This time…
Chapter One: I'm in your arms again…
There is a pressure. There is this bleeding pain. It radiates within me, covering me in this veil of shadow, this veil of doubt in myself. Something that tells me I am no better than the smallest grain of sand. That with the simple move of the tide I will be simply lost…to everyone, and everything I have ever known.
How right I am. The time is slow in passing, and when you least expect it; it moves faster than you can take note of. This is my struggle, to get through day to day; to make my mark on this world lasting…and go out as a pearl, and not simply a grain of sand. I had received the message the night before. He was home, and sending me an escort to bring me to his side.
I watched the sun rise from my seat on the porch, the cup of Coffee in my hand. The steam rising up bringing the sweet smell to my nose. I love moments like these, moments of Peace, moments of clarity. I closed my eyes taking a sip of the warm drink and looked out. I could feel him coming; as surely as I could smell the rain in the spring.
The large black truck came to a halt outside my home. I smiled as the tall man jumped out and walked up to my door. I looked up at him with solid eyes. "It's time, you must come with me." I nodded to him. "Please, hurry." I stood.
"Wait here." I said quietly and stood turning into the house to get my things. The hologram stood outside my door. It had been a long time since I had been called to their sides. After changing I opened the door once again moving outside. I pulled the door behind me and smiled. "I am ready now Old friend."
The hologram extended his arm. I took it and he lead me down to his alt-form. The door opened without a hand to the door itself. I smiled and climbed inside and slid down into the seats I had missed. His hologram rounded the truck and took a seat in the driver's side seat next to me. "Prime will be happy to see you, we are all glad you are coming back."
"The time has not been long for you all." I said speaking of the Cybertronians. "The five years have taken their toll on me."
"How's your knee?" Ironhide turned his hologram to me as he pulled away from my home.
"It's been fine…it will outlast me." I smiled and reached over placing a hand on the hologram's shoulder. "How is he?"
Ironhide smiled "He missed you…" He said quietly. "He is waiting for you."
"I know." I spun the small ring on my hand around in circles. "I when I got ratchet's message yesterday I was thrilled to say the least."
"That's good." He smiled.
"How's Ellena?" I asked and gave him a tap on the shoulder .
"She is well…thank you…she said she would be happy to see you again." He smiled and turned down another road to the highway to take us out of the city. I closed my eyes and listened to Ironhide drive, I could hear the pavement beneath the car, but I could also heart a beat. The beat of his spark, and the lines that carried the Energon through his body I could feel those too. He was almost purring.
"Are you glad to be back on Earth?"
"Earth is my home now…and for the past few deca-cycles it's the only place I've wanted to be." He smiled "Honestly."
"Is that so?" I asked sweetly.
"Yes." He nodded and pulled down a side road. There were signs blocking the road and a small cop car. The man beside the cop car waved and Ironhide waved back pulling down the road.
"Was that another of Optimus' men?"
"Yes, that would be Prowl." Ironhide smiled. "He was glad to get here, but he's been concerned with security. Prime nearly ordered him to let you and Ellena on base…Prowl has been…against it." Ironhide smiled and pulled up to a small building. I jumped out and Ironhide transformed. I looked up to the mech and smiled.
"Take me to Prime." I said firmly
"Yes, this way." He motioned back to an extremely large hanger and pulled the door back allowing me to enter. I saw him talking with a few other of his people, standing at full height in this place. I smiled, the humans finally found a building old Prime would fit in standing tall. "Ahem." Ironhide cleared his vocal processor.
I saw him turn and look down. The large panels over his face pulled back, and he smiled. I nodded to him knowing he was busy and that I would wait. He handed a small data pad over to the smaller of the two bots. The small bots saluted Optimus and turned to leave. I started to walk up to him as he took lumbering steps toward me.
"Jo." He smiled and leaned down holding out his hand. I climbed up and he pulled me up to his chest. "I have missed you so."
"And I have missed you." I said quietly back. "Five years is a long time to wait."
"But you have…and I am home now." He smiled. "I am not leaving."
"I will have your Prowl see to it that you don't." I smiled reaching up touching the side of the panel that made up his jaw line. He laughed a bit.
"As you wish." He smiled and turned to Ironhide. "I'll be back."
"Any orders?" Ironhide asked.
"No…you're in Charge here until prowl gets back, then send Sideswipe out to the road to keep guard. We are still on full alert." Ironhide nodded to Optimus who carried me back outside and set me to the ground. I watched his transformation. I love watching it, it's so fluid and so awe inspiring. The passenger side door opened wide and a hand was held out. The hologram had not changed. I smiled up into his eyes and took the hand leaping up into the Cab.
Optimus pulled back down the same road Ironhide had brought me in on. He stopped at Prowl who's hologram jumped up on Optimus' side boards. "Yes sir?"
"Prowl this is Jo, she will be staying on Base for the time being." He smiled.
"Ma'am." He nodded with a less than confident look.
"Prowl." I addressed him quietly.
"I've left Ironhide in charge of the Base until your shift here is over, Sideswipe will come to relieve you in about a mega-cycle." Optimus said. "We will be gone for the rest of the night and will return at dawn." Optimus reached up adjusting the hologram's tie. "Please don't let the twins burn the place down…"
"Of course not sir." Prowl smirked a bit before jumping down. "Have a good night sir."
"You too Prowl." Optimus turned to me.
"Optimus one more thing." Prowl hopped up again and smiled to him. "Arcee has sent word, she and Springer are on their way down to Earth."
"Very good…I will see you all in the morning." Optimus allowed the hologram to jump back to the road, before he rolled up his driver side window and looked both ways, pulling out onto the main highway. "I have a lot more mechs to deal with."
"Arcee?" I asked quietly.
"Yes.." Optimus said "She is a fine soldier."
"She is like you?" I asked with a laugh.
"Yes…she's a femme…they are rare now that Cyberton is no more, but we are happy to have them." Optimus downshifted himself and smiled to me reaching over taking my hand.
"And this Springer?" I asked quietly.
"Is Arcee's bonded." He smiled "He would not leave her side." He smiled and squeezed my hand. "Like I will never leave yours again."
"Thank you Optimus." I said with a smile. "What word have you on the decepticons."
"We will not be speaking of it now…" he took his hand back and pulled to a stop along the empty road side. "This time is just for you and I …there will be time enough for talk of Decepticons." Optimus leaned out of his chair and leaned over pulling me to his seat and into his lap kissing me quietly. I never wanted it to end. I felt my heart sink down into my stomach. I had longed for this for so long. I needed it …every ounce of me yearned for him.
I pulled back from him taking a breath of air and smiled placing a kiss of his holograms forehead. "Promise not to leave me?" I asked.
"Never." His voice was low and rattled through his frame. I smiled and returned to my seat. "We're heading to the house." He smiled.
"The house?" I asked.
"Yes the military gave us use of a home." He smiled. "It's mostly for you and Ellena." He smiled to me and turned down another long drive. There was another Car with a man standing at the end of the road. "That's sideswipe's brother Sunstreaker." Optimus waved to him and continued to the house. "You will always be safe in this home even if I am not here to protect you."
"Thank you." I said quietly. Optimus pulled to a stop, his hologram vanished and the passenger door opened. I looked out to see the hologram standing there holding out his hand to help me down. I took his hand and slid down out of my seat to the ground. He pulled me into his arms and kissed me again. I pulled back and smiled at him "I love you Optimus."
"And I you Jo." He lifted me up in his arms and carried me into the house. I could hear his form rolling up as close to the house as it could so that he could keep his hologram on within the house's walls. He smiled as the screen door slammed behind him and kissed me again. "Always…until the end of everything." The hologram flickered and he set me down. He smiled "My apologies"
"Are you all right Optimus?" I asked putting a hand to his.
"Yes…it's fixed let's get some rest." He motioned me to the stairs. "First door to the right." I walked up the stairs to see five doors. For the first that landed here. Optimus, Ironhide, Bumblebee, and Ratchet; the colors of the doors corresponding to the color of each of the Autobots. The fifth door was white and had SAM scrawled across it.
The first door to the right was painted bright red. I smiled and reached down turning the knob. His hand covered mine. Quietly and he stopped me. "Optimus?" I questioned.
"There's a little one inside my room." He said quietly.
"Little one?" I asked.
"Yes." He pushed the door open. "As in size …not age."
"You returned Optimus." The female voice came clear. The eyes were bright pink when I looked at the small robot on the bed.
"Could you go down the road to assist Sunstreaker?" He asked quietly. "For the rest of his shift?"
"You're letting me go out of the house!?" Optimus nodded as she bounced on the bed. "Ok!" she jumped to the floor and moved out into the hall and down the stairs. Optimus smiled and closed his door behind himself. After he heard the screen slam he turned back meeting my eyes.
"That is Hacker…she's a repair bot…she's been placed to guard the house, but I'm here now so she can get out of here for a bit and we can…be alone." He pulled me closer again "Without anymore interruption."
"Promise?" I gave him stern eyes.
"Promise." He sat down on the bed and pulled me into his arms.