"Play With Me, Papa—A TFP Story"
Summary: Lily wishes for Optimus to spend more time with her, but she learns having a father for a Prime is not all it's cracked up to be.
TFP © Hasbro
Lily © Me
~Play With Me, Papa~
Part 2~
Team Prime arrived on the scene, but everything was quiet. No sounds of weapons firing. None of the soldiers, nor the Decepticons, were present. The military lab was already abandoned, heavily damaged, and in smoke. Not to mention, empty.
"The Decepticons came and took off with what they wanted that quickly?"Bumblebee said.
"Where are the humans?" Bulkhead asked. "Did the Cons take them out, or did they already evacuate out of here before we arrived?"
"Possibly the latter," Arcee answered.
"If so, that's one fast evacuation," Bulkhead scoffed lightly, and they all looked to Optimus. "What do you think, boss?"
Optimus did not answer. His mind was far from their current mission and back to what had occurred back at their headquarters. Lily's hurtful words rang and repeated in his head like a broken record; despite Ratchet's assurance they were far from the truth, he could not help but feel a twinge of guilt. He sighed, hanging his head a little.
His teammates could see what he was feeling behind his expressionless glare. They pitied him; they understood the challenge of being a caregiver and a leader in a war, but at that moment they couldn't have a forlorn Autobot to lead them into battle.
"Optimus," Arcee said with a raised tone. This made him look to her. "Do you think the humans were safely evacuated?"
Optimus somehow knew they were aware of what he was feeling, and he glanced at them apologetically for letting his emotions interfere with the mission. He activated his comm. link and contacted the base. "Optimus to base," he said.
After a moment of silence, Ratchet's voice replied. "I'm here, Optimus."
"The area is entirely abandoned," Optimus told him. "Ask Agent Fowler if the humans have already evacuated. We fear the Decepticons might have gotten to them first."
"Yes, yes, of course. I will do that," Ratchet nodded.
Optimus seemed hesitant to ask, but brought up the courage to do so. "How is Lily mending, Ratchet?"
Ratchet froze as he was about to contact Fowler. His hands shook and his spark pounded. What could he say? How would Optimus react if he knew the truth? However, if something wasn't done at that instant, something horrible could occur, and Optimus would put the blame upon himself. Ratchet couldn't have that. "Well, Optimus, to tell you the truth..."
A sound stirred Optimus's focus elsewhere. He looked to the sound and realized it came from behind the military lab. "Hold that thought, Ratchet. Continue making contact with Fowler," he said and disconnected the comm. link. He slid his battle mask over his face and stealthily made towards the other side of the lab, his teammates following close behind and not making a sound.
As the Autobots turned the corner, they were met with a sight they never expected: Starscream, Breakdown, and Knock Out and about half a dozen Decepticons, and the human soldiers captured.
"Scrap," Arcee hissed as the Autobots armed themselves.
Optimus received a message through the comm. link and activated it. It was Ratchet, sounding urgent. "Optimus! Fowler says they never left the borders of their headquarters! Something must be wrong!"
"I know..." the Autobot leader replied.
Knock Out drummed his fingers on the stolen tech. "Finders, keepers," he grinned.
"You Autobots are so unbelievably slow," Starscream chortled. "Not only did we manage to obtain what we need, but also dealt with the human pests. And if any of you make a wrong move, we will obliterate them all!"
The Autobots looked to Optimus for his decision. He narrowed his optics at their foes, yet lowered his weapons. Arcee, Bulkhead and Bumblebee followed his lead. "This quarrel is between us Autobots and you Decepticons," he said. "Leave the humans out of this, and let them go."
Starscream mockingly grimaced in thought, tapping his chin. "That would be the right thing to do, but it would also be something you Autobots would do." He turned to the others. "Decepticons! Destroy the human filth!"
"No!" Optimus growled. At that instant, he made the first shot, targeting Starscream and sending him flying back. The Autobots and Decepticons opened fire on each other, and the battle began.
"Humans! Get to safety! Take the device!" Optimus ordered as he shielded the soldiers from enemy attack. Some of the soldiers broke free of their bonds and helped the others escape, along with the tech the Cons were after. "Autobots, keep the Decepticons' attention away from the humans!"
"No! Destroy them all! We need that device for Lord Megatron's spacebridge!" Starscream demanded. But before the other Cons could reach the humans, Arcee and Bumblebee blocked their way, resuming fire or jumping into hand-to-hand combat.
Optimus and Bulkhead dealt with Knock Out and Breakdown, while Starscream cowered inside the trashed lab.
"Optimus!" came Ratchet's voice over the comm. link system.
"Ratchet," the Prime said, "tell Fowler the humans have evacuated to safety and the device has been recovered."
"Will do. But..."
Optimus blasted Knock Out away, then turned away to speak privately. "But, what, Ratchet?" he asked. "Is something wrong?" He saw Breakdown coming and landed a few heavy blows on him, then tossed him to Bulkhead so he could have a turn. The ruckus blocked out Ratchet's frantic words, preventing Optimus from hearing them. "Say again, Ratchet! What is the problem?!"
Ratchet groaned with frustration and blurted, "It's about Lily!"
Optimus froze. All the worry he had stowed away so he could focus on the task at hand came bubbling back at once. "...What about her...?"
Ratchet didn't answer right away, slowly and uneasily answering, "She...She's gone..."
Lily staggered through the desert, hugging herself and shivering, as rivers of tears streamed down her face and dripped to the ground. She struggled to keep herself balanced as she walked, but she kept going. She paid no mind to the darkening sky as black storm clouds rolled in, thunder booming in the distance. She just wanted to be alone, since the one she depended on most seemed to not want to be with her in her time of need.
If she wasn't given the care she needed or wanted, then why bother staying in a place where your father isn't really being a father?
She felt cold, sick, and wanted to rest; she knew she wouldn't be mobile for much longer due to her condition. She trudged on nonetheless, whimpering and moaning, not caring where she went as long as it drew her further away from the base.
However, she was unaware of the fact that she was not alone; that a threat was hiding in the clouds, prepared to share their discovery.
"Ratchet...what do you mean, she is GONE?"
Optimus shook with swelled concern and rage. What had happened after they left? He never felt anything change through his and Lily's bond. But if something had occurred...the thought of anything horrible happening to her made him feel sick to his fuel tank.
"I mean, she is missing!" Ratchet exclaimed. "I left her alone for only a little while! I gave her medicine to take so she would rest, but when I went to check on her, she was gone! What did you think I meant?!" He paused for a moment as realization dawned upon him. "Oh...Oh, no, no, no, Optimus! She is fine, I am sure. She's just not here."
"Then find her, Ratchet!"
"I've been trying, but she's deactivated her comm. link and I am unable to track her!"
Starscream came out of hiding and noticed the distressed Prime. "You seem distracted, Optimus Prime," he taunted. "Is something troubling you?"
That was when he received a message via the comm. link himself. "What is it?!"
"Commander Starscream," said a Decepticon. "I have something that might intrigue you."
"Out with it already! I am busy here!"
"You will never believe who I found out here all alone..."
The Autobots could see Starscream's expression change from impatience to interest; this worried Optimus Prime even more. Starscream grinned maliciously and glared at him. "I will be right there," he said to the Decepticon on the other line, then disconnected the link. "Well, well, Optimus. It would seem I now have a play date with your precious underling! She has a knack of disobeying your orders, doesn't she? I guess I will have to rectify her since your methods of discipline have proven ineffective. I cannot wait to play!" He then transformed and took off into the air.
Optimus watched him disappear lividly. If Starscream or any Decepticon laid so much as a finger on his ill youngling...
"Autobots," he ordered gravely, "fend off the Decepticons. I must get there before Starscream does!"
"Optimus, what's wrong?" Arcee asked.
"Lily is in danger!" was all Optimus replied before transforming and speeding off. He had to get there first. He just had to. "Hold on, Lily...I am coming...!"
Lily rested against a rock, curled tightly into a quivering ball as she tried to shield herself from the freezing, hard-falling rain, jumping with a weak yelp when thunder boomed and lightning cracked. She shivered violently while she wept to herself, almost regretting ever leaving the warmth and safety of the base. But then she remembered why she left and reminded her no one there truly cared for her, that their responsibilities to their goal was far more important than her well being.
However, she did at least miss seeing Optimus come home in one piece after a fight. She missed feeling him pet her head, hearing his gentle voice tell her it would be alright, sensing his protective presence around her, keeping her safe. She remembered she was lucky to have a father at all. But Lily felt after her little outburst, no one would come for her. With that thought clouding her mind more than the storm, she sobbed and clutched herself.
Her sense of remorse was interrupted when she heard the familiar roar of jet engines flying overhead, circling, and diving down. Lily weakly glanced up, and through blurred optics she saw two jets land in front of her, then transformed into Decepticons. One of them she instantly recognized as Starscream. The familiar rage she normally felt whenever Starscream was in their midst did not rise, for she was too ill to be livid. Instead, she whimpered softly and clung to the rock she rested against. But for an odd reason, she felt a small, yet tight and fiery cramp in her spark.
"Well done," Starscream said to the other Decepticon. "Never have I imagined you coming out into a storm like this, little one. And you seem to be unwell. What a pity. At least it means you can easily be terminated." The two Decepticons charged their blaster and rocket, and they aimed directly at her.
Lily gasped and pushed herself off the rock, tumbling across the cold, soaked dirt. Their blasts struck the rock, sending chunks of it flying through the air, nearly missing her. She lunged herself off the ground to avoid being struck and crushed by the pieces of rock, even being launched into the air when one landed too close to her. She flew with a cry of trepidation and rolled along the ground like a tumbleweed. She felt what little of her strength begin to mitigate, but she had to get away.
"Run, run, Autobot child!" Starscream jeered as he and the other Decepticon continued to aim and fire at the helpless little Autobot. "There is no escape! You may as well accept defeat! You can finally be with your filthy human family!"
Lily wanted to scream with enmity at him, but both her spark and brain told her to escape. But where to? She was in the middle of a storm in the vast desert, neither aid nor sign of refuge anywhere in sight. She tottered around, trying to keep herself on her feet, hoping she would last just a little longer.
One blast was all it took. Struck from behind, Lily was projected into the air. The ground came quicker than she anticipated, leaving her unprepared for the heavy collision her body struggled to absorb. She skipped along the wet ground, flailing like a fish out of water, until she skidded to a stop on her side. One blast was all it took for her to quit. Her entire body was racked with painful chills, she was seeing triples of everything, and she felt very dizzy. She had no strength remaining. She could not go on.
Starscream chuckled sinisterly as he and the other Decepticon casually approached her. He prepared his rocket blaster, aiming it directly at her head. Lily was too weak to cry out for help; even if she could, who could she cry to? Feeling light-headed and badly shaken from the battle, she slipped into unconsciousness.
"Such a pity," Starscream said. "It would seem merciless to take the life of a child. But then it would also mean one less Autobot; one less of a nuisance." He laughed again. "Prepare to join the All-Spark, you little runt! You had better hope your human family is there waiting—!"
He never noticed the sound of a Peterbilt, nor heard the roar of its engine as it sped towards them, rammed them head-on, and took off with them clinging to the hood. The semi slammed on its brakes, and the Decepticons flew off, splashing into a puddle. Dazed, Starscream and the second Con looked to the Peterbilt. They didn't need to see the hood ornament to know who had just joined the fun. The truck revved its engine rancorously, smoke puffing from the stacks on both sides.
It transformed to reveal the one and only—and clearly ticked off—Optimus Prime. As he stood tall and angrily glared to the Cons below him, lightning lit the sky and thunder shook the Earth. His clenched fists trembled with animosity, his bright blue optics flared, and the shadow that covered parts of his face plate made him appear pernicious.
Optimus was beyond ticked. He was incensed.
Starscream had never seen Optimus so livid, and it frightened him. At this point, the Prime was even more fearsome than Megatron, and that was saying something. He nervously chuckled as he slowly got to his feet. "Well, it would seem our play time has run out," he said shakily, and the two Cons transformed. In mid-transformation, they both felt a hand grip them firmly. Before they could react, they were thrown into the ground—over and over and over again.
Optimus held tight grips so they couldn't escape, and then shoved them into the Earth with deep, bellowing roars. Normally, he would not allow such rage to overcome him, but this was an anger he could not suppress. He was infuriated with the Decepticons for their heinous acts upon his daughter, and he was infuriated with himself. Had he been a better father, he was certain this would've never happened.
After a long, torturous, agonizing moment, Optimus stomped to the muddy, dented Decepticons embedded into the Earth, grabbed them by their helms, and held them close to his face. He retracted his face plate and growled:
"If you ever come near her again, I will rip your sparks from your throats."
He threw them into the air and watched them transform in mid-air, taking off in a hurry; they wanted to get as far as possible.
Optimus didn't move until he saw them disappear, then raced over to Lily's body, gingerly picking her up. "Lily?!" he said anxiously, cradling her. "Lily, wake up! Please, wake up...!" He held her close, resting her helm under his chin. He could feel through their bond she was incredibly weak, but alive.
"Ratchet!" he cried via the comm. link. "I need a bridge! Now!"
Lily suddenly realized she was in a dream. She was sitting on a flat plain under a clear sky. Everything was silent, but in an instant, Ratchet appeared beside her. She looked to him and saw he wasn't very happy. She tried saying something but no words came out.
"Of all the tantrums you've had, Lily," Ratchet grumbled, "this is by far the worst. You naïve little thing. Did you really assume running away would make everything better?"
Lily blinked. He was scolding her while she slept.
"I do not know what drove you to saying those things to Optimus, but you should know everything he has done, he has done for you. He fights every day to ensure your survival and ours. He has said to me how much he wishes to be there for you, with you, and how much it hurts him to hear and feel you cry. If you've thought he doesn't hear you, then think otherwise because he does. If you do not like having a father for a Prime, well tough. You're stuck with him, as he is stuck with you. You should be grateful you have someone taking care of you at all."
Lily wasn't sure if she was crying in reality, but she sure was in her dream. Streams of tears flowed down her cheeks as a tidal wave of guilt washed over her. If she could say anything, she would say how much she agreed with Ratchet, and how sorry she was. But all she could do was listen.
Ratchet sighed and stood, looking down onto her. Then he began petting her head. Lily wondered why; as much as she misbehaved, she didn't deserve it. She tried to push his hand away but found she couldn't move, either. Ratchet suddenly looked off and his voice became softer and muffled, like he was speaking to someone else.
At that moment, everything began fading again to blackness.
When Lily eventually came to, she was utterly miserable and overheated; she felt achy, stuffy, nauseous, and sore—but also very warm. Without even thinking it, she knew she was back at the Autobot base, resting on a heated berth to a comfortable temperature. It was very quiet, as if all activity had stopped to let her rest.
Slowly, she opened her eyes; her vision was still blurred but much more adjusted. She first saw the ceiling, blinked, and looked about the room. She was not in the medical bay, but in her own private quarters. Lily saw her old bear propped beside her on the berth and smiled faintly, carefully tousling its head with a shaky finger.
Her attention went to the entrance of her quarters when she heard footsteps approach, and under the threshold appeared Optimus. He looked tired and weary, like he hadn't slept for weeks. She almost spoke to ask him if he was alright, but then remembered the last thing she said to him and stopped. Ratchet's words played back in her head. She was afraid to say anything, worried the wrong thing would slip out.
Optimus wore a relieved smile as he slowly entered and knelt by her berth. "Hello, my little one," he said softly.
Lily swallowed. "H...Hello..."
Optimus tenderly stroked her helm. "Ratchet said you ran yourself ragged, fleeing the base. It took a toll, and depleted your reserves and sapped your strength. Once he confirmed you were well enough to be moved, I carried you here. I imagined you would be more comfortable in here than in the sickbay. You gave us all quite a scare, Lily, running off like that."
Lily lowered her helm and croaked, "Sorry, Optimus..."
Optimus stopped petting her and rested his hand on the edge of her berth. It almost hurt him to hear her say his name. Had she truly denounced their bond as parent and offspring? He looked to the hall, then back to Lily. "Wait a moment," he said and momentarily stepped out of the room. When he came back, he returned with a huge doll—huge for a human, but average for an Autobot Lily's size. Her optics widened at the sight of the toy.
He went to the side of her berth again and knelt to his knees. He handed it to her. "It's for you," he said. "I know I haven't been able to spend much time with you, Lily, so I thought a new toy would help cheer you up. Ratchet had taught me how to make one, but the only time I had to build it was at night." He looked to Lily with truthful optics. "That is the real reason why I wanted you not to sleep with me those nights, Lily."
Lily blinked as her mouth fell ajar. All that time, she felt he thought of her as a baby for continuously asking to sleep with him. But knowing he only did so to make her a gift made her feel terrible. With trembling hands she reached for the doll, holding it in her lap and examining it. She then realized the doll resembled what she used to look like as a human. Upon her discovery, tears flooded her optics and began to stream down her face.
Optimus became worried as he felt and saw her sadness. "What's wrong?" he asked. "Do you not like it?"
"No," Lily hiccupped, "I love it!" She hugged the doll tightly, then sat it aside and lunged for Optimus, clinging to him and wailing. "I'm sorry, Papa! I'm sorry for what I said! I didn't mean it! I do want to be your daughter! I love you, Papa! I'm so very sorry!"
Optimus caught her when she threw herself at him and held her close to his spark so she'd be kept warm. He absorbed her words, hearing and feeling her sorrow and remorse. She was practically begging for forgiveness. But to Optimus, there was nothing to forgive. He hugged her, cradling her against his chest and purred. "Don't cry, Lily," he said gently. "It's alright, now. You do not need to apologize to me."
"But...But I..."
"To be honest, I feel it is my fault. I know I have a war to deal with, but I am also a father. I should be able to make time between the both of you. You have every right to be upset with me for not being the father you hoped me to be." Lily sniffled and nuzzled him, purring and whimpering. "And no matter what," he added, wiping tears from her face plate, "you will always be my little femmling. Nothing will ever change that." With that, he kissed her cheek and cuddled her.
"Where are the others...?" Lily asked after a moment.
"They are already gone," Optimus told her. "The Decepticons have hit another vein and the others have left to intervene."
"And...you chose to stay?"
Optimus nodded, pleased to see a smile growing on Lily's face. "I know the three of them can handle the mission. Right now, I have one of my own: getting you well again, and keeping you happy."
He briefly tickled her belly, his spark fluttering at the sound of her adorable laugh. She wriggled in his grasp and giggled, playfully hitting his hands to make him stop. When he finished, he scooped her up, along with her bear and new doll, and headed for his quarters. He laid down, placing Lily on his chest.
Lily yawned and wriggled into a comfortable position near Optimus's spark so she could listen to it. She frowned as a small thought came to mind. "Papa...?"
"Yes?"
"When I get better...will you still be with me?" she asked.
Optimus looked down to her and smiled. "I will not leave your side until you are well," he said.
"Will you hold me when I need you to?"
"I can hold you even if you want me to, Lily."
"And when I get better, will you play with me?"
"We will play any game you want, even while you're sick."
Lily smiled and softly purred, clinging to her papa's armor and nuzzling him; she allowed the soothing sound of his spark beating lull her back to sleep, feeling his warmth and protection.
Optimus tenderly stroked her back until she was asleep. He felt peace and comfort through their bond, assuring him she trusted him again and considered him her carrier. He was aware Lily wanted him to be there for her; in all honesty, he felt the same. He wanted to be there for her, wanted to watch her grow up and live a happy life. However, he knew because of his duties as a Prime, he would not always be right there for Lily—at least not until the war officially ended, and he hoped that day would come soon. Raising a child is dangerous in wartimes, but it was a responsibility he vowed to bear on the day he decided to care for Lily as his own.
The thought that anything could happen on the battlefield crept into Optimus's mind, making his warm smile fade. He knew death was inevitable, but he wasn't looking forward to it any day now. Whenever he headed to battle, he always had to be careful about how much damage he took, knowing that through their bond, Lily could feel any severe pain he felt. She was always afraid when he left—he could feel her fear, the horror of losing another parent to the Decepticons plaguing her thoughts. Optimus couldn't have that. He just couldn't.
He glanced to Lily and stroked her helm, softly purring. I will keep you safe, he thought to himself. I will not fail like I had in the past. I will do my absolute best to provide for you and make you happy. I will try my hardest to be the father you want me to be.
He kissed her helm and rested his hand on her back, slowly closing his eyes, flushing all negative thoughts out and wondering what game he and his daughter would play when they awoke.
A/N: after a long wait, here it is! The second and final part of this story! Whoopee! ^^ Please be sure to read and review. Many thanks! ^^