Author's Note: This takes place just after Part 5 of Voice In The Wilderness. Though I think a lot of people finally get a few questions answered in this chapter. LOL

Disclaimer: Own nothing? SIGH!

Iacon, Cybertron [Pre-War]

Awareness was slow to return to Silverbolt, his entire body tingling from the after-affects of whatever had struck him hard enough to render him incapacitated. There was a soft brush of something warm against his chassis, the sound of a voice calling to him, attempting to gain his attention. Was that what had awakened him?

"Silverbolt?"

The word was in English. His name in English.

"Rafael." His vocal components were raw, his servo lifted to gently catch the young human in his palm as he slowly sat up, his gyros spinning slowly, leaving him dizzy and disorientated. "Are you undamaged?"

"Yes… but… Bee…" Brown eyes were wide as they gazed up at Silverbolt with worry reflected in their vibrant depths.

"Hold on, Sprite." He carefully set the boy down on the ground, allowing his systems to correct themselves before he was reaching out for the unconscious Bumblebee only a few yards away. One servo lightly brushed down against the yellow mech's cheekplate softly, before brushing a thumb lightly over fuel lines and feeling the thrum of the mech's fuel pump working without a hitch. Running a quick scan, he was offering Rafael a small reassuring smile. "He's alright, just got knocked offline by the impact."

A soft little whimper escaped Bumblebee, his blue optics flickering online slowly, head tipping to one side and against Silverbolt's fingers, letting out a soft chirp of relief.

"You're alright, Little Bee. A little singed…" But they seemed to be alright. It was only then that the sounds of the world finally invaded their quiet alley way where they had 'landed'. They were familiar sounds, ones that made him turn towards the nearest street and freeze in shock as Cybertronians strolled past the entrance chattering to each other and looking as untouched by war as…

Suddenly his communications systems crackled, the circuits beginning to tune in a message that was coming in. 'Hey, Bolts. Where the slag are you? I mean you were meant to be here half a joor ago.'

"Dion." It was a croak of raw sound from Silverbolt, his aft meeting the ground with a soft 'thump'. Shaking his head slightly, he rubbed his servos across his facial plates knowing that somewhere on that very planet there was another version of himself that had been caught up in bailing out one of his brothers from an Enforcer holding cell after a rather nasty brawl. He could almost hear his own reply, knowing somewhere out there he was making that call.

Both of them edged their way towards the street, Rafael kept behind them so that the small organic wouldn't be noticed for the moment by anyone passing them by and questioned about the child's presence.

Iacon shone brilliantly in the afternoon light, the Celestial Spires glinting gold, the windows reflecting the wash of radiant colours streaming through from the upper atmosphere and cloud formations. The entire city was humming with so much energy and life, every street was filled with families, couples and individuals going on about their days as if nothing was amiss and no war had ever touched them.

Bumblebee's doorwings flared wide as his head tipped back, a strangled sound escaping his vocal components when he was given the chance to witness something he had never before even glimpsed. He had been forged during the early stages of the war, where riots that shattered the shimmering spires and the golden streets were cratered and covered in debris. 'This...'

"Come here, Sweetspark." Silverbolt wrapped an arm around the staring scout and tugged him back against his chassis, tucking doorwings down and making sure both of them were out of the way of passersby. "I know what this must be like for you." His voice was low, reassuring, but telling the mech that this was neither the time nor place for sightseeing. "Trust me... I feel the same way. This place is definitely not where I expected to end up."

'Cybertron is alive... Silverbolt. The people, the city... everything is...'

"Is long since gone." Sighing, he took a good look at the small Cybertronian curled protectively into his arms and at the Earth based designs they were both sporting which would definitely get them noticed the moment they were out on the street properly. "Do you still retain your Cybertronian alternative mode?"

A slight nod was his response.

"Use it, Sweetspark."

Stepping back, Silverbolt was accessing his own internal information core and his entire frame shimmered for one long moment, his armour shifting, the colours changing from the bright silver and grey to white and pale lines of gold. Along the edges of his armour and across his partially revealed plating symbols that had previously been hidden were once again exposed and informed the world of both his military rank and status as the sparkling of one of the original Primes.

Bumblebee's brilliant yellow paintwork softened, doorwings elongating and his facial plates shifted revealing the mech's mouth for once. The rich golden-yellow armour was edged in black and grey, the mech clearly swallowing hard while he watched for Silverbolt's approval, and offered a small smile when he gained it.

"Why do you need to do that?" Rafael questioned softly, carefully stepping up onto Bumblebee's hand when the Cybertronian offered it out and lifted him up to optic level. "I thought..."

"Cybertron had a strict caste system in place before the War," A fingertip lightly trailed across his etched markings letting out a soft sound of discomfort, his head turning away slightly. "It made life extremely difficult for those who wished to be something other than what they were 'labelled' as being. Each caste was given a value... one that could not be escaped. I am of the Warrior Caste, but I am also considered to have the value of being the offspring of one of the High Councillors, which means... I am due more respect than most." Jaw clenching slightly, his fingertips brushed across his face, knowing that this had been the one thing that had always set him apart from his brothers, he had been the true sparkling of Alpha Trion and they knew it.

"So what does that make Bee?"

The scout's doorwings twitched in concern, pale blue optics meeting Silverbolt's for one long moment and asking the exact same question.

"Don't worry yourself, I will take care of both of you until we can figure out exactly how to return to where we belong." His head twisted back and he caught the glimpse of several last Chronoton particles shimmering in the air just where they had been sprawled before they finally faded back into nothingness leaving them stranded in the past on a Cybertron that only one of them knew. "I have a feeling... I'm going to end up having to deal with..." His mouth clamped shut before he could say the name, knowing exactly what most people's responses were to when he said he was the sole sparkling of Alpha Trion. "This way... we should get moving before someone picks up anything amiss."

Celestial Spires, Iacon, Cybertron [Pre-War]

Bumblebee sat on the edge of the couch, his optics glancing towards the second bedroom where Rafael had finally fallen asleep on the pillow of the berth, the boy exhausted from the day. Though it was only a few seconds before his optics immediately sort out the tall powerful frame of the Aerialbot who stood before one of the massive windows, wings silhouetted against the brilliant lights of the city bustling around outside. In all his existence Bumblebee had never known such peace, where there were no more battles to fight, no enemy stalking the shadows ready to strike them down without warning.

'Silverbolt.'

Leaning forwards with one arm against the window, his optics shuttered at the sound of the younger mech's voice, his spark clenching in response. "I wanted nothing more than to see you safe." Fingers clenching slightly, the Aerialbot's shoulders drooped sharply, his strength seeming to slip straight out of him. "I have only ever wanted to see you safe... It is a physical pain within me to know that you are out there fighting alone. You have no idea how many times I..." His fist thumped against the transparent aluminium alloy, his forehead dropping against the cool surface, optics shuttering against the beautiful unbelievable sight of Iacon alive with so many sparks.

'I missed you.'

"As I have you, my Little Bee, every moment of every orn..." Shaking his head, he swallowed the lump that seemed to be forming in his vocals.

'How long were you on Earth?'

"Four orns. I arrived with Alpha Trion."

Blue optics widened at that, though his servos clenched slightly, Bumblebee honestly didn't know what to make of those words or the fact that Silverbolt and others had been present on Earth when so much had been happening for them.

"I know what you are probably thinking." Pale blue optics shuttered tightly, his forehead dropping to rest against the cool surface once more, "Trust me I thought the exact same thing for a very, very long time. Why the secrecy? What did we have to hide?"

'Will you trust in me? Let me aid you?'

Silverbolt turned around at that, his gaze taking in the younger mech and really seeing him in that moment. For all his battle experience, to many Bumblebee was still barely old enough to be considered... adult. The Aerialbot's wings flickered and he took in the insecurities that lined every inch of the mech's features, the shadowing emotions that darkened usually clear optics. Bumblebee was asking Silverbolt to treat him to look beyond anything that lay on the surface, to trust in the spark that resided within the mech's chassis.

'I know... I'm...'

"I believe in you, Bumblebee, I always have." Striding forwards he dropped to his knee joints before the mech, drawing both servos into his own and drawing them up to his lips, pressing a soft kiss against the back of them. "I have always had faith in you. It is not your age or inexperience that has kept me silent and away from you. My... father demanded it of me." His wings drooped at the thought of his father, at the decay that clung to every inch of Alpha Trion's frame. "I could not refuse him when he is slowly malfunctioning... slowly... He asked me to remain with him."

'But you were the one to come through the GroundBridge following the distress signal.' Now that opened up a whole new can of cyber-viruses. 'Where...?'

"How about I start from the beginning? It makes far more sense that way." Silverbolt shifted up onto the couch beside the smaller mech, keeping the slender servos curled within one of his own, fingertips lightly stroking over the back of them softly. "Humans have been aware of the Cybertronian race for well over a hundred and fifty years even since they found the first deposit of Energon and happened to awaken a guardian in the process. An Autobot ship responded to the guardian's presence on Earth and encountered the scientists and archaeologists who were trying to make sense of what they found and the half awakened guardian they had found. It was during those first few orns that Cybertronian and human found common ground and developed a mutual friendship of sorts, like you have with Rafael. That friendship spawned a... society called ASPECT. You wouldn't believe what it stands for..." It actually got a chuckle from Silverbolt. "Allied Species for a Peaceful Existence, Cybertronian-Terran."

"It has been one of my father's 'pet projects'." Now this was the part that made Silverbolt almost pale if he could, his fingers rubbing together softly, his optics dimming. "So were the Autobots and the Dark Guard. Everything has been 'encouraged' along by him, he gives them guidance, support... everything he claims was for me so that I would have peace, that I would have freedom from the Decepticons he knew he could not stop."

Bumblebee's optics took in the mech's features and managed to draw his hands out of Silverbolt's grasp so that he could capture the handsome face between his palms and draw it down so that he could gaze into the vivid blue optics and see all the emotional turmoil that existed right there. Thumbs sweeping over the warm cheekplates, he offered his reassurance silently, saying in that moment he would never judge this mech on the actions of those whom had done so much in his 'name'.

"I am all he has. Alpha Trion is dying, when he left the safety of Cybertron and the regenerating affects of Vector Sigma his frame began to disintegrate, but I think it was already starting to even when he was on Cybertron. I am the reason he made the Aerialbots... he wanted to hide me amongst many at times... hide that I was his sparkling, that within me was something no one but he carried."

"The reason that Alpha Trion is currently on Earth is because we finally have proof that the Lost Legion of Primus has been located... their city is somewhere beneath the Earth's surface." His face pressed into the warm fingers that brushed against his cheekplates, allowing his optics to shutter and just enjoy the soft caresses, relieved that he would be able to talk to someone about all this. "The energon deposits on Earth are radial in pattern. They were what leached out of the City's supplies and crystallised near to the surface, or at least that was what has been surmised. Alpha Trion requested Firestar locate the city before MECH does using the planetary mapping we have done of Earth to locate all of the different deposits. The Aerialbots have been destroying the Decepticon mining operations and hacking their systems to add in the areas that have previously been mined to have a complete picture."

'I thought they were a myth, a story told between soldiers of something...' Bumblebee shook his head slightly, attempting to allow all the information to soak into his mind. 'But I guess if Dark Energon can exist, why can't the Lost Legion?'

"The Legion took something off Cybertron. Blaster discovered it... or at least that is what his last transmission recorded before the Ark vanished and apparently crashed on Earth." The entire world was a mess or at least that was what it seemed like half the time. "The Heart of Primus."

'If you could prove that it exists... if you can show...' Head tipping to the side, he let out a chirp of quiet hope.

"Yes. Proof that Primus is real, that we are truly the Children of Primus, his creations. It would give us a common point of reference, something that all would respect. Could you imagine what true peace would be like?" Silverbolt's head turned to gaze out of the window at the world beyond the transparent surface, at the traffic that flickered and danced through the many layers of streets that made up Iacon. "Not this construction of perfection and 'peace', but a true lasting concord and amity between all of our race and those of others. One that would leave no Cybertronian to suffer as so many do every day in this seemingly beautiful world."

'Could it happen?' Bumblebee shifted forwards, his hands lightly tugging Silverbolt's helm back around to face him, his palms sliding up around to the back of that helm and gently drew it downwards. 'Could such peace truly happen? All I have ever known is this war, I don't even know what peace looks like.'

"I know it could."

Bumblebee sat quietly, his helm propped up in one hand, gazing out at the world beyond the windows and watched the first rays of sunshine slowly begin to brighten the distant horizon, lighting over the golden domes and spires of Iacon, making the entire city almost seem to sparkle like a polished jewel on Cybertron's crown. His hand lightly rested on the silver-white helm settled in his lap, fingertips stroking gentle little circles across the smooth metal, his audios were filled with the sound of Silverbolt's recharging systems and slowly pulsing spark.

He had never experienced anything quite like that moment, not in all his vorns had he ever just watched a sunrise and felt a such peace, even if it was a fabrication. The scout knew that the world would intrude once more, it was only a matter of time before reality would come crashing back in and snatch away the only solace he had ever known, the only... His blue optics flickered down to drink in the sight of the peacefully resting Aerialbot, the mech's wings twitching slightly as they rested over the side of the couch, the tip of one almost touching the floor.

A fingertip lightly traced the edge of one glorious wing, stroking across the hypersensitive metal and hearing the soft groan escaped Silverbolt in response to the gentle caress. A smile touched the corners of the mech's lips, but he didn't stir and wake, continuing on in thankfully peaceful dreams.

"Tease." Silverbolt murmured softly against Bumblebee's tanks, his lips grazing against them lightly, nuzzling the scout softly and settling in a little closer against him.

'I didn't mean to wake you.' Bumblebee responded, stretching out to pull the thick thermal blanket a little more over the strong shoulders of the Aerialbot, just not wanting him to move quite yet.

"You didn't. I couldn't recharge anyway..." Though his voice was betraying the fact that he could so easily slip back into recharge, exhaustion filling his every word.

'Thankyou.'

"For?"

'Everything.' The Autobot couldn't help but offer the other mech a sweet little smile, wishing for all the world that his vocal components had been damaged beyond repair. 'For trusting me last night with such secrets.'

"There has never been someone I trusted more than you, my Sweetspark." And there never would be again. There had always been a connection between them, something that couldn't be denied no matter what either might have said at one point. It was an attraction, one that had grown with both of them until it was a part of their spark, a part of what made them who they were. Fingers lacing through Bumblebee's smaller ones, he drew them down and against his chassis just over his spark and clasped them close. "I won't leave you again, Bumblebee. I... I don't have the strength to or the will."

'And I wouldn't let you.' Bumblebee's lips twitched upwards, his head dipping down and he pressed a kiss to the tip of one trembling wing. 'Not anymore, not when we both know that what we have is something so... precious.'

"We still need to work out however exactly how we got here... and how we are going to get back."

It was only a matter of time before someone noticed that there were actually two Silverbolts... and that there was an organic on Cybertron. Yet, neither mech could truly bring themselves to deny the moments of peace this explosion had gifted them with. It was clear someone had been attempting to protect them by actually shifting them within the time stream so that they wouldn't be 'present' when the MECH soldiers stormed what remained of the base. However, whoever had used a Chronoton bomb had definitely used raw material for its construction which would explain why it had actually sent the three not only back far into the past, but also all the way to Cybertron.

Hope you guys like it! Bumblebee and Silverbolt is a pairing that I'm still working on the interactions for XD but I'm sure they will grow into it.