Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers
Summary: a familiar face shows up on the Lennox's doorstep, five years later. Set after ROTF, Sam x Lennox slash. Don't like, don't read.
Rating: M
One Last Time
Chapter 4:
"Major William Lennox, it is a pleasure to see you again." Optimus Prime's voice echoed around the Autobot hangar. "I am glad you accepted Sam's plea for you to return."
"Thank you." Will smiled. "It's good to see you again, Optimus. It's good to see all of you. I'm sorry I'm late. I just got held up with some stuff..." His eyes stopped at Sam and slid away. Sam looked down at his feet, leaning against the wall. He wished that what had just happened in Will's room hadn't... or it had gone further. Sam wasn't sure which one he would've preferred.
"Did Sam tell you that the Decepticons are in Europe?" Optimus asked.
"Yeah. He told me that." Will replied. "What's been going on?"
"For the past two years we've been pushing them back." Optimus explained. "More and more Autobots have been arriving and we outnumber them. There's only a small number of Decepticons left – in Europe."
"Who's left?" Will asked.
"Megatron – obviously. Starscream, Soundwave and a small number of unknown Decepticons are still alive." Optimus replied. "If we act quickly, we will be able to wipe them out."
"For good?"
"They will all be dead." Optimus nodded.
"What happens to the Autobots when this is over?" Will asked.
"I do not know." Optimus sighed. "I expect we will be asked to leave the planet."
"But you guys have made a home here!" Will protested. "You've all done so much and they're just going to send you back to a dying world?"
"I expect so." Optimus said. "What could we do here, once the Decepticons are gone?"
"There's probably more Decepticons out there than Megatron." Will argued. "They might come to Earth and if they do, Sam will never be safe. Bumblebee will have to remain here with him."
"What about the everyone else?" Bumblebee asked. Will observed that his vocal components had finally been fixed, after all this time. "The government can't make everyone leave Earth except for me."
"It might come to that, Bumblebee." Will reminded the small Autobot. "And we'll have to listen to the government."
"Maybe you would just have to become robots in disguise." Sam said thoughtfully.
"Sam, they already are robots in disguise." Will snapped.
"No, I mean that they'll leave and live among us on Earth." Sam explained. "Their race was on Earth long before we knew of their existence. They've been hiding for thousands of years – just think of Jetfire."
"Sam has a point." Optimus stated. "We will not make any decisions yet. We'll make them after the battle, once we have wiped Megatron out once and for all."
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"Is everything okay, Sam?" Bumblebee asked. Sam was watching Will walk into the office block next door to the hangar. He wanted to see Epps before he turned in for the night. "You seem a little distracted."
"Yeah, I'm fine." Sam sighed, looking up at Bumblebee. "It's just some stuff in my head."
"You know, you can tell me anything." Bumblebee said, leaning his head to one side. "Are you missing Mikaela?"
"Definitely." Sam smiled. If Mikaela was here, I would be with her. Not thinking about Will. "I might head home and get an early night."
"Will you be okay?" Bumblebee asked nervously. He knew about Sam's nightmares – Mikaela had spoken about them a lot. She was scared by them because she didn't know what to do. She would lay beside Sam in the dark, hearing him screaming and crying. They never seemed to stop.
"I'll be fine." Sam said doubtfully. He didn't need Bumblebee worrying about him. "I probably won't get to sleep anyway."
"If you're sure..." Bumblebee said, heading back towards the Autobot hangar. "I'll see you in the morning, okay?"
"Night Bee." Sam said, heading towards the accommodation block. He wanted a walk to clear his head. Being alone in the in the night, staring up at the star-studded sky did not help Sam clear his mind – it just made him remember back to two years ago...
Flashback: Diego Garcia, two months after Egypt.
Will caught sight of him sitting on the beach. He walked over, his hands in his pockets, his jeans rolled up and his trainers in his hands. The sun was low in the sky, turning the water gold. Will sat down beside Sam, the sand felt coarse against the bare skin of his calves. He waited for Sam to talk – he could understand if he didn't want to say anything.
"Will... do you... ever get scared?" Sam asked quietly, staring out to sea.
"Sometimes." Will replied.
"What of?" Sam asked.
"All sorts of things... losing my wife, my daughter... losing my own life, losing the people close to me." Will answered. "I'm also scared whenever I get posted somewhere – I never know if I'm ever going to come back."
"Do the... do the Decepticons scare you?"
"Yes."
"They scare me." Sam shuddered. Will turned to look at him. "I have nightmares... I don't know why. The Decepticons never did scare me... but it night I just have these nightmares about Megatron coming to get me."
"Hmmm."
"Do you... do you think they'll pass?" Sam choked. Tears were welling in his eyes and he folded his arms across his chest, shoving his hands in his armpits.
"I don't know, Sam." Will said softly. "I'm just a soldier. I'm not a psychiatrist – but I hope they do."
"What if they don't?" Sam turned his head to face Will. He unfolded his arms and wiped his eyes. "Ouch!"
"What's wrong?" Will asked, slightly alarmed.
"I've got sand in my eye." Sam sobbed, turning away, rubbing his eye.
"Don't rub it." Will hissed.
"Why not?" Sam asked, turning to face Will again.
"You'll make it hurt even more." Will replied, lifting Sam's chin to look into his eyes. "Let me look."
"Fine." Sam sighed.
"Keep your eye open for me." Will said, staring into Sam's eyes. "It doesn't seem too bad... just keep blinking. It'll come out eventually."
"Thanks Will." Sam smiled.
"I didn't even do anything." Will sounded confused.
"Just... thanks." Sam said. He then did something neither he or Will had expected – Sam leant forwards and placed a kiss on Will's lips. Will tensed and Sam started to pull away, unsure why he had just kissed him... Will placed one hand on the back of Sam's neck, crushing their lips together again. Sam brought his hand up and ran it through Will's tousled hair. Will forced his tongue into Sam's mouth, gaining dominance. Sam submitted to Will, clutching at the front of Will's T-shirt, entangling his fingers with the fabric. They broke away for air. The sun was disappearing past the horizon, the last rays casting long shadows. Stars had appeared in the dusky sky, glittering above them.
"What... was that?" Will asked, his brain felt foggy.
"I don't... I don't know." Sam replied. "I guess it was a kiss."
"But... why?" Will asked, breathless.
"I don't know." Sam replied. "We should go back. It's getting dark. Bee and Mikaela will be worried."
"Okay." Will said, standing up and brushing the sand off. He picked up his trainers in one hand, and held the other out to Sam. Sam took Will's hand and got to his feet. Will didn't let go and began walking up the beach, Sam's fingers entwined with his.
"What's happening?" Sam asked quietly.
"I don't know." Will replied, stroking Sam's hand. "But it feels right."
End flashback.
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"Will! Good to see you!" Epps grinned, hugging his best friend. Will shook hands with Graham, the British member of the NEST team. "We wondered when you were coming to see us!"
"You know how it is." Will smiled. "You mean to visit, then you get caught up with something, then something else happens and then it's too late!"
"How did you know we were still working?" Graham asked.
"The lights were on." Will replied. "I figured it would be you guys... if not, I would've waited until morning. Besides, it's not that late."
"It's nine o'clock!" Epps protested. "Usually, we're down the bar at this time!"
"What's keeping you here?" Will asked.
"We've been picking up some transmissions from Barcelona. They're definitely not human." Graham replied grimly. "We're waiting for some analysts."
"Anyone I know?" Will asked.
"Do the names 'Maggie Madsen' and 'Glen Whitman' ring a bell?" Epps cracked a smile.
"They're NEST analysts?" Will asked.
"The best." Epps grinned. "I know. It's hard to believe isn't it?"
"Extremely." Will said, yawning. "I'm heading off to bed. I'll see you guys in the morning."
"Night Will." Graham said, walking over to the desk and typing something in on the computer.
"It's good to have you back." Epps called after Will, as he walked out of the office. Will didn't answer.
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Sam lay in bed, tossing and turning. Megatron's cruel crimson optics burned into his nightmares – it was a face from a nightmare. The nightmare Sam's life had become, the moment Archibald Witwicky had found Megatron in the ice. Sam woke up, soaked in sweat, his breathing heavy and his body trembling. He sat bolt upright, burying his head in his hands. He was alone in the dark – he had never been alone, suffering from nightmares. There had always been Mikaela. Or Will. Mikaela wasn't there. Will was just a couple of blocks away.
"Will... I need you." Sam whispered into the darkness. He swung his legs out of bed and walked over to the wardrobe. He pulled out a T-shirt and tugged on a pair of jeans. He slid his trainers onto his feet and left the apartment, closing the door quietly behind him. He didn't want to wake everyone else in the building up. Sam walked out of the accommodation block and towards the one where Will was. He shivered, the breeze drying the sweat on his skin. Sam reached Will's room and shakily knocked on the door. He didn't know how Will would react and he didn't care right now. Will opened the door and yawned. His eyes widened in surprise.
"Sam... you look like Hell." Will observed, his eyes roaming over the younger man. "What's wrong?"
"I had a nightmare." Sam sobbed quietly. Will pulled Sam into his arms, holding him close to him.
"How bad was it?" Will asked, rubbing Sam's back soothingly.
"It was bad." Sam croaked. "I can't do this on my own... I'm okay with Mikaela... but I just can't –"
"I know." Will whispered. "Come on, let's get you inside and cleaned up a bit."
"Okay." Sam sniffed. Will slowly edged back into his flat, one arm around Sam's shoulders.
"You're okay now, Sam." Will said, sitting Sam down on the couch and crouching down in front of him. "I'm here. You're okay."
