Chapter 86 - VFG
(OPOV)
For the first time, Optimus hacked into the surveillance cameras in the building to watch his Kae's movements. She was walking with determination. And fear.
"Last of..." Lennox murmured beside his holoform, "You don't think..."
"She has gone into storage and retrieved the trunk she has not yet opened." Optimus rumbled, watching her movements. He saw her destination and offlined his holoform. Somehow, he knew she would want him there, not simply his holoform.
She was kneeling in her quarters when he onlined his holoform beside her. Her eyes were closed and the screen sat in front of her. Unplugged.
"Tinny knew I would be here," Optimus rumbled softly, hesitantly reaching a hand to touch her shoulder gently. Her hand slid up to twine her fingers into his holoform's. He saw his ring on her finger and rubbed it lightly, spinning it on her finger with a small smile.
She gave a choked laugh and stood, looking at his holoform.
"I am right outside," he told her with a small smile. She began laughing properly.
"Only you," she whispered, reaching up to kiss him lightly.
"Have you decided on how you are going to inform Galloway?" Optimus grinned down at her mischievously.
"I thought I'd use a fraction of the truth," Mikaela smiled up at him.
"And that is?" he asked, picking up her trunk and carrying it into his private quarters through her door.
"That I fell in love with a person strong enough to love me. A bot who sees every last one of my flaws and looks past them." she murmured.
Optimus set the trunk down lightly and turned, wrapping his Kae tightly in his arms.
She clung to him for a long time.
"Kae?" Chromia asked softly. Mikaela took a deep breath and looked up at the soldiers and Auto-bots slowly crowding into Optimus' quarters.
"I guess," Mikaela murmured, "I guess it's time you met my family." she gave a weak smile and took a deep breath, reaching out and touching the trunk. Chance ran an extension cord from the wall and offered her the plug. Kae's smile strengthened somewhat as she accepted the power. She inserted a disk into the drive and knelt in front of the computer as the screen came alive.
"It's about time little sister," Tinny's voice said immediately, grinning at her sister.
"Can you blame me? Tin?" Mikaela asked softly.
"I guess not," Tinny shrugged. "But still, eight years? You're cutting it close, nobody's voice stays the same for long."
"How on earth..." Lennox choked.
"You've got people with you!" Tinny shouted victoriously. "Please please tell me you've got a lover close by, of course you do, or you wouldn't be talking to me. Is he cute? Ooh ooh! Alien! C'mon sis! Tell me you've found them!"
"Yeah I did, Tinny," Mikaela laughed ruefully, "and I'm engaged to one of them. Oh I wish you could have met them Tin."
The tiny asian girl on the screen cheered.
"Quit hogging the screen you little squirt," Brick rumbled cheerfully, picking Tinny up and plunking down beside her as the camera panned back slightly.
"Brick," Mikaela choked out behind a sob.
"Yeah, kinda thought I'd be the last to go," Brick rumbled softly. "That's always the worst part, isn't it? The waiting. 'Course you were always better at the waiting, that's why we chose you for the messenger. I just wish it hadn't made you the pallbearer little girl.
"Just remember to build Barry a new suitcase if he's managed to kill the one I made him there. There's no doubt that man's still alive, it's Barry."
"Yeah, he really could be on his deathbed and still kick our asses," Mikaela murmured with a low laugh.
"Except yours," Brick chuckled. "You remember what I taught you baby girl, the best lies are the truth."
"Because nobody can prove you're wrong." Mikaela replied softly. "I remember uncle."
"Good. Aw Kaelie, don't forget to let people in, now and again. Mary's got people to stand behind her, and you know Old Wolf and his boys'll be around if you need them. Just don't let Wolf marry you off to one of his boys, hold out little girl, find the good one who's strong enough to face up to your temper and loves you for who you are, not who you might turn out to be. It's no good to love a dream."
Mikaela sniffed and nodded.
"You'd like him, Brick," she whispered.
"That's my girl," the soft eyed man murmured gently. "Keep smiling Kae, it makes the world a better place." the man rose and another sat down in front of the screen.
"Provide proof that this is Chen Mikaela Banes or this recording will self destruct in thirty seconds." Paddy stated in his irish lilt.
"Oh fuck off Paddy, quit being such a bloody tosser!" Mikaela laughed.
"I never should ha' taught you that," the Irishman laughed softly. "It's bad enough you know how to swear in American and Mandarine, let alone in me beloved Irish tongue. Have you been keeping up your Guelga?"
"Yes Paddy," Mikaela said gently, "I'll not let your songs die."
"Good girl," Paddy smiled gently, "kip some milk on the windowsill for me will you? Be a good neighbour to the faeries."
"Says the man who was always drinking the milk on the windowsill," Mikaela laughed softly.
"Yes well," Paddy snorted, "don't you dare let the children grow without knowing that there are things in this universe greater and more important than money and logic. Keep the songs alive, álainn, keep your heart gentle. Spade the shit into the gardens and never let them tell you different."
"I will, Paddy," Mikaela whispered, there were tears streaming down her face again as the man blew her a kiss and rose.
"Quit crying Cricket, you're alive, which means the lot of us are too." Rig stated immediately. "We've got you for our legacy, and there 'aint no better than you. Don't cry for us, laugh. We lived, and we live on in your heart. There ain't nothing better."
"To the end of days, Rig," Mikaela whimpered.
"Hey you," Rig said with a grin, "go see the wonders, you know the ones I mean, if they managed to bury me under one of those little white crosses make sure I'm still wearing the boots you made for me. I'm so proud of you girl, you remember that, no matter what course you take in your life, we're proud of you. I know Sho's hidden this thing for you to find, which means a few more of the discs survived. Do me a favour, take the tech specs off of the blue disc marked October 31. Happy belated birthday, baby angel, I hope they come in handy. Fix 'em, make 'em better and a piece of me will be in this world forever. Tell Barry he's a bald assed rat bastard and that momma sends her love. Say whatever the hell you want, and swear as much as you can get away with. Try everything once except for those fucking cocktails the street boys bandy about and put hotsauce in your coffee the morning after. If you haven't already, beat the shit out of Harrison for me."
"I killed him," Mikaela told the screen softly.
"Excellent!" Rig howled. "I told that bastard he'd get his come uppance! I hope you sent him to hell with that glare of yours Cricket, because of all the places in this universe, that is precisely where that child killer is goin'. Keep singin', Cricket, when you're singing, all is right in the world." the man winked and rose, making way for Chen Sho.
He sat silently for a long moment, somehow looking directly at Mikaela.
"You know your duty, daughter of my heart," he said softly. Mikaela promptly sagged onto the floor, sobbing. "Do not isolate yourself, Little Cricket, we are not made to be alone," Chen Sho stated gently, "remember the beauty in the world, not just the pain. Never say goodbye, it is a fool's word. Stay away from the middle areas, beautiful soul, we will see each other again."
He rose and left the screen. Cal Banes sat down.
"Say it aloud, Kae," Cal said gently. "We can now. Look up at the stars and know that I love you. Stand firm on the ground and fly through the air. Remember to breathe, stop the world before you take the shot. Never hesitate, and never regret. Remember us but live in the present. Keep yourself free to love." the man smiled at his daughter. "Pizza, pasta, or to the lions baby girl. Don't eat anything I wouldn't."
"Okay daddy," Mikaela whimpered as Tinny took the screen again.
"You know I'm editing this, little sister," Tinny said gently. "So I need to ask you to find something out for me. Is the moon there? Or do we see a shaded part because we expect it to be there? I never told you while we were alive, I had a mission too. And seeing as you're actually listening to this it means I'm right. There's absolutely no way we can't afford to send another person to the moon. The numbers are being played, sis, something's up there, and someone doesn't want us to find it."
"What do you mean?" Optimus rumbled with a frown. The face on the screen turned to look at him with intelligent brown eyes.
"You're here because Kae trusts you, and if you're one of them you'll probably be interested. Certainly you're open minded seeing as you're talking to the recording of a dead girl. Look into the conspiracies, because behind every lie there's a grain of truth." The girl turned back to look at her sister. "I'll see you in our next lives, little sister," she said softly before the screen went dark.
"Tinny?" Mikaela whimpered softly, Optimus looked down at his beloved as she sat wilted on the floor.
Optimus onlined his holoform again and enveloped his Kae in it's arms as she sat silently, a single, final tear falling to sparkle on the floor.
"That..." Lennox stated softly.
"That was the last of her old life, saying goodbye," Jacobs rumbled, Optimus turned to see the man standing with his arms wrapped protectively across his chest. "Fitting, really, it's new-year's eve."
::. Everyone, bring it in.:: Optimus murmured silently, gently. Every last one of his earthbound unit onlined their holoforms and crowded close, surrounding Kae with the warmth of softly humming sparks.
A moment later Kae straightened slightly, sniffing and wiping her tears away quickly. She looked up at Optimus for a moment.
"Do I get to challenge you back?" she asked softly.
"Yes you do," Optimus rumbled with a gentle smile.
"Yes!" Chromia shouted gleefully. "C'mon girl! Guys against girls in the general melee!"
Optimus straightened in shock, staring at the Femmes.
"Determines who gets to wear the pants this year," Flare murmured with a broad grin. Mikaela snorted and rose gracefully to her feet.
"And every year you let them win, don't you?" Kae murmured, flashing a frankly wicked look at the fiery red-head.
"Can you blame me?" Flare smirked.
"I believe we had a pact," she stated with absolutely innocent eyes. The femmes began hooting with laughter, snagging Kae and escorting their newest sister back toward the mats.
The human and Auto-bot males sat in silence for a long moment.
"I don't get it," Will stated finally.
"Yet another thing Humans and Auto-bots share," Ironhide drawled with a snort.
"Universally, females are impossible to understand," Chance laughed.
Optimus snorted.
"You don't count," Ratchet told him blandly.
"And why is that?" Optimus asked with a grin.
"Because your femme let you know precisely how to chase her."
"They all do!" Jacobs stated with a frown. "You just have to, you know, listen."
(APOV)
"I'm sorry," Mikaela said immediately.
"What the scrap for?" Chromia asked with a smile.
"For letting us see you cry?" Arcee asked gently.
"For letting us meet the people who raised you?" Flare piped up calmly.
"Girl, perfect timing, and I'm sure as hell not being sarcastic," Chromia stated firmly.
"New years is the time for learning," Arcee stated gently, picking Kae up and cuddling her gently, "all things, not just fighting. We've learned of the people who created you, dear sister, you've allowed us to share with you the wisdom of your elders, and allowed us to share your grief of their passing."
"None of us were ever made to be alone," Chromia smiled, reaching over to lightly stroke the tiny human femme's cheek.
"Family is important," Flare stated gently as Kae smiled weakly. "Now are you gonna teach me how to catch your big brother's optic or not?" she demanded with a grin.
Kae began laughing weakly, her strength increasing as Arcee whizzed down the corridor toward central again.
"Alright, and just because it's you three I'm going to let you cheat and learn it all in one go, instead of spreading it out like Uncle did me." Kae laughed. Flare whooped and onlined her holoform beside the girl.
"Right," Kae smiled, "I'm going to do the full sequence, go ahead and scan me, figure out where my muscles are and I'd imagine that by the time the boys get back we'll be dancing together."