Special thanks to Pomander for writing some of this.

~~~~~~~~~~

Optimus lay on the berth as he felt himself fading away. He had gotten infected with a deadly virus. Megatron had put the poison on his dark blade and stabbed the Prime. Between the poison and the dark energon, Optimus was struggling to stay online. Every vent was too painful and he just wanted it to be over. To close his optics and let the pain fade away forever. He just wanted to sleep...

~

Oliver slowly opened his eyes and stared blankly out the window. It had been five days since he last saw his grandfather. He was growing weaker and slept more than normal. The light in his eyes all but out.

He slowly reached for the light coming inside the room and grabbed at it weakly. He had heard his parents talking to the doctor as he told them the bad news. At this point Oliver would be gone from this world in a week. The boy didn't see a reason to be hopeful anymore. He felt as if his entire family had abandoned him and given up. So why should he fight anymore?

Tears of anger and pain filled his now dull blue eyes. He let his hand drop as he stared at the trees and birds outside. He hugged his stuffed lion and sniffed sadly as he looked at it.

"We... have to... be strong..." he choked as his tears fell down his face. "Like Optimus..." he rasped and scrunched up his face in determination. "I'll tell you a story..." the stuffed animal didn't respond and he sat it on his tummy so they could look at each other.

"Optimus knew he couldn't let Megatron win... he had made the Prime weak to upset the team... and... ruin their happiness." He said as more tears fell down his thin face. "But... the leader was strong... he wouldn't let the cancer win..." he choked back a sob. "But no one could help him... he was going to die anyway... no matter what anyone did..." he sobbed uncontrollably. He buried his face in the lion as he cried.

"But he didn't realize his team was working on saving him." A new voice said gently. "They had found a cure and they just needed him to be strong through the treatments... they needed their leader to fight the battle inside him... to never give up." The man said as he walked over while tears fell down his face. He sat by the small child who slowly looked up at him.

"Grandpa..." Oliver rasped weakly and looked at him. Troy nodded slowly and hugged him tightly.

"I'm so sorry little one..." he choked as he held the boy. "I'm so sorry..." he mumbled and let Oliver cry into him.

"Don't... leave me... again..." he whispered as he held on to the man.

~

A little later Troy and Sam went to get Oliver something to eat. When they came back they froze. A man neither of them knew was sitting and talking to Oliver. Troy frowned deeply and walked over.

"Grandpa... this is... Peter... um." The boy trailed off trying to remember his last name. The man chuckled softly and looked at the grandfather. He had piecing blue eyes and seemed to be a kind soul.

"Just call me Peter." He said as he stood and Sam gasped at how tall he was. A few inches taller than his grandfather.

"I'm Troy... how do you know my grandson?" He asked slightly suspicious.

"I apologize for causing concern. I'm a friend of Gregory. I drive a truck that brings medical supplies to the hospital." He explained.

"Why have we never seen you before?" Sam asked as he looked at the man's dark hair and beard.

"I mostly come when visitors aren't here... so they don't get hurt. I met Oliver shortly after he arrived here. I heard him crying and did my best to comfort him... he felt alone." He muttered the last part and seemed to think of another time.

"Well... thank you..." Troy said hesitantly and the man smiled a little before waving at Oliver and leaving.

"Grandpa... you should... see his... truck." He said as he smiled brightly and the light slowly returned to his eyes. Sam ran to the window and saw a semi that was red and blue. His eyes widened in surprise and he looked at his brother.

~

A few days later

"Are you ready, Sam?" The man asked as he stared at the room.

"Yeah...I suppose." The boy told his grandfather, hesitantly. "These stories really mean a lot to the kids here."

Sam and his grandfather entered the room full of children from the cancer ward. The brightly colored room held plenty of games and toys, all easily disinfected throughout the day, for the sick children to play with. In one corner of the room was a chair with variously colored and shaped pillows surrounding it. Troy was about to sit down in the familiar story corner when an idea came to mind.

"Sam, why don't you tell the rest of the story today?"

Startled, John looked at his grandfather, then at the children now clambering to the corner for their favorite time of day.

"But you're the storyteller... I..."

"...will do an excellent job." Troy finished. "Here, the seat of honor, just for you." He smiled as his grandson.

Sam stared at the chair that his grandfather held out for him. Taking a deep breath, he sat down and faced the children. He smiled, recognizing some of his brother's friends, and hoped that he would do justice to the story that the kids had grown fond of.

"Jack was upset. 'How can we defeat the Decepticons when we're all scattered like the wind?' Arcee pulled off the road and behind a barn..." Sam started.

The Grandpa watched his maturing grandson with pride. The young man was becoming quite gifted at storytelling. He even noticed the glint of a twinkle in the boy's eyes as he wove the pattern of his tale in front of the children.

"...'Jack? I don't think we're gonna need that keycard.' Arcee said as the enormous airship came to rest on the ground in front of them."

"Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh!" a girl right up front squealed.

"Fangirl." A boy at the back scowled. A couple of kids turned to glare at him.

The girl ignored the sour-face boy and blurted out "It's Optimus, isn't it!"

"No, dummy!" the same boy stood up, angry. "He's gonna die...just like me."

Sam stopped speaking and was going to say something when one of the older cancer patients stood up beside him and put his hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Hey, we're all going through this together, Connor. Just for once, let it go? At least show some respect." Sam recognized the teen as his brother's friend, Jack... one of the boys in the ward that Grandpa had put in the story at his grandson's request.

As Connor pulled his cap down over his eyes and turned his back slightly to the group, Sam exchanged a knowing look with his grandfather and continued.

" '...Arcee explained, 'The only signals that Ultra Magnus was able to isolate are standing right here.' Wheeljack muttered, 'Maybe his scanner's faulty.'..."

"Or not..." Connor retorted from under his hat.

Raf, another one of Oliver's friends, scooted closer to Connor, "He just needs a friend." he whispered to Jack.

Sam saw his grandfather watching the children, but mostly Connor, while the story intensified.

" ...'Ultra Magnus.' Megatron sneered, 'You are no Optimus Prime.'..."

Connor had turned ever so slightly and fiddled with the IV line hanging from the pole behind him. He, along with all the other kids, was riveted to the scene that bore out from the word pictures that Sam painted for them.

"...'Master,' Starscream squinted into the sunlight, 'Something's coming.' At this announcement, everyone, Autobot and Decepticon alike, turned their attention toward the incoming 'something.'..."

Fangirl squealed again and Miko another of Oliver's friends, was nearly jumping out of her skin.

" ...'I know that color scheme.' Starscream furrowed his optic ridges as Megatron's face lit up in fear, suddenly recognizing..."

Miko, unable to contain her excitement, jumped up.

"Booh-yah!! I told you Optimus would make it!" She sat back down in triumph amongst the kindled murmurings of her peers. "Oliver, you are the bomb!" She grinned at Sam's brother who was sitting beside her. Oliver beamed at his older brother as he finished telling the story to his friends.

" ...'Wait! He can't fly! Can he?' Starscream's optics widened. Optimus flew straight toward Megatron and easily overpowered him. The fight caused enough of a distraction for the rest of the Autobots to be able to gain the upper hand at Darkmount. 'Commander' Optimus acknowledged Ultra Magnus. 'Sir,' the lieutenant replied, 'you're looking...robust.' "

The children cheered and grabbed each other in excitement. Even Connor, incredulous about the turn of events, turned and gave Jack a half smile.

When a nurse came in to tell the children it was time to return to their rooms before lunch, the groans she heard confirmed that The storyteller had woven his magic once again.

Oliver walked up to Connor and held out his hand. "See? We can't give up." Connor hesitated before returning his handshake with a half smile. Troy walked over and gently picked up his grandson as he headed to his room. Sam stared in surprise at the fact that he could actually tell a story.

The Grandfather smiled, his heart full and his mind already in motion for the return visit the next week.