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"I have some business to take care of here very quickly." Cade and his friend looked at the old theater. "Do you wanna wait out here, or...?"

"Would it be OK if I went in with you guys?" I asked, trying to force the happiness in my tone. "The girls and I were doing a little sightseeing and the theater looks pretty cool."

Cade let us come with him. They met with an older looking fellow, dressed up in a cowboy outfit, and conversation flowed awkwardly between the three men. Cade Yeager was nice enough, gullible, but nice. Whatever those two were planning to do in an old theater, was none of my business nor did I care. If Cade was a mechanic, I needed his assistance. He could help wake Optimus up and we could leave.

Looking at Cade warily, I wondered if he was really up to fixing an injured Autobot.

The cowboy man led Cade and his friend, Lucas, to another room. I went into the movie room. Optimus was still nestled in his spot, untouched. I gave a sigh of relief; how would I explain that my truck was in a place like this?

After a couple minutes, Cade and Lucas came in, looking through all the junk.

"Remember this place when we were kids?" Lucas asked. "How many girls you think you brought here in high school?"

Cade looked around before something caught his eye. "I only remember one." A slight smirk came across his face. I held the girls a little closer to me. Picking up a football, he gave Lucas a call and threw it at him.

It hit Lucas in the head, causing him to stumble back. He grunted in pain, holding the area he'd been hit. I gave a silent chuckle.

"That's why you didn't make the varsity team," Cade said.

Picking up the football, Lucas threw it. The ball bounced off one of the seats and broke something further back. I winced.

"Leave it." The wild-haired man waved his hand dismissively.

"Mr. Yeager," I called. He looked at me. "I found my truck." I pointed to it. Cade made his way over to the beaten Autobot-in-disguise.

He climbed onto the driver's side, taken aback when it suddenly jerked to the side. I held back the paranoia that itched inside of me; would he know my "broken down truck" was a Transformer? When he opened the driver's side door, a bunch of shells fell out, clattering against the ground.

"What happened to it?" he called to me. "And how did it get in here?"

"Probably a prank or something." I kept my voice as steady as I could. "But the engine doesn't work. Won't start at all."

Cade gave me a look before nodding.

After getting Optimus out, and hooking him up to a tow truck, Lucas was generous enough to give the girls and I a ride back to Cade's home.

"How old are your girls?" Lucas asked.

"Five and three," I said. "Two and a half year age difference."

"I have a daughter too," Cade said.

I felt a mild amount of surprise at that. I didn't really expect him to have any kids.

"Yeah?" I asked.

"Her name's Tessa," he said. "She'll be leaving for college soon."

"Congratulations," I said. "You're married then?"

A heavy silence took over the car. Lucas and Cade shared a look before answering my question.

"No," Cade said. "Tessa's mother died when she was little."

I felt a pang of hurt in my chest. I pursed my lips, looking down for a minute. I wasn't sure what to say other than to say I'm sorry.

I felt a sharp sting in my shoulder. I tried holding back a wince, but I suppose I made a noise that caused them to look at me briefly. Lucas asked if I was OK. I simply nodded, swallowing thickly. I needed to put some medication and fresh bandages on the wounds or they'd get infected.

After making it to Cade's home, a big and very nice looking farm, we all piled out of Lucas's car.

The tow truck came up behind us, parking. As the tow truck driver unhooked Optimus, a girl with blonde hair came storming out. She wore extremely short shorts, a white tank top, and a plaid button up shirt she left unbuttoned. She had to be seventeen, at least.

"A truck?" she exclaimed. When she saw me and the girls, she seemed taken aback.

"I'm only repairing it because she asked me," Cade said.

"Once my truck's fixed, I'll be out of your hair," I said calmly. "How much do I owe you?" I looked at Cade.

"Whatever you think it's worth," was his reply.

"I'm in a bit of a financial problem right now, but once I have the money I'll pay you." A look came across the girl's face. Almost as if she expected that kind of answer. "Are you Tessa?" I asked.

"Yeah," she said, giving me a once over.

"I'm Ray," I said.

She hesitated before nodding, looking at her father.

"I'm sorry for asking, but do you have a bathroom I could use?" I asked.

"Tess? Do you think you could show her?" Her father shot her a look. "And your shorts are shrinking by the second, OK?"

She shot him a look before storming back inside with me following.

After thanking Tessa, I gently closed the bathroom door. Pulling my shirt down, the bullet wounds were a darker shade of red. It was bleeding only a little. Taking my sweat jacket from around my waist off, I managed to find the bandages and medicine I needed to try and clean it up.

Biting my tongue against the pain, I cleaned the wounds, but had a harder time trying in the back. Cursing under my breath, I tried figuring out a way to get there. Saoirse and Eden were out of the question.

A soft knock on the bathroom door made me jump.

"You OK in there?" Tessa called.

"Yeah," I called. "Um, Tessa?"

"Yeah?" I could hear the discomfort in her voice.

"I, um, need your help with something." I cringed. Asking a seventeen year old girl to help me clean up bullet wounds? I must've been out of my mind.

After a long pause, she answered. "With what?"

"I don't really feel comfortable talking like this, do you think you could come in?" The bathroom door slowly opened and Tessa, who looked like she was ready to bolt at any sudden movement, hesitantly came in. She took one look at my shoulder and paused. Her skin turned ghost white, a look of horror on her face.

"Are t-those bullet holes?" she gasped.

Sighing through my nose, I gave her a tired expression. "I just need someone to clean the back," I said softly, embarrassed.

Tessa hadn't moved from her spot. Walking over to her, I gently laid a hand on her shoulder.

"Yes, they're bullet holes. I was shot at." Tessa looked mortified. "I got them yesterday at a confrontation. I was lucky that it hit my shoulder and not my girls. I'm just asking if you can clean the back."

"You don't need me, you need a hospital," she hissed. "Does my dad know about this?"

"No," I said.

"What?"

"No, your father doesn't know; and no, I don't need a hospital." I gave Tessa a tired look. "I'm asking, begging if you will, for help. If I went to your father with this..." I motioned to my shoulder, "...he'd take me to the hospital." Before she could say anything else, I held my hand up. "My girls and I have been through enough right now. I'm just asking for one favor from you. Mr. Yeager is already fixing my truck, I hope, and I'll be gone just like that."

Tessa ended up helping me, and promising she wouldn't tell Cade. It took a lot of convincing, but she promised.

Cade had told me that I could spend the night in the guest room, saying he'd have the truck fixed as soon as possible. I thanked him. Lucas had left hours ago, saying he'd be back tomorrow.

I had changed the girls into fresh clothes after cleaning them up. Once they had eaten, thanks to Tessa's cooking, which was surprisingly good, they had fallen asleep easily.

"Where's their father?" she asked. She was fixing something for her father, since there wasn't enough food left over from earlier.

"He's in the military." I sat at the kitchen table, watching her closely. She was a very nice girl, beautiful as well. It was a misfortune that her mother wasn't around.

"Are you guys married?" She glanced at me. I nodded.

"For a couple years now," I said softly. She nodded.

"It must be lonely," Tessa murmured.

Staring blankly into space, I hummed.

Lonely...

I stood outside on the front porch. The sky was clear of any clouds. Tessa had gone out with some friends, Cade coming in from his work area in the barn.

"I thought you'd be in bed." Cade gave me a friendly smile.

"Couldn't sleep," I said, giving a nervous smile.

He nodded. He stood next to me, unaware of my discomfort. I didn't want to come across as rude and ungrateful. But I kept reminding myself that this could be a repeat of Emilia. They'd get angry at us once they figured out my "truck" to be an Autobot.

"Tess said you have a husband in the military," he said. I nodded. I kept my eyes on the nighttime sky.

"He's a commander," I murmured.

"Must be stressful."

"It has its perks." I shifted on the balls of my feet. "We get to see a lot of new places." After a long pause, I glanced at Cade. "Listen, Mr. Yeager, I want to thank you for everything."

"First, you don't have to keep calling me 'Mr. Yeager'," he said. "Call me Cade. And it's no big deal."

"I promise I'll pay you for your troubles," I said seriously.

Before he could say anything else, a loud crash came from the barn. I followed him and saw a whole mess of robotic creations. Wires, scrap metal. But one of those...robotics that Cade had was on fire. Grabbing a fire extinguisher, he put out the fire, cursing.

"Unbelievable," he exclaimed.

"I didn't know you invented," I said slowly.

"To help Tessa get through college," he grumbled. I bit my bottom lip, nodding slowly. The guy who told me he was a mechanic was actually an inventor. But he was handy with mechanical things, which was a plus. Looking at Optimus, a determined look came upon his face.

"I'll see you in the morning," I muttered. A feeling of relief coming across me, but a feeling of dread, as well.

QUICKY A/N:

I HOPE YOU LIKE THIS UPDATE.

THANK YOU, ONE AND ALL.

READ, REVIEW, ENJOY!

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~SMITHY