"What do you mean, Rafael doesn't know where Miko disappeared to?!"
"I am only repeating the words that I myself just heard! Escúchame, we are worried about Miko, too…!"
The Nakadai and the Gonzales-Esquivel families continued to squabble as Raf struggled to hear what was being relayed to him from Unit: E headquarters in Nevada. Even with the phone pressed hard against his ear, it was a minor miracle he was able to drown out the ongoing shouting match.
"I'm very sorry, but could you please repeat that last part again?"
"It's like I said, Mr. Esquivel. We've gotten no reply from our…um…our friends in Hangar E, and Agent Fowler left specific instructions that he was not to be disturbed. Something to do with an extremely important project he's been working on."
Raf closed his eyes and sighed, "I…see."
"Don't worry, sir. We'll keep our eyes and ears open for Miss Nakadai. I'm sure she'll turn up before you know it, safe and sound."
"I appreciate that. Please contact me as soon as you hear anything."
"We will, sir. I'll also make sure Agent Fowler knows that you called."
Raf politely thanked his contact and subsequently ended the call.
"W-Well…?"
Hearing Mr. Nakadai's impatient plea, Raf reluctantly turned to face the two families.
His stomach clenched uncomfortably. Raf despised lying but didn't have much of a choice in the matter. In the interests of international security he was forced to word things in such a way that didn't reveal the existence of the Autobots and subsequently what had actually happened. Even if that hadn't been the case, Raf seriously doubted that anyone would have believed Miko was missing because she had contacted an alien autonomous robotic organism to open an space-time portal that was used to transport herself hundreds of miles away.
It wasn't the first time Raf secretly wished he could just tell his family the truth.
He steeled himself and finally said, "Miko still hasn't been found yet, but I've spoken with the authorities who are searching for her as we speak." Raf held his breath and prayed it would be enough.
It wasn't.
Both sets of parents immediately began to argue again, each blaming the other for what had happened. Raf couldn't bear the sight and clenched his eyes shut. In the darkness he found no respite as his mind's eye seized hold of a particular memory, forcing him to relive that final terrible moment.
"We've been through hell on earth, Raf! Dammit, we deserve to be happy…don't we?"
"Not at the cost of our families."
Miko had stared hard into his eyes with a look of heartbreaking betrayal.
"S-Saraba, Raf-kun. Watashi wa anata o eien ni aishimasu."
Miko's final words to him hurt the most and echoed within the corridors of his wondrous mind.
G-Goodbye, Raf. I will love you forever.
Suddenly the guilt was overwhelming. Raf opened his eyes and choked back a sob as he gazed upon the two quarreling households.
This is my fault.
Without even realizing what he was doing, Raf blindly began to stumble towards the door. His older sister Pilar saw the look of utter despair in his blank eyes and quickly raced to cut him off before he could slip away.
"Rafael…?"
"Sh-she was right, Pilar. Miko was right and I didn't see." He moaned despondently, "I've lost her. I-I've lost her forever…!"
"Rafael, that's not true! You guys can work things out, I know you can! You just need to - "
"Can…can I borrow your car?"
Raf's sister eyed him suspiciously.
"Please, Pilar. I promise I'm not going to do anything stupid. I…I just really need to be alone for awhile."
Finally she relented, slowly handing her brother the keys to her car. Raf gratefully embraced his sister.
"Gracias, Pilar."
Blinking back tears, Pilar whispered, "Estaré orando por ti…por los dos."
Raf smiled shakily and turned back towards the door.
Suddenly he jumped as he heard his father's booming voice as it thundered, "Rafael! Where do you think you are going?!"
Emotionally drained and too tired to argue, Raf softly replied, "Anywhere but here."
He gently closed the door behind him and left. Pilar worriedly watched her brother drive away and as she reflexively crossed herself, she silently asked the same question that was on everybody's mind.
"So where in the world is Miko?"
…
KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK
"Now who that could be…?"
The door slowly opened, revealing a slightly disheveled Miko as she nervously stood at the last place she had ever expected to go.
"Umm…hi, guys."
For a brief moment she blinked uncomfortably at the impossibly clean-cut couple staring back at her from the doorway of the quaint suburban house. The man's wavy brown hair billowed gently in the warm afternoon breeze, his thin mustache twitching slightly as he regarded Miko with a cautious air of surprise. The attractive blonde woman at his side was equally shocked to see their young visitor, but there was absolutely no mistaking the expression of unrestrained joy that stole across her features.
"M-MIKO!"
With a loud cry the blonde woman reached out and cocooned Miko within her surprisingly strong arms. The man chuckled warmly as he beheld the look of pure delight on his wife's face, finally opting to join their impromptu hug.
Miko reluctantly resigned herself to her fate as she awkwardly returned the embrace of her host-parents.
…
"It's been such a long time! So, what all have you been up to since the last time we saw one another?"
Miko slowly walked around the interior of her host-parents' home. Still feeling slightly dazed from her earlier fight with Raf, Miko managed to shrug indifferently.
"Ehn. This and that, Babs."
Babs giggled, "Listen to you talk! Why, just the other day I was telling Jonathan that our little Miko-chan was probably up to her usual shenanigans…you know, saving the world and all that? Oh, Miko…I'm just so proud of you!"
Jonathan groaned, "Stop embarrassing the girl, Babs. Miko's barely twenty years old…she hasn't had time to finish her classes at the university, let alone save the world! We can throw a parade in her honor after she graduates!"
Babs huffed and fixed her husband with an exasperated glare before she gave him a piece of her mind. Even as she rolled her eyes at the embarrassing exchange, Miko noted that her host-parents hadn't changed a bit.
Always the bright and cheerful one, Babs was nonetheless cloying and annoying. As far back as Miko could remember her host-mother had been a tad smothering, for lack of a better word. Babs' husband Jonathan was living proof that opposites apparently attract. He was a nice enough guy, at least until the moment he opened his mouth. Miko was sure that he meant well but there were times he didn't seem to have a fully functional brain-to-mouth filter. His tendency to appear insensitive and occasionally downright hostile frequently got him into all sorts of hot water with Babs, much like it was doing right now.
"C'mon, Babs…I said I was sorry!"
"Not half as sorry as you're going to be…!"
After recent events, the sound of conflict was the absolute last thing Miko wanted to hear. She forced herself to drown out this newest discussion between Jonathan and Babs as she continued to move about their home, noting with little surprise just how little it had changed since her last visit. Much like her host-parents, things seemed to be practically the same as they had always been. She found the house's lack of change utterly boring and irritating. It quietly grated on Miko's nerves, just like everything about her host-parents.
As they continued to bicker, her tired almond-hued eyes drifted across several photographs of her host-parents that were mounted on the wall. Seeing the various moments frozen in time, she remembered how even from the start she never had much patience with them. In spite of herself, Miko allowed her tense feelings to uncoil just a fraction and her mind began to wander…
…
"Coolest…bike…ever."
Miko chuckled to herself as she focused on her newest masterpiece, a rendering of what appeared to be a custom Kawasaki Ninja motorcycle. She struggled not to pay too much attention to the cute guy who had only moments earlier walked past her.
Hmp. Not bad…a little bit on the stuffy side, but I might be able to work around that. At least the dude's got potential.
Just then her cell phone began to play a particularly sweet guitar riff from Slash Monkey. She flipped open the phone and sighed as she saw the telltale caller ID.
"Host parents…? Ignore."
Rolling her eyes Miko closed her phone and was about to resume drawing, only to discover her steely subject had disappeared. She groaned in exasperation and frantically looked around for the motorcycle, finally spotting it in the distance. A mysterious rider who appeared to have been poured into a shapely suit of skintight leather had taken hold of its handlebars and was currently in hot pursuit of Mister Stuffed Shirt. Miko watched with interest as the pair disappeared into a nearby alleyway.
Well, well, well…maybe there's more to the guy than meets the eye…
Miko began to chase after them, unaware that life as she knew it was about to transform.
…
With a slight smirk on her expression, Miko remembered her host-parents' seemingly endless attempts to check up on her. She couldn't help but feel a small measure of pride when she recalled how she had once informed Bulkhead that she thought they were scared of her.
After being reunited with her host-parents following the victory over the Decepticons and the Autobots' subsequent departure from Earth, Miko had stayed with them until her high school graduation. She had little choice in the matter, having to wait until her international visa was renewed. Eager to escape Jonathan and Babs' overly sheltered little world, she left soon after to begin attending her "classes" held at Hangar E.
Suddenly seeing one particular picture snapped Miko back to the here and now. She stopped and raised a curious eyebrow.
Hunh…this one's new.
Miko slowly studied the unfamiliar photograph, gazing with interest at the sight of her host-parents standing in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France.
"We had a wonderful time there."
Miko jumped slightly as she realized Babs and Jonathan had stopped arguing and were now standing alongside her. The unexpected invasion into her personal space had actually managed to irritate her even more, if such a thing were remotely possible. Oblivious to Miko's growing ire, Babs beamed and proudly said, "It was such an exciting trip. I wish you could have seen it..."
Gritting her teeth, Miko forced herself to make with the small talk.
"I'm impressed, Babs. I never knew you had any interest in traveling to Paris."
"Oh, Jonathan and I had talked about it for years but never could work up the nerve to go. When you began your classes at the university we finally decided we should do something crazy and went on a second honeymoon!" Babs sighed dramatically, "Oh, it was so romantic…!"
Miko groaned inwardly, the topic sending her already negative mood into a downward spiral.
"Paris, huh? Didn't think you guys were that adventurous. To be honest, I always thought you were a little too nervous to even travel outside of your house…"
Babs and Jonathan exchanged a surprised look at the barely restrained venom in Miko's words but chose to let it go. Attempting to change the subject, Babs asked, "S-so, how are your studies coming along at the university?"
Before Miko had a chance to answer, Jonathan chimed in and added his two cents.
"Say, that reminds me…what's going on with you and your friend Rafael? You two were starting to get pretty serious, weren't you?"
Babs saw the distraught look flash across Miko's face and quickly reacted. Glancing over at her husband, she smiled sweetly and said, "Jonathan, sweetheart…can you be a dear and go down to the basement to switch out that old light bulb? It's been flickering for a few days now and I'm sure it needs to be changed."
He frowned, "If the bulb's still flickering then it's fine. I'll change it when it goes out."
Babs huffed loudly and turned to face Jonathan.
"Darling, I love you with all my heart but you really need to get a clue." She pointed an adamant finger in the direction of the basement door and ordered, "GO."
Jonathan threw up his hands in surrender and began to trudge downstairs, grumbling every step of the way.
Babs waited until her husband was out of earshot before she quietly whispered, "I'm so sorry, Miko. Sometimes I don't think that man can think before he speaks to save his life."
Miko shrugged her shoulders, "Don't worry about it, I'm okay."
Hesitantly Babs offered, "L-listen, maybe I could fix you something to eat, maybe one of your favorite Japanese meals? Didn't you really like that one dish…what was it called again…gyudon?"
Miko put on a brave front, acting like nothing was wrong. Attempting to smile, she shook her head and said, "No, no…really. Don't go through any trouble for me, please. Besides, I'm honestly not all that hungry, m'just really tired. I feel like I could sleep for a week."
The elephant in the room was painfully obvious but neither woman chose to address it. Miko finally broke the tense silence and sighed, "L-look, I know this is last minute and all but would it be okay if I stayed here for a little while…?"
Babs grinned excitedly, "Of course it's okay! We left your room exactly as you left it."
Miko felt slightly self-conscious at how much Babs was fussing over her and lowered her gaze to the floor. She nodded uncomfortably and finally murmured, "Thanks."
Sensing the younger woman's inner turmoil, Babs smiled and said, "Miko, if…if you ever need to talk…"
For a moment, Miko looked hesitantly at Babs. Her lips began to quiver as she was about to respond.
"There was nothing wrong with that bulb, Babs!" Jonathan entered the room, loudly announcing his professional prognosis on the state of the light fixture.
And just like that, the moment was gone.
Before Babs had another chance to somehow coax her to stay, Miko nodded again and quickly made her way upstairs.
Babs slowly turned and fixed her aggravated glare onto her husband. He blinked back with clueless confusion and asked, "…what?"
…
Miko closed the door and looked around, seeing that Babs was a woman of her word. Everything was indeed exactly as she left it, not that there was all that much left behind.
When she left over two years ago to begin her training with Unit: E she had honestly never intended to return here, taking only the things she would definitely miss. There were several unwanted CD's and a few posters left adorning the walls, but other than that the room was positively Spartan.
That's fine with me, 'cause right now all I really need is a bed and a few hours of sleep.
As Miko made her way towards the modest twin bed she happened to glance at the nearby desk in the room. Her heart sank. Resting atop the desk was a framed photograph of her and Raf that she had somehow missed before she had departed. Her hand shook as she slowly reached out and picked it up.
They had only been dating for a few weeks when the picture was taken, and already one could tell they looked like they were a perfect fit for each other. In the photo Miko grinned ecstatically while pure bliss shone through Raf's eyes as he proudly held his arm around her shoulders.
Miko's life had always been a roller coaster of change, but even she was shocked at how different things became the day she decided to take a chance and invite Raf into her heart. She remembered how worried she had been about Raf being the rebound guy when they started seeing one another, so soon after realizing her misplaced attraction to Jack would go absolutely nowhere. She realized her fears were unfounded, quickly falling deeply in love with the young spiky-haired genius.
And you had to go and ruin all that with Raf, didn't you? Way to go, Miko.
The tears suddenly came back with a vengeance. She began sobbing violently and fell back onto the bed, burying her face into a pillow so no one could hear her pitiful wails. Miko did not stop until she cried herself out and fell into a deep, exhausted slumber.
…
Raf had been driving for a couple of hours when hot tears unexpectedly began to stream down his face. He instantly knew it was because of his shared sparkbond with Miko.
Way to go, genius. Miko was the perfect woman and you chased her away.
Feeling completely helpless and overwhelmed with guilt, Raf soon could not tell if the tears were Miko's or his own.
…
Sometime later Miko was roused when she began to smell a vague but oddly familiar scent. She quickly identified the tantalizing aroma as one of her favorite meals from Japan. For a fleeting moment she imagined that she was back home in Tokyo but when she opened her eyes and looked around, she recognized her surroundings and remembered where she was at.
Thoughts about her life in Japan reminded Miko of just how alone and unloved she felt. Feelings of long-unresolved anger and resentment bubbled up inside her and the tears begin to build again.
Just then the door opened. Babs poked her head into Miko's room and smiled, "Good afternoon, sleepyhead!"
Miko quickly brushed away the tears, hoping Babs would assume she was wiping the sleep from her eyes.
"I hope you don't mind, Miko. I got so excited when you said you'd be staying with us that I just couldn't help myself!" Babs grinned happily as she produced a tray with a large bowl of steaming hot gyudon.
Miko's emotions were all over the place. She was angry and embarrassed and she didn't want anyone to see her when she was feeling vulnerable and weak. Without fully meaning to, she lashed out and screamed at the top of her lungs, "LEAVE ME ALONE!"
For a brief instant Miko's tear-streaked eyes met Babs' and this time there was no hiding how much pain she was in.
Taken aback by the sight, Babs haltingly whispered, "M-Miko…"
Miko clenched her eyes shut and turned away, crying, "Don't look at me! I-I'm fine! I'll be all right!"
Desperately hoping to soothe, Babs reached out and gently said, "Miko, please…I only want to help."
Leaping to her feet, Miko angrily yelled, "Why?! What do you care, anyway? It's not like I'm your real daughter or anything, so stop acting like you're my mother! If you want kids so bad then why don't you have some of your own?!"
Babs froze. To her credit she merely nodded in response and turned away, quietly taking the tray of food with her and leaving Miko alone.
Without warning there was the pounding sound of footsteps rapidly scaling the stairs. Miko briefly saw Jonathan as he met Babs on her way down. Concerned, he urgently asked, "I heard shouting. Babs, what - ?"
Babs slowly shook her head and tearfully whispered, "It…it's okay." She wiped at her eyes before brushing past her husband and disappearing downstairs.
Jonathan looked pointedly at Miko and demanded, "Miko, what happened?"
Miko plopped back down on her bed and shrugged irritably before huffing, "Something that should've been done years ago, Jonathan. I'm only a foreign exchange student, not some poor orphan kid who actually needs a family and a happy home! I don't understand why Babs can't get that through her head?" Resting her head against the pillow, she sighed and wondered aloud, "I know she means well and all, but seriously…why don't you two just have some kids of your own?"
"We…we can't."
Miko's eyes snapped open and she gaped at Jonathan.
"What?"
Smiling sadly, Jonathan suddenly appeared noticeably older as he leaned against the doorway and explained, "I mean, it's not like we didn't try. Babs and I have always wanted children, and believe me when I say that we tried just about every trick in the book…from prenatal vitamins to herbal supplements to fertility medication. This went on…for years. After a very, very long time of nothing but disappointment, we were about ready to give up."
His expression slowly began to brighten as he continued, "Then one day Babs called me just before I left work, telling me that something had happened and to please hurry home. Well, naturally I broke more than a few speed limits getting there. I remember running up to the door and she met me there. I tried to catch my breath as I asked her what was wrong, and that was when she held up a pregnancy test and said, 'Congratulations, Papa! We're going to be parents!'"
Jonathan shook his head and grinned, "You should have seen how happy Babs was, Miko…I promise I'm not exaggerating or anything, but that woman was literally glowing. We were both just so ecstatic over the news." He paused momentarily, his expression suddenly darkening. "That's probably why we never could've expected what happened next."
Feeling a dread sense of foreboding, Miko nervously asked, "Wh-what do you mean…?"
Jonathan visibly warred with his emotions before he was able to answer.
"S-sometime during the final trimester, Babs began to complain about having stomach cramps. It didn't seem like anything at first, b-but then…things got bad, so very fast." His haunted eyes were focused on another place and time and the rich timbre of his voice was replaced by an anguished whisper, "Th-there was blood…so much blood…"
Horrified, Miko reflexively covered her gaping mouth with her trembling hand. Seeing her reaction, Jonathan quickly snapped out of his dark reverie and tried to clear his throat, not entirely succeeding as he rasped, "…I immediately rushed Babs to the hospital. W-we were separated as the orderlies rushed her into the ER where the doctors went to work. I waited for hours, asking the nurse every few minutes if she could tell me what was happening in there…f-finally, a doctor came out to see me and said…a-and said…" Jonathan struggled not to break down in front of Miko.
Finally taking a deep shuddering breath he managed, "…h-he said that they managed to save Babs, but…but we lost the baby. The doctor…I think he told me something about internal hemorrhaging…I honestly can't remember much. I-I must've been in shock or something." Momentarily overcome by the memory of loss and just how close he came to losing his wife, Jonathan blinked back tears as he haltingly recalled, "The one thing I do remember…the one thing that will haunt me for the rest of my life and I'll carry with me to my grave…was the look on Babs' face when she was told our child was gone."
He sighed, "Things didn't get much better after that. The doctors soon informed us we were physically incapable of having any more children. Babs was devastated, of course…we both ended up having to see a therapist to help us cope with the loss but, well…some hurts are too deep to ever fully go away."
Miko wept quietly as great tears trickled down her flushed cheeks.
Jonathan went on, "As much as I tried to assure her otherwise, Babs blamed herself for losing the baby. She just couldn't bear the thought of losing another child, so adoption was out of the question. Unfortunately, that still left this big gaping hole in our hearts that desperately needed to be filled." He smiled and said, "You have to understand, Miko. Babs is wired to care for someone…to love someone who in turn needs to be loved and cared for. She was just so afraid to take another chance."
"One day at the school where I teach, I happened to see a brochure asking for couples to provide homes for foreign students who wanted to study abroad. I was so inspired that I rushed home and showed Babs the brochure. I asked her what did she think, and before she answered I said if we could handle this maybe we could handle something more, like one day becoming foster parents or maybe even adopting a child of our very own. Babs thought about it for a few minutes before she smiled and asked me, 'So, baby steps…?' I smiled back and replied, 'Baby steps.' It was incredible…like this huge crushing weight was suddenly gone. Babs quickly agreed and as fast as we could fill out the paperwork, we applied to become host-parents." Jonathan beamed, "That was how you entered their lives, Miko…and despite all your little quirks, we quickly grew to love you like we would our own daughter."
Miko abruptly burst into tears.
Concerned and alarmed, Jonathan asked, "Miko, wh-what's wrong?!"
How can I possibly answer that question?
Miko felt terrible for the way she treated her host-parents over the years, for all the times she ignored them and blew off all their attempts to get to know her better. To make matters even worse, she realized that when she met the 'Bots and began disappearing frequently, Babs and Jonathan must have suffered many a sleepless night worried about her safety. Miko recalled a particularly vivid memory in the aftermath of Jasper's destruction. When she was eventually reunited with her host-parents, she was shocked at how overjoyed they were to see her alive and well. It simply never occurred to Miko that they truly cared about her.
In between gasping breaths, Miko managed, "I-I don't understand…h-how you guys…can s-stand the sight of me…af-after the way I've treated you…!"
Like it was the most obvious answer in the world, Jonathan replied, "Because we love you."
That wasn't good enough for Miko and she demanded, "Why?!"
Jonathan chuckled, "Does there have to be a reason? We just do, Miko."
Miko attempted to stand but instead fell to her knees and sobbed, "I-I don't understand."
Jonathan sighed and slowly walked towards her. He smiled and offered, "You say that you've done some bad things in your life. You want to hear something funny? So have I. So has Babs. We've all done bad things we regret, Miko. Nobody is perfect. We just live life and do the best we can do."
Miko happened to look up and saw the honest concern shining through Jonathan's eyes.
"So…when we see somebody else who has slipped and lost their way, all we can do is to reach out and help pick them up." Jonathan held out his hand for Miko and gently eased her to her feet.
Miko was silent as she wiped away her tears with the back of her hand, closely watching Jonathan with a bemused expression. Finally she said, "You're not fooling anybody, ya know."
He responded by gazing back at her with a raised eyebrow. Seeing Jonathan's confusion, she explained, "Underneath that grumpy-ass exterior, you're actually a really good guy."
Jonathan chuckled and replied, "Don't tell anybody."
Without warning Miko reached out and hugged him. She smirked back, "Your secret's safe with me."
Several moments passed before Miko said, "I-I'm really sorry for everything."
Jonathan replied, "Don't worry about it, Miko. Listen, why don't you go see Babs? I'm sure she'd love to talk to you. She's out back."
"Thanks."
Miko made her way downstairs and opened the door leading to the back yard. As soon as the door opened and Miko stepped outside, she was astonished by what she saw.
"Suh-weet…!"
Before her was an enormous flower garden, filled to overflowing with beautiful pink roses.
She asked herself, "H-how did I miss all this…?"
"It's always been here, Miko…you just never took the time to come and see."
Startled by the unexpected voice, Miko turned to see Babs seated on the grassy ground nearby, diligently toiling away at pulling out some stubborn weeds that had invaded the soil.
Once again Miko felt a sharp pang of guilt and regret, mentally kicking herself for the wasted opportunities of getting to know this wonderful couple.
Never again, she resolved with a newfound strength.
"Mind if I join you?"
Babs blinked uncertainly and finally nodded.
Miko picked up an extra trowel and took a seat next to Babs. She began copying what Babs was doing and carefully tended to the flowers.
After several minutes of silence Miko murmured, "I'm sorry, Babs..."
Babs paused in her work and sighed, "Miko, look. You don't have to - "
Miko sniffed as she continued, oblivious to Babs' protests.
"…I'm so sorry, for everything."
Babs grew quiet as she heard something unexpected, a definite change in the tone of Miko's normally blasé voice.
Miko hesitated before adding, "Babs? I'm especially sorry for what I said to you earlier."
Babs didn't seem to react at first but then out of the corner of her eye Miko could see her begin to tremble.
"Jonathan…h-he told me about the baby."
Babs' entire body stiffened at the words and Miko suddenly worried that she might have said too much.
"I swear, one of these days I'm going to duct tape that man's mouth shut."
Miko stifled an involuntary giggle and glanced up at the house, where she saw Jonathan peeking at them through the blinds.
"He's not so bad, once you get to know him."
Babs followed Miko's gaze and caught her husband spying on them. The moment he realized he had been spotted he became flabbergasted and frantically attempted to close the blinds, failing miserably.
Babs huffed fondly, "He is good for a laugh."
Miko chanced looking over at Babs. She watched as her host-parent brushed away a few stray tears that had gathered. Miko breathed in deeply and said, "I'll understand if you don't forgive me for behaving so horribly to you."
Babs met her gaze and grinned, "Oh, Miko…don't be silly. Of course I forgive you."
Miko was so grateful that she found herself reacting in a decidedly Japanese fashion as she bowed low to the ground.
"Oh, stop that. I know that's a Japanese thing but anybody else might think you're genuflecting, and the last time I checked you weren't Catholic."
"Well, actually…" Miko smiled sheepishly as she pulled out her concealed crucifix for Babs to see.
Babs blinked in amazement and in spite of herself began to laugh, "I don't understand, I thought you were a Buddhist?"
Miko placed the crucifix back underneath her shirt and shrugged, "What can I say? People change."
Babs saw the barely-hidden emotions churning and gently asked, "Miko…please tell me the truth, is everything okay with you?"
Astonished that Babs was ready to forgive and forget even after everything that had been said and done, Miko shook her head.
"Not really, no."
"What happened?"
Miko tried to form the words but nothing came out except tiny sounds and squeaks that were filled to the brim with pain.
Babs tried again, "Does this have anything to do with your friend Raf?"
Miko slowly nodded.
"Did he…do anything out of turn? He didn't physically hurt you, did he? Because I swear, if he did - "
Miko blushed and finally found her voice. "No, no…it's nothing like that, I promise." Miko smiled a shy smile and whispered, "To be honest, Raf and I decided a long time ago that we were going to wait for that until after we got married."
Babs breathed out a huge sigh of relief and said, "Oh, thank goodness!" She grinned and whispered conspiratorially, "In that case, if you're interested I have a book on Kama Sutra positions that you're welcome to borrow for your honeymoon!"
Miko blushed furiously before she sighed sadly and explained, "Too bad that it might never happen now. Raf and I…we had a big fight because of our families and how different they were. I-I gave him back the engagement ring and…a-and…" Miko's already watery voice suddenly gave out and she began to cry again.
Babs felt terrible for her and hurriedly replied, "Oh, Miko…I'm so sorry! I didn't know!"
Miko choked out the words, "I…I just didn't know where else to go or who to turn to…s-so I came here."
Nearly overcome with her own turbulent emotions, Babs whispered gratefully, "Thank you for sharing that with me." She smiled encouragingly and said, "Don't you give up, Miko…even when things seem their worst, don't ever give up."
Both women stood to their feet as a tiny glimmer of hope began to sparkle in Miko's eyes.
"Th-thank you, Babs." Miko looked around in wide-eyed wonder and whistled appreciatively. "I still can't get over about how beautiful this place is…"
Babs grinned, "My mother helped plant these roses before she passed. Sometimes when I'm tending to the flowers I feel as though her spirit is still here with me."
Miko nodded and said, "You know, Babs…back home in Japan we have something called Hanakotoba…"
Babs immediately smiled, "Oh, yes…the Japanese Language of Flowers! It's the ancient art of assigning unique meaning to different flowers, right?" She quickly realized that Miko was staring at her with unabashed surprise. Babs shrugged, "What? I read."
Miko snorted before she said, "Anyway, I've always loved the color pink."
Babs playfully flicked one of Miko's locks of pink-fringed hair and smirked, "Really? I never noticed."
Miko giggled, "Let me finish!"
"Okay, okay…"
"Anyway, I was going to say that according to Hanakotoba, pink roses - pinku no bara - represent trust and happiness." She suddenly hugged Babs and said, "Thank you for helping me trust people again!"
Babs teared up at the unexpected embrace. "You're welcome, Miko. Maybe we can also work on the happiness part, if you'd like."
Miko smiled timidly.
"Baby steps, Babs."
Babs blinked in surprise at Miko's choice of words. There was a beat of silence as both women silently regarded one another.
Right on cue, Miko's stomach growled menacingly.
Babs giggled, "Are you hungry, Miko?"
"Starving. Got any gyudon left…?"
"Lunch might still be salvageable…" Babs shot Miko a sideways glance and added, "…just like things with Raf."
Miko blushed slightly and murmured, "M-maybe. Babs…?"
"Yes, dear?"
"You're an awesome host-mother."
…
"FINALLY!"
"What? Don't tell me you actually did something right for a change, Bulkhead."
"I think that last adjustment got us back in business, Ratchet. We should be good to go."
"Well then, what are you waiting for? Hit it."
Just as Ratchet realized the potential for destruction with his unfortunate choice of words, Bulkhead gingerly turned on the power and the systems come back on line.
"It worked!"
Ratchet sighed, "Look again. The com-link may be functioning again but it looks like the space-bridge is still down for the count."
"Uhhh…scrap."
"You're telling me. Well, at least you're good for something other than smashing my equipment, Bulkhead."
"I said I was sorry!"
"Yes, well…being sorry doesn't always fix everything, now does it?"
Ratchet activated the communications terminal, frowning as he shook his head.
Bulkhead caught the irritated motion and asked, "What? What is it?"
"Apparently, Miko doesn't want to be found. Her com-link has been turned off."
Bulkhead stammered, "S-so how do we find her? We've got to do something! My little Miko's out there somewhere, all alone!"
Ratchet harrumphed, "Hmp. Interesting…I just attempted to contact young Rafael. His com-link is still on but for some reason he's not answering."
"Scrap, scrap, scrap! This is all my fault!"
"Yes, yes it is. Don't panic, scrap-for-brains."
"I'm way past that point. The space-bridge is busted, Miko is missing…what are we gonna do, Ratchet?"
Ratchet stood motionless and said nothing.
Bulkhead cried, "Ratchet?!"
Ratchet rolled his optics and replied, "It's called thinking, Bulkhead. You should try it sometime."
Bulkhead angrily huffed as Ratchet turned away.
Glancing at the monitors the old Autobot medic quietly sought inspiration from his beloved stories, hoping to find a miraculous solution to their dilemma. Absently he murmured to himself, "Now then, what would private investigator Paul Williams do in a case like this…?"
Bulkhead heard him speak and muttered, "Hopefully admit that he's in over his head and call somebody who knows what they're doing. Maybe somebody who has the power to magically repair a busted space-bridge or somebody who actually has experience hunting someone down…"
Ratchet suddenly jerked his head in Bulkhead's direction, staring with an open mouth.
"BULKHEAD!"
Bulkhead hung his head low and apologized, "Sorry, Ratchet. That was a dumb idea. I'm just a bit frazzled, I guess…"
"…YOU'RE A GENIUS!"
"Uhhh…what?"
Actually laughing out loud, Ratchet shouted, "HA HAH! I can't believe it never even occurred to me!"
"Ratchet, what're you - "
"You're absolutely correct, Bulkhead! I am in over my head! Not only do I have no idea how to track down Miko, I also don't have a fragging clue how to fix the damaged space-bridge!"
Bulkhead stared blankly and attempted to process Ratchet's words. "I don't get it."
Ratchet gave up trying to explain things to his slow-witted but well-meaning companion. Grinning, he intoned dramatically, "But I know somebody who does…!"
…
RING-RING
"Phone's ringing."
"Really? Hunh, I had no idea what that strange sound was."
RING-RING
"Sooo, you going to see who it is…?"
"Why can't you get it? Did a Vehicon suddenly fall on top of you and break your legs?"
RING-RING
"C'mon…I'm right in the middle of writing this big poli-sci paper for class. I don't suppose you could answer it, could you?"
"Well, normally I would…except for the fact that I'm currently up to my chromed elbows in applesauce and Energon!"
"Heh…it's amazing how a two-year old kid can be so messy and still be so scrapping cute."
"Language, sweetie. I guess he must get it from your side of the family, then."
RING-RING
"Ughhh, never mind. I'll get it. I need to take a break from writing this thing, anyway."
"Thanks, babe."
"Hello…? Jack Darby speaking."