Chapter 8
The next morning, I got up half expecting to see Optimus' holoform sitting at the island in the kitchen but instead found my aunt Louis standing at the counter making a pot of coffee.
Turning around my aunt smiled. "Hey sleeping beauty, did you sleep well?"
Nodding slowly I looked around the room and then at my aunt. "Where's Peter?"
Smiling and putting a plate of scrambled eggs with cheese on the table, she chuckled. "Peter called earlier and said he wouldn't be able to come and watch you today…well…that and he had so Family Matters to attend to."
Looking up I couldn't help but fell a little bit surprised and shocked. "Family matters huh?"
Aunt Louis merely nodded and shrugged and then turned away to wash the dishes.
Sitting down at the table and taking the fork into my hand, I slowly raised the fork to my mouth, but then stopped. "Did Peter say what was wrong?"
My aunt again just shrugged and looked over her shoulder. "He didn't say anything Grace, nothing other than he had family matters to attend to."
Looking back down at my plate, I slowly but the fork in my mouth. After I swallowed a forkful of eggs and then whipped my mouth with my sleeve. "Is he coming at all today?"
My aunt turned around and shook her. "He's going to be gone all day."
…
…
Later that day as my aunt worked at cleaning up the house, i laid in the hammock in the backyard staring at the clouds wondering why Optimus didn't show up today. What was going on that he couldn't come? What was so important that it merited more attention then the shard of their All-Spark that resided around my neck?
Just then through the hole in the fence that runs parallel to the alley behind our house, a familiar voice rang out. Which wasn't anything new…I was expecting her to come snooping around sooner or later.
"Hey Grace where's your boyfriend?"
Looking up out of the hammock, I saw Lila and all of her butt buddies looking at me through the gap in my fence. They were on MY turf now…this could get interesting.
Looking away i growled and openly called out. "go away Lila, and take your dumb-ass followers with you.".
Lila scoffed playfully as she and the others just laughed as they walked up to the gap in the fence.
"So Grace, have you had sex yet with her 50 year old boyfriend yet?"
Just then one of Lila's friends turned around and made it look like she was making out with someone while the others laughed and made a mix between smooching and moaning noises.
Sitting up in the hammock scowling, I growled but tried to keep my cool. "Lila, do you openly make a point of coming to people's homes just to criticize them for nothing?"
Lila and her friends just laughed. "Aww, come on Grace. No need to be soar, we just want to know if he needed to take his medication before you could get laid."
Growling I laid back down in the hammock. There was no way in hell I was going to make myself look bad, and there was DEFINATLY no way I was going to make Optimus look bad.
"Okay Lila you want to put your oversized nose into other people's business then FINE…I'll tell you. NO,I did NOT make love to him because of two reasons; ONE, because I'm not a petty little snot nosed brat like YOU who goes sleeping around with strange men just to piss off daddy, and TWO because he's not my boyfriend…he is my guardian, and my friend."
Much to my surprise, Lila and her friends looked at one another and then started laughing. "What's the matter Grace, is daddy not able to take care of you that you have a complete stranger taking care of you?"
Laughing myself, I shook my head as I stared off into the clouds. "No, Pete is here for something a lot more important than what you all think…something involving life and death."
Just then I got up and walked into the house smiling at knowing that I was leaving the girls behind bewildered.
…
…
As the evening passed, I laid on the couch watching Soul Eater on Funimation thinking to myself about how Optimus would probably have been very proud of me for controlling my anger and keeping my cool.
Just then I overheard my aunt and dad talking about me. Getting up off of the couch, I slowly crept across the room and hid in the stair well and listened. They were saying something how I've been getting pretty attached to Peter and how I've been acting different lately…you know…kind of odd.
Leaning in against the wall I listened intently.
Just then I heard dad clear his throat and groan.
Looking around the corner I saw my dad standing with his back to me with his arms crossed.
He sighed as he shook his head. "it was a shame too…since Grace was just starting to like him when now he has to leave."
Breathing in sharply I backed away slightly. I couldn't understand what she was hearing. Optimus was leaving?
Just then my Aunt Louis looked over dad's shoulder and then looked at him. "Jeff we're not alone."
Realizing I had been discovered, I slowly came out from around the corner with a concerned look on my face. "Dad, is Peter really leaving?"
My aunt looked at dad who just looked away and then at me. He just nodded slowly.
"We got a call from Peter earlier today Gracie… he is leaving town and he doesn't know when he's coming back."
Looking away I shook her head and walked away and up the stairs. So it was true…Prime wasn't coming back…
…
…
…
Later that night as I lay up in bed, I listened to the quiet creaking noises of the house. Thoughts rushed through my head like lightning.
Where did Prime go?
Why did Prime leave?
Wasn't he supposed to be protecting me from the Decepticons?
But above all; why didn't Prime tell me?
Rolling onto my side facing the window and letting myself groan, I just couldn't bring myself to terms with all of this. Prime was supposed to be here…protecting me…
…but he's not…
Why?
Just then I heard a vehicle idling at the end of the street.
I just ignored it as I rolled over in bed and tried to get some sleep.
Why should I get all worked up over a vehicle coming down the street when cars and trucks go up and down the street all night?
Just then the idling sound grew slightly louder then became quiet.
As the night wore on and I was close to falling asleep when the sound of moving and rotating metal softly emanated through the air. As the sound of footsteps pulsed through the ground, my room shook slightly. A shadow stopped just outside my bedroom window. I watched as the shadow slowly crept across me and the floor up onto the wall.
The shadow moved slightly until a bright blue light emanated across my room onto me.
Just then I heard a gentle tapping noise.
Rolling over and looking up I suddenly jumped out of bed and squealed softly. It was Optimus!
Jumping out of bed with nothing but a T-shirt and boxers on, I opened my window and whispered so that I wouldn't wake anyone up.
"I thought you were leaving?"
Optimus slowly shook his head. "I wasn't leaving Grace…I merely had special needs to attend to with both my soldiers and your human superiors."
I shrugged. "So you're not leaving?"
Optimus shrugged as he kneeled next to my window. "Well, not exactly Grace. You see…I actually returned for the sole purpose of retrieving you."
Looking up dumbfounded, my face apparently explained my reaction perfectly.
"Huh?"
Optimus leaned over slightly looking me in the eye. "Grace…I must make this extremely clear…you are in great danger and I fear that by you remaining here, I will not be able to protect you."
I looked away slightly with wide eyes. "Okay. So what does that mean exactly? "
Lowering his glance Optimus sighed. "What that means Grace…is that I need you to accompany me to N.E.S.T. headquarters where you can be under proper surveillance."
Kneeling against the window frame I sighed. "You want me to leave my home?"
Optimus relaxed his massive shoulder plates. "Only for a short period of time…just until it is safe for you to return here."
Getting up I raised her voice slightly. "What about my dad and my aunt? I mean they are my family! I can't just abandon them!"
Optimus slowly nodded. "That I understand. They mean a great deal to you and I respect that."
I looked up, kind of getting pissed. "Do you?"
Looking away I shook her head. "How will I know that my family will be safe? Prime I would give my life 100 time's over and then some to make sure my family was safe."
Nodding Optimus sighed. "Grace, please believe me when I tell you that your family will be fine. As far as I know, the Decepticons are only interested in the All-spark fragment. That they don't even know about you let alone where your home is."
Sighing I turned away. "What should I do Prime?"
After a long silent pause, Prime sighs through his intakes. "Grace, you are a very intelligent human. You know what you have to do. You have to come with me… it's the only way."
Nodding slowly I had to agree. He was right. As much as I hated to admit it…he WAS right. Standing up a reached for the string to close the blinds so that I could get dressed without Optimus getting a optic full. All of what was going on already was weird enough as it is.
…
…
After cramming a number of things in my book bag and writing a note and setting it on my pillow, I opened the blinds and the window all the way open.
Optimus whispered as he edged closer. "What are you doing?"
"One of the stair steps creek, and the back door downstairs creeks too and both my aunt and dad are light sleepers. I can't risk getting caught or you getting exposed."
Optimus nodded holding out a hand to the window sill, beckoning me out.
Climbing out the window into Prime's hand I looked up. "I can't believe I'm actually doing this."
Prime tilted his head slightly. "Doing what, climbing out a window or leaving your home?"
Looking up again I scowled as I sat in the palm of his metallic hand. "Both."
Looking down at me he nodded. "I know, but you are doing the right thing."
As he slowly kneeled, he set me down on the ground. After I got off he (as quietly as possible) transformed and then opened his passenger side door.
After I climbed in, Optimus' engine came to life and we pulled out down the street.
I looked out the window back at my house and whispered.
"Good-bye dad… good-bye aunt Louis. I'll see you again soon…I promise"
…*****…
Back in Grace's room, the note that she had left on her pillow blew off of her bed onto the floor and the note read:
Dear Dad and Aunt Louis,
I'm sorry that I couldn't tell you guys this in person, but there was just no time. Rest assured I'm okay. Don't worry; I'll be taken care of. Don't call the police…they won't find me. I'll be home soon. Love you all very much.
Grace.
