The wind quietly wisped through the trees of a peaceful, residential neighborhood; the reddish hues of the evening sunset casting a warm glow upon a small house of red brick. A cement pathway jutted out from the doorstep to the edge of the cul-de-sac, and standing at this edge was a woman in her late 30s. With short, red hair that matched the sunset, her sky blue eyes stared off at the road in front of her, as she awaited the return of her beloved daughter.

This wasn't the first time, however, that she was forced to exercise her patience. When one's daughter befriended Earth's giant, robotic protectors, and visits were now becoming commonplace, it was also common for said mechs to be fashionably late in returning.

The woman let out a sigh as she realized something; common. That's the word she was using to describe these visits as well as her daughter's friends; common. Since when did trips to Autobot Headquarters and having acquaintances with Godzilla-sized robots become common? Perhaps it was the time frame of things; it had been over three weeks now since that fateful day when the mother opened her front door to see a giant mechanoid lounging on her lawn.

That was one day she'd never forget. Her daughter left the house early that morning; excited about something. What it was, she didn't know, and she didn't have time to ask since she had to get to the bus stop so as not to be late for work. Arriving home much later, she started dinner as usual; expecting the teen to come walking through the door like always. But eventually, the hours continued to tick by, and the mother became more and more worried. It was late in the evening when she finally heard a knock at the door, revealing her pride and joy looking a tad worse for wear. The only thing stopping her from grounding the girl for life was the sight of a black and white robot grinning down at her. Since her maternal instincts kicked into overdrive at that point, her daughter's explanation remained a bit of a blur. All she remembered was the basic gist of it all; Decepticons tried using the teen as a hostage, Jazz saved her, cane and guitar got broken, met the Autobots who built her new ones, offered the privilege to visit, and that's about it.

But the image that was forever burned into her memory was the Autobot kneeling toward her level and lowering his blue visor, revealing the most beautiful optics she'd ever seen. There was just something about him; an air of love, care, concern, politeness, and compassion that immediately put her at ease. Everything about him was irresistible, and it was this revelation that actually made her give the "okay" to all of this.

The communicator given by him was essentially their private phone and direct line to the Autobots. With this, visits became regular, and things were now falling into a bit of a routine. Jazz, in his stylish Porsche form, would come in the morning and pick up both mother and daughter. Said mom would then be dropped off at a bus stop much further down the line, since the two women's routes split off at that point. The woman would then take the bus all the way home, then wait for the saboteur to arrive with Kayla a little later. So here she was; waiting for a familiar black, white, and blue Porsche to come rolling into the street with the stereo blasting as usual. Jazz always picked them up, and it was always Jazz who brought the teen home. Any minute now…

Soon enough, a vehicle did enter the parameters of the neighborhood…but it wasn't the Porsche the woman came to like. Instead, she merely watched as a bright red, 18 wheeler truck wheeled into the cul-de-sac, aligning the passenger-side door to the cement side walk with surprising and incredible ease. The woman scratched her head in confusion as to why such a large truck would pull into a small neighborhood…that is, until she stole a glance at the trailer it was towing. The Autobot symbol flanked proudly on the side and realization hit.

Just then, the door opened on its own accord, and a teenage, long-haired, red head slowly climbed out of the cab. No doubt the delay was due to the unfamiliarity of the vehicle in question. But the girl managed without complaint. Arms agape, the teen readied herself for the hug she knew was coming, and her mother proceeded to do just that. The Kenworth's engine gave a rumble, and Kayla pulled away as she remembered.

"Oh yeah, how could I forget?" she said mostly to herself. Turning back towards the truck, a pair of hands slid her guitar out of the cab, and she gathered the black, leather case in her arms, "Thanks for the ride, Optimus."

"It was no trouble at all", came a calm, deep voice. The teen's older double stepped to the side a bit to get a better look inside the cab of the truck. After having an Autobot chauffeur for a little less than a month, she was oddly used to the sound of a disembodied voice. However, it was the hands that passed the guitar that perked her immediate interest. Sitting behind the wheel was an older gentleman, wearing slight cowboy attire, and a hat that kept most of his facial features in shadow. He looked kind of like a cross between John Wayne and Peter Cullen…but the brightness of those blue eyes were unmistakable; this was another one of those holograms. All the 'Bots had them so fellow motorists wouldn't freak out seeing an empty car driving itself. She had seen Jazz's holo-human plenty of times, but she didn't think the mechs actually cared to make their "drivers" look different from one another. All they needed was someone or something to look the part; why bother with what it looked like?

But the mother would have to ponder about it later, for Kayla suddenly took her by the hand and led her over to the passenger-side door, which was still open. The teen waved a hand in the Kenworth's general direction, and smiled, "Mom, allow me the honor to introduce you to Optimus Prime; leader of the Autobots."

The woman's mouth went agape for the second time that month. So this was the famous Optimus Prime she'd seen on the news too many times to count. Although, her surprise did make sense; one, all the publicized videos were of his robot form-she never saw what he looked like as a car, and two; she never thought the leader of all people would ever come to her house. Then again, she never thought she'd have anything to do with the Autobots, period. But she long since learned that life was full of darn, freakin' surprises. The 'Bots were the definition of that.

The man in the driver's seat removed his hat for a moment, smiled, and nodded politely at the girl's mother, "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Mrs. Matthews."

The woman both blushed and gulped at hearing his voice. After listening to Jazz's Southern/Cajun/cool-man's lingo all the time, it was kind of weird to hear a new, metallic voice all of a sudden. And this one was vastly different than the saboteur; deep, wise, and laced with authority. Dwelling on it, it made sense he would sound as such; being the leader, he would always be called upon for any diplomatic issues, so his straight to the point properness probably stemmed from that. Never the less, he was being kind, so she gave a kind response, "The-pleasure's mine, sir…"

Kayla knew where this was going; her mom had "the talk" with Jazz too; best to leave them alone, "Um, you guys just get acquainted; I'm gonna' head in. Thanks again, Prime; I'll see ya' tomorrow maybe…so to speak." With that, the teen hoisted her guitar case over her shoulder and made her way up the walk, thanks to long time experience. The ebony door opened and closed softly as she disappeared into the house.

Mrs. Matthews stared at the door for a moment, trying to sort out what to say to the infamous Autobot leader. But her attention was immediately pulled back to the idling truck when Optimus beat her to the punch, "I assume you're perplexed as to why Jazz isn't here. I regret to say that a mission called him away on short notice, but I promised him your daughter would be taken safely home, so I took it into my own hands."

That was very thoughtful, the woman had to admit. Before answering, she opted to cast her speaking attention not at the hologram, but rather, at the truck as a whole, "Thank you, Mr. Prime sir."

The engine revved a little as he chuckled, "This may be our first meeting, but since her visits are becoming a regular occurrence, you may just call me 'Optimus'."

The mother smiled; taking a step closer, "I, um…I never thought I'd ever get the chance, but…thank you. Not just for any of this, but for just being here…on Earth, I mean…to protect us. You and your men don't have to do it…but you do."

Prime's holo-driver cast her a friendly glance, "There's no need to thank us. We feel it's our duty. The Decepticons cannot be allowed to destroy any planet, especially one of great promise and beauty such as this."

Mrs. Matthews couldn't hide the pride on her face at that statement; the leader sounded a lot like her husband-always trying to do the right thing. But at the mention of the 'Cons, her expression turned to one of worry. The 'Bot must have noticed, for he asked gently, "Something troubles you?"

The woman was pulled from her thoughts at the question, and she stole a glance at the hologram. There was a look of genuine concern. Sighing heavily, she started, "You and the Autobots have done a lot, and there's no denying that you'll protect for what it's worth…but that can't stop basic, maternal instincts."

Optimus knew what the lady was trying to say. His hologram nodded in confirmation, "You're worried for your daughter's safety."

The woman gave a sullen nod of her own, "Kayla's my only daughter, and I love her. I don't know what I'd do without her, and with her…handicap, it only magnifies that worry." A pause, and then, "But she preserved without complaining."

Prime let the words sink into his CPU as he thought in silence. The mother's fear was completely understandable; all the 'Bots had become tightly nit over the millennia, so any blow to one was felt by everyone. The same was said for their human friends, who became members of the "family" too, and now, the newest "relative" was making herself known. And her mom was certainly right; that red head wasn't a complainer, not in the least. After all the torment she was put through, and yet, she never wanted the hero treatment. The leader knew he had to point out her selflessness, so he did, "Kayla is a very remarkable young woman…I haven't met many who hold a capacity for courage as much as she does."

Mrs. Matthews blushed at the flattering statement, but her eyes fell to the ground, "We had a long talk about all of this that night I met Jazz…how it could work…and if she wanted to do it. I won't bore you with the details, but let's just say that her words and Jazz's introduction earlier was enough of a convincing argument for me to say 'okay'." She rubbed the back of her neck in thought as she added in, "She was really excited about the whole thing; to be able to hang out with her heroes…but somehow…I honestly don't think the robot aspect had anything to do with it…"

This statement earned her a quizzical glance from the holo-driver, and Optimus' voice didn't betray the look as he asked, "What do you mean?"

The woman cocked her head to one side, "Has she told you about her dad?"

"Yes", Prime answered, "He's a captain in your military, correct?"

To that, she nodded; her eyes becoming distant as she harkened back to days long past, "Kayla and Pete were really close, and they still are. My work would keep me away sometimes, so he was the one she got to hang with…but our country had another call to arms recently. So that meant, figuratively speaking, she wouldn't see him for a long time." Another look of deep thought came over her, "He does get a shore leave every now and then…but never the less, you could count the visits on your hand. Thankfully, work's been good to me, and I've worked a steady 9 to 5 shift, but…Kayla just…I think she's lonely…"

There was an uneasy pause as the Autobot leader took in this new information. He remembered a few conversations he had with the teenager; all of which were pleasant. And judging by some of the teams' initial reactions to her, and her likewise to them, she always seemed very happy and energetic in her delivery. For how nice she was, he never would've even suspected her being lonely in any way. Before he could respond, the mother continued, "Kayla's made plenty of aquatiences in her life, but as much as I hate to admit it, not too many people are eager to hang out with a blind girl a lot. I think guitar was her saving grace; it gave her direction…but there were even fewer who understood it or liked it as much as her."

Optimus inwardly smirked; having a feeling of where she was headed, "But Jazz did…"

Mrs. Matthews nodded with a tiny smile, "Before him, I never met someone so committed to music as much as her. I mean, there were a few who liked it, but just not someone who was able to see it from her perspective and get it…he's the first real friend she's made in a long time." A pause, and then, "That's what's got me kind of divided…I worry, but…the two of them have this…bond…I don't want her to lose him…"

Prime's hologram nodded in understanding; the two music connisuars had grown attached over the weeks. Kayla was always in Jazz's quarters at some point in the day, and it certainly brought the saboteur great joy in having her visit almost every day. He had also found a kindred spirit, and the leader wasn't about to break it up either. It was then that the 18 wheeler found that he could relate to the woman standing there, in many ways. Both of them carried the weight and worries of the safety and well being of their loved ones, be it direct family, or close comrades. Even before this revelation, he knew he had to say something to put her at ease, but he chose that moment to do it.

Without another thought, Optimus' hologram stepped out of the cab and walked up to the mother standing near him. Placing a hand on her shoulder, the leader gave her a comforting smile and spoke with confidence, "I find that we share much in common as well, and I can assure you, we'll always look after your daughter. I promised you and her our protection, and I always keep a promise…I'm glad to have met you, Mrs. Matthews."

The woman stared into those electric blue eyes for quite a while, trying to register the whole conversation. There was a lot to consider…but looking at that large, bold truck, and the hologram trying to give the vehicle a face, a sense of somewhat relief came over her. There was just something about the Autobots, it seemed; first Jazz, and now Optimus Prime, that radiated trust. And after being relatively alone for so long, it was both pleasing and safe to have someone to confide in. With a smile, she finally answered, "It's an honor to have met you too…Optimus."

The hologram smiled warmly at her choice to call him by just his first name; hopefully this casual attitude would stay. With another polite nod of the head, Prime's holo-driver climbed back into his cab, and the doors "magically" shut on their own. A quick honk of the horn, and the 18 wheeler turned around in the cul-de-sac with skill and ease. Mrs. Matthews waved the whole time, until the Autobot leader drove out of sight.

With a smile still on her face, the mother turned on her heel and strode back to her house with a new found confidence. Kayla was probably wondering what was keeping her so long, which made her also wonder what her husband was going to make of all this when he returned from the service. But for now, she'd listen to her daughter's latest adventure at the Ark…it was becoming pretty common after all.

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AN: One thing I've always wondered is why Chip or Carly's parents were never shown, or, more importantly; what did they think of their children hanging out with the Autobots and going on these death-defying adventures? You'd THINK they'd be even a TAD worried for their safety? It was this question that spawned this little episode of what Kayla's mother thought about all this.