Hidden Spark on Earth (TFP)

Trigger Warning for this Chapter

Sitting in a familiar cab, Saphira played with the braid of her hair as she stared out of the window. She was feeling a range of emotions at the moment. In fact, when Optimus came back to get her, he found her sobbing on the floor of her room. He was worried it was something he had said, but it was really because of her mother's death anniversary that was making her upset. She didn't want to cry, but she couldn't help it. She was glad that Optimus was understanding once he realized that she wasn't crying about him, and he held her as tightly as he could without hurting her to give her the chance to let it all out. And it felt good to let it out.

At the moment, she was still having trouble not crying. She only really began feeling this way when she had woken up a lot more, and she was overwhelmed at the moment. She was glad about going into town to buy stuff as tribute to her mother, that didn't mean she was not hurting. Her heart always hurt at this time, and it hurt when her mother's birthday came around. She found it never got better with time, she simply found other ways to try and cope. Even if it wasn't the best.

"I'm sorry if I am...ruining any kind of good mood you have, Prime," Saphira said softly with a sniffle. "I always feel sad at this time of year. And when my mother's birthday comes around...even my own and Christmas..."

Optimus wasn't familiar with Christmas, he only heard the word once from Fowler and the autobots weren't able to reach for a few days. He was curious about it. "You are not ruining my mood, Saphira. I would love to just hold you all day if I could. But I want you find peace and happiness knowing that you have made your mother proud. I am sure you know this in your heart."

A few more tears fall from her eyes. "Yeah...I know she is. Sometimes I wonder if she was even proud of me...of the last...twelve years."

"I am sure she would have been hurting with you, Saphira," Optimus said in a gentle tone. "And if spirits were real, it would have been nice of her to haunt your father, stepmother and stepsister. I imagine they would have been terrified."

"Yeah...I guess." Saphira didn't want to think about them, only her mother. "At least I know that I will get to see the ocean again tomorrow." She smiled as she thought about it. "It's the one thing that I feel is missing for me. To go back...I never got to when she died. For me...it's closure. Though I don't think I will ever say goodbye to the ocean. I'd still want to go back."

Optimus listened and processed the words for a moment. "Would you go back to the ocean only for you mother?"

Saphira shrugged. "I don't know. I am not even sure if I will get to swim in the ocean somewhere that is warm. But...I guess I am also not in a hurry." She looked at the dash with a curious expression. "Would it be something you'd want to do? There aren't exactly many beaches in the world private enough for a human and an autobot to walk side-by-side on."

"If it would make you smile, I would do it for you," Optimus said in a confident tone. "I did do some research about the ocean. Your keen interest in it has made me interested in it too. I never knew that the world in the ocean was as vast as the world itself. And you humans haven't even explored all of it."

She smiled as she thought about it. "Yeah, the ocean is an amazing place."

"I had found something that...I think you would love," Optimus continued as he entered the town. "I was reading about the phenomenon of the plankton that glow at night." That got Saphira's full attention, and she listened to him closely. "The bioluminescent plankton that appear along the shores of different parts of the world. I couldn't help but wonder if that is something that you would like to..."

"Yes!" Saphira interrupts with excitement before she realized she had yelled and she brushed a strand of hair back shyly. "Sorry...I didn't mean to interrupt. I just...got excited..."