Transformers Prime - Hazy

Missing From the Moment

Jasmine screamed, gripping the edges of the water-filled tub as she fought the pain the contractions brought on. She fought with the contractions to bring her children into the world safely. Angel knelt at the other end of the large tub, her hands ready for the children, not even so much as wincing when the water started being tinged red and blue.

“All right, Jazz . . . We’re getting somewhere . . . Fight the pain. They’ll be more than worth it. You can do this, Jazz.” Angel was doing her best to be encouraging, and Jasmine groaned, tensing as another round of contractions shot through her body.

It hurt like hell.

And Optimus wasn’t here. He should be here. They’d dreamed of this moment and yet-.

“Jasmine . . .” It was the slightest whisper, and nearly made her jump out of her skin within the water. She hadn’t been expecting his voice. And she knew it wasn’t that of the medic’s holoform, standing dutifully to the side should his assistance be needed, and to hold the first child after it was birthed. They certainly wouldn’t be giving that task to Sunny, who sat outside the room with Daniel.

Gritting her teeth, Jasmine forced her eyes and looked to her side. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing.

Optimus was crouching at the side of the tub, transparent as he was before when he’d appeared to her atop the cafe’s roof. The pain had occupied so much of her, Jasmine had noticed him return from recharge. She could specifically spot bruises on his skin, but he gave her a smile. “You’ve never looked so beautiful, Maiden . . .”

She let out a groan, tensing. Angel said something, but Jasmine didn’t listen much to what she had to say. ‘I’m going to kick someone’s ass, Optimus. Where the hell are you?’ Another scream escaped her and she curled her toes, fighting the discomfort the best she could. It was distracting, to say the least, to see her husband, her bondmate, here, but not here, and bruised. Someone had not only taken him, but hurt him. He’d been abused since he’d vanished, and she was more than a tad bit frustrated with that. Not to mention ready to rip someone’s throat out.

She winced as she stared at him, and he placed a hand on her bare shoulder. “I apologize, Maiden . . . You need to conserve your energy at the moment . . . I’ll explain the specifics later . . .”

‘The hell you will!’ Her lips curled back in a scowl, but not because of her displeasure with him. It was from the pain that was shooting back and forth through her and her immense concern for him. It took all of her self control to keep from yelling. The last thing she needed was for Ratchet and Angel to question her sanity while she was in labor. Of course, Jasmine was fairly certain that Angel already knew  exactly what was going on, since the only way this worked was through the UP.

“Maiden, please . . .” He murmured, cupping her face in one hand, turning her so she looked at him. It was an unusual sort of thing, and if she had truly resisted the motion, it wouldn’t have worked, but as he was her bondmate, Jasmine didn’t mind the little things. He would never do anything to hurt her. She knew as much. But she was worried sick about him, and the labor wasn’t helping anything. Except to get the babies out.

Optimus was attempting to send a wave of calm through himself and into Jasmine, but it wasn’t that easy to calm down a hormonal femme in heaps of pain and struggling with the fact that on the eve of her labor, her bondmate had vanished without a trace. ‘I’m going to find you, Optimus,’ Jasmine thought, lowering her volume. ‘And I’m going to kick someone’s backside into next week. You should be here. You should be with us. You’re SUPPOSED to be with us! You’re my mate and I love you and you should be here, frag it! Where-.’ She didn’t finish. She stopped to let out another scream. Absently, she heard Angel shout, but again, she didn’t pay attention.