"Do you believe him?"

Optimus looked out over the dark city, the lights of Lincoln twinkling against the starless sky. "I want to believe so."

"That he wants to be neutral?"

Optimus glanced at his co-leader. He felt Rodimus' pronounced presence through the connection between them and he knew how torn the younger mech was. On one side he wanted to believe that Decepticons could make this choice. On the other he had been through the same war and he had seen the loss and suffering.

"He also seems quite attached to humans. This display of affection is unusual."

"He's a Con. They know how to act."

"Maybe it was an act once. But to stop a human child from stealing him, convince him to finish his education, and then stay with him? As his car?" Optimus shook his head. "There is only so much acting."

"And he said he wouldn't side with you guys either," Tony joined in the conversation. He was sitting on the roof of the building next to the warehouse, at shoulder-height of Optimus. "I know it's impolite to eavesdrop, but those two, Raoul and Drift, they know each other really well. I also did some checking into the kid's background. Misdemeanors until he was thirteen, then he was just a model citizen. Drift apparently turned his life around. He may be a Con by your standards, but he really cares about the kid."

Ironhide rolled to a stop and transformed after Will had gotten out. The hybrid was in his long-sleeved 'camouflage', only his face revealing skin. His hands were gloved. The two of them had patrolled the area, leaving the Primes to talk, but Ironhide was too twitchy to remain away for long.

"We can't let him run around lose," he growled.

"You can't take him prisoner because of former affiliations either," Tony told him. "He hasn't done anything but hide. And if my suspicions are correct, and if I can read between the lines with a Decepticon, he isn't in great fighting shape either. He was maintained by a human instructed by himself, and it shows. He might be able to take one of you out," Stark glanced at Rodimus, "but now with all of you here? And with the fire power? I doubt Raoul patched him up that well."

::Not everyone's a genius:: Rodimus teased.

It got him a grin.

"So now what?" Will asked, hands stuffed into his jacket and looking up at the assembled mechs.

"Actually, I'm at a loss as to what to do," Optimus confessed.

"Let me help," a female voice interrupted, sounding annoyed. "Let him go back with Raoul!"

Will, still standing next to Ironhide, turned to look at the woman and froze. His eyes grew wide.
"Oh my god… Annabelle!"

The woman stared at Lennox, then her mouth dropped open.

The mechs shifted their attention and Tony slipped off the roof, landing gracefully.

"Annabelle?" he echoed.

"It can't be!" the girl exclaimed. "No way! I…" Her hand touched her chest, clutching at something around her neck. "But you're dead!"
Will swallowed hard, still rooted to the spot. "Impossible…"

"Annabelle… Lennox?" Tony poked, sounding fascinated. "I thought you said your name is Bella Sheppard?"

"I… my step-dad's Eric Sheppard… he adopted me… my father… You're supposed to be dead!"

It sounded like an accusation. As if Will had no right being alive.

As if it required all her strength and courage, she walked up to Lennox, eyes wide. Then she caught sight of the rather lively runes.

"Oh my god… W… what is that?"

Raoul was gaping at him, too, and Drift was whirring and clicking softly. His optics were focusing solely on the runes and he finally whispered, "Allspark code!"

He sank to his knees, optics bright, disbelief written over his features. Ironhide's cannons whined as they charged, now aimed at the Decepticon who was too close to Lennox for the Autobot's liking. Optimus just held up a hand.

"Ironhide," he warned softly.

Lennox gazed into the wide red optics and nodded. "Yes, Allspark code."

"But you're a human!"

He smiled humorlessly at the Decepticon. "Yeah. Kinda." His eyes were on Bella again.

"You're really… my dad?" she asked, voice filled with absolute disbelief and tiny hope, as well as fear of the answer.

He nodded.

"But…"

"I'm dead. And these were the reason I died," Will replied, voice shaky.
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::Well, she grew up into quite a looker:: Tony remarked as he sat next to Rodimus, legs dangling.

::Stark…::

::Only the truth. She's a good-looking kid. Not that I'm interested::

Rodimus gave him a warning look.

::I'm not suicidal. Extremis is useless against what Will can do to me. I like my life::

::Good::

::Speaking of altered looks… you still have those tuning features:: Tony teased. ::Like the sleek look?::

Rodimus smiled. ::Actually, I do. I think of keeping them::

Tony grinned. ::We really have to go cruising down in LA. You'd be a head turner. And a nice addition to my collection once more::

The last was said a little wistfully. Rodimus looked up, understanding in his optics. Suddenly Tony smiled again, the shadows only lingering briefly in the dark eyes, then they were gone, too.

"I have business to attend to. Holler if there's any way I can help."

"We will," Rodimus promised.

Tony called the helmet from subspace and Iron Man took off a minute later. Flying home would take a while, but it was also what Stark wanted. It cleared his head, made him feel free, and for a brief moment Rodimus caught that exhilaration, then Extremis closed down the link. Only a superficial connection remained.

Rodimus smiled again, then turned back to the matters at hand.

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Bella hadn't thought her life could get much more extraordinary. She had found out about alien robots on Earth. Her best male friend was buddies with one and they were running from some other alien robots. Now her biological father was sitting across from her, looking like he hadn't aged a day since the last picture had been taken of him, and he looked like someone had tried out a new form of a really weird, moving tattoo on his skin.

She was trying to digest everything he had told her, about the reason why he had been declared dead, what the tattoos were, who he was now, but it was really a lot to understand. This would need time.

"Bella, your mother can never know," Will said, voice heavy with emotions. "For Sarah I'm dead. It was for the best at the time and it still is. I no longer exist. Nowhere."

"Yeah." Bella looked rather solemn.

There were many emotions whirling in her eyes, though. She was either rubbing her hands together as if she was cold or twisting them.

Lennox reached out and carefully touched the moving fingers. She jerked a little, then gazed at the runes flitting over the point of contact.

They had found a low wall to sit on, a bit away from the others, and while it allowed Will to be close, it also gave them a necessary distance when needed. Right now the closeness was okay.

"This is crazy," the young woman whispered.

"I know. It's been crazy for me."

"I mean… couldn't you have told her? Sworn her into secrecy or something?"

"At the time Sarah and I were already separated. It had more to do with my job and that secrecy. The Autobots are the biggest secret there is. I couldn't just tell my family; no one could."

Bella nodded, but she didn't want to understand it. Not really.

"I can't remember you from back then," she finally said, briefly glancing at the so familiar face. A face she only knew from pictures. "But I snuck the albums into my room. I took them with me when I left for the U. And this." She pulled out the dog tags.

Lennox let the cool metal settle in his hands. He felt something inside of him constrict with the emotions.

"I don't know you at all," he murmured.

"Ditto." She tried for lightness, but it failed. "And now we run into each other over a Deception."

He laughed, but there was little humor in there. "Ironic."

"Kinda." Bella looked at where Raoul and Drift stood, still talking to Optimus Prime. Then her eyes fell on the massive black mech looming not far away.

"You're under constant watch?"

Will looked at the mech. "No. Ironhide and I… we've been into this right from the beginning. He's been my friend from the start. I think I would have done something crazy if not for his support."

Bella nodded again. "Now what? I mean… Drift and Raoul… Raoul is my best friend. And I won't let anything happen to his car. I haven't known him for long, but Drift is a good guy."

Will gave her a dubious look. She glowered.

"I don't care about military stuff! I'm a good judge of character! Raoul's been living with the guy for ten years, damnit! What kind of devious plan should that be? Live with a kid who tried to steal you, teach him about mechanics, help him set up his own body works shop…? Very much the idea of a crazy dictator in the making!"

Lennox laughed. He looked at his daughter and laughed. "Yes, I can see where that's kind of flawed." He grew serious again. "But we've had the experience with Decepticons. You two haven't. There's a reason why they call themselves 'Decepticons'."

She glared again.

"Annabelle… Bella… we want to believe in the good of Decepticons. We have a former one allied to us, but that story has a different background."

"He's neutral!" she insisted. "He could have done a lot more damage and he didn't! You can't go around judging people!"

"And we won't."

Lennox looked up and met the calm blue optics of Optimus Prime. It was amazing how lightly the guy could tread if he wanted to.

Bella jumped up and looked at the towering mech. "Translation?"

"Drift will return with Raoul to LA after he gets a complete check at the base and the necessary repairs. He will stay in LA afterwards. We will track his movements," Prime raised a calming hand as she was about to protest, "which he agreed to. I will regard him as a neutral party."

"But under probation," she added.

"Yes."

Bella didn't look happy, but she didn't protest. When Prime walked back, she gazed at her father.

"So… now you're disappearing again?"

Lennox hesitated. "I don't want to," he finally said.

"But?"

He hesitated again.

"Listen, if I have to sign some papers about non-disclosure, top secret stuff, etc, let me do it. I won't tell anyone! I won't tell mom. Really! I mean, we had a few bad times already, over me going to LA, then Lincoln. She wanted me to stay in New York."

Will smiled. "I'd like to talk to you, Bella. A lot. Like I said, I don't know you at all. I just can't take the next plane or train..."

She nodded. "Yeah. Bummer. But I could move back to LA… Or Vegas." She grimaced a little. "Don't like the city, but the U's okay. I can get my masters there."

Lennox regarded her with emotions clearly displayed in his eyes.

"And it's summer break, y'know. I could go back with you. We can catch up… at least the first decade or so."

He smiled. "I'd like that."

"Are you driving back?" She gestured at Ironhide.

"We have a plane ride."

"I'm cool with flying. I just need to pack a few things."

He smiled again. Bella hesitated, then slowly approached. When Will didn't react, she embraced him. He was a bit surprised, but finally returned the hug.

tbc...

and just because they've met now doesn't mean the fic's about to end, don't worry ;)