[As far as Heather's concerned, the world may never know that its strongest man was a diminutive, mild-mannered novelist, but she knows the truth and that'll just have to be good enough. Ironhide no doubt would understand ol' man Mason's determination to keep his adopted child safe.]
[When the speakers come on, it startles her slightly, but she hits the voice button on her own 'Gear.]
[Normally, she might have protested... insisted she could look out for herself, or even tried to reassure him that she'd be fine, she had lots of people looking out for her.]
[But there is something in his voice right now that freezes any notion of saying such before it can so much as try to come out of her mouth. And... truth be told?]
[Lately, she's really been thinking a lot about just how lucky she is to have people who'd do that for her. People like Ironhide.]
... Thank you.
[She can tell that something terrible happened to him when he went back. Not a clue what it is, whether it's something new and devastating or just being re-immersed in the horrors of the war he often spoke of, but it's terrible, whatever it is.]
[So she'll just be saying thanks, completely sincerely.]
[...And you'd better not add anything about it just being a duty, buddy-- she knows that. She's thanking you anyway.]
[Voice // Private]
[When the speakers come on, it startles her slightly, but she hits the voice button on her own 'Gear.]
[Normally, she might have protested... insisted she could look out for herself, or even tried to reassure him that she'd be fine, she had lots of people looking out for her.]
[But there is something in his voice right now that freezes any notion of saying such before it can so much as try to come out of her mouth. And... truth be told?]
[Lately, she's really been thinking a lot about just how lucky she is to have people who'd do that for her. People like Ironhide.]
... Thank you.
[She can tell that something terrible happened to him when he went back. Not a clue what it is, whether it's something new and devastating or just being re-immersed in the horrors of the war he often spoke of, but it's terrible, whatever it is.]
[So she'll just be saying thanks, completely sincerely.]
[...And you'd better not add anything about it just being a duty, buddy-- she knows that. She's thanking you anyway.]