Chapter Eleven

Hot Rod drove on looking for the one bot his sister would speak openly to. She had told him not to answer any communications but she didn't say he couldn't contact or meet with anyone. Still he knew that it was cutting it close and knew she would be annoyed bringing the mech to their 'hideout' but she needed to talk to someone and he was the best mech he knew for the job. He slowed and transformed as he reached his destination looking round for the mech in question. Where is he? He wondered.

"Your sister doesn't want to talk to me so I suggest you turn right back round and leave." A voice said from behind him making him turn instantly to it.

"So you're just going to abandon her just like that? You know that whatever she said in the heat of her anger she didn't mean, you're her closest friend. The one she goes to when she needs to talk, the one she can tell anything to." He told him. The mech folded his arms across his chest in a do-I-look-like-I-really-care pose. "I can't believe this!" Hot Rod said annoyed. "My sister has been there for you whenever you needed help, even when your own brother was against you and this is how you repay her? By abandoning her when she really needs you. All I ask is that you talk to her, reassure her, she needs bots she can trust at the moment and you're the best I can think of."

Sunstreaker thought for moment, it was true that Silverlight had always been on his side since they first met. Whenever he and Sideswipe had a falling out she was there for him, reassuring that everything would be okay. She was the one that calmed he down whenever his temper arose, he'd said some horrible things to her during his tempers and yet she still continued to be there for him, forgave him. That was the mark of a true friend, it was what his brother used to do before they drifted apart. It was time he returned the favour. "Fine." He said "I'll talk to her, though you may not like what she has to say."

"I won't be there." Hot Rod told him as he shook his head. "She won't open up if I'm around. She wants to…protect me. It's what she's always done."

"Have the two of you ever had an argument?" Sunstreaker suddenly asked his arms going back down by his sides.

"Yeah, when I found her. Though…" the mech trailed off looking away "I guess you can't really call it an argument, more like an exchange of stern words." Looking back at the yellow mech.

"You know it was Sideswipe that made her run like this." The Lamborghini said changing the subject yet again.

"Where are you going with all this, Sunstreaker?" Hot Rod asked confused.

"She's fallen for a mech who she thinks hates her."

"Are you saying she's in love with Sideswipe?" the red and orange mech asked.

"Not Sides, Magnus."

A gasp was heard, both mechs looked over and were surprised to see the car transporter. Sunstreaker looked back at Hot Rod annoyance clearly showing on his face and gave a low growl as his hands curled into fists.

Upon hearing the growl Hot Rod looked back at the Lamborghini and almost squeaked. "I didn't know." He said quickly "I didn't know he was following me, I was too busy thinking of what to say to you to help Silverlight."

"Why would she think I hate her?" Magnus asked walking over to them. "I know my staring was what partly led to her running away but I don't understand why she thinks I would hate her."

"Why should I tell you?" Sunstreaker said rudely.

"Because he loves her." The red and orange said.

"I know that, Hot Rod." The yellow mech said in annoyance.

"And so do you." Magnus said once again surprising the two mechs. "You may not want to admit, Sunstreaker, not even to yourself but I saw it the first time the two of you met. It's why you won't go to see her, whatever she said to you hurt you."

Optimus walk cautiously into the cave his eldest sparkling was hiding in taking a look round, where was Silverlight?

"Looking for someone, Prime?" A voice asked making him instantly turn to it. "Hot Rod's not as stealthily as he thinks. Should have known he couldn't keep quiet."

"Hot Rod did not tell me where you are, Silverlight." Optimus said partly annoyed she would think of her brother like that.

"Uh huh, so how did you find me?" She asked not believing him.

"Ultra Magnus told me."

"Ultra Magnus?" The racing truck asked in surprise. "But...how did..." She then recalled the conversation she had with him and how he kept asking about Hot Rod. He'd seen the two of them and followed, she was such an idiot.

"I would like you to return to the Ark." The semi said pulling the femme out of her thoughts.

"You're kidding, right? I'm not going back there. Everyone hates me."

"Sunstreaker does not." Optimus pointed out.

"He's the exception. Even Sideswipe, who apparently gets along with everyone, hates me. Not to mention..."

"Jazz, Prowl, Ironhide, Ratchet, Bluestreak, Bumblebee, Smokescreen, Skyfire, Silverbolt, Mirage, need I go on?" The red and blue mech interrupted slightly amused. "I have come to learn with the twins that when one likes you the other will not. Because of Sunstreaker's temper no one wants to be around him and all go to Sideswipe. You my dear sparkling are the exception, you want to be friends with them both."

"I tried to be friends with everyone, for Hot Rod's sake, but all I got was distrust. So tell me why I should return to it? If I wanted that I would have stayed with the Decepticons...with Thundercracker." She told him looking away as she quietly said the last part.

"That is what's holding you back, even though you say you no longer hold feelings for that mech you're afraid that if someone gets really close to you they'll find out you still hold feelings for him and tell everyone putting Hot Rod in danger as you know he'll jump to your defence no matter what."

Silverlight started to laugh, "Thundercracker was a good friend. We helped each other when the other was down, I admit I was falling for him but after what happen to Mirage on my first mission I saw that my feelings were misguided. I moved on. No Prime, TC is not the reason. The reason is you." Looking back at him with hatred in her optics.

Optimus was shocked, he was the reason Silverlight never really fit in but why? "I don't understand."

"Of course you don't, you were too busy with everyone else to notice me. All it would have taken was one correctly place hit and you could have saved both mother and I but you chose not to. Thus proving that you never really cared about me." The next thing the blue femme knew she was staring at the side wall of the cave her cheek stinging, she chuckled. "Hit a nerve did I, Dad." She mocked.

Optimus stared at his hand in disbelief, had he really just done that? He'd never slapped anyone before, even when he was angry. "There was nothing I could have done." He said sadly looking away from her.

"Megatron maybe a tyrannical manic but at least he was a better father than you were."

Magnus was right, I can't deal with this right now. I should have been the one to follow Hot Rod. Optimus thought. He decided it would be best if he just left and started to head out.

"That's right, just leave me like you always have."