Maeve was relieved. After the BOLOs that had gone out on her and Barricade the previous night, she worried if Lt. Murphy would have been able to get the message out to her team. Now Hall was calling her, and she felt euphoric. She pressed the call button on her phone, gazing across the beautiful landscape in front of her. She couldn't help but feel giddy, knowing that her LT had kept his promise, knowing that her team was there for her. Maybe things would finally go her way.

"Hey, Hall. Nice to hear from ya." Maeve smiled, as a gust of wind suddenly came up from the canyon. She turned away from the wind and pushed a few windswept strands of hair back behind her ears. She almost leaned against Barricade but stopped herself when she realized that he was still "asleep". She let out a quiet giggle as she couldn't believe that she was hesitating to lean on a car because it was doing the robot equivalent of sleep.

Surreal didn't even begin to describe what was going through her mind at that moment.

"MAEVE! What the hell is going on? Murphy showed me all these crazy videos, and WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?" Hall practically screamed into the phone, and Maeve winced as she pulled the phone away from her ear a few inches.

"Hall. Cool it on the volume. I can hear you just fine. I'd rather not be the female version of Tiny, if you don't mind."

A few beats and then she could hear Hall sigh on the other end. "Sorry about that, Maeve. Just a little rattled right now. Murphy's here with me, and uh, not going to lie, I'm really worried about you." A short scuffle on the other end interrupted him and Maeve could hear Murphy giving Hall a piece of his mind. Maeve tried hard not to laugh at the stern tone she could hear in Murphy's voice. No doubt he was telling Hall he wasn't the only one worrying.

Hall spoke again, "Sorry, uh, we're both worried about you."

Maeve couldn't help the dark laugh that escaped her. "Yeah, well, I'm worried about me too."

"What the hell is going on? Jack said you needed me and the team, and then showed me these ridiculous videos. Those warrants are freaking nuts, and did that yellow car seriously transform into a robot?" Hall exclaimed, and Maeve suppressed the urge to giggle. Hall was clearly so freaked out that he couldn't even keep his thoughts in a straight line.

She remembered a time when she was like that.

Maeve marveled at how the existence of giant robots didn't even phase her anymore. It was like she was numb to their existence, as if it didn't really matter how crazy it was, that giant robots existed... or that they had such an impact on her life. Thinking back over the past day, she was amazed at how relatively calm she had been when that maniac Ironhide had destroyed her house. Well, perhaps calm wasn't quite the right word for it as she had of course been pissed, and still was, but she hadn't gone batshit crazy on the black mech.

Maeve shook her head, trying to rid herself of those thoughts and focused instead on what Hall had said.

"It's a long story, Chris. I'm sure Jack explained a lot of it. Long story short, I apparently am in the middle of an intergalactic war, and my police cruiser is a giant alien robot hellbent on keeping me safe from both sides, I don't really know why; the feds want me, and yes, there are cars that like to transform into robots. And no, I don't know who released the warrants, but I have a pretty damn good idea." Maeve spoke that last sentence darkly.

Her eyes narrowed. She didn't know the feds behind it, and didn't really care; but if she knew anything, she knew that only one person at TPD would be so anxious to get her out of the department, even resorting to trumped up charges that made no sense.

That bastard! She thought to herself. Sergeant Blair. That motherfucker. Only he would stoop to this sort of shit. Only he would help out the enemy, just to get rid of her. She should have reported that bastard long ago. Maybe then she wouldn't be dealing with her own department torpedoing her to hell.

Stunned silence came over the line.

Maeve could only imagine Hall's reaction, and winced. "God, I wish I had a bottle of Jack right now." Maeve muttered.

"You, me, and everybody else in this clusterfuck," Hall said darkly, and Maeve couldn't help a smile. Hall continued, "You really think it was Blair?"

Maeve exhaled, and closed her eyes, rubbing a hand over them. She winced at how much her face hurt. "I don't know for sure. But we all know how he hates me. He always has. So yeah, he's the natural suspicion. Any way you guys can look into it?"

"Sure as shit, we will. I'm not going to let that asshole ruin my squad. Do you need us to come get you, though?"

"Hall, I don't know if that's a good idea." Maeve wanted like hell to return to her boys, but there was no way she could return to Tranquility right now. She couldn't explain that to Hall though.

Hall was silent for a bit, before his voice echoed over the phone. "Well... all right. Really though, if you need me and the boys, we will follow you and help you. You know that."

"I... I don't know what the hell I need right now. I don't even know where the hell we're going. Just... be on alert. Find out if it was Blair. I'll get the word out if I need you." Maeve's voice was quiet. Honestly she didn't know if she needed them. At this point, it seemed better for her to stay under the radar, and she didn't want to get her team in trouble. She already was, and Barricade had promised to protect her. That comforted her.

And yet, a part of her wanted her team with her. She missed them, missed their camaraderie. Being on the run was something she never thought she'd find herself doing. She always imagined herself as part of law enforcement... not a goddamn criminal on the fucking run, like she was now. It hurt, knowing she was now on the outside of the career she held dear. It wasn't fucking fair. Maeve struggled to keep her fury under wraps. No need to worry Hall or Murphy any more than they already were.

The fact that she was running from the very people she worked with did not escape her.

Hall didn't quite believe his squad leader when she said she didn't need their help. It sure as hell sounded like she needed them. With a little pushing from Murphy, he finally asked the question the two men had been pondering before Hall had even made the call to Maeve.

"Maeve, where are you?"

"Right now? Arizona, at the -"

Suddenly Barricade reared up, transforming quickly into his alt mode. The metal of Barricade's body screeched and Barricade almost stumbled from it, but he ignored the pain as he roared, "What the slag are you doing, human?"

Maeve was so startled at Barricade's movement and angered shout that she dropped the cell phone into the soft red dirt.

Barricade shoved her hastily out of the way as he ground the human electronic device into bits of metal and dust with his foot. His quadruple optics were brimming with severity and anger, and Maeve shuddered as she struggled to deal with the shock of his anger, and of him destroying her cell phone.

Her irritation at the latter won, and she glared at the aggravated mech, her body shaking with unchecked fury.

"What the fuck, Barricade? My phone didn't need to be disintegrated, you bastard! And you didn't need to push me either, that freaking hurt like hell!"

"Do you have any idea what you've just done, fragging fleshling?" Barricade growled, glaring at the woman. Surely she knew that she had compromised them!

"What the hell I just did? You effing broke my phone, you piece of shit!" Maeve screamed vehemently, her hands curling into fists as she glared at the mech in front of her. "That was a $300 phone you just destroyed!"

Barricade's scarlet optics glared at her as he scowled. "You, by using that phone, have just given away our position! How stupid can you be? Primus, typical slagging organics, you lot never fraggin think!"

Barricade was furious, trying to keep his anger in check as he wished to smack her as hard as he could. He knew with one furious hit that he could kill her, and so he tried desperately to keep his fury in check, and kept his arms and hands away from her. One hit to her, in her fragile organic state, and he would destroy all hope.

And kill a part of himself. He refused to think of that.

Maeve threw up her hands. Her euphoric mood had now been replaced by aggravation, and she wanted to smack the mech standing in front of her.

"Oh, go shove it up your tailpipe. I'm leaving. Fuck you and fuck this." With that simple exclamation, Maeve simply stomped away from the irate Saleen, seeing red as she did so.

Her breaths came fast, her chest heaving with her anger. She knew she was acting irrationally, she knew she needed Barricade, but with everything that had happened, the simplest of actions had finally caused her to reach her breaking point.

How DARE he break my phone! That freaking jerk! Maeve was pissed. She stomped towards a dirt road in the distance, not even noticing Barricade walking after her, his footsteps shaking the ground slightly.

A metallic fist slammed down in front of her, sending clumps of reddish brown dirt flying in front of her. Maeve squeaked in surprise, nearly falling, and turned to find Barricade leaning over her. His optics were fierce, and Maeve felt a ferocious anger warring with her subconscious fear.

"And just where shall you go, femme? We are miles from human civilization, this section of Arizona is notoriously remote, precisely the reason I came here. Do you really think you can survive another encounter like the one six months ago? Do you really think you can survive another interaction with Starscream?" Barricade asked; his voice not angry, but cool, rational, collected.

His deep red optics stared at her not with the rage she had seen minutes earlier, but with curiosity and a slight smugness.

Maeve bristled at the mention of Starscream's name as her heart rate quickened, her blood pressure rising.

At that moment, all she really wanted was a bottle of wine, or Jack Daniels, or even Absinthe. Her head pounded as she struggled to draw breath, struggled to find a stable place to hold on to. The very mention of that name had triggered far more than she was ready to deal with. She stared at the ground, struggling hard to keep her internal walls up, to keep her weakness from showing.

She felt like she was falling, her equilibrium beginning to tilt. Her world, her false happiness, her lies, everything she had depended on to keep her going, keep her living for four years, began to crumble fast around her. Nakedness, the real her and all her faults, began to show, and she wanted to fall into a deep pit, and hide herself deep within the dark dirt.

"Don't..." Her voice cracked, tears pooling around her eyes. "Don't ever mention that again. Don't ever mention that name again. I... I can't deal... just don't bring that up. Ever." Her voice was shaky, as she refused to look at Barricade.

She wanted to scream. She struggled not to. All she wanted to do was to scream until her throat was raw.

That name... Starscream. It sent shivers down her spine, set her heart aflame, caused her hands to perspire and her body to shake as utter fear coursed through her. The memories that she had long ago put to the back of her mind, that she had tried so desperately to forget with her alcoholism, had finally come once again to the forefront.

The worst memories of all. Everything bad she had ever gone through paled to what that... that thing had done to her and her family. What that bastard had taken away from her, gleefully. She winced as she remembered.

Blood. Screams. A deep masculine scream, and then a child's scream, pierced her heart. Voices she knew, that she loved. Limbs torn, and more blood, as a deep metallic voice gleefully taunted her. Her child. Her husband. Torture. Blood. Hours of it. And then... their sweet deaths. And she couldn't save them. God, she had tried. She was lucky she had survived. Lucky she had escaped. But it was all worthless - the two most important people in her life had lain there, their life force gone, and she had been drenched in their blood.

It was her fault they were dead.

I don't want to remember! No, please, stop! I'd rather be insane then remember that! She struggled to keep her grip on reality, trying to push the nightmares away. The memories that were drenched in screams, blood and incessant torture.

"And why not? Is it because you know that he will finally get what he wants? That he'll use your guilt of what happened to your family against you? That he will gloat of the blood on his hands just to get you to break?" Barricade knew he was pushing her. He noted her accelerating heart, her pulse quicken, and her body shuddering.

Maeve fell to her knees, cradling her head in her hands as she breathed in red dust. She felt her child's pain, saw the hours of her husband's torture. All for nothing. She didn't know what they, what Starscream, had wanted then, nearly four long years ago.

Starscream had tried to break her. He succeeded the moment he had started torturing her husband. But she hadn't known then what was so fragging important to them. Nothing she said mattered to them, as it wasn't what they were looking for. They thought she was lying. They thought she was hiding. They killed the most important people in her life - because she didn't know anything.

She still didn't really understand it, but clues were beginning to become clear. She had something they wanted. And she knew it had to deal with the warm stone that was now in her pants' pocket.

Maeve couldn't help but wonder, as she spiraled into madness, if she had known of the importance of the stone that she had always held since Mission City if it would have saved her family.

She remembered Dead End. Remembered his role, as he gleefully taunted her, tortured her child as her son screamed for his mother as his blood pooled around him, as the bastard tortured him with needle sharp talons. She couldn't reach her child in time. She couldn't have done anything, and yet she still firmly believed she could have saved him. Her heart beat irregularly as the memories tore through her body, hissing through her veins, burning her with their harshness.

Her broken wrist screamed in pain as she gripped her head hard. She couldn't take it anymore.

"STOP! Just stop!" She shrieked, and Barricade finally fell silent.

Pushed her he had. He wondered if he had caused another breakdown. He could feel her sorrow, he could feel her guilt. And suddenly he hated himself, and he turned away from the human, lifting his fist up from the ground. He left her there kneeling in the dirt as her sobs quietly wracked her body. Her nightmares were real, the memories assaulting her.

He didn't walk far, just enough to leave her in peace, leave her in her guilt, her pain, her agony, her... grief.

Primus, I'm such an aft. I know better. Why did I push her? I'm so fragging stupid! Barricade berated himself. He knew what Starscream had done. And yet... he hadn't thought, hadn't considered how deeply it had affected her. He should have known this would have been how she reacted.

SO FRAGGING STUPID! I'm such a glitch! Primus, help me now!

He stared down from their vantage point on a remote cliff towards the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. He had deliberately drove to the North Rim. It was more remote, and less developed, than the more popular South Rim, and it was also cooler as the Arizona sun began to heat up above them. He had wanted a remote area to recharge, and also because he admittedly had always wanted to see this wonder on this planet he so loathed.

He had heard from other Decepticons, before he had deserted, that it was akin to the wondrous metal canyons of Cybertron. And it was. He had always enjoyed the metal canyons of his home planet, and he was amazed at how beautiful the mud planet's most famous canyon was.

What he was truly not expecting were the colors. Dark reds, oranges and yellows claimed the dirt and stone that made up the canyon, while trees gave off a variety of gorgeous greens. The Ponderosa pines were such a deep, lusty green; while the maples and oaks on this side of the canyon were a lighter green, brighter than the dark green pine needles. Aspen trees gave off luscious white amidst the sea of other colors; their bark bold with the stark white.

Wildflowers whistled in the wind, shimmering, their blues and purples creating a sea of sky on land. Barricade was not an artist, but even he could appreciate the beauty of this tremendous canyon and its many tributaries.

Barricade cycled his vents as he looked again to the small human, still crying uncontrollably. He shouldn't have pushed. He shouldn't have mentioned Starscream. The incident with Dead End, she was just beginning to deal with. He was dismayed to learn that she had never even begun to deal with what had happened nearly four years before. And yet... how could she? She had literally been through hell. He looked at Maeve with new light.

She was not as strong as he had thought. But instead of looking at her with disgust and scorn, Barricade only wanted to make it better, make her better, heal her. He could never take away what had happened... but surely he could try to help.

He knew the cause of her hurt. He had seen lesser mechs, even Decepticons, go insane from what she had dealt with. He knew the species were different, but the matters of the spark... the heart, were roughly the same. He would not let her devolve into that madness.

Fury and anger flared up within. He was the cause of her current breakdown, and he was furious with himself. He couldn't exactly shoot anything, and so he took aim at a particularly large Ponderosa pine. Getting a running start, he kicked the pine tree as hard as he could, and watched with pleasure as the entire thing uprooted and went flying down the edge of the canyon, sending up spouts of dust as it spiraled down.

Maeve didn't notice. She was too entrenched in her sorrow. She no longer saw reality, only memories, blood drenched nightmares echoed with heart wrenching screams. And it was driving her to insanity.

Barricade noticed as she began to keen and wail with unstopped sorrow, her hands ripping at her clothes, her skin. His spark began to send warnings, he was going to overload from the emotions he could feel from her. Primus, human emotions were so strong!

He had to stop her, had to wake her from the nightmare that she was apparently reliving. He hurried to her, knelt down besides her, and silently grasped her in his hands. Barricade was careful as he grabbed her, cradling her softly. Not knowing what to do, he simply pressed her against his spark chamber, hoping against hope that it might help. He knelt there in the red Arizona dirt, merely holding her.

It took a few moments, but Maeve finally began to quiet down. She began to notice that she was no longer on the ground, but within Barricade's metallic hands. Her living nightmare was fading. She clutched at him. How strange the metal felt, but Maeve noticed that Barricade was warm. He was real. The memories began to recede, the screams receding to whispers.

She could feel his heart... or whatever it was they called it, beating within. Comfort. Her breaths stopped being ragged, her breathing returning to normal.

Barricade could feel her stress begin to dissipate. He stared, with his quadruple optics, at the small human within his hands. She refused to look at him, but he nudged her face slightly with the tip of a talon, until she was looking up at him. He could feel her naked fear, could feel her fury warring with grief. So many emotions these humans could feel at a time! It almost overwhelmed him. It took nearly all of his self-control not to overheat.

"I apologize." He said, more stiffly than he wanted, but he hoped it would ease her. She grasped the edge of his spark chamber, running a hand down the warm metal. The fear in her eyes began to ease, as Barricade saw she was returning to herself.

Maeve took a few deep breaths. She felt reality return to her, and she grasped it for all it was worth. Letting her mind return to reality, she simply nodded. "It's... it's all right. Let me down."

Barricade nodded once, and released Maeve gently onto the ground. She took a few moments as she knelt on the warm dirt, and then shakily stood. She gave a small smile to Barricade.

"Sorry you had to see that."

Barricade resisted the urge to roll his optics. "Femme, it is my fault. Do not blame yourself. I should have known, I should not have pushed you."

Maeve put up a hand, and shook her head. "Barricade. Stop. Let's just forget it, okay? Please?"

Barricade didn't miss the anxiety in her voice. He merely nodded. At some point he knew Maeve would have to face her demons. But that day was not today. She was still too fragile.

Maeve took a few deep breaths, and walked to the edge of the cliff overlooking the Grand Canyon. She pushed the nightmare away, to the place it had always resided in her mind. A place she didn't ever consciously visit.

She was quiet for a moment as she gazed at the serenity of the landscape. It was so quiet here. The beauty was overwhelming. If only... She looked back at Barricade, who had followed her. "Why did you bring me here?"

"It was the most remote area, where we were least likely to be found."

Maeve nodded as she stared upon the canyon, a sad smile upon her face. Of course. Tactics. She turned again to look at Barricade, and remembered what had been said at her home. She had seen the other police mech, had heard the words, but only now began to truly contemplate them. She chewed a bit on her lip before she asked the question burning her insides.

"Barricade, is Prowl your brother?"

The simple question caused Barricade to stiffen, warnings flashing upon his central processor as he struggled not to overheat. He cursed himself internally. His moods were cycling again, as he wished to answer the human with a "frag you". Years of being away from your spark-twin and living those years with Decepticons had that effect.

"Yes, he is my spark-twin." Barricade finally answered, with some anguish present in his words. Maeve noted it. She wondered if she should ask her next question, but Barricade answered it for her.

"And before you ask, a spark-twin is much like the identical twins of your species. He is my brother, my identical twin. We were born of the same spark, the spark split in two at the moment of our creations, or births for your species." Barricade spoke, his voice quiet, just barely loud enough for Maeve to hear.

"And the spark?"

"Is much like the soul of humans, as well as the heart. Without our sparks, we die. Without your heart, you die. Only humans apparently don't seem to see the connection between their souls and their hearts." Barricade was trying not to smile, but Maeve caught it anyway. She laughed.

"Perks of being human, Barricade. We fight over what our souls really are, or whether we have any at all. Do you know what religion is?" Maeve asked, and Barricade nodded.

"Yes, we Cybertronians believe in something akin to the earth religions, though perhaps ours is a bit more rooted in reality than yours. Primus and the planet-eater, whom we do not speak of by name, can roughly be considered the equivalent of earth gods."

"Sounds a lot like religions of Earth," Maeve smiled. "I'm not a religious person, but even I know that for eons, humans have fought over whether souls really exist, who we are, whether we last beyond death."

Barricade startled at that. "But surely, humans have their own Well of the All Sparks?"

Maeve cocked an eyebrow. "You mentioned that at my house. What is that?"

Barricade quickly did an internet search, searching all known parameters of what he believed the Well was and the closest human matches. "Ah... I believe it is called Heaven in human terms? Or perhaps, Summerland? I am not sure, you humans have a multitude of beliefs when it comes to the after."

Maeve laughed. "Ain't that the truth. But, now that makes more sense. So, essentially the Well of All Sparks is like Heaven, or Summerland?"

Barricade nodded, his optics reacting with happiness at her ability to understand. "In a way, yes."

"Well, that makes more sense. Heaven, Summerland, other beliefs of a place after death – that is where our souls go, well according to some. So, with you and others like you, your Sparks are essentially your souls, and when you die, they are sent to the Well of All Sparks?"

Barricade nodded, pleased to see how this human was quick to learn.

"So, with humans then, our souls are thus interconnected with our hearts. Even though our hearts may stop, our souls which reside there, much like your sparks, will then pass on to a greater place?"

Barricade smiled. "Precisely."

Maeve smiled with him. "Well, glad we're on that same wavelength."

"Indeed, human."

Maeve couldn't help a laugh. "You know, it wouldn't kill you to call me Maeve. No more of this 'femme' or 'human' crap, eh?"

Barricade smirked, his scarlet optics sparkling in amusement. "Very well... Maeve. I will try my best."

Maeve smiled at him, her eyes lighting up. "Thanks."

Considering how she had been only minutes before, Barricade was willing to do whatever need be to keep her happy... to keep her sane.

Maeve gazed again out at the landscape, another sad smile echoing across her face.

She thought of her husband, her child. Gone forever. The nightmare threatened to bubble up again, but she pushed it savagely away.

How she wished they were here, to see this place. She remembered how they were to visit this place only a few months after the debacle of Mission City. It never happened. She stiffened as the memories returned. No matter how much Barricade apologized, his words had brought back the memories. Nothing he said could bury them again. The memories burned into Maeve's mind. She closed her eyes, and still they were there; their ghosts haunting her, screaming for revenge.

Her eyelids fluttered open, wincing against the bright sunlight.

Maeve vowed to herself, at some point, Starscream would pay. She didn't care how much it went against her morals, her values... the bastard would feel her pain. Feel her guilt, her grief, her wrenching agony; everything she had felt for four years. Gazing over at Barricade, Maeve knew that he would help her. Barricade would help her ensure that Starscream would never hurt another. Barricade would help her... torture and kill Starscream. At some point, she would bring it up to him. She knew he would agree. At least, she hoped he would.

Maeve clenched her jaw, her fingernails creating crescent moons in the palms of her hands.

"Barricade, will you tell me more of your life before? Of your brother?" Her curiosity was burning, and she wished to be rid of her vengeful thoughts, of the nightmare haunting her.

The Decepticon police mech stiffened. He did not want to tell her. Not yet, anyway. He had no idea how she would react to how he had been, how he had ruthlessly killed, how he was not as noble as she probably thought. His mood went dark, and he turned away from her, staring into the sun.

"Not today. Perhaps later. Will you tell me of your life?" He asked her, hoping to get off the subject of things he did not wish to speak about.

Maeve crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes. Barricade's moods were so irritating! They cycled so quickly. She gave a deep huff. "You don't tell me, I don't tell you. Simple as that, Barricade."

"Fraggin' femme," Barricade muttered darkly, just loud enough for Maeve to hear.

She gave him a deep glare.

It's like we're a damn married couple. Bitching and moaning, and then loving, and then hating each other, all in the span of ten minutes. Hell. She thought to herself, as she stared at the mech. He was staring out at the canyon, and she could tell from his optics he appreciated the beauty, appreciated the way the canyons bled into one another, their elevation giving the illusion that the canyons weren't as deep as they really were.

Maeve sighed. At some point she really needed to let Barricade know that his cycling moods weren't something she appreciated.

To be honest, she saw much of herself in the mech. Hurt, alone, with demons that ate at them; dark pasts that caused them to rethink every decision, wondering, hoping that they were making the right ones, and to not repeat the wrongs they had once committed. She didn't know much about Barricade and his past, but she saw it in his optics. They reflected his pain, even if he didn't realize that they did.

He hurt. Like her. He had made decisions that haunted him. Like her. He had a past that created deep scars... like her. He had nightmares... just like her.

She placed a hand on his large left hand, curling her fingers around the sensitive metal, feeling every part she could with a light touch. Her hand was so small compared to his metallic one, and she briefly admired the strength and utterly foreign nature of his hand. It was so different from her fleshy hand, hers was so microscopic compared to his.

They may have been different species, but she saw human traits in him. She saw regret. Guilt. Pain. Horror. A past filled with death, despair, loss and... tears.

He didn't have to say anything at all, she saw it all within his hardened optics. She saw that look on so many of her fellow officers' faces, and she knew that look was often present on her own face. You saw enough horror, despair, and the most despicable of actions, and your eyes shone with the bitterness and hatred of experiencing the worst depravity.

She stared up at Barricade while his attention was focused on something far in the distance... or far in the past.

Either way, she would be there for him, even if he didn't realize it, just like he was there for her. He had said things he regretted, had caused her to remember things she never wanted to remember, but it didn't matter, she realized. He knew... just where she had been. And she knew just where he had been as well. Even if he didn't notice or realize it, even if she didn't know the specifics. She knew the look in his optics.

She tightened her grip against his hand. He may have been her Guardian, but she would be his as well... even if he didn't want it.

Barricade cycled his vents softly, and looked at the human. "Come. We need to leave."

"Where are we going?" Maeve asked him, staring up at his optics with burning curiosity.

"East."

Maeve rolled her eyes. "Right, like that's helpful."

Barricade smirked at her. "Away from the Autobots, hiding from the Decepticons. We'll find a place, until this all blows over. Either way, you are safe. Is that enough for you, hu-... Maeve?"

Maeve smiled to herself as she caught his self-correction. "Don't really have much of a choice, do I? Wherever you go, I go." She grinned up at him. She didn't say that even though he brought her to the brink of a metaphorical cliff, he was still the only truly stable thing in her life at that point. He cared. Even with his ever-cycling moods, his irritating comments, or just insane antics, she didn't much care.

She had to stay with him... she wanted to. As much as she wanted her team, she was slowly beginning to realize that she wanted Barricade and his presence in her life more. His influence was intertwining its tentacles into her heart, making her always connected to him; wanting him, his comforting presence always.

He would save her... and she would save him. Of course, she'd go wherever he went. To the ends of the earth, if that's what it took. They needed each other.

Barricade transformed into his Saleen alt mode, and Maeve took one last look at the beautiful sprawling canyon before her as she stood at his door. She wiped an errant tear from her cheek, as she remembered her family.

For you, my husband. For you, my beautiful child. I made it here, the last trip we never got to make. I will never forget... I will avenge you. I promise you both this. I love you. Maeve sadly smiled, and stepped within the Saleen.

Her eyes narrowed as her thoughts turned to revenge.

Starscream... so help me, you will die. You will feel my pain. You will feel what I felt when you took all that I had away from me. And I will be there when your spark finally stops flickering and you are sent to your planet-eater!