After saying a quick goodbye to her friends, Valerie and Optimus left the hotel and drove in Optimus's alt mode (Valerie's Mercedes had been brought back to base by Lennox) for a few minutes. Valerie leaned against the comfy seats and fingered her Transformium absentmindedly.

"Hey, Optimus," Valerie said, breaking the silence. "Did you and the other Autobots find out how come my Transformium acted like it did last year when I was fighting Megatron?"

After the Battle of Mission City, Optimus had asked her what she had done to her Transformium to get it to light up. Valerie had learned that day that Transformium behaving like that had never been heard of before. When she had tried, the Transformium wouldn't create the light, but during the ops that she had been on that she had faced a Decepticon, it had lighted up without her asking. It was a big mystery that the Autobots had whole-heartedly tried to solve. However, they never seemed to get anywhere close to it.

"No," Optimus answered. "It's really strange. I've never seen anything like that... even Henry had never done anything like that."

Valerie was silent as she looked at her Transformium warily. "Does it have, like, a mind of it's own?" she asked. "Does that make sense? Because it activates when I'm in danger from Decepticons."

Optimus's speakers lifted slightly, a movement that she had learned was equivalent to a shrug. "Like I said last year, Valerie, we're in-"

"-uncharted territory, yeah, yeah yeah, I know," Valerie muttered. They drove in silence, but a few minutes later, Optimus stopped the car and activated his holoform. "Where are we?"

He smiled as he opened the door for her. "You'll see," he told her. When she was out of the car, he lifted her up by her hips and placed her on top of the hood of his alt mode (she couldn't climb up because of her dress). He jumped on after her. "Watch the sky. They should be coming in a few minutes."

"Who should be coming?" Valerie asked. Optimus didn't reply, and she sighed. Silence fell between them, and nothing happened in the sky. Valerie felt the silence pressing in, making her feel awkward around Optimus for the first time in a year.

She felt a sudden urge to reach out and take Optimus's hand or lean against him. He was the only one that she felt safe around because she knew that he would go through hell and back to protect her. She also felt like she could open up to him and tell him her deepest secrets; he was just that type of understanding person. At that moment, and especially after such a fun prom night and in such a peaceful setting, Valerie wanted Optimus to kiss her.

After hesitating for a few more seconds, Valerie scooted closer to Optimus and leaned her head on his shoulder. Optimus shifted so that he could wrap his arm around her shoulders. They sat like that for a little bit, just staring up at the stars.

Finally Optimus spoke. "Valerie..." he said. Valerie looked up at him and noticed that he was tomato red. "Ever since the first night that we met, you've stuck me as different from the other humans I've met during the year that I've been here. You're more wild and reckless and carefree..." He took a deep breath. "And that's what I need to be. More carefree, I mean. More like you are."

"Optimus," Valerie interrupted. "You're babbling. Spit it out already."

He took a deep breath. "I guess what I'm trying so say is..." He trailed off, but a quick glance at Valerie seemed to make him feel more confident. "I've always felt more at ease around you. I fell like I can relax and be myself. There's nobody else in the universe that can do something like that."

"Optimus," Valerie interrupted again. "You're killing me with the suspense here. Tell me what the hell's going on. And I know the other Autobots are in on it, too. They couldn't stop laughing when I left base."

Valerie was about to keep going when she suddenly felt Optimus's lips on hers.

Her eyes instantly closed, and she leaned into the kiss. For his first time kissing someone, he sure knew what to do and how to do it good. Soon Valerie felt his tongue against her lips, asking entrance, which she permitted. She let out a soft moan as she felt his tongue exploring.

Finally, Optimus broke the kiss. She opened her eyes and saw Optimus gazing at her like she was perfection. "That's what I was trying to tell you," he said. "Ever since I first met you, Valerie, I was in love with you."

"I was, too," Valerie replied, meeting his eyes and staring back. She let out a quiet chuck;e. "So I assume the rest of the Autobots know that you were planning to do this?"

Optimus laughed, relieved at finding out that she felt the same way towards him that he did to her. "Yeah," he answered. "That's why they were laughing so hard."

Before Valerie could reply, movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. She looked up at the sky to see seven comets streaking towards the Earth.

"Whoa," she muttered. She looked at Optimus, making the connection. "They're Autobots. That's who you meant when you said that they should be here soon! This is great! Now there's more of you!"

Optimus sent a satisfied look up at the comets. "I told them the coordinates of the N.E.S.T. base," he told her. "Do you want to go head back and meet them? You should get along pretty well with Arcee- she's a girl."

Valerie frowned briefly. She hadn't even considered the fact that there were girl Autobots. What happened if Optimus fell in love with one of them? Arcee would certainly be able to understand Optimus better than Valerie ever would- Valerie wasn't Cybertronian. Valerie could never be one of them.

"Hey," Optimus said softly. He slid his fingers under her chin and lifted her head up so that she was looking at him. "I love you, Valerie. Nothing's ever going to get in the way of that, even the fact that we're of two different species."

She smiled. "Thanks, Optimus," she replied. "And for the record, I love you too." He planted a soft kiss on her lips before jumping off the hood of the truck and helping her down. Once Valerie was sitting in the truck, Optimus took off towards the Autobot base.

"Optimus!" a female voice exclaimed the second they pulled into the hangar. Valerie tensed up, but Optimus activated his holoform and took her hand as she stepped out of the cab. "It's good to see you again!"

Valerie instantly noticed the seven more Autobots in the hangar. There were two guys that looked like twins, three slimmer figures that Valerie assumed were girls, a guy who reminded her slightly of Jazz with his laid-back attitude, and another guy who was surrounded by tools. Ratchet and Ironhide were talking with some of the new arrivals.

Optimus nodded at the girl who had spoken. "Arcee," he said. "I'd like to introduce you to Valerie, my... girlfriend, in human terms."

Arcee looked from Optimus to Valerie. "Girlfriend?" she repeated. "Interesting." She smiled at Valerie. "It's good to know that he finally found someone. You have no idea how long we've been waiting for him to get a femme."

Valerie frowned. "Femme?" she asked.

"Female," she answered. "Cybertronian terms." Valerie nodded. "Optimus, why don't you turn off your holoform? I wanna see how that truck looks on you."

Optimus grimaced. "I'd rather not," he told her.

Suddenly, the doors to the hanger opened, and the Autobots turned to see Lennox and Epps stride into the hangar. The two soldiers instantly saw Valerie's hand in Optimus's and smirked at each other. Valerie rolled her eyes at them.

"Well, here comes the long expected arrivals," Epps said, nodding to the seven new Autobots. "Does someone care to introduce us?"

Optimus deactivated his holoform and returned to his real body, transforming out of his alt mode. "Arcee, Chromia, and Elita- One," he told them, gesturing to the three girls, who nodded to the humans. "The twins, Skids and Mudflap, our messenger and infiltrator." The two twins were too busy wrestling with each other to realize that Optimus was introducing them to the humans. "Jolt, our technician." Jolt placed down a tool and waved before picking the tool up again and getting to work. "Sideswipe, our combat specialist." Sideswipe grunted. "They all responded to my plea for help." Then he turned to the Autobots. "I'd like to introduce you to some human friends of mine, William Lennox and Robert Epps."

"Wha' 'bout her?" one of the twins spoke up, pointing to Valerie.

Valerie turned to him. "I'm Valerie," she told him. "And I work with N.E.S.T. and the Autobots, so you'll be seeing me around a lot."

"Define a lot," Sideswipe said. Valerie was beginning to get the feeling that the new Autobots were sizing her and her uncles up. "And can you fight? What do you fight with? Can you keep your head in battle? Where's the proof of your loyalty?"

Before Valerie could even do anything, Ironhide was on his feet, pointing his cannon at Sideswipe. "Don't question her," he growled. "She's one of us."

All the other newer Autobots rose to their feet, as well, and aimed their guns at either Ironhide, Ratchet, or Valerie, causing Ratchet to draw his guns as well. Valerie fingered her Transformium. "Where's the proof?" Arcee asked. "She's snared the Prime's Spark, which would be an ideal position to be in to get us to do exactly what she wants."

"She's saved my life," Optimus told them, eyes flashing with anger. "She helped us find the Cube. Everyone, put your arms down. Now." Everyone unwillingly lowered their weapons, but they didn't put them away. Their eyes were warily on each other, watching for the smallest sign of violence.

Valerie turned towards Sideswipe, who was giving her a death stare. "Ratchet and Ironhide are like brothers to me. Optimus is more than that. So, to answer your question, 'a lot' means every freaking day for as long as you're around here," she snapped. "And yes, I can fight. I'd happily show you what I can do, but I have a feeling that that'd end with your head ten feet from your body. I fight with a piece of Transformium that chose me. If I couldn't keep my head in battle, I'd think I'd be dead by now. So, Sideswipe, bug off."

"You didn't tell us any proof of your loyalty," Chromia said. "And what makes you so special that a human femme can fight with us?"

Valerie glared. "I helped your comrades find the Cube," she replied icily. "I saved your Prime's life. I fought Megatron and killed multiple Decepticons without aid. And to answer your second question, I can sense Transformium. So you might want to stay on my good side if you want to be warned about a Decepticon about to pounce on you from behind. And I'm going to remind you, Chromia, that you're also a femme."

For a second, there was silence. Then Jolt turned to Optimus. "Is this true?" he asked.

"Every word," Optimus answered.

Arcee turned to Valerie. "Then welcome," she told her. "Sister."