A Certain Uncertainty
002

Trigger warnings

The military base sat on one side of the island. Beautiful white beaches and clear ocean decorated most of the coast. Andi took a chance to venture down. She wore jean shorts and a tank top, hiding her swimsuit underneath. Each morning after hanging around the medbay or listening to what the soldiers had planned on the catwalk, she would take her leave and eventually make it down to the coast.

The clear water lapped against the soft sand. The young woman dropped her bag upon the ground. She unzipped her shorts and removed her tank top before walking to where the sand turned dark. Sea life danced under the waves, small fish swimming between the corals and different rocks. Miranda raised her arms and dived in, swimming under the small waves.

Turning twenty-seven, the young woman had no plans for her life. An abusive life at home left her without no safe haven. She thought her ex-boyfriend would provide what her homelife left out, but he turned out to be just as much as an asshole as her own mother.

Miranda rose above the waters and floated, looking up into the clear sky. She turned and breathed deeply before diving. The water cleared her mind, reminded her that this second chance at life was something she didn't want to mess up. A smile graced her face as she remembered why she received that second chance at life.

Director Galloway might not like that Miranda stayed on base, especially since she was neither a soldier nor an Autobot. She was only thankful that Prime had stepped up and prevented any problems, even if those problems were pushed away for the time being.

Rising above the water, Miranda splashed. Her hair fell in waves as the water glistened against her skin. She breathed deeply before slowly turning only to stop. Sitting near the edge where grass met sand a certain red and blue mech had made his presence. Miranda shook her head before she started swimming towards the shore.

She reached for her towel and began drying her body. Slipping her feet into her brown sandals, Andi slowly approached the Autobot leader. "You surprised me," spoke the young woman as she wrapped the towel around her small form.

Optimus chuckled lightly before a smile graced his lip plates. "You swim beautifully."

Miranda ducked her head, hiding the painful blush that had dusted over her nose. "Thank you. Is there a reason you are here?"

Optimus shook his helm, "Just making sure you are safe."

"I have been on this base for five months, Prime," retorted the woman as she placed a fist upon her hip. "I come swimming almost every morning. What changed?"

"Galloway," he responded quickly. "He has been on my processor since he left."

Miranda blinked her hazel eyes, her hand dropping from her hip. "Oh. Let me guess, you believe it is time everyone knows what happened."

Optimus growled lightly causing the young woman to gasp lightly and jump a short distance backwards. "There should be no reason for me to explain. You are under my guardianship, that should be enough."

"Sometimes, reasons like those don't exactly explain everything. For example, why did you give me guardianship? I must have done something, right?" Miranda laughed a little bit as she raised her hand preventing the mech from replying. She knew what he was going to say; they both knew the answer. She continued shortly afterwards, "It is easy for questions to follow. It is human nature to be curious."

Optimus snorted as he turned his helm away, the glow of his optics hiding within the shadows. "Sometimes I believe humans and Cybertronians are too curious. We learned on Cybertron how corrupted the system was. I wouldn't be surprised if that is the true reason for this blasted war."

Miranda cautiously approached the Autobot leader, her hand resting upon his large gray metal servo. He turned his helm quickly and looked down. Miranda smiled softly. "We sometimes learn the worse when reasons become answers. I don't know the whole story regarding Cybertron. However, I know this much. You are a great mech, someone that many look up to. I wouldn't worry so much about the past, but what the future could bring."

Prime turned his large servo over, slowly grasping the small human hand within his own. "You bring so much wisdom in such short times. I thank you for that."

Miranda shrugged, her small fingers tracing against the warm metal. "Sometimes we need to hear the right words to work out the hardest decisions. If we need to explain, I am open to telling."

.:%:.

Optimus carried Miranda back to base when the sun had rose to its peak. Autobots sat around the huge hangar designated for them while soldiers worked out along the wide runway. The place really couldn't be called a military base since not all the hangars were designated for war. Some of the hangars contained vehicles that the soldiers could use while the other buildings were bunks for both men and women, offices, and storage.

Optimus had dropped Miranda off at the human quarters before turning towards the main hangar containing the communication central. Even small moments like these were tight for the Autobot commander. With her arms wrapped around her waist, the young woman smiled before lightly laughing and shaking her head.

"You look happy."

Miranda turned around and saw Robert Epps leaning against the building, his arms crossed over his chest.

"I had a good swim and a good conversation."

Miranda opened the screen door and stepped inside the small building. Epps followed.

"Do you need something?"

Epps shook his head. "Nope. Just trying to figure you out."

"Let me guess. Because of Galloway."

"That's part of it. You are a mystery."

Miranda laughed as she stopped before a closed door. She turned around and placed her hands upon her hips. "Have you thought that maybe I like being a mystery. Keeps you men guessing."

Epps threw his head back and started laughing. "We do enjoy the mystery, but sometimes when the higher ups get involved that mystery has to end."

Miranda rolled her eyes as she unlocked the door to her room. "Did Galloway already find some other method to get rid of me?"

Epps shook his head, "Not yet, but I am sure it won't be long. He has tried multiple times to remove the Autobots. Removing a human is going to be easy for him."

Miranda walked into her room and leaned against her door, closing it just a small bit. "Well, he is going to learn that I am not a free woman. Prime makes my decision since he is my guardian."

"Why, though?"

Miranda smirked, "Wouldn't you like to know." She closed the door and heard as foot prints walked away.

.:%:.

Major William Lennox stood leaning against the wall when Miranda stepped out of her room during the later part of the day. She tied the jacket around her waist and ran a hand through her damp curls eyeing the young man with a curious look. He appeared frustrated at something.

"Let me guess: higher ups?"

Lennox looked up and with a grimace look upon his face, he nodded. "We need a reason, Andi, or you are leaving on the C-17 tonight."

Miranda sighed as she fell back against the wall, her fingers lacing together behind her back. "Where would you like me to start?"

"Just give me anything I can work with."

Miranda smiled softly and began telling her story. She told him of her harsh lifestyle which resulted because of her mother's boyfriend and their involvement with drugs and alcohol to her ex-boyfriend who treated her even far worse.

Lennox rose his hand, his head held low as he crunched his eyes shut. "Stop. You don't have to explain anymore."

"I haven't even reached the part where I met Optimus."

Lennox shook his head. "You don't need too. He rescued you. That is enough information for me to use."

Miranda laughed lightly as she raised her head, not believing a word that was being said. "It's not the truth, though."

"Isn't, though?" questioned the Major. "Something caused you to cross paths with him which involved him saving you. Enough is said."

Lennox walked down the hallway leaving Miranda speechless. She never figured that someone would take half the truth and turn it into something regarding her life being saved. It just didn't seem possible.

Miranda walked out of the housing quarters. She watched as Lennox ran to the main hangar to supposedly give his reason on why Miranda Taylor needed to remain on base. Optimus stepped out and looked down at the man before turning and looking at her. She saw the questionable look in his optics before he started walking over to her.

Miranda sighed just as Prime dropped down to a knee. "Well, I started telling Lennox, but he only took the half truth."

"What do you mean by that?"

Miranda tossed her hair over her shoulder before arching her hip, a frustrated growl escaping her lips, " I didn't even tell him how I met you. He took my life before I met you as something that you saved me from and decided to use that. What a bunch of bullshit, too."

"Because it is not the truth?" asked the Autobot leader, his voice calm and strong.

"Yes," yelled the young woman. Miranda dragged her hands through her hair, frustration radiating off her as she began to pace. "You know what happened, what I tried to do, what you did."

"I still saved you, though."

"Did you, though?"

Miranda didn't wait for the Autobot leader to answer her question. She walked back inside the housing quarters straight to her room. She dropped by the drawers and pulled out the bottom one, removing the extra blanket. The black and silver pistol still stayed in her possession, hidden and unused. Prime didn't save Miranda. He just prevented what she wanted.

.:%:.

The moon danced behind the clouds casting shadows over the small base. Miranda stepped out of the human's quarters and walked over to the hangar holding different vehicles. She rolled out a motorcycle and revved the engine, disappearing down the black asphalt road. If anyone would have stepped into her room, they would have noticed that the small pistol no longer existed except for a small indent where it once laid.

The stars seemed to shine brighter. The waves could be heard crashing against the cliffs. The wind blew the salty air, stinging it against the young woman's face. She drove letting her emotions disappear against the current. A sharp cliff facing out towards the ocean stopped the drive. She leaned the vehicle upon the ground and approach the edge.

Water swished and pulled against the sand, some of it crashing against the rocky edges of the cliff. Dropping to her knees, Miranda pulled the pistol out of her jacket. The barrel still held that one bullet. Since the conversation with Optimus, the young woman couldn't keep the thought that everything about her was a lie. She didn't believe herself to be one that needed saved. No, her life ended up messed up because she wasn't strong enough.

Yells and slaps across the face tormented Miranda when she closed her eyes. Her mother blamed her for her father's death, asking why she was the one that survived. When her mother's new boyfriend enter the picture, nothing got better. Instead, each night Miranda found her mother hung over and completely drunk. One night, she thought her mother had killed herself. Instead, her mother slapped her, yelling at her that she should have died before exiting out of the house and returning the following morning.

Miranda left her family home when she turned sixteen. She met Ricky and thought that he was different, that this was what she needed. Over the first couple of years, Ricky treated her properly. Miranda finished high school and got into a nice college. When she turned twenty-one, though, she started to see a different side to the man.

Miranda fell over, holding the pistol to her chest as fear raced through her body and tears pricked and burn. Ricky had come after her with a knife, threatening her. The young woman couldn't recall why or for what reason the man had changed, but she quickly left him. However, somehow where ever she went, he was still there. One night, he approached her and he appeared to be like when she first met him. It worried her for a second, but Miranda was desperate. She went back to him.

However, over the next years before she turned twenty-seven, Miranda saw the changes. The jealousy he had when Miranda went out with her friends quickly involved him keeping a tighter watch on her. She saw how he panic regarding the money even though he had no power. Eventually, fear started creeping over the young woman. She packed her things away and left in the middle of the night.

Her thoughts were not straight, though. She felt like nothing, wishing that someone would take her out of this hell hole called life. She carried the pistol. It weighed heavy on her mind. If her life would end, would anyone miss her? She knew her mother wouldn't. Her thoughts had returned to her father, and how her life used to be happy with him. The accident caused by a drunk driver taking her father away when she needed him the most. She would be with him, that thought alone stayed with her.

A diesel engine pulled Miranda from her thoughts. She sat back upon her legs and looked over her shoulder. The Peterbilt stopped before the cliff, the bright high beams casting shadows behind her. She wiped her eyes and slowly stood. The passenger side door popped open, almost like an invitation for her to enter. She wanted, too. She wanted to feel safe, but her eyes casted down to the gun within her hand. Was her life worth anything? Did Optimus Prime really give her a second chance at life or did he prevent the unpreventable?

Feet landed upon the hard ground before the door to the custom Peterbilt was shut. Miranda watched as someone slowly approached, hands disappearing into the front pockets. Raising her hand, she blocked the harsh light and noticed who had come to see her.

"Miranda are you okay?" asked Major Lennox. He slowly approached her. She watched as his eyes dropped to the gun in her hand. Miranda moved slightly to hide the weapon from sight.

"What are you doing here?"

Lennox stopped a short distance from the woman. He glanced back at the rumbling semi-truck before looking at the woman. "Optimus told me the whole truth. He did save you, Miranda. He gave you a second chance. Don't waste it."

"I don't deserve it." Miranda took a step back. Rocks tumbled over the cliff and into the water far below.

"Why? Because of your life at home and what your ex did to you? That should be no reason to kill yourself."

Miranda shook her head as she took another step back. "You don't understand. My father protected me. He is dead because of me."

"We sometimes lose people due to stupid things. I have been in the war losing good men and women. You don't see me wanting to die because of it."

"You are different," yelled the woman. She raised her hand and pointed at the Peterbilt. "Ask Optimus. He is similar. He rather have the war over with and if sacrificing himself will bring it, he is willing to do it."

Lennox shook his head, "Prime isn't suicidal, though. He has been through more than a human will ever understand."

"Lennox, just leave me alone. I don't deserve your sympathy."

Transformation caused the young man to step the side. The blinding headlights disappeared as Optimus Prime appeared in his thirty-foot bipedal form. He dropped down to his knees, his fist curling into the harsh surface.

"So, you would throw away what I gave you?" demanded the Autobot leader, his optics flashing bright white. Lennox even stepped back, a look showing that even he was nervous by the harsh tone the Autobot leader was using.

"You shouldn't have tried to stop me." Miranda quickly turned away. Tears ran down her face and disappeared into the wind. Her eyes dropped down to the gun in her hand. She slowly removed the safety, a small click echoing back to both the mech and Major.

Optimus leaned forward, his voice deeper than anyone had heard causing shivers to race through the young woman. "You were trying to end your life within my cab."

"Something that I still believe should happen."

Everything happened in slow movement. Miranda raised the gun to her head. Lennox ran towards the woman, yelling at her to stop. Prime pushed forward causing the woman to spin. The gun fired, missing her completely. However, her footing slipped. Miranda screamed as she fell over the edge. Lennox quickly fell flat to the ground and rolled out of the way as Optimus pushed to his pedes and jumped over the edge.

Miranda hit the dark ocean water before a black servo wrapped around her. Her eyes watched as the surface slowly sank in the distance before she slowly closed them and allowed darkness to seep into her mind.