Warning: here the story gets a bit AU, which it was obviously going to do eventually. June Darby has been a part of the story for a while, but in this, I document Wendy being part of episodes before the Autobots met June. To clarify, June was introduced to them early in this story because of the need for a human nurse to bring Wendy back from the brink of death. In that respect, the canon is a little off.

…

Living with the Autobots was something of an adventure. One always had to be alert, always on their toes, when surrounded by giant warring robots from outer space. If Wendy had thought she'd be bored with no job and nothing to do at the base, well, she'd been very wrong.

As time passed and she became a true part of the Autobot team, she did, in fact, participate in many of their wayward missions…

One of the first was a mission in Greece. Long story short, the Autobots were at a museum, trying to obtain an important and potentially dangerous artifact before the Decepticons. The three teens were inside while Optimus and Wendy awaited them in the parking lot. Whilst she wasn't needed within, Wendy didn't feel right letting the kids go on their own, and so tagged along with the big bot.

She paced the sidewalk in front of the Museum while Optimus remained in truck form, both very quiet and somewhat anxious. Every so often Wendy would glance up at the doors as if hoping to see the kids coming out of them. Time passed and she grew tenser by the minute.

Light caught the edge of her sight and Wendy turned – two beams of brightness blaring in her face as an Aston Martin drove up to the curve.

Then the beautiful red car gave Wendy a start – by wolf whistling. "Sweet rims, 24 gauge… your reeeeal heavy duty. Just like my friend here…"

For a moment Wendy was stunned into silence by what she'd heard. Did… did he just… But then suddenly a burst of fire flew into the air, and Optimus transformed just in time to keep the missile from hitting the building.

There was no time to think of what did or did not just happen; battle commenced, and Wendy watched with growing anger and alarm as the Aston Martin transformed and took Optimus by surprise, using some kind of electric rod to knock him unconscious. Panic and fear hit her as he slammed into the ground, but Wendy held herself together. She knew it would take more than that to keep Optimus down.

Oooh, you're gonna get yours, buddy… Wendy flew back to the Museum, hiding in its shadow, while keeping her eyes on the red one. Slowly she removed her new Bowie Knife from its sheath on her hip; made by Ratchet, who had created it out of some special metal that was perfect for cutting Cybertronian armor. Now to figure out how to attack… the red Decepticon didn't have vulnerable ankles the way the silver one – Star… something? – did, so she'd have to do something else. Watching and listening anxiously, Wendy finally came across something that would work.

"Hey! Watch the paint!" He screamed angrily, and at that Wendy gave a smirk.

"Vain about your looks, huh?" It wouldn't really hurt him, but it was sure to distract him. Wendy raced out towards him, just as Bumblebee and Arcee were both thrown back into the ground. The 'cons were momentarily distracted, sure of their victory, with no idea something much smaller was headed for them.

Wendy slid to a halt by the bot's leg and she stabbed him, then dragged the knife down to really pull the red finish apart. A terrible screech filled the air – whether it was the pained cry of twisting metal, or the Decepticons angry shriek, Wendy didn't really know. She pulled the knife out and ran for it once she was noticed, and while the red guy was enraged and chasing her, Bumblebee tackled him from behind.

And with a grin, Wendy saw Optimus was back up; she waved at him, ignoring the mildly disapproving glare he sent her way. As she ran to him, he stepped forward, putting himself between her and the fight. While the Autobots sent the con's running for the hills, Wendy went back to wondering about the strange red mech, who went from complimenting one moment to annihilating the next. Wendy didn't know much about romance, but she figured trying to kill the one to whom you were attracted wasn't helpful.

"You're an odd one, all right," And she couldn't help thinking, with a surprisingly happy feeling, that the tragic star-crossed love of the red con was doomed.

Then came the 'racing incident'.

Wendy hadn't seen Optimus angry before. It was both oddly out of place and strangely terrifying. Odd, because he was always so reserved and calm. Frightening, because he had a presence and a tone of voice that could make you tremble.

At least I'm not the only object of his ire, She thought, looking around the room at all the bots and humans who'd had a hand in Jack's short lived racing career.

She had, admittedly, covered for the kid – but she had a hard time lying to Optimus. Not that Raf and Miko had fared better. Between the three of them, floundering for excuses, Optimus had caught on.

Later, after the long and heart wrenching lecture from the boss, along with some bursts of anger from Ratchet, Wendy and Optimus met at the usual place. The air was tenser than usual; Wendy felt guilt and shame rise in her throat. "Optimus, I –"

"I would have thought that you, out of all of us, would have known better."

The bitter edge in his tone surprised her, and cut to the quick. Before she could say a word, the angry tone returned full force. "After all you have said about breaking the law, you assisted another in doing so."

Wendy hadn't really thought of it that way, and tried to tell him so, but the aggravated bot would have none of it. What would you have done if Jack had been arrested? Or worse, injured?"

Sudden, vicious anger flooded her. "Why are you pinning this all on me? I wasn't alone in this, and it was hardly my idea! What – you really think I could have stopped them?"

"Yes!" The impassioned cry surprised her. "They respect you, the human children especially. If you had ben against it, I do not think it would have happened!"

The sincerity in his tone of voice had her at a loss for words, the well of her anger drying up. "But – I'm just a tagalong. I'm not really a part of your team…"

His optics flickered to her arm, softening, his own anger seeming to lighten finally. He gave a sigh and murmured, "Are you not?"

In that moment, listening to his calm tone, Wendy felt herself trembling from its resonance; and she found herself wondering, why, why did his voice make her tremble, even when he wasn't angry?

Even worse than the Prime's anger was his pain. When the Autobot leader fell sick with a deadly virus, everyone was shocked.

Worry was tearing them all apart, but perhaps no one as much as Wendy. They all watched Optimus' condition warily, and waited for Bumblebee to return anxiously, yet none of them seemed so on edge as the Prime's young friend.

The human woman hovered in the med bay for hours before Ratchet declared she was only harming herself and forbid her from coming in. Then she began pacing near the space bridge, clenching and unclenching her fists, eyes burning holes into the ground. Honestly, she was scaring some of the others, even to the point that, after biting Bulkhead's head off again, Arcee picked her up and deposited her outside to cool down.

When the cure was found and Optimus returned to good health, Wendy was nowhere to be seen. No one knew where she'd gone. Once Ratchet cleared him, Optimus left the med bay for the cliff which had such a wondrous view of the sunset.

There she was, curled up into a ball with her head on her knees, arms clutching her legs, her face pulled taut into a frustrated grimace. Gently he sat beside her, and after a moment's hesitation, she moved towards him to rest against his leg. Neither of them spoke a word.

Not all her time spent with the Autobots was fighting and struggling against the enemy. There was down time, and sometimes, there was even some "struggling" amidst the team.

Ordinarily, Wendy liked June Darby. They were somewhat close in age and got along well. But for some reason on this day, every part of Wendy bristled at June's presence. The ex-trucker couldn't really say why. At first they'd been fine. June had come to the base to see her son, then she'd asked about Optimus not being present. When Ratchet replied that he was on a mission, well –

"And I wore heels and everything…'

Wendy did not hear Jack's distressed cry which followed after. In fact, all she could hear was that sentence, on repeat in her mind. A burning fire of rage flew up her throat; irritation bit at her like a thousand red ants. Her whole demeanor changed in fury in that one moment, and she had no idea why.

Someone called her name but she didn't hear as she began to storm from the room. There was a pack of cigarettes in her pants pocket; in need of a way to blow off steam, she pulled it out. When a giant metal hand started to descend from the sky towards her, all the bottled up emotions burst.

"If anybody tries to take my fuckin' cigs, so help me, I will light you up like a firecracker!" She bellowed, stunning every bot and human in the room, before spinning around and storming out.

There were times she went on missions which Optimus was not a part of. While they might have sometimes seemed glued at the hip, they weren't always side by side. On one particular occasion, Wendy accompanied Arcee, Bulkhead, Miko, and Jack to an energon mine for a routine scouting mission.

At first everything was hunky dory, just fun and games. Miko raced eagerly into the (possibly unstable) mine, and after some cajoling from Jack, Arcee gave permission to follow. Wendy remained with the latter two, not all that eager to see the insides of a cave.

"Claustrophobic?" Jack asked when Wendy explained her nervousness.

"No, I just – this is gonna sound silly, but it's like we're inside the Earth's guts. Walking around in its intestines or something, under its skin." Wendy gave a shiver while both Arcee and Jack stared incredulously.

"You're right, that's sounds 'silly'. Earth isn't alive, Wendy." Arcee gave a smirk and turned to keep walking, followed closely by Jack. After a moment's more of hesitation, Wendy followed.

It was fine for a while, even interesting as they explored "the Earth's guts". That was, until, they stumbled across two more… explorers.

Jack and Wendy were walking ahead, about to turn a corner when they saw them. Jack gave a start and jumped back, though not out of the line of sight; on the other hand, Wendy froze, eyes wide as they focused on the shape of a figure she'd never forget. The one who'd tortured her during her stay with the Decepticons… but now it looked like the tables had turned. This time, her captor was on his knees, a horrid look of fright on his face, with an enormous figure looming over him.

When Arcee turned the corner and saw them, that's when the two 'cons noticed the new arrivals… and that's when it all went to hell.

Wendy coughed and spat out clouds of dust as she struggled to stand. How she hadn't been crushed to death, she didn't know, but her first thoughts were with her friends. "Jack! Arcee!" The room was covered in a dust cloud she couldn't see through, but it was slowly dissipating.

"Wendy! Over here!"

With a burst of relief Wendy hurried towards the sound of Jack's voice. "Is Arcee with you?"

"No, she fell." The fear and tension in his voice – and when she saw him, his face – were clear. "We've gotta find her and the others – before anyone else does."

The heavy weight of what could find the others, or heaven forbid, what could find them, hit Wendy like a ton of bricks. "Let's move."

They did not find the others right away; the first thing they found was mining equipment. Still, that was a plus. Jack ran up to climb onto it, while Wendy stared at the drill in awe.

"Can you imagine what their world must have been like… a whole planet of their technology…" Amazed, Wendy gave a light grin and climbed up. Jack had already begun pressing buttons on the machine. "Y'know what you're doin'?"

"Yeah… I think." He added hastily, but just then, the drill started up. Jack gave the woman an optimistic grin, before beginning to move it. Wendy grabbed on when the lurch almost threw her off, hoping that Jack really did know what he was doing.

They drove a while, until they arrived where Jack must have guess Arcee fell. Then they began to drill. After doing enough to hopefully make it to her – without hurting her – Jack backed the machine up and both humans looked over the edge. "Arcee?"

"I suppose helping those less fortunate would be completely out of the question."

Shock and a bit of fear hit both the humans; Jack backed away, and Wendy began reaching for her knife until she realized just how hopelessly trapped the Transformer was.

"If that is the case, you may as well use your drill to finish me. I guarantee you'll never have a better opportunity than right… now."

The human boy was still somewhat stunned – but the older woman's eyes were dancing everywhere, a sign of a quickly thinking mind. She glanced to the trapped figure, to the rocks surrounding him, to Jack and the drill. A hard look came over her face, one of determination and realization, and just as Jack was about to speak, she ran to the controls.

The boy's head spun around. "Wendy! What are you doing?"

"Once upon a time I would've told you to get rid of an enemy while you had the chance," She began to explain. Then she looked up, eyes narrowed. "I'm turnin' a new leaf."

"Are you crazy! He'll kill us!" The boy threw his arms up. Wendy moved around him to lean over the side again.

"Uh, Mister – what's your name?"

The Decepticon seemed to be torn between outright befuddlement and amusement. "I am Megatron."

"Right, - if I dig you outta here, will you swear a truce for the time being, lasting until we're all safe and sound in our own bases again?"

He did not answer immediately, and for a moment, Wendy was sure he'd decline. Then he looked her in the eyes with his red optics and she felt a kind of dread she'd never known. "I will."

Immediately the woman spun back around and returned to the control panel, Jack staring dumbly at her all the while. "You're psycho. I can't believe we're doing this."

"Neither can I, but like I said – new leaf and everythin'. Sides…" Grimacing, she began to maneuver the machine. "I can't think of a worse way to die than the starvation and isolation of this." She threw Jack a grin. "If we leave him now, we'll never see Optimus rip his head off."

Finally Jack seemed to give in, though the misgivings he had were still plan to see in his posture. He stood back, still frowning. "How are you sure we can trust him?"

The woman shrugged. "Not sure, but I have a hunch. He's not like his underlings – he's a warrior. He's got a sense of pride and honor, and if he gives his word, I think he'll stick to it."

Little did the humans know, the very powerful alien robot could hear every word, despite the roar of the drill.

So they dug, drilling and drilling, and every so often Jack would think of a new complaint and Wendy would deflect it.

"We could be helping the Autobots with this thing!"

"They're next – but I'd rather have a snake in our midst, then a cougar at our backs." If that made sense to Jack, he didn't show it. Wendy grinned. "I'd rather I know where this guy is."

"Right…"

After some effort, there was enough rock drilled away for Megatron to crawl his way to freedom. As he began to move, filling the cavern with the eerie screech of metal on rock, Wendy turned to Jack.

"I want you to take the drill and go, now."

"Wendy –"

"If you're right, I don't want your death on my head." Wendy jumped off the machine and backed away. Megatron was a little less than halfway free, struggling with how low the top of the exit was. "Get goin'."

"But –"

"Go!"

With one last dark look, Jack began driving away. Wendy turned to the Decepticon leader, feeling real fear rumbling in her gut; she kept her hand close to the handle of her Bowie knife.

When he was free, Megatron was taller than almost any bot Wendy had ever met and nervousness began to tear at her strength. But she kept a firm look, a tough outer appearance, even as those terrible eyes settled on her.

"You I have not seen before… so the Autobots picked up a new pet. Who do you belong to then?" The mech grinned and revealed two rows of awfully sharp teeth. "The medic's? Or perhaps Bulkhead acquired another female to keep the first company…"

Though she was pretty sure she'd regret revealing it, pride made her want to say it. "Prime's my bot."

Surprise widened his optics. "You are very brave, and very foolish, to admit that to me."

"Y'know, that's not the first time one of your people has told me that." Wendy gave a smirk. "That silver one from earlier – he said the same thing."

"Starscream?" He growled the name angrily and Wendy wondered if it had been dumber to bring him up or Optimus up. "Then you are the one…"

Wendy's eyes flitted to her left arm, which thankfully was covered by her flannel sleeves. Though a part of her wondered if those blood red eyes could see right through it, right through her… Afraid to speak, Wendy stared up at the hulking monstrosity above, who was now leering down at her. With tingling sparks of nervousness racing up and down her spine, she awaited his next words – but to her shock and surprise, he knelt down and grabbed her. She gave a shout as his hand took hold of her none too gently (though not painfully). He stood back up a bit fast and her head reeled.

A long metal digit scratched her arm, cutting both cloth and skin, and Wendy gave a pained hiss. Now the red mark was there for all to see.

"So it's true… a human took the mark of an Autobot…" He gave a dark laugh that made Wendy scowl. "It's truly amusing. You don't even know what it is your 'side' stands for, do you?"

Simmering rage replaced fear as she glared up at the Decepticon. "No, I'll admit I don't' know the politics behind what this is, or what you've got on your chest." Her eyes flitted to the purple symbol so unlike her own. "That doesn't matter to me." Back her gaze went to his feral optics. "Optimus Prime is the first bein' in this whole damn universe who's ever acted like I mattered – the first to ever listen to me and care what I'm sayin'. Honest to god, Optimus could go to the dark side and tear my home planet apart, and I'd still follow him anywhere."

Megatron's optics widened, then narrowed, glancing off to the side. Wendy wished she could tell what he was thinking, whether he was about to squeeze her to death or not. Finally he broke the silence with a barking laugh. "So… you are eternally loyal to him, are you? And I suppose you believe he will always be loyal to you as well? That he'll always listen to you? That you'll always matter to him?" Taunting in his tone, Megatron sneered at her, and suddenly Wendy could see something in his optics that hadn't been present before. Confusion came over her but she shoved it aside.

"I can damn well hope so."

Leaning back, Megatron laughed again. "So how long do you hope to distract me? Do you think your friends will have enough time to escape while you keep me occupied?"

Flushing scarlet, Wendy shrugged. "Figured it was worth a shot."

"Why help me at all?" Now his voice was truly lower, almost befuddled. He didn't understand. So, Wendy put it in terms he would get.

"I didn't do it for you. I was helping myself."

The beast smirked and raised his gaze. "Huh." For a moment he didn't speak. Then, he simply began to walk.

"Hey, uh - you gonna put me down anytime soon?"

"No, fool. As of now, you are my captive." That was all he said – frowning, Wendy crossed her arms over the tops of his fingers and resigned herself to being carried. "What did you think would happen? You should have taken me out while you had the chance. Now your chances for survival are less than slim."

Seeming unalarmed and somewhat content, Wendy gave a smirk. "You wouldn't get it. I spent my whole life doing whatever terrible things I had to, to survive. Now… I'm gonna do the right thing, and I don't give a damn if I survive or not."

Megatron grunted. "You really are a fool."

Arcee, Bulkhead, Miko, and Jack were nowhere to be seen as Megatron sauntered through the cave, Wendy held tight in his clutches. Honestly she was glad they weren't there – so they couldn't be harmed, and so they wouldn't see what a mess she'd made of it all. Staying true to your philosophy was one thing; getting yourself into life or death situations that could have been avoided was another. Wendy certainly felt stupid.

Eventually they came across someone else, but not an Autobot; Megatron and his unwilling companion came across Starscream, stuck between a literal rock and a hard place.

Wendy sneered when she saw the other bot, but she kept her mouth shut. What an asshole. The two were speaking to each other but the woman wasn't listening, drifting off into the world of inner thought. This guy is so dead. The way Megatron was acting earlier, there's no way he's gonna save him…

Starscream's pleas for mercy grew louder and Wendy frowned. This is really pathetic… I actually feel kinda bad for the guy. But there's no way I'm advocating saving two Decepticons in one day. I already screwed myself over once.

Megatron glared down at his subordinate for a surprisingly long time; when Wendy noticed he wasn't moving, she looked up at him. He seemed distant – until he gave an unnerving smirk that said someone was going to suffer. Dear god I hope that's not directed at me. It wasn't; he was still facing Starscream. And, after that smirk, Megatron took a step forward. Then another. Starscream was trembling, both from the weight of the ceiling and from fear. Megatron came closer, ever closer, and Wendy winced. This doesn't look good for him…

But then Megatron surprised both Wendy and Starscream when his free arm came up and propped up the ceiling, shoving it up and out of Starscream's reach. The other bot dropped his weary arms, giving a heavy sigh of relief as his shoulders sagged. Then he looked up in reverence and surprise at his leader. "M – Master…?"

Wait… Frowning, Wendy glanced from one to the other. Master? I've never heard a 'con call Megatron 'Master'… Then the woman gave a screech when Megatron flung her at Starscream. Luckily for her the flyer managed to catch her in time.

"Don't harm it, if you know what's good for you." Wendy wisely kept her mouth shut as long, wiry fingers closed over her. She felt Starscream move quickly away, and heard Megatron moving the enormous mass… At that moment, she wondered if Starscream would try to run again. She could feel his body trembling, moving back and forth, as if torn between staying and running. He stayed.

Eventually the fingers opened up again, and a clawed hand grabbed her. "Master, what are you keeping it for?"

Wendy had a strong desire to say, "I'm a she", but her desire to live was much stronger. Megatron began to move, jostling her.

"This human is important to Prime. " She heard the smirk in his chilling voice. "Imagine his fear when he finds her with me…"

Finally Wendy found her voice. "I thought we had a truce!" She shouted.

Megatron leered down at her. "We do. But I made no such deal with Prime…"

They soon found themselves out of the cave, Megatron at the lead, Starscream just behind. But just as Starscream was about to come out of the cave, Megatron spun around on him. Wendy watched as the big bot came within inches of the other's face, and though Starscream looked terrified, he didn't dare back away.

"We will… discuss this… back at base. Go." The Decepticon leader seethed, and not a moment after he was done, Starscream began moving away quickly.

"Of – of course, master, I – I will –" But he eventually just transformed and raced off into the sky, leaving Wendy with a very sudden thought.

There's no way those two aren't fuckin' or somethin'.

Technically, she didn't even know if Transformers could "fuck", but the tension and the reactions between the two – not to mention the huge fact that Megatron had just spared the one who was constantly trying to kill him! – made Wendy wonder if there was more there than most realized…

"Human."

Megatron's voice made her scowl. "The name is Gwendolyn." Megatron was certainly not a friend, so no way in hell was he calling her by her nickname.

"Optimus will certainly come for you soon." Megatron took a seat on an outcropping of rock with a thunderous bang. "When he does, you will see for yourself just what the 'Autobots' stand for."

That ominous promise turned Wendy's stomach into a bunch of knots.

It didn't take long for Optimus to appear out of a ground bridge, driving out in truck form only to transform and land on his feet, rushing towards Megatron with violent intent. He stopped a bit away, antsy and obviously infuriated.

"Megatron!" He bellowed, and Wendy felt a shiver trace her spine. Again with the shivers! She thought with a frown, before turning her nervous glance up at her captor.

The enemy leader gave a dark, shark like grin before standing, jostling Wendy as he did. "Finally decided to show… " With a leer he cocked his head at his opponent. "I was beginning to think you'd lost your way."

"Hand the woman over." Optimus said the words with the tremulous threat of future pain if Megatron didn't acquiesce. But of course he didn't.

"And why I should? So you can continue lying to her?" The grin became a violent smirk, all the more disturbing in how it disguised his nature. The sharp grin seemed to suit him more. "Tell me, Prime; how much about the war and your precious Auto-scum have you really told her?"

Optics narrowing, Optimus glanced from the bot to the human and back. "That's between her and I. You have nothing to do with this."

"Don't I? I was there." He gave a light, sardonic chuckle. "Have you told her we started this war side by side – that you were under my command for vorns before you had your first taste of power and desired more!"

"Power had nothing to do with it!" The Prime shouted. Wendy watched as both became incensed, bubbling up with who knew how many years of bottled fury. "I did my duty!"

"You betrayed me!"

"No," The Autobot seethed. "You betrayed yourself."

It was fascinating in the way a collision was fascinating – impossible to turn from, but stomach churning at the same time. Wendy kept her eyes trained on both alien life forms, trying to understand the past behind the words, what had happened to create this rift. Their words made her burn curiosity – but she knew better than to say anything just then.

When the two finally fell quiet, each glaring hard enough to kill at the other, Wendy wondered if they'd simply glare forever. Then – to her great dismay – she was suddenly air born. Megatron tossed her at his former ally, who shot up with panic and raced to catch her. During Optimus' haste to save his friend, Megatron transformed and took off. Two enormous metal hands caught Wendy gently, though his quick save couldn't help her reeling mind or the food gurgling up her throat.

After she calmed herself, she turned her eyes up to the sky, where trails of clouds torn apart were the only sign of Megatron's departure. Optimus gave a heavy sigh as he gazed up, fingers curling protectively around his charge. It wasn't long before he called to Ratchet for a bridge.

When they returned to base, Optimus didn't say a word to the others – he stormed out of the main room, down the hall. His long legs carried them to the door of Wendy's room, where he gently set her down, then quickly turned to race off, still silent, stiff, turned suddenly cold by his encounter with his "old friend". For a moment, Wendy stared at the door, fists clenched, listening to the echoing boom of the bot walking away.

"Optimus," She finally called. He stopped, turning his head slightly, but did nothing else. "Just wanted to remind you of what I said, on the cliff, bout talkin' bout your past. The offer's still open… whenever you change your mind." The Prime stayed precisely still for all of half a second – then gave a rigid nod, before turning and walking away. Wendy watched him go with weary eyes and heavy limbs, the exhaustion of the day taking its toll.

Then there were those precious days, those rare and beautiful times when the world was at peace.

On those days, Wendy would wake to the newspaper and a cup of coffee. It was always a day behind, her paper – she would receive the issues from the kids in the afternoon, and save them for the next morning so she'd have something to read. If she was in a pleasant mood, Wendy would take her paper and her coffee out to the common area, say hello to the bots, and talk about the morning's missions and the work to come.

It was in the morning that talking to Optimus was easiest. First in the morning, he hadn't quite settled into his removed, business state, and was much easier to approach.

"Mornin' boss," The ex-trucker greeted as she took another sip from her cup. "Anythin' new in the world?"

Optimus, who was standing at the computer, spoke as he read something on the screen. "There was an earthquake in the south eastern hemisphere of your planet – threats of terrorism have arisen in the country of England, - and a video of kittens playing in boxes gained millions of hits on youtube." Then he turned to face her. "I must admit I find it hard to understand the priorities of your species."

Laughing, Wendy slouched down onto the couch, feet propped on the table before her. "That sounds just about right – pain and strife across the world, kittens take over the internet," Rolling her eyes, Wendy snapped her paper open. "I'll never understand people."

The bot continued to stare at her, blinking his optics, even glancing away like a human would when nervous. "… you don't understand your race?"

Wendy looked up and took in the befuddlement on his usually confident face. "Well… we're a pretty confusing and conflicted bunch, aren't we?" That was all she was going to say, until she reflected and glanced back up. "Don't you ever feel confused about your species?"

"I… I am not sure our race thinks in such terms. I do not know any Cybertronian who would say they do not understand their race – we all know our history, our culture, our function. The way you say this… I don't believe I quite understand you."

Wendy didn't understand him, either; she wasn't sure what he was asking. "Well… what I meant was… people are strange. They've got their priorities mixed up (like you said); they do stupid things; half the time, it seems to me they do more harm and good. I don't understand how people can go about… living like that. Ignoring war and famine and the dark parts of the world in favor of celebrities and America's Funniest Home Videos, like it'll all go away if we wish really, really hard." Rolling her eyes, Wendy gave a shrug. "I guess I'm saying I can't believe humans can be so thoughtless. Get it?"

He nodded. "I see. In that case, I do understand – and I do sometimes wonder about the 'thoughtlessness' of my own race."

"You do?"

With grave optics, he turned back to the computer screen. "Humans may have their own problems, Wendy, but my race, for all its intelligence and power, waged a war which ultimately doomed us all. So yes – I wonder how we can be so thoughtless."

That dismal note darkened previous somewhat lighthearted conversation – and Wendy found it hard to say anything after that.

"Mornin' boss."

This morning he did turn to look at her, an eyebrow raised in confusion. "May I ask… why do you call me that?"

"Call ya what?" She took her customary position on the couch, today jostling her cup a little too much, spilling some of the brown liquid on her red and black striped flannel shirt. Apparently she'd filled it too much.

"'Boss'. It is a word used for superiors in the workplace, is it not?"

Wendy's mind was only half in the conversation as she dabbed at the stain on her shirt. "Yeah, sure. I mean, you kinda are the boss, right? You've got most of the authority around here… 'cept maybe Ratchet." Glancing up, a quirk of the mouth and a chuckle graced her face. "Now that I think about it, sometimes Ratchet seems more like the 'Boss' than you. Y'know when he gets on one of those tirades…"

"Wendy." Once he had her attention, Optimus smiled. "I understand your reasoning… but I would think, at this point, we have reached a place in our… 'friendship', where we are on equal footing."

Surprised, the woman stared at him. "Uh… I suppose… though we're not exactly on equal footing, B – Optimus."

The smile became a smirk as Optimus knelt to where Wendy was on the raised platform, bringing them practically face to face. "We are in the ways that matter, Wendy."

Chuckling, Wendy shook her head. "That was corny." Optimus started to laugh, too, but suddenly the booming echo of the doors to the base opening, and the roar of engines filled the room. The kids were out of school for the weekend, and the bots had picked them up.

The change was immediate and almost alarming in its speed and intensity. Wendy watched, slack jawed, as the laughter died in Optimus' throat, his lips straightening, his gaze becoming firmer and more serious. He stood again, and then backed a bit further away, distancing himself from the group as the kids piled out and rushed up the stairway, their companions transforming.

As they all started to talk about who knew what – Wendy wasn't listening – the flabbergasted woman took in the fact that a wholly different Optimus had just replaced the one she knew so well. And while she knew he was different when he was at work, she'd never seen the change, never realized how vastly different Optimus presented himself to his team.

In that moment she found herself wondering why she, out of all of them, had the privilege of seeing the great Optimus Prime at his most relaxed and friendliest moments.

Late at night, in the silence of her bedroom, Wendy sat with a glass of sweet tea on her bed, leg crossed "Indian style", back slouched against the rough, scratchy pillows, dressed only in a white wife beater and her underwear. In one hand was an unlit cigarette which she repeatedly tapped against her leg, on time with a beat. Tap… tap… tap… The ice in her glass clinked and clicked as she lifted it to take a sip. Eyes half shut with sleepiness, Wendy sat in the darkness and thought.

It was nearing 2 am; she'd awoken near one and been unable to return to sleep. Now she sat thinking, physically exhausted and mentally restless, her mind rerunning the images that had awoken her over and over.

Lifeless eyes stared at the wall, glazed, as she took another sip. Tap… tap… tap… The cigarette wasn't lit, but she damn sure wished it was.

Turning away from the subject of her dreams, Wendy found herself dwelling on another topic instead – the enigmatic Autobot leader. She found herself drawn to him, anchored by his presence, and similarly disturbed by her growing need of him. She'd never needed anyone in her life. Now, she lived and breathed this bot, talked constantly with him, fought for and with him, found herself wondering what his life had been and what his dreams were. What he might do if the war ever ended.

She drank the last of the tea and set it aside – tossed the cigarette across the room as if it'd offended her. Curling into a ball, she tucked her arms under her head, stared listlessly at nothing. Wondered what Optimus was doing – probably sleeping. But if he wasn't, what was he doing? Escaping dreams that wouldn't lay the past to rest? Dwelling on thoughts and images that haunted like ghosts? If anyone might understand the pain of regret, it was him. They had that much in common.

And so, eventually, Wendy slipped back into slumber, her face gently light by the dull light, her dreams consisting of friends, regrets, and unlit cigarettes.

"He's so… frustrating sometimes."

Wendy was sitting on the raised platform near Ratchet's workspace, watching him put something together. Feet dangling over the edge, arms folded over the lower bar in the railing, she spoke to him. "I get that he's the leader and he's supposed to act a certain way, but he doesn't have to be a stick in the mud." Frowning, she glanced up at Ratchet. "Is it just me or does he avoid getting closer to everyone else on base?"

"You are correct," Grunting, Ratchet adjusted some bolt with a heavy pull, then turned towards her. "In many ways it is a defensive mechanism. As leader he has sent many of his soldiers out into the field, only for them never to return. Getting… 'attached' complicates things."

Nodding, Wendy set her chin on her arms. "I can understand that… but he completely cuts himself off of everybody else. That can't be healthy."

A sardonic chuckle came from the medic as he continued working. "Trust me, I've told him that before. He does not listen to me." After making a few more adjustments, he raised his head again. "I've known Optimus longer than anyone else – I knew him before the war, before he was a Prime. Things… changed, and I believe he still struggles with those changes." Bright optics landed on her, and to her surprised, softened somewhat. "I did not think he would ever open himself up to anyone again, after what happened. But here you are: a little human who was managed what I could not."

Confused, Wendy narrowed her eyes. "What you could not?"

Smirking, Ratchet glanced away. "I have tried to help him feel at peace with the past, but nothing came of it." With a snort he looked at her again. "In a couple of months you have accomplished more than I have in eons."

Embarrassed, Wendy frowned. "He hasn't talked about the past to me. I can't get him to open up, either."

"But he has talked to you. I don't think you understand how strange that is." Ratchet shook his head. "With the others, Optimus would speak to give orders, to discuss the mission, or he would speak when spoken to. With me, it was slightly different; we are still friends, and when we are alone he will talk to me." A big finger came near her, pointing. "You are the only one he talks to frequently – initiating conversations, spending his free time with you. That is completely out of character for him."

Surprised, the human stared up at the medic and felt her face flush. "Huh… I – hadn't realized that. Now I feel bad."

"What the slag for!"

"You obviously care a lot about him; I feel kinda rude, nosin' my way in here." She admitted. Ratchet grunted and dropped his hand.

"It doesn't matter. If Optimus is happier because of you, I am satisfied." The medic turned back to his machine, and Wendy began to stand and stretch. "And in case you didn't know… Fowler had planned on taking you into the witness protection program; remove your tattoo, change your name and move you halfway across the country. Optimus refused."

Confused, Wendy shrugged. "He must've thought the Decepticons would catch on, right?"

Ratchet did a good impression of rolling his optics, and shrugged. "Right."

"Hey, guys," Wendy strode towards the kids as they stepped out of/off of their "rides". "How was school?"

"All right."

"Booooring!"

"Good."

The youngest stepped up to Wendy with a newspaper in hand. "I think it's all there," He grimaced. "Everyone in my family reads a different part, but I think I found them all…"

Grinning, Wendy took it. "It's fine, Raf. Thanks." The boy beamed at her, before turning towards Bumblebee. As the boy and the bot went off to play video games, Wendy began to tuck the paper under her arm, to read the next day; but something caught her eye… frowning, the woman flipped it open, stared at the front page.

The paper flopped to the floor out of her limp hands. No one really noticed; Optimus, Arcee, and Ratchet were busy talking patrols, while the rest were surrounding the TV and powering up the game system. It gave Wendy time to grab the paper and collect herself, trying to make a show of not rushing from the room.

But once she was out of sight, she put on some speed and raced down the hall, practically slamming into her bedroom door. It opened and she vanished inside, tearing the paper apart in order to find the corresponding page with the continued article.

She read both pages in haste, wide eyes flickering over the words, mouth slowly coming to hang open. When she'd finished, she let them fall to the floor, collapsing on the bed. Stunned. A hand slowly came up to brush over her eyes.

Minutes passed. Finally her hand fell down, and when it did, her wide eyes had gone hard, like stone, glaring at the door. She gave a roar and pounded her bed with her fists. Shaking, Wendy bit her lip, tried to keep her anger down.

When she was calm again, she looked across the room to her desk and what lay on it: her pistol.

"Hey, where'd you run off to?" Bulkhead asked as Wendy reentered the room.

"Just needed a little peace and quiet, which is impossible with y'all around," She grinned good-naturedly, taking the stairs two at a time. She stood by the couch with the kids and watched them play.

"Wanna try?" Miko asked from the other end of the couch. Wendy gave a laugh.

"I've never played video games before, Miko. I'd be crushed."

"Never!" All three kids shouted at once. Both the human woman and the two bots got a kick out of that.

"I was a poor country girl; we didn't have game consoles where I grew up." Wendy admitted with a shrug, both hands in her pockets.

"It's never too late to try." Raf held his controller towards her, and for a moment, Wendy stared at it blankly. But suddenly she grinned and shook her head.

"No, thanks, Raf. I'd rather watch y'all." Her hands never left her pockets. Frowning, Raf glanced at her, then to the screen, before nodding and returning to the game.

Later that night, when it was time to take the kids home, Wendy stepped towards Bumblebee and asked to join them. "I could use some fresh air. Mind if I come along?"

Bee chirped cheerfully, and the kids were glad to have her. The four piled into the yellow Camaro. Wendy walked over to the driver's side, pulling the door open, but she hesitated for just a moment when she did. Briefly she glanced over her shoulder to where Optimus stood.

The Autobot noticed her gaze, and met it, giving a nod. Wendy smirked in return.

"See ya around… boss." The smirk became a grin as she stepped into the Camaro, and the four took off into the night.

Once the kids had been returned home, Bumblebee began to turn around and return to base. They passed a small motel, and Wendy's eyes caught it. "Park for a sec, would you, Bee?" The Camaro did so happily, and Wendy stepped out, moving around to the sidewalk. She gave a stretched and looked up to the motel with fond eyes.

"It's been a while since I stayed in a place like this… almost makes me feel nostalgic." Smiling, she turned to the car. "I think I'll stay here tonight, if that's all right Bee." Confused, the car made some warbling noises. "It's just… I've been separated from human society a lot recently – I could use some time away from base." Bee began to protest again, and Wendy guessed what he was saying. "I know Optimus would freak and worry about my safety – but I'll be fine. The chance of a 'con bein' in Jasper is tiny – and it's only one night. You could pick me up here tomorrow when you come to get the kids." Bee gave another coo, but it sounded less reluctant than the others. "Please?"

After some cajoling, the Autobot gave in, and Wendy waved and watched him go from the sidewalk. After he had gone some ways, but was still slightly visible, she made a show of walking into the motel. Then, she sat within, and waited twenty, thirty minutes. Then Wendy stood and left.

Out on the streets again, Wendy began walking, eyes moving about fast, looking for something in particular. When she found it, she hurried inside.

At the front desk, she pulled out her wallet and a huge hunk of cash.

"I need to rent a car."

The rental was a Pontiac Bonneville; older, but a nice model. Wendy found herself wondering what kind of Transformer might choose to be a Bonneville. Someone slick and classy maybe… quickly she forced herself to stop thinking of those things, or else guilt might cloud her head.

The car had a GPS; she turned to the screen, filled in the address of her destination.

Elizabethtown, North Carolina.

It took a little longer than two days to make it there. The longer it took, the more paranoid Wendy felt – the more often she checked the road for a red and blue semi, or an ambulance, or any of the others. She never saw them. Either they were good at hiding, or they hadn't caught her trail, or… they hadn't bothered following.

She didn't want them to follow; but it that irrational, human desire for someone to care, Wendy would admit to feeling hurt if they didn't at least try.

The roads became narrower, cracked and discolored and thin all the way to the horizon. Farms and farmland covered the land for miles; corn stalks fading to brown from lack of rain, old barns caving in from disuse. Every so often a little old house, with a front porch and a chimney leaning off the roof, would appear, and then vanish as she drove by. Some of the houses had people – cars in the front, gardens well tended. Others were abandoned, left to rust and fill with dust long after the owners had moved or died.

Eventually Wendy came to just such a house and pulled into the long drive. She drove another fifty feet to the house over the gravel, then came to a stop in front of an old, two story home. The paint, once yellow, was now putrid and fading; the sidewalk cracked and dirty; no plants grew in the yard, though weeds and extremely tall grass were everywhere. The front door was boarded over.

Wendy stepped out of the car, taking it all in; some of the windows were shattered, others on the verge of being so. Cobwebs and birds nest filled the gutters and littered the roof. No one had lived there for a long time.

One thing about it all seemed odd – though wooden boards had been nailed to the doorframe, someone had opened the door. Wendy moved closer, and heard cracks beneath her feet. Her eyes flew down – glass. Someone had shattered the storm door. Stepping closer, Wendy found the boards were position where one could step over the first and duck under the second. She did just that, warily avoiding what was left of the storm door, before stepping inside.

The inside was even more decrepit and derelict. Everything was dark, broken, dusty. The room Wendy had entered was the front hall – directly in front of her was a thin stairwell, all the more ominous looking from the lack of light coming from above. To the right was a wall, but to her left was a sliding door. Yellow and brown glass made a pretty mosaic on the upper half – stained wood the bottom. Once it had been gorgeous, but now, the wood was scratched to hell, and parts of the mosaic were shattered. Through the holes Wendy could see what was left of the kitchen.

It was there, seated at the kitchen table, that she saw him. A man sitting slouched in an old wooden chair, his rough boots on the kitchen table, a cigarette in his hand. His back was to her; all she could see of his head was his brown hair, peppered with grey. But she knew who he was.

Grimacing, Wendy removed her pistol from her pocket immediately throwing the sliding doors open as she did. What was left of the mosaic crumbled and hit the floor with a deafening crash.

Her gun was trained on him in moments and she let out a snarl. "Don't you dare fuckin' move."

He didn't, really; his head turned a bit, and he moved his cigarette from his lips, but other than that, he stayed still. But he didn't have to really turn to see her. A big mirror filled the opposite wall ahead of them, revealing him to her, and her to him. There was a shotgun in his lap.

The man smirked at her reflection. "Well whaddya know. Dreams do come true."

"Shut up, old man, I'm the one doin' the talkin'." She gestured with her gun for emphasis. "How the hell'd you get out?"

"I made friends. Funny the things you can do when you've got a partner." The light hearted, teasing tone he'd had before darkened and turned outright vicious. "Course… when yer partner turns sour on ya… well… that's when shit gets ugly."

"I wasn't your 'partner'." She spat. "Who helped you!"

"I did."

Stunned, Wendy spun her head around to the speaker behind her. She knew the man from his voice, even before she saw him. "You," She muttered.

"Silas," the man smirked at her, gave a little bow. "In case you forgot." He had his own gun trained on her.

The click of a shotgun cocking had Wendy turning her head back to the other. "Now, don't go forgettin' little old me." He teased, now having spun around to face the woman.

Furious, the woman's glare moved from one to the other. "… you baited me."

"Of course; after we realized you had somehow come back into contact with the Autobots, we knew you could be our key to finally capturing one them." Silas came closer to her, his free hand coming around her to grab the gun in her hand. He was much too close – but Wendy sneered and jammed her elbow into his throat. As he gasped and fell back, she spun and turned her gun on him.

"I'm not leadin' you to them," Wendy insisted; cold steel touched the base of her spine.

"Oh, don't worry yer head about that. They'll be comin' after you, of course." The man with the shotgun came closer, whispered into her ear. "My man Silas' told me bout yer new crew… they're probably already on their way." The shotgun shoved against her back hard. "But don't go thinkin' we need you alive. Now that the trap's set… we don't really need you at all."

"Don't kill her yet," Silas, rubbing his throat, muttered. "Though the trap is set, we may still need a… pacifier, if you will. But once this is over… she's all yours."

The man grinned against her ear. "Why, thank you kindly,"

Silas came up and snatched her gun away, before punching her in the face. With a gasp she fell to her knees, spinning from the pain. Blood poured over her lip.

"Keep her here for now." The brute of a man then left out some back entrance, leaving Wendy with her captor. Glancing up through lidded eyes, she saw the grin on his face.

"We're gonna have some fun."

His boot raced towards her, collided – then nothing.

Being friends with the Autobots was something else. There were good days, bad days, dammit-it-all-to-hell days. Trials and tribulations would arise, and be defeated. There were fun times – relaxing times – and there were days when it seemed like nothing could go wrong.

And then came the days where it looked like there might not be any more days to come at all.