I awoke to being bounced around in Optimus' sleeper. His holoform was nowhere to be seen.

"Optimus?" I half-whispered, my throat dry from sleep.

"Easy little one, I'm here." Large metal hands came to rest on my shoulders and I let out a breath that I didn't know I'd been holding.

"What's happening?" Optimus looked nervous.

"I am unsure, but it looks as if I've been bought." He kept his voice low, but bent down so that I could hear him properly. "I am being towed. To where I do not know."

"What will we do?"

"I don't know little one, if I drive away I risk alerting the authorities to our location and I can't transform because of this missile lodged in my T-cog."

I swallowed loudly. "So, we just wait?"

"I am afraid we just wait."

.o

Hours went by, how many I wasn't sure of. Optimus had discerned that we were in a barn on the outskirts of Paris, Texas. I began to get hungry and Optimus grew more and more stressed with each passing day. I heard goings on outside; the man who had towed Optimus exclaiming his predicament. I hadn't been to the toilet in over forty-eight hours and my bladder was beginning to feel the strain. I curled up on the worn mattress in Optimus' sleeper, trying to think of anything except going to the toilet. There was a bottle of stale water in Optimus' cab and I took sparing sips from it – not wanting to add more than necessary to my already over-filled bladder. When it got so painful that it brought tears to my eyes, Optimus materialised his holoform. It was flickering badly; his transponder having been damaged in the ambush.

"This is ridiculous Cordelia – you need to relieve yourself!"

"Where?" I half-cried. "There's nowhere to go. I can't go outside – I can't risk setting of that stupid robot dog alarm that guy's got!" Optimus smiled a little and produced a black bucket.

"You can go in this."

"No way. I'm not peeing in you Optimus – it will stink your cab out!" Optimus fixed me with a stern look and tilted my chin up with a finger so that I was looking at him.

"I don't care. Your comfort and safety is what I care about. Are you going to make me say it?"

"Say what?"

"Please relieve yourself in the bucket Cordelia." Hints of a small smile were playing around the edges of his optics. I rolled my eyes at him playfully and took the bucket from him. "I'll erh…give you some privacy." There was a faint puff of air as his holoform dissipated. I rolled down my jeans and underwear and hovered over the bucket. There were a good few seconds of nothing and then my bladder started to empty. It was the most blissful feeling I'd ever had – the feeling of my bladder shrinking back down to its normal size. After what seemed like an age, I drip dried and pulled my knickers and jeans back up.

"Oh my God – that was amazing." I said as Optimus reappeared. He smiled at me and sat down on the small bed.

"May I make an observation?" I raised my eyebrows at him.

"You can say whatever you like Optimus."

"It appears to me that the female human body is ill-suited for urinating whilst standing." Had we been in any other situation, I would have laughed. We were locked in a random barn in the middle of Texas, and Optimus could only think to comment on the evolution of the female body. I stretched, using Optimus' shoulder as an anchor point for balance.

I caught a reflection of myself in Optimus' now tiny door mirrors. My usually auburn hair was dark with grime and filth, and my face was flecked with desert sand and dirt. Even my eyes didn't look as green as they usually were. I stifled a yawn.

"What's the time?" Optimus stood, his holoform flickering.

"O-four-hundred. I must recharge, and you need rest as well. Come on little one, we shall see if morning brings any changes."

.o

When dawn broke, there was a rattling sound coming from outside. I froze. A male voice was coming closer. I didn't dare speak. Optimus' holoform flickered furiously, but he stepped in front of me. The male voice spoke again.

"Come on you old wreck. Judgement day."

I sat frozen in fear for over an hour, listening as the man who had towed Optimus tinkered about. Optimus didn't speak and neither did I. The only movements from Optimus came in the form of silent grimaces as the man pulled and tugged. Suddenly, Optimus' voice filled my ears.

"Calling all—calling all Autobots!"

Optimus' optics widened.

"He has accessed the last transmission I issued from my communications link. He knows what I am." His voice was tense and low as he gathered me protectively in his arms.

The man wasted no time in telling the people who he apparently lived with about his discovery.

"Look! Look what happens when I hook it back up to a working battery!" Optimus' message played again. "I don't think it's a truck at all; I think we just found a Transformer!" My blood turned to ice in my veins. I exchanged terrified looks with Optimus.

The man ventured outside to speak with two other people. Optimus informed me of what they were saying in low, deep tones.

"They're arguing about whether or not to turn me over to the government – there is talk of a monetary reward." He listened for a few more moments. "The male who towed me wants to see if his suspicions about me are correct. If they are, then they will make the call." My mouth went dry.

"Optimus, we have to stop them! They'll kill you!" I started to hyperventilate. Optimus' large hands came up to hold my face.

"Shh. Easy little one, it will be okay. I will keep you safe, I promise."

"Godamnit Optimus! I don't care about me! I can't lose you again – I can't! I-" He suddenly placed his fingers on my lips, silencing me. Suddenly, the truck was jolted with such force that I fell backwards. There was an exclamation from the man outside, a small popping sound, and then absolute chaos.

Optimus transformed, his movements slow and staccato like. He reached for his gun and struggled to get to his feet, knocking over tables, work benches and tools with his huge hands. A dark-haired man jumped back and caught a blonde girl by the arms, stopping her from coming any closer. Optimus pushed me behind one of his feet as pieces of his chest fell onto the ground. "Argh, I'll kill you!" Optimus managed to pull out his canon and aimed it at the man clumsily, unable to support the full weight of the weapon. I hung onto his ankle as if my life depended on it, stupidly trying to hold him up. "I'll kill you! Stay back!" Optimus' voice was fearful and angry, and he was in full attack mode.

The dark-haired man was holding his hands up in surrender.

"Woah! Don't shoot! DON'T SHOOT!" I locked eyes with a man who had curly blonde hair that fell to his jaw line. His eyes widened as he began to run towards me.

"Call 911! He's got a girl—argh!" Optimus slammed him in the head with the end of his canon and emptied it of the last shell.

"Easy, human." He growled as he gently nudged me further back. The dark-haired man approached, but made sure that the young blonde woman stayed where she was.

"Lucas, stay there, just calm down, don't move. Easy, he's not gonna hurt us." The blonde-haired man was laying on the floor, clutching his head. He got up slowly, a giant red welt already beginning to form on his forehead.

"Weapons systems damaged." Optimus lowered the gun, but kept me shielded behind his leg.

"A missile hit your engine, and we took it out of you. You're hurt really bad. I'm just trying to help you. You're in my home now, I'm an engineer. My name is Cade Yeager." Optimus relaxed at these words, lowering his gun completely.

"Cade, I am in your debt. My name is Optimus Prime. My Autobots – they're in danger! Argh!" He collapsed onto his knees as his right ear finial completely detached from his head and fell to the ground. He coughed up desert sand and dust, trying to clear his air intakes. "I need to go, I need to go now."

"How far do you think you're gonna get? Sweetie, come here, he needs our help." Cade Yeager motioned to the blonde girl who hurried over to him. "What happened to you?"

"An ambush, a trap, set by humans." Optimus doubled over in another fit of coughing. "I escaped and took this form."

The blonde woman spoke up, her blonde hair catching the afternoon sunlight. "But you're on our side, why would humans hurt you?"

"They were not alone. My Autobots can repair me." He rose to his feet, using the rafters in the barn as a support.

"Yeah, if you can reach them." Cade bent down and picked Optimus' ear finial up off the ground. "How about me?"

Optimus eyed Cade speculatively. "Can I trust you, Cade Yeager?" Cade looked from Optimus, to me and then to the blonde-haired girl.

"Yes, you can trust me. Tessa, come a little closer sweetheart." The blonde girl came forward, her nervous eyes darting from me and then to Optimus. "This is my daughter, Tessa Yeager, and this is my assistant, Lucas Flannery." The man with the curly hair waved. Optimus knelt once more and encouraged me forward. I walked around his legs and came to stand in front of him.

"Good afternoon to you all. This is my charge, Cordelia Prime."

"Hi." My voice came out barely louder than a whisper, but both Yeagers and Lucas smiled at me kindly. Optimus lowered himself to sit on the floor and curled his hand loosely around me, keeping me close. I hung onto his thumb.

"Tessa, would you go and get some spare clothes for Cordelia please? Lucas, please go into town and get me a clamp, metal sheets that can be cut and a new blow torch – one of the big ones. Pick up some diesel as well please." Both Lucas and Tessa hurried out of the barn, shutting the door quietly behind them. Cade grabbed a nearby ladder that was on wheels. It had railings on either side and a platform on top for someone to stand on. He wheeled it over to Optimus, stopping just in front of him. Cade looked at me and went over to a small fridge. He retrieved a bottle of diet coke from it, cracked the lid off on the corner of a table and handed it to me.

"Here, Tessa makes me get diet; she says the real stuff is too sugary 'for someone of my age'. Cheek – I'm only thirty-six years old! Anyway, drink up kid."

"Thank you, Mr Yeager." I said, taking the bottle from him.

"Oh just call me Cade, everybody else does."

I smiled shyly at him. "Thanks Cade." He returned the smile and then his face changed into an expression of realisation.

"Hey, when did you last eat?"

I looked up at Optimus, unsure of the answer.

"She last ate three days ago, Cade. Would it be too much trouble for her to have some nourishment?"

Cade slapped his worn leather apron. "Of course! Wait right here – I'll go get ya sumthin', and with that he ran out of the barn. It seemed that the mere mention of food was all that was needed to make my stomach rumble. It was a long and thunderous rumble, and caused Optimus to smile a little for the first time in days.

"Are you feeling alright little one? You're not feeling faint?" Optimus tilted his head as he spoke.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I didn't realise how hungry I was until just now." His index finger came up and carefully traced the outline of my jaw. "How are you?" Optimus stretched a little and grimaced.

"I have been in better shape – let's just keep it at that." His finger moved from my face down to my arm. He grasped it very gently between a thumb and forefinger, examining it carefully. "Hmm, are you able to remove the bandage? I would like to see if you have bruised." I hurried to remove it, wincing as I did so. The dirty white of the dressing rolled back to reveal a deep, inky bruise. It was dark blue and black in colour, and my wrist was slightly swollen. "Ahh, you definitely need a splint and a sling. I will ask Cade to get his friend to purchase them. Can you make a fist?"

I tried slowly to clench my fingers into a fist, but pain shot up my arm. "No – it's no good. Not until that muscle starts to knit back together anyway." He pressed gently down on it with the tip of his huge finger.

"Hmm, it is swollen as well." At that moment, both Tessa and Cade re-entered the barn.

"Here you go kid. I didn't know what you liked, so I got you a little of everything." He handed me a plate full of food. There was a cheese sandwich, a steak sandwich, potato salad, ribs and a corn on the cob. I went for the potato salad first, trying to remember not to shovel it in like a complete animal. I finished it in record time and then attacked the cheese sandwich. My stomach rumbled again as food entered it after more than three days without it. When I finished, there was a small but definite lump in my abdomen.

"Thank you so much Mr Yeag-Cade, that was amazing."

Cade shrugged.

"I wasn't about to see you go hungry kid. What's mine is yours an' all that jazz." He smiled at me and ascended the ladder and started to look at Optimus' opened chest with a torch. Tessa approached me.

"I've got some clothes for you – you're welcome to change in my room if you like. I got the hot water ready if you wanted a shower." I looked at her properly for the first time, taking in her appearance. She had soft honey-blonde hair which fell in loose waves to just past her shoulders. She had full, plump lips complimented by high cheekbones and pale blue eyes. She looked so young, and she reminded me a little of myself when I had first met Optimus. Optimus looked down at me encouragingly.

"Go on Lia, I'll still be here when you get back. But – just be safe." He reached into his chest and pulled out something small and black with a lot of difficulty and pained gasps. On the tip of his finger was my old baseball cap. "Put this on. You never know who could be watching this place." I reached up to take it from him and placed it securely on my head. Tessa turned to leave the barn and I followed, making sure the door was firmly shut behind me. Tessa led me across a large patch of grass, past a bench swing towards a traditional American farmhouse.

"Woah! This house is beautiful!" Tessa looked back over her shoulder and grinned at me.

"Thanks – it's not much but it's home." She held open the screen door for me and I stepped over the threshold, wiping my shoes on the weathered door mat. "My room is just upstairs – I'll show you." I followed her up the wooden staircase and into a door off the left-hand side of the stairs. Hers was a bright and airy room with an American flag hanging from the window. She had polaroid pictures of herself posing with friends and Cade up on the wall. There was a desk by the window that held an Apple Macbook and a photo of a beautiful woman with long blonde hair and freckles. She was clutching a small girl who had curly blonde hair and pale blue eyes. They were crouching in tall grass, the sunlight bright behind them.

Tessa put the bundle of clothes down on the big double bed and fumbled inside her wardrobe for something. She handed me two towels.

"Thank you, Tessa, this means a lot."

"No problem – you're welcome." She gave me a smile and then shut the door behind her. I went over to the bundle of clothes and began to sift through them. I chose a pair of faded blue skinny jeans with a few rips in each leg and a plain black vest top which I paired with a blue checked shirt. Tessa had even remembered to put out a fresh bra and knickers. I checked the bra size; a 24B, just one size bigger than me.

I tucked the clothes under my arm and went into Tessa's en-suite bathroom. In it was a toilet, sink and a stand-up shower. I put the clothes on the closed toilet lid and then began to remove my own. My arm twinged painfully as I removed my camisole and bra, so I kept it tucked against my chest. I put the water on in the shower to give it a chance to warm up while I removed my jeans and shoes. I stepped under the water and let it trickle down my body. Over a week's worth of dust, sand and grime was washed off my body, turning the water a dirty reddish-brown colour. I worked up a thick lather of shampoo in my hair, relishing in the fresh smell and the feeling of bubbles. The water relaxed my tense muscles and soothed my frayed nerves. It felt so good to be clean at last. Stepping out of the shower, I wrapped my hair in the towel and secured in on top of my head. I dried quickly and dressed, towel drying my hair and then leaving it to fall damp about my shoulders. I gathered up the towels and my dirty clothes and made my way downstairs. Tessa hopped up off a wicker chair situated in the hallway. She was holding a pair of tan ankle boots.

"Here are some shoes – you don't have to take them but they're here if you want them."

I looked down at my shoes, scuffed and worn from Lockdown's ambush. "I think that might be a good idea. Is it alright of I burn my old clothes and shoes? I don't wanna leave any evidence that might get you in trouble." Tessa blanched for a second before smiling brightly at me.

"Sure! Dad's overdue a bonfire anyway." She smiled again and walked through to the kitchen. "Hey, do you want a glass of water?"

"Yes please." She handed me a glass of water with ice.

"Wanna go sit on the porch for five minutes?"

"Sure." She led me back through the screen door and motioned for me to sit in a big rocking chair. She sat in the one opposite, looking at me with curious eyes. I took a long drink of water, the liquid soothing the dust fuelled fire in my throat. "Thank you so much for the clothes Tessa, it really means a lot."

"You're welcome Cordelia, it's no trouble. Plus, it gives me an excuse to buy more clothes!" I laughed and took another sip of water. "What's your story Cordelia? How did you find yourself with a Transformer – least of all Optimus Prime?"

I thought for a few seconds before answering her. "Optimus…Optimus found me at a point in my life when I was very vulnerable. He taught me how to love and trust again at a time when I thought there was no point to either. I was with him in the battle for Mission City, Egypt, Chicago and now we're here. I…never planned to stay with him permanently, it just sort of happened I guess. Optimus gets me like no one else ever has – I dunno. He says that we are two halves of the same whole. The thought of life without him now – well it's just not an option. I go where he goes and vice versa."

"Are you like…a couple?" Tessa's face was apprehensive. I burst out laughing.

"Aha, no, we are not a couple. I love him unconditionally, but it isn't a romantic love. He's kind of like a father figure, but he doesn't behave like a father to me if that makes sense. It's a bond that goes so deep that I can't explain it." She nodded, seeming to understand.

"So, you have like a connection with him? You don't need to speak for him to know how you're feeling." She had a faraway look in her eyes.

"Yes, that's exactly how it is."

"Is he…are the Transformers truly dangerous?"

I answered her honestly. "Yes. I mean, look at what they did in Chicago five years ago. Yes, the Autobots are just as capable of destruction as the Decepticons, they are just as powerful, but it's how they use that power that sets them apart from the Decepticons. Optimus and the Autobots have chosen to protect human kind…and they've been repaid by being attacked. It's disgraceful. Because of Cemetery Wind, we've driven all over the country to avoid capture. If they get us, they'll kill Optimus and anybody else who gets in their way."

"But why? Optimus and the others fought for us!"

"I don't know Tessa, I don't know."

I put my glass down on the small wicker table next to the rocking chair and stood up. "I'm gonna go back to the barn now. Thanks again for the clothes – it's a huge help."

"It's okay – I'm gonna wait out here a little longer for Lucas to come back."

"Okay – I'll see you later then." I walked down the porch steps and back into the barn. Cade was still poking around in Optimus' chest, using a massive torch to light up the darkness. I leaned against one of the many tables within the barn.

"You took a hell of a hit y'know – the missile just missed your power source." Optimus looked down at his open chest.

"We call it a Spark. It contains our life force…and our memories."

"Yeah? We call it a soul." Optimus didn't reply but began to fiddle with the large bullet casings lodged in his shoulder armour. He picked one loose, pulled it out and then flicked it across the room.

"Cade, why are you willing to help me?" Cade finished banging a piece of metal and ascended the ladder, lighting his blow-torch.

"I guess maybe because you trust me to." He flicked on his protective mask over his face and began working on the severed energon line that passed directly over Optimus' Spark chamber. He grimaced as Cade worked, pulling and tugging at energon lines and neural conveyors. He winced and held on tightly to one of the barn supports.

"I'm sorry big guy, can I numb you or something?" Optimus shook his head.

"Inducing stasis is not an option. Do not worry Cade; I can endure." He looked up from Cade and over to me, his expression changing at once from pained to pleased. I walked over to him and leaned against his hand. He turned it over and I sat in his palm, enjoying the cool feel of his metal skin as a nice contrast to the dry Texan heat. Cade worked for another half an hour, and then the barn door swung open as Lucas returned.

"I got everything you asked for dude, I even remembered that plastic splint thing." Cade jumped down from the ladder and tossed his mask onto a nearby bench.

"What took you so long?"

"I had to go to the doctor's office dude! I got a welt on my head that makes me look like a frickin' Star Trek character. Thanks metal dude." He waved loosely at Optimus, who in turn looked a bit sheepish.

"I apologise for injuring your head Lucas. I thought that you were going to hurt Cordelia." Lucas waved his hands in the air dismissively.

"No biggie dude. It'll probably get the chicks on Sergeant Williams." Cade chucked a dirty rag at Lucas.

"Out, now!" Lucas chuckled and exited the barn, snickering the whole time. Optimus looked thoroughly puzzled.

"Who is Sergeant Williams?" Cade burst out laughing and started to put his tools away. I tried not to join Cade in his hysterics.

"I'll tell you when you're older."

.o

As the night drew in, Cade finally finished his long and laborious work on Optimus.

"That's about as much as I can do Optimus – I've repaired your energon line as best I can and tried to fix that transponder thingy of yours. You should be able to project your erh…image thing." Optimus rose slowly to his feet, a little stiffly since he'd been sitting down all day so that Cade could work on him. Cade jumped back a little as Optimus stood at his full height.

"Geez! How tall are you?" Optimus smiled slightly.

"In human measurements, I stand at twenty-eight feet in height." Cade whistled.

"Well, you look a lot smaller on TV! Cordelia, Tessa's cooking baked potatoes tonight – that sound good for you?"

"That sounds great Cade! Thanks a lot!"

"No worries kid – just be grateful that it's Tessa cookin' and not mine. She inherited her cooking skills and her good looks from her mom." Optimus looked down at us.

"Where is Mrs Yeager? I haven't detected another human heat signature within the property line." Cade looked away from Optimus and down at the ground. He gently touched the gold wedding band on his ring finger.

"Tessa's mom…Tessa's mom died when she was five. She had breast cancer. She fought for so long. A mastectomy bought her eight months – but it got to her other breast. My Emily died, and I had to raise Tessa without her mom."

"Oh Cade, I'm so sorry." I put my hand on his arm. He smiled sadly at me.

"It's okay Cordelia – I can talk about her now and it doesn't hurt. Emily gave me some of the best years of my life – and Tessa – well, she's the best thing that has ever happened to me. She's my whole world – and she is her mother's daughter through and through."

Optimus knelt and put a large finger on Cade's shoulder.

"I apologise for my insensitivity Cade. Please accept my sincere apologies." Cade shrugged, a little embarrassed.

"You have nothing to be sorry for. Besides, you didn't know about Emily, so how was it insensitive?" He meant it as a rhetorical question, but Optimus answered him anyway.

"Nonetheless, it was too personal of a question for me to ask, and for that I apologise. I may not be human, but I endeavour to try and respect humanity's social customs."

"Ahh, don't worry about it – you haven't upset me so it's fine." Cade put down his dirty rag on the work bench and went to leave the barn. "I'm going to shower and get ready for dinner – Tessa won't appreciate it if I reek like a polecat." I smiled at him as he left the barn. Optimus put his face in his hands.

"I can't believe I was so insensitive. It was much too personal of a question to ask him." I patted his ankle sympathetically.

"Optimus, he said it was okay – and you weren't to know. Put it out of your mind and let's get ready for dinner."