The Pulsing Darkness

Chapter Fourteen

The road was bumpy ahead. Literally and figuratively. Michael had been shifting under Carrie's stare. She would occasionally glance at her for long moments before looking at the back doors and repeat. Michael asked lots of questions along the way, mostly to distract himself from his older sister's stare. Questions like, 'Does it feel weird to drive us? We're like inside you.', 'If I screamed would you feel it?' (which he got a negative response from the bot and Carrie), 'Are we inside your stomach?', and 'Can I sit up front?'. From the lack of responses or enthusiasm, Michael had finally gone quiet. Carrie swallowed the lump in her throat.

"Aren't you traumatized?" Carrie whispered, her voice hoarse. Michael blinked before lowering his head. 

"I'm scared to go to sleep..." He mumbled his confession. "But these guys saved us...I can't push them away." He said hugging his knees gently. "And I really like Ironhide. He's really nice." He smiled. 

"But he has giant guns! How aren't you scared?" Carrie cried childishly. 

"I think it's cool," He shrugged, before wincing. "And he hasn't shot or squished me yet. I trust him." 

"You trust a stranger?" Carrie asked with disbelief. Has he not listened to their Mom at all? Does he not remember the time at the mall when he took a liking to one of the customers in Macy's? If their Mom hadn't been there he would have had his picture on a milk carton and the police searching for him. She gave him quite the lecture about boundaries that day. 

"He's not a stranger," Michael hissed as he corrected her. "He's an Autobot." Carrie rolled her eyes. 

"I still don't trust him," She muttered.

"No one said you had to." Michael huffed and looked away. Carrie blinked in surprise at his retort. It wasn't much for the snap but his words. Michael never really liked her. Michael never really understood Carrie and why she behaved crudely to him. She always tried to be the awesome older sibling that would take the younger to arcades and things but she was just naturally too sour to fit that role and he rejected her help. He was a bubbly little thing and she was the opposite. Carrie didn't use to be and Michael knew it. He didn't let her know though. But he could see it, especially with all the pictures around the house. She was smiling in all of them until their father stopped appearing in the photographs. Michael desperately wanted to understand but he knew he wouldn't. So he let it be because he never truly wanted to hurt his sister's feelings.

"Alright, enough of the drama back there. We're almost there and I think if I hear one more sentence out of either of you, my audios might just finish rusting."

"Ha! You said back there! So we're in your butt!" Michael grinned. Ratchet suppressed a groan of exasperation. Carrie facepalmed. 

...

"So how old are you exactly?" Michael asked as he watched Ratchet help Carrie out of his alt mode. Ratchet groaned and helped Carrie take a step down. 

"Why didn't I let you ride with Ironhide?" Ratchet grumbled in annoyance. A deep chuckle was expressed behind Michael. 

"You love kids, Ratchet. Don't act like you don't." Ironhide said as he knelt down to them. Ratchet huffed and smirked slightly.

"Would you like to take Michael off my hands for the time being then?" Michael lit up at that. "And when I ask for his return you can get your finishing repairs." Ratchet grinned widely. Ironhide's expression fell though as Michael's rose.

"Yes! Please, oh, Please!" Michael grabbed Ironhide's pede and tugged. It did nothing against him but made Ironhide more nervous.

"Yeah, and I could drop him off then be on my way cause I'm doing just fine, just..." A gulp. "Need some energon." He finished as he began avoiding the medic's holoforms gaze. Carrie blinked in amazement. The large black Autobot afraid of the medic's holoform intimidating stare. Carrie wondered just what kind of a medic this Autobot could be. Michael cheered happily. 

"So turn on your holoform, Ironhide." Ratchet smiled sweetly. Ironhide shifted before grunting, his helm turning as he looked away. "Mhm, that's what I thought." Ironhide opened his mouth to object. "See you then," Ratchet said cutting him off. Michael whooped and threw his arms up in the air. Ironhide lowered his helm and grumbled a few Cybertronian curse words. Ironhide stood and waved a servo. 

"Let's go, kid, I have a few mechs you ought to meet." He said as they began walking away. Michael was practically bouncing from joy, although his injuries limited his from actually jumping.Carrie had been leaning against the back doors as she watched the exchange. 

"So what now? Where do I go?" She whispered, her eyes then brightened with hope. "Could I use a phone?"  

"No." Ratchet said and shut the back doors. Carrie's face fell. 

"Oh." She sighed and felt her hands twitch at her sides. Ratchet looked at her through the corner of his eye and felt his shoulders slump. 

"But only until after Optimus gets everything settled...would you like something to eat?" Ratchet asked carefully. Carrie smiled slightly as her hope rose again.

"That would be great."