Doy. I don't know why I'm having such a hard time with this story, but I am. I just hope this chapter's better than the last.
I own nothing besides original characters and plot points.
Optimus is the final Autobot to do. I had his song chosen for a while. Nothing's gonna change it. Heard it on the radio at the shopping centre one day and I fell in love with it all over again and knew it was perfect.
It's called Little Wonders by Rob Thomas.
ENJOY!
…or not…
Also, what would you think about me cross posting this to Archive of Our Own?
Jack felt the need to escape the tension building in the base. Everyone was already on edge, looking for any type of sign that would lead them to rescuing Talida.
But the longer the days dragged on, the worse it got.
They were now heading into day fourteen. School was about to end for the year. He couldn't believe they were at this point already. He thought his best friend would've been rescued by now. She'd be starting her long road to recovery.
He could hold her in her arms and either kiss her or kill her. He was still on the fence. Maybe he could smother her with love. That sounded corny.
But more than anything, he just wanted her here.
Jack headed up to the roof of the base as another fight broke out between Cliffjumper and Bulkhead. Ratchet was trying to referee. Bumblebee had fled the room distraught and Arcee had gone after him to console him.
No one knew where Optimus was.
Despite the Prime's best efforts to put on a brave face, Jack knew Optimus was taking the kidnapping of his only child as hard as anyone. Even harder. Never before had Optimus felt so helpless.
It wasn't a simple case of storming the nearest stronghold until they found the location Talida was being held. They knew where she was being held. They just couldn't get to her.
Jack didn't know which was worse.
So, Jack sought refuge on the roof of the base. It was a clear night. The stars were bright. Talida would love a night like this.
Turns out Jack wasn't the only one with this idea. Optimus had it too.
"You too, huh?" Jack attempted to start a conversation with the stoic Autobot as he sat next to him.
Jack couldn't help but take note of the way Optimus was sitting. One leg drawn up. Arm resting along his knee. Talida sat the same way a lot.
Like father, like daughter.
"I needed perspective," Optimus stated, looking up at the sky, "Talida often came up here when she felt overwhelmed. I thought coming up here would help."
"I mostly try to find that ship," Jack admitted.
"You would not be able to see the Nemesis in the night sky," Optimus shook his head, "Their cloaking capabilities doesn't just shield their location on trackers. It also makes it hard to see when it flies at a certain height. Ratchet and Talida haven't been able to crack the frequency yet."
"There has to be something we can do," Jack pleaded.
"I am at a loss," Optimus finally confessed.
That stopped Jack in his tracks. He seemed like he had the answer to everything. Hearing him say he was stumped…. Well, stumped Jack in turn.
He supposed this was a different situation, though. This wasn't a regular situation where a soldier is being held behind enemy lines as a prisoner of war. This was his child.
How do you cope with that?
"This is where Talida spent a lot of her time?" Jack asked.
"Yes," Optimus nodded, "She often found the solution for a lot of her problems up here."
"I get that. The amount of times I get dragged up onto a roof or somewhere to go stargazing," Jack chuckled with a slight eyeroll, "She'd tell me all about different constellations. I always got the feeling she was looking for something, though."
"Perhaps she was looking for Cybertron," Optimus mused.
"Your home planet?" Jack guessed.
Optimus nodded, "But she wouldn't. Cybertron has been dark for several eons."
"How did she start with this, anyway?" Jack inquired.
"That was my doing," Optimus admitted, "Some nights, it was the only way to get her to sleep."
Begin flashback
Optimus heaved a heavy sigh as he stepped onto the roof of the base, carrying a crying infant with him. He had dressed the two-month-old baby for the desert night and decided to take her on the roof to see if he could calm her down without disturbing Arcee and the other Autobots.
He also knew he was going to be an Autobot again soon. He was no longer be a human. He wanted to treasure these moments as long as he could.
"I know, sweetspark, I know," Optimus cooed.
Talida's cries had reduced to sniffles and whimpers. She suddenly gained an interest in the sky above her.
"You like the stars?" Optimus asked her, "I used to love this when I was your age. My carrier and sire – your grandparents – introduced the stars to me when I was a sparkling. My carrier would tell me the story behind each constellation. I suppose I could learn about Earth's constellations. But for now, I can tell you about Cybertron's history."
Talida sniffled as Optimus began talking to her about the stars on his home world. She was a lot calmer now. She was interested in everything her father told her about the world she will likely never know. She kept alternating her gaze between her father and the night sky above her. She felt safe in her father's arms.
Optimus had no idea how long he was standing there talking to his infant daughter. But eventually, he looked down and realized that Talida had fallen asleep in his arms. With a gentle smile, Optimus quietly made his way back inside the base.
Arcee stirred awake when she heard the quiet shuffles of Optimus entering the room and placing their daughter in a nearby bassinet.
"She's asleep?" Arcee quietly asked.
Optimus nodded, "We were stargazing and I was telling her about Cybertron before the war."
"She's just like her daddy," Arcee smiled, recalling the human term for the male parent, before asking worriedly, "You didn't tell her anything about the war, did you?"
"No," Optimus shook his head, "I told her about Cybertron before the war. Iacon City. Alpha Trion. I told her she would've liked the Hall of Records."
Arcee gave Optimus a fond smile as she snuggled into her sparkmate's chest, watching her daughter sleep in the bassinet.
"I wish she would always stay this little," Arcee sighed wistfully.
"I know, my love," Optimus responded, having the same wishes as his sparkmate.
"She'll be safe, right?" Arcee asked him, fear laced in her voice, "We can't let anything happen to her. We can't let them take her from us."
"We won't," Optimus reassured her firmly, "I promise. Talida will be safe."
End flashback
Optimus uncharacteristically let out a shaky breath as he remembered that promise he had made to Arcee. They hadn't been able to keep that promise. Despite their best efforts, their daughter was no longer safe.
Their daughter was in the hands of the enemy.
"We will get her back," Jack stated firmly, "I need to have a very long talk with her. She can't die before then."
Optimus chuckled before turning serious once more, "Hiding this from you was the hardest part she struggled with. She never liked lying to you, Jackson. I hope you know that."
"I do now," Jack reassured her, "I was so mad at her when I first found out. But the more I learned the truth, the more time I spent with you guys, the more I saw, the more I started understanding why she never told me. I know she just wanted to keep me safe. And, to be honest, I think she liked having a life away from a war. No offence."
"None taken," Optimus replied, "I want her to have a life away from this, too. Thank you for giving her that."
Jack didn't say anything in response. He returned his gaze to the stars, an understanding settling between the human and the Autobot.
Talida couldn't help but think of little wonders in her weakened state. The little things in life that made it so great.
She thought about that junior at Jasper High and the look on his face when he reached a hand into a pocket and found money he didn't know he had. She thought about the smell of cinnamon rolls. She thought about the smell outside after the rain stopped. She thought about her music collection in her room. She thought about being able to climb onto the roof of the base to watch the sunset. To trace the patterns of the constellations. To confidently identify each one and recall the story behind it.
She thought about the way Jack would hold her whenever she was scared. The way he told her everything would be okay. The way he was able to make her smile and talk her away from the ledge, even if he didn't realize that was what he was doing.
She thought about her dad. The time they spent together exploring the world around them. Learning about the world around them. Trading knowledge. Recalling his days as Orion Pax, a humble clerk. The way he fumbled when he met Arcee for the very first time. Telling her stories about Alpha Trion that made Talida decide he was a sneaky bastard.
She thought about her mum. The rides they took together through the desert. The Energon hunts they went on together and how she always turned it into a game to keep her entertained. The lullaby Arcee would sing to lull her back to sleep whenever she woke up at night from a nightmare. The funny stories from her childhood.
She thought about Ratchet. Even if they notoriously butted heads, he always asked her to help him with things around the base. He valued her opinion. He respected her knowledge. He was always happy to share moments of Cybertronian history with her.
She thought about Cliffjumper. In the short time they've known each other, they've grown incredibly close. They talked about everything and nothing. They would challenge each other in training. He was a friend first. He made her laugh. Especially whenever he got on Ratchet's nerves.
She thought about Bulkhead. The robust Autobot with the biggest heart and kindest soul. He always encouraged her to have a life outside the war. He wanted her to be more than a soldier. He wanted her to be a child. She thought about the times he took her deep into the desert to the best sand dunes so she could go tobogganing.
She thought about Bumblebee. Her big brother. Her guardian. She thought about the silly stories he would make up to make her laugh as a child. The silly dances. The drives they took through town together. Confiding into each other their deepest secrets and fears.
She thought about her family as a whole, and the little things that made them quirky and dysfunctional, but perfect at the same time.
She thought about the little things she would love to experience again.
Malita pranced into her bedroom from the adjoining bathroom on a high. She had a very productive day. Supervising Energon extractions. Torturing Talida. Butting heads with Starscream. Torturing Talida some more.
Coming up with a plan to hurt Talida even more.
She gasped at the sound of the disembodied voice floating around the room, "Is she dead?"
"No," Malita shook her head, shrugging off her silk dressing gown, "She's pretty much destroyed, though. That metal leg serves as a constant reminder that she can't delude herself with humanity anymore."
"Good," the voice purred, "And she's been given more of the substance?"
Malita nodded, "She still thinks she has my father's disease, the poor lamb. Wait until she realizes it's actually long-term poisoning."
"I don't just want her dead. I want her broken. I want her to suffer," the voice declared.
Malita stood still as she felt the presence crowd around her even more, reassuring him, "And she will! Don't worry. I have a plan. Involving that little friend of hers."
The voice hummed as he understood what Malita had in mind.
"You have done well," the voice purred once more.
Malita smiled a wicked grin as she approached her bed, pleased to have earned the voice's approval and the reward that was promised to her.
Oh yes. Talida was going to suffer when she learned what was going to happen next.
PHEW! Everything's starting to unfold now. I promise.
BYE!