FOUR YEARS AFTER THE EVENTS OF T2

Mikaela hummed as she puttered around the office. Her auto-shop was closed down for the evening, but she'd stayed behind to catch up on paperwork. She eyed the pile of invoices with distaste. It was the only downside to running her own business. Whenever she complained to Sam, which, she had to admit, was often, he'd shake his head and tell her to hire some nerdy kid from the high school to do it for her. "And not one of those dorky, cute nerds like I was either."

With a sigh, she settled into her favourite spot on the couch and pulled the stack of papers towards her. An hour later, Mikaela was almost finished. She sat up straighter when she heard a noise coming from the garage.

If it were any of the Autobots, or Sam, they'd have made themselves known right away. Two Autobot/Decepticon wars had taught her to shoot first and ask questions later. Slowly, her hand inched towards her purse on the floor. Her eyes trained on the door to the office, she closed her fingers around her most prized possession (aside from Sam, of course). Captain Lennox and Corporal Epps had gifted her, and Sam, with plasma-firing handguns after the debacle in Egypt. Although why they trusted Sam with a weapon was beyond her sometimes. As she stood from the couch she slid the gun out.

There was another noise. If she hadn't been paying attention Mikaela wouldn't have even heard it. Now though, it was enough to make her chamber a round, and flick off the safety. Gun trained on the door, Mikaela slipped backwards until she felt the corner of the room press solidly against her shoulder blades. Had she still been on the couch the blast that rocked the room would have knocked her out cold. Gun up, she fired a round at the giant metal hand that came through the remains of the doorway. There was a metallic screech and the hand drew back. She thought about going for her cell phone, calling Sam, or Bumblebee or even Lennox or Epps. Before she could move though, a smaller Decepticon was shot at her and wrapped around her wrist like some horrific bracelet. Mikaela squeezed the trigger, determined to fire another plasma round at the Decepticon. Fire raced through her body. She opened her mouth to scream and found she couldn't even do that.

"It is amazing how easily your puny, carbon-based life-forms are controlled." Mikaela breathed in, trying to calm her panic. She'd had nightmares about that voice for months after the Egypt debacle. "Walk outside where I can see you."

She tried to fight the command coursing through her body, but the more she fought, the more pain flowed through her. When it brought her to her knees, she nodded. "Ok." She grit out, teeth clenched against the agony.

Slowly, Mikaela pushed herself upright and shuffled to the outside office door. Megatron was waiting for her. His red eyes bore into her as she moved further into the lot.

"What do you want?" Even to her ears, her voice sounded weak, and scared.

"Sam Witwicky." Megatron's grin turned nasty, "And you're going to hand him to me on a silver platter."

Tears filled Mikaela's eyes, "No. I won't." She shook her head. "Not, Sam."

"Oh, I think you'll find that you will." Megatron gestured to the bracelet, "That will make sure you do." His smile was cruel as he continued, "You're going to break up with Witwicky. Painfully." He paused, "I want him broken and you're the way to accomplish that."

He beckoned someone forward from behind him, "And when the time is right, Carly here will slip into his life, and replace you."

The fembot was blonde, like the last one, but she was prettier. Megatron could have easily plucked her from the runway of Victoria's Secret. She had full, pouty lips, perfect hair, a flawless complexion, and legs that went on for miles.

Mikaela forced herself to snort with derision. "Really? You honestly think Sam's going to go for the first blonde bimbo that crosses his path? Wow. Brilliant plan." There was a tingle of pain in her wrist.

"Careful, girl. Your dead body could easily achieve the same results."

Mikaela swallowed. Her thoughts raced, but at the moment she didn't see a way out. Not without help, and that was non-existent. She looked at the fembot again, committing her stupidly perfect face to memory. She lowered her eyes to the ground, "Fine. I'll do it."

"You have one week. Once your task is complete, the bracelet will come off on its own." Megatron and his fembot turned and disappeared into the night.

Mikaela turned and walked back into the office. If she was going to do this, it had to be believable. Staying in town was out of the question. Sam would never take the breakup seriously if she did. She had enough money squirrelled away to open up another shop somewhere else. She'd put her manager, Todd, in charge of the store here in California. Her dad would stay on, Mikaela doubted his parole officer would allow him a cross-country jaunt.

Mikaela gripped the back of her office chair until her knuckles turned white. She steeled herself, she could do this. She couldn't save Sam from that fembot if she were dead. She'd cry and break down once she was out of Sam's life, and far away. The thought made her pause and take a shaky breath. She'd been with Sam since they were sixteen. Almost six years now. That was longer than most Hollywood marriages.

Mikaela flung the chair to one side. It wasn't fair! She and Sam had been through everything together. Two alien wars, all the bullshit that came with high school, a long distance relationship (complete with devious, predatory fembot). To be torn apart now, after everything they'd been through was unbelievable. She wanted to break down sobbing at the unfairness of it all, but the Decepticon around her wrist sent a twinge of pain up her arm.

Taking a deep breath she drew herself up and squared her shoulders. She could do this.

"What do you mean you're breaking up with me?" Sam looked confused. "Mikaela, come on. Who else could be my girlfriend but you?"

Mikaela forced a look of exasperation on her face. She'd hopped on the first flight to Berkley and surprised Sam at his dorm in the morning. "I mean exactly what I said, Sam." She glanced away, "This isn't working. I can't be in a long distance relationship with someone who's more involved with his car than his girlfriend."

Mikaela winced internally as she saw Sam flinch. It was a low blow, but when she'd tried to be gentle about the break up the bracelet had sent a white hot flare of pain up her arm. She'd have to go for it, and make this as awful as possible.

"Look, I just want something more out of life than waiting for the next alien war. Running for your life isn't exactly healthy for a relationship."

Sam gaped at her. Normally he'd have some witty comeback (she almost smiled at the memory of their argument four years ago "Like diesel. There was a diesely tinge to it…") but now he was silent. Feeling awkward she picked up the box at her feet and thrust it at him. "I brought the important stuff. Everything else I'm shipping to your parents' place."

"What? You're not going to drop that off yourself too?" Mikaela could see the way Sam's fists clenched before reaching out to take the box from her.

"I'm moving." She looked away again. She had never been good at seeing Sam in pain. "Wheelie's going to stay at the shop, but you're welcome to him once you're out of school." She paused, "Same with Bruiser."

"Mikaela," Sam started,

"No, Sam." She forced herself to meet his eyes. "We're done. For good."

18 months later

The shrill ring of her military issue cell phone had Mikaela bolting upright in bed. The curtains were pulled but some of the mid-morning sun managed to creep through. Fumbling she managed to flip it open on the fourth ring.

"Hello?" Her voice was scratchy with sleep.

"Mikaela? It's Epps. We've got an Autobot/Decepticon war brewing in Chicago. Sam's in the middle of it. I need you to—"

"I'll be there in 4 hours." She cut Epps off and flipped the phone shut.

Rolling out of bed she threw her hair into a pony-tail, and grabbed her go-bag from its spot in the closet. A pair of worn blue jeans, and a black, three-quarter sleeve shirt were pulled out next. Just as she finished tying her combat boots, the phone rang again.

"What?"

"Mikaela, it's Lennox. I didn't have Epps call you so you could go running head first into danger. Keep your head down, and we'll get a hold of you once everything's settled and Sam's safe."

The line went dead before she could answer. She glared at the phone in her hand, "Like hell I will."

Ten minutes later she was in her '67 Shelby GT 500, go-bag in the trunk and her gun bag on the seat beside her. She'd learned a lot in the eighteen months since she left Sam. She was proficient in hand-to-hand combat, and a decent shot now. There was no way she could take on an Autobot by herself, but she wasn't going to be a hindrance either.

Once the Decepticon bracelet had come off (and she'd shot it for good measure), Mikaela had gotten in touch with Corporal Epps and Major Lennonx. She gave them the CliffNotes version of what happened, and explained that until Megatron was defeated she couldn't go back to Sam. Epps had been the one to offer her a position in their new program. The military was training civilians who had come into contact with Autobots and Deceptecons. "For now it's a pretty short list, but I think you'll do well."

It had been hard work and gruelling hours, but Mikaela was proud of how far she'd come. Her auto shop was doing well, and Epps had asked her to help recruit new members to the civilian team. It had been hard without Sam. Finding her way on her own after having him to lean on for six years had been daunting. But she'd done it. And she was damn proud of herself for making it on her own.

Throughout the four hour drive Mikaela's cell phone had gone off intermittently. She ignored it. Even if she hadn't been doing 125mph along the I-55, she would have ignored it. Sam was in danger…again. There was nothing they could tell her that would make her slow down, or wait. For once, she was going to be the one to save Sam.

When she got to the Chicago City limits she was forced to slow down. The roads were filled with panicked people trying to flee. As she eased her Mustang through traffic, she reached over and opened the glovebox. One-handed she rolled down the window and stuck the cherry light to the roof of her car. "Thank you Department of Homeland Security." She said as cars started to clear a path for her.

She could see the trail of destruction at the heart of the city. It meandered back and forth across the river, indiscriminate of which buildings it took down. Finding a deserted-looking alley, Mikaela parked her car. From the trunk she pulled a fake car-boot and slid it into position around one of the front tires. She took a Kevlar vest, a modified shotgun, two hand-guns and their leg holsters, and several clips of plasma rounds from her gun bag before stowing it in the trunk.

Flipping her cell phone open she dialled Epps' number.

"I'm a little busy right now!"

"It's Mikaela. I'm in Chicago. Just tell me where you are and I'll come to you."

"Shit. We're on the South side of the Michigan Ave bridge. Be careful, Mikaela!"

As Mikaela pulled the Kevlar over her head and strapped it into place an explosion rocked the city. Swearing, she clipped on her leg holsters, shoved guns into them, and headed out into the sunlight, shotgun in hand. The streets were chaos. Rubble and bodies everywhere. Four years ago, she would have been running through the middle of the street, screaming Sam's name. Time, and training had broke her of that that. Keeping to one side, she moved from cover to cover.

It was slow going, but she eventually made her way to the Michigan Ave. bridge. The battle looked like it was wrapping up. Epps caught sight of her as she came towards the group.

Once her shotgun was safely out of the way, Epps swept her up into a hug. "Sam's ok, Mikaela. Everyone's ok."

Once he put her down, Mikaela picked up her shotgun, and followed him further along the bridge.

When she saw Sam, her heart stopped. For a second she thought he was running towards her, but instead he swept a blonde up in his arms and kissed her. When they broke apart, and the blonde turned around Mikaela saw red. It was the fembot that had been with Megatron when he'd threatened her.

Without thinking her shotgun swung up, "Sam! Duck!"

The plasma round threw Carly back onto the pavement. Sam scrambled to his feet, "What the hell, Mikaela?!"

Lennox and Epps, were yelling behind her as she moved forward, gun still up. Sam was screaming at her, calling her all kinds of crazy. Behind him, Carly was picking herself up. Half her face was melted away, revealing the robotics inside.

"I told Megatron we should have killed you."

Mikaela fired off another round. "That's for kissing my boyfriend!" She took another step and fired again, "That's for dissing the Autobots." The Carly-bot was mostly mangled pieces on the ground, but Mikaela lined up one last shot, "And this? This is for making me break up with Sam in the first place." She fired. The Decepticon twitched and then lay still.

She turned back to the Autobots and humans behind her. Carefully avoiding eye-contact, she reloaded her shotgun.

"Mikaela," Sam started.

"I don't wanna hear it, Sam. I can't believe that, once again, you fell for the first blonde bimbo to cross your path after me."

"You left me, Mikaela. You left, and moved away, and shattered my dreams of spending the rest of my life with you!"

"I didn't want to! Megatron gave me a choice. Break up with you, or he'd kill me and get the same results."

She moved forward and took his scarred hand in hers. "I never wanted to leave you. Who else could be your girlfriend, Sam?" Her eyes searched his face for signs of the Sam she knew. "The only reason I left was because Megatron put that stupid bracelet on me."

Sam sighed and moved closer. "Don't leave me again, Mikaela. I end up with fembots, and horrible, horrible things happen."

Mikaela smirked. "…Couldn't get a job, huh?" she said as she pulled him in for a kiss.