Circle Backwards: Part 4

I didn't know much about the place where he was taking us, just that there should be someone there that could help us. Someone some where that would allow us to contact the base and get back some how.

One impression I did get from Optimus though was that he was under the belief that there would be some thing there when we got there. That this city where he had lived before he had come to earth or even come into command would still be standing. When we came over the rise and saw what was there, I think I almost heard his heart break.

"Oh Primus no."

I got down out of his cab and heard him transform behind me as I stared down at what was left of the city. It had probably been beautiful beyond compare at one point, now only the core buildings near the center of it were still standing. Like the rest of the planet everything here had the burned out steel color, and as far as I could tell there wasn't much alive there. I stopped for a second before I headed down into what I wanted to call a city but couldn't. I stopped and I looked up at Optimus, and almost started crying. If ever a man's heart was in his eyes it was right then. I've only seen looks like that once before in my life. It was the looks on the faces of the people in New York the day that the WTC died.

"Optimus?" I asked.

He shook his head at me, "I had hoped, some how that It was still standing. That something was still here."

"I'm so sorry baby, I …" I reached out to put my hand on him and could almost feel him flinch away from me.
"I'm sorry Angel," He told me when he realized what he'd done, "I just..."

"Its okay," I looked down at the ruined mass of his city, "This was your home right? Before…"
"Yes," He nodded, "Before everything."

"Then come on," I took off and started down into the place, "All of it can't be ruined. There has to be some thing some where."

I felt him look at me for a second and then follow me down into the city. Turns out I was right; it wasn't all ruined, just mostly ruined. Here and there we found small places; pockets that had some how escaped the devastation. That had, despite the best efforts of the war, some how managed to stay beautiful. One of these turned out to be a small park near what I guess had once been a university, or what ever they had on this world. The fountain wasn't running but most of the things that had been there were still standing. Half way into the thing we even found what looked like a park bench there just waiting for him.

Optimus sat down on the thing and proceeded to stare into space for a few seconds and get a smile on his face.

"What?" I asked.

"I was hoping some day you would get to see this place." His face softened. "This is where I met the first girl I loved. I think it was only right that I share it with the one I love now."

"Your first girl," I sobered, "Elita."

"I'm sorry," He said quickly, "I shouldn't have..."

"What was she like?" I asked surprising him.

"Well she was …" He thought for a second, "She was a lot like you, though, no nonsense, not a damsel in distress for sure."

I had to grin at that. "Go on. I want to know, I really do."

"You sure?" He looked down at me.
"Optimus, I love you. I'm secure in that, I know that you love me too." I smiled up at him, "I'm not going to be jealous of a memory."

He looked me over again for a second and then nodded, "She had a good sense of humor, but could be very serious some times. She was born; I guess you could say, to be a leader like me."

"Was she pretty?" I looked up at him.

"She was," He stood up for and changed his size to meet mine, "She was very beautiful. She wasn't like you though. You could see the years in her face, the war. You don't have that, thank Primus. I loved her very much."

"I'm sure she loved you too," I put my arms around him, "As much as I do."

Prime nodded absently and then looked down at me, "I think she would have approved of you, of us. She always said my first real love was words, its only fitting that I married a writer."

I had to grin at that one. "So you were going to be an archivist? A librarian?"

"Basically," I felt him start walking and drawing me into the park, "That's what I wanted."

"I'm Sorry," I looked down at the ground, "So many of your dreams got ruined by the war. Even your town."

We went deeper in to the unspoiled area and he was quiet for a long time.

"I guess," He stopped then sighed, "I think I knew, deep down what I would find. I was kidding my self hoping that it would still be alright."

"You weren't being stupid," I cuddled against his arm, "you were being normal. Every one every where hopes that the place they belong will always last."

"I guess that's the problem," He muttered, "Maybe I just don't belong here any more."

"I don't know about that," I turned and looked back at the park, "Someday you can come back and fix it all."

"Your right of course, eventually the chance to start again will come." He stopped and looked back at it to, "I suppose that's why I do keep on fighting, for a chance to start again."

I smiled to my self, reached up and hooked my fingers under the edge of his mask and pulled him down to me.

"That's right," I told Optimus as I kissed him lightly, "Don't you ever give up hope."

He straightened up and hugged me to him for a moment, "I don't think you would let me even if I wanted to. Primus knows if I got like that you'd probably kick my skid plate half way across the galaxy."

"NAH!" I shook my head, "Waste of a perfectly good skid plate."

We laughed about that for a few seconds and Prime sobered up once more, staring in to the unharmed area of the park.

"Well come on," He returned to his proper size, "Lets go see if there is any one out there that can help us."

"Right!" I replied as he transformed.

We drove off into the rest of the city and something occurred to me as we kept going deeper into those remains. Prime knew where he was going and what he was looking for, or at least he had an idea.

"Can I ask you something babe?" I finally piped up.

"Where are we going right?" He shot back.

"Stop doing that," I frowned, "But yeah where ARE we going?"

"If I'm not mistaken, a friend of mine is still there. I think he should be able to help us contact the base."