Hello everyone!

This chapter was actually so much fun to write. I wanted to develop the characters a little bit more, and I played around with humor (or at least tried to). I can't believe the amount of support you guys give me, you always bring a smile to my face and make my day! Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter (Starlit Storyteller, SunnySidesFemme, BIackrose13, Desmol, RewindandDomey4ever, Autobot-Bre-Lightblast, The Silvernote, Vodid, and LaurenA007), I really appreciate seeing what everyone thinks!

Enjoy :)

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Chapter 7: Beauty Around Us

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Snap. Crack. Twist.

My feet walked over the helpless twigs resting on the forest floor, rays of the afternoon sunlight filtering in through the bright green leaves rustling softly in the breeze. I quickly hopped onto my left foot, avoiding a bush covered in tiny thorns. I pushed stray branches hanging off small trees out of my face, my eyes scanning back and forth for any sign of a clearing in the distance.

"So, are you going to tell me where we're going, or…?" Sideswipe's voice echoed, and my lips curled into a frown. I stopped, turning to stare at the Autobot who was attempting to avoid trees and rocks as he walked behind me, although it was futile. He stepped on the exposed roots of a tree, causing the trunk to crack.

"Ah!" He yelped, moving his hands to prevent the tree from falling, but it crashed to the forest floor. A large boom rumbled through the forest, a few birds chirping loudly as they quickly fled.

Sideswipe's face was filled with horror, as if he killed something innocent, and it took all of my strength not to burst into laughter. I wanted to feel pity, but my mind only focused on the hilarity of the incident.

His eyes shifted to meet mine, brightening slightly. The corners of his lip plates twitched, and I couldn't help it; a laugh shook my body, and before I knew it, he was laughing heartily as well.

"The look on your face," I wheezed, trying to catch my breath, "I swear, it killed me. You looked mortified."

"I, uh, I didn't m-mean to," he stuttered, scratching his back absentmindedly, a very human-like gesture.

"That poor tree. It had a long life ahead of it and you had to ruin it," I shook my head, but the grin stayed on my lips. "It's funny seeing you so caring for something like a tree."

Sideswipe smirked, glancing at the fallen tree before leaning down. At first, I thought he wanted to talk to me, but he scooped me up, holding me gently. I squeaked, gripping his finger tightly as I saw the ground sway beneath me, my mind flashing back to when the Decepticon almost crushed me in its grasp. Sideswipe seemed to remember as well, as he lowered me closer to the ground.

"It's alright," he said softly, and I turned my head to look at him. My heart pounded, and I knew he could sense it, as a look of concern crossed his face plating. "I'm not going to let you fall. I just want to hold you so if I knock another tree down, you won't be in its path."

I quickly nodded, my heart rate beginning to slow as I took large breaths. I tried to focus on the little details in comparison to the way the Decepticon treated me, like the warmth of the metal on Sideswipe's hand, or the way the tips of his fingers curled to keep me from falling off the edge.

I'm not going to let you fall.

Slowly, Sideswipe began to stand up straighter, and the distance from the ground increased. I turned my head to look at my surroundings, a sense of wonder encouraging me to face my fear of heights, something that plagued me ever since my accident in second grade.

As my mother once told me, sometimes looking at the world in a different perspective can open new doors. I wanted to believe her, but I never felt that connection or shift in my perspective of life.

Maybe it was the end of the world that brought me a new perspective, as if shoving it in my face that death was the key to rethinking life, or maybe it was Sideswipe, someone who saved me and showed me that my time on this planet was not over.

I still had a purpose.

"Hey," Sideswipe chuckled, pulling me from the depth of my thoughts. I realized I was still gripping one of his fingers like it was a lifeline, and I released my grasp. "I thought you were going to squeeze me to death."

"Ha ha, very funny," I said in a sarcastic tone, rolling my eyes. "There's got to be a field somewhere!"

It took Sideswipe a few moments before he realized I was talking about our picnic, and why we were even trudging through this forest in the first place.

"I don't see any fields. Just trees, trees… and oh, look, more trees!"

"Thank you Mr. Obvious," I muttered, leaning back to sit on the palm of his hand. It actually wasn't so bad up here, after all. "Just keep walking forwards. We're bound to find a clearing at some point."

Sideswipe opened his mouth to speak, but shut it. I could tell he wanted to make a remark on how this journey would probably just wind up with us walking onto another road, discovering no field.

I still had hope.

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I was beginning to drift to sleep when Sideswipe screamed "ah-ha!" triumphantly. It startled me, and I blinked the grogginess out of my eyes, a bright light making speckles of dots float across my vision. Putting up a hand to block out the light, I squinted, my eyes slowly focusing on what lay ahead of us.

"Put me down!" I squealed, sounding like a two-year old, and Sideswipe complied. I bounded off of his hand, laughing cheerfully as I spun in circles, the long grass tickling my legs. I lost my balance and fell, the soft ground cushioning my fall, and I took a deep breath, the sweet air filling my lungs.

Sideswipe appeared upside down in my vision, leaning forwards so his upper body loomed before me. He partially blocked out the sun, his shadow cooling me down from the sweltering heat.

"You found it!" I exclaimed, unable to stop the grin from spreading across my face.

"So, are we going to have this thing you call a "picnic" or not?" Sideswipe teased.

I sat up, stretching my legs. I peered above the tall grass, searching for somewhere shaded for us to eat, when my eyes fell upon a small cluster of trees resting upon a higher point in the field.

"There!" I said, pointing at the trees. Sideswipe followed where I was pointing, giving a small nod as I stood up, leading the way. A tire swing, worn down over the years, dangled from a sturdy branch, swaying slightly in the summer breeze. As we reached the trees, Sideswipe found a flat spot to transform, his holoform materializing a few feet away from me.

"Hey, you didn't jump or scream," he said, nudging me lightly as he walked up to where I was standing. "Braelyn?"

In front of me, carved into the dark brown wood of one of the trees, were the words:

J+L

WE WERE HERE

I reached out, tracing the indented edges where at one time, however many years ago, two people stood in our place, staring at their creation that would last as long as the tree lived.

"What's that?" Sideswipe asked, his eyes watching as my fingers continued to move across the carving.

"It's a carving," I replied, "sometimes people carve things into trees, because it's as if they are making a mark on the world." I turned to face Sideswipe, my arm falling to my side. "Even if we don't know who these people were, we still wonder. Isn't that itself good enough?"

Sideswipe remained silent, obviously confused at what I was trying to communicate.

"They're remembered," I elaborated. "When you die, you want someone to remember you. These people, unknown to us, are still in our minds, because we see what they left on the world." I paused, my eyes trailing to the ground. A thought trickled through my mind, akin to fear.

Would I be remembered if I died?

"I'll remember you."

I looked up, startled at Sideswipe's words.

"What?"

"I'll remember you, Braelyn. You don't need to worry about being forgotten."

Sideswipe's bright, mysterious eyes flickered to me, his lips curling into a soft smile. I quickly looked away, clearing my throat. But, I snuck a glance at him, my cheeks warming slightly, and not because of the heat.

"Thanks, Sideswipe."

"Here, uh, lemme grab the food."

Sideswipe walked away, the sound of his feet moving through the grass drifting from my hearing. Curling my legs underneath me, I plopped onto the ground, twisting the grass between my fingers until Sideswipe returned.

He handed me my backpack, and I pulled it into my lap, zipping it open. I brought out a few cans, a granola bar, bottled water, and the bag of chips that I said we could eat for dessert. Opening the cans, I offered one to Sideswipe, but he pushed it towards me.

"I don't need it," he said, "but I know you do."

"What's the point of having a picnic if you don't eat with me?" I muttered, grabbing a fork out of my bag. Stabbing one of the green beans in the can, I picked it up, and Sideswipe chuckled.

"Human food does nothing for me," he said, "and this can still be a picnic! I'll just watch you eat."

About to place the green bean in my mouth, I stopped, instead flinging it at Sideswipe. It hit his cheek, sliding for a few seconds before falling to the ground. He reached up to touch his face, mouth falling open in surprise.

"Did you really just–?"

"Oh yes I did," I smirked, placing the can of green beans on the ground. I sprung up, wiggling my eyebrows in a taunting way, and Sideswipe lunged at me. I jumped out of the way, laughing as I ran past him and into the cluster of trees.

"Hey, get back here!" Sideswipe yelled, but I could hear the laughter in his voice.

I winded through the trees, only taking a few seconds to get to the other side. As my eyes fell onto the field once more, I stopped, breathing in sharply. Sideswipe's footsteps came to halt beside me, and he tapped my shoulder.

"Why'd you stop?"

"Look," I said, nodding my head towards what I was looking at.

Sideswipe turned, his eyes widening slightly. "Is that a lake?"

"Yeah, it is!" I replied excitedly.

In the distance, at the edge of the field, there was a break in the trees. Beyond it, water sat glistening in the sunlight, expanding beyond what we could see.

"After I eat, we should go there," I suggested, turning to walk through the trees once more.

"I think I'm going to go check it out," Sideswipe said, and I glanced at him, a smile crossing my face.

"Okay."

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"I swear, if you even dare to use whatever powers you have to see through these trees when I have no clothes on, I will kill you," I shouted to Sideswipe, quickly pulling the two pieces of the bathing suit on. Miraculously, it seemed to fit me, the bottoms a little on the tight side for what I would normally wear, but otherwise I liked it.

"Don't worry, I won't look," Sideswipe called back, but I could picture the smirk on his visage.

I lathered the sunscreen from the store onto my skin, fully realizing how much I had tanned since the beginning of summer. Typically a pale person, I tend to only gain a little bit of color, but spending so much time outside these last few months gave my arms and legs a darker skin tone. But, my stomach still remained pale, and I chuckled at how much Aidan would judge me for looking like a layered popsicle if he were here.

My hands clenched the towel I grabbed, and I closed my eyes, breathing in deeply. You're going to find him, I reassured myself, before tilting my head back to look into the canopy of leaves surrounding me.

I slung the towel over my shoulders, peeking my head from behind a tree. Sideswipe was sitting in the shade, staring off towards the glimmering water reflecting the afternoon sun. His face plates were contorted in a way as if he seemed to be contemplating something, eyes dimmer than they normally would be.

It almost seemed as if he was longing for something... someone.

I cautiously stepped out from the side of the tree, not wanting to startle Sideswipe from his daze.

"Hey," I said a little too quietly, but he heard me. He turned his face to look at me, eyes brightening from their previous state as he saw me.

"That's an interesting garment you're wearing," he stated, and it took me a few seconds to realize he was referring to my bikini.

"Oh, well, uh," I trailed off, not sure how to explain. "It's something us humans wear when we go swimming, so we, um, don't have to wear heavy clothes instead."

He nodded, although I could tell he wanted to know more. He was curious about our lifestyle, just as I wanted to know more about him.

Setting my towel onto the dry sand, I walked towards the edge of the water, letting the cool liquid lap between my toes and legs. I looked out upon the lake, appreciating its seclusiveness, as it was surrounded entirely by forest.

I walked deeper into the water, now up to my waist. My hands gently grazed the surface, creating tiny ripples that expanded as if trying to reach an unknown destination. I turned to glance at Sideswipe, who waved at me.

In response, I dove underwater. The rush of water surrounded me as I floated, a feeling of weightlessness leading my mind to drift elsewhere. An eerie quietness filled my ears, the occasional air bubble escaping through my parted lips.

My lungs screamed for oxygen, but I continued to push myself. Every second I spent underwater was every second I spent running from the Decepticon with Aidan. It reminded me of the burning intensity in my lungs, my heart throbbing in my chest. Aidan reached out to me as we sprinted, and I tried to grab him, but

Gasp.

I shot out of the water, breathing in deeply as my capacity for holding my breath shattered. I pushed the stray hairs clinging to my face out of my eyes, blinking to rid the water stuck on my eyelashes.

My toes curled around the soft sand beneath the surface, and I sighed, allowing the warmth of the fiery orb to soak into my skin. A sudden noise of metal squealing together startled me, and I looked in the direction to find Sideswipe standing up.

His brilliant blue eyes fell onto mine as he stretched, causing me to chuckle as a hiss seemed to release some tension within him, similar to a person popping their shoulder to relax.

"You gonna come in?" I called, paddling slowly on my back. "The water's nice."

Sideswipe's eyes shifted towards the water, then back to me, then back towards the water, and the all-too-familiar smirk crossed his lip plating.

"Oh shit," I cursed under my breath, flipping onto my stomach to swim faster.

I could hear his loud footsteps shudder the earth, and before I knew it, a wave of water sent me tumbling underneath the surface. I quickly regained my senses and swam back to the surface, coughing to rid the water from my throat.

"Are you alright?"

His voice was surprisingly close, and I twisted my head to see him.

Sideswipe was standing in the water, still towering over me. The lake seemed like a puddle to him, and I was a miniscule water bug trying to survive. Worry flickered over his eyes, his lips curled into an evident frown.

"Don't worry, you haven't squashed the bug," I said. "Why are you always concerned about me? You didn't harm me."

"Humans are fragile."

I waited him to say more, like Especially you or I'm responsible for you like a parent would to their child. But he remained silent.

"Everything is fragile," I replied. "From the smallest grain of sand to the tallest tree in a jungle. Nothing lasts forever."

Sideswipe gave a small nod, and I watched as the worried expression turned into one of curiosity. He slowly picked up his feet, walking further into the lake. A minute later, he had disappeared under water, now at the center of the small and circular lake.

I grinned as he reappeared, moving towards me. As more of his frame became exposed to the air, I watched as water slipped down his plating, trickling along the cables in his neck and arms. His metal frame glistened in the sun, and I had to look away as it became overpowering, causing speckles of dark to dance around my eyes.

He came to a halt near me, extending a hand for me to get on. I quirked an eyebrow, cautiously pulling myself onto the surface of his hand, and he raised me a few feet of the water before bringing me to a deeper portion of the lake.

He extended his fingers like some sort of platform, and I stood up, holding onto his wrist to steady myself.

"Do you want me to jump off, or– wait, no!" I squeaked as he tilted his hand to an angle where it was impossible for me to stay on, and I tumbled into the water.

As I resurfaced, Sideswipe was shaking with laughter. I splashed him with water, and it was a pitiful attempt, which made him laugh even harder. I felt the familiar feeling in my stomach where I was trying not to laugh, and I cleared my throat loudly.

"Y-Yes?" He answered, his laughter fading as he offered me a finger to hold on to instead of treading water.

"What was that?" I demanded, but my voice had a playful tone. Curse my inability to be serious!

"What was what?" He replied, and I rolled my eyes.

"You know what I'm talking about."

"But it was fun, wasn't it?"

"No."

"Oh," he said, "well that's too bad, because I thought it was pretty entertaining."

I scoffed, tapping his finger impatiently. With his other hand, he gently scooped me up, holding me directly in front of his eyes. They narrowed slightly, as if judging the way I looked, and I suddenly felt self-conscious.

"Stop looking at me like that."

"Like what?"

"Put me back in the water."

I could tell he wanted to comply, but instead he continued to question me.

"Why? What did I do?"

"It's the way you're looking at me, with those, those very blue eyes of yours," I muttered.

"Optics."

"Huh?"

"They're called optics." I thought he was angry with me, but his eyes –optics– were still gazing at me like before.

"Whatever. You look like you're criticizing the way I look."

"I think you look…" He trailed off, and I felt the familiar twist in my stomach from in kindergarten when the other kids thought it was nice to make fun of the way I dressed. I always wore overalls with a crazy and bright shirt, and to add to it, I put half of my hair into a ponytail and the other half I let down.

But Mom always told me happiness came from not what others thought of me, but how I felt when I wore and did what I wanted.

"I look what?" I pushed him.

"I think you humans call it, uh, beautiful?" He said in a shy sort of way.

Well, that's not what I was expecting. At all.

"Oh, um, thanks?" I replied, clearly caught off guard as I stumbled upon my words. I didn't know what else to say, so I waited for Sideswipe to be the next one to speak. Instead, he blinked a couple of times before placing me back into the water.

I wanted to hide under water, blush creeping onto my cheeks as we awkwardly stared at each other. No one had ever said that to me besides my family, the word 'beautiful' seeming almost forbidden for anyone to say. I kicked my legs to tread water, the constant rhythm making me think of something.

"I have an idea," I said, turning to look at the sun as it was nearing the line of trees. "Let's play a game called Marco Polo."

"Marco Polo?" Sideswipe repeated, and I smiled.

"Yeah. Although, I think you're gonna need your holoform for this." He grumbled something incoherent, so I tried to reassure him. "It's easy to learn how to play!"

As I watched Sideswipe head towards the beach to transform, I glided my way towards where it was more shallow. As my toes finally grazed the bottom, I fiddled with my thumbs.

He said I was beautiful.

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Who doesn't love a good pair of awkward people!

Sorry for the lack of action, we'll see some in the next chapter (dun dun dun). Please let me know what you think so far! Also, I want to get to know you guys better, just not as someone online, but as real people! So I was thinking that at the end of each chapter I'll ask a question about you as individuals. Here's my first one:

What country are you from? I'm from the United States :)

– SapphireSpark