TFP: Surprise!(Chapter IX: Prime vs Human-girl)

"Rachet has given new rendezvous coordinates. They are in the country... outside of Bryan."
Lauren hadn't spoken for a decent amount of time... she had been thinking, pondering a number of things. One of which was how her online social page had all of her information on it... and if the bots could access it-so could the decepticons. That menat her family could be in great danger.
"Are you certain you are uninjured?" repeated Optimus.
"Why do you ask?" Lauren muttered.
"Because it was only yesterday that you would not awaken from a blow to the head, and we were forced to seek human assistance," replied Optimus.
"Its not me I'm worried about. Optimus, just give it to me straight... is my family safe?"
Before he had even answered her, she knew the response. His long pause was dead obvious, "Not anymore."
Lauren held the matrix shard, "I'm not going... going to see them for a while, am I?"
Optimus was contemplating how to respond.
"My family-I-I'm not going to be able to go home now, am I?" Lauren asked, "Its safer to stay away from them, isn't it?"
"Now that the decepticons see you as a target?... I'm afraid so."
Lauren sniffled, holding back tears, "Th-then stop."
"Pardon?" asked Optimus.
"Just stop, we're not on a highway, and Rachet can hold on for a second," Lauren growled.
Optimus pulled to the side, and parked.
Lauren took off her seatbelt, and opened his passenger door. Night had fallen quickly, and it was dark-darker than she had ever remembered. The human took out her cell phone, and dialed her mom's cell phone number.
"Lauren?! Where are you! What happened?!"
Lauren wiped a tear away, "H-Hey mom? I'm not gonna be home for a while."
"What do you mean?"
Lauren smiled, "I can't explain... you wouldn't believe me. I-I'm protecting you."
"Lauren, what is going on? Don't hang up!" her mother cried, "Tell me where you are!"
"I love you, mom." She hung up, "Scrap-scrap-SCRAP!" Lauren screamed, kicking Optimus's forward, right tire, "Oh-oh, sorry-Optimus... I'm so sorry." She only then realized what she had done.
"I am uninjured, Lauren... but you... is your spark in pain?" Optimus asked.
Lauren breathed in, before placing the cell phone under Optimus's front right tire, "Yeah-yeah it is, do me a favor and roll forward. Just like-a foot."
Optimus did, without a second question, until he heard a feint crushing sound, "Lauren, was that your-"
Lauren climbed up, opened the passenger-side door, and closed it behind her, "Yeah... its best to keep her from being able to track me."
Optimus started again, "How are you holding up?" He asked, not that it was that hard to tell.
"Honestly?" Lauren muttered, "Optimus, I feel like I'm crumbling apart... and I can't stop it." She thought a moment longer, and she didn't know why it came up, or what possessed her to ask the question, but it came out, "Optimus-can you tell me more about Megatronus?"
"Why are you asking?" Optimus asked.
"Because the more and more I think about him, the more and more I'm beginning to see... from his perspective."
"The old Cybertronian society was unfair, similar to many of the societies here on Earth," explained Optimus, "There was no balance of power. Megatronus spoke out against this... which eventually led to our introduction."
"I remember, but y'all had two very-very different ideas of solutions to the problem," Lauren added.
Optimus continued, "Megatron wanted to overthrow the government the old laws. H-he refused to see the potential for peace."
"What if there was no diplomatic way to fix the corruption on Cybertron? There was a war on Earth called the 'American Revolution'... my ancestors tried everything to win their freedom without bloodshed, but in the end-it was the only w-whoa!" Lauren gasped.
Optimus rolled off-road, and into an open field, through the gate, and didn't stop until the road could not be seen. He then parked, and opened his passenger-side door, "Step out."
"Optim-?"
"Now," he ordered.
Lauren stepped out, heart suddenly racing, she hadn't even thought about what she had started to say!
Optimus transformed, looking down at her with two, glowing blue optics, then he knelt down, extending his hand before her.
Lauren hesitated, but stepped into his hand.
Optimus stood, and stared up into the stars, "Lauren... tell me more about this American Revolution."
Lauren gulped, "Uh-I'm no expert-I wasn't there... but the story is told-saying that Great Britain had treated our original thirteen countries no better than dogs-animals. We tried to reason, explain our perspective-pass legislation. But the Americans had no representation. They might as well had been slaves. So we fought-and we won. I suppose the difference is that George Washington, out leader... he didn't want to lead America-even when he could have-he didn't become some dictator."
Optimus looked at her, he sighed, "Perhaps war could have been avoided-perhaps not... what I am certain of-is that the atrocities committed by Megatron could have been stopped at any moment by him and only him. The similarites between Cybertronian and human have not ceased to amaze me."
Lauren shuddered, "A-Are you saying humans are going to engage in a world-wide war that will destroy the earth?"
"My hope that is someday... humans will be able to learn from our mistakes."
Lauren had to ask the question... she had to, "Optimus... do you think the decepticon will ever change?"
Optimus lowered his head, "Without that hope... we will never achieve lasting peace."
Lauren remembered those words verbatim. That is what he had once told Arcee regarding Airachnid.
She then looked up to the stars, and it took no more than a coupleof seconds for her to realize something was very wrong, "Th-the stars are going out... do you see that, Optimus?"
Optimus adjusted his optics, observing the stars simply vanishing... "That is not possible."
Lauren gaped, "But look-they're just disappearing!" She saw them, stars were just vanishing, no wonder it seemed especially dark... something was happening to the stars.
"I fear that is not our only problem... it would seem we have company."
Lauren's attention snapped to the choppers approaching from the distance. "Scrap! Is it just me or dose that look like-"
"Yes, I agree." Optimus lifted Lauren to his right shoulder, before he began running, straight for the tree line. "Hold on to me."
"Optimus, why don't you transform, and hit the roads?"
"Because we are too close to the rendezvous point, and it would lead to the others, in this case, it would be better to hide in the trees," he replied.
Once in the cover of the trees, Optimus knelt, "I fear it is MECH."
"Silas," hissed Lauren, she jumped from his shoulder, to his knee, and to the ground, "I'll give him a piece of my--!"
"Lauren, if it is MECH, I'm afraid we may be surrounded."
Lauren paused, and thought a moment. She had a crazy idea, but it might just work... "Optimus, do you trust me?"
"Yes, do you have a plan?" asked Optimus.
Lauren nodded, "This being a new world and all, if it is MECH, they might buy into a temporary truce. Rachet wants to find a way back to y'alls world, Silas will want to go back too!"
"That is likely... do you believe such an arrangement could be achieved?" Optimus questioned.
Lauren shrugged, "Silas is a fool for screwing with the bots, but the fact remains, he'd be an even greater fool for not wanting back up and vice versa."
"Very well. Stay here, I will-"
"Whoa-whoa-whoa! Not this time, Optimus, I'll talk to him first," Lauren said, stepping in front of him.
"No, I will not put you in further danger."
"Optimus! Being alive itself is dangerous!" Lauren shouted, "Its not like I'm tossing myself into the line of fire here!"
The Prime brought his left hand to his face, "I said it is too dangerous."
Lauren crossed her arms, staring up at him with a defiant stance, "It was my idea."
"Yes, and I will execute it."
"The second they see you, they'll open fire!" Lauren continued.
Optimus rolled his optics, "Why can humans girls not accept 'no' as an answer?"
"All do respect, why can't Primes listen to human girls when they are right?!" Lauren growled.
Optimus stared at her with a stern expression.
For a moment their argument felt like something of a father-daughter conflict.
In all honest Lauren felt that Optimus was being overzealous with her protection. While Optimus was stuck wondering why humans felt the urge to put their lives at stake. They stare at one another for a moment more, when Optimus finally folded. The prime released a hesitant sigh, "Very well, you are correct, if I appear, the will likely attack."
Lauren displayed her 'I win!' smirk, "Look, Optimus... I know MECH is dangerous..."
Optimus closed his optics for a moment.
"But I also know that you'll be there if something goes wrong," Lauren added, "I have faith in you."
He opened his optics again, and nearly smiled, "And I in you. Be careful."
"Always," Lauren assured, then turned, and started towards the clear field. As she drew nearer to it, her heart rate increased... she kept thinking about everything. Lauren had witnessed stars themselves simply vanishing. What ever was happening-it was not good. The butterflies stirring in her stomach suddenly made her gut lurch with pain, and as she made it all the way out in the open, a spotlight beamed on her. Lauren kept her composure, crossing her arms, and standing strong, as the helicopter descended.