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The kids played with each other for a little while longer (Musa coming along a little later) before we decided playtime was over. The kids had their excitement for the day; they needed to eat and have a nap.

"I love the person who invented naps," Abby sighed. "It's been heavenly having those two daredevils sleep."

"It's nice," I said. I looked back to where the Holoforms were; Bee looked almost pale. Could the Holoforms pale? It didn't matter. Bumblebee looked upset. Genuinely troubled. From the looks on Sideswipe's and Optimus's faces, they had informed Bee on the current situation of Autobot casualties. His baby blue eyes seemed dimmer, the usual mischievous glint that would light up his face and eyes had disappeared...I didn't even see it when I first saw him. There was nothing left of the old Bee. No pranks or jokes or the usual goofiness that came with Bee being himself. He was more serious, an angry (almost frustrated) look hid beneath his forced calm gaze.

"I'm sure they're fine," Abby said. I could hear the worry in her voice.

"Bee looks upset," I said.

Abby didn't say anything. She chewed on her bottom lip, looking almost conflicted.

Optimus POV

The Prime felt horrible for telling Bumblebee the deaths of some of the Autobots. Bee was the youngest soldier, yes, but he looked up to those dead Autobots; he respected them, tried to be a good a soldier as they were. Now they were dead. Optimus knew that Bumblebee would try and suppress the overwhelming emotions spinning inside of him; he was, in a way, an emotional - if not a little over dramatic - Autobot. He felt a little more intensely.

Optimus saw nothing bad in that. Having emotions was good. Optimus couldn't think of a life without them. But Bee wanted to prove he was strong, he didn't want his feelings to overpower him. Bumblebee was often talked down upon for being the youngest soldier the Prime was happy to have. A lot of Optimus's earlier soldiers, the ones who (Primus rest their Sparks) couldn't make it off Cybertron or perished not long afterward, told the scout Autobot he wasn't a good soldier! When Bee had first been assigned to fight alongside Optimus (the Prime remembers it vividly) Bumblebee had never fought another living being. He never imagined having to spend centuries killing Decepticons in order to survive.

The Prime saw something in the little scout that was fantastic. In a way, Optimus and Bumblebee were similar; neither wanted to be in the war, but it was inevitable. Optimus had been named Prime, it was his duty to keep his Autobots safe and keep the Decepticons from destroying everything.

"You're sure it's only them?" Bee asked solemnly.

"Desirée would have told me," Optimus rumbled. Though he still held immense guilt over the slaughter of the five soldiers, he had to keep moving forward. Focusing on the past wouldn't help him in the present. "As far as I can tell, the others are alive."

Bee rubbed his face with his hands. Looking at Optimus and Sideswipe, he frowned.

"Primus knows I would have left this planet the moment I was able to," Bee sighed. "But I can't. I can't just leave Abby and the Sparklings."

"I think we all should have left when we had the chance," Sideswipe said. "Humans are backstabbing weasels."

Optimus remained quiet. He looked at Bee and Sideswipe indifferently. They acted as though the families they helped create meant nothing. Desirée and the girls meant everything to him...

"We brought this war to their planet," Optimus said. "If we left, the Decepticons would have taken the humans prisoner, if they didn't choose to kill the humans first."

That silenced them momentarily.

"We came here for the All Spark the day we came here," Bee said, his voice strained. "Just the All Spark. A quick mission to get the Decepticons off earth. Now look at us. Humans are picking us off one by one."

"If we hadn't stayed, humanity would have perished nonetheless," Optimus countered. "What the humans are doing now is unspeakable; but you wouldn't have met Abby and Blossom wouldn't have known you existed." Optimus gave a pointed look to both Autobots. "You wouldn't have your Sparklings. I suppose leaving earth was a wise decision at the time, but now...?"

He trailed off, hoping they'd figure it out for themselves. They were being selfish. Whether they intended for it to sound that way or not, it was selfish.

Desirée POV

Saoirse and Eden were fast asleep once they were put into the back of the cabin. I leaned against the side of the Peterbilt, sighing. I didn't really know how to react with Sideswipe and Bee around. Blossom and Abby were wonderful company, but I didn't know how to react anymore. I felt emotionally drained. Everything felt too intense.

I looked over at where Optimus and the others were. They were still talking. I felt a pang of guilt in my chest. Bee looked upset still; I could see Optimus's shoulders tense. He was trying to keep his composure.

I hope he's not pushing himself too hard, I thought. I looked down, trying to clear all the negativity from my mind. It was the only thing I could do to keep myself from becoming too overpowered by the negativity. I saw Optimus glance over at me, his blue eyes looking almost worried. I knew he could pinpoint my exact emotions but he made sure to not make it as noticeable when he felt it.

I tried to make myself look neutral, but I knew he caught on.

The one thing that frustrated me about Optimus's ultimate emotion pinpointing was that no matter what I felt, Optimus would always know.

Looking up, I saw Optimus say something to Sideswipe and Bumblebee before glancing at me quickly. Swallowing, I shifted under his gaze.

Walking over, Optimus stood in front of me, smiling softly. He gently brushed some of my ashy blonde hair behind my ear, leaning over and brushing his lips against my cheek.

"What are you doing?" I murmured.

"Kissing my wife," he rumbled. I felt goose bumps rise on my skin. Optimus rarely referred to me as his wife, only his Sparkmate. I thought the term would come across as too human for him.

Before I had a chance to respond, he pressed his lips against mine and kissed the daylights out of me. It would have been a lie to say Optimus was a horrible kisser when he had the Holoform activated. He could kiss a woman till she felt lightheaded and weak in the knees.

His arms wrapped around my waist and brought me close to him; the muscled body feeling strong and sturdy. I felt myself blushing a deep red; while before I had no problem with him showing so much affection, we didn't really have anyone but ourselves and the girls. Sideswipe and Bumblebee had joined the group and his affection couldn't exactly be ignored. It was either subtle affection when he was feeling shy about it or he would go for it without any hesitation when he felt bold.

He was having one of those bold moments.

"Optimus..." I mumbled into the kissed, feeling my head fill with fuzzies; what those kisses did to my brain. My hands were pressed against his hard, broad chest. "What...mph!...are you doing?"

Pulling back slightly, Optimus looked at me lovingly. "I'm showing you affection," he rumbled, his voice had lowered an octave, causing me to shiver.

"Listen, if you're doing this to make me feel OK, I don't want it." I tried wriggling out of his iron clad grip, but he wouldn't let go.

"We haven't been very affectionate toward each other," Optimus said. "You're feeling lonely and depressed. You may be my wife, but you're also my Sparkmate."

"I don't want want pity love," I snapped. "I want you to love me without relying on the Sparkbond. It doesn't feel real when you're forcing it."

Optimus sighed, dropping his arms from my waist. "I don't know what to do," he said. "Everything has been so unpredictable...I can't do anything to make you happy." I tried to say something, but I knew it wouldn't make the problem any better. "I can protect my family, but I can't make the femme I love happy," he said, almost sadly. "What kind of mech am I?"

"Optimus Prime," I said. He looked at me, almost confusedly. "You want to know what mech you are. You're an Autobot and your name is Optimus Prime. You used to be Orion Pax, a guy from Cybertron."

"It should be my top priority to make you happy," Optimus said.

I shook my head. "Once again, I make unwanted drama," I scoffed. "We're running for our lives from the American government; they're hunting us down like vermin. I shouldn't make you put me on the top of your to-do list because I'm being childish and pouting. You need to worry about keeping your soldiers safe."

"This isn't unwanted drama, Desirée," Optimus said, looking almost offended that I'd say that. "I love you. Primus knows I do. But if you're unhappy, I should make it my mission to make you happy again. I'll always protect my Autobots, but I'll always protect you and the girls."

I opened my mouth to say something but he gave me a gentle kiss, less assertive than the previous one, a soft enough kiss to stop me from what I was going to say.

"I have to protect you from your loneliness," Optimus said softly, "from your sadness. If I can't do that, then I've failed as a Sparkmate and as a husband." He gently kissed me again. My heart swelled from what he'd said. It was very rare that Optimus would say such heart-felt things like that. He always tried keeping himself composed; but I could tell he was a very emotional Autobot.

He was sweet and sensitive and timid. He tried his best to make others happy and that was something I truly admired. I could see why he was chosen to be Prime.

"You will never fail as a Sparkmate or a husband," I said gently, my hands cradling his stubbled cheeks. "I've always believed you would be wonderful at both and you have! Don't doubt yourself." Optimus gave a small, sheepish smile. He shuffled where he stood, his hands resting innocently on my hips. "I'm happy now," I said softly, kissing him under his chin. "I'll always be happy when I'm with you."

QUICKY A/N:

SO HERE YOU GO! I DON'T OWN THE TRANSFORMERS MOVIEVERSE (BLAH BLAH BLAH, YOU'VE HEARD THIS ALL BEFORE) AND I OWN NONE OF THE FOUR OC'S.

AS FOR MY EARLIER UNCERTAINTY ON MY POSSIBLE S.A.T TESTING TOMORROW, I AM GOING IN TO MY HIGH SCHOOL FOR MY SECOND S.A.T! IT WILL BE EARLY MORNING TESTING SO I WILL BE WAKING UP EARLY TOMORROW...ON A SATURDAY. BUT, I SAID I WOULDN'T UPDATE A NEW CH., I PROBABLY WILL ANYWAY.

ANYWHO, ONCE I AM FINISHED WITH THIS FANFIC (OR, JUST FINISHED AGE OF EXTINCTION AND A FEW MORE FILLERS), I MIGHT PUT THIS STORY ON HOLD FOR A LITTLE BIT AND START ANOTHER FANFIC. I'M DEBATING STAR TREK (MOVIEVERSE VERSION), THOR, OR CAPTAIN AMERICA. I'LL PROBABLY HAVE IT FIGURED OUT IN A LITTLE BIT, I DON'T KNOW.

ENOUGH WITH MY POINTLESS BABBLING!

THANK YOU, ONE AND ALL.

READ, REVIEW, ENJOY!

YOURS TRULY,

~SMITHY