Bittersweet

Chapter 1: Frosty Find & Infernal Inferno

"Ratchet, I am nearing the signal of energon." Optimus reported over his com-link during his very cold and windy journey to a new supply of fuel. Searching in the final frontier state, he had unfortunately encountered a dreadful blizzard. One very deadly to humans, but Optimus will manage, since this frigid cold is nothing compared to his first trip in the Antarctic with Arcee.

Optimus carefully journeys through the tall evergreen trees and blinding snow fall for what seemed hours on end. For all he knew, a deep dark craves could be waiting to swallow him up whole. Faint yelling began haunting the audio receptors of the Titan, making him believe it was the howling wind of the stormy day. The sound blended in with what he picked up, as he neared closer to his goal of energon.
"Please...help...us!" The wind seemed to speak, flowing into the mind of the leader. Though his vision was impaired, Optimus frantically searched around him for the voice's origin. It seemed the howls of haunting winds grew louder on purpose to prevent him from finding the voice. This didn't halt him, as he finally picked up the sight of something laying deep in the snow huddled up. Still not certain what it was, Optimus bent down, and carefully picked up what was buried in the snow. It began to shake within his gentle hands, revealing a head rising up to look at him. It seemed to be a human, holding something else in their arms.
"The energon supply will have to be gathered by another, old friend. Please, activate the ground bridge." He reported back to base. Within seconds, his request came to pass, and he walked through the ground bridge to home.

"Not another one!" Complained Ratchet, as Optimus Prime made it into base with frost on his arms and legs.
"We must get this human and the animal warm quickly. Jack, please call your mother, as she may need medical attention." Optimus ordered, once again ignoring Ratchet's comments of annoyance.
"Will do." Jack responded, and pulled his phone out to dial his mom. In the mean time, Raff and Miko helped get a medical bed and blanket for the fairly young human. Prime watched the two, before glancing at what he held in the palm of his hands.
"We're finished!" Said Miko to Optimus, alerting him to the fact the bed was prepared. He calmly walked over, and slowly placed the snow-covered person upon the bed with her small dog.
"I like her puppy." Miko added. Raff nods,
"Looks like a border collie." He concluded, as the puppy panted, seeming to smile at them.
"My mom's on her way." Jack then announced.
Prime looked to Jack with a nod, then looking back to the girl. She began coughing a few times, as her eyes attempted to open while her body shuttered.
"Where," she coughs again, "where am I?" She asked, trying to see her surroundings. "You're at our base with us!" Miko cheerfully replied, "I'm Miko, this is Raff and Jack." She introduced, and the two boys waved.
"Hi." Replied the teenage girl shyly, "M-My name's Crimson."
"Awesome name!" Raff replied. Crimson smiled a little while she cuddled in her blanket with her puppy, "
"Thanks. And this is Winston." She looked to her puppy.
"He's a cute little fella." Jack commented. Crimson nods, then manages to sit herself up, and the second she did so, she froze as stiff as the ice covering her shoes. "Who...what...is that..." she hesitantly questioned before coughing, shell shocked by seeing the Titan stand before her.
"He's Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots!" Miko gleefully answered. Crimson was even more confused, as her facial expression clearly explained when she looked at Miko. "What's an Autobot?"
"Autonomous robotic organism from the planet Cybertron." Raff helpfully explained. "Cybertron?"
"Yeah, him and his team are from another world! Cool, huh?" Miko spoke. Crimson looked back to Optimus, and began reaching out her hand to touch him. He received the clue, and extended out one of his black digits to her. Their finger tips soon ever so softly touched.
"Woah..." The new girl whispered aloud, starring at their meeting fingers, before looking into the Prime's eyes.
"He's beautiful..." another thought slipped her lips. The three humans smiled to themselves at her amazement and kind words. Optimus cracked a small smile of his own as well.
"Welcome to our base, Crimson." He finally spoke to her. Her eyes widened with a gasp exiting her mouth.
"He can talk..." she was taken by surprise, and lightly laughed to herself. Raff laughed a little too, as a car was heard driving into the base. The car parked, and out came Jack's mom, June.
"I'm here, how's the patient?" She asked as she grabbed her medical bag.
"Seems fine to us, mom. She's been able to talk, but she's been coughing and shivering." Jack simply replied. June quickly walked up the metal stairs to where the children were, as Prime and Crimson lowered their hands.
"I see you've already become acquainted with Optimus?" June asked the girl with a friendly smile once she reached her bed. Crimson quietly nodded.
"My name's June, what's yours sweety?" "Crimson Madalla Knight. Like the knight in shining armor." She answered, using her full name this time, and looking to Optimus with a small smile when she explained her last name.
"Dude. Your name just got even cooler." Miko just had to say. Crimson laughed a little, "Thank you." She looked back to them. While she had been talking, June checked her ears, heart beat, etc.
"Open wide." She asked, wanting to check the girl's throat. She did as told, and the check only lasted a few seconds.
"Now the eyes." She turned on the light nurses or doctors shine in the eyes during check ups.
"Good. Well, from what I've seen, it seems you got lucky. You'll only have a cold for a while. If you would've been out any longer, it could've been much worse." June explained.
"Thank you for helping me, Ms. June."
"You're welcome, sweetheart. So tell us, how did you end up in that cold weather?" Crimson then looked down, seeming to dread explaining that.
"My...parents abandoned me in the forest. With nothing but the cloths on my back, my small bag of a few belongings, and Winston." She began petting her puppy. Everyone fell silent with sad expressions covering their faces.
"I'm so sorry to hear that.." Jack first commented. She nodded,
"They always told me I was useless, and just a scaredy cat. I was a mistake to begin with, they said." She added. Miko rested her hands Crimson's shoulders with a frown.
"No you're not, Crimson." June encouraged.
"I never made any friends, never got to do anything fun in my life. Most of the time I went to bed hungry because my parents said I didn't deserve food for being such a useless person. The only thing keeping me going was my faith, my music, and Winston. Sometimes I would be able to eat crackers and have bottles of waters." A few tears began to run down her cheeks as she reflected upon her depressing past. Being very careful, Optimus put his finger up to her cheek, and slowly wiped off the tears. She sniffled, grabbing his finger into a hug as more tears poured gradually. June and the kids began hugging Crimson, some rubbing her arms softly up and down.
"Hey it'll be ok. You're obviously destined for a new start. Otherwise, Optimus wouldn't of found you!" Miko spoke. The sad girl nodded a little,
"I guess so."
"That's the spirit." Miko said with a little smile of support.
"We'll be your friends, all of us. You won't be alone and neglected anymore. Isn't that right, Ratchet?" Jack commented, raising an eyebrow with a small smirk.
"Yeah yeah sure." The medic absentmindedly replied, causing Crimson to release a small giggle. While keeping one arm wrapped around Optimus' finger, she wrapped her other arm around the people on her left side,
"Thank you, so much.." she sobbed softly. More than one engine began growing louder through the tunnel into base, as Bumblebee and Smokescreen appeared before transforming. Everyone's attention, even the crying Crimson, turned to them.
"Woah, a new human?" Questioned Smokescreen in surprise, as Bumblebee handed Ratchet their newly found supply of energon. Optimus gave a nod,
"Crimson and Winston were my find in Alaska during a severe blizzard, rather than my intended find of energon." He responded.
"Hi Crimson, I'm Smokescreen." He introduced while smiling.
"Hi Smokescreen." She smiled somewhat back in return.
"Are Maxanarda and the predacons still out on their relic search?" Bumblebee asked Ratchet.
"Yes." Was all he answered to him. Bumblebee nodded, then went over next to Smokescreen to great the new girl.
"The name's Bumblebee." He happily spoke.
"Hello, Bumblebee." She greeted back through her sniffling.
"Is everything alright?" He asked.
"She was abandoned by her parents, Bee." Raff answered for her in sadness.
"Oh I'm so sorry, Crimson." He sympathized for her.
"It's ok. I already feel more at home here anyway." She cracked a little smile, still gripping Optimus' finger with all her might of her one arm.
"Oh, and there's something else I need to say..." she spoke. She lowered her arms, allowing Optimus to lower his hand as she took off her gloves and her jacket. Everyone stood their in utter surprise.
"I was born with no right arm, so the doctors amputated it. So my parents said." She confessed.
"Woah.." Miko spoke, as she began carefully touching it.
"Sounds like you've had quite the life." Jack added. Crimson nodded a little.
"I had always wanted to play the piano, but my parents never thought I could. They never gave me the chance." She responded, adding another sad chapter into her past they're learning of.
"I can teach you!" Exclaimed the Miko.
"Really?"
"Sure! I learned it for three years back in Tokyo!"
"That sounds fun, thank you." The girl replied gleeful. Miko smiled while nodding. "Would you like me to brush your hair?" June offered, seeing as how it was messy and tied back.
"Yes, please." The mother then bent over, and reached in her medical bag for a hair brush, pulling one out. Jack gave a look of confusion to her.
"What? Sometimes my hair will get messy at work." She shrugged, as Crimson took the hair tie out of her silky, long and straight blonde highlighted black hair. "You have beautiful hair, dear." June happily thought aloud, as she began carefully brushing. As Crimson's hair was brushed, she stroked Winston's fur-covered back softly. Her sniffling began to dwindle, as her tears too disappeared. Her eyes looked to her rescuer, "Thank you, Optimus Prime. I hope to always call this place home. You've given me hope." She softly smiled to him, ever so grateful. He gave a slow bow of his head.
"You are welcome, Crimson Knight."