Chapter 6
I do not own Transformers.
I have a name for the baby, but that won't be till almost the end. So stay tuned!
Optimus and Gabby had her parents and her brother and his family come out to see her before they went into hiding. Gabby had received a message from Barricade via email that Thunderwing was due anytime, but got delayed from the asteroid belt.
He could see the fear in her and for their sparkling. While her parents were visiting her, he used the time to explore the bunker below the Denver International Airport. It was quite a sight to see in human technology. It had enough strength and storage to handle pretty much any human apocolypse. In fact, Optimus had found out leaders and important human figures had descended on the site when the Decepticons invaded Chicago.
He did not like that at all. What made one human life more important than another, especially, the human female who was carrying his sparkling. At this time he would keep his face plate shut about it. Simmons had given him a tour of the facility. It looked like a huge warehouse, but comfortable enough for humans to live without issues. It was perfect for the Autobots because it was tall enough for them to get in and out in robot mode.
NEST would stay where it was. Ratchet would move down into the bunker with them, but after many meetings the Autobots had decided to keep up the façade of NEST and stay there communicating with their leader through the commlink if need be. In case of his absense Optimus had put Jazz in charge. He was so glad to have his old friend back in action, and Jazz would keep all the Autobots in line though he would always wrestle the twins.
Bee was coming from Los Angeles to join the others. It will soon come to pass, and hopefully, he will be a father to a healthy sparkling, and Gabby will get through it without any issues.
Simmons had also gotten the permission to stay down there with them, Mearing stating it kept him out of her hair. Optimus chuckled to himself at that.
Simmons had decided to stay behind and do what he could to get the area ready. It had been cleared of most military presence, but some would stay.
Optimus was on his way back to Chicago to see Gabby and her family. They would leave in the morning, and Gabby and he would be on their way.
He was mostly through the state the humans called Kansas when his sensors spotted the cop car behind him, and catching up fast. He readied his weapons. At least Gabby was not with him. Then Optimus would worry.
Optimus realized Barricade had no weapons discharged, but he still kept on his guard.
Barricade pulled up beside him, and even though Optimus was a lot bigger than the Decepticon, Barricade could still be very sneaky.
"What is it that you want, 'Cade?" Optimus asked annoyed.
"You obviously got my message," he said.
"Yes, and I would like for you to stay as far away from my mate as the Earth permits," Optimus growled through the commlink in which they were speaking.
Barricade scoffed. "If you think you can protect her, then you are seriously mistaken."
"I have no doubts about it," Optimus did, but he wasn't going to admit it.
Barricade laughed. "Then you are a fool for a Prime."
"Do you really think that I would leave her in your protection, even after what you have previously pulled?"
Barricade suddenly transformed, throwing Optimus off the road in surprise. He skidded into a large cornfield, and the currently dormant human food plant landed everywhere on his bipedal form along with dirt and debris from a fence.
He transformed and shook off the debris, and faced his enemy.
"I could and I would," Barricade said angrily staring up at the Prime.
Optimus sighed loudly. "I doubt that. I have tried to thank you many times for saving our lives, but now you have shown you are no better than your brothers. You despise humans, so I do not understand your interest in my mate. Maybe you should explain it to me."
Barricade pointed a metallic talon at him, and said, "If she had looked my way that night, things might have been different."
Optimus knew this was the real Barricade. It was all a show, a softer side, he meant, for Gabby and her only.
Optimus laughed. "Really then why did she ram her car into you?"
Barricade growled. "Just because you're a weak Prime doesn't mean you ever deserved her!"
"You are acting like a sparkling, my friend! Do you want to fight over her? You know I want to tear you to pieces for trying to kiss her already, but I stopped, and why, is what I am questioning myself now."
Barricade growled again, and said, "She would have always been protected under me. I would have never let her get kidnapped and almost raped by Starscream, but you did because you are weak."
That was Optimus's breaking point. He discharged his cannon and pointed it at the Decepticon mech. "I have had enough! Stay away from her, or I will kill you."
Barricade smirked through his faceplates. "Your threats are empty Prime. You need me and you know it, and you hate every minute of it."
"I would be lying if that were not true, but your contact can come through me from now on."
Barricade laughed at the gun pointed at him. "Do you think I fear death? I don't. There is one thing I fear the most in this universe more than death."
"What?" Optimus said lowly. He hated to admit it, but he was intrigued.
"That I love a human. Your human and it feels awful, because she will never be mine, and she will always be human. She will never even turn my way. One thing I can give her is that is she is very loyal to you. She turned me down flat."
Optimus smiled to himself. He never doubted Gabby for a moment, but that made him feel good. His circuits were ready to explode.
"I intend to keep it that way," Optimus said. He was kind of surprised by Barricade's admission, but not really.
Deep down in his processors he could not blame Barricade for his feelings for Gabrielle. They were both first to meet the very special human female, but Optimus never even considered at the time that he would love her, but apparently Barricade did. His own softness made him pity the mech.
"How can you when she is carrying your sparkling?" He asked with an angry voice.
"I do and will not answer that question. Do you have anything else for me, or did you just intend to harass me over Gabrielle?" Optimus asked. He discharged his cannon, but still had his sword almost ready if needed.
Barricade looked a little sad, but said, "Thunderwing is out of the asteroid belt."
"Yes?"
"Yes, and he has a female mech with him. I am assuming that she is for Gabrielle."
"Yes?"
"You can't save her from him or the sparkling and you know it!"
Optimus growled discharged the sword. "As the humans say, 'Go to hell!'"
Barricade laughed again, and transformed. Without another word he took off through the cornfield.
Optimus put his sword away, and watched as the dormant crops gave way to the police car Decepticon.
He shook his head, and transformed back into bipedal mode, and drove back onto the road.
He would have to give Lennox the information about the farm, and see if the farmer needed any reimbursement.
…
Gabby could see that Optimus was distracted. He had returned from the bunker and was very quiet.
She was in no mood herself as her mother was driving her nuts, which in turn made the baby active, and in turn made her feel sick.
She did appreciate the things that her parents and Michael had brought for her. Her mother was disappointed that she would not receive a baby shower, and of course, bad mouthed the Autobots again.
"Remember, one these aliens is your grandchild," Gabby pointed out.
Her mother sighed loudly and looked up at the sky. She looked back at her daughter who had her hands on her hips. She was still nervous about the glowing eyes that seemed to stare straight at her from her daughter's fast growing belly.
"Lord, why my daughter? Why?" She whispered out loud.
Gabby felt her anger boil. Not this shit again. Just then her father walked into the kitchen, and Gabby shot past him.
"What's wrong, Gabby?" He asked concerned.
Gabby turned and said, "Dad, I have had enough. If you all," she pointed around the room to her shocked family, "can't accept what has happened then you can leave my life forever!"
Michael and his wife looked on confusion. Brittany her 3 year old niece stopped playing and whimpered a little.
Her mother didn't say much, but was fighting back tears.
"I am in love with an alien. Get it?! Right? That's what your daughter is. I am having his child. Guess what, this child is of your blood too whether you like it or not!"
Gabby looked around the room again, and her dad said, "We know Gabby….."
"No! No, you don't! He has feelings too. He is more human than anyone that I have ever met. He is haunted by the destruction of his world which he was leader, and he done nothing buy try to protect this one from the evils that come from space."
Gabby stopped for a moment fighting a wave of nausea.
"He has more burdens than any of you could ever dream of, and I love him, and if you can't accept it, then you can all go to hell!"
Her mother gasped. Michael smiled, and her father shook his head in disgust at his wife.
Gabby threw up her hands, and walked outside for some fresh air. She did reconcile with her family later, and her mother and her hugged for a while, but she knew her mother would never really accept Optimus as a son-in-law. Gabby had to think from her mother's point of view too, she was really concerned about the well being of her child and grandchild.
Now, Gabby and Optimus exchanged glances with Optimus in his robot form. Little Brittany had asked him to 'rans-fore.' Gabby and the rest of the family was surprised that her niece was not frightened of him in robotic mode. She squealed in delight at him when he picked her up, but just a few feet off the ground to keep her safe with Michael holding his daughter in place.
Kids were always the best judge of characters, or she thought Optimus was a carnival ride, Gabby thought amused.
He will be a great father. He was patient, and despite his size gentle with the little one. Gabby rubbed her belly absently watching.
Later that night her parents and brother left for the night. Gabby was exhausted, and had vomited once. The baby was turning, and keeping her up. At least she could sleep in the next day.
"Are you alright?" Optimus asked in his holoform concern on his face.
Gabby sat in the armchair breathing deeply with her eyes closed.
"She is active tonight," Gabby said, "It's like she is sensing something. I can just feel it."
Optimus was picking up on that too, and it was strange but he knew when the sparkling was happy, sad, distressed. This child was definitely his sparkling.
Optimus came over and kneeled down. He put his holoform hand over his mate's abdomen, and when he did he felt a jolt through the form. It was so powerful, that it actually sent his form flying back a little and made his processors almost overload. It wasn't a bad feeling it was just a surprise.
Gabby in turn looked like she had just hit a electric fence. Her body jolted in the chair, and she gasped.
Optimus could have sworn her brown eyes had glowed white for a moment.
"Gabby!" Optimus went to his mate who sat there for moment not moving.
Suddenly, Gabby took a deep breath and shook her head. Whatever happened seemed to pass.
"Gabby, are you alright?" Optimus was worried as she did not respond immediately.
Gabby didn't know how to respond. All she knew was that after Optimus had touched her stomach a feeling of absolute euphoria passed through her body. Actually, she felt better after that happened.
She turned and looked at Optimus. She could tell he was communicating with Ratchet.
She smiled at him, and said, "I am alright."
"Are you sure?" He scrunched his eyebrows.
"Yes, I have no idea what that was, but I felt nothing bad," she said more in thought about it than anything.
Ratchet insisted on driving over and scanning Gabby.
He found nothing out of the ordinary and the baby and mother, though exhausted, were fine.
Gabby thought the baby made a connection to her daddy, but she didn't voice it.
