Chapter 1

Rose's POV

I covered my ears to shut out the sound of angry voices, knowing that my foster father was most likely yelling in a drunken rage at my foster mother. He always blamed her for my troublesome ways; like shoplifting, breaking and entering, starting fights at my school, and going out when I wanted to, to parties and drinking underage.

This time was no different, I was busted shoplifting a pretty necklace I saw at the store I wanted to send to my cousin who lived in Australia. I was detained but released after my foster mother assured them that it wouldn't happen again.

Yes, I have been to juvie. I just got out two months ago and I had been warned at the police station earlier that if I was caught doing it again that I was going straight back.

The sound of a smack was heard and I winced before it was followed by footsteps heading up the stairs. Jumping to my feet, I knew what I had to do. I had to get out of here. I couldn't take living here in this abusive household, everyday I did something wrong the end result was getting hit or if I disobeyed an order from my foster father, it didn't end pretty.

I have faded bruises and faded scars from when my foster father decided to use unconventional means of punishment, for example, smashing a mirror and using the broken pieces of glass to hurt me.

Ever since my parents died when I was seven, I've bounced around from foster home to foster home. Some of the foster parents were alright, some weren't as nice. However, the Roland couple I live with now have to be the worse.

Tate Roland was nothing but an alcoholic slob, who worked at a factory from seven in the morning till six o'clock at night; he would come home, sit in front of the television and start drinking.

Linda Roland was one of those superficial housewives who never paid me any attention unless of course I got into trouble. She too would hit me when I back-talked her and would often send me to my room without dinner. There were even days when she wouldn't even bother to feed me and so I had to fend for myself and obtain my own meals.

Upon hearing the footsteps coming down the hall, I hurried to my dresser and pushed with all my might. It began to move, scraping across the floor until I had it in front of my bedroom door and I stepped back. Racing to my bed which sat against the wall, I dropped to my knees and peered under to where my bag of belongings was packed. It contained; my iPod, headphones and charger, three wads of cash, my clothes, my only other pair of shoes, my toothbrush, my cds, DVDs, my stuffed blue teddy bear named Orion who I've had forever and was named after the star constellation, my wallet, and my phone, headphones and charger.

Yanking it out from under the bed, I jumped to my feet and shrieked when I heard loud, angry shouts and banging on my door

"ROSE! ROSE, OPEN THIS GODDAMN DOOR NOW, YOU UNGRATEFUL LITTLE SHIT" Tate yelled from the other side

"NO" I yelled back

"OPEN THIS FUCKING DOOR"

"GO FUCK YOURSELF!"

With a loud roar, there was a thump and I noticed the dresser move a tiny bit. Shit, I knew I had to get out there or I was going to be in for a hell of a beating. Racing over to the window, I unlatched it and slid it open, cursing the fact that we had a double storey house and my room was on the second floor. Bracing myself, I climbed through the window to sit on the ledge before taking a deep breath and letting myself drop just as I heard the dresser go flying across the room and the door bursting open.

I landed ungracefully on my feet, jarring an ankle and knowing it was going to bruise but I hardly cared. Scrambling quickly to my feet, I slung my backpack over my shoulder and limped away as fast as I could to the sounds of my foster father yelling before disappearing.

Pushing through the pain, I continued down the road toward the highway. I had to get the fuck out of here. To where, I wasn't sure but it had to be anywhere but here. Hearing the sound of squealing tires, I swung around to see that my foster father had decided to give chase. Cursing every swear word I knew and even some in other languages I had learnt, I limped as fast as I could down the road

'Fuck, fuck, fuck. This is not happening, I need help but who can I turn to?'

Turning down street after street, and trying to lose him going down alleyways, I eventually reached the highway. Needing to get off of my sore ankle, I hobbled over and plonked myself down on the side of the road. Rubbing at my right ankle, I had some time to think to myself. I knew I had to get out of here, away from everything but I had nowhere to go, no living relatives alive in the states.

Sighing in frustration, I decided I was going to have to hitchhike to wherever I thought would be an appropriate place to hide out and live. Slowly getting to my feet, I began to walk, deciding that I had to get moving or I was going to be dead.

Time seemed to pass by slowly as night continued to draw on and I couldn't be bothered pulling my phone out of my bag, so I had no idea what time it was. As it just so happened I lived in Reno, Nevada, so the days were really hot and the nights were extremely cold

Achoo!

"Excuse me."

Beginning to shiver, I needed to find somewhere warm but where in the san heck was I going to find a nice warm bed or shelter out of this cold?

Yawning and rubbing my eyes, I tried not to fall asleep as I walked along the empty road. I was far away from Reno now but still had no idea where.

Optimus' POV

I drove through the steadily continuing night on the way home from Las Vegas after celebrating Sam's 21st birthday. Though it was a long drive it had been worth it. As it was a known earth custom that twenty one years was a large milestone for a young adult, Sam had told us that he had always wanted to go celebrate his birthday in Las Vegas. After doing some extensive research, I had agreed with Ron and Judy to take their son, his girlfriend, and Lennox and his men to Las Vegas for Sam's birthday.

The party had been interesting to say the least, though I had been reluctant to join in the festivities of drinking, gambling and merriment. It had taken a lot of pleading from Sam, Mikaela, Lennox and even my own men before I decided to indulge myself in the human festivities.

Opening my comm link, I decided to check on the others

: Optimus to Ironhide:

: Ironhide here, go ahead Prime:

: How are Lennox and his men? :

: Will's fine, though most of them are passed out drunk and Epps is snoring like a five year old:

I chuckled

: Bumblebee, how are Sam and Mikaela? :

: (cue Bram's Lullaby playing over the comm.):

: Ratchet, how are Sam's parents? :

: Singing along with the radio, drunkenly, at the top of their lungs:

Everyone laughed at that. Informing my men that I was going to be doing patrol tonight, I let them all go on ahead before I began patrol.

I drove for perhaps hours when I found myself passing through Reno and out towards the desert on the way home. I had decided to do the large patrol and checking my clock it now read 2:45 am.

Leaving behind Reno, I continued on for maybe another hour or so when my scanners picked up signs of human life. Rounding a corner, my headlights caught sight of a young girl. She looked no older than sixteen human years, carrying a backpack and dragging herself along.

Activating my holoform, I pulled myself to a stop just as she turned her head.

Rose's POV

It was well into the wee hours of the morning and yet I was still walking, not daring to stop for the night. I would keep walking for days if I had to until I came across somewhere where I could stay.

The sound of a large vehicle rounding the corner behind me alerted me to the first signs of life in hours. Turning my head, I caught sight of a large eighteen wheeler semi slowly pulling itself to a stop and the window automatically went down. I prayed it wouldn't be some creep who would pray on a runaway but then, a man poked his head out. He appeared to be somewhere in his late thirties early forties with black hair going grey, a strong jawline and the most hypnotizing blue eyes I had ever seen

"It is not safe for anyone to be walking in the middle of nowhere, especially someone as young as you" he told me.

He had a gravelly, deep, strong baritone voice that made him sound so much older and very mature. I didn't know what to make of him

"I'm fine, really" I assured him

"Do you need a ride?" he asked.

At this point, I hesitated. He was complete stranger offering a ride to a young girl in the dead of night even that seemed to give me the heebie-jeebies

"I don't think so" I replied

"Please, dear one, I would hate to have anything happen to you rest on my conscious for the rest of my life if I had not pulled over this night and offered you a ride."

I thought about it for a moment, he didn't seem that bad really. In fact, he sounded wise beyond his years and deeply concerned. Somehow, I felt strange as if I could trust him

"Well…if it's not too much trouble, I don't wanna be a bother."

He shook his head and chuckled, a sound I liked already. What was it about this man?

He opened his door and stepped down from the cab; he was tall maybe 6ft2 and was wearing a long sleeved blue jumper with a strange red insignia which kind of looked like a face, black jeans and bluntstones. Walking over, he held out his hand and it took me a moment to realize he was asking if he could take my bag.

Sliding it off, I handed it to him and he slung it over his shoulder. He walked over to his truck and turned back, holding out his hand once again. I limped over and took it, allowing him to help me into the truck and then hand me my bag. He shut the door and walked around to the other side and opened the door, climbing up into the cab and shutting the door.

It was rather roomy in there and light filled the cab so I was able to see; there was the typical steering wheel as well as several other buttons, a radio, and enough room in the back of the cab for a bed of some sort except there wasn't one.

As odd as it sounded, I felt rather at home here in this large semi. After buckling in, he pulled the truck away from the side of the road and continued on towards wherever he had been heading. It was a little awkward as we were complete strangers but I felt like I should at least thank this man

"Thank you" I said

"You're welcome, are you heading somewhere in particular?" he asked not taking his eyes off the road

"Not really but you can drop me off in the next town."

He glanced at me with a concerned look before focusing on the road again

"I do not mean to sound like I am prying but is there any reason why you are not at home?"

I remained silent, staring out the windshield into the night sky. This man was really nice but I couldn't tell him, he was still a complete stranger. I didn't want him to suddenly turn around and take me back home

"You do not have answer" he added but I could tell he was genuinely concerned.

It wasn't every day you met a complete stranger who was concerned about your wellbeing and there is the say that strangers can be the best listeners. Perhaps it wouldn't hurt

"Because, it wasn't really home" and so, I launched into my story, as he listened attentively.

When I finished my story, he remained rather quiet but it was almost as if I could feel his emotions, and anger was one of them.

Was he angry at my foster parents?

I felt as if I had found someone who would agree that Tate and Linda were unfit to have children, biological or foster, and that it was a good thing I had left

"What kind of parent, foster or otherwise would be cruel enough to punish a child with acts of violence? That is no way to discipline a child nor is there any reason to dole out punishments for such small mistakes. I know it is not my place but I do feel I should say that I am thankful you left that house when you did."

I felt tears come to my eyes, which was rare for me. Here I had found someone who cared for my wellbeing and yet he was a complete stranger. I quickly wiped at my eyes and sniffled

"Thank you, I guess the saying is true. Strangers are the best listeners."

He chuckled

"How rude of me, I forgot to introduce myself. I am Orion Pax"

"Orion, like the star constellation? I've always loved that name. In fact my stuffed teddy bear I got from my mom when I was a little girl is named Orion."

Orion laughed and I smiled

"And you are, my dear?"

"Oh, I'm Rosemarie Fuentes. But everyone calls me Rose"

"Pleasure"

"Likewise"

"Rose, it is very late or rather early and I am led to believe you have not slept at all. It would put me at ease to know that have at least gotten enough rest. Sleep as long as you like."

Orion was right, I was exhausted and I let out a yawn to prove his point. I curled up into the seat and closed my eyes for some reason knowing I could trust him

"Night Orion"

"Goodnight dear."

TBC