Alias

To Cade’s surprise, Tessa had no trouble whatsoever accepting Optimus and Anna’s unorthodox love story. “What? It’s just like internet dating,” she said, shrugging at his shock. “My friend Kate had an internet boyfriend for two years and they never even met in person. People fall in love with their minds, not just their bodies.”

Cade sat back and crossed his arms. “I’m more worried about what the Decepticons did to her while she was a prisoner than trying to figure out how she and Optimus got together, honestly,” he said, frowning. “It seems like no one’s talking about that. Getting kidnapped and tortured is pretty terrible. She’s acting like she’s fine, but I promise you, she’s not fine. She needs to talk to someone, get some counseling or something. You don’t just wake up perfectly normal from getting beaten so badly you go blind.”

“You’re right,” Tessa agreed with a worried look. “But it’s not like she can just go to any old therapist. This sounds like some seriously classified Autobot/Decepticon stuff.” Then she smiled at her dad. “Introduce me to her. Girls talk. Maybe she’ll talk to me.”

Cade smiled at her. “You’re pretty damn amazing, have I told you that lately?”

She grinned back. “Yes, but don’t let that stop you from telling me again.”

***

The next morning, Cade and Tessa entered the communal kitchen–an area initially created to accommodate the Autobots’ human guests but that had become something of a hang-out area for the bots, too–to find that Anna and Optimus were already there. Optimus stood to the side, arms crossed, while Anna stood a little way away with Skyfire and Perceptor. Skyfire looked harassed but Perceptor and Anna talked animatedly, smiling.

“She’s nagging them to try the transfer again now instead of waiting the full twenty-four hours,” Prime said when Cade and Tessa greeted him. “Perceptor is on her side, but Ratchet is against it. She’s working on Skyfire for the tiebreaker now because Wheeljack is hiding from her.”

“Smart Autobot. Is she winning the argument?” Cade asked even though he already had an idea from the disgruntled look on Prime’s face.

“Of course she is,” he grumbled. “She always does.”

Cade patted the enormous Autobot’s foot sympathetically. “As a once-married man, all I can say is just learn to give in, Optimus. We’ve got a saying here on Earth. Happy wife, happy life.” Optimus just gave a resigned groan and Tessa laughed at both of them.

Anna turned at the sound. “Was that another woman I heard?”

“Yes, it certainly was,” Tessa answered, still smiling, and started to walk over.

“Oh blessed day! Some reinforcements in this sea of masculinity!” Anna stuck out her hand and Tessa shook it. “I’m Anna Elias and I am very pleased to meet you.”

“Tessa Yeager,” she replied. “I understand you know my dad, Cade.”

“Oh, yes. He and Bee are my saviors.”

Tessa sent Cade a wink over her shoulder. “He does have his moments of heroism,” she teased. “How about we get out of here for some girl talk?”

“Yes, please, take her away!” Optimus called from across the room. “She’s harassing my scientists and distracting them from their duties!”

Anna stuck her tongue out and blew a raspberry in his general direction. “You mean I’m convincing them that it’s perfectly safe to try the link again after twenty-one hours instead of twenty-four.”

“That’s what I said. You’re distracting them from their duty not to give you everything you want.”

“I think you’ll be paying for that one later, Optimus,” Tessa laughed as she linked her arm with Anna’s and started walking toward the exit. “Come on, let’s leave these losers behind. I’m so happy not to be the only female around here anymore. Am I right to assume you’re staying for a while?”