I hope the last chapter gives an understanding of Saraphina's personality. She is actually one of my favorite characters that I had made a journal for years ago when I wondered what it would be like as a spy. Then I decided that I would not make a good spy since I am way too emotional but I liked how I wrote Allie's reunion with Optimus and I also like how Shalon was drawn to Optimus in my writing and how he couldn't resist her so I thought who would Sara be drawn to that would create conflict for her and give me something to write about.
I hope that you are enjoying the story and please take a moment to review so that I can read your thoughts and comments. Enjoy!
Ultra Magnus watched from the tarmac. Optimus took in his brooding form and walked over to his old friend.
"Why don't you tell her how you feel?" He said quietly so that no one else could over hear. Magnus stared at Optimus for the longest time before shaking his helm and turning back to look up at the observation deck.
"It's so complicated, Optimus. Since I had told Allie I intended to bond with her I have made so many mistakes with her. Now she doesn't want to have anything to do with me." Ultra Magnus said it with such grief in his voice that Optimus felt his pain in his spark.
"Just tell her you love her." Optimus said.
"You sound like Allie but she is so proud that I doubt she will believe me." Ultra Magnus said. He stopped for a moment as two femmes walked by talking oblivious to them. Magnus resumed lifting the cargo that had come in from Moon base 5 and Optimus assisted him with the work. They worked together for a while in silence until the transport was unloaded and then Optimus decided to try to talk to him again.
"Magnus, if you don't talk to her you will never know if it could work. At least if you tell her then she can decide whether to accept or reject you." Optimus told him quietly so no one overheard.
"Optimus, this had been going on since I first arrived here in the Realm. I have rejected her so many times that I doubt she would ever believe me." He said it sadly and Optimus had to think carefully because he wasn't sure just what to say.
"Please don't get mad with me but why? She is a beautiful femme and so delicate, I thought that she would be ideal for you since I know how much you love protecting those who are close to you." Optimus asked.
"She is beautiful and I love her zest for life, Optimus. She is just so small and I fear that I could do her more harm than good. I'm your size Optimus and she is barely taller than those twins Frenzy and Rumble." Ultra Magnus stated. "Why would Primus play such a cruel joke by making my spark react to her?"
"Sparks don't look at size or color or even what type of form we have. You are not the only mech to be placed in this situation. I have led troops for millions of years as Prime and this is nothing new Magnus." Optimus was trying to make him see that it wasn't about size or similarities. They were no longer a part of a segregated senate that would shun him for making an unusual choice. Optimus knew that the time that Magnus had served with the Elite Guard had left scars that ran deep. Maybe if he talked to Allie to make Comm. see that there was more to this than just Magnus not being able to make up his mind about the femme.
"Optimus, this is tearing me apart. My spark aches for her. How could those fools pick and choose mates so callously for their offspring and force them to spark bond? How could they ignore what Primus gave them in a true mate and yet despite how I feel disdain for those fools here I am still being effected by those same hideous rules that I hate. I can't even face her and tell her how I feel because in the back of my CPU I still hold the fear of what others will think." Ultra Magnus shook from the emotional outburst and he quickly clenched his fists and gritted his denta to keep the shaking down. It would not bode well to have an emotional outburst.
Allie walked over concerned for the emotions that she was feeling through the bond with Optimus.
"Hey, is everything alright?" She asked concerned for both mechs showing on her face.
"Yes, Allie we are fine." Optimus said as he rubbed his hands up and down her arms in support and affection. She smiled at his warm affection though it was muted while they were on the tarmac.
"Magnus, thank you for unloading the transport. I know that this is not your usual work." She said as she looked up to see Comm. in the observation room.
"You were talking to him about Comm. weren't you?"
"Yes, and unfortunately Magnus is a product of the old guard and is having trouble letting go of the old traditions."
"I see. I wish I had known that before I had encourages Comm. She is hurting very badly from all this."
"I know. He is too and now he feels that he had made so many mistakes that he won't be able to correct him."
"I keep working on Comm. if it will help. I know she loves him and she keeps shunning other mechs, even Rumble tried the other day, but she turned him down. Primus this is a mess."
"I keep talking to Ultra Magnus and see if we can get them together. Could we do an intervention like we did for Ironhide and Mia?"
"It's a thought. Comm. is not one to come to our quarters though. She is very private so I will have to think about how to approach this."
"I'll see you later. I need to take a viper for a test run." She kissed his battle mask and walked away waving to Ultra Magnus.
"She takes on a lot around here." Magnus said. "I know you discussed me."
"She's my mate, Magnus. I can't hide anything from her." Optimus expelled air from his vents. "She is concerned about the both of you. I suggested an intervention for both of you."
"That's not the problem." Magnus stated.
"When you love someone then it is going to show on some level in the interfacing. The best example of this is Megatron's and Shalon's relationship. Besides, you can always spark bond to her and then work out details later." Magnus's optics brightened with shock that his Prime would even suggest that. Take her in a bond that might upset her. Impossible!
"Prime do you know what you are saying?"
"She loves you Magnus. She is just being stubborn. Have you ever thought that she might want you to take action instead of this back and forth attitude you have now? Think about it. Femmes, like seekers, are programmed to look at what is best in a mate. They look at strength of character as well as if you can protect her. You have botched this in her eyes so now I am suggesting that you take action and to hell with the consequences because you and her are hurting." Optimus looked at him piercingly. "Let us set up the intervention. You just make up your mind what you want to do." Optimus gave him one more look, turned, and walked away.
Ultra Magnus thought about what Prime had said. It would be risky because Magnus felt that Prime did not truly understand the relationship that he and Comm. had. He and Comm. had been on again off again since Magnus had first come to the Realm and that was over a hundred years ago.
"Optimus set it up. I am still undecided about this but I'll make up my mind as I go. At least she can't beat a hasty retreat if there are three of us." Magnus yielded to the idea. He was still unsure that it would work but at this point he was losing anyway.
0o0o0o0o0o0o
Saraphina was packing her bag and selecting a few items from her quarters that she so very often spent time in. She focused her CPU on her task not daring to look into the problem that was really plaguing her mind and going through her list that she kept to make sure that she only packed items that didn't give her away while in the field. She heard the chime sound, one of the few luxuries she had installed since she hated the pinging noise that the other bells made, and she walked out into the living area to answer her door.
"Hey Allie, found time to come spend with me before I go? We could go in the city if you want but I would like to get an early night." Saraphina said this as she walked back to her berth room. She started packing again as Allie watched while she leaned against the wall.
"I thought about asking if you wanted to train on the floor tonight but then I decided that I rather talk to you here." Allie said after a while. "I think you might want to sit down for what I have to say though. You are not going to like it." Allie gave her time to look at her and then watched her sit down slowly, warily as she waited for Allie to continue.
"Okay, I'm sitting. What is this about?" Saraphina said slowly as she crossed her arms in a subconscious defensive move.
"Knockout asked Optimus' advice today." Allie waited a moment to let it sink in. "Optimus then called me because he didn't know what to tell Knockout. I told Knockout the truth."
"No, you had no right! He doesn't need to know about…he'll…he'll judge me…" She had started shouted but ended in a weak voice.
"So you do have feelings for him." Allie stated understanding how confusing the situation really was.
"Nothing can come from it. I still have a job to do." Saraphina stood up and began packing in a haste. "Maybe it's better that I leave tonight instead of in the morning."
"So you are going to run. You are not going to even give him a chance." Allie told her as she watched.
"Thank you for getting involved. Now I don't even want to go near him. What must he think of me, Allie? What did you imply to him?" She yelled at her. She turned back to Allie feeling that tentative hold that she kept on her sanity slipping.
"Don't go." Allie said softly.
"No, I have a job and I must do it." Saraphina said in that dead cold voice of hers.
"There are other jobs you can do Sara. We can always use you here." Allie walked slowly to her. "You deserve happiness too." Allie reached out and placed her hand on her shoulder and Sara flinched. "Don't do this to yourself. I do need you but I have other ways of obtaining Intel." Allie slowly wrapped her arms around Saraphina from behind. Saraphina placed her hands on Allie's arms and held to her for several minutes.
"I need to finish this job." Sara said quietly. "But I can stay until tomorrow. I'll talk to Knockout. Will that satisfy you?"
"Only if you are doing it for the right reasons." Allie replied. Sara turned around and looked at her best friend.
"I can never stay mad at you and you know that. I also guess that you didn't want to do this on the training mat because we would have really gone at it." Saraphina said.
"Yes, I felt that we needed to talk, seriously talk, like we used to before things became so complicated." Allie told her. She grasped her hands and the femmes smiled at each other.
"So Knockout." Allie stated.
"Yeah, he's fun and it's the first time I have ever felt anything in my spark for a mech." Sara said. "He tried to kiss me."
"How did it feel?"
"Scary."
"Really?"
"Really. I thought my spark was going to tear out of my chest." Sara said and looked at Allie. "Was it like that for you with the Prime?" She asked.
"No, I was terrified. You know how much I like to remain in control and here was this mech that was threatening it." Allie laughed. "But then I was already bonded and didn't know it and he would touch me and I would light up like wildfire."
"In the berth… I mean… you don't have to fake it with him." Sara asked.
"No, I don't. He know every place that will set me off and it is divine. I will never deny him." Allie said.
"I want to so bad, but Allie I'm afraid that I won't be able to hold into my sanity. What if he's the one and then I have to go…" Sara stopped a moment so stricken that Allie spark broke for her. "I couldn't taste heaven and then go back to the hell that I have been through." She whispered brokenly.
"Sara tell me what is going on." Allie grasped at her arms and pulled her to the berth. "What are you involved in."
"My contact… he has contacts in the underworld, Allie. The kind that can find you anywhere." Sara shuddered as she said this. Allie knew immediately who she was talking about.
"You're Lord Stephano's mistress aren't you?" Allie said incredulously.
"Yes. He is very demanding and if I stay away too long he will look for me." Sara said sadly. "I tried it once and he beat me for defying him and he won't let me go. The only consolation that I get is that I get to pass Intel to you."
"Oh shit Sara. You are in trouble." Allie looked at her with horror. "How the hell am I going to get you out of this one?"
"I don't know."
Allie had an idea though.
"How do you know of him?" Sara asked suddenly.
"Let's just say that he has political aspirations and I have had the unfortunate opportunity to encounter him at embassy parties and I have passed him at the theater."
"You've read him!" Sara exclaimed.
"I have."
"And?"
"He is dangerous and the only way to get you out is to kill him." Allie said reflectively
"It will not be easy."
"No, but I do know a way." Allie said. "Don't ask but I will get you out. You'll know when the time comes. I'll send a telepathic message to you."
"Are you going to do…?" Sara asked.
"Don't! The less you know the better." Allie stated. "Go to Knockout. If he is the one then bond with him. He will be a comfort to you while I work on getting you out." Allie said softly and Sara hugged her as she cried out her relief and pain.
