Chapter 5 Past Relations

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Really I don't. And a few warnings there is a bit of language in this one.

"Hey Bug!" Bumblebee turned. Ironhide was behind him pointing his huge cannon right at his chest. "I'm gona show you just what it feels like to be vaporized." Bumblebee couldn't move his feet at all. He looked down and saw that his feet had been welded to the ground.

"Ironhide stop," he yelled, "I didn't do anything to you."

"You stole my spark mate," Ironhide yelled back, "now you're gona pay." Bumblebee was engulfed in red-hot fire. He automatically transitioned into defense mode, which emitted a sound that sounded strangely like a human car alarm.

"Bumblebee, wake up," came Sam's voice. It sounded so far away, "Wake up, wake up." Something was messing with his door handle. Wait door handle? He was an autobot, where did he get a door handle?

Sam tried desperately to get Bumblebee's door opened but not even the key would open up the lock. The car alarm had been going off for ten minutes now and the neighbors had started coming out of their houses to yell at him.

"Turn that damn alarm off!" someone yelled.

"We're trying to sleep here!"

"Come on jackass turn off the alarm!"

"I'm trying," Sam yelled back. Finally Bumblebee was awake enough that the door opened. Sam leapt into the front seat and pretended to fumble around looking for an off button.

"Turn it off, turn it off," Sam hissed. Bumblebee was now fully awake. The alarm died down and the protesting neighbors went back inside muttering about lost sleep. Sam rested his head on the wheel waiting for his heartbeat to slow down.

"What was that?" he demanded once he caught his breath.

"Nightmare," the radio croaked.

"Don't ever do that again," Sam panted.

"Sam! What's going on?" Sam looked up to see his dad running towards him.

"Nothing dad, everything is fine," Sam said getting out of the car.

"My apologies," the radio said.

"You almost gave me a heart attack," Ron said holding a hand over his heart.

"Everything is under control. You can go back to bed now dad," Sam said shutting the door.

"Not now its time to get up."

"On a Saturday?"

"Don't you remember? Prime asked us to be up at that field early to discuss something."

"Oh yeah," Sam had actually hoped to get some answers out of Bumblebee but it would just have to wait. Sam went back inside feeling the effects of only a few hours of sleep. This was Saturday, he should have been able to sleep in and feel completely rested but no he had whispering robots, his screaming mother and a car alarm to keep him up all night. Shaking his head Sam tried to put the day into a brighter perspective but he could tell his temper was going to be short most of the day.

Starka managed to show up a few minutes before the Witwickys pulled out of the driveway. Sam suddenly came up with an idea.

"Hey dad why don't you take Starka," he suggested. Bumblebee's radio fuzzed a little indicating he wanted to be let in on the plan.

"She brought me home remember? I don't think I can take any more questions on our family history," Ron said.

"What if I convinced her to not ask any more family questions," Sam asked.

"I've got an idea, why don't you go in her and I'll follow you up," Ron said sarcastically.

"She knows you better," Sam argued, "come on dad I want a little private time."

"Oh?"

"Yeah so if you could just go with Starka I could maybe figure out what's up with Bumblebee's alarm," this seemed to get his dad's attention.

"You need to be alone for this?" he asked skeptically.

"It's less mass to sift through while he's trying to find the problem," Sam said.

"Less…to block…out," the radio chimed in.

"All right but I get to ride with you guys on the ride home," Ron said getting out and going to Starka.

"I assume…you wish…to talk to…me…about the dream?" the radio crackled five minutes after they had started driving.

"Yeah. You woke up the whole neighborhood. Was it really that bad?"

"Lets just…say it…involved…big guns."

"That's all you can say after waking up the entire neighborhood?"

"For now."

"No, I got us alone and now you're going to talk. I want to know everything," Sam demanded. Bumblebee reluctantly went through the nightmare carefully and left out most of the details. What Sam ended up hearing was he was facing another robot and was shot at. Nothing about Ironhide or a stolen spark mate was mentioned.

"There's more to it," Sam said once the story was finished, "it's too vague to get that much of a reaction out of you."

"It was…worse…in person."

"I'm sure it was but I'm also sure you're not telling me something," Sam replied, "unfortunately we're here and I don't want to discuss this with the other autobots yet."

"Yet?"

"If it continues I'll tell Ratchet. Maybe he can help." The conversation ended as they pulled off the road and into the field but Sam made a mental note to interrogate him further.

"Now that we're all here I think we first need to discuss where Starka is going to stay," Prime said as they all transformed out of their vehicle forms.

"I thought she could stay with me," Bumblebee sounded like Prime said this just to make him mad.

"From what I heard Judy doesn't take to kindly to you," Prime said, "I don't want to put her through more stress by adding another autobot to her family."

"She could stay with me," Ratchet spoke up.

"Where are you staying exactly?" Bumblebee asked shortly.

"In an abandoned firehouse," Ratchet explained ignoring Bumblebee's heated tone.

"What if she stayed with Mikaela?" Sam suggested.

"No!" Starka shouted making them all jump, "Uh…I mean…we can't just decide this when she's not here," she said trying to cover up her outburst.

"I'm sure she'll be ok with it," Sam said slowly, "she's been looking for a car and it be great to not have to spend any money on a new one."

"Look guys I can find my own place," she protested, "I'm a big girl."

"Is there something wrong with staying with the human?" Prime asked suggestively.

"Of course not its just I don't feel comfortable deciding when she's not here," Starka said sounding as if she had her feelings under control.

"Ratchet would you mind picking up Mikaela?" Prime asked.

"I'll pick her up," Bumblebee offered, "It'd be faster, no offense."

"None taken," Ratchet said holding up his hand.

"No we don't need any more accidents," Prime said sternly. Sam almost laughed at the human like pout that formed on Bumblebee's face.

"I'll go," Ironhide volunteered, "I'd look a lot less suspicious than a rescue vehicle pulling up to her house." The others agreed and Ironhide transformed then sped off back towards the town much to Starka's dismay.

By the time Ironhide pulled up to Mikaela's house she was up and ready to go. Sam had called her to make sure she was ready when the black truck pulled up. Ironhide only had to wait a few minutes for her to give her parents an excuse to leave before they drove off.

"Driver's seat," Ironhide suggested. Unlike Bumblebee Ironhide had figured out how to keep his normal voice inside the car instead of outside and didn't have to use the radio to communicate. Mikaela scooted over to the driver's seat and pulled the seat belt on.

"So how come you don't like Starka," she asked casually after a few minutes.

"She's a self-centered, lying, friend stealing, backstabbing…"

"Ok, ok I get the point," Mikaela interrupted what she was sure to be a long list, "I'm guessing you and Bumblebee were like best friends before she stepped into the picture."

"Why do you care anyway," Ironhide said bitterly.

"I'm just curious," Mikaela said, "Besides, I can spot a jealous ex-boyfriend from a mile away."

"I'm not jealous of a bug and a backstabber," Ironhide said angrily.

"I just can't tell which one you're jealous of," Mikaela continued.

"What do you mean which one?" Ironhide said, trying hard to keep the curiosity out of his voice.

"I get a feeling that you really like Starka because you kind of got soft when she was near you, but on the other hand you mentioned friend stealing in your list," she said.

"So?"

"Friend stealing indicated that you liked Bumblebee enough that it made you jealous when Starka took up more of his time," Mikaela explained, "therefore I can't decide whether you're more jealous of Starka or Bumblebee."

"What exactly are you saying," Ironhide growled.

"Nothing, I just thought Bumblebee's friendship meant a lot to you" Mikaela said innocently.

"You have no idea," Ironhide said so softly she almost missed it. Sensing the conversation over Mikaela decided not to comment on his last statement. She had never considered Ironhide and Bumblebee enemies but they weren't exactly best friends. What had their relationship been like before? How much damage had Starka caused?

Starka couldn't pay attention to what Prime was saying about the other topics of the meeting. She was too concerned about what she would tell the decepticons when they found her in the driveway of the person she was supposed to be kidnapping. Before all of this had happened she could have easily tricked the decepticons into thinking she had tried her best and failed. Now that this opportunity had arisen she wouldn't be able to talk her way out of it. She paced while the other autobots discussed something about finding a base. Ironhide pulled up a little later and practically threw his door off its hinges by the force he used to open it. Something was bothering him and Starka had a suspicion that it had to do with her. Mikaela stepped out as if nothing was wrong but obviously something was going on.

"What's up," she asked stepping up to Sam.

"Starka needs a place to crash," he replied then kissed her, "we were thinking about letting her stay with you."

"Sure, I've been looking for a car," Mikaela agreed.

"Are you sure?" Starka tried to come up with something to get her to change her mind. "I'm sure I can find my own place to go if…" she stopped mid-sentence when a pair of red eyes caught her attention from between some trees off to the side. Whoever this decepticon was he didn't trust Starka one bit. She would have to prove herself right now if she wanted to keep him on her side. "It's no use arguing I guess," she said finally, "I'll stay with you." Mikaela seemed confused but smiled anyway. "I guess it's time for plan B," Starka thought to herself. The eyes had disappeared shortly after she had agreed. She was vaguely concerned that none of the other autobots had picked up any type of signal from the decepticon but she was too distracted for it to really bother her. For now it was pushed to the back of her mind so she could focus on the problem ahead.

Thanks Tkaa and Laurelin Inglorion for reviewing. Please guys I really need to know if I'm doing

anything wrong! Soooo sorry about not updating my computer absolutely would not let me upload the chapter.