Since Christmas, Ellie hadn't been seen very much. Leon promised very one that she was just sleeping and that the mechanic had confiscated the brownies for target practice.
Leon spent the next few days with Wheeljack, doing what nobody had any idea or wanted to know. However, when they appeared together on at the Lagoon every human and most bots went running for cover. Ironhide was the only one to stay.
As dusk fell on the last day in December, Ellie appeared. She was dressed in a pair of brown capris' and a dark green plaid vest over a yellow halter top. Her shoes matched her vest and the yellow belt around her waist matched her shirt.
From behind her emerged a smug looking Leon.
Bee blinked at them as he passed and gave a questioning beep.
"I got her up and dressed and showered, Bee!" Leon pumped her fist.
Bee nodded.
"Of course, she made me wear this to get back at me," Leon pouted. "But my goal was accomplished!"
Bumblebee pointed to himself and then at her. Leon looked down.
"Hey! I do look like you!?" She grinned, pointing to her sleeveless black turtleneck, orange and yellow skirt, yellow heeled boots and the matching yellow headband.
"Heeeeeey, sexy ladies! Cause you're amazing, just the way you are!" Ellie snickered and then fell against the wall as laughter took over.
Mirage only knew where Ellie was due to the fact that Leon was being rather loud about her outfit. She was wearing a skirt, which in itself was amazing, considering he had to bribe her to wear the fragging dress in Italy.
"Heeeeeey, sexy ladies!"
"Yes, Bee. We know we're sexy. Well, I know I'm sexy, not to sure about Ellie. She's sulking still." Leon pointed at Ellie, who was seated on a random log out of the way.
The cherry red mech grinned, pulling up behind the object of his fascination before materializing his holoform.
"Ellie, why are you sitting here all alone?" He leaned over her shoulder and grinned as she shrieked.
"Oh Lord Jesus. Do not do that, Mirage!" She pressed a hand to her bosom as though to calm her frantically beating heart. She smirked at Mirage's concerned look. "Just kidding."
"Miss Lennox!" Leon moved her gaze from Mirage and Ellie to Wheeljack, who was gesturing her over. "I need your help."
"Coming." She called, moving carefully through the sand in her heels. Of course, being Leon, she managed to snag one of her heels on something.
"Lion!" Sideswipe yelped, catching her. Leon blinked, wondering why she hadn't face planted into the sand like she expected. "You okay?"
"Sides?" She raised a brow at how close they were. "You can put me down now."
He grinned an shook his head, carrying her easily over to Wheeljack.
"Can't have you falling again."
"You realize I could just take off the shoes right?" Leon asked, dangling her feet off his servo. Sideswipe placed her down on the ground before rolling off to chat with Sunstreaker.
"I cannot remember," Wheeljack began, holding out a handful of rockets. "Where we wanted the green ones."
Leon sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.
"The green ones alternate with the red and silver ones."
"Oh! Right!"
"So..." Ellie coughed, feeling a little awkward next to the elegant mech sitting right. Freaking. Beside her.
She had to admit, Mirage was definitely an aristocrat. If his smooth accent and mannerisms didn't give him away, his well kept appearance did, no matter how casually he happened to be dressed. It was almost like an aura that he gave off, and although Ellie hadn't actually seen too much of the 'theatrical side' as Sunstreaker and Sideswipe called it, she could tell it was there.
"Is there something you would like to ask me?" Mirage asked, amusement clear in his tone.
"Uhhh..." yeah, that was her ever intelligent reply. Great one, Ellie.
Mirage raised a brow at her, his bright blue eyes seeming to convey his amusement at her predicament. Resisting the urge to growl at the mech, she huffed instead, crossing her arms and slouching.
That wrought a laugh from Mirage, and almost against her will, Ellie found herself drawn in by it.
"Is there something on your mind?" he asked softly once he had gotten control of his chuckles.
"Tons." she retorted absently before clapping her hands over her mouth in shock. Oh GOD, she had just-
"Shit. Sorry, Mirage." she apologized quickly, hoping she hadn't offended him. "I didn't mean to say that- it's just...I haven't really actually-"
"It is fine." the mech replied, drawing Ellie's attention once again past the functioning point.
Mirage had to be at least six feet tall, she noted, and his hair was long and sleek, with a red tint to the strands. His facial structure was totally leaning towards an Italian build, too, now that she looked closer. And his clothes..God. They suited him perfectly. He was wearing a maroon scarf over a simple black dress shirt and a leather jacket, while he wore blue jeans and boots on his lower half.
"You look good." she blurted out again before mentally punching herself. Really? She was turning into some kind of fawning idiot by a freaking talking sentient alien life form. A really fucking sexy talking sentient alien life form, but still.
An easy smile stretched across Mirage's face, revealing white teeth for a moment.
"I believe I could say the same about yourself, Elina. You look lovely."
Oh, there was that damned blush. "I do not." she muttered.
She knew he was looking at her oddly, she just knew it. "I do not see how." he replied.
Ellie turned to face Mirage, knowing her cheeks were probably rivalling his cherry red paint-job, but the guy deserved to know why she was suddenly acting so odd.
"You don't need to compliment me." she muttered. "I'm not that pretty."
Ducking her head, Ellie was startled when a surprisingly gentle hand tilted her head back up, eyes meeting Mirage's own.
"Tell me what is wrong." he asked softly, as if trying to sooth a startled animal. Automatically, Ellie did just that, relaxing into his hold. Slowly, she leaned into the warmth he offered, her eyes half lidded as Mirage's other hand began rubbing circles in between her shoulder blades.
Mirage pondered what was bothering the mocha skinned woman slowly, wondering why she wasn't answering, when Leon's rather loud indignant screech effectively ruined the moment.
"WHEELJACK, I FRAGGING TOLD YOU THAT THEY ALTERNATE! WHY ARE THEY NOT ALTERNATING!?"
Ellie darted back up, eyes honing in on Leon, who was a rather fearsome sight, considering that she was in a neon skirt and the fact that Wheeljack was easily twenty feet taller than her, yet was cringing like she was Megatron himself.
Ellie smiled despite her darker thoughts, straightening up and shaking her head. "That's Leon for you." she laughed quietly.
"She is...interesting." Mirage agreed.
"AGH!"
Mirage turned around faster than Ellie would have given him credit for, and looked tempted to hurt the two front-liner twins, who had somehow, magically managed to trip over his alt-mode.
"And what, exactly do you two think you're doing?" Mirage asked calmly, though Ellie had been around Leon long enough to know that they were about to get one hell of a chewing out.
"Uhhhhh...nothing?" Sides tried.
"I told you he'd know we were here." Sunny rolled his optics. "And I was right. Again."
"Aw, shut up Sunny." Sides grumbled as he pulled himself from the ground, examining the scratches he'd received from his sudden tumble.
"Oh, I don't think so." the yellow mech replied, looking quite smug.
"SUNNY! SIDES! WHERE THE FRAG ARE YOU TWO!?" Ironhide bellowed. "COME CONTROL YOUR FRAGGING FEMME!"
"I AM NOT THEIR FRAGGING FEMME! I DON'T BELONG TO ANYONE! EVEN IF THEY ARE SEXY ROBOT CARS!"
"I TAKE OFFENSE TO THAT!" Sides whined. Sunny just looked grumpy with the entire situation. "Wait. Why do I have a problem with this? She just called me sexy!"
"Pit if I know." Sunny retorted before grabbing Sides' scruff and hauling him off. "Now hurry up before she offlines Wheeljack."
"How would that be a bad thing? Sure, he's a nice bot, but he almost blew us up! A lot!"
Mirage snorted, turning back to Ellie, who had by now zoned out and was staring at the waves of the lagoon.
Damn. I missed my chance. He silently cursed the twins, sending them a dark glare as they attempted to calm down a raging Leon, who looked about ready to go on the warpath if one more person or bot got on her bad side. But at least they are receiving punishment.
Now he would have to wait for midnight.
Leon glared at the sand as she lit a fuse for a line of fireworks, stepping back before her skirt caught on fire. Wheeljack was so frustrating. He meant good, she knew he did. It was not his fault, it wasn't her's either. It was the damned hormones.
It was not her fault she was fragging PMS-ing. And Primus, was she PMSing bad this time.
Her eyes narrowed again, ignoring the large booms and the shouts of awe from NEST behind her and she glanced at Wheeljack's holoform as he lit off the next string.
Jackie was tall with messy black hair, a goatee, a mint green shirt and black slacks beneath a white lab coat. And his eyes were the standard Autobot blue.
She lit her next fuse, and grumbled quietly, ignoring her sore throat. It had been a while since she'd yelled like that.
Her green eyes slid sideways, searching for Mirage and Ellie. She smirked when she saw them. Mirage had his arm around her shoulder, and Ellie was curled into him, nearly asleep.
She grinned, and tapped her wrist at him. Mirage facepalmed, and Leon lit off one of the large fireworks.
The Autobot symbol exploded against the sky and she snorted. Wheeljack's firework depicted the Prime among them, standing like a hero.
The next was the Cube, and it changed slowly into the Matrix.
Leon flicked her lighter on the last string, standing back as the sky went dark.
The fireworks flew into the air and exploded one at a time.
Five.
Four.
Three.
Two.
One...
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Leon glanced over at Mirage, and nodded in satisfaction as he closed the distance between his mouth and Ellie's.
"Happy New Year, Lion!" The brunette turned her head and saw Sides and Sunny's holoforms for split second before they were in her face, pressing their own kiss to her lips.
She blinked, eyes wide and then grinned, slinging her arms over their shoulders.
"Happy New Years, boys!"
Hey guys, guess what the next chapter has!
PLOT!