This has been a long, long time in coming, but I've finally decided to sit down and edit my entire Side Effects story. I've decided to update one chapter at a time, but the first ten or so should be up by today because I want to get this done. That and it is very interesting to see how my writing style has improved over the years. So here it is: Side Effects, edited!

Original comments: Okay, I know I have a lot of other stories in progress, but I had to write this one. The plot bunny has been bugging me since I saw the ROTF movie.

I mean if you seriously think about it, Sam dies, talks to the original Primes, and has the Allspark inside of him all with no side effects. It seems really silly to me. I mean, it's alien to humans, it should do something to Sam. I hope that you like the story. Check my comments up at the top for the other chapters. I'll have to explain some things.

Please Read & Review and questions and suggestions are welcome.

Sam swore as dirt and rock exploded on his right and rained down on him. He curled up tighter, closing his eyes as fear made his gut clench. Another shot rushed overhead and hit the ground about ten feet in front of him. He yelled in fear, leaping to his feet and running as fast as he could away from the heated battle between the Autobots and the Decepticons.

Sam ducked behind another rock as he cursed his luck. This whole week had been bad, starting with the breakup. Mikaela had broken up with him Monday morning. She had told him that he didn't spend enough time with her, instead spending quite a bit of it with the Autobots. Sam had replied back that he was curious about them, and Mikaela had growled that she needed some attention, too. It had eventually escalated into an argument and, in a rage, Mikaela had stormed out. Sam hadn't seen her since.

In anger, Sam had run outside to Bumblebee, who still stayed with him almost everywhere he went, gotten in the Camaro, and told him to drive. Bumblebee complied, and soon they were outside the city, racing through the countryside. By that time, Sam had lost the battle with tears, and they had started to slip down his face. Sensing Sam's pain, Bumblebee made soft cooing noises with what remained of his vocalizer, and the human boy had soon calmed down and fell fast asleep.

During the next few days, Sam lost track of where they went. Bumblebee seemed to know he wanted to be alone and only stopped in small towns to let the boy get food. Sam told Bumblebee what had happened, and the mech seemed content to just listen. That morning, they had driven into a desert only to be ambushed by some Decepticons.

By the time Optimus, Ratchet, Ironhide, plus a few other Autobots, and the NEST agents had gotten there, Bumblebee had taken quite a beating. The battle heated up quickly, leading up to the point where Sam was ducking behind any cover he could find just to stay alive.

The sound of metal on metal rang out behind him, and a body soared above him and landed a good twenty-five feet away. Sam watched as the Decepticon stood up, firing shots into what the boy presumed was the Autobot who had thrown him. The Decepticon finished giving what Sam recognized as a self-satisfied look on his face; after spending so much time with the Autobots, Sam had come to learn how to read their facial expressions exceedingly well, along with Lennox and Epps. To Sam's horror, the Decepticon looked down at him and gave the Cybertronian equivalent of a gleeful smile. Sam slipped under the mech's reaching hand and started to run again. He gave a yelp as he was grabbed up by another Decepticon.

Sam struggled desperately in the Decepticon's grip but to no avail. The human boy simply wasn't strong enough to break the mech's firm, almost painful grip. He heard a high-pitched keen, and his world jerked as a yellow figure slammed into the Decepticon, sending him crashing to the ground. Bumblebee's optics were glowing bright with anger as he crushed the wrist of the hand that held his precious boy and freed the human. He made a couple staticky noises, gently holding the boy up so he could search him for damage.

"I'm fine, Bee, just a couple of bruises," Sam reassured his guardian.

Bumblebee smiled at the boy, nuzzling him fondly. Sam gave a soft laugh and shooed the mech towards the battle.

"Go help Optimus and the others, Bee. I'll be fine. I promise."

Bumblebee reluctantly set the boy down and went to rejoin the battle. Sam ducked down, sliding behind another rock. He couldn't help but muse that all of the shelter from the battle out here in the desert comprised of a rock or two, and those were quickly being blown away from the intensity of the battle. An almighty crash rang out, and Sam had to look, desperate to see what was happening with his friends.

Ironhide was on the ground, a Decepticon looming over him, optics gleaming in hatred, ready for the kill. In an explosion of metal, the Decepticon flew backward only to be replaced by Optimus, who reached down to help the weapons' specialist back to his pedes. The black Autobot gave a smile, nodding at the Prime in gratitude before racing back into the fight. Optimus shook his head and chuckled fondly at the black mech as he rejoined the battle.

Sam was so intent on the exchange with Optimus and Ironhide that he didn't hear the Decepticon until it was far too late. Spinning around, he was horrified to see the Decepticon that had been standing over Ironhide reaching for him with vengeance on his faceplates. The human boy cried out as he was picked up by a rough, scratched, metal hand.

"Sam!" Optimus bellowed.

Sam's hands were mercifully free, and he desperately tried to remember what Ratchet had taught him about Cybertronian anatomy. If he could just pull a few wires in the wrist, the hand grasping him would go slack and become completely immobile. That meant he could get free! The Decepticon growled, a low, threatening tone, and said something in Cybertronian, the buzzing, static-filled noise hurting the human's ears, before throwing the human boy to the ground. Hitting the ground hard enough to knock the breath out of him, pain made his world fuzzy around the edges. It was a monumental effort just to draw in a single, desperate gasp of air.

"Sam!" a voice yelled, but his pain-addled mind couldn't tell who it was.

Pushing himself up enough to see the Decepticon standing over him, Sam's focus narrowed to the gun pointed down at him, a leer on the black and silver mech's face. A flash of yellow blurred at the right of the Decepticon, but before Bumblebee could reach him, the muzzle of the gun flashed brightly.

Sam was consumed by a bright light, so very bright he had to squeeze his eyes closed, and even then, the light burned his eyes through the lids. There was a huge explosion, and the boy screamed as pain shot through his entire body. This pain was different than what he'd felt when the Decepticon had thrown him to the ground. That had been an ache, the sensation of bruises forming. But this, this felt as if his insides were trying to twist apart. Quite suddenly, the light was gone, and Sam landed on something hard and unforgiving before blissful darkness carried him away.