Surprise, a new chapter. Originally when I started this, less than 1,000 Transformer fics existed on this site and we were a smaller group of writers at that time. The rules idea was new and the history of the Transformers vague and waiting to be explored.

NEW CONTENT CHAPTERS! : Chapters 13, 28, 45 and 67. The chapters were the listing of the rules in numerical order but fanfic forbids chapters of only rules, so STORIES replaced them with the running series "Remember and Forget." 5 whole new chapters in total for your enjoyment. Please read and review. Reviews are love and inspiration.

To continue on past this chapter please read If an Autobot do not part 2

For my long term fans and friends thank you and I will keep writing in the other series, including the sequel to this on eand onward. For new fans, welcome aboard and hang on. Not all is as it ever seems.

Remember and Forget – Why did Mikaela not remember Sam?

Light flared as wind swirled around his feet, sending dust swirling. The plain stone was smooth and solid under him but soundless as he walked. Six tall silver shapes formed out of the air. Metal, the weight of time upon them, they formed a semi-circle around the human boy.

"Is this a dream? No, I know you. You ae the Primes who sacrificed yourselves to stop the Fallen. We have talked before. I keep seeing glyphs and I know that you know what is going on. You have been watching for a long time," Sam stated. His clothes shifted from nighttime boxers to jeans with a black t shirt, the band logo "The strokes," across the front.

The tallest Prime nodded, pointing at the stone below their feet pads, cracks appeared becoming black lines forming into blue glyphs.

"There!" Sam pointed. "The Cybertron glyph for watching is more than just seeing. It's using caution and restraint to reach a specified outcome."

The Primes remained silent, not moving as he continued.

"What did you do in the long time? Help Sector Seven? Guide me to buy Bumblebee? Or what outcome did you specify?"

"Your destiny is your own. Freedom is the right…," the second Prime began explaining, the armor slats on his arms rippling in the wind.

"Of all sentient beings. To choose. I know, Optimus quotes it all the time," Sam finished, shifting his leg as old pain resurfaced from the Egypt attack. His shirt shifted to white with jagged tears and char marks. Faint scars on his hand flared to life, rippling with blue energon tracings. "I fought for you and Optimus. How about a little payback? Answer my questions."

"Mikaela."

"Yeah. What about her? You get us together?"

"The opposite. Her destiny interwove with yours, but her strength formed before you met. Remember," the furthest Prime waved his spindly metal fingers, an image of the lake appeared out of the mist, sunlight reflecting off the water, nearby Trent arguing with Mikaela over his pickup.

"She got mad. And walked. I gave her a lift. We talked, and Bumblebee pretended his engine choked out, so we could spend time together."

"See the past," the thinner Prime intoned.

"Hey! That's Mrs. Briggs, my first-grade teacher. I liked her. She mixed up our seats at random, not alphabetical. No stuck in the back with Witwicky and Ziegler issues. Is that Mikaela?"

The little girl with long dark hair smiled, offering out her box of crayons. Sam watched silently as the younger version of himself took out yellow and black crayons. They both drew cars, giggling and smiling. They shared snack time and painted on each other's paper with finger paints.

"We were friends," Sam realized.

"Your friendship would have separated her from her father and the life he led. She would not have known sacrifice nor you. The path taken would never have crossed Bumblebee's or Prime's and the earth would have suffered loss untold."

He watched Mikaela reach for her coat, a singly Cybertronic glyph appearing over her head. "What is that?"

"Forget."

Th glyph floated and settled into Mikaela. Blinking rapidly, the little girl's eyes flashed blue before returning to light green. She walked past Sam, ignoring the little boy asking if they could share lunch the next day.

"That? That was you? She never knew me after that! The day at the lake she asked if I was a new student before the Decepticon attack," he realized. "All the classes we had together since first grade and nothing. She couldn't even say my name correctly even though we shared history, language arts and math classes."

The Primes remained silent.

"She would not have known how to hot wire the tow truck, driving so Bumblebee could shoot. Not known hand cuffs with Sector Seven. She wasn't intimidated at all, called Simmons a mall cop," he realized. "And I would not have bought Bumblebee. Wanted a car to pick up girls. If we were already together," he trailed off.

"We are sorry Sam."

"No sacrifice, no victory. We won. Fifty years from now when we are looking back at our lives and talking to grandkids, we can tell them about our adventures. Right?"

The Primes remained silent as the mist arose.

Sam twitched, nearly falling of the recharge berth. Familiar colors and shapes formed into Bumblebee's room at the Diego Garcia base, Mikaela sleeping beside him. A quick glance showed Bumblebee asleep in the Autobot size berth alongside, head flaps barely moving as standby systems vented. "Love my car. Love my girl."

To be continued….