AN: All credit for this chapter goes to my sister, who yelled at me on skype and made me realize I have about double in my word document as I have posted here...
Frostbite
By Uniasus
Chapter 12
His most awkward car ride would have to be the time right after Bee's defeat of Barricade. He had just learned Satan's Camaro wasn't possessed, it was alive, and refused to sit in the drivers seat.
This was a little like that, and if Bee's new alt mode had back doors Spike would have opened one of those to sit in the back seat. The ride was quite, the Cybertronian soundproofing preventing any noise from the speed the were going at to be heard. He didn't say anything, Bee kept the radio off.
Spike did his best to touch as little as possible. His legs were clamped together, he cradled his broken arm to his chest and clenched his shoulders inward, and he took care not to touch the back of the seat, the door, or the center consul.
He would have been fine with that, there wasn't anything he could say that wouldn't be passed on by Ratchet eventually. Spike thought he made it pretty clear he wasn't happy with what happened and that the Autobots were on his slag list. What more was there to say?
They had been driving for awhile now, long enough that Spike figured the Cons weren't following them, when Bee spoke.
"When I saw you on Samsoe, I couldn't believe it. You were supposed to be dead, I went to your funeral." Bee's voice trailed off.
"Knock it off Bee. There's no way Ratchet could have done it alone. You were all in on it."
Spike felt Bee's frame jolt. "No! Don't ever think that Sam! I didn't know, I swear! I was so angry when I found out I punched Ratchet."
So that's why Ratchet's face looked odd. Spike gave a small smile, but quickly hid it.
"Uh-huh."
"Honest Sam!"
"Don't call me that. I go by Spike now."
"Spike?"
"You changed your alt mode, why can't I change my name?"
They sat in silence for another minute, and while Spike continued to do his best to touch as little of Bee as possible it was getting hard. Despite the different alt mode, something about the scout's interior called to him, made him comfortable and slightly nostalgic. Like coming home after a year at school. Absently, without really knowing what he was doing, Spike lifted his hand to Bee's steering wheel and brushed his thumb over the Autobot symbol in the center.
"I missed you," Bee whispered. "A lot."
Spike filled his lungs with a huge breath and slowly released it.
"I…missed you too." Because under all the anger and betrayal, he still thought of Bee as a best friend.
A happy purr rippled through Bee's frame, starting in the engine and moving down the car until Spike found himself surrounded by the sound. He leaned back in the seat, which somehow seemed to pull him into a hug, keeping his hand on the bottom of the wheel and running his fingers over the hand grips.
"I really didn't help Ratchet Sa-" Bee caught himself on the name. "And I don't think anyone else did either. When Ratchet came out and told us what happened, everyone was shocked. I've never seen Prime so furious."
Spike didn't answer, just starred out of the window.
"Sam?"
"Spike," he automatically corrected, but he found he didn't mind being called 'Sam' by Bee. Seymour still called him that, and while 'Spike' sounded solid and strong in his head it sounded off coming from the Spyder.
"So, why the change in alt mode?"
"You died." The seat belt tightened protectively around him and Spike brushed his other hand along the strap to comfort the Cybertronian.
"Sorry."
"Not like it was your fault." Bee's voice took on a bitter tone, and Spike felt the calm mood he had slipped into start to tarnish. " I swear, when I get the chance I'm going to do more than punch Ratchet."
"You don't need to." He was angry at Ratchet, greatly so, but he couldn't bring himself to act on it. That was the funny thing about being the All Spark, with all the info he had access to it was hard not to understand where anyone was coming from. But it didn't mean he didn't get angry.
"I want to," Bee growled.
Spike glanced up into the rear view mirror to look at Ratchet, they had passed him once they hit pavement. The ambulance looked dejected, low on his wheels and it seemed as if all his outer plating was being pressed as close as possible to his chassis. Ratchet obviously knew he had done something wrong, that was good enough for him at the moment. But he understood Bee's desire to do something about his anger, about the need to do something to its source. He wasn't going to prevent Bee from doing something the scout thought he needed to do.
After two hours, when Spike deemed they were well away from any Decepticon, Bee pulled through a drive-thru so Spike could snag breakfast. As they turned back onto the road to catch up to Ratchet (who had not made the side trip), he brought up his previous plans.
"Hey Bee, can you take me to Copenhagen?"
The Sypder sputtered and when Bee spoke he sounded hurt. "Don't you want to come with me? Prime and Ironhide were worried when we found out you were alive and in Megatron's hands. They're…probably even more so. Ratchet took off and I followed without truly telling them."
"No, I need to get to Copenhagen. If you need to get back to Prime, you can just drop me off at a train station."
"I can take you!" Bee sounded a touch hysterical, and Spike wondered if he was scared of letting him out of his sight. "What's in Copenhagen?"
"People." Bee was a friend and all, but Spike was still unsure around him. More so about any of the other Autobots. It wasn't that he didn't trust them…okay, maybe it was. Washing away hard feelings always took time, and he had simmered in his for twenty three years.
Spike was thankful Bumblebee took the silent hint and didn't ask for more details.
"You sure you don't want to see Prime first?" Bee sounded a touch hopeful.
"Yeah, I'm sure. Tell him no hard feelings though, okay?"
"Only if we go to a hospital and get a cast for that arm."
Spike's lips twitched in a smile and he looked down at his broken arm in his lap. "It doesn't hurt, and it's important I get there soon. Once there, I'll go."
"But-"
"No buts Bee."
He grumbled, but eventually muttered okay and Spike settled into the drivers seat to take a nap. It was quite a drive to the capital, and he hadn't gotten much rest the night before.
##
When Simmons stepped out of the cab a block before the safe house, but he could already tell there was car in the street in front of it. Flashy, super shiny, and way beyond the pay rate of anyone not a billionaire. It had to be an NBE. That yellow buggy Autobot most likely.
Simmons paid the cabbie and stood staring at the NBE while the taxi pulled away. He started walking towards the house, and when he was at the steps the NBE's door opened and out stepped a very disheveled Sam.
"Sam!" He pulled Sam behind him. With one hand making sure Sam wouldn't move, he used the other to pull out the gun in his waist band and point it at the NBE.
"Don't move or I'll shoot your tires out." However, he kept the gun pointed at the center of the dashboard through the open door.
Sam stepped around him and got in between the gun and the alien. "Whoa, easy Seymour. It's okay."
The NBE snapped his door shut and burned rubber pulling out into the street. Simmons and Sam both turned toward it and watched as it parked next to the curb across the street.
Simons narrowed his eyes at the car, but then put his gun away and grabbed Sam by the shoulders to pull him into a hug. The younger man brought an arm up to return the embrace and when they separated, Simmon's hands rested on Sam's upper arms as he looked him over.
"You okay, kid? They didn't do anything to you?"
Sam gave a lopsided shrug. "The Bots didn't, but Megatron broke my arm."
Simmons's eyes flickered to Sam's left arm. Gently he lighted it away from the other man's body to examine it. Sam winced, obviously discomforted by Simmons's handling. When he prodded Sam's forearm, the kid hissed in pain. The NBE across the street revved its engine in warning. Simmons flipped him the bird.
"Looks like you bit through your lip too. Why didn't you get this taken care of already?"
"I wanted to see you first."
Simmons shook his head and pulled out his phone. "I'm calling a cab and we're going to the hospital."
A screech of tires announced that the NBE had switched spots again. It was now sitting in it's original position in front of the safe house and had both doors open waiting for them.
"No," Sam said, guiding Simmons's phone down. "Can we talk first? Inside?"
The doors shut with a loud click and an engine whine, as if it was insulted but okay with it.
So, all wasn't peachy in Alien Land.
"Sure," he said, placing a hand on the small of Sam's back and gently pushing him up the stairs to the front door. "About what?"
"I picked a new name," Sam said with a cocky smile.
"Again? What is it?"
"Spike. Sparky sounded too much like a wuss."
##
There hadn't been much in the kitchen, just granola bars and a can of pineapple slices. But they went through it all as Spike caught Seymour up to date.
"So let me get this straight," Seymour said, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, "Your new life is to be a wondering whatever, with the ultimate goal of hacking into Megatron's brain and writing a program to convince him to end the war?"
Spike nodded, absently playing with the splint Seymour had rigged for his arm. "Pretty much. I know it would be easier to just join up with NEST and the Autobots," he trailed off, not sure what to say, but Seymour nodded.
"I get it. Wouldn't want to join them either. They're all wackos anyway."
Spike snorted. "I know you used to work for them."
Seymour threw a wadded up wrapper at him and Spike laughed as it hit him in the chest.
"You're welcome to join me you know. 'One man, alone, abandoned by the country he loves.'" Spike smiled
"Watch it, kid. Plus, it fits you more than me at the moment." Seymour leaned back into the couch. "I'm too old anyway. I couldn't keep up with you."
Spike shook his head. "Doesn't mean you can't help me. I'll need to know where the Decepticons are, how to get there, and hopefully avoid the Autobots."
"Maybe, we'll see. But I think," Seymour placed his hands on his thighs to push himself up, "it's about time you got those bones set."
Spike looked down at his arm. "Yeah. That'd be good. You're not the best doctor I've meet." He pushed himself gingerly out of the armchair. "We might as well ride in Bee. He'd follow us anyway."
"I can't believe you trust him." Seymour shook his head.
"Well, I trust him enough to keep Ratchet away. And make sure I don't die again."
"Fair enough, I guess. But I can't say I feel the same." Seymour held open the door for Spike to walk out.
"I know. And I won't ask you to. The more pair of eyes on them the better."
Seymour grunted as they made their way down the stairs. Spike gently bumped him in the shoulder. When the older man looked at him, Spike flashed a smile. The agent just shook his head.
He really had been blessed in meeting Seymour. The past five years would have been really hard without the older man talking him through things and helping him find his feet again.
Bee was waiting for them outside and when they were close enough shrugged open his two doors. "The hospital, right?"
Spike looked at Seymour, who was glaring at the Autobot through narrowed eyes. But he nodded and walked around to the passenger side. "Yes, finally." He shot Spike a look as the young man slipped into the other seat. Spike rolled his eyes.
"I've had worse," he said over Bee's engine starting up.
"Still, you could have had Ratchet look at it," the scout suggested.
"No." Spike and Seymour said it at the same time, will all the weight of a cement block. Bee went silent, but then to cover it up had his radio play a top 40 station quietly.
Spike cleared his through. "Bee, I take it you remember Seymour Simmons. He's um…been looking after me the past couple of years."
"In that case, I want to thank you for doing that Simmons."
Seymour sunk down in the seat. "Well someone had to, after what you guys did."
"Ratchet acted alone - "
Simmons cut him off. "Alone?! You played a part too you know! That medic had Sam frozen for almost eighteen years. Eighteen years! How could you not notice all that time?"
Bee's engine choked and the music cut out halfway through a chorus Spike had humming along to.
"You know the condition he was in when he showed up at my door?"
"Seymour," Spike said, but the other man ignored it.
"He was so blind with dehydration he couldn't even see me when I was sitting next to him, couldn't drink a glass of water by himself. He kept trembling and it took days before he could walk." Seymour's voice got louder as he went along and he was waving his arms around. "He looked as close to death as someone could be without bleeding all over the floor."
"Hey," Spike cut in, "I'm fine now."
"No thanks to him," Simmons jerked his chin towards Bee's central console.
Spike didn't say anything, just shook his head. "How close are we to the hospital, Bee?"
The Autobot took a beat before answering. "Close. How's your arm holding up?"
He shrugged. "'bout the same, I've kinda turned out the pain for the last hour."
"I offered you pain meds." Seymour said.
"Yeah, well."
"Stupid hero-boy, it's going to bite you in the butt one of these days. Sooner rather than later."
"Not if you help me out," Spike sing-songed.
Seymour snorted.
Spike leaned over to bridge the gap between them and poked Seymour's shoulder with his finger. The ex-agent rolled his eyes, but didn't comment.
Bee pulled around the circle drive and stopped before the doors to the emergency room. Seymour pulled the door handle to get out, but the door stayed locked.
"I am sorry, truly." Bee's voice was low and Spike couldn't tell if it was an apology for him, Seymour, or both.
Spike's door clicked open and he steeped out. Bee kept Seymour's door locked, and Spike could hear what Bee said through the open driver's door. "I meant what I said earlier Simmons, thanks for looking after Sam. You…did a better job than I could have, even if I had known."
Spike closed the door and walked in the ER.
AN: So sorry I took so long to get this out, there really is no excuse. But here it is, and I'll try to get the rest out quicker. Kinda got distracted by all the fics on A03 and how I can download complete fics into a PDF to read on my kindle.