Howdy partners. Yep you guessed it, I'm back for more. Thanks for the reviews, they make my day.

Hostage videos and Ally being a moron in front of the secretary of defence. What's new there?

Enjoy

No offense to whoever designed it but whoever was the architect for the Pentagon was on drugs. I mean who makes a building in the shape of a pentagon. It makes no sense what so ever other than it looks weirdly good.

This is what I was thinking as we pulled up outside of the giant pentagonal structure. The second he was out of the car Lennox was busy straightening up his uniform and attempting to smooth his hair.

"Ally, you're about to meet the Secretary of defence, you'd better smarten up" He nudged me.

I looked down at my creased, dirty shirt, torn jeans and muddy shoes. "What's wrong with what I'm wearing?"

"You look like you got dragged through a hedge backwards" Lennox cried exasperated

"That's what I always look like" I shrugged, really not seeing anything wrong with my appearance.

"At the very least fix your hair up" Lennox pinched the bridge of his nose and walked away muttering.

"Niff" I grunted, but in the end decided to look at my hair in Optimus's mirror. I found three leaves, a twig, a few streaks of blood and a knot that would take me about an hour to get out. "Okay, I see what he means about being dragged through a hedge" I muttered as I pulled out the twig, wincing as it tugged me hair "How the hell did I get a stick in there anyway?"

Ally where are you? I jumped about three feet in the air and yelped when Abbies voice filled my head come and get me out of this

It took me a few seconds to realize that I was picking up her stray thoughts and she wasn't trying to communicate with me.

"Ally, what's wrong?" Lennox materialised beside me, a concerned look on his face.

"Nothing" I said way too quickly "It's nothing important" I gave him a meaningful look and he dropped the subject.

"Come, they're waiting for us" Lennox jerked his head in the direction of the Pentagon "And it's probably a bad idea to keep the Defence Secretary waiting"

I absently patted the side of Optimus's bonnet and followed Lennox and Epps up the steps. They stopped just outside the door.

"Okay, it's probably pointless telling you this but please don't do anything to stupid. Let Epps and I do the talking and we should be just fine" Lennox said.

I pulled a face but didn't say anything, which was a minor miracle. After giving me a pleading look Lennox pushed the door open. We were met by a very slick looking secretary.

"Hi, I'm Major William Lennox. We're here to see Defence Secretary Keller" Lennox introduced himself smoothly. The assistant gave us a once over and nodded.

"Take a seat. Mr Keller will be with you shortly" She gestured to a row of plastic seats against the wall. Lennox nodded his thanks and sat down.

"It's so fancy in here" I said a few minutes later. My voice echoed eerily through the building and I nearly giggled "Wow, it's like a cave. Hello" I laughed as a slight echo answered back. Lennox and Epps sighed.

"Why did I agree to this?" Lennox shook his head

"Sorry. I'll stop being embarrassing" I apologised.

We waited on the seats for another half hour before the sliding door across the room opened and a man in his late sixties approached us. Lennox and Epps were on their feet in seconds, snapping of sharp salutes. I got up slowly and looked at the guys body guards uncertainly.

"At ease. Captain, Major, I received your report. Well done" I assumed that this golden oldie was the defence secretary. I placed my hands behind my back when he turned to me.

"Who's this?" He asked

"Allison Shorecoat, the girl that you wanted brought in" Lennox placed a hand on my shoulder

"She's so young" I blinked at the comment, surprised "Is it wise to involve her"

"I'm seventeen" I couldn't stop myself "I've sat through all the alien movies, all the predator movies and the entire series of alien vs. predator movies without batting an eyelid. I think I can cope with whatever it is you're gonna involve me in. Plus I'm already involved so, yeah"

The Defence Secretary looked baffled but shrugged "Alright. Come with me"

We followed him through the sliding door into the corridor.

"What did I tell you before we came in here?" Lennox asked

"To be as stupid as possible" I smiled at him "I'm sorry alright, I just don't do the whole 'not talking' thing well"

"Miss Shorecoat?" Both Lennox and I jumped as the Defence Secretary called my name "Come here for a second"

"Please don't be too stupid" Lennox pushed me forward gently. I quickened my pace so I was walking beside the older man.

"Yes Sir?" I asked.

"First of all, please don't call me sir. It makes me feel old. And it also doesn't sound right coming from a seventeen year old girl. Just Mr Keller or John is fine" He smiled warmly.

"Okay then Mr Keller" I said.

"You're quite a funny young woman aren't you? In fact you remind me of my daughter" He paused for a second "I trust Major Lennox explained to you why you're here"

"Actually he doesn't know why I'm here. He just assumes it's for my protection" I glanced back at Epps and Lennox, who were talking amongst themselves.

"That's partially correct, but we also need your help. You'll see why in a minute"

We stopped just outside a glass door. Mr Keller waved a hand to the person behind a window and the door opened allowing us into a very large room filled with computers and people.

"Whoa, talk about high tech" I breathed

"This is where we do most of our military communications" Someone explained "It's from here that we send orders for air strikes, rescue missions, raids and so forth"

"Just down here we have teams of people trying to figure out what hacked our military network" I looked down into an alcove that was teaming with people and even more computers. "These are the best signals analysis people in the whole country and we are still no closer to figuring out whom or what did this"

I blinked slowly as I watched them work. A young woman, not much older than me, suddenly looked up from her screen. I waved slightly at her and she waved back before going back to work, her long blond hair falling onto her face.

"They're never gonna find out who did this" I whispered to Lennox who had come up beside me. The Major made no reaction as he watched. "Do you think you should…?"

"Tell them. I don't know" Lennox ran a hand through his hair, straightened up and walked away. I followed him over to Mr Keller.

Of course my phone picked that time to go off.

"Argh, sorry sorry" I apologised I swiftly grabbed my phone out of my pocket, again marvelling at the fact it hadn't fallen out "Hello, this had better be really good"

"Depends on your version of good" Starscream drawled "We just received a transmission about Abbie"

"What" I gasped "Can you come to me? I want to see"

"Is that a good idea?"

"No probably not, but I need to see it" I waved away Lennox

"Alright, we'll come" Starscream said hesitantly

"Not all of you. Just you and Optimus" I said

"Alright" The line went dead. I turned to Lennox.

"They just received a transmission about Abbie" I said, then looked at Mr Keller "Two of my friends are coming in to show me something really important. Is that alright?"

"I'll have to tell someone to let them in" He said after a few seconds

"That won't be necessary" I said. About two seconds later the holoforms of Starscream and Optimus appeared beside me. A collective gasp was drawn from everyone watching.

"How- how did they get in here?" Someone asked. Lennox and Epps looked at me questioningly and Keller was merely staring with his mouth slightly open.

"Quite easily actually" Starscream smirked and turned to me "How would you like it played?"

"Don't care, just show me" I struggled to keep myself calm. Starscream nudged Optimus who looked a little unsure but tapped his temple. Even in holoform he could still project images and soon I was standing before my best friend.

Unlike all the hostage videos that I had seen on TV Abbie wasn't tied to a chair and didn't have some druggo in a balaclava pointing a gun to her head. No instead she was standing, stock still and completely untied. Her wide dark eyes stared out at me, terror shining in them clear as day. For a few seconds she just stood there, then she turned her head to someone off the camera.

"Am I just going to stand here for the next century? I thought this was a hostage video not a magazine shot. I'll tell you what I'll just pose for the camera then" I quirked an eyebrow as she put on some stupid pose, tossing her hair back over her shoulder and cocking her hip.

"Enough already" My heart stopped working at that moment and my jaw dropped open as a very familiar person stepped into view. His dirty blond hair was styled in the exact same way it had been four years ago, his hazel eyes still shone with intelligence behind his small rectangular reading glasses and he still had the exact same eye crinkling smile

"Dad" I choked. My dad turned to face the camera and smiled. My lower lip trembled and tears threatened to make yet another appearance.

"Hello Allison and whoever else is watching this. Yes, as you have noticed I am very much alive but that is not what I am here to talk about. As you can see I have your adorable little friend…"

"Adorable? Is that a joke?"

"Shut it. Anyway, I have your best friend and you have something that I want. So I propose we do a trade. Meet me in mission city tomorrow at midday and we will discuss my deal" He then seemed to think of something else "Oh yes, and tell your friend, Optimus Prime that my lord Megatron is very anxious to see him"

"Hey Al, warn Starscream that…" Abbie never got to finish her sentence before the transmission ended.

Silence followed as everyone went from staring at me to Optimus, to Starscream then back to me again. I was trembling and hugging myself as I sank down slowly to my knees. I had a sneaking suspicion that I knew what my father's deal would be. Abbies life for the All Spark.

A gentle hand on my shoulder made me flinch but when I looked up I found myself staring at Optimus. He placed a hand under my elbow and pulled me to my feet. I was still trembling, almost too much to support myself so I found myself leaning against him.

"He hasn't changed at all. I mean, physically he hasn't changed, mentally he's a whole new person" I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply to calm myself. "What am I going to do? I can't give him the All Spark but I can't let Abbie die"

"We have to meet him anyway. Otherwise Megatron will destroy Mission City" Starscream patted my shoulder.

"Uh would someone please explain what is going on" Mr Keller's very confused voice brought me back to reality. Him, plus everyone else in the room was staring at me.

"I'll explain. This little girl is hanging with aliens" My eyebrows shot up as Agent Seymour Simmons o Sector 7 strode into view.

"I'm sorry sir I didn't see you standing there, you would be…?" Keller looked as pleased to see Simmons as I was.

"The world's biggest idiot" I muttered, earning snickers from Lennox and Epps and a death glare from Simmons.

"A representative from a top secret government group. I'm here under direct order from the president" I wished I could have whipped that smug look off his face "Is there somewhere I could talk to you, Miss Shorecoat and her boyfriends in private?"

Hey, what do you know, I'm done. Hooray.

Um…okay I have nothing random to say so…until next time.