The Day We Hailed The Heavens

Chapter 22

Chapter Twenty-Two

Where Worlds Collide

Beep-beep.

Rose glanced down tiredly at her wristwatch, dragging herself from her half-doze at the sound it emitted as it announced four o'clock in the morning. She hadn't quite been asleep, but she hadn't exactly been awake, either, if the way that the day kept replaying in her head was anything to go by. She'd lost count of the number of times that she'd watched Alexis and Optimus boarding the Axalon; lost count of the number of times she had hugged her stepsister goodbye in her dreams, and seen the unfortunate girl run to Starscream one last time.

Poor thing, she thought to herself unhappily when she spied Starscream flying overhead, alone. And I never thought I'd say that.

She shifted in her position, remembering that she was in Ratchet's cab when she felt the seatbelt around her waist. He had put it round her in such a way that enabled her to remain lying across the seats, but would keep her safe in the unlikely event of a crash. Her back ached a little from lying so strangely, but she didn't want to move.

A dehydrated groan escaped her and she sat up, rubbing her eyes with one hand. The blanket around her shoulders slipped a little and she hitched it back up, shivering in spite of the heating that had been switched on.

"Are you well, Rose?" Ratchet's deep, concerned voice enquired from the speakers, and she glanced at the steering wheel with a weak smile.

"Fine, thanks..." she sighed heavily, her voice hoarse as she retied her loose ponytail. Her eyes were burning from her tears at the Pentagon and a headache was gnawing at her temples, but she didn't want to bother him with something as inconsequential as that. "Are you okay? You must be exhausted after all this driving..."

Ratchet chuckled softly. "I have driven further in my time, my dear. Do not concern yourself over my welfare... worry about your own."

"Alright," she agreed wearily, propping the pillow up against the passenger door and leaning back on it, the back of her head against the window. Something suddenly occurred to her, and she glanced at the steering wheel again with her reddened eyes. "Ratchet... um, maybe this is a stupid question, but when did you become my secondary guardian again?"

The medic was silent for a moment before he responded. "I... not too long ago. All of the humans must have a secondary guardian in case the primary guardian falls in battle, and you were without either... so when Barricade enrolled as the primary, I offered to act as the secondary." He paused for a moment before he continued. "Would you rather have had someone else?"

"Oh - no, no," she said hastily, realising her mistake and flushing. "I don't mind at all. I was just wondering."

They fell into a slightly uncomfortable silence again, and Rose prayed that she hadn't sounded unappreciative of his offer... she had just been curious. She was very interested in why Barricade had offered to be her primary guardian, too, but she chose not to question the matter any further. They know best, she supposed as rationally as she could, and if that was how they wanted it... then who was she to complain? She wasn't about to argue with them when they were leaderless and barely enthusiastic enough to talk, let alone fight a monster.

But the two of them had been acting so strangely! The way they had been looking daggers at each other the entire time... the way Barricade had been so heated and possessive of her... why ever would he have such a problem with her being with Ratchet for the journey? They had acted like children fighting over a plaything, and she was both suspicious of and unhappy with it. She was a person, not a bloody object...