Chapter 7

Thank you for the reviews and the feedback. You have no idea how they much they mean to me.

Credit to Life-Luvr123 for giving me the idea for a femme Decepticon.

I do not own Transformers.

Optimus packed up everything for Gabby that he could fit into his bipedal mode. Gabby wanted to help, but he would let her. She was so funny when she was pouting.

The ride was pretty boring, and since she had been up half the night, she had gone into the bed of the cab and fell asleep right away.

They did have to make multiple stops for bathroom breaks, and food. Optimus would get most of the food, because the baby was active and glowing blue eyes would probably freak other travelers out.

Simmons was with Bee behind them. Simmons had learned how to speak to Bee, and their conversations were pretty entertaining as with Sam's.

They also had Sides and Ironhide with them for extra protection just in case.

Ratchet had left right after he had scanned Gabby the night before so he would be waiting for them when they arrived.

Optimus knew he needed a recharge badly, but his sparkling and Gabby was his first priority. He would recharge once they were there safely.

They had entered Denver by the early evening. Gabby was now awake, and had just eaten. Luckily, she was feeling pretty good after getting some rest, but Optimus and others could not say the same, they were glad to be there to get some recharge.

"You know I had a pretty boring life before we met, now I've gotten to see things that never crossed my mind," she said jokingly.

Optimus chuckled. "Things could get pretty dull on Cybertron too. At least this planet isn't all metal, now that can get boring."

Gabby laughed softly watching the mountains of the front range of the Rockys into the view.

She smiled into the mirror, and said, "I would have still loved to see it."

Optimus scoffed, and said, "Yes, and then you would be crying for some color after a few minutes."

Gabby shook her head in amusement as Optimus continued to chuckle.

They entered into a huge field that would be the entrance to the bunker. Gabby had noticed the horse at the airport. It was absolutely ugly! She had never seen anything like it. It seemed to be some kind of secret beacon. She would never understand people or the government.

She hated this being her home for the next few months, but what could she do.

Optimus sighed loudly through the speakers.

"What?" Gabby asked confused.

"Barricade," he answered flatly. He was not a happy mech right now. He should have known Barricade would not stay away.

Gabby looked around, and couldn't quite see him yet.

"Optimus, Barricade is coming up on us fast," Ironhide said through the commlink.

"Let's take him off our hands, and put him out of his misery," Sides commented.

"You guys back off! He is mine!" Bee growled.

Optimus made sure Gabby heard the whole conversation. He could see the battle going on within her. She was fighting her loyalty with the Autobots, and her friendship with the Decepticon. Optimus was not angry at her at all for how she felt; Primus only knew he'd experienced similar things in his lifetime. The only thing that made him angry was that Barricade was doing this to her.

Suddenly, Barricade pulled in front of the procession forcing Optimus to slam on his brakes. He cursed in his language, and held Gabby in place with the seatbelt.

Barricade transformed, and pointed his gun at them. All the other Autobots transformed, and pointed their guns back at the Decepticon.

Optimus stayed in bipedal mode. Simmons had run over to help Gabby if it was needed.

"Gabrielle needs to come with me, or she and her sparkling will die now," he said. Optimus heard the pain in his voice, though the threat pissed him off.

"I don't think so, punk!" Bee said charging his weapon.

"Stay out of this, Bee! You have no idea what you're messing with," Barricade said.

Gabby started to shed tears. Optimus had to stay in bipedal mode no matter what happened to protect her.

"This Decepticon is not going to go away, and even be destroyed for this," Simmons commented, handing Gabby a tissue.

Gabby wiped her eyes; she could still see Bee and Barricade arguing with each other. She could tell Barricade was getting desperate.

She turned to Simmons, and said, "Barricade saved our lives in the desert when Galloway went crazy. He has been a friend to me, so it is very upsetting to see this."

Simmons eyes widened at her. Gabby smiled slightly.

"And he has made nothing but trouble since we found out about Thunderwing," Optimus growled.

"What?" Gabby asked confused.

"He showed up when I was on my way back to the house, and told me Thunderwing got loose of the asteroid belt, and he was close," Optimus said.

'I'm sorry, after that incident last night with the sparkling, I didn't want to upset you," Optimus said.

Gabby was surprised, but she understood.

"Gabby!" Barricade yelled in desperation. "Gabby, please don't fight me."

Now Sides and Ironhide had Barricade as a prisoner. Bee had a gun pointed at his head.

"It's ok, Gabby," Optimus said. He couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy by the concerned look on her face for the other mech. But, he knew that she felt she owed the Decepticon for that day in the desert not anything else, but still…..it was there.

Optimus suddenly heard the loudest flying machine he had ever heard here on Earth, and he knew that sound, and the sense of dread took over his circuits. He tried to calm the slight overload, but found it hard. Thunderwing was absolutely impenetrable, and it put fear in the optics of the bravest of the Autobots including himself.

Optimus was not surprised he was with Unicron now, though he had always been loyal to Megatron first. He was also not surprised that the Decepticon had survived the ultimate destruction of Cybertron.

Optimus looked at Gabby who was sticking her head out the window. The sparkling's eyes glowed brightly through her belly.

"What was that?" She asked.

Simmons was looking around furiously. "That's….not good."

Optimus knew he would have to transform.

Ratchet had come out, so he would transfer the humans to him.

"That…..is not good, and that is Thunderwing," he said flatly.

Gabby looked at Optimus in fear. He found them.

Barricade started screaming, "I told you! I can't help her now!"

Optimus ignored the Decepticon. He would do his best to protect his mate, and their child.

"Gabby…"Optimus started.

Her brown eyes flashed in fear. Tears were streaming down her face.

"I want you and Simmons to get into Ratchet, he will take you into the bunker and lock it down," he ordered. "Do you have enough strength?"

Gabby nodded, and said, "Yes, I am ok."

Ratchet pulled up beside them and opened the door.

"We better go now…." Simmons said. The jet engine sound was getting closer.

"Come on!' Gabby yelled over the engine noise.

Simmons jumped out of Optimus and ran around to help Gabby out.

The jet landed as Simmons was getting Gabby out of Optimus. Simmons and Gabby stopped when they got to the ground. Gabby had never seen anything like it in her life.

It could have been a Boeing, but then again it just wasn't. The bipedal of Thunderwing was much bigger than any passenger jet that Gabby had ever seen in her life. It was a red, blue, gold, and white color, with the Decepticon symbol prominently displayed everywhere.

"My God," Simmons whispered in absolute fear.

Dust and wind blew everywhere, which almost blew them over, and Gabby realized the power of this jet and it's thrusters. She worried for Optimus. Optimus then transformed as Gabby and Simmons took steps back to get out of the way.

All the Autobots went into battle mode, except for Ratchet.

Gabby could only stand there as she heard an evil laugh emit from the Decepticon seeker. She would never forget that sound as long as she lived.

She gasped as he transformed. It was a sight to see even though he personified evil in every way.

The Decepticon had to be at least 50 feet tall and 100 feet wide. He was huge in every way, but it was his face, she would have implanted in her mind forever. The face was gold plated, and mouth had fangs! Fangs! His eyes glowed the deepest ruby she had ever seen. They were almost as bright as the sun.

His helmet was white with a blue metal plating on top that looked like horns. The rest of his body was the shape of the plane with the thrusters at his shoulders.

He was twice or maybe 5 times bigger than the Autobots put together.

"Give me the human that is impregnated with the new Prime," he roared.

Gabby never heard a voice like that in her life. Optimus's was so deep and gentle, but this voice was so loud and dominating.

Optimus dispatched his weapons, and said, "Over my dead body!"

Thunderwing laughed at him. "So brave Prime. It has been a while."

"Not long enough Thunderwing. This planet is not yours for the taking, and neither is my sparkling."

Ratchet suddenly called to Gabby and Simmons and said, "Gabby, Simmons, get in here now, while he is distracted."

Gabby did not want to leave Optimus, but for the baby they had no choice. It all changed when you were about to become a parent.

Thunderwing spotted the humans starting to move, and said, "You will come with me human."

Before Gabby and Simmons could run into Ratchet he was suddenly rammed by what Gabby could describe by a green and gold Ford Edge.

Simmons pushed Gabby out of the way as Ratchet turned over from the impact.

"Ratchet!" Gabby screamed.

Then all hell broke loose. The mechs began firing, and Gabby was feeling so sick she thought she would pass out. The baby's eyes were almost glowing white. She grabbed her stomach in pain, but had to try to ignore it.

"Oh shit!" Simmons yelled. "What the hell do we do now?"

Gabby frantically looked around for some kind of cover. She spotted what looked like an old office building off to the right.

Both humans ducked as guns were firing. She watched in horror as Bee was picked up and thrown so effortlessly by Thunderwing.

Ratchet had transformed, and the green Ford Edge did the same. Gabby realized it, was….oh wow… this was the female Decepticon. Except her eyes, they were green!

You could tell by the way she was built. Her curves were definitely not male. She wasn't too tall, but she was tough. Her head had a black helmet and her face was also gold. Her face was longer than the usual mechs faces not as wide.

"I would say she's hot, but she is a robot," Simmons commented.

Gabby frowned at him. Now, is not the time for jokes. Simmons gave her an apologetic look, and they took off for the office building.

The female and Ratchet began wrestling to the ground. She heard a light female voice telling Ratchet to give it up and give her the female human.

All around them the chaos began to escalate. They were yelling, dust was flying; rocks were hitting them from everywhere. Gabby had seen Ironhide take a big hit to his leg.

Gabby could feel the pain, but tried to ignore it. Only a few more feet to get there, and hopefully to some safety.

Suddenly, Simmons was pushed aside violently. They had been hand in hand, but now Gabby screamed in horror as he flew threw the air and hit the ground hard.

"Seymour!" Gabby screamed. She couldn't just leave him; she wanted to make sure he was alive.

Gabby grabbed her side, and started to run over to him, but another Decepticon blocked her way in holoform.

She looked up into the glowing red eyes and black hair with a beard of Barricade.

He looked at her once more and said, "I'm sorry for this."

"Get out of my way,'Cade!" She yelled at him.

He shook his head and grabbed her arm.

Gabby tried to fight him, but she knew there was no use. He was too strong, and he was too weak.

She felt the tears come as everything else went into slow motion.

Optimus was in Thunderwings grip, and was screaming her name. Bee, and Sides were lying on the ground. Ratchet was still wrestling the female Decepticon.

Gabby turned and looked at Barricade once more in holoform. She gave him a look of clear shock and sadness.

"Why?" It was all she could ask. He was her friend, and he was betraying her. However, did she know all along that he would?

He pulled her close to him where their lips were almost touching.

She couldn't fight him. He had her in a death grip.

"I have my orders," he whispered.

"You don't have to do this," she cried desperately.

Despite the noises around them, she heard him loud and clear.

He looked her straight in the eye again, and said, "I love you."

Gabby cried out at a jab in her arm. She saw the glint of the needle that he was holding.

Barricade's holoform sad face was the last thing she saw before everything went black.

…..

Optimus fell to the ground, and writhed in pain. Why had Thunderwing let him go?

Thunderwing laughed, and said, "Mission accomplished."

Not knowing what he meant, Optimus looked up at him in confusion.

Thunderwing looked down at him and said, "We have her Prime." He then pointed.

Optimus looked to where he was pointing to, and the horror took another form.

The limp body of Gabby in Barricade's holoform arms was enough to make him want to throw up energon or go crazy, whichever came first. The sickness was overwhelming. He couldn't think, couldn't move. His love was now in their grips. He was too late, and not strong enough to keep her safe. This was not Starscream, no, this was much, much worse.

"Gabby!" He cried out.

He started to get up to try to get to her, but was stopped by a huge foot on his back.

He cried out in pain again, and felt the grief overtake him. He could feel she was still alive, but who knew for how long.

"Gabby!"

He couldn't shoot at Barricade, no, it would kill her in the process.

The others were down, and Ratchet was still busy.

"Please let her go," Optimus said frantically.

"No, Prime. The spark is now mine!"

Thunderwing was so fast that it was amazing.

He transformed, and Optimus tried to rise to get a shot in, but couldn't. He took off on a run to get to her when Barricade placed Gabby in Thunderwing.

Optimus was so close when pain hit his left side. The femme had shot him, and it made him fall face first into the dirt. He coughed up energon, and looked up.

The jet had taken off into the sky. Barricade as riding away as well as the femme.

Optimus whimpered. She was gone! She was really gone, he thought his head buried in the dirt with a grief he could not describe.

He got up holding his side and cried out. His soldiers were down, and he didn't know if Simmons lived. Ratchet was limping over to Sides.

Gabby, she was gone. He couldn't pick up a signal. He hadn't even told her he loved her more than anything else that he ever encountered in his life before she was taken.

He roared in despair, and fell to the ground on his knees.