For a moment, Cordelia felt as if she had been punched in the gut.
All the air in her lungs seemed to have vacated and she instinctively brought a hand up to cover her throat as she gulped desperately for more air.
She didn't hear the commotion that was currently taking place outside, or see the man enter through the heavy oak doors.
She failed to notice herself being led to one of the grand chairs and gently lowered into it. She did not feel the familiar hands on her slender shoulders or recognise the gentle blue eyes that held hers in their desperate gaze.
"…Lia, Cordelia? Cordelia bach, if you can hear me, you need to answer me."
A warm hand on her flushed cheek.
The gentle voice easing her back into the here and now.
She lifted her green eyes and met Leo's worried gaze and clasped his free hand with both of hers. He responded by pulling her into a fierce embrace, holding her so tightly she feared that he was doing so to prevent her from falling apart.
She concentrated on the feel of his soft curls tickling her cheek and the slight graze on her face from his unshaven stubble. She inhaled his aftershave and worked her hands into his shirt, grabbing fistfuls of the soft fabric.
"There's a girl. You're okay, I'm here."
Cordelia raised her eyes for the first time to cast a quick look at the others.
Cade offered her a small smile and waved at Leo. Burton observed the scene before him with what looked like a slight interest disguised as indifference, and Viviane looked just as shocked as Cordelia felt.
She spoke, lowering herself into a chair opposite Cordelia. "You mean to tell me that we are sisters?!"
Burton nodded, as if introducing relatives to relatives they didn't know they had was something that he did every day.
"It pained your mother to leave you both, but her ancestry meant that she could not care for you and fulfil her responsibilities within the Witwiccan Society. And then when she fell ill shortly after your birth Cordelia…she got her affairs in order and prepared for the inevitable."
He reached into his breast pocket and produced two envelopes, handing one to Viviane and the other to Cordelia.
"She wrote these for you when she first discovered that she was terminal. She instructed me to give them to you when the time was right. I believe that time is now."
Cordelia turned the envelope over in her small hands, reading her own name printed in an elegant sloping hand on the back.
She slipped it open and began to read.
My dearest Cordelia,
It pains me to write this knowing that I will never get to giggle over make-up with you or help you get ready for your first date. You're still so tiny as I write this; so innocent and so full of wonder.
I ache to know how you're going to see the world through those beautiful green eyes of yours, but it isn't to be my love.
I don't have long left, and I need to prepare you for what you're surely soon to face, for if you're reading this; the time to fight for the planet is upon us.
First things first, don't be too angry with Edmund over the way you found out about me and...your sister.
I swore him to secrecy until it was absolutely necessary for you to know about each other.
You know by now that you are one of Merlin's last descendants on Earth (unless you or Viviane have had little ones of your own!) and thus you two are the only humans on the planet who are physically capable of wielding the Staff.
Cordelia, the Staff is the key to everything. It is imperative that you find that Staff and secure it before the Decepticons do.
I'll need you to take it to the Autobots, to their leader who goes by the name of Optimus Prime. I've never met him in person and he probably doesn't know that I exist, but he will be the safest person to hand the Staff over to. It is still Cybertronian technology and humans will only find a way to abuse it.
Your clue lies on the HMS 'Alliance'. She will take you to the location of the staff. From there, the Knights' talisman will guide you along with whoever it has selected for this most important quest.
Now that that is out of the way, .I want to address the elephant in the room that is your sister. Viviane is six years older than you, and to be honest Cordelia, I hadn't planned on having any more children.
But that does not mean that I didn't want you.
In fact, it is the total opposite. The very moment I found out that I was carrying you, I couldn't wait to meet you. I'd entrusted Viviane into the care of her father and a foster mother and the only contact I had with her was through letters and photographs that were sent to me.
The minute you were placed into my arms, I fell in love past comprehension. I knew that I would do absolutely anything for this little bundle that had somehow come from me. I would kill for you, and I would most certainly die for you .
You and Viviane are the greatest achievements in my short life.
I am so sorry that I won't be able to be there to watch you grow up and offer you the guidance that my mother offered me. You'll be placed into the care of your father, so hopefully you can make your own little family unit together.
I understand if you're angry with me, but just know that I love you, now and forever.
Your mother,
Guinevere.
Cordelia barely had time to digest the letter before Cogman burst out of nowhere, running through the room with his arms in the air.
"We need to move! The TRF is here and they come with intent to kill."
No one needed further instruction as the room erupted to life in a flurry of rushed movements.
Leo grabbed Cordelia by both hands and hauled her outside to where Bumblebee had transformed and was waiting, his doors already popped open.
He bundled her hurriedly into the car and then sprinted around to the other side, throwing himself into the driver's seat.
The seatbelt came down over Cordelia's body and slid home into the housing with a soft click.
"We gotta be getting' on now," came Bumblebee's radio voice over the hi-fi speakers. "We're en-route to London."
Cordelia patted the dashboard. "Hey Bee, long time no speak. How have you been doing?"
"I've been good thanks Squirt. You're looking good!"
"Heh, I don't suppose I'm doing too bad for somebody who is eight months pregnant and who has just found out that they have a long-lost half-sister."
"Yeah, that's rough. I mean, I overheard what the Earl said to you in there. Still, she seems nice enough. Are you gonna get to know her?"
Cordelia shrugged and fiddled with the hem of her polka dot dress. "I dunno. I've got too much going on at the minute what with the baby and now being a part of this whole 'save the world' thing."
She watched the green countryside roll past, observing the cattle and sheep all intent on the same thing; grazing on the thick green grass that grew in abundance.
Leo sat with one hand on the steering wheel and one hand on Bumblebee's gear stick.
Bumblebee had chosen a manual transmission when he'd selected his vehicle mode, as had most of the other Autobots. The general consensus was that it was boring to drive with an automatic transmission, preferring to keep themselves occupied by shifting gears up and down as was necessary.
Cordelia remember having one such conversation with Optimus, not long after they had returned home from Hong Kong.
.o
Optimus eased the truck into gear and pulled out of the Target car park, signalling that he was going to execute a left-hand turn. He checked that both directions were clear of traffic before pulling out of the T-junction and into the flow of traffic.
Cordelia watched in quiet amazement as his feet manipulated the three pedals as easily as if he had been driving this way for his whole life.
His right hand shifted the gear stick up and down the gear box, in perfect time with his left foot pressing down on the clutch pedal.
He never once failed to find the biting point, never stalling the truck or driving it with anything but perfection in every movement.
She leaned one arm on the door, absent-mindedly fiddling with a strand of her auburn hair.
"Why do you like to drive using your holoform and the gears? Wouldn't it just be easier for you to drive the way you normally do?"
He looked at her through a sidewards glance of his cerulean optics, a small smile evident on his facial plating.
"Because driving the 'normal' way can become rather repetitive and mundane, so I decided to change things up a bit to see how it is to drive the human way. I must confess, it must be akin to a horse pulling a carriage with their blinkers on. The whole sensation is quite unsettling to be honest."
"What do you mean with the blinkers comparison?"
Optimus drummed his fingers on the steering wheel as he thought about how to answer Cordelia's question.
"When I drive myself using my holoform, I give myself over completely to the stimuli that are presented to me when I utilise this form. This means that I do not use my proximity sensors, my global positioning system or my tactile sensors, amongst many others. I suppose the closest comparison for you would be to drive blindfolded. To drive in this limited capacity is both unnerving and challenging within itself. If I ever feel that the holoform is no longer a viable option when I'm 'behind the wheel', I will revert back to 'myself', as it were."
"Heh. You never cease to amaze me Optimus Prime."
He reached over to her and took one of her small hands in his broad metal one, grazing his silver thumb gently over her knuckles.
"I wonder how Earth's governments are progressing with the disbandment of Cemetery Wind…I have not heard from them for a while."
.o
"…heard from him for a while, have you?"
Cordelia lifted her cheek from the cool glass of Bumblebee's window and lifted her head to gaze at the little red light that was situated just above the LCD display for the radio. It flashed in perfect time with Bumblebee's voice.
"Lia? Have you heard from him?"
Cordelia fought through the mental fog that had formed in her brain and tried to remember how to make her lips move.
"Sorry Bee, what did you say? I was miles away."
"I asked if you'd heard from Optimus lately; I've not heard from him for a while now."
Cordelia's heart skipped a beat at the mention of the Autobot leader's name and a hollow ache settled in the base of her throat.
Fears had begun to creep in at the unguarded corners of her mind.
What if Optimus never made it to his Creators? What if he was injured beyond repair, or somehow got put off his course and was lost to the hostility of space?
The thought of never setting eyes on his kind face again, or the feel of his enormous hands encasing her small body in their safety, was almost physically painful.
Cordelia had loved Optimus like she'd never loved anyone else before and she feared that she would not know how to live without him if anything bad were to happen.
An old, exquisite temptation, kept within the deepest recesses of her heart for the last decade, resurfaced with a monstrous intensity.
It was a physical sensation that dried her mouth, made all the baby-like hairs on the back of her neck stand up on end. Nova rolled inside her, turning somersaults and kicking furiously.
The sound of Bumblebee's wheels on the tarmac dulled until they were no more than background noise and her vision became as if she was 'zooming out' from her immediate surroundings.
The last thing she was aware of before she succumbed to the darkness was the back of Leo's calloused hand on her flushed cheek.
.o
Cordelia came to just as Bumblebee pulled up outside the Navy Museum. Crosshairs was parked in front, having taken Cade and Viviane.
She reached around and rubbed a hand over the back of her neck, sore from where she had slept with her face against Bumblebee's window. She stretched lightly and looked over at Leo.
He smiled when their eyes met. "How are you feeling love? You had a panic attack so I gave you a diphenhydramine, just to take the edge off things."
"I feel better for having slept, just a bit groggy now. What's the plan of action now?" Her voice was slightly croaky when she spoke, so she cleared her throat to try and shift some of the tiredness that seemed to have taken up residence in her larynx.
"We are going to enter the museum and go straight to the Alliance submarine. From there, I'm not too sure."
Bumblebee picked up where Leo finished. "Somehow, either you or Viviane must activate the submarine. It will most likely have been programmed to make the journey to wherever the Staff is. Then we will need to get it to a secure location."
"Okay, are you gonna stay here until it's time, Bee?"
"Affirmative. Best not to raise suspicion until it is absolutely necessary."
Cordelia unfolded herself from the car and walked around to join Leo at the turnstile entrance.
The large woman behind the Perspex screen looked thoroughly bored as she took in the appearance of two more patrons of the museum.
"What tickets can I get for you today, sir, madam?" She asked in a nasally, flat voice.
She reminded Cordelia of a walrus basking on the ice in the winter sunlight. She looked about as happy as a walrus, in any case.
"Go on through you two! They're with me!"
They looked around to see Edmund Burton striding towards them, seemingly having appeared from thin air.
The woman rolled her eyes and pressed the button that would allow the turnstile to move and grant them access to the museum.
Leo grabbed Cordelia by the hand and pulled her through the maze of old war ships and submarines, causing her to have to break into a slow jog in order to keep up with his long stride.
"Easy, woah! I'm not as…fit as I was before." She panted the words, pressing a fist to what she wasn't sure was a stitch or a particularly painful place which Nova had kicked.
"Sorry bach, I think it's just around this corner." No sooner had he uttered the words, the HMS Alliance appeared before their eyes.
They ascended the metal stairs among the throng of tourists who were armed with audio guides and selfie sticks.
Burton followed closely behind them, accompanied by Cade and Viviane.
"Come on, off the sub now! Move your fat arses and squish out of this place! Vacate the submarine NOW!" His voice echoed around the confined space, made to sound tinny by the limited acoustics.
The people on the submarine muttered amongst themselves and started to shuffle towards the exit, albeit unwillingly.
When the submarine was completely empty of tourists, Burton gave a satisfied sigh.
"Ahh, the greatest mission of them all. A mission in deep, unexplored waters to find a legendary relic belonging to an alien race. A mission that will help to turn the tide of human history…one that I have waited my whole life for. Now alas, I can no longer join you."
Cogman stepped forward and protested at his master's proclamation. "But my Lord, you have been waiting for this moment for seventy-one years!"
"I know Cogman, but at the end of the day, I am not knighthood material am I? I am a foolish old man who has been chasing dreams. You have your mission and I have mine."
This time, it was Cade who spoke up in protest.
"No way! You are not leaving us in this tin can with that four-foot mental psychopath."
Edmund smiled sadly. "Mr Cade, everything we do in life leads to one, pivotal moment. For you, that moment is right now. Everything that you have gone through in your life, your financial difficulties, the loss of your wife, the separation from your daughter; they have all led you to be here on this day with these people. Simply put, it has been a journey to this very moment.
"And you, Miss Cordelia. Every decision you have made in your short life has also led you to this very moment. The appalling abuse you experienced at the hands of your father, the loss of your first child, your choice to flee from Leo that afternoon at the police station. The choice that literally put you in the hands of Optimus Prime…for you too, it has all been but a journey to this very moment."
Burton took Cordelia's hands in his own, the young hands of the future nestled in the wise hands of the past.
"And now it is time for me to bid you all farewell. Cordelia, Viviane; your mother left the Alliance to you and to you alone. She will guide you to the Staff. Good luck my friends!"
He exited the submarine and stood on the edge near where to the submarine was moored, waving at them with his walking stick.
There was a light thud and small vibration through the frame of the vessel as Bumblebee jumped aboard towards the rear.
Cordelia and Viviane sat down in front of the submarine's controls in perfect synchronisation, driven by some unexplainable instinct to touch the old navigation tools.
The very second that their palms touched the controls, an electric surge of energy passed over the gears and various knobs, shifting them into motion after decades of inactivity.
All four of the Alliance's passengers were jolted as the sizeable ship literally jumped free of its moorings.
Cordelia hung onto Leo for balance as the submarine half rolled itself in order to get into the water. She wondered somewhere in the back of her preoccupied mind if this was what it was like for Nova when she herself tossed and turned in the middle of the night when she was trying to get comfortable.
A strange vestibular sensation made itself known in Cordelia's chest and bizarrely, her ears.
Through the tiny circular windows she could see the aquamarine blue of the water as the submarine slowly submerged itself inch by inch into the Thames river.
Cogman was rushing about the area, turning and twisting various knobs and switches, muttering unintelligibly to himself.
"Dude, what are you doin'?" Cade asked the tiny Cybertronian, a somewhat exasperated expression on his weathered face.
"I am checking to ensure that the old girl is still watertight. Whilst I can function perfectly well underwater, I cannot say the same for you humans. Such a restricted species."
Cade looked as if he was going to protest further but Cogman simply ignored him. "Miss Cordelia, Miss Viviane, if you would be so kind as to follow me."
Leo stepped forward, placing a warning hand on Cogman's shoulder. "Why do you need her to follow you?"
Cogman shook Leo's hand off easily, narrowing his blue optics at the significantly taller man.
"I would imagine that travelling via a submarine into deep, pressurised waters would be made all the more uncomfortable by the attire that both Miss Viviane and Miss Cordelia are wearing. Not to mention the fact that Miss Cordelia is eight months pregnant and needs to be kept as comfortable as possible during this late stage."
Cordelia looked down self-consciously at her black and white polka dot maternity dress and her chunky Doc Marten boots. She wrapped her denim jacket a little tighter around her body, automatically trying to make herself seem smaller to try and draw the attention away from her.
She looked at Viviane and her heart ached at the older woman's beauty.
Her brunette hair fell in soft waves to shoulders that were slender and framed with prominent collarbones. The black knee-length pencil dress accentuated a slim waist and pert breasts, carried on thin, graceful legs that were made to appear longer still by the black stilettos Viviane was wearing.
Cogman gave Leo no chance to reply but began to walk towards the back of the submarine, not waiting to see whether or not Cordelia and Viviane had made to follow him.
Cordelia cast an apologetic glance at Leo before hurrying to follow the impatient robot butler. In her haste, she failed to notice the step down onto a slightly lower level of the submarine and would have fallen if not for the helpful arms of Cade and Leo coming to her rescue.
Leo had caught her under one arm, Cade under the other. "You okay kiddo?" Cade asked, moving his arm around to support her back, in case her balance failed her again.
She nodded, cursing inwardly at herself as she felt the familiar flush of blood start from her neck and spread upwards into her cheeks.
Leo let go of her but rubbed a soothing circle onto the back of her hand with his thumb. She nodded an awkward thanks to the pair of them before resuming her pursuit of Viviane and Cogman.
Cogman held a traditional watertight door open for them. They stepped through it into a room that had clearly been the sleeping area for the submarine's crew. About a dozen bunks were attached to both sides of the walls, suspended by thin chains. On one of the bunks was a hessian sack.
"In that bag you will find more appropriate attire for our upcoming journey." He said no more but shut the door behind him, leaving Viviane and Cordelia in an awkward silence.
"Cordelia…about earlier…" Cordelia held up a hand at Viviane.
"Viviane…if you're going to apologise for earlier…please don't. It's okay. It's not your fault and it isn't my fault, so let's just leave it at that?"
Viviane smiled, though it looked to be somewhat forced.
Cordelia appraised Viviane subtly, trying to see aspects of herself within the older woman.
She could see herself in the soft waves of Viviane's dark hair and a hint of her facial structure in the woman's high cheekbones. Maybe there was a hint of her in the way Viviane canted her head to the side when she appeared to be concentrating?
Cordelia looked away, not wanting to see similarities where there were none. She knew herself too well to know that if she wanted to see something badly enough, she would trick herself that that thing, whatever it was, existed in the world in some capacity.
She'd been granted an unexpected link to her mother, who had been absent from her life for as long as she could remember.
Growing up, Cordelia had always been jealous of the little girls who had mothers to play with them in the park, or to ask for advice on what eyeshadow would look good with a new blouse.
She shrugged at herself, chastising herself inwardly. Worrying about her absentee mother would change nothing now, especially that she now knew beyond a doubt that her mother was dead and had been for some time.
She moved to pick up the hessian sack and turned it upside down to empty it of its contents.
Two pairs of khaki green cargo trousers fell out, along with two three-quarter length white thermal t-shirts. Under the bed sat two pairs of Caterpillar boots, both a UK size five.
"Reckon they knew we were coming?" Viviane muttered, grabbing the smaller of the items of apparel that lay sprawled out on the small bunk.
Cordelia took the remaining items and looked around for somewhere to change. Viviane had already removed her shoes and was trying to reach around to undo the zip at the back of her dress. It was a battle that she was losing.
"Hey, do you mind giving me a hand with this zip?"
"Sure!" Cordelia abandoned her own clothes and walked the two steps that it would take to get to Viviane. She took the tiny garment zip between a thumb and finger and pulled it down Viviane's back, revealing the back strap of a black bra.
She stepped back quickly, lowering her gaze to the submarine floor.
"Aww thanks, I honestly don't know why I wear those bloody things, I can never do the zip up or undo it on my own."
Cordelia stifled a giggle. "How did you do it up in the first place?" She lifted her gaze to meet Viviane's.
"Ahh, I have a special technique that my grandmother let me in on. You get an old wire coat hanger, the thinner the better, and then you thread the zip through and pull on the hanger. Voila! Unfortunately, I didn't have a chance to pack my coat hanger before Hot Rod abducted me."
She shrugged out of her dress and threw it onto the bunk.
Cordelia saw that she had on a black lace bralette accompanied by a matching pair of knickers. She lowered her gaze again, embarrassed.
"Hey, we're girls together, there's nothing to be shy about."
Cordelia didn't respond but offered Viviane a small smile, shrugging off her own chunky Doc Marten boots.
"They're gorgeous," Viviane said, nodding towards the boots that Cordelia had just shoved under the bunk. "I love DM's, I just hate the fact that they take so long to break in."
Viviane finished pulling on the cargo trousers and began to lace up the tan-coloured Caterpillar boots.
"Would you like me to go out while you get changed?" Viviane asked in a gentle voice, tucking a strand of dark hair behind her ear.
"Would you mind? It's nothing against you, it's just…"
"Shh, it's okay. You don't have to explain yourself to anyone, least of all me." She smiled and placed a friendly hand on Cordelia's shoulder. "I'll be just outside if you need anything."
Cordelia smiled at her gratefully as she shut the door quietly behind her.
Cordelia wasted no time in divesting herself of her polka dot dress and denim jacket, becoming momentarily distracted by the mammoth bump that was her abdomen.
A delicate spiderweb formation of dark purple stretchmarks started at her naval and journeyed downwards. When she ran her fingers over them, she could feel the slight indentations that they made in her pale skin. She vainly hoped that once she had given birth, the stretchmarks would disappear as gradually as they had appeared. She wasn't athlete standard fit by any means, but she did enjoy a fairly active lifestyle and was confident that she'd gain her pre-pregnancy figure back in a reasonable amount of time after giving birth.
She pulled on the white t-shirt first, pulling the sleeves down to cover her elbows, suddenly self-conscious of the thin scars that marred both her forearms. She was pleased to discover that the top covered her bump and did not rise up when she moved about.
Next, she pulled on the cargo trousers, making sure to pull the drawstrings to their loosest point to accommodate her enormous bump. Nova wriggled and Cordelia watched in quiet amazement as two small lumps appeared in her skin from what she assumed were a foot and fist as Nova stretched.
She slipped her feet into the Caterpillar boots and bent down to tie the laces…only to find that she could not.
"Viviane?" She called shyly, retying her auburn hair into a loose bun at the nape of her neck.
"Hmm?" Viviane's answering question came as she stepped back through the watertight door.
"I'm so sorry to have to ask you, but would you mind helping me do up my shoelaces? I can't reach." She indicated her bump and Viviane nodded in taciturn understanding.
"Of course! No problem at all." She dropped to her knees and took Cordelia's right foot first, her hands working quickly to tie the laces in a double knot. She turned her attention to the other foot and did the same.
She held a hand out to Cordelia and helped her up off the bunk, before turning and going back through the open door.
They made their way through the tubular vessel and back to the main area, where they found Cade and Leo looking at each other with identical expressions on their shocked faces, each of their mouths open in a small 'o' shape.
"What did we miss?" Cordelia asked, taking a place up next to Leo.
"That insane ninja butler just shot himself out like a torpedo!"
"What?" Viviane's voice was full of incredulity, mirrored by the bemused expression on her face.
Leo nodded in support of Cade's statement. "It's true, he just said he'd be back later and…roedd wedi mynd."
Cade turned to look at Leo with an expression on his face that Cordelia found extremely hard not to laugh at. "Dude, what did you just say?"
"Ah, I am sorry about that. It was Welsh, and I said, 'he was gone.' I have a habit of slipping back into Welsh when I am shocked…or drunk." He grinned wryly. "Welsh is my first language, and not one that is easy to forget."
"Or speak by the sound of it! It sounded like the verbal equivalent of someone sitting on their keyboard."
The two men grinned at each other and Cade walked away a little to talk quietly to Viviane.
Leo approached Cordelia, noticing her arms wrapped tightly around her torso.
He shrugged out of his fleece jumper and handed it to Cordelia. "Here, put this on bach."
She accepted it gratefully and slipped it over her head, inhaling the smell of aftershave and the scent of outdoors that always seemed to cling to Leo.
She had to roll the sleeves up three times to leave her hands free and the jumper itself came almost to her knees. It was the first piece of clothing she'd put on in almost two months that didn't emphasise her bump.
Leo grinned widely at her. "Lia, if it's even possible, that has just made you look even smaller than usual."
"What do you mean 'smaller than usual'? I have a watermelon-sized human growing inside me, I'm anything but small."
He jokingly leaned an elbow on the top of her head, exaggerating the difference between their heights. "Nah, you've always been tiny for as long as I've known you, you little squirt."
"Aha, but being significantly shorter than you means it is easier for me to do this." She elbowed him in the ribs, causing him to grunt.
"Touché Miss Prime, touché."
.o
A few hours went by as the submarine guided itself through the black ocean. Cordelia could see nothing through the porthole windows, only the occasional flecks of marine dust that were illuminated by the submarine's powerful light beams.
Cogman had returned about an hour previously and the smell of something delicious was wafting down the length of the vessel.
He called all of them a few minutes later, to a small anteroom that had been made up with a small table, tablecloth and upturned crates in place of chairs. In the centre of the table sat two modestly sized tuna on a bed of salad and lemon.
"Bon appetit; tonight you have tuna in Tortiera sauce. Miss Cordelia, everything on the plate is safe for you to consume whilst you are with child."
Cade whistled, evidently impressed. "Whoa, where did all this come from?"
"Well, the vegetables and non-perishables were on board already, but I did have to depart for a little while in order to catch the tuna. Easier said than done when I couldn't use a projectory weapon to incapacitate them."
He proceeded to pull two crates out from underneath the table and signalled for Cordelia and Viviane to sit down first.
Leo took his place next to Cordelia whilst Cade sat down next to Viviane.
"Well Cogman, I have to say, this looks absolutely delicious." Leo said, picking up his knife and fork, starting to cut into the tuna.
"Well, I thought if you were going to have a final meal, I had better make it a nice one."
Cade had already shovelled a rather large amount of food into his mouth and Cordelia supressed a smile at the euphoric expression on Cade's face.
"Man! You can COOK!"
Leo chuckled, wiping a stray piece of food from his face. "This is beautiful Cogman, but Cade, if you're impressed by this, you need to try Optimus' cooking. His Sunday roast dinners are just…" he kissed his fingers theatrically in a chef's kiss.
"Wait, the big guy cooks? How the heck does he do that? He's a giant thirty-two-foot-tall alien robot. He can't exactly fit in a kitchen."
Cordelia laughed and took a swig from her glass of water. "He uses his holoform; that's just a very, very sophisticated holographic projection of himself that is human sized, although he's still huge even when he's using that."
Leo turned to her, chewing thoughtfully. "How tall is he in his holoform? I know he's big, but how tall are we talking?"
Cordelia smiled, thinking of the way that Optimus would rest his chin gently on the top of her head when they embraced. "In his holoform, he is six foot eight inches tall. In other words, he's humungous!"
She speared a bit of tuna on the end of her fork and coated it in a thick layer of the accompanying sauce. The flavours exploded in her mouth, all perfectly complimentary to one another.
The fishy tang of the tuna was the perfect accompaniment to the garlicy sauce, melding flavours of savoury and slightly sour perfectly to her palette.
Cogman made a quiet retreat and the rest of the meal was eaten in relative silence, as if the occupants at the unconventional table had started to appreciate the seriousness of what they were trying to do and why they were trying to do it.
When the sound of cutlery scraping on plates had ended, Cade and Leo excused themselves and began to clear the plates from the table.
Cordelia rose from the crate she was sitting on, beginning to get slightly uncomfortable after sitting for a considerable amount of time.
She made her way towards the front of the submarine, where there was a large window that spanned from the floor to the ceiling.
Footsteps sounded behind her and she turned around to see Viviane approaching.
"Hey…do you mind if I join you here for a while?"
Cordelia moved aside in answer to Viviane's question, allowing the other woman room to stand next to her by the window.
"How are you feeling?"
Cordelia turned to look at Viviane, trying to understand the meaning behind the question.
"Do you mean in general, or about what we're going to do?"
Viviane shrugged, playing with a strand of her dark hair. "Both really. It seems a bit risky for you to be doing all this stuff when you're so…pregnant." She eyed Cordelia's bump, a small smile sliding onto her elegant face.
"Well, I don't have much choice, do I? I guess the reason Burton sent us both for the Staff is in case one of us…you know…dies or something. Believe me, after nearly eleven years of being involved in alien warfare, you learn that nothing is impossible. You know to expect the unexpected."
Viviane raised a well-manicured brow. "You've been involved with them for a decade?"
"Give or take a few years. I was fourteen when I met Optimus and I'll be twenty-six on my next birthday."
"How did you meet Optimus Prime?" Viviane asked shyly, looking at Cordelia with curious blue eyes.
"I tried to kill myself," Cordelia said, stunned at her own honesty with a relative stranger. "I was intending to commit suicide and I jumped off a traffic bridge. It was going over a river and I figured it would be the most effective method…anyway, it just happened to be on the night that Optimus had landed on Earth, and he was hiding under the bridge, waiting for some cops to go back to the station before he came out again.
"So I jumped…and I hit the ground a lot quicker than I thought I was going to. The first thing I was aware of was that it was the wrong sensation. There was no water, no sense of coldness or struggle to breathe…just a cool, hard surface beneath my body that seemed to move of its own accord.
"It turned out that Optimus had caught me and I'd then lost consciousness. After that, I got all mixed up in the whole thing with Sector Seven and the whole mess in Tranquility…and somehow found the most noble and beautiful soul that it has ever been my pleasure to know in the process."
Viviane was silent for a few moments, absorbing everything that Cordelia had said.
"Do you love him?"
Cordelia sighed. She'd grown used to this question; used to the fact that everybody automatically assumed that their relationship was a romantic one and that they were a couple.
"I do. More than I have ever loved anyone or anything. But let me make it clear that I do not love him in any way that is romantic. I never have done and I find it highly unlikely that I ever will. The only way I can explain it is that he gets me in a way that no one else ever has. He knows me better than I know myself, sometimes even what I'm going to say before I say it.
"I feel like we're two halves of the same soul…he said as much a few years back."
There was a low, metallic groaning sound that reverberated through the frame of the entire submarine, very subtly vibrating everything on board.
Through the murky water, blurry lights became visible.
Viviane straightened, her blue-eyed gaze locked dead ahead.
"Hold those thoughts Lia, I think we've arrived."