Soooo sorry for the long wait! IM SORRY! I had a tiny bit of writers block, and this week has been so hectic between tests at school and things at home and stuff, but I did it! YAY!v*throws confetti around*

Hope you guys enjoy!

(Tell me which part of my story, or what chapter is your favorite! I want to know! :D )

Love you all!

-RB

"Optimus," I said. No response. I sighed and put my hands on my hips, getting annoyed.

"Optimus!"

"Oh, did you say something?" he said, turning with a wide grin. Currently using his holoform, he had a slight mischievous look in his eyes.

"It's not funny," I said. "Being pranked by your scout was not amusing in the slightest."

My hair was coated in bright pink paint, a color which I disliked before, and now despised. Now it was wrapped in a plastic wrap, soaking in oil to soften the dried paint. The yellow and black scout had gotten a cheeky idea to dip my hair in paint while I was sleeping on the couch in the main hangar. Of course, Optimus was not around to stop him, but now it had happened, he found it extremely amusing.

"Not to mention the fact that it feels gross and squishy and uncomfortable," I grumbled. I heard him laughing when his back was turned.

"Why don't you try it and see how it feels?" I snapped in annoyance.

"Oh, Mika," he said, turning and walking towards me, holding out his arms.

"No; don't you 'oh, Mika,' me, Optimus." I crossed my arms stubbornly, refusing to look at him.

He had to suppress a chuckle. Teasing me was fun, but he knew that there was only so much teasing he would do. He didn't want to hurt my feelings by teasing me too much.

"Mika," he said, cocking his head slightly as he looked me. "You do know that I never actually enjoyed myself until I met you, and this instance proves it, don't you?"

I still refused to look at him, but I did answer him. I heaved a sigh. "Yes," I said in a quieter voice.

He stepped closer and wrapped his arms around me. At first, I stayed tense, but after a few moments, I relaxed in his comforting grip. I sideways smirk slid onto my face, and I pulled away quickly and playfully backhanded his chest, hard enough for him to feel it, but not hard enough to hurt. I seriously doubted that I would actually hurt him if I did hit him harder.

He gave me a slightly puzzled but still amused quirky smile. "What was that for?" he asked.

"For laughing at me," I said.

"I wasn't laughing at you, I was laughing at the circumstance you are in," he said with an amused smile. I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah, right," I commented, turning and walking away.

"Mika," Optimus said, running after me.

"Nope. Not gonna listen. I'm just going to sit in my room and cry myself to sleep because you laughed at me," I said looking at him momentarily, sticking my lower lip out for extra effect. A humorous glint in my eyes told him I was only jesting, and he chuckled.

"Are you trying to guilt trip me?"

I pretended to ponder it for a moment. "Maybe," I said slowly, winking at him before turning and disappearing in my room. He followed me silently, still amused at my playful mood.

He had to ask why I was in such a mood, though. "Why are you in this interesting mood?"

"Maybe because you're in a similar mood," I said with a mischievous smile. "It must be rubbing off of you onto me."

"I suppose that is a good thing?" he questioned, stepping closer and resting his hands at my sides.

"Of course it is," I answered, placing a hand on his chest, feeling his pectoral muscles through his shirt and smiling.

He grinned, watching me affectionately. "You are truly remarkable," he murmured, massaging my back gently with the tips of his fingers. I giggled, the sensation tickling my senses.

"So, are you doing anything this afternoon?" I asked.

"No."

"Good, because Wheeljack and Donovan had a bright idea."

"What was their idea?" he asked curiously.

"Hey decided that we're going on a triple date," I told him plainly.

He looked at me, confused. "But I do not want to be in a relationship with anyone other than you."

I laughed. "No, it just means that more than one couple or group goes on a date together somewhere. But I greatly accept your compliment." I smiled.

He smiled back, understanding, and glad that I took his unplanned compliment well.

"I'm going to take a quick shower, if you don't mind. I want to get this paint out of my hair before we go. If you want, you can wait in here." He nodded, accepting my offer.

When I came out of my bathroom almost half an hour later, I was finishing towel-drying my hair next to Optimus, who was sitting on my bed, when an alarm sounded in the base, alerting everyone.

"What is it this time?" I asked, slightly annoyed, running out of my room and into the main hangar.

The red and blue Peterbilt parked nearby broke apart, revealing Optimus's true form, which towered above me. He walked up to the monitors, quickly joined by the rest of Team Prime.

"Slagging Decepticons!" Wheeljack growled.

"We must intercept them," Optimus said, turning away from the monitors.

"I'm coming with you," I said seriously.

"Mika, please, not again. I do not want this to end in another fight between us." His saddened optics met mine.

"I'm coming with you. I'm stronger than I was then. Besides, there will be more of us," I pointed out. "I promise to be careful, alright?"

He sighed, and a few moments passed before he nodded. "Alright, you can come."

"Don't worry, Mika, we've got your back," Bulkhead said, gesturing to the entire team.

"Thanks, guys. I've got your back as well. I may be small, but I can scrap 'cons, too."

Arcee smiled. "That is good to know," she said.

"Now, let's go and kick some Decepticon aft!" Wheeljack yelled.

The groundbridge opened, and Optimus scooped me up in his servos before running through the groundbridge alongside Wheeljack, Bulkhead, Arcee, Bumblebee, and Shadestar.

Dark clouds and mist greeted us on the other side of the groundbridge.

And Vehicons. Lots of them.

They were drilling into the side of a mountain, and several of them quickly noticed the newcomers. Us.

They turned to us, their weapons charging.

"Optimus, quick, let me down."

He did so without thinking about it, trusting my judgement.

I ran away from my friends, always making sure I was at their flank. I made sure none of the Vehicons had noticed me, and I had to smile when none of them did.

I watched for a minute as my companions battled against the Vehicons. The drones quickly fell, but more replaced them.

Come on, Mika, focus. You have a mission to attend to, I scolded myself, and I ran around the battlefield. My training was starting to pay off; I had much more stamina and endurance than when I had first started my training.

I came up to the rear of the horde of Vehicons, and I slid behind a boulder and studied them for a moment before deciding what I would do.

With an echoing battle cry, I jumped out from behind the boulder, my enormous astral claws appearing and surrounding my hands.

Surprised, the Vehicons turned to look at their newcomer. Their optics widened, shocked. They didn't think a human could look so fearsome.

I charged at them, throwing my claws toward them. They panicked and began to shoot at my claws, but they only bounced off. The razor-sharp talons sliced through six Vehicons at once like a hot knife through butter.

My friends watched me attack the Decepticon drones with wide optics.

"Wow," Bulkhead said, astonished at my deadly ferocity.

"Come on, she's outnumbered! Let's cut those Decepticons down to size!" Wheeljack roared, taking out his twin katanas and throwing himself in the horde of drones, hacking nearby ones to pieces. The rest joined him, pushing their shock aside for later.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a red Decepticon change into a red sports vehicle and race away.

"Oh, no, you don't," I growled, disentangling myself from the main battle and racing after the sports car. I knew I couldn't catch up with it, so I came up with an idea. I disengaged my claws and ran up a hill that gave me a slight detour from the Decepticon.

The hill ended off at an abrupt cliff. It wasn't that tall, only about ten feet, which was about twice my height. I leaped off the cliff, sailing through the air for a moment before I tucked my legs and arms in, doing a couple of flips before the ground rushed up to meet me.

I threw my legs and arms out right before I hit the ground, and I landed nimbly on the ground, sliding only slightly because of my momentum. Thank you, Arcee, I said silently.

I threw my hands out in front of me, and a medium-sized charge fired from the middle of my palms. My aim was true, and it hit the vehicle squarely. Stunned, the Decepticon spun out of control, and trying to regain it, he changed forms, sliding to a stop on the ground.

Taking the opportunity, I bolted towards him, my claws reappearing.

"You scratched my paint!" the Decepticon shrieked. "Prepare for surgery!" His servo changed into a circular saw, and he flipped, jumping to his pedes.

I gave an enraged scream and twisted, throwing my arms wide as I spun. My claws raked his chassis, skimming against the metal. But the damage was done. My attack had left incisions deep enough to cause immediate pain and drawing energon, but not enough to kill.

He shrieked again, and he abruptly changed forms and sped off in the other direction, dirt and dust thrown up at his hasty escape.

"Coward!" I screamed, trying to give chase, but he quickly left me behind.

My chest heaved, the adrenaline still coursing through my veins. I turned and looked back and watched as Bumblebee shot down the last Vehicon. A shout of triumph and victory rose up as I approached.

"Mika!" Wheeljack cheered, a wide grin on his faceplates and pride shining in his optics. In fact, pride and respect shone in all of their optics.

A groundbridge appeared and we all walked through, everyone speaking at once.

"Mika, that was insane! You were awesome out there!"

"How did you do that?"

-You totally kicked aft out there!-

"You were amazing, Mika!"

The barrage of exclamations kept coming as we emerged from the groundbridge and finding ourselves back at base.

"Wait, what happened?" Ratchet asked, confused at everyone's excitement. No one answered, though, because they were still congratulating me.

"Would someone please tell me what is going on?" Ratchet roared over everyone's voices.

-You should have been there, Ratchet! Mika was awesome out there! She was all like...- Bumblebee then proceeded to imitate what I did, and everyone started laughing at his enthusiasm.

After a while, when the commotion had died down a little bit, Optimus came up to me and knelt.

"Mika, you did well out there. You fought bravely and well, and because of this and your quick thinking, we were able to retrieve what they were drilling for." He then pulled out an object from a hidden compartment within his armor and held it out for me to see.

"This is a Cybertronian relic. It is the Requiem Blaster, small in size but powerful when used. If in the wrong hands it could potentially be devastating, but thanks to you, we were able to intercept them and retrieve it." He nodded his helm to me in appreciation.

I grinned proudly, taking in the compliments he gave me.

Then I remembered the red Decepticon I encountered, and I asked Optimus about him.

"That was Knockout, the Decepticon's medic. He is a bit of a narcissist, though."

I laughed a little. "Well, that explains why he got upset when I attacked him," I said. "Then, when I attacked him again, he ran off."

"Mika, he is not someone to underestimate. He is just as dangerous as Starscream," he said lowly.

I took what he said seriously, but I didn't want him to worry about me for the rest of the day.

"I understand. Anyhow, on a much happier note, Wheeljack and Donovan still want to go on that triple date," I told him with a secret smile. He returned it and stood back up.

"Do you want to go?" he asked politely.

"Of course."

"Then it is decided. We shall go," he declared to me. I grinned up at him.

"Hope you like baseball," I said, winking at him before running around him and down a hallway.

I knocked loudly on Wheeljack's door.

"What?"

"We're coming!" I yelled through the door. Although I couldn't see it, I just knew he was grinning. "Be ready in five!"

With that, I ran away from the door and back into the main hangar. I pulled out my new phone and quickly scrolled through my contacts and picking one.

"Hey, Donovan, we're going on that triple date. Be here in five minutes, alright?"

"Yep. See ya then," I heard the muscular man reply before hanging up.

Optimus's voice rumbled down to me.

"Do you like baseball?" He seemed genuinely curious.

"Don't know," I shrugged. "Never seen a game before."

"Oh," he said, his voice dropping. I knew where his thoughts were going.

"Hey, big guy, don't think about the past. It's already long gone. It's the present and the future we should think about."

He chuckled softly. "Now you are starting to sound like me."

"Hmm, I wonder why," I said, moving closer to him and laying a hand on his leg before leaning against it.

Carefully, Optimus moved away from me to kneel to the ground, and I moved closer instinctively. He reached out and gently rubbed my back with a digit, and I relaxed automatically.

"Why did the others decide upon baseball?"

I opened my eyes, thinking of his question.

"I'm not exactly sure, other than the fact that Donovan enjoys it sometimes." I thought about my employer, who was also one of my long-time close friends, and wondered about him. He and Shadestar seemed to have created an instant bond of friendship together, but the Cybertronian feline was tagging along with them. Donovan was the one who invited her, which was a surprise.

"What do you think about Shadestar?" I blurted out to Optimus. Surprised by the question, he took a moment to reply.

"She is loyal to you, and therefore to us, and she is a good fighter. She can be stubborn at times on certain things, refusing to leave you out of her sight when you could potentially be in danger, but overall I believe she is a good comrade in arms."

Before I could ask him further, a car honk echoed through the base. I peered around Optimus's leg and grinned.

I ran towards the car and hugged the man that emerged from the car.

"It's good to see you, too," Donovan said, laughing as he hugged me back.

When we pulled away, he held me at arm's length and studied me.

"You are growing up too fast," he said, pulling me into another quick bear hug before letting go. "Where has all the time gone?" he wondered quietly, looking into my eyes with a smile.

"Did we miss the family reunion?" came the smart aleck reply. A grin slid over my face as I turned to face Crystal.

"Very funny," I said, giving her a mock accusing look. "Although, he is more like family to me than anything else. And the same goes to everyone else here."

Crystal grinned at me before speaking.

"Aren't you forgetting something?"

My eyes widened. I almost forgot the tickets!

"I'll be right back," I said before rushing to my room. I rushed inside and scanned my room for the tickets, quickly finding them on my side table. I hurriedly grabbed them, and I was about to leave when I saw an object on my bed. I walked over and picked up the pocketknife that Donovan and Ryan had given, placing it in the front pocket of my jacket before I left my room.

As I ran back to where the others were waiting, a grey-black feline with vivid green eyes came up to my side and matched my pace. A small smile formed on my face as I ran with Shadestar back into the main hangar.

"Well, it certainly took you long enough," I heard Crystal say upon my return. Donovan shook his head at her, but a smile showed his true feelings. It only grew wider when he caught sight of Shadestar, and I had to hide a smirk.

It was about time someone caught the muscular man's heart.

"How long are we going to have to wait before we go?" Wheeljack asked impatiently.

"Right now, okay, Mr. Grumpy Impatient Aft," I grumbled, heading towards Optimus, who gave me an understanding smile before changing forms in front of me.

The others Cybertronians did the same, minus Shadestar, who just opted to jump into Donovan's car.

Crystal and I hopped into our guardian's altmodes, and I watched as the groundbridge open. I turned around and caught a glimpse of Bumblebee's paintjob. I grinned and said a silent thank you in my head as the six of us drove through the portal.

Bumblebee watched the groundbridge close, and he beeped softly.

-you're welcome-

XxxxxXXXXxxxxxx

We pulled into the enormous parking lot, which was already overcrowded with vehicles. Wheeljack and Donovan pulled into vacant parking lots, but it was a different matter for Optimus. Since his alternate mode was a semi, he couldn't fit in a normal parking spot.

However, I was thankful that another semi was just pulling out of its parking spot, leaving four normal parking spaces open.

"Go, Optimus, before anyone takes them!"

The engine roared, and we sped forward at an unexpected speed. The next thing I knew, the brakes squealed in my ears, and I opened my eyes to see two cars who were about to drive into the parking spaces before Optimus's girth dwarfed them and swallowed the parking spaces.

I opened the driver door window to yell out, "Sorry, but I really needed this parking spot! There was nowhere else to park!"

One of the drivers gave me a fierce glare and muttered under his breath angrily as he backed up and sped off.

The other driver, however, was much more cordial.

"'Is all right, lil lady. Don' mind 'im, 'e's bin in a fix all day. Don' know how 'is girl handles 'is temper an' all," he said with a definite Southern accent. He tipped his wide brimmed hat with a single finger and smiled before backing up and driving away to find another parking spot.

The window rolled up at its own accord as I watched the man drive off.

"He was courteous and polite," I said. I heard Optimus hum through the speakers.

"Come on, let's go. The longer we stay here, the less time we'll have to see the game!"

His holoform fizzled to life next to me, and I smiled at him. He silently opened the passenger door and climbed out, walking to the other side of his alt mode. He pulled my door open, and I jumped out, and I had to giggle when he caught me expertly.

I was caught by surprise when I was suddenly pushed up against the side of the cab, Optimus pressing against me. His hands were braced on the cab on either side of my head, and his glowing eyes burned into mine.

"Optimus?" I squeaked, thoroughly shocked at his actions. "What are you-"

I gave another faint squeak when he forcefully kissed me, and I realized that his actions were almost desperate.

When he pulled away a second later, I looked at him in mild concern. "What's wrong?" I asked him.

He took several long moments to reply.

"I cannot lose you," he whispered, his eyes showing his sadness and desperation.

"I was only admiring how he acted towards others, Optimus. I haven't looked at anyone else the same way as I do for you. There's no need for you to get jealous."

"I am not jealous. I just refuse to lose you. I can't-" I cut him off because he voice grew in despair. I hurriedly pressed a finger to his lips before replacing it with my lips in a gentle kiss. It signified a promise; a promise of faithfulness, care, and devotion.

When we pulled away, Optimus gently rested his forehead on mine and looked into my eyes with a silent plea.

"It's alright, I'm not leaving you. I don't ever plan on it, nor do I want to," I whispered to console him.

It seemed to calm him, and he relaxed and moved away from me. I gently pushed away from the semi and moved closer to his holoform, placing a comforting hand on his chest.

"Come on, love birds! The game won't wait for us!" Crystal yelled. I sighed and let my hand fall back to my side.

"Come on," I said, and I reached for his holoform's hand and grasped it in mine. His fingers curled around my hand, entwining themselves between my own slender fingers.

We walked hand in hand next to Crystal, Wheeljack, Donovan, and Shadestar up to the main gates. It was a pain to find a place where the staff would allow small pets, but I had finally found one after days of constant searching. Thankfully, Raf had offered to help, which had made things so much easier.

My mind was elsewhere as soon as we passed through the gates. I didn't remember handing over the tickets, or even walking to where our seats were. The entire time I was thinking about the way Optimus had acted.

Was he still insecure about our relationship?

It actually made sense, given what he went through during the War on Cybertron and what happened to his mate, Starlight. I understood that he couldn't handle the fact that he could lose me, whether by death or just simply by falling out of affection for him.

But I knew better than that. What was between us was more than just mere affection.

Affection wouldn't lay down its life for their counterpart.

Affection wouldn't move heaven and earth to make sure that everything was alright.

Affection wouldn't last.

This, this would.

I slowly came back to reality, and I found myself sitting in my seat, Optimus sitting at my right. Donovan sat on my other side, with Shadestar in the next seat, watching the game intently. Wheeljack and Crystal sat next to Optimus, the Wrecker's arm draped over her shoulders casually. Crystal looked completely content, going so far as to lean into him a little.

I glanced at Optimus. He seemed to be absorbed in watching the game, and happiness blossomed in my chest. I was glad that he could go somewhere where he could temporarily forget about his duties as a Prime, not feeling the weight of leadership and responsibility on his shoulders.

I was glad he could enjoy himself without constantly thinking about their war.

The one I was a major part of.

Trying to turn to happier thoughts, I moved closer to Optimus, our shoulders touching. He looked at me for a moment and smiled before putting an arm around me. I laid my head on his shoulder as I watched the game.

My actions soothed and calmed Optimus, and he mindlessly ran his fingers through my hair, the silky strands sliding effortlessly through his fingers.

Within minutes, both of us were engrossed in the baseball game.

It was at halftime when something amazing happened.

The screens on the sides of the stadium showed people in the stadium, and the ones who were showed were supposed to kiss each other. I had to hide a grin.

"Aw, yeah! This kiss-cam's on!" I heard someone behind me say.

They showed about five 'couples' before my eyes widened in shock.

The screens showed Crystal, Wheeljack, Optimus, and I.

Crystal was the one who responded first. I watched her smirk before turning to Wheeljack and roughly grabbing the front of his shirt, pulling him towards her and roughly kissing him.

The Wrecker looked completely shocked.

And then it was my turn.

The only thing I remembered was a pair of soft lips on mine in a gentle kiss.

It was full of emotion, but it wasn't rushed or hurried, and I was pretty sure I forgot how to breathe for what seemed like a long time.

When Optimus finally pulled away, I suddenly remembered how to breathe, but my lips curled into a smile.

"That was amazing," I murmured, resting my head on his shoulder before I started to giggle. "Wheeljack looked so surprised."

Optimus smiled and chuckled softly.

"Yes, he did."

The team that I was cheering for had their last batter up to the plate. The pitcher drew back his hand, then hurled the ball at the batter.

"Strike!"

The ball was thrown back to the pitcher, and he tossed it from one hand to his gloved one. He reared back and propelled the ball at the batter, and I could already hear the referees screaming in my mind.

Instead, I heard the ball hit the metal bat, and the sound that it gave as it sailed through the air at high speed.

My eyes widened, shocked. It was coming directly at my head.

Before I knew it, a hand filled my vision and snatched the ball out of the air before it could hit me. I followed the hand to its owner, and I had to grin.

The arm dropped, and I watched as Optimus held out the baseball to me.

I gingerly took the ball from his hand, looking at it with a smile. I leaned closer to him until our shoulders touched, and I gave him a grateful smile.

"Thank you," I said in a quieter voice than the people around me, but I knew he had heard me. He nodded slightly, his electric blue eyes bright and gleaming in happiness.

I absentmindedly fiddled with the ball as I continued to watch. The batter had one more try to hit the ball before he was out, and the other team would win. If the batter hit the ball, keeping it within the fence, and made all the way to home, then they would win the game. But it seemed like they would need a miracle to do so.

The pitcher fiddled with the ball, wiping his brow and re-fixing his hat.

Silence fell over the stadium.

The pitcher rolled his shoulders back, and then he became a blur as he threw the ball.

I never saw the ball as it sped towards the batter.

Time seemed to slow then.

The batter stood there, seemingly frozen, the ball hurtling towards him.

I blinked, and in that instant, a metallic clang rang out through the entire stadium.

The ball sailed through the air, and the batter ran full-speed towards first base.

"Go! Go! Go!" I screamed, urging him on. I barely noticed Donovan doing the exact same thing.

The other three players on the batting team ran around the bases as the other team tried to catch the ball.

The other three players made it to home, but their last batter was only on third base.

He ran from third base towards home. If he made it home, they would win.

I screamed at him, urging him on even though he couldn't hear me.

One of the outfielders picked he ball up from the ground and threw it toward the pitcher. He caught it expertly and hurled it towards home plate.

The next thing I saw was the last batter launching himself towards home plate as the ball sailed through the air.

The batter slid onto the plate only a second before the player caught the ball and tagged the base.

"We won!" someone yelled in front of me.

I stood up, cheering, screaming my lungs out with an enormous grin as the entire stadium erupted in cheering, applauding, and screaming fans.

"We won!"

I barely paid attention in the aftermath of the game. The only thing I did remember was seeing the guy with the Southern accent we had met before the game. He saw us too, and decided to make his way over to us.

Optimus saw him immediately as he approached, and he put a protective, almost posessive arm over my shoulders. I gently leaned into him in an effort to calm him.

The man saw the way Optimus was acting and laughed as he came over.

"Don' worry, I'm not gonna take yur girl from ya. I've got one of mah own, and she's amazin'. Even got a ring fer her." He smiled as he thought of her.

"Why don't you walk with us, and you can tell us about her?" I asked politely.

"Sounds like a good ideah," the man said. He took a step, then stopped and turned back to us.

"Name's Dennis, by the way," he said, holding out his hand. I reached out and shook it.

"Mika. And this is my- boyfriend," I said, looking up at Optimus briefly.

"Nice t' meet ya, sir," Dennis said, holding his hand out to Optimus, who shook it expertly. I wondered how he knew how to shake hands so well, but I decided to ask him later.

"My name is Orion," Optimus said in his deep baritone voice.

A large grin grew onto Dennis's face, and he narrowed his eyes at him. "Yur from the military, aren't ya?"

Optimus/Orion shrugged. "You could say that."

Dennis looked at me as we began to walk. "I think ya got yurself a keeper, Mika."

I blushed faintly and rested my head on Optimus/Orion's shoulder as we walked.

"Thank you," I said in a quiet voice.

"At least ya won't come t' any harm," Dennis continued with a quiet chuckle.

"Yeah," I said, staring off into space, suddenly serious.

A minute of silence passed before he spoke again.

"Mah girl is one of a kind," he said, "an' she makes sure I'm fed properly."

"Shesounds nice," I said.

Dennis nodded. "She's a keeper, no doubt about it." Only a couple of moments later, he spoke again. "Well, there's mah car. It was nice t' meet ya, Mika and Orion."

"It was a pleasure," Optimus/Orion said with a small, friendly smile.

"I'm glad you found someone to be with, Dennis. It was nice meeting you, and I hope you both have a happy, joyful life together," I said.

"Have t' say the same fer ya, Mika. I hope ya and Orion have a good long life together."

"Thank you," Optimus said, squeezing my shoulders slightly in a small sideways hug. I beamed at the two men.

We watched as he walked away to his car and drove off, waving at us in a friendly farewell as he passed by. We waved back.

Once he disappeared from our sight, Optimus turned to me.

"We should go back to base. It is getting late."

I reached down and took hold of one of the holoform's hands and held it.

"Alright," I said, smiling softly at him.

As we walked back to his parked form, he told me that Wheeljack and Donovan had already informed him of their plans for the night. Donovan and Shadestar would go back to the pet shop until he closed up for the day, then Shadestar would come back to base. Crystal and Shadestar would take the long route back to base, deciding to drive there instead of taking a groundbridge.

Optimus commed base once he helped me into his cab and drove a short distance to a somewhat secluded spot not far from where the baseball game. Only a short minute later, the swirling green portal appearing in front of us, and I gave Optimus's holoform a small smile before we drove through.

Bumblebee greeted us on the other side of the groundbridge.

-How did your date go?- he beeped enthusiastically.

I climbed out of the cab and nimbly landed on the concrete before Optimus had the chance to catch me. The holoform walked up to my side, but before he could reprimand me, I flashed him a charming smile.

"The triple date went well, thanks for asking," I said, looking back up at Bee. He made a happy chirping sound at my reply.

-Bossbot's got a girlfriend!- he sang in his happy beeping and chirping.

I laughed. "He's had a girlfriend for awhile now, Bee." I looked at Optimus's holoform, and I had to look at him closely.

Was he... blushing?

"You're blushing!"

Optimus muttered under his breath, looking away. I had to laugh.

"Oh, come on," I said, reaching out and grabbing his arm and pulling him along.

"Where are we going?"

I grinned. "Up to the top of the base. I've been wanting to go up there for awhile."

Optimus sat on the edge of the cliff that hid the Autobot base. I sat next to him, leaning on his enormous metallic leg.

We watched the sunset as the sun slowly sank below the horizon.

"It's beautiful," I said softly. Optimus hummed quietly in agreement, reaching down and stroking my back gently with one digit.

After a few moments of silence, I spoke again.

"Do you think Wheeljack is back yet?"

Optimus pondered my question for a moment.

"I believe that Ratchet would have probably commed me when they came back to base. Otherwise, we would have seen them from up here."

I frowned. "That's what I thought, too."

Afterwards, we were silent.

I got up after awhile, and I quietly asked if we could look at the stars. Optimus readily agreed, and he laid back on the rock. I scrambled to his side and climbed onto his chassis, which took me a minute, since he was so much larger than me.

I lay down on his chassis, watching the stars and finding familiar constellations.

"Do you have different constellations back home?" I asked quietly.

I heard him sigh. "Yes."

"What were they like?"

He paused for a brief second. "They were beautiful." And then, somehow, everything around me changed.

Everything below me was made of metal. Smooth, reflective, and almost luminescent metal. It was brighter and more beautiful than any other metal on Earth, and it was beautiful.

"Look up," I faintly heard a voice say.

I did so, and I gasped.

Stars lit up the night sky in a dazzling array of light. Every star shown perfectly, without an atmosphere to disrupt or disfigure their magnificent beauty. I could even tell what kind of star many of the closer ones were. There were star clusters, pulsars, binary stars, and I even saw several galaxies in perfect minute detail.

"Optimus," I breathed, the sight taking my breath away. "...it's so beautiful..."

The illusion slowly faded away, and I saw the usual Earth constellations, hazy and faint.

"How did you do that?" I asked.

"It was another representation that is similar to the holoform, in means of technology. The only difference is that it did not feel real, unlike the holoform."

I heard Optimus sigh sadly underneath me. I turned and looked into his optics.

"You miss Cybertron, don't you?" I asked, although I already knew the answer.

"We all miss our home," he said quietly.

I crawled off of him and moved next to his helm. I laid a gentle hand on his cheek plate, a sympathetic yet determined look on my face.

"Optimus, this I promise you. I will do whatever has to be done to help you in this war and reunite you with your home planet, no matter what it takes."

A burning fire blazed in my eyes, and the mech saw the raw determination set within me.

"Mika—"

"No, Optimus. I mean it. Whatever it takes."

"Cybertron is lost to us, Mika. Cybertron has to be revived somehow, but we do not have the capabilities or the resources to do so."

"That doesn't matter." I moved closer to his helm and looked straight into his optics. "You have to have faith, Optimus. Cybertron will be revived."

He started to speak again, but I shushed him by placing my fingers on his lip plates.

"Faith."

He was silent for a minute, but then his optics softened, and he looked away.

"Faith," he murmured, almost sadly. "We have had faith for a renewed Cybertron, for an end to this war for thousands of years. But it is still continuing."

"Optimus, look at me."

He hesitantly did, his optics showing his sadness.

"I will do everything I can to restore Cybertron to you, I promise."

"Please, do not make promises you cannot keep," he pleaded quietly.

"I may not be able to restore Cybertron, but I will not stop trying to do so." I gently stroked his cheek plate. "You deserve to have a chance to be happy once more."

A tiny hint of happiness returned into his optics. "I have you. That is reason enough to be happy."

I leaned over and gently planted a quick kiss on his lip plating.

Once I pulled away, Optimus sat up and looked at me.

"Enough of Cybertron for the time being. We were supposed to enjoy our company outside, under the stars," I said lightly, trying to lighten the mood.

He smiled. "I thought we—"

He stopped, reaching up and pressing a hidden mechanism on the side of his helm.

::Optimus?::

::Yes, Ratchet?::

::You might want to come down here. Wheeljack just commed me::

His voice sounded urgent, and the Prime glanced at me worriedly.

::We are on our way::

Optimus stood up and quickly picked my up in his servos and hurried back inside base, using another secret entrance I had only just learned about.

Before we knew it, we were inside the main hangar, and we watched the open groundbridge in anxiety.

Finally, a familiar mech managed to walk through the groundbridge, supported by Bumblebee and Bulkhead.

But there was something wrong.

Wheeljack's body was covered in wounds, seeping energon. The sickly blue liquid dripped onto the concrete floor, and my anxiety only worsened.

"Lay him on the medical berth," Ratchet said urgently, and Bumblebee and Bulkhead slowly did so.

The mainly white Wrecker was barely conscious.

But then, a realization hit me like a category five hurricane, and horror filled me.

"Where is Crystal?"

Wheeljack gave a faint strangled noise.

"Dreadwing," he finally rasped painfully and despairingly before he lost consciousness.

IMPORTANT NOTICE!

Before we continue with Mika's journey, I have to tell you about the guy I based Donovan off of.

He goes to my church, and his kidneys are dysfunctional. He's close to me, and I worry for him a lot. He's on the waiting list for a donor, but so far no one has come up that matches with his particular need. He's been on dialysis for about two years now, and I think he only has one year left. He has a wife and a two year old son.

Please keep Jason in your minds and prayers.

Thank you for everything.

-RB