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

I got a chapter done! *dances*

Hope you guys are still out there and are ready for more. If any of you don't read WOWL or aren't on the blog then you might not have known, but I am officially off of hiatus and am back!

I am so very sorry I was gone so long on all of you. It wasn't what I planned when I took a break, but you guys know how life works. I want to take a minute to thank those of you who were supportive and patient in your reviews while I was gone. A few comments that got posted while I was on hiatus kinda made me not want to even bother with coming back to GG, but it was those of you who stayed your amazing selves that I love so much that made me want to get this one going again too. So thank you. I really do love you, and this chapter is for you. I'm sure you all know who you are. Have hugs because you are awesome.

So buckle up because we're back on the ride. Enjoy!

Chapter 12

Saying he didn't understand would not do what was happening in front of him justice, but considering Bumblebee spent a great deal of his life lately completely confused he figured that this couldn't be the most radical thing that has happened in the last decacycles.

Megatron blowing up his home, killing half his family, him seeing ghosts, the imaginary cat that lived inside his head getting a somewhat real body and talking to him outside his dreams now. All that seemed like stuff that would top this, right?

Somehow hearing the word nephew fall from the lips of these two massive mechs fell a little bit short. That however, did not mean he could do more than gape up at them like a mercury deprived fish as with a low rumbling grow Wardrums spun on Dustoff. Powerful claws flexing as flight engines turned over in hardly suppressed anger.

Dustoff didn't seem the slightest bit impressed.

If anything, the snarling fit the shuttle had worked himself into just seemed to annoy the helicopter.

"Oh stop your snarling." Dustoff huffed at him. "How long do you suppose it would have taken him to guess what that link between us is? He is a youngling, Wardrums, not a fool. You would do well not to treat him as such. Besides, getting him to trust us is going to take more than just walking up behind him."

"I don't want him to trust me." Wardrums spit back at his mate making Bee flinch against the wall despite himself. "I don't want anything to do with him. He's not suppose to be here."

"Well he is," Dust turned that lighter shade of red to the darker as they narrowed into slits. "And you should work with what you have. We both knew all along what it would come to. Don't play as if it was ever any different."

"He's not meant to be here!"

"Your fears do not make that true. No matter how much you would like them too."

The words drew the massive shuttle up short, and from his seeming very insignificant place near their feet—honestly, he hadn't felt this tiny in vorns—he watched the massive black and gold mech pull himself back. Watched those fire red optics glitter in suppressed rage. Watched his claws flex at his sides while his engines pitched a sound that vibrated the very air around them all.

Then, Bumblebee watched him turn. Watched him bare dangerous fangs just once before with a twirl a frame that large should in no way be capable of he spun away and stalked off back into the darkness. The shadows at the back of the huge cavern swallowing up the sight of him before they did the sound, but in a manner of nanos that was gone as well. And Bee was left standing in the glittering soft light of a thousand crystals staring into the darkness after him. Trying to figure out why some piece of him felt slightly broken now.

A heavy sigh tore his optics away. Bright, baby blue orbs snapping up to find the huge tan helicopter lower his head with a slight shake.

"Six million vorns and you'd think he'd learn storming off in a fit will solve absolutely nothing." Dustoff muttered lowly to himself. "Apparently, I am mated to a great fool though. Probably the largest left in this universe. Damn, what the slag does that say about me?"

Those pale red optics lifted again then. Just when Bee was starting to think he had been forgotten and had taken to the slight notion that slipping away back into the shadows might be a smart choice he found himself pinned where he stood by a knowing kind of stare.

He remembered that gaze.

Not much of it though, if he was being honest with himself. He remembered looking up into Outrider's optics even after watching Hide slip out of sight behind them. He remembered the heat of a place he didn't want to be in. He remembered wanting to go home.

He remembered meeting Flare Up.

He remembered glowing red optics, a kind smile, and a feeling in his spark like he'd never known. He remembered explosions and then . . . well nothing else. He'd always been told they went home.

That the Rings came down and they had won.

He'd never been told about two massive mechs with burning red optics and sparks that felt eerily familiar.

He'd never been told about . . . nephew.

For some reason that . . . that really hurt.

Those pale red optics gazed down at him. Holding something he wasn't sure what to make of. Calculating like Prowl's. Wise like Optimus'. Wary like Ratchet's could get.

"Do you really remember me, mechling?" That deep voice was pitched into a tired but interested baritone. The sound of it vibrating around Bee's spark. His spark that pulsed I know this all around in a dancing swirl he wasn't sure how to make sense of at the moment.

"I . . . ." Taking a deep breath Bee nodded slowly. "I remember some of the Rings. Of a big mech Rider and Smokey took me too. I remember your name. I remember you being nice to me. I remember . . . your spark."

"Well," For a moment surprise flickered over that faceplate in a show a lifted brow and a light in his optics before a slight smile lifted his lips and slowly the mech took a few steps forward. "That makes my life considerably simpler now. That is honestly more then I hoped for. I imagine you have quite a few questions for me though. Don't you?"

"Nephew." He stumbled over the word like he hadn't since he was still in second frame. "You said nephew?"

"Yes." The 'copter mech couldn't help but chuckle as the closed the space between them before going down on one knee. It still left him looming over the small mech, but at least this way he could get a better look at that adorable faceplate and gleaming blue optics.

Dust forced back the swell of emotions that hit him when he watched that young face scrunch up in confusion.

Primus, little one, how you look just like her.

He forgave War a little more just then. For if this stung him, he knew all too well what it was doing to his beloved mate.

"Yes, I did."

"W-w-what?" Oh great, now he was stuttering. Lovely. Shaking his head hard, Bee tightened his jaw, lifted his chin, flared his doorwings, and made himself speak. "What are you talking about?"

For a moment Dustoff just stared down at him. Amused slightly, by the look of him and having to force his roter blades from responding to the show the little one put on with those wings of his.

Primus. Was no one teaching this mechling wing language? He was as readable as an open book.

Keeping the emotions from his faceplate as well as his field Dust answered. "I was under the impression I was speaking the current basic Cybertron dialect. Have they neglected to teach you even that?"

The tiny thing bristled and it took vorns upon vorns of knowing how to carefully concealing his emotions to keep Dustoff from falling over laughing. The question was a valid one though. He knew better then to have thought the Autobots would have told the young mech about himself or War.

Oh no, it was far better that they had not, but here before him stood the very thing they had all been attempting to avoid by doing just that. Here before him stood the sparkling that should not exist in the last place on this planet he should be.

Wardrums had a right to his anger, as did Dust to the swell of emotion inside himself. The difference was Dust was not going to let it control him. Oh no. He was going to find out the reason behind this and then he was going to remind some obviously foolish mechs what the price was for disobeying mechs older then the dirt they were standing on.

This was not a game, and if they were for any reason under the impression that it was . . . well, maybe the Guild was about to have to simply make itself okay with the little mech switching hands. Dust did not suffer fools.

He was too damn old for that.

"Watch it, mech." Those bright blue optics narrowed into thin slits. A fight brewing to life in that small frame but wary was there as well.

Well, at least he was smart enough to realize this was not a fight he should pick.

Dustoff decided there was no further need for pushing him.

"The word is a simple one, young one." Dust told him quietly. "Its meaning rather clear. It means you are related to us. A sparkling bound to us by energon and energy. In this case, by the spark of War's sister. Your carrier, Mercy. Though I don't suppose they ever told you any of that did they?"

And for the second time in far too soon the ground fell out from under Bumblebee's feet. Figuratively this time, granted, but the hit at the bottom hurt all the same.

He wasn't sure how they went from giant old mech inverting his perception of his life to him being pluck up, sat down on a hunk of rock, and then promptly being repaired but they did. And Bumblebee couldn't even find it in himself to protest.

Memory triggered in him that this old mech was a medic.

Seemingly a very good one at that and judging how in a manner of nanos he was repairing all the slag he'd broken in the fall and in all his stumbling around down here. Bracing and patching with simple flicks of his claws with things he pulled from his subspace. Through it all—after Dustoff let out a low curse when he realized Bee had been hurt—they had been silent.

Not normally something the little yellow youngling was all that good at being, but even he could manage it every now and again. Especially when he was staring blankly down at his lap trying to figure out the puzzle in his spark and in his processor.

"I expected you to start shouting about how I had to be lying and that you didn't believe me." When the huge medic finally spoke it nearly knocked Bee off his seat. Only Dust's sure hand—because it only took one for the mech to have hold of him completely—stopping his spectacular fall on his aft. Then those baby blue optics shot upward.

Wide, confused, and with no little bit of pain.

The sight of it made the old 'copter force back a sigh. His emotions and his thoughts were not what was relevant here. Not now. He'd gotten his shock factor. He'd crossed the gap laid out by time and distance, but they weren't near done yet.

No.

Having Mercy's son before him again wasn't something the old mech had let himself think too much on over the vorns.

Oh make no mistake about it, he'd known it would happen sooner or later. The Guild, Deathtoll, this damn war, it all added up to the fact that sooner or later they would find their paths crossed with the little life Mercy had died to protect again. A piece of him wanted to, selfish as it was.

He had wanted to know this little ball of life long before he'd been dumped in his hand again by returning hunters not long ago. He'd wanted to know him since he delivered a bundle of protoform and a week spark that was barely breathing.

He'd wanted to know him since over the sounds of the little thing's carrier's tears he had fought a spark too young to keep it in this world. For reasons at the time he couldn't fathom but now as he stood here with patches sealing in place along a young bright frame he found he didn't wonder so much anymore.

Bumblebee tilted his head back to stare into those pale red optics. Trying to decide the meaning within them but finding he couldn't. This old mech was hard to read and though he knew if he pushed out a little bit his spark would likely tell him the truth he was afraid too.

"Is this something bots usually lie about?" He softly wondered. Because it was possible. It was possible that he might be being a fool, but he didn't really think so.

Dust snorted quietly with a shake of his head. "Little one, I have felt that spark before. If you wanted to know whether or not I was telling the truth all you would have to do is reach."

And yeah, that about summed it up didn't it?

"You were not so afraid of your curiosity when you were younger."

Bee shifted, uneasy under that gaze.

"I . . . I don't really know what to say."

"Well," Dustoff offered. "How about you start with a question? That is usually the best way in which to begin understanding something you do not."

"Who are you?" It was a question that meant more than the words off his tongue seemed too, but Bee could tell by the way those pale red optics flashed the much larger mech understood. He could also see it in the way he shifted his weight until he was leaning against Bee's perch beside him and no longer blocking him in.

He hadn't felt trapped under the medic's touch before, but he found he still calmed slightly when Dustoff moved his massive form to the side away from looming. Instead tilting himself to the side so Bee could pull his legs up to himself and curl.

He felt a bit like a sparkling in doing so, but he felt a little better down here in the glittering light of the crystals with his legs pulled up, his arms wrapped around them, and his chin resting on them.

"I have told you my name, but you wish for more than that yes?"

Bee watched him for a klick or two before he muttered. "You appear out of the darkness with a name and a spark I remember but haven't ever been told about. You claim you are my uncles. You claim my . . . . my . . . carrier . . . ." Damn, that word was harder to get out then he thought it would be. "My . . . birth one. That you knew her. That you knew me. But I don't know you, mech. Why?"

"Many reasons." Dustoff answered carefully, and no he had not missed the stress on birth one, thank you. Though he hadn't yet decided how he needed to feel about that. "Some of which are not mine to tell, many of which you do not really want to know, and the rest of which would likely do you more hard them good. So I will settle for this and for now you are simply going to have to take it. No matter that you might not like it. I am the medic that helped bring you into this world and also the one that lost you. I am the mech that has seen too much of life to think this answer will satisfy you, but know that for now it is all that can give you. I am a mech that cares, young one, though you might not think I have any reason too. It has been quite a long time since I have seen you and I will admit while I am shocked I am glad that I have been able to see you once again. If you used that remarkable thing in your chest you would know that."

Why did he keep stressing that?

Most times bots wanted Bee to keep his spark to himself when he wasn't sure about something. Not so much his family, no they hated it when he hid, but more times than once in his life Bee had sat through the lecture of 'if you can feel them, they can feel you'. After all, Sides and Sunny were wearing Spark Dampeners for the his second test, weren't they?

Prowl was convinced that his spark would get him in trouble and everybot else seemed to listen.

Was this one of those times?

Was he digging himself any deeper in this pit by letting himself find out if this mech was telling the truth or not?

What did I say about overthinking?

The familiar voice jarred him slightly, his gaze snapping around in search of that gold and silver little frame again, but this time it seemed Star was coming just from inside. If the way Dustoff seemed to search in confusion for what he was looking for was any clue that is.

Back again, huh? He mentally snarled, all while trying to pull himself back together and try and look like he wasn't currently having a conversation with imaginary cats that lived inside his head.

Oh, Young Spark. Star chuckled. I told you before. I have never left.

Yeah, totally reassuring.

Rolling his optics he tried to push it all away while turning his focus fully to Dustoff. Carefully at first but then with a little more confidence he reached across the cosmic energy plains before then and went to looking.

Familiar.

That was the first thing he noticed, then warmth. Wisdom. Age. Like, seriously, this mech was old.

It was a hard thing to describe but brushing around that spark he could feel layers upon layers of life. Eons of existence, many of which had been everything but easy. There was strength though. A care for life around him that reminded Bee of Ratchet so much it hurt.

There was no darkness though. None of the anger or hatred he had been afraid he might actually find swimming in that pool of life. There was truth as well. A burning honesty for all things in life.

Yeah.

Totally a medic.

Then the old spark reached back. As carefully as he had with a touch of wonder swimming under it that honestly Bee isn't quite sure what to make of and then he's being pulled in. To a warm welcome the likes of which he never would have expected, and he settled.

Almost melts really.

Sinking down as the sheer tired he had been pushing away for orns down here caught up with him. He hadn't so much as closed his optics in orns but there, perched on a rock leaning against this huge mech's side he found himself relaxing.

No longer afraid of what might step from the shadows any moment.

"I've waited a long time to see you again, little one." Dustoff told him softly. Lifting an arm to allow the little ball of yellow to curl into his side in a way he never thought he'd get to know.

Bee murmured quietly back at him. Snuggling in as he yawned.

"How did you even get down here, little one?"

"Fell in a hole." Bee admitted.

"And how long ago was that?"

"About eight orns."

"Well then, rest for now. We will figure out what to do with you awake."

That is how Wardrums returns to find them later.

Dustoff leant back in a comfortable sprawl against the crystal covered wall with a tiny ball of yellow curled tightly into the warmth of his plating. Dust was under no misconceptions that his prickly mate would come back, and if anything, it was worth the flash of surprise in those deep red optics when he did stalk from the shadows and find this before him.

However, that surprise shuts down almost as quickly as it arrived as Dust watched the larger mech stalk closer. Fire gaze locked on that little ball of yellow before he growled. "What did you tell him?"

"Little to nothing." He replied.

The dismissive snort was not surprising and Dust refused to rise to the bait. Guilt and anger will make many a mech do many a things they wouldn't do otherwise and despite there being murder in War's optics—not that that is all that much of a new concept—the old tan medic is under no false pretenses that any of that anger will come this way.

Oh no.

War might be mean and cruel when the little mech wakes up, but the full force of his mate's anger is going to be directed to the mechs more capable of not shattering under it. For the instructions, had been relatively simple. More so then most others the old Knight had given in his time.

Keep him out of this desert.

For there were too many ghosts that lay among it.

And what did those slaggin' fools do?

Bring him out in the middle of it while War and Dust are out here attempting to retrace their footsteps to keep Megatron away from something he had no business finding. There could not possibly be a worst time for the young mech to be out here among these sands. Which, probably, knowing Trickster was exactly why he was here.

However, War couldn't punch Trickster. Optimus Prime, though, he War could punch. And he was going to. Very, very hard.

"You told him nothing and yet he curls up to you like a sparkling?" War growled out, finishing his stalk forward until he is just paces in front of them. Gaze locked down on the living memory laying before him.

Dust didn't need to be linked to him through their bonds to feel the emotions flare up and then get shoved back down. However, he was just as hurt by them.

"Scared and tired younglings tend to do that when they find something they think won't hurt them. With a spark like his all he has to do is poke a bit to see I mean no harm. It didn't take much convincing."

"You told him what he was to us." War shot back. "Did you tell him all of it?"

"I told him enough to calm him down so I could look him over. He was quite beat up, he's been down here by himself for orns."

Looking away with a snarl War cycled his powerful engines. "Damn Prince. I'm gonna kill that fool."

"That might be a bit counterproductive."

"Says you."

"Yes, says me." Dust lifted an optic ridge at him. "The one of us that apparently has to keep reminding you how things have to work for all this."

"Obeying Trickster was never something you were all that fond of."

"I'll admit I fear the outcome of anything else."

War swung on him then. With enough fire burning behind his optics that Dustoff couldn't help the slight finch back. For that snarl curling his dark lips and showing off a flash of fangs was nothing to joke at.

This was the anger that War had once leveled worlds with, and sparkmate or not the old medic was not foolish enough to think that temper couldn't vent in his direction. Not after all of this.

"You know the outcome of all this!" He hollered, the sound of which startling the youngling awake with a jar of movement and a clamp down of plating. Dust made no move to stop the scramble of movement. Instead he simply lifted his arm and let the slightly disoriented little thing wobble to his feet. Bright gaze wide open and glance every direction before that ghost of a gaze settled on the huge mass of snarling mech before them.

Even perched up on a rock formation that put him at Dust's hip height he still had to tilt his head all the way back to gaze into Wardrums' optics. The fire pools of which had banked slightly when the little one came awake. His snarl fading away in favor of the weighing those dark orbs took to doing.

Sure, he'd looked at the little mech the first time. He'd looked and saw everything he'd ever failed at and in turn fled from it because . . . it hurt too much and even now he didn't see anything different.

He looked down at a too small yellow thing with impossibly blue optics and didn't see him. Instead, War saw the ghost of the one that had died to give him life. That had died because War wasn't strong enough.

He did not see Bumblebee. He saw Mercy.

And a part of him hated the mechling for it, but not as much as he hated himself.

Bumblebee though, he didn't know this. He hadn't the slightest clue in the universe that he stood in the shadow of a ghost. All he knew was the massive mech from before had come back, he was still remarkably in one piece, and that he still didn't have much of an idea what was going on around here right now.

However, he'd like to be getting on with finding that out.

There was just a little too much tense silence stretched between the three of them at the moment though for that to happen. For once, Bee didn't know how to break this silence. He didn't know how to pull up a grin and set things to right.

He felt too wrong footed to do more than stand there and stare no matter the fact that that was getting absolutely nothing done.

What did one say to this, after all?

He knew Dustoff wasn't lying. The truth of that was written in the feeling of his spark, but that didn't mean Bee understood any better. It didn't mean he knew what to do.

"Aren't you going to introduce yourself, War?" Dustoff's strong voice yanked Bee's attention to the side with a flutter of antennas and a twitch of doorwings. The complicated, scattered emotions inside of him flashing for all the world to see in the way they moved.

He missed the way the two long, strong wings draped down Wardrums' back twitched in response to those movements. He wouldn't have understood the response if he had seen it though so Dustoff figured that was for the best. War got his frame back under his tight control a few moments later so for now it all be brushed aside.

Really though, he was going to have a serious talk with whatever Autobot it was that was failing to teach this youngling basic frame language. There was openness and then there was too much. This one broadcasted himself for the world to see. It was something that would very likely get him hurt one orn and the old medic was going to do something about it if he was able.

"Are you really lecturing me about manners right now?" Was what the massive shuttle settled for. For it was neither fight or flight. Considering right now he wasn't sure which he should be doing he figured that was the best option.

For part of him wanted to turn around, leave the mechling, and never look back. Say it wasn't his problem. Say he knew what would happen and he didn't want to stick around to watch the flame burn out. Say he was done suffering ghosts.

There was another part of him though. The part deep down inside his spark, hidden in places he wanted to pretend didn't exist that wanted to reach out, take hold, and break. Out of anger or out of spite he didn't know. Blame tasted rank on the back of his tongue and though he swallowed against it, it didn't leave.

She's gone because of you. He wanted to hiss the words down at that soft, round, silver faceplate. One he remembered at a time had been yellow but that time and growing armor had shifted to a soft silver. He was still that obnoxious shade of sun though. The one that he had only ever thought fit his little sister.

To see it again, sharing those same damn optics.

He tried to keep his fist from curling against his palms but was less then successful. He at least managed to keep his weapons systems from cycling online. So hey, points for trying.

He wanted to blame. To rage, and scream, and hurt like he had been hurting for the last fifty something vorns. He wanted to change it. To go back and erase choices he had no right to change.

He'd do it too.

If it would bring his lost sister back.

She would hate him for it, but he would do it anyway.

Because what was this mechling that had no right to exist in comparison to her? What was the son of Deathtoll to this world?

He was a bastard runt.

He should have never even been sparked.

Had War had his way long ago, he would have never even been born.

He shouldn't be here!

He had no right to her optics, or her color, or her life.

No right at all.

Forcing back the bellows of rage the towering shuttle let his gaze burn down into that tiny, pathetic little scrap of plating until the mechling cowed under the heat of it. Doorwings flattening down against his back and antennas pinning into their grooves. Only when the brightness of him dulled to a level in which War didn't want to snap him in half did he growl out before Dustoff could snark back at him.

"I am Wardrums." His resonating voice bouncing round the crystal cavern with such a force that the crystals themselves went quiet. Quelled under the force of something far more powerful than they could ever hope to be.

Good.

They would do well to remember who planted them here millions of vorns ago. They would do well to remember who gave them their song to sing and protect so long ago.

Bee swallowed hard.

Shrinking down into himself under force of that heated stare and powerful voice. Feet shuffling on his perch while he tried to quell the sudden unease blooming in his spark. He needed to at least be able to introduce himself, shouldn't he? He could manage that surly.

"I'm—"

"I know who you are, runt." Wardrums cut him off with a deep snarl. The flash of fangs and the pitch of his engine making Bee scramble back a few more steps on his perch.

He grew up in the middle of a war that was destroying the very planet. He played at the feet of fraggin giant beast mechs when he was still hardly bigger than their toes and has never thought anything of it. He's looked death in the face more times than any of his family wanted to think about and kept going.

But this, this scared him.

For a reason Bee can't even grasp.

"War," The warning in Dustoff's tone went unanswered as the shuttle stalked forward to close the distance between himself and the tiny mech.

"I know you do not belong here." Finishing with the whirl of his flight turbines he hissed through clenched fangs down to the tiny thing shrunk down before him. Another mech might have felt pity at the look in those large optics, but Wardrums was not another mech. He had not survived the universe thus far by being soft sparked. "So you're going to tell me why the frag you are, runt."

"I-I-I—" Bumblebee hadn't stuttered since he was a sparkling, but considering right about now he felt just about as small as one he figured that might be a little bit justified. He hated it, but it might be a little. "Fell." He slipped out before swallowing hard and trying for real words. "I fell."

"You fell?" The huge shuttle rumbled with a roll of his optics. "Well how convenient. Of all the slaggin' place on this damned planet you could trip into it had to be here, yes, because that is what the slag my life seems to be. Damn it. The Prime really is helpless."

At that, Bee bristled.

Because, umm, no, his family did not get talked about like that thank you very much.

"Hey!" He snapped, courage and maybe a tad too much foolishness surging up within him with a flaring and stiffening of his doorwings. Plating tightened all over him in that weird mix between flare and tuck that a frame did when it was trying to be brave even if it knew it shouldn't be. "Don't call him that!"

The two huge mechs paused. Dust in the middle of reaching out to smack his mate while War was still glaring down. Two sets of red optics returning to him in a snap he refused to shrink back from.

"What did you say?" The shuttle drawled.

"Optimus isn't foolish, you have no right to say that!"

They stared at him again at that. Some kind of mix between bewilderment and anger before Dust let out a heavy groan. Looking away with a roll of his optics, a shake of his head, and a sigh. War on the other hand arched a brow and sneered down at the little mech.

"Not the brightest crystal in the cave are ya?"

Bee's doorwings flared out as wide as they would go. "What the slag do you know!?"

"More than you have any idea." War growled back. "About far more than just the latest Prime. Considering I've lived to see them all so far I should hope so. And he is a fool, no matter if you see it or not, for I warned him and he didn't listen. But I owe you no more of an explanation. You want more of those you beg them off of Dustoff. I'll not be playing sparkling sitter. Do I make myself clear, runt?"

Wings dropping slightly behind his back in a mix of confusion and he wasn't sure what else Bee let out a sound that matched the emotion. It only got him scoffed at again though before the huge shuttle turned away again.

"Come then. Seems we will have to find your blundering caretakers and return you to them. Primus knows I'm not going to get anything accomplished until we do."

With that he was gone.

The shadows at the edge of the cavern eating him up like starved creatures. Leaving Bee once again standing blankly at Dustoff's side. Blinking a few times because at this point he didn't know what else to do he slowly turned his attention back up to the old helicopter in time to see the pinched expression on that aged faceplate slip away. Replaced by a resigned frustration the huge mech simply offered up a hand to the youngling along with a few quiet words.

"Best come along then, mechling. Testing his patience won't do you any favors. You won't be harmed, you have my word. The two of us are many things, and have done horrible ones, but you have nothing to fear. Not from us."

And Bee followed, because really, at this point what choice did he have? It was try and run for it and spend the rest of what would likely be his very short life stumbling around in the darkness trying to find the way out or take his chances with the tempers of a mech that didn't want to look at him and one that had fixed him almost as soon as he had.

Maybe neither of those were all that great of options, but it wasn't like he had all that many to play with at this point.

A few breams later, after walking what seemed like endless miles at the heels of an ancient medic Bee found himself once again perched on a stone, but this time it is with a scrap of broken mineral in his hands.

Dust told him it was an energon crystal. Unrefined, bitter, and hard to digest but edible and for now all they had to offer him. So listening to the gnawing hunger in his tanks he started nibbling at it. Not quite sure what to expect but surprised all the same for it.

Bitter wasn't quite a good enough word. He'd had bitter things before. Stuff Wheeljack or Sideswipe had made in their ever growing attempts at different kinds of fuel. Stuff Bee probably should not have eaten and got yelled at later for doing, but he'd been curious and took bites anyway.

Pure energon crystals though were something altogether different. It tasted like energon, sorta, in a way he supposed. It just didn't taste like anything he was use to.

Cold, sour, and with a weird pop like aftertaste. It crackled in his mouth as he chewed on and while it made his optics water as he swallowed it did quell the hunger in his tanks after a while. Dustoff told him as they walked that he couldn't have much of it at a time. Considering he'd never had them before his tanks would rebel against too much and he'd just end up purging it all back up.

He could nibble though, and nibble he did.

Watching out in front of him where Wardrums stood with his back to him running his hand along dark cave walls. This second of caverns was lighter then where they'd been before, even the place with all the singing crystals.

Bumblebee was assuming that meant the where headed to the surface but he wasn't sure. He also hadn't managed to get much of an answer either. Dustoff had spoken to him when questioned quietly but War wouldn't so much as look at him.

Despite the coldness that caused in his chest Bee wasn't quite sure what to make of that either. He huge mech hadn't tried to hurt him, but that apparently didn't mean he had any plans of being nice to him.

He wasn't yet sure how he felt about that. One hand, hey he wasn't wondering around scared and alone anymore. On the other, he wasn't too sure any of this was a good idea. He was pretty much positive most of his family would be yelling at his quite loudly that it wasn't if they could see him right now. It wasn't that he thought either of them would hurt him. Maybe he should, because they were big, scary, and everything he had ever been taught to fear. Trouble with that though was his spark wouldn't let him.

It trusted them.

Wanted to be near them.

Said that they were harmless to him.

Dustoff's spark was enough proof of that. Old but warm and caring in a way that felt so much like Ratchet it made Bee's spark hurt. Wardrums' wouldn't reach for him though and Bee was a lot of things but he wasn't stupid. He knew better then to try for that one.

All it took was one long knowing look from the big medic when he apparently looked like he was going to try it to have him stepping back and pulling it all back up. Reining in his spark in ways he never liked doing to keep it and his curiosity away from Wardrums.

More so then anything else because of what the 'copter mech quietly told him as they walked along. "There will be a time for that mechling, but this isn't it. Not yet."

Honestly, at this point, Bumblebee couldn't see the huge shuttle ever so much as looking at him with less than disdain. Letting him have a feel of his spark seemed so far out of reach it was comical. You know, if Bee felt like laughing about the weird ache that settled in his chest when those fire optics gazed down at him in contempt.

A rather bitter bite of crystal had Bee squeezing his optics shut as he swallowed it down. Taking his attention from the big mechs before him he blinked the surge of coolant the sour brought away in favor or glancing around at the tall black stone walls all around. With the light filtering in from whatever direction it was that it came from he let his optics scale the walls.

There were no more strangely moving words carved into walls. They'd left the singing crystals behind too. However, the words from before still taunted around in his mind. They made no sense yet they tugged at his spark. Kind of like an old forgotten lullaby. Where the words had long ago faded but you could still manage to hum a few of them if you thought hard enough.

Absentmindedly, Bee found himself humming that tune the crystals sang. The words dancing around in his chest searching for more but not able to find it. Rocking back and forth to the tune he nibbled while swinging his feet.

"If you don't knock that off I'm going to make sure you never make a sound again, runt."

Startled Bee nearly dropped his snack, head snapping up to find those fire optics glaring at him once again. His doorwings dropped without consent at that burning look

"Do I make myself clear?" Wardrums rumbled again.

Sinking down under that gaze Bee ducked his head. Lowering his optics away from that searing look he nodded a little bit. "Sorry."

Even if he didn't know what he did wrong.

Wardrums huffed, before turning back to the wall. "Just stop being so fraggin' annoying, would you?"

"Oh, stop being an aft, War. He's just a mechling."

"He is a little fool and the sooner we get rid of him the better."

"You know, he is sitting right here!"

"Exactly." War snarled, those optics of his blazing as he swung back. The one hand he had lifted to place against the cold stone walls scrapping long cuts into the dark rock. Those long, powerful wings draped down his back bristling in a way not doorwings were capable of. Shuffling almost like some kind of strange feathers as the thick individual panels and armor that made them up clicked against each other in a shiver of anger.

Logically—if Bee ever bothered with things like that very often—it should have been warning enough to shut him up again. It should have made him sit back down and keep his mouth shut. There was a problem with that notion though. See somewhere been having hive hawks trying and pull out his antennas, falling down a cliff, getting yelled at for following his family out into the desert, falling down another hole, spending a decacycle wondering around hungry and hurt in the dark, getting himself found by these two big grumpy sparkmates, and then getting yelled out again for so much as breathing since then Bumblebee's level of sit-back-be-quiet-and-do-as-you're-told kinda bottomed out.

As in, no sir, not happening anymore.

For vorns and vorns after this, he'll not have a clue where it came from. It will take a whole lot of life as well as a whole lot of death for him to realize what and who the surge of emotion swirling up among his own came from. Why the hard bite of frustration and fear inside him flared together with something that tasted too much like a grudge older then he was to be anything else. Let alone why it brought these specific words to his tongue.

"Oh, come off it, you old bastard!" Bee bit back, shoving himself upright with a flare of plating and a flash of his field. Striking out across the space between them harder than any physical hit he'd ever be able to deliver to a mech as big as Wardrums. Burning with a feeling he both knew and then didn't he let it crash headlong into the huge shuttle. Awed more than a little bit when the black and gold mech stumbled back from it. Those fire optics blowing wide as he snarled out. "You can't hide from this! It's happening no matter if you like it or not!"

He didn't see the flash of energy crackle through his energy field. He didn't see the flash of gold that lit through his bright blue optics for the quickest of nanos. He didn't know the echo of the voice that used his, and he in no way remembered it.

All he knew is he about fell over after that bout left him panting there on his little rock perch. Optics widening as the words he hissed caught up with his processor leaving him more or less stumbling back with a hand snapped over his mouth.

Because what the pit was that?

Sorry, Young Spark.

Bee went still. Oh you have got to be joking. Doorwings twitching in confusion on his back he turned his focus inward. That was you!?

Young Spark—

No! Bee hissed, optics narrowing. Unknowingly spinning away from the two sets of wide red optics. Hands lifted to clench his head, shaking himself hard. H-how did you do that!? Why!?

Young Spark—

NO! His doorwings flared wide, energy field cackling. NO! No, no, no, no, no! Shut up! You don't get to do slag like that!

"GO AWAY!" The last bit came out in an audible snarl. Shivering from his head to his toes, panting hard through straining vets. He shook, bright yellow plating creaking against his protoform with the quivers running through him.

"Bumblebee?"

With a yelp he jumped nearly as high as Dustoff was tall in a flailing whirl of limbs that ended with him landing hard on his aft on the ground. The short fall from his rocky perch drew a pained grunt from him but with all the panting it was hard to make it out. Which he was more than slightly glad of when he finally looked up and found himself staring up at Dust's crouched form.

The big medic had one hand outstretched. As if he'd been halfway through the motion of catching him with a look on his faceplate Bee couldn't quite place. It was . . . strained in a way. A pinch between his optics and a hard pull to the corners of his mouth.

Crouched there before him he looked a whole lot less gigantic, but the even bigger shuttle behind him still seemed just as big as ever. Especially now, when Bee found himself sprawled out on the ground and Wardrums was closer than he ever had been before. Bent over the back of his mate staring down at him.

"Are you alright, mechling?" Dustoff's voice yanked Bee's attention back to his faceplate. Even if all he could do was blink for a very long stale klick until it clicked to him that he should probably get up.

Another slightly frantic scramble of limbs and Bee rocked to his feet. The motion causing the other two mechs to step away. Dustoff pushing himself back his feet with a graceful sway of movement nothing that big should be able to pull off. He did it though, rather well in fact, for never taking his gaze away from Bee where he tried to unruffle himself there at their feet.

"I-I-I-Yes!"

Two sets of deep red narrowed slightly and he scrambled again.

No! No! No! They can't know! No one can know! The rolling thought screaming through every inch of him from his twisting had him forcing back a sudden swell of tears. Oddly enough, rather it was that screaming from earlier or this now, Star seemed to have vanish. He couldn't seem to let out the relived breath he wanted too just yet though.

"I'm fine!" He rushed, hands lifted in almost surrender as he gazed fearfully up the distance between himself and those shifting expressions. Please. He whined to himself. Please don't look at me like that.

"I'm fine. Peachy. Really, completely awesome. Sorry, just kinda fell. You know. Like before. Clumsy me. Always tripping over my own feet."

Please believe me. Please! Don't notice . . . .

For too long a klick neither mech said anything. They simply stared at him. Then, slowly, they shifted just enough to turn their gazes to each other. A conversation Bee couldn't begin to try and grasp at flashing between that look in less than a nano before shifting back to him.

"Come runt, we will take you home." And for a nano there, as the towering mech black and gold turned away from him Bee could have sworn he saw something like . . . worry flash through his optics.

And hows that for your first chapter back? I liked it that's for sure. We finally get to see more of Wardrums and Dustoff even if they wanted to be grumpy and hard to work with for this whole chapter. You have to forgive them though, they weren't planning on finding Bee wondering around down there in the dark.

Anyway, I hope you lovely readers are all still out there and are excited about GG being back. I can't wait to hear from you and see what you thought about Bee being back. I still haven't really worked out my new update schedule yet but so far both stories are working so keep your eyes open on Sundays. That will be when I post.

I hope you liked it! Let me know here or on the blog if you have any questions or want to poke the characters.

-Jaycee