Author's Note: First and foremost, a BIG thank you to Coyote-holy and Musical Medli for kind reviews. I am so glad you continue to enjoy my story and are so emotionally invested in it. No apology needed for wanting quick updates MM, I am simply grateful you wish to read more :-).

It was kinda mean to leave the last chapter where I did but hey, gotta keep 'em hungry for more don't I? ;-)

And here we go... Good things come to those who wait... :-)

Chapter 56: An Opportunity…..lost?

Orianna P.O.V

My backpack dropped to the ground as I momentarily closed my eyes in both shock and longing. That delicious voice travelled down towards me, wrapping me in warmth. As I opened them again to take in the towering mech before me, I noticed Prime simply staring at me, his optics flicking over my form rapidly. No smile graced his dermas. There was no outward sign he was pleased to see me. I swallowed the lump that suddenly formed in my throat.

Gathering my senses once more, I nodded curtly and returned the simple address. ''Hello Prime.'' Behind me Jazz transformed into his bi-pedal mode and moved to stand beside Optimus, a contrite expression on his visored face. I glared daggers at him as I folded my arms across my chest. /Oh you'll bloody well keep Jazz!/. He simply shrugged his shoulders and grinned at me.

My eyes darted to Prime's impassive face and then behind him as I noticed Ironhide and Rachet come to a stop behind their leader. They nodded their helms in greeting, a very brief smile tugged at the corner of Rachet's dermas. Ironhide stood stony faced. I snorted softly and shook my head. ''Well! Nice to see you all too. As it turns out,'' I took in the serious, emotionless faces of those gathered before me, ''this is the perfect setting to meet up with you all again.''

Prime took a half step forward, but he did not lower himself towards me as he once did. I was both relieved and hurt. ''Please forgive the early hour Orianna. I know how much you dislike early mornings.'' He shuttered his optics and continued to stare at me as if he were looking right through me. I shivered in the cool morning air. ''However, I need to speak with both you and Sam as a matter of urgency about some - serious developments - that have occurred recently.''

I unfolded my arms and put my hands in my jean pockets, seeking warmth. Looking around me, I shrugged my shoulders. ''Where is Sam anyway? Shouldn't he be here already?''

Prime tilted his helm towards the road we had just travelled up. His gaze did not leave me. ''He and Bumblebee are approaching now.''

As if on que, the sound of 'Bee's engine revving cut through the early morning air and a second later a flash of yellow and black appeared. I laughed out loud. ''Oh, Sam'll be stoked you pulled him out of college on his first day at this ungodly hour Prime. Good call.''

Prime shifted on his pedes and his optics narrowed slightly though he refrained from saying anything. Behind him Ironhide looked from me, to Prime and back again a scowl on his face, before his optics fell on the young man climbing out of the yellow Camaro.

''Hunh. One day. You couldn't give me one day in college, could you?'' the irritation in Sam's voice was evident as he strode towards Prime, and I didn't blame him. He paused as he noticed me standing before Optimus. ''Hunh. They got you too hey?'' He nodded in greeting, ''OC.''

''Hey Sam. Long time no see hunh?'' I smiled at him and the young man grunted back.

Prime took another step towards us. ''I'm sorry Sam, Orianna,''his voice held genuine regret and I felt some of my annoyance towards him recede. ''But the last fragment of the All Spark was stolen.''

''What? Like what? Like Decepticon stolen?'' Sam asked almost nervously.

I snorted out loud. ''What do you think Sam?'' I turned back to face Prime. ''So yesterday when I was…'' my voice trailed off as I realised what I was about to say.

''Yes Orianna.'' Prime supplied in a low rumble. ''In answer to your unvoiced question, Decepticons were the reason Major Lennox had to end his phone call with you abruptly. They attacked the base.''

I bit my lower lip and nodded silently. I felt myself cringe at the almost acidic tone in his voice when he said you. His optics shuttered once, before he looked back at Sam and continued talking. ''We placed it under human protection at your government's request. But I'm here for your help Sam,'' he turned bright optics that pulsed momentarily as his gaze fell on me, ''and Orianna. Because your leaders believe we bought vengeance upon your planet.'' He looked away, pausing a moment, as if speaking the words out loud just now somehow gave the accusation more credence. ''Perhaps they are right.'' Prime looked back towards us imploringly. ''That is why they must be reminded by other humans of the trust we share.'' Prime's optics settled directly on me, and I swallowed nervously. I had almost forgotten how unnerving it can be to find yourself in Optimus Prime's gaze.

Beside me Sam almost snorted out loud. ''But this isn't my war.''

''Not yet. But I fear it soon will be,'' Prime shook his helm sadly as he looked away. ''Your world must not share the same fate as Cybertron. Whole generations lost.'' A distant look descended upon him as painful memories seemed to wash over him, and I found myself absentmindedly reaching out to try and comfort him. As he turned to face us again, I quickly lowered my hand and looked to Sam to see what he had to say.

The young man sighed out loud and looked both troubled and annoyed. ''I know. I wanna help you. I do. But I'm not some alien ambassador.'' He shook his head. ''I'm a normal kid with normal problems…''

''Ha!'' I burst out. ''Define normal Sam.'' All eyes and optics turned to me for a moment. ''Everyone's got problems Sam. They're asking you to help them with theirs for once!'' I could not believe after what the Autobots, especially 'Bee, had done for Sam that he could so easily dismiss them. I felt Prime's optics on me though I tried to ignore him.

''OC, I know that!'' Sam snapped defensively at me, before his determined gaze fell once more upon Optimus' face. ''But I'm where I'm supposed to be I…,'' though Prime had managed to refrain from showing much emotion since I arrived, it was clear to see he felt a sense of betrayal and disappointment as he began to turn away from Sam. Sam hung his head in apparent shame and regret before he spoke again. ''I'm sorry.'' He looked apologetically at Prime and then me before he turned to walk away. ''I really am.'' He gave a thin lipped smile before he turned on his heels.

I simply watched him go. While a part of me was furious he could be so callous towards his friends in their moment of need, I also understood.

''Sam, fate rarely calls upon us at a moment of our choosing,'' Prime's voice was filled with a sense of urgency as he made one last plea to his young friend.

But Sam would not be swayed. ''You're Optimus Prime!'' he called out as he retreated towards 'Bee, his voice filled with self-depreciation. ''You don't need me.''

''We do. More than you know.'' I watched as Prime turned sorrowfully away from Sam, his deep voice barely a whisper as he voiced his misgivings.

''Prime?'' I called out to him as I placed my hands in my pockets again and rocked on the balls of my feet. He turned to face me silently, those beautiful optics of his seemed to darken. ''Earlier, when you first spoke to me, you mentioned you needed to speak to us both about ''serious developments'.'' He nodded. ''As in plural right?''

Prime nodded his helm again, the briefest of smiles tugging at the corner of his dermas. ''That is correct Orianna.''

I placed my hands on my hips as I tilted my head to the side. ''Well, by my reckoning, you've only told us about one development. The theft of the All-Spark fragment. What didn't you tell Sam? What else has happened?'' I held his gaze as I forced myself to breathe.

Prime took several steps towards me and lowered himself slowly. I felt my heart skip a beat as the distance between us shrank and his handsome face loomed before me, a face I had tried the better part of four months to forget. My mouth became dry all of a sudden and I swallowed nervously as his optics searched my face and his servo began to move towards me.

I froze.

Yet it continued in its path and came to rest atop his bended knee. He ex-vented deeply before his voice rumbled to life once more. ''Forgive me Orianna, I refrained from mentioning the other development in front of Sam as I felt he would not have handled it well.'' He shuttered his optics. ''And given his reaction just now, I fear I was correct in that assumption.''

''Well, I'm not Sam, Optimus,'' I sent a small, hopeful smile up to him. ''Can you trust me?''

''Always,'' came the immediate reply and I felt a warmth course through me. ''Though I wish I did not have to burden you with this information, I feel you need to know Orianna. If only so you can understand my course of action to this point - and moving forward.'' I nodded in encouragement. His optics shuttered as he tilted his helm, his voice a harsh whisper. ''You were right Orianna.''

I felt my face scrunch up in confusion. ''About what Prime?'' He looked away from me momentarily, seemingly having second thoughts. ''About wh…'' I began to urge.

''About Megatron.'' The blood in my body froze and my eyes widened in shock and fear. Prime turned his gaze upon me once more. His optics were filled with sorrow, concern and anger. ''He's back.''

I stumbled backwards over my backpack that had lain forgotten on the ground. Prime began to reach for me but stilled his servo, placing it back on his knee and balling it into a fist. His dermas clamped tightly into a thin line as his optics flicked rapidly over my form, no doubt assessing my well-being.

''I know lil' lady,'' Jazz called out from behind Prime. ''I felt tha same way too.''

''Hunh. We all did,'' Rachet spoke for the first time as he walked over towards us. Ironhide remained where he was, watching.

''Bu… but how?'' my voice was small and weak as I grappled to understand how this shocking development could have come to pass.

''The All-Spark fragment that was stolen from Diego Garcia,'' Prime's voice rumbled to life once more, though a distant look still lingered in his optics.

''One of Megatron's medics must have gotten hold of it and somehow used it to revive Megatron's twisted spark,'' Rachet's voice was filled with disgust.

I looked up at Prime, my brows drawn together in confusion. ''But you said that night on the beach that you didn't think a fragment of the All Spark wouldn't be enough to bring a Transformer back to life? How come it worked?''

Prime rose back to his pedes, his servos clenched tightly by his sides as he shook his helm. ''I do not know Orianna. Megatron's minions must have used some other power source to amplify or supplement the power that single fragment must have contained.''

''Yeah, well, whatever happened, it doesn't really matter now,'' Jazz spoke up once more. ''We jus' gotta track tha slagger down an' send him back ta tha abyss. A few more a his followers too if possible.''

''Which is precisely why standing around here is a waste of time!'' Ironhide strode forward his gruff voice ringing out clearly. He came to stand beside his leader. ''Prime. We failed in our objective here. Sam is not going to help us. We need to mobilise, locate Megatron and his slagging cronies and eradicate them.''

Prime tilted his helm as he regarded me quietly for a moment. Those mesmerising optics of his beckoning me to hold his gaze. ''We have not quite failed in our objective Ironhide.'' A small smile tugged at the corner of his dermas. ''Orianna is yet to decide on her course of action.'' My mouth was suddenly as dry as an arid wasteland and I felt myself try to swallow yet again as I looked up at Prime's face.

I shrugged my shoulders and put my hands in my pockets. ''I'm not sure how much assistance I can be in helping you get rid of Megatron,'' Prime seemed to hold his ''breath'', and beside him Ironhide scowled as if knowing he was about to be let down again. I smiled at 'Hide, Rachet and Jazz before my gaze fell on Prime. ''But if you want or need my help - you have it.'' I added belatedly. ''If that's okay with you Optimus?''

His optics shone brightly, and his dermas curved into a smile as he dipped his helm in gratitude towards me. ''More than you know Orianna, more than you know.'' I felt a familiar heat rise in my cheeks and I looked away for a moment as I fought to subdue it. ''Autobots, transform,'' Prime's voice rang out and I automatically stepped back a few paces as the figure before me miraculously shifted and changed into a massive truck. I shook my head as I smiled fondly. /I would never get sick of seeing that/.

Reaching down, I grabbed my backpack and started to move towards the silver Pontiac Solstice. ''Orianna!'' Prime's commanding voice rumbled out to me as his passenger door popped open. ''You are to ride with me.''

I tensed up and my eyes darted nervously from Jazz to Prime as I shifted on my feet, hefting my bag from one shoulder to another. ''Ah, yeah. About that, if it's all the same with you Prime, it might be best it I ride with Jazz.''

His engine revved angrily as he rolled towards me, his deep, forceful voice like cold steel as he replied in a clipped tone, ''It was not a request.''

I clenched my jaw and narrowed my eyes at the Peterbuilt as I grasped my backpack strap tightly. Exhaling heavily, I reluctantly walked over, hauling myself up and into his cabin. As I settled sullenly into the seat, clipping the seatbelt across my lap, I couldn't help but wonder why the hell I didn't just walk away too.

''Thank you, Orianna.'' Optimus' voice rumbled softly through the cabin, and I could almost hear the relief and gratitude in his voice.

/That's why - for him/. I grunted as I folded my arms across my chest and slumped down into the leather seat. ''Sure, don't mention it Prime.''

I stifled a sigh of exasperation as we began to drive out of the cemetery. /So much for the last four months!/.