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Cade stood there, almost in the driver's side, looking at Lucas's remains in disbelief. Soot was scattered around. The entire area the explosion hit was covered in some dark metallic material. Shane told Cade to get in; once he did, we were on the road.

Optimus drove off as quickly as he could. I could hear Tessa's sniffles. Her and Cade had lost a friend of theirs. I knew there was nothing I could say to make the situation better, it'd be wise to let them mourn over Lucas. No one said a single word. The gravity of what had happened was still hanging in the air, no one really wanting to accept it just yet.

Stopping at a rundown gas station, we all climbed out. Once everyone was out, Optimus transformed. Shane looked surprised, not entirely scared, at Optimus's change. Once he was done, Optimus slammed his fist on the ground, dangerously close to where Tessa and Shane were standing. The look on his face, the look of anger and regret, made my heart clench.

"My deepest sympathies, for the loss of your friend," Optimus said. "Stay here until I'm sure we weren't followed. We are all targets now."

Optimus transformed back into the truck and drove off. I watched solemnly; as badly as I wanted to go with him, I knew he wouldn't let me, and I knew he wanted some time alone. He wanted to think about everything that happened.

"So we're hiding out now, that's the plan?" Shane asked, wrapping his arm around Tessa's waist. "We're taking orders from a truck?"

"Do you have a better idea?" I asked sharply.

Cade turned around, his face hardening at the sight of Shane holding his daughter. Shoving his way between the two, he muttered something under his breath before grabbing Tessa's wrist and walking off.

We all went into the old gas station, an awkward silence hung between Tessa, Cade, and Shane. The girls and I sat a few feet away, watching the interaction with mild interest.

Cade was giving Shane a death stare; Tessa was trying to distract herself; Shane was just standing uncomfortably. It made me wonder what would happen once Saoirse and Eden were old enough to consider dating. I held them closer. They weren't going to date until they were thirty. I wasn't ready for them to start liking boys or anything.

"On the bright side, you guys met," Tessa said dryly.

"Where's he from?" Cade asked.

"I told you, he's a driver from Texas."

"Texas?" Cade looked at Tessa for a minute before looking at Shane again, his eyes shooting daggers. "Where? Dublin, Texas? Shamrock, Texas? Why does he sound like a leprechaun?"

"You'd get your ass kicked in Arlen for saying that," Shane said defensively.

"So he drives? What do you mean he drives?" Cade said, unfazed by what Shane had said. "Like, for a living?"

"Yeah," Tessa replied quickly. "At least he makes a living."

"Thank you," Cade said.

"I race rally cars," Shane said. "One driver, one navigator. Her." Shane pointed to Tessa. "By the way, I'm totally legit. I just got picked up by RedBull. And just so you know, my life savings was in that car back there."

"This is not happening." Cade shook his head in disbelief.

"It definitely is," Shane said. Cade looked at him, a stare off taking place between the two men.

I looked between the three of them. In the midst of being hunted down by the government, Cade was more focused on his daughter's Irish boyfriend. I sighed silently. I didn't want to interfere with any of their personal business; I didn't care in the slightest what they did with their lives on a personal level. Though Optimus still hadn't come back from checking the perimeter, I wasn't in the mood to hear them bicker about Tessa's dating life.

"How old are you?" Cade stood up from where he sat, approaching Shane.

"Twenty," Shane said, shifting where he stood.

"She's a seventeen year old girl," Cade said lowly. "So we can work this two ways: one, I punch you right in the mouth and you call the police on me; or two, I just call the cops on you, this is illegal. She's a minor!"

"We're protected by the 'Romeo and Juliet Law'," Shane said.

"We dated for a little while I was a sophomore and he was a senior, it's fine," Tessa tried to justify.

"No, it's not fine," Cade snapped.

"We got a pre-existing juvenile foundation relationship," Shane said. "Statute two-seven-zero-five-dash-three." Shane took out his wallet, showing Cade the evidence of what he was talking about.

"Texas Statute?" Cade said. "Is that a real law? Romeo and Juliet, huh? You know how those two ended up?"

"In love," Tessa said. I shook my head at her.

"Dead," Cade said. "Do your parents know about this? Is your father OK with you dating a seventeen year old girl?"

"He took off when I was five, but if I ever bump into him I'll ask him," Shane said.

"You know, Tessa, I trusted you," Cade said.

"To what? Never have fun? Take a risk? Be a normal teenager like you?"

"I am your father, OK? And I have been busting my ass to take care of you."

"Is that what you were doing when you brought them home?" Tessa motioned to the girls and I. I stiffened. "All you had to do was report it, and now Lucas is dead. Now my life is over, thank you. You've taken really good care of me."

Cade looked back at the girls and I. "I'm sorry," he sighed, looking defeated.

"It's fine," I said briskly. "Is it OK if I talk to her?" Cade seemed taken aback, but nodded. "Watch the girls?"

"Yeah."

When I found Tessa, she was sulking not too far from the gas station. When she saw me coming, she glowered at me before looking away. I knelt down next to her, looking ahead.

"What do you want?" she muttered bitterly.

"What you said back there was a bitch move," I said bluntly. She flinched. "You're ungrateful to your father. I don't know much about your family, Tessa; but I know a hard-working father when I see one. Cade may have chosen a strange way to try and make a living, but you shouldn't treat him like shit."

"What did your father do for a living?" she shot back.

"He did drugs and abused me."

Tessa stiffened, looking at me almost apologetically.

"I don't need your pity or your apologies," I said. "I've had a better life. I have a great foster family who would've moved mountains to see me do well in life. Cade's been trying to make sure you have something great to look forward to. He told me your mother's dead, Tessa. I'm guessing if she hadn't died, maybe things would've been different for you."

"They had me when they were teenagers," she said. "Dad says I'm the 'surprise test', but I know I was an accident."

"Sometimes people make choices that have certain consequences," I said. "You weren't an accident, Tessa. I don't even know if a 'surprise test' is the best way to describe it, either. You being born is proof on how much your parents loved each other. True, they were a little young, but they loved you and took care of you nonetheless. Be grateful you have a father who's willing to do anything to take care of you. He could be gone in the blink of an eye, and then what? You'll never be able to thank him for all the things he's done for you, no matter how small."

Tessa didn't say anything. Giving her a pat on the back, I stood up and walked back into the gas station, not before I told her not to stay out too long.

As the sun went down, Tessa was able to find a place to sleep. I found a place for Saoirse and Eden to sleep as well; and after they were all asleep, I was able to relax for a little bit. Optimus still hadn't come back, and I was getting a little worried.

Cade and Shane hung around where I was relaxing. Cade standing near the doorway, looking exhausted.

"They were willing to kill her," Cade murmured. I looked at him.

"They still are," Shane said quietly.

I looked down. I winced when my shoulder started hurting again, I gently put pressure on it, trying to ease the pain.

"Are you OK?" Shane asked.

"I'm fine," I said weakly. "I should lie down."

"Your shoulder?" Cade looked at me worriedly.

"Don't worry about it, Mr. Yeager," I gave him a tight smile. "I'll be fine."

After resting for a couple hours, I woke up. My shoulder was stiff, aching every time I tried to move it. Cade and Shane were still there. Cade was holding some mechanical bug; it had an antennae sticking out of the front.

"What is that?" I asked.

"I'm gonna use it to find some fingerprints," he said. After finding some tools, Cade took it apart and started studying it. I watched tiredly as Cade took apart each piece of the device and studied it.

There was a small computer near where Cade was working. When he removed one piece, the computer sparked to life. I stood up and walked up behind him, looking at the screen. It was showing one of the Wreckers.

"That's Leadfoot," I murmured.

"You knew him?" Cade looked at me.

I nodded.

"I'm an Autobot, I'm an Autobot!" he cried. He was shot with a missile through the shoulder, the Cemetery Wind agents shooting nonstop at him. My heart dropped. They videotaped the Autobots they killed.

I felt anger bubble up in me.

"Grab whatever you think we can use as supplies," I said, once Tessa was up. Everyone looked through everything, grabbing whatever they thought was necessary. Optimus had returned in the early hours of the morning, coming to a hissing halt in front of the station. "Light bulbs, anything."

"Tess, take that computer," Cade said.

The things we needed were put into some boxes left around the station. I grabbed the girls, while Tess and the others grabbed the boxes, and loaded into Optimus.

QUICKY A/N:

HEY, EVERYONE! I HOPE YOU HAD A WONDERFUL NEW YEAR! HERE'S THIS UPDATE! AND, IN ONE OF THE REVIEWS I RECEIVED FOR A PREVIOUS CH., A KIND REVIEWER SUGGESTED MAYBE I START A STORY ON SAOIRSE AND EDEN WHEN THEY'RE OLDER. HOW THEY'RE ADJUSTING TO BEING THE DAUGHTERS OF OPTIMUS AND BEING HALF-CYBERTRONIAN. I THINK THAT'S A REALLY GOOD IDEA. WHAT DO YOU GUYS THINK?

THANK YOU, ONE AND ALL.

HAVE A FABULOUS 2015!

READ, REVIEW, ENJOY!

YOURS TRULY,

~SMITHY