Phew, this chapter took me way too long. Lol. Well, at least it's here, huh? I didn't want to have to make all of you readers wait until tomorrow. xD I know, I'm so nice, aren't I? Well, I did actually want to add to this chapter, but it was already pretty lengthy enough to me. There'll be enough comin' up I'm sure.

Have a read! Enjoy. x3


Chapter Seven – A Promise is Set

When Bumblebee opened his optics again, Optimus wasn't with him and he noticed this automatically. The mechling's head sprang up from the cool berth it had been laying on, his droopy, still-awakening optics scoping and scanning around frantically for any sign of the towering mech he was so fond of.

"Optimus?" he whispered.

No response.

Noticing that the door of the quarters had been left cracked open, Bumblebee's optics widened and he twittered happily, sitting his own little frame up before he scooted to the edge of the berth. He looked down and shivered at the height from the berth to the ground, gulping down a huge lump in his throat. A tiny hum of nervousness shook from the mechling's modulators as he turned his optics to the door, then the floor, the door, the floor, back and forth again.

Was he going to jump off the berth? Or wait for Optimus' return.

He finally focused on the floor alone, purring in determination as he hopped up onto his tiny feet.

He couldn't wait. He wanted to see his loving mech now.

Bumblebee clamped little fists at his sides, then hopped from the berth, anticipating what the near astroseconds would feel like. He shut his optics until his feet hit the floor – But, they didn't. He slipped back and fell on his aft with a grunt, opening his optics to find himself below the berth.

Tears instinctively stung his optics, a small sob starting to hiccup its way through his voice modulators as he stood. Whimpering at his painful fall, Bumblebee tottered his little form to the door, shuffling past it with droopy, tear-glimmering optics.

"Optimus?" he called again.

And again, nothingness was his answer. Silence.

Bumblebee wandered aimlessly down the hall, his tiny, lonely footsteps barely echoing through it massiveness. He turned and walked backwards, shuffling as his optics continued to look frantically for Optimus.

He whimpered, stumbling backwards, but keeping his walking speed. "Optimusss," he whined. "Wh-Where - "

Suddenly, Bumblebee crashed into something, or was it someone.

He fell back on his aft again with a grunt, blinking off his sudden confusion. He leaned his head back slowly and turned wide optics at a mech looming over him, at the hefty mech dubbed the weapons specialist, designation Ironhide. Piercing blue optics stared into the youngling's and Bumblebee scrambled to his feet in fright.

"Ahhh!" the mechling screamed, running as fast as his little legs would let him. Giant hands wrapped around his tiny body and pulled him from the ground, the mech ignoring the little feet that kicked back and forth.

"Lemme go! Lemme go!!" he demanded, trying to pry loose.

Ironhide grunted. "Calm down. I ain't gonna hurt ya."

Bumblebee screamed again at the stranger, but his mouth was covered soon. Unblinkingly optics stared into the piercing blue, and his screams were tiny whimpers in his throat. Bumblebee's optics looked over the massive cannons that sat on the mech's shoulders, each one seeming to be aimed at him. He gulped, feeling Ironhide's hands tighten slowly around his body.

"When did you get here…?" Ironhide muttered, looking over the mechling skeptically. "A youngling?"

Bumblebee shivered. "Wh-Where's Optimus?" he asked, frightened.

Ironhide furrowed his brow. "How'd you get 'ere, kid?"

Bumblebee gulped. "Optimus brought me here," he stuttered. "Can you bring me to him?"

Footsteps sounded from behind Ironhide, and Bumblebee didn't see anyone appear until many astroseconds later. A shorter, silver mech stood next to Ironhide, an optic ridge arched as he looked to Bumblebee in the mech's hands.

"'Hide, what're ya doin' to the poor bot?" he grinned. "Yer' scarin' 'im."

"Frag off, Jazz, I am not," snapped the weapons specialist, shooting Jazz a cold glare.

Bumblebee trembled in his hands, completely betraying his last comment. Ironhide slowly looked to the mechling, forcing himself to resist the urge to slap Jazz upside the head when the mech started laughing.

"He's a youngling," he sighed. "What do you expect?"

"Can you take me to Op-Optimus?" Bumblebee murmured below the arguing mechs.

"All I know is he wasn' scared of Optimus er me when we found 'im," Jazz laughed, not hearing the bot's tiny plea. "And he wasn' scared of Ratchet either, 'n for some reason, all of the younglings we've ever met 'er scared of you."

"Will you mute it?!"

"Excuse me!" Bumblebee yelled, watching as both of the mechs looked at him.

Jazz blinked. "What is it, little guy?"

"Can you take me to Optimus?" he asked for the millionth time, shivering as the fact of two pairs of optics staring at him made his tiny form sulk. "I-I wanna see him…"

Ironhide and Jazz exchanged glances.

"Kid, I don't think now is the best time for that," the weapons specialist said in slight unease. "He's prolly busy workin'…"

"You could see 'im later, right?" Jazz asked, watching the mechling's tear-glazed optics turn to him. He made a face. "…You could."

"…B-But, I wanna see him now," Bumblebee demanded shakily. "Pl-Please?" His wide optics drooped oh so innocently, his little faceplate scrunched up in a way that Jazz could not take into spark any longer, it was simply too cute and too wrenching. Jazz shook his head with a groan, looking away.

"Primus, not the face," he sighed. "Ironhide, you talk to 'im. I can't look at 'im."

Ironhide shook his head. "You're such a disgrace," he muttered.

A whimper from the youngling's throat made Jazz slowly turn around and smile, shaking his head. "'Hide, just take him to Optimus," he said in surrender, looking to the mech beside him. "Really, I mean, if Optimus'll have to make time for 'im with that faceplate."

Bumblebee twittered and giggled.

Ironhide scoffed, giving Bumblebee a skeptical optic. The mechling only grinned sneakily.

"Yeah," the older mech grunted. "He'll have to…Sneaky lil' bot."

Bumblebee giggled again and squealed. As Ironhide set him on his shoulder, Bumblebee wriggling his tiny form against the mech's cheekplate and leaned on it. Ironhide forced out the warmest smile he could, reaching up to wiggle his fingers against the little body on his shoulder.

//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\

Ironhide lowered the youngling from his shoulder, setting him on the ground before his massive hand gave Bumblebee a tiny push between his door wings. Bumblebee turned his head to look last look at the weapons specialist and Jazz at his side, a whirr rattling from his throat.

Jazz crossed his arms and twisted his lip. "'Hide, I don't think this is right."

Bumblebee's form tottered over to the door of Optimus' quarters, then bounced to his knees. Bumblebee giggled as he wriggled his form through the space below the door, grunting and whirring as he tried to fit through, slowly making progress. Ironhide grinned.

"What do you mean?" he chuckled lightly.

Jazz gave him a look. "Look at 'im, 'Hide," he said. "We're makin' a youngling squeeze under a door when knocking is completely an available option."

Ironhide shrugged with a grunt. "The kid sure seems fine with it."

Bumblebee giggled and squealed, his tiny form almost all the way through. He grunted.

"And, besides," the older mech put gruffly. "This way, we won't disturb Optimus at all from his work, will we?" His optics shifted slyly to Jazz's. The second lieutenant raised his optic ridges with a quirky smile.

"Ohh, I see where yer' goin' here," he laughed. "Good call."

Ironhide grinned. "Thank you."

Bumblebee's form finally pulled through, popping out the other end as he grunted a last time.

Optimus, standing in the center of his quarters, looked and turned away from the many monitors surrounding him, a wide smile slowly making its way across his faceplate. Chuckling at the yellow bot that laid flat on his stomach, Optimus grinned as he moved over to Bumblebee, watching as tiny hands lifted to him. He didn't hesitate to lean down and take the mechling in his hands, soon lifting him high up into the air above his shoulders and faceplate.

"Ohh, Bumblebee," the mech laughed. "Silly little youngling…"

The giggles and happy gurgles the bot emitted only made Optimus' spark flutter greatly inside its massive chamber. Bumblebee smiled as Optimus tucked him against the crook of his neck, then moved to the center of the room where he last stood. The gentle sways of Optimus' large strides made Bumblebee purr lowly in his throat, his optics falling shut.

Fingers moved along and between his door wings, and he fluttered them in and out slowly in time with the gesture. Optimus made a low, soothing sound in his throat, and Bumblebee instinctively leaned his head against where the sound came from, giggling quietly.

"Bumblebee, how did you know where my quarters were?" Optimus said softly.

The youngling opened his optics. "Somebody showed me," he said with a playful edge.

Optimus' brow furrowed, his optic fixed on the monitors around him. "Who were they, little one?"

"I 'unno," Bumblebee put simply.

The commander mused for a moment. "…Tell me the color of their armor," he told the mechling. His deep blue optics turned to Bumblebee's wide baby blue pair, and he smiled. "Could you do that for me?"

Bumblebee made a face, scrunching the facets of his faceplate. "Umm…" his optics shut as he thought. He whirred. "…S-Silver and…" He opened his optics and looked at the floor. He couldn't place his processor on a color to describe Ironhide.

Optimus smiled, petting the youngling's back between his wings. "Think…Take your time. You've got this."

Bumblebee whirred with a smile. "Ummm…" He perked up and held up a single yellow finger. "Oh! The other was steel!" He grinned at the mech.

Optimus chuckled. "Jazz and Ironhide, sounds like them," he said softly. "They were good to you weren't they, little one?"

Bumblebee nodded. "Uh huh."

The commander nodded and hoisted the bot higher on his shoulder with a gentle push against his little bottom. Bumblebee giggled.

"Any reason you wanted to see me?" Optimus rumbled warmly.

Bumblebee tucked his head against Optimus' neck. "N-No," he giggled. "I just wanted to see you." He purred and hugged the side of Optimus' faceplate. "I missed you…"

The commander grinned. "I admit, I did miss you too little youngling," he sighed, starting to pace slowly to his desk. He sat, and held the bot more secure against his shoulder, swaying gently to and fro. "A breem alone without your bright little character is utter agony to me."

Bumblebee smiled. "I can't last half of one without you," he laughed.

Optimus chuckled and closed his optics for a moment. "Bumblebee…"

"Hmm?"

"You will make a fine soldier one day," he told him. "An excellent addition to my army."

Bumblebee's smile disappeared, and he looked away too quickly. Optimus' optics shot to the youngling's, but all they saw were their lids and the beginnings of tears seeping underneath. The mech's brow furrowed, optic ridges slanting.

"Little one," he cooed. "Little one, look at me."

He hoped he hadn't offended the bot in any way.

Bumblebee shook his head, tucking his head into Optimus shoulder as the memories of his parents' death suddenly flooded his processor, the thoughts of wanting to be a soldier to pay for what the Decepticons did to his brother, his entire family. The longing, the soldier's calling in his spark did not upset him. It was the fact that even if he did fight for who he lost some day in his life, he would never and could never gain them back.

The harsh reality of it all.

When Bumblebee shook his head at his words, Optimus frown deepened. He chose to save it, lowering the bot to nestle him against his spark. He revved his systems only enough to increase the might in the thrums of his heart, watching as a shivering Bumblebee cuddled against its power, his cries softening. Optimus nodded slowly as he stroked the youngling's tiny frame.

"Shhh, that's right, that's right," he coaxed as wide, innocent optics opened up to him. "Clear your processor, little one. Don't cry anymore."

Bumblebee buried his head into the mech's chest, snuggling. Optimus' spark wrenched inside him. Whatever had the youngling's so hurt would soon be from his processor. He didn't want the mechling to be in any sort of pain, in shape, way or form of it. Bumblebee deserved nothing more than utter care, attention, education, role models, and most especially, love.

And Optimus was willing to take every ounce of the devotion harvested within him, and pour it out onto Bumblebee until his little spark was scarred no more.

"Whatever is making you cry," Optimus sighed. "Will not do so any longer within an Earth week's time, youngling."

Bumblebee slowly looked up. He sniffled. "Y-You promise?"

Optimus nodded and smiled at the little one. "I promise."