CHAPTER 14
Important Talks and Hidden Blessings

Three months passed since the day of the Ridley's funeral, and things had gone well for the most part. Trevor sighed as he leaned against the crook of Bumblebee's arm. He now had (less) than three months before this supposed adoption was supposed to take place. And as a result, it had become much more of a topic of conversation around him and Bumblebee. Trevor was cautiously growing more excited about getting adopted by Bumblebee, though he hadn't been getting his hopes up too hard. Bumblebee still had a lot to learn in the time before the six months was over, and something could still go wrong.

And yet, on days like this, when they spent alone time together, he would bring it up. "Bee, are we changing my name when I'm adopted?" Trevor asked, causing the mech to avert his gaze from the sunset they watched from the porch of the Lennox home. "I mean, I don't know if you guys do that. But here, usually the adoptee kinda changes their last name."

"Oh yeah," Bumblebee nodded. "I read about that, talked to Prime about it too." He explained, looking out to the sky, and then down at Trevor again. "He thinks you should take his last name if you want to. Seeing as you're in our family." He then added. "It's customary in human culture to do that anyway, right?"

Trevor was silent a moment, and then arched his eyebrows. Prime? Optimus wanted him to go by the name Trevor Nathaniel Prime? Trevor knew that it was a name as well as it was a rank to Optimus. But he still felt nervous at the prospect, thinking of what that meant. He knew he wouldn't be the first person in the world with that last name. But he would be the first human in the world to carry that name and have it have such great meaning. Even if it only was a meaning only present in an alien culture, it still had meaning all the same.

"Me, a Prime?" Trevor managed to get out. "But Bee, that's like, you have to earn that don't you?"

Bumblebee nodded, and then looked at him. "Yeah, if you're talking about the actual title. But it would just be a name, Trev," Trevor took a deep breath. "I mean, yeah, the name carries a lot of weight. But regardless of your name, you're going to be," He paused a moment.

"It's okay, I've never really had grandparents, so yeah."

Bumblebee nodded, and leaned back, drooping his doorwings slightly. "Well then, like I was saying. You're going to be the grandcreation of the acting Prime regardless," He explained, looking down upon him with soft optics. "You're going to have to kinda prepare for what that means. A lot of Autobots are going to look at you as an example of how the human race should act as a result." He then added. "And by contrast, you're probably going to be who most humans go to about us. Since you've formed a bond so close to us."

"Why would they do that?" Trevor asked.

"Because you're the first sentient being of another species to be," Bumblebee rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, you're going to be the first sentient being of another species to be accepted into the family of a Prime. It's a big deal, Trevor," He explained. "Back on Cybertron, before the war, the caste system, and the Senate would probably not even allow it. It'll be a sign for most that things have changed," He mused.

Trevor wasn't sure whether that was a good, or bad thing. But by the look in Bumblebee's opitcs, he had a strong feeling that it was the former. He sighed a bit, resting his arms on his knees slightly. "Alright, I guess Trevor Prime does have a nice ring to it," Bumblebee smiled a little at Trevor's eventual reply. "So do you really think that this adoption will go through?"

"I've been learning. I even completed the parenting classes!" Bumblebee huffed, his optics rolling. "If they think that I'm not able to take care of you, well... Don't repeat this, but if they think that way then they're idiots," Trevor chuckled a little, but nodded in response. "Come this time in August, you and I will be kicking it at Diego Garcia," He added with a grin.

Trevor had to admit, the more time that passed, the more that he looked forward to that. He liked living with the Lennox's, but he also knew this wasn't a permanent home. And that's what his parents would have wanted for him. Something permanent, something safe where he didn't have to worry about the future as much as he seemed to do lately. "That patch of land in the middle of the Indian Ocean actually sounds nice," Trevor shrugged. "I mean, it's isolated. But at least there I don't have to keep secrets and all."

"Keeping your secrets bothers you?"

"You mean, do I want to say my guardian is an awesome giant robot from outer space?" Trevor laughed a little, and grinned. "Heck yeah, I do! Especially if I could get in there that you're a Camaro too. Do you know how many girls that would get me?" Bumblebee silently facepalmed a little, shaking his head. "What? I'm fifteen, I have raging hormones, are you surprised?"

"That you'd let your guardian take you out on dates?" Bumblebee chuckled. "No, duh."

Trevor froze a bit, okay, that was a good point. If Bumblebee was going to be his "dad" the last thing he wanted was for him to take him out on dates. If only because he struck him as the type that would almost instantly grill the poor girl. "No thank you," Trevor threw his hands up in defeat. "I think I'd rather take Ironhide, and he's the grumpiest mech around."

"I heard that," Ironhide grunted as he stepped up beside the two. "You little smart alleck. You spend too much time with Bumblebee, the last thing I need is two of you." He snorted, crossing his arms with a playful glare at Bumblebee. "Speaking of which, didn't Prime ask you to call for a status report?" Bumblebee groaned. "Get going, youngling," He added.

"Can't call me that anymore," Bumblebee stuck his glossa out.

"As long as you act like one, I'm callin' you one."

Bumblebee grumbled something before setting Trevor down, and starting off. Trevor gave a small chuckle, looking at the weapons specialist. He had to admit, the mech was a bit rough around the edges, but he was fun to watch. "What're you laughing at, runt?" He grunted a bit.

"You amuse me," Trevor shrugged his shoulders.

Ironhide eyed Trevor speculatively for a long moment, then looked out upon the landscape. "So I heard about the last name change," Ironhide finally spoke up. "You're really going to go through with this if it works out?" Trevor nodded. "I'm surprised, being you're being adopted into a species you barely know about." He admitted.

Trevor rubbed his arm, unsure of how to answer that. The mech made a fair point, in that it was a little risky. Putting your fate in the hands of a group that you had only known a few months. "I guess I'm just not xenophobic," Ironhide lifted an eyebrow. "Afraid of aliens," He commented. "I mean you guys have been nothing but kind to me from the start. "Or at least you, Bee, and Prime. I haven't really gotten to know the others yet."

Ironhide snorted, and shrugged his shoulders. "I'll tell you now, beware Ratchet's check-ups," Trevor shuddered a bit, having heard the stories already. "You should know we'll be spending more time together," He explained. "Bumblebee may or may not have mentioned this, but on top of watching over the Lennox family... I am the assigned bodyguard to Optimus Prime and his family as well."

"And a weapons specialist?" Trevor asked as the mech nodded. "Jeez, is there anything you don't do?"

"I don't put up with crap," Ironhide replied, and Trevor smirked a bit. "So hold off that smart-alleck comment I know is coming."

"Do you ever have fun?" Trevor joked. "Maybe smile a bit?"

Ironhide let out a smirk at that, almost as if just to shut him up. He liked being seen as the tough mech, even if deep inside, he was a softie. "If you wouldn't part of the family unit I vowed to protect," Ironhide chuckled. "I might have just flicked you for the way you talked to me," He noted as he seated himself down. "So I'm sitting here, imagining doing that right now. And look, I'm grinning, as you would say it, like a "Cheshire cat"."

"Jeez, are you sure your parents didn't name you Sunshine?" Trevor asked with a chuckle. "Because you're such a ray of it."

That one actually earned a chuckle from the mech, who tilted his head to look at Trevor. The boy could keep up with him, that much was certain. And if that told him anything, it was that he could take a jab or two. "You really don't fear us, do you?" Trevor shook his head a little bit. "You're brave, ye little runt, I'll give you that." He added.

"I'm scared of one," Trevor admitted. "And unfortunately the jerk's still out there."

Ironhide knew that could only mean one person: Barricade. His optics narrowed, as he had not only done things to him, but others as well. It was not a secret that the mech was hated by most, if not all of the Autobots. "Yeah, well, he knew he was dead that day," Ironhide snorted. "Probably exactly why he never showed up in Mission City. He's angered too many of us to not be afraid of engaging anyone but Bumblebee. And that's only because he's the youngest."

Trevor nodded his head, looking up at the sky. "I kinda want to drop the racing idea and join NEST when I grow up," Trevor muttered. "So I can help hunt him down, and make him pay." He admitted, earning a look from Ironhide. "What? I might be scrawny, but I could bulk up," He began.

"Heed my advice, Trevor Ridley," Ironhide interrupted, holding up a hand. "Don't put away your dreams for revenge. You want to be a racer, as you claim? Do it. You want to be a soldier, for real reasons? Do it." Trevor was silent, a little stunned at how serious he was. "But revenge only adds in more sadness, and pain. Even when you're the one dishing it out."

Trevor had never thought of it that way, but he supposed that the mech was right. He still wanted Barricade dead, and probably always would. But what would killing him himself get him? Probably nothing. Seeing as his parents wouldn't have wanted him to focus on that. "Sometimes I just wonder what racing company would take a kid with one leg," Trevor snorted. "Maybe I'd have a better chance. Which would be great, especially if I had the chance to shoot that jerk down."

Ironhide looked at him, and shook his head. "Let me tell you something, boy," Ironhide began, looking at him. "When I was sparked? I had what they call a glitch. And let me tell you, back in the caste system we had? Most parents abandoned you at the first sign of one," Trevor cringed a bit. "I was lucky, I was taken in by a minor from Kaon who raised me. Taught me to work around the glitch, and not focus on it," He then added. "And now look where I am."

"What's the glitch?" Trevor asked.

Ironhide rumbled his engines a bit, as if not wanting to talk about it. But after a moment, he looked back at the young human. "I had a spark defect when I was created," Ironhide cleared his "throat". "It's nothing life threatening as long as I keep putting these fluids Ratchet gave me into my systems," He explained, looking at him. "But if I don't, my spark has nearly failed once, or twice." He explained. "I can do all the same things as any other mech. I can spark merge and have sparklings even," Trevor's mouth opened. "But if I just don't have the right energon running through my veins every five Earth years, my spark sometimes tries to give out."

"And Prime lets you be his bodyguard?" Trevor asked.

"I can do anything another mech could do," Ironhide told him firmly. "My glitch - my disability as you call it does not define me. Nor should it you," He explained. "It doesn't even effect me much. I just have to take it easier sometimes." He explained. "But you'd best believe I still rose my way to being the best fragging fighter and bodyguard in the business."

Trevor couldn't help but stare at Ironhide in awe, a smile widening on his face. It definitely made him feel good to know that someone as tough as Ironhide was like him. And perhaps Ironhide was right, it was time to start focusing on that small part of him. "So you think I could be a racer?" Trevor asked. "Even with the leg?"

"You can be anything," Ironhide snorted. "The glitch does not define you."

"That was... Oddly deep for you," Trevor replied.

Ironhide simply shrugged, and looked back out into what was now the night sky. Though overall, he retained his smirk, and shuttered his optics. Returning his gaze to Trevor briefly, he spoke again. "Just don't let me hear you putting yourself down about it again," Ironhide waved a finger at him for emphasis. "I don't put up with that slag."

"Yes sir," Trevor gave a mock salute.

Though in the back of his mind, he would be sure to keep this talk with Ironhide in mind.

...

Bumblebee hated the fact that he had to learn first hand how to take care of sick humans. It was only about a week later when Trevor woke up with a blistering headache, and a high fever. But it was still disheartening for Bumblebee to see. The boy was laying in his bed, basically not wanting to move, say, or do much. So the most he could do was stay nearby and make sure he was resting well. At the moment, however, he simply watched as Lennox's wife, Sarah checked his fever again. "Has it gone down at all?" Bumblebee asked, his voice full of worry. "I heard him hurling again a few minutes ago."

"Bee, it's the flu," Trevor grunted, coughing a little. "You worry more than my mom did, man."

Bumblebee rolled his optics at Trevor a little, amazed at how defiant he was. Yet he simply let his doorwings twitch a bit and looked down at him. "Gee, my youngling won't leave his bed and is purging up a storm," Bumblebee turned to Sarah. "Maybe I should just leave him alone, I'm sure he'll be fine. What do you think, nurse?" He questioned with great sarcasm.

Trevor groaned, having noticed the use of "my youngling" but pushing it away. He was getting more used to the time where Bumblebee didn't use "my charge" by this point. Though he much preferred the Cybertronian terminology to the human ones, given hearing someone else call him their son was still too much. "His fever is going down a bit," Sarah commented. "But I don't think he's going to school for another several days."

"So there is a plus to this," Bumblebee teased, giving a thumbs up, and making Sarah frown. "What? Let's be honest, school sucks. I'd have taken a virus over it any day," Sarah did laugh at that one. "Are you too old for stuffed friends at this age?" He questioned.

Trevor shrugged, and groaned a bit as Bumblebee sighed. While Trevor had been sleeping earlier, he had gone into town searching for something to cheer him up. And while, the small, yellow colored stuffed bear was cheesy, he remembered how much he liked them as a youngling. When he had been sick, it had usually been something soft like that which got him comfort. "Kids usually don't really sleep with stuffed animals at this age," Bumblebee pouted a bit at Sarah's comment. "Why?" He questioned.

At this point, Bumblebee held up the small stuffed bear he had in his palm. Making the woman give an "Oh", when she put two-and-two together. "I guess maybe I just think too much about what I was like," Bumblebee commented. "But I didn't get much of a sparklinghood, and relished in a chance at it in my youth," He explained. "Either way I thought this was cute, and might cheer you up."

Trevor watched as Bumblebee deposited the bear onto his bed. Looking between it and his guardian slowly, he let himself smile a little. He'd had old stuffed animals, kept from his childhood, and stored in his closet. Most were given to him by his parents for similar reasons, but they were gone now, burned in the blast. And so, the gesture probably meant more to Trevor than Bumblebee realized. "Bee," Trevor looked it over. "I love it. Thanks! Call me weird too, but I kinda... Like stuffed animals. I kept all mine from when I was a kid. To give to my kids someday." Sarah gave him a look, and Trevor grunted. "Okay, I still like sleeping with stuffed animals sometimes, so sue me."

Bumblebee smirked, and rolled his optics, looking over at Sarah. Then down at Trevor, who he carefully rubbed across his back gently. "Don't worry, I'll only let every femme you date know that," Bumblebee teased. "Ever."

"Remind me to projectile vomit out the window," Trevor groaned.

"You purge on me, you die," Bumblebee jested.

Trevor laughed lightly, though stopped as he felt his stomach jostle. Sarah shook her head as she looked at Bumblebee. "Don't make him do that much, Bee. It's a stomach flu," She explained. "He's going to need to rest and relax. Unless you really do want him to accidentally vomit on you," Bumblebee quickly made a face. "Sorry, you'll get to play around when he's feeling better."

Bumblebee sighed, now this sucked not only for Trevor, but him too. Hanging out with Trevor gave him something nice to do with his day, and made him happy. But now, he had to learn the other side of it too. The side when the boy couldn't do anything, and just needed someone to take care of him. "Then I'll keep my temperature sensors on alert, and tend to everything but food," Trevor looked up at Bumblebee, surprised. "Do I need to know anything else about this stomach flu virus?"

"Are you sure you know enough?" Sarah asked. "I can help."

"Sarah, I appreciate that, I do," Bumblebee nodded his head. "But the point of these past few, and next few months is for me to learn. I'm not going to learn how to handle this on base unless you give me a chance to," Sarah sighed, but knew the mech was right. "It's cool, I'll activate my holoform and keep close to him. If anything serious comes up, you're downstairs."

Sarah nearly jumped out of her skin as his holoform appeared next to Trevor's bed for emphasis. She sighed a bit, looking between the "man" in front of her, the Autobot outside the window, and then the boy. "Alright," Sarah muttered. "We have a waste bucket for him under the bed, and more water downstairs." She explained. "He needs to take his antibiotics at three, don't let him forget."

"Got it," Bumblebee's holoform's nose quivered. "So I take it that rancid stench is...?"

"The waste bucket," Sarah nodded, heading towards the door. "Good luck."

Luckily for Bumblebee, Trevor napped for most of the time. He slept on, holding his new stuffed animal, almost like a young child. But who was he to judge? He slept with their versions until he was around the equivalent of Trevor's age. It all seemed to go smoothly, until two o'clock hit, and his nightmare began. He never knew what it was like to be puked on, and even if it was a holoform, he wished he still didn't. "Slag!" Bumblebee freaked out, grabbing the bucket under his bed. "Waste bucket! WASTE BUCKET!"

Thankfully, Trevor began to do what he was told. While Bumblebee watched the nanobots clean themselves, a feature he was thankful for. "Dang boy, you are sick," Bumblebee played a radio clip to lighten the mood slightly. "Alright, easy," He muttered as Trevor slowly set the waste bucket down. "Do you need anything? Water?" He questioned.

"I don't suppose Ratchet has a cure for this?" Bumblebee shook his head. "Great," Trevor laid his head back on his pillow quietly. "This sucks, I don't have TV. I don't have Anna to play with, or 'Hide to banter with." The mech frowned a bit. "This is going to be a nightmare."

Bumblebee tapped his holoform's chin slowly. After a moment, Bumblebee fiddled with his robot form, and finally came across what he was looking for. Trevor turned his head as some voices came out of the radio, not the usual voice clips, but something else. "I found this cool thing while searching XM Satellite Radio over the years," Bumblebee finally spoke. "It's called "Old Time Radio", apparently, before TV there were radio shows. And they play those oldies all the time," Trevor raised an eyebrow. "It's not TV, but I think you'll like it.

"That's cool," Trevor nodded. "I can dig it."

And so he laid there as the a story from an old show called "Gunsmoke", which seemed to be a western, played. Trevor had to admit, he was enjoying it. It was not unlike listening to a good book being read for you. And the action was always a plus. "The "Old West" as humans call it sure was interesting," Bumblebee commented, a grin spreading on his face. "Matt Dillon's pretty cool, huh?"

"Definitely," Trevor chuckled. "Do they do more shows?" He questioned.

"Tons," Bumblebee noted as the show ended. "Give it a minute, another will start."

And so they spent the day like this, with Trevor drowsing in and out. One moment, he'd be sick, and the next, he'd be sleeping to the sounds of the oldies radio shows Bumblebee had come to love. Around ten, Trevor was laying down, and they were listening to a horror show when Trevor spoke up. "Hey Bee?" Bumblebee stared down at him. "Thanks, you know you don't have to-."

"Enough of that," Bumblebee set a finger against his lips. "You have nothing to thank me for. Just doing my job."

"But I do," Bumblebee raised an eyebrow, confused. "You could have left and just forgotten about me, y'know. Never had to go through all this trouble. Wouldn't have had to learn all this crap," Bumblebee's eyes softened at Trevor's words. "I never really thanked you for keeping your promise to my dad. For taking care of me," He muttered.

Bumblebee smiled a little, and after a long moment, leaned forward. What he did next surprised him both, he laid a kiss on top of Trevor's head. It was gentle, and slow, not unlike a kiss his mom or dad used to lay on it. And when Bumblebee did it, Trevor was surprised to find he didn't mind. In fact, it brought a smile to his face as Bumblebee looked at him. "Best decision I ever made," He told him, a smile widening on his face. "If you can't tell, I kinda like having you around too much to let you go."

"Me too, Bee."

They only listened for a short time longer before Trevor fell asleep for the night. Bumblebee lingered a long moment, running a hand through his hair, and watching the boy slumber soundly. As soon as he was sure Trevor was so deep in sleep that he wouldn't hear what he said, Bumblebee sighed. "I love you, bud," He told the sleeping boy quietly, knowing he may not be ready to hear it out loud yet. "Sweet dreams."

As Bumblebee's holoform fizzled out of existence, his real form transformed down. Perhaps this sick day had been exactly what they needed to move past that beginning awkwardness. Even if it was very much a blessing in disguise. What he didn't know, however, was that their silent watcher agreed. And as Will Lennox closed the small crack in the door, he couldn't help but give a smile of his own. He might have been the slightest bit skeptical at first, but over the last few months, he learned. The two were meant for each other, and if the government didn't give Bumblebee custody, he would actually feel disgusted.

But for the moment, they would all push those thoughts out their head. After all, two months was still quite some time away.

...

A/N: So next chapter will be the final time skip in this part of the story. Which means, yes. Bee and Trevor will face the government, and the court next. :) At which point, we'll be past the filler. Though I promise that their father-son relationship will only grow in coming chapters! This is far from the end of Bee slowly learning to be a dad. ;)