Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Fourteen year old Vince woke up, feeling groggy and tired. Throwing the blanket off to the side, he got out of bed and sleepily made his way to the bathroom. He stopped in front of the sink and stared at the mirror above it. His reflection stared back at him. Red hair that needed combing, tired green eyes that blink slowly 

“When did my hair get so long…?” he mumbled sleepily as he scrutinized his reflection. He muttered a ‘whatever’ before leaning over the sink and turning on the tap. Water rushed out of it and fell on his awaiting palms. He splashed the cool water over his face and rubbed at his eyes, trying to get rid of the haze of sleep over his brain. He turned off the tap. Leaning his hands on the sink, he stared at his reflection again 

“Alright, Sam. Time to start another day–” Vince paused. His mind stalling for a moment

“Who's Sam?”

—

After the confusing start of the morning, which he quickly brushed off, he started his day like any other. It was a weekend, meaning no school. He was going to take full advantage of that. He walked out of his bedroom and into the hallway. He made his way to the kitchen where he made himself a quick breakfast, cereal and milk. He grabbed a bottle of cold water from the refrigerator before making his way to the living room

There, he sat on the couch, placing his food and drinks on the coffee table. He leaned over the side of the couch, reaching for the TV remote he knew was around there. He made a triumph noise when he found it, quickly turning on the TV across from him. The device lit up and the room was filled with the sounds of a movie playing. He turned the volume to max before turning it down at few notches 

“Wouldn't want the neighbors to complain again.”

He finished his cereal in record time, no one likes soggy cereal after all. He reached for the bottle of water when all of a sudden a sense of dejavu hit him. He stopped his action, hands loosely holding the cold bottle. The precipitate cooled his palm. The cold from the bottle transferred to his warmer hands, snapping him from his daze

He was filled with confusion once again before he brushed it off. It's not like it was a big deal. He shrugged to himself before bringing the bottle closer to take a sip, sighing in satisfaction after

He picked up the now empty bowl with the spoon as he got up, taking them back to the kitchen and leaving them in the sink. He would do the dishes later. He went back to the living room, plopping himself back on the couch with a huff. He stared as the TV played a commercial, getting bored. What should he do today?

“I should ask Bumblebee if he wants to go for a ride.” He said to himself absentmindedly. He once again paused, his mind halting.

“Who's Bumblebee…?”

—

The rest of the morning continued in a similar manner. Vince would be doing some menial task when all of a sudden he would be hit with a sense of dejavu. This was not uncommon of course, he had several similar experiences in the past. But this just kept on happening, and he noticed that as the day continued on, the frequency with which he experienced deja vu increased. It was honestly freaking him out a little 

By early afternoon he noticed an itch on his right palm. He would scratch at it to the point it hurt more than alleviating it. He hissed as his next scratch drew blood. He sighed in aggravation, deciding to bandage it up. He entered his bathroom, crouching to open the sink cabinet. He stopped mid-crouch as a sudden feeling of wrongness entered his mind, gazing at his reflection in the mirror

His brows furrowed, his eyes strayed to his reflection's hair. He couldn't help but feel like his hair style and color were wrong. It was not supposed to be this bright, this red. He shook his head, getting rid of the thoughts

“Of course, my hair is red. What else is it supposed to be?” He scoffed, “Brown?” He laughed. In the back of his mind, a quiet voice whispered ‘brown, like dirt, brown, like the bark of a tree, brown like his father's.'

He ignored it

He continued with his task, finding the first aid box in the cabinet. Opening it and pulling out the necessary items to tend to his wound. He cleaned it before wrapping a bandage around it securely. Hopefully, this would prevent him from further scratching at it

Task completed, he moved the things back to its place before walking to the front door. The house was quiet as always. He frowned as his thoughts wandered to his ever-absent mother and his scumbag of a father. One was always busy with work, the other too busy ignoring his family to drown in alcohol and debt.

He shook his head, getting rid of the thoughts before leaving the house. He locked the door. His mother already had a spare so he took the other key with him. He walked the short distance to his car, eyes wandering over its paint. The car was convertible with a mostly black finish with flame decals. It was his pride and joy.

That's ugly

“What?” He said to himself incredulously. He was the one who chose this paint job and was very proud of it. Why were his thoughts betraying him now?

He was growing more and more frustrated as the hours passed. What started as a completely normal day was turning to be shit, all thanks to his mind

In his frustration, he opened his car door none-too-gently. Slamming it shut once he was seated in the driver seat. He jammed the key into the ignition, feeling better when he heard the engines rumble. He pulled out onto the road, gunning it once he was out of the residential area.

Guess he was joyriding

—

Far out in the desert, Vince finally felt a semblance of relief. Driving on the open road, the wind against his face, the Sun shining down on him. It felt amazing, as always. He drove well above the speed limit, the barren land blurring in his peripheral view. The car would be covered in dust again, that thought made him a grumble

In the quiet moment of his joy, the sense of dejavu washed over him again. It startled him so badly that he hit the brakes, pulling the car to a stop in the middle of the road

Laughter. A girl's giggle. Black hair swirling in the wind.

Sam! 

Go faster, ‘Bee!

He gasped for air, not realising that he had stopped breathing for a moment. He leaned his head on the steering wheel, curling into himself on his seat. He breathed through his mouth, closing his eyes as someone's laughter rang in his ears. 

“Mi…Mikaela…?” The name rolled off his tongue and with it pain accompanied. The stabbing guilt took him aback. The feeling of grief washed over him. Along with anger, helplessness, desperation, longing and so many more that intermixed with his confusion. His heart ached

Faces flashed behind his closed eyes. Multiple faces. A blonde white man, a black bald man, a Hispanic man, another white man alongside a woman with auburn hair. A girl's face lingered, however. Long black hair, eyes blue like the sky, sun-kissed skin. Lots of other faces came to mind and was replaced by another, but the girl's face remained, it lingered

Sam!

“Mikaela?”

His bandaged hand burned

—

He got home by the time the sun was setting. He was in a daze, not really registering his actions. When the haze over his mind vanished, he was already in bed. Lying sideways with his shoes still on and his dust covered clothes. He groaned, burying his face into a pillow. He lied there for a few moments more before heaving himself up

He looked at his now dust covered bed. It was not visible, but he knew it was there. If only he had changed his clothes before deciding to take a break from standing. He had to change the cover now. He rubbed a hand over his face, sighing. He was tired. He decided to get dinner instead

He made his way to the kitchen. His steps echoed loudly in the empty house. His mom won't be home until later in the night. His mind wandered as his body moved in auto-pilot. He was making mac and cheese once again. His body moved through the motions like it did many times before, while he recalled the day's events. The itch, the names, the hair, the faces, the voice

He doesn't recognise the faces or the voice. It was unsettling. He has never seen those people before or has he? And he just didn't remember them until now? That was not the case, he was sure he didn't know them. 

But you do, a voice in the back of his mind whispered.

—

He ate dinner alone like almost all nights. His mother still at work, trying to drown her heartbreak and pain in work, he was guessing. It didn't bother him anymore, dinner was now a quiet and lonely affair with memories of the days long gone flashing briefly before he smothers them down 

Washing and drying the dishes was quick, there were only a few dirty dishes. He cleaned up the kitchen, his mind drifting while his body moved on auto-pilot. There was a quiz next Tuesday, wasn't there? However, he was too exhausted to study. It was surprising, he barely did anything today. His energy drained so quickly, was he sick? He doesn't think so

He didn't realised he had already completed cleaning. He snapped back from his thoughts to find himself leaning on the kitchen counter top with both his hands. He retracted his arms, one hand moving up to pinch between his brows. He let out a sigh. He made sure the house was locked and dark before going back to his room

While changing the bed covers, a thought occurred to him. I haven't got any of those strange feeling for a while

Are they gone? 

Thoughts wandering, he made his way to the bathroom, taking clean clothes and a towel with him. He placed the items on the sink. Exhaustion in his movements. The day was shit today, was he having a mental breakdown? His eyes made contact with his reflection on the mirror

Like the morning, tired green eyes stared back and red hair ruffled by the wind that needed combing. He stared intensely, feeling the wrongness again. His hand moved up to touch his hair. The red locks reaching past his ears, he needed to cut it. His fiery red hair, like his mother's, felt nice to the touch. He combed his fingers through his hair. His poor attempts to tame his wind ridden locks were unsuccessful. He placed both his hands on the sink, leaning his face closer to the mirror

“Brown hair…” he mumbled, imagining it in his mind. “...Sam.” As the name escaped his lips, a face overlapped over his own in his mind's eye. Hazel eyes, tan skin and brown hair. He couldn't explain it, but it felt right. Why?

“Why?”

There was no answer. He grew frustrated. His eyes narrowed at his reflection, the face visible to his mind but not to his eyes

“Mikaela.”

“Bumblebee.”

“Sam.”

“The hell is going on?”

His bandaged hand burned, bringing his attention to it. He sighed, unraveling it. He was going to take a shower anyway, it's going to get wet. He froze, staring at the palm that was itching the whole day. A black mark appeared. A glyph which brought him confusion first then fear. What was it?

But in the back of his mind, he knew what it was. What that mark meant. What it symbolized.

Allspark

The memories washed over him not a second later

—

“Sam…” he muttered in a daze, “I am Sam.” He lied on his bed, just out of the shower. The water from his wet hair transferred to the pillow his head was resting on. It was uncomfortable but he paid it no mind. 

“Samuel James Witwicky.”

He burst into tears, his mind filled with his previous life’s memories. Of his parents, of his lover, of his car— his best friend, of the Autobots, the soldiers, the battle, Optimus Prime, the matrix, Decepticons, the Fallen, his death.

The grief was overwhelming, the ache in his heart was unbearable as he mourned. He curled into himself, his forehead almost touching his knees as if it would alleviate the pain any

He cried and cried. Longing for comfort from the people that weren't there. He knew this was not his world anymore. He had passed away, his previous body was just a husk now. No one inhibited it inside. He was not Sam anymore. That thought saddened him most

Vincent Benjamin Sully

He shut his eyes closed, grieving for his life lost. Alone. 

He mourned the whole night, not even registering when the sounds of the front door opened and closed. Not hearing the voice of the house's other resident or the footsteps or his bedroom door opening. 

“Vince?” A woman's concerned, gentle voice called. Vince's mother. His mother. “Vinny? You okay?” 

“...please leave me alone.” His voice rasped, but he was too laden with his emotion to register any of the interaction. The door closed. The footsteps retreated 

He slipped into a restless slumber. The people of his past haunted him even in his sleep

Chapter Text

Linda looked over the direction of her child's room, worried for her son. Ever since the divorce a few months ago, Vince had grown recluse. Barely talking to anyone unless necessary. Despite her encouragement, he refused to interact with his peers.  

Guilt and irony filled her as she softly laughed at her own hypocrisy. She wasn't any better.

She leaned back on her chair, nursing a glass of wine in one hand. She watched as a bowl of mac and cheese spin lazily in the microwave. She smiled to herself, proud and grateful of the fact that her son had prepared dinner for her too

The bright smiles and happy eyes may be gone, but the love and care remained

She remembered the first time he smiled after she and her ex separated. She had bought him a car. Second hand. But he was grateful nonetheless, a small smile had graced his lips as his eyes crinkled the way it used to before. And that was the most joy she felt in the years that was full of grief from her ex. It was short lived, but she was happy nonetheless. Got to count the small victories

She knew she was growing distant with her own son. She was tired, exhausted, drained and many more words that she couldn't come up with right now. The hurt and betrayal from the one she had once called the love of her life was still raw. She didn't know if she had the strength to look into her son's eyes and tell him of the terrible actions committed by the man he once considered his idol. But she knew he was already aware. That Vince knew about it. Children can be quite perceptive.

And then comes the other issue. How was she- a woman in misery, drowning herself in work to cope with the pain- supposed to even begin to support a young child while she couldn't even bring herself to confront him?

Gently setting the wine on the kitchen table, she leaned both her elbows on the table with her head resting on her palms. She sighed, "I am such a coward."

And that's where all of her problems stem from, wasn't it? Cowardice. Being unable to confront her ex back when he started changing for the worse. And now she was unable to face her own child. Unable to see the hurt, pain and broken trust in his eyes. She couldn't bring herself to do it. And she felt horrible. The insecurities and fear latched onto her like barnacles. They grew and grew to the point that they slowed her down. She was a broken woman who couldn't even break herself out of her prison to comfort her own child

And tonight was the breaking point

Her child was sobbing his heart out. She heard his pain and grief. How could she not? She is his mother, and he is her child. But apparently that fact was not enough for her to forget her problems for just a moment enough to comfort her son. Her flesh and blood, the one she carried for nine months, the one who brought her the most joy in the entire universe. He told her to go away, to leave him alone. But she made out the underlying need for comfort in his voice. He was calling out for her to hold him as he cried. He wanted her comforting embrace.

But she couldn't bring herself to do so

I am such a coward

She left his room and now she was trying to drink herself stupid because she couldn't handle this anymore

I am such a horrible mother 

Making up her mind, she got up from her chair. She took her cell phone with her as she exited the house. She turns her phone on, staring at the screen blankly for a moment before strengthening her decision. She dialed a number she knew by heart, putting the phone by her ear as it rang. If she couldn't be strong for her child, someone else will. She desperately tried to reason with herself. 

A voice called out from the other side of the call before she could hang up when her thoughts got the better of her, "Hey, little sis!" The voice brought her immense relief, and the ache in her heart immediately alleviated. she barely held back a sob as she answered. "Eddie..."

Her tone gave her away despite her attempt. "What's wrong?" hearing the concern and worry for her, she broke down. She tried to explain as best as she could in-between the sobs as her brother tried to comfort her through the call however he could. 

“Hey, hey. Take deep breaths, okay?” She tried to follow his instructions as best as she could, hiccups and sniffs present all the while. “I am coming over. Take care, okay?” Linda nodded before realising he couldn't see that. “O-Okay…” she said softly 

“Be strong for a little longer, can you do that for me?” Eddie asked gently. “I can do that. Yeah.” She answered, wiping the tears from her face.  

“Alright, then. I will see you soon, my favorite sister.” He said, and she could hear the smile on his face. It was something he said all the time

Her lips quivered into a weak smile as she answered like she always did to that particular statement, “I am your only sister.” 

In the next few hours, after stuffing her face full of mac and cheese and drinking wine like it was a shot, she got ready for her job that was quite a way from Jasper. She was an astronomer, and her main place of work was in an observatory, it was the only one for miles. It was a job she quite enjoyed. She could spend hours looking out into the darkened sky in the observatory’s relative quiet and peace. It helped her pushed her problems to the back of her mind so that she could enjoy a few hours in relative peace

This time she got ready for work with almost a skip to her stride. Her brother would be here later during the day. It has been months since she last saw him. The divorce had been messy and, not to mention the custody for her son, she was incredibly busy trying to get her life back together. But the thoughts of her son immediately dampered her mood. Vince was still sleeping in his room when she last checked

Would he be okay?

Why was she not with Vince right now? He needed her. She halted in her tracks, hands still raised to hold the door knob. It was still dark outside, being that it was midnight. She had returned from the observatory around late evening, her son had already got into bed which she thought was a little odd since she knew he tends to sleep later during weekends.

It was midnight, prime time for her to drown herself in work only to come back later in the evening and then go back to work by midnight again. She even slept in the observatory during the afternoon since she was more or less nocturnal due to the nature of her work. Counting the hours, she realised the time she interacted with her son fell under less than an hour. And even that was during days where Vince didn't have school or was not busy with school work. When he was busy, that time spent together decreased significantly

She pursed her lips, hand falling to the side as she made up her mind. 

She pulled out her phone, making a call. As the receiver answered, she said, “Hello? Yes, Sully speaking. I would like to take the day off, thank you.”

One advantage of being a workaholic was that she got the day off without much trouble. Well, it might also be because of her kind and considerate boss who always nags at her to take rest for once and that she needed to eat more. And also that her vacation days were piling up. Now was a good time to use it up, right?

She started fidgeting with her fingers anxiously as she stood in front of the entrance door. She was so lost in her thoughts and worry for her child, she didn't hear the footsteps approaching her.

“Mom?”

She whirled around with a startled gasp, a hand on her heart. Her eyes landed on the concerned and confused face of her son standing in the junction between the kitchen and living room. His eyes were red rimmed and he seemed tired. His hair was a bird's nest, sticking out this way and that. The image brought a small smile on her face as she approached him, trying to keep the nervousness from her face as much as possible

Standing close to him, she realised Vince was as tall as her now and would grow taller still in the future. The thought saddened her but she fixed the smile on her face, unwilling to show it to her son

“You shouldn't be up, Vinny.” She said gently as she took his face in her hands, rubbing her thumbs over his cheek gently. He seemed surprised by the action but didn't pull back, instead he leaned into her touch and closed his eyes.

“I was thirsty.” She ran a hand down his hair, trying to tame the locks. She placed a small kiss on his temple and retracted her hands. Vince opened his eyes to stare at her slightly confused, “Aren't you supposed to go to work?” He gestured at her attire. She looked down at her clothes and let out a chuckle

“I took the day off.” She locked eyes with her son's eyes, green just like her's. Hair red, just like her too. He seemed surprised and even more confused

“Get yourself a drink and go back to sleep, Vinny. We'll continue this conversation in the morning.” 

“Okay.” Following her words, her son hydrated himself and walked up the stairs to his room. He stopped at the top stair and looked back at her sitting on the chair she previously occupied. “G'night, mom.” the words barely got to her ears but it made her smile grow sadder. When was the last time he said that to her? A few weeks ago, she thinks 

“Good night, Vince.” 

It was past eight in the morning. Sam– no, Vince walked tiredly into the kitchen. The scent of food filled the air, which surprised him. But what surprised him even more was Linda, his mother in this life, bustling around in the kitchen

She was setting plates on the small dinner table and looked up at him with a smile on her face. “Morning.” She greeted softly. Vince simply blinked at her, his sleepy brain taking a few moments to register the words. 

“Mornin’.” He mumbled

He watched her go to and fro the table and the kitchen stove. Quietly, he got out a couple of cups and cold water from the refrigerator and placed them on the table. He turned around to start the coffee maker but paused as he saw his mother watching him with a small bittersweet smile on her face. He tilted his head in question but she just shook her head, “Thanks, Vinny. You make the best coffee.” 

Vince only nodded, deciding not to push any further. Her sad expression spoke for itself and he didn't want to bring up anything that clearly upset her. 

They sat down for breakfast a few moments later. He was the last to be seated since he was the one to bring the coffee for his mother. They quietly eat their food. It was scrambled eggs with tomatoes, couple slices of toasts and stir fried leftover vegetables

His mother always liked to eat a mix-mash of things and he was not a picky eater. But the domestic scene brought back the memories of his previous life. He could see his mother bringing food to the table as he and his father talked, gesturing wildly to emphasize their words. He didn't know he had paused eating and was staring at the space above his plate until a call of his name startled him

“Yeah?” he replied breathlessly. He looked up to see his other mother look at him with a gaze of concern. “Sorry, mom. I was thinking.” His hands involuntarily gripped the cup filled with cold water beside his plate. The precipitation from the cup transferred to his palm, instantly cooling his palm which he didn't realise was heating up. He was slightly annoyed and terrified when he noticed that it was the palm with the Allspark mark

“Vincent…” his mother started. He could tell that she clearly knew he was hiding something but deciding not to speak about it. “I am so sorry.” She said instead. It was now his turn to look at her in confusion.

“What do you mean?”

“I know I haven't been the best mother to you.” 

His lips formed a small o as he realised what his mother was referring to. She retracted her hands from the table and placed them neatly on her lap. She looked like she wanted to break eye contact but was desperately trying not to. The look in her eyes was enough for him to be the one to break eye contact and stare down at his unfinished plate of food. He also placed his hands on his lap, wringing his fingers as he realised what kind of conversing this was going to be

“You are an observant child, I know you are already aware of the current situation.” He still hung his head down, not looking back at his mother. 

“I–” she sighs, “Your… father was changing. Not for the best, either.” She wavered but continued on. “With the divorce and custody, it has been very hard on both of us.” Her voice softened even more. He finally looked up to meet her eyes and was immediately hit with a pang of sadness as his eyes locked with his mother's, whose eyes held such pain and regret and guilt. “And I am sorry that I was not here for you. That I was so selfish that I couldn't see you suffering as well. I am sorry that it took me so long to finally do something about it. And I hope you forgive me, even if I don't deserve it.” 

Silence hung between them. His mother went back to eating, and so did he. 

It was only after they finished cleaning and were doing the dishes, his mother washing and him drying, that he spoke

“I forgive you.” He muttered. His mother paused and then went back to washing the dishes. The previous tense atmosphere washed away. He didn't see the tearful smile on her face, but the relax of her shoulders told him enough

Chapter Text

They first met each other on their walk to school. Well, it wasn't their first meeting, per se, but it was their first after their regression. 

It was relatively early, about 20 minutes before their first class. The day was still cool, she could comfortably stand outside in the Sun without feeling like being inside of a hot oven. The day had started out well for her. She woke up before her alarm clock, so she actually didn't feel like her sleep was rudely interrupted. Her brother had made the best breakfast— toasts with eggs and a cup of orange juice. She didn't forget her homework this time, it was secured in her backpack. And she was even going to arrive at school earlier than usual! Great start, if she does say so herself. She prayed that nothing would go wrong for the rest of the day, please

Of course, she just jinx’d herself

She ran into him. The resident bad boy, his temper as fiery as his hair, his ego as tall as his height and, of course, his hairstyle as bad as his car's paint job. She desperately squashed the itch to save the poor car from the guy's clutches

There, walking towards her, well not towards her really, they just happen to face each other as they walked closer to the school entrance form opposite sides

The itch suddenly grew stronger as the distance between them grew smaller. She couldn't decide if it was due to the fact that she wanted to steal his poor car to rescue it or just wanting to punch him in general. Unfortunately, she didn't get to do either, yet. And the itch just won't stop. She didn't realised that she had stopped walking, lost in her thoughts and desperately trying to resist the urge to scratch at her arm like a monkey to get rid of the unbearable itch 

Her head snapped up to see a face, reeling at the unexpected closeness. She jerked back to create distance but his hand shot out to hold her forearm. Her mouth open to speak but the words died out in her throat

The itch. It was gone

She stared in bewilderment at the guy holding her arm in a firm but gentle grasp. His face of confusion then realisation stared back at her. They stared at each other, as if in a trance

“You're…like me.” He broke the silence between them. But she wasn't focused on his words; rather she was suddenly taken aback by the lack of itch on her arm. The itch that has been bothering ever since she woke up. The itch that was consistently making her life difficult this whole time. The itch in her arm was gone. The itch that was in her arm… the arm which is currently in his grasp

Her body finally caught up with what her brain was processing and she moved away from him with a startled yelp, jerking her limb away from him. Immediately, her face turned red in embarrassment, realising that she didn't hear a thing he had said

“Sorry, did you say something?”

“Oh– yeah! I was– just… I was just gonna say sorry for grabbing you like that! Yeah. That. Sorry.” He broke eye contact, looking down at his shoe in what she thought was embarrassment

“Yes, that– it's cool– It's alright– okay.” She stammered. She felt a tiny bit better that the other person was also as awkward as her

“We're cool?”

“Yeah, of course, we're cool. Super cool.”

“Cool…”

Both of them fell silent. He brought his eyes back up to hers, staring at her with an expression she couldn't identify. He coughed into his fist, looking away. She felt proud for holding eye contact without breaking it herself

“We should get going. Classes are starting soon…” he trailed off looking back at her, rubbing the back of his head

“Oh. Right! Bye!” she gripped her bag straps tightly before running to get to her class

“You shouldn't run–! Bye…” that was all she heard before the double doors closed behind her

Fourteen year old Sierra was watching TV on a weekend. Lost in the screen in front of her and everything fading into the background. She could faintly make out her brother washing dishes in the kitchen, it was his turn to do the dishes, while she had to clean up any messes after they had their lunch

Being so enamored with the screen in front of her, she barely noticed the time passing. So it was understandable that she jumped three feet into the air when she felt someone roughly grab her shoulders and scream ‘Boo!’ into her ears

She whirled around to see her brother leaning on the back of the sofa with a smug look on her face, she held a hand to her chest, feeling her heart pumping at a million miles per hour

“Don't… Don't do that!” She gasped, she wanted to yell at him. To curse at him for such a silly prank though it was funny she had to admit. But the next breath of air had her choking on her saliva. She heard her brother laugh as she was busy coughing a lung out

“Good Lord, Ci,” Her brother, Alex, wiped his tears from laughing too hard. He shook his head, still chuckling. “Now, don't start coughing blood on the sofa.” He teased

Sierra finally recovered and glared at her brother, who only flashed her a grin and ruffled her hair fondly. She took a shuddering breath in, her body still tense from the coughing fit. However, her breath hitched and suddenly she couldn't breathe. She started to panic. No matter how much she force her body to go through the motions of breathing, no air met her lungs

She didn't know what happened next. Maybe she fainted from the lack of oxygen in her body. Or she lost her balance in her panic and slipped, landing on her head and knocking herself out

That could be the only explanation when she opened her eyes and was assaulted with the bright sun rays from the window. Her head throbbed, inciting a groan from her. Nonetheless, she sat up. She noticed she was previously lying on the sofa. She looked around the room, the throb in her head preventing her from making any sense of her situation. A living room, she made out despite the haze of confusion. Everything looked familiar as her eyes roamed the simply decorated room. This was her living room. 

She was in her house. She lived with her brother.

Slowly, the haze of confusion lifted. 

They had a pet dog. His name was… Conan?

She shook her head. No, their dog's name was Fred. Her brother named him. She still remembered the day her brother named their dog after their previous neighbor, despite her protest. 

She looked around the living room again. Her brother should be here, right? Did he go to karate practice? 

She stilled

No. No, her brother has a job. He didn't even do karate. The more she thought of her brother, the image of his face in her mind got more and more unclear

What was her brother's name?

Oliver? Oscar? No, that's not right. Otis? 

That sounded right, but it was also not

Her brother's name was Alex! Alexander! A smile graced her lips. She remembers!

Alex was her older brother and he was her only guardian. He has a job, she wasn't sure what but she knew he worked for the government

But–

She has a younger brother too, Otis. He was in middle school. And he was learning karate. He didn't have a job. He was a kid

Alex was an adult

The more she thought of her brother– brothers– The more the image of their faces were becoming hazy, they were overlapping and it brought the confusion back tenfold

Her hand involuntarily pressed at the side of her head but she hissed when it made contact. She touched her head again, gentler, this time. 

Slowly inspecting her skull, she felt a little bump.

Did she hit her head somewhere? 

Her musing was cut short when she heard a voice call her name from behind her

“Sierra!” A tall man with ginger hair and green eyes stared at her in surprise and relief. It's Alex, her… older brother. A bark sounded and she looked at her brother's feet to see a puppy. That's Fred

But what about Otis and Conan?

“Ci! Look at me.” Suddenly her brother was in front of her, staring intensely at her. She must have zoned out

“Alex?”

“Does your head hurt?” His eyes were green. Like newly sprouted leaves. Like the ones in their backyard. It was a very calming color

“Ci?” She was brought back from her musing, “Does your head hurt?” Again, her hand lifted to touch her head and she hissed as it throbbed in pain. “That answers it.” Alex muttered

Nausea hit her as she leaned back on the sofa and weakly covered her eyes with her hands. “Too bright.” She mumbled. A few seconds later, the light in the room dimmed enough for her to lift her hands off her face and stare at her brother again

Her older brother. Alex. 

Where is Otis?

“My head hurts.” Alex nodded, already moving out of the room. “I'll get some water. Stay there, don't get up.” His voice echoed as he moved to the hallway

She felt a small weight on her stomach and looked down to see Fred. The puppy had half of him on top of her and the other half trying to get up the couch. He was still small, being five months old. She supported his bum and lifted him up to the couch, where he proceeded to snuggle up to her face and lick her face

She slowly stroked his fur. Brown fur, like any of his breed. Belgian Malinois.

Slowly but surely, she felt irritation in her left upper arm. She momentarily stopped petting Fred to scratch at her arm before returning to stroking his soft fur

She felt that she almost drifted back to sleep but startled awake when she felt a hand shake her by the shoulders gently. She looked up to see her brother's face, his concern predominated his expression but his stern frown was present

“Don't sleep just yet.” He shoved a glass of water in her hands. She clumsily clutched the utensil and may have splashed some water on her front. “Drink some water first.” She did as told and placed the empty glass on the coffee table with a loud thud that made her cringe 

Alex took Fred, who was resting on her stomach, in his arms. Still directing his stern frown at her, he jerked his head towards the direction of her room. She nodded slightly, still being careful of her head, and stood up to walk to her room

The vertigo made her stumble but she righted herself. She could see Alex extending one hand to steady her but it hovered in the space between them, not touching her. She took careful and slow steps out of the living room and down the hall and to her bedroom at the end. She heard her brother's movement as he followed behind her. She would have been annoyed, but right now she was just tired and wanted to desperately go to sleep. Her head hurts and she kept thinking about Otis, but he wasn't here. Alex was here. She didn't have a younger brother, did she?

She entered her bedroom and made a beeline for the bed where she carefully lowered herself. As she busied herself by finding a more comfortable position to sleep, her brother shut the blinds of her windows and turned off the overhead lights. The room was purged in darkness but it was an immediate relief for her headache. 

The brother left her room with the puppy in tow after some parting words of coming back every hour or so to check on her. As she lay on the bed and closed her eyes to sleep, confusion took hold as she recalled her previous thoughts

It had just been Alex and her most of her life. She didn't recall having a younger brother. Otis, he– what does he look like? Her brows furrowed as she tried to remember. But remember what? She had never seen him before. How is she supposed to know what he looks like? Sierra and Alex both have ginger hair, does Otis have ginger hair too? But that was not right, he– had brown hair. Curly brown hair.

Like– her mother… who had long brown hair

But that can't be right. Her mother was blonde. Her father was a ginger. And they were both dead

But she had other mother and dad and Otis and– Ron? And Conan, their dog

And yet, her parents are dead, she lives with Alex and Fred

Her eyes opened to stare at the dark ceiling. Absent-mindedly, a hand reached up and pressed her head gently. As her hand retreated, a few ginger strands got caught in between the fingers. She moved the hand to bring them within her sight. She stared at it, then moved her eyes to stare at the strands of hair. They looked brown in the dim light. It was straight and her hair was quite long

Didn't she have brown hair?

It… didn't sound wrong but it wasn't right either. 

Was it curly? Like Otis? But she had ginger hair. How could this be possible? How could she possibly have brown hair when she had never dyed it? 

Her eyes drifted close slowly as her thoughts calmed little by little. And eventually she fell asleep

Only to be woken up not even an hour later 

Her brother, Alex, sat on her bed. A hand retracting, which was most likely the culprit of waking her up. She glared at the hand before redirecting it to the other occupant of her bed

“Hey, wake up.” 

“What.” She snapped groggily, hands pulling her the blanket above her head and trying to fall back asleep

“Nothing. Just making sure you didn't die of internal hemorrhage in your brain.” 

“The what.”

“Go back to sleep, Ci. I'll wake you up again when Mrs Bunty arrives.” She groaned and mumbled something along like the lines of ‘lemme sleep peacefully’

She felt Alex's hand patting her shoulder gently before the bed creaked as he got up. She drifted back to sleep soon enough. 

The memories were hazy and she barely recalled any details. She remembers Mrs Bunty checking on her, flashing light into her eyes and all that. And she remembered the faint annoyance everytime her brother would come wake her up, saying that she had a minor concussion each time she groaned miserably.

She has been drifting in and out of consciousness for almost 12 hours, if what she reads on the clock is correct and she felt like shit. Her room was relatively dark but she could make out all her belongings. She slowly sat up on the bed, head feeling heavy. It still hurt but it was more dull compared to the previous intensity. 

Her eyes landed on her bed side table where a glass of water was placed. She lifted the glass to take a small sip and placed it back down. 

She leaned back on her bed's headboard, exhaling audibly from her nose. She crossed her arms, absentmindedly her nails scratch her left arm before it transition into soft taps against her elbow

“Otis… Conan…” She mumbled, “Alex… Fred…” Her mind was clearer now, it was not fogged by the pain as much. Her thoughts were not drifting as much anymore

Why were those names so important? She doesn't understand but a small part of her was slapping ‘IMPORTANT’ all over those two names and her curiosity had reached a new level.

Pushing those thoughts aside for the moment, she got out of bed and made her way into the bathroom. Her hand blindly slapped the wall in search of the light switch. When her fingers flicked the switch on, the light felt like an immediate assault to her eyes. She closed them and moved towards the sink with years of familiarity to guide her steps

She finally opened her eyes to find her reflection on the mirror staring back at her. Her hair was not as neat as she liked it and her face looked pale and had strands of hair sticking to it. In most cases, this would make her twitch and then immediately tidy herself. But as she stared at her unruly appearance, all she said was, “I have looked worse.”  

Which… was an odd thing to say. For her, that is. She stared down at the hairbrush by the sink counter and then back up at her hair in the reflection. Normally, she would have already gripped the hairbrush to fix her hair back in a more presentable manner but she didn't feel the urge to do so. And that… unsettled her

Ignoring that, she moved on to do her business. Trying to not think about the sudden unease she felt. But what for, she didn't know

She slowly made her way into the kitchen, where she heard Alex quiet movements. Upon entering the kitchen, she saw her brother's back facing her. And yet the first thought that came to mind was ‘Ron’. The thought immediately vanished when her brother turned around to greet her with a concerned look.

“Ci?” He called. She hummed in reply. “You look like you've seen a ghost, you alright?” 

She blinked at his question before nodding slightly, “Yeah. I guess I am still abit out of it.” 

Her brother didn't lose his concern but nodded anyway. “Sit down,” he gestured at the small dining table, “I’ll heat some soup up for you.” 

Sierra did so as told, but she couldn't help but notice how tired her brother looked. “You look tired, Alex.” 

Her brother had turned his back to her to attend to whatever he was doing at the stove. “Don't worry about it. Focus on healing. That was a nasty fall you took.” 

“ ‘Kay.” She continued staring at his back, wondering why she thought of the name Ron of all things.

“Does your head still hurt?” 

“A little.” 

Alex hummed in acknowledgment before they both fell silent. 

Sierra stared down at her fingers on her lap, wringing them anxiously wondering where all these names were coming from. Otis, Conan, Ron. And mom. Alex must have noticed something was off

“You okay?” He asked. Sierra pondered on what to say before deciding to be truthful

“I dunno…” 

“What do you mean?” He asked gently as he set a glass of water in front of her. She took the glass and took a sip before replying 

“Did I hit my head really hard?” 

Alex lifted a brow, “I guess, you were standing up when you passed out and hit your head on the floor.” 

Sierra cupped the glass between her hands, contemplating how to word her question, “Is– is it normal to suddenly start remembering names when you get a concussion or something?” 

“I haven't heard of that…” her grip on her glass tightened at his words. “Why? Are you remembering names?” 

She nodded

“Names of people you used to know like–” before he could continue, she shook her head. 

“No.” She mumbled, “I don't even know people with these names.” 

“What names?” 

“Otis, Conan, Ron…” 

“Ron Weasley?” She turned a flat look at her brother who shrugged with a playful grin. She rolled her eyes

“I keep thinking about… mom.” 

Immediately, Alex lost his grin. Sierra shook her head. “No, not our mom! It's… someone else. But my mind– my heart keeps telling me it's my mom but she's not.” She loosened her grip on the glass to wrap her arms around herself.

“I think about them too, Otis, Conan and Ron.”

She looked up at her brother's concerned face. “But I dunno why. My mind keeps telling me that Otis is my brother. My younger brother. And– and that, Conan is our dog. But–” she took a deep breath

“–But. I am your brother. And Fred is our dog.” Alex finished, his brow furrowing. 

“...is something wrong with me?” She asked meekly. Alex immediately denied it, “No. Nothing is wrong with you, Ci.” he turned around to grab a bowl of hot soup and then placed it on the table in front of her. “Drink the soup, then get some more rest. We'll talk about this when you feel better.” 

His hand moved to ruffle her hair but stilled, remembering her head injury. He instead placed a hand on her shoulder. “Even if there was something wrong, we'll figure it out, okay?” 

Nodding, she hummed softly. She leaned into his touch. Grabbing a spoon, she took an experimental sip of the hot soup and her face immediately scrunched from the heat of the soup

Alex laughed, “Let it cool, Ci. No need to hurry, the soup's not going anywhere.” 

“Lemme have my soup.” She grumbled

“So impatient. Where do you get it from?” 

“From you, obviously.” 

“Hey.” 

Chapter Text

Alex stared down at the small kitchen table. He was sitting on his designated chair, which even had his name in scrawny writing in purple marker on the back rest. The only other chair on the table was his younger sister's, it had her name in neat writing, in the same color like his. Why were their names there? Nine year old Sierra's idea, of course. 

He could feel the buzz of his phone through his pocket, but he ignored it. He leaned both his elbows on the small wooden table, eyes never leaving the pattern of the wood. He could hear the small tick-tick of the clock.

He was tired. It was almost dawn, he had been awake for more than 20 hours. He didn't dare to even take a nap. Sierra was concussed, and despite Mrs Bunty’s reassurance, he was worried. The house was quiet, his younger sister was already sleeping. He had already gone to check up on her multiple times the past two hours, to see if she was still breathing. She was, thankfully, but this deep uneasiness still remained.

And what she told him, about the names, unsettled him as much as it worried him. Otis, Ron, Conan and… mom. It was an unusual dilemma. Did he have to call experts specialized in the brain and the likes? 

His phone buzzed again. He sighed, ruffling his hair in frustration before finally checking what was so important that he had to check in on work when he had specifically asked for a few days off. 

The brightness of his phone screen made him blink a few times before he read the name of the one responsible for all the missed calls.

William Fowler 

What did this guy want with him now?

Nonetheless, he answered it the next time his phone rang. As he put the phone to his ear, his ear drums were immediately assaulted with the loud, unmistakable voice of one pissed off William Fowler

“BOY!” He swears his ears rang for a moment, “Do you have any idea how many times I called you?!”

“Hello.” 

“Don't ‘hello’ me! Why did you not pick up my calls!” he was not shouting anymore but he was still pretty loud

“Did I not send you my three-day leave request? You were the one who permitted it.” 

“Well, yes–”

“I don't see where the problem is.” 

“Recently, the a–”

“I am not the only social officer you hired, sir. There is a whole PR team.” 

“Yes, I know–”

“I have a concussed sibling to take care of right now. I cannot commit to my duties at the moment–”

“–LEMME TALK DAMMIT!” Alex held the phone away from his ear. It was definitely ringing now. He knows he should not be getting on the nerves of his superior but can you blame him? Not to mention Agent Fowler was very reactive. 

“Yes, sir?”

“This child,” he heard the agent sigh. It made him grin. “Our scientists detected a spike of energy or something in your area.” His grin immediately dropped. “Our allies detected it earlier than we did and they believe there might be an increase in activities in the region.” 

“We are already taking measures in case of an attack.” 

“What does that mean for us?” He spoke slowly, trying to not let the waver in his voice show

Fowler sighed again, “Hard to tell. As you already know, we are not helpless but we don't have the advantage here. That's all I have to say. Stay safe, son.” 

Sierra wandered into the living room, Alex saw her from the corner of his eye but he was currently going back and forth from rooms to gather essentials into two backpacks 

Food, water, enough clothes to last them a week–

“...Alex?”

–first aid kit, a torch, a couple batteries for the torch, a few bills of money, whistle, a portable radio–

“Yes, Ci?” 

–documents, birth certificate and the likes, hygiene products, his swiss knife–

All the clothes, the documents and first aid kit went into Sierra's bag, while the heavier items were placed in his.

“What's going on?”

–car keys, where are the car keys–

“There…” he paused in his tracks to answer her, turning around to face his sister, “remember when I told you about my job?” 

His sister stood by the door, a worried expression on her face. Her hair was messy and hung loose, unlike the neat ponytail she usually kept it in. Her eyes were squinted, trying to shield them from the bulb light. She nodded slowly, he continued after her reply

“A lot of the things are classified, so I can't tell you. But there might be… some sort of attack.” 

“What?”

“Don't worry, the military will be here to protect the citizens. We just need to make sure we have everything we need in case of an evacuation.” He reassured her gently. He closed the distance between them and placed his hands on her shoulders. “I'll protect you, okay? Stay calm. Panicking is the last thing we need to do right now. We can panic as much as we want once we are safe, okay?” 

She nodded, albeit hesitantly 

“Is there something I can do?” She whispered. Alex contemplated for a bit before answering, “I haven't collected our family photos. Can you take them out of the frames so that we can keep them with us? Just in case.” 

“Okay.” 

Alex watched her leave the living room before finally getting the last item on the list. He approached the old wooden drawer that stood innocently in the living room corner. There, his car keys were placed on the top. He picked it up and then used one of the keys to unlock the middle drawer. 

He slid the wooden compartment out and his hand picked up the item inside. A gun. He checked to see if the safety was on before shoving it in the back of his jeans. 

Better safe than sorry

Next he double checked all the packed essentials, going through his mental list as he waited for Sierra to bring the photos. It was taking her longer than he expected so he called out her name

But there was no reply

“Ci?” He called again, walking towards the only door on the hallway that was left ajar. He fully pushed the door open as he entered her room, “Sierra?”

He saw his sister standing in front of her desk, all the photos of their family were laid on it. Sierra was standing very still. Did she not hear him? 

“Sierra? What's wrong?” 

She mumbled something. He walked a step closer, worried. “I didn't hear. What'd you say, Ci?” 

“...that's not my name.” Her voice was very quiet and the words made him pause. He approached her slowly and then placed a hand gently on her shoulder when in reach. He partially turned her around and the sight of her face made his eyes widen in surprise

“Ci, what's wrong? Why are you crying?” 

His sister eyes were locked on the photos on her desk, tears streaming down her face. “That's not my name.” She repeated, a sob escaping her. He immediately pulled her into his arms and rubbed her back gently. He felt her clutch his shirt as she wrapped her arms around him. 

“Hey, hey, what's wrong? Are you okay?” He continued asking but his sister just shoved her face against his chest, shaking her head. He felt his shirt getting drenched with tears and his worry worsened as Sierra refused to answer any of his questions.

Her body trembled and her hold tightened around him. Seeing that she was not responding, Alex continued soothing her. He lead them both to her bed and sat down. Sierra sat beside him, still clutching onto him tightly.

“You're okay. You're safe. I'm here, Ci, I'm here.” he avoided touching her skull, instead patting her back rhythmically. Slowly, but surely, she started to relax.

He pulled back from the embrace and held her by her shoulders. He scanned her expression to get a hint about anything that was on her mind. But a flash of red from his peripheral vision made him tense. 

“Ci.” He said tightly, refraining from raising his voice. He released her shoulders and gently clasped her forearm instead, slowly turning it to inspect the deep scratch wounds 

“Did you hurt yourself?” She blinked at the question, her tear filled eyes turning confused. She followed his line of sight and let out a small ‘oh’ when she saw her arm 

“Sierra, did you hurt yourself?” He repeated tensely, his brows furrowing in worry

“I… I didn't notice…”

His other hand lifted her right hand. He noticed her fingernails were covered in her blood, most likely from the scratching. His hands retreated and he stood up, “Let me get the first aid.” 

Sierra remained silent

As he tended to her wound, he would look up every now and then when his sister hissed in pain but she was turned away. She had a distant look on her face. 

After he was done bandaging her forearm, he cleared his throat. That got him a glance. 

“Will you tell me what's wrong?” 

He watched her expression and body language intently. The way she applied more weight on her fingers that laid flat on the bed, her palm lifting, and her pursed lips with the corners barely pulling down– something was bothering her. He patiently maintained his silence

It was quiet for a long moment before she finally spoke

“I think…” he inclined his head to show that he was listening. “That this–” her voice cracked. She cleared her throat

“I think that…” her voice wavered, “...this is my second life.”

Once she started talking, she didn't stop. She talked on and on about everything that she could remember, desperate to share this with someone. Anyone. She didn't want to be the only one with these memories, she would go crazy.

She trusted Alex, her older brother in this life. He was the one who had taken care of her ever since their parents died. He was the one who was there to support her achievements, he held and comforted her whenever she was down– he was always there for her. 

So it made her incredibly guilty to keep one major thing about her past life from him. 

Bumblebee

She had promised she won't tell anyone about him, to keep him a secret. And that meant keeping it from Alex too. 

“Otis was your younger brother? In your past life?” Sierra nodded at his question, “And Ron?” 

“My step-dad.” 

“And Conan–”

“It's the dog.” Alex stared at her blankly for a few seconds before huffing, “That's a much better name than Fred, why didn't I come up with that?” 

“Alex.” She sighed in exasperation. He chuckled

“Alright, alright.” He hummed looking down at her bandaged forearm and then back up at her, “So, what was your name?” 

She paused, not expecting that question, “I guess I didn't tell you that, huh?” 

“My name was…” was– that upset her. Was. All this time she had been talking about her past life in past tense and it saddened her. “Charlie. Charlie Watson.” 

Alex shifted so that he was sitting cross legged on her bed and gestured at her to do the same, “Well, then, Charlie, why don't you tell me about yourself?” 

For some reason, that question had tears gathering in her eyes. She blinked them back and cleared her throat when her voice wavered as she sat up straighter, “What do you wanna know?”

Alex pondered for a moment, “Let's start with the basics. Things you like and stuff.”

She nodded, “I liked repairing machines– cars mainly.” She then added after a moment, “I like pop tarts.”

He chuckled, “of course you do, what about hobbies?” 

“I was… I used to dive, diving, you know? I won many trophies. But I stopped after my… dad died.” She sniffed slightly. Her brother gave her a patient smile which helped her continue, “But, yeah, I work on cars as a hobby.” 

“Any dislikes?” 

“Corndogs.” She replied immediately. Alex looked at her, confused. “I hate corndogs.” 

“...okay.” He replied a few seconds later. There was definitely a story to unfold there but it doesn't seem like the appropriate time yet.

They continued talking for several more minutes, it was almost like playing Twenty questions except only Alex was doing the questioning while she answered

But then came the dreaded question:

“How did you die?” Alex asked 

Sierra felt her entire body frozen over. Images flashed behind her eyes and she blinked them back rapidly. She sniffed

“Let's leave that question for another time.” 

“Alright.” He didn't push the matter. She knew he would never bring it up again if she just asked him not to do so. But she felt compelled to tell him, her heart felt heavy with the guilt of keeping Bumblebee a secret from him, so telling him about her death was the least she could do 

“Did you have any significant other?” There was a teasing glint in his eyes despite his innocently voiced question. Her eyes narrowed, clearly he was trying to get a rise out of her in some way

“I did.” The beginning of a smile on Alex's face immediately dropped, his expression becoming aghast. Now it was her turn to smile 

“Guess who got a lover before you did?” She mocked in a sing-song manner

“Past life doesn't count.” He argued 

“Doesn't matter.” Sierra smirked, her brother looked like he wanted to ruffle her head but held himself back barely. Her smirk grew wider, knowing he won't attempt to mess up her hair even more with her head injury to consider. “At least I wasn't single in one of my lives.” 

“Haha.” His voice was as dry as a desert, “You have no respect for this brother of yours– this is not how I raised you.” Despite his words, there was a fond smile on his face

She smiled brightly in response, “Guess who's to blame for the way that I am?” 

Alex got up from the bed, his hands raised upwards in exasperation, “No respect, I tell you. None!” His voice echoed as he walked down the hall and back to the living room. Her laughter followed after

She could still hear her brother, now lamenting about “adorable 7 year old Sierra” and complaining about how “teenagers have no respect” in an overly exaggerated voice which their neighbors could probably hear with how loud Alex was. She shook her head in a fond manner, already used to her brother's antics

She looked back at her desk, the photographs of her family of this life were scattered across the surface. She got up from the bed and approach her desk, her hand lifting up involuntarily to touch her bandaged arm before she retracted it

She stared down at the photographs. She lifted one up with shaky hands

A family of four stared back at her, all with bright smiles on their faces. 

A man with ginger hair and green eyes, her father. Chris. She and her brother took after their father in terms of looks

A blonde woman with blue eyes stood beside her father. Abigail, her mother. She and her mother shared the same dimple on the same cheek. 

And between the couple stood two siblings– Alex and her. 

This picture was taken just a week before their parents' death

She gathered the rest of the photographs and left her room. She entered the living room where her brother was, who was busy going through the two bags he was stuffing items into just a few minutes ago 

He looked up when she entered and wordlessly accepted the photographs when she handed it to him

After her brother was done packing, he sat down on the couch. She copied him

“Is there anything you regret?” Alex asked quietly. Staring ahead, but she could tell his focus was on her 

“Yes.” She replied just as quietly. She never got to meet Bumblebee again. She had so much she wanted to talk to him about. She regretted the fact that she never sought him out again after they parted ways

There was a moment of silence before her brother spoke again

“Was it painful?” –your death. She pursed her lips at the question. A man's voice rang in her ears as she remembered her last moments as Charlie. 

“Yes, but I was surrounded by people I loved.” She carefully leaned her head on his shoulder, “Don't worry, Alex. There were worse ways to go.” She didn't know why she said that, it wasn't like it was going to help the situation any. That she had died before. 

Her brother took a deep breath and loudly exhaled. She could feel his shoulders relaxing, but he was still too stiff. She looked up at him, “This was not one of them.” 

Alex said nothing

Chapter Text

Vince was in his room, furiously scribbling on a book in, what other people would perceive as, gibberish. But he knew what these gibberish meant, the strokes that formed a letter. Letters that formed a word. And words that formed sentences. The gibberish that was actually an alien script

Cybertronian– Ancient cybertronian. 

He had thought these episodes were gone. His pen nearly tore into the page with how spastic his movement were

With each page filled, his mind became quieter and quieter. Until his mind finally calmed.

He set the pen down on his open book. Almost half of the pages were filled with writings. Well he has been at it for, he glanced at the clock, about 2 hours? He has been sitting for an awful long time.

He opened his palm to stare at the mark that was becoming darker and darker every hour. He pulled the hand back so it hung loosely at his side. He covered his face with his other arm and leaned back on the chair he was sitting

This was the first episode he had in this life and luckily it was considerably milder than the ones from his last. His body was not twitching erratically, he didn't hit nearby object with his spastic movements and he was not spouting things out loud. 

Still unsolicited but definitely better than what it was previously

He let out a deep breath. He wondered how the Autobots were doing– Optimus lived, right? He didn't sacrifice his life for nothing, right? 

His lip quivered. He licked his dry lips. 

How was Bumblebee? Ever since Sam had been bombarded with the knowledge of the Allspark, he had not gotten a moment of rest. But now, in his new life as Vince, he finally had the time to absorb what all this knowledge truly meant. He finally understood what a Guardian bond truly meant to a Cybertronian. He wondered how Bumblebee was handling the loss. Sam's death. His death. 

His parents were there, on the battlefield. Are they okay? Bumblebee took them to safety, he remembered. But what happened after? What happened after he died? Did the Autobots win? Or the Decepticons?

He didn't know

What of Mikaela? She was there, with him. Refusing to go to safety just to stick to him. He remembered her screaming, very vividly. Yelling for Lennox, Bee, Ratchet and then his name

Still when he was in death's embrace, she clung to him

Mikaela– his first love. Yet he never told her how much he loved her

His fingers dug into his face. Not painfully, just enough pressure to ground him

He let out a sigh. Pulling his hand back down and sitting up straight. His eyes fell upon his closed laptop. 

He was aware that this world was not his previous. A different world. The Allspark in his head told him so. The artifact would not stop buzzing with a sense of estrangement

But, he wondered as he flipped the laptop open and started it up, did Cybertronians exist here too? And if they did, have they made contact with humans yet?

“Let's see how useful this knowledge is.” Vince muttered to himself, “Surely, this will help me hack into the military database?” 

It was already dusk when he heard the distant sound of the front door swinging open and then a loud cheerful voice shouting, “WHERE IS MY NEPHEW?!” 

He got out of his bedroom and entered the living room to see a tall man with brown hair and green eyes talking quite loudly to his mother.

It had been quite a long time since he had seen his mother look so happy. 

The man turned and locked eyes with him. The man smiled wide, “Vincent!”

Vince gave a small smile in return, “Hey, uncle Ed.” 

“Boy, you have grown!” His uncle laughed as he clapped him on the shoulder. He then ruffled his head, “And you still have the same haircut, I see.” 

Vince chuckled along with him then sent his mother a confused glance.

She smiled apologetically, “I forgot to inform you, Vinny. Edward will be staying over for–” 

“I am staying over for a while, that's for sure.” Edward finished, “Better get used to it, bud.” He winked

“You must be tired. I will prepare something for dinner.” His mother said to which his uncle nodded, “You should freshen up in the meantime.” 

“If my favorite sister says so.” Edward agreed cheerfully. His mother laughed, “I am your only sister!” She then left the living room and soon enough they could hear her moving about in the kitchen

Edward then turned to Vince, “My memory is a bit rusty. Which way was the bathroom again?” 

About an hour later, the three were sitting at the dining table, eating. Edward was recounting something from his childhood in between bites of food. Linda corrected him with comments about her own memories of their childhood to which he would laugh it off 

Vince watched them silently, a semblance of contentedness on his face. His mother was breaking from her shell, not immediately but she was getting there. 

The house was more lively than it was just a few months ago. Edward brought with him smiles and loud stories that brighten up the quiet residence. 

He continued watching them interact, half an ear listening to their stories. His lips rose up slowly into a small smile. After all the turbulence in his mind, this was the peace he wanted. And he couldn't be happier about it. Despite everything that he had lost, this was the small light that he desperately held onto and he wasn't letting go

With the addition of a lively member to their group, dinner seems to pass in a blink.

Linda cleaned the kitchen, wiping down every surface and collecting all the dirty dishes and bringing them to the sink where Vince was washing and Edward was drying

Despite doing their respective chores, Linda and Edward continued talking, catching up on everything they had missed being states away from each other. And Vince, once again, was being the quiet listener

Vince couldn't help but reminiscent– he could vividly recall this very moment in his memories but with different people 

His uncle nudged him, “Your mother was a riot back in middle school. You have no idea–”

“Edward!” 

Vince chuckled along with his uncle upon seeing his mother's flustered face

During this tiny moment, he felt a disturbance in the air. It was like his sixth sense was ringing. A feeling of foreboding grasped him by the neck.  

He blinked and then suddenly one of the kitchen walls was torn down. He heard his mother scream and his uncle's startled shout.

Vince turned around and saw grey. Muscle memory from his past life had him pushing himself and his uncle away from whatever he just saw. They hit the ground. He heard a crash behind him

Despite his uncle and mother's shouts, he quickly got up and pulled both of them out the kitchen and then out of the front door. He didn't look back, because he already knew what it was

Decepticons, the Allspark in his mind whispered. The loud thumps he identified as footsteps of metal giants further confirmed it

Glad for keeping the keys with him, he quickly got inside his (tacky– hey, who said that?) car. He yelled at both his uncle and mother, who seemed a bit dazed, to get inside. Luckily they didn't argue and followed his instructions

He drove off once they were inside, but where to– he didn't have a clue 

But hey, at least he knows that the Decepticons are here. Surely the Autobots are here too? 

He could only hope. The sounds of loud engine roar sounded behind them and he hoped even harder

“Get some rest.” 

“I am fine, Ci.” 

“You didn't even sleep yesterday. Rest.” 

“Don't worry about me, Ci.” Alex insisted, “I am fine.” 

Sierra gave him an unconvinced look. Alex slumped slightly at her look. 

“I am doing fine, okay? This is not my first time pulling an all nighters.” He tried to reassure her. “Tell you what, I'll get some sleep once whatever is going on is over, alright?” 

She frowned but reluctantly agreed.

Alex smiled, “Let me be the one taking care of you, okay? I am your brother.” His smile turned teasing in a blink, “You may have the memories of your past life, but I am still the older one here, alright? I can't have you taking my authority here.” 

Sierra rolled her eyes. She entered the kitchen, intending to grab a snack. “If you are getting something to eat, get me one too!” Her brother called behind her

“Yeah, yeah.” She muttered. She looked through the pantry and found exactly what she needed

Pop tarts. S’mores flavour. Good enough

She looked through the fridge and found a half filled bottle of orange juice. Taking the bottle out, she poured it out into two cups she took out of the cupboard. She threw away the empty bottle in the trash bin 

Gathering all food and drinks, she went back to the couch where Alex was watching news on the TV. Fred slept soundly by his foot. Alex had spent the better part of the past hour training the puppy to tire him out. It was kinda surprising that it didn't take long to do so

She placed the edibles down on the small coffee table. Alex muttered a ‘thanks’ but seemed focused on the TV. She sat beside her brother on the couch and picked up one pastry 

Not even a few seconds later, she heard the click of a glass being placed on the table and she turned around to see one of the two glasses of juice empty. She then looked up at her brother who was still focused on the TV. She wordlessly bit down on the pop tart, wondering if he had even breathe for a second

They spend the rest of the afternoon and evening together, sitting side by side in comfortable silence

The moment didn't last long

Fred jerked awake

There was a distant boom. The dog began barking

Sierra startled awake from her half asleep state. She saw Alex jolt up to a stand and, without looking, grabbed her uninjured arm to pull her up. She stood up without a word and followed Alex as he rushed to the front door

He picked up his bag that was placed near the door and Sierra did the same, picking up the other bag. Alex then let out a whistle and Fred came running towards them. Sierra wordlessly picked up the pup.

Then, she saw her brother looking out the window and she moved to see what was outside but Alex grabbed her arm and darted for the house entrance with her in tow. She saw a glimpse of a familiar bright light

In an almost out of body experience, she counted down the seconds before it happened. She had been on the receiving end of it a couple of times, so her count down was almost accurate

3

2

1

Alex and Sierra, with Fred in her arms, made out of the immediate blast radius just in time but were thrown forward from the force of the blast

She felt her brother wrap his arms around her and tuck her head to his chest to shield her. She did the same for the puppy. They may have been airborne for a couple of seconds, she wasn't sure. But when they met ground again, the air left their lungs from the impact. Fred let out a pained whimper

Her brother had moved her to the front at the last second and only his back hit the ground. She heard him groan in pain. Scrambling back to give some space to her brother, she began scanning him for any serious injuries. She clutched the puppy as tight as she could without actually hurting him.

Her eyes began to water. She bit her lips to keep the tears at bay 

“Alex!” 

“Oh, man…” he groaned miserably on the ground, “That's gonna bruise.” 

He got up from the ground without further ado and pulled her up as well. She saw him wince and her lips trembled. 

Alex noticed her expression and gave a reassuring smile. “To the car, come on.” He said quietly

Behind her, she heard a familiar noise and saw her brother's face illuminated by a light. She saw Alex's composure crack for a second before he composed himself and ran, dragging her along. 

She didn't need to see to know what was behind. The fear locked her head forward, not daring to look behind. Her heart accelerated and her sight tunnels. 

They made their way to the car parked in front of the garage. They wasted no time getting in. Soon, they were out the driveway and speeding down the road. Sierra still couldn't bring herself to look back

From the corner of her eye, she could see a bright streak passing very close by the passenger side window. The car swerved to the side before righting itself.

Her head banged on the glass window.

She heard Alex worried “Sierra!” and a whine from Fred

Her brother's focus was still on the road but he spared worried glances towards her. She held her throbbing head, wincing. “I'm okay.” 

She straightened in her seat, “I'm okay.” Alex still gave her another glance before returning his attention back to the road

Her brain finally caught up with their situation. She only pulled Fred closer and buried her face into his brown fur, her body trembling.

Alex briefly squeezed her wrist before letting go. She let his unspoken reassurance ground her because, if not, she might just break down there and then

“Vince, where are we going?” Linda's shaking voice broke the silence. They had been driving for a couple of hours now, the cars that had been following them suddenly disappeared but the tense atmosphere still persisted. 

“I don't know, but we need to keep moving.” Was his nephew's tentative answer, body rigid in the driver's seat. Edward worried if his nephew tensed any further, he might just get cramps

It was dark outside, he couldn't see a single light for miles. They had passed an observatory a couple of miles back, it had been the only building around but now there was only the barren terrain that his eyes could see

His sister was visibly shaken. Trembling hands brushing her hair back and slowly massaging her nape to calm herself. He was sure he was any better, fists clenched tightly on his sides to hide the small tremors and his chest lifting too quickly with every breath

The three of them looked a mess, he was sure, but he couldn't help but notice that Vince looked far too composed for the situation.

Really, the only reason Edward even noticed anything about his nephew despite his own panic was that the young boy's calm demeanor almost acted like a tether for his turbulence. He could tell that his sister noticed it too 

The kitchen wall was caved in, for Christ's sake! He had even heard the distant sound of explosions echo behind as they drove off. But even after all that, his nephew was as calm as could be. 

It was a surprise that Edward hadn't screamed what the FUCK at the top of his lungs 

Just where in the world did his 14 year old nephew learn to shake off explosions like that nilly-willy? His first thought was school shootings, but there weren't any here in Jasper. And he knew for a fact that Vincent was born and raised in this small town, a trip or a vacation were the only opportunities where he could have gone outside to even have heard about incidents like this. Watching news about such tragedies was another possibility.

Vincent was a sheltered kid. The only hardship he could have gone through was his parents’ divorce, or that's the only thing that Edward knew of. 

Leaning against the back seat, he stared at the reflection of his nephew in the rear view mirror. He saw his green eyes dart to him for a moment before returning to the road ahead

What he saw in Vince's eyes disturbed him. It was like staring into the eyes of military veterans. The unsettling feeling didn't go away, it just got worse

Heavy footsteps echoed in a brightly lit cave. Blue crystals covered almost every surface, their iridescence made everything looked unbelievably unnatural.

The footsteps were drowned by the sounds of heavy machinery further into the cave. Workers of metal worked tirelessly as they mined, drilled and transferred the blue crystals. Patrolling the area were soldiers of metal, their weapons were not drawn but they remained hypervigilant. Any mistakes in this cave would result in a massive explosion, hence why their weapons were not drawn. 

B-405 continued his patrol diligently, walking beside him was his partner, S-733. Both vehicons passed several miners, keeping a watchful optic over the site. They continued their rounds in silence, exchanging nods with fellow troopers as they passed

Several rounds into their patrol, S-733 spoke, “How much longer?”

His partner barely gave him a glance, continuing a step ahead. S-733 let out an annoyed rumble from his engine, used to being unheard but still annoyed nonetheless. He caught up to his partner and called out for him

“Yes?” Finally, he replied

“You should get your audio receptors checked.” S-733 said to which his partner tilted his helm in question, a very human-like gesture that many of the troops had picked up

“Why?” 

“Sometimes, you don't reply when I call out your name.” He flatly replied

“I see.” B-405 nodded, “What was the purpose for calling my name?”

S-733 let out a sigh that faded into static, “How much longer?” He repeated

“I am assuming you mean ‘how much longer until the end of our shift’,” his partner said, “Which actually ends any second now.” 

“What now–?” 

Simultaneously, every patrolling troops’ comms pinged with a notice from the troop officer to return to their main station in the mine. B-405 continued ahead, not stopping a step for his partner to catch up

S-733 just huffed, feeling exasperated but already used to his partner antics. Just his luck to be stuck with the residential decepticon glitch

However, his partner stopped dead in his tracks. Helm tilted as if he were listening to something. Before S-733 could even say another word, B-405 transformed into his vehicular mode and drove off. 

S-733 called out after his partner in surprise, only to cut himself off when a few of his fellow troops also passed him in their vehicular mode. Immediately, his comms was filled with the voice of their officer asking them what was going on

:Every Vehicon to the main station! Now!:

That was enough for him to break out of his stupor and transform to hurry to the main station

:B-405, where are you going?!: he send through his comm link only to get silence in response 

He reached the main station and saw several of the Vehicons, like himself, were missing a partner.

All the reports from several of the witnesses were the same. The missing Vehicons had just… left. Thankfully, another batch of Vehicons had already been dispatched for the next shift. The previous patrolling Vehicons were ordered to return to the ship and to Knockout's Med-bay, for a medical evaluation

S-733 sighed to himself, just his luck