REPOST WITH AUTHORS NOTE: For those who don't already know, at least for the moment I have indefinitely retired from fanfiction. This said, I have decided to make a Transformers RPG that is VERY LOOSELY based on the idea behind this fic and as such, I thought I'd put this out there for any fans of Transformers, this fic, and/or roleplay in general in case anyone wants to join up.

To find the site, just replace where I put DOT with an actual period.: tfalteredfatesDOTproboardsDOTcom

I hope to see some of you there. We're brand new and just getting started!

CHAPTER 48
One Depressing Day

The next day, Trevor stood outside his "father"'s hospital room.

Bumblebee stood next to him, looking in at the man. For once, the man that made him afraid for so long looked so... Pained. His wrists wrapped up, his eyes simply staring ahead at the wall. Bumblebee put his holoform's hand on Trevor's shoulder, gently rubbing it. "You don't have to do this..." He told Trevor quietly. "You don't owe this creep anything... Whether he tried to kill himself, or not."

Trevor looked at the mech quietly. He knew it was true, he was his father, Joseph was his father... This man was just someone who had contributed to his birth. He owed him nothing, and yet... Looking at him now? It felt so saddening. To think that in the years that he'd been gone that his father had fallen this far...

"Dad, he tried to kill himself." Trevor finally replied, as quiet as possible. "I need to say something to him before they... What did you say they're doing to him?"

Bumblebee shrugged his shoulders, not fully sure of the answer himself. "Considering his blood alcohol level... And the fact of how he tried to do it... I'm gonna say rehab. At least from how limited my knowledge of Earth is. But while you were in the cafeteria, Ron was telling me that is the likely course of action."

Trevor crossed his arms, yeah, rehab would do him good. And maybe a few AA meetings if Michael was lucky. "At least he can't hurt me in the state he's in, right?" Bumblebee was silent. "OK, he can hurt me verbally. But after dealing with Barricade that hardly seems like much."

And it was true - after being held hostage, well, his father seemed a lot less scary. Even when he was capable of hurting him. "Alright... I'm right here if you need me." Bumblebee told him firmly.

Trevor only nodded as he took a step forward, opening the door. The room was silent, other than the faint beeping of the heart monitor. Trevor examined Michael, who laid there looking pained for a long moment. He stood there, waiting, wondering if the man would even wake up...

Just when he figured he might not, the moment he turned to leave for a while... "You actually came..." Trevor paused, turning to look at Michael as his eyes quietly opened. "I figured you'd have just told me to screw myself..."

Trevor rubbed his arm quietly. Noting the softness with which the man spoke. Of course, he was sober for one of the few times Trevor had ever seen him. So he supposed that gave him a bit of time to actually talk to Trevor like he wasn't a piece of garbage. "Yeah, well, I got home from a trip with my grandparents to find out you..." Trevor was silent, taking a seat. "Well, needless to say my dad didn't have good news."

Michael frowned. "Right, your dad..."

"Don't say it like that, you were never my dad. You were just my father." Trevor knew the words probably stung, but it was true. "I know you're not in the right place. But what were you thinking? Is that really how you want to solve all of this? Killing yourself."

Michael scoffed. "You come in here and tell me I'm not your dad. And you want me not to feel that way?" He asked, words which stung Trevor hard. "The worst part is I don't even blame you. I'm a horrible person... I've always been a horrible person."

"Not when you met mom... I know it was when you turned to beer and drugs-."

"Your mom saw too much good in people." Michael sat up slowly, groaning in pain. "I'm a crappy person. I beat my wife... My own pregnant wife. I ruined my son's life... I drove him away so badly he would rather be adopted by two different people than live with me."

Trevor listened to Michael silently, hearing the pain in his voice. Maybe even the regret? Was Michael really now starting to realize the horrible things he'd done? Trevor wasn't holding his breath, yet he couldn't help but hope. "You need help, dad. If you really want to make this right... You need HELP." It was a firm statement that Trevor surprised himself by saying. "The first time you saw me in years you tried to hurt me! And now you come to me acting like this? I want to believe you want to change but I'm never going to. Not until you actually do something about it."

Trevor got to his feet, frustration filling him. "Look, I know you hate me."

"But that's just it! I don't hate you. Some days, I think I do, but I can't..." Trevor replied, frustration building up in his stomach. "I want to hate you so much. But I know you're sick... You're sick and..."

Trevor tried to push back the tears that were pouring out his eyes. "I shouldn't even be here. We have that restraining order for a reason." Trevor replied, his body tensing. "I don't know why I came."

But Trevor was lying. He knew why he had come. It was the same reason he'd just said: he tried to hate his father, but he couldn't. He wanted to know that he was OK, that he hadn't actually gone so far as to kill himself... "You're right. You shouldn't have come." Michael admitted. "But... I'm glad you did. And I promise, I'm going to get help, Trevor. I'm at least going to try..."

Trevor looked down, his eyes scanning the floor. Could he really bring himself to believe that? "I don't know... You promised that before when I was three. And then again when I was four." Michael clenched his mouth a bit. "I was a kid, but I remember that, Michael."

There was a long silence. "Can I see you? If I do... If I..."

"If you get sober for real? Sure, I'll think about coming back to see you." Trevor said honestly, leaning against the wall. "But you have to leave the Witwicky's alone... You have to leave me alone. You have to get yourself together. Because this isn't the way to tell me you're getting better."

Trevor knew that was harsh - but somehow, he felt better saying it. He felt as though saying it made him let go of all the anger he had built up for so long. "... And if I go to rehab and get better... You'll let me see you?" He asked as Trevor took a look back at him. "Really?"

Trevor was silent, thinking it over silently. "I won't lift the restraining order, but we can talk about it. There will be at least my dad, my grandpa, and my uncle there though." Again, it seemed harsh but... "It's gonna take a lot more than just words to make me believe you're turning your life around."

"I know." Michael breathed. "But I'm gonna try."

Trevor took a step forward towards the door, feeling as though the conversation was over. "Trevor..." He stopped once again, for the last time. "I know I've done terrible things to you... But I love you..."

The teen closed his eyes, taking in the fact that it was the first time he'd ever said those words. The words of either a man desperate to finally make things right with his son... Or the words of one desperate to get control back over him. Trevor wouldn't know the answer yet, not for a long time in fact...

And it was for that reason he didn't reply. He didn't let himself fall for it. Not until he knew, without a shadow of a doubt, it was true. Because even if he did, he wasn't sure he would know how to respond at all.

"So... Do you need to talk about it?"

Trevor hadn't wasted any time getting out of Tranquility. As nice as it was to see the Witwicky's, the circumstances were just... Too much. And so here he was, sitting on the transport for the second time in three days. He knew the question was set from Bumblebee, who was strapped down in front of him. But he could already feel the eyes of Will barring into him from the seat next to him as well.

He sunk back in his seat, taking a deep breath before speaking. "I didn't think it would be that hard... Seeing him like that. But God, he was so..." He tried to keep himself together. "It just..."

"Trevor, he's a scumbag, but he's still... At least by blood your family. It's like I said, of course it's going to bother you." Bumblebee spoke up gently. "You've got a good heart, that's what sets you apart from people like him to begin with."

Will put a hand on his shoulder, comforting as he could be. "He's right... It would be hard on anyone to see someone that was... Well that was once their parental figure in that position. You sure as hell handled it better than I would have."

Trevor wasn't exactly sure that he believed what Will said. Will was weirdly very cool under pressure, after all. "So... Are you guys going to tell me what the note said?" Thre was a long silence. "It sounded like..."

"You don't need to hear that." Bumblebee replied almost instantly. "It's better you didn't."

Trevor didn't like how that sounded. It made it sound like Michael's suicide note made this sound even worse. He kept his head down, but he knew that he wanted to know eventually. "Bee, Trevor should know.. I'm not saying it will be easy. But he's gonna wonder." Will told the car, his voice as calm as he could muster. "He's going to find out eventually too."

Trevor was silent, and waited for Bumblebee to say something. "Would you tell Annabelle what was in a note like that?" Will was silent, clearly not sure how to respond. "And I want an honest response, Will..."

"I don't know what I'd want. I just know that Trevor's going to be seventeen this year." Will leaned back, laying it honestly out for the fellow Father. "I know you want to protect him. But that will make him almost an adult. And you can only protect someone that age so much..."

"Will someone just come out with it!?"

He hadn't meant to snap, but now Trevor couldn't help but be frustrated. Not wanting either of them to talk about him like he wasn't even here. "Trevor, what your father said..." Bumblebee paused a long moment. "What Michael said was that he was going to take his life was because of the encounter I had with him after the park."

Trevor was silent. "What do you mean?"

Of course, Bumblebee had since told him that they had met twice that trip. But it still shocked him, and sent his blood running cold. "I guess what I said to him made an impact on him. Well... A worse impact. He really did want to make things right, but he's fallen into such alcoholism..." He began. "Trevor, from what the letter read... I think he doesn't believe he was going to get better. And he was killing himself because he thought you would be better off... That everyone would be better off in a world without him."

Trevor's face grew pale. His father had recognized the terrible person he had been during more than just that one-on-one? He had actually tried to make it better? He had in some way blamed Trevor for his attempted suicide? "Trevor, your dad is sick. And I don't think you should let that force you into a relationship with him." Will replied. "But if he really has come to an epiphany, maybe he could at least get better."

Trevor was quiet. "I already made up in my mind that even if he did, even if I talked to him... I'd never want a real relationship with him. He ruined my life." He replied honestly. "I'd hold up my end of the deal and meet him... But."

"We don't blame you." Bumblebee purred quietly. "But the fact he placed some of the blame on us... That he thinks now he can actually just make it OK because he knows he was a monster."

"I know..." Trevor was silent for a long moment. "But I feel bad for him. The fact he'd gotten to such a low point..."

Bumblebee hated to admit it, but a part of him felt bad for the man too. Regardless of being a monster, how lonely a life he must have had. Pining after a boy he had treated so cruelly and acting like he could right such horrible deeds. Or feeling as though the only escape meant death, rather than putting himself back together.

He'd always hate the man for what he did to Trevor, but that didn't change his compassionate side.

"Trevor, it's getting late." Will pulled them out of both of their thoughts. "Get some sleep, you've had a rough twenty-four hours."

Trevor nodded his head, leaning back a bit. He knew that the man was right, these were all thoughts he didn't have to process this second, after all. "He's right, son. Get some sleep." Bumblebee echoed. "We'll wake you when we land."

"Mm... OK, fine." Trevor replied. "As long as I don't have to wake up to more of this."

They both silently promised that wouldn't be the case. As far as the two were concerned, they could avoid talking about Michael Fields again for a very long time.

Bumblebee ended up not waking Trevor when they landed.

He'd looked so peaceful as he slept with his head on Will's shoulder. So instead he'd carried him out of the transport in one palm and carefully brought him to his bedroom. Primus, he wished he could lift some of the pain from the day. But the fact he couldn't ultimately just made his doorwings, and face drop quickly.

He loved the boy, and he wanted him to be happy. But the fact was that a lot of things were not going right in that respect.

"Dad?" Bumblebee turned his head as Trevor spoke up, turning over in the bed he'd carefully tucked him into. "I'm sorry you had to go through that."

Bumblebee looked at his son dumbfounded. Why in the world would he feel sorry? "Trevor, I'm sorry YOU had to go through that. You shouldn't have had to... You have no reason or need to apologize."

Trevor sat up in bed, looking at his adoptive father glumly. In a way he knew that he was right. But at the same time, he felt bad that Bumblebee had to be dragged into family drama like this. "I'm surprised I haven't scared you away." Trevor said. "I have too many... Issues sometimes."

"Yeah, well, we all do. And I love you! I put up with them because you're my kid and that's my job." Trevor gave the faintest of smiles as Bumblebee approached his bed, sitting beside it. "I mean all families have their rough times kid. Look at your gransire's."

"Yeah, but you had no idea what-."

"I was signing up for? Yeah, I did." Bumblebee replied. "I knew if I took you I'd take all of you. All the good times, the hard times, and the fun times. Trev, don't let this put you in a bad place. I don't regret taking you there. I don't regret taking you at all, OK? We've been through a lot together and this is one more thing we'll get through."

Trevor wanted to argue - but he couldn't find an argument. After all, he was right. They had been through a lot together, and at least for once the problem was human and not something like Barricade. "I guess you're right. Just... I'm gonna need a few days to get over this."

Bumblebee smiled. "I promise I'm here whenever you need to talk. Doesn't matter what I'm doing, you're my number one." He put up one finger for emphasis, making sure he was clear. "I love you kiddo, go back to sleep and we can... I don't know. Play video games when you wake up. Do something fun."

With a parting gentle rub of his back, the scout left on those words. Leaving Trevor in the darkness of the room where he let his mind flow freely. He certainly hoped things could get better from here, and frankly, video games sounded like a good start.

A/N: And now that the heavy stuff is out of the way, some fun Trevor-Bee fluff next chapter! Since woo, I'm gonna need it after that one.