Disclaimer: I don't own Transformers

Time remaining: 2 months

As a month passed, Magnia grew increasingly worried as Unicron continued to plot the downfall of Primus. Her home had just been revived; she didn't want it destroyed again so quickly. But she couldn't betray the Decepticons again; she wouldn't.

Unicron had sent her to evaluate the Well of the Allspark, and make certain it wasn't being guarded by Autobots. Magnia was bristled at being reduced to scout duties, but she complied.

Unfortunately, Optimus Prime was heading to the Well at the same time in an attempt to find some peace. It was the place he had always gone to when he needed to clear his helm, before Cybertron was destroyed.

They met at the Well of the Allspark, and stared at each other, unsure what to do.

"Um...hello Optimus," Magnia said cautiously.

"Hello," Optimus frowned and shook his helm. He shouldn't have been making small talk with a femme he had been plotting to offline not too long ago.

He sighed, "I am sorry I have to do this to you, Magnia. You seem like a nice femme, but I have to protect my family. You understand, surely?"

"No, I'm sorry, I don't," she looked confusedly at him, "What are you talking about?"

Her optics widened as he flicked out his blade, "I must offline you. So Bumblebee does not die."

She backed away hesitantly, "Prime, don't do this. Bumblebee will never forgive you."

"I no longer care," he advanced and she continued backing away. "All I care about now is that I don't lose my son."

He lunged suddenly, swiping his blade at her helm. She managed to duck, his blade catching her on the cheek. She stood a mere few feet away from him, energon dripping down her faceplates, "You're crazy!"

"Perhaps," he prepared to rush her again, but someone tackled him from behind, knocking him to the ground. "Get off of me!" he yelled angrily, writhing in rage.

"Optimus….have you….gone nuts?" Bumblebee cried, struggling to pin the older bot down.

"Bumblebee?" Optimus looked confused. "What are you doing?"

"Um….hello? You were...trying to….kill my….girlfriend."

"I'm not your girlfriend," Magnia said hotly, pulling Bumblebee off of Optimus. "And I can handle myself."

Bumblebee seemed to deflate a little, "Fine….then.". He turned his back to them and sat on the ground.

They both stared at him.

"What are you doing?" Optimus asked wearily.

"Can't….watch….either one….of you….get hurt."

Magnia and Optimus looked at each other uneasily, but raised their swords anyways. As they began fighting, Bumblebee winced with every clang of metal he heard.

Finally he couldn't take it anymore. He stood up and ran right between them, yelling, "Stop….it!"

"Bumblebee," Magnia growled. "I said I could handle myself. You are not allowed to be overprotective of me; we're not together and we never will be." She poked a digit at his chassis, "Stay out of this."

Bumblebee looked quite distressed, but he ignored her and turned to Optimus, "If you….want to kill….her….you'll….have to….kill me….first."

"Stand down, Bumblebee," Optimus growled.

Bee shook his helm, and held his ground, "...No."

"Bumblebee, stand down! That is an order!"

"I….won't….Optimus," Bumblebee sighed. "You know….I would….do anything….for you….but won't….sit idle….while harm….someone….care about."

"Fine," Optimus said sharply. "You are hereby discharged from the Autobots."

He began stalking away until Magnia intervened.

"Wait," she called and Optimus paused and looked back at her with hatred in his optics.

"What?" he said through clenched denta.

She raised an optic ridge, "You're really going to spend the last two months of his life angry with him?" She jerked a digit towards Bumblebee, who looked more crushed than he ever had in his life.

"Optimus….I'm sorry," Bumblebee's shoulders slumped.

Optimus' spark strings twinged a little and he said sadly, "You're choosing her over me. The daughter of Megatron over me."

"If….she was….attacking….you I….would….defend you," Bee pleaded. "Not….choosing….anyone."

Optimus shook his helm and walked away, leaving Bumblebee looking like he almost wanted to cry.

Magnia muttered, "Told you not to get involved." She caught Bumblebee's expression and asked, "What are you so upset about? Hasn't he been mad at you before?"

Bee shook his helm, "Always….did what….he asked….he was….my hero….when I….was….sparkling."

Magnia sighed; she could tell Bumblebee still looked up to Optimus even if he wouldn't admit it. "Who would have thought we'd both have daddy issues?" she grumbled.

They were uncomfortably silent for a moment.

"Aren't….you….leaving?" Bee asked unhappily.

"What do you mean?"

"It's….what you….usually do."

Magnia felt a little guilty, "Where are you going to go?" Bee shrugged and she sighed, "Look, I didn't tell you this, but Unicron is planning to attack Primus and destroy Cybertron."

Bee's optics widened, "He...is? Wait….why are….you telling….me this?"

"Hey, I don't want Cybertron destroyed any more than you do," Magnia narrowed her optics. "But I can't do anything directly against the Decepticons."

"But….I can," he sighed. "Fine….I'll get….info to….Ratchet."

He turned and began walking away sadly, leaving Magnia standing there, confused. He had left first this time.

A few days later, Ratchet approached Optimus, who looked as though he hadn't had a decent recharge in days.

"Optimus, stop this madness," Ratchet sighed.

"If this is about the high grade energon, I am not telling you where it is."

Ratchet's faceplates warmed, "It's not. You haven't recharged in a solid 72 hours. As your physician, I say you either go to bed or I will have to put you into medical stasis."

When Optimus didn't respond, Ratchet sighed, "Where is Bumblebee? He can take over this mess for you." He gestured to the massive stacks of datapads that Optimus was working on.

"Bumblebee is gone."

"Gone? Gone where?" Ratchet frowned.

Optimus sighed, "With Magnia."

Ratchet arched an optic ridge, "Optimus, you know I can always tell when you're lying. What did you do?"

Optimus pinched the bridge of his nose, "I discharged him from the Autobots."

"What?! Why?"

"He directly disobeyed my orders."

Ratchet stared at him, "And what, pray tell, were your orders?"

"To step aside and allow me to offline a Decepticon."

"And this Decepticon wouldn't happen to be my daughter, would it?" Ratchet's optics flamed.

Optimus winced, noticing Ratchet's servo on his wrench, "Um...maybe?"

CLANG!

Ratchet's wrench smacked Optimus' helm and he pulled it back for another strike, "You tried to kill my daughter?!"

Optimus tried to duck the medic's wild swings, "Ratchet! I did not want to but..."

"But what?!" Ratchet screamed, enraged to the point of madness.

"But it was my sparkling or yours!" Optimus yelled. "If they are not going to bond, they will both offline. I can at least save Bumblebee."

"And what about Magnia?" Ratchet said furiously. "How would you like it if I tried to offline Bumblebee to save her?"

"You wouldn't," Optimus sighed. "You care about Bumblebee too."

"That may well be, but that does not justify your actions!" Ratchet scowled at him. "You have now pushed away everyone close to you, Optimus. Bumblebee is gone,and I would leave as well but I have a duty here-".

He was interrupted as he received a comm and his optics widened.

"Who is it?" Optimus asked.

Ratchet shook his helm, "It's Bumblebee."

Optimus sighed in relief, "Is he alright?"

"He says Unicron is preparing to attack Cybertron's core to destroy Primus."

"Fantastic," Optimus rubbed his helm. "Well, let's go find Prowl and prepare a counter attack."

Ratchet narrowed his optics, "There is no 'let's'. You go find Prowl on your own."

The medic stormed away, and Optimus sighed.

It sometimes seemed like he was fighting a war with the Decepticons, and a war with the bots he cared about.