239

Elita sat uncomfortably at the foot of my bed.

I could tell that she didn't want to be really close to me. I didn't feel too comfortable with her at such close proximity, either. I told myself that if I wanted things cleared up between Elita and myself, and the best way to do it would be to have a discussion with her, to tell her why her behavior was unacceptable.

Just please understand what I'm trying to tell you, I prayed silently.

"Elita, I want you to understand what I'm trying to tell you, OK?" I looked at the Holoform with a deep-set frown. She nodded hesitantly. "The relationship I have with Optimus is...I dunno, unique?" I rubbed my face with my hands.

"How is it unique?" Elita asked, her voice void of any emotion.

"You said it before - it's a human and a Cybertronian." I looked at Elita defeatedly. "Has anyone in your species ever married or whatever someone from another species before you guys came to earth?"

Elita shook her head.

"Then, I'd like to say that the relationship I have with Optimus is special," I exclaimed. "I honestly didn't think Optimus had any romantic feelings for me when I started liking him! I thought he was solely interested in being the leader and protecting the defenseless humans."

I saw the twinkle in Elita's eyes. She seemed to be processing my words, but I couldn't say for sure. Elita-1 was kinda unpredictable; I could never really tell if what I said went through or not.

"Are you understanding what I'm saying, Elita?" I asked.

She nodded slowly.

"Optimus had just saved us from Megatron the first time," I said grouchily. "I just started realizing I liked Optimus after that first time. He didn't seem to show any interest in me."

"I still don't..." she started.

"OK, I got off topic." I sighed. "Elita, Optimus is a strong leader. You know that more than I do. He's strong and selfless and courageous and a whole bunch of other things I don't have the patience to name off right now. But you know what he's like better than I do. You'll always know what Optimus was like before he was Optimus. I'll always know him as Optimus."

She nodded wordlessly.

"But I want you to understand that I love Optimus for everything he is. I know I'm a human and that might come off as confusing or weird, right?"

She nodded again.

"Please, then, understand that, the way I see it, love has no boundaries," I pleaded. "People fall in love all the time! And a lot of the time, this 'love' isn't what people are used to. It's 'not normal', to some people. Do you think the relationship I have with Optimus is 'not normal'?"

Elita hesitated. "In a sense, yes," she answered truthfully.

I pointed at her. "See? People don't like what they don't understand." I shook my head. "I feel like I'm not making any sense! I'm not making sense, am I?" I looked at Elita tiredly.

She shrugged.

"Optimus and I are happy. We're aware that we're two completely different species; we've overcome that obstacle and love each other for what it's worth. Love isn't about what the person looks like on the outside, it's what they see on the inside. You loved Optimus once upon a time; you should know that love isn't about what's on the outside. Right?"

Elita nodded wordlessly, her blue eyes sparkling with an emotion I couldn't pinpoint.

"I'm a human." I pointed to myself. "Optimus Prime is a Cybertronian." I rubbed the back of my hand against my forehead. "I'm getting close to thirty years old, Optimus is centuries old. There are endless things that are different about Optimus and I. He's lived longer than I have; I'm made of flesh; he can transform into human vehicles; I can eventually die of natural causes." I sighed. "We looked past that, Elita. We looked past the faults we have, the weaknesses and the things that make us polar opposites and made the best of what we could."

"You built your lives on your differences?" Elita asked softly.

I looked at her. "In a way, yes."

Elita thought over my words.

"Elita, when I first started dating Optimus, I was terrified." She looked at me. "He's a giant alien robot; I'm a tiny, squishy human. He lived a longer life than me; I was destined to die one day. I thought that the relationship I'd started with Optimus would've lasted for a couple years - why would he want to stay in a relationship with some wrinkled old woman in the future, right?"

Elita seemed slightly confused when I said that.

"Optimus told me he adored my humanity," I said. "He didn't care how old I got, how wrinkled my skin got, or how gray my hair became. He adored everything that made me human. He wasn't focusing on how my appearance would change in the future, he was focusing on how to make me happier. Optimus saw something in me that even I don't know."

Elita's form was still stiffly sitting at the foot of my bed, looking as if she were truly comprehending what I'd just told her. Her hair hung around her face as she looked down. I wanted to believe that she was understanding what I was telling her, but I couldn't say I knew for sure. I placed my hands on my stomach, feeling a little bigger than I remembered.

"Optimus...truly loves you," she murmured.

I nodded. "Yeah."

Elita-1 looked at me with an expression I couldn't quite place, but I guessed that she was looking at me with an expression of somewhat calmness mixed with slight understanding.

"I congratulate you, Desirée Witwicky," she said softly, "and apologize for the trouble I've caused."

Slightly taken aback by what she'd said, I watched confusedly as her Holoform dismissed.

She congratulated me...and apologized for her behavior...

Maybe... Maybe Elita was starting to change her views on Optimus and I...

QUICKY A/N:

JUST A HEAD'S UP, IN THE LATER DAYS OF THIS MONTH, MY SCHOOL'S JAZZ BAND AND WIND ENSEMBLE (I'M IN THE WIND ENSEMBLE) WILL BE GOING ON A TRIP TO CALIFORNIA FOR A FEW DAYS, GOING TO DISNEYLAND AND RECORDING MUSIC FOR DISNEY SO I DON'T THINK I'LL BE ABLE TO UPDATE ANY NEW CH.'S AT THAT TIME.

I'LL LET YOU KNOW WHEN THE TRIP IS ONCE I KNOW WHEN. MY BAND TEACHER GAVE EVERYONE IN MY BAND CLASS INFORMATION ON IT, BUT I MISPLACED THAT INFORMATION, SO...

ANYWHO, I HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS UPDATE! PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW ON YOUR OPINION (OR WHATEVER YOU'D LIKE TO LEAVE) ON THE TALK THAT WENT ON BETWEEN ELITA-1 AND DESIRÉE.

THE MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE, MISSION WILL BE CONCLUDED IN THE UPCOMING CH.'S!

STAY SNAPPY.

THANK YOU, ONE AND ALL.

READ, REVIEW, ENOY!

YOURS TRULY,

~SMITHY