Author's note: Here we go, the moment a few of you may have been cheering for...

Some swearing, few ''F'' bombs... some angst and some hope for our star crossed lovers... just a few chapters to go people... hang in there!

Chapter 106: Letting Go

Lennox P.O.V

''Prime!'' My shocked expression soon gave way to suspicion. ''What are you doing here?'' I sat up, flinching in pain.

''Hello Major Lennox.'' Prime folded his arms across his chest and smiled at me as he came to stand at the foot of my bed. ''I should have thought that was obvious Major. I have come to see how you are doing.'' He tilted his head as brilliant blue eyes regarded me. ''You look much improved since I saw you last.''

I nodded and then sat slowly back against my pillows, almost glaring at him. ''Well, I've been a whole lot fucking better that's for sure!''

''Well, ya coulda been a whole lot fucking worse too man!'' Epps piped up, and though he had a teasing tone in his voice, his expression belied some of the worry he had.

''Yeah, well I guess you're right.''

''Oh, I know I'm right!'' Epps snapped back leaning on his chair. ''If it weren't for Prime here,'' he nodded across the room to the silent tower of a man, ''Shootin' that 'Con and then quickly shieldin' ya from that fallin' buildin', we'd be burying you not makin' fun of ya!''

Embarrassed by my previous outburst and apparent ingratitude, I averted my gaze. Prime simply stared at me in silence. My lips pressed into a thin line as I begrudgingly turned towards him, giving a brief nod of my head in thanks. Prime stared at me a moment longer before returning the gesture. ''Anyway,'' I turned to face Epps once more. ''I'd be doing a whole lot better if Orianna would at least answer my calls or messages.''

Prime stepped towards the bed, placing his hands on the rail and leaning forward slightly. ''As I have already mentioned Major Lennox, Orianna has felt guilty for what..'' he looked away as if searching for the right word, ''transpired – between you before your mission.''

I narrowed my eyes at the figure before me. I wanted to call him out on his role that evening, but now was not the time. /One wound at a time Lennox/.

''She didn't think you would want to speak to her, much less see her.'' Prime's eyes did not leave mine.

''That's stupid!'' I huffed indignantly. ''Of course I want to see her.'' I shook my head in disbelief and hurt. ''She's one person I have desperately wanted to see, to speak to.'' My voice was filled with regret as I recalled my own choices and actions to this point. ''If only to apologise, to make things right between us.''

''Funny Major.'' Prime smiled softly as he glanced back at the doorway. ''That's exactly what I told her.''

I looked suspiciously at the Prime. ''Why do you know all this Optimus, and why do you keep looking at the door?'' I struggled to sit up again. ''Did she go to you, has she been with you this week?'' My voice took on an icy quality to it as anger once again surged to the fore.

A hunched figure in dark blue denim jeans, sand-coloured boots and a black, short-sleeved blouse inched into the room. Her face was pale and tear-stained with dark circles under her eyes, and her arms were wrapped tightly around her as she grinned weakly at Optimus and then at me. ''More like he came and spoke to me Lennox when he heard you were awake, and I had not been in to see you.'' Her voice was small and unsure, as if at any moment she would turn and bolt out the door.

I had frozen in place as I watched the woman approach. ''Orianna…''

She stopped a few metres away from me and smiled briefly in my direction. ''Hey Lennox.'' She waved and nodded back towards Prime who stood a few paces behind and to her right. ''Optimus convinced me you would want to see me.''

Orianna snorted and looked out the doorway into the corridor. ''Though I'm not sure why you would or if that's even true.'' She turned back to face me, her gaze hardening as she placed her hands in the pockets of her denim jeans. ''Plenty of distractions in the hospital, I'm sure.''

''Well!'' Epps rapped the back of his chair. ''I gotta get going. Things ta do, people ta see. Or is that the other way round?'' He Laughed nervously at the tension that had suddenly filled the room. ''I'll catch ya later Lennox,'' Epps launched to his feet and patted my shoulder quickly before he smiled at me and backed towards the door. ''Prime, Orianna,'' he casually saluted them, ''good ta see ya both,'' he nodded in recognition at the others before he exited the room.

Prime stood a moment longer, his eyes travelling back and forth between Orianna and me before he too turned to walk out of the room.

''Optimus?'' I called out.

He turned back and raised a brow in question. ''Yes, Major Lennox?''

A part of me was still angry at him for interfering between Orianna and me, driving a wedge between us. However, he had not only just saved my life, but through his interference again – he had brought us back together. /In a manner of speaking/.

I nodded towards him, sending a grateful smile in his direction. ''Thank you. For what you did.'' I shrugged my shoulders. ''For what you've done.''

Prime looked at me and then Orianna before he nodded abruptly in reply. Turning on his heel once more, he continued his path towards the door, pulling it closed behind him. He knew the conversation that was about to take place between us required privacy. I smiled to myself. /Who knew a sentient alien robot from another planet could have more forethought and empathy than most humans on this one!/.

Orianna had not watched him leave, instead she had stood staring down at me, hands still in her pockets. She was chewing on her lower lip as if deciding whether to say something or not.

I smiled softly at her. ''It's good to see you OC.''

She nodded and looked away, seemingly staring at the machines beside me or behind me. Anywhere, but at me.

I moved to sit up and winced slightly at the pain from my wounds. She snapped her attention back at me for a moment. I chuckled as I settled back against my pillows. ''I'll eventually be able to move again without whining like a baby!''

''By all accounts, I hear you're lucky to be alive.'' Her voice was flat as she stared at me.

I nodded as I tried not to think of my nightmare once more. ''Yep.'' I watched her carefully. ''Prime saved my life – twice.''

Orianna rocked on her feet slightly and nodded, looking away. A small smile played on her lips. ''Yeah, well. That's what he does best isn't it. Saves everyone.'' She looked back at me. ''Often from their own stupidity.''

''Perhaps.'' I continued to watch her. ''Then again, Optimus does a lot of things well.'' I snorted as I sunk back into the pillows, my hands clenching fistfuls of bed sheets. ''Almost too well.''

OC's eyes narrowed as she planted her feet firmly on the floor and folded her arms. ''And what's that supposed to mean Lennox?''

I held her gaze.

I was hoping we might be able to just talk for a bit before we addressed the elephant in the room, but clearly not. /Rip it off, like a band aid!/. I leaned forward slightly. ''Well, you can take it to mean whatever you like Orianna, but I guess, for me at least, it means I was never going to measure up to him!'' Orianna flinched at my words. I snorted angrily. ''I was ALWAYS second best to him. Not that you'd ever admit..''

''YOU'RE RIGHT!'' She snapped.

It was my turn to flinch at her unexpected honesty.

Orianna took a step towards me, shaking her head. ''You're right Lennox. You're no Optimus Prime.'' She scoffed. ''Far from it!'' I felt myself bristle as I glared at her.

She took another step towards me, her voice softening. ''But then, Optimus is not you either!'' Her eyes filled with tears, but she looked to the ceiling, blinking rapidly. ''I loved you both for different reasons.'' Some of my anger began to recede as I sunk back against the pillows.

Orianna bit her lower lip as she shook her head, raising a hand to quickly dab at her eyes. ''I thought I had lost you Lennox.'' She closed her eyes as she wrapped her arms around herself, but still she kept her distance. ''I thought I would never get the chance to see you again, to speak to you, to say how sorry I was for ever hurting you.'' Tears did fall from her eyes then as she looked at me. ''I never meant to, but I know I did.''

I exhaled and closed my eyes. My own eyes stung as I nodded. ''Yeah, you did.''

''And I'm sorry Lennox. Sorrier than you will ever know.'' She took a small step towards me, taking a deep, shaky breath. ''But you've hurt me too.''

''I know Orianna.'' I gave a loud sigh of resignation and regret. ''I didn't tell you I was leaving that night of the mission and I should have. I'm sorry.'' She didn't reply, she just looked at me.

I leaned forward. ''But I was angry. You left me outside your apartment and drove off to get a bloody cardigan.'' My voice began to rise incredulously as memory and emotions came flooding back. ''Six hours later - you were still missing!'' I shook my head as I recalled other times Orianna had disappeared for hours at a time without any explanation. ''And it's not the first time either!''

She looked away, seemingly unable to meet my gaze. ''Not a single phone call or text message. NOTHING!'' I barked at her. Orianna flinched and wiped at a tear in silence. ''And the thing that hurts the most, is that you didn't think to contact me, because you were with HIM!''

My chest was rising and falling rapidly as I glared at her. /God what I would give to be able to get up and pace about the room right now!/. The anger and hurt that had been simmering away within me for some time now found its way to the surface. ''You were alone with Optimus, weren't you?

Orianna exhaled softly as she looked at me steadily. ''Lennox, it's not like I intended for that to happen…''

''WERE'NT YOU?!'' I bellowed. My fists were clenched by my sides and I was leaning precariously close to the edge of the bed.

She nodded in silence.

I closed my eyes as I absorbed the impact of her unspoken words. ''Jesus OC! Did you even go back and get your cardigan that night?'' Opening my eyes, I sneered spitefully at her. ''Or was that some pathetic fucking excuse to secretly meet up with Optimus?''

''I DID go back to get my cardigan Lennox!'' Orianna took an explosive step towards me, her fists clenched by her sides in a mirror image of me. ''and as I was getting it, I had the pleasure of seeing Optimus on a date with Olivia Winters.''

The angry lines on my face softened as I registered this news. l frowned at her. ''That must have been…difficult… for you to see.''

She scoffed out loud, glaring down at me. ''No Lennox - not at all!'' Sarcasm dripped from every word. ''Suffice it to say the cardigan became an after thought as I left Jake's Place and headed to the beach to clear my head.'' She began to pace about. ''Optimus brought it to me a little while later – minus Olivia.'' She paused to look at me. ''That's how he ended up on the beach with me that night.''

I nodded in understanding, but something still didn't sit right. I recalled how annoyed Prime was when he took that call about having to head out on the mission that night. ''So, nothing happened between you both? He just handed you the cardigan and left?''

She swallowed slowly and looked away from me. ''We talked. Healed some wounds between us.''

''And?'' I prodded her. I knew where this was headed. ''What else did you both do?''

Orianna raised her head, turning to look directly at me. She folded her arms across her chest, a defiant look settling on her features. ''We kissed Lennox.''

I released the breath I had been holding and shook my head at her. It hurt. To finally hear the words spoken, to know what that implied - hurt. But I wasn't totally shocked by this revelation. It simply confirmed for me what path we were now headed down.

''And by the way,'' Orianna continued, ''talking of ''secretly meeting'' people.'' She stood right beside my bed, looking down at me. 'Who is this 'Sarah' and how have you come to have feelings for her?''

I froze.

Orianna reached for the chair Epps had been sitting on and turned it around, pulling it towards the bed. ''Please, take your time Lennox!'' Her tone came across as light and friendly, though venom saturated her words. ''You can't really go anywhere and I sure as shit am not until I hear your explanation of the fucking hypocrisy at work here.'' She sat back in the chair and stretched her legs out before her, bringing her hands up behind her head she eyed me carefully.

My mouth had slightly fallen open at her accusation and I found myself blinking rapidly as I lay back against the pillows. ''Hypocrisy? What…''

''I mean Lennox,'' Orianna shot forward, elbows her knees as she glared at me. ''Why are YOU allowed to be so righteously angry at me for having feelings for Optimus, when YOU yourself have been seeing someone behind my back for fuck know's how long!''

''It wasn't like that!'' I growled back at her. ''I just met Sarah at the Brit Club a few weeks ago.'' I looked pointedly at her. ''After one of our many fights.''

Orianna chuckled as she shook her head. ''You must have made an AWFULLY big impression on her Lennox or vice versa!'' Her laughter faded and she fixed me with a serious stare. Her lower lip trembled, and she bit it to still it. ''I was here.''

I frowned in confusion. ''What do you mean? I don't..''

''I know you think I abandoned you when I should have been by your side Lennox.'' I looked away. ''Truth is, I was by your side the whole time. For nearly two weeks I stayed here – waiting.''

I nodded, ''Epps said as much earlier.'' I sighed out loud. ''I'm sor...''

Orianna simply held her hand up and I obliged, falling silent. ''As I was saying Lennox, for nearly two weeks, I sat by this bedside waiting for you to wake up so I could say sorry to you. Sorry for hurting you, sorry for letting you down. Sorry for not being good enough for you. For not being who you deserved to have.''

I closed my eyes as the weight of her words and my own deception and cowardice settled upon me. Orianna was right. I had no business accusing her of something I myself was guilty of. I exhaled some of the anger and hurt I had been holding onto.

''You wanna know why I haven't been here all week?'' Orianna's voice was strangely flat, almost emotionless as she looked straight ahead at the machines by my bed.

I nodded as I opened my eyes once more and looked at her. ''I was here that morning you woke up. I came back from getting a drink and I saw you together.'' Tears gathered in her eyes, but she didn't wipe them away. She let them fall as she continued speaking. ''I saw her taking that first moment with you that should have been mine. I saw the way you looked at her. I saw the way she looked at you. And I knew in that moment there was no longer any need for me to be there.''

I wanted to say something, but I dared not interrupt her again. I had seemingly caused her enough hurt and pain these past few weeks.

''And I was damned if I was going to stand around and watch myself be replaced all over again!'' I tried to reach for her hand, and she wordlessly shifted hers away. My hand stilled by my side. Orianna closed her eyes, the action sending several tears rolling down her cheeks. ''I heard the way you spoke to each other.'' She finally turned her head to look at me. I looked away, unable to bear the pain in her eyes. ''Have you kissed her?''

I nodded slowly before I forced myself to turn around and look at her. ''Yes. Just once.''

She snorted. ''Once is all it takes Lennox.'' She smiled sadly at me. ''As you well know.'' She rolled her lips and looked to the ceiling, sniffing back tears.

''Orianna. I'm sorry I…''

''What? Never meant to hurt me?'' She snorted wryly as she looked back at me, eyebrow raised. ''There's a lot of that going around.''

''Well, no, I didn't. But it's not like I went looking for Sarah,'' I shrugged my shoulders gingerly as I looked imploringly at her. ''It just kind of happened, and I felt so alone, so cut off from you…''

Giving a funny chuckle, Orianna pushed off from the chair and stepped back a pace. ''Right Lennox. It's my fault. I drove you away, right into her arms, didn't I?''

I growled angrily as I sat forward once more. ''I didn't say that OC!''

''You didn't need to.'' She smiled sadly down at me as she slipped both hands in her jean's pockets.

I lay there, frowning at her.

Orianna looked from the doorway back to me. ''Look, Lennox. I don't want to fight with you anymore and I certainly don't want to hurt you anymore.'' She chuckled softly. ''Contrary to what you might believe, I DO care a great deal about you. Always have.''

''Likewise, OC,'' I interjected. ''I always will.'' My frown faded and I raised my hand, reaching for her. A silent invitation.

Orianna stood staring at my hand for a moment before she moved forward and tentatively grasped it within her own. I smiled at the contact. I really had missed her. I was so very glad and grateful to have the opportunity to see her again and to talk. To make things right between us.

It was as though an enormous weight had lifted from me, yet at the same time a sadness filled me. We were freeing each other, but at the same time, a part of me was going with her. I looked hopefully up at her. ''Friends?''

Nodding her head at me and leaning forward, Orianna placed a gentle kiss on my forehead. ''I was your friend long before I was anything else to you William Lennox.'' She reached out and stroked my face and I placed my hand over hers. ''At the very least, that is something I hope we will always be…''

''Knock, knock,'' a familiar voice rang out as the sound of the door clicking open drew our attention. ''Lennox, why's the door…''

The sandy blonde-haired woman froze mid stride as her eyes came to rest on us. Sarah's cheeks blushed crimson and she looked from Orianna to me and down to the floor. ''I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to - interrupt.'' She began to back out towards the corridor, pulling the door with her.

Orianna winked at me before turning to smile at Sarah. ''Nothing to interrupt. We're all done here.'' She stepped away, moving towards Sarah, who had frozen in place. ''Sarah, isn't it?'' She tilted her head at her.

Sarah smiled quickly at Orianna and over to me before releasing the door handle and drawing herself up to her full height. ''Yes. That's right. And I believe you must be Orianna.'' Sarah extended her hand. ''Pleased to meet you - formally.''

Orianna chuckled as she stared at the proffered hand for a moment. I squirmed in my bed. /This could go one of several ways/. Orianna, didn't take her hand, instead she reached out and patted her shoulder. ''I am, indeed, Sarah.''

Orianna turned back to look at me, her hand squeezing Sarah's shoulder a little firmly. ''Thanks so much for taking such good care of my good friend Lennox this past week.'' Sarah looked in confusion from Orianna to me and back again, she knew we had been in a relationship. Yet no explanation was forthcoming from either of us.

I squirmed even more at the implication behind the words. Orianna's grinned broadened at my apparent discomfort. She turned back to face Sarah who wasn't quite sure how to take the interaction. ''He's lucky to have such a dedicated nurse and friend like you Sarah. So thorough in their service.''

I coughed as Sarah blushed furiously at her words, her body tensing. Orianna chuckled and released her shoulder patting it once more as she stepped past her and into the doorway. She smiled at me. ''He's all yours Sarah. Make sure you look after him.'' With a wave over her shoulder, Orianna stepped out of the doorway and disappeared.

''What was that all about Lennox?'' Sarah asked the moment Orianna left. ''What the hell just happened?'' She came and sat heavily in the vacant seat beside me.

I smiled at the empty doorway and shook my head. Orianna had played that beautifully. /It's what we do. What we have always done./

''WILL!'' Sarah asked more forcefully, utter confusion swum within her green-blue eyes. ''What on earth JUST happened?''

I reached out and grabbed her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. ''Things just became 'uncomplicated' Sarah.''