Chapter 28 - Briefings, are never brief
(MPOV)
I woke up feeling drugged and groggy. Bleary eyes looked at the mosquito netting suspended over me. I carefully unwound myself from the netting and looked over to where the auto-bots were resting. My muscles felt stiff and bruised, I shuddered to think how they'd have felt if I'd slept in a cot. Pulling on a pair of loose trousers I staggered toward the mats in the dim light emanating from communication central.
Standing on the mats I took a deep breath and forced myself to move slowly first through the tai-chi stances, then through the long, demanding sequence that uncle Sho had carefully interposed into my mind.
My body screamed at me as I moved. I carried on until I'd closed the final stance then walked back to my tent, laying gingerly down in my hammock and surrounding myself with blankets. I closed my eyes.
...
I felt the vibration of the air, the shifting of net and struck out with one hand, catching a wrist before I even opened my eyes.
"Holy shit!" a familiar voice shouted.
"Sideswipe! For Primus sake!" Optimus rumbled irritably.
"Hey! I'm just doing what Ratchet ordered!" the holoform objected.
"Then for Primus sake kill me without sneaking up on me," I grumbled, leaving my eyes closed, even the dim light through my eyelids hurt. "I hate waking up on high alert."
"How the hell did you do that?" Epps demanded, his voice came from the corner of the tent, he wasn't inside. "Sideswipe didn't make a single friggen sound!"
"You know how a spider knows that something is in it's web?" I said with a half smile. "I love a good hammock."
"Very sneaky Little Sister, now you're awake Ratchet wants to look at your nerves," Sideswipe chuckled.
I groaned and swung myself out of the hammock, walking barefoot with my eyes closed out of the tent and toward the sound of Ratchet's spark.
"How's she doing that?" that was Chance's voice.
"You don't even want to know," I mumbled, stopping and taking three steps sideways as the sounds of Ratchet, then Optimus transforming came and went, I walked to Ratchet and reached out a hand, lightly touching his calf. "Thiopental is a low blow Ratch, now you have to deal with a hungover assistant." I slumped against him and pinched the bridge of my nose.
"Indeed," Ratchet rumbled, I could hear his frown.
"I'm sorry I'm hungover," I groaned, "in my defence I didn't drink any alcohol. I'd call in sick but I'm currently sitting on my boss' left foot."
Epps snorted. I could hear the tiny snicks of several men trying in vain to not laugh.
"You can laugh aloud you know," I said tiredly. "Light hurts, not sound."
"Mikaela open your eyes for a second," Ratchet rumbled intently in front of me, warm hands cupped my cheeks gently.
I cracked one eye open and shut it again, grimacing in the bright daylight. I took a deep breath and forced my eyes open, looking at Ratchet as long as I could before pure reflex shut them again. Not that I could really see anything, everything was blurry, overly bright.
"Well, at least the nanites decided to stay with you," Ratchet sighed contentedly, "they'll be finished repairing the last of your nerves in a few minutes." his holoform scooped me up before depositing me into a familiar hand. I relaxed in Optimus' palm as the air rushed past slowly, a set of hissing vibrations proved he was standing up.
"Where we going?" I asked curiously.
"If you can make it to my shoulder, we have a briefing to attend," Optimus rumbled apologetically.
"What are my chances of coffee?" I sighed, standing up and reaching toward where his shoulder always was when he was lifting me.
"There'll be coffee there," Epps shouted up.
My hand touched an exhaust pipe. Automatically, I clambered into the most secure part of his shoulder. In the depths of my imaginings, my spot.
"Okay, the angel is on the big man's right, let's go!" Lennox's voice commanded.
A little bit panicked, I could feel the slow, juddering steps of Optimus walking and hear several footsteps behind.
"Two questions," I murmured, very calmly.
"Hmn?"
"Am I dressed alright to be paraded in public?"
"Cargo pants and a tank top? You're fine. The second?" Optimus rumbled, a low tone of amusement colouring his voice.
"They didn't seriously make my handle 'the angel'?" I protested mildly.
"I thought it quite suitable," Optimus chuckled, "you are the angel on my right after all."
I couldn't help the quiet, relieved laugh that escaped me as I squirmed into a more comfortable position, wrapping one arm around his exhaust pipe. I ventured another peek at the light, finding it somewhat more bearable.
"Don't open your eyes for a few minutes," Ratchet murmured, down and to the right, somewhat behind.
"Done deal," I murmured, leaning my temple against Optimus' frame. It was safe here.
(OPOV)
Optimus stood carefully, cradling Kae in his hand.
"Where we going?" she asked curiously. Optimus almost smiled as she relaxed in his palm, trusting him so absolutely.
"If you can make it to my shoulder, we have a briefing to attend," Optimus rumbled apologetically.
"What are my chances of coffee?" Kae sighed, standing up and reaching toward where his shoulder always was when he was lifting her there. The sweet femme. It made him want her acceptance of him as her guardian. It made him want her.
"There'll be coffee there," Epps shouted up to her, jarring him into the present.
Mikaela's hand lightly touched an exhaust pipe. As though automatically, she settled into the most secure part of his shoulder. Somehow, it just felt so right.
"Okay, the angel is on the big man's right, let's go!" Lennox's voice commanded.
Optimus noted a jump in Kae's pulse, the only tell, she was absolutely still.
"Two questions," she murmured, Optimus could hear the strain in her tone.
"Hmn?" he rumbled softly, as though not noticing her discomfort.
"Am I dressed alright to be paraded in public?"
"Cargo pants and a tank top? You're fine. The second?" Optimus rumbled, a low tone of amusement colouring his voice now. That was Kae.
"They didn't seriously make my handle 'the angel'?" she protested mildly.
"I thought it quite suitable," Optimus chuckled, "you are the angel on my right after all."
There was a quiet, relieved laugh beside his auditory receptors. So it had been the second question?
Odd.
"Don't open your eyes for a few minutes," Ratchet murmured.
"Done deal," Mikaela murmured, leaning her temple against his frame.
A helicopter landed, and an entourage piled out.
Galloway looked quite ready to explode. At least there were others around him today.
"Alright," Lieutenant Colonel Darnell called out. "We have a quiet mission at hand: Washington Smithsonian Museum of Aeronautics. According to Wheelie, who has been working alongside Agent Simmons, one of the primary Seekers is laying in disguise there. Your mission is to find and either fully de-activate or collect him. In six hours there will be a dirty bomb threat at the museum, we're going to have a hazmat team on site to take the credit for safely removing the bomb. Please please try to keep the damages down to a minimum. We'll have two miles radius closed. Petty Officer Banes."
"Sir?" Mikaela called out calmly.
"Where did you go?" Darnell called out, barely daring to look at him. Rude. He was looking for Kae among the soldiers now.
"Up here Sir!" Mikaela called down, cupping her hands around her mouth. Optimus watched as she cracked an eye open and opened the other, squinting slightly in the bright sunlight.
"HOLY shit, you... er... hem. He looked around at the Auto-bots uncomfortably for a second before calling up, "You'll be going in civilian clothes and under the guise of Lieutenant Chance's sister while the museum is still open." Darnell called out.
"Yes Sir!" Kae called down. And once again, the arguments among the humans began.
He had heard it so many times it practically made him want to shut off a processor.
"Holy shit, you weren't kidding," Mikaela muttered softly.
"What?" Optimus murmured curiously.
"They absolutely adore repeating themselves," she murmured.
Suddenly, in the middle of watching the humans arguing, Optimus had to fight off a snort of laughter.
"Oh shit don't laugh," Mikaela snorted softly. Optimus immediately revved his engine slightly. That hid the snort. Mostly.
The humans looked up at the rev though.
Scrap.
"Say: it is a three hour flight, can you not do this whilst moving!?" Mikaela whispered.
"It is a three hour flight," Optimus rumbled irritably. "Can you not do this whilst moving?"
Wait what?
"Action now, explanation later," Mikaela murmured.
The humans were staring at him, but behind them, several of the soldiers were now very obviously fighting back their own laughter.
"Yes, well, uh..." Galloway started. Darnell shot him a harried, irritable look.
"Major, you have your briefing, any questions?" he looked around at the soldiers.
Finally, the actual briefing. Where the questions were asked.
Darnell barely looked at him though, somewhat more often now that he knew Kae was there.
"Xenophobe?" Mikaela murmured softly.
"Little bit," Optimus rumbled just as softly.
"That why I'm on your shoulder?" she chuckled quietly.
"And I like having you there," Optimus murmured, biting back a smile. Mikaela smiled and scooted closer to his face, crossing her ankles delicately above his collar strut.
Bumblebee barely managed to hold back a snort behind him.
::. What?.:: Optimus rumbled over the primary.
::. Tell Kae that I say "now you're just rubbing it in his face".:: Bumblebee snorted.
::. She what?.:: Optimus asked, shocked.
::. She's rubbing it in Darnel's face that she's not scared of us.:: Bee chuckled.
::. I will pass it on.:: Optimus sent gravely, biting back a smile.
But he still let the scout know that he was, in fact, having to bite back that smile.
"Bumblebee says now you're just rubbing it in his face," Optimus snorted a few minutes later as Darnell shot another harried glance up at Kae before marching toward his chopper.
"Bumblebee, is an excellent judge of character," Mikaela replied with an absolutely straight face. "What time do we leave?"
(MPOV)
"Six hours, you need to get dressed," Optimus rumbled with a low laugh.
"Oh crap, what the hell am I going to wear?" I muttered. "Just what kind of a sister is Chance supposed to have?"
Optimus began laughing outright, turning and walking back toward the hangar. I stood in his palm as he lowered me, quickly hopping down and all but scurrying into my tent. In minutes I had all of my clothes laid out neatly on my hammock, glaring at them with crossed arms. Three shirts, a pair of shorts and a pair of jeans beside the men's tanks and rather baggy fatigues Chance had routed out of storage for me.
"Hey Kae! Optimus said you weren't sure what you're – oh," Chance looked at my clothes and shut up. "Shit. You were actually serious."
"Mostly," I said calmly. "What do you think," I held up my badly faded – mostly clean even though they'd just come out of the wash – torn jeans and a fairly intact t-shirt. "I could probably cut the shirt into looking good, you know, vintage. But I have no idea what I'm going to do about the jeans, I just washed them! Unless you think I can get away with wearing the fatigues and claiming I got them from the army surplus store-"
"Crap. WILL!" Chance shouted. "Will! Mikaela wasn't kidding! No mate I mean by our standards she don't have anything to wear!"
"You're kidding!" Will jogged over, followed by a handful of soldiers. "You decent Kae?"
"Depends on your point of view, but I have clothes on," I called back, frowning at my clothes again. Optimus onlined his holoform a moment later, closely followed by the girls.
"That's all you've had for over a month!" Chromia exclaimed, her tone was practically horrified. "That's criminal!"
"Oh come off it," I laughed, "I've been wearing coveralls twelve hours out of the day and sleeping for eight, I didn't exactly pack for a month long vacation with a General on the phone directing me to 'pack a few things.' I grabbed my run kit. I usually run to a place where I can pick up a couple of things with cash if I need it." I frowned at the clothes again.
"You've had to run before?" Optimus asked intently.
"Yeah, couple of times," I murmured, my mind already on a method of modifying the T. "Mostly I needed to get – hmn," I cleared my throat quickly. "Anyway, that's beside the point. Like I said, I can probably slice up the T to look vintage, but what are my chances that I can get away with the fatigues for pants?" I turned to look at the soldiers.
"Considering I'm taking you to the museum to convince you to join the army wearing my fatigues, not likely," Chance said seriously.
"Oh! You gonna give me the recruiting speech?" I grinned at him before sobering my expression. "Anyway. Shit."
"If we leave in three hours we'll have time to go shopping!" Arcee grinned. "Wear the T and jeans for now, we'll pick you something up on the way."
"Shouldn't we leave in two hours then?" Epps asked quietly.
"Even better!" Chromia crowed.
"You can't be serious," I said flatly.
"I, am completely serious," Chromia stated flatly, "we are going shopping. For Primus sake girl, you don't even have any underwear out! We're staying overnight!" she promptly began looking through my lingerie bag. "Where are your bras?"
"Er... I'm wearing it," I muttered, blushing right alongside the rest of the soldiers.
"You've been wearing the same bra everyday!?" she almost shouted at me while Arcee shook her head.
"That's not right," Jacobs growled. I stared at him along with everyone else.
"I wash it!" I protested immediately.
"A girl needs more than one bra- what? I have three sisters," he growled. "C'mon, you've soldiered up enough girl, and done your damnedest to make sure the lot of us aren't put out of our way. It's about time you used up a bit of your female quota."
"Look, I make do, I don't have all that much!" I protested in an embarrassed tone.
"Mail's in!" Chance shouted suddenly, jogging toward the doors. In minutes he was sprinting back with a broad grin. "They're here!" he shouted, coming to a screeching halt and handing envelopes to the present Auto-bot's holoforms.
"Excellent timing!" Arcee grinned, opening hers and glancing at the numbers on a black and silver card.
Optimus accepted his with a nod and quickly read the accompanying sheaf of paper, he nodded again. I looked at him in curiosity as his spark began to resonate with a rare difference. It sounded rather smug.
"Shall we leave in two hours then, Major," Optimus rumbled, his holoform actually smirked. I stared at him.
"So Moreshower managed to tweak the paperwork to make Mikaela your dependant?" Will looked at the holoform in amusement.
"Oh for Primus sake now you're in on all this!?" I demanded incredulously.
"You'd deny your guardian the chance to buy you nice things?" Optimus asked innocently. He shot me a mischievous grin.
I just about died a little bit inside.
Because out of sight of the soldiers, and most of the bots.
Optimus himself was shooting me that grin.
I froze, the only safe thing to do. If I moved, I'd burst out laughing.
That would not do. "Danger, going shopping with them was scrapping dangerous. Remember that," I began coaching myself.
"Oh come on Kae!" Arcee laughed wrapping an arm over my shoulders, "you can't possibly believe we'd miss the chance to try out the upgraded holoforms! We can move four thousand feet out of line of sight now without even slowing down!"
"And so you've decided you're going to go shopping," I said in exasperation, reaching up to cover my eyes. "Not only does this feel like a massively bad idea, the lot of you are completely incorrigible."
Good, cover face.
"Hurry up and go shower," Flareup grinned, "and get the grease off your arms, you're playing 'sister being pitched to', not 'sister already a brilliant mechanic'."
"Where's your makeup?" Chromia asked over her shoulder, looking around.
I sighed and pulled out a small bag. Powder, mascara. The only stuff that'd survived.
"Is that it!? Where's the eyeshadow? Eyeliner! Lipstick for Primus sake!"
"We'll split up," Arcee said with a nod, "Flare and I'll get the makeup, you get the clothes with Kae and Optimus." Chromia nodded firmly. Then grinned. "Oh this is gonna be fuun!" she practically sang.
"Completely. Incorrigible," I said, rolling my eyes. I grabbed my tiny toiletries kit and headed for the shower, throwing a final, "we are not buying much!" over my shoulder.
(OPOV)
"You'd deny your guardian the chance to buy you nice things?" Optimus asked innocently. He shot Kae a mischievous grin, with his body and holoform both.
For a moment, he could see the laughter in her eyes. She froze, as though movement would break her composure.
It was made even better by her not denying his guardianship over her.
"Oh come on Kae!" Arcee laughed, wrapping an arm over her shoulders, "you can't possibly believe we'd miss the chance to try out the upgraded holoforms! We can move four thousand feet out of line of sight now without even slowing down!"
"And so you've decided you're going to go shopping," Mikaela said in exasperation, reaching up to cover her eyes. Good move, it could be used either way. "Not only does this feel like a massively bad idea, the lot of you are completely incorrigible."
Which if Optimus knew a femme's manner of wording something, she was coming shopping. An ideal situation, the bots would be there to protect her, she would be there to help them not slip up.
"Hurry up and go shower," Flareup grinned, "and get the grease off your arms, you're playing 'sister being pitched to', not 'sister already a brilliant mechanic'."
"Where's your makeup?" Chromia asked over her shoulder, looking around.
Mikaela sighed and pulled out a small bag.
"Is that it!? Where's the eyeshadow? Eyeliner! Lipstick for Primus sake!"
Which was beyond him, really, femme things. He didn't mind admitting that.
"We'll split up," Arcee said with a nod, "Flare and I'll get the makeup, you get the clothes with Kae and Optimus." Chromia nodded firmly. Then grinned. "Oh this is gonna be fuun!" she practically sang.
"Completely. Incorrigible," Mikaela stated, rolling her eyes. She grabbed another small bag and headed for the shower, throwing a final, "we are not buying much!" over her shoulder.
::. I am certain you can convince her otherwise?.:: Optimus rumbled over the primary, glancing at Arcee.
::. Watch and learn Prime.:: Chromia smirked at him.
"I don't get it," Epps said quietly as Mikaela disappeared well out of earshot. "You guys are holoforms, aren't the clothes sort of an illusion?"
In answer, Optimus simply took his shirt off and handed it to the man. Epps looked at it in surprise and handed it to Jacobs.
"It is easier to keep the holoforms on track when you don't have to pay attention to things like air currents. It looks wrong if everyone's clothes around you are blowing about in the wind, or a black light is causing everyone else's clothes to glow but yours aren't. So we materialize our clothing." the holoform shrugged.
"But if you materialize it..." Will began.
"Primus Major!" Arcee piped up with a small smile, "sure we can wear whatever we want, so long as we have the raw material to make it with. I don't know about you but I get tired of polyester very fast."
"Girl's got a point man," Jacobs chuckled, nodding at Mikaela's jeans and t-shirt. "You notice that everything Mikaela wears are natural fibres? She'd die if she wore this thing," he handed Will the shirt.
Optimus felt quite alarmed at that statement, many of the bots did. He'd have to ask Kae, hopefully it was another of the human's expressions, not literal.
"Not to mention the second we offline the holos the clothes tend to go with," Optimus added in an amused tone, defusing the conversation. "I do not think Kae would be impressed if she lost her clothes in the middle of the museum?"
Bumblebee chirped beside him, quickly covering his vocal processors and adding a cough for good measure. Good move.
"No, no that would not be good," Chance murmured, fighting back a grin. "Okay I lie, it would be hilarious. But still not good."
(MPOV)
I set my toiletries bag down, looked at my clothes and groaned, turning around and walking back toward my tent. I stopped short, staring at the naked torso of Optimus' holoform. Huge, male, gorgeous. A body that spoke of a lifetime of fighting.
I looked up at his metal body and found myself thinking the same thing. I shook myself out of that thought before my pheromones could betray me and walked toward the quietly chatting group, listening to the conversation and finding myself amused at the reason Optimus was shirtless, walking up behind Chance just in time to cuff him upside the head.
"I'll have you know I was voted 'primary inspiration of wet-dreams' three years running at school." I said mildly, "the proof is in the yearbooks!"
"You were not supposed to hear that!" Chance grumbled.
"But it's so much more fun when I do," I laughed, grabbing my clothes. "Okay this time I've got everything. Or do I? Live in fear of my ninja skills!" I stated dramatically, walking away with a bundle of cloth on my hip. Laughter followed me through the hangar.
(OPOV)
Optimus watched Mikaela quietly approach the group from the showers. She stopped and looked at him for a long moment. Oh right, still shirtless. Optimus stood a bit straighter, and was surprised to catch the beginnings of a wash of her pheromones as she looked up at his metal body. Fascinating.
::. Oh she wants you.:: Arcee murmured silently.
::. The holoform is an impressive human male form.:: Optimus replied.
::. Don't get us wrong, it is.:: Flareup chimed in with a smug expression ::. But it's not the holoform she wants.::
Optimus watched in amusement as Mikaela walked on silent feet just in time to lightly cuff Chance upside the head.
"I'll have you know I was voted 'primary inspiration of wet-dreams' three years running at school," she said mildly, "the proof is in the yearbooks!"
Optimus glanced at the full, trim form and privately agreed. She was well built, for a human.
"You were not supposed to hear that!" Chance grumbled.
"But it's so much more fun when I do," Mikaela laughed, picking up a bundle of clothing. "Okay this time I've got everything. Or do I? Live in fear of my ninja skills!" She stated with her own unique dramatic flair, walking away with the bundle of cloth on her hip.
Optimus crossed his holoform's arms with a low chuckle, watching the dear little femme walk away. He narrowed his eyes, for all that she carried herself like a young, average human female, she walked with a predator's unconsciously precise, silent steps. Fascinating.
"Ninja skills indeed," Arcee murmured, her holoform caught his' eye and winked.
"Let's get ready to go then!" Epps grinned. "We're going to a proper mall right? I need to grab a few things myself..."
Optimus kept his holoform online, and precisely ten minutes later a much cleaner, and modestly dressed Mikaela walked back toward him.
"You know, if I didn't know any better I'd think you enjoy walking about without a shirt on," she said teasingly, flashing him a bright smile.
"If I did not know any better, I would believe you enjoy watching me walk about without a shirt on," Optimus rumbled back in a perfectly bland tone.
"Oh but I do," she laughed, putting her things away and pulling out a brush, comb and a pair of scissors.
"What are you doing?" Optimus asked interestedly as she began brushing her hair.
"Cutting my hair," she shrugged, propping a mirror in front of herself. "If we're going out in public, I don't want to increase the danger of someone being able to recognize me. I've had long hair for years, it's time for something new."
"But-" Optimus started, reaching toward her. She had her hair in a long braid and tied off in moments, and shorn off before he could stop her.
"KAE! You did not just do that!" Flareup shrieked.
"It'shair Flareup," Mikaela shrugged, "it'll grow back eventually." she began brushing her hair into different patterns, trimming bits here and there.
"Well if you're doing that here," Flare said irritably, holding out her hand for the scissors. "I'll give you a proper pixie cut."
Mikaela grinned and handed the scissors over as Chromia and Arcee onlined their holoforms inside the tent.
"What did you do!" Chromia exclaimed in horror.
"If you lot are going to insist on shopping, I'm going to do everything I can to make sure I'm not readily identifiable." Mikaela said firmly, crouching slightly so that Flareup could cut her hair more easily. In minutes Flare was nodding, Kae grabbed her towel and roughly dried her hair, emerging with it sticking up in every direction.
Optimus looked at her and fought desperately not to laugh aloud.
"I can still feel you laughing Optimus," she grinned over at his holo, she looked like pure, unadulterated mischief like that. She winked and turned to the mirror again, frowning in concentration. Her hair turned blonde.
"I didn't know humans could do that!" Arcee said with a frown.
"Neither did I!" Mikaela laughed. "I'm thinking those nanites are starting to do upgrades on me. Welp, what do you think?" she looked at her shirt and peeled it off quickly, snatching up the scissors and cutting it here and there, heedless of the startled Auto-bots standing in her tent. Optimus fought himself tooth and nail, she didn't have her bra on.
Completely bare protoform, she'd been in his spark-chamber, that protoform was so soft...
"Okay, now I'm ready to go," she grinned, dragging the shirt on and adjusting the slices to ride properly. With deft fingers she took out the all but invisible studs she'd worn in her ears and threaded silver through the tiny holes. She turned and grinned at the holoforms.
She looked like a tiny punk. Optimus took another look at her and began laughing outright, pulling her into a crushing hug.
"I can't tell if that's approval," she said with a small smile, wrapping her arms around his waist. The feeling of her bare arms was intoxicating.
"You look like pure mischief," he told her with a snort.
"Let's try it out then," she grinned, walking out of the tent and toward the group of soldiers gathering the last of their gear. Her very stance took on a look of shock, awe, and a little bit lost come to think of it.
Lennox looked up and swore.
"Miss this is a restricted area, how did you get here?" he barked in a worried tone.
"I don't know!" Mikaela replied in an almost panicked, lost, younger girl's tone, "I had this dream that a giant blue and red robot came and saved me from this skeleton looking thing, except it was made of metal. And then he turned into a truck and drove onto a plane that brought me here! Where am I!?"
Jacobs looked at her and snorted, obviously trying not to laugh.
"OPTIMUS!?" Lennox bellowed.
Mikaela took one look at the shocked, terrified soldiers and began laughing, Jacobs succumbing seconds later.
"MIKAELA!?" Chance shouted, staring at Kae as though she'd grown a second head.
"I told you boys," she laughed, "be afraid of my ninja skills! I am the master of disguise! Now are you ready to go or what?"
Mikaela bounced over and caught Chance around the waist.
"We're going to the museum!" she squealed, flashing everyone a broad grin.
Jacobs looked at Mikaela appraisingly and turned to Lennox.
"The blonde is a nice touch, she actually does look like Chance's sister."
"You knew!?" Lennox looked at him incredulously.
"Man, she told nothing but the truth, a giant blue robot came and saved her, turned into a truck and drove onto a plane. Not to mention she's wearing the same damn clothes. Well done on the personality overlay though," Jacobs grinned, "they'd a recognized you if you'd walked toward us the same way you always do. Who taught you that?"
"Brick," she grinned, "the man was enormous and could switch from being a badass to a teddy bear in seconds. Daddy never needed a shotgun to keep the boys away from us."
"Us?" Jacobs asked in an amused tone.
"My mom and I," Mikaela replied with barely a hesitation and a small laugh, "if I was pretty, mum was drop dead gorgeous." she gave a small smile before straightening up with a grin, linking her arm in Jacobs'. "So what are your sisters like?" she asked brightly.
"Vain!" Jacobs laughed, walking toward the plane with a punky little girl on his arm. He began telling stories of his childhood.
Optimus offlined his holoform and transformed, driving slowly after the group of cheerfully chatting soldiers.
::. Good, isn't she?.:: Bumblebee commented silently. ::. A vague answer and a prompt into the other person's favourite topics.::
::. Bumblebee?.:: Optimus asked curiously.
::. Us. Kept the boys away from 'us.' Prime, Mikaela's mother offlined when she was eight. How would an eight year old girl, barely more than a hatchling remember a good man keeping interested suitors away from mother and child?.::
Optimus almost screeched to a halt in shock.
::. Okay now you gotra tell us the entire theory.:: Ironhide rumbled.
::. Hypothesis, all the evidence supports but the only way to prove it is for Kae to out and out confirm it.:: Bee grinned. , so here's the hypothesis. She's protecting someone, or probably more than one person. You noticed she hasn't ever told us their names?.::
::. What about just protecting herself?.:: Arcee put forward curiously.
::. If she were protecting herself, why would she jam unmodified neural fibres into her body to save Ratchet?.:: Bee asked mildly. knew the pack was from Ratchet, and she knew those fibres were going to hurt her. Any of us could have welded Ratchet together again. Probably not as well, but we could. She did it herself at her own risk. And here's the second thing, if you pay attention, she's been protecting someone else for so long it's automatic. She offers something of herself, perhaps slips on a piece of information she didn't intend to say. Someone asks a question in clarification. Mikaela replies with something vague on the same topic, and the next thing you know you're talking about one of your own favourite topics.::
::. She slips when she's comfortable or exhausted.:: Chromia mused, looking through Bumblebee's recordings of Mikaela. ::. Around Bumblebee and Optimus for the most part.::
::. Around Bumblebee more frequently.:: Optimus rumbled musingly.
::. No sir.:: Bee replied cheerfully. ::. You just haven't noticed how frequently you wind up talking about your favourite topics around her. It's an honest shock you haven't noticed her using your own tricks on you. It's probably better.::
::. What-.::
::. You're beginning to heal yourself Prime. And it's about time. When was the last time you were so open and forthcoming with another? Human or Auto-bot? When was the last time you ever really laughed Sir?.::
Five thousand years flashed past in a second, he remembered the last time he'd actually laughed, the long space of cold, of pain and the time before. When Elita had been alive in all of her haughty, beautiful glory. For the first time in five thousand years, he did not stop that process.
::. It's good to have you back, Optimus.:: Ratchet said gently. ::. So do us all a favour, keep laughing, keep talking with her. She heals us without even thinking, gives herself to others without hesitation. I'd be jealous except for the fact that she's a daughter to me now. She's already taken care of me. Helped me through the last of my pain without even knowing it. It's your turn.::
Stunned, Optimus barely noticed as the femme in question unbuckled herself from her seat and approached him, lightly resting a hand on his fender.
"Optimus?" she asked quietly.
"Mikaela?" he asked gently, onlining his holoform and looking at her worriedly.
"Would you mind if... if I laid down in your sleeper?" she asked hesitantly.
He reached out and gently cupped her cheek.
"Not at all," he rumbled gently, opening his door and helping her up into his cab. In minutes she was asleep on his bunk, tossing fitfully and whimpering. Energon rippled lightly out of her skin. Shocked, Optimus lightly touched it, watching her dreams.
...
"Tinny I'm home!" a young, brightly smiling Mikaela shouted out, "I asked all the questions you told me to today! Teachers think I'm a budding genius, 'course it's you but the point stands, you're a budding freakin' genius Tin!" she opened the door to her room. The place was covered in broken glass.
"Oh god, Tinny? TINNY!?" she shrieked. Mikaela ran down the stairs. "UNCLE! Uncle where's Tinny!?" Mikaela shouted, panicking.
"Up in her room," the small Asian man said in surprise, "she was tired-"
"Tin's not in our room!" Mikaela shrieked. She took off, opening every door in a frantic search. "TINNY!" she shouted, "Tinny you win! You're the best at hiding! Big sister come out! PLEASE come out Tinny! You're scaring me!"
"Mikaela!" the asian man's voice shouted. There was horror and shock in his voice. "Mikaela come quick!"
Mikaela was running again, flying down stairs and to the man's side in seconds.
"I'm sorry," a young man said, he looked close to tears. "She said to bring her here, not to a hospital..."
"Thank you," the asian said curtly, nodding.
"She had this..." the boy said softly, handing the man a CD. He bowed haltingly and fairly fled from the premises with a final "I'm sorry, Master Chen."
"Tinny!" Mikaela said gently, carefully holding a girl who could only be the asian man's daughter. "Come on big sister, wake up!"
"Cricket?" the little girl whimpered. Her eyes opened, enormous and brown. "Little sister don't go after him. I love you all, so much." the light left her eyes as the tiny body began to convulse lightly.
"Tinny no," Mikaela whispered, cradling the tiny, convulsing body and rocking. She began singing in Mandarin, a choked, grieving song. A funeral song.
She looked up and saw the images on the television screen, the tiny girl being beaten. The images were clear, there was no haziness of long memory, even though it had to have been years ago. A man, a stranger beating the tiny girl. She did not fight back. The images burned themselves into her mind, and in that moment, into his as well.
"Tinny why didn't you fight?" Mikaela whimpered, "Big sister why did you let him take you from us?"
"Tinny doesn't fight, Cricket," Master Chen said in icy tones. "My daughter, your sister fought to stay alive as an infant, she used all her fight before she could walk. My tiny baby," he keened softly, kneeling beside Mikaela. "Oh my little Chen Li, go to your next life beloved soul. Do not linger in the middle areas."
...
There was darkness again. Mikaela was softly singing in her cage. She jerked herself awake and forced her breathing to remain slow, calm despite the frantic pounding of her heart. Optimus onlined his holoform and sat down on the bunk beside her.
"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked softly, gently taking her hand.
"I can't," she whispered. A tear escaped her eye, she brushed it away hurriedly.
"You can trust me, Kae," Optimus murmured gently.
"I know I can, Optimus," she whispered. "But the time isn't right. Someday, someday I hope you're still here so that I can tell you who I am, who they were, but I can't. Not and see them alive again someday. You saw it."
Optimus nodded gravely.
"She was my sister," Mikaela whispered, tears began streaming down her face. "Please Optimus, I beg you, you can't tell anyone."
"May I ask one question, and get the answer without you re-directing me?" Optimus asked softly. "I swear upon my spark I will not betray you. Just one."
Mikaela looked at him for a long time before closing her eyes and nodding.
"The people you are protecting. Why?"
Mikaela laughed softly, opening her eyes to look at him wryly.
"Only you could ask a question that requires so much explaining," she murmured. "On earth we say that you choose your friends, not your family. They lied. We chose each other, a family of love, of loyalty and friendship without a drop of genetics binding us. A unit of seven has been cut to three. I can't lose them too."
Optimus' holoform nodded gravely. He rose and laid down behind the young woman, tentatively wrapping an arm around her ribs and pulling her close.
"To keep the chargefrights away," he murmured. "If it is alright."
She closed her eyes and snuggled closer to the holoform.
"Thank you," she whispered softly, lacing her fingers into his. She was cold, Optimus snaked an arm beneath her neck, hoping the extra warmth near her carotid would ease the chill he could feel in her blood. In moments she was asleep again. If she dreamed he could not tell, but at least her heart had calmed.
::. Bumblebee.:: Optimus murmured.
::. Sir.:: the scout said sadly, having already heard the conversation even if the humans wouldn't have been able to.
::. Your hypothesis is fact.:: Optimus said softly, knowing that the auto-bots could feel the pain tearing at his spark on behalf of the tiny Femme in his holoform's arms.
Bumblebee nodded sadly.