A beeping came from the main monitor and Ratchet turned to look at it before scoffing.

"Blasted Earth tech," he grumbled. "Cliffjumper's signal popped back online."

"Cliff's alive?" Adelaide asked hopefully.

Miko looked at Addie and then back at Ratchet. "Who's Cliffjumper?"

"How is that possible?" Optimus questioned the medic.

"Maybe when the Cons took him, they disabled his signal or something," Adelaide suggested, trying to rationalize this turn of events.

"Unlikely. It's just another bug. The system is chock-full of them," Ratchet denied with a grimace.

"If there's any chance Cliff's alive," Arcee started, turning to look at Optimus.

"Ratchet, prepare sick bay. We may need it," Optimus instructed before pulling his mask up around his face.

"Hey!" Miko piped up once again. "What can we do?"

"Remain with Ratchet," the Prime said simply as he moved towards the grounbridge tunnel.

Miko let out a whine of disappointment and Adelaide laughed a little.

"You'll get used to it," the agent said with a grin.

The groundbridge buzzed to life.

"Autobots, roll out," Optimus instructed before the bots, save from Ratchet, transformed and sped into the groundbridge.

"What just happened?" Jack gasped as he watched the groundbridge close.

"I transported them to the designated coordinates via the groundbridge," Ratchet explained.

"What's a groundbridge?" Raf piped up.

Ratchet rolled his eyes and turned back to the main monitor. "A scaled down version of spacebridge technology."

"Basically, it's a portal," Adelaide elaborated with a lopsided grin.

"Since we don't currently possess the means or the energon for intergalactic travel-"

"Your stuck here," Jack finished for the medic. "On earth."

"With the likes of you, yes," Ratchet jabbed. "But I constructed the groundbridge to enable travel from here to anywhere on your planet."

"Does it work for humans?" Raf questioned, his eyes sparkling in amazement of this new technology.

"Naturally."

"You mean, I could just shoot on over and visit my parents in Tokyo?" Miko asked curiously.

"Within moments. In fact, allow me to send you there immediately, all three of you," the medic snarked as he leaned towards the human children.

Miko leaned in as well. "Watch it, Ratchet."

Ratchet just scoffed and rolled his eyes, turning back to his work.

"Don't mind him. He's a grump," Adelaide teased.

The medic grumbled under his breath which made the kids giggle.

"How long have you known the Autobots?" Miko asked curiously as she started snooping around.

"Hmm, a little over three years," Addie answered, sitting on her swivel chair. "Long enough to make Ratchet tolerate me."

"I like your setup," Raf said as he poked around the complex human computer systems.

"Thanks."

"What is this?" Miko asked as she went to push some buttons.

"Broken, don't touch," Ratchet replied shortly, seeing her about to touch a different button. "Don't touch that either."

"Is there anything in here we can touch?" Jack poked with a light huff.

Ratchet then groaned as an error code popped onto his monitor.

"How come you guys are using human computers?" Raf questioned.

"it certainly isn't by choice. It was handed down from the previous tenants when we inherited this former missile silo. I make modifications as I see fit."

More error codes appeared on the screen and the medic just shook his head.

"I think I can fix that," Raf said as he quickly slung his backpack off and dug out his laptop.

"Really?" Ratchet mocked as he rolled his eyes. "You know this is complex technology, don't you?"

Adelaide showed Raf where to plug in his lap top and let him sit in her chair.

"I mean, it isn't a child's toy," Ratchet continued to snark.

Raf clacked at his keyboard before looking up at the Autobot. "Now try."

Ratchet looked back to his monitor andd all the error codes corrected themselves, bringing the screens back up. He looked back at the human in surprise.

"You could always say thank you," Adelaide suggested with crossed arms.

Ratchet gave a slow nod. "Yes, well, thank you."

"It's no problem!" Raf gave a sheepish smile. "I like computers."

-

Adelaide tapped her foot impatiently as she watched the life signals of the bots on her radar.

"You okay over there, Miss Adelaide?" Jack asked as he watched her face contort worriedly.

She didn't move, zoned into her own little world.

"Miss Adelaide?" Raf tried as he tapped her arm.

"Hm? What?"

"Are you alright?" Raf asked.

She sighed and nodded. "Yeah, just worried, I guess. And I'm trying not to get my hopes up."

"You were friends with that Cliffjumper guy, weren't you?" Miko spoke and Addie nodded.

"Yeah. He was fun. You two definitely would've gotten along," she said with a short laugh, knowing the two chatter boxes would've bonded fast.

"Ratchet, bridge us back!"

Adelaide's head shot towards the main monitor as she heard Optimus's stern voice.

"Use the arrival coordinates, now!"

Ratchet quickly pulled the lever down, bringing the groundbridge to life.

The team of Autobots came barreling into the base through the groundbridge with an explosion biting their tail pipes.

Ratchet closed the bridge as soon as everyone was inside and there was a burst of smoke from the explosion that managed to get through before the vortex closed.

"Woah," the kids breathed as they watched Optimus stand.

"Cutting a bit close," Ratchet commented. "How about Cliffjumper?"

Optimus looked down, silently clenching his fists at his sides. Bumblebee's doorwings drooped, and Bulkhead's shoulders slumped. The silence said everything.

"What was that explosion?! Was there a fight?! Can I come with next time?!" Miko shouted excitedly.

Arcee let out a noise akin to a growl as she stepped forward. "Look-"

"Hey, Miko," Jack interrupeted, pulling the girl to the side. "Let's go see what the bots hide in their sock drawers."

"Seriously?"

Adelaide stayed by the edge of the platform, biting her bottom lip as she accepted fate.

"Arcee, what did you see?" Optimus asked as he looked down at her.

"Not Cliff," she mumbled as she held herself. "At least, not anymore. He was mutated, butchered, like something from those Con experiments during the war."

Arcee began to teeter before she fell to her knees with a groan.

Everyone made a step forward, Bumblebee letting out a whir, but Arcee held a hand up.

"I'm fine, just dizzy," Arcee spoke, but Bumblebee helped her to her feet.

"Arcee, sit down. I'll check you over," Ratchet said as he motioned for her to sit on an empty energon crate.

"Optimus," Adelaide spoke softly and he stepped closer to her. She stepped onto the bottom rung of the railing, signaling that she wanted him to pick her up.

He set his hand down and she climbed up. He gave her a sad smile and she returned it.

"You okay, big guy?" She asked gently.

"I will be alright, Adelaide."

"What is this?"

The two turned to Ratchet who was examining Arcee. On her hand was a splotch of purple goo.

"Don't know. Cliff was covered in it. Leaking it," Arcee explained as Ratchet scraped some of the goo off for a sample.

"Go take a decontamination bath, now," Ratchet instructed.

Bumblebee helped Arcee to the wash bay.

"Uh, Optimus, I don't mean to bug, but no bars," Jack spoke up.

The Prime turned to see Jack holding up his phone.

"A security precaution. The silo walls isolate all radio waves," Optimus explained as Adelaide sat with her legs crossed in his hand.

"Well, if I don't call my mom like now I'm pretty sure the cops will be out looking for me."

"Have you broken a law?"

"Curfew," Jack replied with a nod. "It's after ten."

"I better get home, too, or I'll be grounded for a year," Raf piped up.

Optimus hummed as he nodded. "Earth customs. I hadn't considered. But the issue of your safety remains." He seemed to think for a moment before looking towards his team. "Bulkhead, accompany Miko home."

"Awesome! My host parents will freak!" Miko gushed excitedly.

"And maintain covert surveillance in vehicle form," Optimus specified.

"Curbside duty, got it," Bulkhead agreed.

Miko let out a disappointed whine.

"Bumblebee, you'll watch over Raf."

The young scout looked at his new charge and Raf smiled back.

"Ratchet-"

"Busy," the medic said quickly.

"Arcee, you'll accompany Jack."

Arcee let out a groan. "Still dizzy."

"You're fine, says your physician," Ratchet called her bluff.

"Before you guys go, I'm gonna give you guys my number. Just in case," Adelaide spoke before Optimus set her back on the platform.

After they all exchanged numbers, the kids left with their new companions.

"I think I should get home, too," Adelaide said as she stretched her arms up. "I'm exhausted."

Optimus nodded before glancing at Ratchet. "If you would like, I could take you home."

"You sure? Ratchet could just- you know what? Yeah. I'd like that," Addie corrected herself with a smile. "Just let me get my bag."

"Take your time."

-

For the first few minutes the ride was silent, though it was comfortable and had a sort of peacefulness.

The stars were out in full force due to the absence of clouds. With no big cities to provide ambient light, the stars always shined bright in the outskirts of Jasper.

"Miss Adelaide, I want to make sure you are alright. I know that you and Cliffjumper got along very well," Optimus broke the silence.

She gave a light laugh. "I'm okay, Optimus. And quit it with the Miss."

"Apologies."

"To be honest though, I wanted to ask you the same thing. I want to make sure you're holding up okay," Addie replied gently.

Optimus thought for a second. He could lie to her, though he doubted she would appreciate or believe him, but he didn't want to burden her with his thoughts.

"If you don't wanna talk, that's okay. But I'm here to listen if you need to get it out. And remember, it's okay to not be okay," she spoke after a moment of silence. "You're on a world that's not your home, fighting a war that you've been trying to win for God knows how long, and you bare the responsibility of everyone's wellbeing on your shoulders. No one is that indestructible. Not even you."

The Prime allowed her words to resonate in his mind. A part of him wanted to argue that he needed to be that indestructible for the other Autobots, but he knew she was right, and he knew the others would agree with her. It wasn't easy to hear though.

"I'm sorry," Addie mumbled. "I didn't mean to overstep or anything."

"You did no such thing. It... it is not any easy thing to hear, is all. You are right, however. And I appreciate you for your care. Perhaps I would like to talk."

"Okay. Yeah," Adelaide nodded, feeling a warmth spread through her as she smiled.

Her phone went off and she looked at it. Why was Raf calling her? Did something happen already?

"Raf? What's going on?"

"Who are you and why are you driving my son home so late at night?!"

Adelaide stiffened as a woman, clearly Rafael's mother, screamed at her through the phone.

"Mom! I told you she's Jack's sister!" Raf cried out in the background.

"Who do you think you are? He's only a baby!" His mother continued.

Adelaide had to hold in a laugh. "I'm sorry, ma'am. You son was over at my brother's house to study. He was gonna walk home, but I didn't feel comfortable letting walk alone in the dark."

"Oh." There was a moment of silence. "You didn't tell me you were going to study, mijo."

"Yeah. Studying for that test next week! I'm sorry to bother you, Miss Adelaide!" Raf squeaked over the phone.

Now her laugh escaped. "Don't worry about it."

"Thank you for making sure my boy got home. You really are a dear."

"Anytime. Have a good night."

"And you, too."

The line went dead and Adelaide giggled. "Guess I'm Jack's older sister now. She was probably worried when she saw Bumblebee drop Raf off."

Optimus gave a hum of understanding.

The two continued to drive in silence once again as Optimus drove to a secluded area, away from prying human eyes.

Optimus opened his passenger door and Adelaide jumped out. Once she was out of the way, the Prime transformed to his towering form. He scooped Adelaide up into his hands and she sat with a warm smile.

He looked at her curiously for a moment, wondering what it was about her that made him feel so comfortable. He sat on the rocky ground and returned her smile before allowing her to sit on his shoulder, a place where she had found herself a lot more recently.

No words were spoken for a while as they just sat there.

Optimus stared at the stars above them, searching for the correct words to use.

"My dad used to sit outside with me and we would watch the stars," Adelaide spoke softly as she leaned back on her hands. She could tell Optimus was still hesitant, not that she minded at all. "We had a part of our roof that wasn't quite flat, but the slant was flat enough. We would put a blanket on the roof and sneak snacks up there. It was our little secret, even though I'm pretty sure my mom knew even if she didn't say anything."

Optimus glanced at her as he listened intently. He enjoyed hearing her tell him stories, whether they were sitting on the roof of the base or driving down the open road, and in turn he shared some stories with her on occasion.

"Everytime I see the stars I think of those days. Simpler times. But thinking of those simpler times is what I hold onto when things get difficult. And maybe, granted times aren't exactly simple, I'll look back on these moments with you and hold on to this."

"I believe I will do the same," Optimus agreed with a curt nod. "I enjoy spending my time with you, Adelaide."

Addie smiled at him and he returned it. "I remember when I couldn't get you to smile for anything. I'm glad you're coming around. I like it when you smile."

"I must admit that I enjoy seeing your smile as well."

Hold on. Adelaide could've sworn her heart skipped a beat as her face flushed. She gave a sheepish giggle and looked back to the stars.

"I am just worried that your smile will fade," Optimus spoke gently, continuing to watch her from the corner of his eye. "Everyone's smile."

That brought her gaze back to him. She stood up and moved to allow him to move her back into his hands. She wanted to fully look at him so he knew he had her full attention.

"I believe we have become complacent in the lull we have experienced. Three years without fighting. After losing Cliffjumper... I do not wish to see anyone else hurt. I wish I had been there sooner to have Cliffjumper's back. I feel that I failed him. I have failed so many Autobots who placed there faith in me," Optimus continued lowly.

Adelaide wanted to cut him off and yell at him for suggesting that he had failed in any way, but she wanted him to get out whatever was bothering him. She wanted him to trust her, the same way she trusted him.

"And if Megatron has returned, I fear what will become of the Earth. We lost one home to his savage tyranny. I want to keep our new home safe from the plague he brings with him. But I keep wondering if we are enough," he admitted to which she gave an understanding nod. "I do not doubt the abilities of the others, and I do not wish for them to think I doubt them, however..."

"You don't want them to misconstrue your concerns," she finished after he trailed off.

Optimus nodded in confirmation, falling silent again.

"Optimus, the others are all thinking the same thing. Everyone is worried that this team won't be enough, but they all understand one thing. You are all better off with each other than without. And you may be our leader, the decision maker, but you're still just you. You're a Cybertronian trying your best to fight for what you believe. That's what I admire about you. But you need to remember that. You might be a Prime, but before any of that, you're Optimus."

He listened the her as he kept her cupped in his hand. It felt comforting to have someone care for him not because they needed him to be okay so he could lead, but for no other reason than just because she cares.

"You are allowed to feel sad and feel guilty about losing a teammate, but you shouldn't let it sit on top of you. I can only imagine how much you let sit on you. But just like anyone else, you need to get it out. You can cry or scream or do whatever you need to do. Even if you do it all by yourself without anyone else knowing. You're my friend, Optimus, and I'm worried about you. I know I can't do much, but anything I can do to help I'll do it."

"Thank you, Adelaide. I do appreciate you for being here," Optimus spoke as he held her up closer. "Thank you for listening to me."

She smiled as she rested her forehead against his own. "I'm always here if you need to talk."

Optimus rested his optics as he allowed himself to feel connected to the warmth on his face where her soft skin met his cold metal.

Eventually, Adelaide stood back and patted his cheek gently. "I'm sure the other Primes won't mind if you decide to scream into a pillow every once in a while."

He couldn't help the smile that crossed his face. He had grown to love her little quips. "I am sure you would be able to convince them even if they were not."

"You know me all to well, Optimus," she cheeked before a small yawn pushed through.

"I think I should get you home. It is quite late."

"Maybe you're right."

-

After one last quiet ride for the night, Optimus pulled into the driveway of Adelaide's house.

"Thanks for the ride, OP," Adelaide said as she picked her bag up off the floor.

Optimus sat for a moment, thinking about the new nickname she just gave him.

"Um, Optimus?" Adelaide spoke.

"Oh. Apologies." He quickly opened the door for her and she slid down onto the foot step.

"I'll see you tomorrow. Empty base tonight, so relax a bit, will ya?"

"I will do my best, Adelaide. Sleep well," he replied.

He waited until she was safely inside before he backed away from her house, making his way back to base.