Author's Note: Some swearing people... Then again, given Lennox FINALLY finds out what has been plaguing OC, naturally a few f bombs would be warranted.

/denotes internal thoughts/

''denotes recalled conversations''

Chapter 21: Enough is enough!

Lennox P.O.V

''Hey Lennox!'' OC smiled at me as she opened her door, gesturing for ne to enter her apartment. ''No need to check on me, see'' she waved her hand towards her face, ''not sick anymore!''

I laughed as I stepped inside. ''Glad to hear it OC.'' I made my way over to the lounge and sat down.

Closing the door behind me, OC headed to the fridge. ''Drink?''

I nodded as I nervously tapped my knees. ''Yeah, that'd be nice. What cha got?''

''Hmm..Let's see… Pepsi Max…''

''Anything more…''

''Alcoholic?'' OC smiled at me as her hand rested on the fridge door.

I chuckled at my friend. ''Took the words right out of my mouth!'' /I may need a bit of liquid courage for this conversation/.

Orianna grabbed two beers and shut the fridge, handing one to me as she headed over to sit in the single armchair opposite me. I took it with a smile and we both twisted the top off. ''Cheers mate!'' OC raised her bottle to me and took large swig of beer.

''Cheers,'' raising my bottle to her, I followed suit taking a large swig of crisp, cold beer, sighing out loud in contentment. ''Just what I needed OC, thanks.''

''No worries, Lennox,'' she took another sip. ''Hard day at the office?'' She grinned at me as she sat back in her chair.

I laughed as I took another sip. ''You could say that. When isn't it?''

''Well, I guess when you work in an elite special forces' military branch of the Government with sentient robots from another planet to try and protect the world from evil robots hell bent on our planet's destruction.'' OC simply smiled at me before she took a quick sip of her drink. ''I can see why the job may get tense.''

''Gees OC. You make it sound so appealing,'' I took another swig.

''Working with cool alien robots from another planet. What's not appealing about that?'' OC raised her bottle towards me again and winked before downing more of her drink.

I nodded my head as I drained the rest of my beer. /Here we go! Now or never!/. ''Speaking of cool alien robots from another planet, Prime asked me to say hello to you when I next saw you.'' OC's smile faded and her whole body tensed. I lowered my voice as I took in her reaction. ''Said he hasn't seen you around for a while and when you do show up, you never stay for long.''

OC shot to her feet and grinned nervously as she, grabbed the empty bottle from my hands and headed to the kitchen. ''Want another Lennox?'' She paused before the open fridge, two beers in her hand and a questioning look on her face.

I smiled at my friend. ''Yeah. Why not. I haven't had the chance to have a drink with you for a while OC, better make the most of it I guess.''

OC's eyes narrowed and her smile faltered as she walked back towards me and shoved the beer in my hand. ''I told you before Lennox. I have been busy sorting shit out.''

I placed the beer on the coffee table beside me and stood up slowly, eyeing OC very carefully. ''OC. There is busy and then there is just plain avoiding.'' Her eyes darted away from me as she chewed on her bottom lip. ''Seems to me like it's the later with you. Question is, what are you avoiding?''

Her eyes darted back to mine and away again, flicking around her room as she opened the bottle top and threw it on the ground at her feet. ''Lennox. Leave it.'' I raised a brow at her as she sculled her drink, throwing the empty bottle on the lounge behind her. ''Well, looks like the drinks are finished! Let's call it a day hey Lennox?''

I took a step closer towards her and folded my arms across my chest. /Not this time OC. Enough is enough!/. ''Or should I say who are you avoiding?'' Her face scrunched up in anger and her fists seemed to clench by her side. I took one last step towards her as a thought drifted through my mind following my conversation with the Autobot leader. ''Apart from Prime that is?''

OC launched herself at me again, swinging in utter anger and frustration. ''I TOLD YOU I WASN'T IN LOVE WITH A MAN!'' One of her punches collided with my right shoulder and it stung. ''JUST. LEAVE. ME. THE. FUCK. ALONE!'' With each word she spat at me, she swung blindly.

I side stepped and grabbed her by her arms, pinning them by her sides as I brought my face down before hers. You don't earn the title of Major by running away when things get tough and I stared down at her with steely determination as I prepared to let ''Major'' Lennox have his head. /If you can't beat 'em, join 'em!/. ''NO!'' I yelled in her face. ''I. WILL. NOT. I AM NOT BACKING DOWN THIS TIME!'' I shook her slightly, the look of rage and pain fading from her face as I growled back at her defiantly. ''OC enough is enough! This can't go on anymore. There is something wrong, has been for months. Everyone has noticed a change in you and not for the better.''

She closed her eyes and looked away from me, a sob working its way up and breaking free. She shook my hands off her shoulders and brought her right hand up to cover her mouth as she sat heavily back on the lounge. All the fight seemed to drain out of her as she crumpled in on herself, desperately trying to stop herself from falling apart. It was heart breaking to watch, but it was progress. /I'll take it/.

I sighed out loud and crouched down before her, tentatively placing a hand on her knee. She flinched at my touch. ''OC. I'm worried about you. Prime is worried about you too. So much so he asked me to come and speak with you as you don't seem to want to talk to him.'' She sobbed loudly and tears rolled down her cheeks as she hugged herself tighter. ''Please. Help me understand. Help us, understand what is happening, what you are going through, so we can help you.''

OC burst out into an almost hysterical laugh as she sobbed again. ''Understand?'' She shook her head almost frantically as she fought to sniff the tears away. ''You wouldn't understand. No one would understand. I don't even fucking understand!''

I squeezed her knee harder as my brow crinkled in concern for my friend. I had never seen her so upset. ''How can I even try to understand if you don't give me a chance? OC. Please, just tell me what..''

She growled out loud and shot forward, her hands balled into fists, clenched on her knees. ''Fine! You're right! I'm in love Lennox!'' She glared at me. Her bottom lip quivered as the dam began to burst.

I nodded my head slowly and sighed in relief. ''Okay. Figured as much, but now I know for sure.'' I smiled at her as I patted her knee. ''What's so bad about being in love? Who's the lucky..''

''Prime,'' her eyes were closed tightly, and her voice was a whisper torn from reluctant lips. ''I'm in love with Optimus Prime.'' She hung her head.

I froze. My eyes blinking and my mouth hung open in mid-sentence as my brain fought to process the mother of all curve balls. /OC in love… with Prime?/.

Her lips quivered again as her voice grew louder and she opened her eyes. They were filled with utter despair, torment, and anger. A humourless laugh trickled out of her mouth as she took in my reaction. ''Told you it wasn't a man Lennox.'' She snorted at me. ''Bet you are glad you kept pushing now, aren't you?'' She shot to her feet and began pacing, wrapping her arms about her stomach.

I blinked rapidly and slowly pushed myself to sit on the lounge chair she had just occupied. Placing my head in my palms, I rubbed my face as her words echoed through my mind on a continuous loop. ''I'm in love with Optimus Prime.'' /What. The. Fuck./. I shook my head slowly as I continued to process this information and try to come to terms with it.

OC continued pacing back and forth, like a caged tiger that had been baited and now had no way of containing its agitation and anger. ''Fuck's sake Lennox! I know it is beyond fucked up and bizarre.'' That crazed laughter bubbled to the surface again. ''I mean, it's not like I WANT to pine away for a nearly thirty-foot metallic space man!''

I pinched the bridge of my nose and counted to three as I watched her frenetic pacing. ''For MONTHS now I have spent countless, sleepless nights trying to talk myself out of what I know is a decidedly abnormal attraction.'' She gasped as she drew breath. Now the dam had burst, and she had admitted to what was tearing her apart, all her thoughts, her worries that she had been bottling up inside, could escape.

And she let them.

''Do you have ANY idea how hard it has been to stay away from him, when all I wanted to do was be near him?'' She gasped again. ''Do you have any idea how many times I have cried myself to sleep over this bullshit? Feeling so utterly torn and overwhelmed with the enormity of feeling the way I do and being unable to say ANYTHING to anyone for fear of being labelled a freak?''

I simply sat there, watching her. As OC took in my silent form watching her, the look on her face changed. Her expression changed from an almost wild, concerned freedom to genuine fear and panic. ''You think I am fucking looney tunes now don't you Lennox?'' Her eyes widened in horror as she began to back away from me. ''Y…You are going to go and tell him, aren't you? Tell Prime and then Morshower about me!''

I sprang to my feet as I moved towards her, hands outstretched to calm her down. ''Hey, hey, hey, OC! Shhh.'' I wrapped her in my arms and rocked her slowly. ''I will do no such thing; you have my word.'' She visibly relaxed in my arms. ''There is no honour in that, and it is not my place to tell Prime how you feel.'' OC clung to me tightly. ''While I may enjoy teasing you OC, it is just that, teasing. I admire and respect you as a person and a friend.'' Her arms tightened around me in a silent bear hug of gratitude. I held her even closer.

Quiet sobs of thanks and relief were muffled against my chest, and I felt her tears soak into my uniform. While her revelation just now shocked me to my core, she was still my friend. While it may not have been what I expected to hear, while it may seem totally ridiculous and abnormal, what OC had done was not evil. It was not malicious nor was it abhorrent. It was what it was. /Love/.

I sighed against her head as she sobbed quietly in my arms. ''OC. While I admit your confession just now was – a shock – I am simply glad it is nothing major..''

Her head snapped up and her tear-stained face stared at me in disbelief as she snorted. ''Nothing major? Lennox, I just told you I am in love with a thirty-foot robot from another planet.'' She shook her head as she sniffed. ''I'd say that classifies as something pretty fucking major.''

I sighed again as I shrugged my shoulders as I continued to process this situation. ''OC I've worked with the Autobots, and in particular with Prime, for about two years now. Despite their massive size difference, metal bodies, ability to transform…''

OC quirked an eyebrow at me as she wiped her tears away. "Where are you going with this? IS there a point? Or are you just listing all the reasons why I am indeed psycho?''

I laughed. ''Point is,'' I steered her towards the lounge, and we sat down, side by side. ''Despite some of those obvious differences, in many ways they are just like us! They have feelings, they form friendships, and familial type bonds, they feel pain, they desire peace and a safe place to call home..''

Beside me OC began to nod her head in understanding a small, hopeful smile spreading on her face. ''So, not so alien after all Lennox?''

I squeezed her knee reassuringly. ''And Optimus. OC, he is perhaps the most ''human-like'' of them all,'' OC made a small snorting noise, muttering under her breath she nodded her head, ''He is…'

''Kind, loyal, brave, thoughtful, honest, caring, intelligent, wise, amazing, handsome..'' OC ducked her head in embarrassment at the look I sent her.

''Yeah,'' I coughed somewhat awkwardly, ''Well, I was going to say ''pretty cool'' but sure. Your words work too,'' I winked at her.

OC laughed out loud and sighed deeply, as if releasing all her angst, pain, and worries. ''Thanks Lennox. I can't begin to tell you how thankful I am that you don't think I am a fucking lunatic..''

''Hey, I didn't say you weren't a fucking lunatic!'' I wrapped my arm around her shoulder and brought her in for a hug.

She punched me gently in the leg. ''Yeah, well. I hang out with you. Bound to rub off eventually.''

I laughed as I sat there comforting my friend and feeling somewhat relieved to finally understand why she had been acting the way she was. ''You know it makes sense now thinking back these past few months. Now I understand why you stopped hanging out around the base and spending time with the Autobots, especially Prime.'' I shook my head, my lips curving in wry amusement. ''Self-preservation hey?''

OC nodded her head. ''Yep.'' She turned big brown and gold flecked eyes filled with sadness and frustration towards me. ''Do you have any idea how hard it is to be in love with someone you know does not, and likely will not, cannot, ever love you the way you want them to?''

I sent her a small smile and kissed her head. ''Only one way to find out OC. And I'm gonna help you.'' I squeezed her tight. ''Besides, first time for everything I guess.''