I am grateful for the positive reviews that I have gotten so far about this story and I am simply just happy to have any reviews. Good or bad, it simply lets me know that someone is reading what I have written. Disclaimer: I don't own Transformers Prime, I'm just a die hard fan.

Chapter 3

After Jack, Amber and Miko had recovered from the flu they were soon back at base and school and Optimus tried to talk to Amber about what had happened. She refused to answer and changed the subject very quickly each time he tried, so he let it be for the time being. A few days after that the bots had found and tried to recover what they called a data cylinder. However Miko snuck into the area where the bots were fighting Megatron, keeping him away from the cylinder. Because the cylinder provided her as a threat it did an emergency data dump… right into Bulkhead's head. The information soon came to the surface and they realised that it was very valuable since no one knew how to make synthetic enegron. It soon took over Bulkhead's mind and soon all the big guy could do was paint the info onto sheets of metal. Than Miko foolishly took him off base, when he wasn't even in his right mind to defend himself, where Knockout and Breakdown found them. She then caused the info to leave Bulk for parts unknown, which was better than letting the cons have the information.

Even with an incomplete formula Ratchet was able to make some synthetic energon and he wasn't thinking straight when he tried some. He soon started to act like a person on drugs which brought back some bad memories for Amber. "Ratchet you need to stop using the synthetic energon." she finally snapped at him having had enough of him not being himself.

"Excuse me?" He asked in surprise, so was the rest of the Team. In the few short weeks Amber had been with them she never spoke out at any of the bots, just Miko who kept pushing her buttons. Optimus looked at her, watching his charge closely noting that despite her sharp tone she was seeming to curl in on herself. She did not look the grumpy teen they all had come to know and avoid on her bad days. No in this moment she looked very much like a scared child.

"What could a little human like you know-"

"I know what it looks like when someone's impaired because their hyped up on drugs!" Amber snapped at the medic, cutting him off. "Living from place to place I saw a lot of good people change just because they had to do whatever they had to get their next fix and that is exactly what you are becoming."

Ratchet laughed before he said. "That maybe the case with you humans and your drugs but we Autobots are not like you weak pathetic-"

"That is enough Ratchet." Optimus snapped at his long-time friend but his focus was on Amber who looked beyond hurt. Without a word she turned her back to the room and surprised them all when she set and activated the ground bridge for the Darby's backyard. Amber refused to come back to base after that, having Optimus drop her off at the house after school and refusing to talk to him or any of the bots.

Once Ratchet had recovered from his injuries and any lasting effects of the sinthen he waited outside their school, having offered to pick Amber up. He hoped to apologise to her and perhaps teach her some more about their tech to make up for his behavior. When Amber walked out of the school and saw him, she scowled and proceeded to walk down the side walk towards the Darby's house. She ignored Ratchet when he followed her, slowly rolling behind her. "Amber I am sorry about what I said to you that day. It was wrong of me and you were right."

She continued to ignore him and kept walking.

Sighing in frustration, Ratchet activated his holoform, an elderly medic, with white hair and a sour face hopped out. He then approached the girl who glared at him clearly knowing it was his holoform. "Amber I know that you don't trust us, trust me but know this when I say I am sorry for not only what I said but how I acted, I mean it. I should have listened to you and to Optimus. I ended up putting the entire team in jeopardy." he said looking down at the ground, wishing that she would forgive him.

So he was a bit surprised when she walked up to him and patted is shoulder. "Alright I'll forgive you, so long as you don't do it again. Now let's go back to base before the others get called away and have to leave." she said walking over to his vehicle form and happed in the passenger seat. Ratchet smiled, his spark feeling lighter well he followed her example and got behind the wheel.

What neither of them knew was that they were being watched and it wasn't by Decepticons.

-o0o-

Silas was studying all the data MECH had gathered so far on the alien robots, wondering what it is that made them tic. He also had a report open that involved one of their secret bases being blown up by some unknown person. There was no clear picture of the person or explanation of how they snuck into the base or out without leaving any clues. It reminded him of his own tactics, or the ones he had taught.

"Sir." Silas turned and looked at one of his men, the one in charge of the units that were keeping tabs of the humans close to the Autobots. "There has been a development that you may find very interesting." He handed Silas a tablet, on it was a picture of Ratchet's holoform standing with the tall brunette girl on the sidewalk near Jasper High School. He took one look at her face and he almost didn't believe what he was seeing. "How sure are we about her identity? Do we know who she is?" Silas strongly hoped it was her.

"We are not sure sir but she is clearly working with the bots." the man reported, noting the look of hope in his leader's eyes. Sails closed his files and locked his computer.

"Then let's see if my dear little assassin has risen from the grave."

-o0o-

Amber wasn't sure how it happened but Miko had talked her into going to a demolition derby that was annually held in Thunder Hollow. Though Bulkhead was glad that she came since she talked Miko down from entering him into it. "Miko you are not old enough to enter Bulkhead." Amber told her well they sat on top of Bulks hood to watch.

"Yeah ok, but Bulk has his Holo thingy or you could-"

"Not happening Miko so drop it or I'll call a bridge to take us back and you won't get to watch it at all." Amber snapped well glaring at her. Miko simply blew a raspberry at her saying that the older girl had no way of contacting base on her own. Amber didn't respond save a raised eyebrow and a small smirk before she offered to go get them some snacks.

She was just in line at the concessions when the hairs on the back of her neck stood up putting Amber on alert. Looking around discreetly she scanned the crowd before she spotted a man in racing leathers glaring at her. Amber's heart skipped a beat and she began to panic on the inside when she realised that she knew him. Using the huge crowd around her Amber was able to slip away and ran back to Bulkhead and Miko. "We need to leave now."

"What, why? It hasn't-" Miko complained till Amber cut her off.

"MECH is here."

That was all Amber needed to say to get both Autobot and the younger girl moving, so in no time they were pulling out of the parking lot and on to the open road. Bulkhead was about to contact base when two modified green cars showed up behind him. "Hold on this may get ruff." he told Miko and Amber, both held onto his seats best as they could well Bulk went off road into the woods where the two cars could not follow. However the helicopter appeared above their heads could fallow them and stayed with them well Bulkhead weaved between the trees. Looking at the chopper in his review Amber wished for the first time in years that she still had a rifle.

"There's a clearing up ahead. I want both of you to hop out and run into the woods. I'll distract them and try to contact base." Bulkhead said grateful he had come across and old warn path.

"Don't you dare Bulkhead." Amber snapped surprising him and Miko by the panic in her voice. Looking at her, Miko saw how scared Amber was, which scared her. "Silas will not hesitate to cut you open and see what makes you work."

"We don't really have a better option." Bulkhead told her, also a bit unnerved by how scared she looked. Amber swollen a lump that had formed in her throat, because she had realised a few moments ago that they only had one option.

"Yes there is."

Silas was leered at the green transforming alien robot that was trying to escape from them. He already had had a chance to take this bot but he had chosen at the time the enemy that had beaten him, thinking him to be the greater specimen. Now there was nothing to stop him from taking it. So he was a bit surprised when it reached a clearing and suddenly stopped in the middle of it. It didn't take MECH forces very long to surround the alien and for his helicopter to land but he raised an eyebrow when it didn't transform. In fact it just sat there until the driver side door opened and the last person he expected stepped out to glare at him.

"Amber, so you're not dead after all daughter." Silas smiled impressed at how much she had grown in the years since she had supposedly died.

"What do you want Silas?" Amber demanded of him, her hands clenched at her sides and if looks could kill he would have been dead before hitting the ground.

"I have had some of my men keeping a close eye on that quaint little town that the Darby's live in and it is most surprising the amount of alien activity there. But seeing a picture of someone who looked so much like my late wife or so called dead daughter, I had to see you for myself. How did you survive the explosion that day?" Silas asked her well he had his men form a loose circle around her and the alien, their weapons pointed at it. What no one knew was that Amber already had a plan and she discreetly pushed the button of a small device she had in her pocket.

At the Autobot base Ratchet's station beeped as it received a transmission and he frowned when the computer opened right away. (("So what are you planning Silas? Take all three of us and do what? Punish me for defying you for the past 5 years, well taking the big guy apart? I got to say bad move if you don't want the Autobots on your trail."))

Ratchet stood there shocked and fear filled him when he heard the leader of MECH/Amber's father chuckle. (("You are half right. I am willing to let the girl go if you come with me and be my little assassin again."))

"OPTIMUS!" Ratchet shouted across the base.

Amber's glare deepened in disgust at his words but he saw the deep fear in her eyes and it pleased him to still see it there. "Never." she growled. "I will never again be a pawn for you to use and abuse."

Silas's smile dropped hearing this and with a frown he pulled a knife out, not surprised when she did the same but this one he recognised right away. "Ah… your mother's Obsidian knife. I was wondering where that had gone. I guess I will have to take it from you when I take you back."

Amber didn't respond though she didn't have to because just then a ground bridge opened and the rest of the Autobots ran into the clearing. Amber smirked at his look of surprise before she charged at him, Silas meeting her half way. The two swiped at each other with their knifes blocking each others strikes but Silas quickly noticed some changes to his daughter. She was almost as tall as himself, she had become faster and there was something different about her fighting style. He had taught her army grappling and hand to hand combat but she had clearly abandoned what he had forced her to learn. Her movements were almost fluid, fast and precise in a way that suggest an Easter finesse which caught him off guard.

When he grabbed her knife hand to stop her from stabbing him in the chest Amber dropped her knife and caught it with her free hand going for his neck. He let her go to dodge but she followed him, kicking him in his side than followed up with a punch to his head that left him stunned. Silas fell to his knees well she jumped on his back and wrapped a wire around his neck. Realising what she was trying to do Silas tried to get his fingers under the wire but Amber pressed her knee into his back and held on tight. "You wanted me to be your little assassin, now I going to kill you." She muttered, her voice strained.

From the moment he had arrived in the clearing Optimus had been trying to keep his gaze on Amber, hoping to grab her and get the three of them back to base quickly. He could see her fighting Silas with the skill that Fowler had suspected she was capable of. He and the others were driving MECH forces off, not looking at Amber and Silas's fight for a moment. When he turned back Optimus was shocked to see that Amber had a wire around the MECH leader's throat and was attempting to strangle him to death.

There were also thick tears pouring down her face.

Acting quickly Optimus step over to them and pulled Amber off Silas, relieved when he heard the terrorist leader take in a much needed breath of air. "NOOOO! Optimus let me go!" Amber screamed at him but Optimus didn't heed her plea. Instead he turned and ran back through the ground bridge behind the others. Amber screamed in frustration when she heard the ground bridge close, making all the bots and their 3 other human charges jump in surprise.

Not sparing any of them a glance Optimus took Amber to his room and locked the door behind him, ignoring her angry screams all the way. "Enough." he bellowed cutting her screams off well he placed her on his sleeping berth so he could look at her.

Amber did stop screaming but she glared up at him, breathing heavily, her hands clenched at her side. He didn't fail to notice the small cuts on her hands from the wire, her blood dripping on to his berth. "I had him, he was as good as gone. Why did you stop me?!" she shouted at him.

"Because I could see that you don't really wish for him to die." Optimus stated and her eyes widened before they turned hard again.

"Yes I do. He deserves to die a horrible and painful death. You just took away my only opportunity. I had him right where I wanted him, he was moments away from leaving this world. I am never going to get that chance again." Amber snapped at him well he saw the tears building up in her eyes. He wasn't even sure if she was aware that she was crying.

"Good." was all he said.

"Good?!" Amber shouted in anger. "How is letting him live to ruin more of other people's lives a good thing? He is ruthless and cares about nothing or no one."

"Wither he lives or dies is not for you to decide." Optimus told her and it was than the dame broke.

"I am the only one who has the right to decide if he lives or dies you stupide mech! You have no idea what he made me endured since my mother died in the line of duty. He forced me to train night and day, forced me to kill for him Prime. He pushed me till I was too sore to move, broke bones. And when I didn't perform to his standards or tried to fight him he would either beat me as punishment or he would cut me. The only time he ever showed that he truly cared was when one of his men raped me and killed him after he learned about it."

Optimus stared at her, his optics wide in shock hearing all this and hearing movement from outside his door he knew he wasn't the only one. "Amber I am sorry that-"

"I don't want your apologies or your pity Prime I just want Silas to feel pain like I once did and die a horrible death." Amber growled before she sank to her knees and seemed to curl in on herself. Optimus didn't say anything but he did pick her up and hold her to his chest right over his spark. Amber tried to push away from him but he could tell that her heart wasn't really in it as she began to cry. In the end she held onto a piece of his armor plating and cried even louder.

Optimus sat on his berth, continuing to hold her and was not all that surprised when she eventually tried herself out and fell asleep against his chest plating. It took him some time to process all that Amber had confessed and he found himself getting angry at Silas again. Taking in her tearstained face he felt his spark reaching out to her and wishing there was something he could truly do for her. He looked up when he heard his door being unlocked and Ratchet let himself in. "How much did you hear old friend?" Optimus asked him softly not wanting to wake his charge.

"Enough and I'm glad I told the others to take the rest of the children home right after you left the main room with her. They did not need to hear her confess all that." Ratchet said well he walked over and took in Amber's appearance. "She looks so small and helpless like this. You wouldn't think it possible that she could take another's life. Is it true that she was trying to strangle Silas with a wire?" Optimus sigh but told Ratchet about all that he had seen once Arcee, Bumblebee and him had arrived in the clearing. He was still puzzled about how Amber had contacted the base, it wasn't like she could have gotten a hold of their transmission frequency. Or did she?

"I think it would be for the best that she stay here for the night." Optimus suddenly said and was taken back when Ratchet readily agreed.

"After all that's happened I do not think June would be equipped in dealing with Amber should she lash out again." The old medic explained. "I will inform the others so they will know to be quite upon their return and contact June as well. I would suggest that you move her to the furnishings in the main area so she will be more comfortable. "

-o0o-

In the morning when Amber woke up and discovered that she was laying on the couch in the base and not her room at the Darby's house she felt her heart sink. She lay there staring at the ceiling, remembering her outburst at Optimus and regretting calling him a stupid mech. 'Hes only been so kind and understanding.' she thought well rubbing her face grimacing at the feelin of tears left on her skin. "Are you going to lay there all morning or are you going to get up?"

Amber jumped and sat up to look at Ratchet, who of course was at his work station. "Sorry."

"What for?" Ratchet asked watching as she did get up and walked over to him. Amber simply shrugged, not really feeling up to talking about what had happened yesterday. However something had been bugging Ratchet. "Amber, how did you contact base last night?"

"Oh well I have a bit of a confession about that." Amber said blushing well pulling the device out of her pocket to show him. "I made this in case I ever had to call base for an emergency."

Ratchet frowned well looking at the small device. It looked like a slim flash drive, that was black and sat in the palm of her hand, a button in the middle of it. "But how did you get our transmission frequency?"

"Well actually that was easy. It's right there in the bottom right corner of your comms window." she said pointing it out. Ratchet looked and saw that she was right but he still had his doubts.

"You're telling me that you memorised it during the time you've been here?"

"First day actually. I have a photographic memory." Amber confessed with a shrug making Ratchet stare at her in complete shock. Amber was just assuring him that she had never intended to use it against them when Fowler arrived with some good news. "The court date for those thugs that made you help them has been moved up. It's the day after tomorrow so you'll need to come dressed nice."

"Yeah, won't that be fun." Amber said sourly.

"Hey don't sass me missy. Just think it will be over soon and you can do whatever you want." Fowler told her. Amber blinked at him, having forgotten about the deal to avoid jail time by testifying against those men. A lot had happened since then and she wasn't sure what she wanted to do. Word got around quick about the court date being moved up, which gave the bots something to talk about. "What do you suppose Amber's going to do after it's all over?" Bulkhead asked Arcee and Bee, the three of them walking through the halls of the base.

"I don't know but if she does leave it would be one less kid to worry about right?" Arcee asked her tone not revealing the conflicted look on her face, but it was only her question Amber heard. She had been heading towards Optimus's room, and having heard them talking she had hidden to ease drop on their conversation a little.

"Well yeah it would." Builkhead said unsure and this was followed by Bee's beeping and whatever he said did make the other two laugh a little. Amber's heart sank hearing how they didn't seem to care if she was around or not. Though she really only had herself to blame, she had been nothing but hostile to all to them since she had arrived. She most likely would never say it but a part of her had begun to hope that she was starting to fit in. Now after hearing all that she wasn't so sure.

The trial came and went without much fanfare for Amber and when Fowler had dropped her off at base everyone else had left and Optimus was out patrolling. Amber was a bit sad well she asked Ratchet to just bridge her to the Darby's house. Walking into the garage she didn't see Arcee parked there and walking into the house Jack and June was also gone. Amber was a bit surprised to feel her heart hurt, well tears started to fill her eyes. That none of them seemed to care about her to wait at base to see how the trial had gone.

A moment later the hurt was replaced by anger. "Fine if they don't want me around then I'll just leave." Amber told herself, storming up to her room and packing her bag with what she needed. She made sure the front door was locked behind her before heading towards the outskirts of town where the bus stop was. There she used a fake id to buy a ticket to a bus heading to Colorado, soon boarding the bus she and looked out the window next to her seat. The only regret she had well watching Jasper disappeared behind her was that she didn't say good bye to Optimus.

A/N: I wasn't sure if I should have put a warning at the beginning of this chapter due to Amber trying to kill her own father and all the other drama. So sorry if any of you are made at me for not doing that. Any who, another chapter done and I hope to not keep you all waiting till I post the nest one.