Title: Nightmare
Characters: Miko and Bulkhead
Transformers Prime

Miko jolted awake as she looked around the room hoping to find the one mech that she was looking for. Getting off the sofa, she started to breath faster as she started to panic thinking that maybe her dream wasn't a dream after all, but reality.

Bulkhead was in recharge in his room, getting much needed rest.

Getting down from the platform, she looked around the almost dark base and started to move towards Bulkhead's recharge room. Getting to the room, she looked up to him the best she could.

He stirred, having had his sensors to alert him of what happened in his environment. Opening his optics, he looked around, soon seeing Miko on the ground. "Hey..." he said in a tired-sounding voice.

"Hey," Miko said as calmly as she could before sitting down. "I... I had to come check on you."

She looked up at him with a slight smile knowing that he was okay.

"Miko, I'm fine..." he said, his words sounding a little slurred with how tired he was.

"I just needed to make sure," she said softly. "I'm sorry that I woke you up. I didn't mean to."

"It's fine. Why did you need to check on me at..." he checked his internal clock "3:54 AM...?" he asked confused.

"I..." she paused for a moment remembering her nightmare. "I had a nightmare that you didn't make it..."

She finished with her voice barely above a whisper.

His optics instantly widened, before softening as he gazed down at her, he instantly understood why she was here.

"I needed to make sure you were here still and my dream wasn't real," she said closing her eyes.

"I'm still here... It was just a nightmare, right?" he asked. "It wasn't real."

"I know it wasn't, now. It just scared me," she said looking up to him with tears in her eyes. "It seemed so real."

"I know.." he said softly. "The others still asleep?" he asked.

"They are," Miko nodded looking up at him.

"Don't you think you should be heading back to bed too?" he asked.

"I don't think I can go back to sleep right now. I am terrified to sleep."

He sighed. "If it makes you feel any better, I'll stay up with you." he said.

"You don't have to Bulkhead. I don't want to force you to do anything," she told him.

"Miko, I'm here for you.. If you can't sleep, then I will keep you company. You seem to need it right now." he said.

"Bulkhead, you are tired and need your rest," Miko told him as she looked up into his optics.

"I'm not going back into recharge until you are comfortable sleeping again. Part of being your guardian is making sure you are healthy as well as safe, and I'm pretty sure that not getting enough sleep isn't healthy." he said.

"Maybe, but I have had less sleep before, Bulks," she told him softly. "I will be fine. I can text one of my friends back in Japan. It's day time over there."

"I'm still going to stay up to make sure you know I'm okay." he said.

"Bulkhead, you need to rest. What if you have a mission?" she asked standing up and looking up at him.

"Miko, we're able to go with a lot less rest than you can. I'm more worried about you than I am about me." he said.

Sighing softly, she nodded.

"Are you sure Bulkhead?" Miko said with slight tears in her eyes.

He nodded, noticing the tears in her eyes.

"You okay..?" he asked.

"I'll be fine," she nodded.

She didn't want to relive her nightmare.

"You don't seem like you will be..." he said.

"Why do you say that?" she asked as she wiped her eyes.

"You look like you're about ready to cry..." he said.

"I..." she paused for a moment before crying. "I am sorry. It hurt me to see you like that in my dream."

"It hurts me to see you like this right now..." he said closing his optics.

Miko wiped her eyes as she sat down and curled up.

"I can't loose you Bulkhead, I just can't."

His optics opened again as he looked at his charge on the floor. He lowered a hand palm-up for her.

"Come here..." he said softly.

He knew that she needed more than his company, she needed comfort.

Miko bit her lip as she stood up and moved across the room. She sat in his palm as her arms were wrapped around herself.

Bulkhead sighed sadly as he lifted her up, cradling her close to his chest plate in hopes of comforting her.

Miko curled up on him as she wiped more tears.

"I'm sorry..." she muttered.

His optics closed yet again as he held her.

"Don't apologize, you've done nothing wrong." he said.

Miko nodded as she stayed still, taking comfort in being close to him.

"Have you ever had a nightmare, Bulkhead?"

"Back during the war, we all had them." he said nodding.

"Did they scare you?" she asked softly as she looked up into his optics.

He nodded.

"And if that wasn't enough, what we saw during the war was worse.." he said.

She nodded as she removed her arms from around herself and hugged his hand.

"I wish you didn't have to go through that."

He gently curled his hands around her in a return hug.

"So do I.. It's bad enough that I had to go through it, now you do too.." he said.

"It could be worse. I could have lost someone... I could have lost you," she told him. "If I lost you... I wouldn't want to keep living."

"I know. War is full of losses, but our team is strong, and you need to be strong. You won't lose me anytime soon." he said.

Miko nodded.

"I hope I don't, but I really wouldn't want to. You are my best-friend."

"I know, you say that a lot." he said, chuckling softly.

"I know I do, but you are," she smiled and curled up closer to his hand.

He smiled.

"Wanna stay with me for the rest of the night? Would it help?" he asked.

Miko nodded.

"If you don't mind," she said softly. "I don't want to bother you."

"Of course I wouldn't mind. If it were my decision, you'd be living here." he said, smirking.

Miko smiled at the thought.

"I don't think my host parents would like that idea, but I like it."

"Figured you would." he said, laying back down on his berth, still holding her close.

"Thank you, Bulkhead," she whispered.

He nodded, closing his optics again.

"Anytime Miko." he replied before slowly falling into recharge.

Closing her eyes, she fell asleep.