Let's Roll Out, Mate! [BOOK 1]

CHAPTER 52: I PROMISED, REMEMBER?

Miko sighed and checked the time again. How long has it been since Optimus left? Minutes? Hours? She's loss track. Her imagination wasn't helping her as she imagined the thousand and one scenarios that could be happening right now and not all of them were comforting.

After Optimus left, Evelyn ended up falling asleep, her breakdown having exhausted her physically, mentally and emotionally. Miko sat beside her in case she woke up and needed support.

There were still tear stains on Evelyn's cheeks and the occasional small sniffle. She even heard Evelyn call out for Smokescreen once or twice which made it all the more heart-wrenching.

"Is she still asleep?" Jack asked coming back with two cups of drinks and offered one to Miko.

"Yeah, she's a total wreck." Miko said.

"Is she....goanna be okay?" Raf asked.

"I don't know, Raf....I don't know." Miko said sadly. "Haven't seen her like this since her grandpa passed away."

"Her grandpa?" Jack asked slightly intrigued to learn more about Evelyn and Miko's bloodline.

Miko nodded. "Grandpa James. I've only met him a few times but I have to say, he's pretty cool." She took another sip from her drink. "He fought in the war. Went to all kinds of places, learned all sorts of stuff. He was a medic for five years and an engineer for six before he retired."

"Cool." Raf said.

"Yeah, Eve's parents had to work a lot so she and Ed's grandpa raised them in a way." Then Miko shook her head sadly. "She was torn apart when he had to go. She locked herself up and barely ate. Took her parents and even myself two months to get her out of it before she fell into depression."

Jack shook his head in sympathy. "That bad, huh?" he said.

"If you think she was a wreck then trust me, you haven't even heard Ed's side yet." Miko sighed. "Right now, I'm just hoping history doesn't repeat itself." Miko said. "I honestly don't know if she'll ever come back at this rate." She admitted and for once, the cheerful enthusiastic Japanese stared at her drink in unusual sadness.

"Don't worry, Miko. Eve's a tough nut to crack. She'll snap out of it." Bulkhead said.

"He's right, besides Smokescreen wouldn't want her like this." Jack said.

"Yeah.....he'd probably try to act like Optimus and give her a pep talk." Arcee said.

They heard Evelyn stir and slowly wake up. As Evelyn woke up, she briefly wondered if it was all a dream. As her eyes adjusted and she found herself on the couch in the Autobot's base, she realized it wasn't.

"Hey, Eve." Miko said.

"It wasn't a dream." Evelyn said.

Miko didn't say anything. Evelyn sniffled and tears began to spill again. Miko hugged her and she hugged her back and gripped her like a lifeline.

Evelyn had hoped so much that it was all just one sick nightmare she would wake up from.....but it wasn't. Her guardian was gone.

"Re-reality's *sniff* a bloody pain *hic* in the arse." Evelyn said through her sobs.

"Hey, it's okay. I'm here, get it all out." Miko said.

"Screw the cons, screw those bastards." Evelyn said and buried her face on Miko's shoulders. Then she took a few deep breaths to steady herself.