Chapter 9
Hey All. This will be my last chapter for today. I know, I know cliffhangers suck, but I promise this chapter won't be one.
I do not own Transformers.
Ratchet stopped what he was doing. He lost his temper thinking about Gabby, and threw the equipment on the floor in anger. He knew he was tired, and needed a recharge. Gabby had now been missing for a week.
She was like a little sister to him. She was his partner, friend, and all around partner in crime per se with her engineering skills, and he missed her terribly. He couldn't help her now, and he worried about her pregnancy tremendously. He knew deep down she was still alive, but for how much longer. This was so unpredictable, and it was eating at him badly.
Ironhide was fixing the rest of his cannon that was damaged in battle with Thunderwing, and looked over at him sadly. The Autobots were recovering nicely. Though Sides had to be rebooted 3 times to get him back online. Bee was hell bent on revenge against Barricade, and was now out patrolling for him, though Ratchet knew all the Decepticons were far away with Gabrielle.
A shadow seemed to fall over NEST base over the news. Lennox cried silently over the news. Mearing had been sending out patrols looking for her. Ratchet had been comforting Maria, Gabby's best friend. Maria had seen so many losses in battle, and she was taking this hard. Yes, Maria and Ratchet had been secretly seeing each other over the last month. He knew he was falling for her, but right now he had to put that aside.
Simmons had only suffered a minor concussion, and was working with Lennox to locate Gabby, though he should still be resting.
He had seen Brains scanning the Internet constantly for any signs of his mistress.
He never said much, but had started the bad habit of smoking human cigarettes, and when he was thinking of Gabby he would go off and smoke a lot.
Ironhide threw down some tools. "Argh! We should be doing something!"
Ratchet looked over at his brother and said, "I know, but this is Prime's decision. Let him do what he needs to do. Leave him be."
Optimus had been missing for 5 days now. Ratchet knew he was almost scanning the globe trying to find his mate. He had stopped in New Jersey first to relay the news to her family. Ratchet had no idea how that went because after that Optimus had put Jazz in charge, and turned off all communication. He could be anywhere right now. Ratchet admitted he was just as worried about his leader as he was about Gabby.
…
Optimus was driving. He had scanned almost every corner of this country looking for Gabby. He was now in the Pacific Northwest. He would have admired the majestic views any other time, but now was not the time.
Every time he did take a slight rest, he cried to himself. It may have been physically impossible in this form, but mechs had their own ways of showing emotions.
He would not stop until he found her, and his sparkling. The look on her parents face had said it all of what he was feeling now. In fact, he had to take Gabby's father to the hospital for chest pains when he told them what happened. Luckily, it was stress and not another heart attack. He couldn't bear to tell Gabby the bad news when he found her.
Her mother actually begged him to find her and cried into his arms. He was surprised, but she was so defeated over everything that had happened to her daughter she needed the comfort at the time.
"Please just bring her and my grandchild home safely," she had said.
The words rang in his computerized ears over and over again. He would bring her home he swore it on Primus.
Once he found her he would tear Barricade apart piece by piece despite Gabby's protests, if any. He didn't know how she felt about Barricade now after what he pulled. Still, he would tear him apart piece by piece.
He could take care of Deserae eventually. He had a rule, he did not hurt females or sparklings no matter what their standing, but if she hurt his mate he would make an exception.
He never knew Deserae existed, but he wasn't surprised. Megatron probably had sparks everywhere in the galaxy. The fact that she was Thunderwing's mate; it really was a shock to his system.
Thunderwing. He never knew his weak spot. He would find out. He would have his revenge. This time, he was no leader, he was a mech hell bent to save his mate and sparkling.
Beeeeeeeppppppppp!
Oh shit! Optimus had been so lost in his thoughts that he swerved to the other side of the road. He had almost hit another semi in the process. He activated his holoform though it was mostly static as to not give himself away.
That was the last thing he needed was to kill another human.
"Dude, what the fuck was that?" The other driver came over the CB radio.
He had hooked that up a while ago, truckers were great men who told of everything they saw on the road. It was a great Decepticon detector.
Optimus grabbed the microphone and said, "I'm sorry my friend, I have been driving all day."
He had also learned some of their codes. For cops, and food, and women when they were feeling lonely. He had been a semi long enough to understand it.
"Time to pull it over for the night," the other driver was understanding of him, thankfully. He wasn't in the mood to argue over his driving skills.
"Any news?" That meant anything out of the ordinary.
"Nah man, just the rain pounding the roof as usual up here. No cops along the way for at least 200 miles that I've seen."
"Thank you, my friend."
"No prob. Get some sleep."
Optimus hooked the microphone back up in its place, and spotted a rest stop 20 miles off. It was a primitive way of communication, but very effective. He needed to recharge whether he liked it or not.
Tomorrow he would be heading into Canada and then onto Alaska if no word came out.
He guessed maybe he should contact the rest of the Autobots and make them aware of where he was, but his first thought was Gabby.
Oh Primus, how much he missed her.
He would find her or die trying.
Optimus pulled into the rest stop. He was alone here. It was a beautiful sight of the raging ocean hitting the rocks. The beach was down below a walkway.
Optimus stayed in his holoform, and leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes.
The rain pounded the roof of him. He let the rain soothe his tortured soul. He had no use for heat, though it was cold, rainy, and windy up in this part of the country. Of course, the heat would be on if Gabby were with him, and they would be here enjoying the view together…
Optimus's eyes snapped open. He was getting wet? His optics glowed.
How did he get on the beach in his holoform?
He looked around confused. The rain was still falling, the wind blew his hair, and he could clearly hear the waves crashing against the rock.
He could see his bipedal mode still on the rest stop. It was dark and quiet up on the hill.
A wave of water came up to his boots. He looked down, though it did not affect him, he was still confused how he had gotten out here.
He knew in human form he was soaked to the bone, as they would say.
He turned to make his way back to his bipedal mode. Primus he was exhausted.
He happened to turn to the south, when he spotted the human.
The human had to be about a half mile away. He focused his optics, and gasped.
Ash blonde hair waived around in the wind. It was definitely female.
She wore jeans, and a white jacket. Her hair soaked from the weather.
That's something…..that's something Gabby would wear!
The human female gazed out to the ocean in peaceful bliss of surrounding weather.
He focused his optics even more. His breath caught in his throat. He still could not see her face, but…..no….it couldn't be.
Gabby?
No! It couldn't be…..could it?
"Miss?" He called to her.
She didn't seem to notice him.
"Miss, it can be dangerous out here, you better take cover," he called again.
She probably couldn't hear him over the waves.
Optimus decided to do the right thing, and try to help the human female. She might be in trouble.
He started to jog closer to her. She still was not moving. He could have appeared at her side in a moment, but he didn't want to scare her.
"Miss, please," he pleaded, as he got closer. The water was getting dangerously close to her. He could only hope the woman wasn't suicidal. He would do his best to help her if she was.
He was so damn tired. He stumbled through the sand a few times as he came upon her.
He didn't want to scare her into doing anything rash, so he slowed down.
She still just stood there and looked out over the ocean seemingly unaware of his presence.
He was processing how to approach her, when she did something that stopped him dead cold.
She turned and smiled at him.
I know that face, he thought frantically.
"Gabby!" Optimus yelled. Oh thank Primus she was safe, and she was waiting for him.
There she was. She was like an angel from heaven, as the humans would say.
Optimus took off in a run to get to her. He would never let her go again. Ever!
"Gabby!"
Why wasn't she saying anything to him? He though confused. Why wasn't she moving to him? She had to know it was him by now.
Wait. Why wasn't she…showing signs of pregnancy?
He was about to come up and swoop her in his arms, when she…NOOOOOOO!
She disappeared.
Optimus tripped in some sand where the hallucination of Gabby had stood.
He fell face first and coughed up some sand.
His fist started to pound the sand. "No, no, no, no. NOOOOO!"
He turned over on his back, and let the water wash over him. He didn't care anymore. He would just lay here and let the ocean take him. He was so tired.
He didn't know how long he had been lying there, when he heard footsteps approach softly in the sand.
He looked up to see beautiful blue-white eyes glowing down at him.
He knew who it was immediately. This time Primus was in human form as well. He wore a white robe, and white shoes.
"Am I dead?" He asked telepathically.
Primus chuckled. "No."
Optimus knew that voice anywhere.
"Rise Prime," The god ordered.
Optimus got up and faced his master. His holoform had long black hair tied back at his neck. His eyes glowed over tanned skin, and he was perfectly shaven.
"Is she dead?" He swallowed hard at the thought.
Primus shook his head. "No, but she cries for you now. She is fine. She bravely awaits you."
Optimus bent over and tried to catch his breath. His bipedal shook in the distance.
He stood back up, and said through teary eyes. "But, I can't find her."
Primus looked over the ocean serenely. It was making Optimus frustrated at his master.
"She is over the ocean and in the snow in a remote corner with the new Prime," he said turning back to his student.
Optimus was desperate. "Please, master. Please don't speak in riddles."
Primus turned back sharply to his student. Optimus looked down in resignation.
He looked back up to a Primus smiling slightly. "Follow those directions, and you will find her. I promise you."
"Your human child is very special Optimus," he said lowly.
Optimus nodded, getting desperate to find Primus's directions.
"She will play a big role in this, and she awaits your sign," he said.
"Master, I….."
Suddenly, Optimus was back in his bipedal mode.
Dammit! He was going to ask him what Thunderwing's weakness was.
He guessed he would have to find out for himself.
"Get some rest, Optimus," a voice ordered in his processors.
He listened. He knew after what just happened, he needed it. He had to be strong for his mate.
….
Gabby awoke with a start. She had been dreaming that she had been on a beach somewhere, and Optimus was running towards her.
The tears streamed silently down her cheeks, and she looked down. The baby's eyes glowed brightly. She missed him so much. She prayed to God she would see him again.
She did feel a little more peaceful at that moment.
That was so tough to write. I was almost in tears the whole time. It was well worth it though.
