Disclaimer : I don't own Transformers or any of it's affiliates. I only own Eliana and Erika.

Note : Hey guys! I know I've said this before, but borderline paranoia requires that I say it again. I am not abandoning this story...yet. It'll finish (for now) sooner than I originally planned, due to plotbunny problems, but I do intend to at least finish the story. Granted, I originally meant for a sequel, but because of muse issues, I'm gonna finish after Mission City and leave it for a bit. That being said, I'm not giving up on it entirely. I'm going to see if I can keep writing a sequel, with my muse in tatters, but if I do, it'll likely have very long waits between updates.

Sorry. I kinda go where the plotbunnies take me, and they're being mutinous little fraggers. As usual.

(Eliana's POV)

Optimus' shoulder.

Despite the jagged, dangerously sharp looking edges further out, it seemed like the place to be. There was that comfortable flat, warm surface that seemed to thrum with life, that I could sit on. It felt like it was built for my ass! Just the right size, sitting at just the right angle...

And then Optimus Prime leaned forward, and his shoulder became a Nope.

A nope slope, that I slid right off of.

Funny thing, you'd think he'd remember me, seeing as how my nails were probably still imbedded in the smoke stack I'd been clinging to. He'd bent down to look in Sam's window, and I distinctly recalled digging those nails in as hard as I could, and half expecting him to freak out in pain, or something.

But he didn't.

In fact, he turned sharply at something Sam had said, bent further for a moment, and I very nearly became the newest, prettiest stain on the Witwicky lawn. Thankfully, he noticed and caught me before I went splat, but the ground he gently placed me back on with an 'Oops, sorry' had never looked so good!

Tina and Erika had crowded over to me, wondering if I was okay and laughing their afts off at my jelly legs, and the bots were milling around in the back yard, still having yet to be found out, which made me really wonder how many neighbors the Witwickys actually had, and how many of them were too stoned, drunk and\or blind to notice the fifteen foot tall (or taller!) robots wandering around in their neighborhood.

It was amusing.

And perplexing.

But was was absolutely hilarious was when Optimus jerked back and quickly ordered his men to 'hide'. All thoughts of the minutes left to change the future had faded as I watched Ironhide try to go to the right, Ratchet try to go to the left (again), and the two almost crashed right into each other. I watched as Sideswipe bent down, scooping Tina up with a sharp 'eep!', before he began to look around frantically.

One moment, he looked ready to jump over the hedge and land in the neighbor's yard, only to stare, pause and turn away. His gaze went in a slow circle as he seemed to try and decide what to do, before his optics landed on a very high stone wall.

Suddenly, he was holding Tina out to Sunstreaker.

"Take the fleshy!"

"Hey!"

Sunstreaker recoiled like Sideswipe had just held out a handful of cow manure to him. "Don't touch me with that thing!"

"Hey!"

"Just take the fragging fleshy!"

"I don't want the fragging fleshy!"

"Sunny-"

"Don't call me that!"

"Would you just take her already?!" And before Sunstreaker could snap back, Sideswipe was dumping her unceremoniously (with yet another 'eep!') into the golden twin's hands, before he climbed awkwardly over the large fence.

Sunstreaker looked on in horror at the human in his grasp, and held her away from his body, like he expected her to projectile vomit paint thinner, or something.

"Oh Primus, Sunny-"

"Sideswipe!"

"She's not a glitch mouse!" Leaning over the wall, Sideswipe plucked the human out of his twin's hand and ducked behind the wall once more.

I was too busy being amused to question why he didn't just transform...

Poor Tina...

...Or was that lucky Tina?

Didn't Kathy say she had a thing for them? She certain seemed at ease around them.

"I can't believe I ever missed that fragger." Sunstreaker growled, before glaring at the wall with disgust, intakes hissing sharply, and moving to climb over it and join him, disappearing behind it as well.

I giggled hysterically, hands slapped over my mouth, watching as Ratchet and Ironhide seemingly bitched at each other as they moved to the side of the house, Ironhide leaning against the side of the house and Ratchet crouched low next to him.

"That was so rude." Erika snorted, shaking her head at the retreating Weapons Specialist and Medic, before yelping as she was plucked off the ground by a silver clawed hand, disappearing from view.

For a moment, I stared up at her as Jazz rose up, looking for someplace to hide.

How did she know whether or not what they were saying was rude?

They weren't speaking English...

Then, as Jazz ducked low, looked around, and nearly nose-dived through the kitchen window, making me snort at the realization there was an Autobot in the Witwicky kitchen, I realized what was going on. Just as quickly, my head snapped up and around, only to note a yellow-coated set of giant fingers heading my way.

I didn't even have a chance to protest, before I found myself being lifted with a gasp. Just as quickly, I noted the equally as yellow body before me.

Since my captor wasn't bitching about his paint, or bitching in general and yapping on about pheremones and medical scans, I immediately knew who it was, and looked up as Bumblebee looked around frantically, before making a B-line (no pun intended) towards the back porch, ducking under the roof and crawling as close to the house as he could.

I was put back down again, but ushered closer to the bot as he hid, and found myself soon placed under his chin, curled up against his throat platings as he seemed to curl up tightly, hiding.

The ground shook, there were shouts, and I ducked lower under Bee's chin, staring up at the vulnerable cables along his throat. Almost absently, I felt my hand reaching up, and I felt the warm cables against my fingertips.

They thrummed with the same life as Optimus' shoulder plating.

Bee looked down then, angling his face so it was well in my view. His optics were so wide! Not like any of the others, whose optics seemed more slanted, or narrower, almost. With the strange fixture where his mouth was, and his antennai waving around lightly, I couldn't deny he looked...well, adorable.

And very bee-like, I guess.

And, despite the fact I was far from a professional Cybertronian expression reader, the word 'perplexed' came to mind when I tried to judge what his expression was. There was just something...curious about his features.

I stared up at him, stroking my hands gently over the cables that made up the front of his throat-

And suddenly felt sick.

Flashback

"No! No, stop! He's not fighting back!"

End Flashback

Tensing, I felt like my throat had decided to close on me. "Bee..." Swallowing thickly, I turned away. I just couldn't look into those innocent optics. I couldn't face him, knowing what was coming. Knowing what I was letting come. He would be hurt, and it would be all my fault.

Would he hate me?

Would he feel betrayed?

Feeling something nudging my arm gently, before stroking against it, I turned my head, starting when I realized he was running the absolute tip of one of his gigantic fingers along my arm in what I assumed was some kind of comforting manner.

But it was too late for comfort.

Just as quickly as all thoughts of Sector Seven and the movie vanished, they came rushing back. I watched Simmons' disgusting smirk, as he leered at Mikaela, hitting on and threatening an underage girl. I could feel his cocky arrogance as he watched Bumblebee being tortored, and hear Sam screaming, begging them to let poor Bee go.

And we were just going to let it happen.

"I'm sorry!" I hissed quietly, my eyes finally finding their way to his face. "Things are gonna happen, and they're gonna be horrible, and you'll probably hate me-" Reaching up once more, I gently placed my hand on his face again, but this time, I reached further than his throat. I reached up to the metallic contraption that covered where his mouth was, resting my hand against the 'chin' piece. "I... I-I..." Swallowing against the bile in my throat, I tried to formulate...some kind of semi-intelligent response. Whether it was some half-assed excuse, or a lie, or the flat out truth.

But even as sounds sounded around me, I only found apologies.

"I'm sorry, Bee. I really am."

Because I couldn't think of any other way to guarantee the bots would get to the Allspark in time, or guarantee that Lennox, Epps and Keller would meet the Autobots and see that they're not bad. I couldn't think of any way to stop the Decepticons, without it resulting in some kind of war, and loss of life.

This, as horrible as it sounded (and felt!), felt like the only option.

Wasn't it?

I actually felt like I could throw up. I actually felt nauseous. The idea that had seemed so sound and right before, was feeling increasingly bad now. Before, it was just a plan. Just a thought. I wasn't there to witness it, and...maybe deep down I never expected it to actually happen.

Now that it was, all I could see was Bee writhing in pain. All I could hear was his wordless whines of agony as he was zapped again and again.

Bee stared at me, head cocked, and let out a tiny, muffled chirp.

Then there were sounds from the yard.

Someone, somewhere called 'incoming!', and the bots began to move away from the house.

Moving on auto pilot, I climbed gingerly off the back porch, keeping my balance on the toes of my feet so my heels didn't make any connection or sound as I moved. Then, I gasped, slamming my lips shut against the almost instinctual urge to shriek and/or curse, as giant, metallic fingers wrapped around me, and I found myself being lifted in the air.

I barely had a chance to realize who was lifting me before I was placed on Bee's shoulder, and gripping at metallic edges near his head. It was an awkward and uncomfortable grip. I had to strain my arms and hold my body tense to keep my balance as Bee moved, but the only things close enough to grab, that wasn't armor, were cables, tubing and pipes, and I didn't know what was sensitive and what wasn't.

And I already felt like Grade A slag.

I really didn't need to add grabbing a sensitive cable and causing the poor little Scout to scream in agony to the list.

We moved to a crouch, Bee peering briefly in Sam's window.

I had enough time to watch Kathy following Sam out of his room, and knowing what happened, I leaned heavily against Bee's shoulder. My fingers twitched something fierce, with the urge to grab his face in a hug and not let him go. "Bee... What's coming... I'm sorry, but it has to happen. I don't know any other way to... I'm sorry." I shook my head. "I-"

It's okay, it's all right-

I blinked, and then frowned.

That wasn't a song. It sounded like a bunch of girls shouting, and so familiar...

A moment later, it hit me.

That's the cheerleading group from... Oh, what was it? Step Up? Bring It On? Something like that?

I looked up and over at the bot, only to watch his hand rise up and gently wrap around me, pulling me from his shoulder and placing me down next to Sunstreaker. I stared at the Ferrari as the bot behind me transformed, and shook my head. "I'd rather kiss Dumb and Dumber." I growled, my mood thoroughly ruined by the thought of what was coming.

Well, more like my mood was thoroughly ruined by the realization I was helpless to change what was coming.

"What the slag are you talking about, organic?"

I didn't even bother answering the yellow Ferrari. With the tension and mood rolling through me, I didn't have the patience to deal with Sunstreaker and his attitude at the moment. Instead, I turned to the other vehicles, noting Tina sitting in Sideswipe's driver seat, and Jolt, Ratchet and Ironhide already pulling into the street. The twins followed after them, and with a lingering stroke of my fingers over Bee's hood, I gently shut the door he held open for me.

I couldn't go with him.

I wanted to, but going with him meant risking being captured with him, and I knew... I knew, deep down, I was not strong enough to handle Simmons and his attitude. So, with a final pat of the back trunk, and not a single snide, sarcastic, perverted comment or thought towards where my hand had been, I found myself moving to the now familiar silver Solstice, where Erika was already sitting behind the wheel.

Hurrying over, I tried to ignore the roiling nausea in my stomach. I tried to swallow past the lump that felt like it was firmly wedged in my throat

"Ellie?"

I closed the door behind me and belted myself in automatically. Though, in hindsight, I probably didn't really need the belt if I was sitting inside a sentient being.

Did I?

"Ellie?"

Shaking my head, I hummed at Erika, glancing her way briefly, before half glaring out the front window. After my little 'moment' with Bumblebee, I was left with a suddenly sour taste in my mouth, and a tightness in my chest that made breathing difficult. "I don't like this." Seeing the Peterbilt just in front of Bumblebee, I had to clench my hands in my lap to resist the urge to reach for the door and climb out and run to Prime and tell him everything. "I really don't like this!"

"What?"

I slanted a sharp look her way. "You're really gonna ask that? What the hell do you think is driving the bots away from Sam's house right now?"

She blinked at me, before turning away, her eyes narrowing. "Oh."

"Yeah, 'oh'. Those bastards." I moved my hand from my jean-clad legs to my shirt and began to dig my nails into the hem. "I don't like this. Maybe we shouldn't be letting this happen. What's it gonna do for us?"

"Ensure N.E.S.T.?" Erika whispered.

Scoffing, I shook my head bitterly. "Yeah, and what's that gonna do for us?" Raking my fingers through the loose strands of my side bangs, I shook my head. "Never mind, I don't wanna talk about it."

"Ellie-"

"Can we just go?"

Jazz was mercifully silent as he drove behind Bee. I watched the glowing tail lights of Bee's form before us, stubbornly refusing to glance back towards the house, or the multitude of black SUVS pulling up in front of it.

I couldn't.

I couldn't see Dumb and Dumber climbing cockily and arrogantly out of their vehicles. I couldn't see Sam and Mikaela being handcuffed and taken in. And despite her wanting to, I couldn't watch them take Kathy in, either.

In fact, feeling my heart pounding against my ribs, I let my gaze fall to my balled fists and hoped and prayed she knew what she was getting into.

And...I found myself praying she got her chance to kick Simmons in the not-so-happy sac, once, just for me.

HeartGuardianSol - LOL! I love that description!

adelphe24 - They won't be ALL bad! *cringes* I hope...

Alice Gone Madd - It'll be a bit yet. Like I told adelphe24, I have the perfect place I want to bring them in. :)

BossBot - Thank you. :)

jgoss - Yeah but if you had that kind of information and knew all the things that could go wrong from divulging the wrong piece, but don't know WHAT the 'wrong piece' is, wouldn't you be a little nervous? lol Yeah the briefs scene had me in stitches. XD

SleepiPanda - Ack! Don't die! I'll send Ratchet over if you do! lol

Preview of Chapter 26 -

Suddenly, a bright, cherry red Lambo shot past us, doing easily well over the speed limit, and I felt my jaw drop as the car expertly weaved through the traffic, moving to take on the lead of the not-so-little convoy, and then rapidly gaining space from the others.

"Sideswipe! What the slag are you doing?!" Ratchet's crotchety voice suddenly erupted from the speakers, making me jump a bit.

End Preview.

Written : Mar 29, 2015

Hope you like it.

Read and Review please.

Thank you.

'Kitten