That's Life

With the question in mind of how they would approach the human government with their presence, Optimus turned his attention to the small shrapnel on the floor, picking it up he furrowed his brow. "Hm." He said as he looked down, "Ellen? Is this the reason for you being so close to peril?" he asked.

She dropped her Band-Aids in shock and turned red poking the tips of her fingers "I-I-I-I-I…" she only stuttered continuously.

"Be calm."

"I-I just don't want you to…" 'She uttered before grinning as Optimus' expression fell in confidence to her own. "Um…You look dirty."

He shook his head to hers subject changing, "Ellen…I, Where did you acquire this?"

"I…Found it."

"Truly?"

"Yeah...N-No, t-took it. Bulkhead dropped it."

"You should not have used this, or go anywhere near Megatron, you could have been…there could have been many outcomes to that scenario I fear to think upon. Why did you leave the fuel station?"

She blinked in confusion, but his tone upset her. "I-I'm s-sorry, he-he was hu-hurting you." she stuttered.

He lowered his head to her, "I would never wish anyone to put their life at risk in such a…a foolish scenario. Especially when involving Megatron."

She slightly sniffed, "are-are you mad at me?"

He offered her his index finger as she gladly took a hold of it, "No I am not angry with you, I am fearful for your life. You did aid me in defeating Megatron, but you must realise the consequence of such brash decisions."

"Erm…I…I could have…been really hurt? Like, turned into blood mush?"

"Vulgar, but accurate. However the circumstances were difficult, you were afraid and without supervision." He said looking her over, she slightly flinched when he lifted both her arms with a finger. "Have you been harmed?"

"My knee hurts." She said.

"Can you walk?"

"U-huh."

"I believe Captain Lennox mentioned a medic in his unit."

She smiled at him, before she looked to ahead of her, "Ca-Captain? Um, can you put me down please? I'm gonna go see, er, Will? That man over there said that he led the unit that Dad was in. That means he must be home."

Seeing her excitement get the better of her he placed her on the floor before she accidently jumped off. "Ellen." he added with concern.

"Huh?" she replied dumbfounded.

He paused, thinking briefly to warn her of her own expectations but, naturally childhood was full of such hopes. He thought to let her have these dreams and thoughts just a little longer, before the inevitable. "Watch, where you step. There is debris everywhere." He told her.

"I know." She grinned.

As she stumbled and climbed, Optimus looked up, the Nemesis was long out of sight, "What course will they proceed to take next?" he thought. "There is much more Energon deposits, on this world."

"Thinking grimly again are ya?" Ironhide said from behind him.

"I can think of nothing else at this point, and other concerns."

"Huh…" he said looking around, "Well, might as well get a few seconds in, how you been Prime?"

He turned to face him, "Hopeful now, with the appearance of yourself and Bulkhead. Perhaps more Autobots in time, will arrive on Earth also."

"Whoa now. You need to talk to this species before you start sending out more invites." He replied.

"Yes. Then let us proceed."

"How?"

"Ironhide, I believe you are not familiar with Captain Lennox."

"Human right? By your tone I'm guessing he's not that bad. Then again you don't have much of an opinion on anyone. Fine, let's see this 'Lennox'."

Optimus and Ironhide approached Will as he was pinching the brow of his head, "Captain Lennox." He greeted. "Your team acted valiantly. Despite ignoring my warnings."

"Just glad it's over." He rubbed his forehead before looking at Ironhide. "…Do you, replicate or something?"

"No." He simply said. "You seem, troubled Captain." He looked around, "I do not see the girl."

"No." he sighed. "She, just…went really quiet. I don't think she really understands."

"Then you have, informed her."

"Yeah…" he turned around. "She's over…" he frowned. "Epps!"

Epps leant up against a rock picking the concrete between his nails. "Wish I had some, moisturiser or something, damn fingers are dry as hell." He lifted his head just noticing Will. "What? You sayin' I can't use moisturiser? What century are you living in?"

"I told you to watch the girl." He hissed through his teeth.

He shrugged. "You also told me to cover you. And…you've turned out fine. Besides, she could use some space."

He grinded his teeth. "Space is for frustrated teenagers."

"She won't go that far. plus this place is empty. I think she'll be fine." he said lightly.

"Captain. Sergeant." Optimus interrupted. "I realise that you have other priorities, so I will locate her." He offered.

Will sighed. "Sure. we're not even helping the situation none."

"Prime." Ironhide called. "I don't know whats going on, or why I should care but, little advice when dealing with the little ones. Try to be, 'informal'. This ain't no role call, and she is not a soldier." he said.

"...I will try."

He strolled around looking over the wreckage, he was grateful of the time that was allowed for the humans to be able to evacuate in time. But it was still haunting to see what could have been. "Ellen." he called out now and then, this was taking some time, he kept his cool despite this, her unknown location, her distressing state, and possible injury due to that. He called again, and it came back to him in an echo in this ghost city. He started to move again, until a weak, flat tone of a voice answered.

"I'm here." Came Ellen's voice.

Her abnormal tone in itself was concerning and lead him to a narrow alleyway, he knelt, peering his head in. "Ellen…what are you doing?" he asked lightly watching her fiddle with a bunch of concrete balls.

"I'm hiding."

"There is no danger." He said.

"Yes there is…" she argued, her sentences without the usual stutter.

"Dusk will soon pass, the temperature will drop, and we have to leave." He said.

"I can't."

"Why?"

"I'm waiting for Daddy." She told him in a very weak tone, but it was hopeful sounding.

Of course, this was expected, denial. But, somehow this was more difficult for him. Ironhide was right. "Ellen…he is not coming." he said, his broadened vocabulary, his inspired speeches, and eulogies. The words came to him very naturally, but here, his thoughts were like treading on thin ice. carefully trying to pick out the write phrases. "Captain Lennox told you himself, my deepest condolences howe-"

"He's lying." She said in a growing tone of anger.

"I am aware that you are in a state of agrievment. But you just do not understand the concept."

"Dads not gone. He's on his way here." She lifted her head up to smile at him. "Lets go see him okay?"

"Ellen. Why would Captain Lennox provide falsehoods?"

She frowned. "You believe him too?"

"Regrettably. He does not gain anything from exposing this."

She looked to the floor frowning intensely. "Go away…I'll wait by myself."

"That would not be in my best conscience." He told her. "You cannot wait for someone who is not coming. You have to understand this."

She shot daggered eyes at him, the rise of anger in her also produced a glaze if tears over her eyes, "You-you're like that man, You're just being mean…you're always being mean to me!" She clenched a fist. "You don't care about anything! You're just a robot!"

He stared, and then sat himself down on a heightened part of rubble placing his hands on his knees, "That is untrue." He told her in a quiet voice.

Her face fell, "Who talks like that anyway." she muttered bitterly.

They both became silent, sitting in the rubble as the dust settled in the city. Ellen's eyes looked left and right for a long time, thinking that this wasn't true, there all wrong. And he was coming, he can't just be 'gone'. How could he be? No, it wasn't true…but how would that happen? She dug her nails into her head, confused and angry. Why couldn't she understand? He can't be gone…he can't be. She was right. She was right!

She must be…He said he would come for her. But, her mother was gone too…somehow, she still didn't know why. No-no-no. Everyone was lying…lying…they had to be, b-but…

She then bowed her head, streaming tears, and whimpered. "Optimus?" she mumbled under her tear absorbent sleeves.

"Yes?"

"Did I…do something wrong?"

"No, this-"

"Then why did they leave!?" she screamed looking up, her eyes sore already, red blood vessels surrounding the white of her eye and a sudden change in her eyes, almost as though they had dulled, become darkened in its blue shade.

"You did not cause this." He said firmly. "This was tragedy caused by circumstance."

"I don't care! I want my Mommy! My Daddy! I just wanted to go home!" she lifted her head as she hit it against the brick wall, "I want them to come back!"

He rushed to his feet as he tried to extend his arm through the narrow alleyway, to reach his hand over to her as she made those harsh blows against her head, "Ellen. Ellen you are harming yourself, you must stop this now before you cause serious harm." He said to her though refused to listen shrieking bloody murder, he tried to force his arms locomotion to its limit, to the point his arm started to creak. She was so very close, but it wasn't enough, "stop…stop this."

She continued to bang her head, eyes shut, trapped in her own distress. "I hate them! I hate them! Why did you send me away!?" she continued, Optimus noticed the wall start to show a dark burgundy colour smear against the wall.

"Ellen…" he clenched his optics, "Stop this now!" he cried out, her eyes snapped open.

Her head slowly fell against the wall. She froze briefly, before her lip quivered again as she looked at him. He tapped his fingers against the ground, "Please, come here." He said softly.

She just stared, "No…" she breathed. "Go away. Go away!"

He looked at his arm as he slowly retracted it, deciding to wait with her patiently and let the motions pass. "I do not possess all the answers, or a way of removing such sadness, but I can offer comfort in anyway I can." He said. "Do you, have fond memories of your parental?" he asked.

She sniffed. "Y-Yes." With an added scoff.

"Good. Memories can often bring comfort."

She frowned. "You can't hug it though!" she snapped.

He shut his optics. "No." he said instantly shot down by her, if this weren't such a conversation of sorrow, he'd find it an amusing comeback. As they sat in silence for a long time. "I…" Of course he couldn't offer advice in time of bereavement, and remembered that he should merely ask questions that focused on her feelings. "What happened? Do you want to tell me?"

She shrugged until she told him anyway, "I-I d-dunno. He said, that they were attacked by some dumb, robot a-a sc-scorp-ion." She whimpered.

"A scorpion? …Scorponok?" He thought.

"Why can't he come back? Why can't Mommy come back? …Their gone…" she clenched her fists. "But why!?" she then turned to Optimus. "That robot…was…a bad one, w-wasn't it?" she asked.

He nodded regrettably.

She started to claw at her arms, breathing rapidly, "…Why…couldn't you…just stayed on Cy-Cy…the place you live!" she wailed. "Why did your friends leave stuff here! Then you wouldn't have come here!" she wailed into her hand. "Now my Daddies gone! Because you didn't leave us alone! Because of your dumb fighting! your fault!" she buried her head as she just cried, her throat sore from yelling.

Optimus remained silent as he watched her, his spark twinged with guilt. "Why me...? I-It's not fair…" She muttered as Optimus shut his optics, this was only bereavement speaking. She was angry, though some of her words had truth to it. Deeply though, she didn't mean it.

And so he inhaled as he lay a flat palm out on the ground making sure to make a sound to draw attention. She looked at it, then at him as she frowned intensely opening her mouth a little to curse him some more, she wanted to hate him, she really did. But, she couldn't, because no one was around.

When she got scared or upset, she would run to her Mother, Father, Sam. But he was here instead, but she didn't want to go to him.

But the need for comfort, for nurture, for companionship, her immature mind left her with little choice as her face fell again, watching his expression, it was sympathetic, and slightly pained. And an invitation for just that. Despite how angry she was she pushed herself up in an act of fear, being alone. finally as she limped herself towards him wiping her eyes she climbed herself into his palm as he lifted it up slowly. Bringing her up, holding his hand against his chest as he cupped his other hand around her carefully, "Op-Optimus I-It's not fair." She told him pawing her hands against his torso.

He smiled sadly, that she was safe for the most part but now without her family. "No, it is not." He said looking down at her, his hands holding steady so not to harm her accidently. "I will find you a medic, can you turn your head?" he asked as she nodded slowly turning for him to see only a small break of the skin.

"Hm. From mere guess, that wound is not damaged as I had feared." He said as she whimpered shuffling close to him as she rest her head against him. She lay a hand there also as she tried to get comfortable against metal. Her small vulnerable form made him move his hand closer to hide her from the current world that crumbled hers. He then noticed her clamp her mouth over her arm. "You can spill tears, there is no shame." He told her, but she just shook her head in protest.

"I-I d-don't want to. m-my eyes h-hurt. I-I'm not an-annoying." She said holding a hand over her mouth.

"Hm. Yes, too much of something can eventually cause discomfort, but I have to argue against your perceivement of yourself to how others would see it. You're mentally immature, hardly in control of your emotions, And, it is your right." he assured.

She looked his chassis up and down, then looking up to his face, then to behind her with a cupped hand to lean against, she took a strong grab for one of his fingers as she started crying and breathing at the same time letting it build up as she gripped tightly.

"I-It's not fair…" she whimpered her cries turning to wails that could be heard for five miles in every direction.

With her tightly grasping one of his finger he used another to rest on her back. "In times life can be unjust by those purposely turning it to their advantage." He looked up to this line of smoke that was left behind from the destruction, then looked down again as he turned around to start walking. He didn't say anything else, as no amount of words could heal as much as time could. But despite some wounds, deep ones would turn to scars, and even with time, scars can only fade, and still remain.

A/N Um, I know there have been moments in this that have been for a better word 'sad' enough. Sooo, I hope no-one is TOO sad from this? ^^; I'm afraid I can't provide compensation for those pesky 'feels'. But I can provide virtual hugs :P Anyway, I promise that things will get better, eventually :)

So, what do you think of the new story cover? I hope no-one has been reading this fic again because I kind of changed the picture before this chapter and its specifically to do with this chapter too ^^;

Please R + R (especially for this chapter as i've put twice as much research into this then the others...thats right research lol)