Aftermath.

Summary: After the events of Revenge Of The Fallen, Sam and the Autobots deal with the aftermath of the battle.

Disclaimer: Transformers belongs to Hasbro anmd Dreamwoks? Paramount, not me.

Warning: Contains spoilers for the second Transformers movie.

Rating: T

A/N: I wanted to put some symbols in and don't have Cybertronian, Autobot, Decepticon or the Language of the Primes available, so I've used Wingdings. And it was Michael Bay's Idea that Bumblebee killed Ravage nastily, not mine, I don' think there's a malicious wire in that 'bot's body.

Sam looked from Optimus to the other Autobots he recognised.

"Ratchet! Ironhide?! Bumblebee? Bee! Optimus! Ironhide!

Ratchet! Bee! Skids! Mudflap! Jetfire… Jazz argh noonono…"

He started shaking and coughing and clung to Mikaela and Optimus, half-rolling and writing symbols in the sand, , coughing up blood.

"Shock's setting in!" cried Will "Medic over here!"

The medic came running over.

"Blast injuries," said Will, "he's losing fluid we have to get him to hospital!"

"Let me help, Prime Sam," said Ratchet.

"Prime?" Mikaela asked.

"He carried the Matrix," said Ratchet reverently.

"And the All Spark," said Ironhide "On Cybertron he would be decorated. And polished…" he looked at Sam, who Ratchet

was now treating, remembering he was not Cybertronian.

Will looked at Ironhide, who was seriously damaged, and the desert around them. His heart sank.

"Epps, take charge, where is the nearest hospital, or base?

Jeddah? Tripoli?"

Ratchet was pulling things out of the air and had done everything he would have done, deftly, quickly and efficiently. Sam was cleaned, dressed and padded up in a semi-recumbent position with an airbag attached and drip inserted, on a stretcher under shelter.

"Where did you get all this Ratchet? Oh don't tell me…Subspace?"

"Like the versatile Epps, I have many …pockets. I can simulate the conditions of a modern hospital and repair bay right here. Trust me."

"They know where we are here. We may as well make this first base," said Epps .

"I have trained, studied and upgraded like you in the past three years, Major Lennox," said Ratchet. "Ironhide has not burnt out because he has your anti-explosion foam in him. It gives some protection." he added grumpily.

Then he transformed, and they loaded Sam in his alt. form.

"Can I go with him?" Mikaela said, getting in as Ratchet agreed.

The Marines arrived with another C17. "Come to the ship," said their commander, "Everyone on earth believes the Deceps are hostiles now, and some of the Jordanians, Egyptians, and French have realised we're trying to protect their monuments."

"An' if its just dirt, why are they digging for energon here?" asked Leo.

"Sam led us." Said Skids.

"He wants us to search for Bumblebee," said Mudflap.

Sides and Arcee joined them and they headed off back to the pyramid.

Optimus went after them.

"Not you Ironhide," he said "You're wounded. Stay with Ratchet, he's not battle-ready either."

oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOooOo oOo oOo

Barricade held Bumblebee, sparking and leaking energon, at the top of the pyramid. His battle mask was smashed and one of his back lights was in his mouth instead of the microphone.

"Can we climb the human artifact?"said Mudflap.

"If Devastator can, we can ,"said Skids, and went up.

Optimus climbed up beside him and said "Hold! Barricade, you are outnumbered, let Bumblebee go!"

"He cannot receive or output sound," said Barricade, "Some-

one found out from Rampage's memory chips what he did to Ravage. And you can tell that female with Sam she's lucky because though Soundwave also found out what happened to Frenzy, he once loved a femme and had one for a Creator, he knows they can be desperate in protective situations."

"Mechs can protect as well," Optimus said "Why does it have to be always battle and revenge? I don't see any other Decepticons, you could join us."

"I know that you never change, Optimus Prime," sneered Barricade, "Soundwave said he 'd wait for me." And he sped off down the back of the pyramid firing missiles.

"We are only what our programming makes us," Optimus Prime said "and a little more for the Spark. Let him go."

He hugged Bumblebee. Silent again, the scout connected with him and worked out a data burst.

"Creator/leader, Sam…. Status?"

"Like you, damaged but alive," Optimus data-burst back.

"Gratitude to Primus." Bumblebee sighed through his vents.

In the ship Sam woke next to Bumblebee jacked up in a repair bay, though he was in a bed, and Mikaela slept in a camp bed by him.

He played some of the "Hallelujah chorus" by Bach when Sam woke up.

"Maybe second years' can have cars," said Sam, "you could have a 'gap' year."

"Sam," said Bumblebee in a happy voice, Maybe he'd think about it. He could debrief at least,

"You'll want to meet the new ones .You can come to my 21st , I'll get some champagne in," said Sam "I can let it go all over you like a champion racing driver 'cos you're the best!"

But if he was a destined Prime as well, Bumblebee thought, Sam and his family and girlfriend might need even more protection from the new Decepticons. He'd discuss it with Optimus.

Bumblebee set off when he felt better and met Ron on the way, waving a brandy glass. "Do you get energon in an optic at a bar?" he asked.

Bumblebee regarded him curiously. "That usually means you're upset, it comes in cubes," he said "But there are tales of a bar on Cybertron where all are welcome and grudges are left at the door."

"Sounds like my kind of place," said Ron, following him, interested.

Judy caught them up, eager to get back in his good books,

"I'll bake you some brownies. Thank you for saving us, you're a lovely alien really, " she said.

Eventually Sam went to find him and Mikaela followed him, and Wheels followed her.

Ratchet and Ironhide found them all asleep in a heap around Optimus. "Thunder and lightning!" said Ratchet in amazement.

"It's better than fighting." Ironhide said.

So they lay down too, half relaxing, half on watch.

Eventually they fell into recharge too and Will and Epps and Simmons and Leo found them like that in the morning.