titled his helm in interest.
"You didn't tell me you knew her," Clare said incredulously to Simmons.
"I just had to make sure it was really her, kid," the older male said almost dreamily as he all but sauntered up to the older female.
Ratchet came closer and nudged my arm. I leaned a little so I could hear him dryly mutter, "His pheromone levels suggest he wants to mate with her."
I snorted, and tried to keep from smiling. It was amusing to say the least. Especially so while Simmons circled Mearing, the smirk still on his face. Charlotte crossed her arms and avoided looking directly at the man. She looked very uncomfortable and agitated. It was the first time any of us have seen her so unnerved.
"It's been a while, Charlotte," Agent Simmons murmured.
"Don't make me shoot you," she snapped, which made Ironhide chuckle.
"Please don't," Clare called out, "we need him."
"Young lady, I told you I never wanted to see your face in this base."
"We found the Ark," Clare said quickly and held up one finger (thankfully not the middle one) to silence the woman. "We, meaning Simmons, Dutch, the Autobots, and I, which means our sources and claim are legit. Alright?"
"We did what NEST couldn't do," Simmons added, satisfied by Mearing's stunned expression. Charlotte studied Clare for a moment, frowning. She seemed to ponder, which made me more and more anxious. I pleaded to Primus internally for her to at least investigate the claim.
"I will speak to agent Simmons and…Dutch about this," Mearing said and turned on her heel to walk back to the lift. She motioned the human males to follow her and ignored Clare's outraged cry.
"Wait, what!?" my mate exclaimed. She moved to climb down the berth but Ratchet gave her a look that made her stop in place. Simmons muttered an apology to Clare and went after Charlotte with Dutch right behind them. The three human adults disappeared up to the main bunker. That was when Clare snapped.
"Really!? I am trying to fucking help and she still treats me like a doormat! The bitch!"
"Clare," I said sharply. I absolutely did not like her cursing. I didn't care whom it was towards. I will never tolerate such a way of speaking. Usually Clare would watch what she would say but there were times where she slipped. She would apologize, then it was done. This time, my mate glared at me. I sighed heavily, not wanting to fight her, and spoke gently. "Love, please calm down."
"No!" she screeched and I took a step back. Then I felt her fatigue and stress stream out from her side of the bond. It was catching up to her and once again she was too open. Damn it, Clare. My gaze narrowed to Jazz and Bumblebee.
"Did Clare rest at all?" I asked darkly.
"No," both cars said blandly, as if knowing I would ask.
"She wouldn't sleep," Wheelie piped up. "We all tried to get her to sleep some but she just wouldn't! Er-sir."
"Did you try to sedate her?" Ratchet dryly asked.
"Hey! I'm right here!" Clare seethed just as Jazz snarkily replied, "Sedate? With what? Soap? We ain't medics like you, Ratch. We don't have that kind of supplies."
"You could have knocked her out," Ratchet suggested, still keeping his dull tone, and several voices shouted at once.
"Don't ignore me! And no one is going to knock me out!"
"Knock her out? Seriously?"
"You better be joking, Ratchet."
"If anyone hurts my Warrior Goddess, they got another thing coming!"
I watched as their voices rose to full out shouts, slightly dumbfounded by the situation. It escalated very quickly to such a point where I gained a processor ache. It was clear that Clare wasn't the only one who hasn't ben resting. I gritted my dental plating. I couldn't take the yelling anymore. Right when I was about to call for silence, another voice bellowed over mine. Ironhide's.
"ENOUGH!" the old mech roared, making everyone including me jumped. The only sound that was left was hushed whispers from the shooting range. I glanced over and saw three helms poking out to see what was going on. I didn't think Ironhide noticed Jolt, Sidewipe, or Mirage because his attention was still on the five before him. "You," he snarled, pointing to Ratchet, "Frag off." The medic huffed and crossed his arms. "You three," Ironhide continued, motioning to Wheelie, Bumblebee, and Jazz, "Shut. Up." Then his optics settled on Clare, who recoiled from his gaze. The black mech moved towards the berth she was on, growling, "And you…" But he paused, tilting his helm slightly. "Jolt, Mirage, Sideswipe! You three mechlings better turn those helms around before I do it for you!"
I watched as the three scrambled back into the shooting range.
"How did he knowwww!?" Jolt whined.
"Busted," Sideswipe said in hushed aw while Mirage did his best to muffle his snickering.
I shook my helm and looked back to Ironhide. My weapon specialist picked Clare up and brought her close to his face, rumbling as he did so, and said in a much gentler tone, "You are coming with Optimus and I and you are going to rest. No excuses. No complaints. I don't give a damn. You are sleeping. Got it?"
"Yes, sir," she squeaked. Ironhide nodded, satisfied, and stalked away. He gave Ratchet a pointed glare and even a growl. Usually, I would get a little agitated whenever someone (usually Ironhide) would try to take command like that. However, this time I was somewhat thankful that my weapon specialist did so, though I wished he wasn't so aggressive about it. But that's how he was, so I really shouldn't criticize too much. I sighed and turned to my stunned Autobots.
"You all should rest," I said, and then reconsidered. "No. You all will rest. Right now. All of you to your quarters and get some recharge. I will not tolerate any more of these outbursts and arguments."
The three nodded and mumbled an apology before heading to their quarters. I watched them go before going after Clare and Ironhide. I realized that they were conversing quietly, so I kept back and allowed them to speak privately.
Clare POV
"I know you want to help, kid," Ironhide grumped, "but that's no excuse. You still have to take care of yourself."
"I can't just sleep, Ironhide. That's 8 hours wasted every night," I retorted. "I could use that time to help you guys. To find more on my dad."
"Yeah? And if you get ill, what then?" he countered. I didn't answer. "Exactly. You wouldn't be much help, then if you got sick." I kept my mouth shut. There really wasn't anything for me to say. Ironhide was right and I hated it. When I didn't say anything, Ironhide murmured, "What are you trying to prove, Clare?"
"I'm trying to prove that I'm not some useless civilian."
"You don't have to prove anything to us." Ironhide said it so gently that I had to look up at him. His crystal blue eyes were so soft, it made my heart hurt. It made him look…sad. It took me a moment to answer back.
"Not to you guys. I'm trying to prove it to Lennox. To NEST. To Mearing. To-"
"Don't," he said, stopping me from continuing. I was trembling with anger. My lip trembled and I just wanted to cry. Ironhide, probably sensing this, gently cuddled me. "You're hurting yourself doing all that."
"I hate following their orders, Ironhide," I said, my voice getting higher as I was trying not to cry.
"Kid, we all have to do things we hate," he said, his voice sounding a little harsher. "I hate following their orders too. I hate not being home. I hate fighting this fragging war."
"You…hate fighting?" I asked, a bit baffled by his words. I thought he would be one of the 'bots who enjoyed killing 'cons.
"What? You think I enjoy it all?" he snarled and I bit my lip. I honestly did. "Just because I have an interest in weaponry doesn't mean I enjoy killing." Ironhide being trigger-happy wasn't because he liked it. It was because he was used to it. It was now merely an instinct. The old mech sighed heavily. "I hate killing, Clare. I hate being blown apart. I hate seeing my friend get killed or hurt, and that includes you."
"I'm sorry…," I whispered as I hastily tried to wipe my tears from my eyes. I didn't know what else to say other than apologize for being so…ignorant.
"Don't," he said, his voice soft again. Ironhide used a finger to pet my head. "You're still young. You still got a lot to learn, femmling." His finger drifted down to rub my back affectionately. Neither of us said anything until he entered his quarters. It was a small room with counters of weapons and other equipment and a berth in the back corner. The black mech set me down on the berth. I watched, a bit intrigued, as Ironhide pulled a blanket and a pillow out of a subspace in his abdomen and dropped them onto the berth next to me. It was always weird to see them pull stuff out of little compartments within themselves. "Sleep," he said, emphasizing his words by pointing to the pillow. I nodded without any retaliation and rested my head on the soft pillow. My eyelids felt heavier and sleep was already beginning to take over.
"Thanks…dad…"
Then nothing.
Ironhide POV
I stared at the human as she drifted off. The little mite called me dad. I wasn't entirely sure what to make of it, really. But for some reason it made my spark flutter. I growled and glanced away from the girl. Stupid kid…you're not so bad.
I turned around to see Optimus with his arms crossed. I didn't know he followed me, but I wasn't surprise. His expression was hard and I shifted uncomfortably as he stared at me. I never liked it when he looked at me like that. Prime was most likely going to scold me for being brass and taking control.
"Thank you," Optimus said.
"Wha?" I asked, completely thrown off.
"Thank you for taking care of Clare," he said, glancing back at the girl. His expression softened dramatically and his optics looked more tired. I still found it odd to see him like that, so soft and vulnerable. Part of me, the bitter jealous part, hated it. I hated how Prime found someone to love and care for. I hated how it was a human, a fragile creature who's life expectancy was no where near a fraction of our own. But the other part of me was so happy for my friend. He found someone and kept her. Clare may have been a human but she was loyal and strong. She loved Prime. She was 20 years old. Prims, that was nothing and yet she would do everything in her power and more to help him. To help us. She was…a great kid, which was an understatement to say the least. I didn't want to admit it, but I…loved that girl. She was the daughter of my spark. She had the soul of a warrior.
"I hate seeing her like this," I muttered absently, glancing at the curled up little human. I remembered how she broken she was after Prime's death a couple Earth years ago. It made my spark burn with anger and despair. I never want to see her so broken ever again.
"Neither do I, old friend," Optimus murmured. He went quiet for a few klicks before softly saying. "Bumblebee is an excellent guardian, but he can't seem to persuade Clare to rest when she needs to."
"Jazz apparently can't either," I rumbled. "She's a stubborn little thing."
"Which is why I think someone else should join them and help watch over Clare." I glanced at my leader and raised an optic brow.
"Another guardian?" I asked. "Who did you have in mind?"
"You," he said simply. "She'll listen to you. Clare respects you."
"Correction: She fears me," I retorted blandly; though Optimus shook his helm in disagreement.
"Clare views you as a parent."
I snorted and was about to give him another retort, but I remembered the human sighing out one word before she fell asleep; 'dad'. I didn't understand why the human thought of me as such. Did the other younglings view me as a parental figure as well? I certainly hoped not. Those young mechlings were nothing but a bunch of idiots, especially Jolt. Primus, if that little glitch calls me 'father' I swear I will smack his face clean off.
"You're grumbling, Ironhide" Prime said, amused. I growled and crossed my arms, making the younger mech chuckle.
"I will…watch over Clare," I said. "At least, if I'm allowed to leave the base."
"I'm glad to hear you say that," Optimus said, smiling tiredly.
"You should rest," I rumbled and placed a servo on his shoulder.
"Same goes to you, old friend," he said softly before giving my servo gently pat and left my quarters.
I sighed then stared down at the sleeping girl. It was still oddly intriguing to watch an organic creature sleep. I watched the way her little body rose and fell with each deep even breath she took. I absently wondered how tiny she was when she was younger. I would listen in to all the stories she told the others about her childhood, pretending not to be interested. I didn't like to be too obvious when it came to how I felt about the human. But I knew that the others figured out that I had an affectionate side towards the girl. I didn't like being viewed as soft but I just couldn't stop the warm feeling that filled my spark whenever I saw Clare glare defiantly at me. Another growl escaped my vocals.
"Damn it," I snarled. "Getting all sentimental because of a human." I glared down at Clare. "If you give me any attitude, any at all, I'm going to whack that scrawny aft of yours. Got it?" I swear to Primus himself that it looked like she smirked for a moment. I sighed heavily and shook my helm. "Of course you'll give me attitude, you little punk." I rumbled and sat against the wall, next to the berth. "Stupid kid," I mumbled then smirked. "You really aren't so bad." I drifted off thinking about what sort of retort Clare would give to that.