Pulling out a bowl of blueberries from the fridge, he dumps them in, folding them into the batter. Setting a pan on the stove, he turns it on, and pours in some batter for the first pancake.
"How many do you want?" Bumblebee asks.
"I'll just have the one."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, please," she says, smiling.
Flipping the pancake, Bee waits for it to brown. "Do I upset you?" he asks softly, looking back at Winnie from the stove.
Winnie laughs. "No. No you don't, Bee. I'm afraid that I do a pretty good job of upsetting you though."
"Nope," he says, "you are...intriguing. It might be just me, but whenever I come in, you go out."
Winnie looks up quizzically. "Really?"
"I'm not going to beat around the proverbial bush, Winnie. You seem so... carefree... around G and the rest, but when it comes to me... you snap shut. I'm just curious as to why that happens."
"Well... you're G's best friend. I don't want to make you upset anyway... but doubly so because I trust you."
"Hey," Bumblebee says, standing up and grabbing a plate out of a cupboard, sliding it across to Winnie. "You're G's best friend too. I want to be as close to you as she is."
Winnie smiles at him. "Thank you."
Flipping the pancake again, he pulls the pan off the stove and flips the pancake over his shoulder, sending the round disk flying onto Winnie's plate. Reaching into the oven, he gingerly pulls out a hot cup of syrup, setting it down with a pot holder near Winnie.
"Breakfast," he says with a smile, "is served."
Winnie takes a bite of the pancakes. "How are bots so good at making pancakes?"
"You can't make pancakes?" Bumblebee asks. "C'mon you three, how many pancakes do you want?"
"Two," Shield calls.
"Half!" Raybeam squeals, looking up at Winnie and smiling.
"No," Blade grumbles.
Winnie laughs at the various requests "Sure I can make a pancake... but not THIS good."
"I can't help you then," Bee says, pouring more batter. "G will want three and I get the rest. Are you sure I can't tempt you with another?"
"I'm sure."
Steps walk down the stairs, and G comes into the kitchen, Lifeflight held carefully in her hands. He is still wearing the pants, but the sharp angles of armor can be seen under them.
"W-Winnie?" he asks. "Good morning, Bumblebee."
"Morning, Lifeflight," Bee says, flipping a pancake.
"How's the armor fit?"
"It's a-alright," Lifeflight says. "It's a little big."
Setting Lifeflight down on the counter, G reaches into a cupboard, pulling a shot glass out.
"I'm not making shots this early," Bumblebee rumbles, and G laughs.
"No. Lifeflight, you think you can manage a shot glass? I'll have to find our 'tiny instruments' if not."
"I th-think it should b-be okay. W-Would you pour Winnie some, too?"
Winnie finishes her pancake and watches Lifeflight walk over the counter.
Setting the half-full shot glass down near Lifeflight, G pours another full size glass, setting it by Winnie. After filling four more glasses, G sets out plates, which Bumblebee fills with the requested number of pancakes. There is a stack of six left over for himself.
"Are you sure you don't want one?" Bumblebee asks.
"I'm fine, Bee, the one was delicious," Winnie responds.
"Why don't we move over to the table?" G asks. "There is more room over there."
"Okay." Winnie puts a hand down for Lifeflight and picks up his shot glass, and her glass as well.
"I've got the plates," Bumblebee says, scooping up two per hand. "Well, most of them."
"I've got the rest," G says.
Winnie walks to the table and gently sets Lifeflight down on the table.
"Th-thank you," Lifeflight says, watching where Winnie will sit down.
Winnie turns to Gilli. "Is there anything I can do to help?"
"Nope, sit down and eat," G says, setting the remaining plates down on the dining table. "Shield, Raybeam, breakfast."
The two sparklings come in, pulling themselves up into their chairs.
"Pick a spot and sit," G says, gesturing to Winnie.
Winnie looks back at the table and pulls out the chair closet to Lifeflight's place on the table. Bumblebee sits down diagonally from Winnie, and G across from him. Shield sits down next to Bee, and Raybeam on Winnie's right.
"Blade? Come inside, it's time for breakfast."
"Not hungry."
His answer is stark and cold, but Bumblebee calls to him again.
"If you come in, I'll give you a booster."
Winnie takes a sip of her energon and watches Blade stomp into the doorway. Shutting the door loudly, Blade stalks across to Bumblebee, who reaches into subspace and pulls out a syringe and a cryovial of bond blocker.
Barely pulling any into the syringe, Bee takes Blade's now outstretched arm and injects him. Blade shivers and sighs, a content smile touching his lips. Looking to the empty seat next to G, he sits down, putting his head in his arms on the tabletop.
Winnie, unsure of how to respond, looks down at Lifeflight sitting on the edge of her empty plate. Swiping his finger through some syrup on the edge, Lifeflight sucks on it, looking up at Winnie. The level of energon in his shot glass is down a little, and his tiny rotors flick slightly.
"Do you want some pancake?" Winnie gestures to a chunk of syrup-soaked pancake on the other end of her plate.
Lifeflight shakes his head shyly, licking some more syrup off his hand. "N-No, thank you."
Bumblebee snags the syrup and drizzles it over his stack of pancakes, and then sends it down to Shield. Raybeam giggles and looks up at Winnie, eyes bright.
"Would you like some pancake for your syrup, Monsieur?" Winnie asks Raybeam, picking up her fork. She stabs an imaginary pancake and pretends to shove the whole thing in her mouth, cheeks puffed and chewing loudly.
Raybeam squeals and giggles, looking over at Bee, panels wide and bouncing with joy.
"Eat, silly," Bumblebee rumbles, his panels flicking back at Raybeam.
Raybeam picks up his fork with some difficulty, and sticks his pancake, unsure of what to do with it. In the other room, Oneshot begins to fuss.
"Can someone help Ray?" G asks, standing up and scooting out to go aide Oneshot.
Winnie leans over and gently takes the fork from him. She cuts his pancake into toddler size bits, a few looking like stars. When she's done she moves a few bits into the shape of a smiley face, and hands the fork back to the toddler.
Raybeam takes it with great concentration, sticking a piece of pancake and managing to put it into his mouth. Oneshot quiets in the other room as G tends to him.
Bumblebee takes a knife and slices through his stack, making six pieces out of each pancake. Spearing one, he folds it over and eats it, relishing the soft, fluffy cake. Shield is nearly done, and once he has consumed the last mouthful, picks up his plate, deposits it on the counter, and heads for the reading room.
"What are you doing the rest of this week?" Bumblebee asks, looking to Winnie.
"Um..." Winnie looks down at Lifeflight. "One of the ranchers is bringing his cows down south on Wednesday, and asked me to look them over. Other than that, just a few bits and bobs, after chores. Anything you can think of, Lifeflight?" She looks down at the bot.
"N-No," Lifeflight says. "C-Can I sit with you? I-I'm getting-g cold again."
"Sure." Winnie puts out a hand so he can climb on.
Climbing onto Winnie's hand, Lifeflight hangs on as she pulls him in, lowering him down into her lap, and wraps her arm around him so he won't fall.
"That good?" she smiles down at him.
"Mmm..." he says softly, nuzzling into a flap of her cloak.
"Sounds like your week is pretty free, then. You need any hands for the cattle run?"
"It should be okay. I got ahold of a chute not too long ago, which I can't believe. You can certainly come if you want, though."
"Well, I can come out and make sure they get to you safely," Bumblebee says. "I might bring Wrath or another of the studs for some added power."
"Whatever floats your boat. They shouldn't be too rowdy yet, since they're coming south so early."
"I just don't want you to get harmed."
"Bee, I'm gonna be fine. All I'll be doing is checking up on them." Winnie says laughing.
Bumblebee looks over Winnie's head, and taps on his chest, over his spark chamber.
"Please," he whispers, "I want to get out of the house. I've been confined to bed rest and I'm tired of it."
Winnie blinks. "I'm fine with you coming, but if G or Ratchet wants you to stay put then..." She looks cautiously around the corner for G. "I just don't plan on being beheaded anytime soon."
"I can prevent that," Bumblebee says. "They want me, not you. If you don't want me for the cattle drive, I'll go down through the lower regions of Anilex and look around."
Winnie sighs. "Alright."
Bee smiles. "I think Lifeflight is asleep...he's awfully quiet."
Winnie looks down and blushes. "Cripes. He did. I better get home soon... so I'm going to meet the rancher at 6:30... do you want me to give you the coordinates or meet at the compound?"
"Either," Bumblebee says, taking another bite of pancake.
"It'll probably be easier to go to the compound first. About..6:10?"
"Wednesday morning? Sounds good," Bumblebee says. "Whoops... Raybeam, what are you doing?"
Winnie looks over to Raybeam, who is trying to stuff the last piece of pancake in his little mouth. Raybeam finally squeezes the piece of pancake in, some syrup dripping onto his chest.
"I guess one of us will have another shower this morning," Bumblebee says, smiling and trying not to laugh. "Don't even think about copying him, Winnie. I'm not washing you."
Blade picks himself up, and as he stands up, knocks the syrup over... all over Winnie, her cloak, and her chair. Raybeam is splattered, and Blade stares at the mess he made.
"Blade," Bumblebee says quietly. "Go sit on the porch."
Winnie lifts Lifeflight up and deposits him in the next chair before the syrup gets on him. "No, it's alright, it was just an accident. Right, Blade?" She grabs her napkin and tries to stop the syrup from hitting the floor.
Blade looks at Winnie then to Bumblebee, and grumbles, turning and walking out onto the porch.
"W-Winnie?" Lifeflight asks sleepily.
"Hi, sleepy head," Winnie says, trying to balance a pool of syrup on the hem of her shirt.
"What happened?" he asks.
"Th-that's a bit of a problem," he says.
Walking in with Oneshot, G sees the syrup all over Winnie, the floor, and Raybeam.
"I see what you mean," she says, looking to Bumblebee. "Raybeam, why don't you go get in the shower? Daddy will join you."
Bumblebee sticks his tongue out at G, and stands up, motioning to Raybeam.
"You look... sticky," G says to Winnie.
"Yeah, I'm sorry... I better get home before get the rest of the place sticky... thank you so much, though."
"I was actually going to suggest that you clean up," G says. "You could at least pull of your icky stuff and put it in a bag so that you won't goo up the rest of Base."
"Yeah, I doubt that Ratchet would thank me. But I don't want you to go to the trouble over me."
"I have a bag here. Eew, it's on your shirt - let me go grab one."
Pulling a bag out from under the kitchen sink, G hands it to Winnie, and turns for the stairs. Winnie stands up and peels off her cloak. She drops it into the bag and looks over at Lifeflight, who is sitting on the chair, swinging his legs back and forth.
"Lifeflight?"
"Yes?"
"I-I was thinking... G and Bee are a little more prepared for this kind of thing, and you might... I was wondering if you wanted to stick around here, where you might be more... comfortable... until this wore off." She looks down and bites her lip.
"I-I don't want t-to leave," he says quietly, looking down at his knees. "You'd be alone."
"I-I wouldn't be alone... it would only be for a week, and you would probably be better off..."
"N-No," Lifeflight whimpers, looking up at Winnie, wiping the corner of his eyes. "I-I don't want to leave."