Lily rubbed her eyes sleepily as she plopped down at the table. There was the reassuring bubbling of coffee being made by her mother. Stacey was clad in a thin bathrobe over a equally thin blue nightgown. She poured some milk in a cereal bowl only half-consciously and put it in front of her daughter.

Lily didn't eat much; she just swirled the milk in her bowl lazily, watching the cheerios form various shapes. Both of them glanced out of the window every other moment.

Stacey sighed and poured some hot coffee into a mug. She took a long sip, barely registering the fact it burnt her tongue and mouth. Lily absently tugged at a strand of hair dangling near her cereal bowl. They both jumped when two beeps echoed from their driveway.

They both exchanged quick glances and rushed outside.

In their driveway sat a Lancia and a Hummer H2, (admittedly, the H2 looked slightly worse for wear.)

"Ratchet? Wheeljack?" Stacey asked hesitantly. Two holograms flickered into view. Both of which were very familiar. Wheeljack smiled brightly.

"You didn't think we left did you?" he asked. Lily laughed and bounced towards him, hugging him tightly as soon as she got to him. Stacey walked to Ratchet and hugged him as well. This time was slightly less awkward as he hugged her back lightly.

"Get dressed in something warmer or you'll catch a chill," Ratchet said to her. Stacey smiled slightly and she and her daughter retreated to the house, coming back a few minutes later fully dressed.

"Where are we going?" Stacey asked as she climbed into Ratchet.

"Hoover Dam. It is the Autobot base," he answered. Lily smiled as she bounced into Wheeljack.

"Hoover Dam? That's a long drive from here," Stacey said. Wheeljack's hologram grinned.

"We can jam Police scanners. It's very useful if you want to speed," he said. Stacey grinned.

"Well then open 'er up wide. It's been a while since I've been with a car able to go really fast."

Ratchet's and Wheeljack's engines revved in agreement. Both of their holograms sat in the driver's seat and the door closed on its own.

During the drive, they all talked via comm. They talked about Cybertron, the Autobots at the base, the Autobots drifting in the solar system somewhere, the Autobots drifting in a random part of space, and anything of the like. They stayed away from graphic stories of the war for present company, and Lily noticed, though she didn't really care.

It didn't take long for them to reach Hoover Dam. As soon as they were within twenty miles of it Ratchet radioed in.

"Designated Autobot Ratchet, Requesting permission to enter the premises," he said through the comm. Nothing but static answered him. He tried repeating himself twice, but static was the only thing he heard.

"Guys?" he asked. Nothing.

"This doesn't sit well with me," he muttered. Stacey shook her head.

"Then we should just go in and see what's wrong," she said. Ratchet sent in a signal and a pair of doors opened on a path that was inside the dam. He drove through to see a very unwelcome sight.

"What happened?"

The inside was totally abandoned, and energon smeared the walls and floor. Everyone was able to see some scant human blood as well. Lily and Stacey slowly walked out of the their friends as they transformed. Wheeljack picked Lily up gently and covered her eyes. Lily didn't protest.

Ratchet examined the energon left behind. "They are still alive. There isn't enough energon to suggest death, but the drag marks suggest that everyone was taken away."

Wheeljack would've frowned if he didn't have a facemask on. "Why would Decepticons take them away?"

"We are small in numbers, and because Barricade believes me dead, they think that the Autobots are without a medic. Barricade wouldn't be able to do this on his own; I believe that more Decepticons have joined him, possibly with Starscream. And a Cybertronian recently landed in Iceland, and Optimus was seeing if they were friend or foe, so the Autobots are temporarily without their leader as well, so that leaves Ironhide, Jazz, Bumblebee, and the twins to fight."

"They should be more than enough to fight off some random Decepticons," Wheeljack pointed out.

"Yes, but not if the Decepticons managed to collect Skywarp and Thundercracker or, Primus forbid, Soundwave and his cassetteticons. Without a scientist to create something to defend against telepathic warfare or sonic booms, and without a medic to fix them of anything they picked up before and during the battle, they wouldn't be able to fight as long," Ratchet said. Stacey sighed.

"There're too many variables in this. How do we know how many Decepticons were here or which warriors came? All that we can do is to try to get everyone back, right?" she asked. Ratchet nodded in agreement.

"It's true, and we had recently found where the Decepticons are thought to be creating a base. We had no idea they'd be so bold, however," Ratchet turned to Wheeljack, "I have a plan, but it's dangerous to us all."

"Eh, we've been in worse situations almost surely," Wheeljack said, shrugging without removing his fingertips from Lily's eyes.

"It involves Stacey and Lily trying to help us infiltrate the Decepticon base and getting us out."

"Come again?" Stacey asked, not out of concern for herself but of concern for her daughter.

"It's the only thing I can think of at the moment," Ratchet sighed.

"But Lily is still a youngling!" Wheeljack protested. Lily glared at him.

"I'm right here, you know!" she said.

"Yes but, sweetie, you know you can't do that, don't you?" Stacey asked. Lily peered over Wheeljack's fingers to get a good look at her mother.

"It may be the only chance the Autobots have," she said seriously. Ratchet nodded.

"She has a point," he said. Stacey and Wheeljack glared at him.

"Whose side are you on?" they both asked.

"It's true. Besides, she will have Wheeljack with her going one way, and if all goes as planned she'll have the rest of the Autobots with her getting out," Ratchet said. Stacey looked resigned.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" she asked her daughter. Lily determinedly nodded her head. Wheeljack looked doubtful but he didn't say anything.

"Alright, let's hear this plan of yours," Stacey said, sitting on the floor.

A/N

How I love a cliff hanger. ;-) Okay, review please!

Disclaimer: I own nothing! Fear the nothing!