Hey there. Just a warning, a lot of you will get very angry in this chapter. At least I rather hope you will, that was the point. The good news is, you find out where things are, and Soundwave's back!

Transformers belongs to... um, HasTek, right? Not me.


Sunstreaker and Sideswipe screamed across the empty Nevada highways. If a policeman saw them they would be out of range before the chase was well begun, and there was no place for the patrol cars to hide in the desert anyway. Rhianna fought to enjoy the speed, but she couldn't silence the countdown in her head.

Sunstreaker slowed down for a town and chuckled slightly. "Old hatchet's following us. I don't think we're supposed to know. He hasn't said anything about our speeding."

"Old hatchet?" Rhianna asked.

"Ratchet, the medic. You can't see him, he's barely in sensor range and only catching up because I had to slow down."

"Oh," she responded tonelessly. She wasn't sure if she should be touched by Ratchet's stalking or concerned.

At the next big city, the Twins slowed down again. "Do you want to get out, stretch your legs?" Sunstreaker asked at Sideswipes prodding.

Rhianna wasn't sure why she answered honestly. The only excuse she could come up with was that she lived in northern Minnesota and the Nemesis was sitting on the bottom of Lake Superior. "Do you really want to chase me down?"

Sunstreaker continued through the city without stopping. On the other side, shortly before speeding up again, he asked, "It's your family that you're afraid of, isn't it?"

'Don't you realize you're family now?' a soft voice asked in her memory. "They're not my family," Rhianna said to the car. "They're my relatives."

"Who is your family?" Sunstreaker asked. Rhianna didn't answer, and with a roar he unleashed his engine, speeding down the highway again.

At lunchtime they were driving through Omaha, Nebraska. There was no offer to stop and get food, and Rhianna couldn't have eaten if they had. Half an hour later they were in Des Moines merging north onto I-35. Rhianna found she was trembling and hugged herself tightly.

Two hours later, Sunstreaker stopped in front of a neat suburban house. It was white, with cheerful yellow trim. The yard was neatly landscaped, with an inviting path up to the door.

Rhianna sat and looked at the house for at least ten minutes. Sideswipe, behind his brother, gave a questioning engine rumble, and Rhianna sighed. Exiting Sunstreaker, Rhianna straightened and marched up the path.

Opening the wood door, she stayed in the doorway and called, "Aunt?"

A woman came from the living room, thin and blonde. She blinked at Rhianna suspiciously for a moment, relaxing when she saw who it was. "Oh, Rhianna. We got a call this morning from someone who said you'd been found."

Rhianna stepped into the house, almost forgot to close the door, and offered her aunt one of the forced smiles she had practiced so much. "I bet you were happy to hear that. Is uncle home?"

"No, dear, he's working. It's only two-thirty," Mrs. Jacobson said, walking back to the living room. Oprah was on, one of her make-over episodes. "Where have you been all this time, Rhianna?"

"Around," Rhianna said with a shrug. She noticed how her aunt was looking at her, in disdain for her worn clothing and so-pale skin. "Would you mind if I got cleaned up?" If she hurried, she'd be done before her uncle got back at six.

"Go ahead, dear," her aunt answered, already back Oprah.

Rhianna was surprised to find her room just as she had left it, right down to the unmade bed. She sighed and grabbed some clothing, sturdy bluejeans and a long sleeved shirt. She took a quick shower, her first in months. Nemesis was fine for bathes, but nothing beat a shower. She made her bed and cleaned the room up a little as she waited for her hair to dry some.

"Rhianna! Rhianna, dear, get down here!" Mrs. Jacobson called, still in the living room. Rhianna sighed and went down stairs.

"Yeah, what is, aunt?" she asked. Her aunt was looking out the window, and Rhianna sighed.

Motioning her over, her aunt pointed at the Twins and asked, "Why are there two exotics sitting in front of our house?"

Because I told them to stay out of the driveway, Rhianna thought. "What makes you think I know? Pretty sweet Lamborghinis, though."

"You know why they're there because you rode up in a car and the car didn't leave, and they're the only new cars on the block," the older woman said.

Rhianna had forgotten how perceptive her aunt could be, especially about anything that might be gossip. "They're... on loan. From an... acquaintance," Rhianna admitted. She didn't like talking about the living mechs as though they were only possessions.

"Rhianna Westcot, you had better not be lying to me. You know your uncle doesn't like liars."

There it was, the immediate accusation. Rhianna looked her aunt in the eyes and used a smooth, slightly puzzled tone. "You know I don't lie, aunt. The Lamborghinis are on indefinite loan." Mrs. Jacobson accepted the words, and Rhianna silently thanked Unicron. She sat down to watch Judge Judy while her aunt went and started on dinner.

Judge Judy ended and Survivor came on. The door opened and Mrs. Jacobson went over to meet her husband, smiling. "Guess who's back, honey?" she said, and Rhianna muffled a groan. There was more said, too quiet for the girl to catch.

Mr. Jacobson, a distinguished man in his forties, came into the living room with a scowl. "Well, the prodigal finally returns home," he said.

Rhianna stood and faced him. "Hello, uncle. How have you been?" she said carefully. She was safe for a while yet, he never did anything while it was still light.

"Well enough," he answered. "And you?"

Her aunt darted around, bringing out TV trays and dishing up food. She studiously ignored the tension in the air. Mr. Jacobson sat down in his favorite recliner, and Rhianna took her usual place on the couch. "I've been doing pretty well," she answered, picking at her food. Noodle casserole, she hated that stuff.

Her uncle ate fast, which lead to silence for most of the meal. Once the adults were finished, Mrs. Jacobson stood up and began gathering the plates. Rhianna didn't protest as her mostly full plate was removed.

"So, where have you been?" Mr. Jacobson asked.

"I don't know, for most of it. I ended up in Nevada," Rhianna answered. It didn't matter what she said, she knew. He was going to be angry no matter what her answer. Cynically, she wondered which annoyed her uncle more, the fact that she had left, or the fact she was back.

"Is that where the man was calling from?"

Looking at her uncle, Rhianna realized something. She was deeply afraid of him, but she did not fear him. That was what Lord Megatron had meant, then, the difference he had tried to teach her. "I didn't know anyone had called, but probably."

The setting sun began to stain the light golden. "Same man who 'loaned' you those cars outside?" Mr. Jacobson asked, standing and taking a step forward.

Rhianna stood as well, unwilling to simply let him trap her. "I don't know who called you, but it wouldn't surprise me." Her best guess was Prime himself.

"Awfully nice guy you met out there. Takes a young girl, keeps her safe, even 'loans' her a pair of Lamborghinis... You must have done a lot to repay him," Mr. Jacobson said, continuing his forward motion.

"What... are you... saying, uncle?" Rhianna asked, sidestepping away from the couch.

He smiled, a slow and predatory grin that reminded her of Starscream. "I think the Westcot's little girl has gone and made herself a special friend," he said.

"Are you glitched?" Rhianna yelled, not even noticing the Cybertronian curse. "I would never do something like that, and with Prime." Honest disgust swept away her fear.

Her uncle lunged and grabbed her. "Don't talk to me like that! You're lucky we even took you in, and it's time you repayed us!"


:Sunny?: Sideswipe sent over the private comms.

:I know, Sides. Already acting.:

"Lord Megatron, incoming Autobot transmission on open com channels," Soundwave said.

"Play it," Lord Megatron ordered idly. Sending anything on open channels mean the Autobots wanted to be heard, and therefore you could never trust it, but it was usually interesting.

:Ratchet, get your aft over here, that slagging glitch of an uncle is hurtin' Rhianna!: Sunstreaker's transmission played loudly through the bridge of the Nemesis.

"Sir," Soundwave started, a tremor of emotion in his audible voice.

"Go," Lord Megatron snapped. There was no need for Soundwave to finish, after all. "Barricade, accompany and run interference."


Rhianna curled in her bed, tears begging to fall. Her uncle turned away from her, temper sated. Soundwave... "Soundwave," she moaned. He would make it better... but he wasn't here. Mr. Jacobson paused a moment and looked back, then shrugged and left.

:Do you think she'll be okay, brother?:

Sunstreaker revved his engine angrily. :If she isn't, orders or no, I'm going to kill that man.:

Sideswipe flashed his headlights in agreement. A news van turned onto the street, then transformed when he saw the Lamborghinis. The Twins gave up on stealth and transformed as well, stepping between the house and the Decepticon.

"I am here for Rhianna," Soundwave said flatly.

Sunstreaker looked at the enemy mech for a long moment, and then he nodded. "Sides, let them pass," he said, stepping out of the way. "How long until Ratchet gets here?"

"Another half hour or so," the red mech answered.

Rhianna felt the familiar brush of Soundwave's mind and sobbed, sure she was dreaming. A hand on her shoulder made her scream and flinch.

"Whoa, sis, it's only me!" Rumble protested, flinching back himself. His human sister could scream loud.

"R-rumble?" Rhianna gasped, looking at him with wide eyes.

The purple mech flashed his usual confident smile and held a hand to Rhianna. "The same. C'mon, the Boss's waitin' outside."

Rhianna stood and moved gingerly, accepting Rumble's aid. "Not a dream?" she asked, looking around.

"That's right," Rumble agreed, taking her down the stairs. From her uncle's room came Ravage's roar and two adult screams.

Soundwave was kneeling outside the front door, Sunstreaker and Sideswipe standing behind him firmly looking away. When he saw Rhianna, the emotions through the link were happiness, welcome, a tinge of horror, and a smoldering worm of anger. Sunstreaker and Sideswipe both swayed a little as Soundwave included them in the link as well.

"Soundwave," Rhianna murmured, voice cracking. He reached out, ran his hand down her back, but didn't speak. Rumble lightly tugged on Rhianna's arm, pulling her slightly to the side where Laserbeak and Buzzsaw were waiting. A moment later Frenzy and Ravage chased Mr. and Mrs. Jacobson out of the house.

Soundwave's rage flared to an inferno and then chilled, as bitingly cold as Antarctica during it's long midnight. "The woman is superfluous," he intoned. With no further prompting, Ravage turned, a gun lifting from her back. Before anyone could react, Ravage had shot Mrs. Jacobson, killing her.

"Wh-wh- what are you doing?" Mr. Jacobson choked out, trying to watch all the robots at the same time. Soundwave's frozen anger touched the man, and he fell to his knees with a moan.

It was with no gentleness that Soundwave picked up Mr. Jacobson. Red optics seemed to blaze as Soundwave answered, "Seeking reasons for your treatment of Rhianna."

Sunstreaker turned just a little, still reeling from the level of emotion the Decepticon was broadcasting. He had only felt this once before, when a cassetticon had fallen in battle and Soundwave fought to rescue him. /They're her family/ he realized, unconsciously sending his realization to everyone in the extended link.

Soundwave turned his head to look at Sunstreaker and nodded slightly before returning to his task. Thin filaments came from his free hand, held a little ways over Mr. Jacobson. "Searching," he said.

"Feel free to scream, Pit-spawned glitch," Rumble muttered, watching vindictively. With a caw, Laserbeak agreed. Rhianna, huddled under Buzzsaw's metal wing, was silent as she watched Soundwave's work.

Mr. Jacobson started yelling after only a few seconds, a sound that brought a grim smile to Rhianna's lips. Sideswipe began to move, preparing to stop the man's torture, and then he stilled as he remembered what he had seen. Even if it wasn't suicide to mess with Soundwave, that man wasn't worth saving.

Perhaps five minutes passed before Soundwave moved. With a tone of deep disgust he pronounce his sentence. "Reasons insufficient." He stood, Mr. Jacobson still in his hand, then straightened his arm. Silently, the cassetticons gathered in a circle, while Rhianna stood by Soundwave's foot. The hand opened, and her uncle fell twenty feet into the circle of angry cassetticons.

Sunstreaker looked away, suddenly freed from Soundwave's link. Into the sudden silence, he remarked, "I think we were set up, Sideswipe my brother."

"You mean with that untraced data that showed up a couple days ago?" Sideswipe asked.

Sirens wailed in the distance, drawing closer. "Yeah, the data with the time and co-ordinates of Starscream's presence in Nevada," Sunstreaker answered.

The sirens cut off suddenly as a rescue hummer unfolded into Ratchet. "What is going on here?" he asked bad-temperedly, looking from Twins to Soundwave.

Soundwave bent and offered his hand to Rhianna. As she climbed on, he said, "Autobot Medical Officer, Designation Ratchet." Rhianna now safe in his grasp, the mech stepped forward, past the dispersing circle of cassetticons. "Analysis of Rhianna's physical condition requested."

Ratchet didn't miss the significance of Soundwave's presence, and preliminary scans indicated nothing living in the house they were all gathered around. He made a mental note to question the Twins later. "Let me see her," he snapped, holding a hand out.

Rhianna looked up at Ratchet from her place on Soundwave's palm. "You'll give me back to him?" she asked, a definite note of worry in her voice.

Somewhat surprised that Soundwave was leaving it to the human to change hands, Ratchet nodded. "Don't worry, I remember what you said last time we talked. I'll let you go back to anyone you want to."

Rhianna was still shaky as she moved, and both mechs acted without thinking, bringing their hands closer until they touched with a slight metallic clang. She slipped from the dark blue hand to the chartreuse hand with no problems.

"Is she going to be okay, Ratchet?" Sunstreaker asked, drawing near to the Autobot.

Ratchet gave a low rumbling hum, then nodded. "Her physical condition is fine. A few dings, but nothing her self-repair won't fix," Ratchet announced, using the Cybertronian terms for Soundwave's benefit.

"Ratchet?" Rhianna spoke suddenly. Blue optics shifted back to her, and she looked away. "Tell Prime-" She gasped a little, then continued in a grim voice. "Tell Prime, to rust in the Pit. Also, next time he has to deal with a run away... Sometimes there's damned valid reasons for running."

"I'll do that," Ratchet promised. He looked back at Soundwave as Rhianna left his hand. "As I'm sure you're aware, her mental condition is very fragile. Luckily for her, you just happen to be a master of mental conditions."

Soundwave linked to Ratchet for a moment, letting the medic feel a flicker of his gratitude before closing off. "Understood." He turned away, and the cassetticons each flew into him.

"It's a pity you got here after Soundwave left, Ratchet," Sideswipe said, turning his back as the blue mech transformed.

"But not a pity you were too late to save the Jacobsons," Sunstreaker muttered. With a squeal of tires, Soundwave was gone, and a moment later the three Autobots left as well.


Primus, I'm glad he's dead. This was actually fun to write, mostly because I got to figure out how to properly punish the uncle... Anyway, please review, even if just to flame.