Disclaimer: I don't own Transformers or any of the characters, Hasbro & Paramount Pictures does.

This was just something that popped into my head when I saw the movie in the theaters. Just how did Optimus Prime and the other Autobots cope with raising Bumblebee, the last of the younglings? Protocol only goes far when a youngling is involved...

I'm not very familiar with the series, so please be gentle. What I know is either from the movie or from quick, random reading. This is a numerous-part series focusing on Bumblebee's childhood and side-story of my earlier story Little Brother and I would suggest reading that story first to give you an idea of the storyline, but constructive criticism is welcome. I will probably pay the closest attention to Autobots from the 2007 film since they seem to be the closest to Bumblebee, although others will be included. Whenever an idea pops into my head, I'll write about it. Thank you and please enjoy reading.

Now remember, Bumblebee may seem OOC here because he is very young, practically a baby-bot. This is how some of my very little cousins and much younger brother would probably act in a situation like this, so be open-minded and nice, please. Bumblebee would want that.

Sparkling - Newborn

Youngling - Child

Italics - Thoughts

Breem - 8.3 Earth minutes

Joor - About 6.5 Earth hours

Orn - About 13 Earth day

Vorn - About 83 Earth years

Youngling - Chapter II - Sideswipe


The smoldering wreckage that was once the eastern quad of Beta Nebulae Autobot Military Base and Outpost was a disturbing sight to the hardened weapons specialist. The tight grip that he had on Bumblebee became almost painful as he watched the Decepticon Lord slowly stride towards the entrance, his steel flail laying lazily in his left claw-like hand and his blood red optics leering down at the dead Autobots amongst his feet.

Ironhide glared at the reflection, his dark blue optics not believing what they were seeing nor could his processor compute his very bad luck. The trembling of the little bot in his arms did little to help his situation or sanity either. Why was Bumblebee so jittery anyways? The youngling had never seen Megatron before and from how Bumblebee's head was currently buried in his shoulder, Ironhide was pretty sure that the little bot had not caught a glimpse of the demon-like mech yet. So why…

"I can feel him," whispered Bumblebee, his voice barely audible from his hiding place, "In the darkness…"

Ironhide gazed down at the little youngling whom he cradled in his burly arms, an uneasy feeling twisting his spark when he heard the whispered words. He knew that there was a unique connection between his charismatic commander and the little youngling, far different than any emotional bond Ironhide or his fellow Autobots had developed with the minibot. Bumblebee seemed to be able to sense whenever Optimus was near without the aid of a tracking device or energy-signature system. The youngling was still far too young to be outfitted with such advanced equipment.

The old weapons specialist had had suspicions about Bumblebee's creation and his Creator since Optimus Prime had assigned Ironhide the task of being the youngling's guardian. The Autobot commander had been his friend for countless vorns, and Ironhide knew when the taller mech was hiding something of importance. Ironhide had witnessed on numerous occasions how Optimus had desperately tried to distance himself from the bubbly youngling, failing miserably each and every time. Everything the youngling did simply seemed to enamor the illustrious Autobot leader.

"Protect him when I cannot," Optimus Prime had ordered his second-in-command and old friend when the lower chambers of an Autobot base in Iacon had come under attack by the Decepticons. "He must survive at all costs. You are his guardian now, old friend, I know that Bumblebee will be safe with you."

Much to Ironhide's surprise and disbelief, the restricted lowest chambers of the base had in fact been housing a tiny youngling who was less than a half-vorn old. Not even the Cybertronian equivalent of a two-week-old Earth infant yet. No one except Optimus Prime and the sparkling's original caretakers knew even the faintest of details about Bumblebee's creation.

Primus, help me, Ironhide had thought all those vorns ago when he had first laid optics on the tiny youngling clutching onto one of his commander's towering legs. This was not in the job description!

Ironhide knew that Optimus viewed the youngling as a little brother, but the old weapons specialist often wondered just how much truth there was in the conclusions that he had drawn long ago. Just how much truth was there behind the brotherly relationship that Optimus shared with Bumblebee?

Sensing another mech without any form of mechanical assistance was a rare trait. As far as Ironhide knew, only siblings and Creators shared such a unique connection with another mech. Ironhide could faintly remember sharing such a connection with his Creator a very long time ago, shortly before the first Cybertronian Wars erupted and his Creator was slain in one of the hundreds of vicious battles that would slowly destroy Cybertron and divide its people for eons.

Bumblebee was far too young to understand the importance behind the feelings that he felt when in Optimus' presence. The youngling had not understood why Ironhide was so shocked by the fact that he could sense the Autobot commander whenever he was near him. It was at that moment that Ironhide's suspicions were confirmed: Optimus had to be either the Creator or the older brother of Bumblebee.

Ironhide wasn't sure which one Optimus was or even how the towering Autobot had managed to create the bubbly little youngling, but he did know that if that sense was present between the two Autobots because of a sibling bond…

Then could the same be said in regard to Optimus' other brother, Megatron?

Could the Decepticon Lord and little youngling sense one another?

Ironhide sincerely hoped not, for both his and Bumblebee's sake.

"I can feel him," repeated the youngling, his voice a quiet whisper and his baby blue eyes gazing up at his guardian, "He's so dark and angry…Who is he?"

It's official, thought Ironhide sourly, I'm screwed.

The sound of crunching echoed from the entrance and Ironhide quickly silenced the youngling's whispers, his right plasma cannon crackling and his hydraulics quietly hissing as he crouched lower to the ground. He had no qualms about fighting Megatron, but there was no way that he would do anything that would even remotely endanger his injured youngling. Unfortunately, there seemed to be no other chose and the old weapons specialist felt a rush of fear for the first time in many, many vorns.

Now would a really good time t'show up, Optimus, ol' pal, Ironhide thought, his cannon aimed at the thick silver leg that had stepped through the quad entrance. Slag!

And that's when everything went to Pit…

The blazing red optics of one very fragged-off Decepticon Lord immediately tore into the dark blue optics of the heavily built Autobot that had fired a missile into his right knee joint. Ironhide glared at the titanic mech that stood before him, quickly shifting his left side away in an attempt to shield Bumblebee from the demon's sight.

No such luck.

"What have we here?" mocked Megatron, his red optics glowering and his steel flail clicking in his clawed hand. "Prime's rusted, old bodyguard. Still online I see, I'm surprised that they still manufacture spare parts for an…"

Megatron trailed off, his optics widening slightly when he caught a brief glimpse of yellow and the sound of hushed whimpers reached his auditory receptors. The fierce glare that Prime's second-in-command shot at the Decepticon Lord was the only warning Megatron had before the old mech sprung from his crouching position and sprinted down the hallway.

The trio of plasma missiles that struck Megatron in the chassis and upper arms was a little unexpected as well…

Ironhide sprinted down the hallway as fast as his immense frame and wheezing hydraulics would permit, his cooling systems working overtime and optics scanning his surroundings for an escape. Bumblebee remained firmly snuggled into his left side, his tiny frame curled into a little ball so that his guardian could more easily maneuver and carry him. The infuriated roar that echoed from behind fueled Ironhide's systems to push themselves to maximum capacity and primal instinct pushed his body to unknown heights as the Autobot weapons specialist strove to put as much distance between Megatron and his youngling as possible.

"Foolish old mech!" Megatron snarled, his blood red optics locked onto the small yellow legs that were dangling beside the old Autobot's left hip joint. "You cannot escape me, Autobot scum!"

"I wouldn't be so cocky, slag-head!"

The little youngling in Ironhide's arms clicked in surprise, eagerly turning his tiny head to the side and gawking at the twin Autobots that were charging down the hallway to the left like twin demons from the fiery depths of Hell. "Sunny! Sides!"

"Get down!"

Sunstreaker charged headlong into Megatron, viciously launching seven missiles into the Decepticon's chassis before smashing the slightly larger mech into the hard steel wall behind him. Ironhide crouched low to the ground just as the window to his right side exploded and Sideswipe violently collided with another Decepticon right above them, his twin just down the hallway ferociously clawing at Megatron's face.

"No fair!" grumbled Sideswipe after he threw his adversary back out the window and crouched protectively in front of Ironhide and the youngling. "Sunny gets to pummel Megs while I get stuck with the tin-head's whiny bitch!"

"No," grunted Ironhide, charging his right plasma cannon up whilst gently placing Bumblebee into Sideswipe's surprised arms, "I'm stuck with the back-stabber while you get Bumblebee out of here." The older mech quickly hushed the youngling's protests before locking optics with the twin. "You're faster, he'll be safer with you. Now move!"

"Well, normally I'd say this was an even exchange," Sideswipe said, gazing down at the tiny youngling that had been deposited into his arms, "But I was kinda hoping to…"

"Move it, Sideswipe!"

"I'm going, I'm going," Sideswipe grumbled, carefully tucking the youngling into his left side and dashing down the hallway, "No need to yell!"

The prankster twin barely made it five steps down the hall before his left leg was suddenly seized from behind by a particularly vicious-looking Megatron. Sideswipe grunted as he was jerked to the ground, landing roughly on his right arm in an attempt to shield Bumblebee from the full-impact of the fall.

"Give me that, boy!" growled Megatron, his claw-like hands reaching for one of the youngling's legs. Sideswipe scowled in frustration and kicked one of his mighty legs into the Decepticon Lord's face. The twin could hear Ironhide curse vehemently to his right when Starscream came crashing through the window once again and blindly opened fire upon all in the hallway.

"Starscream, you fool!" roared Megatron when a gunshot landed right next to his prone head. "I'll deact— "

"Get your aft in gear, Sides!" snarled Sunstreaker when he leapt onto Megatron's back and grabbed the tyrant's arm before he could reach the youngling. "Get Bee outta here!"

The quiet whimpers of the little youngling in his arms caused Sideswipe's optics to darken and his internal systems to rev with fierce determination. You ain't gonna touch him, Megatron! Sideswipe thought ferociously, Over my dead body! The Autobot warrior pulled himself to his feet and viciously punched Starscream in the face, sending the 'Con crashing through another window yet again.

"I've got ya, lil' buddy," whispered Sideswipe, clutching the youngling close to his chest when he heard the tell-tale sounds of two jets take off from behind him. The Autobot twin knew that the two Decepticons would try to attack him from the side if he ventured close enough to any of the bay windows. "Ya just stay real quiet and let Sides take care of the big, nasty Decepti-morons, ya hear?"

The youngling nodded his little head and snuggled tightly into Sideswipe's chest, quietly whispering, "'Hide and Sunny?"

"They're right behind us, Bee," Sideswipe reassured whilst turning down a long corridor that led into the heart of the military base, "Sunny's too psychotic to be killed by a whiny bitch or megalomanic and ol' Ironhide's too stubborn to roll over and die for anyone."

Sideswipe felt Bumblebee shudder and would've slapped himself in the head if his arms had not already been full with a little youngling in his left and a huge missile launcher in his right. Nice going, genius, Sideswipe thought, Scare the lil' bot with descriptions of his guardian rolling over and dying. Real smooth.

"I…uh…didn't…umm…mean it like that, Bee," Sideswipe stuttered, trying his slagging best to reassure and comfort the sensitive youngling. "What I meant to say was that…umm…Sunny and Ironhide are too tough to die." The little bot stopped trembling and continued to clutch onto Sideswipe's shoulder, his injured arm cradled close against his exposed side. "Bee?"

Silence.

"Bee?"

"You said to be quiet," replied the youngling, "So I'm being quiet."

Silence.

"Cheeky lil' bot," Sideswipe rumbled, giving the youngling an affectionate flick atop his little head. "Pain in my aft is what ya are." The minibot immediately recognized the tender undertone in the warrior mech's voice and simply snuggled into his chest even more, his baby blue optics gazing anxiously down the reddened hallway. "Younglings…"

The Autobot twins were among the most vicious of warriors that Cybertron had ever produced, their ruthless fighting style and detached view towards death were infamous throughout the universe. Albeit Sideswipe was definitely the more sociable and laid-back of the two mechs, upon the battlefield he could be just as brutal as his more cold-blooded twin brother. The two had gotten into a lot of trouble before Optimus Prime finally found them in the mines one orn and brought them aboard Artemis I.

Sideswipe had heard many stories about the great Optimus Prime, Commander of the Autobots and former co-ruler of Cybertron, and had been amazed by the benevolence that such a powerful being showed towards all sentient beings. The huge mech was also one of the most destructive fighters he had ever seen upon the battlefield too. Sideswipe pitied any creature that was slagging stupid enough to get on the towering mech's bad side.

Then again, Sunny had come awfully close to that bad side quite a few times, but that was just Sunny. What could he say, his twin had an attitude problem.

A really bad attitude problem.

The twin Autobots had been assigned light shifts and sentry duty during their first three orns onboard, Sideswipe socializing and learning the ins-and-outs of serving under the distinguished Optimus Prime. It had been on their third orn when the pair had finally decided to kick-back in front of the rec room's holovid and have a couple cubes of fresh energon. The perfect way to end an orn of long, boring shifts. Neither Sunny nor Sides had expected what happened next…

Unbeknownst to Sunstreaker and Sideswipe, an enormous black mech had strode through the doors not even a breem later with a small minibot right at his heels. The large mech had immediately veered towards the firing range, pointedly telling the other mechs in the room to watch the little bundle of energy whilst he 'blew some holes in a couple of holo-'Cons.' Neither twin had bothered to avert their optics or receptors towards the curt sounding speaker.

Sideswipe had been alarmed a few moments later to find a little minibot curled up on the couch beside him, small legs just barely dangling over the edge and tiny head tilted to the side in mild interest. Most minibots were intimidated by the twins' towering height and non-too-friendly disposition towards them. After all, the pair had already gotten into an argument with two minibots onboard: Gears and Cliffjumper. Sideswipe had been shocked to see that the little bot had dared to come within twenty paces of Sunny or himself.

Primus, had he been in for a surprise…

The little bot had sat silently for but a moment, little feet moving in various shapes that appeared to be some poor excuse for a figure-eight, before he finally turned to gaze up at the two larger mechs and said something completely weird and outlandish…

"Hi!"

The cheerful tone and energetic disposition that had been overflowing in that one word had stunned both warrior mechs, leaving them flabbergasted and speechless for over a quarter of a breem. Baby blue optics had gazed up at the twins, as friendly and inviting as the voice that had just spoken to them. Both had soon realized that this was no normal minibot…

"What is that?!" Sunny had demanded, staring down at the oblivious creature with dumbstruck optics and a frazzled processor.

"That, my friend," spoke the calm voice of a particularly tall mech as he walked over, "Is a youngling."

"Trail!" the little bot had squealed, eagerly holding his arms out in a beseeching gesture to be picked up. "Watch?"

The broad-shouldered mech had chuckled at the little bot, easily reaching over the couch and hefting the youngling into his immense arms whilst snatching the remote from Sunny's lap. The twin mechs had simply stared at the…youngling in complete disbelief, their optics wide and glued on the tiny creature that snuggled into the larger mech's lap once he sat down on another couch.

"Can't have the little bot watching gory movies," informed Trailbreaker, promptly changing the channel to a different station. None of the other mechs at the nearby tables had seemed bothered by the movie suddenly being cut-off in the middle of a particularly dramatic scene, their faceplates actually displaying…relief. "'Hide'll have our tailpipes if the lil' bot has another round of nightmares. Bee refused to recharge after watching The Orn of the Dead about two vorns ago."

The twins had simply stared at the little minibot for the remainder of their off-shift, shocked by the sight of a living youngling and the fact that the little thing appeared to be in perfect health. They had soon learned that the youngling, Bumblebee, had been no more than the Cybertronian equivalent of a two-year-old Earth child at the time and had quickly adjusted to the strict rules everyone had to follow when in the youngling's presence.

Who would have thought not swearing could be so slagging difficult?! Sideswipe often wondered, finding it especially challenging not to use profane language when within auditory range of Bumblebee.

And unfortunately for Sideswipe and his fellow Autobots, the youngling was quite the sneaky little spy when he desired to be and frequently snuck into rooms that a little bot such as himself should not have ever gained access too.

A dirty little prankster after my own spark, Sideswipe had once thought, I am so proud.

Within a few short vorns, Bumblebee had become emotionally attached to the wise-cracking Sideswipe and bad-tempered Sunstreaker. Neither twin had noticed the transition until it was too late…

The infamous warrior twins, Sideswipe and Sunstreaker, had been bestowed with a permanent slot on the roster for youngling-sitting, one of the most illustrious positions aboard the immense Autobot battleship Artemis I.

They had officially become one of Optimus Prime's most trusted and most loyal followers.

Watching the youngling seemed to earn you a great amount of respect and trust onboard Artemis I.

Now, with the little youngling snuggled tightly into his side and the sound of jets soaring overhead, Sideswipe felt a protective fierceness surge through him like a waterfall and his dark blue optics darkened with a ruthless fervor that he had not felt for many vorns. He dared Megatron to try and take the youngling from him, because the only way that Pit-slagging microchip-processed tin-head was getting his claws on Bumblebee was over Sideswipe's dead body.

Of course, he wasn't much good to Bumblebee if he was dead.

Where are you, chief? Sideswipe thought, the sound of footfalls on the ceiling above causing the youngling to tremble in his arms. Bee needs you.


I must say, Sunstreaker and Sideswipe are not the easiest to write, although I do find their personalities to be very entertaining and enjoyable to write. I just hope that I have written them correctly. It's not always the easiest thing to write and reseach as you go and I seem to be learning that the hard way. I'm starting to realize how little I really know about this series, but I'm trying my best!! Well, thank you for reading and I really hope you enjoyed this chapter!! If you think there is anything I should change or have any suggestions, I am always happy to hear about them. Thank you again!!