It took awhile to get Bumblebee and Honeydew calmed down and in stasis. The twins and Ironhide were dismissed to their respective guardians, and Perceptor was sent to check on SAW, who was in a quiet recharge. Barricade himself had reverted to recharging sitting up against the wall next to SAW's recharge pad.
After the twins and Ironhide had left, Ratchet found left his lab to find his leader sitting with his head in his hands, a sign that he was on the verge of a mainframe breakdown.
Things were quiet in the base for about a day and a half while the newly-mated and traumatized recuperated. Honeydew was actually the first to wake up, asking Ratchet where Daddy and Zee-Zee were. Ratchet was very quiet, and said that Daddy needed rest. He said nothing about Frenzy. Honeydew sensed that something was wrong, and remained silent in Ratchet's lab, lying on Bumblebee's arm.
Barricade had actually not been in a full recharge; constantly skipping back and forth between that line of dream and consciousness. He kept replaying the horror over and over; seeing in normal and slow-motion his beloved partner being shot and reduced to twisted, unrecognizable metal. More recently, he kept thinking that he was going to meet the same fate when Bumblebee get a hold of him. As though he didn't feel guilty enough. The only reason he didn't pursue SAW himself sooner was because of Bumblebee. He knew all too well that Bumblebee had deep feelings for SAW; deeper than his own, probably. He didn't want his new friendship with Bumblebee to be a waste.
He looked sidelong at SAW. The smaller mech was still in uneasy recharge, and he could feel through their bond that SAW was suffering, too. He knew that SAW deeply cared for Frenzy; maybe even loved him. He was anxious at how SAW would react to him taking on the role of his mate. He just hoped that SAW would understand that it was to save him. He hoped Bumblebee would see it that way, too.
It wasnt fair, Barricade kept saying to himself. This should have been Bumblebee's chance. SAW should be Bumblebee's mate, not him. And now, both being victems of circumstance, they were both screwed over.
Or were they...?
Barricade looked at SAW for the umpteenth time, thought for a moment, then nodded to himself. Yes, he thought. He believed he could make this work...
The next morning, Barricade was jerked out of his already light stasis to hear some arguing outside of SAW's room. He vaguely recognized Bumblebee's voice being garbled with Optimus and Ratchet's, and caught words like 'trick' and 'betray'. He made a growling noise when he saw that his mate was being disturbed by the racket and stood up to get what he had to say out in the open--and prepare for a few hits. He stuck his head outside the doorway to see Optimus and Barricade blocking Bumblebee's entrance into the room while Bumblebee kept shrieking at them to move.
Bumblebee finally made optic contact with Barricade, and pushed harder to get past Optimus and Ratchet. "You!" he screamed, clawing at the other two's arms. "How could you!? You thief! You whore!"
"Bumblebee!" Optimus snapped at Bumblebee's language. "That's enough!"
"The Pit, it isnt!" Bumblebee's facial armor came down in attack mode. "He stole Sam from me! He stole him! I'll kill him! I'll kill him!"
"If you kill him, then SAW will be in worse danger than before!" Ratchet cut in, still struggling to keep his hold on the younger mech.
"Then at least I'll be here!"
"Let Barricade explain himself!" Optimus shot back. Bumblebee let out a high-pitched shriek and finally broke away from the other two to dive at Barricade, who had prepared for this. Barricade, in a display of grappling he hadnt shown before, grabbed Bumblebee's outstretched cannon arm, brought it down, twisted it behind his back, and kicked the legs right out from under Bumblebee, who fell right to the floor, where Barricade kept him pinned in the easily detained area between Bumblebee's 'wings'. He let Bumblebee thrash around for a moment before leaning down so the Camaro could hear him.
"Get a fucking hold of yourself!" he hissed softly. "SAW is right behind me in the next room; if you attack me, you'll hurt him. I know that's not what either of us wants, so calm down and let me say what I have to say. After the fact, if you deem it necissary to kill me, then go right ahead and make SAW yours." Bumblebee let out a growling hiss sound and fell quiet. Barricade kept him pinned, though. "Thank you. To begin, SAW was dying. He wouldnt have made it back here in time for us to save him from death or serious permanent damage. It we had waited, everything about SAW would have been gone, leaving only an empty shell of consciousness. I didnt want that. I know you didnt want that. I saved him for the both of us, Bee."
Bumblebee made small whining sounds from under him. "...but..." he said so softly Barricade almost missed it, "...he's mine...always been mine..."
"You're not the only one who loves him, Bumblebee," Barricade replied, making Bumblebee turn his head to look at him with one optic visible from under his head armor, apparantly surprised. Barricade was silent for a moment. "I love him too, Bee. But the only reason I didnt pursue him for myself is because of you. You're my friend. I didnt want to hurt you or our friendship. But..." He broke off, his mind replaying the attack and death of his life partner once more. "All I could think about back then was saving him. I couldnt lose two of the most important beings in my life...not in one day, Bee. Not again..."
Barricade sat up and let off of Bumblebee, who sat up slowly and carefully. Barricade sat back and leaned against the wall behind him.
"What I did wasnt fair to you, Bumblebee," he said. "I know that. And you're right. SAW does rightfully belong to you. You were always there, and I wasnt. I just wanted to save him...for me, and for you."
Bumblebee's armor and cannon retracted as he sat on the floor in front of Barricade, a silence hanging between them for another few moments. Barricade finally looked up again.
"I'm SAW's mate now, Bumblebee," Barricade said softly. He looked Bumblebee in the optics. "...But I want you to father the next sparkling."
Bumblebee--as well as Optimus and Ratchet, who had been silent the whole time--looked at Barricade in surprise. The Mustang nodded at them, then turned to look at the room containing SAW.
"It was always your right," Barricade said. "It is what should have been a long time ago. You father the next sparkling, Bee." He stood up and stepped over to Bumblebee, offering a hand up. "I'll have time to father one later. For now, I just want to help him through his whole ordeal. I'll be needing your help."
Bumblebee looked from Barricade to his hand and back again before allowing Barricade to help him up. No sooner was he on his feet did he leap forward and pull Barricade into a hug. Barricade stiffened at the unfamiliar gesture, and awkwardly returned it. Optimus and Ratchet nodded to each other and silently slipped back into the main base, where Honeydew and Perceptor were waiting, allowing the other two to talk about what to do next with SAW.
I. Hate. Writers' block. Yeah. Sorry again for the wait. --lowers head in shame-- Next up...Bee and Barricade negotiate relationships with SAW.