"You can't come with me. Just ground bridge me outside of my town and I'll walk." Shelby states as she walks over to the ground bridge. Optimus right at her heals.

"I need to know that you'll be safe. Silas is very dangerous. He could kill you the moment you walk through." The Prime says worriedly.

"That's if he knows I'm here. But as far as he knows, he is trying to keep me from knowing about this. He wants me to go crazy. He's still trying to act like a father to me. I'm gonna get as much information as I can. It's bad enough I've been gone for almost a day, my mother is probably freaking out."

"If something happens, comm us immediately." He bends down, forcing her to listen.

"That will be kind of hard since I don't have a cell phone anymore." She shrugs.

"Here. Use this." Ratchet pulls something from his subspace and hands a small gadget to her.

She takes it lightly between her fingertips. She inspects the small item in her hands. There is a small button on the side that she presses and a screen lights up. Almost like a datapad she's seen the bots use, but the size of a cell phone. She clicks the middle app showing and up pops all the bots faces.

"Just like a cellphone." She mumbles under her breath.

"We can also track you on that. If Silas tries to take you somewhere or you need us, we will be able to find you. Don't let anyone know you have it." Ratchet warns.

"Thank you Ratchet. I know we don't always see eye to eye, but truly thank you." She says sincerely, glancing up at him. He gives her a firm nod back.

"Alright, I'll keep you posted." She says, sticking the pad in her pocket. She looks up at Ratchet, waiting politely for him to open the ground bridge.

"I'll open off in the woods near the edge of your town. You will have to walk to the road." Ratchet explains.

She sends him a salute and walks towards the now open swirling vortex. She waves over her shoulder and disappears into the unknown.

"Please be careful." Optimus whispers after her.

On the other side, Shelby lands on the ground with a crunch of leaves under her feet. She survey's the area around her, checking to make sure she is alone, before taking a few steps. The ground bridge closes and she is left in silence of the trees surrounding her. She cringes at the leaves crunching under her feet as she makes her way towards the road. It takes about five minutes before she reaches it. The moon being the only thing to light up the area. Making her wish she had a flashlight. The first thing she notices as she steps into the street, is the giant green sign reading her towns name and the population of less than a thousand. She knows the way now. Her home only about 5 miles down from this sign. So, she begins her hike back with the chill air of the night brushing against her back.

There are no cars or trucks racing down the road, not even a sheriff is seen. With the light of the moon, it's not as aerie as it could be, but it's still dark. Her only hope is to get home as quick as possible. Well her parents home anyway. It hasn't felt like home in months, since she came home. It's more like when she stayed on the Nemisis. It had the look of home, but she was a captive. Prisoner of war. A place covered in luxury, trying to hide the torture underneath. To mess with your mind, get you to believe it's a safe place. Trying to get you to bring down your walls and succumb to the madness. Get you to trust and tell them everything. Join their side. To make you kill their enemy.

Thoughts of her time on the Nemisis swirled in her mind. After thinking about it while she walked, she would rather stay on the Nemisis again. She knew the monster aboard that ship and knew what he could do. She wasn't afraid of him. The monster living in her childhood home, unfortunately, she knows nothing about. He hides behind a mask, covering his secrets with an old life. She doesn't know anything about him. She has no proof of the murders to get siblings. Only the confession he gave her in a dream. She believes solely on a dream that he is a monster. But now that she know the Autobots are real, that means he's real too. He knows about the Autobots. There is nothing stopping her from believing he killed her siblings as well.

In the middle if her thoughts, a bright light comes racing towards her. She covers her eyes and moves over more towards the tree line. The lights from the vehicle gets closer, it barely makes any noise from the newer technology in the vehicle. Quieter exhaust and the powerful engine seems to purr. As it closes in, it forms the shape of an SUV, black in color. She thinks of her dad's or get brothers SUV. They are a matching set. At least that's how she thinks it is. Double the trouble. It slows down and pulls to get side of the road, then stops next to her.

"Shelby!!" A squeal comes from within as the window rolls down.

It rolls down to reveal her father behind the steering wheel and her mother in the passenger seat. Her mother struggles to get the seatbelt off and she almost tumbles out of the car. Shelby backs up as get mother comes within reach, trying to hug her youngest child. Her mother acts unfazed by this and pulls her in anyway.

"Where have you been? I've been so worried. You can't just leave like that. We've been looking for you everywhere. What happened? Are you hurt?" She exclaimed fretting over her child.

"Mom..." Shelby starts, "mom stop! I'm fine. Just went for a long walk."

"All day!!!! Come get in the car. Let's get you home and cleaned up."

Shelby groans as she's shoved to the rear door of the black vehicle. Her father's accusing gaze isn't unnoticed and she sends a glare back at him. It's next me of there business where she was. No will they ever find out. She gets inside and buckles up and waits for the car to start moving. Her mother continues to try and get more information out if her, but after her daughter ignoring her for the next five minutes, she gives up with an exaggerated sigh.

The drive back was filled with uncomfortable silence and tension. Lots of tension. She could see her father's eyes lingering in the review mirror, gazing upon her. Anger seemed to radiate from the front seat. She is curious on why he's so angry, but not enough to say anything. She has to keep a hand over her face to keep him from seeing the smirk playing upon her lips. It's funny to watch him get so worked up and she knows it's because he wasn't able to keep tabs on her. He didn't have control over her during the duration she was gone. No control and it felt amazing to feel free from the cage. If only for a day. She knew she had to find a way to stay out of the cage.

"Honey go inside. I'd like to talk to Shelby." His voice monotone as he orders his wife to go in.

The Mrs. Looks back at her child then back at him. Concern carefully laid upon her  wrinkled face. Her time of worry over her children have aged her far beyond her years.

"Don't go to hard in her." She whispers, then leaves the vehicle.

The door slams shut and it's just the two of them. Neither say a word for a moment. But the tension is still very high. Then he speaks

"So where were you really?" His voice deep and acidic. Leaving a bad taste on your tongue.

"Like I said, I took a walk. I had to get out of the house." She replies, her words cutting through the air like a knife.

"I know your lying. We searched every inch of this town and you were no where. No one's seen you."

"I went for a hike through the woods. No one was gonna see me."

"Your not dressed warm enough. It's been cold all day. A sweater would suffice."

"You get hot as you walk. And it wasn't that cold today. What are you insinuating, Dad?" She says it as if it's a swear word. It leaves a bad taste in her mouth.

"Who met you? Who picked you up?"

She can't help but laugh. This only aggravates him more.

"You act like I have friends who live around here. If that was the case I would of tried leaving months ago. But I know you keep them from coming around."

"I don't keep anything from you. You are welcome to come and go as you please."

"Oh please. Drop the act. You won't let me get a vehicle or a cellphone. I'm stuck here and you do it on purpose. You don't want me leaving. And I think your a little upset that I had some freedom today." She can't help but let the smirk free.

"Where did you go?" He asks through clenched teeth.

"I told you, I just went for a walk."

She can hear his knuckle flexing in the steering wheel. Straining to calm down. Clearly hiding something, but needs to keep up the act. He thinks over his next choice if words. Staring out the window at the house. The old white farmhouse.

"Go inside." He mumbles.

"What sorry didn't hear you."

"I said go inside and stay there. You are not to leave this property, unless it's for your appointments. Which I will be taking you."

She let a growl release from deep in her throat.

"Mom taking me is just fine."

"I need to make sure you don't try to run off again."

"Why does is matter, father? Trying to keep me locked up. I am an adult. I don't have to stay here." She argues.

"Can't have you going off looking for your imaginary friends. You could hurt yourself. Your staying here and that's an order." That's the last thing he says before getting out if the SUV.

Shelby follows in suit, keeping a few steps behind him. Now she knows its even less safe to stay here. Her father must have eyes everywhere. He must know something. He probably knows she left with Bumblebee. She has to be even more careful now. Her and the Autobots could be in grave danger.