These Paths We Tread (Autobot x OC)

XII. Time to Pretend

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Just as she had for the past seven days, Catherine woke feeling refreshed and ready for the day. However, unlike the past seven days, she didn’t smile as she went over what memories she had dreamed of the night before. While the fantastic light show and gladiator-like battle presented to her was fantastic, it weighed nothing in comparison to the realization that today was her last morning at the base. Once everyone was ready to go and Sector Seven had their transportation ready they would be leaving. She would have to say good-bye to Lennox and his soldiers and even worse—the Autobots. Sure, Bumblebee was coming with them—the government had been kind enough to agree to that with the excuse the Decepticons might come after him, and Sam’s parents had agreed after a begrudging argument—but he was technically going to be Sam’s car, and she just didn’t want to leave any of them. She had to, though.

“Well, here we go,” she mumbled and slid out of bed. She put her original clothes back on now that they’d had been washed—a kind gesture from Sector Seven—and set the ones given to them in a nice stack for whomever was going to clean the rooms. After a quick brush through her hair was set into a ponytail, which was followed up with a quick teeth brushing, and then she was ready to go. A least, she was physically. Even though her feet kept moving towards the door and her hand reached for the handle, her mind told her to stop the whole way. It told her to just go back and sit on the bed and hope she was overlooked and could stay. It was a silly thought, and the cold logic won over in the end, turning the door handle and pushing her out into the hall.

She wasn’t alone; Sam and Mikeala were already out and in their old clothes, too. They looked refreshed and eager to finally be going home. She wasn’t surprised. He’d gotten the main prize. The big jackpot. The whole shebang. He had a vastly improved life to head back to even though no one was going to know he was a hero. No one was going to know she was either, but she wasn’t going back with anything except some powers she couldn’t use or show because it would bring disastrous results. It didn’t really seem fair when it came down to it. It might not have been so bad, she realized, if her friend wouldn’t constantly blab about it or hadn't essentially ignored her most of their stay. Granted, part of it was her doing, but still… Didn’t sixteen years count for something?

“Excited about heading home?” Lennox spoke from behind her, nearly making her jump.

She smiled back at him, “Kinda.”

“’Kinda’? ‘Figured you’d be jumping for joy to go back to the normal life and see your parents again,” the man frowned, moving more towards her front with a hand on his hip.

“I just,” she began slowly, finding the wall incredibly interesting at the moment. “Um...really had a lot of fun. Sure, the nearly dying in the battle wasn’t so fun, but I got to meet and spend time with you guys and the Autobots and I… well…”

Lennox chuckled, and she met his gaze where she saw sympathy in his green irises as he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, “I know how you feel, but you have your whole life ahead of you. You’re going to go out and experience all those great things that you can’t if you stay cooped up here. Sure, it’s not full of guys like the Autobots, but you will have that yellow guy—Bumblebe—from what I hear, and, who knows—you might just find something better than the Autobots or even us out there.”

It took a moment, but she smiled up at him again. Mostly it was because she didn’t want him to think his words hadn’t done the full job and she didn’t want to tell him that would worked fine if she was a normal kid. He was right, she knew. There was a whole lot out there in the world. She knew that all too well, but she still wasn't convinced. She didn’t want to disappoint him, though, so she nodded, and he rubbed her head affectionately.