Chapter 97 – Machinations of the Scout

(BPOV)

Bumblebee casually watched his sister as she rolled in just after the sun had set. He looked into her eyes and saw a tiny amount of the anger still there. She was better under control now.

"Are you okay, Bee?" she asked softly.

Bee nodded, reaching for his sister.

The raw loneliness crossed her eyes as she strode into his grasp, he picked her up gently and hugged her close to his spark.

"=You don't have to be alone,=" Bee whispered.

"How else is there?" Mikaela asked softly. "I can't hold you in my chamber forever."

She hugged him for a long moment more before heading to her bed.

Bumblebee whittled away the hours, watching his sister as she walked to the mats, did her sequences and walked back to her room.

::. I've got scout duty for today.:: Arcee sent to him gently or not, you need to rest up a bit more so your spark doesn't slip.::

::. Thank you, Ma'-.::

::. What have I told you about calling me Ma'am?.:: Arcee sent rather sternly.

::. You're my superior.:: Bumblebee sent innocently.

::. Kae is my sister as she is yours.:: Arcee sent in amusement ::. We are now siblings once removed, stop calling me Ma'am and start calling me Arcee will you?.::

::. Okay Arcee.:: Bee giggled ::. Thank you for taking my scout duty today, it'll give me time to keep an eye on Kae.::

::. Make sure she doesn't wear herself out too much.:: Arcee commanded calmly ::. Absorbing and holding a spark is easy, battling after the separation is the pit.::

::. I will.:: Bee sent firmly. He felt Arcee nod before the sound of her rolling out caught his auditory receptors. Mikaela walked into the med-bay the next moment. She looked really down, tired and lonely.

"Hey little-brother," she murmured softly.

"Morning big-sister," Bee grinned at her.

"Are you alright?" she asked worriedly, looking at him.

"I'm resting up so my spark doesn't slip, but you're the one a bit more damaged than me," Bee stated seriously. Mikaela glared at him a bit, but you could see her struggle to do it before raw loneliness crossed her face again.

She sagged into herself and forced herself to straighten, smiling at him.

She began listening to her music, dismantling a servo and Bee frowned slightly at the list. Optimus walked past on the way to communications central, throwing a glance into the med-bay at Kae.

The first bad thing was that she didn't glance up, she always glanced up, Optimus seemed to take that to his spark and continued walking. Bee frowned at his sister.

She didn't look up.

Oh. Scrap. Miscommunication.

Kae was trapped in her own mind again, it didn't matter that her hands didn't still, she could do that stuff in her sleep. Bee frowned at her playlist again, it was the music she listened to when she was lonely.

::. How busy are you?.:: he sent to Optimus firmly.

::. Marginally...:: Optimus rumbled unsurely, he sounded a bit irritable.

::. Good.:: Bee sent firmly ::. C'mere. Now's about the time when everything can get fixed or you can leave it for several days and stick a wedge between you two.::

In moments, Optimus' footsteps resonated through the corridors again.

::. She does not even look at me.:: Optimus sent to Bee's private channel.

::. She's not looking up period. She's got trapped in her own mind again.:: Bee sent sadly, looking up at Optimus as he walked into the med-bay. Kae still didn't look up.

::. Now what?.::

Bee listened intently to her music for a long moment more, that was a good song.

"Some things, we don't talk about, rather do without, just hold the smile. Falling in and out of love, the same damn problem, together all the while, you can never say never, why we don't know when time and time again, younger now then we were before don't let me go, don't let me go..."

Mikaela began sagging into herself, fighting herself.

::. Online your holo and walk up behind her.:: he sent quietly as the next verse began playing. ::. Hug her... now! Offer a penny for her process.::

"Picture, you're the queen of everything, as far as the eye can see, under your command."

Optimus evidently heard the song, his arms winding around her just as the: "I will be your guardian, when all is crumbling, steady your hand," played.

Mikaela leaned back into Optimus' chest. Her automatic response to him.

"Penny for your process?" Optimus rumbled softly.

"I'm sorry," Mikaela whispered. "I'm not sorry that I saved my brother, I'm sorry that doing so put me in so much danger. I'll gladly accept the danger to myself, I'm sorry that I make it so hard on you..." she babbled softly.

Optimus promptly turned her around in the holoform's arms and hugged her tight.

Bumblebee nodded to himself with a smile as she began crying softly into Optimus' holoform's chest.

Everything was back where it was supposed to be.

(MPOV)

I barely noticed the music that was playing. The ache of loneliness was worse today, it felt so wrong. I was back the way I'd always been.

"Some things, we don't talk about, rather do without, just hold the smile..."

Except now I knew the loneliness was there, now.

"...the same damn problem, together all the while..."

Optimus didn't deserve the hell I put him through, my dear, gentle-sparked bot. His reactions to other's danger were the same as my own.

"Don't let me go, don't let me go..."

What was worse was that my focus was turned inward, and I couldn't get it back out. My back felt open, unguarded.

Vulnerable.

That was a dangerous thing, not knowing what was happening around you.

"Picture, you're the queen of everything..." yeah, right. Bull. "As far as the eye can see, under your command."

Strong arms wound around me from behind.

"I will be your guardian, when all is crumbling, I'll steady your hand."

Automatically, I leaned back against the strong presence of my Optimus.

"Penny for your process?" he murmured gently.

"I'm sorry," I whispered. "I'm not sorry that I saved my brother, I'm sorry that doing so put me in so much danger. I'll gladly accept the danger to myself, I'm sorry that I make it so hard on you..." I began babbling softly. The ache of loneliness was becoming painful. Losing him would...

Optimus promptly turned me around on the chair and held me tight.

My dear, gentle-sparked, loving Optimus. I buried myself into his chest, the motion that I knew deep down always made him hum in contentment.

In moments, his face was pressed into my hair.

"Never apologize for being yourself, my Kae," Optimus murmured gently.

I began crying softly, knowing that he didn't mind.

My dear, sweet, gentle-sparked bot. He pulled back slightly and wiped my tears away with gentle fingers.

"You know why I get irritated with you, for putting yourself in danger." Optimus rumbled gently. "But with all of the information crammed into your mind I am going to remind you again. I love you, my Kae. I will always love you, your presence makes me strong, and losing you will mean losing myself."

"I will wait for you," I whispered, reaching up to cup his cheek. "No matter what happens to us in this life, you will never lose me."

"Good," Optimus smiled, gently taking my hand and pressing a kiss to my palm.

"Sorry to break up the adorableness, but you're needed in communications," Ironhide rumbled from the doorway.

"Ironhide!" Bumblebee protested, "they were just getting to the good bit!"

I jumped about a foot in the air.

"No fear, my Kae, I will protect you," Optimus murmured softly. I glanced up at the mischievous gleam in his holoform's eyes and felt my own sense of humour swell again. Optimus pulled me to my feet and promptly dipped me into an all-consuming kiss.

"Go for a drive later?" I murmured, smiling up at him.

"You have but to ask, and I will be at your side," Optimus rumbled with a smile. I kissed his holoform again before he winked it out.

Which made him stop for a second.

"What is that for?" he asked curiously.

"I liked the first one so much, I wanted a second," I murmured with an impish grin.

The holoform promptly winked out from under my hands. But of course all that really meant was that a temporal forcefield lightly nudged him to fall squarely onto the berth.

Barely a crash.

In the silence I turned my chair back around and continued working on the servo.

For about one second.

Then Ironhide was howling, Bee promptly plopped down onto a bench beside me with a broad grin. He put the Primary on speaker.

::. All-call, Jolt, tell the humans to come talk to Optimus in the med-bay.::

::. quick why.:: Jolt sent back quickly.

::. Uh... Bumblebee and Kae are still recovering from the damages, Optimus is on standby for post traumatic spark emergencies.:: Ironhide rumbled quickly.

::. Welcome to doctoring youngling, you done me proud.:: Ratchet sent back to him.

The Primary was howling the next moment.