"Mom! I'm home!", Kayla called out as she stepped through the entranceway of her house. She spun on her heel to give Jazz one last wave as he drove off, before shutting the front door. Setting her cane aside and kicking her shoes off, she then made her way upstairs, "…hello?"

"In the kitchen, Kay", she heard her mother shout, followed by the sounds of dishes being pulled out. Following the noise, the red head trotted towards the commotion; picking up a rich, coffee scent straight away. Her mom was preparing dinner, no doubt.

The second her daughter came into her line of vision, Mrs. Matthews' face brightened, looking stressed, but none the less relieved that Kayla was back, "I'm so glad you're home. Could you help set the table? We're going to eat soon."

The girl shrugged, "Actually, I'm pretty full. I ate with Spike and the gang at the Ark."

The mother paused a moment; blinking a bit puzzled. But a second later, she carried on with preparing the meal, trying not to falter, "Oh…I see."

Her older counterpart was fooling no one; Kayla knew she was trying to hide the hurt in her voice, and the musician could only blush with mild awkwardness. Not wanting to upset her mom further, she quickly added in, "Uh, but I'm sure I'll be hungry later-I'll eat then."

Mrs. Matthews just sighed, before raising a brow, "Well, at the very least, you can sit with me. You spend so much time at the Ark, I hardly see you anymore."

The musician rested her head in her hand; a smirk on her lips, "I don't see you at all either."

"Very funny", her mom rolled her eyes; setting her plate down and taking a seat opposite her daughter, "Seriously though…maybe you ought to say home the next few days; take a break from 'saving the world' for a while. You'll burn yourself out."

Although Kayla nodded her head, the words fell on deaf ears. She heard THAT excuse a billion times before; just another vain attempt to pry her away from the Autobots. What was the big deal? She just wanted to hang out with her friends is all. Trying to suppress a groan, the red head fumbled around for the nearby remote, and proceeded to turn on the TV. The news appeared onscreen, and mother and daughter began to listen.

"Our top story tonight, the Autobots and Decepticons were at it again in this scene from just a few nights ago", the reporter announced. As told, the broadcast switched to footage of a power plant, with the 'Bots and 'Cons going at it. The announcer continued, "The Decepticons attacked 'TFBW Corp.' in the hopes of acquiring a supply of energon, but thanks to the Autobots and their heroism, the enemy retreated, and no one was seriously injured. With help from our heroes, the plant has since been rebuilt."

"Oh yeah, THAT", Kayla suddenly chimed in; her face taking on a look of remembrance, "That mission was a doosy."

The mother took a hard gulp of her coffee; starring at her with worry, "…in what way?"

The red head rubbed her eyes as she sighed; wondering how she was to go about explaining. It's hard to describe battle coordination if one's never operated a super computer. Leaning forward, she began, "Well, you know Teletraan-One, right?"

Her elder scratched her head, "Um…the satellite you shoot in the air…?"

"No, that's the Sky Spy", the musician shook her head, "I mean their battle computer."

Mrs. Matthews blushed at her mix up. She always listened to her daughter's stories, but she couldn't help that all these Cybertronians and their technology started to sound the same after a while. Shrugging, she just muttered a quick, "Oh…"

Not caring about the confusion, Kayla just continued onward, "Anyway, Teletraan-One's able to detect energy signatures, and we were using that to help coordinate the battle. But whatever that stuff was at the power plant, it was messing with the radar. Chip and I had a heck of a time trying to tell who was who, and who from what."

For the red haired mom, the name rang a bell, "Chip…he and his father live with the Autobots, right?"

Kayla suppressed a groan, "No, that's Spike and Sparkplug. Chip Chase is the one in the wheelchair, remember?"

Her mom's eyes fell, embarrassed at another slip up, "Oh yeah…" It was then that a thought came to her, and she slowly looked up at her daughter again, "Have his parents ever…said anything?"

Her younger counterpart raised a brow, wondering where this was going. She shrugged, "Beats me; I never met them before." She rubbed her chin in thought, "…come to think of it, he's never really talked about his folks that much. Same with Carly. Guess with all the action happening, they never had a need to mention them."

Well THAT certainly wasn't the answer Mrs. Matthews was expecting. These were young adults with families they were a part of, and they didn't even talk about them? Not once? Her eyes then stole a glance back at the TV, where the footage of the battle was being replayed again. Getting a tight feeling in her stomach, she turned the TV off with a fast click-suddenly not wanting to watch anymore. It was fortunate that she had finished her meal, for there was something nagging at the back of her mind that she could put off no longer. Sitting up straighter, she began, "Kayla…I need to talk to you about something."

The daughter's eyes widened; she knew EXACTLY what that serious tone of voice meant, and it was never anything good. And somehow, she had a sinking feeling what the subject was going to be. She had tried ignoring it for the past few months; wondering just how long she could avoid this discussion. But with nothing else to occupy her, and no place to escape, she had to accept the inevitable. The red head let a heavy sigh escape her; leaning back in her seat as she braced herself-her eyes staring at everything and nothing, "…okay…let's talk."

Her mother clasped her hands together; eyes burrowing through the kitchen table, as she tried to find the right words. She was NOT going to let this escalate into another argument. Finally, she began, "I've been thinking lately…about all this."

Kayla tilted her head, "About all of what?"

Mrs. Matthews folded her arms, "You know exactly what." Keeping her voice stern, she continued, "It's been three years now. THREE years we've been going through this same routine. And every one of those days; every time you walk out that door, I get more and more worried about you. About this whole situation."

The musician tried to keep things light with a chuckle, "You worry too much."

Her mom didn't share the laugh, "Yeah, well sometimes worry is what keeps a person alive."

"And risks is what makes life worth living", Kayla countered, matter of factly, as she rested her hands behind her head; a clear sign she wasn't about to step out of the ring in this fight.

Mrs. Matthews heaved out the breath she was holding; shaking her head, "Oh, don't be so stubborn." She then rose from her chair and began to pace around the table-frustration mounting, "You're not the only one who's noticed a change happening. Those Decepticons are starting to get more relentless. And more people are getting hurt because of it."

The younger red head couldn't help but agree there. In the beginning, reports of 'Con attacks were an event to be heard; happening maybe once…at the most twice every two or three months. But gradually, the episodes grew to be once a month…then once a week…and now, almost every day, there was a mention of a 'Con sighting somewhere. Not all the sightings escalated into full battles, thankfully…but it was still becoming a common enough occurrence for many to be on edge. Her mom was no different.

Of course, it's another thing entirely when one of your own family members is personally aiding the soldiers who are fighting Earth's enemies on a daily basis.

"You DO realize YOU'RE the one who agreed to all this, right?" Kayla raised a brow. But she made it a point to sound like she was making a simple observation in that statement; not be a smart mouth.

The mother rested her face in a guilty hand, "Yes…in the beginning, I…I guess I was just as excited as you were. I'm ashamed to admit it, but when something as amazing as meeting an Autobot happens, you don't think much of the consequences." Her thoughts drifted back to that unforgettable day, when she opened her front door to find Jazz standing in her lawn. But her tiny smirk faded as she was brought back to the present, "Now I'm not so sure."

When the musician next spoke, her voice was only a whisper; her face trying to hold back dread, "What are you saying?"

There was a long pause as Mrs. Matthews gauged the impact of what she was about to say. She knew she couldn't sugar coat it, and she knew her daughter wouldn't like it one bit, but it was now or never. Taking in a sharp breath, she muttered, "…I don't think we should see the Autobots anymore."

So that was it. The axe was finally dropped. And yet, somehow, Kayla knew this was coming…which is why she took a page from Prowl's strategy book.

Always have a defense ready.

She crossed her arms in a huff, "That's it? We just one day not show up? Take the privilege they gave us and just turn our back to it?"

Her mom sighed, trying to stay calm, "Please don't make me the bad guy here. In a lot of respects, I don't like the idea anymore than you do; I know how close you've gotten to the 'Bots-to Jazz…" She bit her lip, but remained firm, knowing she had to be so her case didn't fly like a lead balloon, "…but it's gotten to a point where we have to ask ourselves if we're in over our heads. I'm only trying to do what's best for us. We should get out while we can, before it's too late."

"But Spike and Sparkplug actually LIVE with the Autobots, and they're having a great time", the young red head pointed out, "They don't seem to have any problems."

Mrs. Matthews furrowed her eyebrows, "Well, that's great if it worked out for them, but we're not talking about their family, I'm talking about OURS. We're in a different situation."

Kayla knew exactly what she meant by "situation", "'Cause of me, right? This all comes back to the blind thing with you, don't it?" She rubbed her eyes in annoyance; her voice thick with a deeply rooted frustration, "Ever since I lost my sight, you've always babied me over everything-thinking I can't take care of myself. If dad were here…"

She suddenly caught herself, realizing what she was starting to say. Her words trailed off, and there was a long silence as both of them had to gather themselves for a moment. But finally, Kayla took a deep breath and continued on; her voice a bit softer, "If dad were here, we probably wouldn't be having this argument."

The mother couldn't help but think her daughter was right. Peter wasn't just Kayla's father, he was her best friend; always patient and supportive in helping train her senses and teach her how to fend for herself. To him, blindness was just a stubborn obstacle, like the ones he had to run through over and over in the army. When she started to voice her opinion about moving out, he wouldn't have had any problems or concerns.

…but having to face reality, the mom let out a breath she was holding; a small tear stinging her eye as she blurted out, "…well he's NOT here…not anymore…"

The extended quiet lasted a good minute; both of them losing the energy they had before the more they thought about the man they lost. He wouldn't want them fighting like this. If Kayla wasn't so sad, she would've laughed-even though her dad was gone, he still managed to break up an argument. Speaking of which, the musician realized they had left the conversation hanging on a tense thread. Taking a deep breath, she tried to get back to the matter at hand, "They never let me on the battlefield, obviously. I'm always at the Ark-doing computer work and stuff like that. Last time I checked, it wasn't lethal."

Mrs. Matthews shook her head; feeling as though they were back to square one, "Maybe not…but that doesn't make just BEING there any less dangerous." Her daughter opened her mouth to speak, but the mom quickly interrupted, "And no, I'm not talking about you. I'm talking about the Autobots."

"What 's so dangerous about them?" the girl threw her arms open, "They're good people, mom. If you just got to know them more, you'd understand how I feel…but the only two you ever spoke to were Jazz and Optimus." Her head drooped a bit-her hair falling over her face as she added, "…you never once visited the Ark…to meet everyone else."

The mother flinched at how hurt her daughter looked. But it WAS true-she never made any conscious effort to get in contact with the rest of the Autobots. All her information on them came from either Kayla or Jazz, and even then, it was limited. Finally, she understood why her argument was always shot down-how could she complain about a group she barely even knew?

She was broken from her thoughts when Kayla put a hand on her shoulder; her eyes clearly saying that she was about to end the argument…for now, anyway, "Look…you already know what my answer is…but that doesn't mean I'm not listening. I've thought the exact same thing time and again. Can we please at least talk to the 'Bots about this? See what they think? If anything, Jazz shouldn't be left in the dark."

Mrs. Matthews gave her daughter a long stare; knowing this fight was far from over. But it was getting late, and it's hard to argue when one's tired. Letting out an exasperated sigh, she nodded, "Okay…the first chance we get, we'll talk to them. At the very least, they should know how we feel." She then corrected herself, "No, how I feel."

Kayla suppressed the urge to roll her eyes; instead patting her mom on the back in a vain attempt to calm her. She chuckled, "Come on, mom. As long as I stay at the Ark, I'm perfectly safe with them. What could happen?"

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AN: I know that was a bit long, but considering this argument is important, I felt that breaking it into two chapters would disrupt the flow.

This whole chapter pretty much spawned from an observation I made while watching the series in general. Other than Sparkplug, none of the parents of the other kids are shown, and it remains a mystery as to why they'd let their children hang out with these giant robots. Heck, Chip Chase was actually attacked in his own house for pete's sake! And not once did anyone question their safety. Yes, that's an 80s cartoon for ya', but you think that SOMEONE would say SOMETHING at some point? So, I thought now would be the best time to address it...especially considering what's about to happen...