Sooooo...How's it going? ; u ;

First of all, thank you so much to all the faves and follows and reviews and I am so speechless with all of the support you're giving me, honestly, thank you very very much!

I'm really sorry I couldn't update sooner but with all the ace classes we're doing, and the projects worth 30% of our grades and the quarterly exams which is a major part of our grades, then I had to deal with running out of ideas for this fic...ugh. At least now, the load is gone, and I can finally pick up on this. I mean, FINALLY!

Okay, SO! after reading some other fanfics, I came up with some ideas that I'm planning to put in the next movie. Some of it (the ideas) were inspired from mulitple pictures and vids that I've watched (like tumblr and pewdiepie, and I don't know how I got it from there) so if you see some idea that seems a bit weird, you know where I got it from.

I've already gotten suggestions from previous reviewers about the new Bots and Cons I can add in. If you guys want, I can put up a list next chapter on which Bots and Cons I'm sure to put in, or if you don't, then I won't. I know some people don't like spoilers much.


Disclaimer: Still don't own it, still don't own it.


Chapter 10

...

Dreams weren't true, was what most people would say. You can ask them why, but all they can answer is, "It just is." What kind of answer is that? Honestly, people, could you get anymore vague?

Anyway, when I 'took a nap', it felt like I had dreamed. I wasn't sure of it myself, but it just felt like it. I didn't remember what I had dreamed about but it felt somewhat...surreal.

It's very hard to explain what had happened in my head when I fell asleep, so please, bear with me.

The surreal feeling felt like it had gone on for a long, long time, and I know most people can relate with me on that. Like, when you sleep, you feel like a whole adventure had happened in your head but when you wake up, only a few hours had gone by (and you suddenly forget everything you've done in your dreams). It really did feel like I was dreaming, but not. Like when you fall into a deep sleep.

I had woke up even though the surreal feeling was still there, as light as it was.

I woke up...and saw myself, lying on the ground, surrounded by lots of people.

It took me a while to figure out what was happening. Like, why was I seeing myself on the ground? Why was I bleeding out? What on earth was happening? Reality sort of gave me another bonk on the head when Lennox, who was kneeling next to the me on the concrete, shouted for a medic.

I remembered the shout, Lennox's shout, the one I had compared to roar due to my hazy senses in my half-dying state. There was chaos in the middle of the calm after the storm. My head turned—almost involuntarily, robotically, as if I was just reacting to stimulus and nothing more, no feelings, no emotions—to the medics rushing to my—to the me on the concrete. Lennox and a few others were pushed back as my body was surrounded.

Sam, my dear sweet Sam, had gone hysterical. Fig and Epps, I think, were holding him back. Mikaela was sobbing again. It made me wonder if I was a bad person to make her cry multiple times.

Maybe I am.

But that's not the point here!

I mean, I was dying on the concrete! Okay, not exactly that, but I was watching myself die! Which is actually a weird sight to see. And so dumbfounded was I that I only ended up staring disbelievingly at the whole scene until reality had to give me a slap to the face. Literally.

Okay, it didn't really slap me. More like Mikaela did, when she started rage-sobbing, yelling at the other soldiers (something about Sam and me, I wouldn't know, I wasn't really paying attention) and her hand passed right through my face. And she walked right through me. I didn't really feel anything except a slight tingle.

Yep, this weird dream couldn't get any weirder. But as weird as it is, I can't help but just...go with it.

I've seen stranger things, anyway. Heck, I've even died (which wasn't really a pleasant experience, mind you).

(Which makes me wonder if I've somehow developed an immunity from the weird.)

So! I only silently watched as the medics put my unresponsive body on a stretcher and quickly dragged me to an ambulance that somehow just...appeared, uh, there (IT WAS MAGIC!).

More sobbing caught my attention and I turned to Mikaela who was on the ground, with Sam's arm around her shoulder. Her eyes were puffy and wet with tears, her face blotchy and red. Sam was a bit worse. He looked like he was almost hyperventilating, or suffering an asthma attack, from the sounds he was making.

I couldn't help the pang of guilt. I walked over to them (noticing the strange shackles around my wrists, ankles and neck, a side effect of dying, maybe?) and crouched right in front of them. Their eyes went right through me, not seeing me at all.

"Hey Sammy." I whispered, already knowing he couldn't hear me. "Sorry for, well, all this," I motioned at myself, "happening to me. If it didn't, I probably wouldn't make you cry." I tried touching his hand but my hand went right through him. "I couldn't really help it, you know. It was for the sake of this world. I wasn't supposed to exist here in the first place, see, and I..." The words continued to flow, and soon, I was pouring out my life story to him. I continued until he managed to calm down somewhat, collapsing on the concrete with Mikaela sitting silently next to him. Too silent.

I grew silent too, just watching them. Lennox walked past me, crouching in front of the to-be couple. "We'll have to go now. Clean up teams are arriving."

When both teens just stared dully at him, he sighed and took their arms, helping them stand and leading them to a nearby military car, with me trailing behind them silently. Halfway there, Sam shook his head. "No." he said, voice cracking. "We'll go—we'll go with the Autobots."

As if summoned, Optimus stepped close, just behind us. He was silent and understanding, transforming slowly and driving close to open the car door to the two. Lennox just nodded in acquiesce before leaving ahead to the military cars. Sam and Mikaela settled quietly in Optimus' cab, with me just between them. It wasn't long before the whole convoy moved. Military jeeps surrounded the Autobots on all four sides as we made our way back to Hoover Dam. The ride was quiet until Mikaela spoke.

"Do you think...Carol's fine?" she asked softly, looking at Sam who was just sitting almost lifelessly on the driver's seat.

Sam didn't look at her, didn't react. He just kept staring out to the road. "Yeah. She'll be fine...She has to be..."

I felt like I could cry with everything that was happening. This was not my Sam. He'd drawn back into himself.

"I saw the blood." Mikaela continued softly, looking out to the road. "There was so much of it. The medic—he—he said she might not make it."

Sam didn't react. Then his face contorted into pain, fear, anger and hopelessness. "NO! She's stronger than that! She won't—she won't die!"

He was gripping Optimus' seats so hard I'm surprised it didn't rip.

"Samuel," came Optimus' rumbling voice from the radio, sad and soothing, reassuring. "Calm yourself. I am sure she will make it. You must only have faith." Even with the reassuring tones, I could hear the faintest undertones of grief. It could be for his brother, Megatron, or maybe even for me. I did lose so much blood.

I feel bad that I'm not feeling anything worse than sadness, if that makes sense.

I don't really know now, I feel so numb now. Like I can barely...live? The right word's hard to find.

Maybe like...I'm barely there...

The thought settled in my silent mind (there was strangely no hint of Nicky anywhere) as I stared at the seats through my transparent self.

Minutes later, the atmosphere grew worse. Mikaela was sniffling again, continuously wiping her eyes. And Sam...

I couldn't take seeing Sam's stricken face.

So I left.


Months passed.

Sam and Mikaela graduated, Lennox and his soldiers and the Autobots moved on. I was placed into a coma. Or at least, my body was.

Mom and Dad were furious. Horrified. Devastated. I could say so many words but nothing enough to describe it in exact detail. They forbid Sam from ever associating with them, the Autobots, even Optimus couldn't do anything about it. Bumblebee seemed the most affected by their hateful words. But Sam rebelled. He wanted to stay with Bumblebee. With the Autobots. Mikaela wanted to stay too, and both came to talk with Mom and Dad. My parents wouldn't give them the time of the day every time the topic went up. The last time the teens tried, Mom had a breakdown. They never tried again.

But then they called in Lennox and by some miracle, he managed to convince Mom and Dad that having Bumblebee over with them for protection was the best choice. Mom didn't come near the garage for weeks and Dad didn't talk to Sam for some while. But they warmed up to them (the Autobots) pretty soon once they knew they visited my prone body as much as they can.

In my room, peonies, hydrangeas and pansies* decorated the bedside table, all from my family and from the soldiers who fought in Mission City. Mom and Dad come in often, leaving the flowers. Mom talks about anything and everything. Dad? Well, he just sits next to her, holding my pale hand that was steadily growing thinner and thinner. Lennox and Epps and some of the other soldiers visit. They leave daisies with get well notes, and I think it was Fig that left the giant teddy bear. I liked it. Sam and Mikaela come in the most often, along with Bee's holoform (they had it created solely for the purpose of visiting me, it was touching). Ironhide and Jazz comes in every once in a while whenever any of the other five Autobots visits. Ratchet comes in sometimes, scanning my body near continuously and giving constant updates about my health. (he demanded my body be released into his custody, my parents had to put their foot down on that one).

Optimus came in once on his own. He talked about how Sam missed me, the development of NEST. He thanked me for saving his life, saying he regretted ever entrusting us the Cube. I frowned at the last part and touched his hand. For one single moment, the moment we touched, I felt a connection. He had stared right at me for the barest flicker of a second. It could have been a trick of the light but I knew better. For that one moment, only one had seen me the entire year I was sleeping. He had kept staring at where I was for a few more minutes before he straightened and his face relaxed into something softer. He left soon after, whispering a final sorry to my prone body.

Eventually, that year ended...when I woke up to speak to a god.


I should have been expecting this actually.

I mean, in all the fanfictions I've read, the protagonist always meets Primus (or the Primes or even the AllSpark) in some part of the story.

Never thought it would apply to me though.

And so there I stood, before a god in all his gleaming white armor (or at least it seemed white...? It looked heavenly and expensive and...hard to fathom...? Errrmmmm...yeah...). Questionable armor color aside, I had no idea how to act in front of a god. Or deity. Or a great giant Transformer with unfathomable powers (was there any difference, honestly? oh, did I mention he was several Optimus's tall?).

"So..."And my darn mouth just had to open. "Hi?" My fingers disobeyed my awed mind and wiggled a hello to the giant deity.

I was expecting something weird to happen, and well, it did happen. He laughed. It was a homey sound, reminded me of my dad and his car-collecting tendencies. It kind of had an echo behind it but not. The god slowly lumbered into a kneeling position and went up a bit nearer to my somewhat jittery self.

"Greetings, young one." He rumbled and I felt like the metaphorical mouse I was right now. I mean, I was so tiny compared to him...

"Uhhhh, this is really weird." I cannot believe I just said that! "Not—not that you're weird or anything! It's just that I've been in lots of really weird situations and this probably the weirdest one I've experienced, and there's honestly nothing weird about you and your white armor that's more silver-ish white or some other unfathomable color but—I'm sorry, I'm rambling." Sam's rambling tendencies had rubbed off on me. It strikes at the most unfortunate of times.

He chuckled and I felt like burrowing into some godforsaken place to hide my embarrassment.

"It is fine young one. You are overwhelmed and unused to this." He soothed and I bit my bottom lip to try and will away the red that had covered my face.

"Yeah, though I suppose with all the things happening to me, I should be used to something like this." I mumbled though I had no doubt that he heard me. "So, ummm...I'm guessing you're the one who sent me here?" I asked near-meekly (I was out of character, nervousness does strange things to you).

"Indeed." he nodded regally and I felt stupid for asking such an obvious question. Yes, well, who else would send me here?

He sort of did a sigh which was more like fans forcibly pushing air out of his vents. "For twelve of your human years, I have left you with nothing more than a few gifts and no explanation." So by gifts, I'm guessing the zombie-ness. And the near-impossible good luck. "It must have been difficult knowing that you've lived a second time, knowing most likely that you would have to save my children with no offered explanation why." Now I feel guilty for making him guilty. "For that, I do apologize. We had not planned it but certain complications had come up, causing us to send you into the wrong body, in the wrong time and place. I had originally planned to speak with you concerning this, even before sending you on your way after your first death, and you would have had a choice between moving on and continuing this."

Wait, by 'us', who did he mean? And I was supposed to get a choice whether or not I do this? "What happened then?" I asked him, curiousity getting the best of me.

He sighed another time. "You know of the various universes of Cybertron." He continued at my nod. "While they have different timelines and events, they have several things that are always constant, such as my presence and my...brother's."

Unicron?! Seriously? My thoughts must have shown on my face for him to smile sadly and say, "While he was not mentioned in certain universes, I assure you, he is still there." He paused. "He had interrupted the delicate process of transferring your soul into this universe. Only one slightest interruption can happen, and everything will go out of control. Such was the case in this situation."

"I see." I nodded, everything perfectly clear now. Except for one thing. "So...why am I here again?"

On that question, he smiled. Or did something that resembled a smile. I wouldn't know, I'm not really used to how their faces actually look. "I have summoned you to give you a choice: a choice to either return to your original world, as Nicole Harrison eight years after your death, or to stay and continue what you have started in the universe where you are known as Carol Witwicky."

I...was speechless. "That is..." I trailed off. I couldn't put what I was feeling into words. I mean, I'd long since resigned myself to knowing that all that I had the previous life was gone. Mom and Dad would have moved on. Michael would have kept some of my stuff, especially my Transformers stuff, and he would have either sold or given away the rest of my stuff. And eight years after my death? Wouldn't I would just be hurting them more?

I looked down at myself, making up my mind. "I guess...I'll continue what I started."

For a brief moment I thought I saw a tiny flicker of relief before Primus's smile grew. "Thank you." he said sincerely, and I couldn't help but blush. This was a deity for chrissakes!

"So...ummm, is there anything else?" I asked, resolutely ignoring the red painting my cheeks.

He looked thoughtful for a moment before he looked back down at me. "I suppose nothing else is needed, though if you need me, you may only call. I am willing to help. You are my responsibility now after all. Now, I think it's time yoy leave."

He raised his hand—probably to do magic stuff—and I raised a hand of my own (like I was in class, heh). "I'm just wondering, what would happen to Sam and the others if I...chose to return to my original world?"

He regarded me with solemn eyes (optics). "You would not find it pleasant."

"It's alright, I...wanna know."

He was silent for a moment. "Very well."

And everything faded to white.


The first thing I saw was my body on the white hospital bed. Then I saw the streamers, the cake and the gifts.

My fourteenth birthday.

I saw Mom, Dad, Sam, Mikaela, Lennox, Epps, all the Autobot holoforms, even Keller and the rest of Lennox's team. They were celebrating my birthday party. The party was quiet, somewhat subdued, but I could see their happiness (and sadness). Sam kept sitting next to my body on the bed, Mikaela with him. They kept talking, occasionally and his team were smiling, handing out drinks and speaking in quiet tones unlike the usual loud boisterous laughter. Judy was very accomodating, talking with Optimus and Ironhide. Ron was fixing the table, watching over the food with an eagle eye, keeping everything clean and orderly.

The Autobots themselves were mingling with the others (I could already see the new arrivals, there were more than the canon ones), helping around and trying some of the foods on Lennox's team's suggestions. Bumblebee stayed with Sam and Mikaela though, occasionally looking over my body.

For that moment, everything was perfect, even with the melancholy air around the place.

And then it shattered like the fragile glass it was.

No one noticed it at first. Until Bumblebee happened to glance at my body. Something Cybertronian spilled out from the human holoform's mouth, sounding rough and panicked. All the Autobots looked up at this, and Ratchet (lime hair and doctor's coat) came barreling past Sam and Mikaela who heard Bumblebee, and in confusion, followed his panicked sight at my just-beginning-to-convulse body. They seemed to not comprehend it until Jazz began leading them away. Sam recovered first, his eyes growing wide. "What's going on? What happened?!"

I saw my body gurgle, eyes rolling back up my skull, foam coming out of my mouth. Ratchet began cursing, fixing the equipment, trying to figure out what was wrong while some soldiers and Optimus himself tried to restrain my convulsing body. Someone had hit the button warning the hospital personnel of my critical condition. I couldn't do anything, dreading, already knowing what would happen.

One couldn't die and live again. Not without a price.

Mom and Dad, Judy and Ron, they were crying again, pleading anyone, anyone at all to please save her. Some of the soldiers had run out of the room, looking for other doctors and nurses, and anyone, anyone who could save my dying body. But no body could survive without it's soul...right?

I saw the growing anguish and grief in Ratchet's eyes when he realized he couldn't find anything wrong. After all, what would you fix on a perfectly working body? But this one wasn't working, something must have gone wrong. He just couldn't find what.

And then the heartbeat ended into one. Long. Lifeless. Tune.

Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep.

Five seconds. The other doctors came. Ratchet helped them.

Fifteen seconds. The defibrillator was prepared. The nurses forced the others out.

Twenty-five. "Clear!" They could hear everything, even with the closed door.

Thirty-five. "No pulse!"

Fifty. "Clear!" Mom cried useless tears.

Seventy-five. "No pulse!"

One-twenty. "No pulse!"

Two-forty. "No pulse!"

Six minutes. "I...I'm sorry Mrs. Witwicky. We couldn't save your daughter."

Then... nothing.

And I woke up.


Uhhhhh, seemed an awkward way to end a chapter, I suppose...

*these flowers mean something similar to a 'get well soon', I'll have to check, I'm not familiar with the language of flowers...

So...comments? And I think I can tell you guys now, 100th reviewer gets to request a oneshot from me, (hopefully related to this story, though I could try if you want something else) and you'll only have to give me details and stuff like that. REMEMBER! 100th REVIEWER though it's probably a bit far though...I'll put this note up again next chapter to remind you guys, I guess (if no one gets 100th yet).