Don't shoot the Messenger

Chapter One

After Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Sam was cold and confused. Cold because of the icy sea water that sprayed against his skin and confused because he didn't really know what he was doing out here on deck in the middle of the night.

Thanks to Will Lennox and Epps insisting on collecting Galloway from a small village in the middle of nowhere, Sam had had to endure nothing but abuse from the liaison; constant verbal attacks along the lines of how useless he was. Coupled with the injuries Sam had sustained from the entire cataclysmic event, he wasn't exactly feeling brilliant and despite both Mikaela and Bumblebee's best efforts Sam had taken every word to heart.

He felt strange; like he wasn't sure how he was feeling yet did at the same time. He sighed and held his bandaged hand to his chest, cradling the injured limb. How had he hurt it again? Oh yes, the mad Jetfire had teleported him to Egypt and had burnt off most of the skin on his fingers. Eugh. Sam made a mental note to ask someone soon; what the hell was a space bridge?

Sam felt his gaze lift skywards and watched as the stars rotate.

"Hey kid, if da big guy finds you out 'ere you'll be in bigger trouble then Megatron."

Sam jumped in alarm at the voice but when he looked behind him he smiled.

"Wheelie?"

The small Decepticon-turned-Autobot gave Sam a look. Wheelie's red eyes still creeped Sam out but he forced himself to look into them.

"The one and only. But seriously I'd get below if I were you; else Prime will blow a circuit."

Sam snorted. "Yeah whatever. Mikaela said that a soldier told her that Optimus was in a status-recharge thing 'coz Ratchet wanted to look at him. Besides, I've been worst places than on a perfectly safe deck."

Wheelie tapped his face where, if he was a human, his nose would be. "Don't say I didn't warn ya kid."

Sam crossed his legs and sat down so that he and Wheelie were at eye level. His ankle had begun to throb again as well; no doubt his medication was wearing off.

The massive ship bucked and writhed under the two creatures but neither seemed to care. The sea was rough but thanks to the incredible width of the Aircraft Carrier, Sam felt perfectly safe walking across it. The waves that pounded the side of the ship sent up great splashes of water that soaked the deck quite effectively. However the two only occupants, besides the F-22s, either ignored it or did not notice it.

"So have you convinced the others that you're not, you know. Going to betray us all?"

Wheelie nodded and sat next to Sam, picking at some sand that had gotten caught up in his left wheel. "Yup. Wasn't hard to convince them really; Bumblebee stuck up for me and once Prime realised I had saved your life and was the one who led you to Jetfire he kinda let the old geezer with the cannons poke around my head."

"What?" Sam was confused. Poke around his head? What the...?

Wheelie waved it off. "It happened a lot during the war; if someone on either side had a 'change of heart' and wanted to switch sides then the side they then choose had a right to go through their memory banks. Questions were asked if something wasn't clear." Seeing Sam's disbelieving expression Wheelie shrugged. "It was a precaution, still is. Doesn't hurt kid, feels weird and all but 'Hide was nice. He saw me 'n Bumblebee high tailing it towards the Pillars when you got it from Megatron."

The small Autobot tapped the side of Sam's head gently then seemed to listen intently. He then nodded grimly. "Just what I feared," Wheelie said gravely. "Completely empty." Wheelie seemed to preen himself, lifting his chin in a way that reminded Sam of Galloway. "Unlike myself."

Sam laughed. A long and loud sound that sounded nice to Wheelies auditory senses. Sam felt more comfortable around him now than he had ever been. Maybe it was because Ironhide had found nothing but maybe it was because he wanted to; the little robot was staring to grow on him as was his strange personality.

"The symbols are gone. No more blended brain for me." Sam said, staring over the sea. He flinched as sea water wormed its way through the bandages on his wrist and washed over his burns but he made no comment.

"Have you told Prime?"

"Yeah. The first thing he did was have a long talk with me about 'never dying again' and stuff."

"Oh..." Pulling on the human's sleeve to get his attention, Wheelie pointed towards the stack of charred pieces of expensive aircraft that was piled up on one side. Sam followed the finger and grimaced. "Is that why six F-22's are now scrap metal and why Lennox had to order soldiers from coming to your rescue?"

Sam grinned sheepishly. "We had a slight difference of opinion." Sam said, trying not to make Optimus seem like the bad guy. "I disagreed with him and then he got... annoyed so he –" Sam mumbled the rest incoherently. "-blew up some planes and pushed the rest into the water."

Wheelie threw back his head and roared with laughter. "That is unbelievable! Trust me; the others thought you two were under attack or something. No one could get hold of Prime; his comm. link was down."

Sam smirked. "I have so much school work to catch up on." He groaned. "Twice I've saved the world and I still gotta go back to college, bloody typical."

"At least you won't have to pay for it, I hacked Thatcher's files and found that the Autobots want to pay for it or sum thing."

Sam was about to reply when a colossal wave smashed into the side of the ship. It was as if the wrath of a God was behind it, for the entire ship snapped to the side and tilted to the extent it caused Sam to slide along the deck. Wheelie had just enough time to stab his hand into the deck, get a tight grip and grasp the human by the uninjured foot before the carrier tilted more so and had it not been for his hold, Sam would have fallen into the churning waves. The weather had turned too quickly; the clouds were now thick and black, rain threatening to pour out in a heartbeat. The Autobot swore fiercely; he should have gotten the blasted human inside faster.

Wheelie opened a link to all the Autobots but he paused. Contacting them all was foolish; he only needed say Ratchet or even Bumblebee. One who could simply reach up from the cargo bay on the other side of the deck where they were presently and pull them to safety. Sam was in pain. His fractured ankle had been jolted and after a quick scan, Wheelie determined that although it hadn't been dislodged further, anymore of this would it no good at all. This all occurred within a few seconds of contemplation.

Sam yelled out when Wheelie pulled him up with ease, let go of his foot and grabbed his arm instead.

"Wheelie to Ratchet."

"Comm. link accepted. What is it?"

"What are you doing down there watching the weather channel?" It had worked for that oaf Simmons after all. "Me and the Witwicky kid are up here on the verge of rolling off this slagging ship! Help would be appreciated!"

There was no verbal response but Wheelie was sent an image of Ratchet hurtling towards them with speed Wheelie thought impossible for the old medic.

Wheelie shifted so that Sam was in a firmer grip. His fingers were imbedded deep with the ships exterior and were unlikely to be moved anytime soon. The human was still in pain but was mastering it with skill only found in Cybertronians. However Wheelie was aware of how much he had been through; this was probably a walk in the park.

"Listen to me Sam." Wheelie raised his vocal transmitter to be heard over the crashing waves. "Ratchet is coming. Unless he blows himself up before getting to us, we'll be outta this jelly before you can say peanut. Just hold on!"

Like I was ever going to let go! Sam thought, gripping Wheelie's leg as hard as he could. The ship had tried to righten itself but another wave, smaller in size but fiercer in velocity pounded the opposite side and suddenly Sam was thrown about like a rag doll.

"You ok Wheelie?" Sam shouted, spitting out sea water with a sour face. He gagged as another mouthful flooded over his lips.

"Doing peachy kid." Wheelie yelled back.

Unexpectedly, Sam felt himself being picked up. Solid fingers wrapped themselves around his torso firmly and lifted him up. Away from Wheelie! The tiny Autobot was struggling to break his fingers free from their wedged hold.

"Grab onto me! Hurry!"

Wheelie stretched and gripped the humans hand just in time. With the combined force of whoever had come their rescue, Wheelie was tugged free and together they were carried back across the deck on much sturdier legs.

"What in the name of Primus were you doing?"

Sam inwardly groaned.

Ratchet...