Okay, this has to be the shortest chapter (actually it's more like a… "chapter-let") I have ever written and posted BY FAR. Period. I'm not counting the prologue of this story either.
Reasons for this phenomena:
Honestly, it was the only way I could think of to fit in Artemis' and Optimus' theme song 'My Demons'. (FYI, for anyone who doesn't know them—Starset if fragging awesome! They only have one album, but it has EPIC songs on it!) Yes, I know—the songs. It is always the songs with me. -_-'
I couldn't really figure out how to tie it into the event of the next chapter. And if I did, with the way the plan is laid out right now, we'd have several short chapters in a row and I would rather have it as one short chapter and then a longer chapter. Yeah, it doesn't make sense to you, but it does to me, so shove it.
You're lucky! This is my way of letting you test the waters and get your feet wet to get ready for the rest of the story. From here on out there's going to be lots of heart break, tension, and several other unpleasant things until the very final chapter. So if you haven't got the stomach for it, if you can't take the heat, get out right now and forget what you've read! Otherwise, I'm dragging you down to emotional hell with me! If I as the writer have to go through emotional torment while writing this—even when I know the ending—then, logically, you as the reader has to, too! I don't wanna suffer by myself!
AllSpark Princess—Oh, things will get worse for Artemis, but not because that Bryce now knows the secret. He's a trustworthy guy. :)
The Angel of Thursday—Once again, thank you for your sympathy.
SunnySides—I can just about imagine how long Bryce had to sit there and how many times they had to go back over things for him to be able to understand them. The story seems to get more and more confusing all the time! XD
alienlover64—I don't like oatmeal raisin either. Or peanut butter. Or snickerdoodles. Or thin mints (*shudders* Especially not thin mints….).
Alice Gone Madd—Why not? I would. I wouldn't even need a memory transfer. "You're really a giant alient planet from a distant planet called Cybertron? Sure I believe you! Why not? I'm gullible."
Ryder-Hunter—Thanks. :)
Bee4ever—You know it! ;)
I DO NOT OWN TRANSFORMERS OR ANYTHING IN RELATION (unfortunately) I ONLY OWN MY OCS.
"Take me high and I'll sing. Oh, you make everything okay, okay, okay ('Kay, okay, okay). We are one in the same. Oh, you take all of the pain away, away, away ('Way, away, away). Save me, if I become…
My demons…" Starset; My Demons
25
With You Always
Dear Diary,
Today is July 4th and Mom's coming back home! I'm not gonna lie, I'm excited for both. The plan appears to play out this way: Aunt Clara, Gemma, and I go to pick up Mom from her school and then we go out to have a Fourth of July party. Turns out where Mom is—I forget the name of the city—is really big with Fourth of July festivities. So we're gonna have supper and go watch this big fireworks display before we come back home. Sounds like a blast! Yet… at the same time I can't help but wish I could keep putting it off or even just freeze time altogether. If Mom comes home… Optimus leaves.
He's already talked to me about it. Starting tomorrow he only has a week left to stay here before he's due back at N.E.S.T. headquarters.
One.
Short.
Week.
I understand why he has to go back: his team needs him; this country needs him; heck probably this whole planet and universe needs him! And I know that he has to. I know that he can't stay here with me forever—we're just a part of each other's lives now, not each other's whole lives—but I can't help but feel that way. Optimus makes me feel so warm and safe when he's around just like Dad used to when he was here. I lost that feeling once and… I don't want it to go away again. Not when my life finally seems to be turning up.
"Artemis?"
Drawn out of my thoughts, I looked up to see Optimus standing in the door of my room watching me with a smile. "It's almost time for you to go pick up your mother," he informed me. "Are you ready?"
"I can't believe you're not coming with us," I said by way of answer, looking at him sadly. Maybe it was stupid to think, but Optimus only had a week left to stay here, and I wanted to hand out with him as often as I could (a complete 180 from my first feelings towards him, huh?). And besides, it was Independence Day! As fun as tonight would be, it sure as hell would've been a lot more fun if Optimus was there too. He just seemed to make everything better.
Prime sighed heavily, his smile slipping away as he came into the room and strode over to the window seat where I was perched. "Artemis…"
"I mean, don't you want to go with us, Optimus?" I questioned. "Don't you want to see the fireworks display and eat barbeque and do Fourth of July stuff with us? With me?"
Optimus sat down next to me and put his arm around my shoulders. "Oh, Artemis, you know I do," he assured me. "Since coming to live on earth and make my home here in the United States, Fourth of July has come to be one of my favorites of your human holidays. I never thought explosions could be beautiful." Up until that point he was smiling at me again, but then it disappeared once more. "But, despite how much I would enjoy going and spending time with you and your family, I cannot and you know that too."
"Because you have that big, important phone call briefing," I stated, remembering what he'd told me. "And you can't do that on the road because cell reception is spotty and there are other ears around besides mine."
"That's right," Optimus agreed with a nod. "It's too much of a risk, sweet-spark."
"Yeah," I sighed in defeat. "I know." I stared down at my still open journal, not thinking, bothering, or really even caring to close it despite the fact that, if he so wished, Optimus could just look down and read plain as say what I had scrawled on the page. Tears pricked at my eyes as I reread the last paragraph I'd written. "But…" I choked out, sniffling a bit, "… it just doesn't seem fair, Optimus." I looked up at him and released a shaky breath. "I mean, you're only here for one more week and then you're gone." I shook my head. "It just doesn't seem right that we don't spend as much time as we can together before you have to go. Especially on a holiday." I looked down at my diary again, slowing shutting it this time.
With a sigh, Optimus pulled me closer to his side and rubbed my arm, resting his head on mine. "I know, treasure," he whispered, and I could tell it came from the very bottom of his heart. "I know. But listen—look at me." I looked up at him and he smiled again, trying to comb the bangs out of my face. "Starting tomorrow we'll have a week just for the two of us. We'll do whatever you want and just have fun all week long. How does that sound?"
That really did sound like fun, I won't lie. I could think of no better way to spend Prime's last week here in Eddyville… but as exciting as a "Just Us" week sounded, it also really made the prospect of Optimus leaving hit home. Hard. The tears that were already fighting were becoming hotter and sharper and began to win out. Before long I could hold them back no longer and they started trickling down my cheeks. I released a sob, Optimus' face swimming before my eyes. "Oh, Optimus…" I choked out, "… I don't want you to leave!" Without thinking I lunged and threw my arms around my guardian's neck, burying my chest in his chest and starting to wail. I know I wasn't being fair. I had to be making Prime feel guilty that he was leaving, but I couldn't stop myself. All I could think about was how I didn't want him to go—how empty life would seem with him gone. He was my best friend….
Wrapping his arms around me in return, the alien pulled me into his lap and held me close, rocking me and whispering soothingly to me in Cybertronian. "Oh, treasure," he sighed, and judging from his shaky breath, he must have been threatening to start crying too. "I know, Artemis. I know you don't want me to. Quite honestly, I have no desire to leave either. The time I've spent here with you and your family is easily the happiest time I have had in years. I love it here. I love being with you. I… care for you deeply, little one." He held me closer and tighter, almost completely hiding me from the outside world with his massive arms and body. "But you know that this will not be the last time we see each other," he pointed out, trying to cheer me up. "I can always find some time to take leave and come back to visit, perhaps even bring some of the team with me from time to time. And we can call each other, and write letters. We could even set up a web camera—I'm sure I could convince the N.E.S.T. officials to let me do that."
I sniffled and shook my head. "It won't be the same though," I commented. "Not like when you're right here with me like this."
The Prime sighed. "Yes," he agreed sadly. "I know."
"Why do you have to go?"
"Because I do, my child. My team needs me."
"But I need you, too!"
A slight, watery chuckle. "You don't need me, Artemis."
"Yes, I do!" I insisted, pulling away a bit so I could look up and meet his gaze. "When you're not around bad shit happens to me: nightmares; Barry; spiked drinks. I need you to keep me safe. I need you, Optimus!" I plunged my face back into the darkness of his jacket, fisting his shirt in my hands. "Please…. Please, Optimus, I need you…." I started to all out bawl my eyes out again, feeling sorry for myself; feeling sorry that Optimus would be leaving me soon.
We sat that way for a while cradled in each other's arms, both of us crying—one of us quite a bit more loudly and unsightly than the other. Finally, once I had calmed myself down enough, I took a deep breath and slowly, shakily, released it. "You're the only one who actually understands, Optimus," I whimpered. "You're the only who knows what it's like to be afraid to go to sleep at night because you know the nightmares will be there. You're the only one who knows what it's like to battle demons that only you can see. You're the only one who knows the fear and anger and helplessness and the darkness that they can create and how hard that darkness is to battle and get out of. You're the only one who gets it, Optimus." I screwed my eyes even more tightly shut and held onto my friend and guardian more desperately, nuzzling closer, never wanting to let go. "You're the only one you gets me…."
After I said that, Optimus pulled me off of him and held me so that he could see me face-to-face. Putting a finger beneath my chin, he tenderly lifted my head and met my eyes, looking deeply into them. Those electro-blues of his seemed warm yet eerie piercing through me. "Artemis, listen to me carefully," he murmured softly, face all serious business and yet not cold or grim. "Despite what happens, no matter how far apart we're separated, I will always be there for you. Even when I'm not beside you as I am now, I will be there with you." Holding up a large, leathery, callused hand, the man placed it on the flat of my chest, warm palm splayed over my birthmark. "Here. In turn you will always be with me." Taking one of my hands into his free hand, he performed the same action he had done with his hand with mine, splaying it flat over his heart. "Here. You will always be with me here. And so long as we are here, we will never, ever be alone." Still keeping our hands where they were, the Autobot leaned in a bit more closely and looked deeper into my eyes. "I will never leave you, Artemis Savage," he declared at a whisper. "This I vow—I will never, ever leave you."
More tears pricking in my eyes—some from happiness but most still from sadness—I threw my arms around my guardian again and held him for dear life. "And I'll never leave you either," I promised, squeezing my eyes shut, "Optimus Prime."
BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! And you all thought I was going to write a chapter about Optimus and Artemis explaining the whole Cybertron story to Bryce, didn't you? *laughs hysterically* PSYCH!
