Unrequited

Chapter 35: Retreat

Lennox P.O.V

Orianna took a step back away, shaking her head in disbelief. ''How did he find me?'' Her voice trembled as she was no doubt overcome with a slew of emotions. Several attractive women who had been dancing nearby sidled up to the handsome stranger that had just entered and began to dance suggestively around and against him in a bid to gain his attention. OC growled out loud as she clutched at my arm. ''Hide me, please!'' She tugged incessantly, hissing at me, ''I don't want to speak to him, I don't want to see him... I can't..''

Without a word, or waiting to see what happened with the women, I turned her about and guided her back past our table, threading our way as carefully as possible through the thinning crowd of revelers. We exited the building out the side, moving towards the makeshift fence that separated a small, grassed area from the front of the building. OC tottered along wordlessly before me, the shock of seeing Prime so soon after his painful rejection seemed to sober her up somewhat.

Reaching the fence, I grabbed hold of OC around the waist, lifting her up bridal style. A small gasp was the only sound she made as I carefully, yet quickly deposited her on the other side. I immediately cleared the fence myself, placing one hand on the railing and effortlessly jumping over it. Once again placing my hand on OC's shoulder, I guided her towards refuge.

''Black SUV, over the road. Move,'' I barked out to OC as I steered her across the road. OC nodded dutifully as her heels clipped along the road. We both noticed the imposing blue and red flame decaled semi-truck parked innocuously further down the road. /Needs to be nearby so he can use his holoform thing/. I unlocked the car and opened the passenger door; OC had just started lowering herself in when we heard it.

''Major Lennox!'' A deep baritone voice rang out across the road. It rose above the strains of music and off pitch singing drifting from the Brit Club. ''WAIT!''

OC's frame tensed as her eyes darted frantically to mine, a look of sheer panic and dread reflected in them. She shook her head as she mouthed the word ''PLEASE'' to me, a silent petition to save her from seeming further humiliation and heart break.

I closed my eyes and swore under my breath yet again as I firmly shut the door and locked the car. /Here we go!/. Straightening up I walked around to the other side of the car to intercept the tall, forbidding figure barreling determinedly towards me.

''Major Lennox,'' the voice was filled with confusion and laced with annoyance as Optimus Prime's holoform came to stand before me. Placing his hands on his hips, he drew himself up to his full height before me. ''Did you not hear me call out to you just now?'' His azure eyes narrowed at me momentarily in frustration before they darted behind me to the car. ''And where is Orianna? I know I saw her with you as you exited the building.'' His eyebrows furrowed as he looked between me and the car's tinted windows.

He moved to take a step towards the vehicle, and I exhaled deeply steeling myself as I stepped forward to intervene. ''Ahh, hey Prime. Yeah, OC's not here at the moment..''

''What do you mean ''not here'' Major Lennox?'' His voice rumbled darkly as he nodded at the blackened windows of the car behind us. ''I can see..''

''That it's time to call it a night wouldn't you say Prime?'' I reached out and patted his broad shoulders. ''We have an early meeting with General Morshower tomorrow so I'm going to get an early night,'' I tried to steer him away from the car. I might as well have been trying to move a mountain. ''And it might be an idea if you..''

Prime simply stared down at me, an eyebrow raised. ''Major Lennox..'' He folded his tree trunk like arms across his chest. ''Orianna. I know she is in there.'' An almost pained expression seemed to settle on his features as his voice lost some of its fight as he stared at the blackened windows of the car. ''Why will she not let me see her?'' He turned towards me. ''I simply want to speak with her.''