Standing at a distance, Optimus watched as the burial ceremony finally ended. In his human holoform, he stood under a tree to protect him from the light drizzle, patiently wating as the crowd dispersed around a particular grave. Finally, only one man stood under a canopy, his back away from Optimus, standing next to a coffin.

Optimus stood in his spot for a little longer, letting the man have his private time until he would leave, but it soon became apparent that the individual was not going to leave.

Apprehensively, Optimus left his spot and slowly made his way over to the grave site.

Many years ago, at the beginning of when NEST was formed, Optimus found himself going off alone and visiting the soldiers' graves who served along side him, whether he knew them or not. It was his way of saying a final 'Thank you' and tribute to them for having put their lives down for a war that was not of their making. Over the years, others learned of his odd little tradition and sometimes joined him, but most of the time he went alone, giving him time not only to honor the fallen soldiers but also to have sometime to himself and think.

Coming forward into the canopy, Optimus came to a stop when he stood next to the man, staring down at the finely polished coffin. Neither of them spoke for a moment but finally then man next to him said, "Was wondering when you'd come over." Optimus cast a side glance at the man before slowly nodding his head, unsure of what to say. Again they grew silent, just standing there and looking at the coffin.

"I can't remember you at the wake," the man said, again breaking the silence. "Are you a friend of my daughter?"

'Ah…,' Optimus thought, realizing why not why the man was standing here. Had he not trained himself, Optimus would have winced in sympathy for the man after he pulled up this particular soldier's records in his processor. She was the oldest and, from studying the human race, Optimus learned that families particularly favored the oldest.

"No Sir," Optimus said, calmly. "I didn't know her personally but she served under me." Not a total lie, since he had seen her among the soldiers that went with him on missions, but not the total truth either.

"Oh…." The two beings again grew silent.

"You know… when my daughter first joined the marines… she didn't really want to," the man said, causing Optimus to look over at him in surprise. The man wasn't even paying attention to him, instead his focus solely on the coffin with sad, bitter eyes. "But then… she got this new order and… something changed in her….

"She often spoke of a CO she had, who, as she put it, gave her a reason to continue to fight for the marines…. He often spoke of freedom for everyone; something I don't really understand. I mean, aren't we fighting in the Middle East for their freedom? What's the difference?...

I told her that one; she just smiled and laughed, saying that one day I would hopefully understand…." The man's hands were clamped tightly in front of him, but Optimus could still see the mild shake in them. Optimus didn't say anything though, unsure of how to comfort this grieving man. His spark was warm with the fact that his message about how freedom is the right of all sentient beings, but he highly doubted that the man next to him wanted to hear how his daughter died for that. Maybe one day, the man would understand, but not now; now all he knew was pain from losing his oldest.

"Sir," the man said, drawing Optimus from his thoughts. "Have you lost many men in your lifetime?" Optimus recalled all the mechs and femmes who had served and died under his command.

"Yes Sir," he replied, his voice thick with pain at the memories.

"Does the pain… ever go away?" Optimus tore his eyes away from the coffin again and looked to see the man staring at him with desperate eyes, as if Optimus' next words would determine if he would live or die. The man wanted honesty though as Optimus looked closely into his eyes, not comfort.

"No," Optimus said quietly and truthfully. The man before him seemed to deflate, like his world had been crushed. "But, with time, and a little bit of help, it can lesson," Optimus added. The man seemed to contemplate his words sadly, before finally nodding. He then wished Optimus a hasty 'Good-bye' before leaving Optimus alone with the casket.

Optimus watched as the man got into the back of a car before it drove off. He then refocused his attention back onto the casket, seeing his reflection on its glazed surface. His eyes traveled farther upwards until they rested on the standing headstone. Reading it, his eyes softened slightly before he looked back at the coffin.

Then, slowly, he raised his hand and placed it on the cool surface. "Thank you," he whispered, trying to transfer his words into the coffin, hoping that wherever her spirit was that she could hear him. He then carefully removed his hand and turned away.

After making sure there were no humans nearby, he shut off his holoform and a little while later, somewhere off in the distance, you could hear the sound of a Peterbilt truck driving away. Optimus quickly made his way back to base but he gave one last thought to the soldier's grave as he thought of her tombstone:

Kelly Jene McCallen

January 24, 1978- November 15, 2010

Gone but Never Forgotten Our

Soldier of Freedom

The End