Hope everyone is enjoying the story so far, including the changes made to the story and Barricade's redemption arc. I'm really enjoying writing it, and I know it is a slower pace than the original story, but I wanted to focus building on Saphira and Optimus's relationship before the next part of the story.

Saphira had a few days before classes would actually start, but she wanted to get situated with her room. She knew she was sharing a room with a roommate, and she was not sure on what to expect. She had considered bring the metal box with her so she could keep a closer eye on the bot, but it was risky to the other students on the campus. Plus, there were not many students who would bring something like that anyway, so it would look suspicious. She did bring him out a few times to demand answers, but the little bot remained content with insults, so Saphira threw him back into the metal box and left him there to stew some more.

She took a taxi from her garage to the college campus, it was a busy with many students arriving for the new semester and Saphira was really looking forward to her class. She pulled two suitcases behind her with her clothes and bedding in them to use while she went here. She held a piece of paper with her room number on it as she made her way to the dormitory wing where she would be stayed and up to the floor where her room was in. Saphira hummed as she walked down the hallway and found her room. She smiled as she used her key to open the door, however, when she opened it she was shocked to see who was in there.

"You gotta be kidding me," Saphira said in disbelief as she saw the face of a person she thought she would never see again.

The blonde girl grinned back at her. "Well, well, I had wondered who my classmate was. I didn't think it would be the dork from high school."

Saphira grumbled a little and stepped into the room, closing the door behind her. "What happened to travelling to Paris for graduation, Sophia?"

The girl grimaced at that and shrugged. "Daddy felt my score was too low, he saw that it was only just enough for a good college to even look at me, but not enough to be solid. So…they cancelled the trip and reached out to multiple colleges before Princeton decided to take me. Argh! I wanted to go to Paris so bad!"

"I suppose that means you should have studied harder instead of going shopping and having manicures all the time." Saphira glanced at either side of the room. "Which side did you pick?"

"That one. But just so you know, you will be helping me. Now that we are roommates, you can't escape from me, Saphira." The girl smirked at her, it seemed like she thought this was a great plan. "I'll pass with flying colours!"

"Uh hah, and what degree are you studying?" Saphira asked curiously with scrutinizing eyes. The girl frowned in confusion. "The thing is, Sophia, unlike high school, you and I could be studying a totally different course. I don't expect someone like you to be studying astronomy."

"Um…well…" Sophia frowned as she thought about her course. "I was able to get into the finance course…"

"Ah, see, that means you and I are not studying the same thing. So…you should probably rule out me helping you with that. Plus, we not high school students anymore…" Saphira turned away to walk to the small bedroom to unpack. "It is time to grow up and take control of your own life."

"Pfft, says the one who will get money from her grandfather," Sophia mocked spitefully. "How come you never told me? I would have stayed your friend."

"Because money should never be the reason why you should have a friend in the first place, it doesn't matter where they come from. People can come from nothing, and get everything, while people who come from money can also lose everything." She grinned at the blonde girl who grimaced at those words. "Let me guess, your parents told you to come to go to college or they're cutting you off."

"You know nothing!" The girl snapped, turning and slamming the door of her bedroom.

Saphira shrugged and closed her door to unpack and get her bed ready. She filled the wardrobe and drawers with her clothes, she set the mattress up with her bedding and she went out of the room to collect her textbooks that she had ordered for the course. Once she collected them, she returned to her room to set up her desk and study the campus map curiously. As she did so, she heard Sophia yelling from her room. It sounded like she was on her phone and she was demanding something. Saphira ignored her and grabbed out her Ipod to listen to music while she got herself familiar with the map.

She did consider asking about changing her room, though she doubted it was possible as most rooms were taken up by now, so she had to endure Sophia again. She was glad it was only for a year because she would be out in her own house in the last years of the course. Saphira hoped Sophia would keep out of her way, that was the least she could do. Though, finance wasn't a horrible course to go with, it could give Sophia a good career if she pursued it. At the moment, Saphira wouldn't even have a clue of what her passion is.

She takes a walk around the campus to familiarize herself with the campus, she even found her classroom, which was all really good. Everything felt like it was coming together. She walked by a girl with blonde hair, striking blue eyes and she wore a white tank top with a purple stripe and a pair of skinny jeans.

"Hi." Saphira stopped in surprise when she heard the greeting and looked at the girl. "Are you going to the astronomy class at all?"

Saphira smiled at the girl politely. "Yes, yes I am. Are you studying it too?"

She nodded. "Uh huh, I absolutely love learning about the solar system. Plus, being able to work for someone like NASA sounds a bit like a dream to me."

"I suppose it is. I am aiming for a different company. My name is Saphira by the way." Saphira extended her hand to the girl politely.

She shakes Saphira's hand with a smile. "Alice. What part of the country are you from, huh? I'm from Florida. It's a tad cooler up this way."

"Oh, yeah it would be." Saphira chuckled softly. "I am from LA."

"From the West Coast? Well, I hope you enjoy studying at this place. It feels quite like a castle here in someway. Are you just going around to figure out the campus too? I was doing the same, I am almost done. I'm about to head back to my room." Alice looked at her with curiosity, and something else that Saphira did not quite catch.

"Yeah, I am. I am almost done too actually." Saphira felt her phone vibrating and she grabbed it, looking at the screen. "Oh, sorry, I have to take this call. It was nice meeting you, Alice. I will likely see you next time in the auditorium for our first day of class." Saphira walked away from Alice who seemed to frown slightly as Saphira looked at her phone. It was Nicholae. She answered it with a cheerful tone. "Afternoon, Nicholae. How have you been?"

"I've been wonderful!" Nicholae responded cheerfully. "I've cleaned out my house and garage of everything that belonged to Jessica, I got myself a new ride and I'm about to burn the sprints tonight. I was wondering if you would be interested in coming tonight?"

"I'd love to, but I just arrived on campus. I was going to wait until Saturday to race." Saphira walked out of the building to fine a chair to sit on quietly. "I think there is a party of Friday to welcome all the students to the campus, so I'm going to that."

"That sounds like a plan. If you ever change your mind, let me know and I'll let you know which raceway I'll be at. I was just checking to see if you were interested."

"Oh, of course I am interested. But, I got to keep up appearances too. I don't think the other students would like to know how I make my money." She chuckled softly as she takes a seat on a wooden bench. "Thanks for offering anyway. What new car did you get?"

"A 1959 Cadillac Deville, it still had the original engine in it," Nicholae responded cheerfully. "I had to remove it though. The engine was in such poor condition, I'll replace it with a brand-new engine. Probably a Mustang or Charger engine. It will only be used for sprints."

"That is the one classic I have wanted for a long time," Saphira said happily. "I am happy for you. It is a shame Cadillac never stuck with that design. Their new cars are just boring compared to those beauties."

"I could not agree more. I know where you can get one, I'll text you where because it is where I got mine." Saphira felt very excited about that because she considered the 1959 Cadillacs as her dream cars. "They sell then for two grand, so they are cheap. Mostly because they are barely in working condition."

"Sounds like we both will have project cars," Saphira said with a giggle. "I will definitely look into getting one. Thanks for letting me know. I may not use it for racing, but I will be glad that I have it."

"You are welcome. I know you will enjoy working on one of this cars, I know I am. I will see you Saturday. I'll send you the raceway I'll be at, don't be late."

Saphira chuckled before he hangs up. She sighed happily, leaning back and glancing up at the sky. It really felt like the world was moving the way it should for her. She glanced back at her phone when Nicholae texts her the place where she could get a classic Cadillac, and Saphira definitely could not pass up that opportunity. She dialled the number Nicholae gave her and spoke to the person on the other end about purchasing on of the cars. She was encouraged to go and see the vehicles before choosing, and Saphira decided she would do that the day after.

She returned to her room afterwards, feeling very excited about college. Sophia was still yelling on her phone in her room, so Saphira just went into her room and not bother that girl. She wanted to have as much peace as possible. She only had about four days before classes would start, so she needed to make them count. She grabbed out her laptop and turned it on to look through the real estate websites to get an idea of how much houses are in Princeton so when she received the inheritance, she would know exactly how much she would use.

She jumped when the door slammed open suddenly. "Sophia! Please knock before you come into this room!" Saphira snapped, glaring at the girl who stood there with her arms folded.

Sophia smiled at her smugly. "I just wanted to tell you I was able to take up an empty slot in astronomy. The teacher is so sweet, and handsome, so I know we are going to have fun. That means, you will be helping me."

Saphira rolled her eyes at her. "Sophia…you can't go through life with people holding your hand all the time. You have to grow up at some point. You're not five anymore."

The girl giggled at her. "For someone who is going to be rich soon, you have absolutely no idea how rich people work!"

"I do actually. To be rich, means you have to have some kind of brain to get to that point. If you don't…than you might as well get used to a poorer lifestyle. No more Louis Vuitton for you." Saphira looked away from her to keep scrolling. "I imagine at this party on Friday, you intend on trying to find some rich guy to carry on with your lifestyle."

"Of course! I would never settle for anything less." Sophia chuckled slightly and she seemed to go quiet. "Are you looking up houses for sale in Princeton?"

"Yea, I am. Not that it is any of your business." Saphira did not look at the girl as she scrolled through patiently. "I'm just getting to know the prices of the houses in this city."

"At least I know you won't be here for very long. Maybe you should buy a house for me instead." Definitely not going to happen. "That way you can have this room all to yourself, and I don't have to see your face everyday."

"Sorry, I don't give money to random people." Saphira turned to face the girl who glared at her. "Now do us both a favor and leave my room please. I am done talking with you."

Sophia rolled her eyes at her. "This is not over!"

Saphira said nothing as the girl slammed the door shut. She was going to have to record that in case Sophia damages the door and she won't be the one to pay for that damage. Saphira went back to what she was doing for a half hour before deciding to check out cars for sale and the different car part stores around the city to get to know what they have and didn't have in case she had to order parts online and such.

That was just her first day in Princeton, the next day she left the campus to go check out the Cadillacs to find one that she wanted to have a project car. She picked one, a 1959 Eldorado. It still had it's original engine, but it was not in working condition, which was fine as she loved having project cars. She was able to have it delivered to her garage on the same day as she did not want to wait.

The symbols came back several times, and she wrote them down in the same journal she had used before. She still didn't know what they meant. She considered asking the small bot, but getting information out of him has been harder than she had thought it would be. So she didn't bother asking him, even though the temptation to slam the little bot around until he talked was there.

She couldn't be at the garage all day though, arriving the day before the big party on Friday didn't give her much time to get completely situated with her new surroundings. Saphira had to return to the campus after lunch to get ready. She did not have to go, but most students were going and she wanted to go and find some people she would befriend, and ignore Sophia as when she returned to her room, Sophia had asked her what she thought of the very skimpy outfit she had tried on. Saphira didn't give her much of an opinion, other than it screams desperation. Sophia did not like it of course, but Saphira was being honest about it.

Saphira had gone with a nice, dark blue, shoestring strap dress and black heels. She didn't want to make any bad impression on the first night, she kept her hair out and wore a light layer of makeup. She didn't spend as much time on it as Sophia, she could hear that girl rummaging for many hours before it was time. The party started quite late, it started a nine in the evening. Saphira had the despair of walking to the house with Sophia.

"I am so excited!" Sophia exclaimed loudly as she walked towards the house with a bounce in her step. "Where I find a guy, you'd better stay away or I will kick your ass!"

"Do whatever you want." Saphira tried her best to ignore Sophia, she wanted to act like she did not know the girl.

Saphira didn't even enter the building with that girl at the same time, she stayed outside a few minutes before walking in. The loud music filled her ears, it somewhat reminded her of the parties at the raceways, but they were way better than this. There were lots of young people dancing to the music and she saw Sophia was already dancing with a guy. She ignored it and walked around curiously to see if there was anyone here that might interest her as a friend. Saphira was not used to making friends, so this was a bit of an awkward situation for her.

However, she approached a table where there were snacks and a large cake on it. People had already cut some slices from the cake and as Saphira looked at it, she began to see those symbols again in her mind. Her body jittered and trembled, she pokes her finger into the icing of the cake and began to write them down, she couldn't stop herself and she almost forgot where she was as she wrote down the symbols. That is until she heard a familiar voice.

"Saphira?" She snapped out of it and looked to her left in surprise to see Alice looking at her with a curious expression. "Are you okay? You seemed a little out of it."

"Yeah, I am fine," Saphira responded, grabbing a napkin to wipe her hands and walked over to a man who was serving punch. "I was just getting a napkin for my drink." Saphira grabbed a cup from the man and turned to face Alice. "Cheers. Seems like me coming here looking for friends might have been the wrong idea."

"Not into social gatherings huh?" Alice asked curiously with a smile. "I am not either, this party is great…but I have no one to talk to. Well, until now course. Maybe we should dance or have some fun together."

Saphira shrugged at that. "Yeah, I suppose we could. I'm not a great dancer though…"

"Maybe you just don't know it yet," Alice said, moving around Saphira and running her hand along Saphira's back.

She tensed in surprise and looked at her. "Uh, please keep your hands to yourself."

"Oh, relax, there is nothing to worry about with me," Alice said to her reassuringly. "But if you have nobody to talk to, it might as well be me."

"I guess so…" Saphira shrugged and spotted Checkers on the table. "Hey, there's Checkers here, we could play that. You can sit here, and I will sit over there…" Saphira walked around to sit on the chair and set up the game. "It has been a while since I've…" Saphira was silenced as Alice suddenly pushed her against the counter and sat on her thighs. "Oh my…sorry, Alice, I have a boyfriend."

"Do you now?" Alice asked curiously with a seductive grin. "Mmm, well, a beautiful girl like you definitely could attract any guy or girl. So…how about for tonight, we pretend we're girlfriends."

Saphira felt very uncomfortable. "I'm not into girls…"

"What about friends with benefits?" The girl purred, leaning closer to her. "I might be your only friend here, you might as well take advantage of it."

Saphira shakes her head and pushed her off suddenly, Alice nearly fell onto the floor and Saphira stood up. "Look, I don't know what I did to make you think I like you. But, please…if you want to be my friend, you don't do that."

"Alright, I get it." Alice chuckled at her with an innocent shrug. "How about that dance?"

"Sure, I guess we can do that. Like I said, I'm no good at dancing." Saphira walked away from her to the dancefloor and Alice followed her.

Saphira was actually a good dancer, but she was uncomfortable with this whole situation currently. She began to dance slowly as Alice walked over and they began to dance together. Saphira ensured that the girl kept her hands off her, she wasn't sure what Alice's intentions were right now, though Saphira wasn't about to ask. She began to enjoy herself with Alice after a few minutes though, getting into the groove of the music really made her feel good.

She stopped and frowned when she heard the sound of a car crunching some bushes and an alarm going off loudly. It sounded familiar to her. "That sounded bad."

"Meh, probably not something to worry about," Alice said with a shrug. "Let's keep dancing."

Saphira was about to keep dancing when a young man in a white shirt and a baseball cap backwards on his head stepped on a stand and began to yell out loud. "Hey! Who drove the freaking, yellow Camaro?!" Camaro? Saphira turned in shock and rushed over to a window to see. "There is a car on the lawn!"

Saphira peered out the window and saw Bumblebee. There was an alarm going off and his lights were flashing wildly. She grumbled a little and rushed outside of the house as quickly as she could in heels to get to Bee. She didn't understand how he knew she was in this particular house, and she also didn't know why he was here.

"What the hell, Bee?!" Saphira hissed at the car, stepping over the bushes and leaning into the window. "What are you doing here?"

"Houstan, we have a problem," Came the response from the radio.

"And you had to drag me into it?!" Saphira exclaimed angrily. "Come on, I have not even started classes yet and…"

"Yo!" Shit. Saphira pulled her head out and looked at the young man who had alerted everyone to the car earlier. "Freshman! Is that your car in our bushes, sweetheart?"

"Um…yea, I think my idiot friend drove it here," Saphira responded nervously. "I'm so sorry! I'm gonna move it right now!"

"You'd better!" The man responded gruffly. "And tell your friend I'll give them a knuckle sandwich if they do that again!"

"Sure, sure…" Saphira opened the driver side door and rolled her eyes when she saw Sophia stomping out. "Oh god, can this night get any worse?"

"You brought that Camaro with you?! Freshman aren't allowed cars!" Sophia snapped at her with a smirk. "I'm reporting you."

"I didn't even drive it here, bitch!" Saphira snapped at her. "Just go back and dance with that boy you found before."

Saphira started the engine and noticed Alice approaching with a smug look, walking around to the passenger side and kneeling down. "I love Camaros. You never told me you had one."

"I've had many, I can't do this right now," Saphira said in a quick and nervous tone. When Alice opened the door, she frowned at her. "Hey, hey, what are you doing?! Get out! I need to go!"

"Just relax, Saphira," Alice said to her in a seductive tone, pulling the seatbelt on. "We're just going for a ride. So, let's go."

Saphira rolled her eyes and backed the car from the bushes and drive away from the campus. She didn't know what to say since Alice was in the car with her. "You really should ask before getting into someone's car, you know. I could be a psycho."

Alice chuckled lightly at her. "Mmm hmm, I don't think you are. I know we just met, but I already can tell so much about you." She turned her head to gaze at the dash for a moment. "My first car was my dad's 92 Z28. Fuel injected, the roar of the engine, it just tickles me." Saphira noticed Alice running her fingers along her thigh seductively. "Just like this engine."

Saphira shakes her head slightly at her. "Look, you having an interest in cars won't get me to fall for you. I have had multiple Camaros before and they're all great. We shouldn't speak again after tonight. I don't think we can be friends."

"And why not?" Alice asked curiously with a grin. "It's not like we're having sex. Not yet."

Just after she said that, the radio began to play Super Freak suddenly. Saphira frowned and slammed her hand on the radio to try and turn it off. She couldn't believe Bee was being this foolish with another human around.

"Stop!" Saphira glared at the dash. "I'm sorry, the radio of this car can go off randomly at times."

"I see…" Alice didn't seem to bothered by it, though she was smirking about it. Saphira glanced at her when the seat started bouncing slightly. Alice frowned slightly at that. "Is there other issues with this car? It's brand-new right?"

"They do say, they don't make them like they used to," Saphira responded nervously with a shrug. "I don't know what to tell…" Saphira was cut off when the passenger seat suddenly pushed Alice forward, causing her to hit her head on the dash. "Oh god! Are you okay?!"

Alice held her forehead with a grimace and glared at Saphira. "Ow."

"I am truly sorry, I don't know what has come over this car." Saphira hits the dash again to try and get Bee to not do anymore. "I really am sorry."

Super Freak came back on the radio, annoying Saphira even more. She did not know what Bumblebee was doing. This was far from keeping undercover. And she didn't understand why he was here, and right before the time she starts classes. And then slimy, yellowish fluid began to spray out from the glove box.

Saphira gasped in shock, pressed her foot on the brake and drifts the car into a parking space. "Oh god! What the fuck?!" The spraying stopped and Alice looked at her with a disgusted glare. "I am so sorry! I have a towel in here, I'll take you back to campus…"

"Don't bother." Alice opened the door and walked away briskly.

Saphira stepped out of the car watching the girl walked away. "I am so sorry." She shakes her head and turned to glare at Bee. "What the hell was that?! You can't be doing that!" She stepped back into the car and glanced at the liquid. "I can't believe you sprayed energon at her. That was gross. Eh, I even got some in my mouth."

"We have a problem."

"Again, why does it involve me?" Saphira asked bluntly as Bee drives away. "You could have let me handle that girl. She might be a little bold, but she shouldn't be treated like that." Super Freak came back on the radio and Saphira rolled her eyes. "Whatever…I guess I have no choice but to go with you. I guess I'll bite…"

Saphira had no idea what the problem was, she assumed Bee was taking her to NEST. But she didn't know if there was a base near Princeton, though that would be possible given how Bee got here. Still, she had more questions to ask him. Especially as Bee should not have known she was in that party house, after all he must have found out by using his holoform. She wasn't sure, but she will ask him that after he has brought her to wherever he was going to bring her.