Lauren sighs, hair blowing in her face. Annoyed she pushes the golden strands back and wrinkles her nose. The sun is going down and the sky is beautiful as usual, yet to Lauren it just reminds her she is now someone without a home./p
You are here alone. It is not wise." Her head barely reaches the middle ofem his/em lower leg, the way she sits with her own dangling over the abandoned bridge they are staying tonight, looking into the abyss. " Does it matter?" she says. "I've loved Tessa as my little sister since she was young and what does she do? She abandons me to a decepticon in favour of her boyfriend. She might as well have shot me in the head."
"You are angry." Optimus says. It's not a question, just an observation. "She is young." He says soothingly. " Young and still foolish." -"It doesn't matter!" Lauren spits. " I ran after her and protected her from a decepticon, nearly dying myself, and without even thnking of that fact, she pushes me off and screams at me and then runs to smooch with her boyfriend. He's not the one who jumped after her, did he?" Optimus sighs. ' I suppose not."
"I suppose it hurts if you look at it like that." Lauren says nothing and watched the ground below. The clanking and wirring of metal legs surprise her and then Optimus sits next to her as well as he can. " I don't like it when you are worried." He says. Lauren doesn't answer. Her hair moves in the breeze slowly and for a moment she closes her eyes. Optimus's hands are so big, yet it's nothing but with a certain adoration his big hand rests softly upon her head and bathes her sunny world in shadow.
Lauren sighs again and then pulls her legs up to her chest. " Shouldn't you be planning with Cade?" She says, clearly still upset. " " Cade can be alone for the moment." Then his hand moves and his hand taps her softly in the back, a sign for her to sit up a little. His hand scoops her up and she is soon seated on his shoulder. " I need to tell you something."
He sighs and then some wirring resounds and out of nowhere a picture appears. Lauren takes it and stares at it. It's a picture, slightly crooked and faded, yet she can make out Ratchet and Ironhide in the background and in the front two young women.
One has long blonde hair, pale skin, brown eyes and light freckles on her below her eyes, on the top of her cheeks. The young woman holds a camera and does a kiss-face in the lens, and Ironhide's fingers can be seen around her waist. Next to her, around which the blonde woman's arm is wrapped, is a pale woman, slightly suntanned with long brown hair, smiling softly in the camera, and Lauren can see she is sitting on Ratchet's hand. What is striking about her the most however is her two coloured tone eyes, her right eye blue and left one green.
In the background the Autobots smile at the young women in front of them. " Who are they?" Lauren asks and turns her head to Optimus. " They were my friends, and Ironhide's and Ratchet's lover. That is Chloe-" He points to the blonde woman. " Ironhide's girlfriend. And that's Sarah. Ratchet's girlfriend." He points to the brown-haired woman. "This was taken a little while before the Chicago war. Sarah was 27 at that moment and Chloe 23."
Lauren can feel oncoming dread. " What happened to them? " she croaks. Optimus is silent. " They were hunted like animals, murdered by their own kind for loving one of mine." His voice is loud, angry. Lauren is silent, and sadness can be read from her posture. " It is time I tell you what happened." He puts away the picture and puts the young blonde haired woman next to him and then he starts to tell the story of Sarah and Chloe.
It's dark. So dark they can barely see their feet. Sarah heaves, breath coming difficultly.
They've been on the run all night. Though they are ahead of their enemies, it will not last long. " Autobots." Optimus says. " The moment has come." A silence falls over them and Sarah looks up, brown hair hanging in her face and two colored eyes frowning. " What moment?" Next to Ironhide Chloe perks up as well, long blonde hair and freckled face wrinkling.
" What are you talking about Optimus?" The autobots look at each other uneasily, awkward. " It is time." "Time for what, Prime?" Chloe snarls. Ironhide tries to placate her but she steps around his arms, indignant and upset./p
" We are going to split up for now." Optimus says, voice neutral. -" Split up, wh..?" Sarah mumbles. And then it is clear to the brown-haired woman like a thunderstrike. " You are all splitting up because it's safer." She mumbles. Her heart thuds in her chest, disbelief colouring her sight. The air roars in her ears and she can hear Chloe, the most vocal of both of them, huffing hysterically, protesting Optimus's decision.
"Sarah's heart is still pounding and for a moment she thinks with disbelief this cannot be it. She thinks back to everything. To the aftermath of the battle of Chicago when suddenly the streets were littered with posters to report alien activity. The fear of walking the streets at night when it was dark and she could hear people clamoring for heads of transformers, good and bad alike.
The upset when she saw the body of robotfriends she'd known. The torn bodies on the television, the tears and her heart breaking as she watched the news who presented it as a sensational event, the nights she cried herself to sleep. She remembers Ratchet grieving, hearing his movements and arms pounding on the ground and his struggle through the walls of her house.
She remembers hiding him in her garden, under old scraps to keep him hidden. She remembers a cold night when Chloe phoned her and cried and said Arcee had been taken and killed. She remembered turning on the television and watching Arcee's broken body lying on the cold ground, and going outside and her hand squeezing Ratchet's fingertip as she cried and he heaved, grunting, grieving in silence.
She remembers the nights where she was asleep on his chest; to scared to stay in her house if they should run.
It's funny how it was none else but the small Decepticon that used to stay with Mikaela -Wheelie- that warns them of the fact they've been ratted out.
And indeed, barely has he warned her or her house is stormed by dozens of men in black and darkblue clothing.
"Miss!" Sarah turns, just ready and out of the shower. She's brushing her hair when she hears the small voice and sees a small silhouette out of the corner of her eyes. " Wheelie?" The small Decepticon nods. " You have to hurry, young lady." Sarah frowns.
" Why?" " No time!" The decepticon says, twitching as he looks around. " They are after you! The special ops, Cemetery Wind." Her heart wrenches in her chest for a small moment and then her bedroomwindow breaks. Jumping through is a man in black with a mask on his face. " Sarah Reynolds, you are under arrest!" Sarah blinks, heart thudding, hand in front of her.
" No you don't. Ayee!" Wheelie swings himself at the man and gives Sarah the time to take what she needs. A backpack with everything, clothes, food, sanitary products as well as the most of her personal stuff are ready. She grabs hold of it, trudges down the stairs and runs to the backdoor. Yet there are many of them. She hears other windows breaking and more men arrive. Screaming for her to stop. Then one points his gun and her eyes widen. The brown-haired woman ducks and hears the bullets impact behind her. Sarah stumbles through her door, into her yard but she is too late. She late. One grabs at her foot and sends her sprawling to the floor.
" Stay down!" The man snarls, pushing her down harshly and she hears her bones creak and then she screams. It is enough to wake Ratchet. Suddenly a large yellow-greenish hand swipes at the men around her, sending them flying meters away. " Sarah!" Ratchet shouts and then he is up and grabs her none to gently by her middle and then starts to move with great steps. The soldiers shout but before they can do anything Ratchet turns to his vehicle form with Sarah in it and leaves at high speed./em/p
" Where to now?"
Ratchet answers through the radio. " Now we find Optimus. Go to sleep. I'll wake you if I need your help." The car shudders and warms, and Sarah still shook by what happened, shaking, teeth chattering, sinks down, tears running over her cheeks." Sleep." Ratchet says. " I will keep you safe." Saarah sinks in the back seat and listens to the monotonous roaring of the car beneath her and eventually falls asleep.
-
Chloe sighs and sits up. " Like I told you already. " She spits. " I know nothing of Sarah and the autobot she was with. I wasn't even aware she left!"
-" Bullshit." The cop calls and smashes his fist on the table. " You've been in contact with them, have you not?" -" During the battle of Chicago!" Chloe yells indignantly." Afterwards not anymore!"
" You..-!" The policeman nearly lunges at her. Chloe turns her head and huffs, refusing to speak. " It's okay, get someting to drink." A man says. He is older, with short cropped grey hair. " Miss Davis. " He drawls. " My name is Luke Savoy. Special agent of the C.I. A." Chloe raises a brow. " So?" Agent Savoy walks slowly around the table and then stands next to her. " We have reason to think you are hiding secret related to the autobots."
Chloe huffs " I told you already, I know nothing of autobots." -" Do you?" Agent Savoy says. He stands closer and Chloe starts to feel uneasy. She looks at him and then suddenly, lighting fast, he grips her hair and tears her head backward. A pained gasp leaves her. " Do you know my specialty, miss Davis?" He growls. " I am a hitman, a trained assasin." Chloe gasps again but the man, Agent Savoy, doesn't say anthing before slamming her head into the table.
Vision swimming, pain radiating through her head, Chloe falls backwards and crawls to a corner. She feels her nose bleeding and she knows her cheeks will be big and swollen. The young woman with blonde hair shudders as the special agent, kneels in front of her, down to her height. " What I did is the least I can do. I can make this painful for you or we can go the easy way where you tell me everything you know." -" I will never tell you. Never." Chloe heaves.
" Too bad." Savoy says. He takes hold of her arm and then swings her around, until she smashes agian into the table. He repeats it several times, until Chloe cannot breathe properly. "Still not telling?" -" Fuck you! I will not tell you anything. Never, you hear me? I will never tell you!"/em/p
"Your courage is foolish. " Savoy says. " But if you really don't want to say anything, no reason to keep you alive." Before he can point his gun, an enormous light lights up the small police room. Chloe hears the familiar whirring of guns and cannons and then a huge cannon stares Agent Savoy in the face. " Let .her. go." A large black autobot stands in the window, optics crinkled with anger. Savoy looks up and his eyes flicker for a second to the trigger of his gun. " Don't try." Ironhide snarls. " Or i'll terminate you here before you have fired your shot." His eyes flicker to Chloe and his metal nose wrinkles in angryness.
" Chloe." He grumbles deadly, voice low and threathening. Chloe, with a bloody chin and bloody clothes, hair a mess, crawls towards the large robot outside and into his outstretched hand. Then he deposits her into the arms of Bumblebee. " Let's go!" " She recognizes Sideswipe, who takes her from Bumblebee and starts skating away. " Bring her to Ratchet!" One of the twins shout. It is the last time she will see The Twins and Sideswipe alive.
And now here they are. The six of them are standing together. Optimus nods to all of them. " Autobots, it was a pleasure to fight by your side." -" No." Chloe's voice is small.
Her brows are furrowed and tears form in her eyes. Before she knows she is crying, freckled face wet and shaking. " I will miss you, Chloe. Be safe." The autobot-leader speaks. Chloe nods and shakes Optimus hand. Next comes Bumblebee."I will never forget you." He plays as song. Chloe smiles through her tears and then hugs his face as best as she can. Next she steps up to Ratchet and nods to him and pats his large hand.
She watches as Sarah says her goodbyes to everyone. Kissing Bumblebee's cheek and squeezing Ironhide's arm. She then smiles up to Optimus and claps his hands with her own, a small teary smile appearing on her face. " It is time to go." Ratchet says. Sarah nods and then turns to her best friend.
She frowns and her tears start anew. Sarah hiccups and then is in Chloe's arms, both girls hugging each other so tightly it's not clear where one begins and one ends. They stand like this for a while. " I will miss you." Chloe says. Sarah nods. " Me too." They both smile, though still crying. " You take care of yourself alright?" Chloe huffs. Sarah nods. "You too. don't forget to drink enough water."-" And you don't forget to sleep and don't pull all nighters." They hug each other a last time and then step away, still holding on to each other's arms.
" It's time to go." Ironhide says again. Then Chloe's face changes into a determined look and she nods and steps away. Ironhide turns into a truck and waits. Chloe opens the door of the black vehicle and looks one last time at all of them, waves to Sarah and then steps in and closes the door.
Sarah sees her go with an aching heart and then hiccups one last time before following Ratchet's hand on her small shoulder. She looks at all of them, her friends, and whispers. " Be safe."
Then she steps into the green and yellow medical vehicle and watches until all cars; the camaro, the GMC and the large blue truck go out of sight. She still cries, head against the window. But Ratchet says nothing. The Autobot's goodbyes were just as heartbreaking and so they both wallow in their own grief for the moment, riding farther and farther away from their former life.