This is it, y'all! This is the new chapter! WHOO! And…Optimus discovers the truth. Besides, it's better if he finds out sooner rather than later.
REVIEW REPLIES!
haloangel21: You got your baces off, eh? Pssh! I've had mind off for 4-5 years and I'm still used to my retainer! Although…I still have a wire stuck to the back of my bottom front teeth…awkward. Ahem, to review the chapter…I'd have to say…IT WAS AWESOME! I'd also have to say..it was really funny to read Cliffjumper's jokes, I couldn't help but burst out laughing! Can't wait for an update!
You do know that I didn't write those jokes, right, halo? I went off the Transformers: Prime comics that depict Arcee and Cliffjumper's arrivals to Earth from Cybertron. Although you're right about one thing. They are funny! Thanks for the review!
Sailor Shinzo: I'm glad the Autobots are finally reunited. Maybe now they can catch up after a long time of being apart. Hope you update this soon.
They'll catch up alright. Thanks for the review!
Optimus' girl: Everytime I read one of your new chapters I keep hearing a song from a Animated move! From Mulan to An American Tail! These songs always seem to pop into my poor head!
I just can't wait to for Optimus and Arcee to be back together! Optimus is a WAY better Prime than Sentinel! That jerk should have NEVER been made a Prime in the first place.
Sentinel needs to be nicer to other people and Bots! He is NOT Arcee's boss! That is Optimus' job! What is going to happen to Sentinel if Optimus finds out that he sent a pregnant Arcee into battle.
I just can't wait to read the next chapter! This story is getting more AWESOME by the day! Optimus needs to put Sentinel in his place! Keep up the AWESOME work with your story.
He will later in the story because Sentinel went into hiding when he abandoned the others and no one has heard from him since they disbanded. But Optimus will get his revenge eventually. When the time is right. I'll promise you that. Thanks for the review!
Wolf Prime: Yeah! Finally she is back! I am glad that Cliff and Arcee made it to Earth! But that Starscream! He hurt Arcee but I am glad that he was beaten by Optimus and Bumblebee! Yeah! Autobots rule! X3
Got that right! Thanks for the review!
Transformers: Prime rightfully belongs to Hasbro and The Hub.
© Talida and other OCs rightfully belong to me unless I say otherwise. (And I will say otherwise eventually.)
Behind These Hazel Eyes belongs to Kelly Clarkson and her respective record label.
ENJOY!
"Seems like just yesterday,
You were a part of me.
I used to stand so tall.
I used to be so strong.
Your arms around me tight.
Everything, it felt so right.
Unbreakable, like nothin' could go wrong.
Now, I can't breathe.
No, I can't sleep.
I'm barely hanging on…
Here I am once again!
I'm torn into pieces!
Can't deny it! Can't pretend!
Just thought you were the one!
Broken up! Deep inside!
But you won't get to see the tears I cry…
Behind these hazel eyes!
I told you everything.
Opened up and let you in.
You made me feel alright,
For once in my life.
Now all that's left of me,
Is what I pretend to be.
So together, but so broken up inside.
'Cause I can't breathe.
No, I can't sleep.
I'm barely hanging on…"
Optimus and Cliffjumper sat beside Arcee as she recharged. Ratchet had told them that due to the amount of Energon she's lost, she'll be out for a little while until her Energon pressure was back to normal before going to retrieve some results from the tests he took on her. When she awoke, she would have to undergo training so she could adjust to her new arm.
"By the AllSpark!" Ratchet gasped.
"What is the matter, old friend?" Optimus asked worriedly.
"I've found signs of past injuries on her. So I ran some tests. Granted, they could have been mission injuries. But I examined them closer. And…she was abused by someone on her own team," Ratchet explained.
"Sentinel," Cliffjumper growled.
"You knew?" Optimus demanded, his mind still reeling over what Ratchet had told him.
"She wouldn't let me help her. She was worried Sentinel Prime would do the same to me," Cliffjumper defended, "Optimus, she told me that if she didn't leave and let this happen to her, he would do what he did to her to you and Talida. Maybe even worse. I know you don't need protecting. You're the best fighter we have. But Talida can't. She did this to protect you and Talida.
"I also found evidence of a pregnancy that never reached full-term," Ratchet went on after a pregnant pause before staring at Cliffjumper, "You wanna explain that one?"
"Optimus, Arcee wanted to tell you personally and I don't wanna betray her trust," Cliffjumper denied.
"The sooner, the better," Ratchet retorted.
"You can blame Sentinel and Airachnid for Arcee losing Shanahan…her baby. And yours too, Optimus," Cliffjumper began, stopping when he noticed Optimus' reaction, "Sentinel spent a lot of time beating Arcee. When we arrived and we were settling into our quarters, Arcee stumbled in severely beaten. Hell, she collapsed. Wheeljack, Jazz and I took her to Scalpel to get her fixed up. That's when we found out she was a week pregnant. Scalpel immediately said that she couldn't go on the mission the following day, which was a suicide mission. We told Sentinel, he said that the papers were forgeries and that she isn't pregnant. Even hit her a few more times. Naturally, Scalpel, Jazz, Wheeljack and myself came to Arcee's defense. He said that he'd make her life worse than it already was if she tried to find ways to get out of the mission. So she went, taking extra precautions. That was when she encountered Airachnid. They fought for a bit. Verbally, not physically. Airachnid still blamed Arcee for the death of her son. And went on about how she desired revenge like Arcee for Tailgate's death. Airachnid managed to restrain Arcee and…well, she got stabbed pretty bad. Scalpel rushed to aid us. She was begging us to let her die and save Shanahan instead. When she passed out in the field, we went to work. We tried our best. But…he was already dead. The acid had gotten to him."
If Optimus hadn't been sitting on the floor next to Arcee already, he definitely would have ended up there when he heard those words from Cliffjumper. Hell. Maybe even had done something that is uncharacteristic of a Prime: faint. Disbelief. Sparkbreak. Anger. He felt all of these emotions and so much more.
Arcee was abused by someone she should have been able to trust her life with. Then said abuser sent her out into the field – while pregnant – and their son is dead. He refused to believe it. Began praying to Primus that it was a sick joke. However, when he saw Ratchet's and Cliffjumper's expression, he knew it wasn't.
His spark hurt as he pictured what Arcee must have gone through over the past four years. His spark cackled in violence as he began to blame himself for this. Had he fought harder to keep her on Earth, none of this would have happened. They'd have a son together and maybe even married and spark-mates by now.
He was angry not at Arcee. Because he knew she did all she could to prevent this. Like Cliffjumper and everybody else. He was angry at Sentinel and Airachnid. Sentinel Prime is an arrogant bastard who was unworthy of the title of Prime. That was no secret. Even among Rayna and the High Council of Cybertron. Something else that was no secret was how he liked to treat his subordinates. Especially those like Arcee, a femme who had a close relationship with a Prime.
Sentinel and Optimus have never exactly saw optic-to-optic. And never will. Sentinel's actions benefited himself and when it came to making the tough choices – ones that could make the difference between life and death – he took the coward's way out and that action had cost so many brave and loyal lives. Optimus' actions benefited the future of Cybertron and their race and when it came to making those tough choices, he chose what he felt was the right choice. For the future of Cybertron.
When Arcee first left four years ago, Optimus was confused about something. Why did he have to have Arcee back when he could have chosen other Autobots? But after hearing the explanations Cliffjumper had for him, he immediately knew. He knew why Sentinel went after Arcee. It wasn't about needing her on the team.
Sentinel went after Arcee to hurt him.
Sentinel knew that Arcee was his soul mate. He knew how Optimus feels for her. About how he would die if she died and how he would kill anyone who hurt her. He's done it before. Sentinel never liked that Optimus was worthy of the Matrix. He never liked that Optimus was the most-respected leader among the Autobots. And one way to make someone crack is to go after what they treasure the most. Optimus was Sentinel's real target.
Arcee was just collateral damage.
"Then a year ago, he went into hiding and abandoned us, causing the team to disband and go our separate ways. Wheeljack went scouring the galaxy for fellow Autobots, Jazz went to find his family and Arcee and I remained on Cybertron. The four of us were the only survivors left on his team. Arcee and I went on our separate ways when we had a pretty bad falling out afterwards. Arcee wanted to find a ship and return to Earth without aid from others since her ship's been destroyed. I didn't want her to go alone because…I guess I was scared that I would lose her like we lost Tailgate, you know? Since I almost did. We began arguing with Arcee accusing me of being 'insanely overprotective.' Like Optimus is with Talida. And then I blamed her for Shanahan's death. Honestly, I've never seen her so angry. She said she'd never forgive me for this and that she never wanted to see me again. That was when we parted ways," Cliffjumper added, "Well…until I needed rescuing from a Decepticon facility. Arcee saved my aft and then we went to infiltrate Kaon City together. Although…it took a lot of convincing to let me accompany her on that mission because she was planning on going alone! I had to add Talida to the equation! Anyway, we used the maintenance tunnels Arcee used to explore when she was a youngling to get inside. We saw Starscream and a whole bunch of 'Cons building a spacebridge. I distracted them while Arcee did some stuff to blow it up. After fighting them for a while, we took a chance and jumped through the spacebridge. It took a lot of luck. But we made it.
We began exploring the area. Arcee didn't know if we were in Jasper or not. So we needed to find civilization and gather some tech to build a scanner. Although in the end, I managed to convince Arcee to write a letter to Talida and have her ask you guys to track us and send for a GroundBridge. That was when we got our alt modes…and were attacked by Starscream. Arcee was in a pretty bad way. Her arm was mission and Starscream was pelting us. Breakdown was making it worse. So we were thankful that you arrived."
Optimus gently gripped Arcee's small hand in his own. It was her new hand. Although, he couldn't tell the difference between her new hand and the hand she was born with. She was always beautiful to him. Gently, he moved his hand to her stomach, delicately running his thumb over her scar. The scar she acquired when Shanahan was killed that day. He wanted desperately to cry. But he couldn't. He was Prime. He couldn't show his emotions with them in the room.
"Cliffjumper, I'll show you to your quarters. Bulkhead and Bumblebee just finished it," Ratchet said as he practically shoved Cliffjumper out of the room.
"You know, don't you?"
Optimus looked around confused for a moment before looking at Arcee, who was leaning up on her elbows, her optics filled with emotional hurt and pain. A sight that broke his spark.
"If you are talking about Shanahan, then yes. I know," Optimus nodded.
They broke then. They held each other and cried together. Mourning their son. Their son who never got the chance to live because of arrogance and bloodshed. Arcee kept on muttering apologies against Optimus' chassis, blaming herself for this. Somehow, Optimus ended up on her berth holding her tightly against him. He had no recollection how they ended up like this. But he didn't care.
"I'm sorry," Arcee whimpered.
"I don't blame you, Arcee," Optimus murmured as he kissed her helm and tightened his hold.
"You should. If I fought harder against him…," Arcee trailed off.
"The abuse would have gotten worse, Arcee, which would have resulted in the miscarriage either way. You are not at fault," Optimus proclaimed.
"I'm gonna go and find a burial site for Shanahan here tomorrow. Do you want to come?" Arcee asked.
"I'll be there," Optimus swore.
They gazed into each other's optics, feeling the urge they always feel with each other. They didn't even try to fight it. They leaned in until…
"ARCEE!"
Optimus should have known that he wouldn't be able to keep her away for long. Especially with how excited the two have been to be reunited with one another.
"Tally!" Arcee gasped excitedly.
The now thirteen-year-old techno-organic ran up and let Arcee scoop her into her hand. Optimus thought it best to let the girls have their moment and stood back.
"Look at how big you've gotten!" Arcee gushed excitedly, "How tall are you?"
"5"4," Talida boasted as they hugged again, "I love you, mum."
"I love you too, Tally," Arcee responded with a huge smile.
Optimus smiled as well and couldn't help but wipe some tears from his optics.
"I saw that, tough guy," Talida smirked.
"I just had something in my eye," Optimus lied, earning a look from Talida, "I'm serious!"
"Group hug!" Talida proclaimed.
Optimus shrugged to himself. One time of indulging himself wouldn't hurt anyone. He joined in the hug and embraced both of his girls…
They were a family again.
What more could he ask for?
"Here I am once again!
I'm torn into pieces!
Can't deny it! Can't pretend!
Just thought you were the one!
Broken up deep inside!
But you won't get to see the tears I cry…
Behind these hazel eyes!
Swallow me then spit me out!
For hating you, I blame myself!
Seeing you; it kills me now!
No, I don't cry on the outside!
Anymore…
Anymore…
Here I am once again!
I'm torn into pieces!
Can't deny it! Can't pretend!
Just thought you were the one!
Broken up deep inside!
But you won't get to see the tears I cry…
Behind these hazel eyes!
Here I am once again!
I'm torn into pieces!
Can't deny it! Can't pretend!
Just thought you were the one!
Broken up deep inside!
But you won't get to see the tears I cry…
Behind these hazel eyes!"
Decided to have Optimus find out about Shanahan earlier than planned. Because if you remember, in Talida Prime: Rising Darkness, Optimus doesn't find out until after they've been rescued from the Arctic.
You guys know the drill. Review. Alert. Face. Whatever.
BYE!
"I know what it takes to move on…
I know how it feels to lie…
All I wanna do,
Is trade this life for something new.
Holding on to what I haven't got…"