Author's Notes: Bumblebee is happily mated to Jetfire and Jetstorm, he's now part of the Elite Guard, everything was perfect! So why are his mates keeping away from him or telling him what's wrong?

Title: Heat Cycle

Pairing: SafeguardxBumblebee; JettwinsxBumblebee; ThrustxDirgexBumblebee

Requested: SparkySparkfire (FF)

It wasn't fair. For so long it had just been the two of them, two halves of the same spark and then the cute minibot with the door wings appeared, became their friend then something more. He fit in so well with them, but the two halves were the only ones to touch him. It wasn't fair!

He wanted to be able to touch his brightly colored frame, to trail digits along the sensitive door wings, to feel his internal temperature rising until he was venting heavily. He wanted to pull him close kiss him, to push him to the ground and take what he always offered the other two, to hear him call out his designation. He wanted to experience what the two had been feeling since the moment they claimed him! He belonged to him! He was his too-!

With a painful jolt Jetfire bolted upright from the berth, fuel pumps racing and his spark nearly vibrating in his chassis. It took him a few kliks to realize it was the same bad defrag he had been having for several cycles now but this time he was able to wake up from it. Other times he wasn't so lucky. His servo came up to rub at his optics, his system cycling air through his system he paused when he felt a gentle nudge over the bond he shared with his twin.

~Brother? You is being fine?~ he asked quietly.

~No. Is having same defrag,~ he admitted, offlining his optics. Even if he lied his twin would know what was wrong, he had been having the same nightmares as well, something they even had them at the same time.

The blue seeker wished he was there with his yellow-orange twin but it didn't stop him from reaching out, projecting gentle waves of love and concern. He smiled as he felt him send back a wave of affection and gratitude back. ~We is being home in joor.~

~That is most good data being!~ The sooner the two could get back to Cybertron, the sooner they could be with their adorable spark mate. The war against the Decepticons was over, their infamous warlord of a leader was in prison along with some of his most feared officers, but even so there were still some Decepticons making a mess. The twins had been selected for a mission to scout out the rumors that 'Cons had been seen at a neutral planet quite a distance away. It was a small group of no more than five Elite guards, but their team leader wanted to be thorough and had the twins repeatedly scout the area from the skies to make certain there were no 'Cons around. The mission ended up taking longer than they had hoped but they could no sign of any activity and were more than happy to be going back home.

~I is comm link sweet Bee, telling him we is home soon,~ Jetfire said happily as any trace of recharge immediately vanished.

~I is thinking that being idea good,~ Jetstorm admitted but paused for a few kliks before bringing up a topic that was sensitive for the both of them. ~Maybe, we is to be talking to somebot, about defrag?~

~No one is understanding, thinking we be freaks,~ Jetfire said bitterly after a tense klik, a mix of sadness and anxiety souring his formerly happy mood. ~Not wanting to worry Bee.~ Even with their little mate an official Elite Guard like themselves, many bots still didn't trust them and continued to call them names when they didn't think they were listening. This was their problem and they didn't want him to get hurt.

The blue and gray seeker said nothing but sent out acceptance, love and concern to him and feeling it be sent back. At one point when the nightmares became too much they wanted to tell their spark mate about it, but there was nothing he could do so they chose to keep it a secret from him and everyone else. They loved their mate and would do anything to protect him, even from themselves.

A joor later the small ship landed on the landing docks of the Elite guard headquarters and the small team was called in to give a complete report of their findings. What was suppose to take a few breems at the most ended up taking a mega-cycle. Reports were still coming in that Decepticons were still in the area but they were either gone before the Elite Guards could pinpoint their location or they paid off bots to make false claims of their whereabouts in order to slip away. No one could agree on a singular answer but that didn't stop them from voicing their opinion. Finally though everyone was dismissed and the twins were more than happy to transform and immediately fly to their home. They had tried to ping Bumblebee about their lateness, but his end of the link was silent. Fearing that he was ignoring them because they were getting home late they arrived to the balcony of their home and transformed, landing on silent peds.

~Maybe we telling him of lateness, he be no mad?~ Jetstorm asked as they unlocked the door leading inside, being quiet as glitchmice as they headed for their berthroom.

Jetfire wasn't sure how to answer but stepping into the room he stopped and smiled at the sight that greeted them. ~I is thinking he not be mad of lateness,~ he finally answered and pointed inside.

The bright yellow minibot was curled up in the middle of their shared berth, systems cycling air softly, doorings twitching behind him. It was clear he had tried waiting up for them before the need to recharge won over his processor. He didn't stir or even realize his spark mates were home as they entered the room and quietly, carefully, climbed onto the berth to join him.

Bumblebee was enjoying his recharge immensely, just a little bit upset that the twins hadn't come back and when he had tried pinging them it was met with a minor block, which usually meant they were busy with something. He heard from one of his friends that their team was giving their reports from their mission but from the sounds of a loud argument going on in the background he could tell it was going to be one of those cycles. He had wanted to have a meal waiting for them to welcome them home but at this rate the energon was going to go stale. Setting it back (after sipping at his own to quell his own low fuel indicator) he tried to stay awake, he really did, but his recharge ghosted upon him and before he knew it he was out. Granted the berth was cool with just him in it but his dreams were filled with memories of his mates. His door wings twitched as he remembered the way their digits stroked over his frame, tracing seams with a light touch that had him arching for more. His engine gave a quiet purr as he stretched out, those same digits now moving between gaps to stroke the exposed wires. Warm servos slid down his backplates, stroking his pelvic armor, digits curling around them they lifted his hips ever so slightly. He responded by lifting himself up onto his knees, moaning lowly as the digits pressed into the gaps revealed as well as stroking his very sensitive panel.

'Wish my recharge was always this good,' he thought to himself, feeling his system onlining, chasing away the remains of his recharge. But as he slowly woke up the intimate touching wasn't fading away, it was still going on and he felt more digits brushing over his faceplates, stroking his cheek ridges and tracing his lips plates. The warm feelings blazing through the bonds made him smile before he even onlined his optics as he nuzzled the gentle servos and pushed back into the ones stroking over his hips.

"I is telling you he be recharging."

"I is not one wanting hold Bee's aft."

"Don't hear me complaining," the yellow mech said, lifting himself onto his own servos he welcomed the kiss as warm digits continued stroking wires, reaching out to return the favor he trembled in delight as servos reached out to trace over his door wings. He wasn't expecting them to be so eager to interface, no doubt they were tired but when he tried to suggest they until they had a decent recharge he quickly found himself trapped their frames, their gentle caresses turning into heated groping. Pulling back from the kiss he cried in pleasure, his panel sliding open to allow heated digits to stroke him rather intimately.

The twins panted in an effort to cool down their own systems, fans humming loudly as Jetstorm helped Bumblebee by pulling him free from Jetfire, then pulling out as he laid him on the berth. Neither of them said anything as they laid on their sides, reaching out to stroke trembling wings, caressing the still heated frame. They had never lost control like that before and it scared them. They locked optics over the horned yellow helm, concern, worriment, and even fear flickered against their bond.

~Brother… that is happening never. Not during heat cycle either.~

~I knows. I is being afraid, not wanting hurt spark mate.~

~No me.~ the last thing they ever wanted to do was hurt their sweet minibot, but they decided not to tell him and instead curled around him. Within a few kliks, they were deep into recharge. However Bumblebee was still awake even as he lay between them, clinging to them just as tightly as they clung to him. There was no denying the 'facing was good, it always was, but the moment they began to move harder and faster, so perfectly in sync, it was like they weren't in control. Sure it was fragging hot, but they didn't give him any warning, didn't prepare him, and he swore for a klik they swelled even bigger! If something was wrong they would have told him… wouldn't they?

'I'll ask in the morning,' he thought and settled into recharge as well. At least his spark mates were back so he had nothing else to worry about.

Bumblebee was determined, a quick learner, reckless at times, was not afraid of anything that stood in his way and he was always up for a mission. It was what made him an excellent scout and Elite Guard material. But trying to get data from his bond mates… that task may as well been impossible. They tried denying that nothing was wrong then they used sudden comms from Sentinel Prime as an excuse to suddenly leave, or almost any excuse. It was driving Bee to glitch so he went to the only other bot who knew the twins so well.

"Why don't you try asking 'em," Jazz suggested as the bartender set their drinks before them.

"Repeatedly! But I know something's wrong and they won't tell me and I want to help but how can I help them if they won't tell me what's wrong!?" he argued, narrowing his optics as he glared at the drink before him. He enjoyed coming to Maccadam's Old Oil House and had even brought his bond mates here a few times. He never knew Jazz used to bring them here and being seekers the high grade didn't get them overcharged as quickly as others (himself included). That had been a very interesting trip back home that lead to a motherboard of an ache in both processor and frame the following cycle.

"Look Bee, I can't tell ya what to do 'cuz this is between the three of you."

"Some advice," he mumbled, door wings twitching in a clear sign of frustration.

"Just sayin' is all." Sipping at his drink he could tell the yellow mech was not happy and vented quietly. He didn't want to say anything but he had noticed something strange about the twins but unless they came and asked for help, his servos were tied. "Where are they anyway?"

"Big chin commed them about some mission." He gave his drink a good hard stare before picking it up and drinking it slowly. It was hard not to just drink it fast but Jazz had offered to pay for the drinks and being in a foul mood he had accepted, but he wasn't going to get overcharged tonight. He had a bad habit and saying the wrong things at the wrong time and it grew work when he had too much high grade.

"And you're not with them 'cuz…?"

"Cuz last time he called all three of us in I got in a shouting match with him." Yes, Sentinel was a Prime. Yes, he was he commanding officer of the Elite Guards. Yes, he reported directly to him. But did that mean he had to stand there and take every little insult thrown at him? To be quiet when he starting acting way too big for his pistons? To listen as he insulted his old team and treat them like they were lower than scrap? Frag no! He frowned as he downed the remainder of his drink, one of his door wings giving a sharp hitch. "Still don't get why the High Council appointed him a Prime."

"We don't question anything they do or say, best remember that," the Cyber Ninja warned him but the mech ignored him. Waving the bartender down he ordered some more drinks.

Sentinel Prime was not having a good cycle. But then again, all his cycles seemed to be going badly even since that upstart was inducted into the ranks of the Elite Guard. He was Ultra Magnus' favorite even though he protested that he didn't receive any special treatment but that was slag. If he said there were no more Decepticons around, then there were no more! And yet there, in a stacked pile of data pads, were reports from numerous scouts and civilians alike that they had seen a mech baring the purple insignia for all to see. He looked up at the quiet forms of Jetstorm and Jetfire who had been standing at attention since they entered his office, never saying a word or asking what they were called for until he was good and ready. 'At least these two still respect me,' he thought gruffly. "Alright you two, I got a mission and I want this taken care of as of the previous solar cycle."

"Yes, Sentinel Prime, sir!"

That was more like it. Taking a data pad from the top of the stack he tossed it to them. "There's been sighting of a Decepticon and our scouts, while not able to catch him, were able to get a good image of him," he said, getting up from his seat to pace over to the window that overlooked Cybertron.

Jetfire, who had caught he data pad turned it on to see the image of a dark/dirty yellow brown color with purple accents and a black helm. On his chassis was the insignia that identified him as an enemy. "'Designation: Swindle. A black-market arms dealer that had made numerous purchases/trades with an unknown amount of alien racesextensively with many alien races who then sells the technology to interstellar warlords, bounty hunters, space pirates, and anyone who is interested.' He is Decepticon, Sentinel Prime, sir?"

"You would think since he wears the slagging symbol, but he's just as likely to steal their own tech and sell it to us if he thought we were interested. Rumor even has it he'd to sell his own motherboard to the highest bidder."

"That is, not good to be hearing," Jetstorm said with a frown as he took the data pad from his servos. "What is he be doing?"

"Beats me, but it can't be anything good. Our scouts have also reported seeing him with two seekers with similar framework to Starscream." The twins tensed upon hearing that certain designation. They knew who he was, a dangerous mech who was just as dangerous and was above using innocents to gain the upper hand in a fight.

"But, is not Starscream being gone?"

"He's suppose to but that's why I call you two in." he finally turned from the window and slowly made his way back to his desk where he leaned on his servos. "I want you two to locate Swindle and let me know as soon as you have him so I can finally lock him in the brig."

"Yes, Sentinel Prime, sir!" They saluted and were prepared to leave with the data pad in servo when he called out to them once more.

"And that that bumbler with you while you're at it," he said as he settled on his seat, grabbing the next data pad on top of the stack but he looked up after a few kliks and narrowed his optics as the two mechs still standing in his office. "Well?"

"Um, we is wanting to know, why bring Bumblebee?" Jetstorm asked quietly.

"… Are you question my orders, soldier?"

"No, Sentinel Prime, sir! But, brother and I can be finding Decepticon faster," Jetfire brought up. The fact was Bumblebee was pretty fast and all their training and simulators showed he was getting better each time, but they had hoped this time spent away from him would curb the dark thoughts about dominating him.

"Look, I don't have time to explain myself. Just get out there, bring in that swindler, and take that bumbler with you."

"But-"

"Now! That's an order!"

Flinching the two jets quickly saluted their commanding officer and left. They were silent as they flew back to their house but neither was happy about it. A mission was great, even something mundane as a scouting one like this but they wanted to take some time away from their bonded. They kept their end of the bond with the minibot tightly shielded but their own was passing feelings of anxiety back and forth.

~Brother? What is we doing?~

~Not knowing, brother. But is not denying orders of Sentinel Prime.~

~No… he is being commanding officer. And being Prime.~ They had no choice and flew lower once they saw their building coming closer. But their scanners picked up a very familiar energy signature and as they locked on they were not happy with what they were seeing. Bumblebee was laughing at something Jazz said, both grinning as they walked up to the building, having a good time. The white mech then made a wild gestured that caused the minibot to nearly double over in laughter, nearly falling over but the Cyber Ninja held him up. To anyone else it would have seen like nothing out of the ordinary, two friends merely enjoying themselves and laughing about some comical story, but the twos saw another mech touching their spark mate, someone they respected and looked up to having no business holding onto the mech they had chosen as their bonded. With no warning they flew in low, transforming and landing at the same time the duo reached the entrance to their building.

Bumblebee tried to reset his vocalizer free of static, having not remember a time he had laughed so hard he nearly blew out the circuits. He patted the mech's servo were it was holding his servo. "Oh mech, warn me next time you tell that story!" he managed to say and blinked at he saw the frames of his bond mates standing before him. "Oh hey, how'd it-" With no warning the two reached out and with more force that was necessary, yanked him from the equally stunned mech and held him tightly between them, servos gripping at him possessively and glaring at their cyber-ninjitsu mentor. "-go…?"

"You is not touching bonded!" Jetfire said angrily, feeling his frame heating up but not caring as his pieced the taller mech with a glare that could melt glass.

Pale blue optics shuttered beneath the visor as Jazz continued to stand there, very confused. "… say what now?"

"You is hearing brother! Bee is being our spark mate, not yours!" Jetstorm seethed, hissing angrily behind clenched denta.

Bumblebee blinked and tried to push himself free but the two jets just tightened their grip on him even more. "W-What are you two—talking about?!" he demanded but they ignored him. He tried pushing only to wince as he felt one of his door wings being bent at a very uncomfortable angle. "Ow! Hey my wing-!"

"Hey now, mechs, Bee is cool and all that but I don't want him like that!"

"We is seeing you now! You is touching him!"

"Yeah 'cuz I didn't want him to fall over laughin'."

"Mechs-"

"Sweet Bee is ours! Not yours!"

"My wing-"

"I just said I didn't want him like that!"

"What is being wrong with that?!"

"For the love of, WILL YOU TWO GLITCHES LET GO?!" Bumblebee shouted as loud as he could, startling the jettwins from loosening their grip enough so he could shove the both of them away from him. He was venting heavily and reached behind him to his backstrut. One of his door wings was bent at an unnatural angle and when he tried moving it it activated his pain sensors. He groaned in pain, biting back the urge to curse but quickly slapped the servos away and glared at his mates. "What the frag is your error?! I think you damaged my door wing!"

"W-We is sorry, not meaning to hurt," Jetfire said and made to touch the wing but the minibot jerked away, hissing as the movement jerked his wing. "Bumble-"

"No. I don't wanna hear it." He glared at them both with nothing but pure fury in his optics. "I don't wanna hear it from either of you." Without saying anything to Jazz he headed into the building, the doors opening and closing. The Cybertroniums that had heard the argument continued to stare as they murmured to one another about what they heard, wondering the truth behind the heated words.

Jazz vented softly, rubbing the back of his helm. The twins looked like younglings that had just been badly scolded by their creator and he couldn't help but feel a bit bad for them. "Listen up, I like Bumblebee but as a friend. I was never interested in him like that and I never will be," he said firmly. "He came to me for some advice, that's it."

"Jazz sir, we… we is sorry," Jetstorm said quietly, his visor dim. "We is, not wanting hurt you, you is friend."

"We is sorry much," Jetfire said, nodding to him. "You… is being mad… a-at us?"

"… Nah mechs, I'm not mad. But I know who is." He glanced up in the direction their home was located and hoped the three of them could work it out.

Bumblebee was so mad, he had never been so embarrassed and in public no less! They actually thought Jazz was hitting on him? Jazz was a cool mech but he reminded him too much of Prowl! And he had already agreed to be their spark mates, they had even bonded for Primus' sake! He looked at the mirror as he tried rotating his wing. The self-repair system was working on the torn wires and while it wasn't serious it was really painful. He vented heavily as he tried to hold the wing steady. It would be at least a megacycle before if not sooner for it to finish repairs. He paused when he heard the door to their home open followed by ped steps. He ignored the hesitant knocking on the door that was soon followed by it opening. He glanced in the reflection but continued to ignore the two mechs.

"Bumblebee… we is wanting, we is sorry much for hurting you," Jetstorm said. The minibot said nothing and he nudged his twin.

"Yes, brother being right. We never hurting you, and we is saying sorries to Jazz sir," he said, looking hopeful but the yellow mech continued to ignore them. "Bumblebee? Wing, hurts much?"

"What the frag do you think?" he snapped, wincing as his good wing gave a harsh flick (and jarring his injured wing) which was pretty much the equivalence of flipping them off and a clear sign that he was still mad at them. He could tell they were struggling to say something but instead of waiting he turned to face them, servos crossed over his chassis. "Look, I went to Jazz 'cuz I needed some advice and he invited me to get some oil at Maccadam's. Something has been going up with you two and you aren't telling me anything so I thought he knew something. You know what he told me?" They wordlessly shook their helms. "He said I should talk to you two. I told him I tried but he kept telling me to try harder and I believed him. But then you two had to act like-like total glitches out there, where every mech and their creator could hear and see what was happening!" He took a moment to calm down, venting heavily he dropped his servos and looked at them pleadingly.

"Look, I know something's wrong but you two aren't saying what. I'm your bonded, your spark mate. We're suppose to help each other." Hesitantly he moved forward and took their servos in his own, squeezing them tightly. "Just tell me what's wrong and whatever it is, I won't get mad. I'll help you, whatever it is. I love you both."

It would be so easy to tell them, to get this heavy mass off their chassis, their sparks, to admit they were terrified of their gestalt form taking over and hurting him and they would be powerless to stop him. But they didn't and looked away. Heir winced as their sparks gave a painful twinge, the backlash from the pain their spark mate was feeling. Their servos slid free from his grip and they didn't try to stop them as he pushed past them roughly, slamming the door to their wash rack closed and locking it behind him. They had hurt him with saying anything and they hated it. And now they were expected to go on a mission and work together to try and bring in an enemy mech?

It was impossible.

No one was able to recharge peacefully that cycle. They never had a chance to tell the minibot of their mission and with his door wing still mending, they decided to leave the following solar cycle. Sentinel had not been happy but didn't push them for answers but expressed he wanted the Decepticon and his seekers dealt with. The twins who were used to spending much of their early vorns together in the same berth, admitted that their berth now felt cold and empty. Bee refused to even recharge in the same room and instead recharged on the couch in the main room of their home. He didn't not look comfortable as he lay on his side, one of his wings touching the floor.

Jetstorm wanted to wake him up or carry him to their berth, to tell him what was going on but the lingering dark thoughts were just below the surface, waiting for a chance to merge and attack.

"Want?" Jetfire offered him a mix of energon and oil to the blue and gray mech, having drank his own just kliks earlier. He nodded his thanks as the orange and white mech moved to the other side of the narrow couch, kneeling down to the recharging mech's level. "I is not seeing Bumblebee being upset to us."

"Not me, too. But… Sentinel Prime sir, is wanting us do mission." Without waiting for a response he leaned over and gently shook the shoulder joint. "Bumblebee? You is not recharging?"

The wings slowly began to move, flapping gently the frame shifted and he turned his helm away from the stiff back cushions of the couch he had been facing. His optics were still dim as he opened them slightly. "What?" he asked quietly but it didn't have his usual warmth and his frame was tensed even as Jetstorm slowly removed his servo.

"Sentinel Prime sir, is wanting us go on mission," Jetfire said and paused as he turned to look at him. "We is finding Decepticon and is to be bringing him in."

"A mission?" He blinked, wishing his processor would boot up faster but he turned and pushed himself up so he was sitting, ignoring the servos as they offered to help but he did take the data pad without murmuring any thanks. Opening the file he skimmed in as his wings arched up and down, side to side. It no longer hurt and hopefully it wouldn't affect his flying. Subspacing the data pad he stood. "Let's go."

"You is wanting energon or oil?" Jetfire offered but with a firm no they watched as he walked out of their home, not even looking behind to see if they were following him. The mech bit down on his lower lip component, feeling his spark aching painfully. "Bee is upset being."

"We is needing to be making up to him," Jetstorm said, subspacing some emergency rations of energon and giving some for his twin to subspace as well. This felt like it was going to be a long cycle as they hurried out to meet up with their still upset spark mate.

The last sighting of Swindle was on a tiny planet that was unable to sustain any form of life, and it was surrounded by an asteroid field. The plan was for the three mechs to take a shuttle as close as possible then transform and fly the remaining difference to said planet. The reason being was they would waste too much fuel to take off straight from Cybertron and the shuttle was too large to safely maneuver through the colliding rocks. Through the trip they tried talking with the yellow minibot, apologizing but he purposely ignored them even sat as far away from them as possible. They would ask questions and he would give short, curt answers that they eventually gave up. The shuttle arrived and floated just beyond the asteroid field.

"This is as far as I can take you all," the shuttle said, a loud click heard as he unlocked the door leading to the air lock. "Be careful out there, the scientists tried to predict a pattern but not everything follows a set routine."

"Thanks, we'll comm you if we get him," Bumblebee said, entering the airlock before the twins and closed the door. He waited for the bay doors to open then transformed and activated his thrusters. His door wings opened up and soon he was flying into the field, nimbly dodging the rocks.

"He's good, looks like he's been a seeker all his life cycle."

"Yes… he be practicing much." Thanking the mech the twins entered the airlock and soon they were followed after the minibot, nimbly dodging the floating rocks, using their thrusters when needed. It didn't take them long to land on the planet and it was completely barren. The ground was so hard packed it was badly cracked, outcropping of rocky formations darting the landscape, some of them looking very jagged and sharp enough to pierce their frames. The twins didn't land but as soon as Bee did he retracted his wings and began driving.

::I'm gonna scout around, you two cover the air,:: he commed them, wincing as the rough terrain jarred his suspension. 'I'm gonna need a serious alignment when I'm done.'

::Bee, we is thinking maybe is not good idea,:: one of the twins commed gently. ::Mission is saying there is being seekers.::

::I read the data pad, Jetfire,:: he snapped and increased his speed. ::You two deal with the seekers, I'll take care of Swindle.::

::But-:: But he quickly shut up his comm link. Primus! First they were acting all weird and not saying what was wrong. Then they go accusing Jazz of all mechs of trying to steal him away. And they still refused to tell him what was going on! And why in the Pitt were they treating him like he was newly formed sparkling? He was an Elite Guard, slag it! "I can take care of myself!" he growled, engine revving to his mood as he raced along the terrain, ignoring the jostling and jarring as his axles and suspension took the abuse.

He searched the small planet but there was no sign of Swindle. He had found tracks but he grew upset when he realized that after following the tracks for almost a whole joor they were his own. He wanted to stomp his ped and cursed as loudly as he could but even with no other bot around he wasn't going to throw a tantrum like a spoilt youngling who wasn't getting his way. But that brought a question to his processor: what was Swindle doing here to begin with? There was nothing he could steal and this planet was completely void of any life form, organic or otherwise.

'Maybe I missed something in the report?' Transforming he pulled out the data pad and opened the file. He read over that the 'Cons did business with a lot of different clientele, not just their planet. There was even a list of his known business associates but none of them even lived this far out. 'Wait, Swindle is a 'Con's con but he's not glitched. If he was here, then it had to have been a meet and greet. This is where he comes to do business deals.' That made sense, he would want neutral ground and the asteroid field made a perfect barrier. But maybe he missed something while driving. He wanted to open the comm to the twins to see if they saw anything but held back. No, he could fly, he could search himself! Giving a hard vent he put the data pad back in his subspace but froze when he heard peds stepping on the crumbling ground behind him. He whirled, servos transforming into his trusty stingers but there was nothing there.

"Who's out there?" he demanded loudly, adjusting his optics to scan far and wide but there was nothing, just him. He refused to relax as he carefully began scouting around, using his headlights to look into small caves made by the jagged rocks, but there was no sign of anyone except himself. He didn't like it and despite how made he was he opened his comm link. ::Jetstorm, Jetfire, come in.::

::We is here, Bumblebee. You is finding Decepticon Swindle?::

::No, but I don't think we're alone. We should meet-:: He cried out in pain as a piercing sharp burst of static filled his audios, he clutched at his helm with his stingers. He vaguely heard twin shouts of pain over the link before it cut off. It didn't last long but he tried reaching out once more. ::Jetstorm? Jetfire? You two alright:: No answer. ::Come in, over.:: Nothing. ::Look, if you're still mad at me stop it! I'm still ticked off at you two!:: Just static and he could feel worry filling his spark, making it vibrate painfully fast in his chassis. ::… mechs?::

The heavy sound of peds hitting the ground was heard and he whirled only to find himself staring up at a mech with a seeker's frame, tall with thrusters at his peds, a small mid-section, sleek chassis with wings arched high on his backstrut. He could have sworn it was Starscream himself except his color was a very dark red and his helm ended at a pointed tip. He tensed and held his stingers up threatening, glaring at him with narrowed optics. "… don't tell me, another of Starscream's clones?" The mech narrowed his optics as he scoffed, vents pushing the air out harshly.

"I could be a better Starscream than he could ever be but someone took too long to have me formatted!" he snapped angrily, wing tips twitching angrily. His optics looked over the sparking stingers of his opponent and he let out an angry growl. "Why can't my servos do that?! All I have are these pathetic guns! And your color is so much brighter than mine—it's not fair!"

'What the scrap is this mech's problem?' Bumblebee thought, slowly back up as the seeker continued to complain about everything, he didn't realize someone was behind him until servos reached out to roughly grab him from behind. He immediately tried fighting back, kicking at eh stabilizers behind him but the mech roughly pinned him to the ground and slammed his stingers into the ground. Turning he could tell this mech was just like the other one except he was a dark navy blue and his wings were a dull orange. He was a darker color combination than his mates who he secretly wished were here with him right now. "G-Get off me, you slagger!" he growled.

"Shut up, Autobot," he growled deeply and glared at his "brother". "Get over here now, Thrust!"

"Who put you in charge, Dirge?!" he snapped but did so, roughly digging his clawed didn't into the armor just behind the stingers, disrupting the circuits in charge of producing the electrical charge, causing them to die out. "Swindle should put me in charge but he doesn't! It's not fair!"

"Shut your mouth plates before I shut them for you!" the blue seeker snapped. He was getting annoyed with the bright wings twitching he straddled the kicking stabilizers, pinning them down and roughly grabbed the wings. He smirked as their captive let out a cry of pain and pulled them harder, listening to him yelp. "Looks like we caught an Autobot, kinda small though."

"I'm an Elite Guard, now get off!" Bee shouted as loudly as he could, struggling to try and pull free but they sued their heavier mass to push him into the ground. He felt his stingers retract, letting his servos out but it was no use. He gave another hard jerk only to freeze as his aft hit something metal and slightly curved.

"You should have said you wanted something more," the one called Dirge smirked, grapping his hips, claws scratching groove into the metal, and lifted his aft up. He dug his claws into a stabilizer when it tried kicking back, piercing the protoform and drawing energon. "You're an Elite Guard? I don't believe it," he scoffed.

"Like I care what you glitches think." He tried coming the twins or anybot else for that matter but all he was getting back was static. He tried not to let his uncertainly show as Dirge forced himself between his stabilizers and Thrust had his servos pinned harshly under his knee joints. He cringed as he felt their servos running over his frame and door wings, scratching his armor and creating shallow cuts along his protoform. "W-Where's Swin-ndle?"

"Why? Do you know him? Swindle gets to go out and meet interesting mechs and I don't. Everyone has better stuff than me, also!" he griped but his lip plates turned into a smirk as a servo roughly gripped Bumblebee's chin, forcing him to lift his helm up and shoved a digit inside, causing him to open his mouth plates and keep it open.

"Back off!" the other seeker snarled angrily, digging his claws into the hips, scratching the armor even deeper as he began grinding their interface panels together, causing the metal to shriek loudly. "I saw him first so I get him!"

"You get everything!" The Autobot was cute, and there was no telling how long it would be before their "boss" came back, so why waste a perfect opportunity. "Look Thrust, I don't like you, you don't like me-"

"No slag."

"-but let's just enjoy this mech before Swindle comes back. And you get the part that doesn't have denta," he mumbled as he forced the mouth plates open as wide as they could, reaching down to undo the latches of his cod piece. "Bite me and I'll make you regret it," he warned.

Bee struggled to pull himself free, but it was no use as they forced themselves into him. The yellow mech had giving up on trying to be brave, gave up on being angry at the jettwins, and he didn't care why they were hiding something from him he just wanted these two to stop. Everything was hurting so much, his stabilizer was covering in so much energon, and his tanks churned. He didn't want this, he didn't want them, he wanted the jettwins! He wanted his bonded mates! His spark was vibrating so hard in his chassis he was afraid it was going to burst free.

'F-Fire… St-Storm… 'm sorr'… hel.. help me…' he silently begged, desperate to reach out to them. Bee was lost in a world of pain and the two seeker knock-offs were too busy enjoying their new toy, they failed to hear the rumble of a large jet as it streaked through the sky, never heard it transform as it landed hard enough to cause a small crater nor as it marched forward, not until two massive servos reached out and dug his digits into their wings, crumbling the metal as though they were made of aluminum. They both shrieked in pain, servos scrambling to try and remove the crushing grip but it was no use as they were forcefully lifted off and away from the smaller mech.

"Not hurting our spark mate!" Safeguard bellowed and brutally slammed the two seekers together, smashing their faceplates and severely damaging their processors forcing them to crashed and fall into immediately stasis. Angrily they turned and hurled the seekers away, watching them crashed into the distance and looked down to see that the wings they had grabbed had been torn off. It stated their anger just a bit but they turned their attention to the minibot. To their much loved spark mate. "Bum-ble… bee…"

Bee was in too much pain, his servos were badly damaged, his was leaking so much, he couldn't help but flinch as he felt servos touch him. "N-No… please, d-don't…" he begged, hating himself for sounding weak but the servos wordlessly lifted him up and cradled him against a broad chassis. He felt his spark give a pulse and was surprised as the spark beneath the chassis was leading against answered his back. He forced his optics open and online to see the plating was two-toned in very familiar colors. "… s-safe… safe… guard…?"

"Our spark mate. Our bonded," he-they rumbled, taking him a short distance away they gently set the minibot down on a series of flat rocks that was smooth on top instead of jagged. They watched as he hissed but they knelt before him and gently rubbed blunt digits over the scratches, trying to sooth him.

* Due to the explicit portion of this chapter, I am complying with FF's NC17 ban and have removed this portion. If you are interested in reading the unedited version, please refer to my AO3 account. Thank you. *

They stayed like that for what felt like solar cycles, listening to their cooling fans click off one by one, systems no longer running hot and heavy. Bumblebee was the first to move, his good wing arching into the loving touch he slowly sat up, and looked down at them.

"Why were you avoiding me earlier?" he asked calmly, no hint of anger left in his vocalizer although there were brief bursts of static.

"… We, is having defrag of gestalt taking over. He-We is not wanting hurt sweet Bee," they admitted, visor dimming. "We is not telling, not wanting them thinking freaks. We is sorries much." It was quiet and they were worried they had upset their lover—only to yelp as a helm helm-butted them in the faceplates rather hard. A servo quickly went up, grabbing the sore and slightly dented metal and the other to help steady their cursing mate. "S-Sweet Bee? Why-"

"You afts!" he hissed, holding his helm as tightly as he could. Not a good idea but he couldn't make a fist with his servos so he hit them with the next best thing. "How many times have I told you two not to care what those glitches think?! You shoulda said something and I would've helped you! Both of you!" Primus, this was starting to get confusing! He could feel a slight dent but leaned over to glare at them, letting them see just how mad he was. "Next time you keep something like this from me, you're both sleeping on the couch for a whole vorn. Got it?"

"Y-yes! We is gotting it!" Their mate was scary when he was mad but as quickly as he hit them they kissed the dent then his lip plates. He happily kissed him back, sitting up to continued holding him close. It was a tender moment that would have led to more interfacing if they weren't rudely interrupted by the last mech they were expecting.

"Great job, mechs! Rally, you two are so good together!" Swindle said with a slag-eating grin on his faceplates, two cameras perched on his shoulders, recording everything.

"Sw-Swindle?! What are you—How long have you been?!" Bumblebee demanded, not bothering to fight it as Safeguard immediately wrapped their servos around him protectively even as he pressed himself into their chassis. "Wait, are you… are you—recording us?!"

"Sure am! You won't believe the demand I have for holo-vids like this and thanks to my latest purchase, these holo-vids will make the viewer feel like he, or she, are actually there!" he admitted. "And I was here when my bodyguards took you down. I didn't think they would do what they did but I may have to rethink their position." He began muttering to himself he failed to realize that the powerlinx had eased the minibot off his lap or that he was steadily making his way to the Decepticon. "Bumblebee, was it? How would you like to be the star in my holo vids? I can cut you for twenty… per… cent…?" He slowly looked up as a shadow overtook him and his optics widen as he saw the enraged look on the gestalt's form or the fact that the very air around him was simmering. "A-A-And yo-you are…?"

Safeguard said nothing, staring him down but their two colored servos quickly snapped out and crushed the cameras, even ripping them free from the mech. Swindle cried out in pain and stumbled back, landing roughly on his aft but he was smart enough to know when to cut his losses. "I'll take that as a no… see ya!" Transforming he sped away as quickly as he could. His ship was nearby so he could cut his losses and leave and while he didn't have the full video, at least he had this bit. He was already counting the credits in his processor it took him a klik to realize no matter how fast his odometer said he was going, he wasn't gaining any distance. "What the?!" he increased his speed, ignoring the way his engine was over heating, expelling a great deal of exhaust and heated air there was still nothing. Angling his windows he could only stare at the orange and blue mech that was holding onto his rear axle, lifting the spinning tires in the air. He knew he should have gone for a front wheel drive!

Safeguard grunted as they lifted the vehicle up, ignoring the spinning tires they turned and slammed it onto its rooftop with such force the impact blew out all the windows and caused the top portion of the frame to crumble. To be certain they applied heated air to the tires, having them to swell then explode, including the spare. No one was going to see their mate in such a way. Ever.

Bumblebee watched as his powerlinx lover took care of the perv and sighed, glancing in the distance where they had tossed the seekers earlier. Reaching up he activated his comm link and was pleased when he found there was no more static. ::This is Bumblebee, we caught Swindle and his seeker bodyguards.:: He winced as he heard the 'Con beg for mercy as Safeguard tried to locate and rip his hidden camera free. ::We're gonna need help getting these three back to Cybertron.:: He paused then added for safety, ::They're definitely gonna need to see a medbot.::

Author's Notes: And this chapter is done! I kinda deviated from my original plotline but I loved angst and Bee is just so—molestable! (blinks) is that actually a word? Anyway, this is a second request from my favorite and loyal reviewer, SparkySparkfire! This is also the first time I have ever written Safeguard and I had some minor trouble.

According to TFWiki, even though Jetfire and Jetstorm merge to form Safeguard, their processors—minds—don't merge. So it's literally two brains in one head. So even though they as one bot, they have the minds of two separate bots. They just work so well together, it may as well seem like they are one bot. Hence my writing style when they kept referring to themselves as "they" and to Bee as "theirs". I really hope I didn't confuse anyone ^^ Please leave me a review if you enjoyed it! G'nit, y'all! :D

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