Author's Notes: And now, we come to the end of Moments in Time. I couldn't resist the idea of Jack meet Optimus; however, it ended up going places I never anticipated. My original idea was to have Jack flirt with Optimus, just to see if he could get away with it, and Optimus respond in a surprising manner. Oh well. Maybe some other time. While Bumblebee isn't canonically Optimus Prime's sparkling, I love the idea. Next story deals with the clean-up at Canary Wharf and all that entails, while rogue elements of Sector Seven make their appearance as well, looking for revenge. I don't know if I'll have a chance to start that story before Christmas, so if I don't, merry Christmas to those who celebrate it, and happy holidays to all others!

Chapter Five

A Meeting of Immortals (Or Nearly So)

Hoover Dam, Nevada

July 2005

If he hadn't seen it for himself, he never would have believed it: Captain Jack Harkness was actually nervous. Secretary of Defense John Keller watched in amusement as his son-in-law twitched. On the other side of the seemingly young man stood Jack's granddaughter, Mikaela Banes, who was holding his hand tightly. The girl peeked around her grandfather and smiled at John. He returned the smile, mentally chastising himself. He knew that Jack had grown children and grandchildren and probably even great-grandchildren. . .but knowing that and coming face to face with one of those individuals were two very different things. Especially since he put things into motion, for Jack to find his former lover and granddaughter once more.

"Try not to be nervous, Jack," Mikaela said softly, swinging his hand a little, "Optimus is one of the most gentle, kindest beings you can imagine. A serious bad-ass, sure, but he's still kind and gentle to those whom he trusts. And I've already told him that you're part of my family, so that makes you part of his as well." She did not, John noticed, comment on her relationship with Jack. She introduced his son-in-law to Sam Witwicky as a relative visiting town. . .deliberately not specifying what sort of relative he was. He could appreciate her creativity, but hoped it wouldn't come back to bite her.

And Jack was telling Mikaela in a barely-audible mumble, "I'm not nervous." To her credit, Mikaela only smiled. Obviously, she bought that as much as John did. . .not at all. Jack sighed, "All right, so I'm a little nervous. I'm about to meet my childhood hero. . .one of them at least, can you really blame me?" Mikaela simply hugged his arm, once more peeking around her grandfather to smile at John. Since Jack was married to John's daughter, and Lacey was technically Mikaela's step-grandmother, did that make John the young girl's step-great-grandfather? Ooh, best to stop right there before he broke his brain.

"I've met several of my heroes over the last few weeks, Jack, including an impossible man who is my grandfather. You have nothing to be nervous about, I think Optimus will love you, just as I do, just as Lacey does," Mikaela replied. She thought about that for a moment, then corrected, "Well, maybe not as Lacey does, that would be somewhat creepy. Optimus and the other Autobots don't have a gender, but he could squish you if he wasn't paying attention." John couldn't help smirking at the girl's observation.

"Trust me, that wouldn't stop your grandfather from flirting with him. I remember him flirting with Mike Franks and Greg Easton, never mind that Greg could break him in half. There are times when I think Jack has no self-preservation," he retorted. Jack shot him a dark look, but kept his own counsel. Ooh. He really was nervous about meeting Optimus. It had to be a bad case of nerves if he was being this quiet about it. And John was never sure how to deal with Jack when he got nervous, because it was so rare to see Jack anxious.

"I didn't just flirt with them, I kissed both Greg and Mike. Surprised Mike so badly, he didn't deck me. Greg just laughed and told me that if I had the balls to kiss a man who could break me in half, that had to be rewarded. And then he picked up Lacey and kissed her full on the mouth. I didn't bother to tell him that I'm not so easy to break. He already knows that," Jack mused and John raised his eyebrows, while Mikaela covered a giggle behind her hand. The Secretary of Defense shook his head in amusement. There were times when he wondered if Jack would ever change. . .and the rest of the time, he knew he would be happy if he didn't.

"Indeed, Captain Harkness," came the amused voice of Optimus Prime, "Such bravery should be rewarded. And though you are quite attractive, even to a Cybertronian, I fear that our means of intimacy would likely result in your death." Jack froze, his head tilting backward as he tried to find Optimus. The massive Cybertronian left the shadows and John heard his son-in-law inhale sharply as he finally saw one of his childhood heroes for the first time. Jack said often that you should never meet your heroes, but John had a feeling that Optimus would meet any expectations Jack might have. . .and blow them out of the water, proverbially speaking.

Optimus came forward and knelt before the three humans, saying gently, "It is an honor to meet you, Captain Jack Harkness. The Secretary of Defense has told me much about you." He carefully extended one giant finger that could easily end Jack's life (however temporarily), and Jack grasped his finger with both hands. Given how awed his son-in-law's expression was, John was actually a little surprised that Jack even had the presence of mind to do that. Optimus continued, "You are Mikaela's grandfather." It was a statement, not a question.

"The honor is all mine, sir," Jack replied, sounding more like an earnest young cadet than the brash, flirtatious man whom John had known for such a long time. What were the stories told to his friend so many years ago, so many years from now, that he would react this way? John was further shocked when Jack added almost shyly (Jack Harkness? Shy? Someone check the zoo, see if the leopards changed their spots), "Yes, Mikaela is my granddaughter. My wife tells me that she sees the resemblance between us."

"As do I. Since Secretary of Defense Keller informed me that he would be bringing you to our base, I began searching your World Wide Web to learn more about you," Optimus replied. John exchanged a look with Mikaela, not sure how Jack would take this. On the other hand, he did know that his other three team members. . .Toshiko, Owen, and Suzie. . .routinely did the same. Their efforts amused Jack, rather than annoyed him. However, they didn't have access to the resources that Optimus did. The Autobot leader continued, "Part of your organization is very much like the late Sector Seven. But not the branch commanded by you. Why?"

Well, there was a loaded question, and glancing at his long-time friend, John wondered if Jack would answer. Most of the time, he chose not to tell people that he was more or less immortal. Given his past, it was totally understandable. And no, he didn't know about specific incidents, but he knew how humanity could be. John himself found out by accident, as did Greg and Mike. Once that was revealed, Jack reluctantly admitted that he was from three thousand years in the future and that he wasn't sure why he was immortal. Just that there was a life or death battle against an unrelenting enemy, and he died. Once he really trusted you, he told you about the Doctor and about Rose, and whom he was before he met them.

Jack finally said quietly, "Because I've seen the universe, Optimus Prime, and while I'll do what I must to defend this world, I won't make innocent beings suffer if I can possibly help it. Sometimes, I have to, despite my wishes and intentions. And I have to live with that. I do live with it, hearing their voices and seeing their faces in my dreams. But if there's a way I can help those innocents get home or make a home on this planet, then I will. I wasn't always a good man, Optimus. And there are times now when I'm not a good man."

"I disagree. If you were not a good man, then you would not seek to protect others and you would not grieve for those innocents you cannot save. You have lived nearly two hundred years, Jack Harkness, but I have lived for several thousand of your years. And I tell you now, in just a few weeks on your planet, I know good men and I know bad. I know men on the right path and men who are misguided. Another branch of Torchwood would have likely taken the same steps when Bumblebee was captured, but yours would not have," Optimus answered in a manner as blunt as anything John had heard from the alien to date.

Jack was silent for several moments before he asked what John was sure Mikaela wondered all along, "I've read the briefings. Why did you let Sector Seven go when they captured Bumblebee, Sam and Mikaela?" Mikaela inhaled sharply, but John shook his head. This was important. He wasn't sure yet how it was important, but it was important, and they would not interfere. Mikaela bit her lip, and then nodded. Good. Right now, neither of them were important to this conversation.

"I wanted to rescue them. In addition to being a fine scout, Bumblebee is my own sparkling, and the only sparkling I know to be alive. My femmeling is dead, and my other mechling may be dead as well. It was not an easy decision. But it was imperative that we find the Cube, for the sake of all. Did my spark ache? It did. But I could not allow this planet to be lost, as Cybertron, no matter what it cost me. You understand this, Jack Harkness, I can see that in your eyes," Optimus answered. Mikaela covered her mouth with her hands, eyes filling with tears, while John put his arm around her shoulders. He remembered his conversation with Corinna, about the conversation she had with Lacey while he was picking Jack and Toshiko up from the airport. Make the hard choice or the easy and convenient choice. Optimus added, "I count myself fortunate indeed that Bumblebee understands my choice and forgives me."

Optimus leaned forward, his fingers slipping around Jack in a gentle, protective embrace, and he continued, "You have found it necessary to make those decisions. . .you have made them, you will make them again. Others will not understand. I, however, will. Perhaps I will not approve of the decision you make in the end, perhaps I will wish it was not necessary. But I will understand, youngling, and so long as the Autobots remain on Earth, regardless of your own location, I will always stand at your side proudly."

Even from his position, John could see Jack swallowing hard (was he blinking back tears? Dear lord, he was). The human said hoarsely, "I don't know why I'm like this, Optimus. When the Doctor comes back, I'll. . .I need to know what happened to me, I need to know if I can be made mortal again. I've already told my wife, she knows and understands. But I want someone looking after her, because I don't know how long it will take. It could be minutes, it could be days or weeks or months."

"Of course you need to know those things, Captain. And when that day comes, youngling, there will be many, humans and Autobots alike, who will look after your wife. Indeed, the Secretary of Defense has already requested an Autobot guardian for her. I cannot guarantee her safety, something you know already. But there will be someone watching over her and over your daughter. We have already seen many pictures of little Corinna," Optimus said, a hint of laughter in his voice. John rolled his eyes. So he was proud of his beautiful little granddaughter. Wasn't that his prerogative as a grandfather?

"Thank you. I know I should tell the rest of my team about finding the right kind of Doctor, but that would mean. . ." Jack began. Telling them about his seeming immortality, and that was something Jack was loathe to do. Intellectually, John agreed. . .Jack should tell his team, if he trusted them. But for all his strength, for all his intelligence, for all his compassion, Jack was still a human being who was hurt repeatedly in the past by people he trusted, people who knew the truth about him. And everyone had their limits.

"When you are ready, you will tell them," Optimus stated. It wasn't an opinion, but a fact. Optimus continued, "Likely, they will be hurt that you did not tell them. Likely, they will not understand in the beginning. But they will eventually understand, if they are worth having on your team." Hear hear. Now Optimus picked him up, carefully cradling Jack in his hand, and brought him to eye level. He continued, "And for those days when you are uncertain of your path, perhaps we can light the way together. You are far older than John Keller, and he no longer needs a father. Nor do you. But I have lost my brother, and find I am not opposed to having a younger brother. . .I spent many millennia as the younger brother myself."

That surprised a laugh from Jack, who replied, "I was an older brother, too. But, I think I'd like to have an older brother. I failed my brother, just as yours failed you. I told you, I read the briefing. . .I know that Megatron was your brother. Maybe I'll have more luck with my older brother than I did with my younger." Optimus made an odd, keening sound as he drew Jack to his chest, where his spark rested. It took John a moment to understand what he was seeing, and then he found himself blinking back tears.

He arranged the meeting between Jack and Optimus as a means to ensure that his old friend wouldn't be alone for as long as possible. In the end, Optimus would die, as would all of the Autobots. In time, the Cybertronians as a race would die out. But that would take many years, and Jack would have those Autobots for thousands of years. However, what he wasn't anticipating was the brotherly ties that immediately sprang up between Jack and Optimus. Jack wasn't a Prime and never would be. But he understood the decisions Optimus had to make, just as Optimus understood the same for Jack, and that made them brothers. Just as he and Corinna made their choice more than thirty years earlier, Optimus chose Jack to be part of his family.

God help the Decepticons, the Daleks, and anyone else who decided to attack Earth!