Experiences

Once again, I am twisting certain things to suit my purpose. But I'm actually being kinda nice to Sam in this chapter… must be the writer's block still affecting me. I'm really sorry that this took over a month to get out, but getting over pneumonia going to school going back to work me too exhausted to think of anything other than going to bed. I can only say that I hope I never take this long with another chapter again. I don't particularly like it, but it was the only version of this chapter that I've actually been able to look over more than once and stay firm in the decision that it is Chapter Eight.So read… enjoy… and the next chapter should be out soon… I think…

DoX

"Lord Megatron would like to reward you for the services you have so generously provided to us." The red and white Seeker spat the words as though they held a particularly potent poison that he was eager to rid himself of. "However, the fact remains that you betrayed have someone that we've been protecting for quite some time now."

"And most unfortunately for you," the blue Seeker's voice was silky smooth as red optics glared down at the dark haired man. "The one we were protecting is of infinite more value to us than your own worthless existence."

"Cause you see he's like what you stupid squishies call a little brother to us, not to mention that he's the only hope our race has." The purple and black Seeker spoke up, leaning down to push the man into the dirt with one finger.

"Or rather what my wing mates are attempting to explain is that you have in essence become lower than an Autobot within our optics." The first Seeker spoke up again, his mouth curving into a vicious grin at the light of comprehension consuming the frightened eyes of the human lying in the dirt. "You know, I've always wondered what the stress limit is for a live specimen undergoing dissection. Shall we test it?"

Two hours later:

"You did not have to join us in this excursion, Skywarp."

"Especially since Lord Megatron isn't going to be very happy that we effectively terminated his only spy in the human's military." Thundercracker added as he joined Starscream in plunging his hands into the icy water of the nearby lake. "Starscream and I could have—."

"He threatened Spike." Skywarp interrupted indignantly as he leaned against a tree with his arms crossed. "He's just too— that human had no right betraying him like he did."

"He's a bit of light in a place where we've known only darkness." Starscream said heavily as he shook his hands dry. "Innocence from a Spark that's seen the darkness at its cruelest."

"Waxing poetic, Starscream?" Thundercracker teased with a small smirk on his face as he nudged the other Seeker in the side with his elbow. "But still Lord Megatron is going to be fragged off that we just killed the organic."

"If you cannot handle the punishment then you should not have followed me." Starscream sneered as his hand rose up to hit the other's helm in retaliation for the teasing. "The organic tendered an insult to one of our own and we reacted accordingly. Should Megatron question the whereabouts of his little spy then we shall simply tell him that the organic was too cowardly to meet with us."

"You want us to lie to Lord Megatron?"

"No," Starscream replied as he transformed into his jet form. "I will lie and you and Thundercracker will remain silent on what you know."

"What about Soundwave?" Thundercracker asked as he and Skywarp transformed as well. "You know that Lord Megatron will insist on Soundwave searching for any sign of a lie being given during your report."

"Soundwave can search all he likes." Starscream answered dismissively as he took to the air with his wing mates close behind him. "Soundwave will find only what I want him to find. Megatron need never know the truth."

DoX

"Did all of your Primus forsaken, glitch ridden, microscopic processors decide to take a leave of absence without having the decency to inform me of this absolutely brilliant decision beforehand?" Sam asked with barely controlled anger as he stared in disbelief at the three Seekers standing in the middle of the clearing. "Star I expect this slag from, but you TC? I thought you were supposed to be the level headed, responsible one for Primus' sake. Just—just set 'Warp on the ground. And Primus help him if he's done anything to mess with that slaggin' hydraulic actuator again."

Grumbling under his breath as he pulled his medical kit from subspace, Sam continued to glower darkly at the three subdued jets. "So," he said almost conversationally the harsh undertones causing the three to wince, "care to tell me how the three of you ended up so slagged? Or maybe you can explain just why in all the fraggin' Pits, 'Warp looks like he met up with the business end of a fusion cannon?"

"Megatron sent us to meet with an organic traitor seeking to reveal the location of the Allspark in exchange for his personal safety once this war has reached its inevitable conclusion." Starscream said bluntly with a nearly inaudible cycle of his vents before speaking. "Once we discerned that his information was accurate, we disposed of him in an expedient manner before carefully erasing all evidence of his information in regards to the Allspark's current location. Soundwave learned that we had disposed of the organic traitor and exposed us to Megatron."

"Are you out of your fraggin' minds?" Sam hissed as his head snapped up from where he'd been inspecting the fine cracks lacing Skywarp's cockpit. "What the hell were the three of you thinking? Were you thinking?"

"You know we're not like the Autodolts, Spike." Skywarp spoke up as the violet gaze turned to him. "And 'sides, even a Decepticon's got honor enough not to turn traitor like that."

"You do realize," Sam retorted dryly, "that Star does go traitor at least once a month when he comes up with his latest plan to overthrow Megatron, right?"

"It is not the same." Thundercracker protested as he sat down after helping Starscream to do the same. "We are Decepticons so it is to be expected that Megatron's reign will end because of an action such as Starscream's. Only the strongest is fit to remain leader of our faction. But the organic," Thundercracker sneered, "chose to betray you simply because he was close to being discovered as a spy for the past two meta-cycles. He was intending to use your enslavement as a means to procure his own freedom."

Stunned Sam opened his mouth to speak only to close it again with a apologetic quirk to his lips as he turned his attention back to the mech he was working on. A calm silence fell over the small clearing as Sam worked to repair the damage caused to Skywarp's frame. Thundercracker and Starscream were almost into the peaceful state of recharge when Sam's outraged shriek broke the calm. "What the slag did I tell you about that fraggin' hydraulic actuator, 'Warp!"

"Um… not to break it?"

DoX

"How long do you plan on allowing this to continue?"

Standing from where he'd been lying down in the sweet smelling grass overlooking the river where he'd spent time with Bumblebee during one of the few times they weren't being chased, Sam turned to meet the amber optics of the mech behind him. "Last time I was almost dead because of my Spark fractures." He said raising an eyebrow questioningly. "So if I'm still asleep as far as I know, then how the frag did you manage to bring me into the Matrix this time?"

"Cybertron is beginning to revive itself." Primus said simply, massive arms crossing as he inspected the small cliff they were standing on. "And this portion of the Matrix has also begun to revive itself alongside of Cybertron as the power of the Allspark begins to settle."

"You're never going to give me a straight answer, are you?"

"You are not ready for the answers you believe yourself to be searching for." The mech replied, his optics somber as they flitted over the slender form. "But I brought you here for another matter that I feel must be resolved before your stubborn resolve weakens the bonds you so carefully and painstakingly began to cultivate."

"What?"

"How long do you intend for this separation from your Creators and bond mate to continue?" Primus clarified satisfied when comprehension dawned in violet eyes. "Allspark or not, you are still a youngling very much in need of the bonds that a Creation unit offers."

"Ratchet only offered the bond because I was the Allspark." Sam spat the words bitterly, his arms wrapping around himself as he turned back to look at the slow moving river. "And then he found out what being my Creator meant and got scared."

"A response that would have been natural in any sentient being with the common sense to realize that they should." Primus countered, the ground shaking beneath him as he moved to stand beside the sullen youth. "But you erred in that you gave them no time to recover from their initial reactions. Instead you convinced yourself that running was in the best interests of everyone, and that staying away for three meta-cycles was even more of a necessity. And while initially it may have given you the time you needed to grow into your own, what excuses have you at the ready for choosing to remain away far past the time necessary?"

"I ran because they all wanted me to be something that I wasn't and still aren't." Sam hissed, continuing to stare stubbornly at the river. "Everyone knows that the Allspark is supposed to be neutral and they wanted me to choose a side."

"And who says that you are prohibited from being allowed to choose where your loyalties will lie?"

"What?" Sam spun around, his mouth gaping open in his shock. "What do you mean who says I can't?"

"You choose for yourself where your loyalties lie." Primus repeated himself, golden optics peering down to meet stunned violet. "While neutrality was my Creation's choice, it does not have to be yours. Your Spark is free to choose what it will."

"Bu—but what about the Allspark?" Sam sputtered, his hands waving in the air as he spoke. "I thought neutrality was for the benefit of the immature Sparks."

"The Sparks you hold safe are content to remain with you in a manner I have not seen since the first Lifegiver. However, the choice of your choice of allegiance is yours and yours alone. They are no more bound by your choice then you are bound by those of the Allspark before you."

"So you brought me here to tell me that you think I should go back home?"

"If you still subconsciously think of the place where your Creators and bond mate reside in as home," Primus replied, "then I believe it in your best interests to return."

Lost in thought, Sam nodded absently as he turned to stare at the grass blowing gently in the wind. Standing watch over the thoughtful teen, golden optics softened when the teen disappeared and the mech was left alone in the peaceful memory. "I had truly hoped that the vorn would never come where Chaos would reign over Order. May your Creation unit give you the strength you will need to restrain that force, Lifegiver."

DoX

"—under no circumstances should you force a patient into stasis lock if their energon levels are any lower than 45. Should you for any reason feel compelled to ignore my instructions then I'll only give you this one piece of advice. Run. Run as far away as you can possibly go because there is no way I'll tolerate such fraggin' idiocy from any student that I've personally taught."

Violet eyes stared menacingly at the assorted group of medic hopefuls seated in the small lecture hall being used for the physiology classes and basic first aid. "You were accepted into this program because it was felt that you met certain requirements needed to become a medic. And while it's pretty much a guarantee that you will lose at least one patient no matter your level of skill, the fact remains that there should be no slaggin' reason to lose a patient due to complete and utter incompetence!"

"Now," he said as he picked up an eraser from the chalkboard and threw it at his sniggering Creation in the corner. "The reason that it's imperative you avoid stasis lock when energon levels have dropped below 45 is because of the imminent threat to the Spark if the leaks aren't found in time. I say leaks as in the plural form of leak, because if you have levels below 45 I can almost guarantee you that you have emergency shut off protocols that were too severely damaged to initiate."

"I have a question, sir."

"What is it, Martinez?" Sam asked with a sigh as he glanced over at what must have been karmic retribution for every prank or sarcastic remark made in his lifetime.

"How do you know that there's been a malfunction with the automatic shut offs?" Martinez asked his brown eyes narrowed as he spoke. "Isn't there a possibility that it could be something else causing the energon to go under 45?"

"Unless your patient has one hell of a wound that better have been caused by Megatron's fusion cannon, you'd better be checking for internal leaks somewhere within the frame." Sam snapped, wishing for a brief moment that he hadn't thrown the eraser at Grounder but had instead kept it for Martinez's irritating lapses into stupidity. "Any visible wound that's leaking energon fast enough to empty the reserves below 45 and you're going to end up triaging the mech in question as a Priority One. Fuel line leaks are generally slow, which is why they're so easy to repair unless there's a problem with the automatic shut offs which would account for levels dropping below your 45 line. Understood?"

"Yes sir."

"Good. Now fuel leaks are why it's so essential that you protect your laptops with your lives. Unlike the Autobot medics, we aren't able to uplink with our patients in the same manner that they themselves are capable of which is where the laptops come into play." Sam said, opening his laptop that he'd placed on the desk prior to the start of class. "The programs loaded onto each laptop have been tested in field conditions so there aren't a whole lot of variances that haven't already been accounted for. A general systems check will be the best scan to run if you're concerned about the possibility of internal damage. Any and all leaks will be accounted for along with their tube designation and section number."

"Sir? How are the tubes given a number designation?"

"Each tube is given an individual designation that is particular to each mech type." Sam responded as he closed his laptop. "Before you're sent to the Autobot CMO for your final evaluations, you will be expected to memorize the different types and the variances that can be expected with the differences in each form."

"Now back to our original topic. Stasis lock can be brought online in one of three ways. But the only one you need to concentrate on is if stasis lock is initiated due to the severity of the mech's injuries or because of energon deprivation settling into the core systems." Sam said as he held up a small stack of papers in his hands and began handing them out. "If stasis lock has been initiated for that reason then you'll know the second your systems check finishes. Each of the separate warnings that your systems check can display are listed on the paper that I'm giving you. I do expect you to have all of these warnings memorized by next Monday morning. No excuses as to why you haven't had these memorized."

"What sort of guarantee do we have that these warnings are accurate?"

"You have the guarantee that my Creator was the one to design those systems and test them in field conditions." Grounder said icily as he moved to stand next to the desk Sam was at. "I assure you that my Creator would not have released any system he'd written himself if he wasn't certain that they could handle the stress that field conditions provide."

"That's enough, Grounder." Sam reprimanded softly while placing a hand on the tense mech's shoulder. "Class is dismissed. I'll see all of you tomorrow."

Moving away from Grounder, he began gathering his belongings together as his youngest Creation glared at Martinez until the man left the room. Shaking his head in amused exasperation, Sam moved to pick up the eraser in the corner and began wiping down the chalkboards. "And you wonder why everyone insists upon calling you the youngest," he murmured with a grin when the glare was moved to him instead. "You know I remember Will telling me, 'Act like a brat and you'll get treated like a brat, brat'."

"I fail to see how your co-Creation referring to you as a brat has anything to do with me reacting to that man's attitude where you're concerned." Grounder replied sullenly as he hopped up onto the desk with his arms crossed. "Why do you even allow him to stay in this class? I know I've heard you tell 'Strike that it would take an act of benevolence from Primus to make Martinez a good medic, so why?"

"Because as I've told you before," Sam said as he gently placed his laptop into its bag, his hands still lightly coated in the white dust from the chalk. "I have no way to remove him from the class with his sponsors being who they are. Keller's already tried backing me up on this and all we got for it was an official reprimand."

"But there's got to be something else you could try to have him removed from the class," Grounder protested as he swung his legs still dangling over the side of the desk. "You know that your Creator will fritz if you send him there for the final evaluation."

"Yes," Sam replied as he finished gathering his belongings together and gently pushed Grounder from his perch atop the desk. "But it's also the only way I currently have of denying him any sort of entry into the medical units. If Ratchet says no, then there isn't really anything else anyone can do to gainsay him."

"Hmph. If you've come up with that then you've been spending entirely too much time with those Decepticons."

"Maybe that's not such a bad thing considering that we're going back, Grounder."

DoX

"So you're leaving?"

"Yeah," Sam said with a nod as he looked up at the three Seekers standing around him. "Someone reminded me that I needed to be getting home."

"So," Starscream said quietly, "you have decided to ally yourself with the Autobots."

"There aren't many other choices, Star." Sam replied as he dug through the enormous bag the Seekers had brought him. "I refuse to be Megatron's pet goldfish and I'm strong enough now to keep the Autobots from walking all over me like before. I'm not afraid to defend myself or my choices this time around."

"So you're allowing them to brand you." Thundercracker said from where he was leaning against a tree in the clearing the group had claimed as theirs, his hands playing with a small object. "I thought that only food sources on this planet were branded."

"I swear to Primus TC, if you're calling me a fragging cow…"

"So you're gonna be fighting against us?" Skywarp interrupted, his normally jovial features twisted by sadness tinged with anger. "You're actually gonna fight against us, Spike?"

"I'm a medic, 'Warp." Sam replied gently, making a face as he pulled out a sparkling sized cube of low grade energon. "I'll fight if I need to defend myself or my patients, but my first priority is and always will be healing."

"Should we expect more foolish stunts because of your insistence to allow your pathetically weak emotions to guide you?" Starscream sneered as he stared pointedly at the untouched energon in the youth's hand.

"Star, we've already had this discussion." Sam said with a grimace as he took a swallow of the shimmering blue liquid. "I thought we came to the agreement that hate and anger are not the only emotions worth having after the enlightening discussion about your 'rescue' back in Iacon."

"So when are you leaving?" Thundercracker hastily interrupted recognizing the warning glimmer in Starscream's optics.

"I'm supposed to leave day after tomorrow. Faststrike and the others went on ahead with the military transport today." Sam said, trying not to gag as he chugged the rest of the low grade. "I'll leave as soon as my ride gets here, and considering who my ride is… it could really be anytime in the next day or so."

"Then finish another cube before we begin scanning." Starscream ordered his optics piercing as he stared down at the obviously reluctant youth. "Your energy levels are far too low for any scan to be completed safely. So unless you'd prefer for Skywarp to hold you down while I use more forcible means of getting you to ingest the energon…"

"That's just cold Star."

"You are in no danger of hypothermia so cease with your complaints."

DoX

"Any reason why you sent Jazz to pick up my little brother?"

Glancing down from his desk to the floor where Will stood staring up at him with his arms crossed, Prowl sat the data pad in his hands onto the desk and stood. Stepping away from the desk, the tactician knelt down in front of the obviously irate man in his office. "I sent my bond mate because I trust him to be able to bring Sam back here safely without exacerbating the previous situation." Prowl replied, calm blue optics meeting furious brown eyes. "I believe that his time spent recharging in the rec room has allowed him to finally be able to view their actions in the same light that Sam himself did."

"Yeah, just one little problem with that sentence there," Will retorted heatedly, "you think that he's finally faced up to the fact that all of them were a bunch of idiots that sure as hell don't deserve the second chance he's givin' them. You might think that's a good enough reason but I sure as hell ain't seein' the logic in this, Prowl."

"Sam may have found it within his Spark to give them a second chance but I by no means, expect for him to have forgiven them so quickly." Prowl said quietly, his optics following Will's pacing form. "He will need this time with Jazz to allow himself to determine if he can truly begin to forgive them or if more time will be required."

"This better not blow up in our faces, Prowl." Will muttered with a long drawn out sigh as he rubbed a hand over his face wearily. "I want him back here where I can keep an eye on him. Having Faststrike and the rest of his Creations looking out for him ain't the same as me knowing what's going on cause I'm actually there."

"If it is of any consolation to you," Prowl said, "I do not believe that Jazz will take this opportunity given to him lightly."

"You'd better be right." Will's hand slid away from his face as his features settled into a more neutral expression. "But now that I've got your attention, I've been meanin' to ask what your little outburst was all about last week."

"My outburst?" Prowl asked stiffly his optics reflecting complete puzzlement at the question. "What outburst would you be referring to, Will?"

"You know," Will said waving his hand in the air, "the one where you had it out with Jazz in front of the base with just about everyone on base listening in."

"That would have been the culmination of my patience with their unrelenting reluctance to see their own contributions to the youngling's decision to leave." Prowl replied tiredly, his optics dimming as he spoke and the lines around his mouth seemed to tighten with every word. "I—things between Jazz and I have been strained since then and I was simply no longer able to retain the slim amount of control I was still capable of over the emotions that had been plaguing me since that battle."

"In other words, you just snapped."

Taking a moment to look up the context of Will's statement, Prowl nodded in agreement as he rose from his kneeling position. "I found myself… irked by my bond mate's refusal to accept any sort of rationalization in regards to the youngling's actions. Never in all our vorns together had he ever acted in such a manner, and when the opportunity presented itself to allow for some of those emotions to escape, I found myself unable to resist."

"Considering the way you were yellin' at him, I think irked is a bit of an understatement." Will said with a hint of sarcasm coloring his tone. "But can't say I blame you, especially since I've been wanting to tear into them for acting the way they did too."

DoX

Standing outside of the barracks not five minutes after he'd received the call, Sam wasn't surprised to see a familiar silver Solstice pulling to a stop in front of him, the driver's side door opening. Settling his bag into the passenger side, Sam took one last look around the empty barracks that had served as his home for the past three years before sliding into the car. Unable to stop himself from smiling when the car's engine began revving the second he did his seatbelt Sam started laughing as they shot out of the housing area and through the gates lining the exit from the base. Content to pass the drive in silence, Sam was startled when the silence was broken by Jazz's hesitant tones.

"Why'd ya decide to come back?" Jazz's voice was subdued as the voice filtered through the speakers. "Not that it's a bad thing, but tha' way tha' Prowl an' Will was talkin' last week…"

"Last week," Sam replied his eyes staring outside of the window, "I would have said you were crazy for saying that I would be going back. But things change and I got someone willing to knock some proverbial sense into me."

"Yeah, an' us messin' up as bad as we did probably didn't hurt none in makin' ya stay away for so long."

Sam remained silent, his head slowly sliding to rest against the cool window of the silver car he was riding in. Jazz chuckled lowly as he adjusted the contours of the seat around the sleeping youth, the tint on his windows darkening to hide the sleeping 'driver'. "I'm jus' glad tha' ya decided to come back, younglin'." Jazz said softly as he meandered down the roads and highways leading to the Autobot base. "Ratch an' 'Jack'll be real glad to see ya around again. An' maybe we'll all get tha' chance to apologize for th' way we was actin' like a buncha glitches 'stead of helpin' ya like Prowl an' Will were."

DoX

Starscream sat in his darkened quarters staring pensively at the small object given to him by the human during their last encounter. The image of the human's face, of the resigned acceptance mingled with sadness was burned into his memory banks along with others that he wished he could simply delete from existence but knew he never would. Instead the memories of the human would now be relegated to the same password protected file that held all of his memories of Skyfire.

Upon their return to base, his wing mates had left him without so much as a word as he'd trudged to his quarters. Not to say that Skywarp and Thundercracker hadn't gone to their own quarters in such a subdued manner that many throughout the base had been giving the trine odd looks. He'd known that their actions would be viewed with suspicion as the lead trine was anything but subdued even after losing a battle to the Autobots. But he couldn't bring himself to care while his Spark was still reeling with the strength of so many conflicting emotions residing within its depths.

"I'd ask what you think I should do, Skyfire. But I think I already know what your answer would be." Starscream spoke aloud in the darkened room, the vibrant hues of his ruby optics muted as he continued to stare at the small metallic object. "But things have changed and I have my wing mates to take care of. They have and will continue to remain my priority in this Primus forsaken war. And if taking care of them means having to betray a being that in another life I would never have dreamed of betraying, then I'll do it if it means that my wing mates are safe for another day."

Standing from his berth with a soft whisper of movement, Starscream allowed his optics to shutter closed for a brief moment. Warring emotions playing across his face before he finally reactivated his optics, the ruby optics gleaming with the same mix of emotions that he would forever hold in his memory as being in Spike's eyes. "May Primus forgive me where I cannot." He murmured as he set down the small piece of metal that held the insignia of the Air Guardians painstakingly carved onto its surface. Exiting his quarters the red and white Seeker was greeted with the sight of his wing mates waiting patiently in the hallway.

"You sure about this, Star?" Thundercracker asked from his spot next to the doorway as he glanced at his wing mate with concerned optics. "We don't have to do this if it's not what you want to do."

"We are Decepticons." Starscream answered, refusing to meet the optics of either of his wing mates as he started to walk down the hallways of the living area of the base. "He knew and understood that fact when he gave us the information he did. We would be no better than those Autobots he is returning to if we allowed such a golden opportunity to slip through our very fingers. We will alert Megatron as to the movements of the Allspark and then we will obey any orders that he deems necessary to give."

"Even if it means betraying him?" Tilting his head to look at Skywarp, Starscream nodded his head. "As I have already stated, we are Decepticons. It is in our very programming to betray those we once called friend if they choose to place themselves against us. He has made his choice and now we make ours."

DoX

Violet eyes snapped open when the car he was riding in swerved violently and a vile litany of curses in both English and Cybertronian began flowing through the speakers. Arching an eyebrow at some of the more… inventive curses, Sam couldn't but to drawl, "I didn't think it was structurally possible for a Seeker to do that, Jazz."

"Give me a coupla minutes alone with one a th' slaggers an' I can guarantee ya it'll be possible." Jazz growled as he pushed his engine and dodged the missiles the Seekers were firing with merry abandon. "Slaggin' 'Cons jus' can't let a mech get back to base without bein' ambushed for a game of tag."

"I don't think tag's what they're looking for, Jazz." Sam commented dryly as the Solstice continued to drive erratically down the thankfully empty highway. "Especially since last time I checked tag didn't involve missiles. And I swear to Primus if you get yourself hit by one of those, I'm only gonna repair enough to keep you alive before I let Ratch have at you."

"That's jus' cruel, younglin'." Jazz said as he continued to speed down the highway, his back tires scrabbling for purchase on the road as he took another tight curve on the winding road.

"You'll live," Sam replied before biting his bottom lip nervously.

"Ya don't gotta worry 'bout them 'Cons catchin' us." Jazz's mellow tones filled the interior as he tried to sooth away the tense expression marring the youth's features. "I ain't the fastest in th' ground forces for nothin' ya know? Ain't about to let a coupla Seekers ruin my rep after I been workin' so hard on it neither."

"I'm not worried, Jazz." Sam said quietly, his words barely audible over the sounds of missiles hitting the ground and the revving of the Solstice's engine. "I'm just—I just wish that there weren't so many roads to choose from."

DoX

He hadn't felt so nervous since he'd met with Optimus after waking up in the med bay after Mission City the first time, Sam decided as he reluctantly moved from the relative safety of Jazz's interior to stand in front of the base's entrance. Reaching back into the Solstice's interior, he pulled his duffle bag from the passenger seat and slung it over his shoulder as he straightened. Taking a deep breath, he continued staring warily at the large structure as the sounds of transformation began from behind him.

"You planning on stayin' out here all day or what?"

"I haven't decided yet." Sam said as Will stepped towards him to sling an arm around his shoulders before tugging playfully on the end of the short ponytail his hair was pulled back into.

"And you still haven't cut your hair. How the hell do you keep convincing them to leave it like that?"

"Because unlike you, I am capable of talking to my superiors without being thrown into the brig for an indeterminate amount of time." Sam shot back as he allowed the other man to lead him into the base with Jazz following behind him. "Plus there's the fact that Keller likes me."

"You realize that just sounds wrong, right?" Will asked as he glanced down his twin.

"SAM!"

Head snapping up as he heard a voice he hadn't heard in nearly four years, Sam grinned wildly at the man walking down the hall towards them. "Sparkplug! What are you doing here?" He asked as he pulled away from Will to give the other man a hug, mindful of the curious optics watching them as they stood in the hallway.

"They were looking for competent mechanics," Sparkplug answered as he started walking down the hall with the pair. "And since the teacher was comin' down here they just sent me here too."

"So you're part of my newest batch?"

"What are you talking about?" Sparkplug asked curiously. "The teacher's name is—."

"Major Spike Lennox," Will said with a smirk. "Couldn't let my little brother go running off without at least some kind of protection, now could I? And with my promotion last year, everyone knows better than to let him go out and get into the kind of trouble that seems to follow him around like some kind of damn stray dog."

"I resent that, you know."

"Don't you mean resemble?"

"Remind me why I came back again?"

"Cause you love us?"

"Debatable."

DoX

"Secretary Keller has agreed to my transfer to this base," Sam said firmly as he met the blue optics of the mechs surrounding him in Optimus Prime's office. "My students will be notified of the transfer and should begin arriving by the beginning of next week, sir."

"Why?"

"Sir?" Sam asked, confusion bleeding into his voice as he stared up at the red and blue form of the Autobot leader.

"Why have you requested this transfer?" Optimus clarified as he knelt down in the front of the youth. "I would not have believed you would have reason to return after the circumstances surrounding your decision to leave."

"Permission to speak freely, sir?"

"Granted."

"I—," Sam sighed, running a hand through his hair raggedly as he composed himself. "It seems that neutrality is a luxury I don't have. The first Allspark was able to choose, and that choice set the precedent by which the subsequent Allspark adhered to. But it wasn't my own. Megatron won't stop looking for me just because I'm a neutral and that certainly won't stop him from trying to use me. If I'm going to be involved in this war, then I want it to be on my own terms and that's something I can't do while hiding behind a mask of neutrality."

"You have chosen to ally yourself with the Autobots?"

"No," Sam replied as his shoulders straightened. "I've decided to become one of the Autobots. I won't fight if I don't have to, but I'm still a medic with field experience that can prove valuable in the right conditions."

"Are you certain of this decision?" Prime asked quietly. "You are still young and have the chance to live at least a portion of your outside of the effects of this war should you choose to take it."

"Not everyone was meant to have a real childhood, sir." Sam said as violet eyes softened sadly as he met the optics of his Creators standing off to the side. "But here I'll at least have the opportunity to act my Spark's age when the opportunity presents itself. You of all people should understand that sometimes we aren't given the choices we would like and that sometimes we have to ignore the roads that we would have otherwise taken if circumstances had not been what they are."

"If that is your choice."

"May Primus take my word as oath," Sam began, kneeling down onto the floor with his left hand lying over his Spark, "my allegiance is yours to hold until the day our Sparks are one with the Matrix."

"Til all are one."

DoX

And the first arc is over. I feel that I should explain some things about the reason for my saying this is the first arc. The first arc was always meant to be about Sam finding his own reasons for joining the Autobots. I didn't want him joining because his family was there, or because he thought that the Autobots were good and the Decepticons were evil. Even if his reasons aren't really clear at the moment, but that'll change.

Review Responses (HA! Told you I'd get around to remembering about them, even if it is 4:29 in the morning and I should probably be going to sleep…)

RachaelMNiner: Thank you so much! About the Seeker's, I've always loved them. Even as a kid I was fascinated with them. And I think that the way they are now has a lot of influence from the Armada Starscream mixed with G1 Starscream. I'm glad you liked them though.

Inufreak831: 1. I hope that this chapter at least partially answered your question. 2. Good question, but unfortunately one I can't answer without giving away vital plot details. 3. Um… will you get mad if I say the same thing as question 2? And thanks for reading this but I don't think this'll be finished for many chapters to come. Actually, I think the last time I looked at my outline I was going around forty or so chapters just for this one story.

Koros89: Agh! FFnet loves eating my breaks for the a/n's. I'll try to go back and fix them though, so thanks for reading and letting me know about it so I can fix it.

Raine21: Yes, I happen to be a big fan of protective Autobots as well. And I've also loved the idea of Will as a big brother figure, mainly because of the way he interacted with Sam so well in the film. About Megatron… I had to write him like that because I can't just see him as this insane tyrant instead of someone that honestly thinks that what he's fighting for is something worth fighting for even if others can't see it. Um… some more explanations and stuff about Sam's running away will be in the next chap in the form of a very fragged off Sarah Lennox. And yeah, I don't think that the Autobots are these perfect beings, I mean come on, everyone has to mess up sometime and I don't think that the Autobots are exempt from that.

Trunks lil' Sis: Refer to part 1 of inufreak831's response for your answer to the question about Spike/Sam. And thank you so much for reading this.

Jazzy Kat: Sam needs all the hugs he can get because things ain't getting easier any time soon.

Rena1: Honestly about Prowl? I was sitting there typing that portion of the chapter and was thinking about how logical all of these things were and it just fit that Prowl would be the one to think about it like that. About the Seekers, I will say only this. When I was about five I had my heart set on this Starscream figure that I saw at the store, and my mom asked me if I knew that he was one of the bad guys (I think just trying to make sure that he's what I really wanted) and I told her that he wasn't bad that he was just a Decepticon instead of an Autobot.

Easter of Flesh: The reunion still has a little bit of tweaking which is why it wasn't in this chapter. Mainly because Ratchet refuses to cooperate and when he is then Sam isn't.

Cman710: The Sam/Bee stuff will never be all hot and heavy I promise. The focus of the story isn't about them but they were rather insistent about being in there all the same.

Catc10: I know that it does get confusing sometimes but I'm glad that you're sticking through with me while I work on making the smoke go away.

Lendaras: Thank you. And I no longer have cabin fever thanks to my loving twin sneaking me out of the house to get a lovely Autobot tattoo. Yeah, we're in so much trouble for that one…

And to everyone else who reviewed… you have my most heartfelt thanks. I think I've already said this, but I think it bears repeating. I really never thought that anyone would like this story as much as it seems like and… and now I'm blushing fraggit all. Um… I guess just thanks so much for giving me the support to keep writing this after the first chapter and for giving me the incentive to stay up way past my bedtime to push past the writer's block. It means a lot to me and I hope that you guys'll stick around til the end of this story… cause there are still so many roads left until the end. Ithilas