Among the Stars

by J. N. Williamson.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Transformers, nor am I associated with their creators.

Claimer: I however do own Jessica Simmons and all other original material. I also own my imagination and what not.

Though I had originally planned to update yesterday, I found myself rather tired and extremely lazy to do so. But here is the next chapter of Among the Stars, so hopefully you guys like it.

Chapter Two.

She had been overcome by a great sense of curiosity, one that had her nibbling at the nonexistent nails on her fingers. Would her question cause him pain, something that she had seen expressed on his face numerous times before.

But knowing she'd cause him nothing but anguish, the little girl could only hope that she'd see that smile return.

"Daddy."

It was the calm before the storm, or so Jessica Simmons was lead to believe upon having witnessed the once controlled room erupt in something she could easily identify as chaos. Tension arose within the air, crawling across her skin as well burning her lungs with each breath she took—a feeling she had come to associate herself with on a regular basis.

It reminded her that in simple terms, life was anything but easy. If all, death was the most efficient and unavoidable path, one that was deemed to most easiest of all. Having ignored her instincts before—her conscious screaming that taking the F-22 was nothing short of a bad idea—Jessica Simmons couldn't help but wonder what made her skin erupt in goosebumps at the feeling of paranoia crawling its way underneath her flesh.

"I made you something, daddy." With missing teeth and all, she most probably didn't look all that convincing as she peered at the man she adored with every ounce of her being.

But knowing that succumbing to these fears would bring her nothing but trouble, the young woman merely stood there in slight trepidation for what was to come.

"Unidentified aircraft, you are in restricted US military airspace," Sharp affirmed in a sharp tone, "—squawk ident and proceed east out the area."

Though I have a slight feeling that whoever this is, taking orders isn't something written on their list. Shaking off the thought, the young woman proceeded to take a small step forward when noticing that no immediate response came from Sharp's demand before clearing her throat. "Not another word from you, Simmons. Dismissed."

And nothing hurt more than watching him leave once more. She tried to understand, she honestly did but was it something she had done? Should she stop pestering him—?

Had he not promised that he would not leave her? Her fingers trembled as she held the crumbled piece of paper close to her chest—a single tear escaping the confinement of her eyes. She would have understood if he didn't like the drawing she had drawn hours prior, a hope that had been shredded into a million fragments when all he did was glance at the paper, clutching it in trembling hands before enclosing his hand over it.

Her hope had shattered at the sound of her soul being torn apart. Had she done something wrong? Why would he tear it up?

He had broken his promise. He had left her just like her mother had. And that was something she could never forget, nor forgive.

It was the last promise he had ever made to her, one that had taught her a valuable lesson in life. The feeling of being unwanted, of not being needed. Where were these memories coming from? For if there was one thing she hated more than arrogance, it were people who couldn't keep to their words.

Shaking the troubled thoughts revolving around the memories from her mind, Jessica knew that she had no other option and merely frowned at the man before shaking her head in utter defeat. You screwed up this time, Simmons.

Ignoring the snide comment, Jessica merely bade the Colonel a farewell before meandering towards the door; ever aware that she was being closely watched. "Simmons," snapping to immediate attention, the young woman swiftly turned around and blinked. "—I suggest you get that ass moving. I need you and Franklin to intercept the target."

Oh thank the Lord. Knowing that time was the limit, the young woman threw all precautions out the window the moment she muttered an agreement before rushing out the room and down the flight of stairs. "Raptors one and two," flinging the door open with enough force that rattled her ears, Jessica Simmons practically ran as if the hounds of hell were nipping at her heels. "—snap to heading two-five-zero to intercept. Bogey is in the weeds ten miles out, not squawking."

The moment she neared the F-22, a excitement like no other flowed through her veins. "Franklin." Simmons greeted her fellow pilot as she clambered up the small ladder before situating herself comfortably in the cockpit; strapping up and making sure that everything was secure.

"Captain," from her peripheral view, the young woman could see her fellow pilot strap himself securely before throwing her a thumbs up as she quickly closed the canopy of the aircraft. "—glad to see your still in one piece."

Rolling her eyes in amusement, Jessica knew that time was wasting. "No time like the present," she murmured into the headset connected to her flight helmet before proceeding to start the aircraft. "-all set and ready for take off."

Having gone through all the procedures; Jessica could only hope that the feeling of paranoia would leave soon. The familiar thrum of power humming beneath her had the young woman shifting in her seat, a giddiness she always felt when taking to the sky. "Let's blow some shit up!"

If only she had known the irony behind her words. "Define the meaning," Franklin mused through the headset, amusement dripping from his voice as the two distanced themselves further from the base. "—by blowing shit up?"

If only she knew the irony behind her own words, she'd have realized that she had just sealed her fate—though not necessarily speaking. Having seen enough in her life, the young woman could honestly admit without sounding exponentially crazy that nothing good would come from this.

She could feel it, the closer she got. That something was bound to happen, something that she was in no means prepared for. But knowing that it would be another obstacle she'd have to overcome, would she be able to do so?

Author Note: I am well aware that this chapter should have been longer but considering that it was over 6000 words, I decided I'll keep the action for the upcoming chapter. I hope that you guys enjoyed reading this chapter and somewhat found the flashback memory of when Jessica was a little girl questionable. Thanks for reading and I would also like to thank those who have added this story to their favorites as well as those who have followed.

I would also like to thank the two who have reviewed as well as to the Guest who had it spot on. Thank you for taking the time into reviewing. I hope this chapter didn't disappoint so I'm rather excited to read what you guys thought of this chapter.

With much love,

Jess.