Chapter 10: Back where it began
Prime P.O.V
''And that is how we came to arrive here on your planet Orianna,'' I felt myself smile. ''And the rest, as they say, is history.''
Orianna sighed out loud in awe. ''Wow! I can't even get my mind around most of the stuff you have just told me Prime.'' She gave a snort and slapped her knee. ''Man, I am still stuck on the fact there is a planet called Hoth! Stars Wars nerds would lose their shit if they knew that!'' Once again laughter bubbled up from within her as she shook her head I amusement. The sound always filled me with a quiet warmth I could not really explain, save for it made me feel good when Orianna was happy.
''Nerds, Orianna?'' I questioned the term.
''Oh, you know. Someone who's a bit of a geek.'' At my continued silence Orianna took the cue and tried to explain the word again. ''Ahh, someone who knows a shitload of useless facts and information about a specific topic or genre and can be intensely focused and incredibly passionate about sharing their love of what interests them with like minded people.'' Orianna chuckled. ''Or just people in general!'' She sighed out loud. ''They're my kinda people.''
''I see.'' I considered her words for a moment. ''You know, back when I was Orion Pax and working in the archives, based on your definition of a nerd, perhaps I too would have been considered a nerd.''
There was a moment's silence as Orianna processed this information before she doubled over in laughter, clutching her stomach. ''No way Prime! YOU? A nerd? I can't even begin to visualize…'' Her voice trailed away as she evidently began to try the task.
''I was fascinated with our planet's history and would spend joors not just cataloguing the data but reading it. I was usually a quiet bot until someone mentioned something about a historical event and I was suddenly animated and very vociferous. Telling them everything I knew about that subject even if they did not intend for me to do so.'' I chuckled. ''Hence - a nerd.''
Off to my right, I noticed the turn off for a particular beach, apart from the one back at base, that held a fond memory for Orianna and I. Slowing down, I moved to pull off the main road and towards Turtle Cove. Orianna sniggered as she patted my door. ''Ahh Prime. Thanks for sharing that. You have inadvertently given me soo much ammunition to tease you with!''
I chuckled out loud once more as I slowed to a stop, my hood facing towards the small stretch of white sand strewn with rocks made visible at low tide. ''That is a decidedly Decepticon tactic Orianna,'' I jokingly admonished her.
She patted and rubbed my dashboard yet again. It was a pleasant sensation. ''Well Prime. Perhaps that is the only Decepticon like action I approve of. They're onto something there..'' As Orianna became aware of where we had just stopped, she fell silent for a moment. Her eyes swept the scene before us. Despite the fact it was indeed night, the moon was offering enough light to make out the beach before us.
''I remember this place.'' Her voice was soft and low.
Had I been able to, I would have nodded my helm. ''Turtle Cove. That night we were last here we…''
''Why did you come back here Prime?'' Orianna's voice did not hold the lighthearted tone that had been there moments ago. ''We haven't been here for a year and a half.'' It was small, distant, as if she was lost in the memory herself.
I was unsure what had sparked this change within her, though I replied to her question. ''I had not intended to come back to this spot specifically when we started the drive Orianna. I was enjoying your company and noticed the beach and thought it would be nice to come back to the place that allowed our friendship to develop and grow into what it currently is today.''
Orianna sat in silence, mutely nodding in reply to my answer. I was just about to ask her what I had done wrong and if she was alright, when her voice broke the silence. ''I see. That was a nice thought Prime. Unexpected, but nice. Very thoughtful.'' Orianna brought the cardigan she had been clutching in her hands up to her chest like a blanket and wrapped her arms about herself.
''Are you cold Orianna? I'm not sure why you would be it is a pleasant 77 degrees Fahrenheit.'' I was at a loss to determine what had caused this sudden change within her.
Orianna made a low frustrated sigh as she leaned her head against my window. ''I'm not cold Prime. I'm just….. I'm just.. I don't know!'' I heard her sniff and a hand reached out from under her cardigan to wipe furiously at her nose and eyes.
/She was crying?/. ''Orianna? Are you okay?'' I asked tentatively. ''I am sorry to have upset you, it was certainly not my intention.''
Orianna seemed to sob out loud and brought her hand up to cover her mouth to try and stifle the sound. She shook her head and scrunched her eyes up. ''I kn… know Prime. It's.. s'not you..'' She snorted and muttered something under her breath into her cardigan I didn't quite hear. She began to curl in on herself and sobbed once more. ''I… I don't know how to explain how I am feeling to you 'cause I don't understand it myself. I just.. I just..''
''What Orianna?'' I was truly concerned for my friend and her sudden reaction to what I had hoped would be a nice gesture. /Perhaps she really was coming down with something? I'll mention to Rachet to run some tests on her tomorrow/. ''Is there anything I can do to help you? Anything at all?'' Even though I only had the best of intentions, I couldn't help but feel I was somehow responsible for Orianna's current emotional state.
Orianna rolled herself about within my cabin to face the passenger door, hugging her arms and the cardigan tighter about herself as she suddenly burst out in a crazed, bitter laugh. ''Ha! Nothing you can do Prime. Unless you can somehow find a way to get inside this cabin with me and give me a hug. I just need a hug and I don't know why.'' She sniffed again.
I sat there in my alt mode. Her pained and pleading words echoing in my processor. I was torn. I wanted to help my friend, desperately. Seeing Orianna so upset tore at my spark and engulfed me in an overwhelming sense of sorrow. In my current mode I was useless, in my robot mode slightly less so, but still unable to give her what she currently desperately needed for reasons she could not explain.
A small hiccup sound focused my attention back on the woman curled up inside my cab. ''M'sorry Prime. I didn't mean to put such a downer on the evening.'' Orianna raised one of her hands to dab at her eyes with the heel of her palm as she laughed softly. ''There you go Prime. Another prerogative of women. To become suddenly and inexplicably crazy and overly emotional.''
Orianna gave another sniff and turned herself about to face the steering wheel. Her hands gently grasping the wheel as she brought her head forward to rest against it. ''Guess this is the closest thing to a hug I can get from you hey big guy?'' She sighed deeply. ''I'll take it.'' Though she was attempting to make light of the situation, I could still hear the pain behind her words as she ran her hands over my steering wheel.
Which was why I made the choice I did.
I silently activated the new device Rachet had been working on for over a year now in secrecy. He figured if we were to end up staying here for a length of time, it might make interacting with our human allies somewhat easier – for both of us. /This was just such an occasion where the device might prove its worth/.
Moments later, when my hologram had finished forming, I turned in my seat to face my friend. One of my arms rested along the door frame of my cabin and the other along the back of the seat. I thought about reaching out to touch her shoulder to gain her attention but did not want to frighten her as she would certainly NOT be expecting this!
I cleared my throat and a smile spread across my ''lips'' as I keenly watched the woman I cared for. In a low whisper I spoke to her. ''Guess again Orianna.''
Author's Note: ''Oh of COURSE he's going to have a holoform thing!'' I hear you scream. ''Totally predictable!'' I hear you rant.
YES, I know the holoform thing is a predictable, common device used in these stories, but this is an AU version of my other story so I thought I would go with another approach to developing Prime and Orianna's relationship. PLEASE stick with it people, hopefully it will be worth it.