Author's Note: I'm just loving this story XD I can't seem to stop writing for it! ^______^ I'm so VERY VERY happy that many of you have found my work to be enjoyable ^____^ *grins* THANKYOU ANGELICCROSSPLAY without her XD I would be completely lost. She is my Ratchet XD A good doctor XD 3
Dedicated: To Angelic of course and Danika ^^ who has given me such a drive to continue with this work!
Disclaimer: I own nothing but Taciturn and Icebreaker ^^ I wish I could own my Blue XD MY LOVELY BLUE XD buuuuuuuut I'm out of luck.
Plot?^^ Weeeeeell we get a few more little bits of the other stories involved. XD as there are several different plots that will develop slowly over the next few chapters. XD Keep an eye out *grins*
Autobot Underground Base
The shudder of the ground beneath him made the large white and black frame slowly slide sideways, his mind almost too far gone in much needed recharge to be disturbed. His body bumped up against the corner of the building, coming to a halt and his head settled on his shoulder, still letting out a soft little hiss of air as he rested. The sedative still trickled through his systems, warm and enticing him to stay here in this peaceful bliss.
He dreamed of Jazz… the first dream of happiness in so long that he didn't resist its strange pull. The voice filling his thoughts… Ah… bliss.
'Prowler… Ah'm here…'
Amber optics flickered once, an almost uncharacteristic smile drifting across his mouthplates, he could hear his lover… feel the caressing beat of that Spark that had hidden itself from him for so long. The world was just that little bit brighter to him. The few long heavenly moments of contact suddenly came rather abruptly to an end. A rush of Spark-clenching horror surged through the link, Jazz's voice screaming to him…
'Prowl! Ah need yah!' The tone was desperate;he could almost hear Jazz shouting for someone's attention… anyone to help someone else… 'Ah can't… can't reach… He's gonna die… Ah can hear the computer.'
Dazed and swaying, the Transformer stumbled that first step, trying to work out what was happening as he forced himself to transform, wheels screamed against the concrete for a second time in as many days. His processors directing him almost unconsciously towards his Sparkmate, reeling him in, his body darting between the many different people who were rushing towards the hanger… Amongst the crowd he even spotted Ratchet, the medic moving at a clip Prowl thought would be impossible for a bot that size.
But soon he was passing down into the base, managing to hotwire one of the backup lifts as the others were currently full of almost every bot available coming up… Stabbing at the button, he felt the entire ground beneath him lurch, almost sending him crashing into the wall again. A hand pressed against his temple, trying to clear the fogginess that filled every part of him; and his body trembled with many emotions.
'Prowl!'
The cry of his name burned through some of the fog, with his lover's presence coiling around him and giving him the strength to straighten, and to try to bring his wildly flittering thoughts under control. He wanted more than anything to answer that voice, but his mind was too foggy to form anything other than a whisper of love and Jazz's name.
The doors hissed open and the Transformer was again racing down the corridor, taking the corners almost a little too fast as he returned to the repair bay, the same place he had been ejected from earlier the previous day in a rather undignified manner… or at least that was the impression he had of the rather fuzzy events.
Soon enough he found himself standing at the wide double doors of the repair bay, his hand punching in an override code into the door, but it rejected his first several attempts. Prowl's fingers faltered over the panel, a fist banged on the heavy reinforced metal of the door, his blurry mind unable to focus… Even when the situation was so desperate… A growl escaped his lips, metallic and bitter with frustration.
Suddenly the red panel flashed green at him, the doors swished open abruptly and he almost staggered right inside, his hand catching on the edge of the doorway to steady him. And for a long moment he stared at the rather odd sight that filled the space before him… There were… two of Jazz… Both in varying states of repair, one twisting sharply against his bonds, clawed fists clenched tight tugging at the security restraints. Even his head was pinned to the table by a long metal strap, keeping it in place…
Prowl came forwards, his body slumping against the side of the table, a long hand reached out to press against the warm chassis that shuddered and shivered beneath the sudden contact. Green-grey optics flashed at him, responding to the touch instantly, and Prowl knew that this was his lover… Knew within a moment that this was none other than his Jazz… and that the strange encounter earlier had been with… the still mech that rested on the other table.
"Prowler… Ah…" And Jazz was silenced with a processor bending kiss, the two lovers sharing an intimate moment, their sparks trembling against their casings, straining to be closer, but slowly beginning to beat together. Throbbing in time as one, their mouths almost fusing together in the raw heat that passed through that momentary contact.
"Life Support failure in one cycle."
Pulling away from his lover, he was around the other side of the table, eyes scanning the smaller form, noting several connections on the far side had been jostled loose, before he was pushing them back in, hearing the soft satisfying click of the connection being made. A simple act saving the life of the smaller bot that looked so much like Jazz.
Trying to understand what all the different readouts meant, he was lost for a moment, before the computer voice announced to his relief that life support had been re-established. It was startling just how close a life had come to being extinguished. A life he knew had saved his Jazz… The spread of components and the slightly different colour of metal revealed that several valuable components had been removed from one and placed within the other…
His mind reeled in horror… Had that been what he had stumbled in on the night before?
"Prowler… is he?"
"Yeah, he's going to be fine, I think." A hand lightly touched against the younger bot's head, turning it just enough to look into the features that were so very reminiscent of a younger Jazz, and he almost winced at the thought he had almost kissed this poor bot who had given his back his lover for a moment when Prowl most needed it. "But… I think you need to see this…"
Turning about, he gripped both sides of the head restraint and wrenched it out with one almighty heave, metal screeching after a moment, before Jazz twisted his head slightly to look at Prowl with brightening optics. But the moment his lover stepped aside to reveal the smaller mech, Jazz let out a heart-wrenching cry… his fingers clenching so tightly that it almost cut into his palms.
"No… No… Slag that little piece of scrap…" Jazz choked on his own words, hoarse and barely about to get the sounds out as he was being mostly freed from his bonds. His body twisting slightly, before he jolted with pain and remained still… Knowing if he moved any more, all the repairs would go to waste. "Ah've told him… told him…"
"Jazz…" Strong arms curled around the silvery bot, lifting him half from the cold surface of the cradle and against a warm chassis, a feeling of lips touching against his audio receptors made him shiver. The two of them were finally together after so long, and both craved physical contact.
But still, Jazz was staring over Prowl's shoulder at the body of his brother, biting back several cybertronian curses to place on the head of the foolish mech. He stretched out towards the younger Autobot, shuddering when he watched the head slump to one side, optics completely shuttered and dark. It was clear he had been drugged within an inch of his systems crashing to keep him under.
"He's mah little bro." Jazz whispered roughly, shuddering a little and feeling the circuits within his own chest respond… like his own parts should… but still they felt just a little off- just a little different. And his optics traced a line from the still face to the large gaping hole in the middle of the smaller 'naked' Cybertronian, catching the glint of replacement parts that shimmered with a coat of E\energon and the small mechanisms of Taciturn's repair systems working to reformat and adjust the Decepticon parts that had been substituted for what had been removed. "That's Taciturn."
Prowl shifted slightly, his amber optics flickering in regret at the night before, his logic circuits finally having a chance to actually turn themselves on again… The waves of emotion slowing and calming within Prowl, for the first time since he knew his lover had almost been killed. He had not been able to pull himself completely together, without Jazz Prowl was left lacking an emotional and logical centre of his own. The mech was his other half, fused together through their bond and made whole again by Jazz's revival.
"I…"
"Yah need not say anythin' Prowler 'bout that… Ah understand." Lips brushed against a strong jaw, lingering for a moment before pulling back, Jazz shifting again, his systems straining… but Prowl would have none of it, settling the silvery mech back down onto the bench. "Who left him like that?" The deep threat in his voice hinted at the deep burning anger that surged through Jazz's Spark, an anger directed not only at his brother but also at whoever had left him in that state… alone… vulnerable.
"Ratchet."
"When Ah get mah hands on him…" Clawed fingers twitched sharply against his sides, the snarl low and deadly, the medic would be giving him answers… The moment Jazz could get up off that table… "He'll wish dah Decepticons had him for breakfast."
Autobot Gunship Praxus, Earth Orbit, Sol Planetary System
The sleek vessel slipped through the outer edges of Earth's gravity well, with the engines flaring briefly to slow his descent. The Gunboat Praxus was coming in for its final landing approach to the green and blue world below. The dark side of the moon glimmered slightly off to one side of the view screen before Bluestreak, his head twisted slightly to study the crater-pocked surface. His golden optics narrowed a touch, and his lips formed into a frown as he noted the glint of something in one of the deeper craters.
For a moment, he paused in his navigational instructions, staring at that strange spot on the moon, before it flitted past him, the glint vanishing back into the shadows, melting away. For a moment the Transformer wondered if he was seeing things. Shaking his head, the sharpshooter returned to his work. He increased the bow shields for atmospheric entry, the engines shutting down as the thrusters came online, and adjusted his heading gently to slow his descent to prevent damage to the ship.
The scanners revealed nothing of the odd phenomena that had appeared on the moon… reassuring Bluestreak that he was definitely loosing it after so long crammed into the tiny tin can of a ship.
"This is Autobot Gunboat Praxus to Earth Base." A soft hissing crackle issued from the communications link, static erupting for a brief moment before finally cooling into a low whimpering whine. Bluestreak paused in worry; his head tipped forward, his fingers danced over the sleek panel, making minute adjustments to the frequency. He blinked when there was no response. The tall sharpshooter called again on a different frequency, receiving the same empty response.
"Earth Base, this is Bluestreak, do you read?"
Nothing… Nada… Zippo...
Fighting back a hissing Cybertronian sigh, his optics half shuttered as he leaned forwards in his seat, allowing the pre-programmed flight course fall into the hands of the autopilot as he was determined to find an answer. It worried him deeply that there was no answer to his hails.
Tentatively Bluestreak touched the link he had gripped fiercely in the back of his mind, his internal radios crackling slightly in his audios, knowing that if anyone could hear him it would be Taciturn. But a strange whisper of static filled even that, cold and like a blanket of frost settling over his outer skin. Though he had logically concluded Taciturn had drifted into recharge before, this felt quite unlike that earlier time.
A shudder rippled through him, cursing himself for being so… foolish earlier, saying that the other mech loved him… even though it had been a joke. Still, his spark craved to hear those words, yearned for a love that he knew would most likely never be his. The warm cheerful personality and kind nature were something he rarely saw in times of war… but yet there Taciturn had been, pulling him out of trouble and doing everything to make sure Bluestreak received the best care.
Along the bumpy road, Bluestreak had not fully repaid the debt he owed. He was determined to prove that he could stand with Taciturn… protect him and claim the right to remain there with the one bot who had the ability to make Blue smile at just the thought of him.
'Taciturn?' He whispered softly, trying to rouse the other Transformer enough to talk to him, but still there was nothing… just an emptiness that existed where he had been. Though there was certainly still an impression, the presence that had been so clear before had melted back. 'Please, don't lock me out… I'm here… I'm so close now… I just need you to come online…'
A blast of frozen thought came right back at him, bouncing off those invisible firewalls that wrapped around the smaller bot's processors and powerful transceiver. A cold that was almost indescribable as it crawled through the link like a living thing, creeping into Blue's systems. Instantly his body was trying to warm itself, a shiver working its way down his back-joints…
'Stop protecting me, Taciturn.'
For a moment, there almost seemed like there was a crack in that barrier… the faintest hairline fracture that responded to his voice… Before it snapped back shut like a steel-trap, sealing itself over and keeping him out.
"Computer, increase speed." The thrusts charged up from half to full, the ship rocked slightly around him, buffeted by the atmospheric friction against the forward shields. "Divert power from main engines to forward shields, increase trajectory angle."
'I don't need to be protected. Whatever it is…'
There was a flash of green optics burning into him sharply, the briefest of images of that beloved face glaring at him, expressing a desire to keep Bluestreak away from him… away and safe. And the impression of danger swirled around Taciturn, and images… fleeting flashes of agony… of faces… of fear… before an invisible hand shoved against Bluestreak's chassis, trying to drive him away, away from what would come if the larger mech stayed with him.
For a moment, he was too startled to react. This was the first contact of that kind since the time he had been healed was now within his reach. The usual firewall that prevented him from touching it shimmered slightly, weakening for a nano-cycle, briefly exposing him to all those things before locking down again from Taciturn's end.
A frustrated growl escaped Bluestreak; he would not be locked out. Taciturn needed him, the smaller bot had even admitted to it.
'Stop pushing me away.'
And he pushed back against that invisible hand that held him away, forcing himself mentally up against that Firewall, he might not have the expertise to crack through one of Taciturn's security systems, but there always had to be… some trapdoor… some way in…
'Is this why you've held me at arm's length? Is this why you've always left me behind?' His Spark shuddered as he replayed the images he had been given, every image one of horror… one akin to the one he had been tormented by, but these were more personal. A knife slashing… A voice laughing in delighted pleasure at the pain caused… One of the faces he recognised… Sunstreaker… And a bitter jolt of hatred was born within him for someone he had once considered a friend. 'You're attempt to keep me safe? To keep me from possible pain?'
That attempt at covering the crack was rapidly slopping off the surface of the firewall, and Bluestreak pounded, mental fingers digging into the small fracture; preventing it from closing again. He knew he was getting through, even a little, to the mech.
'As noble and kind as you are, my Taciturn, you are a frustratingly stubborn piece of work. I wouldn't have cared… any pain… any problem… We would have faced it together and we would have won.'
His fingers pressed deeper still into that crack, yanking at it, knowing sometimes it was the only way to get through. And it was crumpling beneath his touch… just a little more… allowing him another peek inside, and that cold, cold wind to escape, something that made him think… of death.
'Just… as stubborn as you.'
It was so weak that Bluestreak almost strained to hear it, the large bot was determined to tear down the firewall, determined to get through the gap. His fingers curled tightly, tugging… heaving at the barrier that stood in his way, feeling it give just a little more.
'Yes, yes.' Blue agreed, hoping to get his Taciturn talking, if he could just do that… he would be able to get in and give him enough time… 'I'm a stubborn mech, but you like that about me. For all your talk… you always liked it.'
'You're still dreaming… Blue.' A weak laugh answered him, a sweet sound to Blue's ears, something that came too far apart for his liking. 'Still dreaming.'
'A bot's allowed to dream- dream of better things.'
'Better things? What would those things involve?' A smile… the ghost of one, but the firewall was slackening slowly… with each passing word, the voice became just a hint louder, clearer to the sharpshooter.
'I don't know. But I'm quite willing to find out.'
A snort of laughter escaped Taciturn. Unable to help himself, despite the cold- despite the darkness that clung to every part of him... he couldn't help but respond to Bluestreak. The mech had a way to charm him out of his shell faster than any other bot he had ever met. 'Stubborn but also clueless, I like that. Now…'
And Blue could feel the firewall trembling under the strain of keeping him out, it was almost as if Taciturn was no longer holding onto the other end of it… no longer blocking him. The security protocols just wanted to keep him out. It was all just mechanical now. 'I might be clueless, but I am still quite willing to take the leap. Call me reckless but I think it will be quite worth it.'
The wall shuddered one last time, before it snapped open wide, spilling Taciturn out from the gap and Bluestreak was there to catch him. His spark wrapped around the trembling mech like a blanket, the physical gap mattering little to the force Blue could call upon. His invisible limbs curled tightly about the shaking mass of wires and circuits, lifting him into his tight protective embrace. The smaller bot tried to squirm free. As much as he desired this wonderful thing… he couldn't… couldn't give in.
But the sharpshooter was one step ahead of him. The wall had closed up beneath Taciturn, preventing him from running, preventing him from going back again when he had finally let him in.
'Let me… let me go! Blue…! Let me go…' Squirming, pushing at the strong arms, knowing that the large bot would get hurt if he was too close… Too close to him… As everyone else had. 'Please… Just… let me go. I'm no good for you.'
'I'll be the one to make that decision, Taciturn.' And he stilled the young bot's struggling, a hand rubbing across the invisible intangible consciousness he held in his grip, soothing tenderly. Soft words were being spoken, easing away all the troubles that filled the other bot. 'Don't take that from me. Don't take that choice from me.'
'Please…' One last plea, one last chance to go back to the way it had been.
'Never. I've caught you now, Tacit, I caught up and I'm not being left behind again.' Now that he had him, maybe one day, Taciturn might look at him… might look back at him and return these feelings that burned within his spark. And he would wait for that day, but right now, this was enough.
'What are you hiding? What didn't you want me to see before? Where are you? Please tell me…'
Why was it still so cold? Taciturn was still shivering, even as he remained in the warmth of Bluestreak's mental embrace. Taciturn was an onion, layer after layer wrapped up in each other, he might have gotten through one, but there was still a lot more to get through… But this one was important.
'No.'
'Taciturn, please.'
'No. Bluestreak.'
Stubborn… Why you have to be so stubborn again?
'Please.'
'I had to do it.'
Why do you always take on so much? Why do you do more than one bot can do alone?
'What did you have to do? What is so important…?'
And then with a sudden flash of insight Bluestreak knew, in one of his transmissions to the Autobot Base earlier they had told him about Jazz… About the one member of Taciturn's family that was left, about the possibility that Jazz would lose his fight after so long…
'No. Please…' Desperate to keep his grip as tight as possible around the warm core consciousness that floated in his grasp, he hoped he was wrong. He hoped that Taciturn's desire to save those who mattered to him hadn't stretched that far… Hadn't gone into the dangerously insane. 'No, tell me you didn't.'
'I couldn't stand there, Blue. I couldn't live with the fact that I could have done something to save him… Could you? Could you watch your brother vanish before your eyes and watch his Sparkmate kill himself slowly with despair and loneliness?'
Bluestreak knew the feeling of helplessness. The haunting anguish that came as he watched his family… his city burn… Crushed under the feet of the Decepticons. Though the guilt had lessened… the demons soothed and eased… he still knew the horror of that day in Praxus. And before the memories could surface fully, that balm was back, cool and heavy across his thoughts, blanketing out all those nightmares. Taciturn had turned to him, reached up and completed the contact, driving away Bluestreak's demons with his presence, like a candle burning away the shadows.
'Are you all right?'
'No.'
And Blue's Spark crashed into the bottom of his chassis, his tanks wishing fervently to purge themselves, when he felt the reality of Taciturn's condition. He could feel the missing parts… the bad connections… repair systems on the edge of failure as they attempted to rebuild Taciturn from the inside out. The few long cycles of pitch-blackness that filled recent memories files. Just how close this light had come to vanishing from his existence.
'I can't… I can't be angry with you.' No matter how hard he tried… No matter how much he wished to be angry at Taciturn for doing this, for thinking so little of his life… He could be angry at those who had listened to Taciturn… who had left him like that. 'But I can be angry with them. I can be furious with them for leaving you.'
Taciturn was drifting again, his core consciousness snuggling up against the warmth of Bluestreak's, relaxing into the embrace that held him, knowing that in the end he could trust his Blue. Beneath it all… he always could. 'Thank you… for understanding, Blue… I wish I could tell you... There is so much to tell you... but I can't... not yet...'
Cocooning the younger bot up in his thoughts, he fed him several of his favourite memory files, sharing his impressions of the first time they had met… Gaining himself a sleepy smile, or at least something close enough in the shadow of their strange link. The woven strands of the Sparkbond tightened just a little, growing stronger… drawing the two together.
'Are you coming…?'
Blue couldn't help a smile, in the end he had won and the victory tasted sweeter than ever, because Taciturn had let him in, though he may have pushed… in the end the mech had reached out for him.
'I'm almost here. I'm so close now… I will be with you soon.'
'Stay?' The welcoming arms that had soothed his tormented spark opened again, opened wide and stayed that way, waiting for him. Waiting for him to come.
'Always.' And he dove into that embrace, his spark rejoicing in the feeling of finally coming home. 'Always, with you.'
Jet Hanger, Above Ground, Autobot Base
Blood dripped down across the bridge of William's nose while his body shuddered from the effects of the blast, and his ears still rang viciously from the sheer force of the sound. His hands rested across his head, twisting, he slowly lifted his head from where it was pressed against the chilly concrete beneath him. He abruptly realised that everything was surprisingly dark. A massive shadow stretched above him, warm metal shuddering slightly mere inches over his body… And something warm dropped across his shoulder, slick oil pooled across his skin staining his clothes a metallic grey…
"Will…?" The voice above him cracked softly, waiting for a reply. Pale blue optics flashed slightly in a soot blackened face, and a massive hand slowly curled around his body, slipping beneath him and lifting him from the concrete. Slowly he was lifted upwards, then he was cradled against a massive chest. Ironhide sat heavily upon the blackened ground, still shuddering slightly as pieces of shrapnel fell to the ground from where they had half imbedded themselves in the thick black armour.
"Ouch…" A hand rubbed at his bleeding forehead, rubbing at the slightly charred skin that stung slightly when he touched it. His dark eyes blinked to try to eliminate the dancing spots that flickered across his vision. A dull throbbing pain lingered behind his eyes, the last thing he remembered was a blinding white flash of light… and then a dark shadow stepping over him, thrusting him to the cold ground… protecting him. "What… what happened?"
"A bomb went off." Ironhide rubbed a finger lightly against Will's cheek, scanning him continuously and his mouthplates formed a hard mask when he realised that he had not been quick enough to prevent some damage done to the human soldier. "Sam warned us… then…"
The massive black head was twisting to gaze around them for the first time as smoke was slowly beginning to clear, voices filled the smoky hanger, calls for help… and howls of pain mixed together with the heavy thumping of running feet. The rescue and response personal appearing almost within minutes of the explosion, the fire suppression systems doused the remaining flames that centred on where Samuel, Bumblebee and Wheeljack had been talking.
Ironhide heard the shouts… the flash of red and blue appearing amongst the chaos… He didn't know how long he had been knocked half senseless… but considering the knot of people clustering around Prime something else had gone off as well…
His hand carefully lifted William protectively to his shoulder, allowing the human to settle against a powerful shoulder and a warm neck, curling there and trying to let himself recover from the concussion force that had hit him. The massive black mech was finding his feet quickly, still a little disorientated from just how close they had been to the centre of the blast, before he was heading towards the first of the fallen mechs that remained on the ground around them…
The silver form of one of the Aerialbots was half trashed around one of Jetfire's components, wings twisted at an odd angle, the mech groaning helplessly under the weight. Ironhide reached down, large hands slipping beneath the twisted hunk of debris and threw it away from the downed body, kneeling to examine Silverbolt. A hand rested against the mech's chest to keep him down, pale blue optics flashed online after a long moment, a shiver running through the slender lightweight frame of the jet. "Take it easy, Bolts. One of the medics will be here soon to look you over. You'll be just fine."
A smile played across the lips of the Aerialbot commander, then his head dropped back against the concrete. Optics shuttering in pain, a hand pressed against his side and felt mech fluid seep out between his fingers. Ironhide pressed a hand over it as well, before grabbing the nearest bot… Who just happened to be a charred Bumblebee, the bot gave a squeak before being thrust into the face of Silverbolt.
"You keep an eye on him until the medics get to him. You got that, Bee?"
A nod and yellow hands were helping staunch the flow, blue optics blinking slightly, not knowing what to say, but way trying to reassure the wounded Silverbolt that things would be fine.
"I thought you didn't like flybots." Will said softly, surprised at just how friendly Ironhide had been.
"Silverbolt and I go quite a way back. I might not like his underlings, but I learned to respect Bolts the first time we met." A fluid stained hand rubbed against his shoulder slightly, as if remembering something from quite some time ago. "I'll tell you 'bout it sometime."
"That must be one hell of a story." The major shifted slightly, slipping a little more firmly between the armour plating. His fingers curled against warm metal, and he let his head rest against the mech's throat, hoping that his head would stop doing the tango without him.
"You have no idea…" Ironhide chuckled before he was ducking down beside the next body that they had come across… Wheeljack blinked up at them, looking like he had seen much better days, though this was actually the usual state 'Jack ended up in after most of his experiments. "Do you always have to end up doing this?"
"I don't know what you mean." Pale blue optics flashed slightly, his body sinking back onto the deck and shuddered slightly in an attempt to keep the pain under control. Usually he was well versed in a few busted parts, but every inch of his charred skin itched with the sting of fire and heat… Melted wires pressed against his armour, making him regret trying to get up.
"Every time I come in here, it's always the same thing Wheeljack." Ratchet hissed sharply, dropping to his knees beside the downed mech, only sparing a glance towards Ironhide and Will, too focused on his friend before him. "Why the frag must you keep blowing yourself up?!" If he had had his favourite wrench from earlier he would have giving Wheeljack a few more dents… But he couldn't help but slide one hand beneath the bot's head, lifting it slightly and cradling it softly for a moment.
"Not my fault…" Cringing slightly under the sharp glare, he turned his head slightly into the warm touch, wanting to be able to focus on the medic. "I mean… I didn't… know…" That sounded rather ridiculous to his own audio receptors, his optics half shuttered bearing the pain until something hissed against his throat, and everything seemed to numb slowly.
"But nothing! Do you ever take the fact that you could get seriously injured into account? Primus, Wheeljack! Are you trying to give me a Spark-Attack?!" Ratchet attempted to hide the worry that clung to his faceplate, his back turned to Ironhide.
"I didn't know Brawl would have an extra missile…" Wheezing slightly, a few puffs of odd smoke escaped through his lips, being forced from his body as he tried to suck in clean air to help cool his sparking systems. "Ratchet… I'm sorry…" He always ended up like this, no wonder Ratchet was always angry with him even over the most minor of injuries… "I really… don't mean to end up like this…"
A low hiss of air ran through his vents as a sigh escaped him, his head tipping slightly forwards, hovering over 'Jack's for a nano-cycle. He was scanning the other bot over, relieved to know the damage would easily be repaired once someone took the larger mech to a repair bay. "I know, 'Jack... but think next time! I don't want to see you injured for another 12 orns at least, got that? Primus." Several tools were moving over the downed bot, taking his time to make sure he caught every single one of the major wounds to the engineer's frame… before finally pulling away, his spark feeling a burst of warm relief. "Who else is injured?"
"Silverbolt was…" Ironhide was blinking at the pair, a little bemused to watch the two. They had always been like this, dancing around one another for long vorns… never quite getting the idea.
"Ratchet, wait…" A hand suddenly closed around the medic's wrist as he attempted to pull away, drawing him back down again.
Irritated optics glared down at 'Jack, softening when he caught the look in his optics… Startled by what he found. "Yes?"
"Ratchet," The medic's head was being pulled down suddenly, and the briefest of processor-slagging kisses planted on half open lips. Before long Ratchet was being once again released… "Be careful."
For a long cycle, Ratchet sat there, half dazed and tempted to wonder what in Cybertron had just happened to him. But before he could question what had just happened, a hand was pushing at his chest, indicating the medic should tend to the others that still needed help.
"Later." Came the quiet promise.
"A… alright." Ratchet stuttered, before staggering to his feet and managing to move away… For the rest of the afternoon it was rather assured that no one got a wrench or a grouchy word out of the mech.
And Ironhide could only chuckle, whispering to Will that it was about time…
Fixit's Infirmary, Autobot Underground Base
The white space seemed almost glaringly bright to Samuel's eyes as he covered his aching face with a hand and lightly rubbed across his slightly battered skin. An icy cold probe jammed up against his neck gaining a yelp of surprise from him as he attempted to twist away from the examination he was receiving from a small white and red bot.
A small robotic hand was curled around his side, sliding him back towards the horrors of that cold probe, before he was being lifted off the table, another sweeping scan running the length of his body. Before long he was once again set down gently as if he were a porcelain doll, a finger patted him lightly on the head as if to reassure him. It was like he was some weird kind of pet that had just been taken to the vet… Now he understood rather well what Mojo felt like on the worst of days.
At least he didn't get any sarcasm or terrible bedside manner… just the rampant curiosity for the small Fixit, since Ratchet, Wheeljack and several of the other medical/repair crews were working on those who had been unable to escape the brunt of the blast.
Several other unlucky humans who had been in the blast range had already been cleared by the human medics… but Sam and the poor William Lennox ended up at the insistence of their bots to see the more thorough Fixit. His head twisted to glance at the aforementioned major and gave him a 'help me' look.
Will just gave him a shrug and a 'just bear with it' look, his eyes turning to the two bots who stood against one wall, both of them unbearably twitchy as they waited for any kind of diagnosis from Fixit. Ironhide was fiddling with a cannon, large hands trying to repair the slight damage to one of his main weapons that decorated an arm. Optimus was trying to keep himself still, at his feet the dark haired hologram paced, long silky waves sweeping across broad shoulders, glancing up at Sam with a look that expressed all the emotions that the Autobot did not. Those vivid blue eyes held concern and that undefined emotion that had caught them both earlier by surprise.
"Hmm…" A hissing whine escaped the Medic's mouth parts; another scan crisscrossed Samuel, before a frown crossed his faceplate, turning from curious to disturbed. "Hmmmmm…"
Samuel scowled at that, straightening up slightly where he stood, arms crossed against his chest. He was clearly not pleased with the progressively expanding 'hmms' that were escaping the medic. "If you don't explain…"
Fixit blinked, silvery-grey optics blinking sharply when he felt himself being pinned by an equally frustrated look from somewhere on the floor. The hologram form of the Autobot leader was making it clear he would not stay in the dark. Whatever had happened to Sam… he wanted to know now.
"I apologise for my lack of answers." Two red hands were held up before him as he set the probe aside, before dipping his head slightly look into Samuel's face, so that they were eye to optic. "But I find I do not have many answers to give. You are already aware of Samuel's previous condition concerning his interactions with the AllSpark fragment."
"Yes." Optimus had always read everything that had come from the many trips to both the humans and Autobots over Sam's stable condition. "I am aware of the changes to his brain that occurred because of the AllSpark, but Ratchet assured me that it was stable. That in time it would…"
"I'm afraid that original assumption can be completely dismissed." A hand gestured at a sudden holographic representation of Samuel's human body, somewhere in the centre a metallic mass coiled itself about Samuel's heart… Which had shifted… "The small fragments of the AllSpark's physical form that Samuel absorbed during the battle of Mission City have begun to precipitate out of his blood stream. And all these fragments here…" A red servo gestured at a thousand tiny blips that abruptly appeared throughout Samuel's body, "Have begun to be drawn towards the AllSpark mass."
"The inexplicable healing of Samuel's body was a surprise…" The fact that Sam had been vaporised… then appeared suddenly within Optimus's grasp was enough to make a few mechs scratch their heads and wonder if the boy had even been in the hanger… Though all had heard the voice that told them to get down… that had saved many a metal hide in the process. "…As he was in the centre of the blast from eyewitness reports. But the fact that there… isn't any physical reaction to these changes is… No immune response… no irritation of the surrounding tissues… no discomfort… It's as if… they were meant to be there."
Samuel blinked, and suddenly found himself wrapped up in strong arms. His head twisted to find himself tangled up in the tight embrace of that handsome dark haired hologram, their eyes meeting for a long moment. A shiver rushed through the boy's slender frame. That embrace was almost too tight. Warm hands pressed against his chest, tucking him back against a strong body protectively, and his head rested beneath a rough chin.
The first response was for them to call Sam's parents… or Mikaela… Or at least that was what was suggested in a soft whisper against his ear, but his head shook ever so slightly, this was his problem… As much as he loved his parents and their over-protectiveness… Sometimes he needed a chance to think things through. He had matured in the last few months… the mental changes forcing him to reconsider a lot… All he needed was Optimus.
"You could be anything, Samuel."
And Fixit kept up a stream of words… but had dropped from English to Cybertronian in a strange twist, hands waving wildly, pointing out each particular thing, there were only more questions…
"Anything you desired."
But Samuel could understand… The low sounds of the Cybertronian language sounded warm and inviting to his ears, his lips twisting into a smile, he couldn't help it…
"The AllSpark is keeping his heart beating… if the AllSpark is removed Samuel will die. It's as if Samuel is..."
"Your wish will become reality if you just let it."
Optimus and Ironhide shared a shocked moment, the two mechs straightening sharply, both considering the information that they had been given. Was it possible that the hope to restore Cybertron and rebuild their race was not so much a dream… but a possibility? But Optimus was more concerned about Samuel… What would they do? He had promised to do everything he could to help the human… And his vivid blue optics were half shuttered in the painful guilt that assailed him. This was his fault… his fault that Samuel was in such a state.
And for all the worry and fear he should be feeling… all the anxiety and terror… he felt nothing but a strange sense of peace. Wasn't this what he had wanted in the first place? Whatever it was… was meant to happen…
"Is there nothing that can be done?" Optimus questioned worriedly, a roughened cheek rubbing against Sam's short brown locks, almost wanting to press a reassuring kiss on the top, but not daring too. The hologram was trembling slightly, cradling Samuel to him, afraid that now that he held him… that if he let go… Sam would vanish again. "Are you certain?"
"There is nothing I can do… I could attempt to remove the shrapnel… but not without significant damage being done to the surrounding tissue… I need to consult with Ratchet and First Aid on this… I am sorry… I cannot offer more reassuring news at this time."
"It's alright." Sam whispered softly, his body twisting in the embrace of Optimus's arms, glancing first at the large metallic frame and then back at the man who held him, the back of his fingers stroked over a coarse cheek, letting his head drop forwards for a moment. "He said it might happen. And I knew this would probably be the way it turned out."
"Who? What…? Samuel?" Vivid blue eyes blinked in shock… mouth half open to ask a thousand questions when…
"SAM!"
"Mikaela…" The boy's hazel eyes shot wide as he gazed down at the girl who stood dwarfed against the giant doorway… A worried Bumblebee hovered just behind, clearly looking like a whipped puppy burned by the girl's harsh words. "I… I…" All that peace… crashed down like a shattered window, reminding him that they had left in bad terms… Things had ended terribly between them, with Sam walking out to stop the fight from going further.
Immediately those arms that wrapped around him tightened and threatened to thrust all the air from his lungs, and the bulk of Optimus Prime moved instantly from where he had been leaning against the wall to placing himself squarely between Mikaela and Sam. The Autobot let out the faintest of mechanical growls, the powerful form of the mech standing square against the human girl…
"I won't…" The voice was so low that Sam almost thought he didn't hear it. The thrill suddenly tricked through him when he felt it… felt the possessiveness spark sharply within Optimus, "She can't have you. Not when she let go first." And for one honest moment they looked at each other, before Sam was dragged back firmly into the hologram's embrace.
And Sam was glad for the words.
Beyond Autobot Landing Field, California
The brilliant outline of the gunship streaked down through the lower atmosphere, the sleek shape slowly spread out gliding wings, the bronze toned hull morphing slowly into a more streamlined shape as the shields dropped and allowed the vessel to cruise in towards the Autobot landing field. Its running lights flashed as it slowly settled down on a cushion of air and onto the tarmac, looking very much like a weird aircraft of some sort rather than a cybertronian gunboat.
From a distance, a dark shape watched the landing as well, the powerful police car settling down in the shelter of some overhanging trees attempting to blend in to the landscape and not be noticed by the jeeps and personnel that travelled the dusty dirt road that skirted this part of the Autobot's base. Barricade let out a low hissing growl, engine revving bitterly that their earlier attempt had failed two nights before.
The attempt to 'capture' the landing Autobot had been hampered by the presence of the humans, ending up with Taciturn taking damage in the landing process that would have been halted by Starscream if the jet had arrived on time like he was meant to. Barricade had been ordered not to engage the humans… They could not know of the plan… For the humans would most assuredly tell the Autobots and their one chance would be lost to regain the one thing that could spell freedom.
But no… Starscream had to be in Megatron's presence…
'Ship has landed.'
There was a pause on the other end of the radio link, confirming the information with someone else…
'Confirm pilot identity.' Skywarp answered, keeping their communication broadband heavily encrypted to prevent anyone overhearing them. Their plan had to be changed if they were to gain control of Taciturn.
The tall powerful frame of Bluestreak exited the ship via the long ramp unfolding to the ground, a long slender rifle clamped to his back, revealing his deadly nature if provoked. But he spelled another chance for them to recover Taciturn, who had vanished from their tracking scanners. Where Taciturn went… Bluestreak was sure to follow.
'Confirmed. Autobot Bluestreak recognized.'
'Track him. He'll go straight to Taciturn.'
Barricade had to thank that some Autobots were painfully predictable in their movements and objectives, if there was one thing that could always be counted on was that wherever Taciturn went, Bluestreak wouldn't be far behind. 'Time of the strike?'
'The cycle he surfaces again. Thundercracker and Avalanche will be at your position within twenty cycles.' A low laugh escaped Skywarp, before the words whispered close to his Spark. 'Happy hunting, 'Cade.'
'Hunting indeed. I'm left holding the lugnuts.'
Lower Cargo Bay, Storage Complex, Autobot Base
"You coward!"
Something heavy crashed against large cargo containers, bouncing off the solid surface and clattered down against the floor, Sam having taken refuge behind the bulk… When Prime had reluctantly been called away to his duties, he had go to help with the clean up, organising the situation within moments, none saying a thing about the entire odd situation that had surrounded the Prime. No one… demanded an explanation why he had stayed glued to Samuel… They understood… or at least those who had a keen enough eye… others just took it in stride. Samuel was vital to the Autobots… he had always been and there was no reason to argue with Prime over it.
But with the reluctant retreat of Optimus, Samuel had been left with the grim task of talking to Mikaela… Or at least… finishing the argument that had begun all those days ago… the bitter words burning between them.
"I turn my back and you decide to string me out to dry."
"You dumped me." Samuel raised his hands slightly, stepping out from behind the protective cargo container, confronting the figure of the fired up Mikaela. His voice low, the whisper showing the hurt that echoed in his voice. "You said the words Mikaela; you spoke them right to my face."
"You know what? I never loved you."
Those bitter words burned through his mind, he had done everything he could, spent hours reassuring her… days by her side even with her lashing out at him. First it had been about Alice, then it had been about college… then it had been about the Autobots… And Sam's time being spent with them rather than with her. But to be fair he had remained with her… doing whatever he could to reassure her that he loved her… But it had never been enough for Mikaela. Even when he could say the words and truly mean them… she had demanded more… more proof… more sacrifice on his part. She had wanted more than he could give.
"You're a human, not a robot. Stop chasing after foolish dreams and look to your own future. It's here and now. It's me or them Sam. I can't continue chasing after you."
But his dreams had changed him… filled his mind with all those wonders, all those promises of something more. And he could not bear to keep his feet firmly on the ground; college had faded from his mind; a meaningless thing that had become too easy… too simple for him. The desire to be normal dropping away too, as these wishes were normal for him. His future had chased him and this time he wanted to catch up.
"Why can't I have both? Why must I choose between the two things that matter most to me? They're my family Mikaela. I love you… but why must I give up the one thing that really is my dream?"
"Your dreams are foolish ones… Empty. Stop dreaming of the stars. Be realistic… Be human. Stop stretching your hand out to something you can never hope to reach." Words flittered from the back of his mind… laughing and taunting him…
"Be realistic Sam. Listen to yourself."
"I am being realistic. I was wrong about what I told Bee, I was so dreadfully wrong."
"No, no you weren't Sam. Back then you knew what you should do with your life. You want to drag yourself through hell again? Fine!"
"It was worth it. Hell was worth it, because Optimus is back."
"Just you remember, one day they'll forget about you. You'll grow old and die… and they won't care. They will probably live forever being machines and all. We are nothing more than a speck to them… One they might be content with for a while, but one day they'll realise we're nothing more than ants. They say they will be here for us, but look what they have done for you."
"What is with you? Why would you think such a thing of them, Mikaela?"
"They failed."
"No, they didn't."
"They have! They couldn't get that stuff out of your head, Sam. You aren't the Sam I love anymore… you're some kind of…"
"Some kind of what?"
"…"
"Say it."
"Freak."
The moment it had slipped out of her mouth, she tried to take it back… tried anything to take away the word, their argument turning into something worse… And he knew that they didn't see eye to eye anymore. He had been willing to do what he could for her… but she wasn't willing to make allowances for the changes that had occurred within him.
"I guess I should have expected that. You always said… 'That's not like the Sam I know.' Maybe I'm not that Sam anymore? I thought maybe if I loved you enough you would love me back even through that… Even though the changes."
The stumbling 'weird' Samuel who was prone to babbling had matured slowly into a young man who wished to believe in himself… To have just a little more confidence. The strong willed Mikaela hadn't liked it. For all their battles together, the changes in Sam had amounted to too much of a strain on their odd half cooked relationship. Mikaela's patience had turned into expectations… ones that were unrealistic and couldn't be met.
Maybe they had both being lying to themselves? Both whispering the words of love that had been expected of them… Had he not loved enough? Was there some other reason?
Optimus had accepted him, fully and unconditionally. The Prime had listened to him without judgement, encouraging him to indulge in his desires to know more of Cybertron… of studying with some of the Autobots. He wanted to be a real part of the team and maybe now he would be.
"I didn't mean it Sam…" Her bright eyes stared at him from beneath those fluffy locks of hair that swept down over her features.
"Yes, you did. And maybe you were right." Bowing his head slightly, he rubbed his fingers back through his hair roughly, tugging at the short brown strands for a moment. A wry half smile touching his lips, thinking that maybe it was better this way. "I didn't love you like I should have… I tried… I really did but maybe… maybe it was never meant to be. Fate rarely calls upon us at a moment of our choosing. I'm sorry Mikaela. I hope that we can still be friends, but I can't be who I used to be."
"I don't… understand, Sam."
"Maybe one day you will. But right now, Mikaela, I hope we can be friends. You matter quite a lot to me, but I think I need time to make sense of what's happening." He stepped towards her, pressing a soft kiss against her forehead, hands dropping against her shoulders, giving them a gentle squeeze and a warm smile. "For now, I hope you'll forgive me, but I really need time on my own. I need to work out who I really am."
And Sam left a startled and trembling Mikaela behind… Though what was between them had been finished… there was still a lot left to work out.
Outside Jet Hanger, Above Ground, Autobot Base
The blue Volt shook sand from his shell, waves of golden grit pooled around his tires as he tried to dislodge any of the drying sand from within his body… It didn't quite work completely; several more cascades leaked from his underside as he rolled forwards, his alt mode twisting sharply, the whir of gears and slightly squeaky grind of sand in his joints made Jolt wince slightly. Another wave of sand pooled around his big feet, the Transformer ending up shaking like a wet dog attempting to get the last of the persistent material off him.
Miles appreciated the grace of his companion, the pair of them not speaking for a long cycle, before Jolt offered out a hand to the human, sweeping him up and onto a strong shoulder. The human curled himself up within the space he found there, parts shifted slightly to flatten out about him, making sure he didn't get snagged on any sharp parts. Patting Jolt's jaw with one hand, he was letting the exhaustion set over him, it had indeed been one hell of a fine day…
But both stared at the fine puff of silvery smoke that drifted from the doorway of the massive hanger, the scorch marks around the massive door made jolt move just a little faster. Optics narrowed slightly, the pair uncertain what had occurred, Jolt had not received any transmissions earlier that day concerning any kind of attack.
"Sunstreaker! Wait…"
"Slag off, Brother!"
"Sunny, please."
"I said, slag off! You're turning into one of Prime's servos…"
"Wait…"
Abruptly a yellow transformer strode past them, a heavy shoulder thumping almost viciously against Jolt's, dislodging the human who sat there. Miles abruptly found himself slipping down off his companion's shoulder with a cry of surprise, with Jolt instantly reaching out to catch him…
But a silver hand abruptly reached out and caught him, long powerful fingers curling slightly around Miles to prevent him sliding off as he was lifted back up. The human blinked up at the powerful form of the Autobot combat instructor Sideswipe, feeling the massive fingers slowly open up as he was being lifted up. Jolt was desperate to regain possession of Miles.
"My brother should know better." Sideswipe sighed; mouthplates set in a hard line as he was turning his head to regard the soot streaked Sunstreaker. The bot was in one hell of a foul mood that they had both been 'forced' into clean up duty, Sunny for another confrontation with one of the other Autobots over threats and almost injuring one of the humans. Sideswipe was attempting to at least keep his brother out of trouble long enough to keep him from being thrown into the brig again… And now it would take the rest of the day for Sunstreaker to 'lighten' up to any degree because his precious paintwork was covered with a dark layer of nice sticky soot. "I apologise, human…"
"Miles." Jolt interrupted, hands instantly claiming back said human and cradled him for a moment, scans tickled over the human as Jolt reassured himself no harm had been done. He then set the human back on his shoulder, making sure this time that he was safely secured there.
"Its okay, bro, no harm no foul." Miles gave him a thumbs-up and murmured a soft comforting few words right against Jolt's audio receptor, calming the sapphire bot within moments. "But what bug crawled up his exhaust?" The same thumb jerked towards the yellow and black form moving away from them quickly…
"You don't want to know…"
"Really?"
"Trust me. Some things are better left alone."
But both mechs were blinking in surprise at the tall slender Autobot moving through the grounds cautiously, the large high-powered snipper rifle strapped across his back, looking almost out of place in his bare Cybertronian form.
"Is that…?" Jolt did a double take. "Couldn't be…"
"I've only seen holo-records."
"Hey! Buddy, you mind?" Miles huffed softly, a finger poking against the blue toned jaw, clearly not liking the fact he was out of the loop.
"That's Bluestreak. Last recorded sightings of him were vorns ago… he was confirmed permanently offline." It was Sideswipe that spoke, the younger bot itching to talk to the sharpshooter, knowing that the older mech would have some stories to tell… "Or so it was said, best sharpshooter this side of Orion."
"He was one of the original members of the Autobots, close to Prime too…" Jolt added, watching Bluestreak vanish into the nearest entry point into the base below, not even glancing at them once. "I'm glad to see him… but still…"
"I've already radioed Prime…" A hand caught Jolt's shoulder, before giving him a rather bemused smile, "Since I can't seem to get Sunstreaker back, you might as well lend a hand considering you've been playing around all day…" With a yelp of surprise, Jolt was being pushed along by 'Swipe, the bot looking rather pleased as he commandeered the Autobot into helping. "Come on Beachbot. It's time for some real work."
"Why do I get the feeling that this is not going to be fun…"
"Oh trust me, it'll be a blast."
Storage Building Nine, Autobot Base
"Samuel?"
The dark storage warehouse stretched out far and wide around Optimus Prime as he stood in the doorway, the light warming his back for a moment before he stepped inside and carefully pushed the door shut. Reaching out for the light switch he hesitated for a long cycle, before letting his hand drop again, switching his vision to infrared hoping to pick up the heat signature of the boy.
"Sam."
No answer was forthcoming, and the Prime was slowly moving forwards through the silent building, the soft sounds of his body echoing loudly in his audios. It was getting surprisingly late and the boy hadn't returned to his side… And that had left an aching pain square in the middle of his chassis.
Slowly moving forwards amongst the towering shelves, he glanced back and forth, not finding anything, but knowing if Samuel was anywhere it would be here… Few people would know to look here. There was a flash of colour against the neutral cold background, for a moment he caught a glimpse of something warm… before it vanished again as he stepped forwards.
Turning down one of the long aisles, he was listening for the sound of Samuel's heartbeat, the sound slow and quiet… And Prime was soon discovering the boy at eyelevel, curled up amongst a jumble of spare parts and components, his head drooping heavily against one of the supports clearly asleep. A finger reached out to lightly touch the boy's cheek softly, stroking against it for a time, feeling the soft warm flutter of air caressing along his sensors in his fingertip. Prime's shoulders sagged heavily, knowing that it was his fault… His fault Samuel had been dragged into this mess in the first place.
"Mmmh…" A soft sound escaped the boy, his head turning into the touch, instinctively seeking out the comfort from the Prime. "Optimus?" Sleepy hazel eyes flickered open slightly, shuffling a little and suddenly allowing himself to fall sideways straight into the large hand, knowing that he would be caught, having absolute faith in Optimus.
"Why didn't you come back to me, Samuel?" The Prime lifted the boy upwards to eyelevel, carefully propping the half asleep human in his grasp, their gazes meeting for a moment, his head cocked slightly to the side.
"I… I needed time to think."
"I understand."
Hands stroked over the warm metal thumb that tickled across his cheek, unable to help a soft laugh, lightly pushing it away for a moment, straightening as he regarded Optimus for a long moment. "I… don't know what I should think about all this…"
"I…"
"I should have handled things with Mikaela better. I should have talked to my parents about this… When they find out about Wheeljack's newest incident…" He cringed as he could already see his mother with her baseball bat going after the poor engineer who just seemed to cause such things wherever he went. Thankfully no one had been seriously hurt… just a few broken parts and broken bones. Things had turned out well. It could have been much worse… "I can see a few dents and broken windows heading Wheeljack's way already…"
It had been much worse… He had almost died again, but the AllSpark had a way of using that to its advantage. It was always bringing him back… hopefully it wouldn't become a habit.
"I don't know what to say… what to do…" His hands were thrown up in the air in frustration, slumping back against Prime's palm, sprawling out there and looking up into the vivid blue optics that scanned his features. "I know what I chose was right… I know it… I'm good with that."
Prime wanted to say something… anything to reassure Samuel, but no words seemed to form in his vocal processor, and he just listened, offering the human an audio that would always listen to any of his concerns.
"But the rest of it is a slagging mess…"
"What choice?"
Samuel paused in the middle of his thoughts, staring up at Optimus Prime, shivering slightly at the memory of the leader of the Primes who looked so much like the mech before him. He hadn't spoken of the vision… of the Void and the Primes he saw there. How do you say… 'not only do I have visions of Cybertron every night… but now I get visions from a bunch of dead robots that come back whenever I'm dead' without it sounding like he was losing his mind? Actually he had lost his mind a long way back…
"The Primes…"
At this Optimus was curling his fingers, forcing Samuel to sit up to face him, both awe and worry tinging those blue optics. "When Sam?"
"After the explosion. I was… right in the middle of it… One minute I'm there and the next I'm… in the…" Trying to work out the right word for the 'whiteness,' the only term that seemed appropriate was 'the void.' "The Void, and they were there… all six of them. And they were talking about the AllSpark." Hands waving slightly again, he let out a frustrated sigh, wishing his life was simpler… but that would never happen. "And me… finally one of them decided to talk to me for once…"
"I was given a choice…"
"Have you already made your decision?"
"One I don't understand…"
"Is that why you were called now? You already chose your path."
"Samuel… Please tell me?"
"He asked me if I had chosen what I wanted to do with my life. But… I think I already made the choice…" Hazel eyes closed tightly, trying to know what he had meant by his own words, his hands pressed over his face for a moment, trying to push away the images… the symbols that flickered through his head… Ones that formed words, ideas, and memories… "I told him I wanted to be with you. That I would do anything I could to be with you."
"Samuel." He was slowly sinking to his knees, hands clasping around the human, unable to summon up his hologram… He needed to hold him like this, and drew him against his cheek for a moment, a low rumbling sound of appreciation issued… of unexplainable joy returning to him. Every time Samuel said it, it made it just that more real.
"Let me stay here, Optimus, I know you said I should go back to college at the end of summer… I know you said it would be best for me and in the beginning I agreed with you… But I don't want to go back. I don't want to go back to Tranquillity either." A finger was jerked towards Optimus as the boy suddenly found his feet. His hands reached out to rest against the robot's strong jaw, drawing it slightly down towards him. "I belong with the Autobots. I… can't bear to go back, I love my parents… I love that life… but it isn't me."
"You asked me not to leave you, Optimus Prime." He smiled softly at the memory, the deep voice echoing through the back of his thoughts. "Are you going to make me leave?"
"Never." The Prime conceded softly, unable to help the relief… that no matter how strange things might get, this one promise would remain forever. "You, Samuel James Witwicky, are not going anywhere without me."
"Promise?"
"Promise."
Author's Note: XD Moreee Sam and Optimus Moments XD and a surprise is just waiting for the right time to spring itself on the pair. XD Hopefully if you like it enough you might leave me a review ^^ I LIIIIIIVE on those! 333333 THANKS! *WAVES* to tomorrow and the future! And more plot bunnies that wander through my head.
