TFP - Freezing Absence

22. "I love you"

"Optimus?" Flare approached meekly, rubbing her hand over her arm. Interrupting the Prime's conversation with the medic wasn't something she liked doing, but her mother had told her what she needed to do, and she would do everything she could, regardless of the discomfort.

"ScatterFlare?" Optimus looked at her in concern. The body language, her tone of voice . . . The Prime could tell something wasn't right with the young femme. "What is it? Is something wrong?"

"M-Megatron . . ." Flare paused, venting to gain a hold on her emotions again. "Megatron

is aiming a new weapon at the planet."

"What?" Ratchet asked, staring at her in disbelief. "How do you know this?"

"Are you certain?" Optimus asked gently, trying not to push too hard.

"I am," Flare answered quietly. "How I know . . . Look, we don't have time for the specifics, but I know where to go to stop him. I know how we can keep him from causing devastation."

"How are we supposed to trust that you know what to do if you can't be forward with us about where your knowledge comes from?" Ratchet prodded further, but Optimus held up a hand to stop him.

Flare's spark eased a bit of the tension away. Optimus believed her anyway. He would help.

"Are you aware of what we need to do to stop him?" Optimus asked, unwavering.

"I think so," Flare replied, her vocalizer threatening to give out. "I . . . I have to get to him. Just please, help me get to him. I think I can stop him. I think I can get through to him."

"You think?" Ratchet asked incredulously. "This entire planet is in danger and you think you can get through to him?"

Flare winced at his words. He was right. If she couldn't reach through to her sire's spark . . . "If I can't get through to him, then I will slay him myself. Just get me close to him."

"Are you certain you can do this?" Optimus inquired gently, placing a hand on her Flare's shoulder servo. "This will be dangerous, and you have sparred here, but you are still young by our standards, and have not seen a true battle."

"I have to," Flare answered softly, optics shuttering. "I'm the only one who can. Mommy is back in the Well."

"Mommy?" Ratchet asked in disbelief. "What the frag-?"

Optimus sent a glance at the medic that quickly silenced him. Now was not the time for questions that would cause any more inner turmoil for ScatterFlare. "Do you have the coordinates where he will strike first?" Optimus asked gently, returning his gaze to the young femme.

"Yes," Flare whispered, opening her optics slowly, the light in them seeming to die a bit.

~~~

Flare lost track of the time they spent on this prairie. It could have been seconds, minutes, hours. Time had lost most of it's meaning to her as of late.

And standing here, the grasses swaying, her sire staring down at her in silence . . . The world seemed to stop entirely.

Behind him was an army. Flare knew that much. The Autobots were smaller in numbers, but far more formidable than the average soldier. And seeing the hatred that grew in Megatron's optics as he took her in, her grown appearance and the Autobots at her sides . . . Flare's sadness grew a bit, and a piece of her spark broke off.

But she would fight. Oh, Primus, would she fight.

Megatron had been waiting for them from the instant that ground bridge opened.