#b!sam

Sam froze, optics closing as he drew a slow breath into his bellows as the message filtered into his head.

"You otay Unca Sam?" Ian looked confusedly between Sam and the bowl of spaghettios he'd been reaching for. 

Peter was staring at him wide eyed and Michael was fumbling with Qwerty to try and see what the message had said

Sam slowly let the breath out in a puff of steam

"Y-yes I'm fine. Just a little glitch Ian. Nothing to worry about." 

he finished giving the tot his lunch and beat a hasty retreat

His boiler was on overdrive and his head was spinning and dammit he'd gotten past all this!

He just needed a minute,  just needed to calm back down and keep from overheating. he'd put all this behind him once he could do it again.

"Y-y-y-you okay Sam?" 

He opened his eyes to find Rabbit watching him worriedly

His first attempt to speak brought up only a crackle of static and they both flinched.

"Yeah, dumb question. I kn-kn-know it's kinda a hard thing tah  wrap yer mind around but- but it's gonna be okay. I mean me 'n Spine 'n Tha jon, we're gonna be right there with ya."

Sam found himself being pulled into a patinaed copper hug and returned it with weary sigh.

"Thank you Rabbit"

The system warnings that had popped up when he'd started to panic were dying down and he was starting to let off a reasonable amount of steam again.

"That actually does help." 

And The Jon smiled sadly, and took his hand saying quietly “It’s okay”

And everything became blue white as his core blew.

-

Sam woke with a start, groaning to himself as he realized it was yet another nightmare waking him at this ungodly hour.

He swung his legs over the side of the bed and rested his head in his hands, his nightmares about his time held captive by I.M. had been replaced by the final moments before his core had exploded.

The Jons sad expression forever burned into his mind from that split second before the world had gone blue white and he'd been sure they were both dead.

But they hadn't, neither of them. The brasold bots void absorbing enough of the caustic energy to let them both survive, The Jon taking most of the damage why Sam's core had warped into what they were referring to as a portal akin to The Jon's void. It was a strange realization that there was no longer any mechanical workings within his torso. Just a seemingly endless expanse of blue matter energy.

Sam shifted uncomfortably as he suddenly became aware of something a bit off in said expanse and with a mild bit of disgust he tugged up his nightshirt and flipped open the hatch in his stomach.

Pulling out a plate with a peanut butter and cool ranch potato chip sandwich.

Not the weirdest thing to happen so far but still unsettling.

He sighed resignedly as he looked over his fingers, metal overtaking them like ink leaching across a cloth.

He hugged the hatchling tight before it overtook too much of him, enjoying the sensation while he still could. keeping his voice steady as he could as he continued reading. Cringing internally as his joints stiffened, his voice regained its curious lilt, and his heartbeat gave way to the whine of a green matter core.

One last lung full of air and it was over, when he exhaled steam came with it from a boiler and bellows. It was over, he was an automaton again. It was nice while it lasted.

Ian snuggled against him, not one bit perturbed by the sudden change. It hadn't seemed to hurt his uncle, so why worry? 

"Unca Sam can we go ou'side?" He asked innocently.

Sam smiled, setting the book aside and getting up from the couch with a creak of rusted bronze joints, offering him a hand to hold.

"Sure kiddo, lets go."

"YAY!"

On their way they ran into a rather exhausted looking Peter Walter the fifth, who non the less brightened up when he spotted the pair.

"Oh good, just who I was looking for!"

"Do you need a hand with something Mr. Walter?"

Sam was met with a pleased smirk.

It never occurred to me to ask Peter V if I could do something like that.