Hold onto your butts, two updates in one day!
So I decided to split this chapter up from what it originally was. Again I am trying to delve more into Bianca's healing process as well as take a more defined look at everyone's grieving process over the loss of Optimus.
This is a bit shorter than what I have been posting, but not by much and 90 percent of it is completely rewritten and I am much happier with it's content as compared to it's predecessor.
As always enjoy!
P.s. I don't own Transformers blah blah blah, if I did adulting wouldn't be nearly as hard.
"Sam we need to get her to a hospital, she can't keep going on like this. She could have internal bleeding for all we know!"
"I've already told you Mikaela, her face is plastered all over the news right next to mine. If we drop her off somewhere now she will be handed over to the government or worse, the Decepticons. No, she is safer here with us!" Mikaela pursed her lips and glared at Sam who was nervously pacing back and forth, his hands constantly dragging through his hair.
Bia watched silently from her perch on the rusted out stairs of the uninhabited building they took refuge in, her teeth worrying away at what was left of the nail on her ring finger. After her outburst in the car she hadn't said anything other than to answer questions about her throbbing side that Mikaela sent her way. The pain had dulled into a constant ache that was bearable as long as she didn't move. Her legs had fallen asleep 20 minutes ago, but she preferred the uncomfortable feeling of pins and needles over the sharp stabs of pain that would accompany any movement.
"Sam, I know you're upset about Optimus-" She stopped mid-sentence as he stopped his pacing. Up until now Sam had refused eye contact after their escape, Bia suddenly wished that he had continued to do so; she recognized the look in his eyes immediately. The pain and guilt behind his eyes was as clear as day to her. Those emotions had consumed her entirely for the past couple months, and nearly destroyed her.
Her heart twisted painfully in her chest, and she wanted to reach out to him. She stopped herself from doing so though, instead choosing to clench her fists in her lap. "I'm so sorry for your loss," she could still remember all the faceless, nameless people who attended her parent's funeral lining up to tell her the same thing before pulling her into what they thought was a heartfelt embrace.
Sam stood stock still a moment longer, before turning and striding away from the two girls. Mikaela made to follow and Bianca spoke up, startling her.
"Don't, he is grieving. He needs his space, he will come back when he is ready." Mikaela looked to Bianca who was staring after Sam's retreating back, her lips pulled into a sad frown. At first glance Mikaela had a hard time believing the two were related, but now she could see the similarities. They both shared an undefined jaw which gave them a youthfulness (in Sam's case a boyishness that separated him from the jocks she used date), the same worry lines on their forehead from their expressive eyebrows, and the same eyes that bared their soul if you only stopped to look.
Mikaela cast one more unsure glance in her boyfriends direction, chewing on her lip nervously. He had stopped about a hundred yards away, and sunk down to lean against an old chain link fence that surrounded the property, his face in his hands. Sighing, Mikaela turned to face Bianca, whose brown eyes slowly left Sam's defeated form to focus on her instead.
"Well, I'm no doctor but let's see if we can't make you a little more comfortable." Mikaela said, forcing enthusiasm to her voice and a smile on her face. Bia did her best to return it.
Dusk had fallen on the land, painting the decrepit building in hues of red. Bia walked slowly towards Mikaela and Bumblebee who sat around a small fire. The orange flames coupled with the sunset danced across Bumblebee's armor, giving his sullen face a dark look. She found it amazing, and paused momentarily to double check that what she was seeing was real. In that moment the robot looked so human, so vulnerable.
Mikaela caught the younger girls gaze and gave her a small smile and a nod of encouragement before rising from her spot and striding towards her. She paused and held out her hand, and Bianca mimicked the motion. A small pill bottle fell into her open palm and Bia looked to the taller girl with a raised brow.
"Oxycodone, for your ribs. Only one every 4-6 hours OK?" Bianca nodded and opened her mouth and Mikaela shook her head. "Don't ask how I got it," she gave Bianca a wink before getting more serious. "You should talk to him. Optimus was like a father to him, he could use someone to talk to."
Bianca peered around Mikaela to the Robot who was still staring vacantly into the fire. Again she was struck by how human he seemed. She frowned to looked back to Mikaela for guidance.
"I don't know if I am the best person to give grieving advice," she paused, remembering the climax of her grief and her frown deepened. Bumblebee was there, how could she go to him now and tell him it would all be OK when only a day prior she had tried to drive them both into a concrete barrier. Mikaela gave her a knowing look and shrugged.
"I think that's what make's you the best person for the job." She gave the younger girl a comforting pat on the shoulder before moving past her. "I'm going to go check on the rest of the boys."
Bianca watched Mikaela disappear into the building and brought her thumb to her lip, teeth finding what little nail there was to chew nervously. Her head swiveled from the solemn robot by the fire, to the building, to the robot, to the building, until finally staying locked on the yellow bot. The sun had continued to fall leaving them now in the early shadows of night. Stuffing the pill bottle into her pocket she steeled her resolve before striding forward, thumb never leaving her lips.
Bianca came to stand about 10 feet from the bot, but made no further action. She wasn't sure how to proceed from here, this territory frighteningly new. They barely even knew each other, in fact Bianca wasn't even aware that he was anything more than a flashy car until a couple hours ago. Chomping off that last of her thumb nail she switched to her pointer finger.
A moment later Bumblebee became aware of her presence and his head slowly lifted, ice blue optics met rich brown eyes. Bianca's shoulders stiffened and she paused her ministrations on her nail, realizing that the next move was her's to make. Pulling her hand from her mouth she instead began to twist strands of her long hair around her finger.
"So, you're Bumblebee," her voice was just above a whisper and she cleared her throat nervously. The bot nodded before flicking on his radio.
"B-ah!" A small chuckle spilled from her lips at the sound of the two syllables being strung together to form her name. It reminded her in some ways of a child learning a word for the first time, testing it out on their tongue as they said it. Another stretch of silence formed between them, neither breaking eye contact.
"So you're really an alien, and not a Camaro?" Bianca asked, trying to keep the mood light as she tested the waters. What sounded like a laugh answered her question and she felt her nervousness slowly ebbing away, her hand leaving her hair as she crossed her arms around herself. The movement caused a small twinge of pain in her side to flare up and she did her best to ignore it, making a mental note to find something to wash down a pain killer ASAP. "I'm sorry, about Optimus," she then said and he finally broke eye contact, looking to the ground with a sad whir. She tightened her hold on herself as the familiar feeling of loss began to creep up, threatening to find the smallest crack in the flimsy armor she had surrounded herself with since coming out of her depression hours earlier, and exploit it.
"I know how it feels, to loose your dad. I also know that no matter how many times I tell you I'm sorry, or how unfair it is, that it won't bring him back, and that...well I guess what I am trying to say is...that is," she was rambling and she felt hot tears prick at her eyes and she stopped to take a shuddering breath, dropping her gaze to the ground. She couldn't do this, she was barely holding onto her own sanity how could she even hope to help another person through their grief?
She heard the shifting of metal and looked up to see that Bumblebee had adjusted his position, hand now outstretched laying palm up on the ground before her. She looked at him with a raised brow in confusion before one of his fingers gestured in a 'come here' motion. She hesitated briefly, before carefully stepping onto the offered appendage. His fingers curled up and she flung her arms around his thumb with a cry, screwing her eyes shut as he lifted her into the air.
"Wait, stop," she pleaded, holding tighter to his thumb, which was now pressing painfully into her injured ribs but she would choose that pain over falling to her death any day. Her ascent stopped and Bee clicked in worry. "I'm afraid of heights" she explained, still refusing to open her eyes and see just how far off the ground she now stood.
"Don't worry, bout a thing, cus every little thing, is gunna be alright!" Bob Marley sang through his speakers, but Bia just shook her head again. "Do you trust me?" the familiar voice of Aladdin asked. A breathless laugh escaped her lips and she cautiously opened her eyes, never letting them wander to the ground, instead focusing on Bumblebee's face.
"That's cheating, you can't use Disney against me." She pouted, and he smiled continuing to raise his hand with no further protest from Bianca. Said girl never let her gaze stray from his face, and eventually his hand stopped when the two became eye level. Unwilling to let go but not trusting her legs to hold her up Bianca slid slowly down until she was sitting in his palm, arms still wrapped tightly around his thumb.
"He was...An inspiration...A true leader!" Bumblebee's radio played, and a few more sad whining noises followed the broadcast.
Bianca nodded, agreeing with his sentiments. "He saved me, you both did. Not only me but Leo, and Mikaela, and Sam. I know it probably doesn't make it any easier, but he didn't die in vain." She tried, but sad eyes still stared back at her and she felt her gut twist painfully as nervous moths began to chew at her stomach again. Unconsciously she released her death grip with one hand bringing her thumb to her mouth. "Am I helping at all, or should I go?" She asked. Bumblebee shook his head and she was slightly surprised, her teeth pausing from worrying her nail.
"Please don't go" an unrecognizable song played through his speakers. "Keep talking...I don't was to be alone" she smiled sadly at the larger being and gently released his finger, instead leaning against it.
"I really don't know much about Optimus but, could I...I mean would you mind if I told you about...my dad?" she asked shyly. The thought of her father sent tidal waves of emotion crashing through her, but sitting here with Bumblebee, someone who looked at her in understanding rather than pity she was able to stay afloat in the riptide of emotions. He nodded and gave her an encouraging smile and she clung to it like the life raft it was.
"Tell me baby, what's your story?" The 'Red Hot Chillipeppers' crooned and she closed her eyes for a moment deciding exactly where to begin.
"My dad... He used to make the best waffles."