He now wears scars over his face and a crooked nose. He didn't have those before she left for the military. Neither at the last time she saw him, which was the twins funeral. He seemed more on edge and agitated. Twitching as he sat at the kitchen table, awaiting dinner. Shelby sits across from him, starting daggers at him. Her baby blues looking dark and cold at the man she thought was her father. His beady eyes keep glancing up at her throughout the quiet awkward dinner. Her stare still holding. No plans of breaking. 

She hasn't even touched her dinner yet. One hand lay next to her silverware and the other on her leg that is crossed over the left leg. She is slouched back and relaxed. Enjoying making her so called father feel uncomfortable. That is if it's real. As she's concerned anything he does is a lie. Fake. Fabricated. A sham. He's like a Decepticon to her. Everything he does is deceiving. She will believe none of it. The only Decepticon she will ever believe is Knockout, for he saved her life. he wouldn't let her die in a box with shattered legs. Part of her wonders what happened to him after he dropped her off at the hospital. If she ever finds any of the team again she will have to ask. 

She didn't realized she zoned out to her own little world until her father started speaking. 

"I'll be leaving for a week for work." He says calmly.

"What for this time?" Shelby sneers, "Oh wait, you never tell us.  'It's a secret.'" She says the last few words with quotations. 

"It never bothered you before, if I didn't say anything." He growled back.

"You used to always tell us. I just never care until I found out why. just admit that you killed them. That you doing secret illegal experiments." This time I stood. 

"I am doing no such thing and I did not kill your siblings. Why would I kill my own children?" He stands, hands in fists. 

"Because you don't give two shits about us." Her teeth clenched together as she talked. 

"I don't know what happened to you overseas, or in that damn coma, but you are not the same daughter I know and love."

"You never..."

"Knock it off!" The quiet mother screams. Her voice echoing around the room. 

Both of them still. Heads turning to stare at the disgruntled lady. She stands hunched over the table, hands flat against the top. Panting from the extortion of the scream. Something she isn't used to doing. 

"You two do nothing but fight. I'm sick and tired of it. You know your father goes on trips for work. That hasn't changed. He's been promoted to do more secret work. That's something that happened while you were in the coma. We explained this. Can we please just have dinner in peace? Please?" She says her spiel and slowly sits back down. 

Both stood watching, slowly taking their own seats. neither have heard the women of the house get so angry. so much fire was being suppressed in her tiny body. 

"Please eat." Mother said, picking at her own food.

"I'm not hungry." With that, Shelby got back up and went to her room. getting far away from her parents as possible. 

She fell face first onto her bed. just laying there, hoping she could keep her face pressed into the pillow long enough to pass out. Maybe wake her up from this nightmare. if only she could be curled against that blue and gold metal body. The one with the voice to lull her to sleep. Make her feel safe. After holding her breath into the pillow for a bit, she rolls over. Staring up at her ceiling. 

"Dreadwing. Where are you?"

A lone tear rolls down her cheek. If only she could feel safe again. Safe in the arms of a Decepticon turned Autobot. She has to find out what happened to them. She knows it wasn't all a dream. There was no way. Shelby fell asleep thinking about ways to find the Autobots. Ways to get back to them. To prove they aren't just a dream.

The next morning, she decided to make a few phone calls. She waited until after the traitor left for work and her mother to head to her therapy session she has twice a week. She had to look up the number, but she was able to find it.

"Springfield Medical Center, nurse Darby how can I help you." A recognizable woman's voice is heard in the other line.

Shelby's face lights up at the voice she hasn't heard in 6 months. A glow comes to her face in excitement. Not believing what she is hearing.

"Nurse Darby? As in June Darby?" She questions as a tear comes to her eye.

"Yes...is there something I can help you with ma'am?"

She savers the voice. Enjoying hearing something so familiar to her.

"I don't know how to say this. But your one of the people I've been hoping to find. I don't even know if you know who I am or if what I know really happened, but my name's Shelby Bishop. I was taken to your hospital over 6 months ago for shattered legs. Please tell me you remember me." There was silence on the other end. She wanted to mention the Autobots, but it's better to keep quiet about them for the time being.

"I'm sorry I don't recognize the name. You came in for shattered legs? Did you get therapy here too? Do you need to speak to your doctor. What's your last four and I can try and look you up."

At those words, Shelby's heart fell. June doesn't remember her. What is she supposed to do now? What is that supposed to mean to her? Did her legs ever get so damaged? And what does that mean for the Autobots? So many questions but no answer. None to help her find where Dreadwing is.

"Um...no nevermind. I probably called the wrong center. Thank you for taking my call." And she hung up the phone. The tear the had started to form, dropped. But not in happiness, but in sadness. 

After the phone call, she head outside to the place where it all started. The place she brought a metal being back to life. When she rebuilt his power core, fixed his dents and scratches, putting him back together again. A place that held the most memorable memory of her life. The best memory in her opinion. One she will never forget. 

The space was empty. Nothing to say he had ever been inside. Her equipment is gone, her gun safe is gone. Everything, including the couch that held the blanket she threw over the back of it, was gone. Part of her wanted to cry. Fall to her knees and let it all out, but she couldn't bring herself to complete it. She had to stay strong, she couldn't feel weak. She couldn't let go of the pain that has been brought to her. Her goal will stay strong, no matter how many times she has to say it to herself. 

That is until she spotted something shining in the light, in the back corner of the shop. She took slow steps to get there, it felt so far away. The gleaming shine of the gold stopped her in her tracks. Gold. The only gold that was ever in here, was supposedly from her dreams. But here it was, a piece the size of her hand, lay in the corner, untouched for who knows how long. 

"Dreadwing." She whispered, cradling the shard of glass close to her chest. 

A door slammed in the distance. She jumped up from her kneeling position and stuffed the shard in her pocket. Then she raced towards the door, not wanting anyone to know what she just found.