Sunstreaker's Charge ✔️

Ch. 30 Leaving

Sunstreaker's P.O.V.
Change of plans, hopefully only for today. I know I should be asking Rung first, but this needs to be done before Lily wakes up. I'm so worried this won't work that I can't concentrate.
"Sunstreaker?" Sideswipe asks, "hey, it's ok."
"No, all the progress is gone. Lily will be terrified of me again, and I don't think she'll return here unless Ratchet or Rung want to see her."
I didn't think Sideswipe would want to help me. He tells me how terrified Lily was at two in the morning but insists I should continue what I'm doing.

Once I retrieve Lily's breakfast like I've been doing, I go to her room to drop everything off. Once the items are on the desk, I cup a hand around her sleeping face, content to just sit and watch her in a moment of peace.
"I love you," I whispered, knowing she can't hear me, "I love you so, so much."
"How long are you willing to wait?"
"More like how long before I'm sent to Cybertron? Especially after how terrified she was last night. I doubt things are getting better."
I'm out of time and must leave.

Sideswipe's P.O.V.
This is a side of Sunstreaker I thought I'd ever see, and I never thought I'd watch him fall in love. Add the one he's falling for is a human. Even if Lily is a hybrid, she's still a human on Earth. Sunstreaker will have to deal with Lily's family if the two date. Add he's being patient and full of uncertainty.

As expected, Lily is tired but still wants to go to school. She has time for a shower which should wake her up. Dare I talk to her? This can't wait until after school, but I don't want her afraid to be anywhere but the base. I feel Sunstreaker crying again. It's interesting how he doesn't block his side of the bond.

Lily's P.O.V.
That nightmare still feels fresh, like I just woke up from that nightmare. I'm going to talk to Ratchet about going home later.
Sunstreaker is back to his routine of dropping off breakfast with a note. We were supposed to go to the cafeteria, but now I'm unsure.
"Uh, yeah, Sunstreaker knows about the nightmare," Sideswipe admits, "I'll explain when I pick you up from school."
Lily,
I don't know what frightened you or what to say. I want to be your friend. I can't explain how happy you make me. I'm leaving.
It's a short note, but I re-read the end repeatedly, not liking it even after my nightmare. I don't know what to think. Everything was going well, but then I had that nightmare.
"I didn't see him write the last sentence," Sideswipe tells me, "I'll talk to him."
I eat my breakfast, wishing there was time to deal with this, even if it's deciding I'm only coming back when Ratchet wants to see me, but I think he still wants to monitor me.

"Hey, why do you look spooked?" My friend, Veronica, asks.
"It's nothing," I lie.
How can I explain what's happening without telling her where I've been? How she's possibly in danger?
"Fine, I won't ask questions. Hopefully, we'll still be going to summer camp together."
I've only missed a week of school. Hopefully, I'm just a little behind.

I've asked for all the work I've missed, even around lessons that started last week. My teacher worries I won't understand the work because I wasn't at school, but Luke can help me this weekend if I can't start this after homework every night.
"Do you want me to come over to help you?" Veronica asks.
"No, I'll be fine."
Damn it, she will worry, and I do not know what to tell her. Unless I'm allowed to go home.

Sideswipe's P.O.V.
For once, I'm annoyed that Optimus has several meetings today. He admitted he'd like to wait until Lily returns to talk to Rung and Ratchet. I see why Lily's family being part of the meeting isn't right. I hate feeling Sunstreaker's sadness; Lily was upset when I dropped her off.
"What the frag happened?" I ask Drift after telling him about last night.
"I don't know. I can't even tell you if we just need to wait a few days now that Lily is on anti-anxiety medication," Drift sighs, "I don't think neither Ratchet nor Rung will know."
"I'm leaving; there's no reason to stay here," we hear Sunstreaker as we walk down the hall towards the medbay and the offices.

"What happened?" Optimus asks.
"I don't know, but Sideswipe told me that Lily had a nightmare that frightened her last night. She woke up screaming, and there's no fixing that."
With that information, Optimus calls Ratchet and Rung. The three of us are asked to join the meeting, which moves into Optimus' office. I can feel Sunstreaker wants to avoid talking about a plan that might fix this. Worried nothing will work.

Lily's P.O.V.
I didn't think Drift would want to pick me up from school, but I know he wants to talk to me. No way, Sideswipe didn't tell him what happened, and I don't know if I want to talk about it.

Drift rakes me to the park by the base. Sitting on a bench by the pond.
"What happened?" Drift asks, "I know you're not terrified of Sunstreaker, but more uncertain after the nightmare you had."
It's bad enough the nightmare has been on my mind all day, and I know that's not normal. To tell Drift what my nightmare was about is a challenge, and I'm crying by the end.
Even though this is a new challenge, Drift thinks we'll still get through it. He's the only one that knows I love Sunstreaker, but to have a nightmare like last night. To be afraid to tell Sunstreaker how I feel about him, and I want this confusion to end.