Hello everyone!

I have crawled out of my hiding place, and I only have one thing to say:

I am sooo sorry it's taken me so long!

Thi story is kicking my ass! It's dark and depressing, so it's not something I'm used to writing!

But with the help of some amazing authors, they sent me on teh right track!

This chapter is focusing on the strained relationship of my OC Tai, and her father, Optimus Prime. And I'm going to show a rare side of Tai, so hopefully I don't screw it up!

You know who you are!

Tell me how I'm doing!

I own nothing!

Enjoy!

xx

Chapter 9

I can only handle so much...

xx

Tai had seen some creepy shit in her short lifespan but the look that blonde chick gave her gave her major chills. There was something about her, the way her face looked...she seemed way to perfect. Perfect hair, perfect skin, perfect everything. But her eyes...something wasn't right about them, they held no emotion...they were blank pools of bright blue, but it was like she was staring right through her. Like she knew what Tai was...

"I didn't like that chick, 'Cade.." Tai muttered as the black car drove off from the college, heading to the cementary where Optimus was currently taking refuge, according to the Shelby.

"I don't either. Reminds me of someone..." He muttered back as he drove down the main road, driving swiftly and expertly, as he always did. He always prided himself at his skillful driving, being that his old alternate mode was a police car. "You should probably bring that up with Optimus if you remember."

Tai shrugged, picking at her chipping nail polish absentmindily. "You know me, I have a memory like a goldfish."

That earned a small chuckle from the ex-Con.

"Why is Dad here anyway?" She asked sceptically. "Me and him haven't exactly been buddy-buddy this past few weeks-"

"He's here to see Sam, Tai." The Shelby pointed out, stopping the girls sentence short and earning from her a small. "Oh.."

Sensing that sudden lack of confindence from her, he moved on quickly. "We'll tell him about that girl. And I thimk you better tell him about Mister Witwicky's current...attitude. And remind me to talk to him about his plan afterwards."

Tai rose her optic ridge. "What plan is this?"

"The one where he has Sam talk to the human government or something." He grumbled, remembering Galloway and the way that man spoke of his charge, like she didn't matter at all. "They need a fellow human to talk to them, and Sam is our best bet, considering what he did in Mission City."

That alone made Tai see red. What the hell?

"Hello?" She snapped, indignant. "What about me? I'm his freaking daughter, for fuck's sakes...! And what about Mikeala?"

"Okay, Number one: You're half Autobot. Number two: Mikeala will be less trusted due to her past criminal record, so Sam is our best bet."

Tai shook her head, looking out the window with an unreadable expression. "Don't hold your breath." She muttered as they drove around a bend, the familair form of her father's truck mode coming into view.

Normally, she would've been overjoyed to see him. But today, he was the last Mech she wanted to see right now, the fact that he was only here to see Sam really hurt her, emotionally. But from the pulsating of her spark, physically as well. She had never felt such anger towards her father before but it was there, and it was burning white-hot in her chest.

"Of course, why would he trust me with the Government?" Tai mumbled to herself as her Guardian came to a complete stop in front of the red and blue truck, 'Cade revved his engine in greeting as Tai climbed out of the driver side, brushing her black and pink hair out of her face as she watched her father transform to his regal robotic form.

Staring up into his azure optics, she could see the stress from teh seriousness of the situation, whatever it may be. Truth be told, she had an idea of what it could be.

She just hoped she was wrong.

"Hey, Dad." She said in a short tone, scratching at her chin with her robotic hand, te gears whirring and clicking softly.

"Tatyana." He greeted with a nod. She growled inwardly, not even a measly 'Hello.' "Barricade."

Barricade transformed as well, standing to his full height, nodding respectively to his new leader. Truth be told, he was feeling rather...uncomfortable. The tension between the Prime and his charge was so thick, you could cut it with a knife. The way Tai stood with her arms folded in a defiant manner, glaring up at her father...this little talk was probably gonna end with someone leaving a little testy.

"Optimus, Tai and I have some thing to report when we went to inform of the meeting." He stated cooly, the black mech locking optics with the Autobot Commander in that serious adult like conversation. Tai rolled her eye and her optic as Optimus replied:

"Explain."

"Sam has proven to be most...uncooperative." Barricade hissed, clenching his fists slightly of the idiot boy, who Tai woul describe as a 'jackass.'

"Well, isn't that the understatement of the decade!" Tai cut in, putting herself in the conversation, the two mechs looking at her as she went on, her hands flailing as her frustrations towards her cousin came out in her rant. "Sam is being the biggest a-hole in the country, he is self-centered, stubborn. He's basically me but there is no way in hell would I want what he wants! He's looking into this 'freaking normal life' thing way too much!"

"That's enough." Optimus sternly interupted his daughter's rant, which caused her to glower slightly. Trust him to interupt her talk, as the truck spoke to the car: "So, Sam refuses to cooperate. I will talk with him in the morning and try to set him straight."

Tai shook her head. "Yeah, good luck with that." She ran her hand through her hair, before cutting to the chase. "Look, Dad, seriously, if you need someone to talk to the government, I can do it. I personally feel I am capable of talking to them..."

"The humans require a human to talk too, Tatyana, and since you are one of us, they will not listen to you."

Tai nodded with a eyeroll and went back to picking at her nail poilish, one nail almost picked clean by this point, an odd habit she did when she was upset or annoyed in anyway. "Got it."

Barricade quickly decided to break into the conversation. "Optimus, something else is up I think you need to know about."

"What?"

"Tai and I saw this girl at the college, with blonde hair and blue eyes. And she gave us this look that pretty much said, "I know who you are, and you are dead." He then narrowed his optics, memories of his past flooding through his processor. "Reminded me of someone from my days as a Decepticon. Something isn't right about that girl.."

"So, Oh Great Prime, what do you suggest we do?"

Optimus gazed down at his daughter with tired optics, sensing the disdain and anger she felt towards him, which was understandable given the situation. As long as she didn't find out about Megatron, he could recharge easily tonight.

Taking a deep breath, he locked optics with the black Shelby. "All we can do is hope Sam will listen to what I have to say."

Tai could literally sense that something else was going on, something bad to the extreme. Maybe it had something to do with the dream she had last night? It had been so real, like it wasn't just a dream but a premonition of what was happening in the world around her. But who was that guy?

"Dad, did something happen?" She suddnely asked, causing both mechs to stare at her.

Optimus gave her a surprised look while Barricade looked torn between confused and horrified. Did she know?

"What do you mean?" Optimus asked.

"Did something bad happen? Like really bad?" She could feel another little anime moment coming up, and it wasn't one of her infamous sweat drop moments.

"What do you mean, Tatyana?" Optimus repeated, optics narrowing slightly. "Nothing has happened as of late."

Tai narrowed her own optic at him. Judging by that own little glare of his, not to mention Barricade looking shiftily at both of them, something major was up. They just weren't tell her, and Tai really didn't like when people kept big secrets from her when there were Decepticons supposedly resurfacing.

"Just tell me the freaking truth, Dad." She snapped, pulling at her hair. "Did something bad happen?"

Both mechs looked at each other. Optimus seemed to be threatening with his 'eye-power', but having lived with Megatron, Barricade ignored it and turned to his charge. She deserved to know the truth. "Yeah, an old friend of yours managed to get the Allspark shard from Diego Garcia."

Tai rose an eyebrow. "What old friend?" She snapped, feeling worry creep into her Allspark fragment? Stolen? That couldn't be good.

"Soundwave. It was Ravage who stole the shard, and if you remember, he is Soundwave's favorite 'pet'."

Oh yeah, Tai remembered Ravage. He had literally used her as a chew toy, leaving horrendous scars where her inner protoform was exposed. But Soundwave, if one mech could scare her to the brink of death, it was that monotone freak of nature. The murderer of her human father and Blurr, and if that Pit-damned bastard had the shard-

"And if the Decepticons have the shard...they could bring Megatron back to life." Barricade muttered.

"Okay, before this little talk goes any furthur, I have a question...who is Megatron?"

Optimus sighed in frustration while Barricade looked surprised. "You don't know who Megatron is?"

"Dude, see this face of confusion?" She snapped, pointing at herself. "Clearly, I have no freaking idea who he is, and why you all feel te need to keep these secrets from me!"

Before she could say anything else, a sharp pain suddenly coursed through her head, causing her to hiss and close her eye and optic tightly. Not now. She hissed in her mind, watching as the numerous ancient Cybertronian symbols floated around in behind her closed lid, while her optic blinked rapidly.

"Tatyana, what's wrong?" Optimus asked, worry slipping through his stern tone as he saw his daughter hiss in pain before she snapped:

"I'm fine! Just a headache, been getting those alot lately...so who is Megatron?" She asked again, getting frustrated by this point.

"Megatron was my own boss." Barricade grunted. "I used to serve him before I left the Decepticons. He's the leader, and as savage and as powerful a mech you could get. His vehicle mode was a stealth destroyer, and he was as ruthless as a black hole, eager to hurt and punish. He was brutal."

"And now that the Decepticons have the Allspark fragment, they can use its power to revive him. He was destroyed in battle, and dumped in the Laurietian Abyss, but I fear he may return. Perhaps he already has..."

"So basically, you're essentially saying that we are screwed." Tai said, her hair standing up every which way by this point, due to the fact she kept getting it caught in her cybertronian hand.

"Pretty much." Barricade shrugged, as Optimus stated:

"And now, he can return to te living plane. And he will not stop until everyone on this planet is dead."

"Megatron is as bad as they can get." Barricade cut in, kneeling in front his charge and locking optics with hers. "You know how bad Soundwave is, Tai? Megatron is way worse."

Tai gulped nervously, feeling her spark pulsate rapidly in fear as she rubbed at her head, still blinking the renmants of the fading symbols out of her vision. "That's just fantastic..."

A thought suddenly hit, a terrible thought. Was that Mech in her nightmare that Megatron guy? Was that who that was?

If so, why did her spark react like that to him? It was a somewhat intimate feeling, like the feeling that he was...no way in hell...!

"He's my Uncle, isn't he?" She suddenly blurted out causing both mechs to jump slightly. "He's my god damned Uncle isn't he? Tell me the truth, Dad!"

Optimus felt his spark skip a beat. How did she find out? Was she able too...No!

"How do you know this?" He asked in alarm, hoping it wasn't because of what he thought it could be. If it was, she would be in terrible danger.

But the next words she said, or more like screamed, were the words he hoped she wouldn't say.

"My spark! My spark can feel him!" She hissed angrily, glaring at her father. "I remember you calling him your brother once! I thought that was like terms of Comradeship or something but no, he's your actual brother! And you never even thought to tell me that I'm related to a PSYCHOTIC MURDERER!"

The Techo-organic girl had screamed by that point, and degenerated into angry, rapid breathing, glaring daggers at her father. He had lied to her about her family tree on the Cybertronian side! Her own father!

"Fine. Megatron is indeed my brother and that makes him your Uncle." Optimus grunted. "But it makes no difference, resurrected he may be, he will stop once more."

"I hope." Barricade muttered, as Tai turned back to her father, fury and hurt clear in her expression.

"Why didn't you tell me, Dad?" She snapped, her voice shaking slightly. "Was I not mature or good enough to know the truth? Or are you just bored with me and just want me to stay out of every minute of your business? Well, what's your answer, Mister Prime? Why didn't you tell me about Megatron?"

Barricade winced at his charge's shouting, before turning to Optimus, awaiting his answer.

Optimus didn't say anything, what could he say? What kind of father would lie to their own daughter? Tatyana looked furious, her cheeks were colored red, her human eye was shining with unshed tears, and her optic blinked rapidly. All she asked was a simple question...Did he trust her?

He simply avoided her gaze and said...

Nothing.

Tai felt her spark break in it's casing. Who knew someone you cared about not saying anything would hurt so damn much? She bit her lip, and nodded, sniffing slightly. "I get it, you don't have to say anything, it's in your face."

Turning away from her father, she looked up at her guardian, who was looking between the two of them with distressed optics.

"Cade, I wanna go." She said in a tone that clearly left no room for argument.

"Tai.." He started but he was interuppted by her.

"I wanna go...NOW!" She hissed the next part, and not even waiting for an answer, she zipped up her coat and trudged down the hill leading to the road, wanting to get as faraway from her father as she could.

Barricade glanced at her retreating form before sighing and muttering, "For the Prime, you really know how to royally screw up."

"Indeed. Make sure she get's back safely." The Prime muttered, before reverting back to truck mode.

"Got it." He was about to transform before he decided to say one last thing. "And do me a favor: Leanr to better trust your daughter. It'll be better for all of us in the long run when you do." The last part was spoken with a sharp tone before he transformed into his sleek vehicle mode and drove off after his charge, leaving the Prime to think about what had just transpired.

Optimus felt nothing but shame and regret, why couldn't he just tell her? Why did he have to keep hurting her?
Tatyana, I am so sorry. He thought to himself, feeling his spark ache. I only want to keep you safe. And with that, he drove off.

It didn't take too long for Barricade to catch up to the angry and hurting techno organic, who was stomping down the pathway in anger...so he pulled up beside her and opened his door for her. She glared at it for a few seconds before sighing adn climbing in, tugging the seatbelt across her agressively, as Barricade shut his door and continued the drive back to the college.

They were both silent for a minute, Tai leaning back in his seat and sighing onto the window, fogging it up, Barricade unsure of what to say to her, painfully aware at how he had taken apart in hurting her like that. Some guardian he was.

Finally, he spoke. "You know, the only reason he didn't tell you was to protect you. He's scared to lose you, Tai."

She didn't say anything at first, which annoyed him thinking she was giving him the silent treatment but then she did something he wasn't expecting.

Was she crying?

Tai leand forward and clutched his steering wheel tightly, as if she was clutching at someone's shirt in her distress and grief, tears falling from both her eye and optic as she sobbed. She couldn't handle the pain anymore, it was too much even for her. Barricade felt his spark break at the sound of her heart breaking sobs, feeling her tears fall onto his seatbelt and steering wheel as she continued to let her emotions pour out.

"What did I do?" She choked out, burying her face in her hands as she sobbed all the harder. "Why does he hate me? I just want to help!" She curled her legs up onto the seat, being short enough to do so and wrapped her small arms around her knees, burying her face into them.

"Oh Tai.." Barricade muttered, tightening the seat belt into his car form of a hug. "I know what you mean. You try your best and no one appreciates it. Trust me, I know that feeling! I got it alot when Screamer was in charge. But the thing is, Optimus-"

"The last thing I wanna hear is about him, 'Cade!" She snapped, still sobbing loudly. "He doesn't trust me enough to even tell me the name or the occupation of his own brother! He's so caught up in his own crap that he doesn't even bother with his own daughter anymore! He's-"

"You wait just one second, young lady." Barricade promptly snapped. "Just because Prime's been a busy jerk lately doesn't mean he cares any less for you! He's scared, Tai, and he's worried about you. He wants you to stay out of this war, a war that's killed so many of our friends."

Tai sniffed and wiped her eyes with her sleeve. "My human Dad never let his job get in the way, sometimes I wish he was still here! Why does my life have to be so hard, 'Cade? Am I being punished for something? All Dad cares about now is my asshat cousin and not even bothering to ask if I'm alright! Face it, 'Cade, he's too caught up to care!"

"He's the leader of the Autobots! Of course, he's stuck in crap!" Barricade replied. "But he loves you, Tai. You shouldn't let your anger at Sam blind you from that. Until Megatron is defeated or seen off, he can't relax."

"Can't relax. Can't even pretend he cares." Tai sobbed, too caught up in her pain, her own sadness, to really listen to Barricade, whom could only sigh softly as he pulled into the parking lot.

xx

After avoiding Sam, her questioning 'room mates', Leo, and just people in general, Tai now sat, fully clothed and alone in the bathtub of her dorm, thinking things over, her eye and optic sore and tired from crying for the past few hours.

She remembered being a small kid and doing this exact same thing when she was upset or scared, she;d go to the one place where she felt like nothing could get her. And for some reason, it was the bath tub.

Leaning her head against the cool tile, she let the feelings of dread and sadness take over her processor. Closing her eyes, she let a few mores tears fall down her tear stained cheeks as the talk with her father once again ran through her processor. How could he do that to her? Why couldn't he just tell her the truth?

Was she really that unreliable and immature?

Picking up her cell phone, she flipped through her contacts, looking for a certain someone. She trusted this person with her life, and she loved him more that words could say, even she couldn't say it quite yet.

She needed Jazz.

Softly, she pressed the number on her screen, her pained and paranoid mind scared to death that he would ignore her too, just like Prime, or turn against her, like Sam. But Jazz would never do that. So, she placed the phone to her receptor and listened to the ringing.

On the second ring, he answerd.

"Tai? Hey babygirl! What's up?"

She managed a small giggle at his cheerful tone, he seemed to have this ability to stay happy and positive. "Hey babe, I'm so damn happy I can talk to you. I really needed this..."

"What for, babe?" Jazz asked, concern marring his cheerful tone. "Everything okay at your end?"

She wanted to say, "Hell yeah, of course it is!" But she couldn't bring herself to do it.

"No." She whimpered out, once again sobbing for all she was worth, hiding her face in her hand that wasn't holding her phone. "Babe, it's all falling apart and I don't know what to do!"

"Whoa babe, calm down! Why're you cryin'?" Jazz voice sounded panicked and concerned.

"Everything is spiraling out of control!" She sobbed even more, trying to muffle it byt covering her mouth with her hand this time, but it wasn't working. "Dad hates me...Sam hates me...Promise me you'll never hate me!" She felt incredibly stupid and childish begging like this, but give the girl a break! She was hurting!

"I know about Megatron!" She sobbed out, too hysterical to listen.

Jazz fell silent, before replying: "Megatron? Tai, he's, he's dead."

"The Decepticons got the shard, Jazz." Tai sobbed, tears streaming down her face. "They can brign Megatron back, and Dad hates me and Sam hates me! They just hate me!"

"No, they don't, babe." Jazz tried to calm her down. "No-one hates ya'. I don't hate you. They love you. We're just all going through some tough crap right now, girl. But don't worry, none of them hate you..."

"I just... I just don't know what to do..." Tai whimpered softly. "Megatron's back and he's going to... screw everything. And I-"

"You'll be fine, Tai." Jazz said soothingly. "You'll be alright. Listen, Prime will talk to Sam and set him straight, alright? And I'll come over and see you, okay? Make ya' feel better. It's be alright, Tai. We beat Megs once, we'll beat him again."

Tai slumped against the bath's end, wiping away tears as she heavily whimpered: "God, I hope so, Jazz... I really miss you..."

"I miss you too..."

Little did they know, someone else was listening in to the call.
The perfect girl with the blonde wavy hair and the blue eyes smirked as she hid her own receptor behind her blonde locks.

"Tatyana Witwicky's location is found, master." She cooed into her comlink.

xx

Wow! This chapter was depressing! But hey, it can only go up from there, eh?
Right?

Review!