A Moment of Peace

"And with the given advantage of gathering Intel." Added the voice of Megatron as Optimus frowned turning he deployed a weapon as he cupped Ellen closely away from any kind of open exposure. "Ah, I see. You have a, 'liability' with you. That was always your weakest trait."

"Megatron." Optimus uttered.

"To come alone, with that?" he asked. "A curious inquiry to your purpose here."

"Perhaps you should refer to your second in command. As it seems you have a lack of communication in your crew." He said simply.

He growled as he looked at his cupped hand. "Starscream does have a habit of performing useless tasks." Ellen tried to peek through his fingers again as she was met with a flashing shark grin and glowing optics as she gasped hiding her face with her hands.

"M-Mmm…" she mumbled to Optimus as he gestured her to stay hidden.

Megatron looked on unimpressed by this weak show of compassion for even weaker creatures. "It has been a while Optimus, however you are not a concern this time." With a tint of menace to his tone he suddenly transformed flying towards them at an immense speed, Optimus spun around with his back towards him slightly hunching as Megatron propelled into his back, with a low painful grunt the both of them were out of the ship.

Megatron merely chortled as Optimus toppled down through the sky with a terrified child, head first and hitting the ground fast. He looked intensely upon the Earth estimating the distance, the speed…and choices. "Thirty feet, I will most likely only come out of this with minor damage and possibly render myself unconscious. I must hit the ground first, but even if I do so…" he thought looking at Ellen, "She would still not survive."

.

..

...

….

….

"…"

"…Urgh…"

It was five minutes after the two had fell from the Nemesis, as Optimus slowly opened his optics with a struggled groan, "Slight lock up of my joints, but they should ease soon." He thought, looking at his chest he removed his cupped hand away, though Ellen wasn't there instead his truck windows folded outwards with his armour plating parting, and within moments tiny shaky hands slowly gripped the side of his armour as they tried to pull themselves out. "Ellen?" he asked first.

She lifted her leg up trying to get out like she were in a swimming pool. "Uh…H-Help I need that…'assi-stance' now." She said making squeaking sounds to every attempted effort. He lightly smiled as he scruffed her by the shirt neck, placing her on the ground besides him, she shook her head then twiddled her fingers, "That was…c-ool?" She said in an uncomfortable tone. "And gross." She added.

He looked her over with concern, "You are not injured?"

She looked at the arms that she spread out besides her. "I don't think I'm broken. I didn't even cry." She then looked at him, "Optimus, you-you got dirt on you."

He looked to his shoulder, "It bares no relevancy." He replied and proceeded to pull himself off the ground as lay a hand on top of his helm letting out a mumbled groan.

"Are you sure you're okay? We fell from the sky." She reminded.

"Yes, however the height perspective has less of a concern to me." He said. "I am going to transform, I hope you accept my offer to travel alongside me again?" She frowned at him folding her arms with a flick of her tongue to add. "Ellen I cannot simply leave you out here." He reasoned.

"You're just saying this so I shut up again." She mumbled.

"No."

"Yeah you are." She argued back. "You're just like everyone else." She muttered under her breathe.

He loosened his shoulders looking around. "What must I do to prove my honesty?"

She thought for a moment before cupping her smallest finger in front of her, "Swear it." she stated seriously.

"This is a symbolic gesture?" he asked.

"A pinkie swear." She continued to say seriously. "'A binding law under the oath of the thumb.' I-Is what my dad says anyway, I told him it was dumb."

"Can you specify the conditions?"

She scuffed her feet, "You kno-ow." She insisted persistently.

"…That I am not deceiving you."

"And?"

"…I am not using vocal methods to silence you." he said.

She blinked as she whispered. "D-Does, that mean 'not shutting me up'?"

He nodded.

"Then…okay, I 'accept' you're, er, your…pr…proposal?" He nodded again. "See? Not dumb. I can write my own name and everything." He lifted a hand to remind her of something but stopped as she suddenly skipped about.

"E-L-L…erm…EN."

He then transformed to get his message across. "Ellen." He said.

She stopped as she looked to straight ahead, a freeway in the distance and back into the danger. But she clenched her fists. "C-Coming!" she announced. Though overdoing it with her enthusiasm as she missed getting into the open door and instead ran into the side of him. *Whack*. Flat on her back she held her nose as the area became an awkward silence. Ellen however shot back on her feet. "I-I'm okay! I-I mean, N-Nothing!" she said trying once more to get into the cab.

"Are you-"

She hid her red face, "D-Don't!"

Her nervous enthusiasm didn't last long however, as she stared up at the sky through the side windows and bit her nails with a look of concern and confusion.

"You have been abnormally silent for a long while, and still." Optimus noted, his voice making her jump slightly due to forgetting where she was right now. She wrapped her arms around herself. "You know you can openly discuss this with me. I can offer a non-biased opinion." He reminded. "I will listen."

"Y-Yeah…" she said slightly shaking. "W-Who…who was th-that?"

"Hm…Megatron."

"Oh…that was his name? I thought you were calling him names." She said slightly shaking through the cab seats. "I don't feel so good."

"Pyscalogical. You express concern for Megatron."

She nodded, "He's…scary." She admit. "I thought you were scary too…I-I don't l-like red anymore."

"I would not allow Megatron to come in range of any human." He said as she hummed a little though it died down quickly.

"Oh." She said flatly.

"…He will not get near you." he added.

She grinned. "Oh. Okay."

He chuckled softly. "Did you not think that I referred to you also?"

She blushed. "N-No!"

"No?"

She looked on confused, "I-I mean yes? N-No?" she folded her arms as her cheeks puffed out. "S-Shut up." She slapped a hand over her mouth. As she looked at his steering wheel with the corner of her eye.

"It is alright. I know you only mean that in a repartee sense." He said lightly as she stopped cowering.

"W-Whats, r-reparty?"

"Repart-ee. It loosely means, an exchange of friendly, playful and teasing comments. Which I started."

"…Oh…Yeah, teasing." She smiled looking out the window.

"Now, I must inform you of something serious now." he said to her.

"O-Okay?"

"When we enter this city, it may become a battlefield, I need to find a place to keep you safe until we can return for you."

"Like, hiding again?"

"Yes."

"You, said you would take us somewhere safe." She recalled. "C-Can't I help?"

"That is very admirable of you, but you can help me by staying safe. Can you do that for me? And know that I do not mean offense."

She nodded, "I-I get it now. You're not being mean, just 'logical' right." She said excitably. He tilted his head. "I'll hide, like before?"

He nodded. "That would be best."

She then looked out the window, "Whoa…" she said standing in her seat as she pressed her hands against the window, "A…A cow!" she exclaimed Like some huge historic discovery.

"Remain in your seat." He implored.

"Optimus, look at the cow." She said pointing intently against his window. "Can you open the window? Please?"

"…Only a small opening." He said letting his window down slightly as she tilted her head to get her mouth out.

"Beef!" she cried.

"Can you remain seated now."

She plonked herself down, "S-Sorry…that was cool. Did you see the cow Optimus?"

"Yes, the species you share this planet with are individually unique." He said.

"…R-Right." She said although guessed what word to say.

He chuckled quietly before letting the silence settle. "You will get home."

"H-Huh? R-Really?"

"Yes." He simply said though never really suggested that it would be himself. For he could not specify the outcome, when this all ended.

She stood up in her seat again. "Yes? Yes! W-When I get back, you-you should meet my Daddy. Y-You probally couldn't be a robot though." She said as his epression fell. "If the clone suit people don't have a place for you guys, you can live with us if you want."

"Ellen."

"Daddy wouldn't mind b-because your so cool, I-I didn't think so before, b-but not anymore. A-And he's smarter then me so he'll probably think your awesome straight away."

"Ellen."

"Yes? You okay Optimus?" she said to his tone. "You upset?"

"We, may not be able to see each other. If we form a truce, your government may place us under radar, in secrecy away from the public eye." He said.

Her arms lay her lap as she slightly frowned, "I…That's not fair." She argued. "So, we can't see you, ever?"

"That may be the case." He said as she sighed. "But perhaps, when on route to a location, I may pass by your domesticated area."

"That would be cool." She said flatly. "And maybe Bee can see Sam. They're friends now." She tapped her knee, "Hey Optimus? I-I like you. it hasn't even been that long…its weird. I know you didn't really wanna hang out with me, but you weren't mean about it."

"You are no harm." He said.

She played with her fingers, "…I get…hmm, w-whats the word when your on your own."

"solo?"

She shook her head. "No, its like a feeling li-"

"Lonely."

"Y-Yeah…I couldn't really play that much on the base. I wasn't aloud in anywhere, some of them shouted at me. Because I wasn;'t supposed to be there." She frowned. "Soldiers are mean."

"The younger species are not routinely allowed in military business. They just did not know how to respond to you appropriately. They usually need to keep a mental state of mind, to never let it down."

"Yeah but they didn't have to…to…use bad words" she whispered. "Just them shouting at me, made me…not want to speak that much. I thought If I talked-"

"You may be scolded." he said.

"…" she played with her fingers.

He played into the conversation again as she ceased her own. "Have you found communication difficult in a civilian residence?"

She shrugged. "No…" she huffed.

"You sound doubtful." He said.

"I didn't want to talk to them." She huffed with blush in her cheeks. "I tried…but it didn't come out. I just, squeaked. Now they make fun of me. T-They call me, 'squeaker'."

"I am sorry. That must be difficult for your development. I can understand the reasons for your temperament."

"B-But I finally found a couple of friends. I-I think. We make fun of each other but we don't get upset about it." She said. "you didn't find it hard did you?"

"Developing friendship? Hm, I have not gave it much thought." He smiled to himself. "Perhaps in my earlier years it was difficult."

She let her mouth hang open. "O-mm, you're lying."

"I assure you, I am not."

"W-Why was it then? Er, d-diffi-cult?"

"I am unsure, in the area I worked, many of my co-workers each day, looked forward to when it ended, they found it abnormal when I would stay longer and continue to work. Among other traits I can only guess. Of course I did have bonds outside my post, but focused on matters more troubling to me."

"Mm…" she said trying to sound interested. "What is Cyber…tron like?" she then asked. "I-I mean, was like?"

"No more questions for now."

"I'm sorry."

"It is not by offense. We may depart soon, I do not want to cause you further distress by our conversations extending."

"That's okay If you have to go somewhere else I'll just ring you." she said as he murmured.

"Optimus its Lennox, are you in route?" he asked.

"We are Captain Lennox, what is your status?"

"Not too good, for us anyway. We evacuated the city in time if not with a lot of delays but now, we're in the shadow of huge ass ship. Your medic said that they'd be able to stand their ground for a while and we'll help but, we'd appreciate some experience."

"I'm on my way." He noted.

"Is, that man okay?"

"He requires assistance." He said as Ellen felt the seatbelt tighten slightly. "We need to rely on speed."

Ellen swallowed a lump in her throat to fear of motion sickness.

A/N I foresee that this will be a long fic :P Even when RID finally airs don't forget about us okay guys? :( ...:P desperate and clingy or what? XP