Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers: Prime or any of the characters in it.


Optimus glanced over at where Bumblebee was playing with his toy in front of Jack, Miko, and Raf, before turning his attention back to the others. While the sparkling was happily clicking and giggling as he played, the rest of them were discussing how they could turn him back to normal. Ratchet had completely decided that there was nothing he could do to reverse Bumblebee's transformation without the relic that had caused it. Unfortunately none of them had seen the relic since it had first been found – leaving them with no idea on how they would be able to get it back.

"The 'Cons probably don't know what to do with it," Arcee stated. "Dreadwing didn't even know what it did until he saw 'Bee."

"So we don't even know if Megatron knows what it does," Bulkhead added.

"And it is likely that if Megatron does know, he will wait before bringing it out again," Optimus mused. "He will want us to have to deal with one less team member for a while."

Ratchet nodded, "And he probably hopes that we start running low on energon as well. If he knows that the relics can turn a Cybertronian into a sparkling, then he'll most likely learn that sparklings typically consume more energon. If we arrived at the point where our energon supply was dwindling again, it would be the perfect time for the relic to show up again."

The Autobot leader certainly hoped that they wouldn't arrive at that point. While Bumblebee was consuming more energon now that he was a sparkling, their energon supply was still at a moderate level. As much as he hoped they would find a way to turn Bumblebee back, arriving at the point where some of his team would have to go with little energon was not something he wanted to see. They would just have to hope that Megatron would bring out the relic before something like that could happen.

"We could ask 'Jackie to keep a watch out for the relic," Bulkhead suggested. "Bring him over, explain it to him, and then we have more help."

"You may contact him and ask him to come, Bulkhead," Optimus said in agreement.

"Ga!"

The sudden small, infantile voice startled all of the Autobots. Almost instantly all of the Autobots turned their shocked gazes to Bumblebee. The tiny sparkling was oblivious to the looks of surprise that he was receiving from the Autobots and humans alike. Optimus was the first to get out of his shock, and carefully picked up the sparkling to gain his attention. Bumblebee let out a happy click and giggled as he tried to snuggle against Optimus. Ratchet managed to get out of his stupor and motioned for Optimus to go over to the medical bay with Bumblebee. Everyone followed as Ratchet prepared to do scans on the sparkling's voice box.

"That's impossible," the medic almost whispered.

"I thought you said there was no way to fix it," Arcee said, her gaze still on the sparkling.

"There wasn't," Ratchet shook his head. "I don't know how this happened. I had scanned it when I discovered his spark wasn't pulsing properly, but the scan was inconclusive. I assumed that the scan wouldn't work, because Bumblebee's voice box was smaller and not exactly the same as before. But now… it's showing that it's completely fixed."

"Ga!" Bumblebee repeated.

"So will he still be able to talk whenever he gets turned back to normal?" Raf asked, turning the Autobots' attentions back to the humans.

"I don't know," Ratchet admitted. "There's a good chance that he will be able to, but I won't know for sure until he's turned back to normal."

"But how did this happen?" Arcee asked.

It was Optimus who answered, "Perhaps the relic that caused this does not simply turn a Cybertronian to a sparkling, but instead reverses time on the individual."

"It makes sense," Ratchet agreed. "If one of us had been hit by it instead, it might not have had as much of an impact on us. But Bumblebee is still a youngling, depending on how much time it reverses, it would stand to reason that he would end up a sparkling. Optimus, if Megatron discovers this himself, he might not bring the relic out anymore. Unless he can change the amount of time, he would have nothing to gain by using it on any of us."

"We will figure out a way to get the relic back, Ratchet."


Bumblebee clicked and chirped as Arcee sat him down on her berth. The femme had decided to watch the sparkling while Optimus went on a patrol. She was also curious if she could get Bumblebee to say anything other than 'Ga'. It had been a long time since she had heard Bumblebee talk, and even then she had only heard him for a few times on the rare occasions she saw the scout before she really got to know him. She really hoped that he would still have his voice whenever they were able to get him back to being a youngling. And Arcee had to smile at the irony of what had happened. While Megatron had been the one who stole Bumblebee's voice, he had also, unknowingly, gave it back to him.

"Okay 'Bee, let's try to get you to say an actual word," Arcee said sitting on the ground, so she was in front of the sparkling. "Can you say 'Bee?"

"Ga!"

"No. 'Bee," Arcee repeated, before sounding out the word for the sparkling.

"Ga!"

"'Bee."

"Ga!"

"'Bee."

"Bwe?"

"That's close. Let's try one more time, 'Bee."

"Bee!"

"That's right. Your name is 'Bee," Arcee smiled at the sparkling while she pointed at him, hoping that would help him understand that he had said his name.

"Bee!" Bumblebee giggled as he pointed at himself like Arcee had done.

"My name is close to yours. It's 'Cee. Can you say 'Cee?"

"Cee!"

"Good job 'Bee," Arcee said giving the sparkling a hug. "Let's try one last word. Hmm, Optimus would probably be too hard for you to say. You think you could say Opt?"

Bumblebee was quiet for a moment, before he managed to get out, "Op?"

"That works. We can try to teach you the others' names later. I want to make sure you remember mine, yours, and Optimus' names first."

"Cee, Cee, Cee!"

"Uh-huh, and what's your name?"

"Bee!" the sparkling pointed to himself once again.

When Arcee heard the sounds of Optimus' vehicle mode entering the base, she carefully picked Bumblebee up and walked into the main room. She knew that the sparkling would want to see his guardian again soon, and she wanted to see if Bumblebee would show Optimus what he had learned to say. Almost the second she walked into the room, Bumblebee started to squirm in her arms and reach out for Optimus.

"Op!" the sparkling chirped, immediately gaining the attention of the Autobot leader.

Optimus looked slightly surprised as he walked over and took Bumblebee from Arcee. It was going to take him time to get used to Bumblebee talking again. He was happy that his scout finally had his voice back, even though he had had to turn into a sparkling to regain it. However, Ratchet's words about him not being positive if Bumblebee's voice would remain if he was turned back into a youngling weighed heavily on his mind. He knew that, most likely, he wasn't the only one thinking about that, and Arcee's next words ended up confirming his suspicion.

"Could we just let him grow up again?" the femme asked. "It just doesn't seem worth it, if he just ends up losing his voice again. And 'Bee probably wouldn't like knowing that he had had his voice back for a little while, but couldn't keep it."

"I agree with your sentiments Arcee. I believe we will all have to deeply consider whether it would be best for Bumblebee to remain a sparkling. If we do reach that decision, it may be best to begin stockpiling more energon to have, so we will not run low."

"I can try to find some more energon deposits on my next patrol. We were going to have to find another one sometime soon anyway."

"Cee! Cee!" Bumblebee pointed at the femme.

Arcee wasn't sure if Bumblebee had understood what she had said to Optimus, but she decided to pretend that he had.

"Yeah, 'Cee will find it."