Bumblebee is a Russian Blue cat. Optimus is a Norwegian Forest cat. Ratchet is a Turkish Angora. Ironhide is a British Shorthair. Prowl is an Abyssinian. Jazz is an Egyptian Mau. Hot Rod is a Tonkinese kitten. And the twins are Siberian kittens.

This story is an AU of m y Chasing the Flame and Protecting the Flame stories. This in no way ties into either stories. I don't own Transformers and the original Chasing the Flame idea belongs to Sleepyoldvamp over on DA. I'm writing in his universe with permission of course.

I'm writing this story in part because I've had a running conversation with a reader about a Cat AU with Bumblebee being a mama cat to Roddy and the Twins.

I'm also writing this in loving memory of my cat, Sassy, who just passed away today. I wanted to do a little homage to her even though she'd probably try and smother me in my sleep anyway.

Sassy

I trotted around the house, peeking into every room. My senses were on high alert for the slightest sound or scent of my target, but after clearing the second floor and moving into the bottom floor I started to get a bad feeling in my stomach. My whiskers twitched in worry as I poked my head out the cat door to look around the backyard.

Optimus' ears twitched at the sound of the flap moving and he looked over in my direction. I almost smiled at the sight of the fur on one side of his face being comically flattened and pointing in every direction, but I resisted the urge and ignored him in order to retreat inside the house once more. I should probably double check all the hiding places once more before raising the alarm.

My human owner looked up as I passed into the kitchen. "Hey, 'Bee," he greeted with a smile. He tilted his head as he watched me lean down and peer into the small hole in the corner of the lower cupboards. It was a tight squeeze for me now, but when I was younger it was one of my go to hiding spots. The trio had found it soon after they were brought home, but my nose told me that no one had been in here for weeks. "What are you up to, Bumblebee?" my human asked as I pulled back and headed for the door.

I sighed as I passed him, pausing just for a moment for him to lean down and brush his fingers through my yellow fur, scratching my ear. "Nothing much," I answered despite knowing he couldn't understand me. "Just trying to find the kittens."

"Bye, 'Bee," my human called as I walked away, tail waving in goodbye.

I made quick but thorough work in going through the rest of the house, double checking every spot. By the time I was done I was justifiably worried.

The next time I went to the cat door I hopped out the rest of the way. Once more my mate looked up from where he was sunbathing next to Ratchet. His red and blue fur contrasted wonderfully with the medic's daisy yellow fur with lime green stripes and he purred as I leaned down and groomed the smooshed side of his face. "My spark," Optimus greeted after a moment. "How are you?"

I licked the last strands of his fur back into place before pulling back and sitting on my haunches, tail twitching. "Have you seen the trio at all?" I asked, trying to keep the concern out of my voice. My blue eyes turned to scan the impeccable backyard once more. Jazz and Ironhide were a bundle of black and white as they lazily wrestled in the middle of the yard and a stray breeze brought Prowl's scent to my nose from the rose bush, his favorite place.

Ratchet shifted and rolled onto his back, stretching. "Last I saw them the trouble makers were romping in the garden."

My mate leaned up and licked my chin, drawing my eyes back to him. "Why?" he asked, his right ear turning. "Did they make a mess? I heard Sam talking earlier."

I hesitated before laying my ears back against my head and wrapping my tail around my feet. "I can't find them," I admitted and a set of blue eyes and a set of green eyes focused on me sharply. "I've searched the entire house and I can't smell them out here."

Ratchet was already on his paws, walking to the edge of the porch before jumping down into the grass below. I tracked his tall fluffy tail for a moment before moving when my mate rolled to his feet, rubbing against my face. "Let's see if we can't find the little kittens," he says nonchalantly, but my mate pulled off nonchalant as well as a hungry Deceptidog did, which meant not well at all. His narrowed eyes and his tail was still instead of waving.

I walked by his side as we descended the three stairs to the winding stone path. We moved along the flower beds lining the edge of yard right underneath the tall height of the wooden fence. The kittens' scents tickled at my nose. They'd definitely been playing along the fence, but I could tell their scent was getting old.

Prowl looked up as we approached him and he blinked sleepily. "Hello," he greeted softly. He stretched his paws out in front of him before getting up and shaking himself out. "What's going on?"

"Can't find the kittens," Optimus answered lowly as he stalked past. I paused for a moment to greet the older Abyssinian cat by touching noses before trotting to catch up.

A minute later we all came to an impromptu meeting spot out in the yard. Ironhide frowned from where he was laying down with his paws folded beneath him. "So no sign of the little hellions?" he asked, stating the obvious just to be clear.

Prowl flicked an ear, his grey eyes narrowing. "No."

"They can't have gone far," Jazz said.

"So we search the neighborhood," I suggested, already rising to my feet.

Ratchet's yellow and green tail flicked in annoyance. "And just where did they get out? How could they have gotten out? For all we know they're still somewhere in the house."

"I already checked," I reminded him. "Twice."

Ratchet rolled his eyes. "They're kittens." As if it was explanation enough. And, to be honest, it was. I'd gotten up into plenty of mischief as a kitten before I was taken in from the streets.

"Prowl, Ironhide, Ratchet," Optimus cut in. "Search the house and yard again. The rest of us will search the neighborhood."

There weren't any protests, so Jazz, Optimus, and I headed over to the backyard gate. I gathered my legs underneath me before jumping up onto the gate, digging my claws into the wood and easily climbing up to the top. I balanced for a moment on the narrow edge of the wood before jumping down.

Getting more and more worried by the moment, I immediately circled the front of the house, nose taking in the scents of the neighborhood. If the trio had truly gotten out of the house and onto the street than I would find them. Jazz brushed against my side, his tail curling with mine for a moment. I turned to meet his golden gaze. "Optimus and I will search the neighbors' yards. See if they went that way." Out of the corner of my eye I saw my mate's fluffy tail already moving off in the direction of Sam's friend's house. Miles I think his name was. He had a nice dog. A dumb dog that was always digging in the mud, but a nice dog.

"Got it. When are we meeting up?" I asked, scanning my surroundings.

"Sun down," my brother answered before obnoxiously licking my cheek up into my eyebrow, messing up my fur. I grumbled and swatted at him halfheartedly before rubbing my face, trying to fix my fur. "Don't worry so much, my little busy bee. We'll find them."

I smiled wanly before pulling away from the Egyptian Mau. "I know we will. I'm just worried about the fun they got up to without me," I joked quietly before trotting off.

It took me some time and a lot of frustration and I nearly missed it, but I did find their trail. I paused for a moment, taking a deep breath in order to memorize it and commit it to memory, before moving out of the front yard and further down the street.

My feet moved faster when I realized they'd crossed the nearby intersection and moved a whole block away. My fangs peeked out from behind my lips as my fear grew and then my anger grew with it. Just what did they think they were doing? There was adventure in leaving the house but leaving the neighborhood? Prowl wasn't going to have to worry about lecturing them when I got to them.

I nearly had a heart attack when the trail took me to a busy street with cars regularly traveling down it. Stepping back and away from the humans that were walking by, I sought out the scent again. A headache was growing with all the scents I was attempting to filter through, but the innocent kitten smell was fresh. They'd only been here minutes earlier.

And they'd crossed the fragging street.

My tail lashed behind me as I crouched, looking up at the colored lights. I didn't know much about the metal things that humans fit inside of—I'd heard same talking about his yellow metal thing, calling it a 'car' or something—but I'd watched long enough to know they obeyed certain rules like red means stop.

I blinked when one of the lights turned red and looked in front of me just to be sure. I rose to my feet and warily approached the black ground when the metal things all waited before swallowing my fear and dashing across the white lines as fast as I could. When I came to the sidewalk on the other side I felt a little ridiculous. The metal things hadn't moved at all.

"Stupid humans," I muttered quietly, laying my ears back against my head and lashing my tail as I went to pick up the trail again. "Stupid kittens. What are you guys thinking?"

I moved slowly, scared I'd lose the trail, but I was rewarded for my efforts when the trail disappeared into an alley behind a human food place. And in that alley were three brightly colored kittens.

And one female calico.

I narrowed my eyes as I stalked down the alley, watching closely as the calico looked down at the three kittens with irritated eyes, but she was still and quiet as they romped over each other and into her feet. I didn't see a collar or tags on her neck and yet her fur was to clean and thick for her to be a stray. Her tail was flicking gently behind her before her ear flicked and she turned to look at me.

Her grey eyes narrowed further at the sight of me and her fur fluffed up slightly in warning, though she didn't move anyway else. She just glared at me.

The kittens caught onto her change in attitude immediately and they followed her gaze, freezing at the sight of me before Roddy broke first, running at me in a streak of red and a grin on his yellow face. "Bee!" he cried out happily, crashing into my forelegs. The twins were hot on his tail, two fluff balls of red and gold.

"Roddy," I greeted back, leaning down to smell him for any injury. I batted him with a paw to turn him over and get at his stomach.

He hissed and batted at my face ineffectively, which I ignored, before doing the same to the twins, though Sunstreaker put up a greater fight when I rolled him over. I set to grooming his fur as an apology once I was done ensuring he was safe. His purr was completely at odds with the glare he was giving me, but, again, I ignored it.

"You guys are in so much trouble," I mumbled between licks, narrowing my eyes on all of them as they stopped their rambunctious play to look at me with slight fear. "What were you thinking wandering so far from home? You worried all of us." They sank down under the weight of my words and the meaning behind it.

"You should teach them not to go into Deceptidog territory," a new face murmured quietly and I stopped my licking to regard the calico female.

She hadn't moved a bit, but her fur had smoothed back down to normal size. She still looked coldly angry, though, like I was affront to her senses. If I had to sum her up in one word, I'd say stoic. She reminded me of Prowl actually. Or Ratchet when he got so angry he moved past the hissing and growling and chasing and settled on plotting your immediate demise.

Yeah…Totally felt like she was planning my death.

"You know how kittens are," I responded after a moment, putting on an easy-going and charming façade. I cocked my head to the side slightly and smiled. "Tell them to do something and they immediately do the opposite."

The female huffed and shuffled her feet to stand straighter. "I also know how Deceptidogs are. Merciless." I shrunk obligingly under her chastisement and glare. "Protect them better."

I nodded and looked down at the three kittens piled under my front feet, quiet and subdued. "Believe me, I will. Thank you for looking out for them. That was very kind of you. I'm Bumblebee by the way. And this was Hot Rod, Sideswipe, and Sunstreaker."

"I know. They introduced themselves to me." She paused for a moment before sighing. "I am Sassy. And I am leaving." Sassy got to her feet and I felt a flash of guilt. She'd done something very kind and nice for the kittens and my family, but I hadn't done anything to repay her.

"Is there any way I can thank you?" I asked quickly.

She didn't even turn to look over her shoulder. "Just keep them alive," she called and disappeared around the building.

I sighed before looking down at the kittens, huge blue eyes looking up at me. "You three." I shook my head before leaning down and biting Roddy's scruff. He immediately went limp as I lifted him off the ground and he grumbled his displeasure at being picked up. The two Siberian kittens trotted along at my feet as I turned and exited the alley. "So does anyone want to tell me what on Earth possessed you to go so far from home?" I mumbled around a mouthful of fur.

"We were on an adventure to find and slay the Deceptidogs!" Sideswipe exclaimed excitedly, hurrying his step to take the lead. He slowed when I growled at him. The last thing I wanted right now was for him to take a wrong turn. I thought for a moment and corrected that statement. The last thing I wanted was for the Deceptidogs to show up. As I came to the street corner I warily looked around. "Wait," I instructed the twins. They milled around my paws as I watched for the red color.

"Can you put me down?" Roddy demanded in frustration.

"And have you run off again?" I mumbled and huffed. "Not likely."

He flexed and swung slightly and I made sure my bite was still secure but gentle. "This isn't fair!"

"Tell that to the five worried adults you three left behind." The light changed and I stepped forward. "Alright. Race to the other side! Last one there has to be groomed by Ratchet!"

The twins shot forward with yowls and shouts of denial and horror and I chuckled even as Roddy panicked. "I don't want to be groomed by Ratchet!" he cried out and I paced myself just behind the twins, making sure they didn't veer off or stumble over their little kitten limbs.

Sunstreaker crowed in victory, reaching the other side first just a bit ahead of Sideswipe and they both turned to laugh at me. "Looks like you have to be groomed by Ratchet, Bumblebee!" Sideswipe crowed, bouncing side to side.

I smiled around my mouthful, already trotting forward and eyeing the setting sun. It was getting late. "Looks like it," I agreed easily before looking down when Sideswipe jumped and tried to swipe at Roddy. "Sideswipe, what are you doing?"

"I want to hug him!"

I laughed at him and purposely held my head higher, protecting the curling kitten I held. The red Siberian growled in frustration as he continued to trip me up trying to reach his friend. My gaze fell to the golden Siberian kitten. "You don't want to join in?" I asked the quieter twin and smiled when I got a snort out of him.

"I dirtied my fur enough on today's adventure. I don't plan on making a fool out of myself as well."

I grinned widely as we crossed the intersection back into our neighborhood. "Understandably." Taking a moment, I lowered Hot Rod to the ground and smirked when Sideswipe immediately tackled the Tonkinese kitten to the ground. "Boys," I called as I trotted past them, Sunstreaker trotting primly at my side. The two red kittens raced to catch up and hurried ahead when the house came in sight. I watched closely as they headed not for the front door, but the backyard gate. I almost didn't believe my eyes when Roddy seemingly disappeared into the grass just in front of the gate with Sideswipe right behind him.

As I came closer, I saw there was a hidden divot going underneath the gate from humans walking in and out. The space was just big enough for young kittens to fit through.

Sunstreaker sighed at my side and I turned to see him give the hole a baleful look before facing me. "I don't suppose you can carry me over, can you?" he asked calmly. "I don't want to get dirtier."

One of my eyebrows rose and I twitched my whiskers. "I should say no on principle alone. Let it teach you to never sneak out again," I replied, sitting on my haunches. My heart softened when the golden kitten sagged and sighed. "But you're going to be getting enough punishment later." I had a moment to see him look hopeful before I leaned down and gathered his scruff in my mouth, lifting him with a bit of effort.

The jump and climb was much more difficult with an extra three pounds hanging from my mouth, but I managed it. Sunstreaker was twisting and out of my mouth the second I landed on the other side, running to join his twin and Roddy in wrestling in the yard. I rolled my tongue and spat, trying to get the long fur out of my mouth.

"Boys!"

And the wrestling stopped as a large blur of yellow and green ran across the yard to stand over the small pile of red and yellow. Ratchet looked downright furious and frothing from the mouth. I grimaced as he immediately launched into a rant. I did not envy my younger counterparts. I'd been on the receiving end of those yelling sessions more than enough.

Ironhide and Prowl came out of the house as I climbed up the stairs. Prowl stopped by my side as Ironhide ran forward, anger lacing every inch of his furry black body. "Where did you find them?" the Abyssinian asked.

"In Deceptidog territory," I murmured quietly so as not to be overheard by the pair of shouting mates. At Prowl's shocked look I nodded and rolled my eyes as I laid down. "Yeah. Apparently it was an adventure and they went looking for them."

Grey eyes widened even more before narrowing. He hummed thoughtfully before turning and reentering the house with a flick of his white tail. I sat on the porch, eyes closing in the glare of the setting sun, waiting to be the inevitable shoulder the kittens came to cry on.

Jazz appeared over the neighbor's fence, running over to pile himself onto the kittens and make sure they were okay.

The yelling was just winding down when Optimus strolled around the side of the house. He came up the steps and nuzzled my cheek, purring. "Everything alright?" he asked and I licked his neck, purring back.

"Yeah," I replied. "I found them with this nice female named Sassy. She looked after them."

Blue eyes blinked at me. "That was nice of her. Did you thank her?" He laid down by my side.

"She kind of left before I could. I got some serious I'm-about-kill-you-because-you-annoy-me vibes."

"Ah." Optimus squinted against the evening light to see Ratchet grooming Sunstreaker. The gold kitten wasn't protesting much, enjoying the bath after a long day of adventuring. "This turned out rather well."

"We got lucky," I murmured, laying my head on his shoulders. "We'll have to be more careful."

"Let's worry about that later," my mate suggested easily. "You haven't napped today, have you?" I snorted in laughter because of course Optimus would remember that after nearly losing the three kittens. "Go to sleep. I don't think the littles will mind if you're asleep when they need to cuddle."

I smiled softly and closed my eyes, twinning my tail with his. "I'll sleep when you sleep, fur ball."

"Of course."

Later, I did feel three little bodies climb in between Optimus and I, burying themselves in his long fur and our combined body heat. I shifted to lay on my side and they readily curled into my stomach. I stretched and twitched before relaxing into the last rays of the sun.

At peace and resting.

In loving memory of my cat, Sassy, who had been with me for over ten years and still managed to be cute on top of being a demon from hell. I love you and I'll miss you.