Title: Family problems

Disclaimer: not mine

Timeframe: AU Armada; Autobots are on earth. Sideswipe is on Earth; while Sunstreaker & Bumblebee are on Cybertron. Sides is hurt; which causes his twin to come planetside in order to kick some Con aft in revenge. Bee tags along which causes the Autobots to deal with some problems that they stuck in the corner.

Relationship: Prime/Elita Bumblebee & Pax; Ironhide/Chromia (adopted) Bumblebee & Flarestrike

Earth: Autobot Base

"Ironhide, you and Sideswipe are on patrol today," Prowl stated as they stood in the ready room.

"Yes sir," Hide responded as he headed over to grab the red bot from the rec area. "Let's go Swipe we got patrol today."

"Right," Sides said as he transformed into his vehicle form and followed the black GMT truck out into the desert.

Four hours later

"Prowl we're coming in hot," Hide called out as he and Swipe ran toward the entrance of the base.

"What's wrong?"

"Ambush, Decep..." his transmission was cut off midway through.

"Prowl, Hotshot you're with me," prime stated as he headed toward the entrance. "Ratchet, Red Alert prepare for wounded."

Medbay

"What happened?" questioned ratchet as they laid Sideswipe on the table in front of him.

"Starscream, Edstrom, and about a dozen other Deceptacons ambushed us about 15 miles away from base," hide stated as Red Alert patched up his arm and chest cavity. "Swipe was hit in dead center by a focus energy blast from Hyper."

As Ratchet listened to the report, he was forced to try to repair the bot in front of him. The blast had hit dangerously close to his spark casing.

"Ratchet?" questioned Prime as he entered the medbay-glancing at Ironhide then toward where the younger Autobot was lying.

"I don't know, the blast hit him dangerously close to his spark," the medic stated. "It'll be difficult trying to repair the damage without working close to his spark-one wrong move..." he trailed off as he reached down to open up Swipe's spark case. And was greeted by an unusual sight.

"What the..." he trailed off as he called over Red Alert to take a look.

"What is it Ratchet?" but the medic's questioned was answered by the oddly pulsing spark. "What in the Matrix..."

Cybertron: Autobot Base

"Come on Sunny," Techno called out as he headed over to join Bumblebee and Dawnwalker in the rec area.

"I'm coming," he stated as he suddenly blacked out and collapsed.

"Sunny, you ok?" Bee questioned after the yellow bot awoke.

"Sideswipe," he muttered as he reached his hand for his spark. "I need to go to earth."

Bee's face grew strained at that but he nodded his head in agreement knowing that his secret would be no longer. "I'll go with you."

Earth: Autobot Base

Prowl entered Prime's office, "Optimus?"

"What is it?" questioned the autobot leader as he leaned back in his chair.

"Two autobots are scheduled to arrive in three hours," Prowl stated as he glanced around the office-at anything expect at Prime.

"Who is it?"

"Sunstreaker and Bumblebee."

Landing Zone: Earth; 50 miles from Autobot base

"Welcome to Earth," Optimus Prime stated as he watched the duo approach and was shocked at the sight of seeing Sideswipe or him being yellow in color. The other bot was smaller in size and yellow in color as well-but he was not a new face to the leader of the Autobots.

The two bots where walking quietly as they surveyed the group that had assembled to great them. "Thank you," Sunny said as he shook hands with Prime and Prowl. "My designation is Sunstreaker."

"Welcome Sunstreaker," Prime acknowledged as he glanced at the mini-bot standing behind him. "Welcome Bumblebee."

"What?" questioned Sunny as he glanced at his friend. He knew the leader of the Autobots?

"Hi Optimus," the spy stated as he approached the larger bot. "Where's 'hide?" he asked glancing around for the weapon specialist.

"I contacted him," Prowl said with a look back towards the ARK. "He should be here any minute..." his voice trailed off as a dust cloud quickly approached the group. "Well speak of the devil," Ironhide raised you, but Optimus created you, Prowl mussed to himself. Despite whatever spark relationship the spy had with Prime as far as the youngling was concerned Ironhide was his family-he doubted if the bot would ever forgive the autobot leader for not telling him-allowing Bee to learn from another.

As Ironhide came to a stop, he transformed into his warrior mode. "Prime," he acknowledged before his attention was drawn toward the younger bot that was currently trying to hide behind Sunstreaker-ignoring Optimus's attempts at conversing. Shaking his head, he moved forward and grabbed the mini-bot by the back of his neck and dragged him in front of him.

"Hey!" Sunny automatically summoned his cannons and aimed them at the bot that had a hold of Bee. "Leave him alone!"

Hide chuckled as he glanced at the clone Swipe. "You must be Sunny Sideswipe's brother," he said as he pulled Bee into a hug. "Bee's mentioned you a lot," he watched the bot look uncertain at his words. Ironhide looked down at the younger bot as he said, "What are you doing on earth? You didn't say anything about coming in your last transmission," he frowned his charge.

"Sorry 'hide," Bee grimaced as he hugged the larger bot. "Sunny was worried about Sides-I haven't seen you in awhile so I decided to tag along."

"It's alright," hide stated as looked over the yellow spy. "How long you planning on staying?"

"I was wondering if Prime's team still needed a covert member," he didn't acknowledge his relationship to the autobot leader-Ironhide had raised him-as far as Bee was concerned Hide was he family-aft his creator. "I've missed you," he said quietly glancing at the other Autobots he decided to state how he saw his relationship with both his guardian and the autobot leader. "After all you're the only family I've got."

At his words Prime's face distorted-he was aware of Bumblebee's feelings, but he had been secretly carrying the hope that he might have a creator/sparkling relationship with him.

Ironhide merely tugged the younger bot into another hug before he glanced other at his friend. Hide meet Prime's optics and saw the resignation in them. "Very well," Prime whispered before he led the way back to base.

"Um Bee?" Sunny questioned as he watched his friend react with one of the most famous bot's in Cybertron's history.

"Oh sorry," Bee raised his hand to his head as he glanced around the group. "I was raised by the Autobots," Bee shrugged at Sunny's disbelieving look. "Ironhide raised me, and the others were always there to keep an eye on me if necessary."

"No way, but what about your creators?"

Bee paused midstep, before he continued on his way, "I was orphaned," truth, "and I was brought to the base by Prime," truth. "Ironhide was made my guardian," truth.

"Why?" Sunny's question was cut off by Ironhide.

"Bee was a little terror," Hide mussed as he thought back to when Prime had brought the yellow sparkling to the base. "At first Ratchet and Red Alert were keeping an eye on him, but neither where accustomed to handling sparklings, even Jazz and Prowl where at their wits end."

Prowl picked up the story, "Even Optimus couldn't get the kid to settle down," Jazz grinned at the memory of the Autobot leader trying to quiet Bee. "It wasn't until Hide here returned from recon that things got interesting."

"What do you mean?" Sunny glanced at the bot in question.

"The next morning Hide claimed the kid as his own and forbid the rest of us to never be in charge of a sparkling again," Prowl said with a grin.

"You're editing the story," Hide frowned. "When I returned from recon with Bluestreak, the others where all in recharge mode-and Bee was dumping energon on the floor," he stated with a disapproving glance at Bee.

"I'm never going to live that down," Bee muttered under his breath.

"Blue managed to get Bee out of the room without awaking the others, which caused him to start screaming," hide grinned as he recalled how Blue had nearly dropped the sparkling-only hide's quick reflexes had spared the bot from injuries. "Afterward Blue sealed himself into his room."

"Why?"

"He nearly dropped Bee-which caused him to start screaming," Prime supplied. "Ironhide managed to quiet him down, feed him and get him into recharge in under an hour."

"No way," Sunny glanced at Bee's guardian. "How did you know what to do?" he asked suddenly-which caused the other bots to stop mid-step-Nobody had ever asked Ironhide that-they all valued their spark's too much for that.

"After my creator's died I was sent to Flotia, I helped the caregivers with the younglings," he shrugged-it was no secret. "Bee was younger then I was when I was sent there-I guess I knew how he felt with no family," or so we thought. "We became each other's caregiver," in other words Bee kept me sane and I kept the other's from turning him into a drone.

"That was nice," Sunny said-noticing that the other bots where all studying the weapon's specialist with sudden interest. "You were lucky Bee."

"The others might have cared for me as well but Hide's the one who's always been there for me," the spy shrugged. "I wouldn't have traded him for a creator."

Optimus continued on-ignoring the pain in his spark. He felt a hand clap onto his shoulder-he turned his head and was greeted by the face of Prowl.

"You ok?" questioned his second in command.

"In time," Prime responded with a grimace.

Autobot Base

"Welcome to the ARC," Optimus stated as the group entered the hidden autobot base.

"Where's Sides?"

"Follow me," Prowl lead the worried bot to the medbay.

"Hide!" Chromia called out as she carried a dark blue sparkling in her arms. "What happened? You just ran out of the base without even..." her voice trailed off as she identified the miniature bot next to him. "Bumblebee!" she called out as she passed the sparkling to her mate and pulled the spy into a hug. "You finally decided to visit your sister!"

"Hi Chromia," Bee replied as he hugged her back. "And this must be my little sister," he said as Hide passed him the sparkling.

"So far she hasn't shown a temper," Chromia said as she adjusted Bee's grip on the bot. "But she's still only a few vouns old, although Ratchet said that she should start talking soon."

Hide watched as the trio interacted, although Bee had meet Chromia-this was the first time he had seen the sparkling.

"Did you guys decide on a name yet?"

"Flarestrike," Chromia replied as she stroked her daughter's head. "Flare for short."

"Nice," Bee grinned as Flare woke up and stared up at him. "Hiyah Flare, I'm your brother, Bumblebee."

The sparkling let lose a string of chirps as she snuggled next to his spark casing.

Bee passed the sparkling to Chromia and glanced over to Jetfire, "Who do I need to see about a place to sleep?"

"I see..." Jetfire was cut off by Chromia.

"He'll stay with us," Chromia stated as she gestured to her mate. "I've already set up one of the spare room's in our unit for him."

"You didn't have..." Hide clapped his hand around Bee's mouth as he watched the two femme's leave the control room.

"Don't argue with her Bee-you won't win," Hide cautioned as the pair followed after them. "When we moved into the family unit, she made sure that there was a room in it for you-just in case you ever came to earth."

"She did?" the spy wondered.

"Yep," the weapons specialist replied as the door closed behind them.

Prime's Office

Optimus sat down in his office as he watched Bee interact with Ironhide and his mate. All of the things that he could have had with the miniature bot-was now lost to him.

"Optimus?" Elita asked as she entered the room caring a sparkling in her arms

"Elita," Optimus approached his wife and daughter. The sparkling was a hot pink femme and was as even tempered as her father. "How's Pax?"

"She's fine," Elita passed him the sparkling. "Prowl told me that Bumblebee is on earth."

"He is," Optimus said as the trio sat down on the couch.

"How did it go?"

Optimus stated forcing his voice to be even, "He wants to remain on earth in order to be closer to his family."

"That's great!"

"No," Prime said softly, "near his adoptive family."

"Oh," Elita glanced at the sparkling in Prime's arms-although she felt her spark mate's pain, she could also understand Bumblebee's; Ironhide was his family, the only one that he had since he onlined.

Rec Room

Sunny approached the bed; staring at the red mech that was laying on it deep in recharge.

Ratchet was still concentrating on repairing the damaged Sides that he didn't bother to raise his head. "Who is it? Unless it's an emergency come back later."

"How's my brother?" Sunny asked which caused the medic to swing his head around and stare at him in surprise.

"What in the matrix," he glanced between the two-the pair where very similar-the only thing that was different was their paint jobs.

"I'm Sunstreaker, Sides is my twin."

"Twin?!" Ratchet went over what he knew about twin bots-they were rare and occurred once every eon. "That explains his spark then," he mused as he returned his attention back to the task at hand. "You can either leave."

"I'm not leaving Sides!"
"Or you can sit down, in here ONLY if you quiet," the medic continued on as though he hadn't even spoken "One word and you're out of here."

Sunny sat down near the entrance to the medbay. His gaze fixated on the still form of his brother. Come on Sides, you have to be ok, he thought to himself as he watched the medic work.

Prime's Office

"Optimus, can we speak?" asked Ironhide as he stood outside the autobot leader's office.

"Come in," Optimus gestured for the weapon specialist to enter. "What is it?"

"Bee, wants to stay on earth," Hide started. "But he's concerned that there might be a problem."

Prime raised his head up as he fixed his optics on the other mech. "His military record is clean; there should be no problem with a transfer."

"Primus!" Ironhide swore. "That's not what he means Optimus!"

Rec Room

"Bee, could you keep an eye on Flare for a sec?" Chromia asked after Jetfire requested her presence in the communications center.

"Sure," Bee grinned as he sparkling tried to climb up his leg-chirping quietly as she asked to be picked up. "Me and Flare need a little bonding time," he grinned as he picked up the femme. "After all big brother has got to show her all of his old tricks about getting around the base."

Chromia shook her head, "Ah," she moaned as she recalled Hide's communiqué's when he was raising the youngling-Bee had somehow managed to bypass all of the Artemis's security protocols as well as the security camera's. "Just don't let her around your cannons," she warned as she recalled how Flare managed to copy Hide's cannons; luckily Ratchet was able to deactivate her weapon system.

"You got it," the spy replied as Flare curled next to his spark casing.

Chromia walked down the hall to the communication center, mentally going over the interaction between Bee and Optimus. "I wonder what will happen?" she mussed to herself as she saw Elita and Pax in front of her. "Elita!"

"Chromia," she smiled as she paused in order to allow her friend to catch up. "How's Flare?"

"Good," she replied. "Ratch is scared that she'll be as trigger happy as me and 'hide."

Elita laughed softly, as she questioned on the miniature spy.

"Bee's ok," Chromia smiled. "I left him telling her all of his old tricks about getting around 'hide."

"Oh dear," Elita frowned-she recalled Optimus's behavior during some of his stunts. "That doesn't sound good."

Chromia shrugged, "As long as Bee doesn't let her near his cannons, and let's her copy them; we'll be good."

"True, she's already as trigger happy as you two," she laughed. "But put Bumblebee's infiltration abilities into the mix, and we'll have a big problem."

"True," Chromia replied as she glanced at the Prime's mate. "How's he handling it?"

Elita didn't need her to elaborate, "Although it's not what he wants, he understands Bee's view and will respect his choice."

"Sunny!" Bee called out as the yellow mech entered the room.

"Bee," the yellow bot headed over in order for him to join him.

"How's Sides?"

"Good, he'll be up and about this time tomorrow," Sunny replied. "The medic is good I'll give him that much."

"Bee!" Bluestreak called out as he entered the room. "I didn't know that you were on earth,' the gunner stated as he hugged the miniature bot. "Ironhide didn't say a thing, and neither did Prime."

"I tagged along with Sunstreaker at the last moment, 'hide's already read me the riot act for not telling him," the spy grinned. "So has Chromia."

"How you'd like Flare?"

"Yep," the bot grinned. "Little sister is as gun crazy as our parents."

Blue's face looked stunned for a moment before he nodded in understanding, "You made a choice?"

"Yes," suddenly the room was silent-the only one left out of the lope was Sunstreaker who stood there glancing between the two.

"Good for you," the gunner smiled. "As far as Ironhide's been concern-you have been a member of his family unit since the day Prime handed you to him," the bot revealed. "But his loyalty to Prime has always stopped him."

"You knew?"

"Yes," Blue stated. "I was with Prime the day he brought you to the Artemis, I accidently overheard them talking about it."

Bee nodded his head in understanding then adjusted his hold on Flare, "We were going to get some energon," he motioned toward the sparkling. "Want to join?"

"Sure," Blue nodded.

"Alright," Sunstreaker replied as he tried to figure out what exactly was going on with his friend.

The End

-poor Sunstreaker will he ever find out Bee's secret?