Elita sat in the meeting room and watched as all of the other commanders talked about tactics and advances to use against the Decepticons. Some of the higher up soldiers were sat with their commanders making their own input, voices flew across the table, all blending into one. Elita wasn't listening, all of the words and voices going right over her head. She had her head down for most of the meeting but every now and again she would shoot her eyes to one of the soldiers across from her. Arcee. She watched as the femme listened intently to what was being planned and debated, making little input of her own, more at ease just listening. Arcee had been promoted to a higher station very recently, so the femme preferred to stay quiet, until she properly found her footing among the opinionated Autobots that sat with her. Elita knew that she wasn't the only one subtly watching the new femme. Optimus Prime sat at the head of the table, along with Alpha Trion and Ultra Magnus, watching Arcee.
It hurt her to see him looking at her with affection and longing clearly evident in his eyes. She didn't understand how the femme had so quickly entranced the Prime, the notoriously stoic and seemingly emotionless Prime. How she had so quickly risen in ranks and into his spark. Why not her? She had been in Optimus's company far longer then Arcee; she was a high-ranking commander, why was Arcee so special? What was it about this femme? Elita hadn't interacted with her very much since her rise but she knew just from looking at her why she caught the eye of the mechs around her. She was smaller then the rest of them, but was proportioned right for her size. She had a toned body with quite a rounded aft and average sized breasts. Her colouring was nothing out of the ordinary, a simple navy blue with the occasional pink highlight. There was no denying that the femme was attractive, Elita had definitely seen more mechs then Optimus admiring her in the hallways and around the table, but their eyes were filled with lust, unlike Optimus. He wanted her for more then just interfacing, it was clear on his face.
The table fell quiet as Optimus spoke but Elita still wasn't listening. There had to be something more about Arcee that he wanted, there had to be. Something obviously made her stand out, made her special to him. What made her better then Elita herself? She was just as attractive as Arcee, mechs had, and still did, look at her the way they looked at Arcee. She couldn't speak for Arcee, but Elita knew that she herself wasn't a bad femme, she was kind and compassionate. Arcee and Elita were on par when it came to fighting ability, they had to be. Elita was a commander of her own army, and Arcee had risen through the ranks at exceptional speed, so she must have been good at what she did. Following the guide of everyone else, Elita stood and saluted to Optimus and Ultra Magnus before she and her soldier, Moonracer, left with the group.
"You were staring at her again." Moonracer whispered in her ear as they left the room and traveled to Elita's office, "It wasn't obvious, but I know you."
"What makes her so special to him, why did she catch his attention so quickly?"
"I don't know about him, but I have spoken with Arcee. She's nice, still getting used to the new position so she's a little subdued, but she isn't horrible. She appreciates the position, she's humble about it, not bragging. I can see why he would like her." Moon spoke as the pair reached Elita's office and sat down on the chair positioned against the wall.
"Thats not helping me you know." Elita lay her head down against the back of the chair and let out a large exhale.
"It wasn't meant to help you, nothing can. I'm telling you the answer to your question. She's a nice femme, she's attractive and a good fighter. It's clear why he would take an interest in her." Moon rested her right arm on the arm rest of the chair and raised her left arm in the air, an invitation. Elita took the invitation and lay her head down on Moon's lap, "You can't mope about it. You can't change anything. If Optimus wants her, then that's his choice. You can either stay here and mope, waiting to see if he changes his mind, or you can move on with your life. Find someone else." Elita didn't answer her. She had nothing to say, "Do you want some time?" Moonracer asked gently and felt Elita nod slowly against her lap. Lifting her head, Elita left Moon slip from under her and watched as she walked to the door.
"Thank you." She said quietly.
"It's what friends do." Moonracer replied before closing the door.
Later that night, Elita made her way through the halls of the base. Going past all of the closed doors of the Commanders and soldiers, she made her way to the only door that had light coming through the underneath of it. Optimus's office. Knocking carefully on the door, she heard some movement from inside and Optimus's hydraulics creaking as he, probably, stood from his desk. "Come in." Optimus's baritone voice came through from the other side and Elita slowly turned the door handle and walked in. Optimus sat on one of the chairs she had sat on in her own office with Moon that afternoon, only his were bigger, to accomplice his size. His arm draped over the back of the chair and therefore over Arcee's back, as she sat next to Prime. Elita stood still as she watched Optimus look over to Arcee.
"Arcee, will you excuse us for a moment?" Optimus asked her so softly, as he moved his arm from draping over the chair, to holding her waist gently.
"Of course." She moved to stand, but Optimus pulled her to him first. Their lips met gently and stayed locked for a few seconds, before Arcee pulled away and stood, "Goodnight Sir," Arcee walked away from Optimus and looked at Elita as she walked past, stopping slightly, "Goodnight Commander."
"Goodnight Arcee." Optimus called as she closed the door to the office, leaving Elita and the Prime alone, "What can I do for you Elita? I thought you''d be in recharge. It is quite late."
"Is that why she was here? Because you didn't think that you'd get caught?" The bitterness in Elita's voice took both her and Optimus by surprise.
"Excuse me?"
"Why her? There are plenty of femme's in this army, what makes Arcee so special to you?"
"I don't believe that it is any of your concern who I share my time with Commander." Optimus looked at her quizzically, as if trying to decipher where her bitterness was coming from.
"Maybe, but answer me, why is Arcee better then the rest of the femmes? Better then me?" Elita took a small step forwards towards him. "I have wanted you for years, but I've waited patiently. You aren't the most expressive with your emotions, we all know that. So I waited all this time for you to show some form of interest in me. But I got nothing from you, no emotion at all. But she suddenly arrives, and you want her? What makes her so special that you fall for her this quickly, but show no interest in me after the years we have worked together? You know after a certain point, you realise that someone doesn't have an interest in you. But just because you know they don't have the same feelings, it doens't mean that yours go away. I realised that you didn't want me or love me back, but I waited anyway."
"Elita, I had no idea that you harboured these feelings for me. I apologise."
"You know, it hurt when I realized that you re not in love with me. But nothing can compare to the pain I feel when I see you fall in love with her. I see you watching her in meetings and it hurts me, because I know you have never, and now will never look at me the same way." Elita leaned against one of the chairs closest to her as she watched Optimus digest the information she had given him.
Neither said anything for a few minutes. When the lump in Elita's throat got too much, she stood straight and looked at the Prime in front of her.
"I am going to take my team to the base in Praxus for a while. We will return if you need us, and I will be available for meetings about any progress we have through the comm-links." Elita turned and headed towards the door, taking the handle in her hand before turning back to Optimus, "I think it would be best for both of us if we do not repeat the what has been said in this room." She didn't wait for a reply as she opened the door and left. The walls seemed to be closing in on her as she made her way down the halls towards Moonracer's room. When she finally reached the door, she shakily knocked and waited, somewhat impatiently. A clearly tired Moonracer opened the door after a minute.
"We are going to Praxus tomorrow and will be staying at the base for quite a while." Elita spoke.
"Why ? What happened?" Elita shook her head at her friend, as Moon opened the door wider to allow her friend entrance.
"He loves her."
