Author's Note: Well, at last Prime becomes aware Orianna might be in love. As to whether he realises it's with him, you'll just have to keep reading! ;-)

Once again, kudos to Musical Medli. Thanks for the love, much appreciated. I dedicate this chapter to you... :-)

Chapter 20: It's a love thing

Prime P.O.V

''Well Prime, I guess that's me done for the day. I'm gonna clock off if that's okay?'' Lennox called out from atop the catwalk in Hanger 1. We had just finished a conference call with Morshower regarding new intel on Decepticon activity.

I nodded at him. ''Of course, Major Lennox. Thank you again for your help.'' Lennox rapidly jogged down the stairs, clearly eager to finish work for the day. /I wish I could clock off being a Prime sometimes!/, the bitter thought drifted through my processor and I tried to ignore it. It was a very great honour and, for the most part, a great privilege to lead my Autobots. /It's just that sometimes.../. I returned my attention to my friend before me, dismissing the petty thought.

''I might head into town and see if some of the guys want to grab a beer and watch the game.'' Lennox paused a moment and looked up at me, an apologetic smile on his face. ''I'd ask you to join us Prime but ah…''

I raised a servo to silence him. ''Major Lennox, there is no need to explain. I appreciate the offer, but I'd have to decline on several counts, not least of which being my inability to fit into the building to watch the game.'' /Lennox did not need to know about the holoform just yet/.

Lennox smiled brightly up at me. ''Well yeah. Plus, they don't exactly have energon on tap either.'' Lennox paused a moment. ''I might even see if I can entice OC to come and join us. I haven't seen her since she got sick a fortnight ago.'' His smile faded slightly, and he looked towards the exit of the hanger. ''As much as I hate to say it, I kind of miss seeing her around so often and just - hanging out.''

I nodded my helm in agreeance. ''I too have not seen her since she recovered from her cold over a week ago.'' I suppressed the need to cycle air through my intakes as I recalled that afternoon Orianna had fallen asleep in my arms. It had been wonderful to simply lay there holding her, offering her comfort when she needed it. I had indeed stayed until she fell asleep and then disengaged my holoform, though I had been reluctant to leave her.

I had visited her several more times following that, and each time I did, it was almost as though she was distracted by something, or maybe embarrassed by what had happened. She also seemed to make an excuse for me to leave on my last visit and I had not seen her since. My spark twinged slightly at this recollection. I was missing my friend. ''Major. I cannot help but feel as though something might be wrong with Orianna, but I don't know what it could be.'' I shuttered my optics and furrowed my brow. ''She seems to be on edge or distracted by something and I am becoming increasingly concerned about her. It's not like her.''

Lennox chuckled and nodded knowingly. ''Do you mean something or someone?''

I sent Major Lennox a quizzical look as I placed my servos my hips. ''What do you mean by the term, someone?''

Lennox grinned up at me. ''Well, despite the fact she assures me it's not, her behaviour to me indicates it's a love thing.''

I furrowed my optical ridge. ''A love thing? What do you mean by that Major Lennox? Does Orianna love someone or does someone love her?'' A weird, unsettling feeling washed over me, and I made a mental note to reflect on why that happened later. Right now, I had more important things to attend to. I removed my servos from my hips and brought them down by my sides, clenching them.

Lennox merely laughed before he shrugged his shoulders. ''Could very well be one or the other. I'd say OC has fallen head over heels for some guy and she is preoccupied with thinking about him, or meeting up with him every chance she gets.'' Lennox patted my pede. ''We've all been there before Prime. Surely even you know what it feels like to fall in love with someone, to feel so caught up in them everything, and everyone else, fades away?'' I shifted on my pedes and looked away for a moment.

Detecting the sudden change in my mood, Lennox looked contrite. ''Have.. have I just put my foot in my mouth Prime? 'Cause I didn't mean to..''

''No! Major Lennox. You did not offend me, just - reminded me of someone from long ago.'' I shuttered my optics and ex-vented. ''And yes, I do recall that feeling, though it seems but a distant memory at times.''

Lennox placed a reassuring hand on my pede offering what comfort he could provide. ''I bet she must have been quite the femme to catch your optics and win you over Big Guy.''

I looked away in embarrassment for a moment at Major Lennox's kind words, though I nodded my helm. ''Yes. She was indeed quite the femme as you put it. Her name was Elita One and she… she meant a great deal to me.''

Lennox's voice dropped. ''What happened to her, why isn't she here with you? Did she, I mean,'' Lennox ran a hand through his hair, ''was she kil..''

''Yes, she was,'' I did not want to hear the word said out loud. Even though it had been an age, talking about her still hurt, always would. ''Many millions of years ago Major.'' I made a coughing sound and stepped back away from his reach. ''If it is all the same to you Major Lennox, I would rather cease this topic of conversation.''

Lennnox held his hands up. ''Yeah, sure Prime, no worries. Whatever you need Big Guy. Sorry.''

I tried to steer the conversation back to Orianna as I was both concerned and curious. ''Thank you. Regarding Orianna though Major, do you know who it could be? Is he a decent man? Would he treat her as she deserves to be treated?''

Lennox shook his head and held a hand up to silence me. ''Woah Prime! Steady with the twenty questions there. Having said that; no, I don't know who it is, he better be a decent man, and he better treat her right or he will have me to answer to.''

I felt a flash of anger burn through me at the thought of someone not treating Orianna with respect, ''And ME!'' My voice held an icy threat that gave Lennox cause to throw me a questioning glance.

''Prime, if you are so concerned about her, why don't you just ask OC about what's going on yourself? Ya know, go straight to the source.'' Lennox folded his arms across his chest. His tanned face looking accusingly up at me.

I tilted my helm in consideration for a moment and then sighed out loud as I recalled that disastrous evening at Turtle Cove. ''As I said before, I have noticed for a while now something seems to be different with Orianna. I have asked her if there is something wrong on several occasions, over the course of several months'' I paused a moment, ''that is when she is around me long enough to have a conversation Major Lennox. Usually, Orianna disappears from my company after a few minutes and has been gradually spending less and less time with me these past few weeks.''

I shuttered my optics as I leaned down towards my friend. ''Major Lennox, would you please have a word to Orianna if you see her, and see if you can ascertain what might be troubling her? She does not seem to respond well to my requests for information.'' I paused a moment, sending Lennox the equivalent of a frown, ''Nor my presence of late.''

Lennox smiled up at me and chuckled as he slapped his thigh. ''Ya know Prime. All of a sudden, I feel like I am back in high school.'' He chuckled at a recalled memory. ''Except instead of being the guy getting the messages from girls, I am the one DELIVERING them!''

I furrowed my brow at him, ''Forgive me Major, I do not get the reference. I am simply asking you to talk to Orianna on my behalf to…'

Lennox merely laughed and waved a hand dismissively at me as he turned to walk away. ''Don't worry Prime, all good. I'll go and see if I can find her right now and see if I can't work out what is going on with her. Again!''

I smiled down at my friend in silent thanks.

''Mind you, given this is OC we are talking about, I'd wager there are multiple things wrong with her!'' With that, Lennox walked out of Hanger 1 in search of Orianna.

It never ceased to amuse me how Lennox and Orianna could denigrate each other so readily and yet, I knew they cared very much for each other. I raised my servos to my hips and simply shook my helm in bewilderment as a small smile spread across my dermas. A smile that faded as the idea of Orianna in love with someone, and someone in love with her, filtered through my processor.

I wanted my friend to be happy. To the best of my knowledge, Orianna had not been in a relationship for some time, and from my experience and understanding of humans, they seem to crave and need that level of connection with another, more so than Transformers. /They certainly can't last without it for as long as we can!/.

As I watched Major Lennox get into his car and drive off, presumably to Orianna's apartment, a strange, unsettling feeling descended over me. /I just hope if it is a love thing as Major Lennox seems to think, that the man in question is deserving of her and doesn't hurt her/.

With a final glance in the direction Lennox had left, I once again turned my attention to the monitors before me. New reports were coming in of Decepticon activity in the North of Africa, around Egypt. While it was hard to tell exactly what they were up to, they were indeed up to something. ''I guess time will tell what it is and how badly it would affect us all.''