Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers. Only the plot and OCs.

Thank you all so much for the reviews. I'm so happy you're enjoying part four.

Have another chapter. I adore you all. ^-^

Chapter 7

Two decacycles.

Two whole decacycles and not a peep. Not from the Decepticons and not from the Guild. No matter that the Cons had knocked them so hard out of the sky they should have been back around to at least try to finish them all off. Megatron had never been a gifted reprieve kind of mech.

Yet he and his army were nowhere to be seen.

The Nemesis was just . . . gone.

And then there was Trickster and his fraggin' siblings. Or whatever it was they were to each other. They too had just vanished. The big ebony colored mech left that datapad and never came back.

Normally, the Autobots would find that being the only thing the Guild wanted was to drop off something and leave wasn't such a horrible thing, but considering the thing Trickster left was driving Jazz just this side of crazy it would have been alright with all of them if he just hadn't shown up.

However, what they would be alright with along with what all of them wanted they had long ago stopped figuring was going to be what they got. It was what put the high command around one table tonight various shades of blue contemplating and apprehensive. No bot was sure if this was a good idea, quite a were more than a little vocal about it being—as Ironhide put it—damn stupid, but it was now looking to be the only option they had.

"I can't read it." Jazz repeated for what had to be the sixtieth time in the last two decacycles. "I've cross referenced every slaggin' thing I can think of. I'm talking I went back to data files I haven't pulled since I was a sparklin'. I've tried everything, but I can't fraggin' read it."

"And that is exactly why this should not be considered." Prowl firmly stated, doorwings high behind his back with tension he couldn't hide.

"We know where you stand, Prowl." Optimus sighed back at him. "You've been out voted."

"Out voted my aft." Ironhide growled over at his Prime. "You've decided already what's to be done and you don't give a damn about listenin' no more."

Optimus just looked hard back at him.

"Technically speaking," Roddy piped up from where he was sitting next to Magnus—a place he hadn't got much more than a few feet from in the span of two decacycles, the femmes thought he was fraggin' adorable—leaned forward in his seat staring down at star charts and desert maps. Everything he could come up with and had scrounged up. "That is within his rights."

"Oh hush up." Ironhide snapped at him, but Mia smacked him hard over the audio and sent a harsh pulse over the bond telling him in no uncertain terms that he was the one that needed to hush up.

"What?" Hot Rod glanced up to the snort with a hard glare. "I think he's right! I've only been trying to convince you bots of this for two vorns! There is something out there."

"And when you were out there looking for it you actually got blown up." Ironhide shot back at him only to regret it when the smaller mech flinched at the words. Gaze lowering to stare hard at the maps and charts before him. Ultra Magnus' hand has reached under the table to rest on the smaller mech's knee. Roddy sent him a thankful flash though his energy field.

This thing between them was still new, and tentative, and growing but at the same time it was a connection that had been there for a very long time. They knew each other better than the other often knew themselves. The only difference was . . . well . . . all the kissing and touching now.

Hot Rod couldn't say there was any negative side to that though, and considering how much Magnus seemed to like kissing and holding him the big mech was inclined to agree.

"Enough, Ironhide." Optimus rumbled over at him. Bright optics narrowing slightly until he was gifted a nod and he turned his attention back to his little brother's charts. "Bad idea aside we're going to have to do something."

"Are we even sure what's on that datapad has anything to do with what Jazz intercepted?" Magnus questioned.

At that the silver spy shook his head. "Not completely, but it came from Trickster. He called it a hint. If it doesn't have something to do with it I'll paint myself pink."

"Can I hold you to that bet?" Ratchet lifted an optic ridge from the other side of the table. Mia, Quickfire, and Arcee tried very hard to cover their laugh. Mirage just huffed.

"If my opinion matters I think it's a good idea to assume it's a needed action, but it will also probably be something we will all hate by the end of." The blue and white mech said carefully. These types of meeting were not new to him, but for the most part of his military career he'd been on the debriefing side of them. The plan of action had normally been made before the job came to his attention.

His new position as Magnus' and Roddy's spy master changed that though. He was still getting use to the new position and all that came along with it, but Jazz claimed he was fully confident in what Mirage was capable of. Besides, how could he have said no to the technical transfer when Magnus and Hot Rod promoted First Aid and Quickfire both to co-chiefs of their medical bay.

If they ever got different ships again.

Mirage had figured that Magnus would give Jolt the position, but from his own diggings he found out Jolt didn't want the job and the towering commander was not going to force it upon his son. Even if Jolt was as every bit capable of running a bay as Aid and Fire were.

"He's probably right." First Aid muttered, optics dim behind his visor.

"I don't like the idea of splitting up." Quickfire put in. "Not after everything. It's too soon."

"Taking everybot would be even worse of a risk." Sideswipe spoke up from his place beside his brother next to Arcee and Ratchet. "A strike team would have less chance of being seen and finding whatever it is we're looking for."

"A strike team would also stand a better chance of not dying." Sunstreaker huffed.

"That too." The red twin nodded.

"I'd have to say I agree with them." Ratchet nodded.

Arcee hummed. "I'd feel better about it if we actually knew what we were looking for. All you have are vague coordinates to some strange object that kind of makes you think might be the All Spark."

"I didn't say it was a good plan." Jazz sighed. "It's just the only one I've got."

"For now it's all we've got." Elita sighed. "Worse comes to worse if you don't find anything quickly we will come and get you. Megatron is bound to turn up sooner or later."

"After he gets done licking his pride." Chromia sneered.

"True." Arcee nodded.

"So its decided then." Optimus leaned forward in his chair. Long arms holding him up against the table as he gazed around a the combination of both his dearest friends, closest family, and most loyal partners in arms. "I will take Hide, Jazz, the twins, and Ratchet to those coordinates and we will see what we can find."

A lot of nodding and murmurs of agreement went up around the table until Sunstreaker spoke up.

"I just have one thing left to ask." The golden warrior turned those dark optics around his adopted creators to meet the brighter gaze of the Prime.

With a nod and a motion Optimus bid him to go on. "Yes?"

"Who's gonna tell Half Pint we're leaving him here?"

Silence echoed around the room then as they all seemed to take that question in. It wasn't as if they hadn't known it. They had, the option of leaving Bee on the ship with the others had been discussed early on, but the notion of who it was that was actually going to have to tell him had sort of been skipped over.

Sideswipe suddenly surged forward in his seat throwing an arm up above his head. "Not it!"

Sunstreaker nodded. "Seconded."

Optimus fought very hard not the slap his palm against his forehead.

Cross legged on the edge of one of Wheeljack's less cluttered work tables Bumblebee sat quietly watching the inventor work. It had always been a rather humors past time. No matter that half the time he couldn't make sense of half the stuff that came out of the tri colored mech's mouth and that it almost always ended in Jacky latched hold of him and diving for cover behind something or another when something always seemed to blow up. As things were known to do around Wheeljack.

None of that had ever bothered Bee though. If anything it made it all the more fun. Wheeljack was one of his only caretakers that had ever seemed quite so . . . strict?

Maybe that wasn't the word.

Honestly, Bee didn't how to describe it. Jacky was as loving and caring and careful—well as careful as a walking explosion magnet could be—as the rest of his family, but in that same notion he wasn't afraid to let Bee do what he wanted. He'd give the mechling tasks the others balked at finding out about afterward.

And yeah, most of those things Jacky said 'sure go ahead' to normally ended up in rather loud booms but up until that point it was kind of the only time Bee felt like not everybot around him was just waiting for him to screw up.

Deep down he knew they didn't mean it like that. He knew they were just protective and that they were scared of the trouble he seemed to attract, but that didn't make it all any easier. It didn't change anything. He still felt like every orn he was out to prove himself again. Maybe not always with the field tests—that had been shoved onto the back burner for obvious reasons—but in everything else.

Sitting there on the end of one of Jacky's tables he chewed absently at his bottom lip. Winglets and doorwings in a slight droop of the slightly twitching with the thoughts that were haunting him. The shadowing thoughts hanging around in the forefront of his mind.

They wouldn't let him recharge.

They wouldn't let him think.

All he had was this shifting, see through image of what he had seen. Cyber, Risk, and whatever that other thing had been. Not to mention Scout and Echo's words.

Spirit Seer.

Whatever the pit that meant.

They thought it was all perfectly fine!

Fine.

Fine that he was seeing dead things. And talking to dead things. And other slag he couldn't understand.

The lying about it to Hide and Mia however, they didn't go along with.

Nope.

They were kind of pissed about that one. Still. Which was why they were curled up together under the table he was sitting at ignoring his emotions and his ever present questions. There wasn't many answers they had for him. All his freaking out was bizarre to them because to them it was apparently normal.

Bee still didn't know what to make of that.

However, it was one of his reason for the current table he was sitting on. There were some things that he could talk about with Hide and Mia, Optimus and 'Lita, Prowl, and Ratchet and Cee, then there were things that he could not. Just as there were only things he went to Jazz and the twins with, and then things that he could not. Then there were the other things. The things he could talk about with other members of the family.

Under it all though were his secrets. The things he locked up inside of him. Locked up and put away because talking about them to any of his family was a horrible idea. He was pretty sure this whole seeing dead things problem was one of those things. Right up there along with how much he could really see and feel with his spark. Mainly because over the last few orns he'd started wondering if maybe that had something to do with it.

Scout and Echo had rolled their dark optics at him when he said that to them.

He notched it up there on his lists and pinned it there.

That didn't mean he had a clue what to do about it though. Normally, he'd push it down there with the rest of the stuff he didn't say because it was better that way. Only this time it wasn't working. Which was why he found himself were he currently found himself.

Maybe Wheeljack wasn't the most sane member of his family, but he was one of the most understanding and the most laid back around here. If there was anybot that he might be able to try and talk about this with it was Jacky.

Maybe.

If he could get him to focus for more than three seconds on anything other than that stupid datapad.

He'd been going on about it for orns. All these scattered alphabets and text all over his tables. Charts, and maps, and all these symbols that Bee had no idea what meant. It hadn't taken him long to figure out it was all different types of writing. Different alphabets, at least most of it. Some of it he could recognize. Their own language and some older things of the tribal languages he'd seen among Outrider's and Ironhide's tattoos and Jazz's scribbling. Most of the rest of it was all star charts. There was a way to read those, an actual language all in itself, but Bee didn't know how to read those.

He knew some of it, the things Roddy had showed him, but not enough to fully understand how it was actually read in whole. So he didn't get how to cross references it, but he did like watching. He figured sooner or later he'd get it this way.

Wheeljack wasn't letting him see what was on the datapad though so he didn't know what it looked like. He just knew it was driving the inventor even nuttier then he already was. That was the only thing besides fear that had Bee keeping his mouth shut. He'd come down here this morning to see if he could wrangle up the courage to tell Wheeljack what was going on. When he found the inventor this worked up though he figured starting to talk about seeing ghosts was probably a bad thing.

So here he sat, chewing nervously at the inside of his bottom lip trying to ignore the steady pulses of annoyance coming from his hounds as he watched Wheeljack. His spark was still uneasy something he hadn't been able to hide from Scout and Echo, but fortunately—or maybe unfortunately—his family was not so perceptive.

Jacky didn't have a clue in the world something was wrong with him or that he was hiding something. Then again, he could have walked in gushing energon and at this moment Wheeljack probably wouldn't have been the wiser. So maybe he wasn't the best judge at the moment.

Bee wasn't sure if he was glad or upset about that fact.

He wasn't making much effort to change the facts though. Just sitting there, watching Wheeljack mutter and gripe to himself. The tri colored mech knew he and his hounds were here but other than a short greeting when Bee came bearing breakfast that was about it. Jacky knew Bee would entertain himself of he would leave.

He didn't know Bee was staying because, one he hadn't been allowed in the meeting this morning, and two he was trying to muster up enough courage to talk.

Finally, with a deep breath Bee cast those impossibly blue optics over to the tri colored mech and spoke up. "Hey, uh, Jacky?"

At first there was no reaction. The inventor was too busy scribbling over sheets of paper and staring at the datapad. Only when Scout gave a loud bark at his alpha being ignored did Wheeljack twitch and glance up.

Bumblebee could see the moment in which that brilliantly cluttered mind remembered that he was there as a smile curled up that frustrated faceplate. "Bee, hey mechling. What's the matter?"

Bee opened his mouth, but nothing came out.

His doorwings tensed behind him and it took every ounce of what little control over the appendages he had to keep them from pinning down behind him. The winglets were less responsive and plastered to his back, but luckily they were easier to hide from the place he was sitting.

Wheeljack's busy mind didn't seem to catch the flash of frantic emotions roll through him. The clenching of his spark as the great since of wrong swept in from somewhere deep inside him and turned his tongue to lead.

"No."

He almost fell off the table in shock at the inner voice. Just managing to catch himself before the outward reaction to the emotion could happen. He managed it just in time, shoving it down. Ignoring once again the curious flicker from Scout and Echo. Their black frames peaking out from under the table to get a look at him.

He refused to look down at them. Instead let half his focus on trying to figure out what the slag just happened and the other in coming up with something to supply Wheeljack with. The brightest in his optics was starting to focus fully on the youngling the longer he was quiet and if he did that he might notice.

Bee leapt on the first idea that came to his processor.

"What are you translating?"

"Oh." Wheeljack turned back to look at the stuff he had scattered all over the table and Jacky might not be the best at reading what others were trying to hide, but Bee was. His optics narrowed even if half his processor was trying to figure out the voice. Then Jacky went on. "It's, umm, nothing. Just something Jazz was trying to figure out. Nothing important or anything like that. Nothing for you to be worried about."

And that, right there, is why Wheeljack would never be in the intelligence department.

Optic ridges lifting high on his forehead Bee tilted his head at the inventor who was now trying to busy himself with shifting around charts and such as he scrambled to come up with something to say.

Bee narrowed his optics a bit more. "This wouldn't have anything to do with the meeting I can't go to would it?"

An airy laugh and Bee knew all he needed to know. Even as the mech denied it. "No, no. I mean, at least I don't think so. I'm mean I'm not there obviously so, umm, well . . . ."

Bee gave a huff. Doorwings and winglets twitching behind him. His response was interrupted thought when his comm rang. Ironhide's deep internal voice rolling through his processor as he accepted the frequency.

"Bumblebee,"

"Hey, Hide." He answered. "Meeting I can't go to over?"

And maybe there was a little bit of a bite in that, now that he knew for sure something was being hidden from him. Again.

Ironhide normally would have chuckled despite that that might be the truth. Amused by Bee's instance of Hide not doing what instinctively came to him the moment he accepted the foundling as his own sparkling and into his spark.

Only this time there was no amusement to dismiss his righteous temper. Only a long pause before Hide's tone went down a notch as he answered.

"Yes, Bee, we're done. We're are you? I thought you had sniper practice with Blue this joor."

"Blue's doing something for Prowl so I took Wheeljack breakfast. Hadn't seen him out and about so I figured it was time to make sure somebot was feeding him. I'm down here with him."

There, let's see how that went over. He was down here with the very thing he was apparently supposed to not know about yet.

Another pause.

Then a low rumble.

Yep. He was right.

"With Jack. You're with Jack." Bee could almost feel Ironhide oil pressure rising. "What is he doing?"

"Something he won't tell me." He shot back, not wanting Hide to take out whatever this was on Wheeljack. He was the one that came down here and it obviously wasn't his choice not to tell Bee what was going on. "Does this mean I can know what's going on now?"

Ironhide sighed. "Come on up to the office, Bee."

"See ya in a klick." He chirped happily.

Maybe this time he'd actually get somewhere. Maybe this time they'd actually tell him something!

Hopping off the table he latched onto Wheeljack with a hug, startling the mech slightly before he was hugged in return and then gave him a later before he headed up stairs with Scout and Echo padding along behind him as they always were.

"What that about?" Echo asked as they headed for the stairwell.

"We're gonna go find out what's going on with the others. What they don't want to tell me this time." Bee answered, pushing open the heavy door and letting them go in before him then letting it shut. Taking the steps two at a time as they bounded along on each side of him.

"Not that." Scout shook his head hard as they rounded a railing and headed up another flight. "Other."

"Other?" Bee echoed.

"Yeah." The mechling could hear Scout's optic roll. "The thing that upset you. Almost like heard something."

Bee froze at the doorway they had reached. Whole frame locking up at the thoughts caught up with him and he recalled what he'd momentarily let himself get distracted from.

Oh yeah. He thought to himself. That.

"I don't know." He admitted. "I thought I heard something, but then again it couldn't have been."

"What was?"

"A voice. It told me no. I felt like I've heard it somewhere before though."

"Heard before?" Echo tilted her head, staring up at him from her not so much smaller height. Long audios nearly topping his shoulder as those bottomless black optics stared up at him. He could only shrug in return to her though.

He didn't know.

Something was nagging now that he thought about. Something he should be able to place, but he wasn't sure.

Then it hit him.

"Star." His optics widened as it klick. That had been Star's voice, but . . . normally . . . . Well, no. No he couldn't say normally he only heard Star in his recharge anymore could he?

It was almost like the voice in his mind was getting braver, or louder, but . . . how . . . how did it literally make him stop?

A shiver ran though him. His arms rising to circle around himself before he even realized he was doing. Fear tightening around his spark as the thoughts sank in.

What the frag was happening to him!?

A low whine worked its way up through both Echo and Scout. The sound shared between them as they both leaned forward to press their head and muzzles into him. Rubbing and nuzzling. Licking at his clenched fingers to try and calm him.

He knew they were trying, and he loved them dearly for it, but at that moment they weren't much help.

"He's not gonna like this." Jazz muttered softly, optics dim behind his visor, circling the few left in the room. "You know that."

"Of course I know that." Ironhide snapped, but did not stop in his pacing. "Would you rather take him out there in the desert, again, to who the frag knows what!? His plating is barley thick enough to be called armor! He's a youngling I'm not draggin' him out into slag I don't have to."

Ironhide's spark clenched painfully in his chest. I will not watch him die.

He didn't have to be in this. He could stay here on the ship. Safe with Mia, and Prowl, and Roddy, and Magnus and all the rest of them. He would be safe here, not wondering around the desert with them looking for what none of them even knew what was.

Chromia agreed with him and in the end it was their decision what Bumblebee did and didn't do. Optimus was Prime but Hide and Mia were his creators by claimed right. They had the say in the end and no matter that it might make the little mech hate him for a little while he would eventually get over it.

Besides, if he hated him while he was gone at least he'd be alive to do the hating. That was better than dying out there in the sand because Ironhide hadn't been there.

His spark gave another hard roll as he turned another lap in his back and forth pacing. Almost a mocking tone to his source of life's inner turmoil. Because he hadn't been there. Just a few decacycles ago he hadn't been there and he'd nearly lost Bee and Mia both because of it.

He knew he of all bots—a walking storyboard of scars—should not keep letting his now one good optic keep fall back down to that thin line running down the side of his mechling neck. That scar that would forever stain that once perfectly innocent protoform as a reminder to Ironhide of the moment his lack of presence almost cost him another son.

No. He hissed to himself. No.

It would not happen.

He would not allow it.

Bumblebee was staying here with his carrier and the rest of the army were he would be safe. All the rest of it would fall as it may, but that he could make sure happened. Because he wasn't completely sure what it was that demanded so fiercely inside him that this time he hold his ground and not give into those puppy dog optics, but it did. This sickening twist of dread inside him at the very notion of taking Bee out there with them.

It made him want to purge up his very spark.

"Ironhide is right." Prowl said quietly standing beside Jazz leaning against the table. "Besides, logically, it wouldn't make any sense. Missions were every variable is accounted for our dangerous enough with the possibility for literal spontaneous combustion at every turn, but this one is by the very least ten times worse. We don't have the slightest idea what we're walking into or what it will hold when you get there. Besides the fact that he is a youngling and he's not old enough or strong enough yet there is the fact that he has not passed his field training."

"He hasn't passed because you're purposely failing him." Ratchet grumbled at him from where he stood next to Prime with his arms crossed tightly over his chest.

He wasn't arguing the intelligence of Bumblebee staying here. No, he fully agreed that the mechling was far safer here then he was running around the desert chasing shadows and ghosts with them, but that didn't mean he agreed with the method. At least not all of them.

Prowl's wings hiked up behind him, cold blue gaze narrowing as it locked onto Ratchet's brighter ones.

"I didn't see you arguing the fact while it was happening and keeping him off the lines."

Ratchet's optics narrowed right back at him. A low growl working up through the CMO's thick chest. "I never said I wanted him to pass, I just don't like that we've been lying to him to accomplish that. We should just tell him no."

"Yes," Optimus sighed, leaning heavily on the table behind him. "Because Bumblebee has always listened so well all the times we've told him no."

Jazz gave a low bitter chuckle at that. "Yeah . . . no. Gotta admit Boss Bot is right with that one. Bee don't like orders none."

"Which needs to be fixed." Prowl grumbled.

"You can't fix the way he is." Ratchet bit over at the smaller mech. "He is the way he is."

"Maybe you should remember that." Prowl's wings hiked up a little higher behind him. "You don't think he's got some kind of clue as to all the checkups and scans and slag you and Arcee have been doing lately?"

Ratchet growled at him. Engine pitching a snarl, top lip curling up in a sneer as Prowl's wings hiked up higher only for Optimus to shove himself to his feet with a rumble.

"Enough." Pushing himself to his towering height he glared down at the pair of them. "Look at yourselves. What are you fighting over?"

The mechs quieted then under the Prime's bright gaze.

"You are both afraid of the same thing. We all are, but fighting about it will get us nowhere. He will stay here, and we will be back. Some orn he'll understand why."

"That's all fine and dandy." Jazz sighed quietly, drawing their gazes back to him as he stared down at his toes. "But its the orns right now and what he thinks about it that I'm worried about."

Pushing the door open with a hard shake of his whole frame Bee forced his mind and his spark quiet. Freaking out wasn't getting him anywhere and keeping secrets was just the way things were.

Arms wrapped tightly around himself as he headed for the main office he nodded to himself.

He'd be fine.

He'd been fine before with the stuff that he could do. Now would be no different. He would figure it out and he would deal with it. Because if he started telling then he'd have to tell it all and they'd . . . .

He shivered again.

Scout and Echo walked quietly at his side a reminder of all the things he didn't tell. Didn't tell because he was afraid of what they would think. What they would say.

What they would . . . do.

He wasn't normal.

He knew that.

Giving himself another hard shake Bumblebee stopped before the big flat surface of the office door. Coaxing his doorwings and winglets into a relaxed position he pushed away all the rest of it for now. The seeing things could wait, at the moment he wanted to know what they were keeping from him again.

The fact that it was sort of hypocritical of him to be so frustrated with his family keeping secrets when he himself kept so many was not lost on the little mechling, but honestly he didn't really care. It was different. He didn't know for sure why, but it was.

Taking a deep breath to straighten his back he keyed open the door and walked into the office with as bright of a smile as he could muster.

"Hey bots!" He grinned skipping in with Scout and Echo prowling in like black shadows beside him. "Whatcha doin?"

Ironhide turned to face him from over on the left, Ratchet beside him, as Jazz and Prowl leaned against the table, and Optimus stood between them all. Different shades of blue turning to face him as he slipped to a stop grinning up at the lot of them. He'd kind of figured more would be here. At least Mia, but the femmes were not. Not even Magnus and Roddy.

Something sank in his chest that he didn't even know fully what to make of. He wasn't sure how he knew but he knew he was about to be told something he wouldn't like.

His doorwings twitched as his winglets tightened down.

"Bee," Hide's deep voice rumbled as he turned fully. Bumblebee grinned, trying to keep it up, as he linked his arms lazily behind his back in an effort to hide the tightening winglets. Hide might not notice, but Prowl would. Prowl could read his doorwings when even he didn't know what they were trying to say.

Tilting his head he let his antennas flicker back and forth in their grooves.

"So what's going on now that I'm not suppose to know about?"

Optimus stiffened.

Bee just lifted an optic ridge at him.

Ironhide grumbled. "He was with Wheeljack."

The Prime let out a sudden hard sigh, Ratchet looked away, Prowl's doorwings tightened, and Jazz grumbled.

"Jacky,"

"Oh don't get snippy." Bee huffed at him with a playful twist. "He didn't say anything. He's just horrible at direction questions he doesn't know how to answer. So, what is going on? Are we going somewhere?"

He couldn't help the bright flare of excitement that shot though him then. Baby blue optics lightening up as he glanced around at all of them.

Ironhide's dark optics dimmed slightly as he watched the excitement bubble up in those bright optics shining back at him. His spark gave a painful sink in his chest. Optics running over that little yellow frame. He didn't even reach Hide's thick chest yet. Smaller still then even Jazz, even Mia. Plating light and still soft in places. Hardly anything on him said he was ready for the insignia Sunstreaker had carved into his plating for him. Despite what Hide or Mia said.

He wasn't old enough for the mark of a soldier.

He was too young for the memories that drove him to curl into a whimpering ball against his sire's and carrier's plating. He was too young for the nightmares that haunted him in the middle of the night. And he was certainly too young to see what they more likely than not were going to find on this mission. That had already been decided. Even if all of them except Prowl were going.

Bee was staying here.

No matter how much that was going to upset him.

"We're not going anywhere, mechling." Ironhide told him gruffly, hardening himself as slowly the words sank in and those flickering antennas stilled. Slowly falling back into their grooves in confusion as his head tilted to the side.

The sight killed the massive mech inside, but he wouldn't let it show.

"Huh?"

"You are not coming on this mission, Bumblebee." The little yellow mech's optics shot to the powerful Prime as they glittered with confusion. Tilting his head up to stare up into the towering mech's faceplate as Optimus hardened his own resolve.

It was never easy crushing that brightness. No matter if it was for his own good. He never understood that.

"What?" Doorwings sagging behind him the little yellow mech took half a step back. Gaze suddenly darting around them all. "What do you mean?"

"Bumblebee," Optimus tired, but those bright optics narrowed up at him.

"Where are you going? I wanna help. I can help!"

"Lil' Bee," Jazz stepped forward slightly reaching out to the little mech, but Bee twisted from him. Pinning Jazz in a hard look.

"I can help! I can. Tell 'em, Jazz. You know I can. You say I can!"

The silver saboteur looked over the bright little youngling that now reached just under his chest in height. He had grown quite a lot since the orns where he still fit in their palms, but he was still small. He always would be.

Jazz had been teaching him everything he knew along with the rest of them to combat the fact that he was never going to be big or strong enough to take a direct plasma blast or go toe to toe with most of the Cons out there that would give anything to have the bragging right of being the one to snuff out the Autobots' precious little youngling.

So the mechs had no choice.

They had been giving him everything they could possible give him to help keep the bubbling little ball of curiosity and cleverness from getting himself offlined.

However, that hadn't changed the fact that he had a certain knack for getting his foolish little aft in trouble.

"Bee," Jazz said quietly his visor dulling as he spoke. "It's better if you just sit this one out."

By the time the silver mech was done talking he was studying the ground before him. Feeling like a coward and a liar and hating himself for it, but he was doing what he thought was right. What he also knew he had to do. Because he couldn't . . . he just couldn't watch the little mech die. Finding him pinned there in that crashed disaster covered in energon he swore his spark had stopped. No matter that he'd been panicking so bad he hadn't been able to see straight.

He . . . he couldn't find his little mech . . . his little brother like that ever again. He couldn't think he was dead again.

He couldn't.

He wasn't strong enough.

He didn't need to look up to see how the little yellow mech in front him deflated. He could feel it in his spark and it took everything in him to keep from springing forward and saying that it was okay and that he could come. Just to make stop that sick pulse his energy field picked up before that warm, bubbly, happy field was yanked away but not before the tainted feeling of bitterness, confusion, and anger was picked up by the silver mech's quick perception.

He wanted to take it all back. He wanted to catch hold of him and nuzzle him and say that it was okay.

He couldn't though.

Because they were too scared of losing him to let him go.

After what happened when the ship crashed . . . no. No, they couldn't.

Even if he'd hated them for it.

He was sitting this one out. Jazz would just find a way to make it up to him when they got back. At least he had the advantage of Bee being truly unable to stay angry for very long. It just wasn't in his nature.

Maybe that made him even worse of a scrap rat for knowing he could use that against the little mech and doing it but honestly he didn't know what else to do.

The sad dip and an unhappy acceptance wasn't what the silver saboteur and the other mechs got though.

No, they got something very different.

"Fine." The quiet hiss—an actual hiss, Jazz didn't know his little brother could make that noise—was his response. Yanking his visor covered gaze back up to find that bright frame drawing in on itself. Doorwings low and tight behind him, winglets plastered down to his back strut, plating yanked so tightly to protoform it creaked as he shifted.

And then he was spinning around. Two dark hounds growling high pitches of static as they went after his stiff walk for the door.

Jazz was pretty sure his spark actually hit his toes.

"Lil' Bee!" Jazz called after him tripping over himself after him with a plead in his voice for the little mech to understand that it wasn't because they didn't think he couldn't do it. It was because they all loved him too much to lose him.

"Go and do whatever you gotta do. I don't care." Bee hissed over his shoulder as he walked to the door his doorwings suddenly flaring up in an action that shocked Jazz to a stop as they hiked up and locked in a painful looking 'v' and his antennas pinned down tightly to his head. "I'll just fraggin' sit here and wait. Like always. Because you don't trust me enough to do anything else!"

"Bumblebee!" Ironhide growled starting after him only to have Scout spin around and snap long, jagged fangs at him, skidding Hide to a stop out of pure shock as the huge hound snarled. Lips curled back over long, jagged, rows of silver teeth. Plating flared out in a bristle to make him even bigger, his tail high over his back lashing angrily back and forth.

The youngling ignored his sire and the hound more than ready to take a chuck out of him as the little mech was halfway out the door.

"Don't you fraggin' ignore me, get back here!" Ironhide snapped, glaring down at the hound as his cannons cycled despite himself.

"Bye, Hide." The little mech said quietly as the door started sliding close behind him and Scout spun in a bound, just making it out of the room as the door slammed shut, then Bumblebee was gone.

Of all the places on this overcrowded ship there wasn't actually that many places to hide. Not when by now the whole army had heard what happened.

Bumblebee had no doubt about that.

He'd turned off his comm, blocked his spark, and refused to show himself for over three joor. He didn't care if it made him a sulking sparkling. He was pissed and this time he wasn't going to swallow it down and hide it.

It . . . hurt too much.

So he went to the one bot around here that would openly defy Optimus Prime and Ironhide and was big enough to get away with it. Not only would he do that though, he would also have absolutely no problem with it. And also had enough of a track record of not coming when called that it might take a while for Bee's adopted sire, carrier, and his other might as well be set figured out that there was where he was.

That, and there were no cameras in this old hanger at the bottom of the ship where the Dinobots had been stuck so it would be harder for Red Alert to find him too.

So here he was.

Sitting in the big middle of the huge mesh pad the King of Dinobots was using as a berth on the floor of an old, cold, dank hanger at the bottom of Victory with Scout and Echo's muzzles resting on his knees as he tried very hard not to cry.

He'd been crying when he stumbled into the Dinobots hanger. Half blind as he swiped at coolant, frustrated that his frames response to such powerful anger was tears. And hadn't that been an experience?

Stumbling through that massive door across the way with two whining hounds half leading half pushing him. Somehow knowing—maybe he had told him, he wasn't sure now—that the Dinobots hanger was where they needed to be. Fumbling through pinging the key lock and falling through the massive door in tears had created quite the fuss between the massive mechs and femme.

He wasn't actually sure if he had fallen down before Scorn's huge hand was around him, picking him up in the safety of her enormous claws. Laying him out in her palm and bringing him safely to her chest like no bot around here beside the beast bots had been able to do in a very long time.

Bee hadn't realized he'd missed being able to fully hide away in a bot's hands and chest until he was given the chance to again. Crying and hissing, both angry and upset all rolled into one powerful emotion that he had him locking out his comms and his spark out of pure self-preservation. They couldn't know he was feeling like this.

They didn't know he was capable of feeling like this.

Maybe that was the problem.

Right now he didn't care though. He hadn't a few joor ago either.

Content to cry into Scorn's thick armor as the massive femme placed herself slowly to the floor. Rumbling, and purring as she nuzzled her huge faceplate against his back and allowing him to hide. Allowing his hounds to scale her plating and end up in a weird hanging hold against her arm just trying to get close to their alpha.

Swoop and Sludge had been distraught, Bee was guilty about it now. Remembering how the biggest and the smallest of the mechs had been turning nervous frantic circles trying to figure out what was wrong with the little mech. Snarl and Slag had been as prickly and loud as ever. Demanding they go smash whatever it was that had sent what they considered their littlest brother in tears to them.

But Scorn and Grimlock had some sense about it. The King of the Dinobots just silencing his frantic and furious younger brothers with a low growl before placing himself down on the mats next to Scorn and quietly attending to the quivering mechling.

Scorn had been the one to question after a little while after Grimlock had helped the hounds into a more secure spot at Scorn's elbow. The femme's deep, rumbling voice asking if he wanted his creators.

It was at that that Bee had been forced to get a grip over his rapidly slipping emotions and explain to the beast bots what happened. He felt even more like a stupid sparkling as he had explained it, but the reactions the massive bots gave him made him feel better.

Scorn and Grimlock didn't seem to think he'd down anything wrong. If anything all six of them wanted to go and give Optimus and Ironhide a piece of their processor—or fists—but Scorn saw reason in just letting the Autobots fret over searching the ship for him. Seeming to know that the Dinobots hanger would be one of the last places they would look.

Instead they let the little mechling cling as long as he saw fit before eventually Scorn sat him down at his wish. Letting his two hounds curl around him as he sat there on Grimlock's mesh mat calming down.

That had been about a joor ago and Bumblebee was still here. Contently here. Watching Snarl and Slag spar. The two burly mechs clashing over and over again. Locking claws, hands, arms, shoulders, frames. Clashing over and over again in thunder loud collisions.

He was pretty sure they were taking out their frustrations on each other instead of going to take a piece of Optimus and Ironhide. For which he was thankful. He was mad, yes, but that didn't mean he wanted his family trying to kill each other.

Swoop was doing what he'd been doing for a good many orns. Enjoying his wings. Wheeljack and Ratchet had finally got him back in the air. His wings were still a little weak, but they were getting better and flying would help would that.

He couldn't go outside to fly, but the hanger was big enough to give him enough room to sail back and forth as he wanted. Playing with Sludge who was transformed to beast mode as well. Long neck reaching high letting Swoop twist and spin around him. His towering legs and his long swinging tail as well making a course for Swoop to test himself around.

It was fun watching the flier playing with his brother just as it was fascinating to see their more warrior siblings testing each other.

Scorn was still near him. Her colossal frame laid out on Grimlock's mat behind him. Her long legs laid out on each side of him in protective walls as her upper frame was perched against the wall. She was messing with something on a datapad that even if it had been made special for them all by Wheeljack still looked comical small in her long claws. No matter that it was half as big as he was.

Grimlock sat beside her, his dark visor shining down at Bee every now and again but for the most part leaving Bee alone to his thoughts. He seemed to think that when the little mech wanted to speak he would.

The King was right.

Bee had come here to hide knowing it would be one of the last places they would look for him, but also because he knew that while the Dinobots were unique in their special brand of caring after they made sure he was okay they would leave him to his own mind. Knowing if he wanted to play he would but if he wanted to sit quietly he could do that as well. It was fine by them.

He loved them all for that.

Stroking absently at Scout's scared audio and down Echo's sleek side he suddenly twisted just enough to stare up into Grimlock's and Scorn's visors.

"Grimy?" He asked, the nickname he had given the massive mech what felt like so long ago still a privilege he had to use. Him and no bot else. It made his spark happy.

Those deep red optics focused down at him through the curve of red glass as the massive mech hummed letting him know that he had been heard.

"Do you think I'm a weak link?"

Slag tossed Snarl into a wall but his victorious laughter was cut off by the other mech shoving himself up and bull rushing him. Sending them both crashing back to the floor in a ball of growling laughter.

Swoop was doing figure eights around Sludge's enormous neck as the elder brother chuckled at him. Walking slowly around the other end of the hanger. His huge steps shaking and resonating like thunder.

Scorn lowered her datapad as the pair turned their full attention down to him while Grimlock seemed to consider for a moment before he rumbled.

"You Itty Bitty only as weak as you Itty Bitty believe you is."

Bumblebee stared in response to that, confusion glittering in his optics. Grimlock went on.

"Him Optimus Prime is fool. Treat you Itty Bitty like you is made of crystal. Something breakable that must be sheltered. Him Prime forget how strong crystal can be all on its own. How it crystal can weather what the towering mountain can. Just because smaller and made different does not make it crystal weak. Crystal strong in different ways. Ways that must be appreciated and never underestimated."

Bee's angry and chilly spark warmed at the words as he stared up at the mech. Watching as those deep red optics shown down at him. The King had his battle mask clicked back just as Scorn did and Bee could see him and the femme smile.

"You Itty Bitty capable of whatever you Itty Bitty wants." Scorn told him firmly, blue optics glittering. "Doesn't mean us Dinobots won't protect you when us Dinobots can, but us know you Itty Bitty can do whatever sets mind to. Him Optimus Prime and him Ironhide forget that sometimes, but only happens because them bots love Itty Bitty. You Itty Bitty need to remember this."

Bee's gaze feel a little but it was only in thought. His wings twitching with thought. Echo purred against his leg drawing his bright orbs down to her and even though it shouldn't have been possible the femme hound grinned up at him. Scout butted him in the side with his big fat head.

Bee pinched his scared audio in retaliation to the action that nearly knocked him over, but he was laughing all the same.

With another slow nod Bumblebee pushed himself upright. The hounds bounding to their paws after him only to pause when he made his way over to the bigger bots. Neither massive frames so much as twitched as Bee hauled himself up Grimlock's sharp armor until he was perched more or less hanging from the King's jagged shoulder.

"Thanks Grimy." He grinned, then looked over his shoulder at Scorn and said the same.

"Itty Bitty welcome." Scorn purred at him.

"You Itty Bitty know us Dinobots only here because of you Itty Bitty in the first place. Want to be with us Dinobots come be with us Dinobots. Us not let others bother. Me Grimlock have to punch him Prime me Grimlock perfectly alright with that."

Bee chuckled at him, leaning his cheek against the huge shoulder in his effort to hold himself up as he slowly shook his head back and forth.

"Thanks, but maybe punching Optimus isn't the answer."

"Worth shot." Grimlock told him firmly sending Bumblebee into a fit of giggles. Even more so when Scout pulsed his agreement up from the floor and Echo purred her amusement.

"Hey Itty Bitty," Scorn's voice made him twist in his hold on the huge King to look back at her as she went on. "Because him Grimlock been ignoring Wheeljack's calls for last breem him is calling me now. Wants to know if us Dinobots know where you Itty Bitty is. What you Itty Bitty want me to tell him?"

"Ignore." Grimlock grumbled.

"Him Wheeljack know me Scorn not do that. Know something up if do."

Grimlock huffed unhappily, but said no more.

Bee hung there for a moment longer thinking it over knowing deep down that hiding down here in the hanger wasn't going to solve anything. Nothing at all.

Hide would come looking for him sooner or later.

Besides, his spark was starting to hurt form shutting all the prodding and calling out for so long. So with a sigh he slid back down Grimlock's frame to land lightly on the floor.

"Nah, Scorn." He told her lightly. Making sure his doorwings and winglets were not showing too much of the unease and hesitation that was inside him. "It's okay."

"You Itty Bitty sure?" The huge femme asked him carefully. Obviously not buying what he was trying to sell as much as he would have liked.

"Itty Bitty can stay if you Itty Bitty wants to." Grimlock told him. "Me Grimlock like to see him Optimus Prime get where me don't what him."

Bumblebee couldn't help but grin a little up at the colossal mech for that, and he sent him a warm pulse for it, but Bee knew the only way to get his family to not treat him like a sparkling was to not allow himself to act like one.

So he sucked it up and shook his head at him. "It's okay, Grimy. I'm better now. I'll go talk to them. It will be okay."

The pair stared at him for a klick or two longer before they nodded. Though not before Grimlock reminded him.

"Him Prime make you Itty Bitty cry again just tell. Me Grimlock remind him why that not smart idea."

Bee smiled again, nodding before calling his hounds and heading off to go face the music.

Oh how I do love Grimlock and Scorn. They're so much fun to write and they love Bee so much.

I hope you guys like it. :) Can't wait to see what you thought.

Because we're about to start going places. See you next time.

-Jaycee