I would like to thank Cman710 for the idea for this chapter. x3 ! Cman, you rock. Without you, I'd be so lost as to what to write. THANK YOU.
Anyways, read and respond. Enjoyyyy.
Chapter Ten – Since I've Been Gone
Bumblebee's Point of View
Six Weeks Later…
I haven't seen Darren in a while, even though I told him I'd be visiting him weekly. Things at the base have been pretty hectic, with repairs, additions, and so on. Also, Arcee has arrived on Earth, too, which sure makes me one happy mech. Sadly, she's not stationed at the Adonis III, but a base an hour away. So, I've only seen her once since she's arrived, which also took away from some time with Darren…I can't put him off for any longer.
So, I finally made some time to go see him, after a two and a half week "break." I walked up to the front door and knocked twice, examining the exterior of it afterwards. I looked down at my plain white tee shirt and light blue denim jeans, then lifted one foot to admire my pair of sneakers Darren had bought me some weeks ago. Smoothing out the wrinkles in the fabric, like always, I then fixed my hair, making sure my black accented bangs fell naturally. Sighing as the door opened, I looked up.
"Mrs. Lomeli," I greeted her without a smile. "Is Darren home?"
The woman blinked at me and stepped aside. I entered.
"Yeah, he is," she said in her rough voice. "You haven't been here in a while…"
I scanned the room quietly, looking around as professional as I could. "Yes, well, I've been busy," I shot at her in a gentle anger. "Where is he?"
The woman pointed to the stairwell without looking at me. "In his room…like always."
I nodded and started for the stairs. "Thank you," I said lowly. One foot at a time, I ascended the wooden stairs, shoving my hands into my denim pockets to try to remain casual, though many thoughts were buzzing through my head. Once I reached the top, I turned for Darren's room. The door was cracked, almost completely closed.
I turned my ear towards the door and listened. I heard nothing, and this made me quite tense. Trying to ignore it, I lifted a hand from my pocket and pressed it against the door. My eyes searched the room.
It was dark except for the light of the sun that shined through the blinds of a single window, but outside, it was gray. A ceiling fan turned slowly, circulating the musty air that had been captured in the room. Clothes were lazily tossed about the floor, books and pencils as well, and even pictures of humans I didn't recognize. Stepping inside, I noticed a lump lying on the bed, curled up, unmoving.
Darren?
Taking off my shoes, I gulped a lump down. My foot slid forward, my eyes locked on the person. I nearly jumped when I felt my toes run into something cold. Something wet. My eyes shot down and my heart sped.
Blood. Thin trickles of it stained the carpet. My breathing accelerated and I froze.
"Holy, Primus," I breathed. I couldn't help but clutch my heart. The sight was nauseating. I'd never seen anything like this before.
I swallowed, my stomach suddenly churning. I stepped over the blood and lifted my eyes back up at the motionless lump on the single bed. I stood at its bedside, my eyes drooping, looking down. Tears welled up as I recognized that unmistakable mane of golden blonde hair, and that bruise that rested on that pure white cheek.
"D-Darren?" I whispered. My hand sat on his side, on top of his ragged tee shirt fraying at the seams. His body trembled and I lowered myself beside him, leaning over to try and meet his eyes. "Darren, it's me. Bumblebee…"
He stirred, moving his arms around himself. I thought I heard him groan.
"Darren?" I called him again.
This time, he turned his head to look up at me, staring. I stared back, shocked. As his hair fell, I saw a scar that ran some ways across his right temple. I couldn't see anymore blemishes, but I didn't need to. I know that wasn't there the last time I saw him. Which means…someone had hurt him again.
"It's okay, Darren. This'll never happen again…"
"I'll keep you safe. Don't worry."
"I'm never letting this happen to you again."
I gulped. What I had told him echoed through my mind. Look at him now…
"Just promise never to leave me."
"I promise."
Everything's changed. Drastically.
My heart fell as he reached his hand up to my face, holding my cheek as if I were an angel from Heaven. I saw tears glistening in his eyes. He seemed so ill, his hand was trembling. I tried as hard as I could to fight back tears, but they blurred my vision. I let them fall.
"Bumblebee…" He sounded like he could barely talk. I sat next to him. I couldn't look away.
"Darren," I whispered. My fingers grazed his side. "Darren, you l-look so…" My words were choked in my throat. Tears fell faster. He shook his head at me.
"Bee, m-my mom," he started. "M-My mom…Sh-She did this all to me, Bee. All of it, sh-she did it all..." He coughed.
I took in a breath, though it was hard to. "All?" I blinked. "There's more?"
Darren coughed again many more times. I saw blood trickle from his mouth, and I leaned back. My thumb wiped it away gently, and I ignored my mind's screams against this.
"It's okay, take your time..." I told him.
He breathed in shakily, closing his eyes for a second.
"Let me see them, Darren," I whispered.
Nodding, his slender hands gripped the lower hem of his tattered shirt and lifted it up, revealing to me the many cuts, scrapes, and bruises that accented his fragile body. My eyes tried to tear away, but this was too real. My Darren, wounded, weak…possibly even…dying?
My fingers trembled over a scar on his stomach and he whimpered. I lifted my fingers away to my eyes. Blood stained my fingertips and my breath halted. I smudged the blood between two fingers, choking back cries.
"Dear, Primus," I said under a breath.
My hand shaking, I let my fingers brush over a bruise on his chest, many cuts around his lungs, cuts on his sides. My eyes were glistening with tears that begged to fall. Darren's condition was unspeakable…
"Oh my, God," I murmured into my hands that now covered my mouth. My stomach churned sickeningly. I wanted to throw up.
I couldn't look away. This was real.
I set both of my hands on him very easily, not wanting to hurt him at all, any more. I felt his muscles tense under my hands, and I looked up to his eyes.
"Darren, your mother did all of this?" I questioned in a voice near a whisper.
He only nodded.
"Does your Dad have anything against this?" I squinted my eyes, choking back a cry. "At all?"
He shook his head. "Even if he did, he couldn't do anything," his weak voice uttered. "H-He's sick…a-always in his room. He never comes out…"
I made a face. "What does he have?" I asked.
"H-heart problems."
I frowned. I knew this was a serious issue humans faced.
"And what about you?" I say softly, stroking his bare skin gently. "You look ill, Darren."
He whimpered, closing his eyes for a moment.
"I dunno…" He groaned helplessly.
Turning my eyes back down to the many scars and blemishes on his body, I leaned down, trying my best to examine them. Most of them looked fresh as if they had just gotten there. Others, looked like they'd been there for weeks. I swallowed hard.
"You need to see a doctor," I told him, still examining. "Any one of these could be infected."
He looked at me with wider eyes.
"Like my mom gives a damn," he said firmly. "She doesn't wanna spend any money on me."
I furrowed my brow at his words.
"Let me see what I can find out," I whispered. Setting one hand on top of the other, I pressed in and down on top of his lungs, feeling for anything unusual. He squirmed.
"Bee, th-that hurts," he told me in a sharp breath.
"Sorry…" I withdrew my hands, moving down to his stomach. I did the same and this time, he made a small cry of pain. Something in his stomach was bothering him. I looked at him.
"Have you been eating regularly?" I asked.
He looked away. "I'm never hungry anymore a-and…whenever I try to eat, I throw it up."
I narrowed my eyes in concern, then looked back down.
"What could be wrong?" I said to myself in a whisper. I lifted my hands away from his stomach and slid closer to him, looking to his face. My hand was set against his cheek. I turned his head to one side, then guided it in another direction, looking, studying. I ran a finger along the scar on his temple.
"Your mother…" I assumed.
He nodded. "Sh-She hits me with things now…"
I blinked. "What things?"
He didn't answer until a few seconds later. "Belts, sh-shoes, twigs…anything she can grab onto." He said it easily, regardless of the fact that his voice was shaky and weak. I shook my head. I'd never known of this human behavior before until now. And I'd never known a victim of this abuse until I met him.
My hand laid over his forehead, my internal systems that stilled remained with me from robot mode scanning his body. His body temperature was lower than the normal.
"Darren, we need to get you to a doctor," I whispered, looking to his eyes.
"We couldn't afford it, Bee" he told me, his pale eyes watching as I slid my hands to his throat.
I massaged the back of his jaw, scanning, and feeling if his glands were swollen or not.
"Y-You seem like you know what you're doing," he said, laughing very weakly.
I smiled. "I've seen Ratchet do this before to humans when he was in his human form," I told him in a bigger grin. "I'm just mimicking his ways. All the credit's to him."
Darren smiled. "Y-Yeah…T-Thanks though."
"Anytime," I said. I lifted my hands away and slid down, leaning in to set my ear over his heart. "Breathe in and out for me. Nice and slow, okay?" He obeyed. His heart sounded fine, but a little quick. I guessed it was because of everything that had been happening to him, the pain his body was going through, and the thoughts and scenes flashing in his head. I lifted my ear away and gently patted his side, pulling his shirt back down.
"I-It sounded okay?" He asked me nervously.
"Y-Yeah, it's okay," I reassured him. My hand took his. "Darren, I can't let you stay here."
His eyes went to mine directly. I saw hope flash in them.
"You could take me to the base?" He asked eagerly. I nodded. He smiled and lifted his arms, beckoning for a hug. I leaned in and let his arms wrap around me. I was careful not to press against the many wounds on his body. I felt his tears wet my cheek.
"Bumblebee, th-thank you," he choked out. He let me lean back, our eyes staring into one another's. "When could you take me? And how?"
I took in a deep breath. "Your parents wouldn't know, Darren. It'd be like a kidnap, only I'm not kidnapping you, technically. I'm taking you to safety."
He nodded. "B-But, my mom…She'll call the police again. A-And alert everyone."
I twisted my lip. "You think they could find us?"
He shrugged. "I guess not," he said. "And even if they did, you're as tall as a freakin' house as a robot. You'd kick their asses, right? You and everyone else?" He chuckled, me too.
"Yeah, I suppose you're right," I mused in a grin. His hand took me by surprise when it squeezed mine firmly. We smiled wider at each other.
"Bee, just…thanks for comin' back," he whispered. "You had we worried when you didn't show last week…or the week before."
I frowned and winced a little. "Yes, I've been busy with many things," I said regretfully. "My apologies though, Darren."
He scoffed lightly. "Don't worry about it, Bee," he grinned. "At least you're here now."
I smiled at him. "Yeah, I am." My fingers stroked his jawline slowly. "I'm here…"
He laughed, my fingers tickling. "When do you plan on coming back to get me?"
"Tonight," I said. "When do you parents turn in for sleep?"
He thought for a moment. "Late…Around twelve at the latest."
I nodded. "Alright."
"You're leaving now?" His voice seemed needy.
"Not unless you want me to," I said in a smile. "I can stay."
"Yeah, do," he told me. "Until my mom makes you leave."
I laughed and lay down next to him. "You've got it."
He let me wrap my arms around his shoulders and draw him near to my chest, his body trembling in fear of me pressing his wounds. I shake my head and let him put his head against my neck. I held him…safe, secure, protected in my arms. Away from this hell of his life.
"In a few hours, this'll be all over," he sighed, closing his eyes. "I can't thank you enough."
I smile. "Anything for you, Darren."
He chuckled, looking over at me. "You always say that, Bee." His elbow nudges playfully into my stomach.
I chuckled. "Come tomorrow, you'll be yourself again," I said. "I promise."
He nodded. "Yeah…Let's hope I'll get the nerve to eat."
My hand slid to his stomach and patted it twice very easily. "You will. I'll be with you every step of the way."
Darren smiled at me and squeezed my hand with both of his.
Here I am alone with You,
Quietly I talk to You.
You said the truth would set me free,
So here I am surrendering.
We lie in complete silence for a very long time, him always staying in my arms. I looked down at Darren with a smile, noticing that his eyes are closed.
"You alright, Darren?" I check on him.
He nodded slowly. "M'hm…"
I know I can let your promise be my hope,
And I know until You take me home.
I'm safe, safe 'cause you love me,
Safe, safe all because your name has power to calm the ocean,
When everything changes I'm safe.
Darren's Point of View
Here in Bumblebee's arms makes me feel so secure, like I'm in my father's and I'm four years old again. I listen to his heart, a habit I had as a kid, and it soothes me so much. He rocks me back and forth slowly and I melt in his hug, remembering the days when my father held me like this.
My heart is overflowing,
With peace beyond all knowing.
This love is deep, it shelters me,
And I'm safe within your reach.
I know I can let your promise be my hope
And I know until You take me home.
Bumblebee's bringing me home. This is too good to be true. I won't have to return to this living Hell, to the abuse, to the hatred. I have to say goodbye to my father. I can't leave without knowing he'll be okay.
Bumblebee squeezes my hand, and I do the same. What a guy, he is…
Though the odds are stacked against me,
Though I'm running out of time.
My heart is breaking,
But I know that You are mine.
So I let you see into me as you hold me in your hand,
My heart is on my sleeve.
I'm safe because you understand,
You understand.
Yeah, Bumblebee understands.
He's my guardian angel.