not_so_smooth | Dated June 11th

It had been hours since he had seen the movie and the initial rage and shock had worn off. Some of the things his friends had done for him had helped, but nothing could truly make what he had seen better. Now he just felt numb.

He needed Cassie. He was glad that she wasn't there to see the movie with him, because he wouldn't want her to see him going through all that. Not what was happening on the screen or what he had done in response to it. But he needed her now.

When he neared the hut, he was relieved to hear her inside of it. It was weird how quickly he had become accustomed to the sounds of her living there. They were comforting. Sure there was the regular problems about who slept where on the bed and whether it was big enough, but overall living together had been pretty good.

Opening the door without saying a word, Sam just walked up to her and hugged her, holding her tight and taking solace in the knowledge that for right now, Cassie was something that was safe, something that was sure.

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From:

thethirdwonder

Cassie had just been puttering around, putting clothes away, picking up stuff, feeding Iris, those kinds of things. She wasn't the best homemaker or anything, but she found that living with someone made her care more about what their space looked like.

She'd heard Sam come in but she was in the process of feeding a very hungry Golden so she hadn't said anything. She was just putting the food away when she was hugged, quite tightly and suddenly.

There was a pause as she blinked in surprise before she wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him back, giving him the strength and support he was obviously looking for. "Hey...what happened? You okay?" She asked quietly, not even bothering to hide her concern.

From:

not_so_smooth

"There was another movie," he said, not moving from where he was wrapped around her. Having her hug back felt good, it was exactly what he needed and as far as he was concerned he wasn't moving from this spot for a long time.

"So many people die, Cassie. The Decepticons invade and just... millions. Millions of people probably died in the invasions and there's nothing I can do about it. I know about it, I know all about it and how to stop it but I can't do anything because I won't remember any of it if I go home."

From:

thethirdwonder

When Sam said there was another movie, Cassie stiffen slightly. She'd seen the first two movies and she knew he was from the second one. If there was a third...he was seeing his future. And she knew what a burden that is.

"Oh Sam...That sounds terrible. But," then she sighed, "you can't let it get to you. I know it's hard but there's nothing you can do." And she would be the first one to admit how hard doing nothing was.

From:

not_so_smooth

"I can't- I can't just act like it's not going to happen," he said, breathing in deeply and trying to calm himself down. He was just going to get all worked up again and he really didn't want that.

"And I know you're not saying that but how do I not let that kind of destruction get to me? I thought- I thought Bee was dead, then I had to watch him almost die again and... fuck, I can't let that happen to my world, Cassie."

From:

thethirdwonder

"Sam...Donna is going to die just hours after I came here. And Kon has months before he's killed. Soon after that, I'm going to loose Bart. Not to mention all the things that are going to happen to my world in the meantime." Cassie looked up at him before reaching up to cut his face in her hands. "I know what you are feeling. Don't you think I would change things if I could?"

It was difficult. More difficult then she could ever imagine. But she couldn't bare to see Sam beat himself up over something she knew neither of them could change.

From:

not_so_smooth

"How do you deal with it?"

Sam reached up to place his hands on hers, relaxing even more from the touch. He had no idea how she dealt with that sort of knowledge, how she carried it around everyday without going crazy. Sam was fairly sure he was going to go absolutely crazy about it eventually.

Well, maybe not, not with Cassie here for him.

From:

thethirdwonder

"Honestly?" Cassie said with a sigh as she pulled Sam down so she could kiss his forehead. "I try not to think about it. Hug Kon and Bart every time I see them. Remind myself to never take the moments I have with them for granted and hope I remember that for one I go home and see Donna for the last time. It's all I can do without just out right accepting it."

It wasn't easy, that was certain. And only made her feel even more powerless.

From:

not_so_smooth

"I don't know if I can do this," Sam admitted.

There was nothing to run from, nothing to shoot, nothing to do but sit and wait and hope that someone invented a machine that would let them go home but remember everything they had learned. He was essentially worthless.

"I can't- everything exceptional I've ever done has just been about being in the wrong place at the right time and getting lucky. I mean, I have an Autobot car. It's my car, not me. I can't- I can't do anything about this and I don't know how to deal with that."

From:

thethirdwonder

"Yes...yes you can." Cassie said in a firm voice and her grip got a little tighter, desperation hiding in her Wonder Girl persona for a brief moment. "And don't you dare talk like that. It's not just because of your car. You may have been in the wrong place at the right time but you didn't run from it. You did something about it. Without powers, without knowing what you were doing or if it would it work. And that's strength if I ever heard it."

She briefly though back to before she'd seen his movies and thought he was just an ordinary guy. And their fight afterwards, when he'd said that he didn't want to be seen as the boy with the alien car.

From:

not_so_smooth

Sam rested his head on her shoulder, taking a moment to just let himself relax himself from all the tension he was feeling. Cassie was safe, she was someone who could make him strong and give him a reason to fight, but she was also someone he could just freak out and be real around.

"I have to do something about this," he finally said. "I know I can't beat myself up over it, but I have to do something. I have to try."

From:

thethirdwonder

Cassie replied by just holding him tighter, her eyes closing with a sigh. She would lend him her strength, with every once of her being. But she would also be whatever he needed her to be. It was one of the powers of being a Wonder.

"So what are you going to do?" She paused before adding, "I'll help you. Whatever you do."

From:

not_so_smooth

"I think I'm going to talk to people who are working on ways to get back," he said, taking another deep breath. Having a plan would make him feel better and less apt to freak out, at least in the short term.

"I know I can't solve any problems they're running up against but maybe I can look for parts or- or get them coffee so they don't have to stop working."

From:

thethirdwonder

To be honest, Cassie wasn't sure who was still working on such a thing. There were far more useful things those minds could be working on but she didn't say anything. It wasn't what Sam needed to hear right now.

"Okay. Just...don't let this consume you, alright?" That was her worst fear at the moment, to lose him to some pointless quest to get home.

From:

not_so_smooth

"I'll try," he promised.

And he would. He didn't want to focus so much on getting back home that he lost sight of the good things he had here, especially Cassie. If it weren't for all the death that he could prevent, Sam would almost be perfectly willing to stay on the island.

"I don't think it will though. I've got something too important here with you to keep that from happening."

From:

thethirdwonder

Cassie looked up at him with smile, pretending she didn't have tears in her eyes. "I'm glad." Then she hugged him, hard, as the thought of loosing him just overwhelmed her.

She'd been so consumed with that thought of him obsessing about getting home that she hadn't even considered what that would mean for her until he said it. Then, a pit in her stomach starting disappearing, before she'd even realized it was there.

From:

not_so_smooth

"And if someone figures out a way to go back... then I'll remember you and I can come back to you," he added.

That was just as strong a motivation as getting back to warn everyone was. Sure, millions of lives shouldn't have the same weight as remembering his girlfriend, but love was kind of crazy like that. It made one person the entire world to you.

From:

thethirdwonder

'But what if you go back and don't remember?' was Cassie's first thought but she didn't voice it. It wasn't what either of them needed, especially since she was just grateful that he wanted to come back to her at all.

"You better come back or I will hunt you down, powers or not."

From:

not_so_smooth

"Always," Sam said, holding on to her tight. Cassie was too good not to go through everything to get back to. If either of them left he would do everything possible to get back to her, even if she didn't remember him he would make her fall in love with him all over again.

From:

thethirdwonder

"Good."

Unable to think of anything else to say, Cassie hugged him for a bit longer. Then she kissed him quickly. "I think I need some fresh air. Come with me to feed Hermera?"