Disclaimer: Hasbro owns Transformers and all its characters. I only own Paige and Swiftblade.

"And that's the story of how I met and became friends with… well, two Decepticons." Paige leaned back against the passenger seat with a small sigh, thinking about the one she didn't get to talk to very much.

I'm just glad I got to apologize to him before he went offline.

"I see," Optimus hummed thoughtfully as they drove down the road towards their base.

She frowned, not liking his lack of a response. So she hurried to explain herself. "I'm sorry for keeping it a secret, Optimus. It's just-"

"Paige. I am not upset," he assured her gently, effectively shutting her up. "In fact, you keep surprising me."

She tilted her head a bit in confusion, glancing at the radio. "Really?"

"I feel that out of everyone on Team Prime, your loyalty is always being tested. But you stay true to what you believe in."

"Well, yeah. I mean, Knockout isn't really a bad guy. He's just… on the wrong side of the field," she said softly, shifting her gaze out the window.

"You may be right. He does tend to… abandon his missions when his finish is on the line."

She giggled at his words. "That he does." She grew quiet for a moment and bit her lip. "Hey, Optimus?" When he gave an inquisitive hum, she continued nervously. "I've actually been thinking of asking him to switch sides… And if he were to consider it, would you accept him onto the team?"

"Of course," he answered without hesitation. "As long as you trust him, I see no reason to refuse. Although, the others may take some convincing - Arcee especially."

She snorted quietly at his words, agreeing with him. Arcee was quick to point her guns and interrogate rather than ask questions first. She then smiled softly at the radio. "Thank you for letting me tag along, Optimus. It was fun, and I enjoyed spending time with you."

"You are most welcome. I too enjoyed our time together." He drove into base and slowed down. "Perhaps we should do this more often."

She grinned, "I'd like that." When he stopped, she climbed down from his cab and turned to greet the team. "Hey, guys! What's… up?" Her smile faltered as she noticed the tense atmosphere, barely registering that Optimus transformed behind her.

"Paige?" Jack asked, surprised. He was standing on the catwalk with Miko, Raf, and Agent Fowler.

"You were with Optimus?" Miko asked, just as shocked.

Paige frowned in confusion, walking further into the room as she eyed everyone warily. "Yeah?" She stopped and narrowed her eyes as she watched the bots' reactions to Optimus' approach, how they flinched backward as if they were preparing to defend themselves.

"Is something wrong?" The Prime asked, also noticing his team's tense actions.

"We were just… wondering where you've been," Arcee answered with a quick glance at Bulkhead.

"We haven't been able to reach you," he added.

"Paige and I have been outside of communication range," Optimus informed them, reaching toward his hip. This made the Autobots tense up even more and Paige narrowed her eyes, moving to place herself in front of Optimus in case they decided to suddenly get trigger-happy. "In a subterranean Energon deposit." He showed them the piece of Energon crystal he had cut off to bring back.

When none of the bots relaxed, Paige openly scowled and crossed her arms. "Can someone tell us what the hell is going on? Because you all look like you're ready to shoot the first thing that moves," she snapped, causing every bot to flinch.

"We're…" Arcee stepped forward to address Optimus. "...sorry."

"Don't blame them," Agent Fowler spoke up, gaining their attention. "I was attacked earlier tonight. On an open highway by a big rig. One that bore a striking resemblance to you."

Paige stiffened at his words, eyes widening. That couldn't have been true. She had been with Optimus the entire time. So how was that possible? The only thing she could think of was…

Agent Fowler's ringtone cut through her thoughts. "Fowler," he answered, stepping away from the teens on the catwalk. "What? That's not possible. I can tell you sure as there are fifty stars on my star-spangled shorts, it isn't him!" He turned to look at Optimus, causing Paige to frown. He hung up and stuck his phone in his pocket before addressing the team. "Alden military base is under attack by Optimus Prime."

"The truck?" Jack asked.

"The bot."

Everyone turned to look at Optimus but Paige was too busy clenching her jaw and gripping her arms tightly. She barely registered that he had ordered his team to go aid the base in defending against the fake Optimus, running through the ground bridge. She stayed near the stairs as she glared up at the monitors, watching the data on Ratchet's screens as she listened for the chatter over the main hub.

But it wasn't long before they returned to base. It hadn't even been five minutes since they left.

The coward must have run, she mused.

Paige headed up the stairs and walked briskly across the catwalk to the elevator. She paused only when she felt a small hand grab hers.

"Where are you going, Paige?" Raf asked, sounding confused and worried.

She didn't even turn to look at him. "To get some air," she replied simply, carefully pulling her hand out of his grasp and closing herself inside the elevator. She pressed the button for the top floor and tapped her foot impatiently as she waited for it to arrive. She nearly stomped out of the elevator as she made her way across the top of the base to stand next to a pile of carefully placed rocks. She whipped out her phone and punched in the number, already beginning to pace back and forth a safe distance from the edge.

It took two rings before her call was picked up. "Paige, this better be importa-"

"What the hell are you doing?!" She snapped angrily, openly scowling at the ground as she paced.

"Whatever do you mean?"

"You know exactly what I'm talking about," she growled out. "I'm not a little girl anymore, dad. You're framing my friends and trying to get them killed!"

A chuckle came through from the other end, making her blood boil. "All is fun in games and war."

"This isn't a game. I don't like what you're doing." She barely registered the sound of the bot-sized elevator opening, announcing a new arrival. But she didn't pay attention to it. "Stop this madness right now!"

"I can't, Paige. Their technology is too intriguing not to study and use. I was originally doing this for you."

"Cut the bullshit. You stopped doing things for me after mom died," she sneered, continuing to pace. It was a low blow but it was the truth. A truth she had accepted a long time ago, and a truth he needed to accept.

"...I'm sorry you feel that way."

"Yeah, well, 'sorry' isn't good enough."

"Then I won't apologize. Because you're not my daughter any longer."

His words shot through her like a bullet, causing her to stumble before catching herself. She stared wide-eyed at the colored horizon, her hands feeling clammy. "Y-You don't mean that…"

"Unfortunately, I do."

She swallowed around the tightness of her throat, trying to regain the breath she had lost with his words. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She then straightened up before glaring out across the desert landscape surrounding the base. "Fine, Silas. I see we've chosen our sides." Her voice wavered but she didn't care.

"Yes, we have."

The call ended and she dropped her hand, squeezing her phone as she clenched her hands into fists. The edges of the phone bit into her palm but she didn't care. Her breathing grew ragged as tears freely fell from her eyes. She had half a mind to throw her phone into the distance, but a pair of arms looping around her middle stopped her. She whipped her head around to see Swiftblade's holoform staring at her with concern, a worried frown on his face as he saw her angry tears. Her breath hitched and she allowed her knees to buckle, knowing her guardian would catch her. He did, holding her weight in his arms as he lowered them to the ground.

She buried herself in his jacket, clutching the fabric in her fists after dropping her phone. She allowed the tears to fall as her frame wracked with sobs, causing her guardian to wrap his arms fully around her. She felt the familiar heat and vibration of his purr, and it helped to calm her down enough to stop crying. She didn't dare move though. It felt nice being in the comfort of his protective embrace.

"Paige… What happened?" He asked quietly, rubbing a hand along her back soothingly.

She didn't respond for a few moments, simply taking her time in taking deep breaths to calm her nerves more. "He… disowned me," she whispered, causing his hands to still.

"Paige…" His hold on her tightened and she nuzzled his chest. He tensed slightly, hearing her begin to sing softly.

"He fights because he knows he cannot hide

He's never gonna make it, all the

Poor people he's forsaken, karma

Is always gonna chase him for his lies

It's just a game of waiting from the

Church steeple down to Satan karma

There's really no escape until he dies…"

She then pulled away and wiped her face with her hands to dry her tears. "I'm okay, Blade…"

He stared down at her with a frown, not believing her words. His gaze then grew distant for a moment. "On my way," he responded, causing Paige to grow alert. His eyes grew bright again and he helped pull her to her feet. "I have to go help search for MECH's base." When she nodded, he allowed his holoform to disappear and his altmode - parked near the elevator - transformed. He knelt down and extended his hand towards her. "Come on. I'll give you a lift."

She gave a weak smile and picked up her phone, gladly walking over to crawl into his hand. Once she was comfortable, he entered the bot-sized elevator and went back down to the ground floor. When they arrived, he carefully placed her on the catwalk with a farewell purr and moved to join his teammates. She was greeted by the concerned faces of her human friends as she approached them, noticing her red eyes - a telltale sign that she had been crying.

Before they could ask what was wrong, she nodded towards the closing ground bridge. "What's going on?"

"We may have figured out a potential area where MECH's base is located," Ratchet informed her, not looking away from the terminal. "We believe it would be within driving distance of both attacks by Nemesis Prime."

"Nemesis Prime?" Paige echoed with a raised eyebrow.

"Miko's idea," Jack told her, making the girl in question grin.

Paige rolled her eyes half-heartedly. "I should've known." She looked down when she felt a small hand tug on hers.

"What happened?" Raf asked, staring up at her worriedly.

She looked away and pointedly avoided her friends' gazes as she frowned, feeling the sting of more tears. She blinked them away, forcing herself to remain focused on the more important situation. "I'll… tell you later," she told him, glancing at the monitors. "Let's just focus on what's important right now."

"You're important too."

His firm but quiet words caught her by surprise. She looked at him and saw how his face was set in a somewhat stern expression. She let her shoulders sag and squeezed his hand, giving him a small smile. "Thanks, Raf."

"Bumblebee's down!" Ratchet's voice caught their attention and they all moved to stand at the railing. He then scowled and slammed a fist on the edge of the terminal in frustration. "They're jamming the team's comms!" He then started typing something into the terminal. "Let's see… If I can isolate the control frequency of the remote link Silas is employing, I should be able to pinpoint his exact position."

"Remote link?" Raf asked.

"You didn't think MECH possessed the ability to build a completely autonomous robot, did you?"

"So he's manipulating it like a video game behind the scenes," Paige mused, leaning against the railing.

"I was hoping Silas would be operating the bot from inside because one punch from Bulkhead and - booyah!" She punched the air and then dramatically feigned a death scene, complete with gagging noises and collapsing to the floor.

Paige rolled her eyes with slight amusement at her friend's antics. "Unfortunately, my d-... Silas takes the safe route in these matters. If he can find a way to do something without getting his own hands dirty, he'll do it," she told them, turning away to watch Ratchet work. She didn't notice how her slip up caused the other four humans to exchange confused looks.

"Aha! Frequency isolated," Ratchet announced, accompanied by the beeping of his terminal.

"Then reopen that bridge," Fowler told him, voice low.

"Agent Fowler, did you not hear Optimus advise against your involvement? It's for your own safety."

"Look, doc. I don't plan on dancing with any bots, but there's a human element in play here. And in case you haven't noticed, I happen to be a highly trained, government grade, human."

Fowler's words caused Paige to eye the man up and down, noting his physical shape with concern. Highly trained or not, he looks like he hasn't been to the gym in years.

"Yeah! Plus, Silas tried to run him off the road," Miko piped up. "It's personal."

With a defeated sigh, Ratchet finally agreed and typed on the coordinates. Paige followed the man down the stairs, only speaking when he started making his way towards the ground bridge. "Agent Fowler, let me come with you."

He turned to her and frowned in disapproval. "Paige, you're staying here."

She held his gaze, stubbornly standing her ground. "With all due respect, sir, this is as personal to me as it is for you. At least let me provide backup."

He pinched the bridge of his nose. "And that is exactly why you're not coming with me, soldier."

"But-"

"Paige." The finality in his tone as he met her gaze had her clenching her jaw. "You're staying here and that's final."

She clenched her fists and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. "...Yessir." She relented, her shoulders sagging. She felt a pat on her shoulder but didn't look up. She listened to the ground bridge close behind the man before she made her way back up the stairs to join the other teens, reigning in her emotions as she watched the monitors once more.

"Agent Fowler," Ratchet spoke once the agent picked up his call. "The control frequency is transmitting from a structure one hundred meters due north."

"Copy that."

Paige gripped the railing as they waited for news from the team. But it wouldn't be until later that she learned the truth of the aftermath of that battle.

"So, how weird was it to see someone exactly like Optimus kicking the scrap out of you?" Miko asked her guardian as he and the other Autobots were recovering from being knocked unconscious by Nemesis Prime.

"It's a sight I won't soon forget," Arcee told her.

"The question remains whether MECH will continue to function as we know it, without its leader," Optimus spoke up, having been patched up by Ratchet.

"Well, here's a kicker," Agent Fowler said over the main hub. "We sifted through the wreckage with a fine toothed comb, and couldn't find any trace of Silas."

"That's… bad, right?" Miko asked, glancing at the bots.

"Yeah," Paige finally spoke up, having been quiet since they had arrived back at base. She was currently leaning against the railing with her arms crossed over the top bar, her head bowed to shield her eyes with her bangs. All they could see was her frown. "It is."

Everyone present exchanged a glance, noting how she seemed a bit standoffish since the news of her father's supposed death had been revealed. But her mood hadn't changed even with the knowledge that he could've survived. Raf was the first to speak up, taking a step away from his guardian. "Do you… want to talk about it?"

"No." With a shake of her head, she pushed away from the railing and headed down the stairs. Her face was still shadowed by her bangs. "But I want a ground bridge back to my garage if you'd please, Ratchet."

"I… of course." Taken aback by her request, it took him a moment to actually walk over and punch in the coordinates to her place of residence.

"Paige!" The brunette stopped on her way towards the now open ground bridge, allowing Miko to catch up to her. "Talk to me… What happened after you took that elevator?"

She didn't answer for several seconds, simply clenching her hands into fists at her sides. She took a deep breath before speaking quietly. "I'll tell you all later…" She then sprinted through the ground bridge and leaped out the other side, landing in a crouch inside her garage. It closed behind her and she looked around. Noting nothing significant had changed, she stomped up the stairs to the kitchen and grabbed a water bottle from the fridge to down. As she did, she sent out a text message.

To Fowler: I need to talk to you about something important whenever you're next available. Preferably in person. Call me back.

She then tossed her phone onto the table and threw the empty bottle into the garbage. She plopped down in the chair and rested her elbows on her knees, hunching over to dig her fingers into her hair and scalp. Her body trembled as the tears fell, soaking her pant legs. It wasn't fair. Why did he have to change so much? Why did he abandon her? Why did he choose to be against her?

Why did it have to be this way?

Paige followed the soldier into the building and down a few halls. She kept her back straight and her head held high as she walked, not allowing herself to look as nervous as she felt. When she had asked to meet with Agent Fowler two days ago, she didn't expect to join him on a debriefing with his superior, General Bryce. It made her stomach twist into knots and she fought the urge to clench her hands into fists. Her pistols had already been confiscated by security and she felt unprotected and naked without them.

The soldier stopped at a door and knocked twice to signal their arrival. There was a verbal confirmation from the other side and the soldier opened the door, stepping aside to let her through. Once she stepped inside, the soldier closed the door and left her alone with the other three occupants. Her eyes roamed the room briefly, finding another soldier holding a large camera, the man named General Bryce seated at a desk - the plaque on his desk told her that's who he was - and Agent Fowler standing next to a chair that he gestured to once they made eye contact.

"You must be Paige Bishop," General Bryce spoke once she had taken the chair.

She gave a quick nod and met his gaze. "Yessir."

He tilted his head slightly, intrigued by her mannerisms. "I've been told you're a certain Leland Bishop's daughter, also known as Silas."

"Yessir."

"Now, I want to make it clear that you're not here because you're in trouble."

She nodded. "I understand, sir. I'm here because of my relationship to Silas and the Autobots. Am I correct?"

His eyebrows rose slightly. "Yes, that's correct. I'm surprised, miss Paige. I didn't expect you to be so cooperative with this."

"If I may, General Bryce," Agent Fowler cut in, earning a nod from the general. "Paige has been through a lot during her time with the Autobots and MECH. She's got quite the nerves of steel in tough situations." He winked at her, causing her to smile sheepishly and run her fingers through her hair.

"You've been involved with MECH? For how long?"

"Not very long, sir." She fiddled with her bracelet absentmindedly as she talked, never once averting her gaze. "In fact, the last mission I was a part of was to steal the DNGS."

"And you agreed to go on the mission?"

"At the time, I had no idea that Agent Fowler and the Autobots were transporting the device. I was only told the night before to be ready to go on a mission, and I only found out during the mission just who was involved."

"You haven't gone on any MECH missions since then?"

"No, sir. Silas banned me from any future missions after that."

"And just how long have you known about the existence of the Autobots?"

She took a moment to think about it. "Mm… A little over two months. I had just turned eighteen last week, so… Yeah, that sounds about right." She nodded to herself.

"And you haven't told anyone about them?"

"No, sir. This is my first year in Jasper, Nevada so I didn't have any friends at the time besides another who is currently also part of Team Prime."

"One of the civilians you mentioned earlier, Bill?"

"Ah, yessir," Fowler nodded.

General Bryce looked back at the brunette. "And where were you living before?"

"Grand Rapids, Michigan."

"What made you leave?"

"It was Silas' idea, not mine. I believe this was during the time he defected from the military, and he told me we had to go into hiding. So moving me into a small town a few states over seemed like the best option, I guess." She gave a little shrug.

"You knew your father defected?"

"Sort of. He would tell me small things, but not a lot. Just that it wasn't safe where we lived anymore. I connected the dots as soon as he started working with MECH. I think he knew the higher ups would sniff him out if we had stayed in the same place for too long."

"And, uh… Your family life. The file I have here shows that your father was previously married."

"Yessir." She closed her eyes for a moment as she thought about her mother. "My mother's name was Melanie Bishop. She died five years ago due to cancer. And I believe that was the catalyst that caused Silas to decline mentally and defect from the military."

"What makes you think that?"

She swallowed around her tightening throat, remembering those earlier years. "We used to spend holidays together, but he even stopped celebrating my birthday. And then he stopped coming home. He would spend more days outside the house - probably building MECH - than he would inside the house. And once he moved me out to Jasper, the only times I ever got to see him was if he wanted me to join a mission." She clenched her hands into fists in her lap, and she felt someone lay a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"General Bryce, this is getting a little too personal," Agent Fowler warned, wanting to change the subject for the teen's sake.

"Just one more question. You never once referred to Silas as your father. How do you feel about his sudden disappearance?"

"General Bryce!"

"It's okay, Agent Fowler," Paige assured him. She took in a shaky breath and sighed heavily. "During the whole mess with the fake Optimus Prime, I called Silas to get some answers on what he thought he was doing. I knew at the time that it was him due to some information Team Prime had learned previously, and it was easy for me to connect the dots - as I've always had a rather photographic memory. We disagreed on the sides we had chosen, and he… disowned me." She felt the sting of tears but she fought them back, dipping her head to shadow her eyes with her bangs.

"Paige… is that what you wanted to tell me?" Agent Fowler asked, shocked.

She nodded, not looking up. She took a deep breath to calm her emotions before speaking again. "As for how I feel about his disappearance… I can't say that I'm surprised. MECH has been known for a rather clean sweep of their operations when things don't go their way - as I'm sure Agent Fowler no doubt told you." She lifted her eyes to meet the general's gaze. "And I doubt that this will be the last we hear of MECH, regardless if Silas is still alive or not. And as for me… I'm just a girl trying to graduate high school on the side of saving Earth with my family."

General Bryce's eyebrows rose. "Your family?"

Paige actually smiled this time, a small yet fond smile. "The Autobots, sir. They've been like a family to me since the very beginning, and I can't imagine a life not ever knowing them."

"I see. And what if they were to leave this planet? I hear they've got the technological advancements to do so."

"I'd definitely be sad to see them go," she admitted softly, her gaze growing distant as she thought about such a possibility. Yet her smile never faltered. "But I'll cherish every memory I've made with them, and will continue to make."

The general hummed in contemplation before waving his hand. "You're free to go, miss Paige. I'll have Agent Fowler keep me updated on your involvement with the Autobots."

"Thank you, sir." She stood up from the chair and gave him a quick salute. "It was nice to meet you." She then turned and walked out the door and back down the hallway. She let out a heavy breath as she headed towards security to retrieve her pistols.

Tension filled the cab of Swiftblade's altmode like a thick fog on the way back from the human high school. He tried to help dissipate it with a warm seat and his purrs, but the stress that just seemed to exhume from his human companion would not lessen. In fact, it seemed to grow every time her phone buzzed in her lap. She had checked it a few times to read the texts, but had not made any move to send a response. She even tossed the phone into his passenger seat when it buzzed with an incoming call, making her openly scowl and glare out the side window as they approached base.

He made no move to alleviate her stress or even talk to her. He knew she was on the verge of blowing a fuse. He could see it in the way her eyebrow was twitching. Forcing her to talk would only make her angry, so he opted to just wait until she was ready to speak on her own. But whoever was attempting to contact her did not seem to understand it the same way he did. He almost swerved when he heard Bulkhead contact him, having been too lost in his thoughts.

"Uh, Swiftblade… Miko wanted me to ask you to tell Paige to answer her phone."

Swiftblade fought off a sigh. "I'll see what I can do. No promises though."

"Okay."

Swiftblade hesitated, not wanting to disturb what little peace Paige was receiving from their drive. They were nearing the stop sign they usually blow to drive off the road towards the mesa hiding the base.

"Was that Bulkhead?" Paige asked quietly, keeping her gaze focused on the passing scenery.

If Swiftblade had been in bipedal mode and had the organ to gulp, he would have. "Yes."

A heavy sigh left her mouth as she closed her eyes, lifting a hand to scrub her face tiredly. "I know why he contacted you, and it's because I'm ignoring Miko's messages. It's fine. Not really, but whatever…" She groaned quietly and took a deep breath to calm her growing frustration. "I… I promised to tell you guys - and I will. It's just… It's hard right now. And she's too impatient to wait…"

There was a brief moment of silence as Swiftblade seemed to digest what she had said, driving over the dirt towards the entrance of the base. "If you're not ready to talk about it, we won't push you," he told her gently, referring not only to himself but to the Autobots.

A small smile made its way onto her face and she relaxed a bit, causing him to purr soothingly and relaxing her further. "Thank you, Blade… For everything."

"Of course." He drove into base and stopped in the middle. He didn't immediately open his door, instead allowing Paige to do it herself in case she wanted to stay hidden for a while longer.

She sighed heavily once more. "Let's get this over with," she grumbled as she grabbed her phone and got out of his cab, immediately making a beeline for the stairs. She tried to ignore the sound of transformations behind her and fast approaching footsteps.

"Paige! Come on!" Miko called after the brunette, making her pause stiffly. "It's been days and you still haven't told us anything!"

Paige's eyebrow twitched, refusing to turn around and acknowledge her friend. She briefly surveyed the room, noting how Ratchet and Optimus were standing around the monitors and were now turned towards them. She closed her eyes and suppressed a sigh, feeling the tension spread throughout the room.

"Miko, m-maybe we should wait until she's ready," Raf said nervously, noting the stiffness in their friend's shoulders.

"Ugh, but I want to know now," Miko groaned, turning back to her friend. "Besides, you looked really upset last time and-"

"Miko," Bulkhead tried to warn her, growing nervous with how the brunette flexed her fingers by clenching and unclenching them into fists. "Maybe you should listen to-"

"What is going on?" Ratchet asked, both he and Optimus turning to the rest of the team. They all looked to Swiftblade for an answer, but he simply frowned and shook his head.

"Paige," Miko tried again, trying a different approach. She stepped forward and laid a hand on her shoulder. "Talk to me. Please?"

Paige took a deep breath to calm her boiling temper. She could feel it, like a pressure building inside a volcano - but inside her chest like something nasty was crawling out of her. She didn't want to explode on her friends, she really didn't. And it was taking all of her patience to reign in her emotions and keep from snapping.

When Paige didn't answer after a few moments, Miko tried again. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Paige growled out, reaching up to brush off her friend's hand gently before continuing on her way towards the stairs. All the bots and boys could do was watch and shift awkwardly where they stood.

Miko wouldn't be deterred that easily. She quickly followed her up the stairs, scoffing half-heartedly at her attitude. "Oh, please. We all know that's not true."

Paige's eyebrow twitched again and she clenched her fists so tight her knuckles turned white, trying with all her might to restrain the urge to lash out. She loved Miko - she truly did - but she was not helping at the moment. And she really wished the girl would leave her alone just this once.

Miko was getting fed up with being ignored. Pursing her lip, she reached out to grab Paige's wrist. "Dude, what is-"

Paige dodged the attempted grab by moving her fist in front of herself, shoulders rising with tension as she felt the pressure begin to boil over. "Fine. You want to know why I've been so moody lately?" She whipped around to glare at her friend, forest-green eyes ablaze with conflicting emotions. "I was disowned!"

Her sudden shout echoed around the large room and the silence that followed allowed her to hear the gasps from everyone present. Miko's eyes grew wide with shock and disbelief, taking a step down as they were only halfway up the stairs. She couldn't believe her ears. Paige had been what?

Paige took a deep breath in an attempt to control her temper, but it looked and sounded more like an angry huff than anything else. "The same day Silas attacked the team with Nemesis Prime, he disowned me. And now I don't even know if he's dead or alive because they couldn't even find a body!" She threw up her arms as she ranted, completely frustrated as she vented her pent up anger in front of the whole team. She was fuming and all they could do was watch and listen. "I don't even know how to feel! I'm angry, I'm frustrated, and sad… Urgh!" She raked her fingers through her hair in frustration. "I want to punch something right now and I'm really trying not to let it be you. So, just… please. Stop."

Silence filled the room with her words. Miko watched her friend's frame heave with heavy breaths, still trying to reign in her emotions. It took her a few seconds but she finally got her body to move. She quickly took the rest of the stairs up and threw her arms around the brunette, causing her to gasp and grow tense from shock. She buried her face in her friend's shoulder, tightening her grip slightly when she felt her start to squirm. "I'm sorry," she whispered, causing the girl to pause. "I had no idea…"

Paige didn't know how to function for several moments, arms hovering in the air awkwardly. She had tried to squirm out of her grasp in a brief moment of denial, but then stopped upon hearing Miko's words. It made her stop to think about the situation and the girl currently hugging her. She slowly relaxed and wrapped her arms around her friend, burying her face in her shoulder as she closed her eyes. Miko had only been worried about her and had wanted to help - the others too. But she had been too stubborn to think about the way she was acting and how it might affect those around her.

She felt two more pairs of arms wrap around the both of them and she felt tears sting behind her eyelids. Her hold on Miko tightened as she felt her body tremble, and all three of her friends tightened their hold on her in response. "I didn't want to worry anyone," she whispered, unable to speak any louder to avoid her voice breaking.

"We'll always worry about you," Miko told her quietly.

"We're a team," Jack added.

"A family," Raf added, nuzzling against Paige's side.

"A band," Miko added with a small smile. "And we love you."

Paige's heart warmed as she heard the quiet hums of agreement from the boys. "I love you too," she whispered, nuzzling her friend's shoulder. She found herself smiling as she felt them give her a fond squeeze. They pulled away only when they heard metal footsteps approaching and she looked up to see Optimus, with the rest of the team all standing behind him with smiles.

"Paige." Optimus' voice was gentle and sincere as he spoke. "You will always have a place with us here."

Paige smiled up at him, wiping a small bit of tears that actually did fall down her cheeks. "Thank you, Optimus." She felt a pat on her shoulder and turned to see Miko smiling at her.

"Sleepover tonight?

"Sure."

Song mentioned:

- Outrunning Karma by Alec Benjamin