Disclaimer: Transformers isn't mine, I've just borrowed it

TRTRTR

For several long moments silence reigned after Sam's question, and the teen squirmed uneasily.

"What?" Will finally demanded once he'd kicked his mind back into gear, his eyes glinting angrily as he glared up at Optimus - the only Prime he knew.

"I gave the shard that you allowed me to keep, to Sam on the orders of the ancient Primes," Optimus said slowly, his optics fixed on Sam. "They told me that it would protect him in the event that his life was threatened, at great cost - but they would not tell me the specifics."

"I should never have let you keep it," Will muttered before turning to glance at Sam. "And you used it?"

"No - well not on me," Sam replied - gazing briefly at Bee. "I put it in Bee's spark during the battle - that's how I cut my hands up. I guess that's why it's taken so long."

"But why would they want to turn the boy into an Autobot?" Sideswipe ask, joining in the conversation as he leant forward to examine the teen.

"When I 'died' in Egypt - they said they'd been watching me and that I was fated to save Optimus. I got the sense that it was a fate that wouldn't just end when I brought him back, and from the looks of it I was right," Sam replied - ignoring the staring silver Bot and gazing up at Optimus for confirmation of his suspicions.

"It is possible - and your species is much shorter lived than our own. I am sorry Sam, I suspected what would happen but they would not confirm or discard my questions and I did not wish to worry you," Optimus sighed. "I would rather that you'd have been given a choice."

"I did," Sam said softly - slightly taken aback by the apology. "I guessed that this might be what it did - but seen as I used it on Bee I didn't think it would affect me."

"Come here Sam," Ratchet spoke up at last, beckoning for the teen to come to him. "Let us see just what this shard has done to your operating systems."

Nervously Sam moved across to the Medic, shadowed closely by Bee and Will whom was clearly still fuming about being kept in the dark. As he came to a halt - he realised distantly that despite the fact that he was supposedly...possibly and Autobot - the others still towered over him - it certainly hadn't done anything to him height-wise. Shaking his head at his own random thoughts he looked up at the large Yellow bot, his own blue optics as wide as the Medic whom was examining him closely.

"Relax- I am just going to scan you," Ratchet instructed with a gentleness, that few except Bee had ever seen or experienced. It didn't take his advanced sensors to tell that the teen was terrified. The Medic held out his hand, and a bright beam of blue light shot out - running up and down Sam's body as the teen froze.

TR

"Well?" Ironhide demanded impatiently when the scan ended - and Ratchet glared at him until the weapons specialist stilled and looked sheepish.

"The metal has completely replaced his skeleton - although there are traces of organic material present. His internal systems are currently in the process of transformation - apparently at an increasing rate. I also detected energy - similar to that found on the Allspark," the Medic reported calmly, before gazing down at Sam. "Sam would you lift aside your chest plate please?

Sam started at the request, and then felt like an idiot. With trembling fingers he reached up and slowly pulled his chest plate aside - revealing an inner cavity. There was a collective gasp as the Autobots and Will peered inside.

"What is it?" He asked warily - not sure if he could handle much more.

"You have a spark," Jolt murmured in awe - and Sam frowned surely that was a logical conclusion - he was a bot now and bots had sparks not hearts. Seeing his charge's confusion Bee hastened to explain.

"A new spark can only be created with the power of the Allspark," the Yellow Bot explained - deciding it was best to leave out the fact that Sam's spark would dull occasionally, revealing similar markings to those that had adorned the cube.

"But the Allsparks gone," Will said as Sam slowly closed his chest plate- quite happy to hide this latest sign of his oddness and change.

"Yes - but Sam was exposed to its energy three times," Optimus spoke up thoughtfully. "Twice in Mission City when it powered up and created the new machines, and secondly when he pushed it into Megatron's spark. And he was exposed to it again when he touched the shard that transferred his knowledge to his mind."

"So it is possible that there was enough energy for this to occur?" Ironhide asked looking at Ratchet for confirmation.

"Yes - it takes very little Allspark energy to create a spark," the medic confirmed solemnly as he gazed down at Sam curiously.

"I have a question?" Sam asked suddenly glancing up at him. "You said that there are traces of organic material? Is that why I can do this?" He asked sticking his arm out - flinching at the sight of his weapons - before he focused on it, making skin appear as he had done at the beach and showing the medic.

"I have only heard of several cases such as this," Ratchet said in awe as he examined the skin closely for a second before it vanished.

"The Decepticon that attacked me at college?" Sam guessed and the Medic nodded grimly - his eyes narrowing as he remembered how close they'd come to losing Sam then.

"Yes - and there were others. A set of Autobot twins - I believe they came into contact with one of your planet's long distance probes. Shortly after they began to display the talents shown by yourself - they were able to use humans as their alt form," Ratchet explained - Sam brightened at his, if he could only get the skin to spread and hold it for longer than a minute or so he could rescue at least some part of his life.

"Will he be able to transform like we can?" Bee asked.

"I'm not sure - the scan shows he has the right processors. But the way in which he was formed and the fact that he should in time be able to pose as a human might mean that he cannot take a mechanical alt form," Ratchet said, one giant hand scratching at his head plate as he stared at Sam.

"Either way - you must not try yet," Optimus said sternly. "You are new to this form - and the abilities that come with it. We would not wish you to get stuck in your alt form," he warned gazing at Sam whom nodded promptly - he had no interest in winding up any more stuck than he already was.

"So he gets a clean bill of health?" Will asked - relieved that there had been some good news in the whole complicated mess.

"Yes," Ratchet said firmly and the Soldier relaxed.

"Good," he nodded and then turned to Sam. "We're going to have to inform your parents though," he said - deciding that it had to be up to Sam to talk to Mikaela - at once the brief brightness that Sam had displayed vanished and his optics dimmed as he seemed to curl in on himself.

"The Major is correct - your creators must know the truth," Ironhide butted in and Will wanted to borrow Ratchet's beloved wrench - Sam did not need too much pressure.

"I know - it's just they're going to freak," Sam said quietly - and human and Autobot alike heard the unspoken fear in his words...What if they abandoned him?

"I will send Epps and one of the other men to fetch them, it'll be easier for them to come here," Will said decisively, knowing that however, badly the meeting between child and parent went it had to happen.

"Can I wait here?" Sam asked - glancing pleadingly at the other Autobots, he wasn't ready to face the rest of the base yet.

"Of course," Bee said at once, the look in his optics warning the others not to argue with him.

"I will be right back - don't worry Sam," Will said, patting the tin on the shoulder and nodding at the Autobots before turning and hurrying off in search of his men.

TRTR

"You need a name!" Mudflap burst out a few minutes later - he and his twin had been uncharacteristically quiet over the last few minutes. But now they bounced up and down with excitement as they studied Sam.

"One step at a time," Optimus cautioned - seeing that Sam was disturbed by the that he could no longer be Sam Witwicky - although it was probably going to be the situation once the government discovered what happened. Bee nodded in agreement as he settled himself down on the ground, allowing Sam to climb on to his leg - humming softly to comfort his charge.

TRTRTR

4 Hours Later:

Ron and Judy Witwicky looked around anxiously - they had been brought to the NEST base by chopper just under an hour ago and then left in a small conference room. The soldier that had brought them...Epps, had been unable to tell them what was happening - only that it involved Sam, whom they hadn't seen or spoken to since he'd taken off to stay at the Lennox's. Remembering the last time they had been summoned here...to find their only child fighting for his life - only increased their anxiety as they waited for someone to come.

A few minutes later they were rewarded by the door opening and a soldier they recognised as Major Lennox stepping into the room, looking worried and solemn.

"Major what is this about?" Ron demanded at once - shooting to his feet as the soldier moved forwards.

"Please sit down - I need to have a word with you before Sam comes," Lennox said calmly, meeting the worried man's gaze squarely - now was not the time to fall to pieces. Obediently Ron sat once more.

"Is Sam okay?" Judy asked as he remained silent and he sighed - this was going to be a helluva conversation.

"He is uninjured and back at the base," he replied before hesitating. "There has however, been an unforeseen {by all except the primes - including Optimus!} development with some of his injuries."

"What do you mean?" The Witwicky's demanded.

"The injuries on his hands were caused by contact with a remnant of the alien device he found in Egypt - this combined with his previous exposure to the earlier device - the cube that was destroyed in Mission City has resulted in some dramatic changes," he explained - cursing how inadequate his words were in trying to explain what had happened to their son...to his friend.

"What changes?" Judy asked, and Will tilted his head as he heard movement outside the door - his gut clenching he turned and beckoned to the figure hovering just out of sight.

The Witwicky's recoiled in shock and fear as a small Autobot cautiously entered the room - wide, fearful optics locked on them as it moved to Will's side and halted.

"What is this?" Ron demanded angrily, his gaze raking the camouflage coloured Autobot - noting the human like frame and the weapons adorning both arms. At his tone the small Bot flinched, and Will laid a reassuring hand on his arm.

"Mom? Dad? Please don't freak," Sam said in a rush - drawing courage from his friend's support. His parents froze as they heard their son's voice coming from this alien Autobot, their eyes widening as they stared at him.

"Sam...?" Judy asked, tears coming to her eyes as the Autobot...her son nodded in response - his own optics watering {with lubricant rather than tears}. As reality crashed in on her she wailed, turning away from the Autobot and hiding her face behind her husband...unable to look at him.

"What have you and those creatures done to him?" Ron demanded looking at Will - unable to look at the thing that had been his one and only child; although out of the corner of his eye he saw the Autobot shrink in on himself - such a Sam like gesture that he wanted to join his wife and cry.

"It was an accident!" Sam butted in - burying his pain as he leapt to defend the Autobots - deciding that his parents didn't need to know that he had knowingly taken the shard when he had suspicions of what it would do to him. "It wouldn't have done anything to me - but I gripped the shard too hard when I put it in Bee's spark and it cut into my hands."

"What were you doing with it anyway?" Ron demanded harshly - although he actually looked at Sam this time - for which the teen was grateful.

"I was given it in case the Decepticons did come looking for us," he explained and anger flashed over his father's face as memory of their earlier argument about him getting involved in this war flashed back to both of them. "Dad please."

Ron flinched as he heard his son's voice pleading with him. However, whilst the voice was that of Sam - the eyes...optics staring at him, and the body stood beside him were no longer those of his little boy. His Sam was gone - taken by this war that he should never have been involved with anyway.

"I'm sorry, I can't...I just can't," he muttered turning his back on Sam and the glowering Major as he turned to try and comfort his wife whom was still weeping and wailing behind him.

S am felt his heart...Spark shatter in desolation as his parents turned away from him. Deep down he had expected it...had known that they wouldn't be able to look at him and see the boy he had been. He suspected that even if he had been able to cover himself in skin and hold the transformation - they would still have rejected him. Blinking rapidly he flinched as Lennox nudged him gently, looking into his friend's worried face he felt himself losing the last of his control.

"I'm sorry," he whispered - both to his friend and to his parents before he turned and fled the room. Wincing as his metallic limbs clanked as he moved.

TR

"Bee!" He cried as he burst out of the communications suite - oblivious to the startled soldiers and other base personnel watching his sudden appearance. At once the anxious Camaro that had been waiting patiently outside revved and shot forward to meet his sobbing charge - whom clambered awkwardly into the front seat. "Go Bee! Please just go!" Sam managed to stammer out as he curled into the front seat. Without question the loyal Guardian gunned his engines, spinning quickly and heading for the base gate - he knew that his charge needed to get away from everyone and let his emotions out...their cove would be perfect.

Will had followed Sam out of the building and could only watch as the Camaro and its precious cargo sped away. Sighing grimly he turned around - shouting at the staring audience to get back to work. Stalking back inside - he headed back to where he'd left the Witwicky's - he had some harsh things to say to them and then he was going to go find Ironhide and go find the teen before he went completely the edge.

TRTRTR