Transformers Prime - Sparked

In My Veins

“Cliff . . .” Arcee said quietly, clenching her fists to keep from running to him. Even if she did, she’d pass right through him. She wouldn’t get her hopes up like that. “You’re dead . . .” She nearly choked on her next words, even if they were necessary to keep herself from breaking down in front of him. “Go back to the Well . . .”

A smile came across CliffJumper’s faceplate, a bit of sorrow tainting it. “C’mon, ‘Cee, don’t break my spark . . . I came back for you . . . I’m trying . . .” He walked over to her, standing all too close for her to ignore him completely. “I still love you, ‘Cee . . . I always will . . .”

A flush crept across her cheeks, tinting the metal a heated blue. She hated the way he had such control over her emotions, her reactions. Even after passing . . . She nearly scoffed. ‘It’s a hallucination, Arcee . . . You’ve finally gone off the deep end,’ she thought bitterly. That was the only explanation she had for Cliff being here. His appearance wasn’t rational or expected or anything of the sort.

“Aw, Come ON, ‘Cee! A fella can’t pop in to see his lady without her accusing herself of being crazy? I’m real! I promise! Just give me a chance to show it! Whattya want me to do, ‘Cee? A handstand? Want me to kiss you? I promise I’m still the best kisser around! And these lips are only for you!” Arcee huffed, shaking her helm and crossing her arms. He certainly chattered like CliffJumper. But if, IF, he was real, then apparently his end of the bond was still working if he could hear her thoughts.

‘How terribly unfair,’ she looked down, hating the thought that CliffJumper still knew everything she felt and everything she thought when she was so far separated from him that it hurt every time she so much as heard his name invoked.

“Arcee . . .” His tone was soft as he lifted a hand to the side of her face, and to her surprise, she could actually feel it -- it was little more than a cool touch of air, but it was distinctly his. It belonged solely to CliffJumper.

She backed away from him. “You’re gone, Cliff . . . You need to go back to the Well and stay there . . . You deserve to rest in peace. You can’t just show up here out of nowhere and say, ‘Hey, guess what, I’m here to haunt you for the rest of your days!’ It doesn’t work like that, Cliff! It’s not fair to you or me or the universe or anything! You need to go, Cliff . . . I can’t keep you here . . . It’d be far too selfish.”

A breathy laugh escaped the red mech as he came closer to her again, standing so close that they nearly touched. But he knew if he attempted to close those final two inches, she’d only pull away again. “That’s the best part, ‘Cee . . . I’m not here to haunt you . . .”

She scoffed before he had a chance to finish. “Well, isn’t that a relief! Then your spirit is just restless and roaming the desert looking for you lost body until the end of time! Fantastic! That makes me feel sooo much better, Cliff!”

He vented slowly, shaking his helm gently. “No, ‘Cee . . . Primus- . . .” He didn’t know how to word it, to explain exactly that things weren’t as tragic as she was making them out to be. That things could take an immense turn for the better if she would just listen, but in her grief-stricken state, listening seemed to be the absolute last thing on her processor. She was so far in denial she couldn’t process a thing he was trying to tell her.

“This is horrible! I just started to feel better, Cliff!” She lied through her denta bitterly, knowing full well her spark still stung. “And now you just show up and stir up old memories? Like I need the extra low blow! Thanks, Cliff, thanks a lot!” She began pacing on the roof, biting at the tip of one of her digits. Her spark ached with that empty space. Cliff watched her, mouth crooked as she lost herself to her horrible, grief-filled thoughts.