Author's Note: This is my first fanfiction for this particular fandom and I hope I did the characters justice. This is in no way an excuse, but seeing as this piece is based off of the movieverse, there is only so much one can write about them in terms of the characterizations available—especially in light of the last movie. In addition to this, there may be a teeny bit of spoilers threaded within from the second movie.
This hasn't been edited too well seeing as I have been swamped with work and I was mostly in a hurry to post this as soon as it was done as I am prone to forgetfulness.
My apologies in advance. I hope this nonetheless evokes the kind of response from you as thinking about it did for me.
The house is quiet.
The curtains billows with the winds that come through the open windows, soft sunlight filtering in to crawl across the shiny wooden floors, along the worn out sofa and chasing away the shadows from the numerous pictures atop shelves and the mantle.
A muffled sound is heard from somewhere upstairs.
Few moments pass until a pair of shoes appears atop the flight of stairs.
They pause, as if the person to whom they belong to is taking in everything with one sweep of a gaze.
Then, a hand rises slowly and rests atop the handrail.
Even more slowly, the hand drags along the old wood that is very much a part of the house that was—is—their home.
The sound of a car horn pierces the silence that has settled upon the house for a number of days now.
X X X X X
The garden is just as they left it. The flowers she loved to spend time with—that she has learned to love and appreciate, really—since they first moved in is in full bloom. He smiles as he places down his overnight bag back on the ground and makes a move to retrieve some for her.
"We should go." A voice as familiar as his own nearly surprises him, but it doesn't.
"I know. I just need to get some of these for her." His hand shakes as his age betrays him in the midst of stooping down to pluck a couple of her favorites.
"Dad, Mom will be pissed if you actually defile her garden."
He snorts in reply. "Bah. She'll love it and you know it. She just hates it when the flowers are picked for anyone else but her." He then grins just as his son swoops in to retrieve the colorful blooms and lays a hand on his forearm.
"Dad, we should go. Bee's waiting for us."
"I know, I know." He turns to look at his only son and cannot help that shot of immense pride at the knowledge that he and his wife made this—him, a son, a miracle.
"Have I told you how damn proud I am of you?"
His son manages a grin, "Not often, really. But hey, I say I can stand to hear it a couple more, you know?" And he smiles in return.
No more words are needed.
X X X X X
He glances at his dad from the driver's seat and notes that he is preoccupied with the passing scenery. Bee knows well enough to take over the driving for now as he is busy contemplating the past couple of days.
His mom has been in the hospital for nearly a week now. His wife of five years called him earlier to tell him that she was bringing their kids in to see their grandmother for what may be the last time.
The doctors didn't have to say anything else. The look on their faces was more than enough. He reckons he didn't have to say anything to his dad either. They were returning to the hospital to spend what time was left with her.
Heaven knows his mom and dad may have been a source of embarrassment for him every now and then, particularly back when he was a teenager, but they are his parents. He smiles inwardly at the memories of how through all their years together, they never tired of showing how in love they remained—and remains. That in itself may have been the source of teasing and ribbing he'd get from his friends but who was he to complain?
Well, save for that one afternoon he came home early from school…
He may have shuddered at the memory back then but now, it makes him smile.
They gave him everything and helped make him into who he is today.
I will wait here.
Bee's voice startles them both out of their thoughts, realizing that they have reached their destination and the younger Witwicky replies softly, "Thanks, Bee."
Notably, the mech realizes that his silence is a better form of reply and the often hyper and chatty guardian remains still as two members of his family crosses the parking lot and into the building that is supposed to heal and 'repair' humans. Yes, his family. The Witwicky family was his just as much as the rest of the autobots were.
X X X X X
Only a few hours later would the Witwicky clan realize that a number of conspicuous vehicles were lined right below the window of the room upon which they were to say their farewells.
As if to bid their own goodbyes…to stand in honor, pay their respects.
X X X X X
Looking back
He sees it all
It was her first date the night he came to call
She greets them with a faint smile, a hand struggling to reach out to her husband. He grasps it with all the strength left in him, struggling with himself not to shed a tear. She lifts her eyes up and gazes at her son.
"Sam."
"Hi, Mom." He nearly chokes on his words.
Her face is lined with a question he already knows. He motions to the other side of the room with a tilt of his head.
She turns and sees the rest of her family. Her smile strengthens in the knowledge that she is surrounded by her loved ones.
Her gaze returns to her husband as she takes her other hand to stroke the side of his face gently.
In that moment, it was just the two of them in the room.
The rest silently agrees to leave them be.
X X X X X
Her dad said, "Son, have her home on time
And promise me you'll never leave her side."
He took her to a show in town
And he was ten feet off the ground
Who would have thought that going out with him would be the start of the rest of her life? She admits that theirs wasn't necessarily a first for both of them. After all, she had hers when she was fifteen years old, with a boy who barely remembered her name as he was too busy trying to act all manly and cool. And he had his when he was sixteen and with a girl who was just as shy if not even more so than he was.
Not to mention, their first date wasn't technically THEIR first.
Mikaela would rather that their first time out was that night when she took a chance and rode in the car with Sam. Hardly romantic but it surely made up for originality with the fact that they were running for their lives.
But for that first 'second' date of sorts, her dad, for all his faults, was every bit as protective of his daughter as any father would be. He had missed a lot during her first forays into dating but he'd be damned if he was going to miss grilling the man who supposedly helped set him free. He knew, from what little she had shared before, that she hadn't exactly been lucky with most of the guys prior to him. Sam Witwicky was a bit of a puzzle at first to the older Mr. Banes. A puzzle as to how a boy like him could possibly exist.
After all, Sam didn't necessarily stand out upon first impression.
Except there is something to be said about a boy who faces down a general of the United States' army, arguing that his girlfriend's father should be released and given a chance to live as a new man.
And thus, Mr. Banes decided he will do.
Shrugging inwardly, he mused grilling the boy was to tease him as well as give him fair warning. No matter how in debt the older man might feel towards the young one, hurt or disappoint his daughter and Sam becomes fair game.
Fortunately, he never did disappoint.
He was walking her home
And holding her hand
Oh the way she smiled it stole the breath right out of him
Down that old road
With the stars up above
He remembers where he was the night he fell in love
He was walking her home
Sam Witwicky was different. Where other guys thrived on throwing about their pride in their manhood, Sam thrived in showing her what he could do for her with said manhood. Or what he couldn't. He took pride in the fact she knew even more about cars than he did. Where other guys she dated before placed restrictions upon her, Sam made no secret of his 'fear' of even uttering the words 'forbid' and 'can't do it' to his girlfriend. He pushed her to do her best, encouraging her, reminding her that there was basically almost nothing that she couldn't do if she set her mind to it.
Aside from the popularity that his knowledge and relationship with the 'bots brought him, he remained steadfast in leading a normal life as much as possible, with the girl he loved more than anything else in the universe. If he ever threw his garnered 'weight' and favors owed around, it was for her. He never spoke of it but Mikaela knew through a certain retired Gen. Lennox that Sam probed the American government to provide her with a college scholarship. His words according to Lennox were that "She practically deserves it more than I do. Hell, I'm pretty sure she's smarter than you and I put together!"
His staunch belief in her alone would always be one of the things she loved most about him, nearly as much as the fact that he loved her right back.
She never looked back after that.
X X X X X
Ten more years and a waiting room
At half past one
And the doctor said "come in and meet your son"
Mikaela is startled out of her thoughts as Sam brushes a lock of her hair aside and smiles at her with that spark in his eyes that made her look even closer at the boy that was him the first time he offered her a ride home. The same eyes he happened to pass down to their only son and that made her take a chance in him.
His knees went weak
When he saw his wife
She was smiling as she said he's got your eyes
He claims that his eyes of course had nothing on her smile and eyes that their kids, particularly their daughter, in turn inherited from Mikaela.
And as she slept he held her tight
His mind went back to that first night
He was walking her home
And holding her hand
Oh the way she smiled it stole the breath right out of him
Down that old road
With the stars up above
He remembers where he was the night he fell in love
He was walking her home
Their years hadn't all been easy.
There were days when they would fight and sleep most certainly wouldn't come easy. Sam's continued involvement with the 'bots would often put him in danger, frightening her in ways that she could not be assuaged until she sees him by the door, looking tired and none too weary but nonetheless whole and safe.
He walked her through the best days of her life
He would offer her a smile and it was like their entire argument could be forgotten in that single act. Her arms would wrap around him, feeling his own return her tight yet gentle grip. Soft padded footsteps would follow, and little arms would wrap around their legs. They will laugh, picking them up and swaying gently into the night. Despite the lack of any kind of music, they were together, their kids were safe, and they had all that they needed in that single moment, all within reach.
Sixty years together and he never left her side
X X X X X
A nursing home
At eighty-five
And the doctor said it could be her last night
And the nurse said "Oh, should we tell him now,
or should he wait until the morning to find out"
"Sam."
Her voice breaks through his reverie.
"'Kaela?" He questions right back with a smile.
She pats the bed beside her.
His smile widens and stretches into a grin.
She emits a faint laugh. "Oh, don't even think about it."
"Hard not to." He shoots back with a leer.
Even after all these years, he never fails to put a smile on her face, to make her happy. Just like he promised.
It was a quiet night for once. One of the rare ones wherein they can kick back from being students, daughter, son, friend and liaisons to the ever changing dynamic the autobots had with their government.
"'Kaela?"
She is ensconced in his arms, pretty much akin to that night back in Egypt when they were struggling to find a way to save the world, save Sam himself and somehow bring Optimus back to life.
Mikaela burrows her head even further into his chest, "Yeah?" she mumbles, feeling way too comfortable and beginning to feel drowsy in fact.
"What do you think…about…" he trails off.
She raises her head a bit and stares at him in further question.
"What is it?"
"It's just…I was thinking…about you know…what happened the last time…you know…in Egypt and I…well…I'm not saying—" Mikaela knew that if she didn't cut him off anytime soon, he was likely to start rambling and then it would take awhile to get him calm enough to get his point across.
"Sam!" She cuts him off.
He snaps his gaze back at her at the rise in her voice. However, only a look of amusement greets him.
He smiles sheepishly, picking up her hand and fiddling with her fingers as she straightens up a bit and asks, "What is it, Sam?"
"What do you think about spending the rest of our lives together?" He says softly and so suddenly that it elicits a gasp from her.
She thought that he would have needed a few good more prodding from her before he answered her question.
"Are you…" she trails off but continues after a beat.
"Are you asking me, Sam?" her voice just as soft as his. He looks straight into her eyes as he answers in a slightly shaky tone of voice, "I know it may be sudden, and I know we're still young. However, I think we all know too well that we haven't got forever. A lot can happen, be it in a war or just crossing a road." He smirks self-deprecatingly as he reminds her "You know me and riding bikes."
She laughs lightly at the joke, easing the tension that this new conversation has brought on.
"The thing is, I am absolutely sure that there can't be anyone else but you, Mik. You're IT for me. Can I be IT for you as well?" He asks.
A couple of seconds, minutes, or hours may have passed but even as she notes that Sam has that look of fear in his eyes, one thing is certainly clear. His eyes reflect the same feelings she's pretty sure she's sending him right back. Only one answer is possible.
"You're IT for me too, Sam." And his goofy smile is back just as he swoops down to capture her lips in a kiss.
When they part, she has to ask, "Is it safe to assume I am to call you by another title altogether now?"
"If you want to." He replies, and then hastens to clarify as he sees the furrow between her brows.
"If you ask me, I would announce to the rest of the world my intentions at this very moment—well, as soon as I get a hold of Bee, of course, if that is what you wanted. No better way to announce it than through a 'bot, I assume. Also, I would marry you in a heartbeat. I admit we have a lot of preparation to do but what the heck, we can do anything we set our minds to. After beating a bunch of Decepticons? Pshaw, what's planning a wedding?" He snorts at his own joke and Mikaela slaps him lightly on the chest. Her boyfriend and his rambling, she muses affectionately. Then she corrects herself inwardly. It'sfiancéenow.
And a 'wedding'.
It's a word she practices within the confines of her mind and she's happy to realize there's only one man she can see beside her in that moment of fancy where she imagines how that special day could be.
Then, he immediately turns serious.
"I should let you know by now, Ms. Banes, that I have a lot of plans for us, plans I hope you'll share to dream with me and in good time, draw into reality. One thing for certain that I want to promise you though."
It is as if the dorky young boy has been replaced with a full grown man, his eyes piercing hers as he utters words they both know with all their heart to be real and meant never to be broken.
"I promise to make you happy, keep you happy and make you happy all over again."
She tries to lighten the mood by saying that maybe after fifty years he'll allow her to return the favor.
"You already do everyday." He replies with a shrug and a grin.
X X X X X
He draws her even closer to his body, arms wrapped snugly around her. Mikaela keeps one arm draped across his waist, and with the other she lays it tightly between them, a bridge between where their hearts supposedly lay.
"Thank you, Sam. For all these years, for the kids, for loving me…" She trails off.
He shushes her as a tear escapes down the side of her face. "I should be thanking you, Mikaela. But let's not get into technicalities or we'll be bickering over who deserves who again," he chuckles, and then he continues,
"We still have time. This isn't goodbye."
She shakes her head lightly. "You and I both know—" She pauses, and looks back up at him. "We had a good ride in the car, Sam. I was right."
He frowns in silent question.
She smiles brightly at him, the first in a long while since she has been confined to the hospital.
"I am glad I got into the car with you, Mr. Witwicky."
His eyesight becomes blurry.
This time, it's her turn to comfort him. "Don't cry, Sam. I'm pretty sure you can still pick up a new hot chick with Bee as your car." She jokes.
He snorts, "I don't want another chick." He almost sounds like little Sammy back when he was a toddler, whining about how he wanted to get back inside Bee and "go for a spin."
"I dunno 'bout that. I mean, it seems times haven't changed much. Cars seem to still make a hell of an impression on the ladies in spite of who the driver is." Her nose wrinkles in that familiar look of distaste, such as that time when he was chosen to show a new member of the team around. A female member of the team.
"You're IT for me, 'Kaela. Don't you remember?" His voice breaks once again.
"Oh, Sam." She snuggles even deeper into his arms if that were possible and he simply burrows his face into her hair, her scent lingering and familiar yet oh so unique.
He loves this woman and knows there will be no one else.
He notices her breathing is beginning to even out.
He knows that their time is near.
"I love you, Mikaela. I always have and always will." He whispers.
"I love you too, Sam." Her eyes flutter open as her eyes light upon him, a smile gracing her features.
He leans down to kiss her.
This one lingers, and he notes that she's falling asleep.
He lets her go, tucking her head closer to his and as he cries, he wills himself to sleep.
X X X X X
When they checked her room that night
He was laying by her side
It is all too quiet when Sam and Mikaela's two children, along with their grandchildren and great grandchildren crowd around the bed.
Oh he was walking her home
And holding her hand
Oh the way she smiled when he said "This is not the end"
They didn't have to look any closer to know that wherever they've gone, they are still together.
Somewhere, it's as if nothing has changed.
And just for a while they were eighteen
And she was still more beautiful to him than anything
They're atop another yellow Camaro, entwined together and looking out at the setting sun. Soon they'll have to go home but for that moment, they're content in staying within each other's grasp.
He was walking her home
He was walking her home
Author's Note II: Well, that's it, folks! The title of this story is based on the song used in this very fic. Check it out over at YouTube. Walking Her Home by Mark Schultz. It's what inspired this all in the first place.