Chapter 24

The last time the Autobots had been on earth, twenty some years ago, a good majority of humans knew but an even greater majority didn't and an even greater majority still, didn't care or didn't believe it. After all, transforming aliens on earth? Preposterous, that's what it was. A bunch of government rumors.

Optimus and the others aboard the Ark had tried, for the most part, to keep their known existences on earth down to a bare minimum, preferring to focus on the job at hand rather than getting heavily involved with any trivial human catastrophes. It was better that way. Safer for them and for the humans as well. Tolerate them yes, but get heavily involved with their day to day living? No. They just couldn't afford the possible dire consequences involving any of the human's complex problems plus fight a never ending deadly battle with the Decepticon forces as well.

But as the speeding frantic Dodge Viper tore down the wreckage filled I-78, the time for remaining neutral within the human's world had come to an abrupt end.

Transforming onto his feet from the near 100 m.p.h. he had been traveling, Bluestreak was greeted by a mixture of frenzied, frightened screams (that were intensified by the effects of the highly unstable and emotional situation on the highway), hushed looks of awe and amazement, and gasps of utter shock.

Traffic on the affected side wasn't the only one that had come to an unexpected halt; the other side had too from people slowing down and stopping, getting out of their cars to take an unbelievable glance at the blue 16 foot tall robot walking quietly down the metal scattered four lane highway.

Some of the humans had their camera phones out, trying to snap a picture to confirm what they were seeing, while others were making excited phone calls to whomever, their fast chatter blending into the air, but most just stood still, frozen, not knowing what to make of the whole scene before them.

Bluestreak ignored them all. He cared nothing about any of them, only the being that was inside the crushed black metal heap off the side of the road up ahead.

Making his way down the debris filled highway that would've normally been hustling and bustling with thousands of cars by now, Bluestreak thought he had walked onto a Cybertronian battlefield…cars were scattered here and there, their obliterated fragments strewn all over the road as if someone had taken their fists and ripped each one to pieces individually.

Flashing pictures of his home city...the destruction...burned ruins...and horror of it all, Bluestreak's memory and logic circuits quickly made the conclusion that what he was walking through were one in the same as what he had witnessed that one horrendous Cybertronian day so long ago.

Not even the sound of the Pontiac Solstice coming up behind him or the dull roar of the F-16 fighter jet above could deter Bluestreak as he finally got over to it.

Starting to shake uncontrollably inside, Bluestreak saw a couple of uniformed humans who were trying to use a cutting tool of some sort to break through the doors to no avail.

"Sir, the body is too badly crushed in this spot! It's not working!" Bluestreak heard one of them shout out.

"Drive it in between where the frame meets! It should break free!"

Seeing the alien being come up beside them, the startled rescue workers stopped everything they were doing, not knowing what was going to happen next.

Sensing the concern coming from the alien about whoever was trapped inside, one of the humans looked up at him, their eyes desperately pleading for any kind of help.

"She's trapped…we need to extricate her," The human finally said softly.

Understanding, Bluestreak grabbed a chunk of metal off the side and pulled, tossing it aside like a rag doll, the metal falling onto the pavement with a loud screeching clink!.

Still wearing her seatbelt, Bluestreak's optics widened with utter horror and panic as he saw Kate, his Kate, her eyes closed, her body listless.

NO!!! Please Primus…no…no…not her…not Kate…

From the steering column and dashboard being shoved so far inward, Bluestreak saw Kate, violently pinned in between, her body soaked in bright red liquid, tiny pieces of glass everywhere around her…the necklace he had given her around her neck, glistening with the red liquid on it.

Trembling uncontrollably, Bluestreak reached his finger out and touched her chest where her lifeline was. Nothing.

Feeling a familiar hand come on his shoulder then, Jazz tried pulling the young gunner back, but Bluestreak yanked himself free, shoving the silver Autobot backward.

Kneeling down, Bluestreak turned back to Kate, his fingers touching her face, her blood all over them.

"Please…we need to…"

In his crazy grief stricken mode that was making his CPU start to almost convulse inside of him, making him want to spew hydraulic fluid all over the ground, Bluestreak grabbed his gun and pointed it squarely at the human who had started to talk to him, wanting them to stay away from her, seeing all of them as the cause for what happened.

"Oh Primus, Blue!" Jazz said, jumping to his side, grabbing him. "They're here to help…let them help her…"

Sub spacing his gun, Bluestreak's optics caught his best friend's which Jazz saw were filled with more burning anguish than he had ever seen on the battlefield back home on his fellow comrades.

Kneeling down again, Bluestreak reached his hand out, gently pulling the magnetic clasp free on Kate's necklace. Taking the trinket in his hands, Bluestreak looked at the humans next to him. Turning back to Kate, Bluestreak pulled the car apart, freeing her body from being trapped, and then yanked the seatbelt free.

Shooting a quick glance in Jazz's direction, Bluestreak turned on his feet, transforming, and then sped off down the highway.

Boxes stacked here and there, the house in a state of moving limbo, so to speak, David sat at Kate's computer, tears falling down his cheeks. Next to his feet lay Maggie. Since the accident three weeks ago, all the dog seemed to do was lie around and sleep, not even wanting to grab her fat stuffed hedgehog toy in her mouth, barely touching any of her food, in silent mourning only she could understand for the owner whom she so loved.

In front of David, on the screen…pictures of Kate…their wedding…New Year's…family get togethers. Moving into their home. Kate holding Maggie as a pup. Vacations together. Their whole marriage and the happier times they had shared together.

Putting his hands to his face, David sat back in the chair, breaking down into soft sobs, for everything…everything he had put her through…the baby they had lost...the perfect marriage he had ultimately ruined, and the perfect woman he had driven away. And as he sat there, David knew the exact pain he had done to Kate, feeling as if his world had been ripped away and now was left to pay for his crimes.

Trying to get himself together, David closed out of the picture folder. He couldn't look at them anymore. It hurt too badly.

And as he was about to shut down the computer and head downstairs to start packing some more, David's eyes caught the name of the folder Kate had in her "my documents" listing titled "Blue Crush".

Clicking on the icon button, David saw it was a type of diary she had been keeping. Scrolling to the first entry which was dated a little bit before their divorce, David started to read.

Mike had been a little more than surprised to see the well dressed gentleman again. But as he ushered him into his office, Mike knew there must've been a good reason for him to show up on the base. He was still in shock over everything himself. He still couldn't believe any of it. He had lost soldiers before. It was never easy. It wasn't meant to be…but Kate…it had affected him more than he could ever express.

And given how Mike knew he and the gentleman sitting in his office both cared for the same woman in their own way, one giving everything but unable to break through her walls, and another taking everything, creating the walls, Mike knew who the visit was going to be about.

"I want to thank you, Captain, for taking the time to see me. I know you're very busy," David said to him, his attorney voice seeping in unconsciously as he sat down, a small box with him.

"As soon as I got your call, I knew it must've been extremely urgent. I would've set aside the time regardless."

David looked at the plaques hanging on the wall behind the blond haired Captain. Graduate of the United States Air Force Academy. Numerous awards and honors. Recognition and service awards. Trophies sitting on the back shelf.

"What did you play?" David asked, nodding to the trophies.

Mike turned around and looked at what he was looking at.

"Baseball at the Academy. All four years. Almost had a chance to play professional, but ended up getting accepted into the Academy…figured there was more of a future there than playing ball."

David nodded. "I played a little when I was at Georgetown."

"Georgetown, huh?" Mike said. "That's one of the best law schools in the country."

David laughed somewhat, a stiff laugh. "Not good enough. I couldn't find a job in D.C. to save my life. Ended up being offered one out here instead."

Mike nodded and then said, "So what brings you here today?"

David got very quiet. "I was cleaning out the house…a few days back."

He stopped then, remembering everything he had read in the diary on the computer.

"Kate….she kept a diary…I found it by accident on her computer. She talked about an alien being she met named Bluestreak."

Mike sat, listening. Every since the accident weeks ago, he had been bombarded with calls from every news source across America and abroad wanting to talk about the alien creatures that were here on earth. The secret was pretty much out of the bag now.

"Is he here by any chance?" David asked the Captain.

"Any message you would like to give to him, I will pass it on," was the Captain's polite but firm reply.

"Did you know she was in love with him?"

Mike sighed.

"Yes, yes I did."

"I would really like to meet him Captain. I have something for him…something Kate talked about in the diary."

"I can't authorize that. I'm sorry. The Pentagon is about ready to go ballistic from all the media hype surrounding them. It is my duty to protect them at all costs. I hope you understand."

Dismayed, David reached down into the box and pulled out a silver metal urn.

"She said in the diary that if she ever died, she wanted him to spread her ashes out over Washtenaw Canyon. I was going to…but I can't…" David said softly, tears starting to form in his eyes. "I hurt her so much…so, so much. She hated me…for what I had done…but she loved him…and I know it's what Kate would've wanted."

Getting up and walking over to him to take the urn, Mike nodded, sighing.

"I will give it to him and you are right, David…that is what she would've wanted."

Standing up, David pulled out a small CD from his pocket, handing it to the Captain.

"Will you also make sure he gets that too? The entire diary is on it."

"Yes. You have my word."

Heading to the door, over come with emotion, David turned around to face the Captain once more.

"Thank you, Mike."

"You're welcome," Mike replied, watching the defense attorney walk out the door, his eyes flooded as he tried holding his own back as well.