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Optimus POV

The Prime had been so distracted, he didn't even notice the distress Desirée had gone under. Tessa had to get Optimus's attention, startling him out of his fears and anxiously looking at the young human femme standing tensely beside him.

"Desirée's throwing up," she said. "She's been calling you for ten minutes. What's wrong with you?"

Shuffling anxiously on his feet, Optimus gave a small nod, murmuring under his breath before rushing to Desirée's room.

When he entered the bedroom, Desirée was hunched over a trash bin, dry heaving into the opening. Optimus noticed how deathly pale she looked, dark half-circles decorating under her eyes.

By the time her dry heaving stopped, Desirée looked up and grimaced when she saw the Prime standing on the other side of the door. Brushing her damp, sweat-coated hair out of her face, she swallowed thickly.

"You know we're still Sparkbound, right?" she groaned hoarsely. "Your emotions were hitting me like a ton of bricks."

Optimus hurriedly sat beside his Sparkmate and gently rubbed her lower back, trying to ease the great discomfort she was feeling. She moaned, shuddering under the Prime's touch. He sighed, not really knowing what to do.

"What got you all jumpy?" she muttered, clutching the trash bin closer to her. I gently wrapped an arm over her shoulders, trying not to move her too much. She sniffled a few times, wiping her forehead of any sweat. She glanced at me, her mouth set in a disgusted grimace.

"I..." Optimus trailed off, not really knowing how to word his thoughts. He knew he'd have to tell Desirée eventually. If Elita showed up unannounced, certainly surprising everyone and maybe even angering the Prime's Sparkmate, there would be questions Optimus would have to answer and tensions he wasn't ready to settle.

"What?" Desirée looked concerned. "You look like you've seen a ghost. Is something bothering you?"

Swallowing thickly, Optimus looked down for a minute, trying to put his thoughts in order before answering Desirée's questions.

"I...Whoever sent the message earlier contacted me again," he murmured, feeling extremely vulnerable. He knew how Desirée's emotions could get the better of her sometimes, and that made him worry for her and the Sparkling. If she allowed her emotions to take over, it could be dangerous for her health and it was almost frightening - slightly frustrating, to say the least.

She stiffened under the Prime's touch, gripping the trash bin a little tighter. "The lady?" she asked quietly.

Optimus nodded. "The message was clearer this time," he said slowly. "I was able to figure out who she is."

"That's...good," she said hesitantly. "W-Who is she?"

Ironhide POV

The weapon specialist, as troubled as he was over the information of the Sparkling potentially killing Desirée, tried looking on the brighter side of things. He tried focusing on Desirée's health improving, he tried focusing on Mya.

Mya Summers was the human who tried repairing him after he had been injured; she stuck by his side when he was healing - she took up her valuable time, gave up her old life, to make sure he stayed alive. To her, he owed his life.

Despite everything the black haired human had done for Ironhide, the two of them still had difficulty admitting their feelings for one another. It was as if when it came to their attraction, they hit a road block. But Ironhide was tired of letting his stubborn pride get the best of him. If he didn't tell Mya how he felt, she'd be gone before he knew it.

Though he kept that tough-guy demeanor, the thought of losing Mya to some other human male terrified him. It hurt him. Ironhide couldn't imagine what would happen if the green-eyed woman wasn't in her life.

That's why he was going to tell her.

Ironhide was going to tell Mya Mae Summers how he truly felt about her.

Mya POV

The young woman sat in her apartment, the quietness of it overwhelming her. Though she was one who enjoyed a peaceful silence from time to time, her apartment was too quiet. And she didn't like that.

She would have gone and visited Desirée, but after finding out the woman was pregnant, she wanted to give the woman some space. In all honesty, Desirée didn't look too good. But she wasn't going to tell the young woman that - she probably had a faint idea on how her condition was.

Maybe Abby or Blossom would want to spend some time with me, Mya thought hopefully. She shook the thought off. They have their own children to take care of - their own families. What do I have? Mya looked around her apartment in disdain. She hoped, maybe, to start a family one day. Though her mind was so occupied with the loneliness she felt sometimes and her overwhelming affections for Ironhide, it sometimes blocked that deep desire to want children, a family.

A knock rasped on the young woman's front door.

"Ironhide?" She looked at him in confusion. He would visit from time to time, but he had visited her only the day before. It was unusual for the weapon specialist to show up at her apartment so soon after visiting her only the day before.

"Uhm, yeah," he said gruffly.

"Is something wrong? You visited yesterday." Mya's green eyes looked at the stout Holoform of Ironhide worriedly. "Is something wrong with Desirée?"

Ironhide shook his head sharply. "She's...fine," he said hesitantly. Mya's worry intensified. "But...I came to see you under different circumstances."

A fluttery feeling tickled Mya's stomach. Her heart felt like it skipped a beat. "Different circumstances?" she repeated.

"Am I allowed inside?"

Stepping out of the way, Mya watched as Ironhide walked into the apartment, his shoulders stiff. The former soldier inside of her had awoken, becoming almost hyper aware of the tension in Ironhide, the discomfort that was radiating off of him. She watched his movements, the expression on his face, the way his usually guarded blue eyes seemed almost vulnerable.

"Something's bothering you, Ironhide," she exclaimed. "What is it?"

"Do you like me?" he blurted, looking sheepish.

Mya was taken back by the straightforwardness of the question. She noticed a light blue coloration that dusted across his cheeks.

"Like...you?" She didn't know how to respond. He said it so abruptly, her brain didn't know how to process what he'd said. "You mean...like a friend?" she asked softly.

"No," he said, shaking his head. "The way Optimus and Desirée like each other."

"Love? Are you asking if I love you?" Mya felt a shimmer of hope light up in her. It seemed too good to be true. The real Ironhide wouldn't just bluntly exclaim the unspoken feelings between the two of them!

Ironhide looked away, an embarrassed scowl on his face.

"Yes." Ironhide looked at her, absolutely stunned. His mouth hung open, his eyes wide. In the time Mya had known Ironhide, he had never been stunned into silence. He always had something sarcastic to say. Mya noticed his expression and immediately felt regret and fear from exposing her feelings so quickly. "Unless you don't feel the same way!" she exclaimed, taking a hesitant step back. "Then I just like you as a friend."

Ironhide walked up to her, regaining his composure and gripped her shoulders firmly. Never had he felt such relief in his life. Even taking down Decepticons didn't fill him with such happiness as he did at Mya's statement. She loved him. Truly loved him.

"You mean it?" he asked, looking her dead in the eyes. "Do you mean it?"

She nodded. "I mean it," she answered truthfully.

A smile spread across their faces. Between the two of them, it felt like the heaviest weight had been lifted off their shoulders! They had a lot to talk about.

Desirée POV

I kept my eyes down. Optimus had explained everything. I tried my damned hardest to keep myself from exploding. He didn't know that. He had spent this whole time believing Elita-1 had been killed on Cybertron, and suddenly she's alive and looking for him.

Looking for him...

I swallowed thickly. I wanted to at least try and get to know the one who had loved Optimus as much as I do.

Jumping to conclusions wouldn't be wise, and if I were to get to know Elita-1, then I'd at least get a better understanding of her. Optimus spoke of her very little, and when he did, he spoke of how she would have been a brave warrior of she had survived Cybertron's destruction. I tried pushing down the bitterness of jealousy that wrapped itself inside of me.

Jealousy was an ugly feeling. Unwelcomed, unwanted.

"So, she's coming here?" I asked softly, clutching my trash bin closer. My stomach was still flipping and my throat burned from vomiting so much.

"Yes," Optimus answered softly. "I'm sorry."

I shook my head. "It's not your fault," I said, trying to ease the burning in my throat.

I felt Optimus's eyes on me. "You're not upset?" he asked nervously.

Simply shrugging, I looked at Optimus solemnly. "I don't want to jump to any conclusions," I said. "I want to get to know her. Just to see what she's like. Is that OK?"

Optimus seemed taken aback by my calm demeanor. "You don't need my permission," he said slowly. "I'll explain to her the situation and maybe..."

I shook my head. "Could I explain it to her?"

"If you want to," Optimus said warily, "but I'd feel more comfortable if I told her."

We looked at each other in silence for a moment.

QUICKY A/N:

I HOPE THIS CH. WAS GOOD. AND FOR Silent Shooter, FOR REVIEWING A DAY OR TWO AGO, LEFT A KIND REVIEW. I'D LIKE TO SAY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, MY FRIEND. I HOPE YOUR BIRTHDAY IS FANTASTIC AND I HOPE YOUR VALENTINES DAY IS EVEN BETTER! I'LL BE SURE TO ADD MORE OF MYA'S AND IRONHIDE'S RELATIONSHIP DEVELOPMENT THE FURTHER THE FANFIC GOES!

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THEIR NEWFOUND RELATIONSHIP? ABOUT TIME, RIGHT?

ANYWHO, I DON'T OWN ANYTHING IN THE TRANSFORMERS STUFF. NOR DO I OWN THE FOUR OC'S (I'LL BE SURE TO HAVE MARLI AND CELIA SHOW UP LATER IN THE ELITA-1 ARC). YOU GUYS KNOW THAT I ONLY OWN MY CHARACTERS AND MY FILLERS.

SO, I HOPE YOU LIKE THIS UPDATE!

LIKE I SAID BEFORE, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Silent Shooter! MAY YOUR BIRTHDAY BE SPECTACULAR. YOU DESERVE TO HAVE A GREAT DAY OF CELEBRATION!

STAY SNAPPY.

THANK YOU, ONE AND ALL.

READ, REVIEW, ENJOY!

YOURS TRULY,

~SMITHY