Bumblebee wanted to talk with Optimus. It had been so long since he had felt this particular feeling, and he wasn't going to fight it. Anxiety roiled in his fuel tank as he padded toward the house that Optimus had locked himself up in. His processor spat out a thousand reasons not to talk to Optimus and tell him what had been bothering him for so long. What if he scoffed? What if his fears were dismissed? What if Optimus no longer wanted him on the team because he was a coward? Despite the thoughts, he pressed forward, keeping Silverstorm's pained expression in his mind. When he got to the door, he tapped the chime without pausing. If he waited, he'd bolt. And if Optimus took too long…

"Yes?" Optimus's voice came through, weary and low.

"It's me, sir. I… Can I talk to you?" Bumblebee asked.

"Of course," Optimus said, a lilt of surprise in his tone. "Come on in."

Bumblebee typed in the code then padded inside. The door slid shut behind him, and he looked around. Ever since he'd offended Silverstorm, Optimus had hidden away. He'd left the house he'd been sharing with Bumblebee, Ratchet, and Ironhide and moved into a semi-complete home down the way by himself. It looked as if Optimus hadn't been cleaning.

"This way," Optimus called, and Bumblebee followed his voice to a berthroom off to the side. Optimus sat on the berth, and he looked utterly fritzed.

"Oh, Prime," Bumblebee said compassionately. He walked over and sat beside him. "Have you been recharging?"

"Not well," Optimus mumbled. "But that's not what we're going to talk about. What's wrong?"

Bumblebee sat there and stared for a moment as his spark pulsed faster. "It's not easy for me to say," he said, stalling just a bit.

Optimus nodded and leaned back against the wall, staring blankly up at the ceiling. "Take your time," he murmured.

Bumblebee looked into his lap and stared at his hands. "I'm a coward, sir," he finally said. "And that's what's been eating at me, as the humans would say. I'm sorry, but I can't change it. If you no longer want me in your confidence, I understand. I just thought you deserved to know."

Optimus looked at him, his optics puzzled. "You're as far from a coward as anybody I've ever known, Bee. What's brought on this on?"

"But I am a coward, sir," Bumblebee said. "I… I'm scared, sir, and that makes me a coward."

"Not quite," Optimus said, and he actually smiled. "Because if that's the case, I'm a coward, too."

Bumblebee clicked in surprise. "Optimus?" he asked.

"If I wasn't such a coward, I would march right up to the temple and go in and talk to Silverstorm. And then Primus. But I can't. And that's what makes me a coward."

"What?" Bumblebee asked.

"Everybody is afraid of something," Optimus said, placing a hand on Bumblebee's knee. "But when you face your fear, you show courage. Like now."

Bumblebee's optics flashed pink. "You think I'm courageous?"

"You were afraid to tell me what was wrong, yes?"

"Yes."

"But here you are, talking to me."

"Yes." Bumblebee smiled a little.

"Then that makes you the opposite of a coward. Me? I'm still a coward."

"How so?"

"I can't face Primus, so I can't talk to Silverstorm," Optimus said.

"Why can't you face Primus?" Bumblebee asked.

Optimus gazed at nothing for a moment. "Because I just know he's disappointed in me, just like my protector. I could never please him, so what makes Primus any different?"

"Well, I've met him, for one," Bumblebee said.

Optimus jerked his head around. "You have?" he asked.

"Yeah. A couple times now. He's very kind, Prime. I don't think you need to worry too much."

"But I am," Optimus said sadly. "And it's even worse after what I said to Silverstorm."

"What do you mean?" Bumblebee asked.

Optimus shivered with distress. "I knew he was insecure about being chosen. I knew it, and I still said that. After warning him about speaking before thinking, I go and say something so horrible to him. Ugh! Bumblebee, what's wrong with me?"

Bumblebee tapped the berth and gazed at Optimus. "Change is scary. And hard. That's part of why I'm so scared for the future. I don't know how to change. Losing Jazz… you saw what that did to me. Then losing Sam. But he was okay and came back, but I didn't want to admit he'd changed. He wasn't my Sam anymore, but I couldn't admit it. He was Silverstreak. And now he's Silverstorm. And I'm still not completely okay with that, but it's getting better."

Optimus stared at Bumblebee. "Where did all this come from?" he asked. "I tried to get you to tell me what was wrong, but you wouldn't. How did you get here?"

"The problem was you're too close with me, Optimus," Bumblebee admitted. "I couldn't admit to you that I was afraid because I was never afraid. You've bragged so many times about me being brave to others, and I couldn't let you down."

"Oh, Bee, that's not what I meant at all," Optimus said gently. "You're so brave, but not because you're not afraid. I've seen you afraid plenty of times before. You're brave because you always face your fears. But some fears are harder to face alone. You're a brave mech, and you always have been. And you're proving it again now, aren't you?"

Bumblebee's optics flashed pink, and he smiled and looked away. "I suppose so, Prime."

"Exactly. Now listen Bee, the future is scary if you face it alone. But you're not alone, are you? You've got me and Ratchet and Ironhide, plus all of the rest of our old team, plus Silverstorm and the younglings. And more mechs will come along, and we'll all be facing this unknown future together. We might not know what the future holds, but nobody really does. We're together, Bee, and that makes it less scary. But you have to ask for help when you need it."

Bumblebee's vocalizer began to spit static and soft whines. "I'm sorry, Optimus. I'm sorry I've been a jerk. I just… I had to be okay, and I wasn't. I couldn't tell you. I didn't want you to leave me behind. That only scared me more, and it all just spiraled from there. I need help, Prime, please. I miss you and I miss how things used to be, and we can't get that back, but can't we find a way to have something similar? I don't want you to fight with Silverstorm anymore. But you have to change the way you see him or this will just keep happening."

Optimus wrapped an arm across Bumblebee's shoulder, studying his face. "What do you mean?"

Bumblebee coughed to clear some of the static away before he answered. "Optimus, you're doing the same thing I was, just in a different way. I was stuck on Sam. You're stuck on Silverstreak. But he's neither one of those people anymore. He was once, but he's grown and changed. You've got to let go of who he was and embrace who he is." He paused and smiled at Optimus. "And a sincere apology for what you said would go a long, long way."

Optimus nodded. "I'd love to, but he never leaves the temple."

Bumblebee hesitated. "I could get him out of the temple if you want. But you'd better make it count or he won't trust me for awhile."

Optimus gazed at him. "If you're willing to risk it, Bee."

There was a pause before Bumblebee tapped his comm link. "Hey, Silverstorm? Uh, I was wondering if you'd be okay with showing me those flying tricks? You said you would." Silence, then Bumblebee repeated coordinates, and Optimus quickly memorized them. "Okay. I'll see you soon. I'm going to bring somebody. Cool. Bye."

Bumblebee lowered his hand and stared at Optimus. "We'd better get going, Prime. He'll be there faster than we will."

Optimus couldn't believe it. "How?"

"We've been talking off and on. He told me he wants to show off for me, but I haven't really been available for… reasons."

"Well, let's go see this showoff," Optimus said, standing up. "But promise you'll give me some time alone with him. If he wants to tell you later, fine, but I need to do it alone."

"Of course, Optimus. I understand," Bumblebee said. "Let's roll out."

Optimus smiled and they headed for the coordinates Silverstorm had provided. They heard him before they saw him, and they both stopped to transform and watch him fly. He twisted and moved so gracefully in the air, and Optimus couldn't help but smile. It wasn't the first time he'd wanted to fly. The best he'd done was when he'd combined with Jetfire back on Earth. He'd been old enough that Primus had granted him Prime status long enough for Optimus to combine with him one single time. Combining had been sweet and strange, and he still carried a piece of the mech with him even though he was dead. Maybe it was that piece of him that burned with the desire to fly again.

Optimus and Bumblebee both knew the moment that Silverstorm saw them. He stopped flying so fast that the air rippled around him in a powerful wave as thunder cracked above them. That was clearly not good as Silverstorm suddenly fritzed then began to fall.

"Silverstorm!" Optimus shouted.

That seemed to rouse him enough to ignite his thrusters again to slow his fall. He landed roughly, skittering across the ground before stopping in a heap, groaning and shivering. Bumblebee and Optimus ran for him, kneeling beside him.

"Silverstorm? Are you okay?" Bumblebee asked, touching his wing gently.

"Don't!" Silverstorm hiccuped.

"Ooh," Bumblebee said, wincing. "Didn't expect that much feedback from stopping midstream, eh?"

"No," Silverstorm moaned. "Give… give me a second…"

"He's still really sensitive to currents," Bumblebee told Optimus. "I talked to Silverstorm before I left the temple, and he and Silverbolt talked about his flying. That's when he offered to show off for me."

"Didn't mean to startle you that badly," Optimus mumbled.

Silverstorm didn't reply, eyeing Optimus suspiciously. Optimus sighed and turned to Bumblebee. "Do you think you could go on a drive for a few?"

"Of course," Bumblebee said. "Then when I come back, you can show off for me, okay, Silverstorm?"

Silverstorm shrugged and struggled to sit up. "Fine," he wheezed.

Bumblebee stood up and took several steps back then transformed and drove off. Silverstorm sat there, shivering and struggling to stay upright. Optimus moved to sit behind him to support him, but Silverstorm rolled to his feet and angled his wings away from him. If Silverstorm felt defensive enough to be too afraid to have him at his back, Optimus had really messed up.

"I want to talk about this," Optimus said.

"I don't," Silverstorm spat, his vocalizer shaky and full of static. "You've made it perfectly clear what you think of me."

"Silverstorm, I didn't mean it that way."

"Oh, but you couldn't come to apologize for weeks? Face it, Optimus! You meant it and you're not sorry!"

"I couldn't go to the temple, and you wouldn't leave!" Optimus exclaimed.

"Oh yeah, blame me! It's always my fault, isn't it?"

There was a soft chuckle that made both of them stiffen. They spun toward the noise and froze. Two dozen Decepticons stared at them, watching their fight. The eager, leering expressions seemed to grow even sharper, hungrier, and they began to laugh and chat between themselves as they kept their optics on the two Primes. Shockwave stood above them on a building, his scarred face twisted into a leering smirk. When he saw that he had their attention, he smiled a cold, eerie smile and inclined his head.

"Oh please," he purred, his red optic flashing with amusement. "Don't stop on our account. I absolutely love drama."