Chapter 46 - Father Mentor
(RPOV)
"Goddamn it!" Kae shouted, Ratchet looked up toward her quickly, catching the scent of blood, Kae was bent over, grasping at her arm and glaring at the carbon cutter.
"Kae?" he asked worriedly, immediately onlining his holoform.
"Not too serious," Kae groaned, pressing a rag to the gash in her arm. "The cutter bit me. My fault."
"Why in Pitfire did you do that?" he muttered irritably, it wasn't like his assistant to make such a mistake.
"Because I'm an idiot," she groaned, slumping into her tall chair at the same time that Ratchet made to gruffly plunk her into it.
"Well, let go of the scrapping rags and let me take a look," Ratchet grumbled, putting on his best irritated tone without even thinking about it. Kae looked at him for a long second and seemed to relax slightly, obediently holding her arm out to him.
"Well you've done a number on yourself," Ratchet stated irritably, the holoform already reaching for the glue and tape that would hold his assistant's skin together while the nanites repaired the damage. Mikaela was quiet, and that in itself was strange; she normally chatted with him anytime he was patching her up. Something felt off.
"What's actually wrong?" he murmured, looking up to catch her eyes.
"Nothing," she stated immediately, her eyes flicking away.
"Kae," Ratchet sighed, looking at her patiently. She looked back up at him, struggling with her expressions.≈It's not like you to let the carbon cutter bite you, you're distracted. What's wrong?≈ he switched to healer's frequency in the hopes of drawing her out, if only to get a reaction out of her.
She stayed silent, Ratchet could almost see her thought processes. She was debating herself, a debate that obviously had caught hold in her mind and refused to be shunted to the back processors.
"I've broken a personal rule," she murmured finally.
"You know, you and I haven't had the chance to drive together," he mused. Kae looked at him with a sweet mixture of confusion and gratitude. Ratchet quickly walked out of the makeshift med-bay.
::. I'm taking Kae for a drive, see if I can get her to talk.:: he sent over the primary patiently as he transformed, opening the passenger door for Kae. She sat in his cab quietly, staring out the window for a long time. He chose the cove and transformed, cradling his assistant as he walked to a good looking spot for a good sit.
"What's eating you?" he asked softly.
"I don't even know how to adequately explain it," Kae whispered, reaching up and touching her chest. "You know the chips exist, they're a mission. I'm caught between a rock and a hard place. I'm trying to see the simple solution. There's always a simple solution, until..."
"Until your spark gets involved?" Ratchet asked placidly. Kae whipped around to stare at him.
"That's succinct," she snorted, still idly rubbing the spot on her chest where Optimus' mark lay. "You know me too well for me to use any hypothetical scenarios."
"Well, you can put it forward as hypothetical, and know that I won't speak of it," Ratchet snorted.
"This coming from the emperor of gossip and meddling?" she shot back at him.
"Name one instance that my meddling has gone awry," Ratchet grinned at his assistant, the grin faded as she turned to look him in the optics. The bared sadness in her eyes would be enough to trip the protective circuits in any bot.
"When I accepted this mission, I had to accept a set of rules designed for both my own safety, and the safety of others," she whispered, holding her wrist up.
"So?" Ratchet asked curiously, Kae looked ready to clam up again. "C'mon Kae, on my honour as a medic, I'll delete this conversation if I really have to. What's eating you?"
"What do I do?" Kae burst out suddenly, jumping to her feet and beginning to pace agitatedly. "I have a mission, Ratchet, a Primus damned mission that I swore on my honour, my family's honour to complete. I'm not allowed to have a mate! I'm not supposed to get personally involved in anything! Let alone... let alone fall in love with an auto-bot! I'm supposed to be acting normal, staying off the radar. Instead my face has been splashed across every single piece of media available!"
"You took his mark," Ratchet stated softly, indecision hammering his circuits.
"I don't want it to go away," Kae whimpered, looking up at him. Ratchet instantly relaxed, his suspicions laid to rest. "What happens when the time comes and I have to run? What happens when I have to choose between staying and finishing this? I swore to finish it Ratchet!"
"Then he will go with you, as will I." Ratchet stated firmly, automatically. He leaned down and delicately brushed the hair from her face with a gentle finger. "If we have to go, we will find a way to take you with us."
"That's impossible," Kae whispered, she looked up at him again with the strength coming back into her eyes. "I wouldn't survive, but I don't have to, do I."
"I will find a way for you to survive if it's the last thing that I do." Ratchet growled down at her, "But if I did, would you take it?"
"I don't know," she whispered, sitting down and leaning against his hip. "Ratch, I need to ask you something horrible."
"Let me decide if it's horrible or not," Ratchet murmured.
"If the shit hits the fan, and I'm taken down," she said quietly. "I need you to get the implants to my father somehow. If he's dead, then get them to Bartholomew Matteer, or General Moreshower."
"The director of the CIA?" Ratchet asked in an astonished tone.
Kae nodded silently. "Those three, and those three alone. They'd have to leave your hands, directly into theirs," she stated seriously. Ratchet nodded and straightened slightly.
"All told," he murmured, laying a gentle hand around her back, "I have had to do far worse than that."
She took a deep, shuddering breath and Ratchet caught a whiff of her pheromones. She glanced up at him wryly.
"I don't suppose you have any salt peter in the meantime?" she murmured with a snort.
"Your libido has started itself up again has it?" Ratchet looked down at her in amusement. "Why not simply let Optimus... aah, that's your quandary, isn't it? Come here Kae." he chuckled, delicately lifting his assistant and holding her close to his spark. "First off, Optimus doesn't mind taking care of you, you do realize that when he's taking care of you he's got a purpose in his own processors again right? He's taking care of himself again, wants to live again. You don't actually want to do without him, do you?"
"No," Kae whispered, cuddling against him and watching the waves rolling into the cove. "and that's the most terrifying thing. I had enough to lose, waiting for my father, now..."
"Aw Kae," Ratchet murmured, rocking her, he listened with half a processor as Optimus, Ironhide, Bumblebee and the femmes drove toward them.
"So what's on the chips, anyway?" Bumblebee asked cheerfully, plonking down beside him.
"I'm still not allowed to tell you, Bee," Kae sighed.
"Which is the sole reason that I haven't just scanned the information in." Ratchet stated blandly. Mikaela snorted.
"That and the chance that scanning them would erase them?" she murmured.
"That too."
"Well, we're appointing ourselves as your bodyguards," Bumblebee chirped brightly. "So I get twenty questions."
"You're a brat, little brother," Mikaela shot back at him with a wry smile.
"Yep, question one, without telling me exactly what's on the chips, is it good or bad?"
"Both," Kae sighed. "Information that depends entirely on the hands that hold it."
"Question two," Optimus rumbled, sitting carefully on Ratchet's other side. Kae looked at him. "Is there any way for you to complete the mission implied with the chips early?"
"God I hope not," Kae groaned. "It..." she looked around at them carefully and promptly slammed her head against Ratchet's hand. "Before you ask," she whispered. "Yes, I want to tell you, I want to tell you everything, tell you who I'm supposed to be, who I want to be instead, I want to tell you what's on the chips, give you the reports, get your angles. I can't, and it's eating me away."
"You don't have to tell us," Ironhide rumbled comfortably. "We all understand missions outside the unit. It happens. Primus only knows how much information I've delete-encrypted from my memories so that I don't have to talk about them."
"What do I do then, uncle?" Kae whispered.
"Welp, you help us stall leaving this planet 'til you've got that thing finished up, and then when we go, we go together." Ironhide drawled patiently. "Either that or the lot of us are going to have to fake leaving, which'll suck. Also, in the present you're going to quit leaving yourself frustrated like that, 'cause it's making me frustrated."
Kae looked at him curiously.
"We're keeping this among the family," 'Hide snorted, grinning at her. "and right now you smell like you ain't gettin' laid enough, which is your fault." he added, lightly flicking Optimus' helm.
"And how is that not my own fault?" Kae shot back at him instantly.
"Because you're still a youngling, even for your own damned species," Ironhide snorted. "You don't fool me, niece, as much as you're tryin' to keep up with the learnin' everything, you can't learn it if nobody's teachin.' Now, get the hope back in your spark, we got your back, Kae."
Ratchet watched with pride for his unit as Kae unwound herself somewhat, looking around herself in awe.
"Fine, if we're playing twenty questions, why the hell are you being so supportive Hide?" she asked with a grin.
"Hah! 'Cause you got your wiring straight!" Ironhide laughed.
"Anyone who calls his bluff he likes," Ratchet snorted. "You looked him in the cannons and didn't so much as blink."
The group sat in silence for a moment, watching the sun begin to touch the water.
"Where do females keep their brass?" Optimus rumbled suddenly.
"Hmn?" Kae looked at him curiously.
"I meant to ask you what it meant," Optimus stated placidly. Mikaela began laughing.
"Who said it?" she giggled.
"Epps," Optimus shrugged.
"Alright, you know how men are incredibly protective of their reproductive system, most specifically their genitals?" Kae began with a laugh.
"Are they?" Ironhide laughed. "I suppose they'd have to be, wouldn't they?"
"Brass in a bravery stance is brass balls – testicles. No fear if the most vulnerable part is indestructible," Kae giggled. "Of course I don't have testicles so rather than brass, I have steel in my spine."
"There is no-" Ratchet began.
"Figuratively," Mikaela grinned at him. "Like my saying that you have a big heart, when the closest parallel is your radiator pump."
"Okay, but you do have titanium in your spine," Ratchet continued.
"I do?" Kae asked in shock.
"And silver, so that when you're hooked up to your pack it doesn't cause as much damage," Ratchet explained soothingly.
"That is both awesome and terrifying," Kae stated quietly. "What happens if I get hurt? I'm gonna get stuck in the middle of the MRI."
"Bull, you're staying with me," Ratchet snorted, "MRI nothing, admit it, you wouldn't even show up for an X-ray."
"Okay true," Kae snorted.
"Problem resolved?" he murmured down to her.
"As much as it can be," Kae stated wryly, looking up at him as the sun set over the water.
"It's easier just to talk about it," Ratchet murmured.
"Only because you lot are too damned easy to talk to," Mikaela snorted.
"I'll take that as a compliment," Ironhide chuckled as Bee nodded cheerfully. Optimus reached over and gently accepted Kae from Ratchet's hands.
"Always," he rumbled softly, a binder cable reaching hesitantly toward her. Mikaela smiled and reached for it, allowing it to slip into her wrist. Ratchet extended his own, Optimus delicately accepting it into a coupling as Ironhide, Bumblebee and the femmes all joined into the collective.
::. So what's the excuse this time?.:: Kae asked quietly, Ratchet glanced at her spark-mind and jumped.
She hovered in the space easily, her form undefined but...
::. Beautiful, isn't she?.:: Optimus rumbled in amusement as the bots stared at their newest sister spark.
::. You can scrapping well say that again.:: Bumblebee whispered in awe, moving hesitantly toward his big sister. She held her arms out to him with a beautiful smile. ::. Are you sure?.:: he asked in a shocked tone.
::. What?.:: Kae laughed ::. You think I'm going to pass up the chance to properly hug my little-brother?.:: Bumblebee chirped excitedly in scout and caught her in a hug.
::. I knew it!.:: he called out with a broad grin, planting a solid kiss to his sister's cheek.
::. Knew what?.:: she asked with a low laugh.
really are bigger than me, look!.:: He coalesced his spark and stood beside her with a grin as she did the same. They looked like a set of true online twins, Kae the more powerful of the two. Ratchet began laughing softly, walking over and pulling her into a hug.
::. Your mind is bizarrely organized.:: Ironhide commented idly, squeezing his niece's shoulder lightly.
::. Well it has to be, doesn't it?.:: Kae laughed softly ::. I only have one processor, remember?.::
::. Which is a good reason for not entering her mind-space.:: Ratchet added quietly ::. She won't have enough room for us.::
::. Really?.:: Kae murmured.
::. We already are.:: Optimus rumbled in amusement. ::. You are connected to me to buffer the information streams.:: Kae grinned and the space around them expanded.
::. While we're at it, what's this place?.:: she asked cheerfully, images of Cybertron flickered through the mind-space until they were surrounded by the guardian's falls. ::. I keep dreaming of this spot, standing right here and watching time go by.::
::. The guardian's falls, just outside of Iacon.:: Ironhide rumbled softly. ::. the way they were before the war, if ever there was a beautiful place, a place of hope and peace, it was here.::
::. There was a time when the cube used to rest there.:: Ratchet added, pointing to Kae's feet. ::. Thats your point of view, Kae, you're standing where the cube did.::
::. That explains that one, but what about this?.:: she asked curiously, the scenery morphed. ::. I'm always dreaming of this place, but... but I've never been there, I don't think Mico was either...::
::. That's the bonding circle.:: Ironhide supplied cheerfully, going to stand in the middle. ::. Swore I'd get the chance to stand right here someday.::
Ratchet grinned as Kae flicked through her secondhand memories, obviously enjoying herself as she learned.
::. Ooh! That's my med-bay!.:: Ratchet declared at one, looking around himself. ::. This is where I apprenticed!.::
::. It's starting to blow.:: Bumblebee stated suddenly ::.'Mon, let's head back and continue on!.::
It was a cheerful bunch that drew back into their own bodies and transformed. Ratchet followed his Prime, smiling as Kae got into Optimus' cab on the passenger's side and Bumblebee raced off ahead.
(OPOV)
Optimus onlined his holoform to smile as his Kae as she gracefully got into his cab. She shot him a guilty look.
"What?" he rumbled with a snort. Kae sighed.
"Again, you lot know me too well for me to get away with hypotheticals." she murmured.
"Say it, Kae," Optimus rumbled. She sighed.
"I don't want to run," Kae whispered. "I'm torn between duty and loyalty."
"When duty calls, you will go," Optimus rumbled calmly, "and I will go with you or follow behind you as quickly as I can."
Kae just shot him that guilty look again.
"What?" he rumbled curiously, grinning at her. "I can fly if I absolutely have to."
"I can't just drag you into this mess," she whispered.
"You are not, I am butting into your business," Optimus chuckled, turning onto the road. "I should have warned you before you took my mark. As your guardian it is my right to be nosy about you, my Kae."
Mikaela began laughing, reaching out and lightly whacking his holoform's knee.
"Thank you for being nosy," she murmured, smiling at him. Her face turned serious again. "But that doesn't mean that I'm going to be entirely forthcoming, you know that, right?"
"We are honest with each other," Optimus rumbled patiently. "If you do not say it, it means you do not need to lie."
The relief in his Kae's eyes was palpable as they drove into the deserted hangar, the bots were already lined up, parked and humming excitedly.
"We've got news!" Will called down to him, Optimus transformed and lightly deposited his Kae on his shoulder. She smiled and squirmed into her spot. "There's supposed to be a press conference for you guys, secret seems to have got out a bit more rabidly than they figured." Will stated quickly.
Mikaela snorted on his shoulder.
"So what's the poop?" she grinned, "are you guys going to switch location and do a lockdown on movements or are they going to wise up and declassify?"
"Wise up, maybe," Lennox snorted. "Declassify, potentially. Galloway is lobbying against it for all he's worth."
"Oh good. Man has absolutely no subtlety," Kae laughed. "If he's trying to get Optimus off planet he should be working on getting that conference as open as possible so he can get the public afraid and put forward his vote to revoke amnesty."
Optimus turned his head carefully to look at her.
"God I didn't even think of that," Will groaned.
"What should we do then?" Optimus rumbled worriedly, looking at his Kae.
"Use your holoforms," she shrugged. "Get to the conference, transform, and wink your holoforms online directly in front of yourselves wearing your colours. Make it stupidly obvious that they're your avatars and use human body language."
"I want you with me," Optimus stated quietly.
"We're supposed to be keeping Kae hidden," Will stated apologetically. "Although god only knows they should be putting her onstage and apologizing for the mess they've made of her life now."
"Don't be ridiculous," Kae snorted. "That was a hiccough, I'm still under orders to disappear, remember?"
"You are what?" Optimus rumbled with a deep frown.
"Standing order to get and stay off the radar," Will groaned. "I can't believe they haven't revoked that. Beyond stupid."
"We'll figure something out," Mikaela smiled at him. Optimus vented a deep breath, quickly syncing his processors. "If worse comes to worst, I'll get Jerry to bring up a live feed video from you, Optimus."
Optimus nodded slowly, thinking hard.
"I could keep you in my spark chamber," he mused quietly.
"Mmmn, maybe, but there's a bit too much potential of the Wizard of Oz, and distractions." she stated blandly. Optimus quickly scanned for the Wizard of Oz and snorted.
"Wizard of Oz?" Will frowned.
"Pay no attention to the lovely young woman behind the curtain," Optimus rumbled with a snort, shooting a wry glance at Kae as she laughed. Will stared at him for a long second before snorting back his own laughter. He looked over at Kae again.
"Alright, control issues aside," he grinned at her. "I'm not going to ask, officially, but can you give me a half decent excuse as to why the CIA is so interested in keeping you hidden?"
Optimus watched as his Kae froze on his shoulder. She looked at Will for a long time.
"Kae? You don't have-" Will started.
"Sorry, no," Kae began. "I'm trying to work out how much I can safely tell you, Will, Ratchet has figured a great deal out already. You guys are already in danger, I don't want to increase that..."
"Okay, danger of not knowing?" Will asked patiently.
"Is safety, deniability," Kae stated patiently.
"That bad?" Will asked in a shocked tone.
"Kinda, yeah, I really wish I could brief you Will."
"If it makes you feel any better," Optimus rumbled quietly, "she hasn't told us either."
"Oddly enough? It does sort of," Will snorted. "Just shake your head if you can't answer whatever question I ask, right?" he grinned at Kae. She nodded hesitantly.
"Is it that program Drew told us about?" Will started.
"No, that got nullified the second you knew my surname, Will," Kae shrugged.
"You're protecting something? Someone?"
Kae nodded silently, froze, nodded a second time then shook her head.
"Well, shit." Will stated quietly. "Covert guardian?"
Kae nodded, then shook her head.
"Thats all I needed to know," Will murmured, he snapped to attention and saluted her.
"I'm still a civilian, Will," Kae snorted.
"CG is always inducted into the military at some level!" Will protested immediately.
"Never formally inducted," Kae shrugged. "I guard against the hunters."
Will stared at her for a long minute.
"This conversation never happened," they echoed each other the next second. Kae burst out laughing.
"It has been a long time since I've done that," she giggled. "So when's the press conference? I'm going to need to get everyone cleaned up and looking nice."
"Three days," Will snorted. "Unless of course Galloway has his way."
"Three days it is," Kae grinned, stretching on Optimus' shoulder. He could see her biting back a yawn.
"Stay with me?" he rumbled softly. She smiled and cuddled against his cheek.
"Right, good recharge, sweet dreams, stuff," Will grinned, sliding down the deserted catwalk.
"Sleep well, Major," Optimus rumbled placidly.
"Hey, when you guys aren't pissed off at me? Sleep like a baby," Will snorted, not even turning around.
Optimus laughed softly, and Will turned around curiously.
"I gotta ask this one though," he grinned. "Two years and I've never heard you laugh, Kae shows up and you're an entirely different person."
"Nah," Ironhide grinned, onlining his holoform beside the Major and throwing an arm across his shoulders. "Kae showed up and we got to see Optimus again."
"Oh do tell," Will grinned.
"Above all else?" Ironhide smirked as Optimus narrowed his optics at his weapons master. "Optimus is a true sucker for a pretty spark."
"Oh be nice," Chromia piped up cheerfully. "The bot has incredible taste in femmes."
"This is true," Ratchet grinned.
"I never took you for the fleshy type," Will laughed, looking up at Optimus. "It stands to reason, I suppose, you did make the rule no harming the humans..."
"No that's just good manners," Ironhide snorted. Optimus resisted rolling his optics.
"Which says more about you than you'd think," Mikaela trilled from his shoulder.
"Elaborate," Optimus rumbled curiously.
"Ironhide, has terrible manners," Mikaela stated blandly. Optimus gave into the temptation and snorted.
"Everybody knows that," Ratchet laughed.
"I most certainly do not!" Ironhide rumbled indignantly.
"Says the bot who showed us his cannons not five minutes after first contact," Mikaela shot back at him with a broad grin.
"This coming from you?" Ironhide shot back at Kae with a broad grin.
"I am a perfect fallen angel," Kae trilled cheerfully.
Who's mind rests cheerfully in the gutter,∂ Hide threw back at her.
If there wasn't a gutter, where would our minds sleep Uncle?∂ she asked with a perfect inflection of pure innocence. Ironhide's holoform promptly sat down hard, howling with laughter.
"What'd I miss?" Will asked with a snort.
"The fact that Ironhide and Mikaela are definitely related," Ratchet snorted. "Completely righteous despite a perfectly filthy mind."
"Don't stay up too late," Will laughed, walking toward the hangar doors again. He hauled on the doors to begin them closing.
"Now where were we?" Optimus rumbled with a smirk, looking at his Kae.
"I don't know," she stated seriously. "I tend to rely on my beloved guardian for that one."
Optimus immediately knew his optics were flushing deep blue, his spark humming with pride of her statement. Ironhide howled cheerfully.
"Get down here so I can hug you!" he demanded with a broad grin.
Kae laughed and lightly jumped to his hand again. Optimus couldn't resist simply laying down, gesturing his unit to join him. Kae giggled, hauling Ironhide's holoform into a crushing hug before climbing back onto his chest plates again, squirming lightly and laying on him. He slid a binder cable lightly toward her. She looked at it for a second and rather cheekily guided him to connect to the base of her spine.
That in itself spurred a flash flood of memories, and the look in her eyes said she knew precisely what those memories were.
::. Spike tease.:: he rumbled to her with a low laugh.
::. Flatterer.:: she shot back at him with a smirk.
::. How is that a flattering comment?.:: Arcee asked with a laugh.
::. It's quite simple.:: Kae grinned ::. If he thinks I look good enough to even tease his spike I'm doing pretty damned good.::
::. So cute.:: Ratchet snorted.
Optimus snorted and pulled the spark of his Kae close, cuddling her as they began again, laughing, learning and remembering their home.