I have to make up for last week, so have some more! If you have requests then tell me. I shall attempt them all. Even crack. ;P What's a world without crack? DISCLAIMER: I don't own Transformers.

Theme 17: Hold My Hand (9/100)

It had been raining all evening and even now at 0034, Red Alert could hear the gentle sound of water running over the metal hull of the Ark. Perceptor was recharging peacefully against his chest, a data pad loosely clutched in his hand. The Security Director shook his helm and wriggled the data pad free from his mate's grip, sitting it aside. Lightning flashed outside as he settled down, his CPU wandering the various things. This night…it was like the night that they had first connected.

It was a stormy night at the Autobot Ark. The weather, like everything else, was driving Red Alert mad. His cameras were flickering. FLICKERING! Who knows what could have happened in that .013 second? He nearly blew a gasket when the screens went blank. He smashed his comm. button, calling the other mechs assigned patrol duty.

~"This is Red Alert. Halt all patrols and return to your quarters immediately." He said.

~"Uh….yes, sir?" Was the general reply from Bumblebee, Jazz, and Cliffjumper. None of them dared to ask if this was a joke, the promise of getting to recharge sooner was too nice to risk.

Red Alert locked everything as he prepared to leave. He intended to patrol himself, not trusting any other mechs to be roaming at the same time he was. What if one of them was planning to utilize the camera blackout to attack him? He sighed, shaking his helm and left the security room.

The red and white mech stalked confidently down the halls. If he were to appear weak then an attack was more likely. He kept his optics scanning but he was mentally lamenting the loss of his cameras.

To make things worse, it seemed as though the lights were about to follow suit of the cameras. The Security Director paused as they flickered once….twice….and a final time before becoming dark completely. He sighed and activated more scanners.

Perceptor had been working diligently in the lab when the lights began flickering. He was carefully sketching some concepts for a way to extract certain minerals from the volcano without upsetting its balance. He sat his pen aside to flex his digits when the lights went out.

"Oh…now where was that…?" The scientist shuffled around for moment before a 'click!'. Only seconds after that a fluorescent light hummed to life…except that the humming continued to increase in volume. Relieved, Perceptor could see once more. In time to realize his mistake. "Oh dear."

Red Alert was surprised to see a dark plume of smoke come whooshing out into the already dark hallway. His scanners showed him a Cybertronian signal in the expanding mass and he charged into the room it was emanating from, prepared for a quick Decepticon take down.

"Halt, Decepticon! It'll be better for us both if you just stay still." He called out to the moving figure in the smoke.

Decepticon?!? Perceptor sank back into the corner he had been taking refuge in, fearfully. He wasn't armed in any way and had no chance of surviving a fight with one. Think, Perceptor, think. He was pretty sure that the first person to arrive at a Decepticon intrusion would be…the Security Director.

"Red Alert?" Perceptor called tentatively. He didn't want to draw attention to himself if there really was a Decepticon on the loose and chose to make a break for the mech standing in the doorway. It didn't seem likely for a Decepticon to be standing around like that instead of escaping, so he chanced it.

"I said come out- whoa!" Red Alert saw someone coming at him and, luckily, managed to decipher their signal as Autobot before he raised his blaster. He reached out and caught the smaller mech with his free hand, sparing a last glance at the dark room before yanking the scientist down the hall and out of the smoke.

"Thank Primus, it really was you." Perceptor vented a sigh of relief as he was dragged along. He glanced up at the red and white mech through the dark. The only way he knew he was there was the hand clutching his own. "Where are we going?"

"To a safe place for you to stay. I will need to question you about the Decepticon once we get there. By the time you got to me there was no other signal, so they must have gotten away. I need to alert Prime and gather a party to search the perimeter. Can you remember anything right off? Was it a seeker? If so, we'll never catch them. Maybe a cassette? That little slagger Rumble is always poking his nose where-" Red Alert seemed to be on a roll, in his element, and in almost anyone else's optics, absolutely insane.

"What was the Decepticon doing?" Perceptor interjected politely. He analyzed what he remembered and none of had evidence of an intruder.

"Blowing things up, apparently! You were there, in the smoke, so how could you have missed them?" Red turned to look incredulously down at the smaller mech. Such 'memory loss' could be a potential front of a traitor.

"Oh! I…I think I understand what's going on here." Perceptor said with a smile. Red narrowed his optics in suspicion.

"Do you, now? Elaborate for me, then." The Security Director prompted.

"When the lights went out, I mistakenly turned on Wheeljack's…er, 'modified' lamp. As most of his things turn out, it quickly exploded into the cloud of smoke that you witnessed. I was the only one present in the room until you arrived." Perceptor offered, gazing up at the larger mech.

"If that's the case, why was it that 'you'" Red emphasized this with air quotes (of course, it was only for effect; the lights were still out), before grabbing the smaller mech's hand once more. "were hiding when I called out?"

"I thought that….if there was a Decepticon that I'd have no chance in a fight."

"But then you ran at me! What was with that non sequitur action? You were scared then attacked me!" The Security Director retorted, folding his arms across his chest, freeing the scientists hand to do so. They had stopped walking and were standing in front of a door.

"I was…" Perceptor paused to think. "I was glad that it was you. It might sound sparklingish but, I feel safe around you." He laughed softly, faceplates heating.

"Well…" Red had been caught of guard by the honest response. An unfamiliar feeling grew in his spark. It was trust. He relaxed and smiled. "That's my job."

The Security Director punched in the door code. When it slid open a dim light flickered to life and Red Alert held his arm out in a 'come in' gesture. Perceptor looked confused. He was still being hidden away? And what about that light?

"I thought that the power was out."

"It is. This is my failsafe lighting. Backup battery power. One can never know who may be waiting to ambush you in the dark."

"Oh…and why am I still being held? I thought we clarified-" Perceptor furrowed his optical ridges.

"Well…I thought you might feel safer in my quarters. Since there is no power anywhere else at the moment." The red and white mech offered. He could make out Perceptor's face by the dim lighting and it seemed as though the smaller mech was thinking it over. "You, uh, don't have to, of course. You're free to do as you please."

"I…I'll stay." The small black and red mech said. And he did.

Red Alert sighed as an alarm went off on his HUD. It was time for his shift. He glanced down at the small form snuggled against his side and felt guilty that he wouldn't likely see him again until the evening. He hadn't expected that his thoughts would turn into a memory purge during recharge. It hadn't been unpleasant. There had been a lot to learn but none of it changed his high opinion of the scientist.

After that night Red had learned of the reason that many mechs would attempt to convince Perceptor to stay in their quarters when he was greeted with a 'Good job.' from Sunstreaker who happened to be passing by when they had exited his quarters. He remembered the saddened look on Perceptor's faceplates and the sudden urge to smash the yellow Lamborghini's face in.

Red Alert nearly snarled at the thought. It still happened, the laughs, the comments behind hands, the slaggin' looks. He shook his helm in annoyance, shifting to swing his stabilizing servos over the edge of the berth.

"Mmmm-Red?" Perceptor onlined his optics to a dim setting. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, Percy. Just…thinking too much about things. You know me." The Security Director said, unable to resist the smile that the feel of his mate's concerned spark brought him. Someone he trusted.

"Is it time for your shift already?" The smaller mech shifted to lay at the edge of the berth where his mate sat, curling around the other mech as much as possible. "Do you, or rather, can you have midcycle rations with me today?"

"I can do that. Get some more recharge, though. You look exhausted." Red said, turning to look down at Perceptor. "Is 1300 a good time? I have to meet with Prime at 1200 but I'm sure I'll be done by then."

"That's fine with me. If I'm not in the Rec. Room, come and find me in the lab." The other mech nodded, optics off lining already.

I will. Red spoke softly through the bond. As he stood and grabbed a few data pads from his desk exiting the room only kliks later.

Red….will you hold my hand like…like that night, when you have rations with me today? Perceptor's eloquent voice floated into his consciousness via spark. He smiled and sent an agreement. Of course.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you for reading, that is. I appreciate all feedback and suggestions. I know my posts are irregular but I'm at the end of my semester and it must have been implemented by the Decepticons! It is successfully slaughtering me!