I have decided that when I reach 100 reviews, I will do a side story about how and why the Twins were welded to the ceiling. Can't wait for it now…

Anyways… THANKIES TO ALL WHO REVIEWED! I AM AWED AND HONORED BY ALL OF THE REVIEWS AND FAVORITES AND FOLLOWS!

Seriously, thanks guys… you've made this story worth writing.

~.~ ~.~

Savannah was bored out of her mind. Except for when Optimus had to remind Jazz that the speed limit signs were NOT suggestions, there was almost nothing interesting about the drive to her house.

Okay… maybe that wasn't quite truthful. She had already explained to the three mechs (much to Will's amusement) why humans felt the need to 'build cities in the middle of nowhere'. And then, as if that wasn't bad enough, she had ended up explaining why humans needed a 'pit stop' every two or so hours.

They had ignored her sarcastic remark that Ratchet should have already explained that.

Now she was sitting in Optimus' passenger seat while staring out of the window at absolutely nothing. It was the flatlands part of the trip, and she was getting tired of the same view.

"Savannah…" Optimus began quietly, as if he was concentrating.

"Yes?" She responded.

"Could you please… stop tapping the door handle?" The Autobot leader asked quickly.

Savannah paused and then glanced at her tapping fingers; she immediately put them in her lap and gave an apologetic smile.

"Sorry… nervous habit I thought I had gotten rid of."

"It is alright… it was just slightly distracting." Optimus stated soothingly, and then the two of them fell silent once again.

It wasn't even ten minutes later before Optimus sighed as her fingers began tapping against the seat, she was obviously nervous.

"Savannah…"

"Sorry!" The woman exclaimed and once again placed her hands in her lap.

"Do you want to talk or have the radio on? It might help ease your anxiety." Optimus offered.

"The radio might be nice." The young woman sighed in relief. "I'm sorry… I don't know why I'm so worked up about this…"

"It is your father." Optimus stated as he chose a soothing radio station for her to listen to. "He helped to raise you."

"Yeah… but that doesn't mean that I got along with him." Savannah's brow furrowed. "I'm actually kinda worried that this is just a ruse to make sure I come and visit the family."

"Why would they lie to you about something like this?" Optimus asked.

"Because they don't like the fact that I have a job so far away. If it was up to them, I would stay in their home until the day I die." Savannah sighed. "They've pulled something like this before, but they've gotten worse after the Mission City incident. It really irritates them that I won't just stay in my home town and settle down. They don't realize that my home town drives me absolutely crazy; it's small and out of the way of normal traffic. Just that would drive me insane, but the fact that most of the residents there are so closed minded about everything… I couldn't live there even if it was the last safe place on earth."

"They cannot be that bad." Optimus sighed.

"Oh, yes they can. The last time something like this happened, my mother had been in a 'car accident' and when I got there it had only been a ruse to get me to come home so that they could try and convince me to stay." Savannah found her-self motioning to nothing and stopped. "Trust me, they wouldn't put dad having a heart attack out of question. He's never even had heart problems. While I know a human can have a heart attack without there being any history of heart disease, my dad isn't one of them. He's an ex-marine, and he keeps up his training."

"Ah…" Optimus suddenly saw her point. "If this is a ruse to get you back to your home town, what are you going to do?"

"Chew them out and leave as soon as I possibly can."

Optimus couldn't help but chuckle at her words; she had obviously done something like this before.

"You love them though." He finally said with a smile evident in his voice. "I can tell."

"Of course I love them, they're my family." Savannah grinned. "That doesn't mean that they don't drive me to the brink of insanity though."

At that Optimus actually laughed, Savannah was almost a different person when she wasn't on base. He could tell that from their small conversation. It was interesting to see how she went from professional to joking in a short time, and it was refreshing to see her sarcastic humor rising to the surface without it being the middle of the night.

"So… Optimus…" Savannah began. "I've been meaning to ask… Do you have any family?"

Optimus became quiet as he thought of the best way to answer her question. Savannah waited patiently for his answer, but soon realized that it was probably a sad subject for him.

"I'm sorry… you don't have to answer that."

"No… Yes, I do have some family. Though I use that word in a different sense than you do…" Optimus sighed. "I was orphaned when I was young. When I was almost 120 megacycles… ah… that would be around the mentality of a 12 year old for humans, I was adopted by the one I consider my creator.
He was a kind mech, though I assume that he saw the potential I had to become a Prime and that is why he chose to take me in. His name was… Sentinel Prime."

"Oh no…" Savannah had read the reports from only a year or so ago. "I'm so sorry Optimus… that had to have been… I'm sorry."

"It was not your fault." Optimus replied. "Thank you, though, for realizing what most others do not."

"I should have made the connection sooner though… damn, I'm sorry for bringing it up."

"Do not be." Optimus chuckled. "Anyway, he was a kind mech at one point, but then I met another mech whom I called my brother. The two of us were going to try and change the caste system that Cybertron had become dependent on. We only wanted to make it possible for others to rise in the society if they so wished… but then I was named the next Prime. It was a hard blow for my brother to accept. I had been given the leadership because I did not have a spark full of hate, while he did. He became jealous, and began the war out of anger. At that time I had not realized that The Fallen had taken him under his wing so to speak. When he attacked, he shot me close to the spark, and then collapsed a building on top of me. I had to have a full frame replacement, and Sentinel requested that I add a facemask simply because I was not adept enough at hiding my emotions to be the leader that I needed to be."

"So… Sentinel is the reason why you got the mask?" Savannah ventured.

"Yes, it was a good suggestion at the time, but now I wish I did not need it." Optimus sighed and then paused in his explanation to once again remind Jazz that the speed limit signs were to be followed and not challenged. "I hope that the war is over, but I know in my spark that it is not. And I will not be over until Megatron cannot return at all, or he and I resolve whatever issues are between us."

"Don't tell me that Megatron is the one that you called brother." Savannah almost groaned.

But Optimus could tell that it was out of sympathy and not exasperation.

"You don't seem to have any luck with relationships outside of friends." She sighed, but then seemed to delve into deep thought. "You know…"

"Optimus, this is my stop."

"Thank you Ironhide. Enjoy your visit to Annabel and Sarah."

"I will do, you treat that little lady with you nice. You hear me?"

"I will Ironhide, thank you."

Savannah couldn't help but grin at the conversation that Ironhide and Optimus had. Their voices came from the speakers, though it was supposedly a private comm. conversation.

"You be safe Ironhide. And give my best to the other parts of the Lennox family." She stated, knowing that the weapons specialist could hear her.

"I will young one. You be safe too, and keep those two in line."

"I wouldn't dream of doing anything else."

And then Ironhide pulled off on an exit ramp and cut the connection.

"He's a nut." Savannah laughed, but her smile told Optimus that she had become fond of the old mech.

"That he is." Optimus chuckled then realized that she had been about to say something when Ironhide had contacted him. "You were saying something…"

"Oh… it's nothing." Savannah gave a slightly embarrassed smile. "I was just thinking out loud."

Optimus was quiet for several seconds. "Savannah… I have wanted to ask you…"

"Hey boss bot! I think we need to take a break."

"Why Jazz?"

"I… uh… I just blew a tire…"

Optimus and Savannah both sighed as Optimus followed the hyperactive TIC into a rest stop so that Savannah could get out and take a look at the blown tire.

"This is why we were telling you to follow the speed limit Jazz." She sighed and then glanced around. "Hold on, I can call my sister to come and help with the tire. Hell, she might even convince Melvin and Harold to come too."

"Melvin and Harold?" Jazz, who had activated his hologram, questioned from where he was leaning against his alt mode.

"Yeah, they're my sister's partners. She's a Private Eye." Savannah pulled out her cell phone and punched in her sister's number.

"So… boss bot…" Jazz grinned over at Optimus as his hologram climbed out of the cab. "Didja tell her anything yet?"

Optimus shot a glance over at Savannah, who was now arguing with her sister about something over the phone before glaring at Jazz.

"No, I have not." The leader rolled his eyes. "Though I was about to when you alerted us to the fact that you had blown a tire."

Jazz blinked once, and then twice, before a string of the most creative Cybertronian curses Optimus had heard in a long while escaped his mouth.

"Sorry about my bad timing boss bot." Jazz gave an apologetic grin. "But you WERE going to tell her."

"I was getting ready to, yes." Optimus didn't like the grin that Jazz was shooting him.

"What do ya know… this vacation might be exactly what you needed." Jazz laughed.

"Alright, Katrina, Melvin, and Harold will be here in about twenty minutes." Savannah stated as she walked back over to the two males, and then paused when she saw the looks on their faces. "Did I miss something?"

"Nope, you didn't kitten." Jazz smirked.

Savannah shot Jazz a look that she clearly didn't trust what he said at the moment, but shrugged it off and turned to begin a new conversation with Optimus.

~.~ ~.~

So close… yet so far. Awww man, both of them almost spilled the beans about their feelings. And Jazz knows it! Next we get to meet Katrina Price, Savannah's younger sister, and her partners Melvin and Harold. Trust me; those two are not who they seem to be.

Can anyone guess who they really are?

If you read it, please review it!

Until all are one,

Chistarpax