Abigail was glad that it was Saturday, though she did have to work today. Regardless, she was quick to get dressed and hurry out to Optimus without stopping to get breakfast.

Optimus' passenger door opened and she hopped in, ready to go to work.

"Hey, Optimus. I won't be able to come to the base until later. I have work today", Abigail says softly. Optimus only hums in response.

"Abigail..." he says, unsure of where to go. "Why were there police outside your house last night?"

Abigail winced. "My... uh... my brother... committed suicide."

Optimus was quiet. "You have my condolences."

Abigail smiled softly. "Thanks, Optimus, but I fear my father may need them more than I will."

"Ah. I saw him open the door last night to let the police in. Do you know if he saw me?"

"He did", Abigail spoke quietly. "He knows that I know. He... also told me how my mother died..."

Optimus sighed softly. "I wish I could have protected her. She was the only human Ratchet grew close to, and he is afraid to be close to humans again. So... do not worry if he is... so against you being here. He just doesn't want to see what happened to her happen to you. Although... he may be more against you as you are her daughter."

"Albeit adopted", Abigail added. "Even still, I'll try to stay on his good side."

"That would be wise", Optimus replies. "Now, I do believe we best get you off to work."

"Oh yeah! I work at K.O. drive in. If Jack works the same shift I do, I'll catch a ride to base with him and Arcee", Abigail says. Optimus doesn't say anything, and the rest of their time together is silent until they reach K.O. Drive In.

"Thanks, Optimus! See you later!"

"Indeed", Optimus rumbled. Abigail hops out, and hurries into work, clocking in and then takes up her position at the cash register for anyone coming into the restaurant. Most people just went through the drive through, but some went into the store.

Abigail was relieved when she saw Arcee pull up with Jack, who quickly clocked in, and started working at the window, taking over from another one of their coworkers. Abigail sighed softly as she looked at the clock.

'Just a few more hours until I can leave and go hang out with the bots.'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Abigail stretched as she left work, chilling outside as she waited for Jack to get out of the restaurant. She didn't have to wait for long thankfully, as Jack had just exited the building with his motorcycle helmet in hand. He pulled it as Abigail walked beside him.

"Jack! Still up for giving me that ride?"  Abigail asked, startling Jack slightly.

"Yeah", Jack says, climbing onto Arcee. Abigail climbed on behind him and wrapped her arms around her torso. Arcee backed up and then started driving towards base. Once they were at the old country roads that led to base, Arcee did a wheelie, startling both Abigail and Jack. Abigail thought she heard Jack say something, but she heard nothing through the wind. However, Arcee did do more fun stuff, though Abigail wasn't sure she could actually call it fun. More of, it scared her. She had never been a fan of motorcycles, and was holding on for dear life as they zoomed down the streets, and did several more wheelies. By the time they got back to base, Abigail was frazzled as they came to a stop.

"Yeah, uh..." Abigail paused for a moment to hold back some bile. "I think... I think I'll stick with riding with Optimus or one of the others if at all possible..."

Jack only laughs as Abigail climbed off, allowing him to get off as well. Arcee transformed, and soon Abigail could hear the laughs and cheers of the other humans in the base.

She looked up at Optimus and smiled up at him, before climbing up onto the platform, ignoring Optimus' voice as he talked to the other Autobots.

She sat down on the yellow couch that looked as if it had been there for ages, with how dirty it was. She smiled softly at the comfortableness of it, before leaning her head back. However, she sat up when she heard a strange sound. She looked around, and noticed a swirling green and white portal- she assumed it was a portal as Optimus and Ratchet had disappeared through it.

"Woah! What was that?" she asked, her eyes wide with awe. Arcee scoffed, and turned away, not finding it worth her time to explain.

"I'm going on patrol", she announced.

"But Optimus told us to stay", Bulkhead argues, though it was obvious that he didn't feel comfortable with that.

"When you're in charge, you can call the shots", Arcee counters. "Bee, with me. Bulkhead- you're in charge."

Abigail sighs softly, before her eyes widen.

"Shoot! My dad is gonna come here today to get an explanation of how I discovered you guys!"

"Agent Fowler knows you know?" Arcee whirls around, anger flashing across her face. Abigail shrinks down.

"Uh... yeah..."

"You weren't supposed to tell him!" Arcee shouts. Abigail frowns, her own anger rising up.

"It's kinda hard hiding a semi-truck from your dad when he opens up the front door to allow some police to come inside your house!"

Arcee was about to yell again, but Jack intervened. "Abigail, why were there police at your house?"

Abigail shrunk down again, and stared at the floor, remembering the events of the night before. She felt tears come into her eyes as she remembered the image of her older brother hanging from the ceiling, his eyes holding nothing. No emotions. No pain. Nothing.

Raf was instantly next to her, hugging her even though he didn't know what was going on. Abigail sniffed, and wiped away the tear that was falling from her left eye. She fought back the tears, and managed to lock her emotions away deep inside herself, and created a stony face.

"It's nothing", Abigail said, and pulled away from Raf, turning towards the elevator. "I'll be back shortly."

She went into the elevator, and went up, finding herself on top of the base. She sat at the edge, staring across the bland desert. Her thoughts didn't really seem interesting, but they were the only company she had. Eventually she felt her tentacles twitch against her side, and she sighed. Sometimes it felt like they weren't a part of her, though she knew they were.

She moved them to be in front of her so she could study them again. There was nothing different. They were still the same old black and purple striped tentacles, with three claws on the end of them.

"Abigail?" a young, familiar voice spoke up. Abigail's eyes flashed in annoyance, and she didn't bother to hide her tentacles as she turned to look at Raf. His brown eyes were wide as he looked at her.

"Woah... you're... you... you have... what are those?" Raf asked.

Abigail shrugged. "I call them tentacles, for lack of a better term. And... promise me you won't tell anyone about this? Only Kadia and you know, and I'd prefer to keep it that way."

"I won't tell anyone. Not even Bumblebee", Raf says. Abigail smiles, and she starts to hide the tentacles again, but Raf speaks up.

"Can I touch them?" he asks. Abigail hesitates before nodding, and Raf comes closer. He runs his fingers gently along it, and Abigail shivers. Raf stops and looks up at her, amazement shining in his eyes.

"They feel like how a Cybertronian would! They're metal, and yet they're warm!" Raf says excitedly. Abigail could see that he was thinking everything over in his mind before making a connection.

"What if you're not completely human, Abby? What if you're... somehow Cybertronian?"

Abigail snorts, about to say that wasn't going to happen, before she froze, her mind going over everything as well.

"That... that would... oh gosh... that... that makes so much more sense", Abigail whispers. "I've always been stronger than the average human, even though I've never lifted a weight in my life. And then... the dreams... the dreams that I turn into stories for Kadia. Raf, I recognized the planet Cybertron when Optimus showed it to us. Because I had seen it before in dreams."

Raf eyes twinkled in excitement. "We need to talk to Ratchet about this when he gets back!"

Abigail was instantly against it. "No!" she cried. "No... I don't want them know until I know who my parents are. What if my parents are Decepticons? I sincerely hope not, but there is a chance."

Raf nods. "Perhaps we could ask subtly. Like asking about their family groups, or if they had kids at some point in their life. I'll help you unravel this mystery. I want to see you reunited with your family. Your real family."

Abigail smiled and hugged Raf close, while hiding her tentacles yet again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Soundwave sighed softly. He had just barely felt a twinge of anger through his bond with his sparkling, but it had quickly disappeared. At least he knew she was alive now. Or maybe he was just feeling his own anger when he went searching for her through the bond again and couldn't find her.

Soundwave groaned in annoyance. He missed his little Echotide, and he wanted to know where she was. He wanted to hold her in his arms again. He wanted to see his sparkling. He missed her so much, and it was bringing him down farther. He had missed so much of her life already, if she had lived past this point.

However, he was glad she was not here. He did not want to see her turned into a ruthless warrior. He wanted her to grow up innocently, at least until he could be reconnected with her. And then he would allow her to make her own choice.

"Soundwave..." a low murmur came from behind him, and he turned to look at his Lord and Master, Megatron. "You have been more distracted these past few days. May I ask why?"

Soundwave paused for a moment as he thought of his reply. Megatron had known of Echotide, but had thought she perished with her mother. Soundwave spoke using different voices to inform Megatron of his thoughts.

"Thinking- of my- lost- family", Soundwave told Megatron. Megatron only hummed in response, before turning an leaving.

"I will be back. Make sure Starscream doesn't ruin anything."

Soundwave nods once, and goes back to his bond, trying to find any sort of emotion from his sparkling.

But still, there was nothing. It was empty and Soundwave raged silently in his spark.