They asked for either an uninhabited island or a military base. They have both.

Diego Garcia is an island in the British Indian Ocean Territory, the largest, in fact. It has a newly built military base the purpose of which has been modified to be the Cybertronian's Headquarters slash living area, and that was the reason the island became uninhabited in the first place.

Soundwave may know—cross that, Soundwave knows, plain and simple, what its purpose was supposed to be, but he hasn't asked. Either it wasn't important—or less important than the bunch of deadly sentient weapons now in the Government's hands—or is something better left in the dark.

Whatever the reason, what matters is that they are here, that the place is theirs, and that they like it.

Ravage's racing all across the beach in panther form with Scorponok diving through the sand while screeching happily is a pretty obvious indication.

As is Laserbeak's excited bouncing in place as he chirps at some of the other CONs, only becoming more hyperactive when Blackout nods.

Ratchet's dark frown, though, doesn't look happy, but since it seems to be directed at the youngster now clicking at Soundwave, it doesn't look like the base's about to get bad criticism from him.

Megatron and Optimus are inside, with Jazz and Starscream, taking what seems like the ninth tour of the facilities, but then, it is to be expected.

Ironhide, Barricade, Bonecrusher and Brawl are, seemingly, baiting the twins, judging by the kid-like beings' increasing annoyance and higher pitched sounds, but they aren't speaking anything understandable to humans, so there's no way to tell.

And Bumblebee…

"—and I can't believe I'm leaving. Oh, I don't kno-kno-know what I'm gonna do."

Sam's heart clenches as he stops next to the teenager-like creature sitting on the sand, looking sadder than he should as he watches the two other youngsters race past them.

"Hey, why the moping?" He asks almost nonchalantly as he plops down at his side, but the BOT doesn't look at him.

"Tell me how to get back to, back to summer paradise with you." The human frowns a bit as the song keeps going, not really understanding.

Due to the island's placement, it is like a summer paradise. So why would the Cybertronian use the expression to talk about someplace else?

A quick look from bright blue irises, and a small sad smile appears on the blond's face.

"I like the way you're not afraid." Blue eyes turn away, to the sand black fingers are scrapping almost too softly to displace the grains. "They don't know a friend like you."

When it slams, it's almost painfully.

"We can still be friends!" He shouts, and he has the feeling there are glowing eyes on him despite Bumblebee not looking at him, but he doesn't turn away from the Cybertronian. "I would really like being your friend, and it isn't like you can't come visit. Isn't it?" His heart clenches painfully, because he's on the island, along the rest of the humans that got tangled in this plus his parents, for reasons unknown to him, so he's not sure if there will be a second chance to come.

But the Autobots, and the Decepticons too, are free now, aren't they?

"If only I could fly, I'd bid this place goodbye to come and be with you."

Which isn't the answer he wants to think it is. He really, really, doesn't want to think that he won't see the guy he thinks could be a good friend ever again.

Words fail him, though, and Bumblebee stays silent, both of them staring down at the sand under them.

"Hey, Sammy, Bee!" They look up in unison, startled, to where Barricade is waving at them to approach, almost all Cybertronian, including the now human-looking Ravage and Scorponok, crowding behind him. "Get off the airstrip!"

Before the teenager can process the words, he feels himself be tugged to his feet and almost dragged to the amused creatures, squawking indignantly in the process.

"Guess you're as excited for the air show as we are, huh?" Captain Lennox—Will, he wants to be called Will, because he's not on duty, he's on family vacation—laughs when they get to their side, cradling his daughter in his arms while his wife stands at his side, a lot more at ease around the Cybertronian than when she was first introduced to them.

A quick look around reveals that everybody, with the exception of the two leaders, Secretary Keller and the First Lieutenants, are there, looking more or less excited.

"Air show?" He repeats, and his mother is suddenly there with Mikaela, his father not too far behind, as they watch Laserbeak run to where he was sitting moments before.

"Some of us can fly." Scorponok answers, bouncing a bit on place as the red-armored youngster jumps and transforms midair with a flash, flapping metallic wings and soaring up into the blue sky with as much ease as a flesh bird, long tail and neck moving to aid in his turns.

He gives the dark-skinned and dark-haired boy a quick glance, seeing excitement in his four completely red eyes, the extra two lower than the main ones, before turning his attention to the curiously elegant metallic being flying over them.

"I can see that." He answers softly, feeling as awed as the first time by the ease with which such a big and metallic creature flies.

"Not just Laserbeak." A deeper voice answers with a chuckle, and he frowns in confusion as Blackout steps forward.

"No way…" Epps whispers, loud enough to be heard, and getting a bark of laughter from the CON.

"How did you think I got to Qatar? On a plane? Swimming?" The smile he throws over his shoulder is too wide, but, before he gets an answer, he starts to run.

His body vanishes under the light enveloping him, and, when he jumps, something on his back fans open.

It takes a moment of watching the tall creature hovering over the beach a bit wobbly for Sam to recognize the spinning things on his back.

"A helicopter rotor?" He squeaks, looking at the two stunned rangers.

"So that really serves to fly? It isn't just for cutting things down?" The Captain asks Soundwave, who simply nods without looking away from where a now more confident Blackout is flying alongside Laserbeak over the stretch of beach.

"Alright, who is next?" Glen asks excitedly, looking at the rest of Cybertronian assembled and, to their utter surprise, all glowing eyes fall on—

"Soundwave?" Mikaela whispers, almost disbelieving, but the CON doesn't move more than to look at a frowning Ratchet.

"He can fly?" Maggie asks softly, looking at the twins now by her side, who move a bit nervously at the sudden attention.

"He c-c-c-can." Frenzy whispers, looking up at the woman before turning his attention away.

"But QM-MED n-n-n-not let him." Rumble adds, hunching a bit into himself as the medic gives him a brief glare.

"Of course I won't. He hasn't recovered enough for his body to stand the kind of strain flying will put it under."

"He hovers." The glare Ratchet directs at Brawl is enough to make the large creature hide behind Bonecrusher, who takes a step back at having that kind of attention directed at him.

"Flying, hovering, whatever. Not. Ready."

"It'll be good for them." Ironhide pipes in, completely unaffected by the glowing blue eyes suddenly on him. "And you are here to monitor them. Just call them off when you think it's enough."

"Them?" Epps—Bobby, he wants to be called Bobby, Sam remembers suddenly, maybe because of the almost sheepish look on his face as he butts into the conversation—repeats, and it seems like all other humans have realized that small detail too, now that it has been called to attention.

Both CONs and BOTs stay silent for a moment, just looking at them—and then they start bickering again. But in Cybertronian.

"Oh, come on. That's not fair." Sam grumbles under his breath, and Bumblebee pats his shoulder with a small amused smile. "Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up."

"Who authorized an aerial deployment without my permission?"

Everybody falls silent, unable to do anything but look wide-eyed at Megatron as the imposing CON approaches with a dark frown, Optimus at his right with Jazz at his, and Starscream to his left.

"Nobody. We were told the sky was cleared, and they decided to try it." Bonecrusher answers nonchalantly, something that earns him a lot of open mouths and disbelieveing stares.

But then, the Decepticon leader smiles with a kind of glee usually seen on children inside candy shops, and, before they know it, he has rushed past them with a flash of light and—

He's on the air, airborne, flying.

The awkward plates screwed on the front of his lower legs are gone, revealing something that looks a lot like the wheel-like things on some of the others, three per leg, on the inside, whirling madly while jets of flames come out of his feet.

He moves a bit awkwardly on place, arms outstretched as if keeping his balance, before a confident grin appears on his face as he turns to look at them, more at ease.

"Are you two coming or what?" Sam jerks with surprise at his call, and quickly looks to Ratchet when he realizes he's talking about Soundwave and whoever the other is.

The medic lets out an exasperated sigh before shaking his head with a small smile.

"But you're landing the instant I call you down."

Soundwave is but a white blur as he races away, jumping to the air with a flash of light.

His body is a bunch of dark blue cabling covered by silvery-white plates and, like Starscream back at Hoover Dam, Sam knows there are parts missing.

Unlike then, though, he can't really make a note of them, because he is hovering in a visually soothing kind of way, a bit like a hummingbird dancing in front of a flower.

And because the large things in his arms and back have his whole attention.

Growing from the elbows are a couple of pincers-like structures he doesn't really know if they are one piece or many, framing the whole lower arm and letting out short bursts of red-white flame from ports he can't see over all their length, stabilizing him, while two bigger but similar structures grow from his lower back, fanning a bit open like some kind of coat tails, silver white this time and also letting out short bursts of fire.

All in all, Soundwave looks like he's frozen mid-jump, arms spread to the sides for balance and one leg half-flexed, as he—hovers in place, with those minutely small bursts from time to time to help him move or stay in place.

"He has no propulsion?"

"He has an anti-gravity system. Those short flares are stabilizers." Starscream answers Will's stunned question calmly, none of them looking away from where the four CONs have started a kind of aerial dance, each with their own 'flying style'. "Think of it like a satellite."

And he can see it, mind flashing back to all those videos from news or movies, how the machines simply float around and use minimal energy to change the direction or when the gravity of Earth pulls them too close.

"That's so cool…" He whispers, hearing Glen say the same almost in unison, but he can't tear his gaze away from where Megatron is flailing like someone who had just put on ice skates for the first time, the soft breeze destabilizing him easily, while Blackout and Laserbeak race around and Soundwave just… floats close to his leader.

"Aren't you going to join them?"

It isn't so much the words as the soft, worried tone that takes Sam's attention away.

Ratchet is looking at the Decepticon First Lieutenant searchingly, as is every other Cybertronian, but the sandy creature just stands there with his arms crossed tightly against his chest and without looking away from his flying companions.

"I'm not sure I'll be able to stop if I take off." He answers weakly, his voice conveying all the vulnerability he's feeling despite his face staying emotionless. "I'm not sure I'll be able to keep myself in line."

"He flies too?" He asks Bumblebee softly, who gives him a Duh look.

"He's the Air Force Commander. Of course he does." Barricade answers softly, not looking away from the other CON. "And he's the best at it."

Ratchet looks away with a conflicted look before steeling himself and clicking something, not looking away from where he's observing the simple aerial acrobatics of the airborne Decepticons.

There's silence for some seconds when he finishes, but then Starscream straightens and lets his arms fall to his sides.

The sandy creature whistles something back before calmly walking away, and Sam can feel the excitement and expectation of the rest of Cybertronian with them when clothing changes into armor with a flash of light, cabling exposed and pieces still missing.

But, he is not running.

By now, all those on the air have already noticed and are chirping excitedly, but the First Lieutenant doesn't change his calm pace.

"He's not running." Bobby comments simply, and the twins are almost vibrating as they start chirping softly.

"The others needed a running start to take off. Starscream doesn't." Brawl answers simply, a big smirk in his voice, but Sam doesn't look away.

The turbine-like structures on his back start glowing, and the next step the Air Force Commander takes is on empty air, a constant stream of blue-white fire rushing from the structures on his back as he, to their utter disbelief, starts climbing up as one would a staircase, and with the same security, the same firmness, as if he had solid ground under his taloned feet.

And then, with a sound like a shot, Starscream vanishes.

He has to turn to the rangers to realize he needs to look up, but even then, it takes him some effort to follow the sandy blur rushing on the blue of the sky.

"Well, I'll be damned. He's fast."

"And agile." Will adds to Ironhide's comment when they see the spot that is the Decepticon change direction in a perfect ninety degrees angle.

"That's not fast. Nor agile." Bonecrusher snorts, pride and awe coating his words. "That's just a warm up. You should really see him when he's up to spec."

Someone whistles at that, but Sam can't take his gaze away long enough to identify them.

And then, Ratchet screeches something, and Blackout bursts upwards faster than any copter has a right to be, but still slow enough in comparison to the one he's flying towards.

There's a soft thud, and he turns a bit to see Soundwave landing gracefully next to Megatron, both going back to their armor-less states with a flash of light, while Laserbeak flashes back to his human-like form in midair, touching the ground almost at a run as he rushes to the group.

"That was awesome!" He shouts, bouncing in place as he watches the two still airborne CONs descending slowly, seemingly conversing but too far away to make out words or sounds. "And we can do this all the time now? Really?"

"Really." The Decepticon leader answers, patting the youngster's head and wearing a smile that makes him seem years younger despite the sharp teeth. "And I really hope so, I still need a lot more practice."

"I'd say, High Protector! That looked like a human trying to walk on water!" They all look up at Starscream's jab, his hair tousled and his face a bit pale, but with a smile so bright it's almost blinding.

Blackout snorts, the rotors at his back clicking shut like a cape and letting him drop the last feet to the ground.

"Not everybody can be like you, AF-CMD." He answers with a laugh as Megatron rolls his eyes fondly, and the sandy being chuckles as he steps back on the beach.

"Nobody can be like me, my dear AF-OFC-RS. That would be a crime."

They all laugh at that, even Ratchet, busy as he is looking Soundwave over with white-framed blue pupils and shiny glasses.

"A crime against the rest of us, I'm sure. One of you is enough of a handful." The medic answers dryly, nodding to the white-haired being before turning to the now armor-less sandy one.

"Such small minds, unable to appreciate the greatness that is—Ouch!" There's some more laughter when the oh-so-powerful Decepticon gets punched on the arm by the measly Autobot with a soft clanging sound, but not even the offended party seems annoyed by the interruption, just shaking his head with a tiny smile trying to grow larger on his face as the other scans him by sight alone.

Or what seems just sight. Glowing eyes mean something is going on, after all.

"Hey, Optimus." The Autobot leader looks back at him, stopping instead of following the rest inside as they go get something to eat and drink.

"Yes, Sam?"

"Are you… Are you going to stay here? All of you? … Forever?" His voice grows weaker as he speaks, never looking up from the sand under his feet, but the silence is enough to tell him he's been heard.

"We are going to stay here. But we hope it will not be 'forever'." He lets out a defeated sigh at that, because if they're depending on whether or not people will accept them… "Although, Secretary Keller has asked for one of us to go back with him for the sake of bettering their knowledge and help find the missing information from Sector Seven, since they wiped most of their databases prior to our intervention." He looks up at that, a sliver of hope growing on his chest. "I had though Ironhide or Jazz would be likely candidates for the job… but perhaps I have not taken everything into account. For humans need to learn about us, but we need to learn about humans. And the only one of us Autobots suited for such a task would be Bumblebee."

"I was going to send Barricade." Sam jumps with a squeak at the unexpected voice, quickly turning to see said CON looking sullen next to Megatron, along a happy Bumblebee, all of them with plastic glasses full of water. "They would make a fine team."

"Just when I thought I got rid of the humans…" The not-cop grumbles, glaring into his glass, as the blond gives the teenager his own and Optimus takes his from his brother with a grateful nod.

"They would make a fine team. And Barricade is already acquainted with humans, as is Bumblebee. That would definitely make things easier." The BOT answers with a knowing smile that borders on becoming a smirk, taking a sip.

Sam looks at his new-found friend, and, even if such a thing was possible, no words are exchanged.

None are needed, after all.

AN: Decided to keep writing here, so here is the Epilogue-turned-Chapter. Short, I know, but there was nothing else that could be added to it.

Next chapters will be slow coming, since they are not written. Which, on the other hand, allows for suggestions. If there's something you'll like to see, from flashbacks to present situations, or simply have a question regarding plot/world-developement, go ahead and ask, and I'll try to use the Interlude-Chapters until the next plot thickening to introduce them.

Grab on tight and don't take off your seatbelts, the ride might slow down, but it's far from over...

The songs Bumblebee uses are Simple Plan's Summer Paradise, Joshua Radin's Friend Like You and Merle Haggard's If I Could Only Fly.