You woke up to the sounds of birds. Trilling sparrows and chirping chickadees mixed with the coos of the mourning dove and gentle lulling song of the wood thrush. Stretching, you pull the curtains back from your windows, the sun greeting you good morning as you gaze at the pale blue sky. A new day! Full of new adventures and all sorts of-wait a second. Your eyes widen as everything that happened yesterday comes rushing back to you, images of rock bases and giant Cybertronians, a deep voice and kind blue optics.

"Optimus." You whisper in the morning silence.

Goodness, it had felt like a dream-it was so unbelievable, how could it be real? But more memories from last night pass through your mind and you can't stop the smile that spreads across your face when you think of the Prime.

You rush around to get ready, tugging on some shorts and a shirt you slyly made sure had at least a little bit of blue or red on it.

Smiling you grab yourself a small breakfast, just tugging on your shoes when you hear a honk from outside. You gasp and rush to the window. Sure enough a royal blue and crimson truck sits patiently on the side of the road by your house. You grab your phone and rush out the door, stopping in front of him with a wide smile.

"Good morning Optimus!" You say cheerfully.

He chuckles, "Good morning Y/N. Are you ready?"

"Yep!" You say as the passenger door opens and you hop in.

You shut the door and click yourself into the seat, almost bursting with excitement.

"What has put you in such delight this morning?" He asks as you pull away.

"I honestly thought that yesterday was a dream-how could anything that amazing happen to me? But then you showed up and...it's just all so exciting." You breathed.

He chuckled, "Well I'm glad you find us exciting rather than terrifying."

You look at the rear view quizzically, "Why would I find you terrifying? You're so kind and gentle and calm, even if you are thirty or so feet tall and made of metal...okay I'm starting to see how someone might get scared." You laughed quietly.

"Jack was the first to know of our existence here in Jasper, and met Arcee by accident. However, his first reaction was terror. Raf met Bumblebee in an easier manner and thus wasn't as frightened, and, as you could probably assume, Miko was thrilled." He chuckled softly, "As much as Bulkhead adores Miko, I'm not sure how I myself would endure her inexhaustible energy."

You smile, "Even with only a day's experience, I've come to learn that one can be a little harder to handle." You turn towards the mirror. "Now I realize that with you as my guardian you're required to take care of me and protect me, but while we're at base, what exactly am

I supposed to do?"

The cabin was silent for a moment. "I am unsure. Although when we get there, tasks will be found, trust me, there's always more to be done." His tone had turned sad at the end, an old wound scraped over.

"Optimus? Are you okay?" You ask softly.

It was silent again before a sigh filled with years of wistful sorrow drifted through the air. "No matter what I do, how hard I try, how many times I fight, it feels as though this war will never end. All I wanted was peace but it feels like I'm the harbinger of hate. There's so much that needs to be done and so little I feel I can do."

You felt your heart break as tears filled your eyes at his words. "Optimus..." Your voice cracks. "I've known you for less than 24 hours and I already know that what you think of yourself is not true. You are the most peaceful person I have ever met, even when dealing within a conflict. Your team respects and admires you, and combined you all do so much in dealing with this war. You don't have to take it all on yourself." In a quieter tone you add, "If you ever need someone, to help shoulder your burden, to help lift your spirits, to vent your frustration or merely a friend, I'll always be here for you."

You felt him trip up a bit on the road and in a deep, emotion filled voice he replied, "Thank you, Y/N. Perhaps...that could be what I need."

"Anytime Optimus." You voice, gently rubbing soothing circles into the chair, the dashboard, the door, the space between the two seats.

What sounds almost like a purr rumbles from the engine and you smile. The rest of the time is spent in silence, nothing but the hum of his alt form and the wind rushing past.

As you pull into the base, you hear a loud voice you didn't recognize from the day before. Definitely male, and older than you.

You feel his alt form slow as he muttered a dread filled, "Not right now..."

He reached the open section at last, transforming with you still inside. Pieces flew all around you and you let out a startled yelp as you landed on his outstretched hand.

He looked down at you with a slight grimace, "Sorry."

You smile up at him, albeit a bit queasy, "It's fine."

The corner of his mouth barely lifts up before it disappears again completely as the loud voice bursts through the room again.

"Prime! Who is this? Why is there another civilian who knows about you?" He shouted.

"Agent Fowler, meet Y/N, Y/N, Agent Fowler. He is our liaison for the government." Optimus introduced.

"But how does she know you?!" Agent Fowler shouts exasperated.

"Y/N had witnessed a battle between Megatron and myself. I could not allow her to endanger herself by my not taking her under our care." Optimus explained.

Agent Fowler sighed and rubbed his forehead, "This can't keep happening Prime, the more people who know about you the worse the chance it will stay a secret."

"I realize that, but Y/N is responsible and knows where her loyalties must lie in order to keep both us and her safe."

You nodded along as he spoke, "Sir, I promise not to tell a soul. There is nothing and no one that could convince me otherwise. The work that is done here is too important to be compromised by me and much more valuable than anything I could get out of it."

"But what if someone offers you money? Promises an incredible deal? Or the Cons get ya and torture the answers out?" He pushes.

You feel slightly offended in his lack of confidence in you and can't help but frown. "Agent Fowler, never would I sell out the Bots's secrets for money or power. I am a person of high moral code and would never in my life betray them for such trivial things. As for the Cons, I'd rather die at their hands than let them kill off the team and humankind."

Agent Fowler nods, at least somewhat pleased with your answer. "Very well. I assume then she has a guardian?" He addresses the others.

"That would be I." Optimus responds.

The liaison looks rather shocked, "You, Prime? Really? I guess the others already have theirs and I don't see Ratchet ever taking one under his wing."

You hear Ratchet grumble from the back and the corners of your lips lift. Even with his gruff portrayal, something tells you that this government Agent is more of a softie than he lets on.

"Other than our newest arrival, everything else seems to be fine, yes? Relatively stable energon levels, minimal Decepticon activity, base technology working fine?" He asks the Prime.

"Yes Agent Fowler, but I will alert you if anything changes." Optimus says.

He nods and walks out the metal doorway he must have come from. Optimus sighs and turns his head to you. "I apologize for that. He means well, but sometimes can come off a little rougher than he anticipates."

"It's alright," You respond, "I understand he is just trying to do his job."

He nods and looks to Ratchet, "Is there anything you need me for Ratchet?"

The medic waves a hand dismissively, "Bumblebee, Bulkhead and Arcee ditched to a recently found energon mine the second they heard Fowler was coming. With that taken care of and no Decepticons there's nothing you can do at the moment."

Optimus thinks for a moment before starting towards a corridor that leads out of the main room. As he's still holding you up you lean against his thumb, sliding down until it almost acts like a back rest. When you look up at the mighty Prime, you could almost swear a ghost of a smile rests on that emotionless face of his.

You realize soon that you've been walking for a while, and to your shock, become blinded as a door opens to the outside world. You put a hand over your narrowed eyes and gasp the view. He had brought you to the top of the base, and from the vantage point you could see for miles upon miles. The sun was incredibly hot, but the Cybertronian's metal skin was cool and you pressed yourself against it in an attempt to escape the heat. Optimus looked down at you before carefully lifting you up to his shoulder. He placed you just before his massive red armor, around the base of his neck. He started to walk to the edge and to balance yourself you gently grasped a cable beneath you and the edge of his shoulder armor. You could have sworn he shuddered beneath you. But he continued on to the edge, where he slowly sat and dangled his long legs off the edge.

It was silent for a moment before his deep voice broke the silence, "I often come up here to think." He said, "When it feels the weight of both this world and my own are crushing me. Or when I just need to get away from the loud bickering of the team." He chuckles.

You smile up at him, "Well, it can't be the team at the moment, so...are you alright?"

"I am fine," He replies "Agitated, perhaps, but fine."

It goes quiet as the sounds of nature take over, the buzz of desert bugs, the calling of birds, the whispering of the wind. Optimus's gaze rests on the horizon, his blue eyes reflecting the sky above him. But you watch him, his wandering stare, the set of his mouth, the thoughtful but guarded expression on his face. You lay a hand on his neck, a comforting touch.

"What are you thinking about?" You ask, so softly it almost seems the wind carries it away the second it leaves your lips.

But like it was loud and clear as day, Optimus looks down at you. His eyes soften, the hard set of his mouth curling into a small smile. You feel his shoulders relax under your hand, and the air feels lighter the more he longer he looks at you. His optics scan your H/C glowing under the sun, your curious face, slowly and happily drowning in your E/C eyes.

"Optimus?" You smile.

Like his name off your lips was a balm, he delicately cupped you in one of his massive hands, leaning down onto an arm.

"What are you thinking about?" You ask again, smiling.

He smiles back. "Of how remarkable it is to have someone help shoulder my burden. Of how wonderful it is to have someone who will listen to my thoughts and not gawk at my title as a Prime."

He pauses, and smiles down at you again. "I'm thinking of how nice it is to have a friend."