Bumblebee was sitting comfortably in Sari's room when he heard it. It startled him, not because it was frightening, but simply because he was not expecting it. The sound was emitted from his comm-link.

"Bumblebee, I've got those energon cookies for you. Could you... um... come meet me up here?"

He knew Requiem had said she wanted him to try her cookies. But so soon! He didn't think she'd meant before he returned to Cybertron! At any rate, if she was on the roof, there was nothing to be done but to take the elevator up to meet her.

As he stepped off the lift, he saw her silently taking in the panoramic view of snow-covered nighttime Detroit. Her back was turned towards him, and not wanting to ruin her moment, he quietly walked up behind her.

Several moments passed. Finally, as uncomfortable with silence as he usually was, Bumblebee spoke.

"Hi, Requiem."

Requiem jumped, let out a small scream, and whirled. Bumblebee frantically tried to calm her. "It's just me, Requiem! It's just me!" After a moment, she regained herself.

Bumblebee could now take a few seconds to look over the small fembot that stood before him. Her appearance had changed some from when he'd briefly seen her back in his boot camp days, even though he barely remembered it. She was about a head shorter than him, with green crest on her helm, and what appeared to be audio speakers on her servos. But she still bore the same feature he remembered the most distinctly: Large, sparkling optics.

It was when she slowly held out a small energon-cookie container that he noticed her shaking servos.

"What's wrong, Requiem?"

"Nothing... I'm just... a little nervous around 'bots..."

"Oh. Well, then..."

At that moment, both of their comm-links beeped, and Bumblebee was shocked to hear the heavily synthesized droning voice of the Decepticon Soundwave.

"I see you have returned, Autobot."

Requiem panicked. She fell trembling, with her servos covering the sides of her head, and crying out, "No-no-no-no-no-no-no!" Bumblebee was taken aback, and wondered what course of action he should take.

Why? Why would anyone send a transmission just to strike fear into the spark of a fembot? Bumblebee wasn't sure, but he decided the Decepticon must have some kind of grudge against her to warrant such cruel terrorizing.

And then the sonic pulse hit. Bumblebee was on the floor before he realized that it came from Requiem's panicking form. Once he did, he quickly regained himself, and approached her.

"Requiem, it's alright. Everything's gonna be ok. Calm down, please." And he gently touched her shoulder. To his amazement, the small fembot stopped crying out, and although still trembling, she slowly stood and looked at him.

Bumblebee wondered what to do now. Surely he couldn't let her go back to face the busy-ness of Cybertron so soon after such a scare. He quickly made his decision.

"Requiem, would you like to... spend the night? There's an extra room in the garage near mine, if..."

Requiem quietly nodded. Bumblebee slowly reached out, took her trembling servo in his, and led her towards the elevator.

In the basement garage, Bumblebee stopped in front of his room, and pointed down the hall. "There's your room, Requiem. If you need anything, please, let me know..."

Requiem looked up at Bumblebee. He froze, and seemed to be momentarily hypnotized by her wide, sparkling optics. Then she suddenly threw her servos around him and hugged him tightly.

"Thank you, Bumblebee. For everything."

Just as suddenly, she let him go, and sheepishly hurried off to her room.

Bumblebee, somewhat startled, merely stood and watched her go. And he continued to stand in his door frame thinking for some time.

"That poor little fembot," he thought. She'd been through so much for an Autobot so young. And yet, she was still thoughtful enough to want to make a journey just to deliver energon-cookies to him. Still, it was evident to him that she needed something... someone close... someone she could trust to be near when she was afraid or troubled.

Right then and there, Bumblebee decided that, if no one else would, he would be willing to be that 'bot for her.

Bumblebee entered his room and prepared for some much-needed stasis, knowing nothing of the great adventures in store for him.