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The next morning, I was awoken by the sound of someone knocking on the bedroom door. The girls were starting to wake up, fidgeting beside me.

"Ray? Are you up?" Tessa's voice came through the closed door.

"Just a minute," I called. Stumbling out of bed, I got the girls out of bed, got us some clean clothes, and opened the door. Tessa still stood on the other side, looking at me carefully.

"Dad's been working on your truck all night," she said, placing her hands on her hips.

"I'll have to thank him for his work," I said.

With Tessa's help, I managed to make it to the bathroom. Thanking Tessa, I gently closed the bathroom door.

After getting the girls and myself all cleaned up and dressed, we went downstairs. Tessa was fixing breakfast; she glanced at us briefly before she went back to cooking.

"How's your shoulder?" she asked.

"Fine," I said. "Thanks for asking." Sitting at the kitchen table, I helped the girls sit as well. "Do you think your father will have my truck done by this afternoon?" I asked.

"Depends on how much damage there is."

I nodded. Had Cade figured out what my "truck" was? If he had, wouldn't he have come bursting in, shouting questions and accusations at me? He'd call for Cemetery Wind in no time. I hoped that wouldn't happen.

After breakfast was finished, the young girl retreated to her room. Cade still hadn't made an attempt to leave his barn. He must've been working hard. The damage was probably more severe than I thought. I looked at Saoirse and Eden, they were playing with each other. I heard footsteps go to the front door and open it.

Hearing Tessa talk to someone, it sounded like Lucas. I didn't bother listening in to what they were discussing; I didn't care what was happening to them personally. They had their problems, I had mine.

Tessa came into the area the girls and I were occupying, looking stressed and slightly annoyed. "Lucas is here," she said. "We're going to the barn, do you want to see how your truck's doing?"

I followed the two of them to the barn, a crumpled piece of paper was in Lucas's hand. I had no idea what the problem was, but I knew it was bad for them.

When we made it to the barn, Tessa called out to her father. A muffled reply came from inside the barn.

In no time, Cade opened the barn doors and quickly motioned us inside.

"Look at the hole in the radiator!" he exclaimed. "Look at the size of it. Something blew a hole in it."

The radiator had been taken out, Cade's equipment scattered on the floor, a metal walkway and a ladder stationed near Optimus.

"Yeah, so?" Lucas said.

"It's not normal steel," Cade went on, "the shrapnel in the engine? Ripped all the connections apart. And watch! This took some Cade genius, when I hook this up to a working battery?"

I swallowed thickly. I needed to keep myself calm. Cade had figured it out. He was an inventor, I forgot that important fact. That majorly important fact. I felt like the panic and anxiety that was simmering inside just erupted.

He hooked up the working battery. Sparks flew everywhere. A rumbling, static sound filled the silence. The rumbling sound started shifting, almost sounding like words.

"Calling all Autobots...Calling all Autobots..." Optimus's voice rang out. I felt my heart drop to my stomach. I felt lightheaded. He'd figured it out; but Cade was more amazed than disturbed.

Disconnecting the battery, Cade looked at me with wide eyes. "Ray? I don't think it's a truck. I think you found a Transformer."

Lucas ran from the barn, wanting to call 911. Tessa followed, Cade following behind them.

I stood there, momentarily paralyzed. I loosened my grip on the girls. They went over to Optimus.

"Girls, get back here," I called hoarsely. "You'll mess up Mr. Yeager's things."

The others had been talking for a few minutes outside the barn. I knew the next step was Cemetery Wind. I had to get the girls and myself prepared.

When they came back into the barn, I walked over to the girls, my eyes lingering on Optimus. I pursed my lips. Taking Saoirse and Eden, I walked back to where I stood.

"Don't say anything," I murmured to them.

"Twenty-five grand!" Tessa exclaimed. "That pays for my college, it pays for the house."

Money? Were they planning on selling Optimus? My eyes narrowed slightly. I felt myself tense ever so slightly.

Cade put on some protective materials before looking at his daughter. "Oh, Tessa?" he said. He picked up a hammer and hit the front of Optimus. We flinched, Tessa out of fear; me, because I wasn't expecting that. "Would an alien-killing-machine let me do that?" I glowered at him. He didn't seem to notice.

I held the girls a little closer to me. None of them seemed to notice my discomfort at their blatant dislike for the Autobot leader.

"You wanna hide in the house, go ahead." Tessa nodded, quickly going back to the house. I stayed, watching as Cade was working on Optimus.

I watched as Cade kept working, calling out to Lucas, asking for certain supplies.

While he was working, Cade pulled something out.

"What is that?" Lucas asked. "Looks like a missile."

The thing sputtered to life, flying out of Cade's hands and bouncing off of everything in the barn. I covered the girls, surprised the missile was still active. It flew out of the barn, in what seemed like a second.

A short scream came from the house, but that didn't distract Cade in the slightest.

I felt a surge of Optimus's Energon Signature, making me gasp. In the split second it took us to realize Cade had found a live missile, Optimus had transformed.

"I'll kill you," he growled, once his transformation was complete. Optimus stumbled, trying to stand up but constantly falling on his hands and knees. He looked confused, disoriented. Cade and Lucas fell back in shock at the Prime's sudden transformation. I held the girls tightly, surprised that Optimus was being so aggressive.

"Optimus!" I tried calling over the commotion, it didn't seem to calm Optimus's aggressive paranoia.

Struggling to pull his gun out, Optimus fell on his knees again, looking around wildly. I briefly saw Cade run somewhere, then I heard Tessa's scream.

"Desirée! Where is my Desirée?!" Optimus growled. Stumbling to his feet, Optimus's optics focused solely on Lucas, Cade, and Tessa. Aiming his gun at them, he cried, "I'll kill you. Stay back!"

Cade cried for him not to shoot, standing protectively in front of his daughter.

"Optimus!" I cried.

The Prime's optics looked at me, his gun not lowering.

"Desirée..." he rumbled.

"We're fine," I said. "We're OK. Right? How are we, Optimus?"

His gun still didn't lower, his optics softening slightly. I felt relieved he had calmed down some.

"Who's Desirée?" Tessa called.

"And who's Optimus?" Lucas exclaimed.

I looked back at them. Optimus's optics immediately went to them.

"I'm Desirée and this is my husband," I said.

QUICKY A/N:

I HOPE THIS UPDATE WAS GOOD. REVIEW PLEASE!

HAVE A GREAT NEW YEAR, EVERYONE! HOPE YOU HAD A WONDERFUL 2014.

NOTHING IN THE TRANSFORMERS MOVIEVERSE IS MINE AND THE FOUR OC'S ARE ALSO NOT MINE. I ONLY OWN MY CHARACTERS AND FILLERS.

THANK YOU, ONE AND ALL.

READ, REVIEW, ENJOY!

YOURS TRULY,

~SMITHY