AN: So I kind of grew attached to the story line? Alternatively known as me making me hate myself.

Bumblebee could feel Miles begin to stir as he pulled to a stop. He made a note that the teen woke up quickly, probably a reflex after so long. The Scout knew that after a particularly intense or long battle he always woke up faster, because he felt it was too dangerous to not do so. Miles was already sitting up from his previously slumped position against the window.

"Where the fuck…"

The Autobot knew full well that the teen was completely shocked. Even he was, and he'd been to the Autobot base before. A wall around the entire base had been erected, and at his best guess the Scout would have to estimate that it was about twenty feet taller than his Prime, even. The only thing that Bumblebee could guess was that Wheeljack must have come but who he'd gotten to help him construct the wall he had no clue.

"This," Bumblebee said gently, "Is the Autobot base."

"Taking me home to meet the parents already?" Miles asked, smirking at the symbol on his wheel. "Moving a bit too fast for me, Bee."

Bumblebee laughed, "My mother can be a bit intimidating, but I imagine you'll be accepted right away."

The Scout didn't really know that, though. He'd parked in front of some large doors, and from a quick scan the Autobot could tell that they were supposed to get a signal to make them slide apart. For the first time in months he sent a quick comm to his Prime to tell him to open the gate to let him in. Already he could see how much had changed, even more than just the wall. The entire area outside of the wall was littered with traps and wheel marks in the sand. The infected wouldn't have been able to come near; the Autobot base had turned into a fortress.

As soon as the doors opened Bumblebee drove in, only stopping because there was another set of doors in front of him. It made the Scout uncomfortable to see how cautious his 'bots and their soldiers were being, because now they seemed to be in some type of holding cell. The Scout suspected this was to ensure that no infected came in, or someone who was infected was going to come in. Seeing Fig come out of a small human sized metal door did warm his Spark a little, but the soldier was dressed to the nines with a gun in his hands.

"Bumblebee!" Fig sounded pleasantly surprised, "Hola, amigo! It's been too long!"

"It has," Bumblebee agreed. The soldier walked over and peered into the car. "This is Miles, Nick, and Millie. I picked them up off the street."

"Es cierto, amigo? We haven't gotten any fresh meat here since three weeks after the last news report." Fig muttered this in amazement, patting Bumblebee on the head. "Go on in, and report to outside the meeting hangar. The higher ups are wanting words with you, amigo."

The soldier went back towards the door he had come out of, waving before disappearing inside of it. Not long after the doors in front of Bumblebee opened up, and the Scout started to slowly drive through them. Millie and Nick were waking up now, too, and Millie sat up to groggily rub at her eyes, yawning. Nick sat up at her side, just staring down at his legs tiredly.

"Bringing me to meet the 'rents and they're mad at you?" Miles whistled, "Super bad dating etiquette."

"I'll get you flowers to make up for it later," Bumblebee sarcastically promised.

"M'too…" Millie mumbled, still rubbing at her eyes. "M'n'Nick flowers too."

"Yes, you too," Bumblebee laughed, and Miles snickered softly as well. Millie pouted, but was too tired to care for long.

It didn't escape his notice that the two kids didn't feel the need to wake up quickly, that they took the time. It just made him respect Miles even more. He might have mentioned this if he wasn't looking around the base he had once known so well in amazement.

What had once been a scattering of buildings was now a proper city, what Optimus had been aiming for in the first place. Bumblebee had to navigate roads he didn't know; only knowing that he was going the right way for sure when he passed the building that was Ratchet's Medbay. There were tons more humans than what there used to be, and the Scout had already seen two Cybertronians walking about that he didn't immediately recognize. One of them even had gold eyes, marking them as a Neutral.

Any joy that he'd gotten from joking around with Miles had disappeared. For the first time the Scout was nervous. Just how much had changed since he'd been gone?

Bumblebee eventually made his way to the meeting hangar. That building too, had changed. Before it had just been the name designated because that's where they'd originally intended to have it, but it had been built too small for their Prime. Now it had been very obviously worked over, tall enough to fit their Prime and then some. But, from the three Cybertronians sitting outside of it and the one soldier, it appeared as if they still did some talking outside of it.

The Scout pulled to a stop in front of the four, "If you three could get out of me, please."

Bumblebee had mentioned his bipedal mode, but he'd not actually bothered to show it to either Miles or the kids yet. They'd needed a moving vehicle, not a giant robot. But now Miles was ushering Millie and Nick out of his interior, before the teen climbed out himself, backpack strap in one hand and shotgun in the other. Once they were a safe distance away the Scout transformed, his Prime, CMO, and Weapons Specialist following his lead. The Scout heard an awe-filled gasp from Millie, and when he glanced down at the three humans nearest him he could see the surprise on all their faces, even Miles'.

"Holy shit," Miles said, "That is one big momma."

Bumblebee followed the teen's gaze and instantly began to laugh, because while most would have looked at Optimus, the teen had pegged Ratchet right away as the 'mother'. Maybe it was because of his lime green alt mode being an ambulance, but the Scout was inclined to believe that the teen was right. His laughter died down immediately as his optics scanned the group in front of him, falling finally onto the soldier that stood there. It had been awhile since he'd last seen Will, and it appeared as if the Captain had aged a bit since then. Or maybe it was just the scowl on his face and the way he was obviously very displeased to see Miles, Nick, and Millie.

"Bumblebee," Will said sharply, "I know you've been gone for a long time now, but we do not bring anyone on this base without first having them checked out by Ratchet or First Aid. First Aid, in this case."

"We are not infected," Miles replied shortly, glaring at the soldier.

"We can't run the risk of you being carriers without knowing, kid." The soldier responded instantly, leveling him with a challenging look.

"We wouldn't hurt no one!" Millie whined, and Will's gaze turned to her and softened for once.

"They are fine, William." Ratchet assured the Captain, "My scans pick up no sign of the infection on them. I do think the two children should be taken for a full check up by First Aid for now, though."

"Fine," Will allowed, and even Miles seemed okay with that, though the teen was very obviously still angry at the soldier.

Bumblebee stayed silent, though. It was the first time he'd ever seen the Captain be so rude, and while he understood that Lennox just wanted to watch out for the humans on base, it was also very offensive. If the man seriously believed that Bumblebee would bring anyone harmful to base, even after all this time with no contact… The Scout almost wanted to follow Miles' lead and glare at the Captain.

"What's your name, sweetheart?" Will asked, looking directly at Millie now. "I'm Captain William Lennox."

"M'Millie," Millie responded shyly now that his attention was fully on her, edging closer to Miles.

"That's a very pretty name, Millie." Will complimented, his gaze turning to Nick. "And what's your name, son?"

Nick just stared at the soldier, and Miles put a hand on the younger boy's shoulder. Bumblebee could tell the teen was very tense already, and he regretted that. He hadn't quite expected this welcoming, and his 'bots weren't even trying to defend the three humans from Will's scrutiny. A lot had changed and it left the Scout with a bitter feeling.

"Nicky doesn't talk," Millie explained for her friend, "He hasn't for months now, so don't take offense. We both think it's very nice to meet you, Mr. Lennox."

"It's very nice to meet all of you, too." Will responded politely, "And I'm sorry if I seem like a meanie, but I have to make sure nothing happens to the people here."

"We understand, brother'd do the same." Millie smiled briefly at the Captain, before her gaze turned to the rest of the Autobots. "And who're you? Are you all Bee's family?"

"Indeed, little one." Optimus spoke up first, "I am Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots. To my left is Ratchet, our Chief Medical Officer, for both the humans here and the Cybertronians. To my right is Ironhide, our Weapons Specialist, Guardian of the Captain and his family. It's been quite a while since we've seen our Bumblebee."

Optimus' optics rested on him, and Bumblebee looked down at the three humans he'd picked up. "A lot's changed, I see."

"I can see the same." Optimus responded, and Bumblebee almost wanted to flinch at that. But he wasn't a sparkling anymore. Optimus' approval or disapproval over his actions really didn't matter now, did it? Just like Will and his title of Captain, the title of Prime was worthless now. The Autobots would follow whoever promised to lead just as the humans would. It was a worthless post that could be abandoned and picked up again just like that.

Optimus' optics flickered to the side, and Bumblebee followed the gaze to see First Aid walking up. It had been quite a while since he'd seen the Protectobot, and he wondered if the rest of Defensor was there, too.

A new robot came walking up to them, and Miles watched this one just as warily. Optimus and the rest seemed fine, but he knew it wasn't him that they wanted to talk to. The only one really interested in them was the soldier and Miles was already mad at him. He knew why the Captain acted the way he did, hell, like Millie had said, he'd have done it himself, but it didn't make him feel any safer.

This robot, though, knelt right in front of the teen, Millie, and Nick.

"Hello, I am First Aid. May I take these kids with me? Afterwards I can get them a shower and a nice meal. I'll talk to Graham and have him arrange a room for the three of you as well."

Miles wanted to feel like he had a choice to say yes or no, but he knew he really didn't. Between Millie already leading Nick over to the Autobot and the way the Captain had been so adamant, he knew that he'd have to go along with some things. He just had to be comforted by the fact that Bumblebee looked as troubled by everything as he felt, and that he still had his shotgun and pistol. If needed he could protect himself and his kids somewhat, even with his broken foot.

But just like that, Millie and Nick were gone. For the first time in months the two were willfully leaving him, or at least Millie was and Nick hardly if ever left her side. The teen wanted to follow them, to make sure that they were safe, but he also wanted them to be able to be alone and feel safe on their own.

The teen frowned, and looked up at the three Autobots who were still strangers to him. "I'd suggest telling First Aid not to separate them. They get checked out together, they wash together. Nick'll damn near go catatonic, and Millie'll scream her head off."

"Noted," The green one, Ratchet, replied. "But out of the three of you I believe that it is you who most requires our attention."

"I believe that can wait for later," Bumblebee answered for him, because Miles was just giving the Medic an 'Are you stupid?' look. "Fig mentioned that you wanted to talk to me."

"You and your Char-…Your, uhm…" Optimus cut himself off half way through saying Charges. Sam wasn't there, nor had the Scout brought him up. It wasn't hard to guess that the very human who had saved his race was probably dead by now, but what did that make the three humans he'd brought to base? Was he their Guardian?

"Companions," Miles supplied. "I don't need a Guardian, thank you very much, just a friend who isn't too young to get all the things I want to talk about and isn't infected. I tried befriending one of the infected once, and let me tell you, after a while it became very tiring that Todd kept trying to eat me."

From the stares he was getting his humor wasn't being appreciated, but Bumblebee, at least, vented sharply in a snort. This was going to get very tiring very quickly if Bumblebee was the only one he could trust or be himself around.

"First things first, organic, we need you to turn in your weapons." Ironhide rumbled, breaking the silence.

"I'm sorry?" Miles asked in surprise, staring up at Ironhide.

"It's policy," Will replied for his Guardian, "We can't have civilians wandering base with loaded guns. The soldiers are quite capable of providing protection."

"Uhm, fuck no." Miles responded as politely as possible.

"I agree," Bumblebee said, "You can't honestly expect to take away his weapons! How do you think he's survived all this time?"

"Good luck and the favor of his God." Ironhide looked directly at Bumblebee with an uncaring expression, "It is a direct order. It's too dangerous to leave a civilian walking around base with a gun."

"Oh, and it's safe to leave the soldiers doing it?" Miles asked sarcastically.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean, kid?" Will asked, scowling at him now. "If there's anyone you should trust, it should be a soldier."

"So what? Because you're a soldier you get automatic trust?" Miles stared the soldier down defiantly, "What fucking bullshit. I don't trust you; I'm not going to trust any fucking one of you, Autobot or human. The only one here I do trust is Bumblebee. Being a soldier does not make you a good person, Captain, nor does it make you a trust worthy one. I have not survived hell by putting my trust into fucking humans."

"You can't even trust your own kind?" Will questioned, and Miles could tell he was probably the only one who'd ever challenged anything the Captain had said.

"You have got to be kidding me," Miles gave a bitter laugh. "Humans are even worse than the infected! We're supposedly highly intelligent beings with morals, and I'd sooner trust one of those zombies out there than a human so as not to get stabbed in the back! Don't you think, Captain, that had we actually been able to pull our shit together and fight with one another that we would have one while the infected would have lost?"

"I get it, kid; you've been through some shit. You're traumatized, but-"

"Do not insult him, William!" Bumblebee snapped at the soldier, "There are some things you should never just group together and try to label away under trauma. He is right and you know it. It is true for both the human race and my own. Under high duress creatures that claim to have morals often lose them."

"If you want traumatized go talk to Nick," Miles added. "He's not talked since his uncle murdered his mother as soon as she became bit, and then threatened to do the same to him if he didn't shut up because he was crying. But, I mean, you're totally right. Humans are the best ever."

"Miles, what have you done?" Optimus asked finally, staring down at the teen. "I do not wish to be rude, but if you're a threat…"

"A threat?" Miles repeated with a laugh. "I'm going to be completely honest here: yes, I am. But only if you threaten Nick or Millie. I've been out there with them longer than anyone else on this base, Fig said that back at the gates. It's true that we did run in to a few survivors, and even stayed with some people at the beginning, but there's a reason that we're alone now. I want it to be clear that I have never hesitated in doing what I thought was best for Millie and Nick. If it came to a point where I had to protect them here than I would. I would not hesitate for a moment."

"Just what exactly did you think was in there best interests out there, then?" Will asked, because the soldier was smart enough to know that Miles wasn't just rambling on for a reason. He was realizing that when the kid said he was a threat he was being dead serious, but he was also being honest when he said it was only for Nick and Millie, that the man could tell.

"That asshole of an uncle? I left him as bait so me and Nick could get away from a horde of the infected," Miles responded. "Back then, not long after that, I found three older men who were willing to take care of us on their farm. The house was surrounded by electric barb wire so it was perfect, and they taught me how to shoot. If I hadn't stayed with them then I probably wouldn't have been able to survive so well without them. But I knew, from the beginning, they weren't exactly the kind of people I would have spent willing time with before the infection. After it just made them even worse. I guess I was just lucky in that they were stupid, or maybe they just thought I'd be too scared and unwilling to do anything about it, but they directly talked about breeding Millie as soon as she got her period so they could 'repopulate' the earth. They were all bigger than me, better at fighting, better with a gun, better with a knife. If I'd attacked one then they would have killed me; I doubt they would have let me leave, especially after that. So one night I went out and deactivated the electric fence just long enough to bring an infected in. By the end of it only one was still alive and untouched by what I'd done, so I shot him in the head."

"So yes," Miles continued, staring directly at Will's mildly horrified face. "I am dangerous. I've killed for my kids and I would do it again. But I broke my fucking foot and I need to put some trust somewhere because I can't protect them like this, not out there. And I met Bumblebee, and so he's the one my trust goes to. Not you, not towards any fucking soldier on this base, and not to the rest of the Autobots, because not a single damn one of you have done anything to earn it."

"Jesus fucking Christ, kid…" Will muttered, but after that he said nothing, because he couldn't think of a single damn thing to say.

The soldier stood on one side, the Prime, Weapons Specialist, and Medic standing behind him. Miles and the Scout stood on the other side, and the metaphorical distance between them was a lot bigger than the physical distance. There was a giant gaping chasm in between them, between those that still had faith and those who had none.

How the faithless had come together and united, Will would never know, but Bumblebee stared back at the soldier and his Autobots just as defiantly as the teen did, daring them to try and convince the two otherwise. But none of them could, because as much as they hated to admit it, the two were right.

That night, the cafeteria had three additional organics to it that needed to be showed around. After the minor fight between Miles, Ironhide, Bumblebee, and the Captain, the group had broken apart. Miles and Bumblebee had gone to the Medbay to visit the kids and so that Miles himself could be checked over, while the three higher ups had gone to talk amongst each other about their Scout's behavior.

Millie and Nick were the first to fill up their trays with food, Miles watching from the sidelines and leaning on one crutch. All of the 'bots had their holoforms out to watch the proceedings and dine with the organics of their choice, but Bumblebee wasn't joining them or any of the soldiers he knew. The Scout was alienating himself even more, but he seemed quite content to stand next to Miles as they both waited for the dinner line to die down.

The two kids went to find a place to sit, drifting towards Sarah Lennox at a table with little Annabelle, when someone knocked into Millie, sending the girl stumbling and her tray crashing to the floor. A hushed silence fell over the cafeteria at the sound of the breaking glass, but no one laughed like the normally would, because Millie started to cry.

Optimus moved his holoform over to the kids, kneeling to make sure the girl wasn't hurt. He was confused to see that she was completely fine, and despite her crying was desperately trying to clean up the mess she had made. Her brother was already hobbling his way over with the Scout hot on his heels, and as soon as she saw him she started to apologize profusely.

"Mills, what's wrong? Why are you crying?" Miles sounded just as confused by it as the Prime felt.

"B-because e-everything was so n-nice and I've ruined it!" The little girl sobbed, clinging to her older brother.

The Prime came to the sickening realization that the little girl had truly thought she'd ruined everything, that she was afraid to see even this small bit of normalcy that everyone on base was taking for granted taken away from her. She'd not enjoyed something like this for months, and even now she was afraid that it wouldn't last. Normalcy had suddenly been thrust upon them, leaving the two kids walking a tight rope, but it was inevitable one of them would fall down and ruin something. And to Millie, it broke her little heart.

Optimus had to wonder just how long it would take for the two kids to work themselves back into accepting a normal way of life, or if they'd just be terrified that everything would always come falling down around them again.