~When the Heavens Unfold~

Chapter IV: Not This Time


Rating: T

Characters: Bumblebee/Barricade

Summary: "If... If anything were to happen to us, I want you to take care of our Logyn Rose," Sam finished. He felt a light touch on his arm as he noticed Carly's nod. He smiled and looked into his rear view mirror at the lovely sight of his first born sleeping the day away as if there wasn't a worry in the world...

Author's Note: Please tell me what you thought of this chapter! You're support has been fantastic! Thank you! Enjoy!


"I'll come back to get you later," Bumblebee whispered to the baby as she slowly drifted off back to sleep, "I promise."

The nurse, smiling and tilitng her head, waited patiently for Bumblebee to finish saying his temporary goodbyes. She was probably used to giving people their precious time with newborns. It was a moment too sweet to interrupt. The nurse was acting from experience. After Bumblebee had documented his last look at his new responsibility, his new life, his new...Sam, Bumblebee reluctantly pulled himself away from the baby cradle and followed the nurse back down the hall. He saw the same corner to which the waiting room would be and prepared himself to enter a room full of wondering bots and eager parents. But the nurse never lead him to the waiting room. Instead they walked past it and down another hall.

The nurse was walking very briskly; as if, Bumblebee observed, she wanted to get this over with. He kept his distance though. Where was she taking him? What would he see? It was a complete repeat of what he'd felt when she was leading him down dark and eerie hallways as before. Finally, her sqeecky, white shoes slid to a stop and she turned to face him. He took one more long stride before he was only a foot away from her. She looked desperate.

"He doesn't have a lot of time, so I'd make it quick. I'll ask the others to leave for you," the nurse offered. Without a pause between her words, she turned to open the door, but Bumblebee slammed his hand against the door, making her jump in surprise.

"Hold on. What is this?" Bumblebee asked, but he already knew the answer to his own question, but refused to believe. The nurse took a deep breath before continuing.

"Christian, we were able to keep Sam in a stable condition, but it's only temporary. The doctors say there's nothing else they can do for him," she stopped when the look on Bumblebee's face crushed her heart. He stopped breathing and stared at the floor as if he were about to fall a great distance. "I'm sorry," she added before walking into the room.

Bumblebee knew that a weeping mob had passed him. He even felt the numb touch of a few hands. He knew their ententions were good, but he wished that they would have just left him be. Bumblebee wasn't prepared, as much as he wanted to say he was, for this. Bumblebee clenched his chest, crinkling his holoformic shirt. He cut his eyes to the right where he saw a small dark room. He knew what was inside but he was afraid. He wondered if this was how Sam felt when he thought he was going to be executed by the Decepticons when they were held hostage. Sam had thought he was going to have to watch Bumblebee being murdered; Right in front of him. Sam had felt helpless.

Bumblebee felt helpless.

There was nothing he could possibly do to save Sam.

Not this time.

With quivering hands, Bumblebee entered the room, groping the walls for support as he made his way through the miniature hall. It seemed like years before Bumblebee entered the clearing where he was exposed to an uncomfortable-looking bed, surrounded by life support machines. The only sound omitted from the room was a soft string of muffled breaths and the constant sound of beeping. It was the only thing letting Bumblebee know that Sam was still alive. Bumblebee tried, with all of the strength he could muster up, not to look at the bruised figure that lay before him. But he had to face the first owner he had ever encountered; the first boy to try him; the first human that shared his adventures; the first man he'd ever looked up to. Bumblebee walked over to the side of the bed. A chair had already been placed out for him.

"Hey, buddie," Bumblebee hummed while sitting on the edge of the chair. He wasn't even used to the sound of his own voice yet.

Sam made a strong effort to open his eyes and offer a weak smile.

"Hey, Bee. Wow. Pretty handsome human you got goin' on there," Sam laughed, but it was weak. Bumblebee kept a smile on his face, attempting to hide his bitter sadness.

"Thanks. It's a new thing Wheeljack invented before..." Bumblebee suddenly stopped. He dared not even think the word. Luckily, Sam knew what he meant and nodded.

"It's pretty cool," Sam smiled, "What can Autobots not do?"

Bumblebee chuckled and shrugged his shoulders for the first time. He looked at Sam for a long while. He'd never seen so many cuts, bruises, and burns before. He had never seen Sam as anything but energetic and obnoxious. But here he was, laying in a bed, out of energy and the will to live any longer. Bumblebee shook his head and took Sam's hand, seemingling the only thing that wasn't patched up, into his own hand without even realizing it.

"Are you comfortable?" Bumblebee suddenly blurted out, trying to feel the awkward silence that had come between them.

"I'm alright," Sam shrugged. Bumblebee nodded in consideration.

Bumblebee didn't know what to say to his friend.

"Bee, I just wanted to let you know-" Bumblebee's lips parted slightly and he braced himself for the words to follow. The words he wished away. The words that made his heart ache.

"-I just wanted to let you know that I've had fun. You've made my life unforgettable and wherever I go after this," Sam choked, "I'm sure I'll check up on you from time to time."

Bumblebee could only nod so that the quivering of his bottom lip couldn't be seen; So that his watering eyes could be over-looked.

"Sure, Carly has made my life somethin' else; she's done so much for me and made my life worth-while," Sam added quickly, his smile fading, "But I'll never forget you. I'll never forget my first car."

Bumblebee felt the pain Sam felt.

"Remember that time when Mojo peed on Ironhide?" Sam said, the ends of his lips curling up into a grin.

Bumblebee burst out into laughter, turning his head up towards the ceiling in pure delight. "Yeah! I do remember that! And when Optimus stepped on your dad's fountian and you wigged out?"

"Oh man, that night was awful!" Sam said, taking his other bandaged hand and slapping his forehead.

It was Bumblebee's turn to talk.

"Sam," Bumblebee said solidly, his voice prejected almost perfectly. "You're always going to have a special place in my spark. You're never going to be just that boy who I had to protect just because you owned an item that was important to the Autobot faction. You're never going to be just that kid that rode in me or owned my keys, even though they didn't work unless I made them work."

Sam laughed.

"You're always going to be...so much more, Sam. I chose to protect you, not because I had to or because it was an order, but because I wanted to. Because I saw something in you that I didn't in any other human."

Sam shook his head in confusion, "What?"

"...A spark," Bumblebee whispered truthfully. Sam's eyes were red. He knew he wouldn't be around for much longer and he melted at those words. Bumblebee saw his eyes glisten with tears.

"Bee, I need you to take care of her," Sam said as if out of breath. Bumblebee glanced down at the floor for a long time before looking up to the face of a desperate father. "I want you to be her guardian. Just like you were for me."

"I will."

"I know," Sam said quietly.

"She's got your looks, you know?" Bumblebee said, eyebrow cocked, and grin resurfacing.

"Really? I always thought she had Carly's good looks," Sam joked.

"She has your looks, but Carly's color," Bumblebee corrected.

"I'm sorry I didn't take you to college, Bee," Sam said with a sigh, "I wish I had." Bumblebee was about to say something in Sam's defence, but he didn't.

Sam took a deep breath and squeezed Bumblebee's hand.

Bumblebee didn't want to say goodbye.

Bumblebee couldn't say goodbye.

Sam knew this.

"You'll always be my first car, man." Sam said, placing his hand on the side of Bumblebee's face just like he had so many years ago. "I love you, Bee."