Bumblebee didn't expect much in the morning. Maybe some fighting, maybe Strongarm's mechling toddling around after her and Sideswipe. Though they still mix like oil and water, they were tender around their sparkling and the mechling would up to be a good strong mech. Grimlock was settled beside him, and he turned his helm to lick his mate's cheek.
"Aww, hey, buddy..." Bumblebee wrapped an arm around his mate's neck and rested his forehelm on Grimlock's cheek. "How are you."
"I'm okay. Just how long are we gonna stay like this, watching our pedes to make sure we didn't step on Strongswipe?"
"A while yet, Grimlock. Sparklings, once they're out of their carrier, they take a little longer to grow up."
"Why don't we just push him back inside her?"
Bumblebee laughed at the image forming inside his helm and he shook it. "It doesn't work like that, Grimlock."
The black and green mech purred at his mate's laughter and he laid his helm in Bumblebee's lap. It looked like Bumblebee was finally settling down.
Bumblebee looked back up to watch Strongswipe. The little mechling was walking, his servos wrapped tightly around Sideswipe's. Strongarm stood several feet away, busy fixing the playpen she and Fixit found. When she heard her mechling's squeals she turned and laughed, kneeling to scoop him up. Then Sideswipe pulled Strongarm and Strongswipe close, pressing a kiss to each forehelm.
The sight hurt Bumblebee, scratching at his spark and making tears form in his eyes. He patted his mate's helm, seeing Grimlock was napping, and he laid the mech's massive helm on a pillow. Then he got up and wandered into the woods, pressing the heels of his servos into his optics to keep the tears from rolling down his cheeks.
He missed Smokescreen, badly, even though the mech fell in love with racing and Bumblebee turned into a jealous lover. Smokescreen, he wanted to take Bumblebee with him to the new racing city, Burning Treads which was just outside of Vos and a lob from Kaon. Bumblebee refused. He didn't trust the bots in the city and he knew Smokescreen was turning into something...other than his mate. To keep Smokescreen with him, he took the job of being an officer. Smokescreen, rather than staying, took off and left Bumblebee alone in the middle of the night. No note, nothing. Just an open door letting the cold wind and the rain in. Bumblebee never saw Smokescreen again after that, and Optimus was already dead, and Ultra Magnus didn't know what to tell the grieving officer...
The tears came hot and fast, burning his optics and his cheek. He sobbed and he held himself, forcing a knuckle against his denta to keep the sobs to himself.
"Are you okay, sir?" Strongarm touched his shoulder. Strongswipe gurgled behind him.
"I'm fine...really. Just...missing some 'bots."
He turned to see her looking at him with soft optics. "You know, Nightshade picked up a strange signal she thinks will interest you."
"Decepticon?"
She shook her helm. "Autobot."
ooo
Nightshade was pacing in the base, shaking her helm and growling. Bumblebee couldn't get her to settle down and tell him who it was until she gave him the coordinates and the request to peel his paint with a potato peeler.
The femme was now running beside Bumblebee, who was in alt-mode, as a purple and black Clydesdale mare. Her purple optics always stayed no matter what form she took unless she specificially changed them, but now they were practically on fire with rage. Steam burst from her nostrils every exhale and saliva dripped down her chest. She was, in a word Optimus wouldn't approve, pissed.
And then Bumblebee saw why. There was a pod, the Autobot insignia carved into it, in the middle of the desert. He transformed and she dropped the 'guise. She was panting, her optics dark with rage, but she wasn't drooling like the Clydesdale had been. She was growling instead.
Bumblebee wondered if he would start growling too, but he was in too much shock.
"Hey, Bee," the mech said.
He was rough, looked worn and tired, like he had been under a couch for years.
"It's been a long time."
How long had it been since Bumblebee saw him last? More than a long time. Centuries, maybe...
"I'm sorry for popping in like this, but..."
Bumblebee bared his denta.
"I missed you, baby."
He growled then and Nightshade snarled.
"I can tell the feeling isn't mutual," Smokescreen said, backing up with his servos up.
"No, it isn't," they both growled.
I started this before, and I wasn't getting anywhere, but Creepy-Pasta jumped in and fueled that fire again, so now I'm ready X3 This comes after Oops, where Strongarm has a baby boy with Sideswipe and Nightshade joins the party of bots. Hope you guys are ready for some angry Dinobots, furious Bumblebees and a pissed-off-all-the-time Nightshade.