Queen's note: Welp, Omie has just moved! Over half my stuff is still sitting out in the Desert xD but I'm down in California safe and sound. Annoying the best friend that I moved in with, hugging her giant aft great danes and omg the mental break is awesome, even if I still need to get a shed. Enjoy the cute, sorry it took a while to get it out but, moving is chaos.

P.s. Crosshairs is coming back next chapter.

Just A Stray, Just A Cover

Chapter Fourteen

Needed Cuddles

The mech stretched, warbling a broken laugh at the small scramble on his chest. Bumblebee did not arch up too high though, and was sliding down onto his back again, arms sprawled out and trying to take as much space in the junction of two tunnels. He was nowhere near taking up space to be truly in the way.

"Hey!" Amy protested, small hands clinging to the edges of yellow and black armor. She was sitting on a blanket on his chest. Between the kibble she looked like kitten a woman was trying to hide.

A playful buzz answered her, the Autobot lifted his head as he gave a metallic meep next. He grinned under his battle mask as Amy made a face in return, Bumblebee reached up to try and poke the girl. She wiggled and giggled as the scout frame tickled and nudged her, getting as much amusement out of it as he used to with his old charge. If not just little more, as Amy was young enough to still like being tickled for a bit, even with the soft buzz of his energy field.

Bumblebee tried really hard not to think about it, but could not help remembering the flailing of Sam when the mech first poked him like this. He missed the boy, that was no boy anymore really... Bumblebee cupped his hand around Amy's back, using his fingers to deftly flip the blanket over her. It was a second comforter he had in subspace, one of the several Sam had always given him to hold onto 'just in case.' Just in case Sam forgot to pack something if they were camping, or scouting.

'Or you know bee, just in case you need one!'

Bumblebee gave a snort like sound and shook his head at the unexpected memory that played in his mind, even as in the here and now Amy giggled as she was trying to push back on the mech's left hand. The scout gave a warble, making the sound seem as light and silly as possible, covering that he had not meant to, nor that he realized that he suddenly was holding the girl close.

The blue optics dimmed and then flashed brighter, one finger on his other hand carefully going under one of Amy's hands, chipping a question at her. Trying his best to focused on only the here and now.

...it was much harder than before. It was harder to do then when he lost his voice, when he had thought himself isolated on this world and going to starve to death.

The mech had no blame for the girl, she had no idea about what did happen and had been done before she met him. Bumblebee was letting himself relax, truly relax and not be either dark shelled or hyper alert to keep the other aft of mechs safe. Now that everyone he knew of directly around him was safe in the bolt hole, Bumblebee was letting his guards down. So much so that his natural bio-lights along his frame were starting to glow, golden and red lights down his sides, back and chest. Even on his legs.

Most humans did not realize how... glowy Cybertronians were. That it was as much instinct and reflex it was to help hide on most alien worlds to them to repress the glowing parts of their frames. Bumblebee's frame was one of the last of the group in the Bolt-Hole to... lighten up.

"Do you have any water Bumblebee?" Amy shyly asked once the tickling had stopped, the girl daring to peek up at the mech's optics.

Bumblebee blinked, bright blue optics flickering and flashing in surprise at the question, then horridly gave a cheerful clip of, "All the things-!" that his former charge used to say.

Primus, Crosshairs must have been doing good with the girl if she was daring to ask for something, even if it was water. Impressed with the progress that the trooper had managed with the girl, that Bumblebee had not realized that he had used a voice clip of Sam, not at first at least. He already had a pack of water bottles out of subspace, the kind with the adjustable caps on the top, setting the loose bottles beside Amy. Followed by a pack of strawberries he had picked up before entering the forest and using his subspace to keep them in a stasis like state.

The mech gave a broken hum, carefully pinching a corner of the blanket on his chest and moving it over the girl. Making sure she would stay warm as it looked like to his optic that she might doze off. He was amused at the spot she ended up, that small cleft in how his armor dipped on his upper chest had he been standing or just sitting up. If Amy was any bigger, or just older she might be able to reach out and bap at his chin.

Bumblebee paused, the girl not noticing as she curled up to nibble on the treat of berries. The scout could not shake the memories this time. How he had used to lay back in isolated forests and let Sam and Mikaela crawl over him like over excited sparklings. Later on Carly had done much the same as Sam dozed on his favorite spot.

Humans were like a bunch of turbo fox kits once they were used to a mech Bumblebee noticed. With far too much curiosity for their own good it seemed, and then would settle and get cuddly, even if they may not admit that was what they were doing.

The mech remembered tilting his head, peering down at Carly as the woman sat on her knees on his neck. Arms crossed over his chin and staring in fascination at the battle mask and glyphs on him.

Seeing Sam scrambling at the side of Bumblebee's chest after losing his footing and having to nudge the awkward teen up.

Feeling his former charge picking at a scar on his middle.

Mikaela trying to very hard to convince Bumblebee to lift a chest plate and 'flash' them so she could see some of the inner workings of his systems.

Sam always seemingly passing random bits to Bumblebee to subspace and hide for later. Those just in case blankets and food, maybe he still had a pillow-?

Amy sneezed, one of those full body jerking motion where the sound was surprisingly loud for such a small frame. She made an interested squeaking sound before another sneeze came, looking almost as surprised as Bumblebee felt. He too had jumped, just not as bad, and cupped both hands reflexively over Amy and lifted his head. At first puzzled at the weird sound and actions.

Oh.

Oooh...!

That was right, humans sneezed!

"Primus- Oh dear- all that and- you- So smaaall- bless you- tiny thing!" Bumblebee spliced words and recordings together, using humans he knew this time as the yellow-gold lights in his chest flared to show his amusement. Delicately patting the child on the head with a single fingertip, a song clip found to give a reassuring tone as he saw the bright flush.

"...sorry..." Amy squeaked, ducking her head and starting to reflexively curl up and hide. Bumblebee squinted a bit as he watched the reaction, and as gently as he could, making sure to flood his field with reassurance-calm-amusement. Making sure there was nothing negative, daring to give a cuddle and almost tickle to keep Amy from curling into herself like he had glimpsed her doing a few times when Amy was not sure if she had done something wrong... or if there was something that was a 'trained' reaction from before Crosshairs found Amy.

Bumblebee gave broken, wordless mumbles as he flexed and did what was basically a half sit up. Giving Amy a careful nuzzle through the blanket with his battle mask. The scout could only hold the position for a few moments before he relaxed back.

"...Bumblebee?" Amy asked after a few minutes for both to settle down. She was holding onto two large digits with one arm. Her strawberries were completely gone, as was an offered apple.

Bumblebee chirped, lifting his head to give Amy his attention.

"Does Crosshairs..." She hesitated before horridly asking, "Does he really sleep for a week? All the time? Do you all do that?"

There was a pause, and then Bumblebee gave a hitching, warble like laugh, his chest vibrating under Amy. He shook his head, knowing Crosshairs had been sleep deprived even before he found Amy. The mech considered how to explain it, his fingers gently rubbing on her back as the girl gave a relieved sigh. Apparently that was enough for Amy, at least for now as the mech guessed she was tired. Not knowing when she slept last, if Crosshairs had any sort of sleep schedule or if he was still just letting Amy sleep and nap when she felt the need.

Remembering something, almost belatedly Bumblebee drew his right hand back, pulling out one of the squishy pillows. It meant Bumblebee got a soft happy sound and wiggle from Amy, he trilled gently back, optics squinting to show his smile. The mech enjoying the happiness from the tiny human as Amy curled up around the pillow, nuzzling into the squishy thing.

Bumblebee really needed to find out what Amy's real age was.

Right now though the mech relaxed back, hearing a whisper of voice in his memories.

"You need these things Bee, trust me. Just in case you might need to have them."

The mech flickered his optics, laying back with a dosing human on his upper chest, staring at the dimming lights of the tunnel junction the mech blinked. He glanced at Amy as a realization finally smacked the scout. Sam had not just been giving him random things to hold onto just in case Sam forgot.

"You need these things Bee..."

Sam was giving things to Bumblebee, knowing the scot would try and take care of other humans he came across. Not just his former charge, even the last time they had met, the young man had offered two pillows to be subspaced.

He needed to find out what happened to Sam, but for now the yellow and black mech gently curled his hands over the girl on his chest. Holding her as if holding onto a last strain of hope, though finding out crosshairs had brought her around, her presence had helped jar Bumblebee out of that deep dip into depression.

...how much had Sam guessed, or knew?

Bumblebee suppressed a vocal keen, as he truly realized why his former charge always gave the scout human made things. Given Bumblebee things for humans as much as the random small silly gifts and souvenirs.

"You need these things Bee, you always take care of others."

You are the kind to take care of other people, mechs and humans. Those where the spoken and unspoken words from Sam, Bumblebee finally realized.

Reviews!

Wacko12:
Soon, soon.

PhoenixLordess:
I'm glad you liked the story so far! son't worry the big green bastard is coming back next chapter.

Regan:
Thank you so much n.n I'm happy its flowing well and you've enjoyed the story so far!

Sarah:
I'm trying to get back into the habit of responding to reviewers. Hope this didn't OD you on cute [...kinda do though], as for bad guys... well you'll have to keep reading!

Thousandsmiles:
I'm glad you like the story so far! I have someone looking over things for me now that I've moved. [honestly I have mild dyslexia...soo... I don't really SEE some of the typos at all]

ThisIsNotAScript:
You have no idea how much that means to me to hear that. and you're not far off from the remnants of the Autobot army being like family at this point n.n [even if a crazy one]