And I'm back! Happy holidays everyone!

Sorry for the lack of updates for this chapter, just got rather busy with other stuff. But I'm back with this and I'm gonna be working on the next chapter after this one too.

Now, while I originally wanted to make this chapter the one where Yor learns how to drive, I kept hitting some snags when writing it due to having been away for so long. It took me a few tries to get back into the groove, and it felt like it'd take me longer than I was hoping for to finish everything. And I really didn't want to leave the year without giving this story a proper update. So, I decided on something else instead:

That being, I'm splitting the chapter in half.

So, you'll be getting the part I know you've been waiting for next time. Sorry in advance, but I felt this was for the best.

Since I'm gonna be working on the next chapter right after this, expect another update sometime in January.

Anyway, special thanks and shout-out to Quantum01, Matrix Dragon, and SwapAUAnon for Beta Reading this chapter.

Mission 7: Watching a Family Fight

Bumblebee drove along an overpass on route towards Eden Academy to pick up Anya, the afternoon sun shining down on him. At the moment, there weren't that many cars driving around, a far cry from a couple days ago when the roads were practically clogged with cars. Seemed that whether it be Earth or Cybertron, traffic was an unpredictable menace to everyone.

Better enjoy the open road while I can, Bee mused as he decided to pay attention to the current radio station, it being something about a neighboring country called Westalis that he'd frequently heard about. Between Loid having full control behind the wheel with near flawless driving, Yor happily enjoying the sights from her seat, and Bond wagging his tail in the back, he figured it best to take advantage of the peace to learn more about this world.

"-and many of Ostania's representatives saw Foreign Minister Brantz off, exchanging pleasantries before he departed plane-bound for Westalis. After weeks of intense debate, and despite much concerns amongst even our most well-regarded diplomats, it would seem the peace summit was a resounding success for all parties. And despite not appearing himself, Chairman Donovan Desmond of the National Unity Party had his people give Minister Brantz the highest of praises before the man's trip home. We can only hope that tensions between East and West have cooled for the time being."

Huh, that sounds like pretty good news, Bumblebee mused as he continued listening in, even though parts of the report were still a hassle for him to wrap his head around due to unfamiliarity with most of the subjects. He'd never been one to pay attention to the politics of his surroundings prior to the war with the Decepticons. It was always too complicated and boring for him. Given how the war started, though, maybe he should have. If nothing else, learning how things were going was a good thing in the long run, and there being peace between these two countries meant not only that everyone living here got to be happy, but it also meant that the Autobots would have little to worry about when they arrived. Though when he got the signal from Optimus was anyone's guess.

However, his musings were interrupted when Bond turned around and started barking like crazy. Bee noticed a trio of cars approaching from behind, the leading one looking pretty rusty while the other two were a well-polished black and dark green respectively. Loid and Yor seemed to notice them as well, eyeing them cautiously as they started to surround them; the rustic lead now at Bee's rear while the other two drove at his left and right. Unsure what was going on, Bumblebee was lost in thought when the green car slammed into his side. What the slag!?

"WOAH!" Yor held tightly to her seat, with Loid gripping the wheel to keep steady. Unfortunately, that only lasted until the black car slammed into them.

"What the-"

"Hey jackass!" the black car's driver yelled before he pulled out a gun, "This is for making us miss our deal!"

What's going on? Bumblebee's thought was interrupted by several loud gunshots from the other cars, unable to move much due to being boxed in. None could put a scratch on them, and he couldn't feel them in the least, but that didn't mean he liked getting shot at. Even more baffling was that the driver and his passenger in the "shotgun" seat, as he heard humans call it, looked kinda familiar. He just couldn't put a digit on where he'd seen them before.

"Dammit! Not now!" Loid exclaimed, looking rather flatfooted, though he strangely maintained more composure than Bee would expect from someone getting shot at.

"Loid, what's going on?" Yor asked with a worried glint in her eyes, though like Loid, she wasn't panicking, "Are your patients having psychotic breaks again?"

"Wha-I mean, yes! It would appear so!" Loid swerved, forcing the green car to back off to avoid the hit.

Oh, so human doctors also get shot at by their patients! Bee realized as the rustic car rear ended him, forcing Loid to speed ahead to get away, Huh, guess he isn't that different from Ratchet. Maybe they'd get along.

"Yor, take the wheel, I need to get something from the back," Loid said, and at Yor's nod, he let go of the wheel and turned to rummage for something behind the seat, Bond seeming to help him in that endeavor. As more bullets bounced off Bumblebee, Yor reached for the wheel, but suddenly, she froze. A frightened, unsure expression covered her face as Bumblebee started to tilt to the left, forcing him to retake control to avoid scraping against the overpass' stone railing.

WOAH! Bumblebee narrowly avoided careening into a long, black, fancy looking car that was heading straight for him. No one got hurt, but the three chasing cars deftly avoided the oncoming vehicle, rushing by as it turned at its side and blocked the rest of the road behind them. Making matters worse was that Yor's hand still hovered over the wheel, refusing to take it. While she didn't notice that the car was now driving itself, Bumblebee was still at risk of discovery like this.

Thankfully, Loid had returned to his seat, now holding in one hand what he'd called an umbrella, "Got it! Let me take the wheel again," Yor retracted her hand from the wheel so fast it was almost a blur, with Loid retaking his position just as quickly, "I'll see about getting us off the road and somewhere isolated. I should be able to knock them out."

"And I'll help with the concussive therapy," Yor said, her worry replaced with an eager grin that Bumblebee found at odds with their current situation. Loid's composure he could now understand, given that he was a doctor and had to deal with this daily. Bond was barking and growling at the patients, which was easy for Bee to make sense of since they were shooting at them. But Yor seemed too at ease with this sort of thing. Bumblebee hadn't seen much violence since he got here apart from that one warehouse encounter. So why was she so well adjusted? "Kinda takes me back to when I helped you with your patients the first time. You remember how we first met?" Yor asked, with Loid giving a nod as he focused on the road, though Bumblebee could see the ghost of a wistful smile.

Does that mean she helps him with this kind of thing often? Would explain all the nonchalance, Bee's thoughts were cut off as the overpass ended, bringing them back to the streets of Ostania. Spotting a green light ahead, Loid sped up again as it turned yellow, driving just as it changed red while the chasers ran it, causing a lot of honking in the far behind. Bumblebee saw many onlookers stare in confusion and fear at the scene from the sidewalks, many of them running as the first of the chasers started shooting at Bee's tires, Scrap! Loid, you better isolate your patients and knock them out quick. I get the feeling they don't care about bystanders.

"Loid, over there!" Yor pointed to a fast-approaching alleyway entrance at the right, both large and wide enough for Bee to drive through.

"I see it! Thanks," Loid sharply turned, managing a 90-degree angle before zooming right into the alleyway. The buildings at the sides eventually gave way to a small, empty parking lot. Most that was there were a few trash cans, a large open trash bin, and a pay phone in a corner. Surprisingly, given the urgent circumstances, Loid took the time to find a proper parking spot rather than haphazardly stop in the middle of the thing. Then again, Bee understood that Loid was a medical professional. As Ratchet would often tell him, professionals have standards, and this was probably one of them.

Humans sure have weird standards though, Bee mused as Loid and Yor got out, the latter helping Bond out of the back, Probably shouldn't judge.

Loid rushed to the trash can in front of Bumblebee and grabbed its dented lid just as the three cars of patients zoomed into the lot. The rustic car swerved near the exit to the alleyway and blocked the escape route while the other two screeched to a stop ahead. Loid's patients got out of the vehicles, totaling at around ten, and opened fire while the doctor, his dog, and his Conjunx Endura took cover behind Bumblebee's right side.

Okay, this is starting to get annoying, Bumblebee fought the urge to just transform and scare them off, but he reminded himself of the first time he did it and held that thought. Besides the fact that it would reveal himself to Loid and Yor, he also had to remind himself that these were Loid's patients, not some hoodlums out to kill them for funsies.

Suddenly, Loid got out from cover and threw the trash can lid like a discmaster at one of the patients, sending him flying. The man skidded against the ground and hit a nearby wall, knocked out cold. The rest of the patients, however, simply shrugged it off and reloaded, continuing to shoot at them. One even grabbed his knocked-out acquaintance's gun and started dual wielding, though it made his aim more erratic and inaccurate, clearly unused to it.

"Damn it!" Loid took cover again, looking apologetically to Yor and Bond, "Sorry, I was hoping that'd knock more of them out so I could close in with the umbrella," then looked out from behind cover and muttered something along the lines of, "That's the last time I try something out of a Spy Wars comic." Bumblebee recalled how often Anya talked about Spy Wars and how much she loved it. Sounded like a family bonding thing, and it made him kinda sad that he couldn't see it for himself. "Okay, I have an idea," Loid loudly said amidst the shooting as he looked down at the umbrella, "I'll throw this into the air to distract them. Once they aren't shooting at us, we move in quick and incapacitate."

"Right!" Yor affirmatively nodded while Bond barked, seeming to nod in kind. Loid looked out just as a few patients started reloading. When they finished, he threw his umbrella high into the air.

"Now!" he shouted as the patients fired upon the umbrella, giving the Forgers the needed opening. What happened next was something of a blur to Bumblebee.

There were things he could easily make out, like Bond leaping at a patient and somehow dropkicking him into one of the cars, leaving a rather sizable dent in the door. Then Loid rushed one with a shoulder bash, grabbing his leg before he could fly very far. He then spun around and threw him into two other patients; the three of them groaning as they were knocked to the floor, falling unconscious. But Yor...

Holy scrap! Bumblebee was shocked as Yor, within the span of a second, appeared right in front of the remaining five and rapidly struck at parts of four of the patients' bodies with a series of jabs, leaping all around them. Despite Bumblebee's best efforts, he could barely keep track of her movements. When she was done, the patients became still as statues before falling to the ground, leaving the final patient a quivering mess as he aimed his gun at Yor. He opened fire, Yor casually dodging the bullets before taking the gun and crushing it to pieces, leaving not but twisted metal in her hands.

"Sorry about this young man, but I'm sure my husband can help you when you wake up," Yor said sincerely as she let the broken gun's pieces fall to the ground before delivering a swift kick to his chest that sent him flying towards the trash bin far behind. He crashed against the lid before falling inside, closing the bin in the process. As Loid and Bond walked up from behind her, Bumblebee tried to process what he'd just witnessed.

That...was... Bumblebee blinked a few times, not expecting the Forgers to fight with such skill in precision. He knew firsthand that Yor was incredibly strong, and he'd just learned Loid frequently had to fight his patients when they were having "psychotic breaks", as Yor put it. But even aside from the fact that the dog straight up performed a dropkick that'd make Arcee proud, this was still a level of skill and combat expertise that the average family unit definitely shouldn't have possessed. He'd know, having met and interacted with dozens of those during his time as a courier before the war.

But then again, things are probably different here on Earth? The Forgers do seem to be the average human family, after all, Bumblebee reminded himself. If the average human parent possessed strength on par with a Cybertronian, then a standard medical practitioner, and one who had to fight his patients every few cycles, having that level of combative instinct wasn't out of the ordinary. Made sense for Yor to have those skills too if she had to help her Conjunx with his job as often as was implied. Not sure on the dog though, Bumblebee looked at Bond, who seemed to look back at him as Loid and Yor gathered the patients and tied them up, Probably just what the average Earth pet can do.

"I'll call Berlint General and let them know we have some patients to round up. They'll send someone here later," Loid told his family as he headed over to the lot's pay phone to make the call. As he did so, Bumblebee watched Yor kneel down and affectionately pet Bond, complimenting him on his form during the dropkick. Bond returned the gesture by licking her face, happily barking at the praise. The act elicited a giggle from Yor who cooed at the dog before looking over at the lot's alleyway entrance towards the rustic car. She stood up and made her way to it before lifting the entire thing over her head and moving it to the nearest parking space.

After what Bumblebee had seen her do, he wasn't really surprised by this, but for a brief moment, he almost pictured himself being lifted by Yor and tossed around like one of Anya's dolls. The thought scared him before he cooled his jets, Relax Bee, not like Yor would ever toss you around. Sure, she's horrifyingly strong, a dangerous fighter, and almost crushed you by accident, but she's a sweet person. I mean, it's not like she's secretly an assassin or anything. Why would she be anyway? Bee couldn't help but chuckle at the thought. Yor, an assassin? Sounded about as likely as Loid being some kind of secret agent for a nebulous organization. Really, you just have to worry about other human parents getting the excuse to throw you into a building.

As Yor finished moving the patients' cars into appropriate parking spots, Loid finished his call with the hospital and headed back over to them, the three meeting up at Bumblebee's space. "Alright, they should be here in about twenty minutes," Loid said before checking his watch, "But we should probably get going. Don't want to be late to get Anya from school."

"Right," Yor nodded, but she had a bit of a blush to her face that confused Bumblebee.

Loid seemed to notice it as well, asking, "Yor, is something wrong?"

"Nothing!" Yor blurted out before she looked down and poked her fingers together, "It's just...I...I enjoy getting to fight beside you is all."

Bumblebee watched as Loid seemed rather caught off guard by his Conjunx's words, unsure of what to say. Not even the patients shooting at him caused him to have such a reaction. If he could, Bumblebee would have shaken his head, Don't know if I'm ever gonna really get how human romance works.

"I..." Loid slowly regained his composure, coughing into his hand before giving Yor an awkward smile, "Thank you, Yor. I'm sorry my work's always following me back home," he sighed, "I wish it wasn't like that."

Yor smiled back, "Don't be. I know how hard it can be to have a job that requires so much from you with little room for rest, wishing things could be different," she sounded like she spoke from experience, making Bumblebee wonder what office clerk jobs were like on this planet, "You once said that to endure such a harsh job for the sake of someone else isn't something just anyone can do, and I know it's been so much harder for you since your first wife passed away."

So Yor's Loid's second Conjunx? Bumblebee wondered as a few things clicked into place. It certainly explained why the two were still so awkward around each other. Loid's still getting used to having found love again while Yor's probably worried about replacing someone dear to him, not to mention now being a mother. Though it didn't seem like Anya minded, but she was a child, so maybe Loid's first wife died before she could truly remember her? His Spark couldn't help but ache for the Forgers at the thought of all this. Sounds like they're going through a lot.

"But it still amazes me how you persevere for Anya's sake," Yor's eyes gained a determined glint, "Even if we have to deal with things like this, I want to ease whatever burdens you're going through. I want to help provide Anya with the future she deserves. So you don't need to apologize. I'm glad to help our family however I can."

Once again, Loid was flatfooted, but he regained himself much faster, a less awkward, more genuine smile dawning his face as he nodded, "I feel the same way."

The two of them smiled at each other for a bit before descending into an awkward silence as they started looking around, Yor's face a bright red while Loid rubbed the back of his neck. Bond looked between the two and had a strangely disappointed look on his face, almost like he was upset with how the couple's moment petered off. Bumblebee shared in that feeling, but he couldn't blame them for it either.

Still, Yor's words stuck with him, about helping the family however possible. In the time since he arrived, he'd mostly been focusing on gathering Energon, but maybe he could do more than that? The Forgers didn't know he existed, but in some ways, he was kinda part of their family too. And even then, an Autobot's duty was to help those in need.

Maybe I could help them out of this awkward funk, Bumblebee started scrolling through his radio recordings, And I think I know how.

"I give her all my love, that's all I do," the lyrics sang out, getting the Forger's attention, "And if you saw my love, you'd love her too."

"Loid, what's going on?"

"I love her..."

"Not sure, let me check," Loid opened Bumblebee's front door and checked the radio.

"She gives me everything, and tenderly-" was all that came out before Loid turned the dials, switching across random stations before turning the radio off. He then turned the car on and off a couple times in some kind of investigation.

"Looks like the radio just had some power directed into it. It's rare, but it can happen," Loid mused as Yor and Bond approached, but as he got out, he took a closer look at the car, "Although," he ran a finger along the doorframe, "Now that I'm looking at it, Bumblebee doesn't seem to have any damage from the gunfire. Not even the windows seem cracked, but this doesn't look like bullet proof glass."

Frag frag frag! Am I giving myself away? What do I-

"Maybe Bumblebee's built different from the average car?" Yor suggested with a light shrug.

Loid continued to look at the car suspiciously, making Bumblebee nervous, but then he sighed and nodded towards his Conjunx, "It's possible, and I won't look a gift horse in the mouth since it was a big help today. It's just unexpected is all." Bumblebee was relieved as the Loid opened the door for Bond, letting him in and giving the dog an affectionate head pat before taking to the driver's seat. As Yor got in, Loid turned on the ignition and said, "By the way Yor, thank you for taking the wheel when I had to get the umbrella. I'll admit it was a reckless decision on my end, but you handled it very well."

Unlike what was expected, Yor's normal smile seemed to falter a bit as she looked away, the air around her having this melancholic feel to it as she sighed, "I...I suppose I did."

"Yor," Loid began, noticing the shift in mood, "Did something happen back there?"

"No, nothing happened," came her reply as she rubbed her hands, "We should probably go pick up Anya now."

Loid looked like he was about to say something, but he relented, likely realizing that it wasn't a good idea at the moment to force whatever Yor's issue was. Though Bee was sure he'd approach it with her later on. As they drove out of the lot and headed back on track for Eden, Bumblebee stared at Yor, who remained rather out of it until they arrived to pick up Anya, where she regained her cheerful demeanor. He remembered how she froze when asked to take the wheel, watching as her gaze shifted to it before focusing forward. Seemed to Bumblebee that she wanted to drive and was just miffed about losing her chance from freezing up.

Weirdly, the idea of Yor behind the wheel, especially his own, filled him with this sense of dread he hadn't gotten since arriving on Earth. But he just couldn't explain why.

The song be played on the radio was "And I Love Her" by The Beatles.

So yeah, the above was originally just going to be the chapter's first section, but it wound up going a lot longer than I expected. Combined with the snags I was hitting while writing it, I decided to just make it its own chapter.

On the plus side, Bumblebee finally gets to see the Forger family in action. Think my favorite part was Bond dropkicking that poor thug. My second was all Bumblebee's misconceptions about...well, everything that's going on. Let me know what moment from this chapter is your favorite.

And yes, Bumblebee's gonna be lending the two totally not lovebirds a servo every now and then by being a Shipper on Deck. He wouldn't be a good family car if he didn't.

Like I said, I'm gonna be working on the next chapter of this fic right after this one rather than switch over to Camien Odyssey, so we'll finally have Yor drive Bumblebee around.

And as said before, may Primus have mercy on his Spark.

After she's done traumatizing him, then we'll get to Camien Odyssey and our fist good ol' space adventure for the Alpha-5 crew.