Author's Note: I won't be able to answer reviews from the previous chapter – so sorry about that! I can't seem to get the time, and this chapter has been ready to go for a couple of days now. Reviews are love from readers, but chapters are love from authors, right? Please know that I eagerly read each review and it's your encouragement that keeps me writing! :) A thousand thanks to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, or alerted this fic!

After Black Friday, I figured Saturday had to be an improvement, right? Stupid assumption.

Since I was still showering and everything at the dorm, I headed over there first thing in the morning. Leo surprised me by being wide awake and sitting bolt upright in bed, hair plastered up the side of his head from sleep.

"'Sup?" I asked.

He looked at me with bug-eyed panic. "Check your email."

Figuring domestic terrorists hadn't figured out how to send anthrax digitally (yet), I fired up the laptop. Among the spam and my Facebook updates were two emails worth reading. The first was from al-Sharif informing me that I was invited to the Autobot blog along with Leo and Simmons and giving me my login and password. The second email was from Fassbinder titled "Revelations." Apparently the same girl who had hacked the Buzz for them had started to see the obvious – not everyone on the blog was human. Crud!

Leo was already on the phone, trying to figure out how much his minion had figured out.

I texted 'Bee. /Hack my email. Binder's on 2 us./

In a blink, Cam Romero was standing in the middle of the dorm room. His mischievous little smile had me worried.

"What?" I demanded.

"Roll with it, baby."

Leo put his phone against his shirt to muffle the receiver. "Are you effing crazy?"

"Indulge me," he quoted.

"Seriously?" I demanded. "You want us to play along with them?"

He nodded, grinning from ear to ear. "Are we human…Who's in charge around here, anyway?"

Understanding, I sniggered and then translated for Leo. "He wants to see if they can figure out which of the Buzz followers is human and which ones are alien."

"You are effing crazy," Leo hissed back, but then he talked to Fassbinder again, promising that he and I would start doing some org charting and that we'd all powwow about it tomorrow night. When he hung up, he glared at 'Bee. "You like to live dangerously."

'Bee gestured at himself as if to say, "This is me we're talking about."

"He lost his voice to Megatron the first time and to Starscream the second," I pointed out. "What's Fassbinder and Sharsky compared to that?"

Leo nodded, acknowledging the truth of it.

…

After everyone was awake and presentable, we drove to downtown Philadelphia to take in all the Revolutionary War tourist sites. I could hardly have Optimus on vacation on the East Coast and not see the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, even if it was blustery and kind of cold. Even with the place being pretty much empty, it took more than half an hour to find him a parking spot close enough to use his holoform on the tour, but it was soworth the effort!

When we got to the room where they had copies of the Declaration of Independence on display, his profound awe caught me by surprise. I mean, this was Optimus Prime who reverently touched the glass display case. He was thousands of times older than the words in front of him. He personally lost more in his own war than all of the revolutionaries put together. So why were his emotions making me get all choked up? When we were back outside, I leaned closer and quietly asked, "What?"

Wry humor crept over the bond even though he was still moved. "The analogy of insects isn't entirely inaccurate – humans are short-lived, frail, primitive, and prolific. But I have rarely read in any language such eloquence on the rights of sentient beings. The spark of freedom burns brightly in the human soul. I defy any Cybertronian – Decepticon or Autobot – to call humans insects after reading that second paragraph in particular."

I gave him a sly smile. "It would have sealed the deal for Sunset and human sentience?"

Bittersweet tinged the bond. "I cannot be certain, of course, but I…imagine so."

…

We went sight-seeing and shopping for the rest of the morning (because Mom still wasn't shopped out because her Black Friday spree had been cut short), but by noon all us humans were wiped out. We caught lunch downtown and the headed back to the hotel for a good nap. After we were all awake, though, I spent a good two hours answering questions about the bond for my parents. Optimus wasn't there, thankfully (he and 'Bee were off doing…stuff, I guess). I would have been embarrassed if he overheard some of the things I said, and there was some information he might have volunteered that I didn't want my parents to know yet. (I just couldn't see my folks reacting well to the knowledge that Optimus wandered around in my memories and had been hugged by Blaine.)

Eventually, though, I felt my brother close by – felt how nervous he was, actually.

"Optimus is here," I announced just before there was a knock at the door.

Mom was bugged-eyed at that and Dad was more weirded-out than I'd ever seen. I guess they hadn't actually seen the bond in action before. I rose to answer the door.

"Forgive me for interrupting," he formally said, "but it's approaching dinner time."

Which was his not-question way of asking us to join him for dinner. Or asking if he could join us, I guess, since he didn't really need to eat. I opened the door wider, inviting him in.

I glanced back at my still-creeped-out parents, worried what their reaction would be. Mom swallowed hard and then rose to her feet. Marching up to Optimus, she asked, "What do you think of Somali food?"

"I've never tried it," he admitted.

"Me neither. Let's go." And then she continued out to the hallway.

"Yes, femme creator," I muttered under my breath and my brother smirked at me. That expression on hisface made me do a double-take, which made him grin.

Dad placed a hand on Optimus' shoulder that was probably meant to be friendly. "She found the restaurant on her phone's GPS. I'm glad you guys are here because we'd be halfway to Detroit before she'd admit the damn thing got her lost. Again."

I was worried that Optimus might take it the wrong way to be compared to a (highly accurate, granted) GPS, but my brother understood the feeling behind my dad's words and nodded with a smile and a sense of ease over the bond.

I wasn't exactly sure what to expect from a Somali restaurant, but the food was surprisingly good. We were just starting to debate whether we wanted dessert or not when I got a text.

I reflexively read it – it was Leo. /sharskys spazzing big on im/

He knew I was having family bonding time, so this must be something important. It slagging well better be! To my folks and Optimus, I said, "Sorry, I need to check something out." I pulled up my mobile messenger.

Leo: Dude, what's up? Did you forget to take your meds again?
Sharsky: DUDE, don't dude me. Isn't anyone watching CNN?

I snorted at that one and typed: Do we ever?

Leo: Word.
Sharsky: SOMEONE turn on a TV.
Fassbinder: No can do, bro. Mom will want to know why I'm not working on my paper.

I looked around the restaurant, but it didn't have any screens mounted on the wall or anything. Optimus gave me a quizzical look and I said, "I need a TV. Something about CNN?"

My brother held his hand out toward my phone. "May I?"

I gave it to him and he closed his hands over it then opened them again. He had a cell phone in each palm. He returned mine to me and activated his own (holographic) cell phone, pulling up the news feed.

CNN was showing footage of a smoldering building, and the headline screamed, "Meteor Smashes the Luxor Hotel!"

Mom sighed, but there was a shakiness behind it. "Not again!"

I furiously typed: Oh, this is NOT good.

Sharsky: See what I mean? Like hell that was a meteor! Binder, you still on vid duty?
Fassbinder: I'll c/c the vids from two years ago, see if there's any connection.
Leo: There has to be one. What kind of meteorite hits the frigging LUXOR? It has to be an alien.

At that I looked up at Optimus. "One of yours?"

A tangled mess of hope, anxiety and determination rolled across the bond. "Not with that landing site – not unless it was absolutely unavoidable. However, if it is not…one of mine or one of Megatron's, it would be a highly improbable coincidence."

I sighed, worry twisting a knot in my stomach. "Right." I glanced at the frantic conversation in front of me, but it was interrupted by a text, this time from al-Sharif. /The President requests your input./

Of course he did! And just like that, the political hell reared its ugly head again. I texted back, /call u in 5/

Then I went back to the IM conversation.

Fassbinder: I'll keep an eye on our international channels, too. No telling if they're spreading out.
Leo: Right. If anything bigger than a pencil falls from the sky in the next 24, I wanna know about it. Me entiendes?
Fassbinder: Got it, boss.

I had better come up with a good excuse to not be part of this for a while. I sent: I'll park on the blog, see if they have anything to say about it.

Leo: Good call. Binder, call me if you have anything major to report. Sharsky, good call, mijo.
Sharsky: Thanks, dude. I'm out.

"Sam," Optimus said, and the heaviness in his spark sobered mine even more. "I am being recalled." Sensing my confusion, he added, "I am the nearest available soldier – NEST has ordered me to investigate and intercept, one way or the other."

"Bumblebee…"

Fierce protectiveness (the kind he felt whenever we talked about the forest battle) rushed over the bond. "…is staying here with you."

I glared at him. "You're going alone."

With all the finality and authority of a Prime, he declared, "Yes." Then he rose to his feet. I scrambled to standing, too.

Optimus looked at my stunned-speechless parents. "Ron. Judy. Thank you for…" His emotions flitted across the bond in a dizzying kaleidoscope. "…for everything." Turning to me, he placed his hands on my shoulders and touched his forehead to mine, just like in the bond dream when he accessed my memories. "Stay safe, brother," he murmured, his grim encouragement flowing into me.

"You, too."

Then he quickly strode toward the exit and turned the corner, disappearing from view. Gone, just like that. He'd even muted the bond. I sat down again, a little breathless at how quickly everything had been turned on its ear. "Guess the holiday's over."

"Sam…" Mom started, and then she seemed to stumble over whatever she was going to say next.

Still a little shell-shocked, I said, "I need to call al-Sharif. Some bigwigs want to talk to me. I'm sorry."

"We're coming with you," Mom insisted, but Dad said, "Do what you need to, son. When will we see you next?"

"Ron!"

Dad and I both ignored her. "I have no idea, but I'll text you. Hopefully 'Bee and I will be able to drive you to the airport, but if we can't, I'll let you know in time for you to catch a cab."

"Sammie!"

I left my seat again, this time to kneel next to her chair and hug her. "I'm perfectly safe, Mom." In a lower voice, I said, "If you're going to worry, be worried about Optimus. We have no idea if that meteor is friend or foe, and if it's a Decepticon, we don't know what kind of Big Bad we're dealing with. I just have to play alien ambassador – he's the one rushing into battle."

Her eyes searched mine. "But that means you'renot safe, doesn't it, if he could be hurt?"

I clenched my jaw, more aware of that fact than ever. "Guess so. But distance makes it weaker, and it's not something I would change even if I could." If I could, I'd make the bond even stronger.

My phone buzzed with another text from al-Sharif. /5 minutes, sir/

"Gotta go. I'll call you as soon as I know anything," I promised, and then I followed Optimus' footsteps out the front door to where Bumblebee was waiting in his alt-form, engine running.

As soon as the door was closed behind me, I dialed al-Sharif. "Hey."

"Mr. Witwicky. Are you aware of recent events?"

"Yeah, Optimus and I were watching the news when you called. What's going on, really?"

"The President is hoping you could tell him."

"All I know is what I saw on CNN," I protested.

"Can Bumblebee bring you to the Air Force base in New Jersey? The JCS would prefer you to be in a less-exposed position right now. I can give you a briefing over the phone while you drive and you can offer your analysis when you meet with the President and his Cabinet."

"What, just them? Not NATO and the UN?" I sourly answered. With a defeated sigh (it wasn't his fault all this was happening), I said, "Sure. Can you call Simmons and Leo and fill them in?"

"Of course. I'll send a car for them, too."

"Thanks. So what do you know?"

He didn't know much. About fifteen minutes before Leo texted me, a meteorite slammed into the Luxor. Eye-witnesses described its size ranging from about three feet in diameter to roughly the size of a large pickup truck. Of course, no one really got a good view of it. So far, there hadn't been any signs of the meteor itself or of alien life, though the human body count was still rising. People had fled the scene in vehicles, though, so a Cybertronian could have escaped.

"I'll need a few minutes to mull this over," I told al-Sharif.

"Of course, sir. I'll meet you on the base."

"I thought you were in Michigan."

He coughed politely. "The visit to Ayesha's parents was cut short."

"Sorry, dude," I commiserated, though I couldn't quite keep the snigger out of my voice. "I'll see you on base, then."

When he hung up, I said, "So what do you think, 'Bee?"

His speakers practically growled, "…don't run from cold, bloody war…"

"Yeah," I agreed, "the Decepticons run to it. But Optimus still hopes…"

Some cheesy sci-fi music was the backdrop for his next quote. "Sensors are down! We're flying blind!"

I nodded. If an Autobot were damaged, he might have hit the Luxor, but that was a big if.

"Whatcha gonna do about it?"

I sighed. "Not much I can do. If you guys don't know what this means – whether it's an Autobot or a Decepticon, whether it's just a scout or another invasion – how in the world am I supposed to know?"

In Simmons' voice, he said, "One man – alone!" followed by a random girl saying, "It's not like I'm intruding or anything."

Yeah. If the 'cons were going to invade, they'd do it in numbers. "So your professional opinion as a scout is that this is another scout?"

In his own voice, he answered, "Uh-huh."

"So if it were an Autobot, who could it be?"

We talked about that for a while and about which Decepticon scout it might be. There were so many possibilities, though, that it was impossible to really narrow it down, especially when we didn't know the new guy's MO, how big he was, or even what color he was painted.

Even with the bond muted, I could sense that we were getting closer to my brother, and I belatedly realized that we were probably headed to the same place. 'Bee was speeding, and I was pretty sure it was so we could catch up with Optimus. It wasn't long before we pulled up beside him, and I reached out over the bond to nudge him. He relented and opened up the bond – a mix of worry and hope and annoyance all rushing through. It was kind of overwhelming, to tell the truth, and it did nothing to help my own state of mind.

'Bee didn't talk any more, and I think he understood that I needed this heart-to-spark with Optimus. It wasn't just the whole ambassador hell where everyone was wanting answers that I knew I wouldn't have. It was worry about my bond-brother's safety. It was hard enough to lose him last time, and that was before we had a bond. And even though I knew that, logically, he would probably be fine, there was this niggling little worry that the 'cons would get him again, that the Matix wouldn't work twice on the same 'bot, that this might be the last time I would ever see him. Maybe it was stuff like this that was making Mom so clingy.

And then I felt Optimus draw on that inner calm and confidence that made him a Prime. His peace strengthened me and I took a deep breath, drinking in his confidence. It washed freely though the bond, through me, and awakened that same dogged determination from the Tomb of the Primes. In that moment, I knew we'd both be able to do what needed to be done.

I just wished that our vacation hadn't ended this way.

...

Even after driving all the way to the Air Force base, my meeting with the President and his Cabinet was by video conference (since they were all apparently in a bunker somewhere). Their biggest concern was whether we were looking at another invasion, and so I relayed 'Bee's opinion about it being a scout. We went the rounds on that, and thanks to Bumblebee, I was able to toss out the names and general specs of a few Autobots and Decepticons who might fit the bill, but in the end, we didn't know anything more than the schmucks on TV.

They wouldn't let me go home after the President was done with me, though, not until Optimus reported in. So al-Sharif walked me to an empty conference room where I called my folks and let them know that I wouldn't be coming back to the hotel tonight and that I'd call them in the morning. Mom still wasn't happy, but I promised her I was fine. Leo and Simmons were shown into the conference room before I hung up.

"So," Simmons began as soon as I was off with Mom. "Who's the Big Bad this time?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," I answered. At their matching doubtful expressions, I added, "No, really. I don't know this time."

Theatrically, Leo plopped into a chair. "I had a date tonight, too."

"End of the world and you're worried about hitting on chicks."

"Better than what's keeping you warm tonight," Leo muttered and then pointed at his unwelcome partner in crime. "He's loaded. They gave him a gun when we got here."

"What?"

Simmons glowered at me. "We're off campus and I'm not gonna take a bullet for you if I don't get a chance to shoot back."

Leo snorted and I shifted uneasily. I'd chosen Simmons, true, but he wasn't exactly what I'd call stable.

"So you don't know nothin' and I don't know nothin' so why are they keeping us here with Robowarrior the butcher?" my roomie demanded, nodding at Simmons.

"Thanks for the mental image," I snarked back.

Leo just looked at me expectantly.

"I guess we're waiting to hear what Optimus finds out. He left the restaurant…" I paused, glancing at my cell phone to see what time it was. "…about two and a half hours ago."

Al-Sharif piped up with, "His estimated ETA in Las Vegas is 23:00 hours our time. We expect a report around midnight."

"Great!" I groaned, that niggling worry trying to creep back in. I sent it away with a good shove of Optimus' peace and confidence. "We're stuck here another four and a half hours? I so should have stopped for my laptop on the way!"

Leo gave me a wolfish grin and held up his cell phone. "We got clearance, right? So let's get together with good ole' Cam and put a Buzz post together."

If I was going to be locked in here with an armed Simmons, I needed something shiny to distract him from looking for Decepticons around every corner. That, and I could use a distraction, too. Having him help us with a post would be perfect for that. "Sure, why not?"

…

It was almost 1AM before al-Sharif's phone rang. He answered and after a couple of seconds, handed it off to me.

"Hello?"

"Sam," my brother said, and all my worry drained away.

"Optimus." I reflexively tried to pour my relief across the bond...but it was empty on the other side.

He got right down to business. "Agent Graham and I arrived on the scene forty-five minutes ago. We found trace readings of a Cybertronian, but whoever it was has fled."

"Any way to know whether it was ours or theirs?"

"No, but I believe he was a Decepticon, given the landing site and his refusal to answer hails. We will be pursuing the new arrival as soon as reinforcements have arrived."

Reinforcements. "Reinforcements are good!"

"Indeed," he answered, and I heard his amusement even if I couldn't feel it.

"I am concerned about you, Sam. You are isolated and there is a likely Decepticon known to be roaming the continent. I support your decision as I ever have, but I wish that either you were closer to Diego Garcia or I were stationed on the East Coast."

And that was as close as my brother would ever come to begging me to reconsider. But all the things I said to Mom and Lennox were as true as they'd ever been. I needed to live my life. I needed to have an education if I was going to represent the Autobots. I knew going in that this would be potentially dangerous, but I really felt like I was where I needed to be.

My bond ached again for my brother to be here so I could really communicate this to him. It would be so much easier to find the right words when they didn't have to be the right words. "Bumblebee's right – I'm safe with him. He knows just like Jazz knew. And I've learned to pay attention a little better to both you and 'Bee."

"I understand," he evenly answered, but I knew him so much better now. If he were anybody else, he'd be worried sick.

"Agent Graham and I need to continue our investigation, but I will see you again at Christmas," he said in reassurance.

"Yeah."

"Stay safe, Sam."

I took a deep breath, drawing on the peace and strength he'd given me. "You, too. Bye."

'Bee and the others were looking at me curiously, and I felt just how late it was. "Show's over. The 'con ran off and they can't go looking for him until morning." Turning to al-Sharif, I said, "I'm going back to my dorm. I haven't slept in my own bed for days. Anybody who has a problem with that can call me after 10AM tomorrow, got it?"

"Yes sir."

And I knew he'd be able to pull that off, too. "Thanks." To the rest of 'em, I said, "Let's go."

…

It was almost 11AM when I woke up Sunday morning, acutely aware that I couldn't feel Optimus. He'd been there every morning for the last three days and I just missed him.

My folks' flight left at 3PM, but they needed to be at the airport pretty early, so I dragged myself out of bed and got dressed. (Leo was still out cold.) I had to see them off at the airport and then pick up first Sharsky and then Fassbinder.

The wind had stopped, but it was still pretty cold. It was one of those times when I was really grateful my ride was an Autobot. 'Bee's cab was warm and welcoming when I climbed in.

"Hey."

"Glad to see you," he quoted in answer, though the words were pretty subdued, mirroring my mood.

"Bummed?"

"I'm worried about you."

I snorted. "Don't be. I'm safe with you, remember? It's Optimus we should be worried about."

"Prime, you're one tough fragger," Bumblebee growled with Ironhide's voice.

"Did he seriously say that?" I half-laughed.

"Uh-huh," he replied, his engine shimmying in a chuckle.

"I just thought…all the Autobots were really respectful to Optimus. You know, obeyed him and all."

Bumblebee's engine just roared with laughter, and I couldn't help my little smile. "I take it there's a story here…"

"Darn tootin'…I'll have to show you sometime."

"Sometime like when we're stuck at the airport waiting to play taxi?"

"Bingo!"

I smiled for real this time. No matter how bad things got, 'Bee could always make me feel better. He was just awesome that way.

Author's Endnote: If you'd like to read the story Bumblebee's going to show Sam about Optimus and Ironhide, please see the first chapter of our fic Precursors: Kindred Minds.