TFA 'verse. Autobot base in Detroit. Myrrh.
Optimus watched Ratchet growl at Bumblebee and Witchblade, then turned his head and nodded as Prowl commed him with where he and Koko were headed.
"Well." Ratchet frowned as he watched the two ninjas leave. "It's about time."
Optimus smiled slightly as he realized that the pair were holding hands as they often had before the attack. That sight, on top of Bumblebee's annoying cheekiness today, soothed his spark with the assurance that his team was going to be alright.
"I'm bored." The little yellow mech in question suddenly hung his head dramatically over the arm of the couch and made his 'I'm dead' face.
Ratchet scowled at him, then grumbled and got to his feet. "Prime, I'm going to see if I can find anything about that pink and purple femme."
"Alright. Stay in contact."
"Teach your grandmother to suck eggs." Ratchet paused and looked at a Witchblade who was suddenly grinning at him hopefully and bouncing on her feet. "What? Oh fine. But don't start talking about everything. Bumblebee, come on."
"What???" The small speedster looked over the back of the couch with wide-opticked shock. "You mean outside? In case you haven't noticed it's cold out there!"
"You want another dent to go with the one you got from running into Bulkhead this morning?"
"Fine... but if I get ice crystals in my fuel lines it's gonna be all your fault." Bumblebee zipped off the couch, then put his wheels down and went charging out the door to land in the big snowdrift in the front court.
"Thought he was afraid of snow..." muttered Ratchet, grumbling as he stomped out of the room with Witchblade at his heels.
Optmus chuckled and watched them go, then perked an audio receiver toward Blackarachnia's room. The tiny femme had locked herself in earlier, pronouncing herself under arrest. But he was nearly certain that she was off exploring in one or other of the nexxi.
He checked in with Bulkhead and Bandit, then turned his head as he heard the door open. "Hello?"
"It's only me," said a soft voice.
"Bitt... Myrrh." He smiled, feeling a slight weight lift off his spark. "I didn't know you were coming."
"Primus said it would be a good time to visit." She walked in and gave him her usual calm smile. "And don't worry. I'm fine."
Optimus flushed slightly as she caught his thread of concern and responded to it. "Er... right."
Then he sighed and carefully studied her for damage anyway, finding the instinct he'd picked up from his stint in Blackarachnia's body too powerful to deny. He knew what it meant now, and why he'd been so worried about the little femme while she was separated from him. 'Daddy Optimus', Blackarachnia often called him with non-hateful mockery since they'd found out who 'Bittersweet' really was. And he knew it was true. He wasn't organic, but he had a good inkling now how they felt about their offspring.
Myrrh stood and watched the television for a moment, letting herself be examined, then turned her head and grinned as she walked over to sit beside him. "You're feeling better."
"Yeah." He smiled back, then reached into a storage compartment. "I got Captain Fanzone to bring me something for you. Humans like it... so I was wondering if you would."
"Oh?" She perked with interest, head tilting quizzically.
"Yes. It's called 'candy'." He pulled out the small bag of hard sugar pellets and offered it to her.
"Hmmmmm. Thank you." She accepted it and lay the bag in her lap as she took out one of the gaily wrapped treats and examined it before nibbling and then munching it wrapper and all. "Oh."
"Do you like it?" asked Optimus uncertainly.
"Yes." She smiled and ate another one. "Thank you. Please tell the Captain too, if you see him before I do?"
"Sure." He smiled as well, then turned to watch as the history program he'd been waiting for came on.
Silence fell over the plant, broken only by the barely audible murmur of the television and the soft crunching as Myrrh ate her candy. Optimus was so caught up in the program that he didn't notice that his arm had gone around Myrrh's shoulders in an unconscious protective gesture, or that the little femme was leaning against him contentedly as she too watched the TV.
* * *
Blackarachnia watched from the entrance to the hallway, her expressionless faceplate giving no hint of the soft smile she was feeling as she took in the contentment and peace on Optimus' face. She was surprised that the scene roused no jealousy in her, but all she felt was her own contentment. Optimus and his little bot belonged together, and Myrrh was no threat to the place that Blackarachnia knew that she herself still held in the tall mech's spark.
She nodded, then made a derogatory mental comment about the program they were watching as she turned to go back to her room and do a little more nexus-hopping.
"Well." Ratchet frowned as he watched the two ninjas leave. "It's about time."
Optimus smiled slightly as he realized that the pair were holding hands as they often had before the attack. That sight, on top of Bumblebee's annoying cheekiness today, soothed his spark with the assurance that his team was going to be alright.
"I'm bored." The little yellow mech in question suddenly hung his head dramatically over the arm of the couch and made his 'I'm dead' face.
Ratchet scowled at him, then grumbled and got to his feet. "Prime, I'm going to see if I can find anything about that pink and purple femme."
"Alright. Stay in contact."
"Teach your grandmother to suck eggs." Ratchet paused and looked at a Witchblade who was suddenly grinning at him hopefully and bouncing on her feet. "What? Oh fine. But don't start talking about everything. Bumblebee, come on."
"What???" The small speedster looked over the back of the couch with wide-opticked shock. "You mean outside? In case you haven't noticed it's cold out there!"
"You want another dent to go with the one you got from running into Bulkhead this morning?"
"Fine... but if I get ice crystals in my fuel lines it's gonna be all your fault." Bumblebee zipped off the couch, then put his wheels down and went charging out the door to land in the big snowdrift in the front court.
"Thought he was afraid of snow..." muttered Ratchet, grumbling as he stomped out of the room with Witchblade at his heels.
Optmus chuckled and watched them go, then perked an audio receiver toward Blackarachnia's room. The tiny femme had locked herself in earlier, pronouncing herself under arrest. But he was nearly certain that she was off exploring in one or other of the nexxi.
He checked in with Bulkhead and Bandit, then turned his head as he heard the door open. "Hello?"
"It's only me," said a soft voice.
"Bitt... Myrrh." He smiled, feeling a slight weight lift off his spark. "I didn't know you were coming."
"Primus said it would be a good time to visit." She walked in and gave him her usual calm smile. "And don't worry. I'm fine."
Optimus flushed slightly as she caught his thread of concern and responded to it. "Er... right."
Then he sighed and carefully studied her for damage anyway, finding the instinct he'd picked up from his stint in Blackarachnia's body too powerful to deny. He knew what it meant now, and why he'd been so worried about the little femme while she was separated from him. 'Daddy Optimus', Blackarachnia often called him with non-hateful mockery since they'd found out who 'Bittersweet' really was. And he knew it was true. He wasn't organic, but he had a good inkling now how they felt about their offspring.
Myrrh stood and watched the television for a moment, letting herself be examined, then turned her head and grinned as she walked over to sit beside him. "You're feeling better."
"Yeah." He smiled back, then reached into a storage compartment. "I got Captain Fanzone to bring me something for you. Humans like it... so I was wondering if you would."
"Oh?" She perked with interest, head tilting quizzically.
"Yes. It's called 'candy'." He pulled out the small bag of hard sugar pellets and offered it to her.
"Hmmmmm. Thank you." She accepted it and lay the bag in her lap as she took out one of the gaily wrapped treats and examined it before nibbling and then munching it wrapper and all. "Oh."
"Do you like it?" asked Optimus uncertainly.
"Yes." She smiled and ate another one. "Thank you. Please tell the Captain too, if you see him before I do?"
"Sure." He smiled as well, then turned to watch as the history program he'd been waiting for came on.
Silence fell over the plant, broken only by the barely audible murmur of the television and the soft crunching as Myrrh ate her candy. Optimus was so caught up in the program that he didn't notice that his arm had gone around Myrrh's shoulders in an unconscious protective gesture, or that the little femme was leaning against him contentedly as she too watched the TV.
* * *
Blackarachnia watched from the entrance to the hallway, her expressionless faceplate giving no hint of the soft smile she was feeling as she took in the contentment and peace on Optimus' face. She was surprised that the scene roused no jealousy in her, but all she felt was her own contentment. Optimus and his little bot belonged together, and Myrrh was no threat to the place that Blackarachnia knew that she herself still held in the tall mech's spark.
She nodded, then made a derogatory mental comment about the program they were watching as she turned to go back to her room and do a little more nexus-hopping.