::Chapter Three::

In the medbay, the green and red mech read the scans on his currrent patient's health."Slaggin' twins. Hope Prowl punished them well.", he muttered. Then, he blinked his optics. The said patient behind him roused, making Ratchet turn around and face him. "Well, took you long enough, 'Bee. I was about to force a wake up.". Bumblebee shivered."I just had a bad nightmare...", he played over his speaker. Ratchet growled."Wish it were a nightmare, don't you? No, youngling. You really are a sparkling.", he said.

Bumblebee whimpered. So it hadn't been a nightmare? Ratchet gave him a sympathetic look."I guess you were at...how do the humans say it? Ah, 'wrong place and at the wrong time'. Its not your fault you ran into the twins.", he said. The little mech-turned-sparkling noisily vented air."You got that right, buddy.", he said. The medic studied him closely."Well, since you're a sparkling, you're going to need a guardian.", he stated."While Optimus knows you have experience, he wants to make sure you stay safe and okay. Can't blame him. So Ironhide will be your guardian. Again.", he added, glaring at the little sparkling as he tried to protest. Bumblebee made a face. Ironhide as his guardian again? He was glad the old mech had raised him well the first time around, but having to deal with the ancient warrior again was something he did not want to do. And what would Sam think, now that he probably wasn't going to able to protect him, but possibly the other way around?

Ratchet either read his mind well, or guessed accurately, since he snorted."Sam will be informed of your situation. For now, he'll have Optimus as his temporary guardian. So don't worry, sparkling, erm, I mean Bumblebee. The human will be fine.", he said aloud. Bumblebee whimpered, his optics tearing up with liquid. Just then, Wheeljack entered the room, his sights set on the young scoutling."Oh, Bumblebee. I...I swear by Primus, this is not what was supposed to happen. I truly regret your forced involvement into this.", he apologized weakly, his sidebars flashing red and orange for embarrassment. Bumblebee tried to comfort the old mech by patting his hand, surprised by how little his hand was compared to the scientist's. Through a comm link, he tried to get Wheeljack to understand it wasn't his fault. He smiled at Bumblebee, relief and gratitude flooding through the sparkling's proccesors.

Ratchet patted the young sparkling's helm."Well, I don't see any more reason for you to stick around in the medbay. Get on outta here.", he said. Bumblebee played a clip of people cheering half-heartedly. The old medic only glared at him in return."But Ironhide has to come pick you up. Send him a comm link, youngling.", he added. Wheeljack coughed." Excuse me, Ratch. But if you don't mind, I'd like to escort Bumblebee out of here myself.", he interjected. Ratchet eyed him suspiciously."I guess you can. But only for today. And don't you dare tell Ironhide or Optimus. Or you'll wake up with a huge dent in your helm.", he warned. Bumblebee chirped his approval and Wheeljack laughed. "I never got the chance to see you as a sparkling. But you seem alright, Bumblebee.", he said.

A few astroseconds later, Bumblebee was talking animatedly to Wheeljack about Sam via comm link when a rose colored convertible came rolling in, stopping inches away from both mech and sparkling. The femme transformed into her bi-pedal form and stared at both of them."Wheeljack...Who is this sparkling? Does he belong to you?", she asked, awe and maternal feeling radiating in her voice. The inventor mech laughed."No, Elita. He is not mine. He is, erm, an abandoned sparkling we happened to find yesterday. We, ah, don't know where the parental femme or mech are, unfortunately.", he added. Elita frowned." No parental femme or mech should ever leave their sparkling behind! They are precious little beings, worth having a loving family!", she said, her voice laced with a hint of anger. Wheeljack coughed."Yes, ah, of course. Right now, we're going to focus on locating his, erm, parental units, Elita. So no need to worry.", he muttered. The rose colored femme nodded."Good job. But I must say, he looks an awful lot like Bumblebee...Speaking of which, I have to go find the youngling. Do you know where he is?", she said. Wheeljack coughed."Um, I believe you should ask Optimus that. I can't say I know. Sorry, Elita.", he replied.

The femme sighed."Hmm...My sparkmate is not available right now. Maybe I'll ask him later, Wheeljack. He is busy talking with Samuel James Witwicky. ", she said. Then she turned her attention to the sparkling, her optics shining brightly."You are an adorable thing. Just like Bumblebee. I think you'll like him very much, sweetie,", she cooed. After a few more words, she left, leaving Bumblebee kicking his cooling systems on high power. The civilian scientist smiled, his bars flashing red and orange."Sorry, mechling. But no one can know you are actually the scout Bumblebee, Samuel's ally.", he mumbled. The scout whimpered at the mention of his friend's name, and Wheeljack glanced at him, sorrow and sympathy apparent in his optics.

Wheeljack:: I am sorry you cannot tell Sam about your situation.::

Bumblebee:: It was to be expected. Besides, Ratchet is right. I can't guard Sam as a sparkling. Megatron or Starscream would kill me in less than an astrosecond.::

Wheeljack:: Oh Primus, Bumblebee. This whole mess is all my fault. If I hadn't worked on that machine...::

Bumblebee:: No, 'Jack. Don't blame yourself. You were only trying to help our cause, and you musta've miscalculated something. In any case, blame it on the war.::

Wheeljack::Well, I guess if you look at it that way...Oh, my processors are glitching already. No...wait, it's just Ironhide sending a comm. link.::

Ironhide:: 'Jack, Optimus told me to bring Bumblebee to him. Says its important. Methinks its a meeting.::

Bumblebee:: Frag. I don't like the sound of that.::

Ironhide:: Look, sparkling. I don't want to hear you sweari...Oh, slaggit all! You're a mech in a sparkling's body. I must be glitching. Forget it. Just get your metal afts here.::

Bumblebee:: Slaggit, slaggit slaggit.::

Ironhide:: Don't push it, Bumblebee. Or I will offline you, sparkling or not.::

Wheeljack:: Alright, 'Hide. Tell Optimus we'll be there. And make sure everybot is there also. Don't want the scout to be redder than the twins' paint job. Elita passed by here a few seconds ago, and she left him redder than a tomato, as the humans say it.::

Ironhide:: Serves him right. Ironhide out::

After ending the communications with the weapons specialist, Wheeljack turned to face Bumblebee."Alrighty then, Bumblebee. Let's go." The little mechling whistled, and rolled into his alt mode. Or he tried to. For a few seconds nothing happened, leaving the youngling confused. Then he tried again, and without success. Finally, he realized the problem: He was not a mech, but rather, a sparkling. And he wasn't old enough to transform yet, at least, not in this state. Suddenly, Bumblebee realized the reality of the situation, which only made him upset. It took all of the old mech's willpower to hold in the laughter as he saw the expressions the mechling made. The scoutling only glared at Wheeljack before he ran off , leaving the inventor to speed off behind him. From behind him, however, a pairs of optics glanced at the mechs leave while snickering to itself."Lord Megatron will be most pleased to hear about this...", it muttered. Then it flew off, tis crimson optics scouring the landscape from above.

Squee! I hope you liked the third chapter. Also, for those who are wondering who the obvious 'Con was, will have to find out in a later chapter. So, 'Bee now has to deal with the pain of growing up again. And he has no alt mode.*tears up* But, sadly, that's what it means to be a sparkling.(I think.) I promise though, he will return to normal. For now, enjoy what you can of this messed up story. Review!