My Guardians (A Bayverse Transformers Fan Fiction)

Epilogue

Yawning, I stretched and sat up. It took me a moment to realize I was in my room. Not a hotel room or a den made of Cybertron materials, but my actual bed.

Jumping up, I looked in my mirror. I was scratch-less and, if anything, a little less muscular than I had been. I met my own gaze in the mirror, narrowing my gaze.

"Hey, Riley, you need to get up-"

"Dad?" I spun around. "Dad!"

Running to the man, who wasn't drunk or in the hospital, I hugged him tightly. He awkwardly hugged me back.

"I missed you so much!"

"Um, we just saw each other last night," I pulled away from him slightly.

"What?" I asked.

"Do you not remember our conversation about your college work?" my father asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No," I was taken aback.

"Dad!" a voice downstairs called.

"Hey Luke!" my dad turned and started down the stairs.

I quickly followed him, bristling to the name of my brother. When I rounded the corner to the front door, I watched my older brother take off his shoes and coat. My jaw dropped in relief, knowing he was actually my brother, not some psychotic Cybertronian. 

"Hey, Riley," Luke hugged me, ruffling my hair like I hated.

"Hi," I tried to sound as normal as possible.

"Riley!" my father called.

"What?"

"Get ready to go! Your interview is at eight!"

I had totally forgotten I'd applied for a job. But, the job had felt like so long ago. How was my father still alive anyway? Had it all been a dream? The house was all intact, so how was that possible? Everything had felt so real.

It was a dream. It had to be. I told myself.

Before I reached the dresser in my room, my attention was taken by a picture pasted on my mirror. Why I hadn't seen it before was out of my mind; I'd been so focused on looking at my wounds, which weren't even there.

The picture was of my mother and I playing in a field when I was five. It was the same one I'd copied from my father's work in my dream. Maybe that had been real. Yet, my father had one picture in his office and it looked similar to this one. Had he copied it for me while I was sleeping?

"Riley," Luke stopped in my doorway, freezing when he saw me staring at the picture. "I copied that picture from dad's work. I figured you would want it."

"Thank you," I breathed, shaking the images of the accident out of my head.

"You know, even after all of these years without her, whenever I think her the pain is the same," Luke leaned on my door frame. "Dad's drinking also constantly reminds me of her."

"I like to think of her a lot," I stated. "My car, used to be hers, reminds me so much of her. The only pain I get when I think of her is when I see the ledge."

Luke dipped his head. "I agree. Now hurry up and get ready, slowpoke."

It took me minutes to quickly put my hair up in a bun and get dressed. I wore a green loose, wavy t-shirt with dark skinny jeans and tan flats. Before I left, I did all of my hygiene and stuffed my purse with my entire phone cord not wrapped up; I knew I would regret that later.

"Toast!" I exclaimed.

"Dad makes it the best," Luke smiled.

I started eating the slice I picked up. Luke watched me a little bit while he helped with the dishes. My father started coming down the steps in a rush.

"Your ride is here," my father said, pouring his coffee.

"Ride?"

"Yeah, your friend offered to take you because you both had the interview, remember?"

"Oh yeah, Lizzy," I shook my head and rolled my eyes. "Goodbye dad."

Kissing him on the cheek, I hugged him tighter than I ever thought a hug could be.

I missed you so much. It felt like such a long time.

"Your mother would be proud of you," he rubbed my back. "Good luck, Riley."

"See ya, Luke," I hugged him and then ran out the door.

I stumbled to lock the door, dropping my charger as I did so. Grumbling, I stuffed it back in my purse as I stepped off the short porch to the driveway. I struggled to gain control of myself, glancing to the side at the same time as someone spoke.

"You're more beautiful than the last time I saw you."

I froze to the voice, pausing from struggling with my purse to look up completely. The figure that leaned on the yellow car in front of me was the least expected. A small smirk came to his face and I smiled just slightly, barely breathing through a gaped mouth. A small breath escaped my lips.

"Bee."