The uncertainty started to dissipate when Alexis found her phone was working again, it practically disappearing entirely when a week later they managed to get a hold of Optimus and then their parents. Sam and Alexis did all the talking as Mikaela watched subdued yet excited for them both. She found out later that her father had yet to be found, and while that obviously bothered her, Mika still remained optimistic.
They had traveled much in their eight days, but hadn't gone very far. For while Starscream guided them through the enemy's territory, they had to take so many alternative routes, back roads, and all together long round about ways that Bumblebee figured out soon enough it would be some time before they caught up with anyone.
Finding out the new frequency to the Autobot relays, Bee communicated with Optimus. Their situation was made more apparent. Prime was bringing together both human and Autobot forces as they did their best to deter the Decepticons. But listening between the lines, it was slow going as the Autobots and humans alike continued to find and round up the remaining forces that had actually managed to survive.
Bumblebee felt energized after talking to Optimus, Ironhide and some of the others. He was now more than ready to join the fight. Of course, he was involved with a different kind of battle as it was. Something was happening right where the Autobot was that wasn't expected.
Starscream attached himself to Alexis, but that wasn't the thing, especially with signs of that already seen. It was the fact that Alexis was starting not to mind. The Decepticon followed her around in protect mode, always keeping her in his line of sight as he kept to himself except for when he talked to her. And they did talk, more and more, arguments stilling into subdued conversations; questions answered and asked that sometimes had the strangest effect on Alexis as she actually looked amused by him.
It was all startling, confusing and more than a little disruptive to Bee's circuits.
But the conversation he had with Alexis just a day previous hadn't helped much. They hadn't talked much up to that point. Alexis was now always with Starscream as they journeyed and then usually slept right away after they ate. But that particular day they had reached a safe point early, everyone allowed a couple of days rest from the exhausting continual traveling.
He found Alexis alone leaning against a log. Her eyes were closed, fingers clenching and unclenching around some grass near her feet. She stopped when she opened her eyes. Bee sat down by her.
"I have something for you." He held out the object. Alexis leaned toward him as she took it from his outstretched hand.
"My MP3 player? How did you...?"
"You left it inside me before all this happened, and I thought you would like it back."
She took it from him, her fingers brushing lightly against his palm. His human stomach dropped out within him, strange disorientation following as his imagination took off.
"Thanks, Bee." Alexis frowned, an action that drew him back toward reality. "But it's not going to do any good. I can't even charge it."
"I modified the battery. It will last for many years now without the need to charge."
"Really?" She pressed a couple of buttons, holding one down. The screen lit up as a small logo was displayed until her digital collection showed up. Alexis turned back to him with a large smile on her face.
"Thanks. Thanks so much, Bumblebee." Her fingers reached out as she lightly touched his hand, her eyes holding onto his.
"Alexis..."
"Bee..."
They both said at the same time. Alexis bit down on her lip.
"Go ahead," she said.
"Would you walk with me for a bit?" he asked.
Her eyebrows rose a way, but she nodded the affirmative just the same. Helping her up, he took hold of her hand. He led her away, continuing until he felt they were as alone as they were going to get. Then he stopped and dropped his hold on her, walking a couple of steps away from Alexis, Bee turned around.
Bumblebee suddenly felt giddy yet shy, hopeful yet hesitant. "Alexis I have much I want to tell you... about what happened when we were on the Decepticon base when you dropped the servo winder, about what happened afterwards... about what I feel when I am with you." He watched as she got more and more pale, her gaze upon him dropping. "Alexis?"
She brought her face back up and studied him momentarily, then took a couple of steps toward him. Placing a hand on his arm, she dropped it a moment after, looking uncomfortable, but somewhat determined. Alexis still wouldn't look at him.
"Before you go on, Bee. I have some things I want to tell you. Things I should have told you days ago." She pushed her hair behind her ears and then forced her hands down at her sides. "I am not like that. I mean when I kissed you... I don't do things like that. If you knew me before, you would know that. There was just so much going on and between that and Starscream forcing me to stay with him as you guys got to leave, I just wanted to get away from it all. And then when you kissed me... I just... let it happen without really thinking. And... I just don't want you to think that because of that..."
Bee's processor started to stall, his mainframe freezing. Mikaela had told him that the human female species likes males who were spontaneous. But he was starting to think his timing had been wrong, the advice not entirely accurate. Dread filled him as he wondered if he had ruined it before it even started.
"You do not care for me?" It was Bee who could not look at her this time. Turning away from her, his fists clenched, terror washing through Bumblebee from what she might say. But then he felt a hand on his shoulder, her other one as well as she pushed him back around.
Green eyes poured into his. "I do care for you, Bee. A great deal. I just... everything is so muddled with me right now and..."
"You do not want to be with me."
Alexis drew her hands back, mouth falling open. Her shoulder's muscles tensed as her cheeks rushed with blood. "Be with you?"
He wanted nothing more than to reach out and touch her and hold on to her and not let her go. Forcing his hands to remain at his sides, he spoke instead, strong, rather desperate words rumbling out, "As you humans say, as a couple. I would take care of you. Lo..."
When she said his name, Bee stopped.
"Bumblebee," she pleaded, "please don't. Not now."
"There is no hope for me?"
She took a step and closed the gap between them, her body leaning forward, but not quite touching, her hand taking his. Soft words drifted toward his ear canals.
"There is always hope, Bee. I just need some time to figure things out."
Even now, Bee couldn't help but wonder how much time she had spoken of. Obviously not hours, for those had passed. Not a day, for that as well. So a couple more days? A week? A month? Longer?
He would wait for her no matter how long it took, but still Bumblebee could not understand with how decisive Alexis usually was, why she hesitated when he spoke about his feelings toward her.
Pushing those thoughts aside, Mikaela climbed into his back seat, Sam joining him as Alexis got in the front, sitting on the passenger side. They were running low on food and supplies. Starscream had recommended that they head into a nearby town on their way out of the state, stocking up on whatever was needed. They were chattering away, obviously exciting and pleased to have something to focus on. The three talked about getting some new clothes, other things as well. Bee drifting in and out of the conversation as he drove along.
It was the first time Alexis had been inside him since their escape. He would have felt even better about it if a certain Decepticon wasn't hovering above. But then turning to look at her, Alexis smiling at him wide before laughing at something sarcastic that Sam had just said, had Bumblebee forgetting rather easily.
And then silence came, suddenly and at once. The roads and highways being empty was one thing, but entering the town and passing the shops and the restaurants, the grocery stores and the laundry mat and seeing everything abandoned with not a person in sight affected the humans profoundly. They looked out his windows as the cheerfulness died, especially when they came across evident destruction, a shattered store window here, a burned building there, a car that looked as if someone had clawed it.
Bee parked in front of a clothes store that Mika directed him to. The three got out slowly, looking around them before disappearing inside. It would be some time before they were complete. The humans wandered to different stores while Bee kept his guard up as Starscream circled around back and forth above him.
Having a new pair of shoes on her feet shouldn't have felt so good. What she picked was sneakers that normally she would have never bought due to their price, but now were rested comfortably on her.
Alexis felt guilty at first, but that quickly faded as she found she was actually starting to have fun. The three of them grabbed clothes, trying some of them on in the abandoned dressing room, coming out with fresh attire. Mika grabbed a bunch of jewelry as she changed her earrings.
They only took what they needed, dragging the stuff out and putting it inside Bee's trunk before they continued to the next store.
They ended up at the army surplus store where, much to their joy, they found tents and small stoves, sleeping bags and some other needed items. Sam appeared beside the two girls when they were nearly finished. His voice was firm, his eyes full of determination.
"You guys head back to Bee. I'll catch up with you."
Mikaela frowned, not pleased with that idea. "We are supposed to stay together. Where are you going?"
He didn't answer. But they all knew. They had seen Sam eying the place for some time. No matter where they went to, his attention seemed directed there. It was a small shop and nothing much to look at, but it also held weapons.
"Sam, I don't think that..." Mika didn't get to finish.
"Go ahead. I'll be okay," Sam said decisively.
He left them before they could argue further, so they returned to Bumblebee and unloaded their stuff. The two stood there for all of two minutes before Mikaela lost her patience.
"I'm going to go find Sam. You coming?"
Alexis nodded her head.
"Bee, you stay here." Mika licked her lips, exchanging a look with Alexis before they took off. "Come on, Alexis."
She followed. The farther they got from Bee, the more Alexis felt as if they were being watched. They cut through a back alley, heading toward the pawn shop. Or had been until they were stopped.
Bumblebee had told him he picked up life signs in the area. But when he said it was of the human variety, they felt it was nothing to worry about. Unfortunately, they were wrong.
"Look at this, boys!"
Three guys suddenly blocked their path. The leader of the pack stepped out of the shadows toward them as the others behind him watched.
"More survivors."
Mika looked at her as they both took a couple of steps backwards. Neither liked the tone of voice, nor the way they were being examined.
"Women, Pauly. Now that we haven't seen in some time."
Pauly took another step forward, one of his hands in his jacket pocket, the other behind his back. Now that he was directly in the light, Alexis was surprised at how young he was. The boy couldn't have been more than seventeen at the look of it, even if he was trying to act otherwise.
"A fox and a lamb by the look of it..." the third one finally spoke up, his voice hoarse and course. Something in his hand glinted in the shadows that looked a little too much like a knife.
"Yes, You're right at that. And I am sure that Talon wouldn't mind us having a little fun with them before we turn them over to internment."
"Talon?" Mika repeated cautiously.
Pauly grinned as he tugged on his long black ponytail, brown eyes shifting back toward them as they narrowed into fine slits. "Our Lord and Master. He lets us live and we..." He waved his hand in the air. "Do little tasks for him to ensure that we continue to live."
"You can't be serious."
"That I am, foxy. Now tell me where your girl's little boyfriend is, and I will make sure my boys don't hurt him... too much."
Alexis huffed at that, shaking her head. She wondered where all the fear was, how the obvious threat that was in front of her felt like nothing.
"What is that, lamb?"
He was suddenly directly in front of her with his hand reaching for her arm. He looked down at her. Alexis acted without thinking. She thrust his hand off her, stomping on his boot before pivoting off her left foot as she swiped her other leg forward, kicking him back.
Mika grabbed onto her hand, slamming an elbow back at the same time as one of the other guys made a go at them. They didn't get very far though. Not because they were stopped again, but because something blasted above and past them, a flash of light that had them turning back around as they watched it impact with the Pauly boy. He shot backwards, crashing against a dumpster before he slumped down, a gun that she hadn't even noticed falling and clanking loudly out of his hand.
Alexis knew who had done it, even before she turned around and saw Starscream hovering above them with his weapon still visible. Mika let go of her hand after the other two guys fled. She leaned down and checked the kid's pulse.
"He's dead."
That was obvious. Alexis had never seen death so close before and yet recognized it instantly. Something hard rose in her throat as she stood there unable to look away. But then she heard shouts and yells, what had been silence when they arrived in the town turned into thundering echoes of chatter, all heading their way.
It was Sam's voice that got the two girls moving. He was now standing outside Bee, the Camaro's doors already open and waiting for them. Mika helped Alexis to her feet and they ran.
She liked to deal with things alone. Starscream knew that. As soon as they got far enough away from the town, they stopped, the humans staying inside Bee for a while as they talked things through.
Alexis left the others, wandering away until he watched her lean against a tree and then slowly slide down to the ground where she stared at a bush in front of her.
He acted immediately. Activating his holo-form, he went after her. He also engaged a security lock so that none of the others, including the scout, would know what he was up to. Approaching her slowly, he stood in front of her. Starscream waited for her to say something, knowing eventually she would.
"Did you have to kill him?"
"Yes."
"Is my life really worth that of another's?"
"It is."
"Why?! Tell me why!" Again, Alexis was mourning for a stranger, and one that had threatened her, even had the potential of killing her.
Words were meaningless then, and he didn't think she would have heard them anyway. That is why he went toward her and leaned down, grabbing hold of her as he forced her back up. She struggled against him, eyes suddenly on fire as she pushed at him.
"What are you doi..."
Starscream shut her up effectively and immediately. All it took was a simple human procedure, his mouth launching itself against hers as he pressed against her firmly. Her lips were softer than he imagined, moist and slightly parted, her warm breath broke against his skin. He had to force himself to pull away, releasing her before she could fight him further. Staring hard into her eyes, he leaned toward the girl. Alexis backed away from his as best as she could manage.
"I am showing you why, Alexis."
Her eyes widened at that, his first utterance of her name still floating through the small space that was between them; intimacy activated by the simple three syllable word. But that didn't stop Alexis from pushing him back and walking quickly away, not even a glance spared for him as she did so.
If she had looked back, she would have seen Starscream standing there proud, awed and somewhat perplexed, his fingers hovering before they made contact with his lips, then brushing against them slowly.
