After three meetings and four conferences, I was finally able to leave my office and start on my way toward the semi-truck I spent my every night with. I was excited to be with him again, not only to hear around his day but also for my own announcement. I was ecstatic when I approached the passenger side and smiled when the door popped open for me to climb into. I wasn't surprised to find his haloform absent - Optimus needed every drop of Energon he could save. I made it to the cabin and tugged off the heals I had been wearing for my last two meetings. I practically moaned in satisfaction of my feet being freed from the pointy prisons. I kicked the heels over into a corner, making a note to take them with me in the morning so Optimus wasn't walking around with high heels rattling around in him the next day.

I was peeling off my blazer when Optimus' haloform finally fizzled into existence. I was expecting his usual charming grin and warm chuckle. But instead, I found heavy dark blue eyes looking at me, nearly filled to the brink with tears. For a split second, I felt anger swell in the pit of my stomach toward who could have done this to my Prime, but then concern took over. Optimus was my everything; he was my world. I had to protect him. I opened my arms for him, waiting for him to come to me. I wasn't expecting the running tackle, however, and I was suddenly pressed into the bed while my Prime hid away in my neck.

All I could do was hold him tightly, letting him grab onto me and pull me closer to him. I ran my hand through his hair slowly and calmly. The first sob I heard was the first blow to my stomach. What had torn him down like this? Was it from today? Was it from his past? Was it home? Was it Earth? I wanted to help him but I didn't know how.

"What do you need, baby?" I asked softly. I kept my voice low while trying to hold back my own tears. I hated to see him so torn apart, and at the same time, I was relieved to know that he would come to me. "What can I do? What do you need me to do, honey?"

His arms only clamped down tighter, stone, and unmoving. I understood.

"Okay," I murmured into his hair. "Okay. I'll stay right here with you. But I need you to let me up first, okay? You need to let go of me just for a minute, baby. Can you do that?"

Optimus' arms tightened slightly before be hesitantly let me go. I slipped off of the bed and finished stripping out of my work clothes. I tossed my pants over into a corner which left me in shorts I had worn under my suit pants and a tank top. I pulled my emotional Prime to the edge of the bed and had him sit down. I lowered myself into his lap and let him wrap his arms around me however tight he needed. I cradled his head against my chest.

"Is this better?" I asked carefully. I let my hand drift down to delicately stroke his cheek. "Do you want to move again?"

"No,"

His first word since this began. That meant progress.

"Alright, then we'll stay right here as long as you want," I promised. I leaned down and pressed a kiss to his head. "Do you want to talk?"

"Not yet,"

"Then I won't push. I'm right here, right here with you,"

Optimus began to rock us. I smiled ruefully down at him. Even if he couldn't see, I wanted him to feel it. I wasn't upset or discouraged by his need to hold me. I was grateful he found it in himself to come to me. I lightly hummed a small, simple tune I had in the back of my mind while lightly stroking his hair. His arms tugged me closer desperately. I felt his breath, hot and harsh, against my chest. I tried to suppress the shiver that came as a product from it. I distracted myself through my humming, murmuring a few of the words as they came to mind.

"And when you've gone to rest your helm, I'll still be awake to guard your spark..." I whispered, humming the words I didn't know. "I will be your protector... your guardian... your love. As long as the stars burn on."

I kept humming, hoping that it would do something to soothe my melancholy Prime. When I got around to the third round of humming the tune, Optimus slowly lifted his head from my chest. I looked down at his haloform's puffy red eyes. I smiled down at him and pressed a soft kiss to his forehead.

"Are you ready to talk?" I asked carefully.

"Where..." he seemed surprised by the roughness of his voice.

I chuckled. "It's okay. That's normal after a human has cried. It's the throat's way of repairing itself after being strained. Kind of like a message saying 'take it easy'."

"Where did you learn that?" he said, a little more clear this time. "That lullaby. It is very old."

"I don't know," I admitted. "I remembered it. Like it was the perfect thing to... to calm you down."

"That lullaby is Cybertronian... the records of it were lost when Iacon was attacked,"

A realization suddenly clicked with me. "Is that why you were upset? You were thinking about Cybertron?"

All it took was that guilty look in his eyes, and I knew. Optimus had many things that weighed down on his spark. One of those things was the attack on Iacon - a city on Cybertron Optimus spent much of his time in. I didn't know much about it and I wasn't planning on pressing him on what he wasn't ready to talk about. I leaned down and kissed his forehead again.

"What was it this time? An attack?"

"No... your President brought the many lives lost despite the Autobot's best efforts to my attention. It reminded me of the battles we had on Cybertron. All of those innocent lives lost, and for what?"

"For freedom," I said. I cupped his face with my hands, dragging my fingers down his jawline. "You didn't want your people controlled by Megatron. You didn't want innocent lives spent as slaves when they had enough of a spirit to fight. If they fought with you, Optimus, I promise you that they don't regret it. You hear me?" I wiped away a stray tear sliding down his cheek. "They looked to you to be their leader and you did your damn best. That is all anyone could ever ask of you."

The look of awe in his deep blue eyes felt misplaced; like I didn't deserve that sort of look. I felt his hand against the back of my neck and in a single, swift movement, I was under him.

"Better, I take it?" I mumbled breathlessly.

"You make everything so much better, Azrael. You take all of my pain away with no trace of it to follow. You are an angel," he tugged me just a little closer. "My angel."

I swallowed, suddenly aware of the heat pooling between my legs. Optimus was soft, gentle, and kind. That was what I was used to. But it was very rare for him to show signs of possession. However, when he did... oh, did that make for one hell of a night. Still... I had something very important to do. Something I swore I would do. If not for Optimus then for myself.

"Speaking of possession," I said. My stomach fluttered with the wings of butterflies. "I wanted to ask you something. Something rather important."

"And what would that be?"

I sucked in a long breath. "What would you think of marrying me?"

And that got him to freeze. I felt my stomach churn and my face drain of color. Too far - I went too far. The sheer amount of shock on his haloform's face was enough to make me feel sick. He moved quickly, no longer hovering over me. I sat up, not sure if I would follow after him or if I would just leave and sleep in my office. His haloform disappeared from existence. I let out a heavy breath and stood up, ready to leave for the night, when he began to transform. I stumbled and fell back only to end up falling onto the palm of his servo. I watched as the rest of his body came together until he was kneeling on the Main Hanger's floor. Silently, he stood up and walked out of the base.

The stars were the first thing I saw. The beautiful, twinkling, shining stars that hung above the Earth. Just temptingly out of reach.

"Azrael,"

I was rudely whacked out of my slightly peaceful trance and looked up at the glowing blue optics of Optimus Prime. He knelt down again, this time on the grassy hill outside the N.E.S.T. base. He lifted me up until I was level with his lip-plating.

"It only seems fair that I return your question, for you are not the only one who has thought of marriage. I never thought you would have the same desire as I,"

My entire body relaxed. "Optimus Prime, you gave me a heart attack! I thought you hated me for a solid five minutes."

"I could never hate you, Azrael Echolynn. I am asking... will you give me the honor of taking your hand in marriage?"

I rolled my eyes and stood up on his servo. I walked close enough to press my lips against his warm lip plating.

"Of course I will, you dramatic Cyber-dork,"

Waking up the morning after was something out of a romance novel. I woke up to the feeling of feathery light kisses against the back of my neck. The warmth of another body cradling me from behind brought this euphoric feeling crashing over me. I felt his calloused hand slide up my arm until his fingers entwined with mine. I rolled over to catch sight of him; my fiancé.

That thought alone was invigorating. His eyes, bright despite how early it felt, gleamed down at me with the same energy I had. Optimus lifted my hand up to his lips and pressed a kiss to my knuckles. I grinned and rolled over fully to face him. He laid down to be level with me.

"How are you feeling?" he asked. His voice was that deep, heavy gravel I adored hearing every morning.

"Like an engaged woman," I said. "And... what about you?"

"I'm not sure what you would call it. Elated does not seem to begin to cover what I am feeling,"

I smiled and rolled my eyes. Still overdramatic. Of course, I would expect nothing else from a leader. He had to do something to keep the Autobots' attention on him - that was his job, after all. I leaned on him, nuzzling into his neck.

"Do we have to work today?" I mumbled. "Can we just... not?"

Optimus gave me an amused chuckle. "I am afraid not, Azrael. But I would imagine the others would be happy to know of our engagement."

I groaned, thinking about how that would go over. It would be a round of who won a bet, smacking one another over the smallest details, then loud cheering that wouldn't stop for at least two hours, and then the entire base finding out I was engaged to an alien leader. I mumbled incoherently into Optimus' shoulder.

"What was that?"

"I don't wanna," I whined for the second time. "It'll just be a mess. Besides, we don't have to tell anyone... it could be our secret."

"You enjoy torturing the others, don't you?"

"Optimus, honey, we're getting married. I would hope you know this by now,"

The look he gave me was hysterical.

Sadly, our day did have to begin. Optimus transformed and dropped me off at the catwalk as always. I looked back at my Prime, watching his bright blue optics glint just a little brighter. I grinned giddily. I felt like a child.

"Morning, Azzie,"

I turned my head to the right, finding Sam leaned against the catwalk's railing. He scratched at his beard.

"Good morning, Sammy!" I said. I couldn't help the sing-song sound of my voice. I was beyond excited. It was the first real ray of sunlight in the dark Megatron had brought with his return.

Sam lifted an eyebrow. "You're in a good mood,"

"I've got something to be happy about," I shrugged.

I pulled the camouflage cargo pants up. They were the pair I had stolen from Will for the hell of it, along with the N.E.S.T. shirt I snagged from Epps. Basically, the only clothing I was wearing that was mine was my bra and underwear.

"Oh yeah? And what's that? I would have thought you'd be the most affected by this," Sam asked curiously.

"Just a little something that happened between Optimus and I. No big deal, really. Just happy," I shrugged again. Sam usually lost interest when I started shrugging because it was a microexpression that said 'I've got nothing else to say'.

As I had predicted, Sam lost interest and left me to do my work. It was only a matter of time before someone reported something. I glanced over at the computer station and found those pictures on one of the screens. My name forever scorched into the Earth for thousands of years. I let out a ragged breath and discarded the images from my mind. My focus was on finding any reports of Decepticon activity. I picked up my halopad and logged into my account. My screen was blank with only one message detailing the absolute lack of Decepticons. I sighed and closed out of the halopad.

"Director,"

I looked to the stairs to find Will with his bag packed and civilian clothing on. He was ready to go home. I smiled at him with as much happiness I could muster, for his sake.

"Ready, Will?" I asked, already knowing his answer.

"As I'll ever be, Ma'am,"

I nodded. "Alright,"

I walked with Will down the stairs with my heart heavy. I knew he must have felt a lot of pain, leaving the base only to go home to a wife in the middle of a high-risk pregnancy. Upon reaching the ground level, I found Ironhide waiting by the hanger exit, Optimus with him. My Cybertronian lover looked down at me with the same sorrow I felt. We would both miss Will and Hide.

"Take care of that family of yours, Will," I said, clapping his shoulder. "And keep Ironhide in one piece."

"Yes Ma'am, Director Ace," Will whipped up his hand into a salute. I rolled my eyes.

"Go home, soldier. I'll see you soon,"

It seemed like a flash, watching Will and Ironhide leave the base.

"It's good that they're leaving," I said, turning my head up to look at Optimus.

"And why is that, Azrael?"

I smiled ruefully. "We can't miss them if they're always here. Besides, it goes to show how much we care about them,"

The day seemed to slow after Will's departure from the base. Even giving Epps the orders to gather the crew for observational recon didn't quite seem the same. It was bland and almost unimportant now. I hadn't realized how much having Will at N.E.S.T. affected everything. He had become such a massive part of my life aside from Optimus. And not only Will but Ironhide, too. The Weapons Specialist was constantly intruding on me and my work, but it was always a welcome distraction.

By the time my day was unofficially over, I was left with an incomplete feeling in the pit of my stomach. Like something wasn't right. Yet, it didn't seem like it was Will or Ironhide's absence. And then, it hit me. I never got to spend my day with Bumblebee.

It was a while ago when I made the promise, but I had never gotten to carry it out. I stood just outside of the hanger, arms folded as I looked up toward the sky. It was dark, the sky full of dusky stars lighting up. I let out a slow breath and ran my hand through my hair. I pulled at the long strands of black hair. How long had I kept it this way? Just how my father had me keep it.

Why had I kept it the same?

I was swept away from my thoughts by a familiar pair of arms wrapping around me from behind. I sighed as that incomplete feeling from before defused. I leaned into the chest of my fiancé.

"It's not just me, is it?" I asked.

"No," he answered. He pressed a kiss to my shoulder. "I have felt the difference as well."

I dropped my gaze to his hands wrapped around my waist. I smiled as I noticed the silver band around his left ring finger. I lifted his hand up to look over it more closely. On it was my name, engraved delicately in cursive.

"Did you add this?" I wondered. Would it have been his decision, or would it have been subconscious?

"Add what, Azrael?"

"Your ring,"

Definitely a subconscious choice.

"I hadn't realized it," Optimus said. "I suppose I did unintentionally. I was thinking of a ring you would like. It would seem I gave myself one as well."

I hummed. "Optimus... what would you think if I... if I changed something about myself?"

"Would it make you happy?"

"Yes, I think so," I answered honestly.

I felt him nuzzle into my neck, pressing another kiss to my skin. "Then it would seem you already know my answer, beloved."

I laughed as Optimus left a series of light, feathery kisses up my neck.

"You know, I never got to spend time with Bumblebee as we planned. I was thinking... if I told him we were getting married... maybe I could take him with me to plan. If you even want a reception?" I turned around in his arms, coming to face his sweet blue eyes. His haloform never ceased to take my breath away. "We have so much to talk about and plan. Do you want to just focus on paperwork or have a reception or even worry about -"

"Beloved," Optimus stopped me. He chuckled lightly, looking down at me with that loving look in his eyes. Like I was the only thing that mattered at that moment. I practically melted. "You would know more about weddings than I would. However, I would be more than happy to plan a wedding with you. Any moment I get to spend with you is a moment well spent."

"Are you trying to make me fall further in love?"

"It was not my intention... is it working?"

"Shut it... and yes, it is working,"

I had never felt so tense before.

I had felt the tense pain from a bruise, and the tenderness of flesh from a cut, but never this kind. This painful ache in my shoulders and down to the lower part of my back. Even leaning back in my office chair did nothing to soothe the painful ache. The entire base had been high-strung since the latest attack.

This one was in the city.

Thankfully, Optimus, Bumblebee, and Mirage were able to keep it mostly under control. But that didn't come with a lack of paperwork for the damage caused. The Decepticons didn't have enough time to cause any serious harm to the people. A few had minor injuries - the worst that happened was a fractured wrist. Still, even with the unusual lack of death, there was that panic and anger racing through everyone. The Decepticons felt secure enough to attack in the first place, so either they were looking to get caught or they didn't have a plan for the assault.

I was looking over a building contract to see if there was any possibility to avoid a lawsuit. It wasn't that the lawsuit would have been that much of a drain on funding, but it would require the revelation to the public of an unknown, undisclosed facility harboring extraterrestrials. In laments terms; N.E.S.T. would be fucked.

As I sighed, setting down the pen I had in my hand, the door opened. I looked up, happy for any distraction to get me away from the paperwork for a while. To my delight, it was the haloform of my Cybertronian fiance. I smiled and waved him in, getting up from my chair and going around my desk to greet him. He shut the door behind him before he enveloped me completely in his tight embrace. I was more than happy to abandon the contract for a few moments of peace with him.

"Primus, I hate being away from you," he murmured into my hair.

"I don't like it either," I said. "You'd think that now everything would be pushing us together, but I'm always stuck in my office and you're stuck in meetings."

"We will find a way around this," Optimus assured. He lightly kissed my cheek. "We always do, beloved."

Eventually, we parted. I leaned up to peck his lips, an innocent action at first. We hadn't gotten to spend a moment in one another's company for weeks except at night, and by then, we were both too tired to do much together. It was always sleepy 'goodnight's and 'I love you's. There was never any of that physical contact I craved. So to say that I was surprised when Optimus kept us connected beyond my intended little kiss would be an understatement.

Continuous shivers ran amuck throughout my body as Optimus pushed me into a wall. Our kiss became more feverish, Optimus becoming more possessive. He grabbed my hips and pulled me full flush against him. I squealed when I felt his hands drift to the end of my shirt.

"Optimus, we can't," I whispered, looking at my door nervously. "Someone could walk in!"

But rather than respond, Optimus leaned over and clicked the lock into place. I had to squeeze my thighs together to keep from shivering again. Optimus grabbed me, took me into his arms and he kissed me again. Fervent, passionate, and hot. He lifted me off of the ground and stumbled ungracefully over to my desk. I couldn't help but giggle excitedly as he plopped me down on the one clear spot on my desk.

"I cannot believe you're doing this," I squealed.

"There's only so long I can go without you," Optimus muttered into my neck. I felt his hands roam over my entire body, tugging at my shirt for permission.

"Oh, you are so lucky I'm the Director," I bit my lip, grabbing the collar to his flannel shirt and tugging him closer to me.

That hour alone together was heavenly, and meaningless to say my stress was long forgotten. But that hour alone put us both further behind on our work. I was sad to let my Prime go, but we couldn't be caught, could we? There was no telling what would come of it. So I let him leave with one last kiss before his haloform disappeared. I plopped myself back down in my chair behind my desk and continued to look over the building contract, pleased to locate a loophole in the contract.

My family would be safe for another day.

And to think, it came from paperwork!

After finishing with the contract and a few more pages to avoid any legal fees, I decided to end my isolation in my office. I grabbed my halopad before leaving my office. I flipped through a few of the replying emails of my out-reach email to the remaining investors. It was mostly responses for the sake of being polite. I rolled my eyes at the last two which both had expressed their "desires" to meet in person. I promptly turned them down.

I approached the catwalk as Bumblebee came skirting around from behind me. I laughed as the young scout transformed onto his knees in front of me. I squealed when he nuzzled his head into my stomach.

"Hey, Bee," I giggled helplessly. "What's up, big guy?"

"You and... the Boss... are... engaged?"

My eyes widened. "Shh! Bumblebee, I don't need the whole base knowing!"

Bee let out a series of excited beeps and whirrs as he got up. He played "I'm So Excited" from his radio.

"Bee, calm down!" I exclaimed. "Please, you can't tell the others! Not yet!"

Bumblebee stopped playing the music, a disappointed whine coming from him instead.

"I know you don't like keeping secrets and all, Bee, but it's only just happened and I want Will and Ironhide to be here when we announce it. So you've got to keep quiet about it for me, please?" I begged. "I really need you, Bumblebee. Besides, I wanted to take you with me when I get my dress... and maybe my hair done, too... I want you there for me, Bee."

The young Autobot's down mood took a sharp upturn as he nodded excitedly.

I swear, he was the Cybertronian equivalent to bipolar.

My legs hung over the roof of the main hanger, Optimus standing in front of me faithfully as I waited for the halopad to light up. I was expecting a call from Will with news about Sarah and the baby. I let out a slow breath. I was trying to hold out hope for their child, but I knew the odds were stacked against Sarah. There had been complications with Annabelle's birth and the likelihood there would be complications with their second child's birth was high.

I hadn't realized my arm had wrapped around my stomach until I felt it. It made me think about the chances of me ever having a baby. I'd never given in much of a thought. I never thought I'd fall in love - I never thought I would so much as express interest in anyone. And now, I was engaged to the Leader of the Autobots, and the Last Prime to ever exist.

Were we compatible? Could Optimus actually get me pregnant, or would we always be childless? Would I ever get to be a mother? I suddenly felt a very heavy weight on my heart, and I knew exactly why. I'd always wished I could go back and undo what my mother had done. I wished I could have stopped her. I wish I hadn't had seen what she did to herself. So what would be a better way to remedy that than having a child of my own I wouldn't abandon?

I almost missed Will's call, I was so in my head.

"Will," I said as I saw his face on the screen. Optimus lifted his helm to see the screen as well. "How are you? How's Sarah?"

"Well, I am happy to say that there were no complications with the birth and that Sarah gave birth to a perfectly healthy baby girl!" Will exclaimed.

"That's great, Will! I'm so happy for you!" I felt that weight in my chest grow. "How's the baby? Is Annabelle happy to be a big sister?"

"Annabelle cannot stop talking about how she's going to be the best big sister," Will laughed tiredly. The bags under his eyes were an easy giveaway to his exhaustion. "And as for our new baby girl... well, Sarah wanted to name her after the woman who saved the Autobots."

Surely they weren't talking about me. I saved no one. I was just a woman who ended up incredibly lucky, finding love in the most bizarre of places, and a family among those from another world entirely.

Will lifted up his arms, revealing the soft, pale face of a newly born child just entering the world. There was a little pink cap on her head, the only thing designating that she was a girl. She had chubby little cheeks and two bright, innocent brown eyes just like her father.

"Meet Claudia Dawn, the newest member of the Lennox clan," Will said, holding her up to the camera.

"She's beautiful, William," I whispered.

I felt my own hand curl slightly into my abdomen. If only...

"Yeah... she's perfect,"

"You look tired. Get some rest, Major. You'll need it. She looks like a trouble maker," I said. "That's an order."

Will laughed. "Understood, Director. You take care up there."

"Send Ironhide our love... and condolences,"

"Haha,"

Will ended the call not long after that. I let out a slow, careful breath as I set the halopad down in my lap. Will had named his daughter after me. Claudia... my middle name wasn't anything special to me before that day, before there was a little girl out there with that name bared on her soul. Claudia Dawn... beautiful.

I shook my head. I knew where my mind was going. Maybe I wanted to be a mother but for the time being, I wanted to get married first. Optimus held out his servo to me. I slid into it, laying down on the warm metal plates.

"You seem tired," Optimus said softly.

"I haven't been at the top of my game, no," I admitted, yawning. "I'm just stressed, honey. There's a lot of work that comes with Decepticon attacks..."

The date the Deceptions had warned us about suddenly came to mind. It was only a few months away before they would attack. There was so much going on, so much weighing down on my shoulders.

"Perhaps you should take a day to yourself then, beloved," Optimus suggested as he walked further away from the hanger. "You have not been sleeping well."

"I don't think anyone is," I murmured. " I'm just... I'm just scared, Optimus. I don't want anyone to die... I don't want to be the reason anyone dies."

"I do not believe you are "just scared", Azrael. I believe you are scared,"

"Why do you always have to call me out?" I groaned.

"Once, you told me that my people died for their freedom because they had the spirit to fight. I was not to reason for their deaths, nor am I the reason now. You are not responsible for the deaths of men and women willing to give their lives for you if I am not responsible for the deaths of my people," Optimus said. He brought me up to optic level and smiled, and action he rarely did outside of his haloform. "You are their leader, Azrael. Guide them."

"Sometimes I wish I didn't inspire you so much," I muttered, sending him a pseudo-angry glare.

My Prime chuckled as he lifted his helm to look up at the sky. I looked up with him, observing every star in sight.

"What do you think of children?"

The question spilled out of my mouth faster than I could stop myself. I wrapped my arms around my stomach, feeling embarrassingly exposed under Optimus' gaze.

"I have not had the pleasure of meeting many human children, but I understand that they are very much like Cybertronian offspring. If that is true, then I believe that I would enjoy being around children very much," Optimus said softly.

I felt his digit lightly run down my back. The warmth of the metal was soothing to my embarrassment.

"And... what would you think of... having kids? With me?" I asked timidly.

"I wish, more than anything, it was possible,"