Sorry for the delay, all. We're getting close to the start of the murder trial for the man who killed my sons' stepmother, and everyone is requiring a lot of extra cuddles, chocolate, and reassurances, including yours truly. Everyone says that the mom and the stepmom, the ex-wife and the "new" wife can't get along, and the two of us completely disproved that. I called her my wife-in-law, and she called me her step-wife, and with my ex-husband, the three of us made a solid parenting unit. I regret that there's no word to describe the kind of relationship she and I had, but she was my family, period, and I miss her. And this is probably an overshare, but anyway, that's why it's been a little hard for me to vanish into fantasy-land and play with the Autobots right now. Your patience over the next two months while we wait to see if this monster gets life without parole (what we're hoping for) is appreciated.

ANYWAY. *picture the scene-change thing from the cartoon here* *da-da-DA-da-daaaa* And now we return to–THE TRANSFORMERS!

Hope y'all enjoy this chapter! Reviewer thanks are at the end. :)

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::Optimus. Stop that.::

Optimus ignored Ratchet's com in favor of straining his sensors to pick up on Anna's conversation with the human youngling who had gotten out of the first vehicle. Their interaction was reassuringly casual, the youngling complaining about studying and Anna falling comfortably into a mentor's role. It was interesting that the youngling–Spike–referred to her as doc, as well as his complete lack of surprise to find out that she'd stayed up all night working on a project. Apparently her intense curiosity was one of her more distinctive traits. Optimus wondered what kind of doctor she was, and why she hadn't mentioned it, and how she knew the youngling, and a thousand permutations of what else don't I know about her?

He had almost started to relax into his musings when the second vehicle arrived. Even from this distance, he picked up on the stress cues in her voiceprint when she asked Spike about it, and that erased his lassitude immediately.

He listened to her enlisting the youngling's help in keeping the newcomers away from the barn and mentally winced with guilt–now their presence here was not only endangering Anna, a fully informed adult who had chosen her involvement, it was possibly endangering a young one who had no idea what he was getting into. Anna didn't enlighten him, either, which made Prime's guilt sharpen. She was protecting him and his Autobots even from her own friends.

::Optimus, don't you ignore me,:: Ratchet commed him again. ::Quit pushing your sensors so hard. They're not ready for that yet. You'll damage them all over again.::

Again, Optimus didn't answer the medic. In fact, as the vehicle stopped and two human males approached Anna, he cranked his audial sensors still higher, right to the very limits of their sensitivity, and deliberately remained deaf to Ratchet's outrage.

After all, mechanical systems were much easier to repair than organic life forms.

::Prime, don't worry,:: Jazz chimed in, clearly picking up on the medic's scolding over the open Autobot frequency. ::I can see her from here. These two came alone and their vehicle is just a vehicle, not a 'con. If they try something, I'll be all up in their face in five seconds, and they ain't got nothing I can't handle. Your little buddy is just fine.::

Optimus didn't bother answering him, either. At this level, his audials were sensitive enough to pick up on the rapid beat of Anna's heart, and that had his full attention. In all her interactions with him and the Autobots, she hadn't shown fear until she'd had a gun shoved in her face.

She was afraid now.

And Optimus didn't like it one bit.

But she hid her nervousness quite well, even when one of the strangers asked her about a visitor that could only be Optimus himself, and did so with a degree of confidence and certainty that raised every alarm instinct Prime possessed even before the Matrix sent a warning flutter through his systems.

These strangers know more than they should, he realized, itching in his forced immobility and wanting them away from her now. ::Jazz,:: Optimus said, speaking along the open Autobot com frequency for the first time. ::You have already infiltrated the human intelligence networks, yes? Find out who this Gordon Horiuchi is, quickly.::

::Oh, so you can hear,:: Ratchet growled, and Optimus was glad when Ironhide hushed him because he was trying to listen.

Anna spoke calmly to the men, insisting with beautiful sincerity that she knew nothing of what they were talking about. Then Jazz came back over the com only a few moments later. ::Slag, Prime, this ain't good,:: the intelligence operative said in a tone saturated with dread. ::He commands an outfit called Skywatch. They're deep-dark and I'm having trouble getting any specifics, but the one thing I have managed to find is a classified report on something they call NBE1. I'm not sure who it is or if they're dead or alive, but NBE1 is definitely a captive Cybertronian.::

::They know about us?:: Ironhide demanded, stunned. ::I thought this right here was first contact with the humans!::

::Looks like someone beat us it, and not by a little. Look at this,:: Jazz replied. He forwarded the sparse information he'd managed to collect with a tag that he was still digging for more, but the little he'd already found included details of the many experiments they'd run on NBE1. ::They've had this poor mech for decades.::

The extensive and sadistic list was enough for Prime. Suddenly the Galactic Council's description of humanity didn't seem inaccurate at all. ::We will leave as soon as they are gone,:: Optimus ordered as he listened to them try to bully her into giving him over to them and remembering Ratchet's earlier words about showing his appreciation to Anna by protecting her. Exposing her to people like this? That was not protecting her at all.

Hearing them ask about her young friend only made it worse. ::Do we need to intervene here, Jazz?:: he asked, not even trying to hide his worry now.

::No, Prime, she's handling them–she's gone all mama-cougaraider over that youngling,:: Jazz broke in over Ratchet's instant protest that Optimus wasn't ready to travel yet. Then, laughing, he added, ::Wow, she really is handling them–got a bit of a temper, your human. She sure don't intimidate easy, I'll give her that!::

::She's not my human,:: Optimus replied automatically, but his spark wasn't in it. He'd already seen that she didn't intimidate easily when he'd tried to order her to care for her cut ear, but he really didn't like that they were trying to intimidate Anna at all, whether she gave in to it or not. He paid attention to the audio input again. Anna was actually holding up quite well, he had to admit, quoting laws about meteorite ownership and flat-out lying about his crash-landing without a trace of hesitation. The harder they pushed her, the less they got for it. When she offered to show them his crater, though, he tensed so hard that his frame creaked, which made Ratchet snap at him again for straining himself.

::Don't worry, Prime,:: Ironhide soothed him as Optimus continued to tune out the medic. ::I already neutralized the area and she knows that. There's nothing for them to see and no trace any of their gadgets could detect. They could look all day and find nothing.::

::Even my sensors don't pick up any sign of you out there and I guarantee theirs are nowhere as good as mine. Besides, you told us about that meteorite she smashed,:: Jazz added reassuringly. ::Smart of her to think ahead and do that. I like your human, Prime!::

::Anna is not my human,:: Optimus growled, not that anyone seemed to be paying attention.

::I've lost visual,:: Jazz reported, but Ironhide responded, ::I've got her in my sights now, Jazz, don't worry,:: before Optimus could even fret about it.

She came around the side of her house and Optimus could just see her through the filthy barn window. He tensed again at his first glimpse of the pair of humans following her–two tall, muscular males, both of them quite a bit larger than her. They could easily overpower her if they tried and the youngling, while nearly as tall as them, was slender and didn't look like he would be much use in a fight. Anna would get no protection from him. ::I do not like this,:: Prime growled over the link, unable to see anything but how exposed she was to danger. ::She is undefended out there.::

::She is not,:: Jazz shot back, sounding offended. ::What am I, scrap metal?::

Optimus wasn't reassured. ::You are a hundred meters away, Jazz. If they attempt anything–::

::-then you will sit right here and let us handle it,:: Ratchet cut him off, knowing his Prime well enough to see exactly where this was going. ::Optimus, I swear to Primus, if you move a single gear...::

::Jazz may be by the road but Ratchet and I are right here. No one's gonna let your human get hurt, Prime, that's a promise,:: Ironhide answered before Optimus could even begin to answer Ratchet, proving that not even his second-in-command was interested in his protests that Anna didn't belong to him. More comforting was the way the warrior carefully unfurled a small grasping arm from his undercarriage and unlatched the barn door beside him without opening it. Should they need to move quickly, they could charge straight out without destroying Anna's property.

Optimus kept his optics on her as she spun a story about the obvious drag-marks left behind from pulling him into the barn with her tractor. When she said, "Okay, you got me. There was a badass alien spaceship in there and I dragged it away with my tractor," in a tone so sarcastic that Prime could almost hear her rolling her eyes, Ratchet jerked with alarm and nearly dislodged his tarp, but Optimus had to stifle an unexpected chuckle. He couldn't help admiring her bravery as she bluffed–not even with a losing hand, but with no cards at all–and after a few more tense words, the two government men were finally forced to back down. Prime had one more bad moment when Horiuchi walked away and his enforcer reached into his jacket, but he only pulled out a small black rectangle and gave it to Anna before following his boss back to their vehicle.

Once they drove away, Anna sat down hard in the dirt and even from here, he could see her trembling. Guilt swamped Optimus again. No, putting her through something like that just to protect him was not the way he wanted to show his gratitude for her aid at all.

::They're gone,:: Jazz reported a few moments later. ::That girl is something else, Prime. Have I mentioned that we should keep her?::

::Once or twice,:: Ratchet replied dryly. ::Every hour. All slagging day.::

Optimus ignored them both in favor of watching Anna–she was burying the thing the human had given her in the dirt now, which confused him. The youngling looked as confused about it as Prime was. He expressed his concern to Anna and gave her a hug, which seemed to comfort her even though she continued to reassure him that she had everything under control. Optimus relaxed on his wheels and sighed silently, then started to order the Autobots to prepare to roll out.

But Anna distracted him before he could. "Hey Spike, do me a favor?" she asked, and the young human nodded immediately. "Go into my den. On the top shelf of the bookcase is a little antique lead box. Bring it out here to me?"

The teenager frowned. "Uh, sure, but mind if I ask why?"

She gestured to where she'd buried the little black rectangle. "Because I wouldn't put it past them to hide some kind of bug or something in this card, and lead worked on Superman," she said, then smiled and added, "And will you start a pot of coffee for me while you're in there? I need a caffeine infusion like you wouldn't believe."

The teenager nodded as Optimus checked the internet for clarification–he doubted that Anna was worried about some kind of insect infestation, and what was a Superman?–and then he understood.. ::Jazz, can you scan the thing those humans gave her for listening devices?:: he commed his intelligence specialist.

::I can try, but it's pretty far away,:: Jazz responded. After a moment, he came on the radio again. ::Didn't even need to look that hard, Prime. That thing has one helluva transmitter. I've got the frequency jammed now, but yeah, whatever they gave her was definitely bugged. It wasn't picking up anything–I'm guessing she muffled it with something?::

Ironhide whistled low and appreciative over the com. ::Stuck it in the dirt, yeah. That human of yours don't miss a trick, Prime,:: he said with obvious approval.

Optimus sighed. ::Again,:: he said, clinging to the remains of his patience, ::our host is not. My. Human.::

::Yeah, well, if you don't want her, I'll take her,:: Jazz shot back, amused. ::I like the way her suspicious little mind works and she's got moxie to spare. C'mon, y'all, we gotta keep her.::

Optimus considered replying but settled for growling his frustration and not commenting at all. Protests weren't working. Maybe ignoring it would.

Anna stood up as Spike went into her house, and as soon as he was out of sight, she hurried to the barn. Ironhide and Ratchet both transformed into robot mode, but when Optimus started to do the same, Ratchet smacked his hood and growled, "Don't you dare–I will disable your cog if I have to," and he reluctantly stayed in his truck form.

Then Anna was there, ducking through the partially open barn door and speaking before any of them could. "I'm assuming you heard all of that. I need to know if you recorded it, and if you did, is there a way you can transfer it onto something I can access? Video is less important than audio but both would be best. I want a record of that threat."

Optimus had kept his com link open so Jazz could hear her, and he used his speakers to very quietly broadcast Jazz's response. "Yeah, Anna, I got visual on everything in front of the house, including the bigger one trying to menace you while his boss threatened you, and I can convert it to a form your computers can access without much difficulty."

Ironhide nodded too. "And I've got audio from the whole thing, and video from when y'all came back to this side of your house. We can put 'em together, no problem."

"Good," Anna said, smiling grimly. "Because that'll make it much easier for me to make things much harder for them. Are you able to access email?" When Ironhide nodded, she gave her email address and started to walk out again.

"What are you planning to do, Anna?" Optimus asked before she could leave. "I don't want you to have any further dealings with that organization. They are dangerous."

She didn't even turn around. "Your objection is noted and will be given all the consideration due it," she said, and Optimus knew a dismissal when he heard one. Ironhide grinned and shook his head as Jazz chuckled over the com–none of them were used to their Prime's orders being so easily disregarded, either–but Anna was still talking. "Now I need to get back out there. Spike is the slowest person in the world at making coffee but if he sees that I'm not where he left me, he'll be out here looking for me in a second."

But Optimus wasn't giving up on this so easily. "You will not confront these people, Anna," he repeated firmly, and she finally turned around. "We will leave immediately, and if they return, you will tell them everything and say that you were forced to help us, or whatever it takes to get their attention off of you."

She braced her hands on her hips and faced him squarely. "No, Optimus, you will stay right here and you will let me handle this," she said in a commanding tone that could almost rival his own. Optimus started to protest but she held up a hand and looked at Ratchet instead. "He needs a day to recover before he can safely move around, right? That's what you said." The medic nodded, clearly taken aback, and her smile turned hard. "Then a day is what he'll get. Stay put, all of you. I'm going to take care of this. They're going to be sorry they came out here, and that's a promise."

Again, Optimus tensed on his axles. "Anna, you don't know who these people are or what they are capable of. I will not allow you to take any more risks on our behalf. Whatever you are planning, I forbid it. You will not protect us further, is that understood?"

"Not that we don't appreciate what you did, but it would've been a lot safer for you to give us up," Ratchet said with a worried frown of his own. "We can defend ourselves and none of us wanted to bring trouble down on you."

Her smile faded and her face went very serious. "I know you didn't, but it's too late to avoid that. Trouble is already here and now the only choice is how to deal with it. All leaving will do is harm Optimus–it won't help me. If you go and are seen doing so, it'll just confirm that I lied to them, and that would open a brand new can of worms. Besides, no one threatens me on my own land. I've never gotten anything worth having by rolling over without a fight, and I have no intention of starting now," she said firmly. Then she gave Prime's semi a narrow-eyed glare. "And for the record, big guy? You don't allow me or forbid me to do anything. I appreciate your concern, but you're their boss, not mine."

Optimus growled, but instead of anger, he felt something a whole lot closer to admiration. Stubborn, bull-headed, disrespectful, generous, brave little thing, he thought, and the Matrix thrummed contentedly, which didn't help him figure out the right way to handle this situation at all. "Is there anything I can say to convince you not to do whatever you're planning?" he asked, giving up on ordering her to do anything or expecting any help from his connection to Primus.

::Hey, guys? You should know–:: Jazz started, but Anna spoke right over him.

"Nope," she said cheerfully, then laughed when he sighed. "You're new here, Optimus, and I'm not. Trust me, okay? Now all of you, stay put. I mean it, guys. I'm sure they're going to keep an eye on this place now and I really don't need anyone else to see you. Stay out of sight in the barn until I'm sure that–"

The sound of breaking glass stopped her cold and Anna whirled around to see Spike standing in the doorway, jaw dropped and eyes wide as he looked up at Ironhide and Ratchet. "Doc?" he said shakily, face pale with shock and a shattered coffee mug at his feet. "Wha... what is going on here?"

"Aw, scrap," Ironhide groaned.

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First of all, I forgot to thank my reviewers for Chapter 7! Answerthecall, Teddy Bear 007 (of course you don't see any flirting, that's because there isn't any, duh), Counting Sinful Stars (Optimus is glaring at everyone who keeps saying he's flirting), SunnySides (I love Jazz, lol), Muirgen79 (well, why else would he be showing off? *innocent blink*), Bossbot, AlchemistPrime (so glad I can make your day better), MiniAjax (I'm trying!), Amelia St. Claire, HeartsGuardianSol (Optimus is giving you that deer-in-the-headlights look right now), Guest (thank you!), DestructiveEmily (Ratchet is a mama-bear who doesn't trust easily, but he's getting there), and Mistra Rose! Thanks to all of you for Chapter 7 reviews!

Now for the last chapter's reviewers! Counting Sinful Stars (Spike and Sparkplug were the first humans the Autobots met in the original cartoon, and while they could occasionally be annoying, they were nothing, NOTHING like the super-annoying Sam in the live-action movies), Teddy Bear 007 (yeah, don't play poker against Anna!), Muirgen79 (go look up Skywatch–they are officially Not Nice), Lunessa Mysteria, SunnySides (how are you looking at my computer and seeing exactly what happens in the next chapter? And can you use your prediction powers to send me the winning lotto numbers?), Bossbot, YoungScribe (treason still carries the possibility of the death penalty, but they don't hang people anymore even in Texas), HeartsGuardianSol (you know, a poker game between Anna and Ratchet could be entertaining indeed, come to think of it), Amelia St. Claire, lubieogorky, Mistra Rose (you'd think so, wouldn't you?), opalpendragon (you and SunnySides are totally hacking my computer, aren't you), Guest, Teletraan-1 (Anna is actually composed of 50% human, and 50% too-smart-for-her-own-good, and 50% purified, concentrated, weapons-grade sass, and 50% STUBBORN AS HELL. It's a very complex alchemy), and Triscribe!

Thanks again to all of you! Your reviews cheer me up immensely and I appreciate that even more right now. HUGS! MWAH!