Jack sat silently on Arcee, holding onto her handle bars. He looked down and sighed.

"Jack, you okay?"

"I'm sorry Cee. I shouldn't have got involved" Jack stuttered.

"Hey, don't say that, you did a great job in London"

"I got photographed, and I can't change appearance like you guys. All they had to do was match me to my internet profile and bam...a knock at the door"

"Again, not your fault"

"Thanks Cee, but I know I screwed up. Sorry I got you in trouble with Optimus"

"He's just angry at the situation, I think. I'll try not to aggravate him more. I've got to say Jack; I was surprised when you said that to Optimus"

"Cee, he shouldn't have shouted at you, you saved me. No one shouts at my girlfriend" He said with a stroke of the wing mirror.

"Once again, your flattery saves you. But I want you to apologize to him when we get back to base, understand?" she said to him with a stern tone in her voice. Jack groaned, swinging his head down.

"Understand?"

"Yeah. Okay"

"Thank you Jack"

Suddenly rotor clapping sounded and both Arcee and Jack peered up, praying it wasn't Blackout. It wasn't, it was Sector Seven. Other SUVs were catching up.

"Oh scrap! Optimus, we've got Sector Seven in pursuit!" Arcee shouted.

"Understood" he gave her the bare minimum of a response, Ironhide hit his brakes and dropped back, Arcee and Jack racing by him.

"I'll keep em busy; get Jack and June to safety!" Ironhide shouted, racing forward again as the SUVs caught up with him. His suspension bounced and he emitted an energy burst, stunning the SUVs and bursting their tires. All four of them swerved and came to a stop as Ironhide drove off, laughing.

"haha! Pow! Blow out!" he cackled.

At the same time Optimus raced ahead, June locking in her seat belt tight.

"Teletraan One, we require an immediate ground bridge!"

Sir this is not possible with Sector Seven in pursuit. I could not close it in time the A.I informed Optimus.

"Understood" he sighed, Arcee and Jack catching up alongside him. An empty flood control channel was visible going under a nearby bridge.

"Optimus! The Helicopters won't be able to chase us down there!" Jack shouted.

"A wise notion, move down to the channel" They veered off, smashing through flimsy fencing and down the diagonal concrete wall, sparks scraping off the truck as it skimmed the concrete on the flat. Arcee raced down as well. They skidded and came to a halt under the bridge. Both Autobots transformed, June jogging to Jack.

Optimus's hand came into view, an open palm as he knelt. "Up you get" He said. June carefully clambered into his hand, hugging his finger tight to stay in his hand and not plunge to her death. She reached her hand out to her son. Jack looked at Arcee. She nodded her head to his hand.

"Go on" She gently said.

"No, we stick together partner" Jack stood his ground. Arcee sighed, shaking her head.

"Jack, please. Don't make me pull rank" She smiled, supporting a secret love behind her optics. He looked into her eyes, and just wanted to scream how much he loved her, but with Optimus and June listening, he couldn't, for her sake.

"O...okay" He stuttered. Jack stepped onto Optimus's hand, holding onto the thumb and lifting up. Arcee looked up at him as Optimus lifted his hand up to the side of the bridge.

"Go, get June home" He said as Jack clambered over the hand rail. "Jack, keep your mother safe" Optimus ordered. Jack listened, helping his mother over the railing.

Optimus went to lower himself. "Optimus!" Jack called his name, making him look back. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have disobeyed you; I shouldn't have said that stuff to you. You...you're family" He managed. Optimus's polymer cheeks lifted under his eyes, a hidden smile behind the face plate. "Thank you for saying that Jack, You are my family too" Optimus said with his powerful voice. Jack jogged off with his mom, looking back at Prime.

Optimus lowered himself from his tip toes and crouched down under the bridge. Arcee activated her blaster cannons and waited to make a stand. Optimus placed his palm on them, lowering the blasters.

"Not on humans. All we can do is flee and wait until the heat cools off" Arcee nodded unwillingly and sighed as she stood next to the crouched leader, waiting for Ironhide.

"Optimus, I'm sorry...about earlier" she said quietly.

"You completely disobeyed me" He said glancing down at her. She stroked her upper arm as he looked down.

"But..." Optimus broke the silence. "It is reassuring to know that you would do anything for your partner" she gently smiled at the disappointed leader. At least he wasn't as angry, and would calm down. "We don't harm humans Arcee, because freedom is everyone's right"

"Even if they took it from June and Jack?" she shrugged.

"They are a young species Arcee. A lot to learn lies ahead of them"

"Well...I am sorry Optimus"

"As am I" He said gently, looking at her. She smiled back.

Ironhide reappeared, jumping the pickup down into the channel and skidding over to them, helicopters growing louder. Ironhide transformed as Arcee walked over to them.

"What's the plan?" Arcee asked the leader.

"Transform and roll out. Split up and disappear into Jasper, it won't be easy to pursue all three of us if we aren't together. Ironhide, do you understand?" Optimus asked.

"Yes sir" He nodded.

Optimus stood up and went to transform.

"I will see you two back at base. Stay safe" He transformed and headed back down the channel towards the exit. Arcee sighed before transforming and spinning around, going in a different direction. Ironhide cracked his knuckles and morphed back into the pickup truck, driving back up the channel wall and through the already shattered fence.

...

Jack following June as they fled to safety. Against his better judgement, he left Arcee, but she could hold her own. Jack panted as he and his mother ran towards their home. It became evident that Sector Seven weren't interested in them, only the Autobots, Jack was just a way to get the true prizes. The moon was arched in the sky above them, illuminating Jasper in soft lunar light.

"I cannot believe you Jackson Darby" She hissed.

"What? Why can't you just be happy that they're back, that Cee is back?"

"You went to London Jack! You got involved with a fight that could have seen you killed! What if Arcee couldn't protect you huh?"

Jack didn't have an answer, he just looked down.

"How long?" She bluntly asked.

"How long what?"

"Have they been back?"

Jack sighed as he stroked the back of his neck. "Couple of months" She huffed and walked onwards.

"Why couldn't you trust me, to tell me?"

"Not my choice. Optimus didn't want you getting involved or hurt" He told her as he tried to keep up.

"But my son is okay to endanger? Prime or not, I'll give him a piece of my mind" She snarled.

"I am not a kid anymore, when are you going to realize that!"

"I do Jack!" She shouted, swinging around and stopping. "I do realize you aren't a teen anymore, you're a man, you can make your own decisions. But I am your mother, and you can't make me stop worrying or caring about you" Jack sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"I know mom, and I appreciate it, I do! But...it just gets a bit much. I mean you use to always drop by the base and find ways to embarrass me...in front of my friends"

In front of Cee as well.

"So what, I can't see the Autobots?" she raised an eyebrow.

"No, you just don't need to embarrass me all the time, the hugs, the lunches, the interrogating Arcee to make sure she isn't endangering me. I...I" She listened to him, lowering her defensive stature. "I...I've grown up mom"

June didn't answer; she simply turned and walked onwards, knowing he was right. Jack raised a fist to the sky.

"Why! Why are moms so difficult?" He whispered under his breath. After venting he went and caught up with her.

...

Optimus parked up in a trucker stop, alongside other rigs and huge trucks. The red beefy military truck stopped and the headlights dissipated. Optimus glanced over in his wing mirror at a long nose Peterbilt truck. Chrome exhausts, red and blue color scheme with vibrant red and blue flames to match. Optimus sighed.

"Maybe another time" He shrugged the mirrors and watched from the dark as the helicopters circled Jasper.

Meanwhile Ironhide drove into a petrol station, parking by one the hoses and blinking his headlights down to a dull glow. The red pickup sat silently as SUV's raced past.

"Whew. Too close. Optimus, its Ironhide. Are you safe?"

"Yes old friend I am. Have you heard from Arcee?"

"No...you?"

"No. And that's what worries me"