The father nodded slowly and sighed shakily then looked at her as he smiled sadly. "Jack woke up... he said Optimus was alive... but we didn't get anything else out of him.... because he fell asleep... I'm going to go visit him in the morning...." he whispered quietly and looked to the other room. Bumblebee was sleeping on the couch and Quinn lay on his chest as she slept, some crayons still in her hand. He smiled a little, grateful she made a friend with the young bot.
Riley's eyes widened. "That's great! Tell me how it goes." She smiled brightly. She looked over and her expression softened. "That's sweet." She murmured gently, going over quietly and grabbed a blanket, draping it over them. She began packing up Quinns coloring silently.
Rafael walked over and leaned against the door-frame. He smiled a little as he watched her with some pride in his eyes. "I will... hopefully we get this figured out." He said.
His oldest nodded and began bringing the boxes of crayons to the shelf, putting them away with her color books. "I'm sure we will..."she spoke quietly and glanced at him. "We can figure it out. Every problem has a solution... right?"
"Exactly." he whispered and smiled as he fixed his glasses then went to lock up for the night. "We'll go to the lab first thing in the morning." he promised.
Riley nodded and began standing. She took her ponytail holder out of her hair and her short hair fell just past her shoulders. "Alright. We can go visit Jack first if you want." She smiled a bit and began heading to the hallway to go to her room.
"Thank you." He said as he watched her go then turned the lights off. He sighed shakily again then went to bed.
She shut her lights off as she thought about something. "Goodnight." She whispered before shutting her door and going to bed as well.
The next morning, Bumblebee was up again and making breakfast. Quinn was sitting on the counter watching him and talking about things. Riley walked down the hall, adjusting her glasses tiredly as she entered the room. She smiled faintly at Quinn before glancing at the kitchen. "Bee... you don't have to do this." She murmured and went over to take over.
He shook his head and grinned excitedly as he looked at her. He glanced at her hair and chuckled softly then ruffled it. Quinn giggled as she watched them then looked at the man. "Uncle Bee." She giggled.
Riley huffed softly, smiling a bit. She shook her head and began leaving the kitchen then went to Quinn sitting down beside her. "Sleep okay?"
"Yes!" She squealed and grinned up at her. "I had a pretty dream again about the pretty green grass. It was everywhere." She grinned and pointed to her drawings on the table in the living room, she was still 'helping' Bee cook.
Riley glanced over at her drawings and smiled some. "I'm sure, that sounds great. Did you see any butterflies?" She asked gently as she leaned against the couch cushion.
"Um... yes and our family was there." She grinned. Bumblebee helped her off the counter and she went to her pictures. She grabbed them and grinned as she brought them to her sister. She had drawn flowers in a meadow with butterflies. She had also drawn her family dancing around.
The older girl gently took the paper and looked at it. She smiled brightly and looked at Quinn. "I love the flowers and how our family is here. How often do you dream of meadows?" She asked curiously as she handed the paper back to her.
"A lot." She grinned and showed her four others. They were similar but a bit different. She saw another one where Quinn was standing in a meadow and a giant robot stood in front of her. He was black and had red eyes.
Riley took them and examined them all. She frowned a bit, her breathing hitching as she saw the robot. "Um... Quinn? Who's that?" She asked quietly as she pointed to the robot, her hold on the paper shaking a little. "Did you dream that?"
"Hmm?" She asked, having been drawing something. She looked at the picture then looked at her drawing again. "Ya... he's the bad guy in my dreams." She whispered and showed another where he was grinning evilly as he stood over a town.
The older girl's eyes widened and she began collecting them. "C-Can I borrow these please? I... I think Dad should see your beautiful drawings, don't you think?"
She thought for a moment then glanced back at her drawing as she drew another robot. "I guess..." she whispered as she colored and thought again. "Okay." She grinned and kept coloring. Happy that they liked her art.
Riley rubbed her back gently before standing up with the drawings, rubbing her forehead as she hurried to their parents room, gently knocking with her knuckle before slowly and quietly cracking open the door. Bumblebee glanced over at her and furrowed his brow in concern and confusion. Raf looked up at her then smiled a little, his wife was doing better already.
Sari was asleep as she leaned against her husband, looking less pale. She hadn't coughed much during the night like usual. Riley smiled a bit shakily before frowning. She went over quietly and handed him Quinns drawings, her eyebrows furrowing. Raf looked up at her then frowned and looked at the paper. His smile had completely faded and he just stared blankly. "What... on earth?" He asked.
His daughter frowned more. "Quinn drew these..."she whispered. "I don't understand how. She drew it because she dreamed it. Her brain could only have this happen unless she saw a Decepticon and last I checked she hasn't." Riley spoke worriedly and knelt by the side of the bed. "Your brain relays things your worried about or have seen... in a dream... I'm worried, Dad."
He nodded slowly as he thought and stood up. "All I can think about are stories or pictures... but I don't have pictures at the house." He whispered quietly and looked at her. "Quinn is either here or in school.... and I keep the stories tame." he muttered.
Riley stood and frowned. "Do you think she somehow witnessed the surface?" She whispered with worry, watching him and staring, hoping he had answers.
"No... there isn't anyway she could have." He said seriously as he looked at the drawing.
She nodded and rubbed her arms. "Oh... okay..." she whispered, unsure what to think. "We should tell Bumblebee and Ratchet."
He nodded slowly and looked at the drawing for a moment longer, studying it. "Yes... we need to..." he whispered quietly and walked to the door then over to Quinn. He stopped suddenly as he watched her. "What are you drawing sweetie?" He asked gently as he crouched by her. She looked up and grinned excitedly.
"I'm drawing the hero." She said as she doodled and he stared at it for a while. It was a robot with red and blue.
Riley watched them as he followed him, frowning quietly. She glanced at Bumblebee and slid a drawing onto the counter, showing him. She then quietly grabbed a pen and wrote on it, asking if he had something to do with this. She sat down and looked over at Quinn and her father. "What hero, Quinn?" She asked seeing the drawing clearly, knowing who that was immediately.
"He fights the bad guy and saves the little people." She said as she smiled brightly and looked at them. Glad they were paying attention to her drawings. She then went back to it. She giggled and grabbed another paper then kept drawing. Bumblebee blinked in surprise and his eyes widened. He couldn't believe this and looked over at the others as he shook his head.
The older girl frowned deeply with worry. She looked back to Bumblebee then Quinn again. "Quinn... you only dream these?" She asked gently as she went over, sitting down beside her to watch.
"Yes..." she whispered quietly and looked at her. "Is that bad of me?" She asked, noticing the three grown-ups were watching her.
"No, no, we're just curious." Riley told her calmly and she rubbed her back. "Can I see more drawings of yours? I like them." She smiled a bit.
Bumblebee had set things down and turned off the stove as he walked over and sat on the floor by her. Quinn studied the two then looked at her father before grinning. "Okay." she said and ran off to get her other drawings.
Riley watched her run off and sighed softly, frowning a bit. She brought her hero drawing closer and studied it. "I don't understand... she never met Optimus. I never met him and I was born on the surface. I don't... I'm worried. What could this mean?" She looked between them.
"I don't know..." Raf whispered and looked at her then over to Bumblebee. "I don't know where she is getting these." He mumbled and looked at her as she came back. "Quinn... your pictures are so beautiful. Did you see these anywhere other than your dreams?" he asked gently. She watched him then grinned again as she nodded. "Can you tell me or show me?" he whispered. She nodded and ran off to get something. She came back a moment later with Miko's old phone and gave it to him.
The older sister looked at them then back to Quinn. She frowned and wanted to face-palm as she didn't realize she could have seen her phone but didn't know how she had it either. "That... makes sense." She whispered quietly, nodding a little. "Quinn where did you get this?" She asked as she looked at her little sister. "This isn't yours."
She looked up at her then at her hands. She felt bad and decided not to tell them anymore. She didn't want to get into trouble. Bumblebee glanced at her then at the phone before carefully taking it. He looked through the photos and smiled sadly. Seeing his team and the kids. Miko liked to take a lot of photos.
Riley frowned at Quinns silence and suddenly sighed. "I'm sorry, Quinn. You don't have to be scared of being in trouble. I'm just curious." She said quietly then went silent, looking at the drawings. She picked up one and examined it then looked at Raf and Bumblebee.
Rafael looked at her with a questioning expression. Wondering what she was thinking. Quinn looked at her then nodded slowly. "Okay... I found it by the train tracks..." she whispered quietly. "Um.... three... fun days ago." She grinned. Raf chuckled and rubbed her head a little. Fun days were Saturdays to her.
Riley blinked in surprise and smiled a bit. "Train Tracks? You went by yourself? That's brave of you, Quinn." She said gently. "I can't even go by myself. Did you see someone drop this phone or was it just there?" She asked as she looked at the pink phone curiously.
"A lady dropped it. She sat with me and talked to me then got on the train with some others. I saw the phone when the train left." She shrugged and sighed quietly. "So I keepted it." She grinned.
The older girl went silent, unsure what to think. Had it been Miko? Had she left? Why would she leave? And who was she with? She leaned back into the couch, thinking quietly. "We should visit Jack." She murmured softly.
Raf stared blankly and nodded after a few minutes. He wasn't exactly sure what to think. "Can you draw them?" He asked quietly. Quinn nodded and grinned as she went back to doodling. Bumblebee watched her then looked at the others as he went through the phone. Trying to find something useful or recent.
Riley watched them before getting up, shaking slightly as she made tea and her mother's drink. She occasionally glanced over at them as she made them, taking a measuring cup and filling it with water then putting it in the microwave. "Quinn... did the lady ever say her name?"
"Um... yes. Because I was scared and lost." She said and looked over to her. Raf rubbed her head then went to the kitchen to help. He grabbed a cup and filled it with water. "It was funny too." She giggled and continued to draw. "Um... it was... um... Milko!" She giggled and jumped as something broke. Rafael stared with wide eyes at the small girl. His mug broken on the floor.
Riley's eyes widened and she felt a shiver go down her back. She took a deep breath, relaxing a bit. She was glad the woman was alive. "Um, and where was she going?" She asked as she shakily took out the warm water and poured it into mugs, putting a tea bag in one and the leaves and herbs in the other. She grabbed her anxiety medication and glanced back at Quinn. "Did the others say their name?"
Bumblebee just stared at her as he tried to process what the child was implying. Rafael blinked a couple times then knelt down and cleaned up the mess. "Um... no more..." she whispered quietly and glanced to the kitchen where the noise came from. She fell silent and doodled some more. Realizing she made them upset. Raf slowly walked over and sat by her then worked on comforting her.
After a few minutes she seemed to be alright again. "The two guys didn't say much... they went to the surface to... get... um... a hunter... he was hunting for... I don't know... they left as they talkeded about it." She sighed sadly. "I wanted to go up to the surface too..."
Riley was silent as she listened to Quinn, gently stirring honey in the two mugs. She frowned deeply, her eyebrows furrowing a bit. "The surface is dangerous. You shouldn't think about it." She grumbled and began leaving the kitchen, her tone slightly bitter. "It isn't safe, Quinn." She glanced at her before going down the hall to give their mother her tea.
The small girl looked at her then down again as she stared at her page. She sniffed quietly but didn't say anything. Tears filling her eyes. Raf worked on talking to her again to comfort her. Bumblebee stood and stared blankly out the window.
There was a knock on the door before it opened. Ratchet was there and he began entering, taking off his hat. "Jack is awake if you wish to come see him." He muttered. "He's getting fed breakfast right now." He told them as he glanced around the room, not spotting the drawings well within his dwindling eyesight. Bumblebee looked at him and led him over to the papers to show him. Raf looked at him and showed him the phone. Explaining the situation to him. Wanting him to understand before he freaked out.
Ratchet's eyes widened and he took the phone gently, immediately recognizing it. He looked through the pictures quietly. "By the Allspark..." he whispered as he listened to Rafael, glancing at the papers. "This is good news, isn't it?" He murmured.
"No." Riley frowned as she entered and leaned against the wall. "Miko had to go back to the surface for some reason. Someone she knows has to be up there. Somethings wrong." She frowned deeply. "Maybe it's the twins."
"My question is... why hasn't she contacted her daughter, us or her husband? We all thought she was dead." Rafael mumbled and looked at them for a moment. He glanced at Riley trying to figure out what she was thinking.
Riley frowned deeply as she began pondering on his question then blinked. "Miko had all her contacts in this phone, including Autobots right? Why don't we just call everyone and see who picks up?"
"Let's give it a go." Rafael said as he smiled slightly and looked at them. They could tell he was hurt that his friend had avoided them. Riley nodded and gently took the phone, scrolling through Mikos contacts. She frowned slightly as she looked for one. She found Bulkhead's name and dialed the number, bringing the phone to her ear as it rang.
The others looked at her and watched intently for a long time. Worried about what was going to happen and excited at the same time. It rang for a long time but no one answered. She didn't have very many contacts on her phone. Every single bot, Jack, June, Raf and Sari. There were a few names they didn't recognize on the phone. Bumblebee looked at Ratchet with some concern and gently rubbed his back as he sat by him.
Riley began calling all of them, shaking her head to them when they didn't answer. Ratchet frowned and looked to Bumblebee. "I hope something hasn't gone wrong." He whispered, frowning deeply.
She called all the missing bots but didn't get an answer. "Wait... try calling Bumblebee." Raf said and looked at her. After a moment she did, but again there was no answer. "You might be calling their bot forms." He mumbled and looked at Ratchet. "Are... you guys still functioning?" He asked hesitantly.
Ratchet frowned. "I cannot contact my other form. It is completely separate and I have no idea where it is." He muttered and looked away with troubled eyes.
Riley frowned and sighed softly, setting the phone down. "Well now what?" She spoke shakily. "Miko wouldn't just keep her phone if it didn't mean anything."
Bumblebee held out his hand and they gave him the phone. He looked through it for a few minutes then at them again. He went through the contacts and looked at them as he pulled up a name. Bucky Barnes. Raf blinked in surprise then smiled as he dialed the number. He listened for a while then his eyes widened as it picked up.
"Hello?" A man asked but he recognized the voice immediately. Bulkhead.