Chapter 5
"So how was—"
Solaraah held a hand up, interrupting Elena's question. "Don't. Ask."
Elena's face fell. "It didn't go well?"
"No. It didn't go well at all. I don't want to talk to him or about him, and please don't try to interfere. I'm not pleased and would really prefer to be left alone."
Elena's eyes widened. "You found out, didn't you?"
Solaraah shook her head. "I didn't want to talk about it. This is the final straw—I'm never speaking to him again."
Elena frowned. She must have found out to be this pissed at him. But… the thing she couldn't figure out was… why? Ratchet had obviously come clean, and Elena knew it probably wasn't easy for him to do so. So why was Solaraah so mad?
"Solaraah…" Elena started to say but was interrupted by Solaraah.
"No and I'd prefer to not talk to you for a while either."
Elena's eyes started to water, "Solly, please!" Her friend shook her off and went into her apartment, leaving her outside in the darkness. She called Optimus, begging him to come quickly, she knew it was asking much considering he was busy, probably in a meeting, but she knew he'd understand.
~3~
"She knows, Optimus. She knows." Elena choked out before the tears began. "And she hates us all. She doesn't even want to talk to me…"
"She feels betrayed," Optimus said quietly. "Because we kept this secret from her."
"Yeah, and I don't know what to do…" Elena sobbed on Optimus' shoulder as he wrapped an arm around her. "I don't know what to say to her to make this better."
"I don't think she knows what to do either," He said. "She's said something in the past about men always taking advantage of her, didn't she?"
Elena nodded. "Yeah…"
"Maybe she feels that we did this to her deliberately," Optimus mused.
"I-I guess…" Elena stammered. She snuggled against Optimus on the couch. (Shortly after he had arrived at the apartment, he had driven her to their house.)
"Come… let me comfort you, upstairs. We can take care of the situation in the morning," He kissed her cheek and started to stand up. She looked up at him and shook her head soundlessly. "Please…I don't want you to cry all night, Elena…"
"I…I can't, Optimus…I just…" She couldn't get a full sentence out, and he sat back down with her, stroking her hair. "I can't believe she took it this hard… It's killing me."
"Once she calms, you'll be able to talk with her. She'll understand that we didn't withhold this from her to hurt her," he said.
Elena took a deep breath and grabbed a tissue. "Alright, I guess I'll try to talk to her when she comes to."
Optimus smiled and kissed her cheek "Good."
"Didn't you say something about comforting me?" Elena asked suggestively, finally calming down fully.
Optimus laughed, blue eyes sparkling. "You're a very needy girl," he said to her.
"Well…" She blushed as he hugged her tightly.
"I didn't say it was a bad thing, did I…?"
Elena smiled and said "Well it's hard to not be needy when you have a lover like Optimus Prime…" she winked and gracefully glided up the staircase, bidding him to follow her. She swung her hips as she walked, trying to be sexy and succeeding. She loved how his eyes darkened as he followed her.
"Be careful, Elena…I may not be able to help myself."
She laughed throatily. "Oh? I must be doing one hell of a job…"
She continued to strut forward, drawing him into their bedroom, like a lioness on the hunt. She turned to him when they got to the closed door and he pushed her up against it, both of their eyes on fire, faces alight with passion. He nearly devoured her as he pushed his body against hers. They were nearly molded together, her fingers tangled in his ebony locks. His hands slid down her body, until they rested on her hips. He ground his hips against hers and gave an animalistic grunt when she cried his name.
She opened the door allowing them access to the bed, but she wasn't sure they would make it to the bed. He shoved her against the wall opposite the door and she wrapped her legs around his waist. He moved his lips to her neck biting the skin there, sending shivers down her spine, causing her to moan.
He usually wasn't this rough with her, but she'd be damned if she didn't like it. She wasn't sure she could function at all now, not with all the emotions she had running through her. All she was aware of was the man in front of her, the man who would always be there for her, loving her like this.
His lips traveled farther down, kissing, sucking, leaving dark purple marks all along her skin. He was marking her and she didn't care. She would always belong to this man, no matter if his true self was a machine or not. She loved him.
He stopped for a second and whispered "I want to do something that will bind us together forever… but only if you want." He started with the kisses again, this time putting his hand up her shirt, waiting for her answer.
"Yes," she said breathlessly. "Whatever you want, Optimus…I will always be yours."
He set her down and closed his eyes turning into a smaller version of his robot form; it was about a foot taller than Elena. He shed his armor leaving his spark open to her. She looked into his eyes, then moved her hands into his spark chamber. She felt the ball of light move around her hands as she played with it. Optimus closed his eyes and let her grow accustomed to his spark. When she was done, he would bind her heart with his spark, making them sparkmates.
She closed her eyes letting the energy she felt from his spark wash over her. It was unlike anything she'd ever felt before, and she liked this. She knew there was no going back now, if he joined this with her heart, they'd belong to each other forever. She took a deep breath and opened her eyes. "Optimus…Are you sure about this? Don't you want to be with another Autobot?"
"There is no one else on this planet I'd rather have, Elena. I love you, and no other," he said sincerely, touching her face.
She withdrew her hands from his spark chamber. "Then…let's do this." He pulled her chest to his spark chamber and she closed her eyes, letting the two sources of life connect with a surge of energy. They both gasped, clutching each other tightly. This was…kind of painful, but pleasurable at the same time.
Their "hearts" continued to merge into one, and they held each other close. It seemed like it went on forever, their personal memories being shared. The painful, the sad, and the happy memories. They gained a deeper realization of the other. Elena balled her hands into fists and felt her hatred for Megatron grow.
"What we've done cannot be undone," Optimus said softly to her after it was over, and changing back into his human form. He stroked Elena's hair and placed a kiss on her forehead. "You are bound to me, Elena."
"I don't care," she whispered. "I wanted to be yours. I've always wanted to be yours, Optimus Prime. " She looked up at him with new eyes, understanding everything he did. He had her innocence, her ignorance, to everything that was going on. She placed her hands on his face and kissed him deeply. She smiled after pulling away. "And out of all the other women, Autobot or otherwise, you chose me as well."
"How could I not?" he said to her before taking her mouth in another fiery kiss. "You're the only woman who has ever intrigued me. You've kept me on my toes."
"How could I keep you, Optimus Prime, on your toes? I'm only one woman."
"No, there's something different about you. A fire burns in your veins—you would do anything for your beloved, as I would for you." He kissed her and ran his fingers lightly up her sides.
"Of course," she said breathlessly, shivering slightly.
He kissed her neck. "I think it's time for that comforting session I offered you earlier…"
"Mmm," she giggled. "Well, let's get to that…" She pulled him down onto her, looping her fingers through the belt loops on his jeans. They felt sparks of passion fly as every time their skin brushed, even in the simplest of touches. She smiled. "If this is what it feels like to be bonded to you, I never want to go back."
He merely chuckled. "You don't have to…"
There were no more words after that, only feelings. Elena could no longer think, only felt. Her hands touched everywhere on him that she could reach, and she felt herself wanting to beg him for more at the slightest touch. He would touch her hair and she would feel as if he was rubbing her inner thigh. She needed him right then. He knew teasing her was only teasing himself, so he waited on her to ask him.
Finally she could take no more of the sweet torture and begged for him to take her. Fast, slow, hard—it didn't matter, as long as he was inside her soon. She cried out, "Optimus! Now!", letting him do what he wished to her, taking her how he wanted.
Afterwards, they laid together, her head on his chest. She smiled at him. "That was so much better than it has been…"
"Yes, my love." He sang to her softly, a song she recognized from his stories. It was a song one of his creators had sung to him when he was but a sparkling. Soon after, she fell asleep to the soothing sound of his voice, wishing it would never cease. He kissed her forehead, falling into a deep recharge. He was content to have his sparkmate at his side, forever and always.
~3~
"You can't be serious," Kat said in horror the next day, staring at Solaraah, who was getting a few things ready for work.
"I am dead serious, Kat. I'm going back home for a little while. I've got to get my head back on straight."
"But, Solly, what about your job? Your friends? What about Ratchet?" Kat said.
"I have nothing here. I'll be back after I calm down and feel like talking this over. Until then, I'm going to live with my parents."
"Whatever," Kat snorted, feeling on the verge of tears. "All I know is, you're being a selfish bitch all because of one little thing." She felt the tears begin to fall, and started to walk off.
Solaraah snorted to herself and shook her head. Of course Kat wouldn't understand. No one understood how she'd been betrayed over the years with secrets just like these. "Call me what you want, Kat. I'm still going home. I can't deal here. I actually never wanted to be here from the beginning."
Kat stopped in her tracks, whirling around to stare at her "friend". "How could you say that? After all the happiness you've had here with Elena and I? You can't say you've never been happy."
"That isn't what I said. I just said I never wanted to be here from the start. I had my own life, friends and family back where I came from, and all that was ripped from me when I moved here. After I found out all of this, the friends I have here, have all been lying to me all this time, I just can't stay. You don't understand. I doubt you ever will. I'm sorry." Solaraah looked away from her friend, trying to hide the pain.
"I just found out, too, and I didn't go crying to my mommy and daddy, did I?" Kat demanded without thinking. "Grow up, this isn't about you, Solaraah."
Solaraah stared her friend down. "No, Kat. You grow up," she said. "I've had about enough of this shit."
Mirage walked in about that time, going to Kat. "That's cruel, Solaraah. Don't blame our mistakes on her."
"I wasn't blaming her," she said coldly. "I'm not in the mood to talk—I need to be getting into work."
Mirage gazed at her sadly. "You know, Solaraah, I thought you were a smart, tough girl, when really deep down, all you need is someone to hold you and let you cry with no judgment. Ratchet could be that person, to hold you…you have to grow up first though…"
She sighed. "I suppose." She turned to walk by Kat, who was glaring at her with eyes full of betrayal.
After Solaraah left the room, Kat collapsed into Mirage's arms, sobbing. "I can't believe it…she's really serious about this."
"It's okay, angel…" He murmured, staring after Solaraah.
~3~
Solaraah walked into Optimus' office and stood there for a second, taking a deep breath. "Here goes nothin'…" She muttered, walking into the office. She was prepared for his rage, stepping in and seeing him standing there, eyes full of fury. Ratchet sat beside him with his head bowed in silence.
"I'm quite disappointed in you, Solaraah," Optimus said more calmly than expected. "I would have thought that you, of all people, would accept the secret of the Autobots."
"You don't know me very well," she said back. She felt weak then, defeated, as she fell against the closed and locked door. She sank to the floor, putting her hands over her face. "I'm sorry I can't be the woman you want me to be. I'm not as strong as you think I am—I can't take things like this."
Ratchet stood up, walking to Solaraah. He knelt beside her with sad eyes, taking her chin in his hand and tilting it up to look at her. "Please," He said in a whisper she could barely hear. "Please, don't go."
She could say nothing, looking like she was in pain. "I don't know what to do anymore."
"I'm sorry, Solaraah…For keeping this from you. I've learned to trust you…and I love you." He pulled her closer to him, their foreheads touching.
Her eyes widened. "You can't love me…" Her voice was a mere whisper. She sounded like she was in agony.
"Why? Why can't I love you?" He asked, beginning to get a little angry. So this was the thanks he got for finally telling her?
"We always fight…" He let her go and backed up as a tear rolled down her cheek. "You hate me, Ratchet…" She buried her face in her hands again, shaking her head. "We've always hated each other! We don't belong together, you're not even my type…"
At that, he pulled her to him again, throwing his arms around her to hold her. "No, I don't hate you. Not anymore… You're the only woman I can't hate, Solaraah." He stroked her hair. "I… I was afraid. I didn't want to lose someone else I cared for. Not after…not after what happened on Cybertron."
Solaraah looked at him for a second. "What happened on Cybertron, Ratchet?"
Optimus looked at Ratchet in concern. Was he going to tell her?
"Can we discuss this in private?" Ratchet asked Solaraah, touching her face.
"No need," Optimus said with a gentle smile at the both of them. He pulled the two of them up and walked out. "I'll give you the privacy you need."
Ratchet nodded at his friend in thanks, holding Solaraah against his chest. "Tell your sparkmate hello for me."
Optimus nodded before exiting.
"Sparkmate?" Solaraah asked. "Do you mean Elena?"
Ratchet looked down at her. "Yes. That's what I'm talking about. Solaraah, I can love you, more than a regular human man could…"
"I wasn't talking about your ability to love…" she smiled softly. "I mean…you love me…but I can't understand why."
"You're like the half of me that was torn away so many years ago. Now that I've found you, I don't think I could handle letting you go…"
"Oh," she said softly, looking down. "I just remind you of her…"
"What?" He said, grabbing her jaw in his hand. "No, you foolish woman, I love you! She's been long gone, and I don't feel anything for anyone but you."
Solaraah ran her fingers through her hair. "I don't…" She sighed, resting her head against his chest, tears beginning to fall again. "I can't…"
He proceeded to wipe the tears from her face and hold her tightly. "Solaraah, I've said I love you…You do love me right?"
"I…" She sighed again. "I do…"
He let out his pent up breath in relief. "That's all that matters, Solaraah, nothing else." He touched her cheek gently, kissing her softly. She leaned forward into the kiss and wrapped her arms around him.
~3~
From outside in the hall, Elena and Optimus exchanged glances as they walked past the door. "Are you sure they aren't fighting?" Elena whispered.
Optimus shook his head. "No, she was crying…."
Elena glanced up at Optimus in concern. "I trust Ratchet, and your spark, but can we wait out here a little longer?"
"I don't think anything is going to happen," he said. "She wasn't angry, not anymore."
"I know, I felt that from your spark…" Elena smiled up at him. "When do you think we'll be able to go speak to them?"
Optimus smiled and ruffled her hair. "Give them time. You, above all others, should understand how hard all this is for her."
"Well, it wasn't hard on me," Elena said. "You kind of eased me in, though."
"She's also different than you are," Optimus reminded her gently.
Elena sighed. "I know…" She bent her head up to him, smiling. "I'm just glad she's changing her mind."
Optimus bent his head down to kiss her. "Me too. Now…I think I owe you a kiss…"
"Mmm," she hummed, pecking a kiss on his chin. "I'm so happy. As much as we've fought lately, I still would never want her to leave here."
"Neither would I. She's your friend, and if she makes you happy, I'm happy." He smiled and kissed her lips.
She laughed, letting Optimus' warmth surround her.
"Oi, you two! Don't do that here!" Ironhide called as he walked by, laughing.
It made Elena laugh again, and she waved a hand at him. He winked at her and kept walking. "Well," she said. "I think it's about time to go check on them, don't you think?"
When they opened the door to go into the room, they saw Ratchet holding a sniffling Solaraah, whispering to her softly. This was the first time they'd seen either of the adults so emotional, and it brought tears to Elena's eyes. "Y-you guys…" She whispered, catching their attention. "You're so good together… Solly, please, please don't leave him."
"She won't," Ratchet said softly. "I can assure you both, she's staying right here—where she belongs."
"That's good," Optimus said with a smile. "Are you going to bind yourselves?"
Elena glanced up at Optimus in confusion. That was probably going a little bit fast for Solaraah—but then again, maybe not. It was like she didn't know her friend anymore.
"Not yet," Ratchet answered. "This is only the beginning. We still have a long way to go before either of us is ready to be bound.
"I understand," Elena said, starting to walk away.
"W-wait!" Solaraah called after her. "Ellie…wait." She finally caught up to her friend, pulling her into a tight hug. "I love you. Please don't be angry. I'm so confused, and I don't understand…All of this is so new, I can't—"
Elena smiled, hugging her friend back. "I know."
"Thank you," Solaraah sighed. "Now…What's this sparkmate thing Ratchet was talking about?" She smiled, feeling like a weight had been lifted. So…was this what love was really like?
Elena blushed. "Well…you see…"
"Wait. First, you need to explain to me what a sparkmate is."
"I think I'll let Ratchet or Optimus explain that…" Elena said softly.
Solaraah looked at the two Autobots expectantly. "Well?"
"Sparkmates are two Autobots—or in Optimus' and Elena's case two beings in love—that bind their sparks—or a spark with a heart—and their lives change. They react to their partner more than before, and they're basically connected in mind and heart. They could probably read the other's mind if needed. They'll be nearly immortal, Elena having the same lifespan as Optimus. However, if something happens to one partner, the other will not live much longer after that," Ratchet explained as if looking in a textbook.
"Oh…I see. So if you and I…bound...then I'd live as long as you do?" Solaraah asked Ratchet.
"Precisely," He replied.
"Interesting," she mused.
"Solaraah…" Ratchet started slowly after a few moments, "Would you mind me running a scan on you? You're emotions shouldn't be acting up like this…"
"I'm fine," she said, holding up a hand. "I've got a lot going on in my head." She tapped on her head with her knuckles. "It's been a long time since I've let myself go like that."
He nodded. "Okay."
"All I need is a nap, believe me," she told him. She turned toward the exit, not even bothering to check her office. "I'm going home and straightening things up with Kat first."
"Yeah," Elena said with a sigh. "She's really upset."
"I know, I know…It's my fault." Solaraah shook her head. "I'll fix things." She hugged Elena and turned one last time to Ratchet.
Smiling, he tapped his head. "I can call your cell directly with no interference."
She nodded. "Okay." At that, she waved and walked out, looking ten times happier than before. She walked by Ironhide, who dropped his gun, staring in shock at her smile.
It had been a long time since he'd seen such a look of happiness on her face, and the radiance of it blew him away. "Hey, gorgeous."
"Hey there, sexy," she replied back with a wink, swinging her hips as she passed him.
He chuckled to himself. That woman never failed to intrigue him. "Ratchet's definitely got his hands full with her…" He muttered to no one in particular.
"Damn right I do," Ratchet said, clapping a hand on his friend's shoulder as he approached. Ironhide heard the amusement in his voice before the medic got serious. "But…in all seriousness, I think there may be something wrong with her. Like a virus or something."
"Oh?" Ironhide asked in concern. "Why do you say that?"
"Her emotions…and body signals…They're all out of whack." Ratchet stared after the therapist.
"Are you sure she isn't pregnant?" Ironhide said with a chuckle, receiving an incredulous look from Ratchet. "I mean, you did have sex…at least once, didn't you?"
After a couple seconds of silent staring at the bigger man, Ratchet finally shook his head. "Don't be stupid. She's not. She's just sick, that's all."
"Whatever," Ironhide replied, turning away from his friend. "All I'm saying is just to do a test on her when she comes back." He began to walk away, throwing his hand up in a goodbye wave.
"Yeah, yeah," Ratchet said under his breath, mainly to himself. There's no way in hell…He's just trying to put shit in my head. After a few minutes of deliberation, he sighed raggedly. Damn it, he'd do it…He would run a scan on her when she got back.
~3~
"You mean…you're not moving, after all?" Kat asked.
"Mmhmm, I've decided to stay. Sorry for being a bitch and all…" Solaraah smiled at Kat. "Forgive?"
Kat barreled into her friend, nearly knocking her over. "Oh, Solly, I'm so sorry for calling you a bitch! It's not true at all, I didn't mean a word of it!"
Solaraah laughed. "It's okay…at least now we can move past all this."
"You're going to have makeup sex with your Mister and all will be well," Kat replied with confidence.
Solaraah shook her head. "Nope, no sexytimes for me. I'm taking a nap." Saying nothing, Kat laughed, shoving the older woman into the room, pushing her on the bed and walking out. The younger woman winked, closing the door quietly. Solaraah smiled gently. Thank God her friends were so forgiving…
She woke up a few hours later, the annoying sound of her phone ringing dragging her out of her slumber. Looking at the caller ID, she saw it was Ratchet. After letting out a frustrated groan, she answered. "Hello…?" She sounded groggy, and hoped that he'd catch it and leave her the hell alone.
"Hey," came his gruff voice from the other end of the line. "I need you to come to the office so I can run a few tests on you. And no, it can't wait."
"Alright, pushy doctor," she said, frowning into the phone. "Don't make me go all naughty on you."
"Please, no jokes," he muttered. She could almost see the look on his face right about now. "Just hurry it up, would you?"
"What's your deal?" She said, making a face at the phone. She climbed out of bed, stretching with a loud yawn.
"Nothing. Nothing at all to worry about." He snapped at her.
"Sheesh," she said, narrowing her eyes. She ran her fingers through her hair before throwing it back into a loose ponytail. "I'll be there shortly." Without waiting for a reply, she hung up and slipped her shoes, walking downstairs—only to see Kat and Mirage tangled in each other's arms on the couch.
~3~
Ratchet was sitting at his computer, arms crossed as he waited on her. He looked at the EPT in his hands and sighed. He hoped to Primus what Ironhide said wasn't true. He wasn't cut out to be a father… He was afraid of hurting the child, abandoning it like his creators had done to him. He clenched his fists. He'd be damned if this child—if there was one—was going to end up like he was.
He stood up when Solaraah trudged into the room and hugged her tight. "Eh…" She groaned against his chest. "I'm tired."
"It won't be long," he said, handing her the test. "Take this. It's from Elena and Ironhide." She gave him a funny look. "I don't need this. I'm not pregnant."
"We…don't know that," He said, pulling back to look at her. "They seem to think you may be. So I'd advise taking it to ease their minds. Can't prove them wrong without proof."
"Fine," she grumbled, grabbing the test from his hand.
"Come on, cheer up," he said. He was putting forth actual effort now, even smiling at her. He hoped it would help calm her nerves.
She grunted at him as she stomped to the bathroom. "I'm still tired, dammit. This totally could have waited until I woke up on my own." She slammed the door behind her, yanking the lock so hard he heard it.
He knocked softly on the door, after about 5 minutes. "Hey, doing okay in there? You finished?"
"I can't piss on command," she said sourly. "I'll just let you know."
He put his hand over his mouth to stifle his laughter. He was tired as well, so he assumed that's why the comment was funnier than it should have been. "Take your time," He said after a moment to collect himself, and making sure that he wouldn't laugh. "I'll be waiting."
"Mmkay," she said. It took about 10 minutes, but she finally called out to Ratchet, telling him that she was finished using the bathroom. He could come in when he wanted.
The test was laying on a paper towel and placed on the sink. Ratchet noticed that she looked zoned, staring at the wall in thought. He looked at her in concern. "Hey."
"Mm?" she said absently. "It's on the sink… I don't really want to watch too closely."
"Yeah," he agreed, leaning against the wall and looking up at the ceiling. After a few long, agonizing moments, the test was finally ready, and he picked it up to look at it.
Solaraah glanced at it and had to do a double take. *Oh hell no… this can't be right.*
"Fuck," Ratchet cursed quietly. "I guess we're going to be parents."
They stood for a few moments in silence, waiting for the other to talk. Neither one wanted to break the silence. Solaraah was the first to speak. "I guess this means we have to get along."
Ratchet put a hand on her shoulder. "Somehow, I don't think we'll argue as much as before." He smiled at her, putting his hand in his pocket. Should he pull it out now…? After a second, he decided to wait, since it really seemed like an overload on Solaraah. As fragile as she seemed to be deep down, he didn't want to overwhelm her with this. After all, if they were going to become sparkmates, a simple ring could wait. "Did you want to bind yourself to me tonight?" His voice was soft. "Or do you need to prepare for that?"
She looked at him as if he'd lost his mind. "Are you fuckin' crazy? There's no way in hell I want to do anything but sleep for right now. This is a lot to accept."
He stopped and kissed her cheek, throwing the test out. "Come on, let's go tell Elena."
She groaned. "Ratchetttt…"
"What?" he couldn't help but laugh at her. "Fine. Does the princess need her beauty sleep?"
"She needs something before she loses what little sanity she's got left," she muttered.
He led her to the examination room and set her down in a chair, walking out for a moment. He returned with a bottle of pills. She looked at his hand in curiosity. "What are those for?"
"Medication to wake you up and get rid of any pain you may have. If you need them, take one. I don't want you passing out on me." He said.
"I don't need any meds," she said. "I'm not going to pass out. You've just got to understand that this is a lot on me. I just found out that the man I've somehow fallen in love with is an alien from another planet, and I'm going to be a mother."
"I understand completely," ratchet said with a wink. "The woman I'm in love with is an alien, too."
She gave him a dirty look before cracking a grin. "Shut up, you."
He kissed her briefly. "I don't believe we ever finished our date, Solaraah… I think I'm going to have to make up for that soon…"
She laughed. "We'll see…"
He smiled and kissed her again, starting to grow hungry for her kisses. He'd been deprived of them for so long…
As he leaned in for more, she put a hand over his mouth. "Come on. Let's go tell Ellie and Ironhide…" she sighed. "We may be able to continue this a little later." He frowned with wide eyes, pouting. "Shush, pushy doctor," she said with a sultry laugh. "Naughty nurse will attend to you later on."
He snorted and followed her out of the room. "Yeah, yeah…"
She slapped his butt, causing him to jump and pick her up, tossing her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. "Put me down!" she yelled, kicking at him. She couldn't keep the giggle out of her voice, so he knew she wasn't serious.
He carried her all the way to Elena's office and knocked on the door. "Hey, it's us. Let me in before she literally kicks my ass."
Elena opened the door, just to have Ratchet rather ungracefully drop Solaraah into a chair. "What's up?" she asked with a cheerful grin.
"Got news," Solaraah said. "I'm gonna be a mommy, wheee…"
Elena's mouth dropped open. "Really? That's wonderful! Just wait till I tell Optimus!"
"Yeah, Ironhide wanted to know, too," Ratchet said.
"I'm sure he'll be happy," Elena clapped her hands. She got a thoughtful look on her face, and Solaraah looked at her curiously.
"What are you doing?" She asked.
"Telling Optimus, of course," Elena said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Oh, yeah," Solaraah said. "I forget you guys can do that now."
Ratchet smiled. "Soon we can do that too, Solaraah." He chuckled. "We can argue through voices in our heads rather than out loud."
Solaraah burst out laughing after a second. "Right," she said, shaking her head. "Anyways, we just came by to let you guys know. I need to sleep now."
Ratchet grabbed Solaraah's hand. "Come on, let's go to the house."
"Um, your house?" She said. "Or my house? Be more specific."
"Ours."
"What? We don't have a house together!" she exclaimed, backing up a little, holding her hands up.
"Well…it's a condo. But it has two rooms, and two bathrooms," he looked kind of sheepish as he looked back at her. "I bought it for us…today."
She frowned slightly. "When did you do that? When I was napping?" She asked him.
"Yeah…It's fully furnished and everything. We just have to fix the baby's room," he replied with a slight smile.
"Yeah. That won't be for a while, though…" Solaraah said. "We can start worrying about that when we find out the sex of the baby. No rush."
"I am able to do a scan in my natural form. I can project the image, zoom in and tell you the sex right now," Ratchet said cautiously.
"It's okay," Solaraah said, shaking her head. "I think I can wait a little later. Like I said, I'm in no rush to find out what I'm having. It was enough to find out I'm having anything at all."
"Alright," he said, kissing her cheek. "I wouldn't mind waiting."
She smiled. "Good."
"Awwww," Elena burst out. "You guys are making me so happy! Optimus is probably skipping around his office or something…" She giggled.
Ratchet chuckled. "I would pay to see Optimus Prime skip," he said, with an agreement from Solaraah. Elena nearly fell from the ground laughing as she imagined her sparkmate skipping around in circles.
Solaraah laughed with her friend. "He's normally so serious...that would certainly be a switch."
Elena giggled. "Oh, I think I could make him skip….but you guys probably don't really want to know how. " At Solaraah's muttered, "I bet you could", Elena started laughing harder and louder, beginning to turn red. Ratchet walked over to her, getting ready to try and save her from choking. Fortunately for her, she stopped, and motioned to him with a wave of her hand. "I'm fine, I'm fine." She grinned at them. "I'm in such a good mood right now… Solly's really cheered me up today."
"She has the ability to do that because she's—well, she used to be—a smartass," Ratchet said, ruffling Solaraah's hair.
"Not only that, but she's in a good-ish mood…" Elena smiled.
"True," Solaraah said, grinning. She leaned her head back, closing her eyes.
"Alright," Ratchet said, putting a hand on Solaraah's forehead. "I better get this one home and into bed."
"Aw, get off," Solaraah said, swatting at him. "You just want to get laid."
"No…" He said. At her look, he threw his hands up and walked off, grumbling.
Solaraah winked at Elena. "See that? Got him whipped."
Elena giggled, covering her mouth before laughing harder. Optimus walked into the room then, obviously happy. "What's going on here, ladies?"
"Girl talk," both women said in unison. "Don't worry about it."
Elena hugged him. "Have you by chance been skipping around?" At his confused look, she burst into laughter—even Solaraah had to laugh. "Apparently not." She leaned up and kissed his cheek with a smile. "It's okay, honey."
"Alright, well I have to go find 'Hide," Solaraah said, with a wave of her hand as she started toward the door.
"No worries—he was in my bathroom the whole time," Elena said. "He, ah…he heard everything." She giggled.
"Oh, he was eavesdropping, was he?" Solaraah asked with a strange look in her eyes as she headed toward the bathroom. "Come out, come out…I have some things to discuss with you." She reached in, practically dragging the big man out by his shirt.
Ironhide chuckled sheepishly. "It, ah…it was Elena's idea."
"Why the hell—" Solaraah started, turning toward Elena.
The younger woman held up a hand and then pointed at Solaraah's stomach. "Bup bup! Baby can hear you!" She said, trying to stop her friend saying a stream of nasty words.
"Not like it won't hear dirty words after it's born," Solaraah said under her breath.
"Hopefully it's first words won't be 'Fuck you, Mommy'," Ratchet said, walking in with a smile.
"Definitely not," Solaraah said. "Probably the other way around."
Ratchet guffawed, doubling over in his laughter. "How about Mama's a bitch?"
"Nah. They won't even refer to you as 'Daddy'. They'll call you 'the asshole'." She giggled at that. "'Mommy, the asshole's home now'!"
Ratchet chuckled. "They won't call you 'Mommy'. It'll be 'the Hoe'."
"So the asshole and the hoe, huh… We have a good start, don't we?" Solaraah asked.
Ratchet smiled and nodded at her, reaching for her hand. "Come, hoe, to your carriage."
"Shut the hell up," she said affectionately, kissing his cheek.
"You two are insane as hell," Elena giggled. She tossed her blonde hair over her shoulder, intentionally hitting Ironhide in the face.
He stiffened before swatting at her playfully. "Get your hair out of my face, woman." He looked at Ratchet. "Oi."
Ratchet looked at his friend. "Yeah."
"Don't be callin' her names, man," Ironhide said, his dark eyes twinkling in amusement. "I may have to take her away from you, you keep that up."
"Over my dead body," Ratchet laughed, knowing his friend wasn't serious at all. He picked Solaraah up, carrying her out as he had done before.
Ironhide shook his head with a grin as he watched them walk out. "I have never seen him like this—not even with his old partner."
Elena closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She had been really tired lately, but she figured Optimus' exhaustion was bleeding into her over their link. Finally, she thought. I can breathe easy again.
Ironhide ruffled her hair, hugging her. "Everything'll be alright now."
She nodded as the Prime came into the room. "Want to go to dinner tonight, Elena?"
"Dinner sounds wonderful," she said with a sweet smile at him.
He winked at Ironhide, who knew exactly what his friend had planned for Elena tonight. He was going to propose to her. He smiled to himself, knowing she wouldn't say no. He noticed Elena looking at him strangely.
"Are you blocking me?" she asked.
"I have my reasons for doing so," He said with a smile at her.
Elena grabbed his hand, pulling him back. "Better be a good surprise…"
"Oh, I think you'll enjoy it," he said.
"She'll definitely enjoy it," Ironhide drawled.
Elena laughed. "You may enjoy what I have planned for you…" Ironhide laughed, ruffling her already messy hair. "Stop it!"
"Have fun, you two," he said. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."
"You mean…nothing?" Elena asked.
"Exactly," he said. "Do what you want. I do it all." He winked at her on his way out.
Elena smiled to herself. This was the peace she'd been waiting for—no fights, no nothing. Just a happy atmosphere, like it was supposed to be. She let Optimus take her home, where she proceeded to get ready. When she was done, she looked as if she was heading to a ball. Little did she know what really awaited her.
He waited for her to walk down the stairs, and when she did, his eyes widened. He got himself together and grinned at her. "My, my…" he held out his arm to her. "You look magnificent, my dear."
"Thanks. Ironhide helped pick it out…" She ducked her head, blushing at how much of her cleavage was being shown, and how high the slit was up on her thigh.
"It looks like something he'd choose," Optimus said thoughtfully. "Not that I'm complaining."
Elena smiled slightly, waiting for the inevitable. He was going to sweep her into his arms and crush his lips to hers. She knew it was coming—it always did. What happened after their kiss was going to have to wait until after dinner though.
When they got to the restaurant, they were seated in a nice booth, with wineglasses placed in front of them. While they waited on the server to get them drinks, Elena toyed with her silverware. Whatever Optimus had on his mind must have been important—she wasn't allowed to hear any of it. As hard as she tried to get into his mind, he'd block her every time, with an, I'm sorry…
She finally gave up, sighing.
He saw her frustration and thought to her, You'll find out at dessert, Elena.
"O-okay," she said softly. "I trust you." He smiled and touched her leg under the table. She swatted at him. "Hey, hey, none of that!"
He recoiled. "I was trying to comfort you. Was that touch wrong?"
She giggled, blushing. "Well…you see…what I thought you were doing was….ah…"
His eyes dimmed, indicating that he was searching the web."Oh, I'm sorry…" he smiled slightly. He had a trick up his sleeve, she just knew it!
She looked at him curiously, rolling her eyes after a moment. About the time she went to speak, the waiter came up with their drinks. They took the drinks and ordered. The waiter walked off with a smile, to get their food.
Optimus looked at her for a moment. He knew how to get her all worked up and he was going to use his special trick soon… He reached over the table, holding her chin in her hand and running his thumb over her lips. She sighed, her eyes fluttering closed as she leaned into his touch. He felt his spark jump at her reactions and had the urge to kiss her. He wasn't going to—not yet. He used his other hand under the table, to run up the bare part of her thigh and hip. She shivered slightly, loving the feel of his fingertips on her skin. He chuckled. "I'm giving you goosebumps, am I?"
"Y-Yes," she stuttered. "Please, not here, Optimus…"
"Don't worry. I have a lot of new things to do now."
She squeaked and blushed, hiding her face for a moment. "O-okay."
He lifted her chin again. "No need to be embarrassed, Elena. We're sparkmates, and we've definitely done worse than what I'm doing right now."
"But we're in public," she said, her voice barely a whisper.
"No, no one else is on this floor. Take a look around," he motioned for her to look around them.
She did, letting out an "Oh!" She blushed. "I guess I wasn't paying that much attention to our surroundings…"
He leaned forward, cradling her face. He gently pushed his lips to hers. She smiled as she kissed him back. "I love you…" He merely smiled back and pulled away. "Whaa—" she said, startled at his sudden stop.
"Waiter," he said simply.
She blushed again. "Oh…sorry."
He grinned. "No need."
The waiter appeared around the corner with their steaming food and Elena's face brightened instantly. "Yay!" she giggled. "Food's here!" She didn't notice the knowing look the waiter gave Optimus before walking off. He was supposed to bring the wine out at the right time, and Optimus nodded at him.
"So would you like dessert tonight?" Optimus asked casually, eating some of the salad served with his meal.
"Sure," Elena said with a suspicious look.
Optimus laughed. "What's with the look?" he tapped her nose with his finger. "Don't look so suspicious. I simply wanted to know if you wanted dessert with your meal." He poked his salad. "What would you like for dessert?"
"Hm…How about those smoothie shots?" She gave him a dazzling smile, which left him a little shaken. She was always able to do that to him…
"Smoothie shots it is," he said with a smile back at her. Damn, I can't have them put the ring in there… it'll be all messy. He was just going to have to get down on one knee and do it the old fashioned way. He smiled at her and kissed her again. "Bellisimo…"
"H-how do you know how to speak Italian?" she asked.
"When we bonded," he said, tapping the top of his head. "I learned it then."
"Oh," she said. "Well, it's pretty sexy coming from you." She giggled.
"I actually…have something to ask you…"
"Hm?" she said in confusion when he motioned for her to stand. She stepped away from the table, and he followed her. Kneeling down, he took her hand, bringing it to his lips. He began whispering to her in quick Italian. She giggled. "What are you doing, Optimus?"
He grinned. "I'm asking you to marry me."
Her jaw dropped and the breath whooshed right out of her. "Y-yes, of course I'll marry you!" She let him slip the ring on her finger, feeling a little lightheaded. "Ooh, I'm a little dizzy…" Seconds later, she crumpled in a heap, fainting at the excitement. Optimus caught her before she hit the ground, laughing slightly. He stroked her face, grinning.
"I never thought that would be the thing to make you faint."
The waiter came back with dessert. He frowned in concern. "My goodness! Is she okay?"
"She's fine," Optimus said with a grin. "I just surprised her." The waiter just nodded and set the food down, walking off. Optimus patted Elena's face. "Hey. Dessert's out." Elena's eyes fluttered slightly, so he kissed her gently. "Wake up, fair maiden."
"Oh, now you choose to go all cheesy on me?" she asked him with a laugh.
"It woke you up, didn't it?" He asked her.
"Yes…" She reached up and kissed him. Finally… he was hers. Finally…after all this time…
Authors note—well I'm the chick helpin out with this story :D ((TukiMiyu26-that's me!)). Sorry about the late update—it's my fault lol. I just have been a little busy with work and such, and haven't typed it up. But yeah, I hope you enjoyed it! Sequel should be here soon. Thanks for stickin with us and being soooo patient. I love you guys! *huggles and hands out cyber cookies*
And this is me (elena11prime)! Don't forget to vote on the poll for your fave OC *takes cyber cookie from tuki* oh yeah and there WILL BE A SEQUEL AND A PREQUEL! we shall not let you down! :D
