Cade

Cade walked onto the front porch with a hot cup of coffee in cradled in his hands. He studied the crops that went on for miles and miles until it seemed the long stalks of corn actually morphed into the dark sky behind it, serving as a back-drop to the many acres of land the Yeagers owned. He took a sip from his mug and glanced down at the grass. He could see from the light falling onto the grass that Tessa was still up. That, or she had forgotten to turn them off before she went to bed.

He wanted to talk to her. He really did. But it just didn't feel right after the short-lived fight they had had when arriving home. Fathering a child on his own had always been hard, but raising a teenage girl was near to impossible. A feat that challenged him every single day and always kept him on his toes. He would do anything for his little girl - no matter how old she got, Tessa would always be his little girl - and even though she could be exasperating, he still cared.

He just hated that they had fought.

Cade tried to imagine things being different, had his wife and Tessa's mother never passed away. It wasn't something casual to ponder over, but it was something that stuck to his thoughts and made him really wonder.

Had nothing happened, Tessa would have had someone to go shopping with, or a girls' night, or someone to pour her daily teenage life to and someone to cry with when things got back. But Tessa never even got those things, he thought solemnly. She never had the chance to grow up with a mother, never had the chance to do things that only a mother could properly enjoy. She never experienced the love and care and protection that only a mother could provide. Tessa had spent her whole life without a mother and that had made things different between them. She couldn't share the things she wanted to share with a mother.

Hell, there was no one there when Tessa went bra-shopping. By herself. All alone. Because how embarassing would it have been to go do that with a dad?

Cade emptied the rest of his mug and slid back inside through the screen door. The renovations and rebuilding were almost finished, and he would be glad once they were over. He was tired of waking early so a bunch of strangers could come inside and build a new, more modern house. He was tired of the sound of hammers and saws and the God-awful smell of paint that infiltrated every room of the two-story house.

Things would be different once everything truly, completely, and inevitably settled back into place. That, Cade thought, he would promise to his only daughter. It wouldn't be long before she went off the college, and by then everything should be put back into place and they should be just as they had been before.

Though, really, he thought, there was no way to go back to normal after everything that had happened.

He smiled wistfully to himself, reliving the many adventures he had gone through just months earlier. Nothing would ever be the same, and though Cade had yet to admit that one hundred percent, Tessa already had. And maybe that was a good thing. Tessa was the one who needed to accept the change so she could move on and start her life as a college student, as an adult that no longer needed guidance. She had learned plenty on her own during these past months.

Cade refilled his coffee cup and strolled into the living room, picking up a paperback from its resting place on a side table. He stretched out on the couch and flicked through the pages, listening for any sign that Tessa was still awake above him. He didn't want to bother her - she needed her space - but he did want to apologize to her. He didn't want to make the mistake of driving a wedge between him and his daughter just a few weeks before school started back up.

Finally, he heard footsteps coming down the stairs.

"Tessa," he said when she stepped on the second to last stair. Her head shot up and she looked momentarily surprised, her hand on her chest, before she realized that her father hadn't gone to bed.

"I'm just getting something to drink," she explained, though she didn't exactly know why. Cade nodded and watched her disappear into the kitchen. She reappeared a few seconds later with a glass of orange juice. She glanced in his direction, gave a weak smile, and started towards the stairs.

"What are you up so late for?" Cade asked, interested. It was almost - he glanced at his wrist-watch - one o'clock. He was surprised, not knowing that so much time had passed since they came home. Time flew when you don't pay attention, he thought to himself.

Tessa chewed on her lip and turned to face him. "I'm just researching some more colleges," she answered with a shrug, like it was no big deal to be planning her future after midnight. Cade smiled to himself at the thought.

"Find anything?" He set down the novel - he was nearing page fifty - and allowed himself to stretch further on the three-seater couch.

Tessa watched him with a raised eyebrow. He knew what she was thinking. Hadn't we just fought not too long ago? Cade knew it was true, but he was determined to find his way of saying sorry, even if it became awkward or something like that.

Finally, his daughter shook her head ruefully. "Nope," she said, taking a sip of orange juice. "Nothing worth applying to." Was she picky over what college she was going to? Cade reminded himself to be more involved in his daughter's next move to college. He wanted to be there to encourage her and guide her. Even if he hadn't even gone to college, he wanted to set a good example.

"Tessa. . ." Cade sighed and ran a hand through his hair that badly needed a cut. "I'm sorry."

Tessa quirked a small, timid smile. "I know, Dad. It's okay."

"No, Tess. . ." Cade sat up and straightened himself out, putting both his hands to his chin as he thought. "You deserved to know about Bumblebee. I shouldn't have kept it from you, I should've told you sooner. But. . ." Cade sighed and put his face in his hands, then raised his eyes to look into his daughter's.

"Dad-" Tessa spoke but Cade rose his hand to silence her.

"He asked me to keep a secret," Cade said, setting his shoulders in a determined stance, "and I was gonna make damn sure the other Autobots' didn't find out what that secret was. I should've trusted you, I know, I made a mistake. And I promise, from now on, no more secrets, Tessa."

A hesitant smile played on Tessa's lips before she placed her glass of orange juice on a table nearby and came to sit beside her dad. Holding his hand between her two petite ones, a total contrast to his larger, calloused hands, Tessa allowed herself to feel hopeful and glanced up at her dad.

"Richland," she said, staring into her father's face, unflinching and already completely forgiving her Dad's actions. Cade rose his eyebrows in confusion and Tessa's smile grew wider. "The college I'm researching? Richland. That's where I plan to go. For Mom."

Cade stared at his daughter for the longest of time before asking her, "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

Tessa shrugged, as if to tell him she didn't know why, then proceeded to tuck her feet under her legs and lean her head against Cade's shoulder, like she used to do when she was younger. She closed her eyes and sighed wistfully. "No more secrets, Dad."

Cade smiled and kissed the top of his daughter's forehead. No more secrets, he promised silently to himself. Never between him and Tessa. Not if it involved something as small as an Autobot coming to entrust in you his plans, or as big as what college his daughter planned on attending.

Author's Note: First and foremost, I apologize for the terribly long absence I've had on this website, especially this story. I last updated Transformers: New Life in March 19 of 2016. I've long since abused my writing, and I've decided to return to it, but on my own terms. I'll update when I can, I promise. And secondly, I will try my hardest to finish this fanfic before the release of the next installment of the Transformers series. Think of this story as a bridge between Transformers: Age of Extinction and Transformers: The Last Knight. Thank you so much for all the support and love this story gets!