Chapter Thirty – We Care
Bumblebee smiled as he heard Arcee say those two simple words, "I do," setting his hands on both of her shoulders gently. He leaned down and planted a soft kiss against her jaw, and kept his faceplate close to hers, his imploring optics looking into hers.
"I-I'm just worried…," he started. "…about Hot Rod."
Arcee blinked, looking at him in concern. "N-No, Bumblebee, don't worry about him. He's my problem to deal with. Please don't let him make you upset."
Bumblebee shook his head slowly. "Honey, I don't want him to hurt you, that's all…"
Arcee smiled lightly. "He won't hurt me, baby."
"You know how aggressive he can be…"
Silence for only a few seconds.
The mech whirred, looking away. "Let me deal with him…? Just in case - "
Arcee cut off his words by planting a kiss against his mouth, making the mech groan in pleasure for only a short moment, grinning as she parted away. He looked at her playfully.
"Now, what was that?" She giggled.
"Oh, alright," he sighed, and leaned away, turning to face Ratchet. His optics fell over a sleeping Darren on the medical officer's shoulder, and he smiled even wider. "I guess we should all…return to our berths," Bumblebee said, starting to yawn.
Ratchet nodded, moving away from the medical berth to his recharging one. "I suppose we'll be telling the others tomorrow morning," he said, sitting.
Bumblebee nodded as he eased himself down to sit at Arcee's feet, watching Ratchet as he took Darren from his shoulder to his hands, holding the human oh-so-gently. As Ratchet's optics dimmed offline, Bumblebee turned his to his femme, smiling.
"You don't mind if I stay here with you, I'm sure," he said softly.
Arcee giggled. "Of course I don't mind."
With that, Bumblebee slid himself to her side, slipping an arm around her pink shoulders. He drew her close to his frame, letting her rest her head against his chest. He set his head on hers and looked adoringly into her optics, smiling. He looked down at her spark, feeling his own flutter inside him.
"Our little sparkling," he cooed, pressing his cheekplate on hers. "I can't believe this, Arcee."
She smiled up at him. "Me either," she breathed. "It's truly a blessing from Primus."
Bumblebee whirred lowly, and then purred, holding her lovingly against him. "You will make one amazing mother to our creation," he sighed.
"And you're going to make an amazing father," she grinned.
Bumblebee grinned back. "I love you, baby."
"And, I love you too," she whispered, planting her metal lips against his neck.
Bumblebee kissed her cheekplate before laying her receptor over his spark, setting his chin on the top of her head. His optic lids fell and he slipped into recharge, his hands trailing up and down her legs lightly.
All through the night, he kept his femme secure in his arms, as he wanted to protect her and their soon to be baby bot.
//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\
Two and a Half Hours Later…
Darren shifted in Ratchet's palms, letting his eyelids rise as he turned onto his back. His pale blue eyes looked up at Ratchet's closed optics, then sat himself on all fours, peeking through the mech's fingers at Bumblebee snuggled against Arcee. His lips curled into a smile, and he lifted his hands to two of Ratchet's fingers, sliding toward the opening between them.
"I'm happy for you, Dad," he whispered, leaning his head against the mech's finger. "Very happy for you…"
Ratchet hummed in his sleep, softly curling his hands around Darren, startling him. He brought the human up to his spark, his deep blue optics looking down at him, slightly skeptical.
"Talking to yourself, eh?" He said in a smile.
Darren smiled back. "I'm just happy for 'im," he said, looking to Bumblebee.
Ratchet looked to the yellow mech. "Yes, it seems you'll be having a younger sibling, huh? As Bumblebee said…"
Darren frowned a little. "Yeah, I guess. Though, I'm not technically…a part of his family."
"But, he does consider you as his son," the medical officer said. "Since the bond between you both is so strong."
Darren nodded, looking away from Bumblebee. "So strong it's like a father and son's…"
Ratchet nodded at the boy. "That's right."
"How does that work?"
Ratchet sighed. "It's a mystical bond," he said. "How two completely different hearts can have such a connection…I don't know."
Darren only sat, looking to Bumblebee again. "Some things just can't be explained," he sighed. "I guess this is one of 'em."
Ratchet nodded, lowering the human to his chest again. "Get some rest, son," he said gently. "Morning'll be here before you know it."
//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\
8:05am, That Morning
Bumblebee lifted his optic lids, shutting the immediately as harsh rays of the sun shone into them. He groaned and twisted onto his side, stretching out his metal joints slowly. His antennae perked as they caught quiet voices behind him, and he turned, blinking as he saw the entire Autobot squad, Arcee, and Darren conversing by Ratchet's recharge berth.
As he whirred, they all looked over their shoulders, smiling at him. They moved to him slowly, Optimus leading, the rest following. The commander set his hand against Bumblebee's head, making the mech smile at he felt fingers mess with antennae.
"Morning, Sir," he greeted, turning his big optics up at him.
Optimus smiled, leaning away. "Good morning."
Jazz and Ironhide moved up to the berthside together, letting Arcee slip between them to lower herself beside Bumblebee. The femme melted into his willing arms, and Ironhide grunted, smiling only slightly.
"So, what're the news, Ratchet?" He said gruffly, shooting the medical officer a cold look from his optics. "What'dja have to tell us?"
Ratchet grinned, hoisting Darren onto his shoulder. "They'll tell you," he said quietly.
Everyone looked down at the couple with awaiting optics. Jazz set his hands on his hips.
"This better be good," he muttered. "Woke up at fraggin' eight in the - "
"Jazz," droned the commander. "Easy there."
The second-in-command shut his mouth, turning his optics away from Bumblebee and Arcee. As the femme giggled, her mech lovingly kissed her cheekplate, making Ironhide's optics widen.
He cleared his throat. "Now, would be nice."
Bumblebee grinned. "I was getting to it," he laughed. "Just promise me none of you will be…angry o-or too surprised." His smile was gone.
They all nodded.
Bumblebee sighed, giving his femme a quick look before beginning. "Might as well just tell you right away," he said, his smile slowly growing again. "Sirs, Arcee and I are expecting a sparkling."
Dead silence. Not a sound for several seconds.
Ten seconds went by for what felt like a minute.
"Wh-What?" Optimus finally breathed. His optics were electric blue.
Bumblebee laughed at their expressions, pressing his cheekplate against Arcee's.
"You all heard me," he said, looking over them all. "I kid you not."
Optimus turned his optics to Arcee, his mouth slowly dropping. Everyone did the same.
Arcee giggled. "I'm afraid he's not kidding you, Sir," she said quietly. "We are expecting."
Silence again.
"Well, damn," Jazz said in a laugh, grinning ear-to-ear. "I-I…I don't know what to say, b-but…" He rubbed the back of his neck, gesturing a hand to Bumblebee. "Bee, I'm happy for you. Congrats."
Bumblebee nodded. "Thank you, Jazz."
Ironhide only crossed his arms, shaking his head. "You've bonded," he muttered, giving the younger mech a grin of disbelief as they looked over him slowly. "…Already?!"
"He's not the youngling we used to know anymore," sighed Optimus, his look of shock disappearing from his faceplate. "I congratulate you as well, Bumblebee and Arcee."
The couple grinned, holding each other tighter.
"Will it be a mech or femme?" asked Jazz.
"We won't be able to tell until a few weeks or so," Ratchet said.
Jazz blinked. "Oh…"
"I wonder what they'll look like," said Darren, smiling as they all looked at him. "I've never seen a baby robot before."
Ironhide grunted again. "Neither of us has…for a long time."
"Too long," sighed Optimus. "It'll surely be a sight."
"A blessing," Arcee smiled.
Bumblebee took her hand and laid it over his spark, letting her feel its strong thrums. He whirred pleasantly in her receptor, making her giggle in delight, leaning up and kissing his chin for many seconds. Optimus grinned at the sight.
"Reminds you of Elita and you, doesn't it Optimus?" chuckled Ironhide.
The commander shot the weapons specialist a quick look, feeling his coolant surge, the robot equivalent of a blush. He cleared his throat, smiling sheepishly. "Y-Yes, you are right," he said, turning his optics to Bumblebee and Arcee for a moment. "I do miss her…my sparkmate."
"Where is she anyways?" question Ratchet.
"Still on Cybertron," Optimus answered, regretfully. As his optics fell upon Bumblebee again, he sighed then smiled. "Regardless, I'm happy for you, Bumblebee."
The yellow mech turned his bright blue optics to his commander, grinning as he purred at Arcee. "Thank you again, Sir."
Jazz stepped forward and sat a hand hard on Bumblebee's shoulder, squeezing the mech and making him chuckle. The second-in-command shook his head, watching Arcee cuddle up under his arms.
"I can see it now, kid," he said, grinning. "A lil' bot runnin' around the base…"
"Dear, Primus," groaned Ratchet.
Arcee giggled. "Yes, our little sparkling," she sighed, closing her optics whilst letting her receptor listen to Bumblebee's spark. "I can hardly wait, Bee."
Bumblebee purred in reply. Just the thought of a baby bot in his arms, one that would call him "Daddy," and "Dada," made him smile from receptor-to-receptor. His spark skipped in a happy flutter and Arcee felt this, giggling against him. He kissed her noseplate softly in a smile, letting his cheekplate lean against her forehead. The entire room smiled with them, sparks swelled in joy.
Tears of happiness stung Arcee's optics as she nuzzled against his neck, taking in every breath that entered his vents in her receptors. She couldn't help but smother his chin in kisses to hear him laugh, his arms moving around her chest.
Ironhide blinked, looking to Optimus. "He's definitely not a youngling anymore, Prime."
"Oh, I think he still is," said Ratchet in a smile. "He's just…changed, that's all."
Jazz looked at them with an arched ridge. "Hey, changed or not, we'll support 'im, right?"
"Of course," answered Darren quickly. "We're supporting you all the way, Dad."
The others nodded.
Bumblebee and Arcee smiled.
Bumblebee a father, hardly anyone could believe that they were not dreaming. No one could wait to discover the gender of the soon to be sparkling. Would it be a baby femmebot, beautiful and strong like her mother? Or a baby mech, loving and big-hearted like his father? They could only wait anxiously.
Bumblebee nuzzled his head against Arcee's, making her laugh. Smiling as he kissed her, he purred, closing his optics slowly. In his mind, he pictured Arcee, Darren, himself, and his baby bot, the sparkling in his mother's arms. His spark hummed warmly.
The femme of his dreams was his, the human boy he'd found astray was forever away from harm, in the protection of gentle giants. And, every Autobot in the Adonis III supported him, and would until the sparkling grew to a full-fledged robot.
Could things get any better?
He shook his head, feeling tears rise. He smiled, planting another kiss against her cheekplate. Finally, he whispered, "Primus, thank you."