Through Ash and Dust (ROTB)

Chapter 20

One Week Later...

Standing by the riverbank in front of the old factory, Saphira was working on another picture that she had decided to start working on earlier in the week. After hearing the much-needed words from the autobots, Saphira had well and truly decided to try and turn her life around. It wasn't exactly easy, of course, but it was never meant to be easy. Saphira managed to start eating more, and she was taking care of herself a lot more as well. Saphira managed to convince Optimus to take her to a laundromat so she could clean and dry her clothes, and she has also managed to eat fresh food more than she thought.

She bought a portable cooler, and used it to put things like unwashed eggs, long-life milk, bread, peanut butter, and fruit into. She couldn't really buy too much, but the eggs alone would be fine and last a while in the cooler, as long as they did not break. They haven't yet, as Saphira made sure that they would not. But she was eating them daily by making a simple omelette with garlic, basil, salt and pepper as her choice of breakfast. In fact, she mostly had just breakfast, and did not eat anything until night. She have a peanut butter sandwich eat night, even if that wasn't the healthiest option.

However, Saphira was putting on the much-needed weight back onto her body. It was taking a while though, since it has only been a week. But Saphira found herself literally being spied on by Mirage and Bumblebee whenever she ate her food. It annoyed her as they both literally get excited whenever she eats food. She was happy that Arcee and Optimus did not be that annoying. But Arcee did tell her that morning that she looked better today. Saphira had no idea how sickly she looked, but the autobots were giving her an idea.

She was standing to the side as she sketched the image she was drawing and she was almost ready to start coloring it in. She was glad she didn't have paint with her, as having to wash the brushes whenever the autobots come back to the factory to take her for a drive would be insanely annoying. So pencils were her best friend for art, and she was perfectly okay with that. She loved improving her skills with pencil colouring, but she also simply wanted to be able to create art regardless of its quality. And the picture she was currently working on right now was something she had already fallen in love with. It would be something she would show the autobots when she was finished. Not before.

Saphira looked up from her drawing when she sensed she was being watched. She noticed Optimus in his vehicle form in the doorway of the factory. She had no idea how long he had been there for. "You can come over to speak with me, Optimus," Saphira said with a smile. "I am not going to bite you. Not that I could...bad joke." She chuckled a little, though Optimus did not respond. "Alright, I will keep..." Saphira gasped and began to cough suddenly out of nowhere. She had accidentally swallowed some saliva, and breathed in at the same time. "Damn! Of course I had to do that."

"Are you alright?" Optimus asked as he rolled forward slightly. "You aren't becoming sick are you?"

Saphira shook her head, clearing her throat some more. "Nah, I just happened to breath saliva down the wrong way." She smiled at him and coughed a little more until her throat felt clear. "I do need water though." She walked away from the easel towards the building. Optimus backed into the factory to give her room as she walked in. "You do know you can just be here in your full mode. I am not going to mind."

"I am...needing time to think. I prefer to be in my alt mode when I am thinking." Saphira did not know if that was true, but she wasn't about to argue with Optimus if that is his chosen answer to her question. "We have been searching for Transit for weeks now. And I am starting to get frustrated."

Saphira softened her smile and she picked up a water bottle from the table. "I am afraid I can't help. I have been doing my best by looking at all the buses we drive by, but I am afraid I can't be any further help than that."