Life was painful for Samuel. He realised this fact. It really was, but not for the reason everyone would think.

"C'mon Bee! Let go of him already!" Ironhide ordered, gritting his teeth while both of his arms wrapped around the scout's body.

It was childish the way Bumblebee had acted. Sam, unsurprisingly the victim in the middle of all of it, was being used as a rope for a tug-of-war between the blonde and the leader. While Bee had refused to let go one of Sam's arm, Optimus had been playing the role of the only sane person within the room, except for Sam, and was keeping the human down to the bed before he injured his neck any more. The blasted thing was already in a cast.

Orion was now regretting the choice of sending out the comm that told everyone that he was awake. It was only misfortune that the first two to arrive was his weapons specialist and seeker. But he had a cold feeling that a third was making his way over.

"Bee! You're ripping me arm off! Let go!"

"No way! We still have two weeks that we need to catch up on!"

Ironhide tightened his grip and pulled a tad harder on the holoform. "If you continue this, you're going to injure Samuel! Even worse, he's going to be coming any mome-" Ironhide never got to the end of that sentence as the doors opened by itself with three metal wrenches flying in. Sam had the pleasure of front row seats to three Cybertronians simultaneously knocked down by either their heads or wrist. And as quickly as the tug-of-war started, it was ended with the furious stomping of Ratchet entering the room.

"What the fragging Pit do you all think you're doing with Samuel!?" The doctor roared, Sam softly dropping back onto his bed with a sigh of relief and the previous three Autobots clutched their heads and wrists, a few curses and groans of pain muttered. In hindsight, Sam was impressed that not one of the tools thrown even grazed him.

Sam took the moment to recover himself, fearing a little himself as he watched the elderly holoform grab the other three and drag them out, literally kicking and screaming. And when Bee, Hide and Orion were out of the room, Ratchet looked back with guns blazing, anger instilled into his eyes and embedded into his aura. Sam gave a look like he had been caught with a hand down a cookie jar and could only await his imminent doom.

In a moment of anger and frustration, it extinguished and Ratchet's expression was graved with a grin.

"Good to see you're up and awake."

For once in his life, Sam was terrified of what laid behind a smile.

Twenty gruelling minutes passed for the three outside, building into a quick group of over three dozen that had heard the news. Though it was about an hour passed midnight, the base was wide awake for Samuel. The numbers kept piling and piling until practically everyone was standing outside, waiting for the medic's final verdict. What seemed like the noise was going to reach its maximum in a matter of seconds, they were all settled into silence when the doors opened.

They gathered around the doctor, as he looked to a few of them. Most glaring at the previous three for the 'stunt' they pulled on his patient. The rest, he only raised a brow. Lennox stepped up from the crowd, having returned last week with the news that the Witwicky was attacked and in a coma. "Well? How is he doc?"

Ratchet glanced back to the door for a moment, then looking back to the soldier. "First don't call me 'doc'. Second, he's awake and remembers everything. I say he'll be fine after a few weeks if he follows everything I tell him to do."

Sighs of relief echoed out in the corridor as a few of the people had propped themselves up against a wall from the overwhelming stress pulled off them in the past two weeks. Even the Autobots had dropped back onto their rears and had taken the moment to calm themselves. The only Cybertronian that were left standing were Optimus, Prowl and Sunstreaker, to strong on their pride to fall so easily.

But a minute after everyone began celebrating, the medic looked to the Prime's holoform, a serious look adorning his face compared to the lax expression a second earlier. Optimus was quick to notice the gaze.

"Hmm?"

Ratchet directed a thumb back to the door. "He wants to talk a few of us in there. You and I included, as well as Ironhide and Bumblebee."

"So why bother throwing us out earlier?" Bee questioned, earning another death glare. That had the desired effect of shutting him up as he got back on his feet, ready to walk in. A question from the burly holoform paused him mid-step.

"What about?"

Ratchet gave another dark look. Though this time, it wasn't particularly directed at anyone. Just the floor separating him and the group. "… That night…"

And again, silence returned with vengeance. A heavy atmosphere encased the area as everyone looked to the four conversing holoforms with eyes that could burn steel. They were all sharing the same thought. Since Sam was back awake and Ratchet had just confirmed that he could remember everything, that also meant that Sam remembers everything to have occurred that night. And with that information, the attacker was going to wish the world was a just and fair place.

"You can't be serious." Sideswipe argued, drawing attention his way. "Why only them? I at least want first shots at the frag who attacked Sam."

"As immature as it sounds, I agree with Sideswipe." The orange twin stepped up. "We all have a right to know the assailant we've been living with."

"And I respect that. But I also respect my patients' wishes. Do you, knowing who it is in that bed?" Ratchet didn't wait for an answer and was the first to walk into the med bay. Sideswipe and Sunstreaker took the question into thought as Bumblebee followed in next. If anyone else, they wouldn't have cared if they asked to be alone for that information. But since it was Samuel, they took the request to spark.

Then Ironhide was the next to fall in while Optimus turned back to the crowd. "Sideswipe, Sunstreaker. Do not fret. I'll inform everyone about it if Samuel allows me to. Please, be patient a little while longer."

Though the mob was displeased with the request, they complied with it and began to disperse. Orion didn't stay for too long, just enough to see at least half of the crowd leave before entering the door. If he was going to listen to something serious from his beloved, then the human was going to get a little respect. Plus, he shouldn't have kept them waiting as long as he did.


Sam watched as Orion entered and took a seat, Ironhide with him on the same side while Bumblebee and Ratchet were on the other end. For convenience of a discussion, his bed was propped up just enough for him to look at them eye to eye and keep his neck in position from any further damage. The Witwicky looked to each of them and silently confirmed that they were ready to hear the news.

But before he got right to it, he should at least cushion the revelation.

"Hey guys…"

Orion was obviously the first to reply, feeling the meaning behind the averting of the conversation. But he respected it. "Hello Sam. How are you feeling?"

"Hmm? Uhh, great. I guess… Just a little tired. Too much sleep I guess." Sam joked, giving a faint laugh that was obviously wasn't fooling anyone. 'I guess humour during something like this isn't a great start.' He thought.

Surprisingly, Ratchet responded to Sam. "Two weeks can do that to humans." Ratchet stated, his tongue as sharp as ever. Sam had to wonder what type of grindstone he uses to keep it in shape.

"Ah, sorry I caused so much trouble…"

"Nonsense." Ironhide said. "If anything, Bee caused more trouble just a few minutes ago."

"Hey!" Bee quickly going quiet right after as the glint of light reflecting off a wrench met his eye. Cowering a little and about ready for the wrench, Bee gave a small apology.

"Anyways, I think you guys already know why I called you in here. Some of you needed to here this," Sam glanced over to Optimus and Ironhide. "And some ere for personal reasons." Samuel changed the course of his eye sight towards that of ratchet and Bumblebee. The four tensed up when he looked at each of them, an ominous feeling running down their sparks when they stared at Sam's guilt-ridden eyes.

Sam swallowed a thick mouthful of saliva before his lips trembled to reveal the truth. All the Autobots noticed that Sam was gripping tightly at his bedsheets.

"… I'm sorry for what I'm about to say. But… the one who was there that night, who had their hands around my throat was…" He hesitated and the last word came out as a merely a whisper. The word being the name. Albeit, accounting in the fact that room was silent for him, they all heard it loud and clear.

"Orion couldn't believe what he heard, almost doubting the sanity of himself and the Witwicky's for a moment. The feeling to even hold doubt to his beloved was disgusting. But it was nothing compared to the feeling of utter betrayal. Worlds collapsed within the Prime's mind as he tried to make sense of what Sam had just said. For her to be the assailant… It was unfathomable to the leader. So he went for the plausible explanation in his head. It was a joke. Yeah, that would make better sense than his once-beloved being an attempted murderer.

A smile formed that showed Orion's fear as he spoke. "P-Please, Samuel… Now is not the time for cruel jokes like that."

Optimus' processor was growing frantic with every nano-klik (seconds) that ticked away when he waited for the human to come out and admit that he was teasing everybody. One nano-klik. Two. Three, and so forth until the quietness became unbearable. His smile dropped during the passing seconds as his insides sank when it became an entire minute of silence.

Sam couldn't bear to be in the room as much Orion could. Sam watched as the Prime's change from worry, into seriousness, then becoming panicked until it stopped on the expression of utter despair. He guessed this must've been how he acted when he found Sam a few nights ago. Sad part was, the young adult could do nothing but watch, his heart twisting and turning as Optimus waited for a response. The pain grew and festered as tears began pricking his eyes uncontrollably. He couldn't bear to look at Orion's defeated form anymore, with his face dropped and his posture lowered.

Sam couldn't really move his neck, so he turned his eyes to Bee's side, closing them when water began gushing out. With the tiny bit of control he had left, an apology escaped his lips. "… I'm sorry…"

The leader had his eyes wide. "Please, Sam… don't say that…"

"Optimus," Ironhide had seek to comfort his friend, but he barely got another word in before his Prime stood up from his seat.

"Please don't say that. Say you saw someone else!" Orion pleaded, his hands reaching out to Sam's shoulders in a flash. Though his hands came with delicate care, the speed when he thrusted his arms out shook the human a little, alerting the other Cybertronians.

"Opti-!"

"Please, Sam!" Orion yelled, shaking the crying human for only a second before he was restrained by the weapons specialist. Placed in a lock, he was pulled back from the bed.

"Optimus! Pull yourself together!" Ironhide ordered, sending Be a look that said 'come help!'.

The scout rounded the bed and aided the burly holoform in restraining the Prime, Ratchet placing himself between the patent and visitors while also checking on Sam for any damage dealt. Optimus thrashed about for a minute in his comrades' hold and called for Sam as he did so. And though they were two of them, Bumblebee and Ironhide can easily say that his strength matched the both of them. But in a flurry of a single step made by the doctor, he by Ratchet's booming voice.

"Orion Pax! Behave yourself!" Ratchet managed the job of adverting the Prime's attention, but it wasn't long before he was the concentration of Orion's panicked state.

"Ratchet, please tell me that he's been traumatized by the attack. That he isn't thinking straight!"

Ratchet gave an incredulous glare. For the Prime to question Sam's mindset was plain out of character. To thrash about on it is even more so. "Optimus, you must face the facts! We know Elita is not especially fond of the human race-"

"She hasn't had enough time to learn about them!"

"The Autobots, including Elita, are the only ones that haven't been interviewed yet-"

"How could we suspect one of our own?!"

"A bruise appeared on Sam's wrist a week ago, right after Elita had visited Samuel in his comatose state!"

"So was the one on his shoulder when he was planning the fireworks!"

"But did he ever tell us who did it?!" Optimus' reasons died there as he began to question all the things listed by the medic. Every ounce of good reasoning shot down by another argument. But he couldn't just let this fall away so easily. He had to have some form of confirmation.

"If you still doubt me, ask him yourself!" Ratchet said, taking a step aside so the Prime could see his patient. "Go and ask him who had gave him that bruise."

Orion looked back to the silent figure of Samuel Witwicky. "Sam… Please…" He asked once more, hoping that his voice would have his lover speak honestly to him. But the same response was given, a small sob following it.

"… I-I'm sorry…" The youn adult immediately lifted both hands to his face; an attempt at hiding the tears being shed without causing too much movement.

The black and yellow mechs noticed it instantly as all the strength the Prime had been using to resist the past minute had vanished. And as it did, so did most of the force the two applied on the holoform, their arms slowly losing grip when they felt gravity take over Optimus' weight. The Prime slowly slumped back onto his feet, his gaze now stuck on his beloved's face.

Something dug itself a hole inside Orion's spark as he watched Sam silently cry into his hands. Why was he apologising? Why was he crying? It's clearly not any of his fault. Was he crying because of Optimus? Or was he crying for Optimus? 'It's not your fault', he wanted to say. But would saying something like that do anything? Would it mean anything? No… He had to show that it wasn't his fault. Not at all. Not even the slightest bit.


Deciding it was best at that point that they left, Optimus, Ironhide and Bee made themselves scarce while doctor did the best he could to comfort the Witwicky, even though he continuously said that he was 'fine'. So after a few minutes, Ratchet placed his CMO-title back on and begun giving a few more check-ups on Sam. Obviously bandaging the wrist that had been bruised in the past week.

On the Prime's side, he was now the mediator for Ironhide and Bumblebee, the three having dispersed their holoforms and returning to their bodies… which were loaded with many weapons to use on the femme. The weapons specialist and scout had already transformed and adorned their weapons while Optimus kept them from the door leading to the hallways and the hangar.

"Optimus, out of the way. I promised myself that I would control myself in front of Sam. But now that I know it is her, I'm planting more than a few shots in her!" Ironhide spoke, his cannons already charging for said shots.

"Me too, captain." Bee joined, using his voice for once in his alt mode. "Why aren't you as angry as much as us about this. She purposely hurt Sam!"

"You think I don't know that?!" The Prime boomed, accidentally allowing his emotions to flow out for the moment. "Any other individual, I'd have shot down myself by now! For Primus' sake, I might as well throw them into the Pit myself! But since it's Elita, I have chosen to be merciful! So don't you dare question my anger about this subject!"

The two arguing mechs went silent. Though their emotions were still plain on their face, they watched as Optimus took a few breaths before speaking in a calmer voice. Albeit, it wasn't much different from the raised voice just now. "Now, I give you two a direct order as Prime to stay put while I deal with this. Alone!"

Turning on his pede, he stormed away from the two. But the two left behind knew that 'stormed' may have been too light of a word to describe the leader's steps.


Elita stepped out of the hangar, provided to the Lumos Aria after they had arrived, in her bipedal form. What could've gone through Orion's head when he'd call her in this time of night was beyond her. But if it meant bringing him back to her side, then she'd do anything. So why was there an annoying premonition in her spark telling her things were about to go wrong. Slag. She should've finished the disgusting thing that night. It's because of it that she had to use such barbaric methods.

A few steps out of the doorway and into the corridors, she was quickly met by the tall sight of what will be her beloved again. But something was off. The EM field he was giving off told her that he was not in the mood for any games. That, and the fact that his face was looking to her as if she was a Decepticon. Frag. Did he figure it out? If he did, there was no way she was going out without a fight.

"Orion?" She said, her voice and expression trying to put on her innocent façade. The one she had been using the past few nights to comfort the Prime, as much as she despised the thing. "Is something wrong? Did something happen to the human?"

Elita took note of the sharpened optics before he spoke. "Sam has awoken. And has told me everything he remembers. Everything."

In a moment of innocence, the metaphorical mask had dropped and her expression reverted back to her sharp golden eyes and unamused frown. Slouching onto one leg, she crossed her arms and steeled her spark.

Optimus spoke again. "Why did you do it Elita? He had barely anything to do with our kind."

"'Barely anything'? Orion, he was clouding your judgement. Staying on this planet, fighting their battles. He took you away from me and made you kick me off this ball of dirt!"

"So your idea was to attempt to murder him?!" He took the next moment to regulate his emotions. His next question coming out slowly.

"… What do you think would have happen if he had died?" Optimus didn't like to think about the world where that could've happened, but he needed to prove his point. And it seemed effective when the femme faltered in her answer. "Did you think I'd just leave? No. I'd have remained on this planet, fighting alone without my mate."

She bit into her metallic teeth. "Don't you understand. I am your spark-mate!"

"No! You were. Now you are only a shadow of who I once loved!" A shadow casted by Samuel's light, he wanted to add. Guilt dropped on his shoulders as he watched Ariel's face drop. He saw at how her servos reached out towards him, which pushed only did the job of pushing his emotions away.

"O-Orion…"

"No." He caught her wrists and stopped her movements. "You chose this when you attacked Samuel. Now you must suffer the consequences of your actions." Taking one last breath to confirm his decision.

"Elita-1 of Lumos Aria, you have committed treason not only against Sam and I, but against Cybertronian and Human kind. For this, you deserve no place among us. You are hereby stripped of your rank and exiled from this planet. You will be given the time of 7 solar-cycles (a week) to gather whatever you may need before you must leave with your ship. With or without your comrades."

The face of despair came over the femme's face as she dropped to her knees, Optimus releasing the servos around her wrist as they, as well, fell. An intense EM field encased the entire building, alerting the processors of many Cybertronians. Optimus had already thought of ahead of this, sending a comm to all of them about the situation.

When he returned back to his body, he gazed down at the trembling body of Elita. He wanted to help her so much, but after what she had committed, Orion knew he couldn't forgive so easily. This was the lightest punishment he could give without feeling any guilt or mercy. So he flipped around on his foot and began walking, giving a final glance to the femme. Memories of the two together replayed in his head for a moment before he continued on.

"… Forgive me… Ariel…"


Sam woke up with a startle when something buried into his chest. For a moment, he thought that everything that had occurred in the past few hours were merely his imagination. And that he just woke up from his coma now. But from the feeling of dried tears at the ends of his eyes as well as the new bandage around his wrist, he dismissed the idea that he hoped to be true.

In any case, he looked down to the person or thing that had awoken him, finding that it was once again Optimus' holoform. It was almost exactly how he woke up the first time. The difference being that the Prime had his head buried into his chest while he trembled slightly as well. Wait… trembled? Sam blinked and looked again, leaning up only the tiniest bit to confirm that it was the leader.

When he said that he'd never want to see the Prime looking utterly defeated, he meant it. It defied everything that was right in the world. But given his half-awake mind, he could only manage to make out the Autobots name.

"O… Orion…?"

"… I'm sorry… For everything she has done… For everything I have done… For everything that I allowed to happen… I'm sorry…"

Oh… Then he must've… Lifting an arm of his, Sam rested the limb on the Prime's back, feeling awkward to be the one to comfort anyone. If anything, people usually comfort him. So now that he was on the other end, he wondered if the given feeling of pain would always come. The pain of sympathy, he predicted. Beside the point, he felt the leader calm down, like within his mind-space, all the tension and trembling fading into soft breaths.

"Orion, you didn't let anything happen. None of this is your fault. It's mine. If I had tried a little harder, than maybe I could've been friends with her." 'At the cost of losing you…' He thought.

"No," The holoform lifted his head and sat up on the bed, revealing his now dark blue eyes in the soft orange light of the bedside lamp. "If she had intended to go that far, then there was only the smallest of chances that you'd find a connection."

"Then I should've tried harder." The Witwicky stated, staring directly into the Prime. His convicted hazel brown eyes clashing with the leader's sad blue. Optimus looked to the human with a semi-questioning gaze. Why does his beloved look so determined when convincing someone that it was his own fault? Then again, the Prime has had comments in the past describing himself. But when you look into the brown irises of the human, it looked like Primus was staring right back. And once that realisation had been made by anyone, it was practically impossible to change Sam's mind on the matter. Though he couldn't let it go either.

When silence was reciprocated answer, Sam guessed he might as well move on from whose fault it was. His eyes lowered and lost their resolve from a minute before, wearily asking his next question. "Anyways, what did you do? … With Elita, I mean…"

Orion was the next to lower his gaze. "I showed her mercy; stripped Elita of her rank and exiled her from the planet."

"Oh…" Samuel didn't know what to say. Thank you? No, that was just plain rude. Sorry? That'd bring them back to a few minutes ago. From the way Orion looked, maybe small words weren't enough to comfort him. He'd give the holoform a hug if he could lift his body up enough, then again, it could lead him to his deathbed because of the doc-bot. Then he guessed he'd have to go with the apology again, feeling as nothing else could be done without causing some kind of tension.

Just as his mouth opened to speak, the raven-haired holoform spoke first.

"Did I do the right thing?" Sam was now the one giving a questioning look, confused on the question and the answer. Optimus asked again, this time looking up. "Sam, did I do the right thing? Should I have been lighter with my judgement and allowed her to stay on the planet? Or should I have…"

Sam felt the question go awry at that point as his arm lifted swiftly, giving the lightest slap he could manage on the Prime. To be honest, to anyone else, it'd have been a tap of the cheek. But Optimus was caught off guard by the sudden movement that his words died in his throat. Looking to the hand that still rest on his cheek before turning to Sam, who gave the same look again.

"Orion Pax. Don't you ever go there. If you did, I would never forgive you. You aren't Megatron. You aren't Sentinel. You aren't any other Autobot or Decepticon out there. You are Optimus Prime, AKA Orion Pax. And you are not going to step past that line when it comes down to a choice like this. Look," Sam dragged his hand down to one of Orion's resting over the leader's with soft care. "You already have enough blood (or energon) on your hands (or servos) from this war and because of me. You don't need any more because of your own decisions."

Optimus looked down to the hand Sam covered. It wasn't his, yet it was. And yet it still had so many lives lost to it. Could killing anymore really matter? No. It would've. Like Samuel had pointed out, he wasn't Megatron or Sentinel. He was Optimus Prime, and he had his own ways of dealing with matters. Would he have gotten this far without the young human? He wouldn't know. Albeit, he would have the dignity to thank his beloved for keeping his life together.

Orion looked up, and listened to the last part of Sam's word. "You are Orion Pax, and I love you because of who you are."

"… And you are Samuel James Witwicky, the one I live for and will continue to do so. And I must thank you for being who you are." Orion had his human lips curve up at the sight of Sam's smile, feeling his spark rev and churn again for the Witwicky.

Leaning forward, it was much like their first kiss. Again, Optimus had to lean forward and lower his head to make the kiss work, but that's because this time he had to be careful of Sam's cast and the bedding they were sitting on. Their lips met slowly and there was no rush to it, but that just gave it more flare when the skins made contact. A fire burned in Optimus' body while electricity ran down Sam's senses. Sam barely had time to register, but the hand that had been resting over the other were now intertwined and were clutching hard. The same feeling of electricity shot up his arm as a moan couldn't be held back by Sam.

Optimus who had lowered his eyes, blinked them open when a comm had been sent into his processor.

.: If you two are planning to continue in my med-bay, you'd better be prepared for a wrench going up your aft. – Ratchet. :.

Orion thought best to end it there, pulling back slowly to savour the taste of his beloved on his holoform's lips. Sam drew his eyes up to look at the leader with an innocent gaze. Optimus only smiled back before reaching the free hand that wasn't locked with Sam's to the young adult's cheek. "Get some rest, Sam."

"Only if you stay by my side for a little longer." The human shot back, earning the lightest of chuckles. Did he ever mention that the chuckle was enough to seduce the Gods? No he didn't. He should, but maybe later.

"Anything for you."


.: Did you really have to ruin the moment for them? :. Bumblebee messaged the medic.

.: They can choose to do whatever they want. Just as long as they aren't my patients or in my work place! :. Ratchet returned.

.: Technically, aren't we ruining the moment by standing at the door? :. Ironhide questioned.

.: … No, not really. We're just… checking up on our friends without their knowledge. :. Sideswipe stated.

.: Brother… :. Sunstreaker palmed his head at the excuse.

.: Save me a picture when they fall asleep! :. Jolt joined, messaging from the hangar.

.: Us too! :. Skids and Mudflap cheered.

.: Primus, you mechs need to get a life. :. Arcee chided.

.: Says the one who went with them. :. Prowl pointed out.

.: What's interesting is how humans and Cybertronians are going to bond. :. Mirage commented.

A new messenger joined the chat, sending a cold blizzard through all the Autobots.

.: … Are you all going to keep watching Sam and I from the door? :. Optimus asked, dispersing the group of Cybertronians and most turning off their communications.