*Don't play Video*

"Welcome to Texas"

Shadow's POV

I was nervous..

We were in Texas...

What would my mom think?

What would she look like?

Is she the same or different?

Does she have another family?

Did she forget me?

My stomach was full of butterflies, Chromia and Ironhide are silent...this whole ride has been silent...

"Shadow? You okay?" Ironhide asks.

I look up and see I'm pale in the rear view mirror, my small face whiter than snow, I shrug off the pale face, "Honey, don't be afraid," Chromia says in a motherly tone appearing in the backseats, she wraps me in her arms and gives me a motherly hug, it's full of love, secure, and comfort, I accept her hug, hugging her back tightly, my heart racing with love and happiness from Chromia's hug, I look up at her, she is smiling down at me, I open my mouth, almost calling her mom, but I catch myself then speak:

"Chromia, what if she doesn't want me? Will you and Ironhide take me?"

I could feel Ironhide tense but continues driving, Chromia smiles, "We all would take you in a spark beat, heck we would even be your new family, I would be your carrier, Ironhide would be your sire," Chromia says then stops, she looks at me, then it hit me, I remember SunStreaker he asked me about my mother, when he said Carrier then he said in your language it means 'Mom'....

Chromia would CLAIM ME!!! If my mom didn't want me!! That's so cool!

I squealed inside of my head, I hug Chromia tighter, she is surprised by my hug, "Okay, where do I need to go?" I hear Ironhide ask, I look up and see he's on the phone, Joshua must have bought-

SUCKER had a phone and didn't let me play on it?! -Wait MY IPOD!

I gasp remembering it, I grab my bag from the floor with Chromia's help, I open my bag then gasp seeing my iPod still ALIVE!

"My iPod!" I squeal pulling the small device out.

Chromia looks at me and my baby confused, she goes to take it but I hiss at her, "Shadow? What is that?" Ironhide asks still driving but looking at me through the rear view mirror, "My iPod!" I cheer putting my iPod in the air.

Moments Later

It is going to take us 7 hours to get to Tom and Terry's house, my iPod is playing my music, I found a pair of Lamborghini Logo Beats headphones:

Ironhide and Chromia told me Sideswipe and SunStreaker picked then out and Joshua paid for them, one thousand dollar headphones! That's cray-cray!

I am currently listening to "Flashlight by Bellas from Pitch Perfect 2"

I was humming along to it softly.

Ironhide's POV

My alt was filled with no noise, only Chromia's tapping on the arm rest, then all of a sudden I hear a soft smooth sweet voice:  *Play Video*

When tomorrow comes, I'll be on my own

Feeling frightened of the things that I don't know

When tomorrow comes, when tomorrow comes

When tomorrow comes, when tomorrow comes

And though the road is long

I look up to the sky

Darkness all around

I hope that I could fly

Then I sing along, then I sing along

Then I sing along, then I sing along

I got all I need when I got you and I

Cause I look around me and see a sweet life

I'm stuck in the dark but you're my flashlight

You're gettin' me, gettin' me through the night

You kickstart my heart when you're shinin' in my eyes

I can't lie, it's a sweet life

I'm stuck in the dark but you're my flashlight

You're gettin' me through the night

You're gettin' me through the night

Cause you're my flashlight, cause you're my flashlight

You're my flashlight, cause you're my flashlight

You're my flashlight

You're gettin' me through the night

I got all I need when I got you and I

Cause I look around me and see a sweet life

I'm stuck in the dark but you're my flashlight

You're gettin' me through the night

You kickstart my heart when you're shinin' in my eyes

I can't lie, it's a sweet life

I'm stuck in the dark but you're my flashlight

You're getting me through the night

Cause you're my flashlight, cause you are

Cause you're my flashlight, cause you're my flashlight

You're my flashlight

You're gettin' me through the night

Oh, cause you're my flashlight, cause you're my

Gettin' Me Through The Night

I smile at her and her voice, she was still looking out the window, not knowing she sang out loud, Chromia looks at me, "What if she doesn't want Shadow? Ironhide, can we adopt her?" Chromia asks, I grab my spark mate's servo and hold it in mine, "Sure sweetie," I smirk and kiss her cheek plate, "Really?!" I hear Shadow yelp surprised, Chromia chuckles, I look at Shadow, her headphones are around her neck, "OH MY GOSH! REALLY HIDE?!" She yells happily, Chromia chuckles, "Really sweet spark," she says smiling, Shadow squeals happily.

Shadow's POV

My heart raced in my chest, I hope mom doesn't want me!

I know I maybe sounding mean but she faked her own death! She left me without saying "This is all just a plan I have made up! I'll be gone for what feels like forever then come back in your life when your happy! Bye!" No, you can't do that to a four year old, but now I'm happy she did that!

I would have never met Ironhide or the other Autobots, none of this would have happened, a mistake turns into something beautiful most of the time, but in my case it turned out something beautiful...

Moments Later

Chromia's POV

I held Shadow in my arms, she was asleep, her helm rested on my chest I combed her black hair, she was in my lap, the seatbelt over both of us, I watched as Ironhide smiled softly to himself, he was happy because he was holding both of his femmes, 3 more hours with her was all I had that is if her carrier didn't want her, my spark turned and fear built up in my tanks, the fear was for if her mother wanted her....

I hold Shadow closer to me, she snuggled her helm in my neck, her breathing was slow.

Ironhide's POV

"One more hour," I announced through COM, "Ironhide? Do we really have to give Shadow back? She is apart of the Autobots now, Optimus said so before he left," Sideswipe murmurs I could hear the sadness in his tone, it was true, before Optimus left.

"Defend this family, Autobots, defend all they can be. That includes our newest member"

Optimus looks at Shadow, who was being held in my servos, "Shadow," Optimus says after awhile of silence, Shadow opened  her optics, "Welcome to my team," with that Optimus left...

I shake out of memory, then I see where we were to turn.

30 more minutes...

I wanted to stop, I wanted to turn around and just keep Shadow.

After awhile of driving I look at the clock on my phone Joshua bought, my spark clenched seeing how many more minutes I had with her...

I had to stay strong...don't fall apart Ironhide...stay strong for Shadow...

Then I feel a small body climb in the passenger seat and hug the seat tightly, the same little arms that hugged me at the hotel we were at when we started our journey, the same little arms that held me when the KSI truck was driving by, the same little arms that soothed me through life's pain.

"5" Bumblebee

"4" Twins

"3" Crosshairs

"2" Chromia

"1"

"You have arrived at your destination"