Deep Cover.
Epilogue.
Two months later.
"Er, Bee, I would prefer to never see those particular mechs ever again if I have my way," Sam said as he slid in the Camaro's driver-side seat. "I'm going to do my best to avoid them whenever I'm in the Base. Why would you think otherwise?" The human pulled the seatbelt over and put it in its lock. Bumblebee was, of course, perfectly capable of strapping Sam in himself, but Sam preferred to have something to do for himself.
"It's not my idea, Sam it's Optimus, I just happen to agree with him. The point is, no matter how hard you try to avoid them in the base, at some point they will see you. Optimus would prefer that they get used to you while they are sparklings, to avoid potentially bigger problems when they get bigger bodies."
Sam sighed as Bumblebee started his engine and purred quietly down the drive as the two friends headed off to the Autobot base. It had been decided that introducing the Base sparklings to more than one human at a time could be a bit much, so Mikaela would come to be introduced once they were used to Sam.
"With three of them all wanting to investigate different places in different directions, we soon found out that no matter how many mechs were about at the time, there were not enough available optics to watch them all the time," Bumblebee told Sam as they drove along. "We're not used to having sparklings about, and they kept finding some of the weirdest and hard to get to places to crawl into. So, we looked on the Internet and fashioned what I believe humans call 'playpens' for them."
Playpens or no, Sam was not looking forward to meeting Megatron and Barricade again, whether they were sparklings or not, even if, as Bumblebee said, it was highly unlikely that they would recognise him. Cybertronian babies, he recalled being told, could be as big or bigger than him, so he didn't relish the idea of being seen as some sort of organic teddy-bear by one or both of them either. Whether he was hugged to death or stomped to death by any one of them, in the end the result would be the same, and he'd rather not risk either.
They reached the Base and Sam climbed out and then climbed into Bumblebee's hands to go into the base. With so many big pairs of feet about it really was the safest way to travel. None of the 'bots would deliberately harm Sam, of course, but, for example, if Wheeljack was thinking of a problem and didn't see him, he could still end up being stepped on if he didn't move quickly enough.
Their first stop was Optimus' office, where they walked in to see Optimus doing exaggerated shushing motions, pointing to the small fir-green sparkling that was sprawled, oblivious, on his desk, face up, optics shuttered, limbs limp.
"That's mine and Elita's, Terra Prima, or 'Terry' as Will calls her," Optimus said with paternal pride. "You can meet her when she's woken, but I've called Elita to take her out for now." He had barely finished speaking when Elita came in, gave Sam and Bumblebee a smile and a nod, and carefully lifted the limp form into her arms. It cooed, shifted to a more comfortable position in her arms, snuggled into her chest and then was still. She nodded to Optimus, her optics dimmed as she sent him what Bumblebee suspected was a highly-private databurst, and exited the room, all within the space of two minutes.
Optimus turned to the metal, oversized playpen Sam had not at first seen, as Bumblebee placed the human on the floor.
"Ratchet has pointed out that it is best to introduce the sparklings to humans when they are at their smallest and most controllable," Optimus stated.
"He means the sparklings, not you humans," Bumblebee remarked in what Sam recognised as an attempt at humour to calm him down. Bumblebee had become adept by now at reading Sam's moods, trying to cheer him up if he seemed down, and reassure him, as now, when he was nervous.
Optimus ignored Bumblebee's comment, or at least didn't reply to it, but bent down and picked up the small blue sparkling from the playpen, and put it down just in front of his feet, about ten feet from Sam.
"Sam, meet Megatron, Megatron, this is a human, his name is Sam," Optimus said, as if introducing the two at a social function.
Megatron looked at Sam wide-opticked for a moment, then rapidly crawled backwards with a cry. He bumped into Optimus' foot, edged round it, then stood up, peering round Optimus' lower leg, arms wrapped around it, while still shrieking.
"What the-?" Sam asked. "Am I that ugly?"
"No Sam," Optimus sighed. "Ratchet wondered if this might happen. Spark-memory is an odd thing, but it will recall trauma, and the sight of you has triggered a Spark-memory. He may not even realise why, but he probably associates the sight of you with something nebulous and scary that he knows is associated with you."
"He's scared of me?" asked Sam in disbelief. "But he's bigger than me!"
"Sam, he doesn't know why, but he associates you with some unknown frightening event. Sometimes the unknown fear can be more frightening than a known peril." He bent to pick up the squalling mech.
"Go and see Barricade now, Prowl has him in the security office." Optimus suggested. "You can come back in here once every few days for longer and longer times till he's used to you, and realises you are nothing to be scared of." Optimus said.
"Okay." Sam said, as Bumblebee stooped to pick him up, still unable to get over the fact that Megatron was now terrified of the sight of him, one thin, underweight, and physically unimpressive human.
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Bumblebee databurst Prowl, and walked in.
"Hello." Prowl said, he was behind his desk. He stood as Bumblebee once again set Sam on the floor and said "Sam has come to visit Barricade."
"Well," Prowl stated as he picked the grey and black sparkling out from the pen and plopped it in front of Sam with no warning and no ceremony. "here he is."
The mech was on all fours, and leaned forwards, thrust its rounded head forward on its squat neck towards Sam, opened its optics wide, and stared. Under that intent blue gaze, innocent as it seemed, Sam felt almost as if he were naked under the mech's unwavering regard. He fidgeted.
"Um…what's it doing?" Sam asked stupidly.
"He," corrected Prowl. "He's working out if you warrant further scrutiny."
Sam looked up at Bumblebee, which is probably why he never saw Barricade coming. He heard the sound of clanking metal, and was swatted to the floor as a three-fingered, clumsy metal hand made a failed attempt to grab at him. He yelped, more in surprise than pain as he rolled, then felt the hand grab him and lift him up. There was one minor problem; the mech had him by one of his legs and was holding him upside down.
"Hm, he's decided you're interesting enough to warrant a closer look." Prowl said, and Sam could have sworn he sounded amused.
"Waah!" Sam said as the sparkling raised him to optic level. "Could you ask him to put me down, or if he won't do that, at least hold me the right way up?"
"Barricade, turn him around the other way, hold him gently round his body, and remember not to squeeze." Prowl said, which reassured Sam not at all. The sparking turned its head to Prowl, releasing a rapid volley of whirrs, whistles and clicks.
"I know it makes interesting sounds that way up, but it's not comfortable." Prowl told the sparkling patiently. "It's not an 'it' either, it's a he. His name is Sam and I'm sure he'll make interesting sounds the other way up as well, so do as I say or I'll have to take him off you, he doesn't like being held like that."
Sam felt the sparkling take him round the waist, and to his relief turn him head-up. He was also relieved to note that the sparkling's grip was gentle, not too tight but tight enough to make him feel secure. Barricade drew him close to his round sparkling face and looked him over, occasionally giving him a gentle poke with a digit of his other hand. Sam tried not to squirm: he was sure such an inviting response would only encourage the poking. Instead he leaned forward to stroke the matte silver face, which was silky to the touch. Barricade obviously liked this, half-shuttering his optics in pleasure and purring.
Barricade seemed less and less alert as Sam kept stroking: Sam was beginning to wonder if Barricade would fall asleep still clutching him when Prowl carefully helped Sam disengage from the hands of the sleepy mech, and lifted Barricade to his chest.
"He needs to sleep now. Thank you for coming, Sam, I think he'll be okay around you in the future.
"Thanks." Sam said as Bumblebee picked him up. "Hey 'Bee, buddy, can we go see the others in the rec-room? Dewbot's in there, isn't he, I think a bottle of Dew would go down really well right now."
Bumblebee nodded, and carried Sam out of the room.