Optimus looked around the base, the three new additions had definitely livened things up. Jackson had been good for Arcee, he had helped her, though she would never admit it, through her still grieving process of loosing CliffJumper to the Decepticons. Miko, an energetic young human kept Bulkhead on his toes, she would run around the base gazing at everything. Optimus had to smirked when she had seen SilverStorm and thought they had captured an Angel. Raf, was the smallest of the three, quiet but had earned Ratchets respect when he had assisted him with expanding their human base computer networks storage and speeding up it operating system.

They were all still learning about each other, the humans were small but that didn't stop them from trying to help the Autobots in anyway they could. Optimus admired that; their small stature held no bounds for them.

"I still say it's an Angel."

Optimus snapped from his thinking; the children were doing their homework in the little human area. A higher up place where they were safe from being stepped on or driven over. Miko was looking over to SilverStorm.

"Miko, Optimus already told us she's his sister."

Miko shrugged,

"So, doesn't mean she's not an angel, what else has wings like that?"

Jack shook his head,

"Alien creatures?"

Optimus didn't want to disrupt their conversation and kept at a distance, though he could still hear everything, no doubt Ratchet could as well.

"Bulkhead!"

Miko called over to the Wrecker,

"Does Cybertron had Angels?"

Bulkhead shrugged,

"I guess, never saw one."

Miko rolled her eyes pointing once again to SilverStorm. Bulkhead smirked,

"She's not an "Angel" like you think. She had special powers, and the wings are part of it. I never really got the chance to know her that well though."

Miko raised an eye brow, she turned her head over to Ratchet who was acting as though he was oblivious.

"So why is she in there?"

She ran over to the other side of the railing, startling Ratchet in the process. Jack shook his head looking at Raf. Miko had not yet learned the meaning of boundaries apparently and continued to ask questions. Ratchet sighed,

"She was injured, and this keeps her safe and helps her to heal and stay alive."

Jack stood up grabbing Miko before she could ask anything else.

"Miko, math exam tomorrow, best we study."

Miko groaned as she glanced back toward the chamber. Her curiosity grew more and more about the femme in the tube.

Optimus looked over to SilverStorm, he blinked, his head cocked. He turned to face the tube; he swore he saw a glimmer of blue come from her eyes. He walked toward her to stand in front of her. Ratchet looked up, it wasn't un common for Optimus to do so, though his face was furrowed differently.

"Everything alright?"

Arcee asked him before Ratchet could, making it all that more evident that something was off. Optimus nodded, his eyes bore into SilverStorm, was it desperate hope? Wishful thinking? Or maybe just imagination that he had seen her eyes open slightly?

"I suppose it was nothing more than desperation…"

Optimus turned to walk away when Arcee gasped, Optimus turned back. His spark beating faster, a feeling of hope reigniting in his chest. SilverStorms eyes fluttered open, Ratchet turned his mouth falling open. Bulkhead and Bumblebee stood behind Arcee.

"SilverStorm?"

Optimus merely whispered.

….

SilverStorm felt an odd sensation as she awoke, like she was floating in liquid. She fluttered her eyes as they adjusted to the substance that surrounded her. She blinked,

"SilverStorm?"

She heard Optimus whisper, her eyes lifting to his. She turned her head to look around her, she was floating in something. She lifted her hands in front of her, breaking the glass as the liquid expelled from the cylinder, she landed on her feet. Pulling the rebreather from her face, the spark monitors went wild as she yanked the connections from her. Her wings hung behind her back, dripping the liquid. She looked around her. Optimus and the others studied her; a puddle had formed where the tube had exploded.

SilverStorm gazed around the room, her eyes falling to three small being staring at her. She shifted her gaze back to Optimus.

"Optimus?"

She spoke, her voice steady. Optimus nodded walking forward.

"SilverStorm."

SilverStorm smiled, reaching up and wrapping her arms around him as he returned her embrace.

"I have missed you."

He whispered to her, SilverStorm placed her hand on his face as they separated.

"How long have I been… gone?"

Optimus's smile faded into a look of empathy,

"Three years."

SilverStorm backed up slightly, her eyes wide.

"Three… years?"

She whispered, she looked back up again to the humans, her mind realizing that CliffJumper was missing.

"Where is Cliff?"

Arcee's head lowered,

"He was killed a few weeks ago."

SilverStorm lowered her head in respect,

"I'm sorry Arcee, I did not know him well. I do know he was loyal to you, and he cause."

Arcee smirked,

"You can say it, he loved to talk. That mech never shut up."

SilverStorm smirked,

"They take up the space the rest of us, quiet ones, leave."

Arcee chuckled slightly,

"They do, we have some new partners now. I've seen you eyeing them."

SilverStorm crossed her arms, her wings still heavy on her back from being soaked.

"Am I that obvious?"

Ratchet scoffed,

"There isn't anyone more obvious then you."

SilverStorm made a mock face at him as Arcee, Bulkhead, and Bumblebee made their way over to their human friends.

"This is Jack."

Arcee pointed to him, Jack waved.

"Hi Jackson Darby."

Bulkhead lifted Miko up to his shoulder,

"I'm Miko!"

She happily announced, Raf follow suite with a little less enthusiasm and a slight head shake

"I'm Raphael Esquivel."

SilverStorm smiled looking at each one of the children,

"I am SilverStorm."

She bowed slightly,

"I take it you are the natives of this world?"

Jack nodded,

"Humans."

Miko piped up,

"Ratchets not to fond of us… well me!"

She eyed the medic playfully.

"I tolerate your insanity Miko, if all humans were like you the race would have died out."

Miko crossed her arms,

"Is that so? Well if all Cybertronians were as grumpy as you the military would have killed all you at first look."

SilverStorm looked over to Optimus, the Prime had a slight smirk, his head shaking slightly. The others seemed unphased indicating to SilverStorm that this was common place amongst the two.

"I take it the two of you bicker like this all the time?"

Miko smiled leaning on Bulkheads head,

"Since we first met a little over 6 weeks ago."

She stuck her tongue out at the medic who returned her expression with a heavy sigh bursting audibly through his pursed lips. He waved his hands and returned to his work. Miko did a small fist pump in victory of winning the argument. SilverStorm looked back over to the kids,

"Lemme guess, Jackson you are studious, aren't you?"

Jack ran his hand through his jet-black hair,

"I try to be."

SilverStorm smirked,

"You remind me of someone."

She glanced over to Optimus who missed her gaze as she shifted back to Raf,

"and you? You are very quiet."

Raf smiled shyly,

"Ya, I am a bit of an introvert. I like my computers; I help Ratchet and the team out with technological stuff."

SilverStorm smiled sweetly, memories of Stellart flooded her mind, reminding her not to attach herself to these creatures, but that didn't mean she couldn't be nice to them.

"And Miko, you seem very energetic."

Mio laughed, Bulkhead nodded,

"Yeah she is, to much energy sometimes."

Miko playfully punched him,

"I am just high spirited."

SilverStorm smiled turning to Optimus,

"Well I am sure a lot has changed in three years, why don't we go for a walk and talk?"

Optimus nodded,

"You will need to acquire an earth-based vehicle mode first."

…..

SilverStorm drove back and forth on the dark road, her headlights shining brightly.

"I like this new form."

She laughed, giving it gas as it sped up behind Optimus. Her new form was a cobalt blue late 90's Chevy Suburban. She floored it past the Prime as they went off road across the desert.

"Your form lacks thrust for speed bro!"

She quickly turned her tires inward causing her to spin out in the dirt. Optimus slowly stopped as the only thing he could see in the dust cloud was SilverStorms headlights.

"SilverStorm we must take care not to draw attention to ourselves, humans must not find out about us."

SilverStorm drove, parking herself in front of him.

"What about the three that do? Plus, Miko said something about a human military?"

Optimus sighed slightly,

"The military was of necessity, they provided us with sanctuary and an Agent who is our liaison to the outside world. The children were by mistake, though it has worked out. The humans of this world fear that which they do not understand, if they were to find out about us, it would no doubt insight panic and cause us to be exiled from this planet, leaving it exposed to the Decepticons."

SilverStorm shut off her engine,

"Makes sense, I guess."

She took to her full form,

"Though most planets in this galaxy were accepting of me, I just assumed the humans were the same, though they do seem to be a more primitive race, not as primitive as some of the races out there, but primitive compared to our culture."

Optimus took to his form next,

"They are like us in many ways."

SilverStorm looked up at the stars, she wanted… no needed to tell Optimus about Alpha Trion, her spark broke for him though, at the moment he seemed so peaceful she hated to disrupt that.

"Optimus there is something I need to tell you and it will be hard for you to hear."

Optimus looked at her, his unknowing eyes glowed in the darkness. She took a deep breath,

"When I was… gone I was learning, training how to use my powers… Alpha Trion helped me."

She looked up at him, she was hoping he would get the meaning and she wouldn't have to say the words. Optimus furrowed his eyes at her,

"I don't understand."

She closed her eyes, placing her hand on his shoulder.

"Optimus… Alpha Trion… he's dead."

Optimus stepped backwards; his spark stopped. He had figured all along that was true but to hear it confirmed shocked him.

"Are you certain?"

SilverStorm nodded,

"He told me himself, I am so sorry. I dreaded telling you."

Optimus's hand shook slightly, his mentor was gone. Without Alpha Trion who knows where he would be. SilverStorm pulled him into a hug,

"I'm sorry."

She could feel his sorry emitting from the Matrix. Optimus returned her embrace and the two stood in the silence of the night for a few minutes. Optimus nodded as they separated,

"You okay?"

She asked him,

"Yes, all things happen in their time though we sometimes wonder why, we cannot stop them."

SilverStorm rubbed his arm,

"At least we have gained each other back, after practically 4 years of being apart, nothing can separate us now."

Optimus smiled as they walked and talked late into the night, Optimus told her of what had transpired since she had fallen into a comatic state, she twinged a bit at the mention of Dark Energon, the words of warning about Unicron still in her mind. She held them, as of right now it did not seem to be a need to bring that up.

After a while they returned to the base, the other had taken the children home and were putting in curbside duty. Ratchet had fallen asleep at his desk. SilverStorm smirked, Ratchet, he had a hard exterior, but he was as caring and kind as they came, it just took a lot of chiseling to see it. She walked over to him gently shaking his arm.

"Ratchet?"

Ratchet moaned, shifting his head to the other side of his arms. SilverStorm looked up at Optimus,

"We can't leave him like this, his backs going to be killing him in the morning."

Optimus put his hands on his hips,

"Ratchet often sleeps out here, and yes that is the result in the morning."

SilverStorm sighed,

"Well if we can't wake him, might as well let him sleep."

Optimus nodded with a smile,

"I prepared a chambers for you while you were… asleep."

SilverStorm smiled as they opened the door, the berth was made and the room dust free.

"You cleaned it?"

Optimus nodded,

"I had hoped each day that you would awaken."

SilverStorm sat on the berth, she blinked, after three years of being comatic she would think she wouldn't be tired, but she was exhausted. Optimus slowly closed the door, as the room grew dark, it wasn't long till SilverStorm was once again asleep.