I Didn't Mean to Fall in Love

I Didn’t Mean to Fall in Love

Lyrics Transcribed on: 9 September 2004

Date Written: 24 April 2005

Date Revised: 12 May 2005

Author’s Note: Only a few days until Anime Boston 2005 . . . and I’m working on this. Procrastinating; writing this instead of finishing my soul-reaper outfit. (Specifically, Rukia as a Soul-Reaper or Shinigami from the Manga/Anime Bleach.) But either way, I’d be getting something done that needs to be done. As usual, I don’t own most of the characters that I’ve written about. Nor do I own any of the series or songs or bands or anything random that you might be puzzled by. *sighs sadly* Which, unfortunately, includes Dinobot and the Arbiter from Halo 2. *wistfully wishes . . .*

I didn’t mean to fall in love

“So . . . where is he?” Ajax asked. They had been planning to go back out to that clearing, this time during the day, and hike around. It had been three days since the last time they had seen Inferno, but that was nothing compared to the up-to-two-weeks that Miss Special had not seen her Predacon for.

Miss Special shook her head. “I dunno.” Something . . . wasn’t right. “I’m going to look for him.”

“We’ll come with you!” Sapphire took a step forward eagerly.

And all I mean to say

I can’t go on the way things are

The Californian looked at her friend. And shook her head slowly. “No. This I have to do alone. If I can’t find him within a half-hour, I’ll come back.”

“Well, what’re we gonna do while you’re gone?” the former Maximal asked in his usual Brooklyn accent.

Miss Special pointed to her computer silently, then walked through the mirror. On the other side, she saw that she had come out in the Maximal base. The mirror had been moved. But why?

How can I lead the way

It feels so wrong to be so far away

Optimus sighed, watching the warrior, leaning one arm against the doorframe and blocking the way out. “You know Rhinox would not be happy to see that you’ve been getting up.”

Inferno blinked up at the Maximal leader. “I . . . to her . . . I . . .”

“I know. You want– hey!” He stopped his protest off in mid-breath, sighing and smiling slightly. “Sorry.”

Miss Special had managed to get past him, walking over to her pyromaniac and stopping him from standing. Unable to do anything but feel relief that she was close, Inferno rested his head against her shoulder. “Queen.”

Ooh from you tonight

If I, if I lose you, I can’t survive

“What’s the matter, ’Ferno? Are you all right? What’s this that Rhinox said about you not being all that well?”

“Queen, my mind. It . . . does not function properly. Anymore. Illogical.”

Optimus looked away. His voice was soft and caring, gentle. “We’ll be up in the command center.”

Didn’t know you would’ve come home tonight

Didn’t hang on long enough

He closed the door, seeing Sapphire and Ajax there. They had followed her through, despite what she had said. Optimus’ face rose in shock at seeing the young man, who held a hand up and walked into the command center, seeing Rhinox and Cheetor there. Then he spoke. “Blender-Butt ain’t lookin’ too good, is he.”

“Rattrap!” Rhinox exclaimed, jumping to his feet. The human nodded, and the tech shook his head. “No. He said it himself: his mind’s deteriorating.”

“D’ya have an estimate?”

At that, the lift came up. Terrorsaur had heard, and his normally-cocky voice was quiet. “Last I heard . . . the countdown will hit zero in two hours.”

“Less,” Rhinox said, his voice cracking. “I’d get back through the mirror if I were you. I don’t want anything to happen to either of you if he goes before you’re back in your own time and place.”

Didn’t want to go and start a fight

Didn’t mean to go, go and fall in love

“Inferno, remember three days ago? You asked me to be there with you when you . . .”

“I did . . . ?” Then came a slow nod, and a smile. Miss Special had managed to get him laying back again. “Yes. I did.” His face was serene, which was something short of a miracle considering what it looked like. “And . . . here you are.”

“So it will be soon.”

“Yes. Very.”

It’s like an avalanche

Once you fall you’re swept away

“Rhinox, ol’ buddy, at least gimme a moment to just see ’ya again, eh?” He blinked. “Uh, didja get bigger, or . . .”

Sapphire chuckled. “You shrank. Hah! And you-know-who will be rolling on the floor when he hears of this!”

“Don’t you dare tell Choppuhface ’bout me shrinkin’!”

Cheetor smiled. “So do you have any clue who’s gonna be next out?” Wincing, he amended, “After Inferno, that is.”

“Three possible people, but one of them just has an old mirror,” Sapphire replied.

I didn’t stand a chance

Hangin’ on to every word you say

“Will it be long?”

“I do not know.” He moved slightly, blinking. Something else had just faded from him. Something that shouldn’t be forgotten. But what was it? Why did he forget something that he knew he should have remembered?

Miss Special could literally see the ember of intelligence dim within his optics. And she fought with herself, trying to tell him . . . to show him . . .

She won.

Resting her head upon his chest, resting her cheek upon the back of one hand, the other gripping Inferno’s, she whispered, “I’m here. I’m always going to be here for you. When you hurt; when you don’t understand; when you can’t figure things out around you; when you need someone to talk to; when you need . . . when you just need someone to sit beside, I’m here. I’ll never leave you.”

Hey, we can find a place for love

Ooh, do you want it bad enough

“You are my own,” his British-accented voice said. “And . . . when . . .” He struggled to remember . . . and had it! “When I come to you . . . I might need it.”

“Inferno . . .”

Something in him stopped. Something that shouldn’t have. “Yes?”

“I need you.”

I didn’t mean to fall in love

Rattrap and Sapphire ran down the halls, passing the room where Inferno and Miss Special were in, back towards the mirror. Rhinox and Optimus followed them, the leader stopping at the door, the medic/tech following Rattrap to the mirror. And then they were running through it, hand-in-hand, skidding to a stop on the other side to watch Rhinox slow his steps. “Rattrap.”

“Yeah?”

“I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

“Better be. Hey, ol’ buddy; Big Green.”

“Hm?”

“Don’t lose hope. Don’t give up. We’ll getcha here, legally or illegally.” And the once-rat grinned in his lopsided way, seeing as Rhinox lifted a hand in farewell . . .

So could you catch a plane

Come back home for one more try

“You need me?”

“I do. And I love you.”

“I . . . I feel the same . . . but . . .”

“I know. You don’t need words.”

“How . . . ?”

“Your optics speak. It’s okay. You don’t have to fight to speak. I understand you.”

I’ll never be the same

I fell so hard out of the sky today

He smiled, and the beauty of the purest of lights washed over him, blinding him for a moment. And then he knew he was dying. He knew that it wouldn’t hurt. That it was all right, but he would fight to live if . . .

Miss Special needs him.

He’d fight . . .

No. No. This wasn’t the fight he’d need to endure. That fight would come . . . soon. Very soon, now.

For you, you see

And you would never believe what you do for me

Can’t you see you’re all I need

“Queen . . .”

He heard her voice shaking, and felt small pools of warm liquid upon his chest, just under her head. “Yeah?”

“I will find you.”

Didn’t know you would’ve come home tonight

The mirror flashed once. Rhinox disappeared. Sapphire and Rattrap looked around the room, trying to see if Miss Special would be somewhere around.

Didn’t hang on long enough

She saw she was out in the clearing where she had taught Inferno about the stars. It was about an hour after she had left to go into the mirror by her wristwatch. It felt both longer and shorter.

And then the grief hit.

Didn’t want to go and start a fight

Sapphire and Ajax ran out of the house, glad again that Miss Special’s family was conveniently off somewhere, seeing cars just pull into the driveway. Sinead leapt out before Donovan had even stopped, running over to Sapphire, her hands upon her friend’s shoulders and calmly allowing her eyes to meet the watering brown depths of one of her best friends. Hacker and Starath came over as well, all hearing what Sapphire was saying. They couldn’t have come at a worse time. Or, in another perspective, their timing could have been more perfect. Sinead blinked, then asked, “Where’s this clearing?”

Didn’t mean to go, go and fall in love

Hearing noise, Miss Special looked up, seeing four other young women running towards her, their soulmates, some of them fiancés, stopping just before the end of the treeline.

Comforting arms wrapped around the heartbroken college student. Her voice came unbidden.

“I didn’t mean to fall so in love with him . . .”