Chapter 3

She stared at him for quite awhile. Bumblebee wasn't quite sure what to do. Clearly, ducking behind a tree real quick was NOT going to solve this. In the end, he just sat there, on his hands and knees and waited for her to do something. She'd said something about batman and man-eating plants already, but Bee had no clue what THAT was supposed to mean. He hoped that she'd give him a chance, and not flip out and scream or anything.. She did none of those things. She simply stared at him. First, in dumbfounded disbelief, then in pure curiosity and wonder.

"So like, tell me you're real, and I'm not just hallucinating on the massively bad ass pain pills the doc gave me."

"I am real," a pause, then, "aren't you afraid of me?'

Still continuing to stare, Lex said, "Logic tells me that you are the one that's been watching me. And, you're like, a ginormous robot. Surely, you have like, futuristic laser guns or something. You could've blown me away already if you wanted to. Or hell, you coulda just squished my happy ass. But you didn't. That tells me that most likely, you have no intention of hurting me."

Bee nodded. Made sense to him.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Ask me anything you want."

Lex, for probably the first time in her life, was at a loss for words. It wasn't that she had nothing to say, it was that she had too much to say. Questions boiled out of her mind, one right after another, until she didn't know where to begin. She looked at the giant robots amazingly kind face and saw something of understanding in his expression.

She never would have thought she'd use the word 'kind' to describe an alien (she figured he had to be alien. She read "Popular Mechanics" and didn't recall ever seeing any shit like this in there) robot, but it was true. His face and blue eyes (is that what they were called?) were expressive, and not at all threatening.. In fact, it seemed really sweet.

"So um, I'm not trying to be rude, but, well, how do I refer to you? You sound male… calling anything 'it' seems rude, but like, I don't want to call you a guy if you're asexual or something. 'cause then maybe that would be rude too."

Bumblebee chuckled. "I am male. My name is Bumblebee."

Now Lex really DID stare. She rolled her wheelchair forward just a bit, so that they were only separated by half a room. "So let me get this straight, you're a big, giant, alien robot, GUY named… Bumblebee??"

Bee saw the humor in that, and chuckled. She giggled, and looked at him again. "Well, clearly you're comfortable with your sexuality."

Bumblebee looked puzzled at this, but decided not to say anything. He could tell she wasn't trying to be mean, and she wasn't through with her questions, and while he dreaded answering some of them, REALLY dreaded the thought of telling Prime what had happened, and didn't look forward to the potential trouble he could see this causing with Sam, he was thrilled that she was speaking with him, seemed curious and almost delighted by him. He'd answer anything she wanted to know.

"Why have you been watching me?"

Ugh. He'd hoped, futilely, that that question would slip her mind. No such luck. He lowered his head, and closed his optics, too afraid to see her reaction to his answer. "I wanted to make sure you were ok, to… look after you, so to speak. To make sure nothing else happened to you." He let everything flow from him quickly, the whole horrible truth, before he could lose his nerve. "It was I that hit you. Accidentally. It is no excuse, but I was being pursued by another of my kind, a… not very nice one. I was trying to lead him away from populated streets, afraid he'd harm humans… and I foolishly took my optics from the road. I am sorry."

Once again, another first. Lex found herself looking at one deeply pained robot. She found herself feeling sorry for HIM, after all, her pain had only been physical, and the doc's had given her stuff for that. She could see the guilt he'd been hanging on to. Without saying anything, she slowly rolled her chair to the sliding glass door at the back of her room. She'd had it open, allowing for a nice breeze. Now she rolled over to Bumblebee, who's face was just outside the door. She had to reach a little. He was down on his hands and knees, bent to human level, but being in a wheelchair, she was only four feet tall. She touched his face, marveling at how smooth the metal was, and how warm, considering it was somewhat cool outside. He jerked slightly at her touch.

"I'm sorry, if I was too familiar. I just wanted you to feel better."

Bee unshuttered his optics. "Don't be sorry."

"You either. What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger. And I'm definitely not dead yet."

He studied her for a minute, and realized that she was serious. Mechanical blue eyes locked with emerald green organic eyes. He wanted her to go for a ride with him.

"I can't exactly drive in the shape I'm in. Also, I'm wearing pajamas."

He chuckled. "I'll drive." And with that, he transformed into a yellow camaro. He was parked parallel to the concrete patio outside her door. She carefully rolled outside, turned to her left to close the door, and then turned to face him again. The drivers door was open. Beckoning. She sat there for a minute, undecided. She was faintly worried, but more than anything, blotting out the worry was, exhilaration. This being, wanted her to go for a ride with (in?) him. Way cool. She rolled over to him, maneuvered herself carefully from chair to car, and slid into his driver seat. She pushed the chair back some, and he gently closed the door. The seatbelt clicked into place for her.

"Sam Witwicky says seatbelts are important. Safety first." Bumblebee's voice came softly through the radio.

Lex briefly wondered who this Witwhacky person was, but was at the moment more concerned with what to do with her hands. Bumblebee had pulled around her house, coming out at the side, and pulled on to the street. He seemed to be driving randomly, and that was fine with her, but she didn't quite know what to do with herself. Normally, she'd have her hands on the steering wheel, but he was driving, so that seemed rude. Also, his transformation had been amazing, but what if she put her hand on the wrong thing? Take the gear shifter for example, like what if that was the robot equivalent of car phallus?

"Um, Bumblebee? Let me know if I put my hands somewhere I shouldn't, okay?"

Another chuckle through the radio, then: "You can put your hands ANYWHERE you WANT."

Lex wondered if there had been innuendo in that sentence. It sounded like it. Surely I didn't just get hit on by giant transformer guy, she thought. Then dismissed the idea. His guilt had been painfully obvious. Likely, he was only spending time with her because he felt he owed her. Now that he knew she bore no ill will towards him, and had in fact forgiven him, she'd likely never see him again. She didn't hold that against him. She would enjoy tonight, and she would enjoy the knowledge that humans weren't alone in the universe. She had had plenty of amazing things in her life, after all, she was raised by vampires. To her, demanding that Bumblebee be a constant addition to her life seemed almost selfish.