For anyone who's been reading from the start, don't worry you haven't gone crazy. After deliberation and to better suit an upcoming storyline, the lead female's name has been changed from Star to Venus. All previous chapters have been edited to rectify, along with a cast list being posted pre chapter 1 and a fancy new cover so please check them out!

Thanks to Hollaugh for letting me spitball ideas at you and helping me figure stuff out for Venus, your constant support means the world 💛💫

Also we have a lovely new story gif to be featured as a outro, made by the talented -mccallpxck, thank you!

Anyway, here's chapter 5, where Optimus and Venus' bond continues to develop with the help of new friends!

☆☆☆

"Let's make this fleeting moment last forever
So tell me, what you waitin' for?
I'm gonna keep it frozen here forever
There's no regretting anymore."
(Alive - Krewella)

☆

To Optimus, every living being deserved the chance to live and to be free and content. It was a principle that had guided him through his many years and what inspired so many others to follow his lead.

This belief of course extended to Earthen life. And one thing he knew was that this creature before them would not end up splattered beside the road like the other flattened beings they'd witnessed earlier on their journey.

Before Venus could even slam a slipper to the breaks, metal grinding against gears sounded aggressively all around her as Optimus transformed into bipedal mode, in a frenzy sending the girl flying from her comfortable seat into the chilled night air with a frightened scream.

"OPTIMUS!"

Her screams blew in the breeze for mere moments, as the Prime was quick to catch her mid air and pull her into the safety of his chassis. And the dog itself was left staring up at the giant robot who did a rather astounding flip overhead to avoid causing it harm.

Without even skimming it, Optimus landed back on the road with a crashing roll into a kneeling position. Feeling more than relieved when he looked to see the animal standing strongly on all four legs, roaring a peculiar sound that humans would recognise as barking but reminded him somewhat of Ravage. Though Optimus sweetly hoped it was a form of thanks for sparing it harm, causing his eyes to shine with fulfilment.

Quickly concerned for his human companion however, Prime looked down to find Venus clinging to one of his hands with both arms and legs wrapped around tightly, usually luscious hair windswept in a now tangled manner as it hung over her face, and he felt trembles radiate from her little frame through his massive one along with deep, shaky breaths.

His index finger ever so carefully brushed some disheveled hair from her face with a gentle rumbling prompt. "Venus, are you alright?..."

Rigidly looking up and not releasing her grip on him, she nodded nauseously and he noticed her skin had gone lighter hued than normal, which troubled him. Were humans supposed to change colour like that?

"I'm good... but I think I need to sit down or I might be sick." The girl hummed uneasily and Optimus didn't stop to ask what 'sick' meant before she released her desperate grip and he set her down gently on the tarmac for her to recover for a moment.

"I'm not sure I'm cut out for all of this..." The shaky blonde exhaled sickly to herself as she resisted the urge to heave into the roadside dirt with a groan, body hunched over as she leant her palms on the road.

Assuming it was the breeze shifting her hair delicately, Venus didn't react for a moment until she shivered in surprise at the feeling of a light sensation running down her spine.

"I apologise, I hoped the motion would be soothing." Optimus expressed sheepishly when he sensed her disturbance. Venus turned her head with puzzlement that quickly faded as she found the robot too hunched over her as if he was mirroring, running his right index and middle fingers down her back in an attempt of comfort. Doubling as a shield to protect her from the brisk wind.

He may not have understood her ailment completely, but some kind of instinct compelled Optimus to reach for her. To try to provide solace through his touch. Instinct he also didn't understand but did not fight because somehow it felt right. Almost... natural.

His touch hovered in place, waiting for her to respond warily as to not overstep. Eyes unsure and holding worry he may have acted inappropriately. Had this instinct made him do so?

That worry dissipated at the feeling of a tiny warmth on his hand that in turn sent waves of heat through his Spark. Venus' hand rested upon his own, and her ocean eyes gazed into his galaxy pools with a smile that reassured him completely.

His Spark was warmed, and so was her heart.

"Thank you." She whispered as that shared gaze of competing incandescent blues did not falter. Without need to ask, large metallic fingers resumed the desired motion, gliding down her back with such gentleness for a titan. The feeling of sickness was non existent as the intended solace blossomed within and took its place.

Neither broke eye contact. Thought became lazy and unneeded in the haze that oddly comforted both parties. The only thing that brought them round from the happily vacant state was the dog they'd fortunately left unharmed, which had run over and shoved it's snout into Venus' face with an inquisitive sniff. Snapping back to the real world as she felt the cold nose inspecting her skin she promptly jerked. Only then noticing that she'd at some point shifted to become leant into Optimus' hand.

"Hey buddy, what are you doing out here?" The blonde frowned and gave the large dog a gentle stroke down its sleek smokey fur to return its affection towards her.

"Is this not the typical habitat of a 'buddy'?" Prime queried with great interest as he observed the girl and the animal. Her responsive giggle both confused and amused him.

"We call these 'dogs'. Pretty sure this one is a Great Dane." Venus explained as she admired the beautiful breed that gazed with blue eyes that rivalled hers. Glancing around the bleak night wilderness that encased them, there was no one to be seen, certainly no homes or cars.

"Poor thing must be lost." She mused with a concerned huff, pulling her bed robe tighter around her when Optimus retracted his touch and stood with a determined manner about him. Even his posture was leader like and commanding in a gentle, non forceful way. She'd started to notice these things about him, through mutual observation.

"Then we must detour and return our Great Dane friend to his comrades." The Prime announced with certainty, not that the blonde was going to try to deter his mind.

As if said dog understood, it gave a booming bark in appreciation of that decision.

--

Intruding sunlight and the irritating drone of a telephone stirred Venus from her much needed slumber just after noon the next day.

Groaning as she forced her head up she was met with the restful beige and brown motel room she'd been more than thankful to book into when they'd finally come across a town in the early hours. Restful until somebody decided to wake her up via the phone.

Suspicion pricked her sleepy mind. Nobody knew she was there...

Pulling herself groggily into a sitting position, hand carefully reaching for the receiver situated on the table beside her bed, she brought it to her ear and hesitated before skeptically asking. ".... Hello?"

"Ah, Venus. I was becoming concerned as you have failed to emerge." Optimus' familiar chords hummed cheerfully in greeting through the phone.

Adrenaline purging the remnant urge to go back to sleep, and a scramble out of the linen bed to look out of the window allowed her to sigh in relief as she saw the unmissable Semi truck parked up like a centurion beneath her window.

"Optimus how are you on the phone?"

"A simple manner of scanning localised radio waves and integrating my own signal into the correct receiver." Came the somewhat complex explanation, to which Venus hummed softly in surprising understanding.

"In short you cleverly hacked the phone then."

"In short.... Indeed."

"Fair enough." She smiled, twirling the telephone cable around her finger.

"Though if it is not too much to request... could you please come outside." Prime's tone changed from morning cheerful to being lined with uncertainty. Which for such an omnipotent leader most would consider strange. But he was far from his realm of experience on Earth. "I fear our companion is becoming restless."

Hearing the bark that was becoming a little too familiar on the other end, she sighed and conceded. The motel didn't allow dogs, so the unexpected passenger had to stay in the cab overnight. Which had seemed like a good idea....

"What makes you say that?"

"It has expelled an odd lubricant onto my cab interior." He explained with lacking disgust or gravity, but seeing Venus' face twist in repel through the window made him worry. "... Why did it do that Venus?" Was his slightly desperate request.

Fortunately, she knew that he'd already picked up language to explain the situation.

"... He took a leak in you, Optimus."

The moment of realization resulted in radio silence on his end as it, among other things, sunk in.

"Oh." Came with expected disgust finally sinking in, while Venus was already pulling clothes on and packing. Eager to try to rectify the issue before it started to smell.

"We're going to need bleach."

--

The little town the duo - temporarily a trio, were rolling through the heart of was the closest civilization (named somewhat ironically for Prime, "Orion's Point") to where they had almost hit the dog. So named because it's position in the hills meant it provided a unique view of the stars, according to the brochure Optimus had sampled. It wasn't anywhere special but it seemed rustic and homely, lined with various colourful convenience stories and businesses, where they'd managed to procure some bleach to try to purge the "lubricant" from the passenger seat.

Except it still retained the unpleasant odor after spending half the afternoon scrubbing. Meaning Venus was sat in the driver's seat with a dissatisfied grimace. From the way Optimus had his windows down and the air conditioning blasting like a hurricane she guessed he felt much the same.

For once, Prime loathed that Cybertronians were made with a sense of smell.

Though the stench wasn't what was currently troubling Venus.

Shivering lightly, the blonde wrapped herself tighter in her denim jacket since the crimson crop top she wore gave little protection against the whirlwind spiralling via the vents. And she contemplated while watching the sights.

Last night's drama had reminded both parties of the deadly importance of reaching their destination. Reality of the stakes had set themselves firmly in her mind.

"What will happen if we don't find your friend in time?" Venus piped up after nerves and fears of what could come to pass crossed her thoughts for the first time since leaving New York.

"Do not think like that." Was Optimus' attempt at reassurance. Though helped little as Venus felt her chest tighten with a heavy pain pulsing into existence.

Optimus last night had admitted that even he was worrisome of the consequences should they fail. Though he'd expressed the anxiety for his comrades, it wasn't hard to guess the kind of carnage those who he called 'Decepticons' could and would wreak on their tiny marble of a world.

"They'll kill us, won't they?" She exhaled shakily as a hand clutched to the tightness in her chest.

"I am detecting fluctuations of your spark consistent with what you described as a 'panic attack'." Optimus was quick to state when he felt the uneven rhythm pounding through her chest. Though he recognised it was not like a Cybertonian spark, and was oblivious that the humans knew their 'sparks' as 'hearts'. Admittedly, he was strangely attracted to the usually rhythmic pulse of Venus' 'spark' and would indulge himself and listen to it when the air was quiet. Thus he was so quick to pick up on the early signs as it changed.

"Venus you need to calm yourself."

Barely hearing, the panicked blonde hunched over into the dashboard with ragged pants. Calming down during something like this was easier said than done.

"I can't breathe--" Her whimper came with increasing alarm, even provoking a dumbfounded look from the grey Dane sitting on the parallel seat.

Alarms sparked in Optimus' processor. Newly created programming from experience via their original encounter demanded to activate.

The robotic Semi was quick to park up beside the pavement in an orderly manner, and under what his processor had dubbed "Consoling Protocols", a seatbelt twined around the human's trembling form, pulling her carefully backwards into the warmth of the seat.

"Calm yourself Venus." His engine purred in the deepest, most comforting baritone rumble any being could imagine. With effects almost sedating. Venus' eyelids fluttered as the suffocation began to lift, and she relaxed into the engulfing warm. The seatbelt itself was even heated, wrapped tenderly around her chest area like the feel of an embrace. Burning away all that anxiety with such gentle precision.

For a blissful moment, Venus forgot about the possibly imminent alien invasion. Drawing peace once again from his touch.

But then the relief was shattered with a knock on the driver's side door that made both participants jolt. The seatbelt tightened its hold protectively, and Venus' turquoise gaze snapped open to see a young man peering in through the open window with a friendly smile and a timid wave intended to get her attention.

Craving such euphoria to continue, she was half tempted to tell him to go away.

"Hi.." His smile wavered with a furrow of bushy brows as he noticed her state. Like coming out of daze. Or off drugs his mind considered. "Sorry... am I interrupting? It's just I saw your truck in town last night and everyone knows everyone here so I knew you weren't local." He began to explain himself as his blue eyes that were like that of a stormy sky analysed her almost. "And I saw you pull up just now and you looked.... Weird."

"Come again?" Venus wasn't sure if that was meant to be offensive.

"Oh no no not like that!" The young man's English accent implored as he changed his stance in apology. "You just looked..." Trailing off, he improvised. "Can I buy you a coffee, by way of apology?"

The seatbelt did not budge from its hold. But Venus considered it. A local would be more likely to know the owner of the dog.

Sweetly smiling, she accepted.

Patting Optimus' dash gently as a notion of parting and as a signal to release her, Venus followed after the man with the dog in tow.

As he reluctantly released her and watched them walk off down the pavement, Optimus felt a sense of deprivation when she got too far to hear her heartbeat.

--

Venus was very glad she'd accepted the offer. It was good to clear her head, and coffee was always a bonus.

Plus the young man was very charming and chatty. He introduced himself as Ben Knight, who happened to work at the local coffee shop and so got freebies as a perk. And pink iced doughnuts as compliments of the establishment.

Strolling up the streets as the sun neared its darkening horizon, Venus found it odd to be laughing with a human again after the last few days of adventure. Ben was happy to divulge comedic tales of the town's happenings and from what he said it appeared to be friendly, lovely but also a little crazy. He'd also picked up on the hints of a Geordie accent in her tone, and the fact they both had English heritage was something to chat about.

Then he asked about her. She'd been careful of course not to mention certain alien details.

Far enough not to be noticed by her, Prime was taking care not to follow too closely as he trailed after the two, as he had been the entire duration. For safety reasons, he mentally justified.

Truthfully he didn't understand what function or command was compelling him to stalk after his companion. It was so uncharacteristic. He never followed his comrades around like this, not even B-127! But something inside him he couldn't identify urged him to stay close to her.

To ensure she was alright.

There was something about Venus that brought out thoughts and instincts Optimus had yet to understand.

"So what brings you to Orion's Point?" Ben asked with interest as the conversation reached the appropriate point, smoothing back his dark blonde hair to keep it tidy as they walked.

Venus' fingers drummed on her coffee cup as she quickly formulated a safe explanation that wouldn't expose the truck discreetly gatecrashing her afternoon. "Well..."

Panic pricked Optimus' mind. Would she blow their secret?

"I'm on this trip cross-country.... It's really important that I get there, only stopped to find this guy's owner." She gestured to the large hound that was walking with them but sniffing everything and everyone they passed. "If I don't make it in time there could be consequences for a lot of people."

Ben's pace slowed as he frowned deeply with concern. "What does that mean, are you in trouble with someone?"

"No no, not exactly... but I wasn't given much of a choice about going." She admitted softly.

Optimus' engine stalled as he heard, tuning his audio receptors in further.

Ben looked increasingly concerned about the thought of her being forced into something she didn't want to do.

"It's nothing like that... I just..." Venus stopped and put a hand to her head with a sigh. Optimus was tempted to roll over there and take her back from the male as he worried she was becoming distressed.

Her next words were what stopped him.

"I didn't want to come." She whispered in admittance to Ben. And unaware, to Optimus too.

That was when he stopped following after her, as doubt played at his thoughts. And after considering, his engine reignited barely, and he retreated from his human, that he now knew never wanted to be his.

She definitely wouldn't appreciate his efforts to safeguard her, he imagined as he felt something in his Spark sink.

"Then why did you?" Ben turned to face Venus properly, stormy eyes evidently concerned even though she didn't seem afraid and definitely wasn't acting like she'd been kidnapped.

"I..." The blonde woman leant herself against a store wall and bit her lip, nails rhythmically drumming against the cup as she bit her lip, eyes meeting his.

"I didn't have a choice. It all happened so fast, I just got in the truck and went. And these last days its been so, so crazy. Scary. I didn't want to go because I didn't think I could handle the pressure of it all." She admitted, pushing off from the wall as she looked to the sky that was beginning to bleed with hues of pink and purple and blue.

Her tone lightened as she smiled fondly. "But somehow they've been the most exciting, adventurous days of my life. And I feel...."

Her mind cast itself back to the effect Optimus seemed to have on her. How he calmed her. How she didn't regret any of it now.

".... I don't know exactly. Changed? It might sound a little crazy."

Ben didn't seem so concerned anymore as she explained herself. She obviously wasn't worried and so couldn't have been in a forceful situation. She was on a journey that wasn't just physical it seemed.

"Not at all. What does your family think of this journey?"

Venus' smile dropped in realization.

"... Oh my god. I went so fast, I didn't tell anyone.... Nobody knows where I am. It must be like I vanished off the face of the Earth."

The chaos that was Optimus' arrival into her life... she hadn't stopped to think of her mother and sister as she ran swiftly with the Autobot.

Did that make her selfish?...

--

Had Optimus been selfish?

Upon his arrival to Earth, he'd been so set on his mission. On the survival and wellbeing of his race that maybe he hadn't given Venus much of a choice when he asked her to accompany him.

He had not meant to pressurise her. He would never force somebody into a mission they would resent.

He contemplated this as he sat on the steep rocky hills high above the town in robotic mode, the sun at its final position cast an ethereal glow over the humans below.

His dulled eyes glanced over the tiny figures below, searching for his particular blonde. The lack of sight of her leaving an empty, yearning feel within him.

The emptiness of thinking she didn't feel the same.

Perhaps he should continue alone. Allow Venus to return to her life. Perhaps she would stay with this 'Ben' as he seemed to make her smile.

If that were the case, Prime only hoped that Ben would create "Consoling Protocols" of his own to care for her. Because his Venus deserved all the care and protection possible.

She deserved everything. Even if it were not him providing it with these awakening instincts he now may never understand.

His own feelings did not matter as long as Venus was happy.

Venus.

Her name flashed through his processor like an alarm in sync with his environmental sensors as they started going off abruptly.

He sensed it physically when he felt the ground beneath start to shift and vibrate beneath his feet with a deep rumble. His internal early warning system going crazy.

DANGER!

SEISMIC ACTIVITY DETECTED.

A forceful quake sent him stumbling to his knees with a grunt. His scanners could feel the ground shaking, with such violence and brutality.

His eyes widened with panic as he felt the tremors expanding in the direction of the town and people below.

VENUS.

Consoling Protocols forsaken. Protective ones shocked him into a sprint and a scramble to try to beat the danger down there.

Right now what he believed she thought of him didn't matter. All he cared about was finding her. Protecting her, and everyone else in peril.

Far across town, Venus stood alone inside a phone box. As the line connected and she awaited the desired voice on the opposing end, she didn't even get a word out before she felt the earth itself rumble and her body vibrate.

Clutching the reciever tighter and turning hesitantly as she sensed it, the word barely crossed her mind as the real shocks started. And she was slammed forcefully into the glass panes with a cry.

Earthquake.