Sorry for the delay, I can be pretty slow sometimes. ;-;

Oh! Check out my page for more fanart of Brielle! (and this time Marie, too).

The Great Escape

"Oh. My. God. Marie."

Brielle's voice was slow, urgent, and downright perplexed. If Mr. Keller wasn't present, she'd be stringing together colorful expletives for her dear twin.

"What the—"Glen's booming voice interjected. "You never told us you had a sister!"

"Identical twins." Lennox stated matter-of-factly. Although Will knew of Marie, he was still wondering how the hell she ended up here too.

Suddenly, Bumblebee's radio kicked on to a sickeningly sweet song. "Twins are in. Have you heard the word?"

"Knock it off, Bee." Brielle hissed through clenched teeth.

Mr. Keller cleared his throat for attention. "Perhaps we should begin. It seems like a lot of things need to be cleared up."

Brielle took a seat next to Mikaela, her glower never leaving her sister's deceitfully sweet eyes, and Bumblebee stood behind the three teens.

Mr. Keller continued. "Alright. Mission City has been cleared of civilians. The ones who've seen the Autobots are being taken care of by Sector Seven. It has been decided that the remains of Megatron and the Decepticons are to be disposed of in the deepest point of the Laurentian Abyss." He paused to make sure Optimus still agreed to the plan. When the massive mech nodded, he continued. "Sector Seven has been scheduled for decommission. Their treatment of what they call 'NBEs' was mediocre at best. "

"Now," Keller's attention turned specifically to Sam, Mikaela, and Brielle, "You three seem to be special cases." The three looked at each other, and then Sam and Brielle glanced at Bumblebee behind them. "From what I've discussed with Optimus, he seems to really trust you three. Because of that, so do I."

Brielle's brow knitted in confusion. Optimus and Brielle barely had a proper introduction, so why would he trust her?

As if the Prime was clairvoyant, he answered her question. "You have demonstrated vast amounts of courage for an alien race you know almost nothing about, Ambrielle. Bumblebee has confided in me that he deeply trusts you, and for that, you've gained my trust as well."

Brielle tried so hard to stifle the big smile on her face, but it was futile. Her cheeks felt red hot and a pink flush quickly formed. The brunette cleared her throat and nodded. Her voice was soft and filled with respect. "Thank you, Optimus."

Brielle couldn't help but throw a sideways glance at Sam. The kid was brooding hardcore and she relished every moment of it.

The Secretary of Defense carried on. "There are still Decepticons on our planet."

"And they have a knack for exacting revenge on our allies." Ironhide threw in.

"So we think it best to keep you three under Autobot protection. Bumblebee has decided to reside with Sam," Ratchet began, "And Mikaela's unit of residence is in close proximity to the boy's."

Brielle's heart sank. Bumblebee was to stay with him? She could feel the pompous stare from Sam. Brielle mentally reasoned with herself, 'Well, that's karma.'

Keller spoke next. "Brielle, you live in—"

"Matteson, Illinois."

The room was silent.

"Heard of it? Anyone? Anyone?" she asked, her voice and face exaggerating disbelief. As quickly as she put on the dramatic act, her expression changed to one of mock sobriety.

"Not a surprise . . ." Marie muttered from across the table.

It was Optimus who spoke next. "With Autobot numbers at such a low, I cannot afford to have two members absent."

"Which is why your family must be relocated to Tranquility, Nevada."

Brielle's head tilted to the side, her jaw slack and her eyebrows furrowed. Marie rested her chin on laced fingers, her expression neutral.

Keller noted Brielle's expression and added, "Unless you have objections?" He then looked to both Brielle and her sister.

Brielle was surprised that her twin was okay with this. Marie was the one with the gaggle of friends, not her. In the back of her mind, Brielle knew something was up with Marie, she just couldn't figure out what.

"No objections here." Brielle chimed; a satisfied smile on her face.

"Me either." Marie added.

"Then that's settled."

Brielle thought for a moment. She'd completely forgotten about her parents. "Uh, sir? How is that going to be possible with our parents?"

Mr. Keller winked at Brielle. "It'll be taken care of."

Brielle's mouth parted to speak again, but she could think of nothing to say, so bit her lip instead.

Finally, Keller gestured to the three techies. "The alien frequency used to hack the national database was more than mere sound bites."

"There's an extraterrestrial character system embedded in the frequency." Maggie added, her Australian accent lacing each syllable. "I wasn't able to decode it, but Glen was."

Glen, about to grace his lips with another glazed donut, paused when he felt cold blue optics stare at him.

"You were able to decipher Cybertronian?" the urgent voice of Optimus inquired.

Glen's eyes nearly popped out of his head. He quickly nodded and stuttered "Y-y-yes? Is that a bad thing? 'Cuz if it is, Maggie did it!"

The blonde rolled her eyes. Glen would do absolutely anything to stay out of trouble.

"A human was able to do such a thing?" Ratchet's voice was thoughtful, slightly awe-stricken.

Marie sighed deeply and stood up, her palms flat on the table. "You sorely underestimate us humans. Not only was Glen able to decode your language, but I found something more." She ignored the dagger-filled glares from Glen and pulled a memory drive from her bag, wiggling it between her fingers. "Don't know how, but through your language, I was able to find information on you guys. Exoskeletons, Energon, weaponry—"

Optimus' optics brightened significantly, as did the optics of the rest of the Autobots. Although his demeanor was soft, the leader's voice rumbled like thunder. "You found what?"

Marie jumped at the sound of his voice. She kept a secure hold on her precious drive.

Optimus gave Marie a stern stare. "We think it best if our advances in weaponry were not shared."

Brielle only had to glance at the black Autobot Ironhide to understand. With weapons like those in human's hands, it would be World War III. At the same time, Brielle was disappointed. She frequented the shooting range with her Uncle Jim and the thought of shooting off a plasma cannon roused the teenage boy in her.

"Well I strongly disagree with that, sir." Marie chimed.

Finally, Mr. Keller put Marie in her place. "Well, I think it would be up to the government, not you, Miss Piper."

Brielle couldn't help but smirk at Marie's face. She thought she was the queen of the world sometimes, and Brielle relished when her twin was knocked down a few notches.

Keller extended his hand towards Marie. "I also think it wise to keep such information in the hands of the United States government."

Marie eyed his hand suspiciously although she knew what he wanted. Reluctantly, she dropped the flash drive into his hand. Keller stuffed the drive into his pocket and proceeded. "Meeting adjourned. Kids, you'll be taken home soon. Just sit tight for a while, alright?"

Brielle all but flew out of her seat and stalked towards Marie.

The congregation underwent as Bumblebee had previously suspected, minus the surprise from Brielle's sibling. Bumblebee did not realize that humans were able to produce Spark twins and no doubt Ratchet was itching to ask just how organics were able to produce monozygotic organisms.

Just before the meeting ended, Optimus formed his own assembly over their com systems.

:I did not anticipate the humans ability to hack into the frequency to that degree: Optimus said.

Ironhide grunted. :Just give me the word and I'll blast the information right out of their hands:

Bumblebee could hear Prime's inward groan. :Ironhide, for the last time-:

:Hey, got to keep our options open: The weapons specialist teased.

The Autobots were only slightly relieved when the information was in the hands of Keller. When the meeting ended, Brielle was the first to fly out of her seat. Bumblebee's optics watched the entire scene: Brielle grabbed her sister's arm and practically dragged her out of the room.

Bee's audio scanners honed in on the twins. The rest of the humans had left the room and Ratchet, Ironhide, and Optimus were following Bee's example.

Brielle dragged Marie into an old office and shut the door. The first thing that came from Brielle's mouth was a string of human expletives.

Ratchet grunted to himself. :I wasn't aware of how inventive humans were with vocabulary:

After the girl's eruption, she took a deep breath and found her focus.

"What the hell, Marie? Why are you here? Where's mom, dad, and Anthony? Just . . . what the fuck?"

It was obvious that Brielle was as perplexed with her sister's presence as the rest of them. Marie sighed audibly.

"Glen dragged me into this. I thought it was all bullshit at first. Like seriously? Aliens? Yeah right. Then I actually cracked the frequency's code and—" Marie took a long, whimsical moment, "My God. It's amazing."

Brielle did not relent. "I'm sure it is, Marie, but it's not our business. If they don't want us knowing, then—"

"Don't you want to know more about them?" Marie asked.

Brielle paused for a moment. "Well, yeah, but—"

"But nothing. They can look up anything about us! Why can't we know a little about them?"

Bumblebee had to admit that her logic was sound, but it was for the best that the human's didn't know certain things about them. At least not yet.

"But the weapons." Brielle mentioned. "Just look at Ironhide—"

"Who?"

Ironhide growled. :I don't like that one: he grumbled, referring to Marie.

Bee's infrared scanners saw Brielle massaging the bridge of her nose now as she groaned, "The black one."

"Oh."

"It's kind of hard to miss his giant freaking cannons. Now, think of the track history of the U.S. and war. Just think. Now, add in advanced alien weaponry."

Marie grinned. "We'd be unstoppable!"

A loud SMACK was heard, followed by a yelp from Marie.

"You're a dumbass." Brielle uttered. "Since when do you care about guns and world history? You can't even tell one Autobot from another!"

It was obvious that Brielle was defending the Autobots. Even against her own flesh and blood, she was willing to sacrifice. It was a trait that the Autobots admired greatly.

There was a long, agonizing pause. Bumblebee's scanners picked up Marie's slowing heartbeat.

"Don't you like that stuff though? Sci-fi, guns, action, all that stuff?" Marie's voice was small, like a scolded child.

Brielle sounded taken aback. "Y-yeah. You don't though. So that's why I don't understand what you're trying to do."

Marie quickly interrupted, "It doesn't matter. I don't even have the flash drive anymore, remember?"

Brielle didn't push for more information. The Autobots heard Brielle's shoes tap against the concrete as she walked away. Then, Marie gasped dramatically.

"What happened to your head!" She practically screamed.

Brielle flinched at the sudden screech. "Sorry Marie, couldn't catch that. Maybe the freaking dolphins did though."

Bumblebee quickly scanned the internet and chuckled when he understood the reference.

Brielle continued, "I just got banged up. Decepticons are kind of assholes."

Marie shuddered. "One of those big guys did that to you?" Worry laced every syllable. Marie began examining her sister and lifting folds of fabric on her legs and arms to see the extent of the damage.

Brielle appreciated her sister's concern, but she was getting too touchy now. "Hey. Personal space. Ow!" Brielle hissed when Marie touched the burns on her legs.

Tears threatened to fall down Marie's face. "You . . . at Mission City. You could've died."

Exactly what Bumblebee tried to explain to Brielle! Maybe her twin will knock some sense into her.

"But I didn't." Brielle retorted.

Maybe not.

Will's voice sounded from another part of the warehouse. "Kids! We're moving out!"

Both Brielle and Marie turned their minty green eyes to the direction of Will's voice. Brielle sounded relieved, probably because Marie was distracted for the time being.

The Autobots knew that meant them too. They were all previously spoken to about what would happen next: Ironhide would accompany Will and Robert, Ratchet would take the twins, and Bumblebee would take Sam and Mikaela. Optimus was to stay with Keller for the time being to discuss their situation further.

Bumblebee was informed of the location of Brielle and her family unit's new dwelling. It was just three blocks away from Sam's home. Although there were still Decepticons afoot, Bumblebee was looking forward to the peace. He had been a 'Bot of war for so long that he feared it would slowly consume him. His processors filled with what a "normal" life for a human would entail. Certainly it was nothing compared to the normal life of an Autobot, but this was just another reason to be eager.

It was early evening when Ratchet finally arrived at the Piper's new residence. Brielle thoroughly enjoyed the ride there because she had a chance to chat with the Chief Medical Officer. Ratchet asked questions about human culture and Brielle answered what she could, asking a few questions in turn. It was only when Marie fell asleep did Ratchet start answering questions about Cybertron.

"Your parental units should be arriving shortly. They have been informed of the situation at hand. "

Brielle wondered how her family took the news. Surely Anthony thought the whole situation was badass, but her parents? Knowing them, they'd think it was a joke. Before they left the warehouse, Will informed Brielle of her and her sibling's new school.

It was all such a big change for her. Brielle grew up in the same house for seventeen years, and now she had to live hundreds of miles away from what she's always known. Her excitement was plentiful, but there's also a sliver of her heart that's unhappy.

Brielle looked at her new house with her head held high. This was like a new start for her; a clean slate. Who knows, maybe the kids at school were nicer. Well, Brielle didn't put too much faith into that, but she always carried a small piece of hope for anything.

The brunette exited the rescue vehicle's driver side door and patted the hood. "Thanks for the lift, Ratchet."

The CMO rumbled his engine softly. "My pleasure."

Brielle leaned her feminine frame against the side of the vehicle. She placed her elbow on Ratchet's hood and propped her head up with her hand. "Say, Ratchet. Will I ever see you again? I mean all of the Autobots?"

Ratchet chuckled warmly and then surprised Brielle with the gentility of his voice. "I'm sure you will, my dear. Bumblebee will be around too if you need him. Your Spark twin has the coordinates of Sam and Mikaela's residences."

Brielle noticed that Ratchet's tone altered to one of disdain when he mentioned her sister. She figured it was the way Marie presented herself earlier that day. The girl absentmindedly clicked her tongue at the thought of Marie's arrogant behavior in front of the Autobots, not to mention the Secretary of State.

Ambrielle gave Ratchet a hearty pat on the hood before trotting to her new home. "Good to know. See ya, Ratch—"

"Don't even think about it."

Ratchet opened the passenger's door where Marie was still sound asleep. Brielle rolled her eyes playfully. "Damn. Thought I could get rid of her."

Brielle made her way to Marie, gave her a swift flick to the forehead, and ran off before she could feel her twin's wrath. Marie awoke with a start, realized what Brielle did, and proceeded to chase after her. Ratchet chuckled as he left the Piper's residence.

'Reminds me of another pair of twins I know.'

Brielle peeked out the front window to make sure Ratchet left without trouble. She could hear Marie scoff behind her. "I'm sure he'll get home okay, Brielle. If you couldn't tell, he's an alien robot."

Brielle threw a sideways glance at her sister. "Doesn't hurt to double check."

Marie just couldn't understand Ambrielle. She's willing to throw herself at a twenty foot Decepticon and when she's the one bloodied, burned, and scarred, she'll fret over whether or not the Autobots are alright. Marie wanted to ask Brielle what exactly occurred the night she first met the yellow robot, er, Bumblebee, but she knew now wasn't the time. Their parents would be arriving soon.

Instead, the girls took a look around their new home. It was larger than their old house, and lo and behold, they wouldn't have to share rooms! This was certainly a treat for the twins, who have shared rooms for as long as they've lived.

Brielle made her way upstairs and Marie explored the downstairs. The one thing that was glaringly obvious about their home was that it was a great distance away from any other house. Brielle wondered if that was on purpose, just in case the 'Bots had to transform to their bipedal mode, or just coincidence. Either way, Brielle knew her dad would be happy. Now, he could have his family parties and no neighbors would complain that he's playing his Jimmy Buffet CDs too loud.

Speaking of parents, Brielle saw a familiar car pull into the driveway. As soon as it stopped, a honey haired young man flew from the back seat and into the house. Brielle, who was watching from a second story window, heard the front door open. A startled squeak came from Marie in the kitchen, prompting Anthony to laugh at his little sister's expense.

The next sound came from Brielle's parents. They walked through the door with less finesse then Anthony, but still with the same amount of awe. This was when Brielle realized that she hadn't seen her parents since she left for Mission city. The girl's heart filled to the brim with emotion. Sure, her parents weren't always the most supportive individuals, but they were her parents damnit and she loved them even if she didn't show it.

The younger twin nearly tripped over herself as she shuffled down the stairs, stopping on the very last step. She stared at her family with big doe eyes, unsure of her next move. Should she hug them? Run into their arms? Apologize for running off? Surely they were worried about her. Finally, her father spoke.

"You should run off more often. Maybe we'll get a bigger house next time."

"And better jobs." Her mother added.

Well, so much for the heartfelt reunion. Brielle chewed on the inside of her cheeks for a moment. She wasn't quite sure what to say. Finally, she stuttered, "Y-you know about the Autobots?"

Her mother quickly raised her hand, cutting Brielle off. "Oh for Pete's sake you know that much about them? No. No no no. I don't want to hear it." She proceeded to throw her hands in the air and tromp into the kitchen.

Brielle's father stared wide-eyed at Brielle and pressed his finger against his lip. "Don't talk about it. Pretend it never happened. Just act like . . . I got a big promotion."

So this is how her parents were coping with the news. If it worked for them, then it worked for Brielle. No further discussions about the Autobots then. Brielle decided to change the subject.

"So, where's our stuff?"

Her father answered, carefully examining his new home. "It's on its way. Should be here by tomorrow night if we're lucky."

"Because sleeping on hardwood floor is totally my idea of comfort." Marie groaned.

Anthony, always the snide one, stared at Marie soberly. "You can sleep outside like an animal. No one will care."

There was something about Anthony's delivery that always made their mother laugh. She could be heard practically choking on her laughter from the kitchen. Brielle chuckled too, but noticed her brother was snarkier than usual. For a boy that has to move far away from his girlfriend, that seemed normal.

"Hey, what about you and Liz?" Brielle asked, hardly one for tact around her family.

Anthony's neutral gaze locked with Brielle's inquisitive one. "Long distance."

A roar laughter came from their father. "Yeah, good luck with that, kid."

Brielle retreated to her self-proclaimed room before the men's not so witty banter could get any more heated.

One week later . . .

School started up in a month. The twins would be seniors and Anthony would be moving out of the house, something Brielle didn't think she'd get used to. Now, with their house freshly furnished, the Pipers were adapting to their new life. Mom and dad worked late at the office and Anthony worked at the local T-Mobile store selling phones. Mr. Piper always said that the girls should focus on their school work and not worry about a job. Of course Princess Marie was fine with it, but Brielle grew restless.

Now, Miss Piper jogged along the sidewalk, her iPod on full blast. She had been practicing her martial arts more than she used to due to her utter boredom. Although the occurrences of Mission City and the Autobots were never far from her thoughts, she tried to reason that she wouldn't be playing a big part along with them. The girl bit her lip. She knew what she wanted, but she also knew it wouldn't happen. She hadn't seen Sam, Mikaela, or Bumblebee the whole time she'd been out there. Unless a Decepticon decided to attack, it didn't look like anything spectacular would take hold of Brielle's life.

At the Witwicky residence . . .

"Bee, c'mon. Don't give me that look." Sam pleaded.

Bumblebee's blue optics glowered down at the boy menacingly. His arms were crossed and he looked downright pissed.

"It's nothing personal, okay? Mikaela and I are just going on a date. Wejust want to be alone for a bit, got me?" the boy reasoned.

It wasn't the date part that upset Bumblebee. The pair could go on as many dates as they wished, but Bumblebee was getting sick and tired of spending his days in a small wooden garage. It wouldn't be so bad if Sam was taking Bee to pick up Mikaela, but the two decided they wanted some real privacy for once.

A honk came from the driveway. Sam gave Bee a quick pat on the leg. "It's just this one time. You can drive us on another date, okay? Don't be mad." Then the boy darted off to meet his mate. Bumblebee did not speak, but the sounds and whirrs emanating from him had a striking resemblance to the phrase 'this is bullshit!'

Sam and Mikaela were gone as well as the parents. The only living organisms in the house were Sam's goldfish and Mojo, the family's Chihuahua. Bumblebee was cooped up in the garage like always. When Sam's mom and dad were fully informed of the changes that would occur, one of them being the eighteen foot alien body guard, Mrs. Witwicky ordered Bumblebee to stay in the garage if Sam wasn't home. The Autobot was starting to regret his decision of a peaceful life with Sam.

Suddenly, the yellow mech began to scheme. Bumblebee was all alone. No one was there to watch him leave the garage and take off down the road . . . He could always use his holoform if somebody spotted him.

'No. That would be disobeying Judy Witwicky and it is my duty to . . . slag it I'm going.'

Yellow plates began to expand and shift until they clicked together to form Bee's Camaro form. He revved his engine and zippd out of the garage.

Brielle walked a good three blocks before realizing she hadn't been this far away from home the whole week she'd been here. The neighborhood was relatively peaceful; children played with sprinklers as their parents supervised them, dogs ran around playing fetch with their owners, this seemed like an all around pleasant neighborhood.

Then there were the neighborhood boys.

"Hey there, pretty girl. You new around here?" A young man asked, attempting to be suave. To Brielle, the guy looked like he had one too many visits to the gym. She rolled her eyes and continued her jog. To her dismay, the boy began jogging beside her.

"The name's Trent. Trent DeMarco."

Brielle huffed. She wanted nothing more than to wipe that arrogant look off his face, but she tried to be nice for the sake of her newly wiped slate.

She did not give the guy a second glance. "Brielle Piper." She said starting straight ahead of her.

Brielle's two words gave Trent the ego boost he didn't need. "Say, you got a rockin' body, little bunny. How about we—"

'Little WHAT?'

Brielle skidded to a halt and Trent did the same. Thinking he was getting lucky, the beefy boy moved closer to Brielle and in turn, Brielle pinched the pressure point located on his neck, making the boy cringe.

"Look here, little boy. You will not talk to me that way. If you ever want a girlfriend, you will talk to no girl that way. Got it?" She then got up close and personal. "And if you ever call me 'little bunny' again, I will find your house, steal your precious steroids, and burn them."

That last statement is what made Trent run. Brielle grinned to herself. Screw clean slates, she wasn't going to take crap from chauvinistic pigs like that. As if the situation never happened, Brielle continued her jog with a pleasant smile on her face.

It didn't take long for Bumblebee to realize that he really didn't know what he was doing. He couldn't drive to his full capabilities because he was in a neighborhood full of humans. His processors whirred as he thought of something interesting he could do that wouldn't draw too much attention. Then, a certain green eyed female caught his processors. He had failed to make regular rounds around Brielle's new residence due to Sam and his mother. Primus, he was being treated more like a pet and less like a friend.

A hulking figure came running down the sidewalk like a scolded child. Bee recognized the teenager as Trent DeMarco, Mikaela's former Spark mate. Up ahead on the sidewalk was a familiar figure he hadn't seen in a week! The human saying, 'speak of the devil' would be most appropriate right now.

Bumblebee sped up so his speed was in tandem with Brielle's. With so many humans around, he wasn't sure how to get her attention. Bee's processors whirred when he came up with a solution. Bumblebee quickly searched the internet for millions of images of males, putting together a figure he thought most suitable for himself. The holomatter took form in the driver's seat; a young man with honey blond hair and deep blue eyes. Bumblebee rolled down his windows and waved over Brielle.

"Hey! Brielle! It's—"

Brielle glanced over at the man in the Camaro and scoffed. She began jogging faster.

Bumblebee looked as dejected as a kicked puppy. He sped up next to her once more. "Brielle! What are you—"

"Jesus. How many muscle heads live in Tranquility? I already sent Trent in the opposite direction."

Primus! Brielle didn't recognize him. As Bee recalled, Brielle remembered him as an older modeled Camaro and she wasn't even aware of the existence holoforms.

"Perhaps if you got into the car for a moment, I could—"

Brielle chuckled. "I'm not falling for any of that, good sir. No matter how sexy your car is."

Bee's engine revved playfully. "You think I'm sexy, do you?"

Brielle scoffed. "I said your car, not you —"

Finally Brielle stopped. She pulled the ear buds from her ears and inspected the car. Her eyes finally met the striking blue eyes of the young man's. His figure sat casually in the driver's seat . . .

and then flickered.

"Jesus, Bee!" Brielle said exasperatedly as she quickly jumped in the passenger's seat. "You look different! Newer."

"Sexier." Bee teased.

Brielle rolled her eyes and grinned lightheartedly. "Oh hush now." Brielle scrutinized the 'human' next to her. As she did so, the young man gave her a big smile. Finally, she jabbed him in the shoulder with her finger.

The girl jumped. She didn't expect the hologram to be solid! "How the hell does that even work?" Brielle asked in amazement.

"Holomatter. We can project facsimiles of species that are too fleshy for us to mimic otherwise." Bee explained.

Brielle pursed her lips and nodded her head. She was genuinely amazed at such a feat that is like second nature to the Autobots. Suddenly, Brielle realized that it had been an entire week since she last saw Bumblebee or any 'Bot for that matter.

"Hey wait! I'm supposed to be mad at you." Brielle said while crossing her arms.

The holoform's brow furrowed. He was positively crestfallen. "What did I do?"

Brielle paused a moment. Now that she thought it over, it was really rather petty. She guessed that Bee was fairly busy keeping the Decepticons away and consulting with Optimus. Instead of making it a serious issue, she put on an obviously facetious pout and said, "You haven't stopped by to say hi."

Suddenly, the Camaro's windows rolled up and the holoform disappeared. In seconds, the engine roared to life and sped down the neighborhood street. Brielle, worried that she upset Bumblebee, held on for dear life. "Hey hey! I wasn't serious! I'm sure you've been busy."

Bumblebee now felt guilty for his outburst. Brielle's rise in heartbeat signified that he had startled her. He should have been able to at least patrol around Brielle's residence every so often, but the Witwickys made that difficult for him. Bee's engine sighed miserably.

"Forgive me."

Brielle's vitals simmered down as soon as Bee calmed himself. It was obvious to Brielle that she struck a nerve, but the girl wasn't sure if she should pursue any further. She would try, for the sake of being a friend.

"Want to talk about it?"

The sincerity in the human's voice surprised Bumblebee. He was never really one to pour out his problems onto another, but there was just something about Brielle's voice. She didn't sound like she was curious to know, she genuinely sounded concerned for the Autobot. Bee mentally chuckled.

'Such fragile creatures worried for ones much stronger than they.'

It was an interesting trait he found in few humans, particularly Brielle. He decided to tell Brielle the reason of his absence and the treatment he's received at the Witwicky residence. Brielle bit her lip, her face scrunched up with concern.

"Aw, poor baby." She softly murmured and patted his dashboard.

Bee paused. "Did you just refer to me as an infant?" Being the Autobot with the most savvy about human culture, he knew that Brielle used the word as a term of endearment, but he enjoyed messing with Brielle.

The girl stared blankly for a moment, analyzing what she just said. "Uh. Yes. Because you're . . . the youngest of the Autobots . . . and . . . I knew that."

"You're lying."

"Through my teeth." Brielle added.

The two laughed heartily. "You're correct though. I am the youngest."

Brielle was proud of her own 'epicness,' as she mentally called it. Her thoughts began to churn through questions to ask him. "How old are you exactly?"

Bumblebee paused again. He was fine with sharing such information with the girl, but too much at one time could be bad. Suddenly, her attention reverted to their previous conversation.

"That's not important. I can't believe they would treat you like that, Bee. I say you should get out more. That's what I do when I need to get away. I go as far as I can and just think."

Bumblebee relished the thought. He'd love to get away on a wide open stretch of road. It'd be even more enjoyable if he had company. "Want to go now?" He sounded as excited as a kid at Christmas.

Brielle was taken aback by his sudden excitement. "Uh well sure I don't— WOAH!" The brunette was pushed back in her seat when Bee took off even faster than before. She laughed at her own scared expression and then hollered with approval.

The yellow mech's radio roared to life and the music flowed through the car.

Throw it away . . .

forget yesterday!

We'll make the great escape!

We won't hear a word they say . . .

They don't know us anyway.

The two didn't know exactly where they were headed, but they were both sure of one thing: they would be spending a lot more time together.

X X X

Again, thanks for reading! Please review if you wish. I appreciate any feedback I get. :)

Song is called "The Great Escape" by Boys Like Girls.