A/N: This very loosely follows the movies. There will be some of the events. Also several characters not found in the movies.

"Within quotes is normal dialogue."
"Within quotes and italicized is dialogue in a different language, such as Marc speaking French; also singing and loud yelling."
(Within parentheses and italicized is Cybertronian dialogue.)
[Within brackets is comm. link chatter.]
[Within brackets and italicized is comm. link chatter in Cybertronian and/or in another language, i.e. Marc speaking French.]
:Within colons is texting.:

Diary Entry 1…

Dear Diary,

Welcome to my mind, paper. At the time of this entry, I'm 10 years of age. I'm not your run-of-the-mill 10-year-old, though. I'm incredibly mature for my age. And smart. So smart I scare people, even my mom. My mom is an angel with an AK, she don't take crap from anybody. She once told me that anybody did include my "deadbeat" father who vanished before I was born and never bothers to show up. I don't know the guy, but I'm guessing he's a jerk. I can tell you I'm an even combo of my folks- tough as nails, and not entirely caring. I mostly keep to myself; don't have many friends at all. Don't really need friends when I have Rockband. I get lost in the music. I master each edition of the game in a matter of days. I don't own every edition, just the coolest bands: Van Halen, Bon Jovi, The Beatles, those bands. My few friends (and I have just enough for a full band), come over and we jam. Gina and Tess are my guitar girls and backup vocals, Alex is my drummer, and I'm always lead guitar and lead vocals. We play for hours, only taking food and bathroom breaks. Probably wouldn't make my old man proud, but Mom encourages me. I even took up guitar lessons. A real guitar feels so good in my hands, and it's much more satisfying to play. Maybe I'll be a rockstar one day. Maybe my old man will see me on stage being the little string-shredding Queen I am, and regret not having a hand in raising me. I don't know. Maybe I'll just be another boring citizen in an endless ocean of boring people. We'll see.

Love,

Lori

Diary Entry 2191…

Dear Diary,

Being 16 is nothing like it was promised to be. I'm tall, skinny, and somehow buff. I'm not popular in any way, and I lost all my friends to another high school. I'm alone. It's not too terrible, I can tune out the tide of idiots and conformists with god ol' Rock-N'-Roll. Mom's become a total homework-hawk, so my grades are straight A's. I've graduated from acoustic to electric guitar, so I've been blowing out the cheap-o speakers at the house. Now I have to get a job to buy new ones… and an amp for myself. Problem is, who's gonna want a tall, buff chick in their store, some place that specializes in bug-out supplies and the "Zombie Apocalypse?" What, am I gonna be their badass babe who knows her shit? That could work, but then there's the flood of perverts who'll want to get to know me better. Gross.

Love,

Lori

Diary Entry 2922…

Dear Diary,

I'm "all grown up" now. As in, I get into fights and win. I had my first throw-down yesterday. Not in school, of course. I'm smart enough not to get my ass suspended. My opponent left the scene crying like a baby. It's my senior year, the home stretch. Forever alone except for my music. I managed to reconnect with my Rockband-mates… but it's not the same anymore. They melted into the "norm." They're not my buddies anymore. We ended it all; such a shame. They're going to look back on it and cry. I was great to them. Now I'm hell-bent on becoming a star. Just so I can make them realize just what they let go. They're no better than my mysterious old man. The guy is probably never going to confess himself. I'd probably just beat his ass anyway. He deserves it.

Love,

Lori

Present day…

Lori had grown up to be the Alley Scourge of her city; she easily overpowered anybody who got in her way. She'd grown out her hair, and how it looked like a thick tide of ebony thread, which she usually tied back in a high ponytail, and it hung down to her lower back. Her striking blue eyes had darkened to a haunting azure, made all the more chilling by her pale complexion. She was still muscular, but it looked attractive combined with her 7' 2" height and frame. On the side, she was the lead singer and guitarist for "Apocalypse Entertainment," a band she'd founded her freshman year of college; weeks later, her mother had been diagnosed with Stage-4 Lung Cancer and died mere months after Lori's 18th birthday. At the time, her freshly made band took care of her, keeping her from absolutely losing her mind. Lori was really alone, except for her band. But now, the band was starting to not really be there for her. Josie, her drummer, was getting ready to quit because she was engaged. Trent and Marc, her backup vocals and guitars, were being scouted by recording firms. Amelia, her synth jockey, was going to college and couldn't afford to keep playing on the side. Lori was going to be entirely alone for the first time, and she was terrified.

As she sat down in a street-side café, Lori took a shuddering breath, fighting back the urge to cry. She kept enough composure to order a coffee with four shots of espresso, but then finally gave in to her breaking heart. She lowered her head and sobbed quietly. No friends, no family, Lori had nothing left to fight for.

Across from the café, in the local knife shop, a tall, muscular male figure leaned on the counter, watching the Alley Scourge cry. It was entirely out of character for the heartless woman. His eyes lit up, scanning her. Under her tight-fitting black tank top and cut-off jean shorts, her body was a patchwork of scars and fresher injuries from her fights, but these weren't causing her pain. She was grieving, more behavior that was very unlike her. She possessed incredible strength, taut muscles, and a short temper. Scanning deeper, the figure found something else, something the woman clearly didn't know:

The Alley Scourge was half-Cybertronian.

"Barricade to Megatron," the figure said, pressing a button on the radio-comm in his ear.

"Megatron here; what do you want, Barricade?"

"Sir, remember me telling you about the Alley Scourge?" Barricade asked.

"You mean that human female that can fight?" Megatron asked, uninterested.

"That's the thing," Barricade answered. "She's only half human. The remaining half of her genetics is Cybertronian." There was silence on the other end for several minutes.

"How is that even possible?" Megatron finally asked with disbelief thick in his grisly voice.

"I'm betting she's got an Autobot for a parent," Barricade speculated.

"Only they would be foolish enough to allow such a monstrosity to live," Megatron snapped.

"This is where it gets complicated," Barricade said. "She doesn't even know. She believes she's entirely human. I doubt she knows her Autobot parent. But such would explain where she gets her strength and temper."

"She must have other traits that would expose the fool who had a hand in conceiving her," Megatron replied.

"I'm willing to investigate," Barricade lied.

"If that disgrace tries to attack you, kill her."

"Yes, sir, Barricade out," Barricade muttered. He would do all he could not to. He was befriending the Alley Scourge. Under her shroud of violence, she was a sweet, friendly person- the first to ever show him kindness. Lori also seemed to be changing him… he hadn't actually seen his leader in months, only talked to him from time to time.

Lori finished her coffee and ordered an Italian soda and sub sandwich. While she waited, she glanced over at the knife shop. She'd bought many a blade there, and was becoming friends with Cade, the clerk who always seemed to be there. As it so happened, Cade was stepping out of the shop. Lori wondered if he was going on one of his secretive breaks. Once Cade was across the street, Lori waved. Cade stopped for a moment, confused; he smiled when he finally recognized it was Lori waving and waved back. He sat down with Lori and ordered a Pepsi on ice.

"I finally see the mysterious Cade on a break!" Lori teased.

"It was getting stuffy in the shop," Cade replied. "I do like fresh air, you know." Lori giggled, but her reddened eyes betrayed happiness.

"I needed some fresh air too," Lori said.

"Hey, are you all right?" Cade asked softly. "I've never seen your eyes so red."

"The… the band's breaking up…" Lori said sadly.

"The Alley Scourge won't get to sing anymore?" Cade asked in genuine shock. He'd seen her perform, she had an intoxicating voice.

"That's just a nick name… my name is Lori." Tears were welling in her eyes. Cade put a hand on her shoulder to comfort her, but it wasn't enough. Lori closed her eyes, and tears trickled down her cheeks.

"Well, Lori, to help you feel better, come on over to the shop for a free knife. I saved a special one away for you." Cade picked up a napkin and dried Lori's tears.

"You're too kind, Cade," Lori said with a sad smile.

"Well, you're my best customer," Cade said. "I want to keep you coming back." Lori giggled again as her order arrived. She split her sub with Cade, because it was far too big for her to eat on her own.

A little ways down the street, Optimus Prime monitored the interaction between Lori and Barricade. He didn't personally know Lori, but was aware of her genetic makeup and was determined to protect her from the sidelines. He knew she was a violent person, but he felt that she could be taught to use her power for good. He was yet to figure out which of his teammates was her father, but based on her looks, he could guess. So far, Lori and Barricade were doing nothing more than discussing the best metal for knife production. Optimus guessed Lori was a frequent customer to the knife dealer across from the café she was at. On occasion, both would erupt into a fit of giggles, usually because they caught one staring at the other. He was listening, with interest, to their discussion when his comm chirped.

"Optimus here; go ahead," he said flatly.

"Still watching out for Lori?" Ratchet asked on the other end, his tone amused.

"I have nothing better to do," Optimus defended evenly.

"Careful, if that little fireball figures out you're watching her, she might lash out at you," Ratchet warned.

"I highly doubt she could hurt me," Optimus said.

"She's sent several men to the hospital," Ratchet added.

"She has the upper hand on any human who bothers her," Optimus replied, "but Barricade is similar to her; he might even be able to overpower her." In all honesty, Optimus doubted that. He'd observed that Barricade did his best not to be aggressive around Lori.

"If you say so," Ratchet said. "I might 'accidentally' run into Lori so I can get a sample of her DNA. I'm curious to find out who her father is, and if he's different from whom I'm suspecting. Ratchet out." Optimus wondered if he and Ratchet were suspecting the same Autobot. He wasn't upset more than he was amused about the situation. He turned his attention back to Lori and Barricade, who were finishing their lunch. Lori's face was no longer red and blotchy from her brief crying session; in fact, she wore a bright, lively expression. Somehow, Barricade had cheered her up. That frightened Optimus a little; if Barricade was nice enough to Lori, he might talk her into joining the Decepticons.

Lori slapped a $20 bill on the café table and wrote "Keep the change. " on the bill. Cade chuckled at her cheesy little note.

"You think you could have done better?" Lori teased.

"You're just being cute," Cade replied.

"You dare call the Alley Scourge cute?" Lori demanded, rising. The glint she got in her eyes when she was displeased appeared. Cade cringed; Lori held her glare until she spotted a flame-accented big rig out of the corner of her eye. Her conscience told her the 'rig was a threat. Cade noticed it too.

"Let's go get you your knife, Lori," he said nervously. Lori nodded, and she followed Cade across the street.

In the knife shop, Cade practically skipped behind the counter, knelt down, and brought up a long, slender box. He set the box on the counter for Lori to open. Lori slit the cardboard flaps and lifted the upper half of the box away. Lying in a blanket of light green cellophane was a beautiful carbon-steel sword with roses, thorns and all, etched into the blade. The sword's handle was wrapped in real leather, which also had roses on it, but painted on. The leather had been treated with a sealant, which would keep the painted roses vibrant. Lori ran a fingertip across the blade, noting the razor-sharpness of it. She smiled as she traced the etchings.

"I take that smile as a sign you like this sword?" Cade asked.

"Where did you find it?" Lori's voice was a faint whisper, because she was almost speechless.

"I was doing inventory in the back, and when its photo popped up, I knew you had to have it," Cade said. "So as a token of our budding friendship, I took its price out of my paycheck and set it aside for the perfect time to give it to you." Lori's eyes began to shine, not in heartbroken tears, but happiness.

"This… this is amazing," she said listlessly.

"It's yours," Cade replied. Lori grinned.

"Thank you," she said softly.

"I recommend you take it home before my boss realizes I paid for it and gave to you," Cade said.

"Your boss mean?" Lori asked. Cade nodded, and was distracted enough that he almost didn't hear the chime that alerted him to the door opening. They both turned to look at who had entered, and then Cade's face turned white.

Megatron, in a holoform, had just entered.

"Hey… uh… Uncle Mark," Cade greeted with a nervous smile.

"Are you busy?" Megatron asked. His voice was still grisly, but was a touch smoother in the holoform. He eyed Lori with the best pokerface Cade had ever seen.

"He was just finishing helping me," Lori answered, shooting Cade a tiny smile.

"So that makes me no longer busy," Cade added. Lori packed up her sword and turned to leave, but Megatron put a hand on her shoulder to stop her. She froze mid-stride, slightly startled.

"You seem familiar, have I seen you before?" Megatron asked.

"If you've seen the Alley Scourge send stupid men to the hospital, then yes," Lori answered calmly. "Or perhaps I was on stage with 'Apocalypse Entertainment,' my band?"

"Ah, that's it," Megatron said. "You have formidable performance skill."

"Thank you… uh…"

"Mark," Megatron said. Cade could tell that his leader was softening to Lori. He silently thanked Primus for such.

"Well, Mark, did you know your nephew is a smooth-talking knife salesman?" Lori asked in a teasing tone. Some color returned to Cade's face.

"The Alley Scourge is a frequent customer," Cade said. "I wonder what knife or sword she doesn't have in her huge collection."

"What can I say?" Lori asked. "I've got a weakness for sharp, pointy things, and Cade here makes it that much easier to buy them."

"At least he found a job that suits him," Megatron said.

"It the best I could do at the spur of the moment," Cade replied.

"Anyway, thanks for the sword, Cade," Lori said, "but I need to get home. It's been a long day and I have a few more scratches to patch up. There was a high pervert who couldn't get it through his smoke-choked skull that he wasn't my type this morning. See you later." With that, Lori turned and exited the shop, sword cradled in her arms. Megatron turned to Cade, amused.

"She's not so terrible, is she?" Cade asked, relaxing a little.

"Have you personally seen her fight?" Megatron asked. Cade shook his head. The only way Cade knew she had been in a fight was when he caught her side-stepping out of an alley, limbs crisscrossed with shallow cuts and scratches, and droplets of other peoples' blood on her hands.

"The smell of blood never lies," Cade replied.

"She could make a formidable Decepticon," Megatron muttered; he had seen her fight once, and knew she could be merciless.

"You really think so?" Cade asked. He didn't want share Lori; she was his friend, not theirs.

"I've seen her fight," Megatron answered. "Her Cybertronian strength coupled with her human flexibility makes her a virtually untouchable opponent to other humans."

"So… would you like me to 'pop the question' when I see her next?" Cade asked, feeling jealousy bubbling inside him.

"If you think she'll accept, by all means ask her," Megatron replied. "I just wanted to see what you were up to. I'll see you later."

"See you later, sir," Cade said. Megatron nodded, and then left the shop himself. Cade muttered sourly, trying to figure out a way to keep Lori away from his team… even if it meant him going rouge and ignoring the Decepticons altogether.

As Lori strolled to her truck, she felt the rather annoying feeling that she was being watched. She looked around, eyes narrow. She kept this up until her arms began to feel sore under the weight of her sword. Her truck, a Ford SVT F-150 Raptor painted sleek silver, was parked a few feet away, and she practically jogged to it. She jumped in and gunned the engine, making it roar. Throwing out of park, she sped out of her parking space… almost hitting a pedestrian crossing the road. The brakes and tires screeched as her foot pumped the pedal to keep from skidding. Lori's Raptor came to a halt merely inches from a very startled Cade.

"Cade! My god, I am so sorry!" Lori cried as she jumped out of her truck. Cade relaxed from his freeze in terror, chuckling softly. At 6' 6", he was a good 8" shorter than 7' 2" Lori.

"Nice truck," Cade finally said. His eyes were getting a lovesick sheen to them.

"You're not mad I almost splattered you all over the road?" Lori asked, smirking at Cade's look.

"I would be pissed off at anyone but you, Lori," Cade answered.

"You okay, Cade? You look a little out of it." Lori restrained from laughing.

"Well, considering I was almost in the grille of your truck, I suppose I am a little out of it," Cade answered. "Did I tell you that you look extremely nice today?" Lori wasn't wearing anything different than her usual getup of a black racer-back tank top, cut-off jean shorts, and tall lace-up combat boots. She could tell right then and there Cade had a massive crush on her, if he was thinking her daily "uniform" was prettier than usual.

"You do realize I haven't done any changes to my outfit… right?" She asked, fighting off laughter. "Are you sure you're feeling okay? You're looking a little warm." She placed a hand on Cade's forehead, feigning concern. Cade's knees almost buckled.

"Maybe I should go home and lie down… I suddenly feel lightheaded," Cade replied.

"Do you live close by?" Lori asked.

"I live in the next county over." Which wasn't entirely true, but not a lie either; he had a hideout in the neighboring county.

"You take a long drive to get here?" Lori demanded. "I won't have it. I live 20 minutes' drive from here. You can rest at my house. Come on, get in." Lori escorted Cade to her truck's passenger door, helped him in, and got into her truck herself.

During the drive, Cade kept his true form at a great distance just to avoid making Lori nervous that a police car was following her. She entertained him with a lively conversation describing her tough life starting from her awkward childhood up to the breaking up of her band. As Lori spoke, she could see Cade's eyes glaze over to a lovesick shine.

And so Cade's and Lori's relationship bloomed.

Several months into Lori's time with a boyfriend and no band, she found herself wondering about her father again. It wasn't surprising; in times when Lori was relatively happy, she would wonder if her mysterious father might be proud of her. She knew he wouldn't be too happy about the fighting and all, but maybe if he'd just been there-

Lori forced the venomous thought from her mind. Surely her father had a reason for being gone… right? For all she knew, he could very well be dead. Or maybe he'd had a one-night-stand with her mom, split, and didn't know he was a parent. Hell, maybe he was the one watching her, waiting for the right time to show up-

"Lo, you're brooding." Cade's voice snapped her out of her thoughts. She looked at him, looking so nice by candlelight, and smiled. The candles were his idea; home dinners just aren't romantic enough without them, he'd said the first time he'd set them out and lit them.

"I am allowed my own thoughts, Cade," Lori replied calmly.

"I know, but the silence is getting awkward," Cade said. Lori giggled. Clicking a button on a nearby remote, she powered on the incredibly fancy sound system she'd been able to buy with her earnings from the better gigs her band had done… needless to say, she still had six figures in her savings account. The powerful music of Bon Jovi blasted from the speakers until Lori reduced the volume to a more tolerable level for dinner.

"There's nothing wrong with silence now and again," Lori teased.

"At least you're not sulking," Cade remarked. Lori bit her lip. If not for Cade being so caring to her, supporting, and downright sweet, she probably would be sulking. It hurt to have broken up her band; all the gigs, the laughter, the music, the pranks they'd pulled on each other, all of that had been real, and to not have any of that anymore ate away at Lori's heart like rabid teeth. If not for Cade, she'd probably have cried herself to sleep every night, only to wake up with a hellish headache and lingering memories.

"You see to that," she said after sifting her meal around while thinking. Point of fact, he'd given her another reason to leave her house other than for grocery runs or paying utility bills. With nothing else to do, Lori had lately been staying home and surfing the internet for hiring bands or any other job she might qualify for. If not for the need for food, house luxuries, and Cade, she might have become a total recluse and holed herself up. Well, along with the fact that her wardrobe was not the best thing to wear in a city full of perverts and junkies.

"I've had to tell my boss that you're not dead every two or three weeks," Cade joked.

"Eh, you can tell him my skin and scars are not the kind of thing I should be letting this population see," Lori replied.

"I know that's not the real reason," Cade pressed.

"It's one of the several reasons I hide here," Lori answered. It would be nice to have better-fitting clothes, but given she was 8 inches taller than her "normal" boyfriend, clothing that actually fit her nicely were pretty much impossible to come by.

"Well, I miss our café dates," Cade sniffed. Lori couldn't help but laugh.

"I could order custom-tailored clothes, but that can get expensive," Lori muttered. She'd been raised to conserve her money, not blow it on fancy clothes.

"I could lend you my loose stuff," Cade offered.

"Cade, you know as well as I do none of your clothes will ever fit me," Lori politely declined.

"Can you explain to me how we got to this subject?" Cade asked abruptly. Lori opened her mouth to answer… but found she didn't have an answer to give. Instead, she gave in to a fit of giggles that quickly escalated to full-on laughter. Cade found himself joining in her laughter, until both had fallen to the floor and had tears streaming from their eyes.

"This is why I'm so glad I almost fed you to my truck," Lori said after she'd calmed herself. "You make me laugh to the point I forget why I'm not happy."

"Well, an unhappy Alley Scourge is dangerous," Cade teased. Lori made a face as she got up.

"Since meeting you, I haven't gotten into any fights," she reflected. "This is my chance to put that bloodstained past away for good."

"I have a dark past too," Cade said softly. After they'd officially dated, he'd wholly ignored the other Decepticons, even stopped wearing a comm link in his holoform.

"Maybe the desire to put away those pasts brought us together," Lori guessed. Cade shrugged. Lori looked out her window with a distant shine in her eyes. Outside, dark clouds had begun to cluster.

"Looks like rain," Cade muttered. "I'd better get home."

"Alright," Lori replied softly, eyes still trained on the window. She turned and gave Cade a quick little kiss on his cheek. Cade reluctantly turned on his heels and headed out the door. He could sense Lori was feeling troubled, but he knew better than to pester her about it.

A few weeks later, Cade leaned on the cashier desk of the knife shop, almost literally bored out of his wits. As much as he would have loved to stay with Lori, he was an official employee, and did not want to think of the shame of being fired. One; it would be embarrassing, and two; it would piss Lori off to no end… he was afraid to tread those waters. So here he stood, in the quiet store, trying to maintain his sanity.

He was starting doze off when suddenly the door chimed. He looked up to see none other than Lori running into the shop, visibly upset. Her hands were bloody, and he could see a long cut across her stomach. His first reaction was surprise, given that Lori never freaked out. But surprise quickly turned to downright concern as he stepped out from behind the counter to get a good look at Lori's cut.

"Babe, what happened?" Cade asked hesitantly. Lori took a shaking breath, but didn't reply. "Sweetie, Lori, talk to me." He put one hand on her shoulder and another on her waist to steady her a bit.

"Officers… off-duty… tipsy… made me angry… I… I killed them!" Lori said, most of her words garbled by her panic and trauma. Cade, now afraid, assisted her to the breakroom so he could help her calm down. He also grabbed the first aid kit off the wall and pulled out the roll of gauze so he could patch his sweetheart up. He muttered reassuring words to her in a soft, gentle tone as he wrapped the gauze around her abs. Lori eventually began to calm down, enough that her breathing had smoothed out and she stopped shaking.

"Hon, are you ready to tell me what happened?" Cade asked softly.

Lori nodded. "I was leisurely strolling over here, in a pretty mild mood…" she trailed off to keep herself from crying all over again. "About halfway here, I heard a drunken wolf-whistle. I dislike wolf-whistles in general, but for some reason, I get set off by ones with drunken undertones.

"I turned down an alley to investigate, my mild mood ruined. Just inside the border of the shade, I came across three off-duty police officers. I started mouthing off to them that being drunk was gonna get their asses fired, but they'd had enough booze that they didn't care. Thinking they were still sober enough to overwhelm me, they rushed me deeper into the shadows. I can only imagine that they thought I was the drunken one, and that I was going to assault them, so they drew their guns. Being armed with only my favorite Bowie, I thought fast and kicked all their pistols out of their hands. I drew my knife and started backing out of the shadows, but the officers came after me on three sides. Somehow, one of them got a hold of my hand I held my knife with and tried to take it from me. I cut myself in the stomach wrenching my knife away. All the time, they were throwing insults and accusations at me, getting me steadily angrier. Once I'd gotten my knife back in its sheath, something inside me snapped, and my mind went blank. I don't know how much later, but when my mind cleared, all three officers were lying at my feet, necks twisted and cut deeply; their blood was on my hands. I was panting as if I'd run a marathon, and I was shaking like I'd never be warm again. I remembered I was hurt, so I hauled ass here…" Lori couldn't choke back her sobs any longer, and leaned on Cade's shoulder, letting out all of her pent-up emotion. Cade gently wrapped his arms around her, stroking her scarred back. He could feel her shaking again, so he tried to soothe her by singing gentle, sappy love songs softly.

"Need me to take you home?" he asked once she stopped shaking again.

"No, I can manage," Lori replied quietly.

"Alright, but I'm going to come check on you when I get off, okay?" Cade redid Lori's ponytail so she didn't look too frazzled.

"I couldn't have asked for a more caring boyfriend." Lori planted a small kiss on Cade's jaw. She slowly picked herself up and made her way out of the shop, pulling down on her shirt in a futile attempt to cover up the gauze she now wore. Cade cleaned up the breakroom quickly and carefully, not wanting his boss to come in and find it a mess. He would probably get a chewing out from his shift manager, but he'd taken care of what mattered to him most: Lori first and foremost.

Later that evening, when Cade made true on his promise to check on Lori, he could hear her playing guitar. He smiled to himself, glad she wasn't so upset she couldn't pick up the instrument that had gotten her through life. He gently knocked on the wooden door, so as not to startle her. The gentle rhythm stopped, and moments later the door opened. Lori was clad in her favorite (though small-fitting) pajamas, ones that had the Bon Jovi band logo printed all over them, and a bath robe; she'd wrapped fresh gauze around her cut as well. She'd taken down her hair, so her ebony-black locks partially shrouded her face. She gave a weary smile and let Cade inside.

"Are you doing better?" Cade asked, watching her drop back onto her couch.

"Yeah, thanks," Lori answered as she packed up her guitar. Cade set himself down next to her, and slung an arm around her broad shoulders. She rested her head on his shoulder in return, letting him run his hand through her hair. She closed her eyes, appreciative of the reassuring petting. Eventually, Cade felt her head slipping, a good indicator that she was asleep. Being extremely careful, Cade picked Lori up and carried her into her room. The space was minimally furnished, with a bed, dresser, and nightstand. The closet, which housed Lori's sparse wardrobe selection, was set within the opposing wall, and the remaining walls were decorated with Lori's most prized knives and guitars. On Lori's dresser sat a dust-caked jewelry case, within which was Lori's mother's highly valuable necklaces and earrings, Cade knew as Lori had once told him such. He gingerly set Lori down on her bed, being slow so as not to wake her. He brushed her hair out of her face and pulled the comforter over her, and was tempted to plant a small kiss on her cheek, but knew she hadn't been asleep long enough not to be woken by such. Instead, he wrote her a gushy love note, complete with X's and O's, and slipped out of her house. Under any other circumstance, he would have promptly left, but given how far away from the dense city Lori lived, and the fact that neighbors were also far away, Cade found himself looking up at the night sky, at the stars twinkling in the velvety darkness. He imagined that somewhere, millions of miles away, Cybertron was flourishing again; he'd left in a time when the war had torn it apart. He'd seen it in its heyday, the peaceful, prosperous, hospitable home he knew… he wanted that back.

"What was I thinking?" He asked himself softly. Joining the Decepticons had seemed like such a good idea all those years ago, but now, here on Earth, it was beginning to be the worst decision he'd ever made. All the years of fighting, all the bullets and punches, why hadn't those been his reality check? Why, for all it had done, had nearly being hit by Lori's truck made him think about the choices he'd made? The strike would not have physically affected him, after all she wouldn't have actually hit him, his holoform was easily deactivated, but perhaps he would have had some mental trauma. He looked back at Lori's house, now dark and unnervingly quiet, and sighed. He deactivated his holoform and casually returned to his cave hideout in the neighboring county, where he slowly slipped into recharge.

The next morning, Lori didn't want to get up; her head hurt, as did her cut. She would probably have to see a doctor, as much as she didn't want to. Yesterday had been uncharacteristically dramatic, Lori much preferring peace and quiet to fighting. She carefully got up, making sure to avoid pulling off the gauze around her waist. She decided she wouldn't leave her house until she didn't need to wear the gauze, because she didn't want to give any perverts ideas. She shuffled to her living room to grab her phone and called Cade.

"Morning, love-bug," Cade swooned. Lori giggled, knowing Cade would have some way to get her out of her sore mood.

"Morning, Cade," she answered.

"Will I see you today?" Cade asked hopefully.

"If you come over after work, love," Lori answered. "I prefer not to walk around in public injured."

"Another dinner date, then," Cade replied. "What would you like?"

"Funny, Cade, very funny," Lori said. "I'm making pizza tonight, so bring your favorite toppings."

"That sounds fun!" Cade meant it, too. He particularly enjoyed human food (when he was in holoform, which was quite often these days) that he could customize to his liking.

"I'll see you tonight, then," Lori purred.

"Love you, Lori-loo," Cade cooed, making Lori laugh.

"Love you too, bye, Cade," Lori cooed back, and then hung up.

Through Lori's bugged phone, Optimus and Ratchet had listened to whole conversation. They felt both amused and unnerved, simply because of how cutesy Lori and Barricade had spoken to each other.

"I think I have a plan as to how I can get close to her," Ratchet muttered. Knowing Lori was staying home, and that she was apparently wounded, was the perfect opportunity to get a sample of her DNA.

"What do you have in mind?" Optimus asked.

"I was considering passing for a mailman with Guitar Center flyers for her, noticing her bandaging –if it's visible- telling her I have first aid training, and properly tending to her injury. Instead of throwing away her used bandages, I would just take them with me; discreetly, of course." Ratchet activated a holoform dressed in mail carrier attire.

"Excellent idea," Optimus said, nodding in approval at Ratchet's holoform. Ratchet deactivated the holoform, went into vehicle mode, and casually drove out of the hangar.

Upon arrival at Lori's home-after multiple wrong turns and getting lost, Optimus would approve of Lori's remote location-Ratchet hid his true form in a nearby bank of trees, activated his holoform, grabbed the Guitar Center flyers, and walked to Lori's front door. He hoped she was still awake as he rang the doorbell.

"I ain't buyin'," Lori muttered as she opened her door. She was fully dressed, but the gauze wrapped around her waist was fully visible.

"Good morning, ma'am," Ratchet greeted smoothly. "Are you interested in some coupons for Guitar Center?" He noticed a sad flicker in her eyes.

"I'm not interested, but thank you," Lori politely declined. Ratchet acted like he was going to say something as his eyes drifted to her bandages.

"Oh, my goodness, what happened to you?" He asked with genuine concern.

"I'd prefer not to discuss that," Lori replied.

"I have some first aid training; would you mind if I did a better job wrapping you up?" Ratchet offered, noting just how sloppy a job Lori had done.

"I guess…" Lori said, looking a little startled. She opened her door, and gestured for him to come in.

"My friends call me Rick," Ratchet said as he stepped into Lori's expansive house.

"I'm Lori." She extended a hand, and Ratchet shook it. Lori stepped into her bathroom, and came out moments later with a big reel of gauze, placing it into Ratchet's hand.

"Go ahead and sit down," Ratchet said, gesturing to her couch. Lori still had a not-entirely-trusting look, but dropped onto the couch as casually as she could. Ratchet knelt to the floor beside her, getting to work on the gauze around her waist, he unwrapped it gently. When he got a good look at the cut, he had to hold back a gasp. The cut went across her waist entirely, and was deep enough to need stitches. What was this woman thinking, not seeking proper medical attention for a wound so serious?

"Yeah, yeah, I know it's bad," Lori muttered sourly, as if she could read the medic's mind.

"This cut should be stitched up by a doctor," Ratchet muttered back. He so very badly wanted to, but knew Lori would be suspicious if he offered to do so.

"I'm managing just fine," Lori hissed. "I don't need your advice. Just wrap me up and be gone."

"Alright, but you really should let a doctor see this," Ratchet said as he took the fresh gauze and wrapped it around the serious cut. When he finished, he made a show of stepping into her kitchen to make her believe he was throwing away the old gauze, but very discreetly slipped it into a hidden pocket of the shirt he wore.

"I'm sorry for being rude, so thank you." Lori sighed. Ratchet felt pity for her. It couldn't be good for her to spend so much time alone, and to not have any parents to care for her.

"You're welcome, miss," Ratchet replied. He gave a small wave goodbye and stepped outside. His plan had worked. He returned to his true form, placed the visibly bloody gauze in the glovebox, and deactivated his temporary holoform. It had been awkward using a slightly different holoform, but had done so assuming that soon she would meet him with her father, if who he was suspecting turned out to be just that.

When he returned to base, he promptly placed the gauze in an analyzer. He could pick out the differences in her human and Cybertronian genes, and then focused on the patterns in her Cybertronian genetics. He compared the patterns to each of his teammates, even himself, until he found the closest match.

And, to no surprise, the matching pattern belonged to exactly who he'd suspected all along:

The Autobot weapons specialist, Ironhide.

Ratchet chuckled softly to himself. Breaking the news to both of them was going to be a most interesting experience.

By the time Lori felt comfortable enough to stop wrapping gauze around her waist, she had yet another scar among many. No doubt she was a terrifying sight to behold. She had held true to her word and hadn't left her house, so now her pantry and fridge were looking empty. She needed to make a store run; she had no doubt it going to be quite boring. Sighing, she grabbed her truck's keys and strolled outside. The sleek, silver truck had a thin film of dust gathered on it that dulled the usual shine, reminding Lori of just how long she'd been holed up. She would wash it after she returned from the store.

As she expected, grocery shopping was rather boring. Her truck bed was soon filled wall-to-wall with plastic bags; all non-perishable items were in the bags, but all the fridge and freezer items were in a special insulated compartment that would keep everything cold for hours on end, because she knew she would probably get tied up doing something and forget about them. Her own point was proven when she was yanked into a shadowy alley by two guys that reeked of various drugs. Lori took care of them easily with uppercut punches that all but shattered their jaws. She stormed out of the alleyway, royally pissed off. She continued her angered march until she ran into a man ever so slightly taller than she was.