Grayson was missing again.

"Grayson!?"

"Grayson!?"

Melony, Mikaela, and Maggie were wandering around the base in search of the almost 12 year old boy.

"That kid is worse than a Cybertronian ninja." Sunstreaker complained as he walked towards them.

"He just doesn't want to go back to Tranquility again. He prefers being here with his family and where no one bullies him almost daily. I'm the youngest daughter of Optimus Prime yet I can't even save my son from bullying." Melony sighed as she looked up at her guardian.

"Melony you know he doesn't want us to step in. I spoke with the teachers and they said they were told the same. Grayson doesn't want you to be his hero, he just wants you to be his mother." Mikaela said as she placed a hand on her best friend's shoulders.

Mikaela had named herself Grayson's aunt and was living up to just that. She had even taken up a job alongside Melony to help with expenses.

"I know that Keala but it's hard when I know that I could've scared those kids off as soon as they had even thought of targeting Grayson."

"Don't be so hard on yourself Mel." Maggie told her.

"Yeah the kid just wants to prove himself is all. He wants to be like his mom, strong, brave, and independent." Sunstreaker smiled as he knelt beside the three girls.

"Do you not remember what I was like back on Cybertron?" Melony questioned.

"A trouble maker. The problem Prime twin. Didn't listen to anyone. Raised hell whenever possible, and whenever not."

There was a laugh behind him.

"Well I guess if you pretend long enough people really do start to believe that you are that person, huh Blair?"

It was Sideswipe, Sunstreaker's twin.

"My name is Melony." Melony responded.

"Oh right. Blair was the scared little girl that I met back on the streets of Cybertron. The girl who wanted nothing more than to be like her parents and siblings to the point where she asked a random gladiator to teach her how to fight. I could've killed you and have not even blinked but you were so convinced you could be someone you weren't that you nearly got yourself killed over it." He continued.

"Thank-you for reminding me how pathetic I was. Anything else you'd like to throw out there? You wanna keep going with me or do you want to move on to my sister or better yet, how about the human boy I adopted? I may have been a sad excuse for a sparkling of a Prime then but that doesn't mean that I won't defend all that I love now, the same way you taught me how to." Melony replied.

They hadn't gotten off to the best start after he had arrived and things had yet to improve between them.

Melony was so glad to be visiting the base for the weekend.

School had gotten out today and her and Grayson had stopped only to switch bags and say goodbye to the Witwickys before heading to base.

Both had been in desperate need of some time away from Tranquility.

Not to say that Melony didn't love it there but between the days she had missed during the Mission City battle and the now ever present Decepticon and twin sister threat, which were one more thing to add to the stress with Sunstreaker having to stay at base for awhile.

The teenager didn't need to be fighting Decepticons when she should be studying for finals and raising Grayson. It was almost enough to make her glitch.

Seriously, like have a malfunction and glitch just like Prowl.

Melony let Grayson out before transforming. She offered him her hand and as soon as he was safely on her shoulder she walked towards the main hanger of the temporary base.

"Can I go find Aunt Kaela?" Grayson asked.

"Sure. Careful not to get stepped on or run over." Melony replied as she set him on the ground again.

"I know, I know. Bye mom." Grayson waved as he ran off to go find Mikaela.

Melony proceeded into the main hanger hoping to find one of the bots, Epps, or Lennox.

Sure enough the frame of her guardian came into view and she ran up and hugged him from behind as she exclaimed, "Sunny!"

Only as Melony actually looked at the color of the metal she noticed it was devoid of the freshly waxed yellow paint job Sunstreaker took so much pride in.

Melony jumped away and bumped into Jazz who wore a grin on his face.

Across from whoever the youngest Prime had hugged stood Sunstreaker. She ran over and hid behind said guardian.

"Serious Melony?" He asked as he looked over his shoulder at the newly blue and black femme.

"Yes. Who the hell is that and why does he look kinda like you?" She asked as she pointed to the Sunny lookalike.

"My twin Sideswipe. You and Persephanie met him back on Cybertron same time you guys met me. He was red then if it helps any." Sunstreaker replied.

"Right split spark twins like me and Seph." Melony nodded.

She knew Sideswipe far before she met Sunstreaker and knew far more about the previously red mech than she let on to.

"Wanna race?" Melony asked as she shook her head and moved to face Sunstreaker.

"I was gonna help Sides pick out an alt before it got too dark." He replied.

"I could help. I mean I have spent the last 8 years as a human so I'll know what'll fit it and what won't around here." Melony shrugged.

"Thanks Mel." Sunstreaker smiled.

Melony had somehow managed to get Sunstreaker to get past the whole "she's a techno-organic and therefor half human" thing and now they got along a lot nicer.

Sunstreaker and Sideswipe started towards the hanger doors and Melony jumped on Sunstreaker's back so he'd give her a piggyback ride.

"Off to the highway!" She shouted as she dramatically pointed in front of them.

Sunstreaker rolled his eyes before he dropped Melony on to the ground.

"Hey!" She exclaimed as she glared up at him.

"I can't give you a, piggyback ride was it? If I have to drive to the highway. Geez you really are a blonde Mel." He replied.

Melony flipped him off before standing and transforming into her recently chosen alt, a blue Shelby Cobra GT with black racing strips. It had specifically been chosen since Persephanie's alt was the same only red with black racing strips.

"Let's go then." Melony growled at Sunstreaker.

He chuckled but transformed as well followed by Sideswipe in his Cybertronian alt.

The highway was as busy as ever with the after work traffic.

The buzz of passing cars, trucks, and other vehicles greeted the three Cybertronians as Melony transformed on a hill that over looked the highway. The twins transformed beside her and Melony instantly regretted offering to help as Sideswipe started trying to pick out an alt mode.

For 2 straight hours he talked to himself and debated vehicles before Sunstreaker sighed and turned to Melony.

"Any suggestions Melony?" He asked obviously annoyed.

"Well the team all took on new but not too flashy or expensive cars. Well except Sunny here, you had to choose a Lamborghini didn't ya?" Melony replied.

"You love it and you know it." He teased.

"Never said that I didn't like it. I just said it was flashy and expensive." The femme shrugged.

"Could you two quit flirting? I'm trying to pick an alt mode here." Sideswipe complained.

"We're not. He's my twin sister Persephanie's sparkmate and my best Cybertronian friend." Melony replied.

"Seriously Sunny, a Decepticon chick? You could do so much better." Sideswipe scoffed.

"That's my sister your talking about you aft!" Melony exclaimed.

"Why are you defending her? She's nothing but a Decepticon scum now. Then again maybe she wouldn't be had you not forced her to leave Cybertron." He replied as he stood to face her.

"Cybertron is dead! We would've had to of left even if we hadn't decided TOGETHER to go with Bumblebee." She said harshly.

"There was no reason for you to leave." He shot back.

"Yeah, right. Cause we enjoyed getting ridiculed daily for who we are." Melony said with extreme sarcasm, even for her.

"Your both Techno-organics, there was reason for people to ridicule you!"

"You fragger!" Melony yelled as she lept at him.

Sunstreaker grabbed the femme as she lept so Melony was over his shoulder and refused to let her go.

"Melony stop it, he's not worth the energy. Why don't you head back to base and spend some time with your dad and the team while I finish helping Sideswipe find an alt." Sunstreaker said as he set her down.

"Fine, your right." Melony said as she started to walk away before pausing and facing them again.

"You know what something flashy and expensive would fit him well actually. After all pleasure bots need to try and look appealing." Melony smiled.

She didn't wait to hear the response as she transformed and sped off back towards base.

Needless to say that neither planned on making amends anytime soon. It was a very deep seeded wound when it came to Melony and Sideswipe and only they knew about it.

"Easy now you two. Let's not start another fight-"

"How is it my fault that you are the way you are?! Or that your own sister chose the Decepticons over you?! Or that you got stuck raising a human kid?!" Sideswipe interrupted.

The look on Maggie's face was a cross between annoyed that he had interrupted her and pissed off that he was going after Melony again.

The some of the team had heard the yelling and had started to gather around.

"At least I can confront and make better who I am! As for Persephanie, she had no other choice! She did what she had to in order to survive! And I did not get stuck with Grayson! I chose to take him in as my own and I love him as if he was my own! And no man or mech I know could ever manage to provide me with a better kid than Grayson! I'm proud of who I am, of my sister, and especially of Grayson!" Melony argued.

"Oh really? And what makes you think that anyone would ever want to be with you?! You're a deceptive glitch who should've been left to die on Cybertron!"

The hanger fell completely silent.

"Well at least I have decency and respect. Earth taught me those things and I would've gladly gone on being just human. As long as I never had to see you again! You're still the same messed up aft of a gladiator I met back on Cybertron! I should've let that guy kill you that night and have saved myself all of the pain and regret you've caused me! The only good thing that came out of nearly getting myself killed for you, to this day, is that Sunstreaker is still alive because I somehow thought you were worth saving!" Melony glared.

She sighed and turned away from Sideswipe.

"I saw something in you that night but I guess I wasn't the only one pretending back then." She said quietly.

"Mom!"

Ironhide was carrying Grayson through the crowd.

"Grayson! We've been looking everywhere for you! Where were you?" Melony seemed to do a 180 as concern washed over her.

"Tiny here was with Optimus." Ironhide told her.

"Oh thank god. I was so worried." Melony sighed as Grayson was handed to her.

"I told you not to call me that!" Grayson complained.

Ironhide laughed gruffly in reply.

"Hey you. No one talks to my mom like that and gets away with it." Grayson glared at Sideswipe.

"So you've told me. I'm sorry Grayson, Melony is just a pain in my aft is all." Sideswipe replied.

"Language! Earth swear words are bad enough, I don't need him knowing Cybertronian swear words too!" Melony exclaimed.

"But it's true, you really are a-"

Melony uppercut him and Grayson laughed as Sideswipe stumbled.

"Sweetspark if you wanted to actually fight all you had to do was ask." Sideswipe commented.

"Did I really hit you so hard that your calling me sweetspark after all that?" Melony questioned.

"Oh come on Mel! What's the harm in teaching him a lesson?" Came from the crowd.

It was one of the newest arrivals, a techno-organic named Pinkninja. However Earth had come to know her as Elizabeth Rose Jones-Kirkland.

Elizabeth pushed a stray piece of her dirty blonde hair out of her blue-green eyes as she grinned at the other techno-organic. Melony smiled right back.

Elizabeth had quickly become a friend of Melony, Mikaela, and Maggie and a pain to Ratchet.

The girl was a prankster to the core and wasn't afraid to target anyone, including Optimus himself (thankfully the Prime remembered Melony's pranking phase and laughed at most of the well thought out pranks). The mood around base had also lightened with her arrival as she had brought not only pranks but constant and random singing and dancing, a new bot to fight who was actually good at sparing, and a good laugh as the team watch her almost daily run away from some bot in her seemingly trademark heeled gladiator sandals.

"You up for it tough guy?" Melony asked, glad for the other techno-organic's encouragement.

"If you think you can handle it." Sideswipe shrugged.

"Don't be so cocky. You'll be on your butt in 2 seconds flat." Melony replied as she set Grayson down beside Mikaela and Maggie.

"No powers, no weapons, just hand to hand combat." Sideswipe told her as the group headed towards the training room.

"Fine. 10 seconds."

"Now who's cocky?"

"Just get ready." Melony said as she settled into a comfortable fighting stance.

Glen and Bumblebee slipped into the room and came to stand beside Mikaela, Maggie, and Grayson.

"What's going on?" Glen asked.

"Elizabeth convinced Melony to settle her most recent fight with Sideswipe with actually fighting." Maggie explained.

"I can't see." Grayson complained.

"Me neither." Mikaela laughed.

Bumblebee picked them both up and set them on his shoulders.

"Thanks Bee." Mikaela smiled to the yellow bot.

"Ready? Fight!" Someone called out and Sideswipe was the first to move as he attempted to hit Melony.

Melony blocked and returned her own punch.

"Cute." Sideswipe commented as he caught her fist.

Melony glared at him as she kicked him in the side and stepped away from him.

"Melony's being sloppy. Usually she throws a few things out there and she's knocked like 7 guys out, what's up?" Sam asked.

"Sideswipe taught her how to fight back on Cybertron. Plus there's something she's not letting on to, she always ends up off when he comes around her." Mikaela replied.

"But isn't Melony more of a gymnast type fighter? Why is it she doesn't fight like that anymore? It was beautiful." Maggie asked.

"Because like Mikaela said, Sideswipe taught her how to fight. He expects her to fight that way not with cartwheels and flips. She's gonna surprise him. But it could turn on her if she does it the wrong way, he could slip into his other mode and she could get seriously hurt." Elizabeth commented, completely serious compared to the girl who had just been offering Melony encouragement.

"Other mode?" Glen questioned.

"Remember when they said that Sideswipe had been a gladiator back on Cybertron? Well all of the gladiators developed this sort of "other mode" that's basically their killing machine side. No emotions just fighting and anger. Someone named it gladiator mode since the gladiator pits were where you usually saw it happen." Elizabeth explained.

"Please be careful mom." Grayson said as they turned their attention back to the fight.

Sideswipe landed a few jabs and had Melony stumbling back.

"Earth's made you soft Melony." Sideswipe told her as he threw another punch.

"No it just made me nicer and more respectful." Melony grit.

Sideswipe lunged at her only for Melony to jump up and use him as a spring board to catapult herself over him.

She flipped herself around and landed in a squat facing a confused Sideswipe.

"Did you think the Witwicky's kept me at home all the time?" Melony smirked as she stood.

Sideswipe growled at her.

Melony ran at him and cartwheeled, kicking Sideswipe in the face twice before backflipping and kicking him again.

He swung at her and she bent over backwards to dodge it.

Standing on her hands Melony's legs wrapped around Sideswipe's torso before she pulled herself up and twisted herself around like some sort of Black Widow move and had Sideswipe on the floor.

"Glen, wasn't that one of Natasha Romanoff's moves?" Maggie asked.

"Yep." Glen nodded.

"Give up." Melony said as she pinned Sideswipe's arms by his head.

"You give up." He replied as he flipped them over and pinned her.

There was a split second of silence as the crowd waited to see if it was really over. However that was all Melony needed for a crazy idea to pop into her head so she would win.

With her arms still pinned Melony threw her torso upward and smashed her mouth against Sideswipe's.

The mech was frozen in shock allowing Melony to get the upper hand again and throw him off.

"That was a dirty trick." Sideswipe glared as they both climbed to their feet.

"You just said no powers or weapons. You said nothing about playing fair." Melony smirked as she raised her fists.

"You know… maybe we should just make amends for all of the arguing and not finish the fight, we could go back to how we were back on Cybertron." Sideswipe said as he walked towards the femme.

"But you said-"

"I lied. The truth is that I miss you and I want us to be like that again." Sideswipe cut her off.

Melony hesitated and Sideswipe roundhouse kicked her across the room.

"Mom!"

"Mel!"

"Melony!"

Came from the crowd all at once.

Melony stood and as she looked up at Sideswipe he could see the tears starting to well up.

He wasn't sure if it was because of his trick or because he had kicked her so hard but it made him regret both. Even more so as Melony came running at him.

Melony jumped up and landed a few kicks before she landed and went to town with her punches and kicks. Finally she ran behind him as he was stumbling and kicked out his knees.

Kneeling on the floor with Melony standing over him brought back memories that were quickly shoved away as she glared down at him.

He reached forward only for Melony to sock him in the jaw before he could do anything and send him to the floor.

"I win." Melony glared before she stormed out of the room.

Almost everyone remained still except Elizabeth and Jazz who slipped out after the young Prime.

"Melony!" Elizabeth called after her.

Melony paused and let them caught up just as the training room started to empty.

"Hey that was some fight little lady. You alright?" Jazz asked.

"I could be better but I'll manage." Melony shrugged.

"Melony-" Elizabeth started.

"I'm fine. Honest. I'm gonna go get Grayson ready for bed." Melony but her off as she started to walk away.

"But its not even 8:00." Jazz said.

"He'll understand." Melony replied before she disappeared from their view.

"She's gonna be alright. Right?" Elizabeth questioned as she stepped closer to Jazz.

"Sure hope so. We just got her back after all."

"Is that aft ever gonna learn how much she really cared for him? I can't see her cry because of him again."

"You gonna tell him? Cause I don't wanna be the reason he slips into gladiator mode." Jazz resorted.

"Would you prefer it be Melony?" Elizabeth questioned as she looked up at the other bot.

Jazz sighed as he watched Melony walk toward the barracks with Mikaela and Grayson in tow.