Chapter 74 - Calling in Favours

(WPOV)

The screens finally shut down.

Optimus vented a sigh and looked at him. Will steeled himself to get reamed out, an unfortunate habit of his, but it was better than listening to the bot's angry voice unprepared.

"I will bid you good evening, I think, Major," Optimus rumbled gently.

Will snorted to himself.

"Night Optimus," he nodded. Optimus nodded to him, and Will couldn't help but admire the inherent regality in that nod. After spending so much time around the bots, he couldn't help but feel that he was missing something when it came to the Prime. Especially since Arcee was technically a baroness. Optimus turned and walked carefully, if rather heavily from the communications room.

Will couldn't help but sigh. As big as he was, in body and spark, nobody could be expected to bear the weight of the world alone.

Optimus sure as hell seemed to be trying to do it, though.

Will looked around at the Communications room with a sigh.

It was a great setup, absolutely, it was the politics involved with being in this room that irked him to no end sometimes. They'd just got here and the politics were already becoming irritating.

He realized that he was fully prepared to sink into a full pity party if he wasn't careful.

"Um... Major?" Jolt of all people called out quietly.

"Jolt?" Will asked worriedly.

"Nothing like that," Jolt stated quietly. He fell silent.

"Jolt?" Will asked curiously.

"I was wondering if... if I could..." the bot started shyly. Will immediately paid attention, outside of duty, it was rare for Jolt to speak at all, let alone to him.

"If you could?" he asked gently.

"If you guys would mind if I took the ceiling tiles down," Jolt blurted out quietly.

Will looked up at the roof.

Completely sans tiles.

"Uh..." he started.

"In my quarters, I mean..." Jolt stated quietly. Will looked at him for a long moment.

"May I ask why?" he asked quietly.

"They look... the grid..." Jolt stammered softly.

"Bad memories?" Will asked quietly, Jolt looked at him gratefully. "Do you think you'll be able to take them down and put them back up when we leave?"

"Absolutely Sir," Jolt nodded.

"Well then I have no problem with it," Will shrugged.

"Thank you, Sir," Jolt nodded before turning back to scanning the frequencies.

Will watched the bot for a long moment, insatiably curious, but it was Jolt. Close mouthed bot extraordinaire. Of course, for what little he had said, there was definitely reason behind his behaviour.

"Right, well, I'm going to try to catch a few winks," Will shrugged.

"Night Major," Jerry nodded to him.

Will looked at Jolt again and shrugged, making a beeline for his own quarters.

"They look like the grate I slept beneath as a captive," Jolt stated suddenly. Will whipped around to stare at him. All of the humans did.

"You..." he choked.

"I am whole again," Jolt stated with a firmness none of the humans had heard from him before. He reached up and covered his chest with a hand. "I am whole, a free bot, serving beneath my chosen Prime. I will not allow my shame to cripple me any longer." Jolt turned and looked at Will. "I apologize, Major, but it's true, the crosshatching of the ceiling tiles look like the grate I slept beneath as a captive."

"Fuck, don't worry about replacing them," Will stated in a shocked tone. "Shoot the damn things!"

Jolt stared at him and laughed softly.

"No," he shook his head wryly. "I know better than to shoot a ceiling, this is a very damp planet you inhabit, Major. I may dislike the memory of my grate, but we all dislike damp quite a bit more."

He turned back to his post, scanning the frequencies again.

That though, that was one hell of a bombshell the bot had just dropped on him.

Jolt had slept under a friggen grate as a captive for damn near two centuries.

Wow. So much for a decent pity party.

(OPOV)

Optimus walked back toward his quarters with heavy steps.

The politics continued, even if the world had calmed. There was still a cry for he and his unit to be asked to leave. He understood it, understood the point of view and sighed.

"They will never leave the earth alone," he rumbled quietly to himself. He stopped at the med-bay to see his Medical Officer kneeling once more beside a blank form. He averted his optics quickly, it was bad luck to look upon a blank form before the spark was ready to enter it. He heard the sounds of Ratchet rising and closing the drapes around the form before he dared glance back into the med bay.

"Optimus," Ratchet murmured.

"Is everything alright?" Optimus asked quietly.

"Just fine," Ratchet grinned, clapping a hand on Optimus' shoulder. "Go make sure Kae's sleeping will you?"

Optimus snorted and laid an arm across the Medi-bot's shoulders as they walked down the corridors, being careful to not step on any of the soldiers wandering tiredly to their new quarters. Will waved up at them tiredly before stepping through the door to his own.

"Strange happenings," Ratchet stated finally.

Optimus nodded, the doors to his personal quarters opened. He could hear the faint strains of Mikaela singing, a sweet, beautiful sound.

"Yes, if we get asked to leave we can bring her with us," Ratchet chuckled.

Optimus glanced at the bot and realized that he was smiling again.

"Behave," he rumbled, fighting to straighten his face.

"Sir," Ratchet stated with a broad grin, "we have private quarters again, the absolute last thing you should be ordering right now is my behaving." he glanced at the door to Kae's room. "Especially seeing as it is now medic's orders for you to misbehave." he smirked.

Optimus snorted as the gruff older bot wandered into the quarters across from his. Arcee was smirking from the medi-bot's berth.

::. I did not see that.:: Optimus sent the transmission wryly.

::. Did you want me to take video?.:: Arcee shot back at him with a smirk.

Optimus couldn't stop the rumbling laugh as the doors closed.

::. He knows the rules.:: Ironhide added with a low laugh.

::. And that is?.:: Mikaela's voice murmured.

::. You want the video from a bot's room you cough up the video from your own.:: Chromia stated smugly.

Optimus chuckled, he could hear Mikaela laughing both over the transmission and in the room next to his. He onlined his holoform and knocked on the adjacent door.

"Don't do that!" Mikaela called out with a laugh.

"Don't do what?" he asked, poking his holoform's head in the door.

"Don't bother knocking," Mikaela said over her shoulder. She was sitting cross-legged on her couch, "Did you know that entire wall there rolls up to face your quarters?"

Optimus jumped and scanned the schematics along the walls.

"I'll be a glitch," he rumbled. Mikaela laughed and set her sewing aside, Optimus looked at it in interest as she stood up, waving a small book with a grin.

"And what is that?" Optimus rumbled, grinning at the stance she had dropped into.

"This, my beloved guardian, is a lovely little book containing the codes you would be using to open those doors," she smirked.

Optimus walked toward her with a grin. She darted out from under his holoform's hands and fled to the other side of the couch.

She stood, the stance of an unprepared, innocent victim.

"You'll also note," she smirked, "that there's the added bonus of a closed feed surveillance system, which I'd rather like you to shut off, or turn on at your convenience, I don't know, just how kinky are you Optimus?" she asked in a sultry, teasing voice.

"However you want me to be," he rumbled with a smirk. "Do I get to know those codes? Or are you just being a spike tease?"

"If you want the codes you're going to have to come get them," she smirked.

Optimus cocked his holoform's head to the side and blinked his holoform to stand behind her. She ducked out of his reach again.

"Cheater guts," she smirked. Optimus began laughing and blinked his holoform twice. First behind her then in front, snaring her.

Kae looked up at him, her chin resting lightly against his chest.

"How do you intend to get away from me now?" he rumbled softly, running a gentle hand up her back and along the nerves he knew drove her crazy with just the right pressure.

"Optimus," she whispered, pressing against his holoform a bit more tightly. She turned her head and pressed her ear to his chest. "You're worrying again," she murmured.

"How in Primus name do you always know that?" Optimus rumbled, suddenly irritable again. The conversations he'd had previous running back to the front processors.

"My father used to ask me that, and I'd tell him that it was the way he held his head," Mikaela stated softly. She pulled back slightly to look up into the holoform's eyes, canting her head to the side. "Of course I was lying every time I said it. Dad was almost as guarded over his body language as you are, love."

Optimus looked down at her with a frown. She smiled at him gently and drew his holoform to the door, walking through and climbing up onto his berth to curl up beside his head.

"I'm sorry," she murmured, "I don't know why, it still feels weird talking to your holoform instead of you. Now what's been grinding your processors?"

Optimus let his outtakes blow a long gust of warm air. He onlined a holoscreen to float above his optics so that Mikaela could watch the conversations he'd just finished having with a number of heads of state.

She listened in silence for a long time.

"Kae?" Optimus rumbled softly.

"I need to make a phone call," she said quietly, standing up and walking along the edge of his berth.

"To whom? The CIA? They haven't been answering lately," Optimus rumbled irritably.

Mikaela snorted as the mech rose and offered her his hand. She smiled and sat comfortably in his palm as he walked toward communication central.

"Who are you calling?" Optimus asked curiously, Lennox chose that moment to walk back out of his quarters. His hair rather ruffled and a scowl etched onto his face.

"Who's calling now!?" Lennox grumbled, he looked up at Optimus in surprise.

"Mikaela needs to make a call," Optimus rumbled, he frowned and set Mikaela down to walk beside the irritated Major.

"I think you're going to need to hang on the line for a minute," Will grumbled as Kae stepped lightly onto the floor and walked beside him toward communication central. "We've got another call coming in from god only knows who this time."

"It's the bloody CIA," one of the techs said irritably from the door.

"Who?" Kae asked patiently.

"The CIA," Jerry repeated himself.

"No, I mean the man or woman on the other end of the line, not the agency they're representing." Mikaela said with a patient smile.

"Um, our Liaison, Greg Daniels," Jerry frowned, plopping down into his seat.

Will sighed and punched the button.

"This is Lennox!" he called out in a patient tone.

"Ah, Major, good, listen, I don't have much time to talk, but I just got back from speaking with the director and that's a no." the liaison's voice called out in an officious tone. Optimus bit back the threatening growl and settled for crossing his arms.

"Right, so, I believe that was everything," the Liason continued, "if you need to ask anything else you know where to reach me." the phone clicked, the tech rolled his eyes and put the receiver back in it's cradle.

There was silence for a minute.

"Officious son of a bitch!" Lennox shouted finally. "Ask for a bit of co-operation on a mutually beneficial piece of work and nothing!"

Optimus let out the irritated growl that was blocking his vocal processors.

Mikaela let out a positively evil smirk and held her hand out for the phone.

Will and Optimus looked at her in consternation.

"Little bit of trust, gentlemen," she said sweetly. "Call the public line for the CIA, if you would please, Jerry."

The man looked first at Will, then Optimus.

"Public line?" Will asked with a frown.

"Trust," Mikaela said with a smile.

"Oh hell, fine, you can sit on hold for ten hours like the rest of us," Will shrugged. Jerry handed Mikaela the phone. She punched the speaker and held her finger to her lips.

"This is the public line for the Central Intelligence Agency," the mechanical voice stated placidly, "if you know the extension for the person you wish to call, please enter it now."

"Operator please," Mikaela called out in a sweet voice.

The phone cut out for a second and rang again.

"CIA, can you hold?" a female voice asked perfunctorily.

"Of course Linda," Mikaela said with a bright smile. She held her finger up to her lips again as the music began playing. It cut out a moment later.

"Hello?" another woman's voice asked quickly.

"Hey," Mikaela said quickly, "I need a message to go to Barry, tell him Caledonia's Angel needs to talk to him."

"Yes Ma'am, right away," the woman's voice said hurriedly. The phone line went quiet.

Mikaela cracked her knuckles, stretched her arms over her head and promptly collapsed down into a vacant seat, looking at her watch. She held her hand over the phone when the tech made to seat it back in it's cradle. Will watched in shock as the line remained quiet, rather than beginning to beep.

A full two minutes went past before she nodded, hanging the phone up. She sat back and closed her eyes.

"Beautiful silence," she said with a smile, "so much better than elevator music."

"What the hell was that?" Lennox asked in shock.

"The joys of being born deep," Mikaela snorted, "I'd explain it, but in honesty I don't even believe the stupid shit myself." she pointed to the phone just as it began ringing again. Jerry the tech answered.

"Sir!" he said in a shocked tone, "Right away sir!" he hung up the phone and turned to stare at Mikaela.

"That was the Director of the CIA, he's requesting video conference in two minutes!" he turned to his laptop immediately and began typing hurriedly.

"How the Fuck!?" Lennox demanded, staring at Mikaela.

"Like I said, you wouldn't believe me," Mikaela laughed, she pointed to the screen as it came alive. Optimus watched in shock as she resumed a relaxed stance, sitting comfortably in front of the screen.

An older man's face appeared immediately.

"Angel!" the Director said with wide eyes. "Good gods, I never thought I'd hear your voice-code again!"

"Barry how have you been?" Mikaela asked with a small smile.

"Same old, what can I do for my favourite baby girl?"

"I need to ask a favour Barry," Mikaela said in a sad tone, "is the line secure on your side? There's a bit of chaffing."

"Yes, and the recordings are being... fuzzed as we speak," Barry stated punching a button on the desk in front of him.

"Good, I need to ask a couple of things," Mikaela stated quickly, "First off, why the hell did Harrison show up on a top-secret base just in time to put a gun to the Major's wife's head? Nobody was supposed to know where I am, let alone that I'd potentially cave. I've been through way more than my quota of handlers!"

"Oh gods it was that damned parade," Barry groaned, reaching up to pinch the bridge of his nose. "I can't believe what the hands have been doing lately, your name got leaked, or rather, your father's did and they traced you. And they bloody plotted your movements for a full seven slow miles! I'm frankly astonished you survived, let alone the information. Nobody knows Major Lennox is your handler though, I think they simply targeted him because he ran to you on the route. You gotta train your handlers better Kae."

"He wasn't even my handler at the time," Mikaela frowned.

"It's a real trick trying to train the people around you when you're covert," Barry nodded with a low groan.

"Yeah well, shit happens," Mikaela sighed, "either way, I've been outed now, did you get a copy of the reports?"

"I did, I'm so sorry, Kae." Barry stated sincerely.

"Thanks," Mikaela said sadly, "anyway, couple of things I guess, would you bring the reports down? I want to make sure you've got good copies."

Barry glanced at his watch and punched the button.

"You're in the old house now yeah?" he asked curiously.

"Yeah, this place is dreadful, Barry!" Mikaela complained immediately. "What the hell is it with you guys and Old Victorian shit? I swear to god if I see another rat I'm going off grid!"

"Yes yes alright Angel," Barry stated in a consoling tone, "I'll be there in an hour, okay?"

Mikaela put on a perfectly put upon sigh and agreed.

The line went dead.

"How does that help?" Will asked with a frown, "you had the Director of the CIA on the phone and you didn't even bring up anything new!"

"He'll be here in an hour," Mikaela said with raised eyebrows, walking back along the catwalk toward Optimus.

"He what?" Lennox asked in shock.

"Barry, the director of the CIA," Mikaela said patiently, "he knows precisely where we are. This is an old CIA complex after all."

"How the hell do you know that!?" Lennox shouted. Mikaela turned around and looked at him in surprise.

"I trained here," she said with raised eyebrows. "In fact, I'm astonished that you set up communications in here, that air-duct up there used to be the prime spot for getting in and out of base undetected."

Mikaela promptly slid down the ladder and wandered toward one of the laptops. She began scanning random articles.

Optimus stared at his spark-mate and began to laugh. Mikaela glanced up at him with a small smile.

"You didn't think that book actually had those codes did you?" she laughed softly.

"That is why this place seems so familiar," Optimus mused aloud. "You remember it."

"Hey!" Mikaela grinned, she quickly stood up and walked over to the air-vent. "I wonder how well they cleaned this place out!" she ran up the corner of the wall and caught hold of a pipe, shimmied over to the vent and lightly pulled it off. She crawled in and laughed.

"Not very damn well," she shouted out, emerging victoriously with a battered cardboard shoe box. "The time capsule's still here!" she dropped down with a broad grin.

"Time capsule? Training?" Will asked in an astonished voice.

"When we were ten, Barry got our names in for the special children's camp." Mikaela explained with a small smile. "Mostly the ambassadors' kids and whatnot, where they 'officially' trained us how to watch our backs and get away from potential kidnappers. Really it was Barry's excuse to get Tinny and I in here for the CIA contract briefing."

She opened the box and pulled out a variety of children's souvenirs. She picked up a small, silver locket and cradled it.

"We put the things that we didn't want the kidnappers to have in this box, and put it in a safe place," she said with a sad smile, opening the locket.

There was a picture of a smiling woman with two girls in her arms and two small braids of hair.

"It's nice to see you again, mum," she whispered, lightly stroking the hair before closing the locket and fastening the chain about her neck.

Will reached toward her and she opened the locket again.

"Wow, you really do have a lot of your mum in you," he murmured.

"Born ambiguity except for my eyes," Mikaela chuckled. "Did you want to use my quarters? I should probably put some coffee on."