Chapter Seven:

Alexis walked out of the hanger where Butterfly seemed to be waiting. Without a word Alexis opened the door to the car and quickly slipped in.

"I'm driving," she stated a rough edge to her voice as Butterfly started up her engine with a loud roar.

Butterfly didn't argue with her and quickly relinquished the control over to Alexis. Butterfly didn't bother questioning where Alexis was taking them as she seemed to know where she was going. Butterfly stayed quiet for a while choosing not even to turn on the radio, but after twenty minutes of driving she decided she would at least try talking to Alexis.

"So I assume you talked to Ratchet," she said over her radio. Alexis just nodded then relaxed leaning one of her arms against the door and using the other to drive.

"She was your best friend wasn't she?" Alexis questioned her tone lightly muted indicating to the fact that she was thinking. "Quicksilver."

"Yes," Butterfly answered indulging Alexis's question. "I helped teach her to fight, wasn't much of a big warrior though." Butterfly laughed as she fell into memories. "Little bit of a clutz she was, which is why she was always walking away from every fight she was involved in with one injury or another. Primus, drove Ratchet to madness every time she came back with something broken or the like.

"Usually she tried to hide it and when Ratchet found out," through Butterfly's voice she could hear the smile. "The yelling could be heard anywhere on Cyterion. Half of us still laugh about that, that and wonder how she charmed her way out every time. Ratchet's a mean old codger but when it came to his Quicksilver all the rules were usually rearranged."

"He didn't seem to really like talking about her," Alexis commented. "Was really rather matter of fact, well I mean more so than normal. Almost seemed like he didn't even really want me to ask, almost like he was in pain."

"Quicksilver was everything to him, much like a daughter to a father in your race. He was her mentor, helped raise her and start her training as a medbot till the war took her from her chosen path.

"That was the most furious I've ever seen that Bot and the most nervous I'd ever seen Quicksilver about telling Ratchet something." Butterfly paused and Alexis looked at the radio waiting for the Autobot to finish her thought. "Ratchet was so angry, we were almost afraid he'd tear Prime to pieces if he'd had a chance. Quicksilver though, she stood her ground despite his emotional reasoning to the situation. Bravest little bot,"

"Sounds like it,"

"You are still a lot like her you know," Butterfly commented and Alexis raised her eyebrows looking at the radio. "Still as headstrong, still as persistent, yet calm and caring to others, and you've still got Ratchet wrapped around your finger, I believe is the human phrase."

Alexis let out a snort and shook her head turning back to the road for a few moments before she thought to ask another question. "Has Bee contacted anyone since last night?"

"He went back home," Butterfly replied kind of muffled as though waiting for an explosion from Alexis for not telling her earlier. "He knows you talked to Ratchet,"

"Tell me one more thing?" Alexis's question was met with silence which she took as the go ahead to ask. "Can you tell me about Quicksilver and Bumblebee?"

There was another long pause from Butterfly and Alexis was almost afraid she wouldn't get an answer when Butterfly finally spoke up: "Bumblebee adored Quicksilver, and she probably adored him, but it just wasn't as pronounced I guess. Bumblebee really loved her, and it nearly destroyed him when the virus overran her circuits, we were afraid we'd lost him as well. Drove him to destruction as he had to watch the virus literally eat her alive. He would have given up anything to keep her alive.

"When Ratchet informed us that the virus had finally gotten the better of Quicksilver, I think Bumblebee lost a part of himself. He left for a while and honestly if that little bot doesn't want to be found he isn't going to be found. When he came back, he wasn't the same. He never laughed, or joked, or even smiled for a while.

"Meeting Samuel helped him enormously from what Prime believes, but it wasn't until they'd found you and Ratchet informed them of Quicksilver's last ditch plan that he really seemed to come back. Being around you everyone can see the old Bumblebee, the one everyone thought was as lost as Quicksilver.

"Funny how things turn out sometimes."

"Right real funny," Alexis deadpanned with a very sarcastic tone lining her voice. "Can we just go home now?"

"Yeah, want me to drive?"

"If you don't mind,"

There was absolute silence as Alexis looked out the window watching the scenery that passed as Butterfly drove them back into the city. Butterfly didn't bother her knowing she had a lot on her mind, but also hoping that she might share some of her thoughts.

Now that Alexis knew who Quicksilver was and everything was out in the open, Butterfly was hoping maybe the two could get on a little better basis. Sometimes she really did miss her best friend, and now that she had been found again Butterfly was hoping to maybe gain some of her old comrade back.

Butterfly wasn't the only one who missed Quicksilver though. Butterfly could see it every time Ratchet talked to her, or Ironhide joked with her, or Sideswipe was his cocky little self, and even with Prime, when she explained to him something that no one else had the time to.

They could see Quicksilver in nearly everything she did, and it hurt them all to see her no matter how happy they were to see her again, and Bumblebee was the best off of the whole lot. He knew Alexis wasn't Quicksilver, he knew that he'd lost Quicksilver years ago, but Butterfly could also see the yearning he had to have Alexis by his side as Quicksilver had been.

"You think Bee only sees Quicksilver in me?" Alexis said quietly as though it were a mumble, almost like she didn't want Butterfly to hear her.

Butterfly didn't answer almost afraid the question was unintended for her to hear. Alexis just let out a deep breath and shoved her fingers through her hair in a way that told Butterfly how upset she was.

"Butterfly, what am I supposed to do?" Alexis questioned finally just leaning her head against the steering wheel in what seemed like defeat.

There was silence again as Butterfly thought of a way to answer the human's question in a way that wouldn't upset her any farther.

"I suggest you talk to Bumblebee," Butterfly finally suggested. "There are a lot of things for the two of you to discuss."

"What if all he sees in me is Quicksilver, Butterfly?" Alexis questioned quietly. "I'm not Quicksilver, Butterfly, and I don't think I could take it if that's who he fell for rather than me, Alexis Ramona Witwicky. Not the memory of Quicksilver that he sees in me, that everyone seems to only see anymore,"

Something suddenly clicked with Butterfly. She hadn't realized how taxing it was on Alexis to be compared to someone she didn't even know, someone who she clearly wasn't. It was hurting Alexis when they compared her to Quicksilver, and hurt her even more when she tried to be who they wanted her to be and she couldn't be her.

"No, Alexis you're not Quicksilver," Butterfly said in a quiet voice. "I am sorry that everyone, including myself, has instantly compared you to her, but Bumblebee is different. I don't think he sees Quicksilver, maybe he did in the beginning, but now unlike the rest of us he sees you."

"You think?" Alexis questioned and Butterfly finally realized how much things were starting to bother her now that she knew the truth. "I had always hoped that he would see me. He always seems to see a part of me that no one else does, unlike most guys. I always kinda thought it was the scout in him, but now that I know about Quicksilver I have to wonder if he sees me or if he sees her. He loved her, could he possibly love me the way he loved her? That's so much to ask of someone Butterfly."

"Bumblebee lost Quicksilver years ago." Butterfly said and Alexis could hear the pain cut through her voice as she said this. "We all did, but Bumblebee has been able to get up and move on. The rest of us we were foolish to see Quicksilver in you instantly when you are so clearly not her. He lost Quicksilver, and it really hurt him and changed him, but Bee is bigger than the rest of us. He does see you not Quicksilver."

"Hn," Alexis said still seeming to think things through.

The two were silent from that point on not a word daring to pass between them, letting the other think in private. Alexis turned back to watching scenes out the window.

Soon enough they were pulling up to Alexis's home and Butterfly just pulled up to the curb and opened her driver's door to let Alexis out. Climbing out Alexis looked up at the house and then to the front door when Emily slammed the door open.

"C'mon Lex!" Emily waved to her. "I cooked something new for supper!"

"Be in in a while Em, got something to take care of first." Alexis called back as a reply and Emily nodded. "Though, Butterfly might be interested in in coming in for a while."

Alexis could see the confused look on Emily's face even in the dim light of the pouch light and the light from the house.

"Who?" Emily questioned and Alexis could hear the confusion in her voice. Alexis turned back to the car and stuck her head in as Butterfly's avatar climbed out of the other side of the car.

"Go on inside," Alexis said nodding towards the house as she stood back up to see Butterfly's avatar on the other side of the car. "I'll be in in a while, distract them for me. I gotta talk to Bee, is he still in the garage?"

"Yeah," Butterfly nodded walking on around the car for the two to walk up the driveway together. "I'll keep them busy."

"Thanks I owe you one," Alexis said a smile gracing her face as Butterfly grinned her hands in her pockets as they stood talking for a moment in the split of the concrete paths. One led to the garage the other lead to the house.

"Don't mention it, Lex." Butterfly said and grinned again at the half shocked expression on Alexis's face as she did so.

Alexis shook her head at Butterfly who walked on up the driveway and was pulled in the front door by Emily who was ecstatic to have someone new to shove her food down their throats.

Letting out a deep breath Alexis turned towards garage and deciding it was now or never, she walked towards the door on the left side of the garage following the step path Emily had put there.

Coming to the door Alexis let out a deep breath and stood there for a moment or two trying to sort through all the crazy thoughts that were rampantly running through her head. Finally Alexis just closed her eyes took a deep breath and opened the door sticking her head in to make sure he was still there.

Sitting in the middle of the garage was a welcome sight to Alexis's eyes. The yellow Camero with black stripes that she had come to know and love was sitting there motionless as though it were just a normal vehicle.

"Hey, Bee, can we talk?" Alexis questioned stepping on into the garage.

Before she even had a chance to close the door completely sitting on the Camero's hood was the man who Alexis now knew was Bumblebee's avatar, and for the first time she actually looked at the avatar.

She hadn't realized the first time how handsome the avatar was, the striking features on his face or the slight muscle tone she could see underneath the tight undershirt he wore underneath the leather racing jacket. His eyes were a shocking blue that she'd never seen before and she felt like she could easily get lost in them as he watched her stand there seeming to see right through her.

"Lex?" Bumblebee questioned hopping down from the hood and was headed toward her concerned as she had froze on the spot. "Are you alright?"

Taking a deep breath Alexis closed her eyes to slow down her heartbeat and calm herself down so that she could speak properly.

"I'm not Quicksilver," she finally said in one breath and opened her eyes and looked up at Bumblebee who had froze in the middle of the floor. "I'm not her, I can't be her no matter how much I want to be her, I'm sorry."

Bumblebee suddenly laughed under his breath and shook his head: "I know you're not her, you've never been her. When I first met you I thought you were a little like her, and even when I found out you were her, I knew you weren't the Quicksilver I knew." Alexis just slumped against the door dreading the next half what he was going to say, but he just smiled seeing this and offered her a hand, which she reluctantly took and he pulled her into a tight hug. "I didn't ever want you to be Quicksilver. I don't want you to be her, or try to be her, I want you to be you, not her."

"I know you loved her," Alexis said her voice muffled against his shoulder. "I know how much pain it caused you to watch her die, and I know I could never understand that."

"That was a long time ago," Bumblebee said propping his head on top of Alexis's as he answered. "I have moved on. Quicksilver would've wanted that. I realized that last night, she would've been happy for us,"

"Us?" Alexis questioned pulling back to look Bumblebee in the face.

"Yes, Alexis Ramona Witwicky," Bumblebee said with a bright smile. "I like you, and I wish for us to be as the humans would say, a couple. Is that alright with you?"

Alexis smiled and tipped her head up slightly, standing up on her toes to reach his face and kissed him chastely on the lips. She then placed herself squarely on her feet again and blushed a bright red fighting the feeling to look at her feet in embarrassment. To her surprise after his own shock wore off Bumblebee put his hand underneath her chin and tipped her head back before leaning down to her level to kiss her again.

"ALEXIS!"

Out of instinct Alexis jumped and looked around to see who it was calling her, granted she knew she was in the garage.

"Lexy!"

"Damn it! Anderson, I'm busy!" Alexis called back and then the door to the garage burst open letting light into the garage.

"Apparently," he said sarcastically leaning against the door jam observing the scene. He took a moment to look Bumblebee over, and raised an eyebrow at Alexis. "something you want to share?"

"Not with you," Alexis said walking over to him and shoving him out the door. "Get out,"

"Oh, but c'mon Lexy," Anderson said as she pushed him out. "you've always shared everything with me, honey."

"Get out," Alexis growled and slammed the door in his face.

"Lex, who was that?" Bumblebee questioned and she turned back to him.

"An over possessive ex,"

"Ex?" Bumblebee questioned and raised an eyebrow in question. Alexis almost laughed at the look on his face.

"Ex," Alexis repeated. "He was an ass who only dated me to get in my pants and use me for his personal mechanic."

"I'm sorry," Bumblebee said and he genuinely sounded sorry. Alexis laughed sadistically and ran a hand through her hair.

"That's pretty normal." Alexis said with a sigh. "Since I dropped out of high school and became a mechanic full time, guys seem to think I'm an easy lay. I have some girls I went to high school with to thank for that,"

"These girls were jealous?" Bumblebee questioned honestly concerned.

"Not many people around here like me other than the guys I work with at the shop. Just a lot of things happened in high school, too many things to let bother me know though,"

"They just dunno what they're missing." Bumblebee said with a bright grin causing Alexis to smile and then laugh a little at his enthusiasm.

"C'mon Mr. Bright and Cheery, let's go inside." Alexis tipped her head towards the house and he nodded. "Em was really excited about whatever it was she cooked tonight, care to join me?"

"Sure," Bumblebee said and Alexis surprised him by threading her fingers through his and leading him out of the garage and into the house.