When We Seared The Sky

Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen

Aurora Borealis

A month and three days later, the base was under siege. But, for the first time, it was not a Decepticon siege with the sole aim of bringing down the Autobot force. This was a siege of a different nature, a siege that involved Mikaela Banes perching on Ratchet’s palm as he held her up to the communications system and watched her curiously as she viciously attacked the room with spray-on snow and tinsel.

“I still do not quite understand the purpose of this decoration,” the medic admitted.

Mikaela sighed, stretching up to tie a red ribbon around a pipe. “It’s pretty,” she explained matter-of-factly, her shirt hiking up to show off her toned stomach as she tied a bow with the ribbon and then moved back to admire her work. “And I want to get it done before the others wake up.”

Ratchet grimaced and looked towards the base, which had been turned into some sort of grotto. The amount of sequins and glitter that winked at him from every angle was quite blinding, and made him smile a little when he thought of what the Decepticons would think if they attacked the base now. Outside, snow was coming down thick and fast, and there was already a thick blanket of white, sparkling snow covering the area around the base.

“Oh, why does it have to me that gets the early bird charge?” he grumbled, although he was not serious. She turned and grinned at him as he lowered her carefully to the floor.

“Because,” she said, hopping from his palm and landing neatly with her legs slightly bent, “That’s just your appalling luck, isn’t it?”

“Indeed,” Ratchet agreed wearily, watching as she dashed over to the immense Christmas tree that she had somehow convinced him to bring to the base. She made a few adjustments to the snowflake decorations that were dangling from every branch, looking at the plant quite lovingly. “Madam, I sense that someone is coming,” he warned her.

She spun around gracefully like an ice dancer, exhilaration sparkling in her aqua eyes. “Who?”

“Ironhide,” he informed her.

A wicked grin spread across her tanned face and she raised a dark eyebrow at him. “Brilliant,” she smirked before she ducked behind the branches of the Christmas tree, crouching down behind the gargantuan pile of presents that lay beneath it. Ratchet eyed her curiously for a moment but she waved him off, pressing a finger to her lips.

Ironhide finally made his appearance in the doorway, looking drained and cantankerous as usual. He stopped dead in the doorway and stared about the decorated room, optics snapping from one spangle to another, eyeing each sparkling sequin with the utmost horror. “Ratchet,” he exploded. “What the Pit have you done to the slagging communications room?!”

Mikaela then dashed out from her branch and flung her arms around Ironhide’s leg, causing him to point his plasma cannon at her in shock and let out a yell of surprise at her random move. “Happy Christmas, Ironhide!” she carolled cheerily, grinning up at him appealingly with her big, blue-green eyes wide and pretty.

Unable to contain his mirth, Ratchet promptly burst out laughing, watching as Ironhide shook Mikaela off as if she was a bug of some sort. Mikaela seemed unperturbed by his open display of contempt and merely continued to grin like a Cheshire cat. “Oh Ironhide, you really left your sense of fun back on Cybertron, didn’t you?” he chuckled, observing the older robot as he gave Mikaela a death glare.

“Yes,” Ironhide barked.

The young woman beamed under his look and gestured towards the Christmas tree. “Look, you’ve got presents!” she chirped, trying to make it sound exciting and positively bouncing with enthusiasm as she indicated the large pile of wrapped parcels bearing the name ‘Ironhide’. “They’re all for you, Ironhide. Isn’t it lovely?”