A New Dawn - Transformers Prime (4)

Chapter Fifteen

[Amanda]

  My mansion was silent for the first time in weeks. I usually had Miko and Jack in here, training, or Raf giving me reports, or even Finn on the phone, but not today. Everyone was doing their own thing, and as much as I needed the break, I didn't like the silence. Especially since the emptiness has allowed me to stare at the photo tapped to the side of my dresser mirror for longer than usual.

  I looked at this photo every day when getting ready, whether it was for a second or a minute, but I hadn't let myself sit on it for very long, not since last year. The familiar pain in my chest returned, and I sighed, fighting the urge to cry.

  "Things were so much easier with you here, Optimus," I said out loud, taking the photo in my hands and running my finger over it. Miko had taken it almost six months before we restored Cybertron and gave me the print out for my birthday soon after. It was one of the best photos I had with the Prime, with me sitting on his shoulder, a smile on my face as he showed me something on the computer. I had been pointing to the screen, making a joke about the Cybertronian coding he'd been teaching me, and there was even that tiny smile he had on his face in the photo. His eyes were bright and alive, and I remembered how he patiently taught me almost the entire language's letters that day.

  The urge to get a space bridge to Cybertron intensified within me, but I knew I couldn't go now. My team was hard at work, I couldn't just leave for a day trip, and what if something happened? I always needed to be ready to jump in. So I settled for the photo, hoping the Prime would hear me nonetheless.

  "You always made it look simple," I continued, moving backwards to sit on the edge of my bed, eyes still glued to the photo in my hands. "Even when you didn't know the answers... How did you do it? How were people always willing to follow you into the craziest situations with the odds stacked against you?" Shaking my head, I blinked back a tear. "I wish I could have seen you in the beginning. I only knew you when you were this next level, stellar leader who could do anything. If only you were here now..."

  I shook my head, scrubbing my other hand over my face. "I know, you'd hate the fact that I'm doing this. It's been a year, I should be able to move on, but I can't. You're the biggest hero I know, Optimus, I can't just forget about you. Hell, even Cleona knows that now, which is slightly embarrassing but it's not like I invited her to my dreams, so she can deal with it."

  Sighing, I stood, placing the photo back to its spot on the side of my mirror. "I only hope I'll be able to lead like you, become a fraction of the leader you are." Taking one last, long look at him in the photo, I swallowed hard and then headed downstairs towards the gym, intending to do some training of my own. As I entered the kitchen, I frowned, noticing how lacking I was in the food department.

  "Blair, text Miko. Tell her we're heading to Fernley for some shopping."

~~~

  "When you said shopping, I didn't think grocery shopping," Miko grumbled as we pulled up to the supermarket in Fernley in my Mustang.

  "I'm pretty sure you lot ate all of my food," I smirked. "So you have to suffer through this to repay me. Also, I'll buy you a candy on the way out."

  She grinned. "Now you're talking! All I've been eating is healthy stuff, I need some bad calories!"

  I laughed and we headed inside. About halfway through, my stomach turned uneasily, making me frown as I grabbed a jar of peanut butter, almost dropping it.

  "A?" Miko's voice snapped me back. "What's up?"

  Slightly ignoring her, I immediately reached out with my powers, scanning the area around us without making it obvious that silver dust was originating from my fingertips. Miko must have seen it though, causing her to scan the people around us with her eyes.