The Guardian's Guild: All Roads Lead Home Chapter 13, a transformers fanfic

Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers. Blah, blah. Just plot and OCs.

Soooooo, yeah. Been a while. Hi guys. I'm so sorry this is late, but things came up. My laptop died, I went though a rough patch with some health issues, and the little yellow youngling was been difficult. But now I have a new laptop, health is better, and Bee has decided to behave for a chapter . . . well sorta. Maybe behave is too strong a word.

Anyway, thanks so much for sticking with me guys. I'm trying. You're reviews mean so much to me and I'm doing my best to get the chapters out. So yeah, anyway, go enjoy the chapter.

Chapter 13

It was kind of funny really.

How many orns Bumblebee started this way.

Though normally, he wasn't poking this mech. Normally he was poking Hide trying to get the overgrown black mech out of his berth to come with the little mech to do something fun. This morning through. He hadn't waited for Hide to emerge grumpy and groggy, and he certainly wasn't in his berthroom anymore.

Poke.

There was a grumbled growl, but otherwise nothing really changed.

So Bee resumed.

Poke.

Snatch.

Yelp!

And suddenly Bumblebee found himself dangling by his scruff bar over the now awakened Grimlock's faceplate.

He offered up his most charming smile.

All it got him was growled at.

His smile fell away.

"What Itty Bitty want?" Grimlock groaned, slamming his head back down on his berth rubbing his free hand down his faceplate trying to strive off the oncoming headache. "Itty Bitty even know what time it is?"

The King of the Dinobots was currently rethinking his decision not to squish the little youngling a while ago in the middle of nowhere.

Well not really.

He wouldn't really do it.

But he was sort of humoring the idea.

Sort of.

Bumblebee just shrugged. "Wanna play."

Grimlock closed his optics behind his visor grasping at his patience and then a thought struck him. He lifted his head off the berth and brought the youngling closer to his dark red visor.

"Itty Bitty in Dinobot's room."

Bumblebee had thought that was pretty obvious. "Yep."

"How Itty Bitty get here?"

Once again, wasn't that pretty obvious?

Maybe Grimy was still hazy from recharge. That was most likely the case. So Bumblebee humored him. "Door." He pointed to the massive grey door on the other side of the room.

Grimlock rose up fully and stared at the entrance to the Dinobot's quarters.

The keypad was seventeen feet of the ground. On both sides.

How?

"But door locked." Grimlock mumbled dumbly. "How Itty Bitty get in? Can't reach lock."

Bumblebee shrugged. "Climbed."

"Pass code?" Grimlock blinked at him.

"Most used buttons on thingy. Tried. It worked." Bee shrugged.

Grimlock gaped at him for a full klick his processor trying to compute that until he realized there was really no point to it. This was Itty Bitty. He broke all previously applied rules.

And then the King just snorted falling back to his berth. He had no idea how this little incident had happened and it was far too early for him to be trying to figure it out so he simply set the little yellow thing down over his spark and felt him scramble up to the massive mech's softer neck cables, lay down, snuggle in, and purr for all he was worth.

He'd figure this all out later.

For now the youngling was safe with him and he had no plans on moving anytime soon. If the little thing would stay against his pumping main energon vein then he was in no danger.

Not that he was going to have an easy time convincing his glitched overprotective family of that later on.

Poke.

Grimlock suppressed a growl. What did Itty Bitty want now?

There was a pestered whine against his cables and the small weight that had been there for a while now rolled and mumbled, but then went back to recharging peacefully.

Wait.

If it wasn't Itty Bitty that was poking him then who the frag was it?

Poke.

"Hey, Grimlock?" A airy, high pitched and yet rumbling tone tried to 'whisper' in his audio. The whisper was not all that successful.

That was Swoop.

Now Grimlock really was going to hit something.

Hard.

He peaked open one optic open making his visor flashed strangely as he brought Swoop's smile into focus hovering over his personal space. If there wasn't a tiny yellow thing purring on the side of his neck he'd reach out and pop his youngest brother between those overly chipper in the morning optics of his.

"What?!" He hissed quietly through clenched teeth.

Swoop recoiled slightly looking like Grimlock had already hit him, or knowing that if he didn't get out of his commander/eldest brother's space he would get smacked. Now respecting the space of the bot who definitely did not function well in the morning Swoop smiled once again and pointed toward the little mechling curled up on his neck.

"You know that him Itty Bitty here?"

Grimlock snorted. What did he look like, an idiot?

Yes he knew the mechling was here.

"Yeah." And with that he closed his optics fully intent on going back to recharge.

"Why?"

Or not.

"Don't know." He grumbled out.

"Oh."

There was a few moments of blessed silence in which Grimlock was hopeful that maybe Swoop and the rest of his brothers that he could feel milling around the curious sight of Itty Bitty curled up in recharge atop their eldest brother would go back to recharge so he could rest, but it seemed that the mighty Primus was going to test how much Grimlock's patience could be tried before first shift started this morning and him not explode into a violent rampage.

"Grimlock?"

The beast mech snarled loudly in his chest, the sound echoing around the room making the little yellow thing purring on his neck roll, squeak, and then sit up.

"Hi Itty Bitty!" Swoop greeted happily which earned him a returned hello from the happy young voice and Grimlock allowed Swoop to pluck the mechling from his frame before he set up, rubbed at his head, and looked around the large room that had once been an empty hanger and had now become the Dinobot's playpen of sorts.

Swoop and Sludge were already sitting crisscross on the floor with Itty Bitty in the flier's lap as they began a rousing game of patty-cake that Grimlock thought it was far too early in the morning to be even considering.

Snarl was still in his berth with a giant red pillow pressed to his faceplate and he appeared to either be trying to suffocate himself or keep out the overly bright glow of the pale lights.

Grimlock didn't blame him.

Slag was less than thrilled to be awake, that was obvious, but he had set himself down on the floor near the game that was being played. Not happy to be there really, but he would also could not deny the little Itty Bitty anything. So he observed his laughter.

And Grimlock sat on his massive berth in the far corner of the cluttered, but cozy grey room looking at his collection of siblings which now included one very small yellow mechling that was hardly as big as any of their thumbs, but showed not an ounce of fear toward any of them and never had. Even after two of them that had torn mechs apart right before his optics.

Something Grimlock didn't truly regret—he would do it again if it meant it would protect the youngling—but he was also not proud that he had been that much of a monster in front of the little one. He'd saw the little one shiver in fear as he tore the frame in two.

Grimlock knew deep down inside that spark a part of Itty Bitty had been terrified by that violence. He was too young to not find it horrifying, but he hadn't fled them. In fact he had been seeking them out more over the last few orns that the ship had been rumbling toward Tyger Pax. It was like he was trying to make sure they were alright.

It was not something Grimlock fully understood, but it warmed a place in his spark he had never known.

"Grimlock? Can you hear me? It Wheeljack. Wake up, mech."

Grimlock rumbled again and this time he let it spill over the comm link. "What you Wheeljack want?"

"Oh good you're awake." Wheeljack sounded relived, not even acknowledging the snarl sent his way.

The beast mech just snorted in response letting it float over the radio waves.

Wheeljack should know better than to try and talk to him this early in the morning.

"By any chance have you see, Bumblebee?"

Oh. So that was what this was about.

"Yes."

"Oh thank Primus." It sounded like the inventor let out a sigh of relief and Grimlock's comm was filled with another voice.

"How the frag have you seen him!?"

Ironhide.

Grand.

"Where is he!?"

"Where you cannons think he is if me Grimlock seen him? He with Dinobots." Grimlock snorted, though he added before he could be yelled at. "And no Dinobots not take him. Him just showed up."

"He what?" Wheeljack questioned.

"Showed up."

"How'd that happen?"

"Don't know. Woke up to him Itty Bitty poking me. Was very annoying."

"He got into your hanger?" That was Optimus Prime. "How did he get into your hanger?"

Grimlock resisted the urge to tell them all to go to pit and just go back to recharge. "Why don't you Prime ask him Itty Bitty? 'Cuz me Grimlock don't know. Says he climbed when me asked then says he figured out the pass lock. Don't know how that happen. Me Grimlock never give him pass code. So me Grimlock don't know."

There was silence for a few wonderful klicks in which the King of the Dinobots watched the mechling make quite a show of climbing Sludge's massive armored frame and then use him as a slide to go flying several feet before Swoop would catch him. They would not let him fall so the beast mech was not worried.

And then his blessed silence got shattered again.

"Grimlock?" The Prime again.

Rolling his dark red optics behind his visor he answered. "What Prime want now?"

"I'm aware you and your brothers our quite capable of watching Bee for a few breems, but will you please bring him down to Wheeljack's lab. We need to have a little chat."

"Him Itty Bitty in trouble?" Grimlock wondered.

"This has to stop." Optimus sighed.

"Him not hurtin' nothing." The King argued.

"His last sneaking took him off the ship, Grimlock. To the lot of you." Optimus said. "This has to be addressed."

"Just playing. Him bored." Grimlock did not like the idea of taking the little mechling he had decided was his new youngest brother to a lecture. He was perfectly safe and happy playing in the floor with Swoop and Sludge. The ship was airborne, where was the grounded mechling going to go?

"We know this, Grimlock." Optimus really didn't sound like he wanted to lecture the youngling so soon after what happened in the tunnels as well, but he was the Prime and he was trying to raise a youngling that wasn't a total bratling. "But he has to understand that this sneaking around has to stop."

Grimlock suppressed the urge to say that the little mech wanted to be a spy, a scout, and that sneaking around as well as he did would most likely be what kept him alive in the future, but he did not say that to the Prime. So the powerful sigh that drifted out of him drew the attention of his brothers before he answered.

"Fine. Us Dinobots bring him Itty Bitty. But yell at him and me Grimlock keep him rest of orn."

And with that he cut the line.

Curled tightly around the massive, warm cables that made up Grimlock's giant neck Bumblebee hummed contently while his little feet—spread as far as they would go—bounced against the beast's mechs thick armor while his tiny toes wiggled.

"Grimy?" He asked as they made their way down the long black halls of his home. "Where we goin'?"

"Wheeljack." Grimlock answered in a grunt, turning a corner and taking a flight of stairs four at a time with long effortless strides. The action seemed to amuse the little thing clinging to his neck and it wasn't a hard feat for him so it was just something he did now when the youngling was with him.

It was a little more complicated of a process for Swoop who was prancing along behind him, but the flyer would keep up.

"Why?" Bee chirped out again as he grinned with the rocking movements of Grimlock's bulk reaching the top of the stairs.

"'Cuz him Prime want you Itty Bitty."

And just like that Bee's smile fell away.

He was in trouble.

Well, scrap.

"Oh."

"Yeah," Grimlock glanced out of the corner of his visor and caught the sight of the little yellow mechling leaning against his neck and pouting. "Itty Bitty really need to stop sneaking off. Makes him Prime and him Ironhide real annoying."

Bee just huffed.

Swoop took that as his incentive to try and coax a real response from the youngling.

"Why Itty Bitty sneak off anyway?"

Bee shrugged and burrowed into Grimlock's neck as they rounded the empty corridor that lead to Wheeljack's lab.

He didn't want to talk about it, and he really didn't want to get lectured about it, but it seemed that was going to happen whether he wanted it too or not. Because they reached Wheeljack's lab no matter how bad Bee wanted to go the other way and Grimlock punched in the code on the pass lock making the massive grey doors swish open.

For a moment Bumblebee was blinded by the harsh glow of the lab lights and then he found himself carefully plucked up between dangerous claws and pulled from where he was nestled against Grimy's neck to find himself put down on one of Wheeljack's work benches with a rather gentle plop.

His big baby blue optics watched the retreating claws of the King's hand before he crossed his little arms, stuck out his bottom lip, folded his antennas to the back of his head, and glared smoldering holes into the white table beneath him.

It earned a quiet chuckle that sounded suspiciously like Jazz from somewhere over to his right, but he didn't look toward the silver mech or toward the pulsing sparks he could feel before him that belonged to his Hide and his Optimus.

He was content with his pouting.

So that was all he going to do.

End of story.

"Well good morning to you too, ya little trouble maker." Jazz snickered.

Bee ignored him.

A silver claw poked him gently in the side making him turn his rather dark glare up to the blue visor that shown down at him as the silver mech leaned in so that their faceplates were hardly inches apart. Jazz smirked at him before leaning forward and knocking their foreheads together as he lot out a soft comforting purr and Bumblebee had nothing inside his bright little spark that was stubborn or cold enough to not melt like goo under the affection. With a giggle he threw his arms up and latched onto Jazz, his little fingers fanning across the soft yet angled planes of his cheeks and jaw pressing up under the rim of his visor to try and push it up.

Jazz let out another soft laugh as he leaned down against the table before the youngling and let the latches on his visor depressurize allowing Bee to push it up until it was resting above his optic ridges so that the mechling and the saboteur stared optic to optic again for the first time in a while.

Bee beamed like a little mini sun, his pout and all reasons for pouting suddenly forgotten.

"Not a trouble maker." Bee purred.

"Oh yes you are." Jazz snorted reaching up and knuckling him between his flicking antennas making the little mech squeal and try to scramble away before Jazz's visor snapped back down into place, he snatched the giggling mess from the table, spun them both around laughing, and then pinned him in his arms ticking the soft malleable plating for all he was worth.

Bumblebee was half laughing half squealing as he tried to wiggle his way free. "No! Stop it! Jazzy!" He was cut off with another burst of giggles. "Jazzy! Hide! Save me!"

Ironhide, who had been watching the whole thing unfold while he was torn between smiling and finding his youngling as adorable as he truly was, or being fragged off with the little pest of making him wake up in a panic when he wasn't curled in a ball in the nook of his arm.

Again.

However, it was quite hard to stay made at the sound of those laughs—the sound of which he would truly do anything to hear just so he could feel how much they warmed his spark—so the massive ebony mech was forced to let out a long suffering sigh, reach forward, and snatch his gasping for breath charge from the merciless grasp of one overly exuberant ninja mech.

"Hey! No fair!" Jazz chuckled trying to snatch Bumblebee back, but Ironhide shoved him playfully and allowed the little yellow mechling to scramble into the nook of his crossed arm feeling his sides heave in air for his over heating systems while he giggled and chirped. Clicking every now and again since his vocal processor was so overly taxed with laughing.

"Let him breath, Jazz." Ironhide warned lightly amused even more by the sight of the full grown silver mech stand there and pout at him much like the youngling had been doing. It wasn't quite as adorable when Jazz did it though. He didn't have the flicking antennas and giant optics working in his favor.

He just couldn't pull it off as well as Bee did.

Which allowed Hide to roll his optics at him and turn his attention back to the clicking and giggling yellow youngling that was now peaking his tiny self over the bulk of Hide's massive arms to peer around the room his antennas standing tall only to twitch now and again with an emotion.

"Hi Hide," Bee said softly craning his neck back to look into the lovably weathered faceplate of his adopted Sire, a faceplate that couldn't help but soften under his gaze.

"Pest." Ironhide rumbled affectionately petting Bee between those flicking antennas. The mechling snickered in response to the title and didn't bother to dispute it. He kind of figured sometimes he really was a pest and since he disappeared to the Dinobots this morning he knew that Ironhide was not overly pleased with him at the moment.

He had no right to argue the lecture he knew was coming his way, but that didn't mean he was all that thrilled about it coming.

He kinda got tired of getting told over and over again about how he was too small for this, or too young for that, and that he could do something in a few vorns. He knew he was small—believe him he knew—he was hardy over ankle height to almost every member of his family.

He was very much aware that he was tiny.

He was very much aware that he was too breakable to do a lot of thing.

However, if these overprotective mechs could possibly understand how much he just wanted to learn to do for himself, to help with something, or not be treated like a fragment of glass maybe they'd see that he wondered off because it was the only thing he had going for him so far. It made him feel less depended. Less tiny.

He was clever.

He'd figured out how to pull things off that something his size really shouldn't be able to do—like get into the Dinobots' room—and he managed it because for something so small he was unbelievably stubborn.

Bumblebee blamed Hide for that one.

He learned it from him.

He was absolutely positive of that.

So his guardian had no bot to blame, but himself. That was just the way it was.

Yep.

"How is it you manage to up root half my ship before first shift, my little one." Optimus' amused scolding brought Bumblebee's bright optics to his own as the mighty red and blue commander stood at Ironhide's shoulder with his arms crossed and his 'I'm being serious little one you better at least act like you take a scolding seriously' look on his faceplate.

Bumblebee did his best to do just that.

But it was kinda hard when over in the corner of the lab Swoop was bouncing around Wheeljack and whatever the tri color was messing with as Grimlock leaned over the both of them looking interested.

Bee was far more interested in what was going on over there.

"Bumblebee." The commander's warning drew him back into focus though.

"Huh?"

"You wondered away from Ironhide again, and no bot knew where you were." Optimus reminded him.

Bee's antennas folded down slightly as he remembered his reason for pouting.

"Grimlock knew where was."

The beast mech snorted from where he stood. "Not 'til Itty Bitty poke me Grimlock awake."

Bee glared darkly over to massive mech who suddenly shifted a little uncomfortable under his now put out gaze. How was it a creature so utterly tiny could be so horribly terrifying?

"Well, Grimlock didn't!" With that the King crossed his arms and turned his back to the pouting mechling sure that if he held his gaze any longer he'd crack under its smolder.

Optimus cleared his vocal processor and gained the little one's attention again. Bee just stuck out his bottom lip and huffed at him.

Optimus had to suppress a chuckle at the youngling's attempts to pout his way out of this one. It wasn't going to work. No matter the power that glare of his could hold Optimus was not the Prime for nothing, he could hold his ground against Bee—even if Prowl was the best on board the ship at not letting the youngling melt his spark with a simple look—Optimus was still strict enough about the youngling doing as he was told to not back down in situations such as this.

"We've been over this, Bumblebee."

"Didn't get hurt." Bee plopped down in the safety of Ironhide's arms and intensified his pout.

"That's not the point, Lil' Bee." Jazz sighed. "Ya gotta stop doing it."

"Not hurt nothin'. Won't go off ship again." Bee pleaded.

Ironhide couldn't stop the low growl that worked up in his chest at the mention of the 'Vanishing Youngling' incident. That was not an orn he liked to recall. "Let's not even go there again."

Bee lowered his optics in defeat as he weakly kicked at the hardened armor around Hide's cannons.

The overwhelming unhappiness in his posture and optics had the three mechs around him glance between themselves before Hide lifted him up higher against his chest until he was situated near the beating of his spark. Bee instinctively leaned back into the sound and the feeling, pushing out and tugging at the bond until Ironhide had him wrapped up warmly in their connection both of them relaxing at the familiar feeling.

"Bumblebee," Hide rumbled softly. The response he received was a simple click. "Why do you keep doing it? Sneaking off from me? From everybot? You know you worry us when we can't find you."

Bee shrugged.

"That's not an answer, Bumblebee." Optimus scolded him softly.

And just like that, the building emotions broke through the little one's well constructed dam and burst into his spark.

He'd had enough.

Even if he really didn't know what he'd had enough of.

Pinning his antennas as far back as they would go Bee glared up at the wise faceplate of his Optimus before he let out a high pitch little growl that did far more good simply by how surprising it was than anything else. Because Bumblebee had never growled at Optimus.

He had never growled at any of them.

Ever.

Wheeljack even dropped the white piece of metal he was working on and looked over his shoulder his gaze followed by Swoop and Grimlock. The former looking far more unnerved by the sound than the later. Because Grimlock might have looked just the slightest bit proud.

Maybe.

Just a bit.

"'Cuz me can't do nothin' else!"

Shocked silence followed the outburst as the mechs gathered in the lab stared at him, sparks as tense and confused as their frames—well besides Grimlock, Grimlock really just seemed sort of curious—as Bee gathered up his courage and said what had been bothering him.

"Not big enough to do nothin'! Nothin'! Everybot always says too little for this, too young for that, maybe when me is older, maybe after me can sees over the stupid tables! Can't learn how to do like none of you do! But me try! Me really does! Not so helpless! Me can do some stuff! Can figure out how to do lots of stuff, just have to work on it a while some times! But me can do it. Really can . . . sneak off 'cuz . . . just trying to prove it. I don't wanna be helpless. Don't wanna be . . . bur-bur-a-bur—" The little mech snorted, frustrated that he couldn't figure out how to form the word he wanted. His struggle causing a few angry clicks as his vocal processor fought with syllables that by now should have been easy for him until he finally forced out the word that he wanted. "Burden! Don't wanna be a b-b-bur-burden."

When the little tirade was finished Bee kind of just deflated in Ironhide's arms, which tightened around him protectively as he little mechling wrapped up around himself, sank down into a little ball sort of, burying his faceplate in his drawn up knees, keeping his antennas pinned painfully back and his spark walled itself up tightly in a fortress of stone, metal, and electric wire.

He didn't want to feel what his outburst caused.

He didn't want to feel anything.

It was not an emotion he was use to having, but it wasn't one he disputed. Because his spark hurt. It hurt in ways he didn't understand.

He wasn't use to being so angry with those that he loved and the emotion burning in his bright spark made the pulsing ball of life struggle within itself. For it didn't seem to understand the emotion anymore than Bee did.

Because it wasn't something he'd ever really known.

Hate, that is.

At least he didn't think he had.

He really, really didn't like it when something was wrong with his family, and he didn't like the mean mechs that made his family's life difficult.

Also, he knew he had told himself and said out loud that he 'hated' something before, once or twice, but now that this strange emotion was inside him he wasn't so sure anymore.

He wasn't sure if he'd ever felt something like this before.

He was very sure though . . . that he didn't like it.

He wanted it to go away.

Far away.

And never come back.

Balling tighter in on himself he shivered against the strange heat in his chest trying to make it go away, but it flashed hot and defiant billowing up and filling the closed in walls he had formed until his very spark burned painfully with it. He was so caught up in struggling within himself that Bee hardly even noticed when he was cupped tightly in his guardian's hand and held close to the powerfully pulsing spark within the hardened mech's chest that was calling and pushing and pulling trying desperately to make the brilliant ball of light let him back in, let him calm it down, just as Jazz and Optimus were doing. Even Wheeljack, Swoop, and Grimlock were pushing at the shivering little mech's spark trying to tear down that hot wall that was keeping them out

Bee wasn't coherent enough to even feel them though.

He was too lost swimming in an emotion that was slowly taking over his whole consciousness to even truly realize he was passing out until he was almost gone from the land of the processing. The last waking sound Bee heard was the door to the lab swishing open and the familiar pound of the CMO's feet before he drifted into blackness, his battling within itself spark pulling him under.

The faint echoing of cheers, shouts, curses, and screams of agony.

That was what Bee awoke too.

Though not in a way he understood.

At all.

A terrified little screech left the little mech as he scrambled backward and banged into a wall tumbling sideways and ending up on his aft with his legs stuck up in the air. For a moment he blinked in complete bewilderment before he shoved himself up right again and actually looked around. What he found completely confused him.

He was in a dimly lit black hall, walls that smelt of wet stone and something else he wasn't sure he wanted to know what was towered over him and the floor beneath him was dark, dirty, wet, and cold stone. Down the hall a ways to his left there was a bright blue puddle near the wall he found himself propped against, but it only took a tiny lean of interest for Bee to go scrambling back away from the substance.

It was energon.

Spilled energon.

And not the kind that bots drank. That was what energon looked like after it had been processed, after it was put to use in a bots frame to keep them alive, running through their veins.

That energon was not meant to be spilled.

Not in so hideous an amount. It was splattered—now that Bee actually took a moment to really look—not only on the floor, but up the wall and further down.

Bots had fought here.

The little mech gulped.

Bots might have died right there.

Shaking his head Bumblebee took a few terrified steps backward before he spun and raced the opposite direction. He made it a good ways too. All the way down another hall and around a corner before he tripped over his own feet again and went tumbling to the floor. A yelp of more fright then pain echoed from his mouth as he crashed into the hard stone beneath him.

It hurt.

Quite badly, actually.

But not bad enough to draw energon—Bee knew he wasn't broken—so he carefully shoved himself up on his palms and took a few frantic breaths as he looked around him. The tunnels were still dim, wet, and cold.

Where was he?

He had been with Hide, with Optimus, with Jazzy, with Jacky, and Grimy.

He'd been on the ship.

His ship.

His home.

How in all of Cybertron had he gotten here!?

Or more importantly—how in PIT did he get back!?

This wasn't where he belonged.

He belonged with Hide. With his family. He had been mad, but he hadn't wanted to leave!

What happened!?

Sudden footsteps drew the youngling from his hyperventilating and he glanced up from his hands and knees just in time to see a massive dark shape round the corner in front of him. Fear latched hold of Bee's spark and quicker than even he would have thought he could move the little mechling launched himself toward the dark shadows of the walls and curled tightly up as he watched this massive mech stroll by . . . and not even glance down?

Uncurling himself Bee slowly pushed himself up to his feet and stepped out of the shadows as he watched his huge black mech with golden streaks in his paint and burning ember orange optics continue on down the hallway without even casting him a glance.

Bee blinked in confusion before he followed a few steps and called out. "Hey!"

His voice echoed over the horrible sounds that were still raining in on his audios, but the mech didn't seem to hear him. He just turned a corner, his jagged armor tense and puffed up as if he was ready for a fight, the golden streaks that highlighted his thick chest, arms, and up his optics shinning strangely bright in this dark place. Just as his optics did.

He really didn't seem to hear Bee call though, because when he raced after him and yelled again as he turned the corner to catch up with the long strides—which he couldn't possibly hope to do at this rate of tripping over his feet—it really seemed he couldn't hear him.

Bee skidded to a stop when he watched the mech turn on his heel and enter a door down another hall, however the mechling was no longer interested in the strange mech at the moment. His processor was running a billion miles a breem before it clamped down on one singular thought.

He can't hear me, or see me . . . because I'm not really here.

"That's right, Young Spark."

Bumblebee swung around so fast he stumbled and ended up on his aft before his big baby blue optics looked up to find big golden optics staring back down at him.

He squeaked and scrambled backward a little bit until the voice echoing in his spark clicked in his processor. It was his 'friend'.

The one that brought him back from the weird dark place after the virus-viper hurt him.

Only . . . he looked . . . .

The warm chuckle that rose up both out loud and in his spark made Bee tilt his head as the sleek golden form stepped forward, nipped him lightly on the scruff bar between jaggedly sharp teeth, and brought him back to his feet.

All Bee could do was stare.

"I look different, no?"

"Yeah." Bee nodded feeling kind of dumb, but he couldn't help it. He . . . he looked like Risk . . . only he didn't. Not really. Shaking his head to keep the tears from bubbling up in his optics Bee actually looked past the fact that he was staring into the faceplate of a robo-cat.

No.

He didn't look like the best friend Bee had watched get ripped away from him.

This 'friend' was not silver and blue as Risk had been. Instead he was bright gold—brighter than even Sunstreaker—his color richer and far more vibrant—not that Bee was ever going to tell Sunny that—and he had these two steal grey stripes that ran in thin lines sideways beneath those glittering gold optics. The tall twitching ear like audio receptors were the same vibrant gold while his wire like whiskers were that grey color. The long tail that swished behind him was even as spiked at the end and dangerous as Risk's had been; only it was tipped in grey not blue.

For a moment all Bee could do was stare at this really, really weird copy cat in front of him until it tilted his golden head and twitched an audio receptor.

"You do not like this impression." It was not a question, but Bee did give it an answer.

"Look like Risk, but not look like Risk. You not Risk."

"No Young Spark," The voice that he had come to know from that pulsing ball of light that had burned as brightly as a small sun saddened, and now that Bee had a faceplate to watch change with emotion he knew that it was sad. The tall robo-cat that stood before him looking down as he craned his neck back to meet its huge optics lowered its head to the side, curving back its audios, and letting saddens slump its frame before he spoke again. "No, I am not Risk, and I am truly sorry to tell you what you already know. You can never have your friend back . . . not in this life."

Bumblebee looked away to rub at the tears on his cheeks.

"But do not think he is lost, Young Spark. He is home."

"His home was with me!" Bee turned back and glared into that eerily similar faceplate. That emotion from before was bubbling up in his spark. That hot, angry feeling, and while a few more tears rolled down he growled out. "Those 'Cons took him away!"

The golden optics saddened even more as they stared down at him before the 'friend' shook his head. "Far too young for such an emotion."

Bee faltered. Huh?

"You are too young to hate." Sitting down heavily the robo-cat curled his tail around his neatly placed paws as he leaned down to be optic level with the youngling. "Too young to even truly know what it is, let alone how to handle it. Yet it is the reason we are here."

He glanced around the dark, dim hall those bright optics filling with discuss.

"If it was up to me, you would not have to return to such a place as this. The past is in the past. However, it is not up to me and you do have your share of ghosts, Young Spark. Things that you must face."

Bee stared at him in complete bewilderment before he glanced toward the door that massive black and gold mech had ventured into and never came back out.

"Where is we?" Bee finally asked making the robo-cat's optics return to him. They studied each other for a long time before his 'friend' huffed out a breath and answered.

"The first place you knew hate."

Huh?

The creature snorted. "It is as I said, Young Spark. You brought us here. Just as you made me look this way."

Now that really had Bee confused.

"Me did that?" He stuck out a hand motioning to all of the big golden cat.

A curt nod.

"How me do that?"

He tilted his head. "Your spark did it."

"Which one? Make you that or bring me here?"

"We are not really in this place, Young Spark. We are in a memory. One that is yours and then not yours. Your spark brought us here, but . . . oh how to explain this to where you will understand . . . do you remember when I lead you back to your family?"

Bee nodded.

"And you remember that before I allowed you to wake you saw what was happening outside the medical bay. You saw your guardian and your family."

Another nod.

"Well this is like that. Only that time it was what I could see that you saw, where we are now is a journey of your making. You remember this place, however faintly, and you remember the emotions that went along with it. So when your spark rebelled on you as it did this morning this is where we ended up."

"I . . . not understand."

A heavy sigh left the robo-cat before he stepped forward, nipped Bee in the scruff bar, and then swung him up to rest between powerful shoulders. Latching on, Bumblebee took fistfuls of the surprisingly lose armor that flexed at the back of the robo-cat's neck as he turned and began trotting down the hall the way the big mech had gone.

"I know you do not fully understand, Young Spark, and I am sorry I have no better way of explaining it too you. It just is what it is. There are emotions you must work through, so this is where the two of us have ended up."

"But why you here?"

A purred chuckle. "Somebot must take you home again. This cosmic plane is vast and unforgiving to those that do not know how it works. I've spent quite a few vorns here . . . more than I care to admit. I know the paths like I know my own spark. Like I know yours. So I am here to make sure you get back to where you belong, and do not stray too far in the wrong direction. There are paths in this place—as I told you once before—that have no way back. Those are roads not even I can lead you back from."

"Oh," Bee still really had no idea what was going on, but he was trying his hardest to understand.

Another purred laugh rumbled beneath him. "You have more questions."

"Said me made you . . . like this?" Leaning forward Bee tugged at the tall audio receptor above him making the robo-cat twitch his head as he walked, passing massive bots that strolled by not even aware that they were there. As Bee watched the dimly colored and rough looking mechs and a few femmes he noticed how warn and tired they looked. Most were splattered in energon, some of it their own and some of it very plainly not.

There was one thing about them all that really caught his attention though.

And that was the three jagged scars that ran down the center of all their chest, right over their sparks.

Scars.

Scars that looked just like the ones the twins had.

It intrigued him, but when he was given an answer it snapped him from his thoughts.

"You did. Well . . . your spark did. You've craved a faceplate to put with me, so your spark came up with this one. Now that Risk is gone."

"You take his place?" Bee didn't understand.

"No Young Spark," The robo-cat shook his head. "I have merrily adopted the form your spark offered to me. This is not what I truly look like."

"Than what really look like?"

His 'friend' snorted. "That answer you must wait to find out."

"Not gonna tell me?"

"You will learn all of the hidden truths, Young Spark. With time. I promise."

Bee wasn't overly found of that answer so he sat back on the powerful shoulders, crossed his arms, and pouted. "You talk funny."

Another amused chuckle but other than that he was given no reply.

As they walked on down the halls, unnoticed and not bothered toward the door the big black mech had entered the golden robo-cat 'friend' slowed to a stop when they reached the closed door. Bumblebee glanced up at the medical symbol painted on in faded paint and for some unknown reason the little mech's spark pulsed painfully.

A tiny squeak left him as he crouched down holding onto his chest where his spark was suddenly doing acrobatics over fire—at least that was what it felt like—and then his vision faded out.

A flash of white, yellow, black, grey, red, blue, green, and so many others flying by so quickly it made his little processor spin until it all came to a screeching halt and Bee found himself staring up through hazy, watery, almost unused feeling optics to a sight that made him go very still.

Warm, baby blue optics glowed down at him with a love and a light he had almost forgotten. Those glowing orbs framed by a kind pale yellow faceplate and gentle features that made the little yellow youngling feel all warm and fuzzy inside along with that small smile that shown down at him. Through his hazy vision Bee saw a tiny yellow object move over to his left and then suddenly realized—said tiny object was a hand.

Tiny, stubby, yellow fingers wiggling experimentally and uncoordinated as they slowly reached for the faceplate before him until they rested on the smooth cheek—that he could somehow feel—hovering above earning a smile and a few stray tears rolling down.

And suddenly Bumblebee understood.

That was his hand. Only at the moment he wasn't controlling it . . . this . . . was a memory.

A memory of—

"Young Spark?"

Bee fell forward against the golden neck before him, panting and even more confused before he looked up and found his 'friend' had craned his neck to watch him out of the corner of a glowing golden optic.

His little spark racing a million miles a klick, Bee gasped in confused breath after confused breath as they stood there in that strange dim hallway before the creature he sat on top of rumbled a low comforting sound deep in his chest.

"Do not be afraid, Young Spark. Memories are all these places are. Some are triggered by certain things. Such as this door."

"Saw . . . ." In all honesty, he wasn't sure if he believed what he saw.

"Your Carrier? Yes. You did."

Bee just stared down at him blankly until his spark coiled up tightly and he looked away.

"Young Spark?"

"Most times." Bee's voice was lost and far away. "Me . . . can't remember what she looks like. Have forgotten. Tried not to . . . but it fuzzy . . . hard to 'member."

"You were very, very young the last time you saw her."

"Friend?" Bee looked back to those golden optics still unsure just what he was supposed to call the pulsing little sun type thingy that had turned into a robo-cat that looked like Risk, but didn't look like Risk, and spoke in his spark and could feel what he felt and see what he saw and took him to weird strange places he didn't understand.

All of this was still rather confusing to the little mech.

"Is she . . . happy . . . wherever she . . . go?"

He was offered a surprised blink before a sigh rumbled beneath him.

"She is home. A home only the lucky ever find." He replied slowly. "Free from pain and spark ache. Content; watching over you from a better place. She has not left you, Young Spark. She is there. Just as Risk is, when you look hard enough."

"Miss them." Bee wrapped his arms tightly around himself to try and keep the tears at bay. He didn't want to cry. He'd cried enough.

"I know, young one . . . and I am sorry. You're far too young for this. Any of this. If I could change it I would, but that is not my choice."

A few long klicks passed in silence as the pair of them just stood there in the middle of the hall as Bee hugged himself and the 'friend' questioned the sanity of putting all this madness on the shoulders of a youngling until finally Bee spoke up again.

"So, why me here again?"

The 'friend' twitched an audio back at him. "Because you were angry. You hate being helpless. Hate is a very strong emotion and not one you are very familiar with. With a spark as powerful as yours emotions that you don't know how to control can be dangerous. To yourself and others. So when you became too upset I pulled you from the material world and brought you here to the cosmic plane letting your spark decide from there where it is we would end up. To help you understand."

"Me still not understand." Bee admitted.

"Yes," The robo-cat nodded. "I am aware. However, there is too much to teach you or tell you at one time and since I'm no more in control of this then you are it seems it will take us quite a while to truly teach each other anything. For now though we will take it one step at a time. Addressing this new emotion you have come across shall come first."

"Hate?" Bee questioned still unsure of the word as it rolled off his tongue.

"Yes."

"Hate . . . bad." Bee mumbled. "I not like it."

"No," An amused rumble. "I don't imagine a spark as bright as yours would be overly fond of such an emotion. You are bright. Hate is not."

"Burns." Bee rubbed at his chest.

"Yes. It burns as savagely as any flame, and it can destroy just as much."

"Why it there?"

"You said it yourself youngling. You despise being a burden."

Bee's antennas flicked back to his head. "Yeah."

"They question is why." An annoyed audio flicking back and forth. "You should know better than to think you are a burden to those mechs."

"Know not . . . just . . . tired of being helpless." Unsure of how to really explain this feeling inside him Bumblebee fumbled over the right words, though he was still unsure if he really got his point across.

"Young Spark," His 'friend' sighed. "You are aware of how young you are aren't you?"

Bee huffed. "Don't need be 'minded."

"You are a youngling. A youngling. You are too young to care for yourself."

"But me always making trouble." Bee whispered. "Mean bots. They hurt my family because of me! Don't want that happen anymore."

Golden optics blinked once again in surprise before with a heavy sigh the youngling's guide lowered himself to the floor, twisted to nip the little yellow thing on the scruff bar, and then brought him back around to rest between his long powerful front legs. Leaning down he nuzzled his muzzle into Bee's soft frame rumbling a purr that washed through the little mech's spark filling him to brim with that echoing pulse he had known once before. That one that thundered almost in time with his own, like a kind of second sparkbeat that only he could seem to hear.

Bee snuggled back, welcoming the warmth and the love washing in to extinguish the burning emotion in his chest. At least for now.

Wrapping his short arms tight around the robo-cat's massive head Bee wiggled close as he was hugged in the middle of this weird place and not a soul seemed to notice.

Bee was perfectly okay with that.

This place gave him the creeps.

For a long time the two of them just sat like that, curled together in the middle of all this darkness, two bright sparks burning together in a twirling, twisting, blinding, blended light that fed off of both while making each stronger. Until the robo-cat pulled back a fraction and stared down into those big baby blue orbs with his own brilliant golden ones.

With a happy purr he spoke again. "There will never be another like you, my young one. You are something special. By my Master I swear it."

Bee tilted his little head before shrugging and nuzzling back into that warmth that was pulsing inside him and leaning into that strong jaw.

"I must clear something up for you, my young one."

"What?" Bee mumbled, content to just stay in the soft warmth.

"You are not a burden to them, and you never will be. Yes it is true that they are often put in harm's way keeping safe, but it is no more danger then they would face every orn from the war they were fighting long before you came along."

"But they get hurt because of me." Bee whined.

"And they are harmed because of themselves just as often. Do you dispute that?"

Bee leaned back. "Dispute?"

"It means to argue." Another amused purr.

"Oh," Bumblebee thought over it for a moment before shaking his head slowly. "No. They hurt them own selves pretty often too. Especially Sides and Sunny."

"And do you think for a moment that any of them would change any choice they have made to keep you safe?"

"No."

"So is it right for you to be angry with them for doing what they do out of their undying love for you?"

"Not really angry at them . . . don't think. Just don't wanna be useless."

"You are far from useless my Young Spark."

"Feels that way."

"I know," He pulled the little youngling closer to him. "But you will come to see in time."

"Than what is me good for?" Bee whispered. "Don't do nothing, but get in trouble."

Amusement and possibly love flashed through those bright optics that glittered in front of Bumblebee before he was answered. "You are their hope. Their reason to keep on going when it seems that all else is lost. And that Young Spark, is a gift you have given them that is unlike anything else in this universe. You are no burden. And you never will be."

A few nano-klicks of silence.

"Do you understand this, my young one?"

Bee chewed on his bottom lip. "Think so."

"With time," He was nuzzled just a little bit harder. "You will see. It will all come in time."

"Know they love me." Bumblebee said. "Just afraid one orn gonna get tired of watchin' me and savin' me and gettin' hurt 'cuz of me."

"No, Young Spark. Believe me, that will never happen."

"Don't want them hurt 'cuz of me."

"Bumblebee," He pulled back and once again looked square into those bright optics. "This war and everything that comes with it is not your fault. You cannot—I will not allow you—to feel that you are a responsible for it. The war is what causes all the pain and misery that you can feel around you."

Bee nodded.

Of course he'd felt it.

Time and time again.

That deep, dark, inky blackness that swallowed up all the warmth and happiness around him.

He knew what war was.

Or at least he knew what it did to the sparks that he care about.

"You are not the cause. In fact you are the opposite of all of it. You remind so many that there was once something beside all this darkness and devastation. You remind them of the light that use to burn within each and every one of them—use to burn within the planet itself. You are more than you could ever imagine to them. Sometimes I wonder if it is unfair to put so much on the shoulders of one so young—so little—but I am reminded along with all of them, time and time again, that you are far more than most would think. I have faith in you. Just as they do. The real question is do you have faith in yourself?"

"Faith in me?" Bee tilted his head in confusion his antennas flicking in thought. "What that mean?"

"Do you doubt you are important enough to change how things are?"

The mechling blinked. "Me don't know."

"Young Spark," A low chuckle. "You have already changed so much. Are you really telling me you haven't noticed?"

He thought over all the vorns of his short life that he had spent curled up against Hide's or Optimus' spark, or trailing after the twins and Jazz, or bugging Ratchet, or pestering Prowl, or making Quickfire smile, or forcing Hammer to talk to Hide because he called the mech on the vid screen, or laughing with Bluestreak about nothing at all, or seeing the way Wheeljack walked around smiling now because of the mechs that had come home, or of the grin that shown in that dark red visor when the King of the Dinobots glanced his way when he thought no bot was looking.

Yes.

Bee guessed he kind of had changed a lot. Influenced a lot.

Even in ways he didn't really mean too.

"No. Me guess me changed things."

"That's the understatement of the millennia."

Bee just looked at him again, unsure how he was meant to respond to that. That was when a noise caught his attention. He glanced up to find the massive door to their right slide open and reveal that huge black mech with the golden streaks again. Bee's spark thudded hard against his chest as those ember orange optics swept over him and his friend though they did not see him as the mech stepped out—over their heads in one easy step—and headed off down the hallway again looking madder than anybot Bee had ever seen.

And he'd seen Ironhide mad.

That was a high hurtle to clear.

Bee watched him walk away unsure of the feeling twisting in his spark until he turned a corner and vanished from sight.

The youngling then noticed those bright golden orbs staring intently at him.

His antennas folded down in uncertainty. "Who is that?"

The golden friend huffed. "That . . . is . . . well he's . . . your . . . just somebot you use to know."

"Really?" Bee leaned toward the corner he'd rounded, just the slightest bit. "Me knew him?"

"Vaguely. I am not surprised you do not remember him. Well, consciously at least."

"What that mean?"

"This place we are in is a memory, Young Spark. These are not events that are happening now. All of this happened quite a while ago. Twelve vorns to be exact."

"Twelve vorns? Me twelve vorns old."

The golden orbs seemed to look straight into his spark. "Yes. I know."

"So this happen 'fore me was sparked?"

"Not very long before you were sparked. A few Decacycles actually."

Bee stared in awe before he tilted his head in confusion again. "But . . . if me wasn't sparked. Then how this my memory?"

"At this point in time it is not yours. It is mine."

"You were here?"

"In a way."

"In way?"

"Yes."

"What that mean?"

"In physical form I was not here . . . I have not been in my physical form anywhere for . . . well let's just say there were galaxies that hadn't even formed yet that have now faded out since I was last in the material world. I was here much in the way I am now. In spirit. Simply watching."

"Watching?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Mine kind are quite good at it."

"Why?"

"Because we are not often allowed to interfere."

Bee's short, stubby antennas folded back as he tried to make since of all this. "Me really don't understand."

The robo-cat 'friend' smiled sadly down at him in a way only a robo-cat could. Audios drooping slightly, whiskers downcast, optics dimming, and the fine curves of his regal muzzle tilted and dipped into as close to a frown as the creature could accomplish.

"If I could explain it all to you I would, but as of yet I am still not allowed to interfere. No more than I am already doing."

With a snort Bumblebee was pretty sure that he was never going to really get anything that came out of this his weird 'friend's' mouth so he took to trying to figure out why he was here and how he was going to get home again. He felt like he'd been away for a while. Hide was probably really starting to get worried about him. It was best if he was getting back.

As if seeing the thoughts in his optics—or maybe he heard the thoughts rolling around in his processor, at this point Bee wouldn't be surprised, his 'friend' pushed himself to his paws, nipped Bee on the scruff bar, and pitched him over his shoulder to rest there again. Grabbing hold so he wouldn't fall he looked around studying the halls again before he asked.

"So if this my memory, but not really my memory 'cuz it your memory, and we is here because me hate being useless, but now you tell me not useless and guess me believes you, how is it me get back home? 'Cuz me wanna go home. Want Hide and Optimus and Jazzy and Ratchet and Sides and Sunny and Jacky and Grimy and Hammer and Fire and everybot else."

His friend chuckled. "Well your emotions got us here. So only your emotions can get us back."

Bee just stared blankly at the back of the tall twitching audios in front of him.

It got him another amused rumble.

"Our little talk has calmed your spark, no?"

"Yes."

"You understand that you will never be a burden to them?"

"Yes."

"And you now have an understanding of this emotion of hate in your spark."

Bee paused. "Sorta."

"Well two out of three isn't bad." The mechanical feline snickered before tipping his head up the ceiling those golden orbs seeming to find something that when Bee looked he couldn't see. "I do believe that is enough of a lesson for now. It's still too early for him to be learning the ends and outs of this place just yet. I'm sure you agree, so with that I think I'll be helping him home now."

There was no answer.

And Bumblebee found it strange that for a few nano-klicks he had kind of expected one.

However, the 'friend' seemed to get all the answer he needed and with that went prancing off down another hall with Bee swaying side to side on his back.

"Who was you talkin' too?"

"Do you remember what I told you not so long ago about secrets?" Came the soft purr.

Bee nodded.

Even if he still didn't like the notion of this 'friend' keeping secrets from him.

"This is one of things that for now is better left secret."

"Me no like secrets." Bee pouted.

"They all have their purposes."

"Secrets the same as lying." Bee crossed his arms and deepened his pout. "And lying is bad."

"I have not given you any information on the subject." The large golden right audio twitched back in his direction. "Neither true or false. So there for I am not lying. I am not telling you anything about it. That is not lying. It is simply withholding all the information."

Bee stuck out his bottom lip.

"You cannot pout anything out of me, Young Spark. You should learn that now. You will not get what you want."

"Just want you to tell." Slumping forward, Bumblebee sighed as he leaned against the warm golden frame, through which he could feel the radiating ball of pulsing light from before. He might not be able to see it, but he could most certainly feel it. It was there.

Burning as brilliantly as it had before.

Tugging and echoing and calling to him like nothing else ever had.

In a lot of ways it felt like a spark.

It probably was a spark. Now that he thought about it that made sense.

Lots of sense actually.

It was a spark.

But if it was a spark . . . why did it seem to be so much like and yet so much different at the same time from his own.

The whole mess just confused Bee.

He wasn't sure he'd ever understand.

"Not all of them are my secrets to keep, Young Spark. So they are not my truths to give."

"Whatever," Bee shrugged, snuggling down against the warmth against him. A low, comforting purr rose up all around him as they trotted down the halls unnoticed.

Bee yawned, rubbing at his optics as they went along.

"We'll be meeting like this a lot more often with the coming events, Young Spark."

"Really?" Bee mumbled sleepily. He hadn't been tired before, but now he could hardly keep his optics open. He blamed it on waking up so early to sneak out to see Grimlock.

Which was something he was going to have to apologize for when he saw Hide again.

He felt bad about it now.

And about growling at Optimus.

And yelling.

About all of it really.

He hadn't meant to be mean, or to feel that burning darkness that was the emotion of hate.

He really didn't.

"Yes, we will."

"What you mean?" A pause as he yawned. "'Coming events'?"

"Your world is about to change again my young one. For the better . . . and for the worse. By the end of it you will have far less secrets. Some of that will be good and some of it won't. You won't like every truth you go looking to find when you actually do uncover it, Bumblebee. That is something I must beg you to remember. There are things that are better left in the dark."

"What gonna change?"

A quite sigh.

"Everything."

"Why?"

"Because sometimes going back home isn't all it's cracked up to be."

Bee tiredly watched the sway of the pointed audios before him as he rested his head down on the golden metal. "What that mean?"

"Some cannot heal until they find their way through the darkness that is the road that will lead them home. Those that have gone astray and have been struggling desperately to find their way back home. They are the ones that need it. But for some going back to where it all began is . . . necessary to move forward, but it is not home. It never was; it never will be. You are one of those my young spark. You're home is the one you found, but to keep it there is a dark path you must venture down once again."

Honestly, Bee had no fraggin' idea what any of that meant.

And he was to the point where he was too tried to question it.

The world was growing fuzzy again, blackness creeping in on him, pulling him under as this weird dim world of memories that were and weren't really his began to fade out.

Around another yawn he mumbled a question. "Friend?"

"Yes, Young Spark?" Even the voice that echoed inside of him seemed far away now. Like he was talking through liquid, or was just a voice that echoed in Bee's mind that might not really be there.

"What is me suppose to call you? Besides 'friend'. Want to call you something else."

There came another soft chuckle that warmed Bee down to his very core as through his sleepy slight that was darkening around the edges he saw that they ventured out of the dimly lit tunnels and into a vast openness that was as black as the night sky and dotted with just as many stars.

"You want my name do you?"

Bee nodded against his neck.

"Hmm," This sudden world of black and glittering lights was beginning to fade away all together as Bee snuggled deeper into the warm frame that was somehow all around him now. That felt familiar. Not like his 'friend' anymore.

It almost felt like . . . Ironhide.

And since Bumblebee was far too tired now to even question it he just went with it. He wanted Hide anyway.

"I cannot give you my full name at this point in time, Young Spark. You are not yet ready to know it." He answered in an echoing tone that seemed so far away now. Almost like it wasn't right beneath him anymore.

"More secrets?" Bee muttered.

"Yes."

"But want to call you something."

Everything was turning warm, and dark, and Bee could no longer keep his tired optics open. He was so far gone into the safety and the bliss of recharge that he almost missed the quietly whispered words that floated through his spark and carried him back into nothingness.

"Star, my young one. You may call me Star."

Oh, Star how I've missed you.

Well, it was about time some of this got addressed. Can't wait to see what you guys have to say. You already know how much your reviews mean to me so you already know what I'm going to say. Please leave a review. They keep me motivated when stubborn younglings won't play nice.

I'm working hard to keep chapters coming once a week, but now that I'm working on WOWL as well that is proving to be a bit difficult. And since I refuse to trade quality for quickness the updates might not be coming every weekend, but I promise you I will not give up this story. It will and is being written. Have no fear. I would never leave Bee hanging out to dry. His story must be told.

So don't freak out on me if I miss a Friday, or Saturday . . . or Sunday. It will come the next weekend. I hope you guys don't mind too much. The amount of enjoyment that people get out of this craziness truly does astound me and I will never be able to put into words how much your feedback and love for this story mean to me. You truly have no idea.

My wonderful reviewers who never fail to tell me what you think: Isobel, Reader.5265, 2211Nighthawk, Sunstreaker's Squishy, Enmused, and all the others and you guest. Thank you! So much! And since I can't reply to all of you (get an account guys!) I haven't had a chance to say thank you as much as I'd like. Most of you have been with me since this crazy mess started, and your support means so much.

So yeah, *hugs* :)

You keep me going. So a round of applause for you guys!

Things are about to start domino-ing for little Bee, some of it good and some of it . . . highly entertaining. So see you guys next update!

Ya'll are awesome!

This crap is long . . . again.

-Jaycee