AC: ARE YOU READY FOR THIS?! I know I am! Does a little dance Thank you all, so very much for the reviews and alerts. My day is brightened whenever I read the reviews I get or see new alerts in my inbox! And now, I can see the future. I might have a sequel to this fic when I'm done… o.o I also posted this on the Optimus Prime/Sam LJ community tf_twofates- The Watcher4 told me about it and now it is also on there. Which means, that if any mature content is written at some point in time, it may end up there as a heads up. And I will probably pass out from all the blood rushing to my face. I'm also watching some of the original Transformers series to gain a better understanding of it as a whole. I also got an anonymous review asking if this fic could be translated into chinese. You may do so, as long as you credit me and post a link to this fanfic so that they may find it here as well. I'm really flattered! OwO;

Dedication- all of the people who are enjoying this fanfiction! Be happy, I can't stop writing. Facepalm

Disclaimer: I'm female and have very little money to my name. Of course I don't own Transformers or any of its components (as well as the song lyrics used)!

Things to watch out for: Sam realizes that Mikaela's not for him, MORE MILES, Bumblebee being awesome as usual, Optimus has some doubt and denial, SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS, Autobots, introductions, Thanksgiving holiday, and other assorted madness. I totally made an outline for this chapter (and will do so for the following chapters), so hopefully updates will occur faster and everything will be as smooth as silk.


His Gaze Denotes Love

Chapter Three: November

"Speech"

'Thought'

"Song lyrics"

At the Witwicky household-

Normal POV

It was late fall, and so many of the crisp leaves of all the various trees around the Witwicky house were lying on the ground, leaving the brown trees barren. The lawn that Sam's father Ron was so proud of was almost a complete brown, with some stubborn patches of green hiding here and there. Covering up the dull shade was a blanket of leaves in bright mixes of gold, crimson, and orange. While the leaves were beautiful, it was Sam's job to clean them all up that breezy afternoon. So he began to rake them into piles.

He was home for Thanksgiving break, as he had just arrived last night from his journey away from campus. They were spending today at home, and then tomorrow, at Sam's behest (coupled with some begging) they were going to stay at NEST headquarters in Diego Garcia for Thanksgiving. Will and Epps were also going to be there, along with the rest of the team. He was really excited to see all of the Autobots, as well as the team- they were kind to him and he considered Will Lennox and Robert Epps to be part of his treasured group of friends. Mikaela, however, was not going to be there. She was staying with her father and his family, and Wheelie refused to go with the Autobots without her, so he lived with her. In some sense, Sam was relieved that he was there to help protect her if something went awry (though he wouldn't have much effect against a large Decepticon like Megatron or Starscream). The rest of him wasn't pleased that he insisted on staying with her because of his dirty behavior.

Sam stopped for a brief rest. About a quarter of the yard was finished and he'd been going at it for about 40 minutes. It wasn't that he was slow, it was more like the sheer volume of leaves lying on the ground was larger than of the neighbors, all because of his father's gardening obsession (he had planted at least five large trees grouped close together for privacy). Wiping a bit of sweat off his forehead, his thoughts began to return back to his girlfriend.

Since their fight, things hadn't gone so well between them. Sam, who still felt like he had eyes for no one else but her, had respected her wishes when she told him that he should really stop to think and decide whether he was going to help make the relationship work. But when it came to really trying to figure it all out, it had just brought a huge headache, and made Mikaela even more upset.

So he decided that he would leave her alone for a while. No calls, just the occasional text to let her know he still thought of her.

Instead, he went through a lot of hours just pondering their relationship.

Yes, she was a beautiful young woman that had any man staring. She was smart, funny, and strong. She had hidden talents sure to put any other girl to shame. She was a great kisser and he liked the feel of her body within his arms and how she could say the names of random car parts and tools and still sound so sexy.

However… he had noticed that lately, whenever he did see her, he wasn't really looking at her like he used to. The affection he had for her was still present, but the passion was not. He cared, but he somehow felt like they just weren't on the same level anymore- she was heading in her own direction in life, pulling along her father and finding a career for herself working in the garage for moderately good money. He, on the other hand, was pursuing a duel degree in astrology and astronomy, at a college far from home. They hardly ever saw each other.

The one thing he felt they had some semblance of deep understanding was about the Autobots. What they had both gone through in those fights with their robotic friends was always at the back of their minds, and Sam found he could not leave it alone. He had Bumblebee for a guardian after all, and he was his car!

As he kept raking, his movements began to go faster, sweeping more leaves into piles and bags as his mind was actually figuring out what Mikaela was hinting at. His body was on autopilot, and his consciousness took no heed of the sweat rolling down his brow, or the chilly breeze nipping at his unprotected hands. It was all coming together.

He really did care for Mikaela, but it wasn't like how he used to. Perhaps back after Mission City and during the time in Egypt he really did feel like he loved her, but after prolonged separation, and changing priorities, they just didn't have the time for each other anymore. When they did see each other, it became somewhat awkward when they tried to initiate any sort of intimacy. When it came to speaking about anything else, such as the weather and especially the Autobots, it came more naturally.

'I think I understand…' His movements came to a halt. Staring up into the late afternoon sky, he sighed. 'We're better off being friends… I love her, but not in the way I used to.'

He looked down at his feet, all of the leaves were swept up into one big pile, just like his thoughts. He was organizing them as he gathered all the leaves, or straggling thoughts. When he put them all into one area, he felt more at ease. He had admitted it to himself. And when he put the leaves into the bags and threw them away, he felt like that would be ending it. He wouldn't break it to her just yet- not during a holiday.

Looking in satisfaction at the now-clear yard, he smiled to himself. At least he had figured out one part of the puzzle. The next part of Mikaela's request was to find out who he really loved. He had no idea just yet, but he had a feeling that for him, it would almost impossible- kind of like solving a Rubix cube. For many, it was obscenely hard. For some, it wasn't tough at all to figure out. But for him, he did not want to ponder it anymore- he'd had enough trouble with cubes to last a lifetime.


Meanwhile at the Lancaster household at least a half an hour before Sam was finished raking, Miles was all alone. He had been watching television for several hours now, but it was more like white noise- nothing held his interest, just gave him something to stare at as he tried to get rid of his depression. It was Thanksgiving break, but he wasn't going to be sharing it with anyone. His parents, who had been on a week-long trip to visit different countries within the African continent, could not make it back in time for Thanksgiving, due to a malaria outbreak. The airlines weren't willing to let anyone fly back until the outbreak was stabilized.

So he was stuck by himself (his dog was currently boarding at the vet's office because he was recovering from getting neutered), and boy, was he depressed.

He had tried to occupy himself, the television and stacks of movies and video games proved that, but he just couldn't find something distracting enough for his tastes (and his favorite show, ER was only showing reruns that he'd seen enough to know by heart).

He stared listlessly out the window, viewing the darkening sky as clouds slowly migrated away from the horizon. Sighing, Miles flipped open his cell phone and looked at any texts he hadn't deleted yet. With a start, after seeing several from a conversation he had with Sam days previous, he realized his friend was still home. The text mentioned he would be leaving the next morning. 'Maybe he'd be up for a surprise visit?' He wondered. On one hand, they really had only began reconnecting last month, when he spoke to him at the Witwicky's Halloween party. Since then, they had exchanged many texts, a couple of phone calls, and several emails. Hopefully, he wouldn't mind Miles dropping by without any notice. Frowning, he thought, 'he'd better not mind, after all that time he blew me off for the EJC.' He didn't despise Mikaela, but he didn't like her too much either. He didn't have much against her except for the fact that she had hung around brawny bullies like Trent and took his best friend from him for several years. It didn't exactly sit well with him, but he tolerated it for his friend's sake.

Picking up a couple bottles of Mountain Dew and other types of pop he had within the refrigerator, he put them into a plastic bag, and grabbed some video games and some clothes in case he stayed overnight. At least they could always bond over good ol' Super Smash Brothers Brawl.

Little did he know, his surprise visit would warrant a Thanksgiving break he'd never forget.


Bumblebee was one happy Autobot.

No really, he was. Don't doubt the bot, it'll make him sad. He had his boy home for another break, and no matter how short it was, he was always happy to spend time with him. Spending time with the Autobots was always fun for him, but it wasn't complete without Sam. He made everything all the more interesting, and Bumblebee was never really at ease unless he knew he was safe. He was home now, and that was all that mattered. He'd be even happier if Sam finished his raking and got out the new wax he promised to give him, since he wasn't able to do it this morning after his wash. He loved it when Sam gave him attention like that- he thought it reaffirmed their bond. Bumblebee drove him places and protected him, in turn Sam helped maintain him by washing and waxing his exterior as well as spending time with the cheery Autobot. They were best friends and that was that.

Bumblebee, no matter how much he wanted that waxing, decided to pass the time by slipping into a light recharge cycle. There was nothing wrong with getting in a good nap and he knew that if any Decepticon got close, his sensors would pick them up (they had a good extended reach from where they were emitted). Confident that nothing would stall his imminent spa-a la Sam treatment, he went into stasis for a while.


After 10 minutes of Bumblebee having his little nap, Miles crept into the yard. He had seen Sam go into the house for a possible water or bathroom break and decided to hide nearby the garage, where there was a large crack in a wooden plank on the siding. It was big enough that one could see only part of his face if he dragged it into view, but he knew how to keep hidden. Miles had plenty of practice, as he and Sam had hidden from bullies (coughTrentcough) plenty of times throughout their childhood.

He knelt beneath it and saw the new bright yellow Camaro that Sam insisted he got from the government, as his old one got totaled or something like that ("I swear!"). It was parked and off, and it looked like it had just been washed earlier that day. 'I wish I had a car like that…' he thought. He did not have a car yet, as he was still saving up money to get his own vehicle (though he'd probably get one faster if he didn't take out fifty or so dollars to get a new video game every two months). His parents weren't quite as cheap as Sam's father, but they insisted on him being responsible.

He rubbed his nose; it was starting to itch from all the flowers Mr. Witwicky insisted on planting everywhere. He happened to be allergic to probably at least half of them. 'Stupid pollen.'

He saw Sam come out of the house and then throw the bags into a dumpster. He then made his way over to the garage. Miles's nose was still itching, but he managed to hold back his sneeze for now.

"Hey Bee!" He heard Sam say. 'Bee? What the heck?' Miles's eyebrow twitched just a bit when he saw Sam walk up to his car and stroke its hood. "Are you ready for that waxing?" He seemed to have a smile on his face as he petted his car.

Miles, on the other hand, was not smiling, and he couldn't help but worry about his friend's sanity. 'Why is he talking to it as if it could talk back?'

"Every where and every time, I am yours and you are mine!" The car, which had been off, crooned loudly from its radio. Miles swore it had been off and 'OH GOD WHAT IS IT DOING?!'

He didn't dare make a sound as he saw with frightened eyes that the car wasn't exactly a car any more. The Camaro's form had twisted and molded into something that looked like a giant freaky robot, complete with glowing eyes and everything. It was still yellow, but it was also black and there were cables and pulleys everywhere that allowed the machine to move. For Miles, it was all too much. He wanted to run, but he didn't want to leave his friend behind. Didn't he know what giant robots could do to him?! It probably was holding Sam hostage or something, making him do things for him and not allowing him to have a normal social life like the others! And if he didn't do what it told him, he'd squish him with one big stomp of his foot!

Miles, convinced by his paranoia, was about to take off and call 911 or someone for help, when his nose began to itch even more. 'Oh no…' He couldn't hold it back.

With a mighty sneeze, he lost his balance and fell backwards onto his back. His eyes were closed, but he could hear the startled clicks he assumed were from the robot and the startled yell from Sam and his pounding footsteps as he raced out of the garage.

When he opened his eyes, he saw the end of a barrel of a plasma-charged cannon where the robot's hand used to be pointing at his face. All he could say as he saw Sam's panicked face was, "uh, hey Sam, want to play some SSBB?"


At the NEST base in Diego Garcia, Optimus sat at his own personal desk within his office. All of the Autobots had their own designated areas; such as Ratchet with his med bay, Ironhide had his shooting range that he frequented with Will, Bumblebee had his room (next to where Sam stayed each time he was there), Sideswipe had his own room which he hoped to share with his brother Sunstreaker (if he ever made it to Earth that is), Arcee stayed somewhere close by Ratchet's med bay (as she sometimes assisted him if he needed it), Jolt had a room near by the exercise track that Mudflap and Skids hung out by, and Prowl, still depressed, rarely used his room and instead spent many restless nights patrolling the base or haunting the med bay.

Optimus had a painful overload of his sensors within his head (the human equivalent being a headache) and it wasn't getting any better. Since he had seen Sam back at the corn field and held his hand, he had been thinking a lot, worrying, putting stress on his chassis. He couldn't stop thinking about it and it was causing him to recharge less often, which had angered Ratchet a bit. After some creative threats on the medic's part, Optimus began to recharge more often like he was supposed to. However, he still thought about it and replayed the scene in his head.

When he (in his holographic form) had grasped Sam's hand in his, he hadn't expected the sharp, yet pleasant feel of a spark nipping at their joined hands. He had not felt it, he hadn't! He was Optimus Prime, a direct descendant of the original Primes and he could not be slated to have a human as his sparkmate. Sam was an amazing young man, but Optimus couldn't take what little normalcy he had away from him. He was thankful to have what little he had left, and if the Prime didn't even let him have that, Sam would be deeply upset.

And he couldn't have Sam upset. Seeing him in that condition made his spark twist in sadness for the boy, who was losing the person he loved most. Sam was only his friend and an organic with a life expectancy roughly around the same as one vorn (83 human years). Optimus was millions of years old already, and Sam had so much he hadn't experienced yet. It just couldn't be possible.

'It was nothing more than static. It was not the spark signal.' He didn't want to believe it, so for now he'd pretend that he felt nothing then… even though his spark was screaming in protest.


Back at the Witwicky residence-

"M-Miles! What are you doing here?!" Sam's voice got high-pitched as he yelled- a sign that he was very nervous. He waved a hand at the robot, which backed down and retracted his cannon-arm, which had put a hole through the wall.

"Never mind why I came here, what the heck was that!" Miles pointed towards the garage. "Your- your car turned into a r-robot!"

Sam grabbed Miles by the arm and yanked him up so that he was standing upright. "Be quiet, okay!" He looked all around, thankfully only one person was out and they were jogging while blaring music from their portable music player on the other side of the street. He sighed in relief and shoved Miles's bag into his arms. "Let's just get into the house all right?" He looked towards the garage and whispered, "Bee, just stay hidden all right? I'll be back out soon."

There was a disappointed whine, which made Miles stare in shocked silence as he was dragged off into the house. Finally, after being seated on the Witwicky's comfortable couch in the living room, Miles just stared at Sam in numb silence until he asked, "what… happened to your car?!"

Sam looked very uncomfortable, even though he was sitting on a soft armchair. He swallowed the small amount of spit that accumulated in his mouth and inquired, "Do you remember when I called you two years ago and told you how I had 'Satan's Camaro' and that it was stalking me?"

Miles's eyes widened. "I thought you were kidding!"

"I wasn't. But everything as I knew it changed. My car turned out to be called a Cybertronian from the planet Cybertron, or rather Autobot- use that term, they really don't like 'freaky alien robot-'" seeing the look on Miles's face, he hastily added, "no don't worry, Autobots are nice. There are quite a couple of them staying on Earth and they have protected me from the Decepticons, which aren't the nice guys. They kind of hate me right now for stopping them time and again from destroying the world."

"Mission City," Miles breathed. When he saw Sam's nod, he thought quickly. "And the whole problem with the pyramids in Egypt?"

Sam looked away. "They were trying to blow up the sun in order to harvest energy for consumption, its called energon- it's what they need to survive. The Autobots and this team of military personnel from the United States and the United Kingdom called NEST all worked together along with some Jordanian soldiers against the Decepticons to stop them."

Miles took a few minutes to digest it. It all seemed too unreal, but actually seeing Sam's car transform, plus the damages from Mission City and Egypt, could not be ignored. "And what did you have to do with all those battles?"

"I had coordinates to something called the AllSpark. They were on my great-grandfather's glasses because he found the leader of the Decepticons called Megatron. The AllSpark is a cube that holds practically infinite power, among other things. We had to keep it away from them, and I ended up killing Megatron with it. There were two shards left over, one was under protection by the American government, and the other was in my sweatshirt that I was wearing that day. I didn't find it until two years after, when it fell out. So the Decepticons went after the other shard, got it, and revived Megatron. He came after me, because when I saw the shard that fell out of my sweatshirt, I got all the information from the cube imprinted in my brain. This old Decepticon who used to be a Prime is known as the Fallen, and he basically told Megatron to get me so they could get that information. They wanted that information to find where this energy harvesting machine was located, etc." Sam took a long, deep breath. His mouth was so dry.

Getting up, he stretched. "I need to get something to drink, you want anything?"

Miles wordlessly unzipped his backpack and took out a few bottles of Mountain Dew. "Here," he tossed one to Sam. "I know it's not particularly healthy, but this might help."

Sam caught it and took a sip, it soothed his throat somewhat. "Thanks. Anyway, so they wanted that information, so a freaky Decepticon disguised itself as a girl named Alice, who tried to tongue rape me, Mikaela shows up, gets pissed, but we end up killing it. Then Megatron I find out is actually not so dead anymore, and he uses some freaky little Decepticon to try and cut my head open. Optimus Prime, the leader of the Autobots, and my guardian aka my car (named Bumblebee) comes to rescue me."

Miles leaned in. "Then what happened?"

"Bumblebee took Leo (my roommate) and Mikaela away to safety, and Optimus took me away into a forest where he started to fight Megatron and other 'cons who were after me." His knees were shaking a bit, and he felt his eyes begin to water. He rubbed at them, so that Miles wouldn't see. "Long story short… Optimus died defending me and I got away alive. Then I spent hours running around the world, eventually finding something called the Matrix of Leadership, and after I died for about five minutes-"

He was interrupted by Miles, who yelled, "You DIED?"

Sam nodded. "I did. It was almost surreal. But the oldest Cybertronians, the Primes, brought me back. I used the Matrix to bring Optimus back to life and he killed the Fallen and kicked Megatron's ass. The other Decepticons were either killed or brutally injured by our soldiers and the Autobots. So then the fight was over, Megatron escaped with the other surviving Decepticons and it can be assumed that the creep will probably come back to kill me."

Miles just gaped at him. "Are… are you okay with that? Dude, do your PARENTS even know?! I mean, I don't think I could have come out of that alright!"

"Yeah, they do." Sam's smile turned into a grimace. "Believe me, they aren't happy about that. But they believe that as long as the Autobots are around, they will do their best to keep me safe. I feel safer when they're around, in any case." He leaned back in his chair, feeling an ache in his spine from bending his back for an extended period of time. "So… now you know what I've been going through for the past few years." He looked down at his hands. "I can understand if you don't want to be around me anymore, but please, please don't tell anyone else. It's bad enough everyone in the world now knows my face and name (and some of them even tried to call the cops on me because of what the Fallen said!), but keeping my friends secret has been the biggest challenge the government and I have faced." He set his gaze on Miles, whose light eyes stared back into his. "I can't lose them."

The staring match lasted about a minute before Miles blinked, and his expression changed from shocked surprise to seriousness. "Who the heck would I tell, Sam? You're the best friend I have- practically the only real friend I have. All of this kind of explains why you were absent so often." Exhaling, Miles put his head in his hands. "It kind of made me upset, you know. I thought you forgot me."

Sam felt awful. He hadn't really been much of a good friend to Miles for a long time. He put his hand on Miles's shoulder, and Miles looked up at him. "I'm sorry I was being such a horrible friend. I'd never try to forget you, you know. I felt bad because I wasn't there for you, but now that you know… You're kind of stuck with us. You can meet the Autobots, if you want. I'll have to tell the former Secretary of Defense (now the Autobot-Human Relations Secretary) that you know now anyway."

Miles's jaw dropped. "You know THE Secretary of- oh screw that, I want to meet all of these Autobots and the people you know. I'm in this for the long run, so I'm going to get comfortable while I can." He crossed his arms and playfully smiled. "And right now, I think that some Super Smash Brothers Brawl sounds like fun."

Laughing in relief, Sam felt so much lighter. He had hated keeping everything a secret from Miles. He had been his best friend for years, and not getting to tell one of the people he cared about weighed heavily on his consciousness. But now, things were looking up just a bit. Grinning, he nodded. "That sounds like fun, but first and foremost, I promised 'Bee that I'd give him a waxing. He'll whine if he doesn't get his special treatment." He got up off the chair, but Miles grabbed his hand. When he turned to look at him in questioning, Miles shrugged.

"I thought it might be better if I helped, plus you could… reintroduce me, since I had no idea the sweet car I've been taking rides in happens to be a giant alien ro- Autobot," he corrected himself while he looking somewhat uncomfortable. "Plus it's kind of awkward that the first time I actually saw his real form happened to involve a cannon to the face."

Sam laughed, remembering when he'd gotten a cannon to the face, courtesy of Ironhide. "All right. I'll introduce you to Bee, then." He led his friend outside; feeling like the day had just gotten brighter.


After about an hour and a half of waxing and chatter, a tired Sam trooped into the Witwicky's kitchen, followed by Miles. The meeting had gone better than Sam thought it would, though at first Miles was kind of skittish around Bumblebee, but it became better after Bumblebee worked his magic and charmed Miles through use of the radio. Miles, seeing Bumblebee as a friend now, approved of him as a guardian and told him so. Bumblebee glowed at the praise and reveled in the attention he received from the two boys. So after carefully waxing Bumblebee's exterior, the two bid him goodnight and went inside. It was around eight o'clock in the evening, and both were extremely hungry.

Luckily for them, Judy had prepared dinner while they had been out, and during the course of the meal, a long-winded explanation was given to Sam's parents that Miles now knew of the existence of the Cybertronians. While they hadn't taken it bad, Judy just had to ask (though politely) how his parents were doing, which prompted an answer from Miles explaining that they would not be home for Thanksgiving (but he was so fine, of course he was). Her response, which seemed almost flippant (in the sense that it was given so quickly), stunned him:

"Why don't you come with us then to the base? Sam's dead set on being there and we'll be cooking up a storm for those hungry soldiers (poor people probably haven't had a decent meal in a while), and you can spend time with us."

Miles felt some blood rush to his cheeks. "That'd be great, but, I mean, I'm not that special… I don't want to intrude…"

"Nonsense!" Judy interjected. "You're practically like family; you know I missed having you around these past few years. It won't be any trouble, and I know it'll make Sam happy." She grinned. "Besides, you'll be helping us cook Thanksgiving dinner, so I'll need all the help I can get!"

Sam put his face into his palms and groaned. "It'll be great having you around Miles, but mom is really going to overwork us… just wait until she makes you cut up the turkey's heart!" He shuddered and made a face depicting disgust. "Gross."

Judy rolled her eyes. "Oh for Pete's sake, you boys love playing your gory video games but you can't even cut up a bird's heart. Shameful, isn't it Ron?" When she didn't hear her reply she looked at her husband, who had the exact same facial expression as Sam. "Ron!"

"I don't particularly care for either of those things," he gruffly muttered, trying to mask his distaste by mashing his already mashed potatoes into grainier, tiny bits.

Judy just sighed. Sam got his dislike for butchering things from his father, who would rather plant flowers than go hunting. She loved him, but sometimes he was just so silly.

Turning to Miles, she asked, "I trust you aren't as much of a child as those two boys over there?"

Miles grinned. "Leave it to me, Mrs. Witwicky. I've got the steadiest hands and an iron stomach to boot!"

"You should like Ratchet then, he's the medic and he'd probably love to babble on and on about medical procedures with you, since you like them and watching those doctor shows so much," Sam cheerfully said.

Miles's light blue-gray eyes brightened. "You think so?"

He got a smile as an answer. "I know so."

After dinner was finished, Miles had to head home quick to pack more clothes for the trip. To his delight, Sam went with him in Bumblebee, who absolutely gleamed from the hood to the bumper. They made it there and back in relatively short time, and soon arrived back at Sam's house. From there, many battles took place in Super Smash Brothers Brawl, as well as in other games. It wasn't until around three in the morning that they both went to sleep.


After being woken up around nine in the morning, the boys slowly got up and did their morning rituals before eating breakfast. Judy, who had actually gotten to bed at a decent hour, was much more cheerful than her son and his friend. Ron was also more awake, but had insisted on tending his precious yard before he'd even touched one spoonful of his breakfast. It took time, but eventually they were on the road before 11 AM on their way to the special military base where they'd get on to the aircraft carrier that would take them to the Autobot's base. Mojo and Frankie rode with Sam's parents in their vehicle, while Sam and Miles gleefully rode with Bumblebee, who kept playing random songs that hit his fancy (and he managed to rick roll Miles once, which made the boy curse).

After dominating the highway with his agility, Bumblebee had made it to the base five minutes before Sam's parents, who had gotten stuck at a few traffic lights behind them a while back. They had gotten clearance easily, and after Sam's parents caught up with them, they made their way onto the carrier. Bumblebee didn't have much room to move around obviously, but did not mind as Sam and Miles took a much-appreciated nap on his seats. Sam was curled up in the driver's seat, while Miles was snoozing in the backseat.

Judy, who saw this, smiled at the sight and petted Bumblebee's hood. "I think this is going to be a good Thanksgiving, don't you?"

Bumblebee purred eagerly in response. He thought so too.


Many hours later, they finally made it to the base, and were greeted by former Secretary of Defense John Keller, who looked at Miles with his eyebrows raised, but none the less greeted him. Sam took him aside and explained the situation, hoping that the aging man wouldn't mind that he had told. Keller had listened to him until he was finished, and gave him his two cents- it was fine since he had discovered Bumblebee's true form by accident; however Miles would have to sign copious amounts of paperwork as well as swear to say nothing to no one (his parents would have to wait to be informed until they came home), and talked about a whole bunch of other legal jargon that Sam wouldn't remember the next day. While Keller wasn't the Secretary anymore (since there was a new secretary and Galloway as the President's security advisor), he still had an important place within the government, and plenty of influence. Since the incident at Mission City, he had personally vouched for Sam and the Autobots having a place of their own, that and Will's team also gave their opinion. Thanks to him and Lennox, they had their base. All that mattered to Sam right now was that Miles was allowed to stay there with them.

So after that talk, they all began their trek onto the premises. Immediately, Sam noticed a black and white police car driving around the area, and he almost shouted in alarm before he remembered that it was the newest Autobot, Prowl. He wanted to go over to him, but he drove away before Sam could introduce himself. Somewhat hurt, Sam decided that he'd leave the Cybertronian alone until he was ready to speak with him and instead went inside the huge main building, which had several different floors.

They were on the main floor, which had the hangar where Optimus had spoken to Galloway, along with the Autobot hangar on the right side (where they could change alternate forms if they desired, or rest), as well as Ratchet's medical bay. On the left side of the main floor in the building, there were offices for higher-ranking officials in NEST's forces, and a medical bay for the soldiers. On the second floor, there was a cafeteria, recreational rooms for the human residents, and a small library, where one could read or relax. The third floor was small, mainly for communications, though there was a shop, a laundry room, and a deck where one could look up at the stars. The basement held bunkers in case of emergency as well as the heating and cooling systems for the buildings, backup generators, and extra weapons in a secure vault. There was also a small jail, in case of trouble with human enemies or within NEST personnel.

The other buildings on base consisted of the soldiers' barracks, the Autobot barracks, large weapons building (conveniently located by the shooting range) which held Ironhide's things, tanks, bazookas, etc, air and land vehicle garage, security office, vehicle repair/services building, other supply houses, and numerous small weapons sheds and safe houses. All in all, the base was huge and well-stocked, and there was always a polite or friendly soldier to speak to stationed somewhere. And it was hard to miss an Autobot wandering or driving around.

The first Autobot they met with was Sideswipe, who had been in his new alt mode, which happened to be a red Lamborghini. Firmly believing that his brother would come back to him, he decided keeping his old appearance of a scarlet shade would make sure that Sunstreaker wouldn't confuse him for another bot, such as the deceased Jazz, like Prowl did. He had liked his silver Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Concept alt mode, but he didn't like the depressed look Prowl had each time he saw him, as if he had just come out of recharge and had been convinced that Jazz's death had been something out of a human nightmare. So he changed his look, and he was happier, especially since Sam and the others had arrived. He revved his engine happily to greet them, noting with interest the new arrival of Miles, who he'd only seen in pictures Sam showed him. The two were introduced, and everything was going smoothly. Bumblebee went off to associate with Sideswipe after Sam reassured him that he'd be fine without him, and they continued on.

Miles was soon introduced (and Sam embraced) by the other Autobots, as he had said a hello to Arcee, whose sister units were repaired, had been impressed by Ironhide's cannons, chatted with Mudflap and Skids, and shyly met up with the blue Autobot called Jolt, who Sam did not know as well as the others. Jolt seemed to enjoy Miles's company, and the two talked a great deal before Sam dragged him away to meet Ratchet and Optimus.

They met up with the two of them in Ratchet's medical bay, where Ratchet seemed to be arguing with the Prime. Sam, concerned, ran up to the two of them. "Ratchet, what's the matter with Optimus?"

The two hadn't noticed their presence until Sam spoke, so Ratchet nearly dropped his favorite wrench in surprise. "Sam! It is good to see you are well-" he refrained from speaking the last sentence until after he'd scanned Sam's body for abnormalities- "and Optimus is being nothing more than a stubborn glitch-head. Other than that, he is fine." His keen eyes noted the human being standing next to Sam. "You brought company?"

Sam smiled. "You two, this is my friend Miles Lancaster, one of my oldest friends and a not-so-average video gaming, medicine-studying guy. He accidentally saw Bumblebee transform, got the whole explanation, was gonna be alone for Thanksgiving, so my mom insisted we take him with us. I also got clearance with Keller, so everything is cool as long as he doesn't blab." He sneezed, then added, "anyway, Miles, the one that is standing is Ratchet. He is the medic as I said, and knows more about Cybertronian anatomy than you and I ever will. He's also learned a lot about human anatomy as well. The one on the table is the leader of the Autobots, Optimus Prime."

"Nice to meet you both," Miles politely said. "It was nice to actually see the faces to go along with the names Sam mentioned so often last night." He shook Ratchet's finger first.

Ratchet knelt to see him properly. "My name is Ratchet; it is a pleasure to meet you. Sam says you're interested in learning about medicine?"

Miles nodded. "I find it really interesting. I wanted to be a doctor, but I couldn't afford tuition for college."

Optimus shook Miles's finger next. "A friend of Sam's is a friend of mine, and welcome to NEST's base," he said in a welcoming tone. Miles seemed somewhat intimidated by Optimus, but loosened up after the Autobot's statement. Miles also had no trouble speaking to Ratchet, who was delighted (as Sam said) to talk to someone about what he knew of human medicine, as well as Cybertronian medicine. Sam watched them wander off, a smile on his face. 'Miles really seems to like it here.'

"It has been a while, Sam."

He was started out of his thoughts by the Prime's deep voice. He looked up and saw Optimus lean down and hold his servo palm up, close to the ground. Sam took the invitation and climbed on, and was brought up and close to his chest. "Yeah, I know. How've you been, big guy?" He remembered what Ratchet said and added, "You're sure you are all right?"

Optimus sighed. "I am fine, Sam, though I have missed your company. How are you doing?" He hoped his audial sensors (they controlled his ability to speak) weren't making his voice quiver. He could hardly hold still, as Sam had a hold of him. A small burst of electricity from Sam's hand jumped to the 'bot and raced up towards his spark casing, where his spark happily greeted the surge of affectionate energy. 'It was merely a fluke, that's all,' he tried to convince himself, but was failing miserably as other small shocks traveled from Sam's touch up Optimus's arm.

Sam frowned at Optimus's petulant tone but decided to ignore it for now, along with the tickle he had in his palms. For some odd reason they felt energized, almost like he had the urge to scratch something (like a cat does). When he touched the cool metal of Optimus's fingers, his hands seemed to lose the tingling sensation and exit via his fingertips. Very odd, but Sam decided to answer Optimus instead of ponder it. "I'm all right, still kind of sleepy though."

"Why is that?" The Autobot leader questioned, trying in vain not to show his discomfort, which seemed redundant in itself since his spark found the tingles to be pleasurable- but that caused him distress. Until he actually accepted it, he would be stuck in the vicious forces of denial.

"I just have been going to bed late is all. I didn't get enough sleep in last night because Miles and I played some video games for a few hours. Kind of silly of us, but it was fun at the time." Sam scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "I took a nap earlier on the aircraft carrier, which seemed to help."

Optimus hummed an affirmative reply. "I see."

From Sam's viewpoint, Optimus had a very noncommittal response. Tilting his head to the side, Sam crossed his arms and looked the bot up and down, trying to figure out why he was acting different than he normally was.

The Ratchet-like surveying of his body seemed to make Optimus uncomfortable, because he asked, "what? Is there something foreign on my chassis?"

Sam snorted while trying not to laugh. "Hahaha… no, but I wanted to ask you…" He rubbed his chest, trying to calm his breathing. "You know you can talk to me if you need to, right? You have always listened to me, so I want to do the same for you." He put his arms around two of Optimus's fingers- a small hug. "You don't need to hide it if something's bothering you." He stared up into Optimus's face, chocolate brown human eyes meeting bright luminous blue optics. All was silent for what seemed like forever, while Optimus assessed the human saying, 'the eyes are windows to the soul,' he found it to be correct. Sam's eyes showed nothing but honesty and true compassion for him.

…It made his spark burn brighter than ever before with happiness.

Optimus formed a smile, one Sam found to be quite breathtaking, since he had rarely seen him smile in his true Cybertronian form. "Thank you Sam. You honor me with your friendship."

Sam blushed, feeling hot under the collar of his shirt. "Y-you're welcome. It's an honor to know you."

A companionable silence was then formed; the two content not to say much more or at least neither of them knew what to say. The silence was broken when Ratchet wandered back in, with Miles following obediently, avidly discussing what sounded like surgical tools. Ratchet turned to Optimus and raised one metal eyebrow. "Well, you seem to be doing better, Optimus, so would you and Sam mind getting out of my med bay?"

"All right. Let us be on our way then Sam." The two left, both not noticing the knowing smile on Ratchet and Miles's faces.


The rest of that day had been spent socializing with the Autobots as well as Will's team. Miles had liked both Will and Epps upon meeting them, and even challenged the two to some pretty intense Brawl matches. Pretty soon, other soldiers joined in, and the best part of that night resulted in even the somewhat stiff Keller playing one match, as R.O.B. He ended up winning that match, leaving the others speechless.

He had replied, "What? Even an older man like me can still find time to enjoy a good game."

Later, they consumed dinner, and Judy nagged Sam to set his alarm clock for early the next morning. Both he and Miles groaned when they were woken up around seven AM, and after showering and dressing, made their way to the cafeteria, where Judy was already busy. They also found to their amusement both Will and Epps being put to work- Will's sleeves were rolled up to his elbows and he had flour all over his hands. Epps was wearing an apron which had some dough splattered on it, and Ron came into the kitchen holding the biggest turkey Sam had ever seen (and then he brought in a couple more). They were in for a looong day.

Sam was put in charge of helping to make the dressing, while Miles assisted in mashing the potatoes. It took many minutes of labor, but hours later, the tables were set and the food was ready.

On those tables lied a few turkeys, seasoned and browned to perfection from Judy's and Ron's attention. There were mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes (both prepared by Miles), bread rolls handmade by Will and Epps, cranberry jelly donated by Keller, dressing that Sam slaved over a hot stove to make, green beans and gravy made by Fig, some sliced ham from Simmons's family meat shop, a spring greens salad mixed up by Maggie, and finally, some fruit salad that Glen had finished making.

The tables outside the main building were garnished with some festive tablecloths, napkins, and some candles. The soldiers then filed towards where the food was being served- and for every soldier that they saw, they received many more thanks and kind words. The soldiers, who were away from their homes and families, missed home cooking and food being served by friendly faces, and were very grateful for what they were getting. Then once everyone had food, they went outside to the tables where they could eat while seeing the Autobots- and celebrate the holiday with them.

The multiple tables, long in length and short in width, had the glow of the late afternoon sun dawning on them all. The soldiers and civilians all had relaxed postures, but not too far away lied their loaded firearms, just in case of attack. When the Autobots made their way outside to greet them, a sense of togetherness and utter calm descended upon everyone as they stood in a circle around them.

John Keller stood up first, with his wine glass full. His aging face held deep wrinkles, but more wisdom than years past. His grayish white hair now had streaks of silver, and some patches were missing. Never the less, he had not lost any of his commanding presence, his voice was loud and clear for everyone to hear.

"Soldiers, civilians, human and Autobot alike, we are gathered here today to celebrate one of our holidays, Thanksgiving. It is a time where we come together, and while many of us may be separated from our loved ones, we still have our brothers and sisters, our comrades at arms, as our second family. Here we may celebrate our companionship, our health, our duty to our countries, our beloved planet Earth, and the stars beyond it. We give thanks to those who would protect us-" he looked at the Autobots as he said this- "and those who we protect in turn-" he gazed at Sam and his family, along with the other civilians- "as we continue to work for peace and prosperity between our two races." He looked at the soldiers, then everyone else around him. "It is customary for us to speak of what we are thankful for, and I would like to for all of us to raise our glasses and shout it loud, so that no one is unheard."

He raised his higher. "We are thankful for peace!"

A great many soldiers stood up with glasses of their own drinks and echoed his comment, Arcee and Sideswipe nodding approvingly and Simmons clapping enthusiastically.

Sam stood up as well, holding a glass of carbonated fruit juice (he wasn't old enough to drink yet), and said, "We are thankful for family and friends, whether they are Cybertronian or human!" Will, Epps, and Sam's parents stood up, everyone cheered, and Bumblebee crowed happily. Ironhide clapped a hand on Bumblebee's shoulder, his mouthplates forming a smile.

Miles got up in a rare fit of courage and shouted, "We are thankful for our health and our lives!" Ratchet raised a barrel of oil, clearly agreeing with him, and Jolt did as well. Medical workers from the human med bay were standing among them, cheering.

Optimus decided to give it a turn. "We are all thankful that we are allowed to be here, and all of you for being wonderful comrades inside and outside of battle." He looked over at them all, noting every brave face, and committing them to memory. They may not be related, but they were practically part of his expanding family. Finally, his optics centered on Sam, who was still standing tall and proud. "And I am thankful to Sam, who has done so much for our races, and saved my life."

All eyes were on Sam, who turned a bright red as resounding echoes of "thank you Sam!" "Way to go kid!" and "Good job!" erupted from all around him. He didn't think he had ever felt so appreciated in his life, though at the same time he was somewhat embarrassed.

"Now everyone, it is time to feast to your heart's content, however let us all have a moment of silence for all of our fallen comrades, who fought with us for what they believed in- true peace, and defense from hostile attack by Decepticons." As Keller said this, it was noted that Prowl, who had a sober expression on his facial plates, looked down at his feet, clearly remembering and mourning his fallen sparkmate, Jazz. Sam had seen the motion, and felt guilt gnaw at his insides, like vultures ripping at road kill. He hadn't known Jazz very long, but the friendly bot had made a lasting impression on him, and he felt as if some part of it were his fault. He vowed to speak to Prowl, and find some way to bring Jazz back. If it was possible to bring back Optimus and Megatron, couldn't Jazz also be saved? He needed to find a solution.

After the silence passed, the feasting and merrymaking began, smiles bloomed on many faces, and talking amongst both Cybertronians and humans was abundant. Miles was animatedly speaking with Jolt, Ratchet supervised Ironhide's and Sideswipe's gasoline drinking contest (and threatening to throw a wrench at anyone who was sick all over the concrete), Arcee was content to speak with some female soldiers, Prowl surveyed the skies, Mudflap was talking about some of his greatest pranks with Fig, while Skids was attempting to draw more attention to him. Bumblebee happily hummed renditions of Meadows of Heaven, making Sam laugh at the bot's attempts to recreate one of Nightwish's masterpieces through his vocal chords.

And Optimus stood and took in it all, feeling at peace. He didn't know it, but anyone could see that something more than friendly affection was being shown in his eyes when he saw Sam's smile. What they could see, was love. The Autobot didn't know it yet, but he would eventually. For now, he was content to watch the unity between humans and Cybertronians grow stronger. He would be undoubtedly sad when Sam had to leave later the next day, but he would see him again soon. He couldn't stay away from him long, after all. The bond between them was growing stronger with each passing day… and like it or not, it would not be hidden from enemy or friendly eyes.

It was just a matter of time.

End of chapter three


AngelicCrossplay: You know, I really spoil all of you. 25 pages in Word. HOLY KITTEN CALENDARS! I think I'm going to go puke kittens and rainbows now, from all the painful headaches I had planning and typing this chapter. It would've been done sooner, but I had multiple interruptions. Nightwish is one of my favorite bands by the way~!

Song used: Touchdown turnaround by Hellogoodbye.

POINTS TO MAKE: Yes, these are important. You should all be reading A/Ns. Thanksgiving is an important holiday here in the United States, and many of the dishes that were used in the description is what my family makes. It's all very delicious, and we do give thanks, I thought it would be nice to have a scene of bonding… Anyway, yes, Miles is going to be in this quite frequently, just as Leo and Mikaela will. Is Leo going to be paired with any Autobots? No. Will Mikaela? No. Miles? Maybe. I don't know why, but I could see it happening (but he wouldn't be paired with Ratchet). I really wanted to develop Miles's character more, since he wasn't in the 2007 movie for very long. I could see him playing videogames (I have loved the SSB franchise since the first game on the N64), and thought that with those button-mashing fingers of his, he could be adept at using surgical tools. WHY NOT MAKE HIM LIKE MEDICINE?! Don't like it? Too bad. He's going to stay and this is how my twisted mind works. Also, Keller will be staying in this because I happened to like him as well as Simmons, since he redeemed himself (though I still will not forgive Bay for showing his ass). From all this crap I keep doing, I definitely foresee a sequel to this fanfic. What did I get myself into?! Facepalm Please review, so I can go to sleep happy tonight~! I love hearing from each and every one of you.