Chapter 7

3 months later.

Things at the base had quieted down after Gabby's first day, which Optimus was glad for. Whenever she passed Galloway, which was rare, he would give her glares. She would glare at him right back, and usually he would back down. Optimus stood ready to jump on Galloway if he so much as said "hello" to her in a wrong way. He didn't know what it was about this human woman, but she drew his emotions to an intensity that he never felt since he was a sparkling.

Himself, Ratchet and Gabby worked many hours. They were almost done with Jazz, and were almost ready to work on Ironhide. He had to admire Gabby's skill when it came to building things. She was delicate, yet tough at the same time with the equipment. She also had a knack for hearing strange noises in the body of Jazz, and pointing it out where himself and Ratchet might have missed it. Ratchet was very happy with her work.

When at home on the weekends with her, he would help her out around the house and the yard work if needed. Optimus had set up tools and things in the garage in case he had to do some bodywork on himself. Gabby would offer to help, but he insisted she take a break. They were becoming very close, and it scared Optimus in a way. There would be little things here and there, a touch, a smile, a stare, and everything else he could process. He knew she felt it too, as she would blush when he was near. He fought it with his might, but he knew deep down he liked her, a lot. He worried that being a Prime this would distract him from his duties, and what the others would think, as he knew they had picked up on it, but didn't dare say anything to him. Though Ratchet would give him sly smiles, which made Optimus want to throw him out to the lake near base.

Optimus had given Gabby a call button gadget that Que had made for her. It looked what humans called an iPhone, but she just had to press a button, and an Autobot would be there at her location as soon as possible. He made sure she was to carry it all times when he or the others were not around. The Decepticons had quieted since the night he met Gabby, but he knew they were waiting on something, and he was forever watching for them. The only thing that bothered him was he did not know who their new leader was, and how many of them there were now. Barricade was still alive, and that he knew all along. After the war in Chicago, Megatron's body was fully destroyed, and this time frozen in the tundra of the Artic, and according to the watchers, it was still there and just fine.

Yet, he could feel something, and that something was not good, and he had this odd feeling Gabby would play a big role in it. He could only hope she would stay safe, and he could protect her.

It was pouring rain outside, and Optimus had to admit he liked the human water. It had a soothing sound pounding on his roof.

He growled a little as he watched Gabby come out and dump a bucket of water to the ground. Her roof was leaking worse and worse. He was afraid of the damage it was doing to her interior. Why did not she get it fixed? She was doing to lose her new work inside, and would have to start over.

Optimus turned into his holoform, and walked up to her. She stood on her porch waiting for him. "Gabby, why don't you get that roof fixed?"

Gabby hesitated for a moment before answering. "Don't worry about it. I will take care of it."

Optimus sighed, why was she not getting it done? "I would hate to see all of your hard work go to waste."

"I know Optimus, but….."

Optimus was getting annoyed; she usually wasn't one to procrastinate. "But what?" He decided he would not let this one go."

Gabby was annoyed as well, her financial situation really wasn't any of his business, but she decided to tell him anyway, just to make him stop. She sighed, and said, "Optimus, I was laid off for a long time, and had to work odd jobs that didn't pay crap when I got the job out here. Even with the government pay now, I am getting caught up, and the estimate on the new roof was almost $10,000, which I still can't afford yet. So, I am working on what I can afford."

Gabby was embarrassed by the admission. However, she just wanted him to stop bothering her about it.

Optimus sighed. So, that was it, and her pride. She wasn't in financial trouble, but she was getting back on her feet.

He scanned the roof, and did some calculations. He looked over at Gabby who was eyeing him suspiciously.

"I will be back in a couple of hours."

Gabby scrunched her eyebrows. "Ok, is something wrong?"

"Yes, you need a new roof, and I am going to fix it."

"I don't want you to do that for me."

"I will anyway."

"No, Optimus…."

"No, Gabby…. Do you have your caller?"

"Yes, I do, and I don't need this from you."

Optimus turned and started towards his body. He was going to get this done whether she liked it or not. Optimus decided to ignore the rest of her protests, and melded back to his bipedal form. He had to laugh to himself as he watched Gabby standing there with arms crossed over her chest looking none to pleased. Stubborn woman.

He should have done this for her months ago.

Gabby decided since was raining, and she was stressed from her conversation with Optimus to hop on her treadmill. The exercise always relieved her stress from anything. She was so embarrassed by her admission that her face reddened brightly. She did not want to admit that she was still financially unstable per se, but she had been laid off for years, and it was hard at that time to make ends meet when she worked her odd jobs.

Her treadmill was at least 6 years old, but at least the damn thing still worked well.

Gabby shrugged to herself as she did a light jog to the music. Well, at least the roof would finally be fixed. Maybe she should give in a little and let him help her. She was so used to just taking care of herself, that when someone offered to help she would bristle. She was stubborn.

Optimus was on her mind almost every hour of everyday now. She knew she was developing feelings for him, and cursed herself. What would she do if she fell in love with an alien robot? Just the way they interacted was enough to make her smile as she jogged. The intensity of some days, to the softness of others was enough to wreak havoc on her already weak heart when it came to him. She hated her little girl crush, but she couldn't help it. It was taking all her strength to not grab him and kiss him sometimes. She suddenly wondered if they could do the things humans could do. She wasn't dense; she could feel he knew something too. Would they ever act on it?

Her thoughts wandering, Gabby didn't realize how fast she was running now. She hopped off the treadmill just in time to see the big Semi backing his trailer into the driveway. She had seen the trailer before at NEST base, and the thing was big enough there, but My God, it about ate her small house when parking.

Gabby watched as Optimus who was in Holoform again, and opened up the back of the trailer. He pressed a couple of buttons, and went and opened her garage. She had given him the spare opener a while back.

Gabby wiped her brow, took her damp hair out of its ponytail, and opened the door to the garage. She stepped in and watched him with curious eyes. Without saying a word to each other, she watched as a big lever started bringing out the shingles and setting them into the garage. Thank goodness she had moved her car to the front of the house yesterday, she thought.

It was amazing to watch. Optimus stood there quietly and watched the trailer do the work. Gabby stepped back a little so the robotic arm could do its work.

After all the equipment was out, Optimus closed everything, and walked over to her.

Gabby wanted the ground to swallow her up from the intenseness of his gaze, but she stood her ground.

"I checked the weather on the way back here, and it is supposed to be nice tomorrow, so we will get it done then."

"You really didn't have to do that."

Optimus shrugged, and said, "No, you're right, but I wanted to."

Actually, at that moment Gabby wanted to cry, as she was so grateful.

Optimus eyed her with concern. "Are you alright?"

Gabby tried to gather herself. "Yes, it's just that….well, that was so nice of you."

Optimus smiled down at her. They were so close. He could see her lips part a little. They were his for the taking. Actually, it unnerved him; he had never kissed a human before. How would she handle it? They didn't do things like this on Cybertron. You could probably say he was a virgin in human terms, and yes, they could do everything humans could do in their Holoforms. Optimus just chose not too, but Sideswipe did! Female soldiers on base giggling around him constantly everywhere he turned.

"Optimus?" She whispered.

Oh Primus, her skin looked so soft, he just needed to touch it. So, close, so damn close. He leaned into her, and wrapped his arms around her. He was going to go for it, and be damned the consequences of his actions. He needed this human for some reason. She had given him new life, in the face of everything that haunted him everyday. He could feel her breath tickle his skin as he leaned closer. He wasn't quite sure what to do, and though his processors googled kissing, he was still nervous he would mess up, and Gabby would be angry with him. Maybe he would ask Sides for some advice or something in the future. Ummm no.

Her hands wrapped around the back of his neck. Her eyes never leaving his the whole time. He brought her closer to him, and just as he was going to touch her lips with his, something in the garage fell making them both jump.

Oh Primus, you just had to interfere at the wrong time, Optimus thought sarcastically.

He knew the moment was gone as Gabby stepped away, and blushed. She nervously ran fingers through her hair, and Optimus felt lower than an Earth snake. He knew he should say something, but what?

"Gabby, I….."

Gabby raised her hand to stop him. "No, it's ok. It was just as much I."

She looked outside and it was still raining pretty hard. She thought she better finally take a shower. "I am going to go get washed up," she said quietly.

Optimus hated the tension between them again. He took a deep breath; it was obvious she didn't want to say anymore to him. He wondered why relationships between opposite sexes were so complicated; it had been like that on Cybertron too.

"Alright, I am going to take the trailer back to base."

Gabby looked at him, and down at her new shingles, and said, "Thank you."

Optimus didn't say anything else to her. He was hoping tomorrow would be better between them. He held himself back from going to her and kissing her anyway.

He watched as she walked back into the house and closed the door. He closed the garage, and went back to base.

Gabby stood against the interior door trying to catch her breath, and calm her pounding heart. They were so close. Ugh! Why did he stop it, well, why did the hammer that dropped stop it? Why didn't they just continue while ignoring the hammer?

Gabby rubbed her arms, and emptied more buckets before getting a shower. What is it about this Autobot leader that makes her heart pound? For God's sake, she almost kissed him!

Gabby felt a little heartbroken that Optimus didn't try to kiss her again. She wondered what was going through his head. Hearing the engine on the semi start, she watched as he took off. She guessed she would have to wait a while to really know.

She also hated the new tension between them. It moved beyond just a silly argument now to a whole new level. It gave her anxiety.

Gabby went and turned on her stereo, and "Innocence" by Avril Lavigne happened to come on. Gabby scoffed. Oh how perfect.

"Waking up I see that everything is OK
The first time in my life and now it's so great
Slowing down I look around and I am so amazed
I think about the little things that make life great

I wouldn't change a thing about it
This is the best feeling

This innocence is brilliant
I hope that it will stay
This moment is perfect
Please don't go away
I need you now
And I'll hold on to it
Don't you let it pass you by

I found a place so safe, not a single tear
The first time in my life and now it's so clear
Feel calm, I belong, I'm so happy here
It's so strong and now I let myself be sincere

I wouldn't change a thing about it
This is the best feeling

It's a state of bliss, you think you're dreaming
It's the happiness inside that you're feeling
It's so beautiful it makes you wanna cry
It's a state of bliss, you think you're dreaming
It's the happiness inside that you're feeling
It's so beautiful it makes you wanna cry

It's so beautiful it makes you wanna cry
This innocence is brilliant
Makes you wanna cry
This innocence is brilliance
Please don't go away
Cause I need you now
And I'll hold on to it
Don't you let it pass you by"

Gabby actually smiled as a realization hit her with the song on the stereo. After it came to her, she hummed along with the song as she hopped in the shower.

Gabby was kind of disappointed when she had seen Optimus come back, but did not join her in the house. She figured he was thinking as hard as she was about what happened earlier. Still, she was kind of hurt by his behavior. She thought of going out there, but decided against it.

She tried to distract herself by answering her friends on her Facebook page. All her friends were back in New Jersey, and she was still making some here. She even tried to read a book, but her mind was elsewhere.

She felt rejected by the Autobot leader now, as he still had not showed at her door like he usually did.

She knew tomorrow they would have face each other again, as he would be working on her roof. Maybe, it was better that way. Tomorrow they could start fresh again, and maybe the tension would ease by then.

Optimus hated feeling like, Primus, what did they call those? A stalker!

However, he wanted to watch Gabby. He could see the hurt playing on her face through the house. He should really be a man or a Prime and go to her, but he was being a coward, which was not like him at all. He convinced himself it was better, and he had to think.

No human involvement. He remembered those words from Sentinal when they had gone for a drive to talk alone. Though he had known that already, but she was different. If Optimus could smack himself in the forehead he would, thinking back to his conversation with Ratchet.

Ratchet has sensed something was wrong when Optimus came back to base with the Trailer. Optimus had been quiet the whole time, even just ignoring the twins who were driving circles around him. They finally got the hint when Optimus shot them a look that said he would shoot them.

Ratchet was worried about Gabby for a moment. "Everything alright, old friend? Is Gabby ok?"

Optimus looked surprised by the question and got his bearings together to answer. "Oh yes, she is fine. I went and bought her a roof finally, and will put it up tomorrow."

Ratchet smiled. "Well that is great news. Did you finally use that ridiculous piece of plastic the military gave us?"

That made Optimus smile slyly to Ratchet. "Yes, I did."

Ratchet chuckled softly. The base was always pretty empty on weekends, so he could work in peace most of the time.

"Is there something else Optimus?"

Optimus stopped and looked around. Ratchet was his best friend and greatest confidante. Optimus sometimes wished Ratchet had been the Prime and not him.

"How can I explain to you, old friend?"

Ratchet nodded knowing what this was about. Something finally happened between them, and it made Ratchet a very happy Autobot though he hid it.

"Optimus, I know you made a promise to yourself. I know the pain you carry, but isn't it time to move on? She is different."

Optimus narrowed his optics. Ratchet knew all along. "I would never do a thing to put her in danger, and if something happened….."

"Optimus, you cannot predict that. You are a leader first, but that doesn't mean you do not have the right to lov…" Ratchet stopped himself. He then finished, "Just because she is human, well, what difference does it make? Sides does it all the time."

Optimus knew what Ratchet meant, and chuckled. Sides was a ladies man, he was definitely not one. In fact, most of the women at the base stayed away from him. He did that on purpose, except one.

"Optimus your depression bothers me. We will try our best with Ironhide and Jazz, but we may have to let them go, and if they do not you will need to move on."

Optimus nodded. He knew he hadn't been much of a Prime to them lately. He had been distant, and cold towards his Autobots.

"The last couple of months you have changed, and have been much better. I think a certain blonde human has something to do with that," Ratchet finished.

Ratchet was satisfied with himself. He saw Optimus's reaction as he thought of Gabby. His optics practically burned with a great light Ratchet had never seen before. He could only hope this would be a turning point for them. A good one.

Optimus watched as Gabby shut down the lights for the night. Tomorrow he was determined to set things right with her. Hopefully, she would accept him into her life fully.

Hey guys! I will be off for a few days. My husband is finally off from work, and he is my Optimus Prime. =) I really hope you enjoyed this chapter. They will finally kiss, I promise. This was just a little tease. He he he.