Title: Dark Intentions

Rating: T

Disclaimer: Transformers is owned by Hasbro

Summary: Sequal to Secrets and third installment of Daughter of Cybertron. Five years after the death of Prowl, Lizy visits her fathers tomb where things take a turn and the balance of what was gets thrown off. Meanwhile, the decepticons have been quite, but a new threat is growing and one that could be the autobots downfall.

Lizy brushed a strand of her long, brown hair out of her face as she gazed down at the young tree sitting on the desk before her. When she was in her teens she preferred to keep her hair short, but now she let it grow out as long as it would grow. Sometimes she kept it back in a ponytail, but right now she simply let it flow freely over her shoulders and back.

"Five years," she murmured to herself, stroking one of the leaves thoughtfully. This very tree had been planted as a seed, in the very pot it was in now, five years ago. The same day that Prowl had sacrificed his life to save Detroit. On that very day, Lizy had gone back to the Autobot base and, before leaving Earth; she'd gone into her father's room and taken a seed from his tree.

She'd then planted it in a sturdy ceramic pot, hoping it would grow. And sure enough, it had. She'd taken good care of it over these past few years, nurturing it and keeping a careful watch over it. It was a memory tree, something to remind her of her father.

She turned away from the tree to look around her home, noting the pictures of her daughter scattered across the various surfaces in a neat array. Amanda and she were granted a home by the autobot council after the fight on earth, since they were both Cybertronian in a way. Although it was big by human standards, it still made living on Cybertron easier, instead of using the space bridge to travel between worlds.

There were a few who would often stop by when they had the chance, Sari was the one who was almost always here and helped look after Amanda when Lizy wanted to get away for a little while. Jazz would come by when he could, as would Ratchet, making sure they were healthy and getting their daily energon rations. He would often stay and chat, telling her the comings and goings of what was happening on Cybertron. Bumblebee would come by as well, as would Optimus Prime who was now a member of the council.

Yes life was nice on Cybertron, but what Lizy wanted most was for her father to show her around and explore more of it.

Things hadn't been the same since Prowl died. She took the time to visit the shrine where his body now lay in rest, once a year, on the very day he died. It was almost that time of year again; she would be going to visit the shrine again in just a few days. She was thinking of asking Sari and maybe Jazz to come with her if they were available.

Her gaze continued to sweep across the photos she had on the walls, and she saw one of Zac. Time and again she'd considered just taking it down, but for some reason she could never bring herself to do it. Part of her missed him, but at the same time they'd both agreed that this arrangement was for the best.

Zac hadn't wanted to leave Earth, so he stayed behind. And in some ways, things were not working out anymore between him and Lizy anyway. So Lizy had taken her daughter to Cybertron with the Autobots, and Zac remained behind on his home world.

In spite of herself, Lizy found herself smirking a little. Perhaps that was just ONE reason why it was good Prowl had been… well, absent, during that time, at least. She knew that her father probably wouldn't have approved or liked that very much. Her smile quickly faded though when she once again felt the pain of Prowl's absence; the loss of her father.

A small sound from a doorway had her turning and looking towards it, noticing that Amanda her daughter was rubbing the sleep from her eyes and yawning. She looked at the time and notice it was just about time to feed her daughter. Lizy stood and made her way over to the little girl and kneeled down so that they were on the same level.

"Did you have a good sleep Amanda?" she asked.

Amanda nodded her head. "Yeah, but m' hungry."

Lizy gave a small laugh. "Alright, let's get you some food and then decide what we are going to do today." She said taking her daughters hand and walking towards the kitchen.

She opened the fridge and peered at what was inside. There was an assortment of fruit, among other things. She grabbed a carton of milk along with a few kiwis. Jazz and Optimus sometimes went back to Earth through the space bridge, and made sure to bring her supplies such as foodstuffs. Sometimes Ratchet did as well.

Lizy then moved toward the table and, grabbing a couple of plates, she proceeded to peel the kiwi and slice them up. She really liked kiwis because they tasted good and because she knew they were full of vitamins. In her opinion, they were perfect for when she didn't feel like cooking anything.

After she finished cutting up the fruit—taking care to make sure Amanda's slices were small enough so she wouldn't choke on them—she set the table, pouring two glasses of milk. She then set her daughter in her place, and then Lizy took her own seat.

Amanda stared down at her plate for a moment. Lizy, who was currently munching on a large slice of kiwi, looked at her for a moment. "Aren't you going to eat?" Lizy asked gently.

The child frowned, looking up at her mother. "I wanted cereal," she complained.

Lizy shook her head. "Sorry kiddo, but there's no cereal. You ate the last of it yesterday. Besides, kiwis are good for you." Lizy also knew that they were much better for her daughter's health, not to mention her teeth, than that sugary cereal that Bumblebee or Sari liked to get her sometimes. But she didn't say that aloud.

"No, I want cereal!" Amanda insisted stubbornly. She then proceeded to pout a little, sticking out her lower lip and scowling.

With great care, Lizy kept her expression completely neutral. Part of her instantly thought of how she used to be, just a few years ago. The thought was mostly embarrassing now. She knew that, at times, she was now dealing with what Prowl used to deal with from her. And yet… somehow she had to admit… at least Amanda was not as bad as Lizy herself used to be. And hopefully the child would grow out of this earlier in life than Lizy had. It would save the girl a lot of trouble in the long run.

Lizy gave a small sigh. "I'm sorry Amanda, but until Optimus or Jazz brings back more food, this is all I can get for you. Besides Bumblebee and Sari are coming over and fruit will give you energy for when they take you out."

At the mention of Bumblebee and Sari coming over, Amanda's pout turned into a smile and she grabbed a piece of kiwi and began eating it. Lizy smiled and shook her head finishing the last of her own fruit and drinking her milk, watching as Amanda did the same with her own.

"Come on you, let's get you dressed so that you're ready when they get here," said Lizy as she lifted the little girl off the chair and onto the floor. Amanda took off running towards her bedroom, while Lizy followed at a slower pace.

A few minutes later, Amanda was dressed in her favorite blue dress, and wearing a necklace that Sari had made for her. Afterwards Lizy took a moment to brush her daughter's hair, and then she brushed her own hair.

Shortly after they were finished with this, they heard a knock on the door. "Sounds like they're here," Lizy said with a smile, scooping her daughter up into her arms.

"YAY!" Amanda squealed in delight. She always loved it when they came to visit.

Upon opening the door, Amanda held out her hands as Sari stepped through the door first, scooping the bouncy girl into her arms for a hug. "Hey Amanda, how are you?" asked the red headed girl still keeping Amanda in her arms.

"Good," answered Amanda as she turned to Bumblebee and waved to him.

"Hey Amanda, are you ready for today?" the yellow mech asked.

Amanda's head went up and down quickly. "Yes, yes, yes." Clapping her hands and laughing as the other three did at her reaction.

Sari turned to speak with Lizy but stopped short, noticing the sad look that came over the girls face. Turning to Bumblebee she placed Amanda down. "Bumblebee take Amanda and head outside, I'll be with you in a few minutes."

Bumblebee nodded and scooped up the five year old gently and turned heading away from the two girls who watched him until he disappeared from sight. Sari turned back to Lizy, who was still looking out after the long gone mech and child. "Alright spill."

Lizy sighed softly. Not much got past Sari, especially these days. "You know what time of year this is," she said quietly.

Sari's eyes tightened as she thought for a moment, then they widened with realization. "Oh yeah… it's almost the five-year anniversary of…" She trailed off, not wanting to speak it aloud. They both knew what she was talking about anyway, and Lizy's nod confirmed it.

"Yeah," Lizy said simply. She gazed down at the floor for a moment. "It never gets any easier, you know? I thought I would be totally over this by now. Or that it wouldn't hurt so much, but… I really miss him." She shook her head again. "You would think that I would miss Zac, but somehow I don't, really. At least not all that much."

Sari said, "That's because Zac is still alive, he's on Earth, and he's the one who keeps buying the groceries that Ratchet or one of the others picks up for you. Plus he writes you letters sometimes. Even though he's out of your life, he's still there. Prowl isn't anymore, so it's only natural you would miss him more."

"I guess so. Sometimes though I just wished it had turned out differently, that somehow he had survived. He would have loved to help out with Amanda," she spoke with a small smile.

"Prowl would have been proud of both of you Lizy. You are not the same girl you once were and look how well you've raised Amanda. That alone makes you a better person then what you were five years ago."

Lizy nodded her head. "Would you mind coming with me when I go to visit him."

A smile appeared on Sari face. "You know I would be happy to do so Lizy. Besides Bumblebee can watch Amanda for you while we go."

Lizy nodded as Sari turned and began heading for the door again, but stopped and turned to her. "Take it easy today Lizy and don't worry we'll take care of Amanda today."

"Thanks," Lizy murmured, smiling in appreciation. Sari flashed another smile in return, and then she was gone, out the door.

Lizy found herself gazing at the door for a few minutes even after it shut. Over the past few years, she knew that she had done a lot to straighten her act, especially since she'd wanted to be the best mother she could possibly be for Amanda.

And yet for some reason, especially on this day that was so close to the five-year mark of Prowl's death… a small part of her old self began to poke through. Especially since she was alone, and her daughter was gone.

Just once… just this ONE time… she wanted to do something irresponsible. At least now she could admit even to herself that it was irresponsible, though. Back when she lived with Prowl while he was still alive, she would have simply gone out and done it and wouldn't have admitted how stupid her actions were even after being confronted by him.

Right now though, she simply wanted to do something reckless. Maybe just for old time's sake. And she figured it wouldn't hurt anything, especially so long as her daughter didn't know anything about it, or her friends. She did have to be a good example, after all.

She went to the closet in her bedroom to get her jacket, then she headed out the back door to where her motorcycle was—the very one that she'd gotten on Earth, all those years ago. She still used it to get around. And now, she had somewhere specific in mind she wanted to go.

She was going to the central pub in Iacon; she was going to get some high grade, just to see how drunk she could possibly get.

Once she arrived at the pub, Lizy headed inside and made for the nearest booth, taking a seat and waiting for a server to come over. Those who were inside stared at her, but she ignored them wishing they would get over the fact that humans now lived on Cybertron. A server came over and she order herself a high grade, which was delivered to her a few minutes later.

While sitting there she contemplated the next coming days and the fact that she was going to be heading to Prowl's tomb. She also contemplated how she was going to get a hold of Jazz and ask him to go with Sari and herself. The ninja bot had become a very good friend to her and was almost a mentor to her in some ways. When he did visit her and Amanda, he would help with meditation, Lizy having continued it after Prowl's death. It was one of the few things that kept her relaxed anymore those days.

She looked down at the glowing pink liquid in the glass before her. Now that humans lived on Cybertron too, they served beverages in human-sized cups. She assumed that most humans drank normal Earth beverages, although part of her wondered if she was the only human who'd ordered energon. Then again, her system was able to handle it.

"Well, here goes nothing," she muttered under her breath. She brought the glass to her lips and tipped her head back as the sucked down some of the contents. She then set the glass down in front of her, hard, her eyes widening. She couldn't exactly say it burned going down; it wasn't like that. It felt more like she was swallowing raw energy in liquid form. She could also feel her cybernetic systems starting to speed up and heat up a little.

"Holy… Primus," she breathed, feeling her eyes grow even wider. No wonder Ratchet didn't want her drinking this stuff.

Just then she heard someone else enter the bar, and she glanced around to see. She could also hear a familiar voice speaking, greeting a few of the other patrons. Lizy tensed when she realized who it was, and she found herself scrunching down in her seat.

It was Jazz. She had no idea he came here, although she figured it shouldn't have surprised her so much. After all he was a lot more free with himself than Prowl had been, even though Jazz was a ninja as well. She just hoped he wouldn't see her. What would he think, after all, if he did see her sitting there, drinking high grade?

She then realized that the white-mech ninja was coming in her direction. She pressed herself against the seat and pushed herself down as far as she could go. Primus… please don't let him see me! She thought. She had no idea when exactly she'd developed the habit of praying to Primus. Probably sometime after she'd moved to Cybertron. Nevertheless, she merely hoped he was listening right now

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