All was calm and peaceful within the energon cave. Starscream breathed a cloud of steam which he lazily blew away with a sigh. He heard a little yawn from Terra and gazed at her lovingly while she rested in his arms. The poor thing was worn out and was nestled safely against his chest. He would have changed back to his original size, but holding her like this put him at ease.
The past few hours had been...magical as Terra described it. She was wonderful. Absolutely wonderful. He had learned so much about her and she learned a lot as well. He had thought that their differences would make things difficult, but Terra was more than willing to adapt and so was he.
Small love scratches and bites decorated her hips and her back. Starscream reached forward and traced a claw along her back, recalling the sounds she made when he scratched and bit her. They weren't sounds of fear and pain like the first time. He was careful and she insisted that it was okay if he left those marks on her body.
A beautiful blue glow emanated from her lower waist. Terra showed concern when she first noticed the glow, but he had reassured her that it was perfectly safe. He couldn't help but wonder how brightly he could make her glow when they interfaced again. It would be a beautiful sign to the world that she was his wonderful sparkmate.
His claws went down to her lower back, making her moan in her sleep and arch her back a bit. She was so shy and oh so sweet during the whole time they interfaced. He had wanted to interface the whole day, but Terra was worn out after a few long sessions. She needed a break. She would have to go back to her cabin to eat at some point, which filled him with dread. He didn't want to part from her anytime soon.
"I love you, Terra," he whispered in her ear while holding her close. His little sparkmate was perfect. She was so incredibly soft. Even softer in certain places. His gaze went down to those two lumps of flesh on her chest and he smirked as he remembered the sweet sounds Terra made when he caressed them. She had called them breasts and had said that they were very sensitive when touched.
He shifted his body so that he could rest his head against her chest, nuzzling her breasts and taking comfort in their softness. Terra grunted softly in her sleep and wrapped her arms around his head, pulling him closer. Starscream let out a purr in response and pulled her closer by the waist. He could hear her heartbeat within her chest. It was steady and rhythmic and even comforting to listen to. He could easily recharge while listening to it.
"My perfect little sparkmate," he murmured while running a claw through her silky soft hair. His scent was all over her, mixing in perfectly with her own unique smell.
All other thoughts had melted away. All of his focus was on loving her and wanting to protect her no matter what.
Terra let out a little groan and slowly opened her eyes. She looked at him with a sleepy smile before giggling softly.
"Comfortable, love?" She asked, petting the top of his helm.
"I am, little bird," Starscream crowed, nuzzling her chest some more and growing increasingly needy for interfacing with her. Her heartbeat sped up a bit in response to his nuzzling.
"Mmm, what time is it?" Terra asked while still petting the top of his helm. Starscream reluctantly pulled away from her chest with a soft sigh as he checked his internal clock. He had lost track of the time and was surprised with how much time had actually passed.
"It's past noon, little bird. Seems we easily let the time slip away," he said with a chuckle before pulling her close into a gentle embrace. A low growl emanated from Terra's stomach in response, gaining another giggle from Terra.
"We sure did. I gotta wash off and get something to eat soon. After that, we can let time slip away some more," Terra chimed while trying to sit up. Starscream groaned, unwilling to let her go just yet. An idea suddenly came to him causing him to smirk while letting her go and sitting up as well.
"Let me wash you, Terra. We can do it here in the lake," he said, gesturing to the glowing lake. Terra gazed over at the lake, unsure at first before her smile grew.
"That's a wonderful idea, love. Romantic too," she crowed, giving him a knowing wink before getting to her feet. She was a bit wobbly in the knees, but she got her footing right as she walked over to the edge of the water. Starscream took a moment to gaze at her in wonder. The energon within the cave bathed her in a beautiful blue glow, making her look heavenly.
Terra looked over her shoulder at him with a playful look in her eyes. That blush came back as she bit her lower lip.
"You like what you see, love?" She asked, backing into the water
"I sure do, little bird. I just can't get enough of seeing you like this," he crowed as he stood up and approached her. He was a bit hesitant to get into the water, but seeing Terra's smile made him more eager to join her.
Terra held out her hand to him which he took without hesitation. He had quickly realized just how much he loved holding her little hand in his own. It had felt like an eternity since he felt a sensation like holding hands.
"You're blushing, love. It looks cute on you," Terra chimed while leading him into deeper water. Starscream let out a little growl at that. He stepped closer to her, thinking of the things he would love to do to her if she wasn't so exhausted and hungry.
"Why so intense, love?" She asked.
"I'm just thinking of what I'd like to do to you later," he purred, pulling her closer and blowing a cloud of steam into her face. Terra smiled in response, a look of desire in her eyes as she hugged him back.
"Would you like to tell me about what you'd like to do?" She asked before pulling away to sit in the water. Starscream thought for a moment before he moved to sit behind her, grabbing her by the waist and pulling her close so that she sat between his legs. He could tell her, but he was going to keep his plans as vague as possible.
"I might really eat you whole, Terra," he purred before cupping water in his palm and letting it fall over her. He closed his optics as he imagined pleasuring her while in his original size. The thought of having her squirming and moaning within his claws made him chuckle darkly.
"Mmm, sounds like a grand time," Terra replied.
Starscream felt her shiver beneath his touch as he ran a few claws through her hair. He brushed one claw along her neck, leaving faint red marks. He sighed as he got another scoop of water and let it fall over her head. Terra hummed happily at the action and inched closer to his frame, pressing her bottom against the plating that hid his special equipment. Starscream cocked an eyebrow at her before pouring more water over her.
"Be careful, Terra. You said you needed food, but if you keep rubbing against me like that, you might have to wait longer," he crowed, snaking his hand around her waist and slowly running his claws along her stomach. He went a bit lower and smirked when he heard a little gasp from Terra. One of his favorite sounds from her.
"O-Okay. I'll be...be careful," Terra stammered.
She slowly pushed away from him and swam into deeper water. She looked back at him with reddening cheeks before dunking herself under water. A moment passed before she emerged from the water with a gasp of air. She shivered a bit as she went back to him. Her long hair clung to her skin, covering her breasts almost too perfectly.
"All clean," she chimed, standing up to peck him on the cheek. She kissed him again and again on his cheek, causing more steam to pour out of Starscream's mouth. She pulled back to gaze at him lovingly. Starscream gazed back at her and then he saw her lips. Her wonderful soft lips... Another low growl emanated from him as desire overcame his senses. He wanted her now.
"Not yet! Let her refuel," that voice scolded.
"G...Go refuel, my love. I'll be waiting for you here," he said, planting a kiss on her forehead and giving her hand a squeeze.
"I won't take long, love. Maybe I'll come back wearing something that you can rip off," Terra crowed before getting out of the water.
"You better. That black gown is far too pretty to tear. Come back with something disposable...or nothing at all," Starscream purred, watching on as she quickly dried off with a blanket and put her nightgown back on.
Terra brushed herself off with a smile and picked up the blankets with a happy hum. She brushed away some wet hair that was sticking to her face before slowly turning to the exit of the cavern.
"Don't keep me waiting too long, my love," Starscream said while stepping out of the lake. Terra nodded and rushed out on silent feet.
Starscream watched her go before he let out a heavy sigh and sat down by a rather large energon crystal. The dull pain within his spark came back, filling him with the urge to go with her. He groaned and rubbed at the plating above his spark chamber. She wouldn't take long. She would be coming back later and they would spend more wonderful time together. If he could handle a beating from Megatron, then he could handle being away from Terra for a short amount of time.
"Come back soon, little bird," he whispered to himself, closing his optics as he thought of interfacing with her some more.
Terra couldn't stop smiling as she ran out of the cave. The past few hours had opened her eyes to so many new experiences. She glanced down and saw the faint blue glow showing through her gown. It made her feel all warm and gooey inside. She looked forward to coming back to the cave and spending some quality time with Starscream.
She giggled softly as she recalled Starscream's confusion when he went between her legs.
"Terra, where's your spike?" He asked, looking up at her with a concerned look in his optics. Terra looked back in confusion before she realized what he might have meant.
"A spike? I...I don't have that, love. I'm a girl," she replied. Did female cybertronians have the same parts as males?
"Ah, I keep forgetting humans are vastly different. Well, at least you have a nice little valve," Starscream said before planting kisses up and down her thighs, making her let out a soft moan as he got closer to his sweet treat. She looked forward to seeing what he had down there...
Terra looked around at her surroundings and saw the afternoon sun above. The time really did go by quickly back in the cave. She made a mental note to bring back some snacks and drinks just in case.
She continued to run through the woods before she came across her cabin. She rushed inside and went to the kitchen, making quick work in fixing herself some turkey sandwiches. She didn't realize just how hungry she was before she wolfed down three sandwiches. She ate one more and went to pour herself a glass of water.
Once she had her fill, she went up to her bedroom to find something to wear. She took her gown off and tossed it to the side. Walking by a window, she paused to gaze at her body. A smile adorned her lips when she saw all the small scratch marks decorating her body. They had hurt at first, but in the heat of the passion, they made the moment all the more intense and wonderful.
She rested her hands on her glowing lower stomach and felt the warmth under her skin. It was strange to look at, but it felt wonderful. She closed her eyes, smiling as she recalled the moment after he first overloaded.
Terra held on to him tightly as she cried out in ecstasy, gripping Starscream's wings as that wonderful warmth spilled into her. An alien growl came from Starscream as he bit down on her shoulder as he continued spilling himself into her. Tears of pleasure welled up in her eyes at the strange sensation of being filled up and from Starscream's denta on her shoulder. Starscream then let out a low moan, his claws trembling against her skin as he slowly stopped thrusting into her. Clouds of steam and smoke hung around them, giving the cave a blue haze.
"Terra...My little sparkmate…," he murmured, looking back at her with half-lidded optics full of love. Terra looked back at him, her smile growing as she caressed his cheek with a giggle. She didn't move, wanting to stay seated on his lap with his spike buried inside her. The only sounds within the cave were coming from within Starscream's body and from her as she breathed heavily.
"You...You were wonderful, love. You did so good," she whispered, kissing him tenderly. He wrapped his arms around her back, holding her close as he kissed her back.
"We're fully bonded now, Terra. You...I...We belong together," he whispered back after pulling away from the kiss.
"I love you, Starscream," she said, moving her hips a bit and biting her lip at the wonderful sensation of him inside her. This gained another growl from Starscream as his claws trailed down her back to give her bottom a gentle squeeze.
"And I love you, little bird," he purred before he began to nibble at her shoulder.
Terra bit her lip and looked down. A blue glue was emanating from her lower region. She wasn't sure what to think of it. That could be dangerous...
"I...I'm glowing, love. Is...Is that safe?" she murmured, still feeling reluctant to move away from him. Starscream stopped his nibbling and looked down as well. His optics went wide before he chuckled softly.
"It's safe, little bird. Nothing to worry about...Mmm...Let's see if I can make you glow even more," he crowed before pulling her into another deep kiss.
Terra couldn't help but giggle softly as she rubbed her warm glowing belly. She looked forward to loving him some more and glowing even more brightly.
"Don't...keep him waiting too long, babe," she whispered while going to her wardrobe to search for something to wear. Some of the clothes inside weren't hers, so she didn't have to worry about them if Starscream tore them off. She looked around until she came across a cute red sundress. It was perfect.
She began humming to herself as she got dressed and proceeded to brush her hair out. It was a bit of a mess, but wetting it in the lake made it easier to brush out. Once finished, she went back to looking at herself in the mirror.
"Perfect," she crowed, spinning around and loving the way the dress twirled around. She looked forward to having Starscream rip it off of her.
She went downstairs and looked around in the kitchen for a water bottle she could bring with her. She found a rather large one that was perfect. Pulling it out, she went to the freezer and got some ice out to put in before filling it with water. She took a sip of the cool water and sighed happily at the wonderful sensation.
Terra turned around and went outside. She paused for a moment to take in the warmth of the sun. She remembered the flower field where they spent a lot of time and smiled as she imagined what it would be like to make love to him there.
"I'll ask him," she said before making her way back to the cave. She stopped before the entrance, feeling butterflies in her stomach as she thought of what was going to happen next. She put on a smile and ran in, knowing the exact way back to the cavern where Starscream was waiting for her.
It wasn't long before she saw the glow from the energon ahead. She slowed down, feeling all the more excited when she heard Starscream humming somewhere. She brushed off any dirt from her dress and stepped into the cavern. She saw him sitting by some large energon crystals. Clouds of steam hung around his head which he lazily touched with his claws.
Terra cleared her throat, getting his attention. Starscream perked up and looked over at her with wide optics. A huge smile adorned his face plates as he stood up and rushed over to her, almost stumbling in the process.
"You were gone so long, Terra. I was starting to think you wouldn't come back," he said while scooping her up in his arms. He then proceeded to plant kisses all over her cheeks and neck, making her giggle in response.
"I'd never abandon you, love. I'm sorry I took a bit longer than expected," Terra replied, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him tenderly. She closed her eyes, smiling when he deepened the kiss. Warm steam filled her lungs, making her pull away from him and letting the steam pour out of her mouth, her eyes half-lidded as she gazed at him lovingly.
"So, what would you like to do now?" She asked, reaching forward to caress the side of his helm. Starscream leaned into her touch with a happy purr, reaching up to hold her hand to his metal skin. It was such a sweet reaction. She liked seeing him like this. Plus, the rumbling his frame made in response felt nice.
"Ah, what did you say, Terra? I spaced out for a moment," he said, blinking a few times.
"What would you like to do now, love?" She asked again.
A mischievous smile adorned his features as he gave her a squeeze. She was sure he was probably thinking of all sorts of fun things to do while she was gone. She looked forward to hearing what he had planned.
"I'd love to eat you now, but I want to play a little game first," he crowed while growing to his full height. Terra shifted her position so that she now sat in his open palm, holding on to one of his claws in order to prevent herself from falling over.
"Oh? What kind of game do you want to play?" Terra asked, feeling her heart beat rapidly in her chest as she looked up at him excitedly. Starscream chuckled darkly while running a claw through her hair.
"Hide and seek, my love. You will run and hide and I'll look for you. If I find you, then I get to eat you whole," he said, running his glossa over his denta seductively. Terra blushed as she imagined what that would be like. She thought of something and smiled up at him.
"And if I win, I get to do whatever I want," she replied. This gained a growl from Starscream as he lowered her to the ground.
"Is that so? I'd like to see you try. Let's see who wins, little bird. You don't have long to hide and I'm quite hungry," he purred before flaring his wings at her and snapping his claws, creating small sparks. Terra stepped back a bit, still smiling like an idiot at him.
"I'm totally gonna win," Terra giggled before turning to run out of the cavern. She could hear Starscream's laughter behind her. It echoed off the walls of the cave, getting louder and louder by the second. She wanted to say something back, but didn't want to give away her position just yet.
Picking up the pace, she made her way out of the cave. She stopped at the entrance and took in her surroundings. Where did she want to hide? Obviously, she didn't want to make this too hard for Starscream, but she also wanted to win somehow. What was the easiest place to hide? She could go back to the cabin, but that felt too obvious of a hiding place.
"I'll go to the flower field," she said while rushing in the direction. It was the perfect place to hide and get caught and they could have all sorts of fun there.
It wasn't long before she came across the flower field. She smiled and looked around for the perfect spot to hide herself. She went to the edge of the field and hid in the shadows of the trees. Now she had to wait for Starscream to come around.
Terra sat down against one of the trees with a soft sigh. She looked up and noticed a barred owl looking down at her with wide eyes. She smiled at the creature as it hooted softly at her.
"Would you like to hear about my partner? He's looking for me right now," she said.
"Who?" The owl hooted, fluffing itself up a bit.
"His name is Starscream and he's wonderful. Simply wonderful. I think you'd like him if you met him. He might not be too fond of you at first, but he'll learn to really enjoy nature eventually," she said, giggling at the owl's wide eyed gaze.
"You should probably go soon. We're playing a game and if he finds me...well...we're gonna need some privacy if you know what I mean," she said, winking at the owl. The owl winked back, hooting before flying off. Terra watched the owl fly off before being alerted to the sound of approaching footsteps. She smiled and stepped back into the shadows, looking around the tree to see where Starscream would be walking in from.
A gentle hum filled the air as the footsteps became louder and sounded all the more closer. He was humming the song she sang to him the night before. She could only imagine what it would be like if he sang to her. Would he have a nice singing voice? At some point, she would find out.
"Where are you, Terra? I'm growing quite ravenous and I need something sweet to eat. Come on out so I can...satisfy my hunger," Starscream's voice called out.
Terra looked out and smiled when she saw Starscream walk out into the flower field. He stopped at the edge of the field, his smile growing as he looked around.
"You can't hide much longer, Terra. I can smell you and I know you're around here," he crowed before cautiously stepping into the flowers.
His gaze went to the trees and Terra let out a small gasp and hid behind her hiding spot when he looked in her direction. Did he see her?
"You're close, my love. I can smell your...excitement and it's wonderful," he said, his footsteps getting closer. Terra blushed, reaching under her dress and feeling her growing wetness. It was almost time to lose the game, but was she really losing in this situation?
Terra looked up in time to see some trees being uprooted ahead of her. Starscream let out a grumble as he tossed them to the side. Her heart was beating a mile a minute as she tried to figure out a way to stay hidden. She wanted more than anything to just jump out and surrounder, but something told her to stay hidden and make the game a little bit harder.
"Just a little bit longer," that voice whispered to her.
Terra smiled and slowly backed away, never keeping her eyes off where Starscream had uprooted the trees. He had grown suspiciously quiet. Too quiet. Terra hid behind another tree that was quite thick. It would be hard for Starscream to uproot it and she could easily go around it if he tried to search for her there.
"Mmm, you're so close, yet so far, Terra. Do you really intend to starve me? Why must you be so cruel?" Starscream growled.
The sounds of more trees being uprooted filled the air as the ground shook around her with each footstep from Starscream. Terra frowned. He really didn't need to do that. It just wasn't necessary. Perhaps it was a good idea to just give up now to avoid any more trees being ruined.
His footsteps got closer. Terra's hand went to her chest and she could feel her heart beating a mile a minute. Her foot slipped on a root, making her gasp softly as she tried to regain her footing. Everything suddenly grew quiet except for her beating heart. It was all she could hear. He definitely heard her gasp.
Terra took a deep breath and dared to look around the tree. She was surprised to see nothing in front of her. Strange. It sounded like he was right in front of the tree.
The ground shook around her as a dark chuckle filled the air. Terra felt her blood run cold as she slowly turned around to see Starscream crouched behind her, a proud smile on his faceplates.
"There you are, Terra," he purred while reaching out to her. Terra giggled as she turned to run out to the field, picking up the bottom of her dress to avoid falling.
"You can't get far, little bird," Starscream chuckled, the ground shaking as he pursued her. Terra got to the middle of the field and purposely fell over in the soft flowers. She rolled over, laughing non stop as Starscream sauntered over to her, shaking his head and letting steam pour out of his mouth.
"You win, love," she chimed, holding out her arms to him and purposely letting the straps of her dress fall off her shoulders. Starscream chuckled darkly as he crouched before her.
"I had thought you would have stayed hidden longer, but it looks like you're just as eager as I am, little bird," he crowed as he reached out to her again. Terra stayed put as those cool sharp claws wrapped around her body and pulled her up.
"I'll win next time," Terra chimed, winking up at him.
"We'll see about that," Starscream replied, bringing her closer while sitting amongst the flowers. Terra was shivering with anticipation, eager to see what he was going to do next.
"Sooo, how hungry are you, love?" She asked, picking at the bottom of her dress a bit.
"Starving," he purred while slowly sliding a claw under her dress. Terra closed her eyes, relishing in the wonderful coolness of his claw running along her skin. He inched it closer to the top of her dress and began to slowly pull up, tearing it with ease. Terra blushed beet red when exposed to the elements and to him.
Starscream's smile was infectious as he brought her ever so closer to his face. He reached forward with his free hand and ran a claw down her chest and stomach, lightly scratching her skin and leaving a red mark. Terra squirmed beneath his touch, biting her lip as she thought of the things he could do with his claws and his glossa.
"I...I thought you...you were starving," Terra stammered, clenching and unclenching her hands.
"I am, but I think it would be more...fun to see you squirm for a bit," Starscream said with a chuckle, letting his claw slowly run down her waist. Terra shivered, opening her legs a bit for him. He went lower and paused, his smile growing as he pulled his claw away, making her groan in response.
"So cute. How badly do you want me to eat you, little bird?" He asked, his claw going up to caress the side of her face.
"More...than anything, love. Please….get on with it," she murmured.
"As you wish, my love," he purred before bringing her closer and letting his glossa run over her breasts. Terra bit her lip with a suppressed moan, closing her eyes in pure bliss as his glossa went down her stomach and even lower. His sharper denta brushed against her skin along with his claws, making her squeal in excitement.
"I...It tickles, love," she giggled, opening her eyes to watch him work.
Starscream looked like he was about to say something, but froze and pulled away from her when the sounds of rapidly approaching footsteps filled the air. His grip on her tightened, causing her to cry out when one of his claws dug into her side.
"Release her, Starscream!" Optimus Prime's voice bellowed.
Terra sat up, holding her ruined dress close to her body. Starscream stood up and turned around to face Optimus and Arcee at the other side of the field, weapons drawn. Terra held a hand to her bleeding side, cursing softly. This definitely didn't look good.
"Put her down now," Arcee hissed, looking absolutely furious.
"I know this looks bad, but I can explain. We...We both can explain ourselves," Starscream said while lowering Terra to the ground. Terra glanced up at him worriedly, scared that he might make the wrong decision and end up getting hurt. He held his hands up, stepping back a bit. He looked down at her and frowned when his gaze went to her now-bleeding side.
"What's the meaning of this, Terra?" Optimus asked, keeping his angry gaze on her. Terra suddenly felt very small under his gaze. She took a deep breath while thinking of the best possible way to explain herself. She became very aware of the wetness running down her legs and felt a wave of embarrassment wash over her.
"Well, Starscream has been...helping me. I told you guys that he helped me before and that we were...friends...and...well…," she trailed off, blushing as she tried to think of the best way to say that they were together.
"Oh. Oh frag…," Arcee murmured, her optics going wide in shock. The shock quickly turned to anger as she raised her weapon, aiming it right at Starscream who only glared back at her.
"Arcee, stand down. I want to hear them explain themselves," Optimus said, deactivating his weapons. Arcee still held her weapons out, glaring daggers at Starscream. Terra remembered the history between the two and grew nervous. She didn't want them to fight, but with what Starscream did to Arcee in the past, she wasn't too sure what would happen next.
"You don't have to worry, dear Arcee. I won't do anything. I'll even get on my knees if I have to prove that I won't bring harm to any of you," Starscream said, getting on his knees. Arcee still didn't look impressed, but she did lower her weapons.
"Terra, come over here," Optimus said, lowering himself to be at eye level with her. Terra was reluctant to go, especially with the ragged remains of her dress and her new wound in her side.
"Go, Terra. It'll be okay," Starscream murmured, gently pushing her forward. Terra looked back at him and saw how defenseless he made himself look with his lowered wings and the pleading look in his optics. God, why did they have to come and ruin the moment for them?
Terra sighed and slowly approached the Autobots. When she got close, Arcee recoiled, looking absolutely disgusted while Optimus looked concerned.
"Frag, you smell just like Starscream and...and that glow-," Arcee stopped when Optimus held a hand up.
"You don't have to finish your sentence, Arcee. I can smell it too," Optimus said, breathing a heavy sigh. Terra blushed, feeling tears welling up in her eyes.
"We've grown close as you can obviously tell. I...I love him and he loves me," Terra declared.
Arcee looked like she had something smart to say, but a stern look from Optimus silenced her. She huffed, crossing her arms and looking away.
"It's absolutely true. Terra is my sparkmate and I absolutely adore her," Starscream spoke up. Terra felt her heart skip a few beats when she heard him call her his sparkmate. It always filled her with joy hearing that title.
"I didn't think it was possible for a sparkbond to be formed between a human and a Decepticon. Starscream, are your intentions with Terra genuine?" Optimus asked.
"Of course they are! I even left the Decepticons to be with her. That's how dedicated I am to her and I'm beyond happy I left those wretches. She's...my new mission," Starscream said, a smile forming on his faceplates.
"You're certainly passionate. That still doesn't excuse the awful things you did to our friends," Arcee spoke up, balling up her hands into fists. Starscream's smile dropped, turning into a scowl. Terra knew that it would be hard to win Arcee over. Winning over the rest of the Autobots would be even harder.
"I will prove myself to you. All of you. I'll gladly join you Autobots if it means that Terra will be safe and Megatron pays for all the atrocities he has committed," Starscream said, getting to his feet. Optimus and Arcee were silent, giving each other questioning looks.
"We...will discuss this later. Right now, we have grave news we must tell you, Terra," Optimus said, lowering himself to be at Terra's level. There was a sorrowful expression on his face, worrying Terra.
"What happened?" She asked, bracing herself for the bad news.