Exiles
VII - Operation Bumblebee, Part Two
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Autobot Outpost Omega Two - Denver, CO - November 19th, 2011 - 9:00 am
Ratchet had just finished looking over Bumblebee's condition when he turned to glare at a humbled Bulkhead, who was flanked by Arcee and Jazz, both looking pretty unimpressed.
The young scout was blanketed with scratches, fresh welds and patch metal from fresh dents.
"Of all the scrap-brained ideas," Ratchet seethed. "You took Bumblebee on a high-speed chase scenario when he no longer has the ability to access his wheels?!"
"He improvised," Bulkhead said, feeling embarrassed.
The day before, Bulkhead had taken Bumblebee at his insistence on an ill-advised mission to acquire an Iacon relic. Unfortunately, it had led Bumblebee on pursuing Knockout in a high-speed chase. Without his T-Cog, Bumblebee was forced to use an abandoned pickup to give chase. He lost control and drove off a cliff.
Jazz shook his head. "Bulk-"
"Look! I thought it would be a quick grab for a relic and I didn't have the spark to say no."
"Why didn't you go after Knockout?" Arcee demanded but the answer hit her before Bulkhead had a chance to. "Breakdown?"
Bulkhead bowed his head shamefully. "Breakdown."
"Bee could've died Bulk!"
"Bee knew the risks too," Jazz said sharply. "He may be young but he's still old enough to serve. But still" - Jazz swallowed - "can you imagine what Hide and Mia would do to you, Bulk, if he died under your watch?"
Bulkhead was suddenly stricken with the shakes as he stepped back with his hands up.
Raf cocked an eyebrow. "Who's Hide and Mia?"
Arcee waved a hand. "Later, later."
Bumblebee sat up, groaning painfully.
"Bee!" Raf exclaimed joyfully.
Rubbing his helm, Bumblebee placed a hand around Raf as he leapt happily to his side.
"Bumblebee!" Ratchet snapped. "You've lost your T-Cog and just barely got your voice box back! Were you really trying to add your spark to the list?!"
Bumblebee groaned, ashamed and humiliated for his failure. "I just wanted to help, prove that I can still do this."
Jazz looked sympathetic. He wanted to be truthful but did not want to be too hard on the young scout.
He placed a hand on his shoulder. "Bee, like it or not, when you go to war, going in unarmed is no different than killing yourself. And that's what you almost did. What did you think that would've done to Raf, Sari, us. Your family. Your sisters?"
"Sisters?!" Raf exclaimed in shock.
Bumblebee looked shocked for a moment as he thought this through.
"Oh man," he said as he slumped his shoulders.
"Look, I hate to break up the pity party," Arcee said. "But we've failed to mention that the Cons just added unknown Iacon payday number two to their armory."
"Neither blame or praise will modify past events," Optimus said as he walked into the room. "Nevertheless we cannot take any more unnecessary risks." He looked at Bumblebee sternly but sadly. "Bumblebee, until we retrieve your T-Cog, you are not permitted to leave the base."
Bumblebee looked hopeless and unfathomably sad.
"Not without additional backup and auxiliary weapons."
Bumblebee rose his head hopefully.
"Auxiliary weapons?" Bulkhead said.
"The kind that isn't attached to you," Jazz said. "The kind you don't need a T-Cog for."
Bumblebee looked less hopeless. "Do they come with holsters?"
"Of course," Optimus said.
"Why wasn't this option mentioned before?" Raf asked.
"Because these particular sidearms are very dangerous Raf," Arcee said in a low voice, as though she was not entirely. "They are outdated and don't possess the same safeguards as our normal weapons."
"Not recommended if you're doing crowd control," Jazz said grimly. "Or fighting humans. That is if you're not fighting for your life or someone else's."
Jazz eyed Optimus who looked very uncomfortable.
Arcee stared hard. "Jazz, I don't think-"
"Ya heard what Ravage said Cee, these guys, Joker especially, are dangerous, more dangerous than even this Silas you mentioned. At least he exercised some restraint. Joker on the other hand is a sadist, a madman, who will not hesitate to kill every single one of us. Imagine what he may be using Bee's part for."
"And the damage they no doubt inflicted upon it," Ratchet said.
"Ratchet!" Raf cried.
Ratchet looked stricken when he revealed that possibility.
"It's ok Raf," Bumblebee said, sounding drained of life. "I've considered it myself." He stood up from the medical slab and walked away.
"Bee, where are you going?"
"Bed."
"But it's morning."
"It might as well be night for me."
Ratchet approached Optimus. "Bumblebee is right to be less than hopeful. But you and I both know there is a sure way to make him whole again."
Jazz and Arcee stared in shock.
"Ratch," Raf said in a stunned voice.
"A transplant," Optimus said in a low voice. "But that would require a donor."
"You need not look any further than the bot who stands before you," Ratchet said solemnly.
Arcee and Jazz looked to one another, now really shocked and alarmed.
Raf looked ready to cry.
"A noble offer, but that would just trade one handicap for another."
"I don't rely upon my T-Cog, Optimus, not like Bumblebee does. The power to transform is virtually wasted on me. This is where I spend my days where my thoughts, my hands are of value, not my weapons or wheels. Our team cannot afford to be shy even one warrior in the field, regardless of our increase as of late. Besides, you know as well as I do, MECH are savages. Whatever damage they inflicted on Bumblebee's T-Cog, I don't know if I'll be able to repair it. Our resources here are limited at best."
Optimus spoke again, with greater firmness. "Ratchet, Jazz, my quarters. Arcee, remain with Raf."
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"Ok boss, what's up?" Jazz asked quizzically.
"Optimus…" Ratchet said, head bowed. "…what is this about?"
"I don't want what we know to be overheard, Ratchet."
Jazz nodded. "The real reason why Bee got a brand new voice box and all those sweet upgrades."
"Among other things."
Optimus spoke slowly. "Ratchet…you did everything possible."
Ratchet scoffed. "Puh-leaze, you think I want to give up my T-Cog because of my failure to restore Bumblebee's voice."
"Hey, c'mon doc," Jazz said. "There wasn't anything you could do."
"There should have, there should have been!" Ratchet snapped. "And now…I'll never get the chance to correct my failure."
Optimus put his hands on his old friend's shoulders. "Ratchet, it wasn't your fault. The supplies at your disposal were inadequate. Bumblebee is alive, thanks to you. Any other medic that lacked your expertise would've failed to stabilize him. We would all be dead many times over if it weren't for you. But you have to understand that you can't always heal everyone, that some wounds are just too severe even for you to treat."
Ratchet looked down at the floor.
"I am Chief Medical Officer. I have fixed millions of voice boxes. Repaired millions of T-Cogs. I've done all this and more for centuries, but" - Ratchet examined his servos - "it's these fingers, these old fingers of mine. They…they have been…I'm not as young as I used to be. If I had been a century younger, I could have saved Bumblebee's voice box."
"You can't know that," Jazz said.
"But I do know I'll have to find a successor someday."
Optimus "Ratchet, we couldn't have asked for a better physician. Many Autobots owe you their lives and limbs."
Jazz shrugged comically. "And even a few Cons who were lucky enough to be under your knife."
Ratchet sputtered bashfully, not used to this type of praise. Although he was particularly uncomfortable when mentioned he had treated enemy soldiers before, even though it was his station to treat the wounded whenever it could be helped, regardless of their faction. "I'm a physician. I'll treat anyone and anything if I can help it."
Jazz wanted to ask if that included Megatron but he held his tongue.
Optimus smiled. "That being said, do you think Bumblebee would want you to give up your T-Cog for him?"
"He knows how important he is on the battlefield."
Jazz shook his head. "Knowing him, I don't think he'll see it that way, Ratch."
"I should at least give him the opportunity to make that choice. Or perhaps have it removed and then pass it on his own."
"That's devious, Doc!" Jazz said sounding impressed.
"You mean lie?" Optimus said.
"What?! N-No! I remove my T-Cog and give it to Bumblebee. He can think that it's his or a spare. I won't say it belonged to me. It's better that way."
"Bee's smart, Ratch," Jazz said. "He'll know you didn't just happen on this 'mystery cog'. He'll know it was yours."
"What would you have me do then?!" Ratchet shouted. "Bumblebee needs a T-Cog! He can't survive without one! How will we-?!"
"Ratchet," Optimus said in a commanding voice.
Ratchet heaved and heaved as Jazz tenderly rubbed his shoulders.
"Easy Doc," Jazz said. "Easy."
"We will find Bumblebee's T-Cog," Optimus said.
Ratchet took a breath and then another, until his temperature and vitals returned to some relative normalcy.
"There was something other than Bumblebee's T-Cog you wished to discuss, Optimus?"
"There is, regarding Sari, her father and home situation…and what she carries but may not yet know."
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6:00 pm
It was some time after the private meeting and it took even more time to coax Bumblebee into agreeing to Ratchet's proposal, with no small amount of grief from the young scout.
It sat even less well with the others.
Blaster said that this was the craziest thing that Ratchet had ever done, to which the old medic responded, 'Who's the doctor here?'
Perceptor had some opinions of his own.
Ratchet chose to ignore them.
Perceptor was even less pleased when Ratchet chose him and Arcee to be his medical proxies, obvious reasons for not doing the transplant himself.
Perceptor's medical prowess was limited at best. He was an engineer, not a surgeon.
Arcee protested that Optimus has steadier hands.
Ratchet agreed but countered that they were much too large to be traipsing under his hood.
And there was no way Ratchet was going to entrust the job to Wheeljack or the Twins.
And Blaster was too squeamish.
And his cassettes weren't much better.
Ravage attempted to offer her services but the way she smiled made Ratchet turn her down forthwith.
Optimus was convinced she was merely joking.
Bumblebee lay on a medical slab, tubes attached to his chest. "Ratch…I don't know about this."
"Ep ep ep!" Ratchet said. "We cannot afford one warrior short on the field, Bumblebee."
"But-!"
"No buts!" Ratchet laid down on a slab adjutant to Bumblebee's.
He attached some medical tubing to his chest. "Perceptor. Arcee. Are you ready?"
Perceptor, monocle scope and all, stood by Ratchet with a medical kit.
Arcee flanked him and even she noticed the lack of certainty in the Chief Mechanic's exterior.
Perceptor rubbed a film of perspiration from his forehead. "Ratchet, I must protest-"
But Ratchet would not be deterred in what he was so certain was the right thing to do. "We have to do this, Perceptor. You know it and I know it."
Perceptor sighed as he went to a console and tapped a few keys. "Inducing stasis."
A few clicks and hisses as tubes attached
Ratchet's eyes began to droop.
Bumblebee looked at the old medic, sadness in his baby blue optics. "Ratchet, I don't know what to say."
"You can…thank me…when it's over."
And with that, Ratchet dozed off.
"So what?" Miko said. "If Bee gets Ratchet's T-Cog, is he going to turn into an ambulance and be all cranky? Cuz that would be weird."
"I don't think it's the same as a heart transplant, Miko," Katie said.
"Do Autobots get spark transplants?" Sari asked.
Perceptor shook his head. "Actually, no. A spark is more sacred, more personal. You can't just replace it. If it's damaged beyond anything surgery can repair, the only way to save it would be a spark bond."
"What's that?" Sari asked, genuinely interested.
Before Perceptor could answer, a series of alarms went off.
"W-What's that?" Raf asked.
"Ratchet's flatlining!" Miko cried.
"No, he isn't!" Arcee corrected.
Perceptor released a breath of anticipation. "Another Iacon alert."
He put his medical kit away.
"That means the Cons must've unearthed another relic," Bulkhead said.
"Autobots, prepare to roll out," Optimus commanded.
And then an additional alarm as well as another blip on the holographic globe on the monitor showed itself.
"What is that?" Sideswipe asked.
Blaster checked the mainframe. "A disturbance at a human research facility in Afghanistan, it's Cybertronian but…that Energon signature isn't on any of the charts."
"We'll have to divide our resources," Optimus said. "Jazz, take Wheeljack and the Twins. Investigate with caution."
Jazz nodded obediently.
Wheeljack shrugged.
Sideswipe and Sunstreaker began calibrating their weapons to make sure they were primed.
"Bulkhead, Arcee, you're with me," Optimus said. "Blaster, survey the situations. Perceptor, stay with Ratchet and Bumblebee."
Perceptor gulped. "Ratchet won't be pleased that the transplant was interrupted."
Optimus gave him a knowing smile. "He's less likely to get cross with you out of all us, Perceptor."
Perceptor thought about this for a moment. "That's true."
Blaster tapped a few keys and in under a minute, both Autobots teams went on their respective assignments.
Bumblebee continued to lay on the medical slab, clearly in stasis.
Or so Perceptor thought.
But no one at the base knew, Bumblebee had disconnected the tubing so that he wouldn't be put under when the transplant began.
He had decided that no one was losing their T-Cog on his account, not even willingly.
I'm going to get what's mine if it's the last thing I do.
Peeking through a barely closed optic, Bumblebee could see that the room was nearly clear.
It was just Raf, Sari, Miko and Jack in the elevated common area.
And Blaster at the mainframe console.
"Blaster?"
"Yeah Percy?"
"Be a dear and fetch a moleculon fuse. One of them in the groundbridge control sector blew out."
"Whuh-oh." Blaster strode off down the hall in a hurry.
No sooner that he was out of sight, an incoming call on the Autobot mainframe went off.
"Prime!"
"Dad?" Jon said as he approached the mainframe.
He pressed a key and Agent Fowler appeared, big as life, on the main screen.
"Jon? Is Prime with you?"
"He just left."
"Well, tell him that our satellite surveillance may have found MECH's center of operations. I'll leave the coordinates for him."
On an adjoining screen was a set of coordinates:
42.51244 N, 100.13653 W
Bumblebee had to force himself to stay put and keep his eyes shut so as to not draw attention to himself as sharp joy exploded in his spark and a plan hatched in his neural net.
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Johnstown, NE - 7:00 pm
Joker administered the cask of freshly refined Energon and injected its contents into the drone, which was no longer skeletal but covered with shining armor.
It much like Bumblebee except for some minor differences.
It was dark, gray, ugly, gangly, monsterous.
It was nothing like the kind and childlike scout.
This look would better suit a Decepticon, maybe something worse than a Decepticon.
In reality, it certainly was.
Great power, the power of transformation.
Of Cyberton.
And it was in the wrong hands.
In hands that would only use it to destroy.
"Commence transformation," Joker commanded.
"Stop."
Joker raised a hand.
"Wait."
All operations ceased.
Joker pressed the comm unit in his mask, right where his ear would be.
"What is it, Verminus?"
"Pull out. Immediately. Your location has been compromised."
Joker paused. "How?"
"Later. Pull out now."
The call ended.
Joker cursed inwardly.
I do not take orders from soulless machines.
The sharp nose of metal being crushed and ripped apart filled the room.
All MECH personnel turned their sights to see the yellow Autobot Bumblebee forcing the massive hangar doors open, bending and breaking them apart.
"He has no T-Cog!" Joker said. "He's weaponless!"
All MECH personnel opened fire.
Bumblebee had to block his face with his broad arms as blaster bolts nicked and scorched his armor and paint job.
It stung.
A lot.
"Use the EMP cannon!" Joker commanded.
What followed was the ear-piercing roar of a jungle cat, the kind that would still the breath in a man's throat.
It was such a sound that turned every MECH agent into immobile statues.
Except Joker.
Ravage leapt up through the open doors and flipped over Bumblebee.
Not a shot of their guns nicked her.
No sooner had Ravage landed had she sprang, teeth and claws at the ready.
The MECH agent, wielding the EMP cannon over his shoulder, had no time to ready or aim.
In one swift motion, Ravage's serrated dagger-like teeth caught the cannon and crushed it like a soda can.
Ravage pounced the terrified MECH agent, pinning him to the floor as she raised a claw with a roar.
"NO!" Bumblebee roared.
Ravage stopped as she looked up at the young scout.
Bumblebee shook his head.
Ravage snarled as she roared long and loud right in the MECH agent's face, scaring him so badly he passed out.
"WHAT ARE YOU ALL STANDING THERE FOR?!" Joker screamed. "OPEN FIRE! OPEN FIRE!"
The MECH agents resumed fire.
Bumblebee wrenched off a massive piece of the hanger door and used it as a makeshift shield for himself and Ravage.
"What are you doing? You could barrel through these miserable humans easily. They took your T-Cog."
Bumblebee shook his head. "I'm no killer!"
Ravage blinked. "No kill-?! you're a soldier of war!"
"That's different! Cons can live for thousands of years! Humans are lucky to live to even be one-hundred!"
"And do you know what some of these humans did with their short lives?!" Ravage screeched. "Treason. Murder, even of little children, and worse. Things that even Megatron would never stoop to! I know because they boasted about it in front of me! These humans aren't worth pity, scout!"
Before Bumblebee could respond, Joker issued a new order.
"Whatever we can salvage, transport it immediately, especially my T-Cog!"
"Your T-Cog?!" Bumblebee and Ravage shouted in unison, which stunned them both.
That was too much for Bumblebee, cautious though he was.
He dropped the ruined door and barreled towards the MECH drone, just as several scientists tried to remove his T-Cog and package it.
"Stop it!" Joker exploded as he took aim at the young scout.
But Ravage was already upon him as she swiped his weapon, cutting it in half with her claws, harder than steel.
One of the troopers called out. "Protect the commander!"
Bumblebee reached the drone, gently pushed aside the scientists, and ripped his T-Cog out of the drone's body.
Joker spoke in a soft voice. "Brief candle."
BANG!
Bumblebee was thrown back.
Ravage's optics shot open at the smoldering piece of metal on the floor.
The T-Cog was a twisted and scorched mess.
"You rigged his T-Cog to blow?" Ravage said in a stunned, hollow voice.
But Joker had already made himself scarce in the confusion.
Along with all of his forces.
Bumblebee sat up, shaking his head of the dizziness from that blast in his face.
He looked up and he saw what was left of his T-Cog.
"No…" Bumblebee croaked, voice filled with despair.
He picked it up and cradled it like it was a lost child.
He felt like a lost child at that point.
Ravage looked at him, pity in her crimson eyes.
"You can still do the transplant-
"No," Bumblebee said firmly, his look of hopelessness replaced with calm anger for the moment.
Unbelievable. These Autobots are too much.
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"Joker, report."
"We've cleared out, Verminus. All of our assets have been packaged and transported. We left no trace."
"But you destroyed the T-Cog."
"Couldn't be helped. Besides, it was worth to see the despair on that wretched machine's face."
"Hmm. Perhaps you might be of some use after all."
"What does that mean?"
"It means our mutual partnership is not yet dissolved."
"Meaning?"
"Just keep your head down and await my instruction."
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Autobot Outpost Omega Two - November 20th, 2011 - 10:00 am
Ratchet closed his medical kit case.
He approached Optimus, who was flanked by Arcee and Bulkhead.
Jazz stood by, flanked by the Twins and Wheeljack.
They had returned from Afghanistan some hours ago and have not yet filled in with Optimus on their findings.
But Optimus was focused on Bumblebee's wellbeing so the report had to wait.
Jack, Miko, Raf and the other children stood by, anxious and sad looks on their faces.
Perceptor, Blaster and his cassettes stood behind them.
Ravage stood next to Sari, who looked particularly sad at that moment.
"I did what I could," Ratchet said, sounding every day his age.
Optimus placed a hand on his medical officer's shoulder.
"Our scout could not be in better hands, old friend."
Bumblebee stood up from the medical slab, swaying slightly from the effects of the stasis fluid.
Ratchet held out a hand. "Bumblebee, easy. Recovery takes time."
"I still don't get why the bug wouldn't take gramps' T-Cog," Vince said.
Ratchet chose to ignore that.
Sierra elbowed him. "Because he loves Ratchet more than he loves to drive."
Bumblebee nodded.
Ratchet almost cried.
Bumblebee attempted to operate his blasters.
They barely budged, a good sign but it wasn't enough.
"Damage was…severe," Ratchet whispered.
Perceptor spoke up. "But we managed to find some critical material in the base's storeroom. We still don't know what's on this ship or what isn't."
And finally, after many tries, Bumblebee converted into his vehicle mode.
He laughed triumphantly.
Ratchet's face brightened like the morning sun.
Storms of cheers erupted in the base.
Jazz jumped into the air, doing many extreme poses of victory as he whooped aloud.
Sideswipe embraced his brother, about to cry with joy.
Sunstreaker smiled, albeit it was an annoyed one.
Jack laughed as he hugged his girlfriend and kissed her.
This caused Miko to blush madly.
Once it occurred to him how bold he was, Jack turned just as red.
"Uhh…sorry?"
Vince pumped a fist.
Sierra clapped her hands happily.
Jon, overjoyed, embraced Katie without warning.
Sunstreaker didn't like that. "Ahem?"
Jon gasped as he separated from Katie, hands up and blushing slightly.
Katie stared at him, only slightly annoyed, arms crossed.
But there was a hint of a smile on her lips.
Ravage smiled slightly, but then forced that smile off her faceplates.
If my spark brothers knew I had gone soft…
But her thought was interrupted when she noticed Sari staring at her phone, absolutely still as though she turned to stone.
"Sari?"
Ratchet bowed his head to wipe at his eyes. Optimus patted his shoulder.
Overcome with joy, Bumblebee did several donuts before stopping.
"WOOOOOHOOOOO! Where to Raf?!" Bumblebee whooped as he opened his passenger door.
"Anywhere!" Raf laughed as he jumped in and buckled his seatbelt. "Just drive!"
"Sari?! You in?!" Bumblebee called out.
But there was no response, as if the girl didn't even hear her.
"Uh, Sari?"
Raf poked his head out. "Sari?"
Sierra and Katie looked to where the smaller girl was.
She wasn't there.
"What the-?" Katie said.
"Where did she go?" Sierra exclaimed.
Optimus frowned. "Did anyone see where she went?"
"I did."
Everyone turned to see Wheeljack emerging from one of the adjoining hallways, wiping his servos of coolant with a large cloth.
"She was sprinting and she looked real upset. That cat followed after her, so she ain't alone."
"Why didn't you stop her?" Arcee said sharply.
"The cat or the kid?"
Arcee bristled. "Wheeljack…"
"Chill," Wheeljack scoffed. "Stop her how? By grabbing her? With these?" He showed his filthy, greasy servos. "And I'd be crazy to get between her and that cat. Calling her to stop? That won't work. You shoulda seen that girl. She was punching it. She's upset, and I mean upset. Even if I screamed, it wouldn't have stopped her. I got a daughter of my own. So I should know."
"Where is she now?" Optimus asked.
"Energon storage. Maybe you should leave her be, let her have her cry."
Optimus looked to be at a loss.
That scared the bots there.
After a moment's pause, he spoke slowly in a grave voice.
"Bumblebee, Rafael, Miko, follow me. Ratchet, Jazz, Arcee, remain here with the others."
Jazz had a bad feeling. "Optimus…what's up? I know that look."
"I feel in my spark that something terrible has happened."
Bumblebee was equally alarmed. "Why?"
"Call it a hunch."
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Sari, knees to her chest, weeping like a wounded animal.
Ravage was at a loss as she laid beside her in between the many stacks of Energon storage units.
Raf, Miko, Bee and Optimus found her.
Raf and Miko knelt beside the weeping girl.
"Sari, what happened?" Raf asked softly.
Sari didn't look up, she just handed her phone to the boy.
Raf took it and read what was on the screen.
His eyes grew as he scrolled through an email that was sent to Sari.
"Raf?" Bumblebee said, concerned.
Raf looked up, eyes filled with sadness and dread.
"This is an email from Professor Sumdac's lawyer. Porter Powell, CEO of Sumdac Systems, has launched a hostile takeover of the company. And now he's making legal claims to get the company signed over to him. And any property owned by Sumdac Systems, including Sari's home and everything she owns."
Optimus, Bumblebee, and Miko were shocked beyond belief.
"What?!" Miko screeched. "He can't do that! That Sari's dad's company! And hers by right! And her house too?!"
Raf looked sullen and downtrodden. "Yeah, but first she has to prove it that she owns any of it."
Miko cocked an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Professor Sumdac's lawyer says someone broke into his office and destroyed all of the documents belonging to Sari, including her birth certificate. Without those, she can't prove that she's Sumdac's daughter. And the only one who could prove it otherwise is her dad."
To be continued…
NEXT CHAPTER: Lost & Found
