"Our Top Story tonight: 14 year old Sarah Matthews remains missing after almost three days since anyone has seen her. Police are baffled by the lack of evidence found at the Matthews' house the day of her disappearance, the only clue they have being the burn mark on the wood flooring. There is no sign of struggle or the other signs that anyone else nay have been in the house. However, officers are asking for anyone to call in with any information if they have any."
A newscaster sat in a black suit as he read off the teleprompter in front of him into the camera, his face being showed on hundreds of television screens.
A tearful family sat behind on of the screens. The mother clutched a tissue tightly in her hand and her ex-husband's in the other. Three boys squished together on the couch, watching as their little sister's picture flashed across the screen with a phone number at the bottom in big bolded red letters.
The man spoke up again. "Sarah's school mates and labeled friends have been called into question, and what they have said is more than astonishing and could lead deeper into the investigation."
The scene changed to a familiar face to the family; their daughter's closest friend, Kassidy. The young teen had tears in her eyes as she spoke into the microphone. "I knew she wanted to run, wanted to get away. But..but I never thought she actually would do it. She wouldn't admit it. Sarah is the greatest person I know and no one gave her the chance to make them see! She's gone and it's all their fault!"
The camera was back on the newsman along with his co-anchorwoman who was tearing up herself. "If..if anyone has any information or sees Sarah Matthews at any point, please contact your local police station immediately."
The second youngest, Michael, had his head in his hands. His fingers dug into his scalp and he stood up quickly, his arms falling to his sides loudly. "Where the hell could she be?" He asks out of aggravation. "It's not like she could have gotten out of state, damnit!"
"Michael, calm down," His father said gently, standing up to put a hand on his son's shoulder only to have it slapped away. "No! I'm not gonna stay calm! She's out there, Sarah's out there! She's-" he had to wipe viciously at his eyes, forcing down the tears. "She's our sister."
Michael made no move to escape as he was pulled into a hug. Being the 6'4" giant he was, he stood taller than his own father. "The police are doing everything they can. The neighborhood set up pictures all the way to the city to help. All we can do is wait."
He fell back onto the couch between his siblings, head back in his hands. He could rush into a burning building no problem, throw a toppled over wall over his shoulder easily. But with the idea of never seeing his sister again hanging over his head, he broke down and welcomed the tears. He shook his head again, sniffling. "It's..it's almost like she disappeared off the face of the planet.."
Barren desert flew by in a dusty orange blur. The sun's ray bounced off the polished surface of a red and blue semi barreling down the road towards what looked like nothing to most. A teen sat frozen stiff in the passengers seat, staring ahead. Her fists were balled tightly and palms clammy, even her toes were curled in her boots!
She tightened her ponytail, her hands shaking and movements unsure. Sarah glanced over to the empty seat next to her, to the steering wheel moving by itself. She focused on the symbol embedded in the leather binding if the wheel, the design matching the one that would have been on the back of her dogtag when she first got it.
Wait-where was her dogtag?
Her fingers reached up to the skin of her neck, her eyes widening in panic when she didn't feel the cool metal chain. How long had she not had it on? When did she lose it?
Well she couldn't look for it now. Now while she was with the very person that was on her tag. She scratched the back of her neck, trying to make it seem that was her intended movement before putting her hand down again and having it curl into a fist once more.
Why was she so nervous?
It wasn't like she was meeting the President of the U.S. It wasn't like she was accepting a medal or some type of reward.
No. She was just riding inside a giant alien robot that she thought was only a cartoon all her life. She was just on her way to meeting the rest of his team.
So why was she nervous?
Why was her heart pounding so hard she thought he could hear it?
Jesus, Matthews. Just calm down. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, hoping to settle down her raising pulse. Maybe she had let it out a bit too loudly because she nearly yelped when she heard his voice after nearly an hour of silence.
"Are you alright?"
Sarah swallowed hard, her heartbeat even faster now. So much for trying to relax...
"Y-Yeah. I'm fine.."
She looked back out the window, not liking how hot her face had suddenly become. How was it a giant robot was able to have this affect on her?
Oh right..
Because she was part of the very small percentage that actually considered the Transformers visually appealing.
She saw the large rock formation coming into view and felt her stomach flip. She chewed her lip till it bled, not sure if she was ready for this. Was she ready for this?
Was she even sure she wanted to be here?
Was it too late to ask him to turn back?
Yes, yes it was. Sarah sunk deeper into the leather of his seat, her fingers beginning to shake with uncertainty. She couldn't do this.
"Sarah, are you certain that you are well?"
She couldn't do this!
"Totally."
WHY did she say that?! She could barely handle just sitting in his cab! The interchanging light and darkness of the tunnel made her feel like a prisoner waiting to be questioned. The lap swinging over her head only there to make her feel small and worthless. Which, in everyone else's eyes she was.
She could begin to the see the tunnel opening up into the main room and she made a small sound in her throat. Her hands were the only thing shaking now, she was trembling so hard her glasses nearly fell off her nose!
Deep breaths Matthews, deep breaths. She said to herself, swallowing hard. She would remain calm. She had to.
Optimus slowed down as he rolled into the main hanger, transforming and holding the young child in his servo. The Autobots glanced to him, double taking and looking again at who he was holding.
Bulkhead had to nudge Ratchet away from the monitor, the medic shooting him a dirty look before gazing over to the Prime. "Oh, what's she doing back here?" He pointed an accusing finger to the Matthews child.
She scooted back along Optimus' palm and curled into a ball. She suspected she would be an outcast, even in the world of giant robots.
The red and blue mech spoke calmly to his CMO. "Ratchet, she observed Knockout and I engaged in battle. And based on last night's events, I would suspect you not to be this disapproving."
The Medic frowned as he looked the girl over, causing her to squirm in her spot. She didn't like being looked at like he was. "She's rather small, isn't she, Optimus?" He raised an optic ridge at the taller mech.
"Rafael is small. Arcee is somewhat of short stature. What is your point?"
Ratchet blinked before scowling, glancing to Sarah. "And let me guess...she's going to need a guardian as well." He had to repress a shutter at the thought of this human always bothering him every chance she got. The last thing he needed was another Miko running about...
"Yes, and I will be the one who watches her."
The medic was immediately about to deny before he heard what he had said. "I-I-What?" The rest of the Autobots all shared the medic's bewildered expression, Sarah even looking up at him out of surprise.
Optimus was undeterred from their looks, gazing down at the child in his hands as he spoke. "I shall take it upon myself to become Sarah's guardian. It was I, after all, who she saw therefore she is to be my human charge."
Sarah stared up at him, blinking. She was speechless. And it took a lot to make her do that! Her tongue felt like sandpaper and her throat like it had closed. She looked back to the red and white Autobot who raised an optic ridge at her. "You're awfully calm. What do you have to say for yourself, missy?"
She opened her mouth to say something, anything! Even a simple 'pretty good' would do. However the sound that came from her was far from being a coherent word and the way it sounded to her ears, she couldn't believe it was her voice! Her mouth clamped shut.
Dear God. Did she really just do that?
She felt heat rise to her face and she probably looked like an idiot. Ratchet's optic ridge rose higher as he looked at her. He straightened up and gave the Prime a look. "Optimus, put this one back. It's broken."
Oh wonderful. Now she wasn't even considered a person anymore.
She heard the Prime sigh but didn't look up, curling into herself and dropping her head on her knees. "Ratchet, do not patronize the humans."
"Optimus, she can't even speak correctly! How are we to deal with a handicapped child?"
That made her freeze. Handicapped? Ratchet actually thought she was handicapped? Her first (conscious) time meeting him and he already deemed her as mentally incapable to do anything?
I'll show you who's handicap.
Sarah slowly stood up from the Prime's palm, walking with shoulders back and head held high, stopping before his fingertips.
Handicapped my ass, Doc-bot.
"The acumen you have made of me being handicapped is highly spurious. And I hope the next time you dare make such an impetuous notion about me, you had better have evidence for it you rancorous old toaster!"
Dead. Silence.
Sarah folded her arms with a huff over her chest as the medic stared at her. She glanced to all the other Autobots, each holding the same shocked expression. Even Optimus seemed a bit unready for her sudden income of knowledgeable wording.
She looked up to the taller mech and said with the simplicity of 2 + 2. "I am not handicapped."
This seemed to have knocked him back to reality, and what seemed like an amused smile crossed the Autobot Commander's face. "No, you are not." He lifted her up and set her on his shoulder. He actually let her stand on his shoulder!
She grinned brightly from her place as she held onto bright red plating. She nearly squealed when he began walking, feeling the vibrations of his thundering footsteps. As Optimus walked by his frozen medic, he gently tapped his jaw closed with a slight chuckle. "You shouldn't keep your mouth open like that, old friend. A fly may just end up in there someday."
"Hey, I like this one!" Bulkhead chuckled, nudging Sarah in the shoulder with one giant digit, similar to her getting a friendly punch from someone her own size. "Anyone who's got the bolts to tell off the doc is fine by me!"
Bumbleblee blipped in agreement and Arcee shared her own approving smile. All the sudden praise made Sarah suddenly shy, looking down and smiling as she tucked a curl of hair behind her ear. So this is what it feels like.
She leaned on his shoulder once they were all done gushing her and she got to see things from his point of view. Literally. All her life she had family competitions with her cousins to see who was tallest the next time they saw each other and she always won. But for the first time ever since she could really remember, Sarah felt small.
She was puny compared to Optimus' great size, an ant to it's hill. Her strength, though impressive for a girl of her age, was nothing like his. For more reasons than one. She almost felt like she wasn't worthy enough to be his human. Optimus deserved a better child to look after, someone prettier, smarter, more fit. Not her. Not the drabby, ugly sad child from a different universe. He deserved greatness. Not a Matthews.
She was so lost in her own thoughts that she never noticed he moved until the sunlight flashed in her eyes and she blinked. She squinted for a moment to allow her eyes to adjust before moving her hand and gasping softly.
Barren desert or not, Nevada was amazing with the sun just right. The bright star that warmed the Earth sat up high but just low enough so that indigo could just barely come out from hiding in Japan.
The mountains cast long reaching shadows over the burnt and cracked land, seeming to stretch for miles until they ran away to the horizon. Not willing to come back till morning.
"It is beautiful."
Sarah looked over to Optimus, so close now she could every little detail of his face. She could see the tiny gears that made his optics turn and move, even the part of his eye that made up the blue. But what shocked Sarah the most, was the emotions she could read in the Prime's face. She smiled and looked back to the scene in front of them. "Yeah, it really is." She shuffled her feet lightly. "I..never thanked you for saving my life."
She saw the graceful curve of a smile sneak it's way to his face as he looked to her. The small action still caused a slight rush of heat to her face. "There is no need for that, Sarah. Your safety is enough thanks." Her smile broadened at his chivalry. "You also saved me that night didn't you? When I was rising with Agent Fowler, he said I had jumped into his car but I knew that couldn't be right. I knew I jumped into a truck that night. And it was you.."
She saw his hand come up and stepped carefully into his palm, sitting down as he moved her so they were eye to optic. "Indeed it was. I saved you that night because you were in danger. I saved you today for the same reason." He saw her look away, crestfallen. He frowned softly, he had not noticed it before but her face already held the lines for such an expression. Her eyes did not shine the way the other humans did.
This human seemed to have never experience joy.
"Optimus?" She raised her head. "Why did you choose to watch me? Why not just give me to Ratchet? Why you?"
He let her words sink in, slowly letting out a breath. Him being the she saw was only a small part of the reason he chose himself to become her guardian. "The reason I did not let Ratchet watch you is difficult to put into words. Even I am not fully clear as to it. All I truly understand is I saw something in you Sarah Matthews, something I can neither comprehend nor explain. But you are different in my eyes. You have something many humans do not. You have a spark..."
Sarah blinked. A spark? As in the cybertronian heart component? Or something else? "I-I have..a spark?" She saw him give a single nod.
"You are glowing, you just have yet to realize it."
She had to swallow back the lump in her throat, looking away for a moment. When she looked back to him, she was smiling. She was smiling and it made his spark flutter in it's casing. Because now he saw something else.
Something he still could not explain.
Optimus drove her home, quiet peace between them and the stretch of road. When he pulled up to her house, she unbuckled herself, slid out of his cab and walked to the front door.
Her hand was on the knob when she turned back to look at him. With a smile and wave, she turned the doorknob and went inside. Sarah didn't need to know when he pulled out of the driveway. Driving only a safe distance before disappearing into a groundbridge.
