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Chapter Text

The official sneered at the various screens, growing more and more pissed at what he saw. Images of the Autobots he had sent that bastard Lennox to survey. He snorted a disgruntled laugh, shaking his head. " 'No trace' huh? Bullshit." 

On the screen to his left, a paused video- Bumblebee lounging on his stomach with ankles crossed in the air, giving a laughing Will a flirtatious look. Scraps of metal were strewn all around, signifying some form of repair. 

On the middle screen, a still image- 'Grimlock' protectively curled around Bumblebee in this massive nest of cloth and rubber.

On the right, another paused video-Bumblebee's faceplates stained blue, turned away from a grinning Grimlock...that was standing much too close for 'friendly conversation.'

He did not appreciate it when his operatives lied to him, especially when the lie was to cover the ass of an alien invader. He had already recalled all the affected humans for quarantine, no longer trusting them to stay neutral- as they promised their government they would. Shutting down the monitors, he pulled the flash drive out of the computers. Giving the stick a disgusted look, he headed off to the lecture hall to prep for the arrival of the conspirators. 

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As the last person was drug in- a spirited woman in her mid-thirties, cursing and spitting at the soldiers that hauled her in the room- the door was locked behind the group. Everyone in that room was livid, and the official refused to even look at the group while they had attempted to question him. He just kept staring at the monitor, paused at the end of the second video, trying to bite back the bile that threatened to rise in his throat.

With the sound of the locks engaging, he looked up to address the furious crowd before him. "As you all are obviously figuring out, there has been a protective quarantine placed on you all. You can thank William Lennox for that." Will gave the official a half-confused, half-enraged look. "The fuck are you talking about sir. I haven't done shit!" 

"Really? Explain this then." With a quick keystroke, a screen capture of Will's banter with Bumblebee appeared on screen. Silence rang through the room like a gunshot before poison slipped from William's tongue. "That was a personal cell phone. You have no rights to download those images!" The official just tilted his head, giving the colonel a dangerous grin. "Oh, really? Cause your rights to privacy were revoked the minute you sided with the aliens over your own government. So, legally speaking, I have every right to every picture you've ever taken, traitor. And every video."

The video of their goodbye flashed onto the screen: A smiling Bee stooping down to set Will onto the Earth, before Grimlock made a move on the fluttering appendages- of Will cheering them on as the well-known Camaro was pulled into a tight hug. A grin flashed to the holder of the phone, with the words 'send that to me' mouthed silently. The fatherly look he gave Grimlock just before the camera shut off was more damning than the video itself. 

The first video they recorded came up next, kicking off with Bee flirtatiously crooning to a laughing William, before Grimlock came to steal the former scout's attention back. The half-squeal Will made when Grimlock offered to fight the human for his attention certainly didn't help to maintain his innocence, and the blinding smile the younger mech gave the Dino after the embarrassment had faded drew another grunt of disgust from the official. 

Will sat dead silent, seething with rage. The stunned faces all around told the officer everything he needed to know in terms of involvement, but he didn't feel like stopping. He wanted to hear it. 

"So. Let's try this again. Tell me what you know of the Autobots on earth. Who exactly is here, and what is the obvious relationship between the scout and that green menace." 

Judy reached forward after a long moment, patting Will's shoulder. "Just tell the bastard. You'd much rather live to see Bee smack the grin off of his face than die for information he obviously already knows."  Will took a deep breath, reaching up to pat Judy's withered hand. 

"Bee is now a Lieutenant in the Enforcers- it’s pretty much the Cybertronian police. The blue femme is Strongarm, a cadet under his command. Sideswipe-red bouncy guy- is a minor felon that was in the process of being arrested when they all got warped here, and decided to take the offer Bee gave him instead of being locked in a stasis pod to be shipped back to Cybertron. Drift- Orange and Silent guy- didn't talk much-go figure. From what I gathered he was a bounty hunter that owes something to Bee."

A shrug dismissed the major details, as Will had never really got them. "My understanding is Bee saved his students once, then Drift decided he was indebted to Bee for it. His two students are Jetstorm and Slipstream, and they don't really leave Drift's side- which is why he travels 'alone'. Fixit is a security guard aboard the Alchemor, which is a prison ship that crashed near Crown City- He's a minibot with a severe verbal glitch, but a good spark. He just runs comms, and never goes on missions. Never met any humans, so I can't tell anything on who they're working with if they have any cohorts."

"All of the prisoners aboard the Alchemor have escaped- Ranging from petty criminals to ranking Decepticons- and they have been rounding them up before the Government decided to get involved. Save everyone some trouble." Will smirked at the frown growing on the official’s face. "And the Dinosaur?"

Will outright laughed, leaning back to give Raf and Sam a grin. "You two will enjoy this." The curious look was balanced with a half fearful one, and Will turned back to the official to finish his descriptions. "Grimlock is a former Decepticon frontliner." The horrified face of the official brought a merry smile to Will's face, and a surprised noise from Mikaela. "He got arrested for property damage, because he's a big goof that has next to no spacial awareness. Dumb as a box of rocks though, I gotta admit that. Bee made another call there, releasing him on Parole after he broke out of his stasis pod- which he completed with flying colors and only a few thrown punches. He's now Bee's boyfriend, and will probably kill you if you try to hurt our little Beepy." 

Raf squealed and clapped his hands together, and Miko outright 'whoop'ed with a fist pump. Ron just hummed a pleased note, nudging Judy- who was on the verge of tears. "If you can't really read body language, Cybertronian 'dating' isn’t really similar to human dating. I personally would call it more of a..." Will took a moment to pause, reclining in his chair. Miko gave him a look, smacking his shoulder to spur him on. Will laughed, twirling a finger in the air.

"Well, it's more of an engagement. They take intended couples very seriously, considering they don't have a divorce. Tell me Chad, do you know what that means? To be faithful to your partner? Probably not, considering you've been divorced four times." Will grinned as the official’s eyes widened slightly, savoring the look of a man that had been beaten at his own game. The Official glared at William, looking him up and down- but remained silent.

Mikaela snorted and stole the words from Will's mouth. "Aww, what’s wrong? Pissed because a bot's first relationship is more stable than your entire life?" Raf covered his mouth to hide his sudden giggles, but everyone had rallied together against the prick at the front of the room. 

Seeing how he had lost the advantage, Chad stood and fixed his suit. "You all are under arrest for violating the Ban on Cybertronian Life. If you cooperate, we might waive the death sentence. Consider yourselves detained."

Miko called out 'Bitch!' as he left the room, but all eyes turned to Lennox. Will just grinned, holding up a single finger until the locks sounded. He opened his hand, turning it to display what he held. In his palm was a tiny little disc, glowing an unnatural blue- Energon Powered Blue.

"Didja get all that baby bee?" Will grinned, and smiles broke out all across the room as a surprisingly deep voice filtered through the speaker.

"Every word. Do what you need to do to stay alive, I'll see what I can do from my end." 

Chapter Text

Bumblebee stretched as his plating settled, making a quiet noise as his backstrut popped back into place. Grimlock grinned beside him, a toothy reminder that everything was okay for about ten minutes. 

Honestly, things had been amazing since everyone had returned- Denny and Russell were more prone to giving the lieutenant some personal space, Grimlock had been embarrassingly affectionate...not that he really minded of course, and Sideswipe and Strongarm seemed to have settled their differences while they were stranded. Not a single fight since they returned, and their teamwork was better than it had ever been!

Bee felt as though a weight had been lifted from his pauldrons. He was finally starting to see the cohesion that made Team Prime so effective. A glimpse of red caught his attention, and Bee directed his attention to Sideswipe- who was trying his best to act casual. Needless to say, stress drowned his field as he waved with the most forced grin Bee had ever seen in his entire existence. "Hey there Bee! Mind if I steal ya a bit? I wanna talk to you about something..." 

Bee pretended not to notice the quick glace to Strongarm, who gave the speedster a rather sly thumbs-up in the form of a stretch. Bee just grinned, gesturing for Sideswipe to follow him to the back corner of the scrapyard.  The bouncy speedster easily caught up to the younger, and Bee could see how he was shaking. How he could feel the spark-clenching fear tucked oh-so-close to his field.  They stepped into the portion that used to be Bumblebee's area, but was now used strictly for private usage.  

They sat across from each other, and Bee used his years of training to keep his field inviting and his body language completely welcoming. "So, what’s up Sideswipe?" The red mech opened his mouth, closing it again before taking a moment of silence to collect what he wanted to say. "I...I haven't really been honest with you." He looked towards the ground, finding it hard to look at the other. He did however, look up in surprise when Bee laughed lightheartedly. 'Oh Primus, you say that like I haven't noticed that you've been lying about various stuff. Is it related to the sneaking out at four am, or the strange fascination with high-scale wax that I'm not gonna ask how you're getting?"   

Sideswipe gave the yellow mech an absolutely shell-shocked stare, swallowing before nodding slightly. "Kind of...? Geez bee, how long have...?" Bumblebee shook his helm, smiling at the mech. "I noticed right away- it was kind of my job to keep watch for weird behavior. As long as you weren’t getting hurt or acting like you were scared, I didn't see any reason to intervene." Sideswipe stared at his servos for a long moment, before shuddering his optics and resting his helm in his servos. Bee crossed his legs, staying silent so the racer could collect himself. 

"I'm just gonna come right out with it. I have a brother."  Sideswipe looked up, almost surprised himself that Bee's face was only mildly surprised. "...Well, I recommend you bring him here then. He's gonna be safer here than wherever he's hiding, and I'm certain I can look into his crime just like I did with Grimlock's." Sideswipe shook his helm, ringing out a laugh devoid of all emotion. "He may be a criminal, but he wasn't aboard the Alchemor...He's in the Main Iaconian." That made Bee wince. "Frag...What did he do?"

Sideswipe shifted, his shoulders sagging further. "It’s...probably better If I give you a quick rundown of everything else first..." Sideswipe leaned back in his servos, taking another deep breath before starting in. "My brother and I aren't...I mean, We're kinda....Ugh....We're split-spark twins." The quiet surprise turned to genuine shock and interest, but Bee remained quiet. "Our Sire abandoned our carrier before we were born- actually, it was immediately after he was told we split during the third quartex. Our carrier brought us to term, because she thought we might develop into 'Full Mecha' once we actually separated. Obviously, that didn't happen. So she...kind of...she gave us to Shockwave. Sunny and I were his lab rats until we were about Sixty Thousand, then we escaped onto the streets. We sure as frag didn't know anything about polite society, so we wandered for about twenty thousand vorns."

"Eventually, I guess life caught up with us. Somehow, someone recognized us as Shockwave's projects, and Sunny...He killed the mech to protect us. That mech happened to know some mech, and it wound up with us being arrested. They could tell we were split spark, but Sunny's not..." A long pause, then Sideswipe continued. "He's not what I would call mentally stable. He managed to get an insanity charge, and he got a life sentence and all the blame for it. They let me see him up until about two vorns before I met you, because that’s when he got transferred to Main. They put him in solitary after that, and I haven't seen him since- 'For my own protection' they said. Apparently he attacked a guard, and that made them re-open the case. When I met you and Strongarm, I legitimately thought you were coming to drag me off for that..." 

Sideswipe was shaking by now, but Bee didn't move, in case he was finished. After he didn't speak for a while, Bee nodded slowly. "Do you happen to remember his case number?" Sideswipe chuckled sadly, but recited it instantly. "CK-SP-56872-9591." Bee nodded again, before shifting to sit beside Sideswipe. The mech tensed, but Bee just pulled him into a tight hug. There was several long seconds before Sideswipe broke down, clutching Bee tight for quite some time. 

As the shaking subsided, he realized Bee had set his helm on Sideswipe's own. "I'll have a friend of mine look into it. He's a pretty high ranking enforcer, and if there's any possible loophole for you to see him, he'll find it." Sideswipe just nodded silently, unable to get the words out of his mouth as he sobbed more. Bee didn't mind however, and just held him close. 

After the tears subsided completely, Sideswipe slowly pushed himself back up to wipe at his optics. Bee smiled at him sadly, his wings fluttering softly behind him. "Need me to cover the evening shift so you can recollect yourself?" Sideswipe shook his helm, inventing deeply. "N-nah. Driving helps me calm down more than anything. I was the physical tester, so moving's my way to cope. I actually think I'm gonna head out a little early, if you don't mind?" 

Bee shook his helm, and helped Sideswipe to his pedes. "Can I ask one question? Why the polish?" Sideswipe laughed, giving the best grin he could. "Cause- Sunny would flay my plating if I let myself get in bad condition. He's got a complex over it." Bee laughed, nodding. He patted Sideswipe's back making sure to retract the contact before any others could see- no need to embarrass the mech. Sideswipe gave Bee a grin that said more than words ever could, and transformed to start his patrol. 

Bee however, headed towards the control panel- tapping Fixit on the shoulder to get his attention. The mini looked up to Bumblebee with wide optics, and returned the smile. "Everything alright Lieutenant?" Bee nodded once, keeping that friendly smile on his faceplates. "Yup! Sideswipe asked me to look into something, so I need the command center for a private call, if this is a good time."

Fixit nodded happily, beaming up at Bee. "Of course, I don't mind." There was a slight pause as Bee slowly grew more amused, before he snickered and said "Private call Fixit." The minibot gave him a confused look, before his optics lit up in realization. "Oh. OH! Right!" Bee laughed as the orange security-bot fled from the console, giggling to himself. Bee pressed the security lock, sitting on the floor before the Communication console. After a quick input, the screen flashed a recognizable blue, and a ping sounded every nanosecond until a familiar face flashed onto the screen. Jazz grinned at the younger, giving him a half-suspicious look. "Nah I know ya ain't full yet." 

Bumblebee laughed, shaking his helm. "Nope, not yet. Actually, something’s come to my attention, and I actually need to speak to Prowl today." Jazz let his jaw drop with an 'offended' gasp, placing a servo on his chest. "Ugh! Ditchin me! Here Ah though' ya liked meh!" Bumblebee snorted, rolling his optics. "Assumptions!" Jazz actually let out a horrified laugh this time, shaking his helm. "Hold up smartaft, I'll go get '‘em."

Jazz quickly disappeared from view, only to yell 'PROWLER. 'MERE.' from just off-screen. Bee laughed again, leaning his helm on a servo. Jazz leaned back in, poking his glossa out slightly in a Blep. After a few seconds of silence, Jazz again leaned off the screen to yell once more. From some distance away Bee was fairly certain Jazz was called a heathen. After a few more seconds, the sound of approaching pedes reached the mic. "What do you want you insufferable rouge." Jazz barely appeared on screen, obviously swooning for Prowl. "To see yer beautiful face~ Alllso, Bee wants ya." 

Prowl rolled his optics as he appeared on screen, sitting beside his lover- expertly ignoring the way he was immediately ensnared in a cuddle. Bee smiled at the Praxian, giving a polite 'Hello' in wing-speak. It was promptly answered, and Prowl poked Jazz' audial as the other monochrome nuzzled the enforcer's bumper. "What is it you need little bee?" 

Bee grinned, drumming his digits against his knee. "Well, I have a job for you- if you're willing to help." Prowl's polite smile turning playfully dangerous in a second flat. "Now. Why would I possibly be interested in that little bee?" Bee hummed, shrugging innocently. "Oh, because Iacon Main has been barring Split-Sparks from their legally- required meetings, and the incarcerated twin might be the victim of a circumstantial murder-" The rev broke the innocent grin into a familiar one, and Prowl practically purred on his end, leaning forward onto his own palm. "Oh do tell~". 

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Soon enough, Bee stepped out of the command center. Grimlock was waiting patiently in the empty courtyard. Bee glanced around, before stepping up and sliding his arms around the Dino's neck to steal a kiss. Forehelms pressed together as they parted, and Bee found himself half-melting into the arms that slid around his waist. "Sideswipe tell ya?" Bee nodded, kissing Grimlock's jaw. "Yeah. I'm having a friend check through his case file for loopholes to see if we can get him a meeting. Should we retire for the night cycle?" 

Bee tilted his helm playfully, laughing as Grimlock simply locked his arms and lifted the smaller, hauling him off physically. Bee rested his helm against Grimlock's chest, bending his knees to make it easier for Grim to walk-  Squealing quietly as the larger spun to flop backward into the nest, taking the opportunity to tickle the larger into submission. If he just so happened to wind up on his back by the end of it, no one would ever know. 

Chapter Text

Bumblebee shifted on his pedes as he typed, easily ignoring the others as they prattled around the scrapyard. Grimlock let out an excited war cry, hefting one of the larger stasis pods up with relative ease. Naturally, he began grinning widely as an enthusiastic round of applause came from Russell. Drift had apparently wandered off into the surrounding forest to train with Slipstream and Jetstorm. Strongarm was still out on Patrol, and both Fixit and Sideswipe had taken the opportunity to sneak off for recharge. Bee had taken advantage the rare moment of privacy at the console to send some e-mails to Prowl, as well as reply to the various few unread ones that had appeared in his inbox overnight. 

With the distractions that kept appearing on the console, Bumblebee hadn't noticed when the older human had wandered his way over. He also hadn't noticed the elder sitting himself on the generator, crossing his legs at the ankles. This lack of attention caused Denny to accidently startle Bee when he suddenly laughed aloud in amusement.  The wide-eyed lieutenant turned quickly, fluttering his wings in reflexive annoyance when he processed Denny's sudden scare. "Sorry Bee...You were wiggling those wings pretty rapidly with that last...uh....meeeessage? Maybe Email?" The elder gave the screen a puzzled look for a few seconds before shrugging it off. "Whatever it was. I just found it cute is all." 

Bee relaxed quickly with the explanation, his doorwings settling to a more neutral pose. Bee grinned slightly, glancing back to the screen for a second. "Yeah. I've been getting some pretty good news concerning Sideswipe's problem, so I'll be getting a little more leeway than I thought I would." Denny grinned back in response, kicking his feet slightly. "That's good! Do you know if he's talked to Fixit or Drift and the boys yet?"

Bee shook his helm, giving the other a patient smile. "He said he was gonna talk to Fixit before they went to recharge, but I'm uncertain if he did or not. I do know he wanted to tell Slipstream and Jetstorm before he told Drift. He wants them to make their own opinion, and Sides is assuming he's gonna have to do more explaining with the two of them. I think he wants to tell Drift last because he asked me to sit in on that one."

Bee glanced toward the wooded area where the trio trained, and Denny sighed- fatherhood had given him a good radar for incoming trouble. "Yeah...Drift is probably going to take it the worst, because he has the strongest convictions. I can understand why Sideswipe would want to procrastinate on him... But on a happier note!" Denny clapped his hands together, giving the smaller a slightly forced smile to try to bring the conversation to something less depressing. "What exactly are you working on to get Sideswipe a visit? Anything I can help with, or is it all super-secret spy stuff?" 

Bumblebee gave Denny an exasperated look, but his amusement was given away by his fluttering doorwings. "I appreciate the sentiment, but there's not really anything you can do Denny. I've pretty much guaranteed a visit with Sunstreaker, but there was some stuff that was more concerning to me. So, I've been talking with Jazz' intended to get a full investigation of Sunstreaker's case underway. To get information for that, it's been lot of throwing weight, name dropping, and playing some politics. I don't do it very often- mostly cause it's so damn boring-" Denny bit back snickers at the obvious frustration and annoyance in the mech's voice. 

"For real though. I can't ever imagine why someone would enjoy this to the point they seek it out as a career! Pit, if I want to insult someone, I'll just do it..." The Urbana straight up pouted against the console, sighing dramatically when another email pinged to his server. He turned to read it, humming as Denny moved to sit beside him. "Actuuuuually, I've been meaning to talk to you about some of this stuff..."

Denny straightened up, giving the Lieutenant his full attention. He didn't mind that Bee didn't give the same attention- he knew the younger had enough processor to truly multi-task. "Grim and I have been talking, and he mentioned that he beat me to telling you about that treaty." Bee sent the letter off in record time, turning to give the human his full attention until the next politician demanded their moment in the spotlight.

"What this treaty means is if investigators prove you knew of the treaty, but ignored it in favor of working with us, both you and Russell can be tried for treason against the United States. From what my informants tell me, the government still doesn’t know who you are, and they only suspect I've got a human working with me. If you choose, we can disappear and you can have no repercussions from your help so far. My question is: do you want us to leave for your safety? You don't need to be the 'bigger man' here- it won't hurt our feelings." 

Denny didn't bother to hesitate to answer. "We want you to stay. Russell and I have already talked about this...back when we were still trapped in the past. There wasn't much else we had to do while 'baby-you' was in surgery. If they decide to kill us, I suppose we'll die. If they kill me, I know-with every ounce of my heart-you'll make sure Russell is taken care of. If they just put us on watch..." Denny shrugged." Oh well. They can help me sort the fridges!" Bumblebee chuckled, shaking his helm. "Do you need help with the fridges? I can always-" Denny shook his head, laughing as he gripped his ankles for balance. "No Bee, it was a joke! The fridges are fine where they are."

Bee gave him a playfully suspicious grin, but dismissed it with a wing-waggle. Bee hummed quietly as yet another email pinged, and Denny snorted in sympathy. "So what exactly did you guys find that requires this many emails? Uh, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to-" Bee shook his helm, typing his response as he muttered some familiar (curse-like) clicks. "I don't mind telling you. I accessed Sunstreaker's personnel file, and there's been documented abuse. Seriously, I have no idea why these idiots would document-" Bee sighed heavily, taking a deep breath as he obviously tried to reign in his temper.

"Anyway. Based on the grounds of the denial of life-sustaining necessities- this being visits with his twin, various slurs and records of his 'violent temperament', everything he has done has been either provoked or fully warranted based on the situation. Because of the rank of some of the officers involved, I can throw my rank and call for an investigation. At worst, I can probably get Sunstreaker transferred. At best..." Bumblebee chuckled, typing another email. "Well, at best, we might be getting a new member to our little troupe." Denny's jaw dropped, and an ecstatic grin bloomed over his face. 

"Holy shit Bee! That's amazing! Do you think we'll need to clear an extra room, or do you think he'd sleep with Sideswipe?" Bee grinned down at Denny, shaking his head. "I said best case." Denny just gave him the flattest look the mech had ever seen. "For real. It's not guaranteed by any means. It mostly just depends on how bad I can push the mech in charge when I get there for that meeting. Prowl is the one that's doing the formal investigation, and he's going to come with. Hopefully the SIC and Successor to the Matrix breathing down his cables will be enough to turn him over. Either way, I'm almost certain Sunny and Sides would want to share a room."

Denny burst out laughing, clapping his hands together and throwing his head back to cackle while Bee finished another response. Grimlock immediately became concerned when he chose that particular moment to return to the main part of the scrapyard. He was more worried about the grin on his love's faceplate, and froze where he stood. "Uhhh...should I... give ya a bit?

Bee glanced through the overlay before shaking his helm dismissively. "You're good Hun, we're done anyway. Just getting some talk in." Grimlock gave the innocent grin a suspicious look, and he looked down as Russell bounced in without a care in the world. Denny laid back against Bumblebee while Russell just gave him an odd look, shifting his glance to a smug Bumblebee and a suspicious Grimlock. Denny just patted the spot beside him on the ground.

"So, what'd you two talk about?" The boy asked, sitting beside his father and kicking his feet out before him. "Ohhhh, nothin..." Bee didn't even bother to smother the smug grin, causing Denny to snicker in agreement. Grimlock and Russell just traded a look, both recognizing the mischievous glint in those bright blue eyes. Grimlock sighed, shaking his helm. "You know what. I dun wanna know." The dino turned to retreat, but tilted his helm as he caught sight of Fixit running straight into a rack across from the exit to his 'room.' He approached the mini, who was locked up while repeating 'Fine...Fine...Fine...' like a broken record. The dino sighed, scooping the rigid minibot up into his arms to deliver him to Bumblebee for repair. In his concern for Fixit, the dino didn't hear Sideswipe's heavy-hearted sigh.

The red mech leaned his helm against the fence, regretting telling the minibot after recharging- he could have really used that nap now. He stayed where he was seated for several minutes, listening to the sound of Bee and Grim breaking the orange mini from his loop. A soft shuffle caught his attention, and he reactivated his optics to see Strongarm giving him a concerned look. "Are you okay Sideswipe?"

Sideswipe nodded, pushing himself upright. "Yeah...I told Fixit about Sunny..." Strongarm nodded, glancing back. "Didn't go well?" "He glitched pretty bad. Grim came around the corner right when it started though, so I just let him take Fixit to Bee." Strongarm nodded, moving to sit beside the red speedster. He gave her a saddened grin, and Strongarm gave her own sheepish one in reply. Strongarm hesitated for a moment, before she quietly set her servo over Sideswipe's own while resetting her vocalizer nervously. "W-well, I'm certain it will be alright. Fixit is a pretty accepting mech... You probably just took him by surprise. I mean, that's kind of loaded." 

Sideswipe stared at the servo in shock, his jaw slack as he stared dumbly. Strongarm's faceplate flushed, and Sideswipe gave a nervous yet surprised laugh as he slipped his digits between Strongarm's own. "Yeah...you're probably right." They sat in silence for a long moment, before Sideswipe found his words once more. "Uh..How was patrol?" Strongarm's face lit up with the chance for a familiar topic and she launched into the details of her- actually rather boring- patrol. Sideswipe listened to her half-report, trying his best not to direct her attention to her servo- which was still twined with Sideswipe's own, and was wonderfully warm.

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Bee watched Fixit reboot, the mini resetting his optics several times before bolting upright to half yell at Bumblebee. "S- SIR! Sideswipe told key-lee-me-" Bee thumped him on the back, shaking his helm. "It's alright Fixit. I already know about Sunstreaker. He's been telling us all as he can get us alone." "Oh... Well... Alright then. When is he arriving?" The minicon beamed up at the lieutenant, causing him to laugh quietly. "I'm still working on that. Don't tell Sideswipe, it's a surprise." Bee winked at the orange mini, snickering as the smaller mech winked back. 

Everyone saw the moment a thought ruined the excitement,  and Bumblebee waited about a minute before chuckling. "It's alright Fixit. Go ahead and ask." The minicon looked down right ashamed, but spit it out in the end. "I...are the stories true?" Bee shook his helm, and Fixit visibly relaxed.  "If the stories aren't true, pie-try-" Denny thumped him this time, and patted the bot on the back to soothe him. "Why didn't he tell us earlier?" 

Sideswipe shifted his pedes, cutting in. "Cause even though they're stories, mecha still want us dead. Superstition is a powerful thing..." Fixit frowned, his armor flattening once more. Sideswipe shook his head, coming to sit down with the others. Strongarm followed soon after, crossing her legs and grinning as she saw Grimlock preparing to pounce his yellow mate. With the dino now clinging to a startled Bumblebee, everyone settled to talk. Russell kicked off the conversation.

"So, what's on the agenda today?" Strongarm hummed, shrugging a shoulder. "I've been on patrol- nothing to report by the way. I'll send you an email in a...bit." Denny burst out laughing as Bee's grin dropped, and the Lieutenant groaned and buried his face into his hands. Denny patted the mech's thigh, snickering as he was glared at. "Not funny Denny. Don't worry about it Strongarm. I'm gonna ask you send it as a priority though, I've been responding to emails all day."  Strongarm covered her mouth, holding back a giggle at the absolute annoyance the mechlet was shooting the human. The conversation was quickly steered back on topic by a smirking Russell. 

"Okay, okay. Strongarm went on patrol, Drift is training, Sideswipe broke Fixit..." Sideswipe grinned shyly, only flushing dark when Fixit gave the mech a forgiving smile. Grimlock put more weight between Bee's doorwings, squeezing his waist a little harder. "I cleaned up some pods! And I didn't make a mess!" Bee put his weight against Grim, nuzzling him slightly. "Good work Grimmy." The dino purred, snuggling close. Denny ruffled Russell’s hair, glancing up to Bee to get confirmation. With an approved nod, Denny gave his piece. "I watched Bee pull some politics- which apparently he hates, cause he would rather tell someone to 'fuck off' in person." 

The entire group burst out laughing, and Bee covered his face as he hid in Grimlock's shoulder. "Fuck ooooooff!" "Atta boy!" The group laughed harder, and Grimlock covered Bee's helm with a massive servo. From his position, Bee could see Sideswipe shift slightly. He lifted his head- expertly sneaking a kiss to Grimlock's neck on the way up- before leaning back and sitting with far better posture. He smiled softly as Grim nuzzled his helm, but kept his attention on Sideswipe.

"That reminds me. You need to be ready to bounce with me whenever we get a call sometime within the next few days." Sideswipe's optics widened, and he gave the mech a confused and slowly more horrified look. Before the horror truly took hold, Bumblebee continued. "I've gotten you a meeting with Sunstreaker. Jazz' beau is working on some last-minute things, so when he calls and says he's heading over there we need to go before they find a loophole and lock us out." Sideswipe's jaw dropped, and the smile that broke across his faceplate before he launched himself to hug the yellow mech made all those damn emails worth it. Strongarm's servos covered her mouth as Bumblebee was knocked onto his back.

Bee let the hug happen for a long moment, rubbing the other's back affectionately as he was squeezed. After a minute the red mech pulled back, shaking slightly as he tried to collect himself. Grimlock asked 'you good?' quietly, giving him a toothy grin when Sideswipe nodded an affirmation. The red mech leaned back, spinning his wheels subconsciously with a growing need to burn off some energy.  Bee sat back up, sitting cross-legged beside the purring Dinobot. 

"I have a question for everyone while we're grouped up here. If you feel comfortable, I would like your opinions on something..." The group settled once more, giving their attention to their lead. "So, Will and some other humans I once rolled with have been detained by the government because I'm back on earth. I've been trying to think of a way to get them out or to get the attention off of them, but I can't think of anything without risking our safety here." Eyes and Optics alike widened, and everyone did their best to think of ideas. Sideswipe clapped his hands together. "What about like, doin some sneaky data play and sending them files proving they didn't interact with you?" 

Bee shook his helm. "No, cause they could trace the data, and they would just take the data as proof that they were working with me since I'm trying to break them out." Strongarm frowned. "What about deleting the data then? If they don't have evidence, they can't prosecute." "This is true, but then it becomes a matter of perceived terrorism. I would be hacking a government facility and willingly destroying information- which would be sent to Cybertron..." The femme winced, but nodded knowingly. Grimlock just sustained a widening grin, and Bee refused to look back. Denny chipped in next, pulling apart a blade of grass with his fingers. "What about talking to Jazz? Maybe he could get them out."

Bee sighed heavily, his faceplates flushing a light blue. "That's kind of a matter of personal pride and respect for Jazz. I don't want him to bother him with a problem I technically caused. Especially since he's kind of got a small phobia of Earth." Every helm turned, showing various levels of confusion and surprise. "Yeah. He does what he needs to- because he's used to doing that kind of stuff, but yeah. That's one of the reasons why he never hangs out. Last time he was on Earth, he was stranded with no contact to Prowl, and he nearly died. Mech's got some weighty reasons to not like the planet- even if he does adore the music." Denny and Russell grimaced, and the bot's plating flared. 

"I could understand that. Those really are some strong reasons..." Denny muttered, shuddering again reflexively. "... and being torn in half is a pretty strong deterrent." Bee added with a horrified exhale, shuddering his own plating. "Yeah... With that kind of track record, even I  wouldn't come back..." Russell stared at Bumblebee for a second before deciding to ask. "What's the other reasons?" Bee nodded to Russell. "That's a good question I was hoping you wouldn't ask. This stay's here, okay?"  The Autobot love of gossip reared its ugly head, and everyone nodded excitedly.

"His biggest thing is he doesn't want to be separated from Prowl. He's recently gotten past the point where he could transform, so leaving him alone just drives Jazz' anxiety through the roof." Strongarm's grin faded the fastest, and her plating fluffed. "Is he okay?" Bee bit back a chuckle, nodding. "Oh, that depends on who you ask. That Third Quartex is pretty rough." Strongarm outright squealed, damn near jumping up as she clapped. The excitement spread like wildfire, and Bumblebee leaned down to clarify over the noise. "He's pregnant. It would be just about 7-8 months along in people-terms." Russell let out a quiet 'ohhhhh' as Denny joined Strongarm in an excited squeal. Bumblebee clapped his hands, pulling attention back from the mass of excitement the group had become. When this didn't work, Drift proceeded to scare the absolute shit out of everyone with a sudden appearance.  

Sideswipe screamed with a pitch that outmatched Strongarm, and Bee's wings went vertical as he suddenly wheeled towards the loud noise right behind him- winding up in a back-breaking half-sprawl that had Grimlock falling to his side in laughter. Denny's laughter turned half-horrified when he realized how flexible Bumblebee was, and Jetstorm and Slipstream laughed at the reactions all around. They joined the group looking around for explanations- which Russell helpfully supplied in the bluntest of ways. "Jazz' lover is having his baby." The two minicons squealed, and Drift nodded to Bee and gave him a silent ping to congratulate the couple. 

"What was the conversation that brought us to this?" Drift's voice was an island of calm in the chaos of the scrapyard, and Russell answered once more. "Will and some others are in trouble because the government is being evil. We were brainstorming ideas on how to help." Drift quirked a brow, tilting his head slightly. "Have you considered just confronting them?" 

Drift shook his helm as Bumblebee's eyes widened slightly, watching him turn to retort... only to shut his mouth and purse his lips, nodding in a mildly annoyed acceptance. "You truly must stop overthinking Bumblebee. Not everything requires an elaborate plan."  Bee nodded to himself, before thinking. "This is true. It might be a problem with my alt being larger than it was though...I should probably go in holoform." The Lieutenant stood, crossing over to the console to enter the coordinates. 

Strongarm saw the blank look Denny was giving the younger mech, and explained with a very....very technical definition. Sideswipe watched with a growing grin, before laughing as the blank face didn't change. "In English, it's an avatar made of solid light. It can look and feel very human if a Cybertronian puts enough effort into it. However, lots of mech find it extremely hard to control, so it's not very common for a full hologram to be cast- usually it's what you would think when I say hologram. All flicker and 2-D. Personally, I can’t get mine to stay solid if I try to hold it longer than 10 minutes." Denny strained to hear the angry mutter beneath the speedster's breath. "...bet Bee's is solid..."

That mutter wasn't quiet enough however, and Bee flashed the racer a dazzling smile. Russell just got excited. "Why didn't you guys tell us of these things earlier?! This is so cool! I wanna see what all of your guys' holoforms look like!" Denny smiled at his son, before nodding in agreement. "I would too, actually. I'm curious if the faces you've made match what I've been imagining!" 

Strongarm eagerly volunteered to go first. She transformed, backing up against the wall so her Alt wouldn't get in the way of the day-to-day life of the scrapyard. After a long moment of silence, Grimlock laughed. "Can you find the code?" "I'm working on it!" Bee gave Sideswipe a look when the speedster snorted a laugh of his own, shaking his helm as he reclaimed his place beside Grimlock. "Look in your transformation code cadet. Sometimes the label shifts there if it's been used recently." After another five seconds of idling, Strongarm's engine cut- and half a second later her driver's side door popped open. 

A gorgeous younger woman stepped out, long hair pulled up into a painful looking ponytail. She looked down, straightening the blue button up over her larger chest before shifting her balance to inspect her black cargo pants. She suddenly frowned, twisting her heel to look at the standard-issue steel toe boots. "I thought I fixed those..." Denny was giving her a half-shocked look, and Sideswipe took no time to call him out.

"What's wrong Denny? Not what you expected?" The human flushed lightly, shaking his head. "If I'm going to be honest, I was half-expecting bright blue themed makeup and full on swat gear... Not business casual and a fresh face..." The woman glared at Bumblebee, who had burst out laughing. He tried to wave it off, hiding behind Grimlock while he tried to get his giggles under control. Sideswipe was no better, clapping his servos together as he bounded up with a shout of 'Me next!" 

The speedster had transformed in seconds, whipping into reverse to park beside Strongarm. It only took a few seconds before another (attractive, yet stylistically bland) human appeared. Sideswipe had flaming red hair- with blonde eyebrows, amusingly enough-, a red muscle shirt, and black slacks. He was still very lean, but was barely 2 inches taller than the femme beside him. Sharp features aside, it was still an utterly underwhelming experience. He bounced back, jumping to sit on the hood of his alt with a flirtatious grin. "I know, don't swoon too hard!" 

Strongarm rolled her eyes, but attention drew to the middle-aged man suddenly stepping out of Drift. Denny just nodded, gesturing to the tallest person as of yet. Drift wore an orange undershirt, with a classy black button-up over it, and his minicons cheered as Drift politely sat on his own hood. Sideswipe was gawking at the old-timey pointed shoes though, and couldn't resist trading a glance to the youngest human. He gestured to the shoes, with his helm, muttering 'what are thoooose!'- Which promptly sent both himself and Russell into a fit of giggles. This was easily waved off by Drift as his students teamed up to hug their master for 'them-sized-hugs'.

Grimlock went next, and Bee transformed quietly as well to prep his form. Grimlock's chest plates split obscenely, and Denny put a hand to his chest in empathetic pain. An utter wall of a man stepped out. Looking to be in his mid-thirties to early forties, he towered over the others with a dark complexion and a pearly white grin. His hair was buzzed short, and his face and arms had visible scars scattered over the whatever skin showed. Russell gave a surprised laugh, bounding forward to be engulfed in a hug from the barefoot man in the green tank top and well-worn jeans. The youngest kicked his feet, squeaking as he was half-crushed in the Grimlock's arms. 

Bee slipped out of his alt with years of sneak under his belt, but Denny saw the ghost of a teen hiding out beside the expensive-looking Urbana. Those paternal instincts of his kicked up in full force as unnaturally blue eyes met his own, and the shyest of smiles broke out over scarred lips. Russell was eventually dropped, and the boy spun around to return to his father- stopping dead when he found someone slightly older than Hank staring at him.  "Holy shit Bee!" Sideswipe immediately looked over, his jaw dropping when he realized Bumblebee was out of his alt. 

What they didn't account for was Drift, Slipstream, Jetstorm, and Fixit's reactions. Bee shifted nervously, glancing down at his 'casual' outfit- tight knee-high boots with thick soles, a pair of black shorts. The right leg sporting an empty gun holster mid-thigh, and a black tank top covered by an oversized yellow zip-jacket. He kept his head tilted down slightly, giving the group a nervous smile. "U-uh...Everything alright?"

Russell was the first to snap out of it, bounding forwards to hug the blonde with an overjoyed squeal. Bee barely managed to catch the other teen, scrambling last second and keeping them both from falling on their asses. Grimlock was the next to shake out of his surprised state, following the shorter's lead and encompassing his lieutenant and the younger boy in a tight hug. Bee kicked his feet, half-squealing as he was effortlessly hefted up. Russell managed to wiggle free, dropping onto his butt with a huff. Grim pouted comically, setting Bee on the ground. Bee stepped back to lean against his alt and bury his face in his sleeve-covered hands, trying to fight back the blood that rushed to his cheeks as his boyfriend excitedly followed, to croon about how 'cute he was!'. Denny's eyes were drawn to the large scar that ran horizontally across Bumblebee's mid-thigh, jagged and crooked enough to convinced the father that Bumblebee had obviously gotten his leg reattached at some point. Denny noticed the faint vertical scar that began below his shorts to disappear into the knee-cap of the boot, and he shuddered slightly as he remembered the broken body in Jazz' arms.  

As a more positive note, Denny and Russell were at prime position to enjoy the way the way Grimlock and Bumblebee smiled at each other, with Grimlock gently pressing a kiss to Bee's forehead and chuckling as he pulled the lean teen closer. Bumblebee playfully shoved him, but rested his head on Grimlock's shoulder after only a few seconds of the half-hearted struggle. Twin hair sticks  held sunflower strands in a tight knot, glittering in the light as a single gem dangled from the end each stick. The fragile beads sent a prism of color from within, casting a rainbow onto the slim chain bridging the two sticks. Denny couldn't help a small repressed laugh as he thought of the hairpieces he had seen on old TV shows. The two cuddled for a few seconds, before processors in the group caught back up. Drift began to speak, but Fixit had to take a little extra time to work through a bad feedback loop. 

"Bumblebee...How old are you?" Bee lifted his head from its place on Grimlock's shoulder, gently pressing on the other's stomach to get him to allow Bee to stand fully. "I'm Fifteen thousand and forty-six vorns old." A half-amused grin broke free as he watched the elder's eyes widen further, and the Lieutenant broke into quiet, nervous giggles. "How old did you think I was?"

For once, it was Drift that almost glitched. Slipstream and Jetstorm reset their optics before the latter blurted out "I'm older than you!?" Bumblebee snorted, rolling his eyes. "I'm pretty certain everyone is older than me." Slipstream chimed in next, trying to reign in his horrified expression. "How in the name of the pits of Kaon did you get enlisted?!" Bee looked mildly sheepish there, scuffing a boot into the dirt. "Didn't exactly have a choice there. That was because of how I was raised, not because of anything I personally tried to do."  Grimlock grinned down at Bumblebee, who shifted his balance to his other foot. 

After another gaping moment of silent shock by the others, Bee tried to steer the conversation back on track. "Anyway...Denny, did we all live up to expectation?" Denny sighed in exasperation, shaking his head. "You and grim, absolutely. Drift, yeah. Strong and Sides? No. I was expecting way more flair!" Sideswipe booed him, pouting playfully. Strongarm gave the elder a half-grin, cocking a hip with an amused look. "Well, not every bot is a holoform expert right away!" The console pinged a successful upload, and Bee clapped his hands once as he moved towards the bridge- honestly, he was just excited for an opportunity to escape. "Alrighty, we've had our holoform fun. I'm going to-" Sideswipe cut him off, rolling his eyes. "Bail as fast as your legs can carry you?" 

Bumblebee huffed a laugh. "Oh yeah. I don't like being stared at- it's usually worse with the holoform,- so I would like to get this over with." Bee pushed the activation button, prompting the bridge to light up with a whiiirrrr. Bumblebee clasped his hands behind his back and took a deep breath, exhaling slowly as he made his way over to the portal. The light from the bridge didn't help to hide all the scars littering Bee's limbs, and Drift wondered how many more Bumblebee had hidden beneath that baggy jacket. When the blonde was gone and the bridge sealed, the bots deactivated their Holoforms... except Grimlock, who had decided that Denny needed hugs. Drift slowly turned to the seemingly unfazed group that had traveled back in time. "You all seem...unsurprised about his apparent age." 

Sideswipe gently shoved Strongarm towards the obviously unsettled samurai. "You're better with words. You tell him!" The femme gave the speedster a betrayed look, shaking her helm before Drift halted her once more. "Also, you and Sideswipe have been getting along rather well. Perhaps we should have a group chat while Bumblebee isn't here to help divert attention." That made both sets of jaws snap shut, and a surprised look was exchanged. "Ah...that actually works... rather well?" Sideswipe shifted nervously, and he glanced around at the others. The bots and humans moved to sit in a circle, and Sideswipe nervously picked at his plating "Okay, I was originally gonna explain when I could get you alone... I've been working my way around the scrapyard since we got back."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was pathetically easy for Bee to walk right into the main computer room. He thought it would be harder- maybe a guard? Or a camera? But, he waltzed his way in, completely unnoticed by the government agents in the room. Thankfully though, it appeared someone had some sense of self-preservation- one member of the group of pissed-off humans had noticed the new arrival rather quickly.

Raf's eyes widened before his face lit up in a beaming smile. The teen slid into the back row beside the brunette, cuddling into his shoulder with an ecstatic grin of his own. Raf kicked the back of Will's chair, who glanced back with a flair of annoyance before doing a double-take. Upon spotting the blonde, his frown broke into a wide grin as well. He quickly nudged Miko, who poked Judy- soon enough, all the former friends had given a smile or a wave to the young lieutenant. Sam had given him a particularly shy one, and the teen just smiled at him with a slight look of sadness. Bee mouthed 'Talk later' to the middle-aged man, who nodded solemnly before forcing himself to turn away. Raf squeezed the younger, giving him a reassuring grin. 

While this happened, the oblivious official below continued his tirade at the front of the circular lecture hall. He droned on about 'The importance of national security' as the various administrators dotted throughout the hall continued their work- probably ignoring the blowhard. There was upwards of thirty specialists on computers, frantically typing to crank away at some form of coding that Bee hadn't quite gotten around to figuring out yet. Bumblebee could practically feel Jazz' appalled dramatics from here.

With his head resting on a familiar shoulder, Bumblebee took to snooping. The younger woman a few rows ahead of him was working on seismic patterns around... Crown City- which meant everyone in this room was probably working on finding him and his team. Bee rolled his head back-half annoyed at the persistence of this department, half impressed they thought to check this thoroughly.

He spent the next few minutes enjoying the warmth of Raf's arm wrapping around his shoulders, trying to wiggle away from the dangling hand that was in prime tickle position near his waist. Will turned his chair around completely, initiating a staring contest with a Grinch-like grin. Bee obviously won, causing Judy to laugh quietly as the colonel sulked to Miko. Attentions were drawn back to the front as the tirade stopped suddenly- an administrator's hand had shot up with a cry of. “Hit!" The redhead half-jogged, half brisk walked over to the man's computer. 

"Five minutes? Slightly longer? Decoding coordinates now." The official loomed over the young twenty-something’s shoulder like he was searching for Satan himself, and Bee barely managed to bite back his giggle as the color bled from the man's face. He bolted towards the eastern wall, slamming his fist against the lockdown button-going rigid as nothing happened. Slowly, he turned to scan the unwilling audience. 

Bumblebee full on snickered then, sliding out of his chair and outright flouncing down the tall stairway that led to the platform in the center of the room. He heard some surprised cursing from the various analysts, as he silently walked passed then, but chose to ignore it as he made eye contact with the absolutely pissed official. "Breaking and entering now, Autobot scum?" Bee feigned hurt, holding a thin hand over his heart. With a broken huff, he answered in a sickly-sweet tone. "Autobot scum? Oh, come now! After all we've done to help protect your precious planet from the Decepticons too...such disrespect! Here I thought humans were all about manners..." 

The man met the blonde’s tone with a disgusted look, sneering at the teen as he finally stepped onto the platform and into the full view of the overhead lights. Bee made his way over to the desk in the center of the room to sit with grace worthy of Cleopatra herself. His head tilted slightly to the left, reflexively covering the majority of the scar on his throat from view. The man a few paces away was far less composed- he was probably going to melt if anymore venom dripped from his words. "Yes. Scum. You caused the death of so many American citizens, and now you... you terrorists don't even have the decency to leave us alone?" Bee waved him off with a dismissive hand, inspecting his manicure-black with gold tips, slightly sharpened into a pointed almond shape. 

"Hi Pot! I'm kettle." An encoder in the front row covered his mouth, trying not to snicker. Thankfully it was ignored by the ginger, as angry eyes were trained on Bumblebee. "And what do you mean by that." "Oh, 'not leaving you alone'? I haven't bothered anyone since I got here, yet everywhere I turn you and your department are right there...almost like you're stalking me. Isn't it a crime to prey on a minor?" He bristled, and the young man in the front row did laugh this time. Bee blew him a kiss, crossing his ankles with a playful kick. The official leveled the encoder a look, but turned back to the teen. "I wouldn't have to chase you around if you had a visa-" "If I wanted Cybertron to know where I was , I would have applied for one." Bee's nails clicked against the table as his fingers curled around the edges.

The official's look of distain twisted to a sneer, and he straightened his jacket with a haughty air about him. "I believe I have the upper hand here then, If you're on the run from your government. If you don’t want me to turn over this information to my superiors, you will follow the following demands: One, you must tell me who your human confidants are. Two, you will tell me any information about your team that I desire, and I will hold the rights to contact you at any time for further information. Three, You must select someone from your precious team to remain on base with me, as a token of your loyalty-" 

Bumblebee's outburst of laughter interrupted him here, and the lieutenant covered his mouth with a sleeve. "Oh Primus that’s cute, you're really trying to blackmail me!" Lennox laughed obnoxiously, and he slid down to sit on the floor while ushering the others to 'take coooverrrrrrr!'. Bee on the other hand, let more of the 'harmless' demeanor slide as he pressed the edge of fear that was opened to him.

"Do you really think that someone as unthreatening as you could ever possibly scare me?" The official seemed to have caught onto his mistake just then, his smirk falling into a mildly horrified look. Bee's grin, however, became far more malicious by the second. "Do you really think you have enough push to make me bend to your will like I’m some fresh new build? Puh. Lease. Attitude check honey. Bulkhead is scarier than you during a hissy-fit."

Bee snapped his fingers, startling everyone when all the screens in the room suddenly went blue. A second later, an image of a metallic bumblebee appeared on the screens. That smirk quickly became devious, and the official whipped his head around in shock. His horrified gaze returned to the lieutenant on the desk as streams of code flooded the screens, and the frantic typing by various specialists was followed by someone shouting 'He's hacking the mainframe!'.

"Now that we've finished our little cock-fight here, let's take a step back and talk like adults. Agreed?" Bee tilted his head, giving the redhead a genuinely soft smile. The enraged man ignored this attempt at civility though, quickly reached behind him to pull a gun that was concealed in his waistband. Cables instantly snapped away from the various TV screens on the walls, coiling around the man and all those that made any move to rescue him. They were yanked several feet off the floor, dangling even with Bee's line of sight. Bee gently placed each foot back onto the floor, ignoring the terrified faces around him as he met the official’s frozen surprise with that same sickly-sweet smile. Will and Sam could be heard laughing and cursing respectively.

"Orrrrr not. I can do things the hard way too, Chad Arkton." Bee ran his pointer nail under Chad's chin as he began to squirm in his bindings. The room was dead silent, all breaths held in the silent fear of being ensnared by the Cybertronian before them. " Oh, how did you say it... Riiight. One: My name isn't scum. It's Bumblebee. But, because I don't really like you, you will call me with the formalities-Lieutenant Bumblebee. Second: I will be confiscating all information you have on my team. You will not attempt to recover this information or create any new data. Yes, I will know if you try, and you will not like it if I have to come back to delete it again. Third: you will not inform Cybertron I am here. Those nosy fraggers from the Senate will only cause more problems than they are worth... So, this is gonna be our little secret."

Bee playfully rapped the top of Chad's nose, leaning in so he was a hair's breath away from the utterly terrified human. "Fourth and finally: If you ever threaten my team again, I'll show you why Megatron wanted me dead since I was conceived. You've already done more than enough to piss me off by stalking me like Soundwave did, and  kidnapping every human I have ever cared about here on earth, and I'm not about to lose what family I have left because of some silly grudge. Am I clear, or do I need to rephrase?" Blue eyes pierced into green ones, and Chad swallowed hard before nodding once. Bee kept his gaze leveled. "Use your words Chad. Am I clear?" It took a second for the redhead to recover, choking out a soft 'yes'.

He screamed as he suddenly plummeted towards the floor- wires curling last second to gently roll him onto the concrete with no injuries outside of his pride and some slight soiling in his pants. Bee turned on his heel, boots clicking quietly with the three steps it took to reach the main computer.  He raised his right hand, sliding it across the air to bring up a transparent screen littered with Cybertronian glyphs. He made short work of the database, deleting everything after making a copy for his own review later. Others shuddered a gasp as they were gently lowered to the floor, the cables supporting those whose legs wouldn't until they were safely on the floor.  The wires slowly retracted, slithering up the walls like an eerie horror film, before reattaching to where they were previously located. Teensy flashes of light flashed, welding the joints that reconnected the cables to their proper places. The room was bathed in a soft white light as the screens rebooted, and Will playfully poked his head over the chair, pillowing his chin on his arms- effectively scaring the piss out of those around him. "Done being creepy yet Beepy?"

Bee turned to give the brunette a heart-stoppingly cute grin, ruining the image with "Fuck no, it’s far too fun!" Chad watched in horror as the blonde hummed some kind of happy, cartoonish tune as he typed- far faster than a human ever could. His attention was drawn to the glaring scar that was visible from where he lay sprawled on the ground in shock. The mark began just about even with Bumblebee's left ear, before shredding down the pale cheek and through his jaw. His expectation of a smooth throat was greatly misplaced, as the entire expanse of skin was nothing more than scarring and raised welts-, obviously grafted several times in an attempt to build up the protective skin around the throat. The mark separated into four distinct points near Bee's spinal cord, before joining into a singular mark about 90 degrees later. The thinnest line delved down into his chest, clearly needing to have snapped or sliced the collarbone to create that severe of a scar. Chad doubted the right side of Bumblebee's throat looked any better.

Chad shakily pushed himself to his knees, looking over the thin teen before him closer than before. His sleeves had slid down towards his elbow as his hands were raised to type, revealing a perfectly straight set of scars down his forearms, stopping two inches below the wrist to circle around to the unseen inner wrist. Chad could see similar marks were on Bee's thighs, thicker rings resting four inches above the bend of his knee. A quick glance down showed a slight heel on his boots, but also showed the deep treads in the soles,- ones that would no doubt give great traction when running or climbing. Paired with the lean, muscular physique, Chad would safely guess Bumblebee was some form of assault team- and that one of his missions had gone very, very badly. 

The lieutenant finished his typing in record time, releasing the screens back to the care of the various administrators before glancing down at Chad. A playful grin bloomed across Bee's face. "Ohh,  well there's an intense look..." Chad gave Bee a mildly horrified look as he was winked at. "Sorry sir, I'm spoken for." Bee giggled as Miko wolf-whistled obnoxiously from the back of the room to be cut off mid-way with an 'oof!'...only to start smacking at Lennox. Bee resumed his previous spot on the table with a weightless twirl. Chad took a shaky breath to collect himself, but found himself in a staring contest with the blonde before him. It was Chad who lost the contest, but it was Bee that broke the silence.

"Done with your hissy-fit, or do you still have a little more to get out of your system?" The man glared at Bee, but shook his head. "I-...I'm done." Bee nodded once, kicking his feet playfully once more. "Let's try talking like professionals then, now that we both realize threats won't get us anywhere...Well, get you anywhere." Chad bit back the nasty comment he wanted to spit back, deciding to choose his battles from then on out. "Why are you on Earth?"

Bee hummed lowly, tilting his helm from side to side as he thought of how to answer. "Let's just say I was given a mission by someone special. I originally planned to come alone, but my team wound up developing around me. Our current goal is to collect the prisoners that were aboard a prison ship named the Alchemor that crashed near Crown City, and send them back to Cybertron through a planet side confidant. After they're all captured, we all currently plan on returning to Cybertron." 

Chad nodded, looking the younger over once more. "You joked that you were 'spoken for a second ago'...what did you mean? Does this have anything to do with your apparent favoritism for the green mech?" Bee 's cheeks flushed lightly as he crossed his legs at the knees. "And here I thought I was being sly...Yes, it does. I'm currently being courted by Grimlock- the big green T-Rex. For humans, it's similar to a tentative engagement, or a very serious relationship."  He flashed a happy grin to the surprisingly laid-back captives- and in particular Judy, who was trying to contain both Miko and Anna's crooning about how 'cute' that was, along with other ...inappropriate things.

The teen rolled his eyes, before half-yelling the embarrassed retort of "Not yet you pervert! I'm not old enough for that!"- which caused Miko and several others to dissolve into a fit laughter. The official glanced to the group, but did his best to hold his composure among the ruckus.

"Who is helping you with blending in? You always have human help." Bee tilted his helm, and took several seconds to answer. "I happened across someone who wasn't aware of your law against us- he is fairly distrustful of the government, and lives rather off the grid. No Internet, only a few satellite channels on the TV... the works for your usual recluse. After saving him from one of the escaped Decepticons, he offered to help us recapture the others due to the fear of the cons... the crash site was relatively close to his residence, and he decided he was safer with us there to protect him than he was on his own." 

The official narrowed his eyes, pressing further. "He has a child too, I would bet." Bumblebee snorted a laugh, but nodded. "Yeah. Cute kid too- reminds me of myself a little bit." Chad sighed heavily, giving him a tired glare. "Why do you Autobots always get children involved?!" Bee gave him a surprised look, leaning forward on his elbows in the most sarcastic display he had ever seen. "I know right! We honestly try to avoid your entire species like the plague- but there’s always some kid that gets in the way then BAM! We suddenly have a whole pack of you to look after!" One of the students failed to hold back a quick bark of laughter, but covered her face in her hands when Chad's glare turned on her. 

The red-headed man rubbed his face in his hands, groaning quietly. "Okay. Let's just...let's just damage control this. How about you bring your team- the WHOLE team- over here so we can document you. My brother-in-law is in charge of the outgoing visas, and I'm certain he can get it worked out where you won’t ping in the systems, but my boss will be happy with the knowledge of what you all are doing. If you do that, we can talk about the others being released."

Bee quirked a brow, but nodded in agreement. "As long as you cooperate with me, I can guarantee there won't be any intentional problems..." Bee muttered the next part, but Chad heard enough to get the point. "...though it seems to follow me nowadays..." Bee slid off the desk once more, and surprised noises were made across the room. "The files I just uploaded are the extreme basics. I'm reserving the rights to keep some things confidential, but to be honest this mission has already gone on far longer than I expected it to go on for... So, like I said. Cooperation. I'll talk to my team, and I'll be in touch." Chad pushed himself onto his feet, looking over the teen. He held out his hand in a sign of resigned civility- one that Bee gleefully took.

Bee's grip tightened as he yanked the elder close, his grin sliding into something dangerous again. The blonde gripped the other's chin between his thumb and pointer fingers. "And do remember Chad. While I prefer to be nice, but I can be very, very mean- I didn't survive a war by playing nice each and every second.  I would advise that you do not test me to see where my boundaries lie. You will not like the results." Chad felt his mouth run dry as Bee's nails slid from his face, and the teen disappeared with a wispy distortion and a ghostly giggle. 

From up in the balcony, Sam asked "When the fuck did Bee get creepy?!" in the most horrified voice- causing the entire group to burst into laughter, and the official covered his face with his hands. He was not paid enough for this shit.

Chapter Text

Upon returning to the scrapyard, Bee encountered an absolute mess. Strongarm was between a livid Drift and a terrified Sideswipe, and Grimlock's arms were circled around the orange mech’s waist to hold the samurai back. Bee looked around quickly, spotting the terrified trio of Fixit, Denny, and Russell hiding out behind the console. Slipstream and Jetstorm sitting silently beside where Drift was once parked- huddled together and shaking. Bee transformed, causing the two minicons nearest him to jump. With a mental note to apologize later, he swiftly stepped between the conflicted mech. He snarled his own engine just as he stepped into Drift’s view, hoping it would assist in the surprise factor he already had. 

Grimlock visibly jumped as Bee appeared, but managed to keep his grip on the other. Strongarm outright squeaked, stepping backward and falling onto Sideswipe- who flailed and fell to the ground, catching Strongarm against his chest with a quiet ‘oof!’. "What in the name of Unicron is going on here?" Bumblebee growled out, leveling a glare right back at the angered samurai. "Why did you not tell me he was pit spawn?!" He barked back, and Bee almost blared his horn in frustration.

Instead, Bumblebee hiked his wings up, and Grimlock wisely let go of the orange mech to step back. “I’m more concerned with where your ‘honor and respect’ went. I leave for one hour and come back to you being physically held back and ready to start a fight!" Drift's armor shifted as he prepared to strike out at the smaller mech, and Denny pulled Russell close to shelter him from the view. Bee reacted quickly, grabbing the other's wrist. He quickly twisted it, throwing all his weight into Drift's opposite shoulder- giving him the leverage to fling Drift in a graceful arc. Everyone winced as the elder smashed into the ground face-first. Bee quickly followed him the extra steps, reaching down to grip Drift’s shoulder and haul the elder to his feet. He effortlessly drug the stunned mech towards the back part of the scrapyard for a talk. 

Drift's stunned students looked at each other from where they sat, before scrambling to their feet to chase after their master and the livid lieutenant. Grimlock moved into action, scooping them up and shaking his helm when they turned to give him a pleading look. Sideswipe finally untangled himself from Strongarm, pushing himself vertical before helping the femme to her pedes. The two students struggled for a moment longer, before Grim’s low timbre indistinctly muttered a reply. Slipstream made a muffled noise of despair, curling into the larger as Jetstorm continued to struggle. Sideswipe shook his helm before looking over to check on the trio behind the console. "Well, that went well..." He muttered sarcastically, and Strongarm gave a bitter laugh.  

"I think a scraplet infestation would have gone better than that..." She retorted, giving a sad glance to the two upset students. Grimlock seemed to have calmed Jetstorm, as both of them were now curled into his shoulders as Grim quietly reassured them. "Don't worry guys, Bee'll talk to him. Drift’s just… scared. And upset. He’ll understand." Sideswipe sighed, and reassuringly patted their backs. "That’s actually not the worst reaction I've ever gotten to the news, so I’m certain he’ll be better off once he processes everything. It is a lot to take in all at once."

Russell gave the red mech a horrified look, half screaming as he shook. "How does it get worse than that!?' Sideswipe shifted his weight, glancing back to the two humans and petrified Fixit. "Well... I’ve had mech immediately try to kill me, I’ve had vow to hunt me down, I’ve had one tear part of my shoulder off-“ He shifted awkwardly as the looks grew more horrified. “-others have called the enforcers to say I was stealing or threatening them…you get the point. Being yelled at is definitely the better end of the spectrum."

 Denny was the one to give him the panicked reply this time. "For fuck's sake Sideswipe, I thought you were joking! He almost-!” Sideswipe cut him off, holding up a hand. “Guys, this is what I expected from everyone here. That’s how most mech react to me being split-spark… I wasn’t kidding when I said most people want us dead on sight.”

The red mech signed deeply, pinging Bee to call him back to the corner if he could help at all. “Either way, I'm sorry you guys had to see that. I was gonna do it in private with Bee later. Ya know, so he could help with any fallout.” Denny gave the speedster brokenhearted look, shaking his head. “It’s still not right Sideswipe. You didn’t do anything!”

Fixit wordlessly wheeled out from behind the console, holding up his arms with a sorrowful frown on his faceplate. Sideswipe gave him a mildly surprised look, before his face softened and he knelt down to hug the mini close. Grey clamps gently thumped against the red backplate, and Sideswipe squeezed him a little closer as the minicon spoke. "It’ll be alright Sideswipe. Like Grimlock said...Bee will fix it. Drift is just upset. He’ll understand." Sideswipe smiled hefting the smaller bot up.

Grimlock sat down in the center of the yard, allowing the two minicons to rest on his lap. Over the next few minutes, the circle reconvened for the third time that day- with spirits lower than the setting sun. 

"But…” Jetstorm started, grasping for words. “Why was Master Drift so upset with you Sideswipe? Wouldn't the presence of a brother be a joyous thing?  Even if he is a criminal, it’s another life!” Jetstorm seemed to still be on the brink of tears, trying his best to come to terms with what he had seen. Sideswipe shook his helm, and rested his elbows on his caves.

 "Some mech are very spiritual- like Drift is. Some long ago, it was decided that one particular type of sibling was...not good. Split-spark twins are regarded as tainted sparks, or mech that were 'once whole mecha that gave themselves over to Unicron'... It’s mostly because of the unusual circumstances around our separation.” The two gave him a confused look, and Sideswipe continued. 

“Split spark twins weren’t originally supposed to be twins- Sunny and I were supposed to be one single mech. However, something went wrong when we were being developed. We became two different sparks that rely on one another for survival." 

The two minicons listened intently, and Slipstream raised his hand to ask a question. Sideswipe hesitated, nodding to him after realizing what he was doing. "Why wouldn't that be even more joyous? The carrier has been blessed with two lives instead of one…that seems like it should be celebrated!" Sideswipe laughed, but there was no joy in it. "Pit I wish more mecha thought like you...It's got to do with the stories that surround split-spark twins. They all go along the lines of ‘A pure mech tainted their spark, and therefore deserves to be punished in this life.’ That punishment is being cleaved in two, and never feeling whole again. Lots of mech see it as a punishment rather than a celebration."

The three minis all tilted their helms, settling in. Sideswipe chuckled, popping his backstrut and following suit.  As Sideswipe began to share the stories, the argument in Bee’s former room in the back of the scrapyard heated up.

"If you wish to damn this team to eternity than that is your own judgment, but he should have informed us so we could-" "I swear to the pits Drift, if you finish that statement with 'limit the taint in our sparks' I will slap you." Drift gave Bee a half-shocked look, and the younger took advantage of the stunned silence to continue.

"For Primus’ sake Drift, I was raised with a pair of split sparks. If they truly were inherently evil, do you really think Optimus would ever let his charge near them? Fuck no! He would have had them so far from me even Unicron himself couldn't bridge that gap!" Bumblebee watched Drift scramble for a retort, the gradual whittling of his defenses finally showing the cracks in his armor.

Bee allowed his field to expand, that sorrow and disappointment threatening to drown the elder mech- absolutely thankful he had gotten his carrier’s talent for field work. "I truly expected better from you Drift- I can understand about you being upset. I was too when I was told...but he told you because his life is in danger from how he's been separated from Sunstreaker- He told us so if he dies, we would know why. Sideswipe decided to tell us about a part of his life that frequently puts him in danger..." The samurai gaped at the younger mech, obviously trying his best to find something to retort. However, from what the Lieutenant could teek, Bee had finally broken through that shell of fear that had been clouding his reason.

“If...If split-sparks were good, why wouldn’t they remain whole?” Drift fired back, fluffing his armor reflexively. Bee shot it down quickly enough, sitting before the samurai. Drift slowly sat as well, hesitance and contempt bleeding through his field like an open wound. “If they were irredeemably evil, why would Primus allow them to return to Cybertron?” Drift’s plating slammed shut, and he gritted his dentae. He started to speak several times, before taking a deep invent and pulling his field as close as possible.

“If these stories were not true, why do they continue to perpetuate? Wouldn’t they have been cut off?” Bee chuckled, shaking his helm. “Well, let’s debunk that this way. When you were a con, did you ever hear the stories of ‘The Hatchet’?” Drift nodded, seemingly uncertain how this applied to their conversation. “Do you really think Ratch had a lab beneath the engines of the arc that he would experiment on mecha in? Really?” Drift’s optics widened, and Bumblebee continued. “I’m certain you’ve seen Soundwave being lovey to his cassettes as well- does that live up to the stories that all Decepticons are heartless? They’re stories Drift. They’re spread as nightmare fuel, and Split-Sparks got the worst of it because no one knows why they don’t just die like most other sparks.”

Drift studied the ground hard, and Bumblebee watched what was left of that fearful anger give way to the shame of his actions.  "I'll watch Slipstream and Jetstorm while you collect yourself. Go for a drive, meditate, whatever you do to bring yourself back to a reasonable state. Then, I want you to consider- Truly consider which is more important: A story, or a friend.” Bee leaned in, bumping helms with the taller. “If you choose the latter, I know you’ll need to speak to Sideswipe privately. Ping me and I'll send him on patrol, and you two can talk it out. However, I will send Strongarm as well. She'll give you the privacy you need, but keep any nearby cons off your backs. After you speak to Sides, you need to talk to your students about your reaction. They were terrified behind you Drift."  The mech nodded, pressing into Bumblebee’s helm a little more. Bee raised his servos, patting the elder’s cheeks.

"You're not a bad mech Drift. You just need to learn, as all of us have at one point. This fault isn’t fatal, but it won't be an easy fix either. It never is." Drift took a deep breath, sitting in silence for a long moment. Bumblebee waited patiently, unable to keep the hopeful perk out of his doorwings as the range mech stood. Drift nodded once, silently transforming to speed off into the creeping darkness.  With a quiet smile, Bee stood. He stretched his arms above his helm, releasing the pent-up tension from his spine as he relaxed. He met the half-worried looks with a grin, and sat beside Grimlock. Slipstream didn’t seem to mind the shift of Grim’s arm as it slid around Bee’s waist, and no one bothered to mention it if they saw Bee’s helm lazily flop onto a green shoulder.

--------------------

It was just past sunrise before Drift returned, and the samurai gave an uncharacteristic grin at the pile up of bots and humans in the front of the scrapyard. He gently rubbed each of his student’s helms as he passed, before silently tapping on Bumblebee’s shoulder. The lieutenant’s optic lit up a split second before the servo made contact, and Drift pushed down the feeling of eeriness that followed. Bee gracefully slipped from under Grimlock’s arm, and they both went to wake Sideswipe.

This took several minutes, as Sideswipe was always the deepest sleeper on base. After several hard shoves- and one small kick on Bee’s part- the speedster booted up with blurry optics. After half a minute of confused explanation, Sideswipe stood and followed the others to the back of the yard. This was far more casual than the meeting a sunset, with Drift's posture mostly back to its replaced position. Bee quietly leaned against the wall, acting as moral support for his teammates.  Sideswipe jumped up onto the spare deep freeze, kicking his pedes out before him as Drift choose to remain upright.

Both were surprised when the old-fashioned mech bowed deeply. “You have my humblest apologies for my previous actions Sideswipe. I should have held far more self-control than what was required to not lash out at you.” Sideswipe shifted nervously, pushing Drift’s shoulder until he stood upright once more. “It’s okay Drift, I ain’t mad. Honestly, you were the one I was prepared for the most- like I said earlier, that’s how most mech react. I mean, it's not like you'll ever have to deal with us together. Sunny’s been locked up for life, and I’ll always try to stay near him. Whenever we get done here, I’m gonna try to get a place near his prison.”  

Drift kept his stance, and his field slowly unfurled around him. “I…am aware of this. That is why I should have had even more control over my reactions. I pride myself on being above reproach, and that kind of…" Drift sighed heavily, shaking his helm. "I know I have much to work through if I wish to be a better mech. I cannot guarantee that my reactions will instantaneously improve, but I do give my word that I will try to do my best.” Sideswipe grinned, jumping up and hugging the elder close- Drift tensed, but allowed the hug. “Like I said, it’s okay. You didn’t immediately try to jam that blade of yours through my spark, so I know there’s hope for you yet.” Sideswipe let go, leaning back to relax on the deep freeze once more. “Honestly, I’m kind of sad. I really feel like you and Sunstreaker would get along well- he’s not really a mecha-mech either, and as long as you don’t scratch his paint or something, he’d probably be a great meditation partner.” Sideswipe sighed deeply, shaking his helm. “Well…guess that’s life.”

From Sideswipe’s place, he couldn’t see Bee’s devious look behind him. Drift hesitantly pinged the yellow Urbana, but received a helm shake in return and a digit tapping against lips in a sign for silence.

-Jazz’ mate and I are working on getting Sunstreaker released. That death he caused wasn’t malicious- it was self-defense. He was only arrested because the mech had connections. Don’t tell Sides though, it’s a surprise.

Drift’s gaze stayed on Bumblebee for a long moment, but the samurai eventually sat on a broken chassis. “…Tell me about him. Your Brother.” Both mech swore they had never seen the speedster happier than he was in that moment. Sideswipe leant in eagerly, his smile growing as settled in. “Well, there was this one time, back in Tyger Pax…”

-----------------------------------------------

Strongarm slightly panicked when she woke to find Sideswipe missing, but quickly calmed into curiosity as she heard laughter towards the back of the scrapyard. She got up as quietly as she could, sneaking back towards the lieutenant's former room to find the three desperately trying to stifle their laughter. "No no no no no! That's not even the best part! After he said that, Sunny just looked him up and down and said 'If I can out-polish you, I can certainly outsmart you!' " 

The group dissolved into laughter once more- even Drift, which surprised Strongarm immensely. The samurai was much calmer than the two youngsters he held company with- the complete opposite of Bumblebee, who was curled up slightly in the corner, shaking with laughter. The femme gracefully stepped back, allowing the boys time to talk things out. When she re-entered the scrapyard, she was met with a sleepy Grimlock's questioning gaze. She sat beside the dino, gently skirtching the top of his alt's helm "It's alright. They're back there telling jokes or something, and even Drift is letting a few chuckles out. You were right, he just needed some time." 

Grimlock purred in approval, allowing his massive helm to rest on Strongarm's thigh. It didn't take too long for him to fall back asleep, with the minis still curled up beside his warm frame. It was about two hours later when the minicons began to wake. Slipstream was the first, whimpering when he was met with a green breastplate. With a quick check of his messages, he relaxed for a moment before pushing himself up quietly, nodding politely to Strongarm in greeting. He then sat cross-legged on the ground on the other side of the femme, taking a deep breath to begin his morning meditation. Fixit woke next with an adorable start twenty minutes later. The mini looked around to take stock, but smiled when he caught sight of Strongarm reading a report while Slipstream meditated. 

He quietly rolled away to check the console, and silence reigned until Russell's school alarm went off. Denny and Russell both groaned, and the teen gave his father a pleading look- which was quickly dismissed, and the teen was extracted from Grimlock's limp grip to get ready for school. Just before the teen was seen off, the trio returned from the back. Bee gave Denny an approving look, and Sideswipe half-bounced over to Russell to chat. Slipstream immediately bounded over to Drift, who gently patted his helm with a promise to talk later- after they woke Jetstorm.

As they began that task, Russell started laughing at something Sideswipe had said. Bee moved to talk to Denny, who was waiting by the truck while he watched his son. Bee knelt down beside him, chuckling when Denny patted his forearm. "Good work on getting those two to get along." 

"It really wasn't hard. Drift didn't hold any real spite against Sideswipe in the first place, so once he had a chance to clear his head he calmed down a lot." Denny nodded,  watching the orange mech carefully tug the darker-plated student from under the limp dino. "Did you have to talk him through anything?" "Yeah, but it was the usual weak responses.  A few good examples and he popped like a balloon." Denny patted his arm again in silent approval, looking up when Sideswipe called the father's name. "Hey Denny! Can I-" Denny cut the question off with a flat look. “Absolutely not. Last time you 'took him to school' he didn't actually make it there." 

Both Russell and Sideswipe groaned, and Denny moved to chase his son to the tuck. Bee bumped Russell's fist as he passed, and the lieutenant moved to wake his snoozing boyfriend. 

Just before the two humans drove off, they both burst out laughing as they were graced with the view of Bumblebee gently shaking Grimlock's shoulder- only for the arm to fling around his waist, yanking him over into a flailing cuddle. By the flush on Strongarm's face and the way Bumblebee's feet kicked, it was safe to assume Grimlock got his good-morning kiss. 

They snickered as Denny backed out, turning onto the main road that led to Russell's grade school. The brunette looked up to his father, clicking his seatbelt into place. "So, what did Bumblebee say about Drift?" "He'll be alright. Just got freaked out, and he got a chance to collect himself before working things out. He's just found a spot he needs to grow." The father flicked on his turning signal, merging onto a side road.

"I'm still surprised Bee's just a little older than me. Did you see how he flipped Drift? It was like he weighted nothing!" The young teen half-bounced in his seat, trying his best to imitate the flip. "Well, I would assume he learned that back when he was fighting in that war. All sorts of cool self-defense stuff can be learned in those kinds of times." Russell nodded, turning his gaze out of the window for a minute. "Do you think he would teach me a few of those moves?" 

Denny gave Russell a sidelong look, grinning as he stopped for a stoplight. "Perhaps. You'll have to ask him. If he says no, that means-" "No means no dad, I know."  He leaned over to flick his father's shoulder, snickering as Denny feigned massive pain. They relaxed once more, and Denny struck up a more mundane conversation. "Are you going to football practice after school?" 

"Not that I know of. Last I checked, it was still canceled because of the Coach's family reunion. I'll ask Hank when I see her and text you." Denny nodded leaning forwards to check the curve ahead. "Alright. I'm gonna ask Bee how that meeting with the government went, and I'll let you know what he said if I pick you up. For now, I'll plan on right after school in the usual spot."  They pulled up in front of a small school, several students grouped in the playground off to the side to enjoy the nice day. 

"Alright. If it's important, send me a small text. I'll try to sneak off to call you instead if texting." Russell unbuckled, leaning over to give his dad a quick hug. "Don't get eaten by Underbite!"  Denny laughed lightheartedly, squeezing him back. "Don't get kidnapped by Steeljaw-  and remember-~" The two  counted to three, throwing their helms back and cheering 'ayooooo~'- as they did each morning. The laughing teen opened the door, pulling his lunchbox out from under the seat. "Have fun buddy. Be safe!" Denny said, ginning as the boy put on his backpack. Russell replied with a quick "I will!", closing the door and waving before jogging over to Hank and the rest of the football team. Denny waited until Russell joined his friends before putting the car in gear and driving off, turning on the radio and humming along to an oldies tune. 

 He had a message flashing on his phone when he reached the scrapyard, and the elder human found himself smiling as he watched Grimlock's antics- still holding Bumblebee hostage, but getting a dog pile on top of him at some point during their absence. Denny muttered 'a dad's work is never done' to himself as he popped the door to his truck, set on freeing the young lieutenant.

Chapter Text

Denny left a little early to pick Russell up from school- the house was running low on groceries again- so Bee and Grim had decided to relax and catch up in their room. This led to Bumblebee curled up in their nest, his helm pressed against Grimlock's own as the larger shielded him from the light breeze drifting through the scrapyard. Grimlock trailed his servo down Bee's side, leaning in to kiss the top of his nose. Bumblebee smiled, caressing Grim's cheek lovingly and snuggling closer to the warm frame beside him.  

"You're really beautiful Bee." Grim grinned as a sight shimmer of blue spread across Bumblebee's faceplate, and the younger fought the urge to cover his face with his hands. "You are too Grim." Grimlock beamed in response, pressing even closer to the increasingly embarrassed lieutenant. "You really really are though. You're so pretty and colorful- even your holoform. It's obvious how much effort you've put into it. It really is a good form for you." Bumblebee stared at him for a long moment, grinning like the love-struck fool he knew he was.

Bumblebee decided not to respond with words, leaning the extra inches to claim a soft kiss from the mech beside him. Grimlock purred, returning the kiss happily as he curled further into Bumblebee. Sharpened servos rubbed tiny transformation seams with a gentleness no one would match with the lumbering mech, causing Bumblebee's wings to flutter with the slight tickle. It was willfully ignored in exchange for pressing even closer to his chosen mate. Bee snickered when Grim's fans eventually kicked on, and the kiss reluctantly broke with a dreamlike sigh. Grimlock kept the purr in his chest rumbling as he lovingly nuzzled his way up to Bumblebee's ear.

"An I wouldn't worry 'bout your scars that you were trying to hide either. They look like they've been healin' up nice. I doubt they'll still be very big in a few vorn." Bee felt his face heat further, and he just curled deeper into Grimlock's embrace. "Sometimes, I wonder what I did to deserve you Grimlock..." Bee muttered, his field flaring with a nervously happy flitter around the two of them. Grimlock purred in response, stroking a servo between Bee's wings before a playful flux shimmered through his own field. "If I had to guess, it' probably good karma from shiving Megatron." 

Bumblebee burst out into horrified laughter, trying to shove Grimlock away and cover his face at the same time. His comparable lack of physique lead to Grimlock easily yanking him close, curling closer to Bee and snickering when smaller servos carefully slipped into stationary vents. Grimlock plating fluffed slightly at the slight tickle, but his free servo playfully stroked up a fluttery doorwing as they settled to further enjoy the quiet.

Bee closed his optics for a long moment, savoring the feeling of Grimlock so close before he pulled back slightly. He met Grimlock's pout with a hesitant grin, and softly stroked over Grim's chestplate. "Why..." Grimlock stayed quiet as Bee struggled with his words, soothingly stroking his shoulder. "Why don't my scars bother you Grim?" Grimlock shrugged, but did his best to come up with an actual answer for Bumblebee. "They just don't...I mean, I got a buncha scars too. You saw those on my holoform, and I can show you them on my protoform too if you want." Bee remained quiet, thumbing along the vent just below Grimlock's left pectoral. "I guess it doesn't bother me as much because I know how war is. Mech get hurt and it don't matter how old you are. Blaster fire doesn't really have a moral code." Bumblebee hummed quietly, shuddering when Grim's talons caught a ticklish seam in his upper back. 

"Honestly, It kinda freaks me out to see someone that isn't littered with scars anymore. They might be because of somethin' bad, but they just mean you survived it and got better because of it." The Dino thought for another minute before continuing with a pretty good summary. "I guess I'm just not lookin' at the injury, but the fact you got better after. And you've done a lot of getting better Bee... Prolly why you're so amazing." Bumblebee pressed his face into the crook of Grim's neck, and the Dino was more than mildly concerned when he felt a dampness a few seconds later- until he realized Bumblebee was shaking. He wrapped his arms around his smaller mate, squeezing him close. "It's aiite Bee. Like I said: you're the most beautiful mech I've ever seen- and your scars just make you even more beautiful. You don't gotta hold up to a standard for anyone...Besides. Anybot who only judges based on the un-bumpy-ness of a protoform prolly isn't someone you wanna be around anyway." 

Sideswipe kept his servo over his mouth as he slowly backed up, trying his best to not interrupt the couple before him. Once he was at a safe distance, he exvented hard, shaking his head. It took him a few seconds to force back on his usual grin, but he did. He re-entered the scrapyard, nonchalantly shrugging to the others in attendance. "Bee's talkin' to Grim bout some personal stuff. Should be done fairly soon though...If he's not out here in ten I'll ping him." Denny and Russell nodded, each grabbing an armful of groceries that needed to be put up. Russell continued to tell his father the stories of the playground- mostly an animated retelling of how Hank had sat on an eighth-grader. Once the humans disappeared inside, Sideswipe's look must have fell slightly- Strongarm's optics had narrowed and she gave Sideswipe a once-over. "Is Bee alright?"

The speedster gave her a surprised look. "What do you-" "Sideswipe." The staring contest brought everyone's attention to him, and Sideswipe caved embarrassingly quickly. "Bee's...upset about something. When I went back there to get them, Grim was holding him pretty close while muttering something about scars, and how if people are judging him by his scars they're 'not the kind of mech he should be around anyway'. I... think Bee's a little more bothered by the ones he's got than he likes to admit. I don't think the fact his holoform reflects all of the scars helped that insecurity either. Just...give them a little bit, okay?" 

Drift was quiet for a long moment, before his usual smooth tone echoed in a thinly-veiled disturbance. "Perhaps we should refrain from asking him about his wartime activities- and the injuries that occured within that period. It might bring up bad memories or unwanted emotions, and Bumblebee should not be forced to cope with them. That is something that should occur when he is ready, not when we are." With silent nods all around, the mecha around the scrapyard set about to carry on with their days. Sideswipe sent Bee a very, very low-level ping to tell him Denny and Russell had returned, and Strongarm stepped over to offer up some training. 

It took several minutes before Bee sighed, pushing himself upright and rubbing his optics with the heels of his palms. Grimlock was quick to follow, leaning forwards to nuzzle him affectionately. "Feel a bit better?" The deep rumble made Bee's wings twitch, but he nodded in agreement. "Y-yeah. Sorry, I just-" "Don't apologize for that Bumblebee. You might need to be a bunch of stuff, but invincible ain't one of them. Not with me." Bumblebee gave him a tired smile, leaning forwards and pressing a gentle kiss to Grim's lips, breaking it by slowly sliding down until he could press his face into Grim's neck. "Thank you Grimlock. I...I know it's not always the easiest being with me, but I love you even more for giving me a chance." 

Grimlock beamed a smile, stroking the back of Bee's helm. "I'm just surprised someone hasn't given you a chance way sooner." Grim stood first, easily holding Bee's hand within his own as he helped the lieutenant to his feet. Bee's wings fluttered as he took a deep breath, giving Grimlock a shaky grin. "So, do I look like I just bawled my optics out, or am I presentable?" Grimlock hummed, framing his chin with his pointer and his thumb as he 'thought' about it. "Weelll... you might have a little bit of sign. Riiiight ...here!" Grimlock lunged forwards sliding his arms around Bee's waist and bending him backwards slightly as he stole yet another kiss, half-snickering against Bee's lips as the younger flailed before giving in. Bee didn't feel like monitoring how long that kiss lasted, and casually ignored how his arms drifted up around Grimlock's neck sometime after his optics fizzled offline. 

When he reactivated them, he pressed his fore helm to Grimlock's and smiled. "Love you Grimlock." The toothy smile he got in return could reignite a nova. "Love you too Bumblebee." Grim didn't bother masking the pout when Bumblebee stepped back, trailing his nails along Grim's chin in a soft scratch as his wings fluttered with renewed happiness. "C'mon. Everyone's waiting for us." 

Grim followed Bee out, grinning slightly as the younger obviously held more bounce in his step- in a much better mood after finally getting some of that weight off his pauldrons. Oddly enough, no one else seemed to point it out as they re-entered the main part of the scrapyard. Bee headed over to the console, where Fixit helpfully pulled up a sub screen so the lieutenant could do his usual check-in. All was quiet until Denny and Russell exited the house, waving enthusiastically at the two that had been missing when they originally got home. Russell bounded over to Bee, happily climbing into the Urbana's lap. 

Bee shifted his legs, grinning slightly as the teen effortlessly hoisted himself into a comfortable spot. Then the usual barrage of daily questions started. "So, What'cha doin?" "Replying to Emails." Bee grinned at the playfully put-upon groan, the teen going limp against the mech's hand. "You answer too many emails." Bee exhaled through his nose while pursing his lips. "You're telling me. How was school?" Bee knew he hit the mark when the teen lit up. "Preeeeetty good." Russell readjusted 'casually', pillowing his head with an arm as he watched Bee type. "One of the eighth graders stole our football- again. Hank got it back though. She sat on one of the eighth graders until he gave up. It was so cool to watch!"

The teen readjusted, and Bumblebee settled in for a story as he sent off the first email. "He was all 'I'm older so I'll do what I want!' He turned away to walk off with all his friends, and I knew something funny was gonna happen when Hank just grinned. Then she was all 'alright then. You couldda just asked if you wanted to play.' Then she blew the whistle and tackled him before he realized what was up! Then she just sat on his back till he gave it up! His friends didnt even help cause they were laughing too hard!" Bee grinned, shaking his helm. "Did she get in trouble?" "Nope! She told the teacher she thought he wanted to play, so she just started the game back up. The worst she got was a warning."

Bee laughed, nodding approvingly. "Sounds like something Bulkhead did once. If I remember right, Smokescreen was trying to steal one of Ratchet's wrenches again- At that point it was a running joke in Team Prime to see how many times we could get Ratchet to say 'I needed that!' in one day." Russell burst out laughing at the poor immatation of the grumpy medic, and Bee's wings fluttered happily. "Buuut Smokescreen was taking it too far. Bulkhead just kind of leaned back as Smokescreen ran past and gripped him by the ankle- yanked him flat on his back. Then sat on him for an hour. Even Optimus was holding back laughter by the end of it. I think Arcee took pictures at some point." 

Russell laughed, kicking his feet. "What were you doing during all of that? Laughing from a distance?" The sudden flush on his faceplate made Russell sit up, expecting a round of hilarious antics. “I was...uh...well..." Bee's wing's dipped slightly, and the mech gave in. "if I'm gonna be honest, I was kind of throwing a fit. My t-cog- the thing that lets me transform into my alt mode- was stolen. I was antsy and...really testy. I couldn't even go on patrol without being a liability because I almost got myself killed." Russell's jaw dropped- along with half the scrapyard's. 

"How did you do that?!" The embarrassment on Bee's face was more than priceless. "...mighta done a stupid and accidentally drove off a cliff..." Russell's mouth snapped closed as he fought to suppress his laughter, but failed miserably. He wound up curled into Bee's side, as Denny assumed the Dad Pose™. "Are you going to go into more detail than that?" Bumblebee's wings fluttered lightly, and he shrunk behind the console. "Wasn't currently planning on it..." 

The Dad Look™ followed, and Bee shrank further behind the console. "Begone foul scrap demon!" Bee muttered quietly, carefully flicking a small toaster a good four feet to Denny's left. The half-hearted tension popped as Denny doubled over laughing, shaking his head and muttering 'scrap demon!' as he walked over to pick up the small appliance. Russell turned his gaze upwards, ginning at the amused mech. "Seriously though. How did you drive off a cliff if you couldn't transform?"

Bumblebee groaned, rolling his shoulders to loosen the strained cables. "Well...you see...Since I couldn't transform, I couldn't catch Knockout- who was still a con at the time- by foot. So, I happened to see this old beat-up truck...it obviously hadn't moved in a long while, so I... borrowed it. Tried to use it as like, a really shitty kart. Turns out trucks can NOT bank a curve very well..." The teen dissolved into laughter once more, and Denny tried very hard to not join him. Sensing the topic wasn't going to drop, Bee closed out of his console, carefully scooping up the smaller. He crossed the scrapyard in a few steps, sitting in the spot he usually claimed during the daily briefings.

Denny joined him, originally planning to sit on the ground beside Bumblebee. However, when Bee scooped him up onto his lap as well, Denny didn't fight it. The elder human patted the yellow hand supporting his back, humming quietly before indulging in his own questioning. "Which was worse? Not being able to transform, or not being able to talk?" Sideswipe's helm immediately turned, and he traded a panicked glance to Strongarm. The rest of the scrapyard realized in unison that they had forgotten to tell Denny about the discussion less than half an hour prior. Bee shifted uncomfortably for a minute as he thought, but didn't seem to be horribly upset by the question.  To the other mecha's surprise, he answered rather frankly. 

"Honestly, It depends on my position and what I'm doing. Like, at this point in my life, I would rather be mute again than to lose my ability to transform. I would become a complete liability if I couldn't assist in the captures, and It's fairly difficult to lead a capture team with that kind of handicap. If I lost my voice, I would not only have a coping mechanism already in place, but I also still know Earth's standard Sign Language. It wouldn't impact me as much." Denny nodded, but didn't interrupt as the lieutenant continued on. "However, if I was in a position where I don't travel as much...like a senator or something, I would much rather be immobile than mute. It still would suck a lot though."  Denny nodded, leaning back. Russell chimed in with his own version. "Oooh! Would you rather lose your t-cog or fight a thousand angry Decepticons?!"  

That made Bumblebee laugh. "Definitely fight. I'd still probably win if they didn't try to dog pile me. Either way, it wouldn't compare to the time Megatron summoned a bunch of terrorcons. Optimus and Ratchet had to fight them off by themselves- that was fuckin' awesome to watch!" The excitement in Bee's tone made the temptation of joining the circle too much for Sideswipe and Strongarm to resist. Russell bounced excitedly, clasping his hands together and mustering up his best puppy-dog beg as the two newbies took their usual places. "Tell me you have footage of that!" The playfully thoughtful pose made Russell up the ante, quivering his lower lip to press the look further. Bumblebee sighed, looking to Denny. "It's not pretty footage...is it okay if he sees it?"

The wide blue eyes spun to focus on his father, and Denny made a show of considering it as well. "C'mon dad, pleeeaassseee?! I watched that zombie movie with no problems!" Sideswipe shifted, adding in as devil's advocate. "Yeah! And he didn't even scream when we went to the past and all that scrap went down. A little video of Optimus being badass shouldn't matter!" Denny gave them another surveying look, before nodding- and earning cheers from the other two, and a half-embarrassed eye roll from the resident femme. Bee pulled up a holoscreen while Drift, Fixit, and Grimlock finally joined the group. 

When the screen onlined, the view was from above- and it was an absolute mess of a battlefield.  Optimus and Ratchet stood alone, optics wide in shock as hordes of terrorcons crawled from the depths of the earth. Optimus obviously said something to his smaller companion as his blasters charged, and the look the medic gave left no question of the delivery of a flippant refusal. The group was mildly sad that the yowling of the undead drowned out the commentary of the bonded mech. Russell's eyes widened as the familiar medic unsheathed sharp looking blades, before diving headfirst into the throng. Optimus was quick to follow, shooting through the decaying frames with a precision that had everyone leaning in to watch intently. A booming voice was clear above the camera, and the view zoomed out slightly to reveal Megatron. He was standing on a peak above, throwing taunts from a safe distance. 

The glare Optimus gave the other mech made half the group shrink away from the scene uncomfortably- until Sideswipe let out a 'whoop!' as the Prime's blasters were replaced with blades of his own. Everyone cheered in some form as Optimus surged forwards, tearing through the deceased mecha with a ferocity that had Denny's brows becoming one with his hairline. It was both comical and terrifying how the body parts flew into the air, the herd thinning until only Optimus and Ratchet remained. The video cut, and Russell spun his head to Bee. "Do you have anything where you're fighting?"

Bumblebee's face lit up with a blush, and he shook his helm. "I am not showing you those. I kinda like my team not being scared of me." Russell started up the pout machine once more, but Bee was the only one in perfect position to see the mischievous grin spread across a toothy maw. Rumbling laughter started at the same time Bee cried out "Don't you dare!"- Before the screen lit up once more with another video. Bee groaned, hiding his face in his hands with an embarrassed keen.

The walls were a dark purple, and the lighting was dim. From the angle, it seemed to be security footage. Footsteps echoed down the hall seconds before Vehicons charged down the hallway from off screen, barreling down the hall and towards the corner- only for the first con's helm to be shattered with blaster fire. The walls pulsed an angry purple, and suddenly a familiar yellow frame outright jumped onto the helm of another Vehicons. He died rather quickly from the blade sinking into his cranial case. Bumblebee groaned loudly, muttering 'not this one!' Russell's grin grew as the younger Bee landed on the ground, easily balancing the blade and the blaster to clear through the hallway with ease. He began to run once more, spinning back when a familiar grey mech lunged from the corner. The mech roared with anger, but the smaller scout just raised his middle finger and transformed, spinning out and bolting down the hall as the fusion cannon fired round after round after him. 

The screen cut to different halls several times, following the gorily acrobatic kills and subsequent chase from the view of the cameras strung above. It ended with one final scene, in some large storage looking room. A familiar red and white ambulance was frantically typing on the keyboard, and a positively tiny human-seeming to be younger than Russell- helped to type on a different keyboard. Bee barreled through the door, beeping desperately enough for Ratchet to look up- before his optics widened in fear and he quickly grabbed the human, safely tucking him into his chest. He returned to frantically typing, and Bee slowly stepped back as he fired multiple rounds at his pursuer. Megatron stepped out of the shadows with a dark laugh, charging his fusion cannon.

Bee glanced back, whirring angrily before springing at the massive mech- from this angle, the size difference between the two was painfully clear, and the members of the scrapyard were sent into horrified silence as Bee was gripped by the waist. Any damage his blade did seemed to have no effect, and he was flung across the room like a ragdoll. The crack that followed had almost everyone wincing, and Bumblebee just hid his face in his servos more. Maybe if he pressed hard enough he could actually disappear.

In the time it took Megatron to turn to the ambulance, Bee was back on his feet- using a box to springboard onto Megatron's shoulder and helm like a feral cat. The bridge flashed and Ratchet called out, turning and fleeing from the livid warlord. Bee planted his foot firmly against Megatron's face, pushing off and transforming to race to the closing bridge. A few shots later, the video cut off with Megatron's deep growl. 

Grimlock cackled a laugh, using a jokingly passive voice. "Ohhh, big scary Megatron. Lemmee use your face as a springboard." Bee groaned again, throwing a handful of dirt at the dino. "Shut uppp! It's not my fault it's like, the perfect size for my foot!" Grimlock laughed more, and Russell just slowly turned his head to face Bee. "Bro." Bee peeked between the fingers of his remaining hand, regarding the smaller. "You have got to teach me how to do stuff like that!" Drift started to deny him, shaking his head as the human grew more and more excited. "I do not believe a child should learn such-" "And then you flipped and pow! Then you turned and pew pew!" Bumblebee just started laughing with an embarrassed keen of his engine, reburying his face in his palms. He didn't even bother to look up as he answered.

"If it's okay with Denny, I might show you some little stuff. It's always good to have some amount of self-defense training." Russell jumped up with a 'whoop!' and Strongarm's processor seemed to catch up with her. "S-...Sir?" Bee looked up, finally removing his face from his hands- thankfully, the full faceplate flush had finally contained itself. "Wasn’t...that Megatron? The mech who tore your throat out?" Bumblebee nodded, flicking his wings. "Yeah, it was." Sideswipe burst out with the next part, but it was similar to Strongarm's thoughts anyway. "You kicked the mech who tore your throat out in the face?! Are you insane?!" Both Bee and Grim chuckled, sharing a glance. "Sideswipe, If you think that's insane, maybe you shouldn't hear stories of the crazier stuff I've done." 

Sideswipe and Strongarm's horrified faces were overshadowed by a deep chuckle behind them, and everyone's helm spun to see Optimus lingering near the far entrance to the scrapyard. “I must agree. Kicking Megatron in the face is one of the saner pastimes Bumblebee has taken up over the vorn." Instantaneously the mood shifted, and the ever-patient prime waited for the greetings to settle before joining the group. Bee wiggled his wings happily as the mech sat beside him, and the larger mech playfully bumped the fist Russell offered to the now largest mech in the circle. "I have apparently missed something amusing." Russell beamed at the larger, summing it up nicely.  "Bee showed us a video of you cutting through some zombies, then Grimmy embarrassed Bee with a video of him kicking Megatron in the face, and Bee said he's gonna teach me cool fighting moves!" 

Optimus raised a brow at Bee, but grinned very slightly at the 'innocent' grin the lieutenant beamed towards him. Optimus suppressed a chuckle as he said "No Zrills." Bumblebee immediately gasped, leaning back with a hand over his spark. "But those are the best weapons!" Grimlock burst out laughing, doubling over in laughter as Drift just pursed his lips with slightly widened eyes. Sideswipe, Jetstorm, and Slipstream all had a different idea, as the excitement that lit up their faces and the begging began. Bee just shook his head, and Russell jumped up, pulling on Bee's finger. "C'mon, show me! It'll be awesome!" 

Bee playfully contemplated and Optimus held out his hand for Denny, who helpfully scooted into the Prime's palm. Bee grinned as he set Russell on the ground, then transformed and backed away from the group to park at a safe 'no-tripping' distance. The entire group scooted back a bit to give the younger pair some working room, and the minicons grouped near Drift- in the perfect range to pester him with private questions on form and use. Bee popped his door to reveal his holoform once more, this time clad in a completely different outfit.

The decorative hairpiece was gone, as his hair was pulled up in a tight ponytail. Judging from the usual knowledge Russell had from girls at school, he could easily guess that Bee's hair would be slightly longer than shoulder length. The jacket was gone now, and Bee wore a simple black tee-shirt that read 'I <3 Chicago'. His pants were just regular black sweatpants, carelessly draped over black hiking boots- again maintaining the thick sole Russell was now just assuming Bee liked in his footwear.  For the most part his arms were bare, and most of the mecha were more than mildly disturbed by the amount of scarring littering the lean muscle. Black fingerless gloves covered his palms though, obviously made for fashion rather than actual stability or warmpth. Russell beamed at the other teen, and eagerly bounced his weight from foot to foot. "Where do we start?"

Bee chuckled, rolling his shoulders. "Well, let's start here. Try to hit me as hard as you can. Don't worry about hurting me, I guarantee I've been hit harder." Russell hesitated, but did his best to give a solid swing- Bee easily caught the blow, and nodded appreciatively. "Not bad!" Russell beamed, playfully punching the air like a boxer. "You hit me next! That’s how it works, right?" Bee gave him a mildly horrified look, chuckling. "Oh hell no. I'm here to teach, not give you a broken bone! Now, give me a good kick." The elder clapped his hands together, just in front of his chest to give Russell a target.

Russell thought for a second, before going for the kick he usually uses in football. The kick went lower than the center of Bee's chest, aiming more towards his mid-waist. Bee easily blocked it by shifting his weight backwards, and lifting his leg at an angle to allow his shin to take the impact. Russell grunted as the kick connected, hopping slightly and rolling his ankle to help alleviate the sting. Bee hummed, shaking his head softly.

"That one could use some work. It's a good kick for football, but not so good if you're trying to defend yourself." Russell frowned, and Bumblebee moved to stand beside Russell, giving the younger a better vantage point as Bee sorted some things out. "If you swing straight forward like you're kicking a ball, you're putting your foot at risk. You could break your bones up through here super easy." Bee pointed to the places just above and below his ankles, expertly balancing on one foot. "Usually if you swing at an angle- kind of like you're trying to curve a soccer ball into the net- you're far more likely to save yourself from an injury. That's because the Tibia is the biggest bone, and it's easier to distribute the force of impact. Next, always follow through with a kick. Don't ever try to stop the kick after connection. Like this." Bee stood beside Russell, balancing on one foot and showing the proper way to kick someone. 

"It's kind of the same with punches. But with fists, you actually want to aim a little straighter. Like this." Bee demonstrated a good throw. Russell tried his best to copy it, and Bee tapped the inside of his elbow. "Just a little bit straighter. You need to preserve some of the force with arms, because there’s only so much pain you can give with a single blow. Kicks have more force, but less speed. Punches are the opposite, focusing on quick hits rather than hard hits." Russell nodded, playfully trying to punch Bee in the chest. It was caught in a split second, and Bee held the smaller's hand as he leaned in with a mischievous grin." This being said, go for the throat if you want someone unconscious. Don't aim at the nose unless you just want to piss someone off. You also shouldn't really aim for the chest, because there's more mass to absorb the pain." Russell laughed as his hand was released, and Bumblebee danced back a step. 

"Gimme a good one and I'll show you what happens when you get it wrong!" Optimus suppressed a snicker as Russell threw a fairly decent punch- Only for Bee to quickly block it with his forearm and quickly smack the smaller upside the head. "Oww!" With a betrayed pout, Russell tried again- throwing another punch, only to pull it last second and put all of his weight into a kick. Bumblebee was quick to counter the change, shifting his own balance and catching the leg against his side and his elbow. His hand grasped Russell's calf, and the teen squeaked as his balance was forcibly knocked out of proportion- almost sending the teen to the ground. Russell tried to pull his leg free, but Bee smirked and gave it a solid yank. With his balance officially gone, Russell crashed to the ground with a yelp. Bee put his hands on his hips and smirked, leaning over the other slightly. "Like the taste of dirt, smartass?" 

Russell snickered, nodding. "Tastes like your salty attitude!" Bee lunged for the smaller's foot, but Russell was already pushing himself upwards. The brunette bounded forwards, squealing as the Blonde gave chase. Strongarm and Drift leaned to opposite sides to expand the escape route, and Denny cupped his hands together to yell 'Run Russell Run!' Sideswipe just burst out laughing as Grimlock bellowed 'Tear him up Bee!'. Optimus silently shook his helm, faintly hearing a sharp squeal somewhere towards the human's residence. Strongarm kicked off the conversation with a happy wing-waggle. "So, what brings you here sir?" 

Optimus grinned softly, giving his attention to the young cadet. "Nothing in particular, Strongarm. I was just checking in on everyone. Bumblebee has mentioned that some of you have had an interesting journey as of late. If memory serves, you may have some lasting questions." There were a few nods, but for the most part there was an underwhelming blank stare. Denny tapped his fingers against the semi's wrist to get his attention. "I've got one that's...well... not really my business. You don't have to answer if you don't want to." Optimus nodded quietly, waiting for the man to continue. "Did Bee's spark chamber ever heal up, or is he still working on that?" Optimus broke into a mildly saddened grin, but shook his helm in denial. "I'm afraid he is still healing. He still has his artificial chamber though, so there's no risk of him expiring on you."

Drift's dilated optics earned a soft pat on the knee from Strongarm, and a quiet ping to remind her to tell them later. Sideswipe took the next question, aiming to inject some humor into the situation. "Did you ever get fast enough to catch him?" Grimlock chuckled, giving Optimus a pointed look. The semi did chuckle then, once more shaking his helm. "Pit no. He's got his sire's transmission." Laughter bubbled up all around, and Strongarm chimed in through the laughter. "That reminds me, when are we going to get to see Ironhide? He did survive the war, right?" Optimus nodded, humming quietly. "If you would like, I could call him and Ratchet here now. Bumblebee could always use a physical... He's always ditching them. Is that alright with you Denny, or do you all have plans this evening?" Denny quickly denied the question, grinning. "unless Bee has a plan, I don't know of anything. No one tells Bee though! I wanna see him get surprised!" 

Fixit tilted his helm, but quickly piped in. "Wait...Is Ironhide Bumblebee's sire?" Optimus gave the mini a patient smile shaking his helm once more. "No. Ratchet is his sire, and I am his carrier. Ironhide is our third, but has helped us raise Bumblebee since his conception." Those who had traveled back in time got a good chuckle at the wide-eyed shock. It was fairly difficult to tell who was the most surprised...but from the way Slipstream hit the ground, they could make a plausible guess. Thankfully it didn't take too horribly long to reawaken the minicon, and Bumblebee gave the group a mildly confused look as he and Russell- both fairly dirty from the chase- finally returned. With a chuckle, Bee's holoform dissipated, and the sounds of transformation filled the air. 

Russell happily trotted over to Optimus as the Lieutenant reclaimed his spot, but glanced at his creator when slack-jaws were all that met him. "What? Something on my plating?" The yellow mechlet looked down at his chest, trying to find the apparent spot. Fixit once more broke the silence with a question. "Are...Were you going to tell us you're Optimus' creation?" Bee gave the minicon a surprised look, before a slight glance over to Optimus- who quirked a brow with a smirk. Bee gave him a flatly amused look, before shaking his helm. "That isn't really information I pass out willingly, no. I've told Grim, but that's only because we're-" His doorwings shot upright, and the embarrassment of their leader quickly sent the group into stifled snickers. Optimus just gave his creation a patient smile, finishing the sentence. "Because you are courting. Congratulations, by the way." 

Bee's 'thank you' sounded more like breaks failing, and Sideswipe doubled over in laughter. Bee's faceplate was bright blue at this point, and Optimus' shoulders shook with restrained laughter. "As Fixit asked- Were you going to tell us, or did you intend to try to keep it a secret?" The mechling slowly fluttered his wings, but the amused look was enough to garner that he as not in actual trouble. Grimlock rumbled a laugh, leaning in to instigate. "Yeah Bee~ Were ya gonna teeeellll~?" Bumblebee groaned and shoved the yellow faceplate away, and Optimus chuckled as the offending hand was caught and kissed. "I was going to tell you- after a Vorn or so. That way, if it didn't...work out, it wouldn't effect everyone so much." Optimus softly patted Bee's helm, shaking his helm. The snickers of the group guaranteed at least a week's worth of teasing. 

The sound of the spacebridge firing up sent Bee's wings into a tizzy, and the Lietunant quickly unsheathed his blaster and took up stance before the glowing portal. He gave a quick glance at his team- who weren't getting up?- before a red pede appeared with a stargate-esque shimmer. "Now youngin, I know yeh ain't aimin' that blaster at me.' Bee's wings froze solid, and Strongarm made sure to get good captures of the shock on Bumblebee's face- and how it shifted to sheer happiness as he rushed forwards to give the weapon specialist a hug.

Ironhide chuckled, patting Bee's back. "Hey there Kiddo. Been a lil' bit." 

Chapter Text

Ironhide effortlessly lifted Bumblebee off the ground, smirking as he approached the group with the dangling lieutenant in his arms. "Y'all lost yerselves a trigger-happy mechlet. Have 'em back." Bee was promptly dropped on his aft beside Grimlock, and the medic shook his helm quietly as he sat beside Optimus. Ironhide lingered a bit to mess with Bumblebee- in self-defense, of course. If Bee didn't want his pedes grabbed, he shouldn't try to kick mecha!

Denny didn't bother holding back his laughter when Bee was yanked onto his back, expecting Ironhide to stop. When bee's frame slowly began sliding backward though, Grimlock playfully batted the cracked servos off Bee's pedes with a snicker of his own. Ironhide let him go with a devious grin, and Sideswipe beamed at the newest members. "So, you're Ironhide, huh?" The older mech flashed a grin and flopped on Ratchet's unoccupied side. Everyone outside the small family became concerned when Ironhide's knees and hips creaked ominously as he settled. Bumblebee readjusted his position, sitting cross-legged beside Grimlock and giving Ironhide some serious side-eye. "What's wrong old mech, need a hip replacement?"

Ironhide whipped his helm around to snarl at the younger mech. "Mechlet I swear, I'll-" "Yeah, he fraggin' does. Won't let me touch him though." Ratchet cut him off, leveling Ironhide with his own glare. Ironhide moved to bump his forehelm against Ratchet's, holding the glare perfectly. "If you start that slag again Ratch-."

"Oh, nag nag nag. I'll get ya when your hip gives out and I have to drag your sorry aft-"

"I will not just give out, I ain't that close to the smelter and you know it!" 

"Oh, I beg to differ-" 

At this point, Optimus shook his helm and chuckled. "You two argue like old mech." Ratchet and Ironhide both whipped their helms to Optimus, bitching back in unison. "Shut it, youngin'!" As amused glances were traded, almost everyone broke out into laughter. Strongarm prided herself on remaining as presentable as she could, and Drift just sat patiently with a small grin as the laughter began to simmer down.

It was Ratchet that pulled the conversation back to point once the snickering had calmed. "Alright then Bumblebee. What's the big plan for today?" Bee wiggled his wings, humming with a shrug. "Nothing too big. I just wanted to do some questions since everyone's together for once." The quiet easily settled over the scrapyard as everyone gave the youngest bot their attention, and Bee continued with a happy wing-flutter.

"Ok. As everyone knows, I recently had to go deal with the lovely human government." The sudden look of surprise from Optimus quickly got Bee's attention. "Well...almost everyone. They've noticed bridge activity, and were getting very close to finding our base. Thankfully, they sent Will and his new crew to interrogate us." Ironhide bore a toothy grin at the mention of the old friend, and Bumblebee shook his helm. "Well, while they were here, they took some videos and pictures on their personal phones and all that. However, the government decided that they would go through the footage anyway, and pretty much every human we've ever been in contact with is in hot water. I recently went to...clarify some things." 

Ratchet burst out laughing, and Ironhide was quick to follow. Optimus just gave Bumblebee a disappointed look. "What have I told you about threatening humans." The young lieutenant effortlessly returned the look. "What have I told you about hostile humans." The look continued until Optimus cracked with an amused chuckle. "I'll chew. Why were they hostile?" Bee grinned widely, patting Optimus' cheek. "It's supposed to be 'I'll bite' Pupu, not 'I'll chew'. But anyway, the main guy got all pissy cause I crashed the party. I didn't hurt anyone. Just...scared them a bit. Deleted some files." Bee's wings waggled playfully, and Optimus just heaved a burdened sigh. 

Fixit made a horrified noise, and Ironhide rolled his optics. "Didja step on one? That's the real question." Bee leaned to the left to give Ironhide a passively annoyed look. "I was in holoform, thank you." Ironhide leant over as well, returning the sassy look. "Didja though." Bee shook his helm, giving Ironhide an outright childish glare. Grimlock grinned, before puffing out his cheeks and plopping his helm on top of Bee's. Optimus slowly slid a servo between the participants of the staring contest with a suppressed grin. Ironhide and Bumblebee reached out in unison, both pushing Optimus' hand down and out of their line of sight. 

At this point, both were trying to hide back laughter, but still determined to win the staring contest. Sideswipe glanced between the two before redirecting his stare to an unfazed Optimus. The semi sighed heavily, rolling his optic before quietly muttering what suspiciously sounded like 'pancake.' Both Ironhide and Bumblebee instantly burst into laughter, and Ratchet sighed heavily while giving Optimus a glance. "You know we don't say that word, Optimus."

Grimlock purred in amusement, slyly sliding an arm underneath Bee's own and gently pulling him back against his chest. Bee easily adjusted his wings, far more relaxed than the Bee Team had ever seen their leader. "Anyway. As I was saying. I gave the smartass a good scare after he tried to play big boy, and eventually, we had a rather adult discussion about him keeping his yap shut. In exchange for omitting some info, he wants to give us all a local register. Cybertron won't pick it up, ‘cause it won't be formal. That being said, he still needs to meet all of us and get the works done so they know how many Cybertronians are on Earth." 

Optimus nodded, smiling softly when Bee's helm lulled back to grin at Grimlock. "Miko's excited to meet you, Grim. Spent like, ten minutes teasing me thanks to Will's videos." Grimlock rolled his optics, setting his helm atop Bee's once more. "I think I'll like her from what ya've told me." Strongarm cleared her throat in a failed attempt to both bite back her grin and redirect Bee's attention, but only succeeded in getting the Lieutenant to lull his helm towards her lazily. "So, when were you wanting to go to meet them?" 

Once more met with an act of laziness, Bee shrugged one shoulder. "Whenever it's best for you all. I'll just message Will when we figure out a day, and have him see if it's good." Drift glanced around, pursing his lips quietly as he watched Denny and Russell exchanged shrugs before adding into the conversation. "Why not today? As you said, we have nothing on our current agenda. We should prioritize it before another Decepticon fills our time."  Bee glanced around at all the approving nods, before thumping his helm against Grimlock's shoulder and shuttering his optics. 

Denny shifted for a second, looking up at Bumblebee. "Uh...do I need to text him?" "Nah. He has my comm from way back when, so I just pinged his phone from that. We should have an answer pretty quickly, cause the only one that ever responded faster than Will was Sam." Confused looks passed all around, but the comment wasn't elaborated on as they silently waited for Will's response. Optimus posed the first question, startling Fixit slightly with the suddenness. "Have you all been fairly busy, or has it been rather slow as of late?"

Sideswipe shook his helm, instantly chiming back a response. "Been slow. Ever since we got those triplets at the bank, I think they've been regrouping. I, Personally, am enjoying the mini-vaycay." Optimus hummed knowingly, and Russell grinned at the semi. "What about you three? Haven't had a chance to talk to you since your big comeback!" This was met with a snort from Ironhide, and Ratchet slammed an elbow into Ironhide's side with lightning fast precision. "He's been fine. Mostly dealing with the Senate and all their slag." The groan from both Optimus and Bumblebee earned another round of snickers, and the semi reflexively adjusted the humans in his servos.

"They have been a true pain lately. They are reluctant to return the matrix due to the risk of another quick passing, but they are also aware that I know of your whereabouts, Bee. They are growing very nervous with your increased absence, and become less agreeable with each passing cycle." Grimlock tightened his arm around Bumblebee's waist as the yellow mech huffed. "Yeah, I bet they are. Nosy fraggers need to stop worrying about what I'm up to and worry about getting Cybertron put back together." Optimus met the disgruntled muttering with a parental stare, shaking his helm. "You know as well as I that they do not view your solace as a priority." 

Bee hummed in annoyed agreement, sagging further against Grimlock. His wings perked slightly as his attention was drawn inward, but it only took seconds to respond to the message he had received. "Will's heading to talk to big bad boss now.” Pushing himself upright, Bee noticed the slightly confused look on the faceplates of Drift, Fixit, and the two minis flanking the security mech. Bee's wings fluttered as Grim patted his back gently, and Bee re-crossed his legs to lean his elbows comfortably on his knees- giving him somewhere to rest his chin. "Those faces remind me...You are all really out of the loop now compared to Denny, Russell, Strong, and Sides. Let's fix that. What all do you know about me?" 

Glances were exchanged between the mecha that remained at the scrapyard during the time-travel fiasco, and Slipstream quietly kicked off the interview. "Well, we know you were a soldier in the war, and that you became an enforcer because of that." Jetstorm interjected next, seamlessly transitioning into his own sentences. "We also know that we are older than you! And that Optimus is your carrier!" Fixit shifted anxiously, fidgeting with his servos. "From what I've gathered from your emailing, you have some form of political sway- my guess is it is bike-pike-psych-" Sideswipe whapped Fixit on the back as Ratchet got the 'Medic Look™'. "Like! ...uh...Likely due to your creator’s positions." 

Drift was painfully blunt, but his expression showed no anger towards the lack of information. "To speak truthfully, I believe that is all we really know about you, Bumblebee. You have proven to have many secrets, and the assumptions we have allowed are failing quickly." Bee gave him a saddened grin, nodding in agreement. "It was kind of necessary. But, because of all the slag that's happened lately, everyone else that's here knows. I do still have some things I need to keep in my hand though, so I'm going to reserve my right to not answer some questions. That being said, do you want it straight, or do you want it sugarcoated and dressed to impress?"

With a low chuckle, Drift before any of the others could. "Straight, if you would. I have honestly had enough manipulations and surprises in the last few weeks to last me a lifetime." Grimlock snorted his amusement and thumped his palm against Bumblebee's back-nearly knocking him over in the process. "Well, you ain't gonna have fun then." Bee just exvented with an amused grin, shaking his helm. "I think the best course of action is to just let you all ask questions and I can explain each from there." 

With everyone settled in, Drift started once more. "What was your actual role in the military? From what I've read and heard through word, you've ranged from frontliner to bomb squad...but the rumors are not the most reliable of sources." Bee laughed at that, nodding with a knowing smile. "Ain't that the truth. My role in the war was on-call Xops." The amused looks slid off faces all around the group, and Bee ignored it to press on. "I personally made the choice to get involved after Shockwave kidnapped me and nearly killed me-That is also the reason I do not have a natural spark chamber." Ratchet cut him off there, due to Fixit's Increasingly dilated optics. "His natural crystal is re-growing though, and it's unlikely that Bumblebee will suffer any long-term damage to his spark at this particular point." 

Slipstream hummed a horrified note, but nodded. "You really have come close to death several times, haven't you?" Bee simply nodded. "If you'd like all the gory details, we can go over those at a later date. That topic still... takes a little bit of mental preparing." With that conversation dropped like a rock, silence reigned for a moment as the others digested the information they had been given. Fixit blurted out the nest starter, but it wasn't really a question. "You answer a lot of emails..." Bumblebee fluffed his plating as he sighed heavily. "You're tellin' me. It's part of getting what I want done." 

Jetstorm's hand shot up, and he waited with puffed plating for several seconds. Drift gently tapped his back with his servo. "You do not need to raise your hand in this particular setting, Jetstorm. Ask your question." Jetstorm nodded to his master, whipping his helm back around to face Bumblebee. "On that topic! I've never seen anyone able to get anything done through emails alone. Is your ability to resolve...uh...conflicts through email due to the rank of those that helped raise you, or from your own political rank?"

From the way Bumblebee sighed, everyone knew this was the question he had been dreading. With a sympathetic look from Optimus, Bumblebee shifted into a more comfortable position. "It is due to both. Mech like Jazz- who was actually my Xops commander, and Third in Command of the Autobot Forces-, and Prowl, the Second in Command and our leading Tactician, make it substantially easier to get what I want accomplished by themselves. If they aren't enough, I can also pull Red Alert, Ironhide, Ratchet, Optimus, Kup, First Aid- pretty much anyone I want to help put pressure on someone or give me info until I can get what I need to get. But, if push comes to shove, my own rank is more than enough. I really don't like throwing it though, cause it usually gives me more attention that I would really like to have." 

Russell whipped out his notepad, scribbling some of the unfamiliar names down quickly as Slipstream gave a confused look. Bee grinned, but continued on nonetheless. "Since I know it's coming, Yes. I hold a very, very high rank. Thanks again, Pupu." The half-annoyed glance was met with a rather amused semi, sitting with his best Primely grace. "With common knowledge, I'm just a lieutenant. I would appreciate it if you tried to keep any other titles as close to your sparks as possible. With actual Military experience, I'm 1.5 in the official ranking. Optimus is obviously the one higher than me. Formally speaking, I'm...uh..." 

Grimlock supportively rubbed between Bumblebee's doorwings, which fluttered with the nervous energy bundling up within him. " Formally speaking, I rank higher than Optimus. If he never got the matrix back after he kinda...repoofed into existence, legally speaking that means the Primal Designate holds a higher position than a matrixless prime." 

Denny was fairly certain he heard the moment when processors screeched to a halt, and did his best not to snicker.  

Drift's jaw clenched in shock, but Ratchet's attention was drawn to the strangely still minibot parked before him. It only took about ten seconds to confirm that Fixit had stalled. With a heavy sigh, Ratchet pushed himself to his knees to slowly creep towards the mini- only to roughly yank him into his lap and bury his servos into the back of the smaller's helm. 

Slipstream looked between his shell-shocked master and the other astounded mini as his brows slowly furrowed. "How...how is that possible? It is required that all attempts to verify primehood must be witnessed and reported. I've never heard of your account." Bumblebee just smiled. "That's because I never needed it. As Jetstorm mentioned earlier, Optimus isn't my sire. He's my carrier. I spent an entire vorn snuggled up to the matrix, and even longer pressed against Optimus' chest plates as a sparkling. If that wasn't enough proof of the matrixes approval- I'm also able to handle artifacts without any negative effects, and a few other things I prefer to keep to myself at this particular moment. The technical classification I hold is the same as Optimus- A matrixless prime. But formally, I haven't had my verification ceremony yet, so I'm not legally a prime." 

Drift clenched and unclenched his fists, his optics locked onto the rather calm Grimlock. "Were you aware of this...information, Grimlock?" The Dinobot perked up, but smiled brightly. "Yup! Bee and I had a big sit down real soon after I actually asked for courtship. That talk took a while..." Grimlock visibly pouted, and Bumblebee affectionately bumped his helm against Grim's shoulder. "You signed yourself up for it. It's probably not the last time we'll have to have a big talk in our lives."  

When Grimlock groaned loudly, Ironhide burst out laughing. Ratchet patted Fixit's back soothingly as he brought the minibot back online, and Russell added in with the next question. "Okay. I've got a question, and I'm sorry in advance if it's rude or something." Attention shifted to the mildly nervous human, but he pressed on nonetheless. "I know you guys are all chill...but won't the fact you're dating an Ex-Con cause some problems back on Cybertron? I'm assuming everyone's not all that accepting..."

The knowing press of Bee's lips quickly dissolved the group into horrified laughter, and Grim gently pulled Bumblebee closer by the waist. The quiet grin he received in return was all that really mattered, and Bumblebee quietly threaded his digits between Grimlock's own as he rested his full weight against the other. "Yeah, I can only guess what the grand reaction to us will be...Either way, we have a very long time to figure out if we're a good fit before I take the Matrix- and even longer before I mature fully. If we're not right for each other, it won't matter that much. If we are, mecha will understand eventually." Grimlock purred his agreement, gently stroking a thumb over Bee's stomach. "Yeh. There's no rush onnit." Bee purred quietly, letting his optics offline while he waited for the information to sink in enough for another question to be formed.

Ironhide rested his chin on his palm, leering at Bumblebee for several seconds before breaking the silence. "So, ya asked 'em bout the thing yet." Bumblebee didn't even open his eyes before delivering his clapback. "Keep your nose out of it Ironhide, or I'll ping Kup." Ratchet burst out into laughter while he threw in his own snide agreement, and a confused Fixit glanced around. Ironhide's grin slipped off his face, and he gave Bumblebee a flat look. "Don't even bitlet, or I'll give ya a noogie that ya-." Russell jumped the conversation mid-threat. "Who's Cup?" 

Optimus was the one to answer this time, with a patient tone that settled the energy of the scrapyard in an instant. "It's pronounced Kup, Russell, with a K. But Kup is Ironhide's Sire- Bumblebee's step-grandsire. He's quite the entertaining mech, and has many stories due to his long life. I'm certain he would be overjoyed to...'visit' his creation. However, I do recommend we save that for a much less eventful day... and one where we are not about to go to a building. Kup is a very heavy smoker."

Denny laughed, clapping his hands. "I'm always down to talk to another dad. And baby-Ironhide stories seem fun!" The weapon specialist slowly swung his helm towards the grinning human, but Ratchet cut off any comment before it was started. "Don't even give him that look 'hide." Ironhide swung the look to Ratchet, quirking the corner of his lip into a smirk. "Aiite party ambulance." Ratchet leant forwards and braced his elbows on his knees. "Yeah. I also know where you sleep." Optimus cast both his bonded a pitiful look. "Please don't, I sleep there too." 

Sideswipe lost all composure at that one- as did everyone but the three bonded. Bee buried his face into a trembling Grimlock, Drift's students hid their faces in their servos, Strongarm snapped her battle mask shut to muffle her giggles, and both Denny and Russell curled into Optimus' arms to sob with laughter. Fixit just remained confused, looking around until Ratchet began to fill him in over comms. 

Russell squeezed Optimus' thumb tightly, hugging it close. "Just lock them out of the room!" Ratchet turned to give Russell a betrayed look, huffing his vents. "Oh, betrayal! I see how it is."  The tiny human stuck out his tongue, and Ratchet playfully tried to pinch the miniscule organ. Optimus gently hid Russell behind his servo with an amused huff. "Now children." 

Drift shook his helm, pulling the conversation back to a point. "Alright, so you were Xops, you're a Prime, and you're far younger than you pretend to be. I would like to revisit something miniscule that was glossed over a few moments ago... Who is 'Sam'?" Bee nodded in understanding, but his optics took a saddened gleam. "Sam was a human that I used to roll with. He was actually my first human driver. We...didn't part on good terms. Being an ally of the Autobots was too much stress for him." Denny's brows shot to his hairline, and Russel's jaw dropped.  

Russell's jaw snapped closed quickly, and he gave Bee a long look. "Is that why you don't really like people in your cab?" Bee's faceplate flushed a dark blue. "I... was really hoping you hadn't noticed that...Y-yeah, it's part of it. It's just an odd feeling that brings back memories, combined with the fact no one's really been my driver since Raf- and even then, he was partial to Ratch too, so I wasn't always his main." Nods went around the group, and Grim affectionately bumped Bee's helm.  "I'm sorry if it's upset you two." 

Denny immediately waved it off, shaking his head. "You're fine Bumblebee. We just figured it was an uncomfortable feeling for you, and you never let us get hurt due to it. Your preference isn't something to be sorry for- Especially if it's for a reason like that." Denny was too busy looking at Bee's soft grin to see Optimus' approving smile looming over him before the semi added in. "Your thought process wasn't incorrect. Some mecha- including myself- don't particularly enjoy the feeling of another in their cab. It is usually very stressful for the bot, because there is always a concern of accidently harming you. This is more common with larger mecha, as we have more kibble to worry about than a sleeker model." The two nodded, and Sideswipe shrugged. 

"It worked out then, cause I actually like having you guys in my cab. You're all lively and warm. and you usually go to me or Strongarm anyway. Out of curiosity though, is there anyone you enjoy having in your cab Boss Bot?" Bee grinned, and nodded. "Raf, Will, Mickey, and Cade. Haven't seen Cade in forever though, and he's usually partial to Optimus. Even though it's not returned, I still enjoy the idea of driving Sam." Russell scribbled down more names, and this time Bee called it out. "Whatcha writing Russell?"

"Names of people I don't know. So far, I have Micky, Cade, and Raf."

Ironhide clarified for him. "Micky is Mikaela, Sam's ex-girlfriend. She ran wit' our crew when she was with Sam, and became an understudy of Ratch's. She still works with Earth-based bot's as a tide-over medic. Cade is a dude that got mixed up with us after Sam left, and he repaired Optimus by accident when he was knocked offline due to damage. Thought he was just an old beat up semi. After that whole fiasco, he just decided to stick around. He helps with 'munitions, so we never really get ta see 'em. Raf is Rafael Esquivel, and he-" Denny cut in with wide eyes. "You guys know Rafael Esquivel?!?! Like, the mathematics genius that works for Homeland-freakin-Security?!" Bumblebee grinned.

"That's my boi. He's a sassy lil' shit, you'll like him Russell. He was about your age when he went rounds with us...maybe a bit younger. He was gifted back then, too." Denny was still trying to recover when Bee got Will's response. "Lennox says we can come over whenever, they're pretty much ready. Apparently, they have an unused aircraft hangar that's large enough to deal with all of us." Various approvals went around the group, and Bee laid his helm on Grim's shoulder. "Any more questions?" 

Jetstorm's hand shot up once more, but he wavered before lowering it. "I have one. What is the general schedule for you getting the matrix? Are you to wait until your adult frame?" Bee gave him a soft grin. "That would be best, but it certainly won't be reality. Cybertron needs a prime. If I can, I'm hoping to push it back until I'm at least 25,000. That would mean I could take a full rule around 50,000, and my final upgrade will happen sometime between 80,000 and 100,000 vorns old. After that, If I haven't bonded to my Lord Protectorate yet, I will be looking at settling and possibly a family. I know that's young for a bot, but I'm honestly just ready to have all this fighting over. The mundane looks strangely appealing." Grimlock purred quietly, nuzzling Bee's helm. 

Russell lulled his head back over Optimus's wrist, lounging comfortably. "What's a Lord Protectorate?" Ironhide took that question with a puff of pride. "The Lord Protectorate is the defender of a Prime. It's their personal bodyguard, trusted advisor, and 'f they're worth a shit, their closest friend. It's rare for a Prime and his Protectorate not to bond, because if they aren't extremely close or extremely professional, it won't work. I've been protectorate for two primes- Nova Prime and Optimus. Nova was kind of a dick, so we didn't click enough to bond, but I was assigned to Optimus after his passing. 'bviously we worked out a lot better." The soft smile that Ironhide cast Optimus didn't go unnoticed, but no one commented on it. "Lord Protectorates can also lead the military under a Prime, and are tasked with training the next Protectorate if possible- this role is hit-and-miss, because bonded mecha usually die together. If the Protectorate passes with the Prime, they are taught by a committee chosen by the Prime before their passing." 

Everyone but Grimlock caught the pointed look that Ironhide was giving the green mech- who was far too busy snuggling Bumblebee to notice he was being stared at. "That bein' said, Lord Protectorate is a very important title, and is the formal second. If the Prime and Protectorate are bonded, their word is taken as the Prime's in emergencies." Russell nodded, and Denny let a slow grin bloom across his face. "So, it's a BIG thing for a mech to be asked to be Lord Protectorate." There were nods all around, and Optimus took the conversation to defend his sparkling from the pointed sire. 

"A Prime's Lord Protectorate is a very influential position- therefore, it requires much contemplation before it is even considered to be offered. As an example, look at what happened with mine. I chose to title Ironhide and wound up sparking a four million vorn war." Bumblebee gently patted Optimus' upper arm, before a teasing tone struck his voice. "We all make mistakes Pupu." Optimus turned to give Bumblebee a passive stare, snarking him right back. "If I would have chosen Megatron, you wouldn't be here youngling."  

All optics widened, but the small family ignored it in favor of snickering. Grimlock huffed a laugh, before dissolving into chuckles. "You...you fought a four million vorn against an angry ex. That's how you have a breakup feud!" Bumblebee burst out laughing, and Optimus' face flushed. "I suppose... Either way, It still saddens me to see what my old friend has become." Bee looked around the group, but it seemed as if the questions had finally run dry. "Looks like we're done here then. If you guys think of any more questions, feel free to ask me when it's appropriate. If you want, we can also make a small portion of the daily talks for questions as well." 

With the dismissal, Sideswipe jumped up to stretch leisurely. "So, are we heading to mess with some uptight humans?" Bee nodded, and Grimlock got a mischievous grin. "Yeh Bee, let's play with the squishies!" Bee immediately groaned, shoving back against Grimlock as he stood. "Not squishies! Bad con!" Grimlock burst out laughing, yanking Bumblebee to his feet and into a tight hug. Optimus carefully set Russell and Denny on the ground, giving his most patient grin as he stood. 

Everyone else followed suit, stretching and letting muscles and tension wires relax. Fixit poked Ratchet's leg, gazing up with a confused look. "What did you do to my helm? It doesn't feel fuzzy." Ratchet gave him a small grin. "Fixed a few weakly grounded wires you had back there. Your visual feed should stop fritzing, and you shouldn't glitch as much. If it's still a hindrance, comm me. It's probably something that needs replaced." Fixit nodded, and quickly hugged the other's leg in thanks before speeding off to man the groundbridge controls. 

 Optimus gave his bonded a soft smile before quietly stepping away to monitor Ironhide and Sideswipe's discussion. Fixit had the coordinates up in minutes, and he turned to Bee. "You all are set! Just let me know when you're ready to get back, I'll keep the coordinates on the sidebar." Bumblebee gave him a confused stare for a solid ten seconds before realization struck. "Ohh...That's not necessary Fixit. You're coming with us. They want to meet everyone." 

The minibot immediately lit up, squealing out 'Really!?' and damn near upturning himself when his tires spun in excitement. Bee's fast reflexes saved him, and the lieutenant set the minibot back on his tires. "Of course. You rarely get to leave the scrapyard, of course I'm gonna let you go on a non-combat house call!" Slipstream and Jetstorm transformed and resituated onto Drift's arms, and the group all gathered as Sideswipe quietly finished his conversation with Ironhide.

"-Gave us permission to share their names after they saved us, since we didn't have names of our own. Thought the reputation would give us that nanokilk of doubt to protect ourselves. But it's still really cool you knew the original Sunny and Sides!"  Ironhide chuckled, nodding. "They were good kids. I could see how they'd enjoy you two having their names. Deep down, they were saps and they knew it. Primus knows they're raising the smelter's temperature with their antics." Sideswipe laughed, nodding his agreement. "It is a shame they're dead though... I know Sunny wouldda loved talking to Sunstreaker after so long. Last I checked, he was starting to get inspired by his art."  Ironhide hummed a note, patting the speedster's back. "If my sunshine's watchin’ over him at all, he'll be a great artist." 

Bee smiled at the look of humbled shock on Sideswipe's faceplate, and quickly clapped to pull the half-afted attention off the approaching pair before the moment was ruined. "Alright everyone. Basic rules are: One-Don't threaten the humans unless they really deserve it... or if it's Miko. She's a wrecker, and I guarantee she'll give you a throw down.  Two- Try to keep what you've learned on the down-low. I would still prefer people with direct access to the senate to know as little as possible about me. And three-" Bee turned to give Grimlock a long, mildly sad look. "-No excessive PDA. They know we're courting because of the videos, but I would still like to keep all the little signs they could pass along to Cybertron as 'harmless' as possible. If push comes to shove, tell people I wouldn't accept a lower relationship due to Ops paranoia."

Grimlock's pout probably cooled Earth by at least three degrees. Bee gave him a soft smile, and quickly bumped their helms together. "When we get back, we'll go to the meadow and spar. Sound good?" Grimlock grinned widely, yanking Bee into a crushing hug. The group laughed, watching in amusement as Bee's back got a good alignment.

Chapter Text

Will happily thumped the toe of his boot against the floor of the walkway, biting his lip in a half-assed attempt to hold back his grin. Chad was beside him, running a hand through his hair and muttering 'Eleven bots...' to himself over and over with various tones of despair. Miko was on his other side, looking like she was about to jump the railing in excitement. Raf was beside her- far calmer on the outside, but equally as excited. Sam and his parents were towards the back with Mikaela, and the rest of Will's team lingered by the railing. 

Miko rubbed her hands together as the light of the bridge flashed, and Optimus slid through first. Will cheered as he was acknowledged with a grin.  The mecha filtered in and Miko outright screeched when Bumblebee walked through- followed by her immediately vaulting the railing. Bumblebee and Strongarm both scrambled to catch her, and Bee huffed as he cradled the squealing woman in his servos. "For Primus' sake Miko! You're gonna get yourself killed!" 

Sam couldn't help but smile at the nervous flutter of the yellow doorwings, and everyone's eyes widened when a massive green mech stepped through just before the portal closed. The tiny orange mech wheeled back and forth as the green one set two humans onto the ground, and Chad straightened up. When the green one broke into a wide grin, Miko demanded to be passed. 

Bumblebee just rolled his optics as he set the human into the clawed servos. Grimlock immediately leant forward to initiate a toothy staring contest. Bee straightened up, before turning and giving Chad a half smile. "Well, you asked for it. Here's the crew." From the look on Chad's face, he was not amused.  Bumblebee started with Optimus, going around the room. "This is Optimus, Ironhide-" Will whooped obnoxiously, earning a look from Bumblebee."- Ratchet, Drift, Sideswipe, Grimlock, and Strongarm. The orange mini here is Fixit, and this is Denny Clay, and his son Russell Clay."  Each bot nodded politely as they were introduced- except Sideswipe, who naturally gave a pearly smile- and Bee was pleased with the lack of interruptions. 

Denny and Russell watched as humans began to trickle down the stairs, and Raf grinned widely as he made a beeline to Bumblebee. The lieutenant was quick to notice his approach, reaching down to the young man could step into his palm- only to be set on Bee's shoulder as the Urbana shifted his weight to one pede, crossing his arms. Will held his arms open as he approached Ironhide, who playfully nudged him away with his pede- only for Will to grab on, laughing as he was hoisted into the air. He was quickly gathered, and the colonel relaxed in Ironhide's servos as the two began catching up. Sam remained lingering towards the back of the room with his parents, but Mikaela shook her head in disapproval after a hushed exchange. She happily left the small group, stepping forwards and greeting Ratchet- who quickly scooped her up before she got underfoot.

Chad turned his head to Drift, looking at him with confusion. "I thought there were two more minibots?"  Drift nodded, answering with his usual efficiency. "They are asleep at the moment, and will detach from my Alt mode when they are sufficiently rested." Chad muttered 'Ah...I see.' very quietly, releasing a breath as a prolonged stream from his cheek.

A snort of loud laughter brought attention back to Grimlock- who was trying not to crush a quickly climbing Miko, who currently had her hands and feet in various transformation seams as she made her own way up to Grim's shoulder. Sideswipe shrugged, lifting Russell up as Denny came face-to-face with Chad for the first time. "You are aware I could arrest you for reason?"

Denny shrugged, starring Chad right in the eyes. "You won't."  The narrowed eyes could have melted steel, but Denny remained cool. "Not only was I unaware of this rule until recently, I've got a strange feeling I'd be broken out pretty quickly anyway." Chad's eyes flickered up to Bumblebee- who was pointedly not smiling- before sighing heavily. 

 "That's probably true. Would you mind answering a few questions?" Denny nodded, and a small grin overtook his face. Chad just pulled out a small book, and went down the list. "How did you become involved with the Autobots?"

"The long story short is the Alchemor crashed near my scrapyard. Bee and his gang tried to avoid me, but saved me when a con started destroying my scrapyard. After that, I decided to stick with the bots that didn't try to kill me."  Denny just shrugged, but Raf laughed from his place on Bumblebee's shoulder. 

Chad ignored him and continued. "What do you contribute to this 'team' that has assembled?" Denny hummed, but answered truthfully. "I usually do diversions for crowded places. Get all the other humans out, and make sure the bots can do what they need to do. Other than that, I do my job- I sell scrap and antiques."

Chad nodded, scratching out several questions. "Do you ever engage in combat with Decepticons?" Denny answered without hesitation. "Nope. Bee keeps me and Russell out of it. It's not our fight."

Chad stared at the other man for a long moment, but nodded and wrote it down. "You say 'Bee' keeps you out of trouble- I take it as your confirmation that Bumblebee is the one in charge of this operation, not Optimus Prime?" Denny shook his head, looking the younger man up and down. "Bee has always been in charge. At least of our team. Optimus, Ratchet, and Ironhide are just visiting." They both became distracted when Miko squealed, and both looked up just in time to see Grimlock toss her into the air- only to transform and catch her on the massive snoot of his alt mode. 

The humans were eerily quiet- except for an excited Miko- but the bots just grinned and laughed. Grimlock's tail flicked behind him, thumping happily as the young woman tried her best to fit her arms all the way around Grim's nose. Grimlock just lolled his tongue out to try to lick her. After several seconds of Tongue boxing, Bee rolled his optics and scooped the feisty woman off the green maw. 

Grimlock immediately pouted, shuffling closer to plop his helm on Bee's shoulder and whine. Bumblebee just held the stare, biting back a grin as Grimlock's tail slowly thumped faster and faster. Eventually Grim licked a stripe up Bee's cheek, prompting the yellow mech to step back and laugh as he tried to wipe off the sheen of drool. Raf and Miko reflexively tightened their grips so they didn't fall off as they burst out laughing.  Grimlock transformed back to his root mode, beaming a smile as he bumped his helm against the younger mech's helm. 

Sam's horrified face didn't go unnoticed, but no one commented- after all, there were several other faces to match. They managed to wipe the look off their faces by the time Bumblebee looked back towards them, that same small smile on his faceplates. "Anyway, would holoforms be easier here? Or are our bot forms preferable?" Chad thought for a second, but Bumblebee's wings twitched as he turned his helm to give Optimus a mischievous grin. Will immediately dropped a long 'whooooooo!' before he and Miko both started 'pu-pu, pu-pu!' in time with their spontaneous clapping. 

Optimus gave them both a betrayed look, but his eyes shimmered with amusement. Chad cleared his throat, drawing Bee's attention back to him. "Holoforms would be preferable. It's far better than looking up all day." Optimus sighed heavily as humans were placed back on the floor, and Ratchet snickered as they gave the mecha room to transform. Said transformations happened all around them, and slowly holoforms began to emerge. Russell was mildly upset that almost everyone looked the same. 

The only noteworthy change was that Grimlock had adopted a pair of tan Timberland boots that were barely concealed by his jeans. Grimlock beamed a happy smile, but Sam's eyes were already wide as the muscular man effortlessly hefted Russell up onto his shoulder. The teen laughed, immediately trying to escape the other's embrace. The others filtered out around them, alts backed against the wall for safety's sake as everyone gathered in the middle of the room. Miko whistled when a pair of heels clicked against the floor, and Sideswipe did a double take when Bumblebee debuted his latest outfit. 

His hair was down for the first time, fluffing slightly with the volume of the natural curls that were currently released from their elastic prison. His makeup was rather alluring as well, with shimmering gold eyeshadow and pointed cat-eye pairing well with a deep burgundy lipstick. The baggy blue drop-shoulder sweater hung off his left shoulder, and sharp stiletto nails curled around his elbows. The sweater hid his waistline effortlessly, but the classy black slacks dropped past his ankle to partly obscure the black shank on the blue bottom heels.

Strongarm visibly gawked at their team leader, but the overall bombshell was overshadowed slightly by the introduction of his creator's holoforms. Ratchet forced himself from his cabin with only a small grunt. Sturdy black dress shoes hit the ground first, followed by simple white cargo pants. Ratchet closed the door to reveal an older man, probably in his late fifties. His blood red shirt offset the simple white tie that almost matched the fading curls. The color was obviously a bright natural red at one point, but over time the color had begun to become sprinkled with a snow white. Tired hazel eyes flickered around the room with a soft smile when a humanized Ironhide happily hefted Will into the air. 

Ironhide was obviously younger than Ratchet by a decade or so. The man was aging, but was probably just into his golden years. Short brown hair was buzzed to about a quarter of an inch, but gunmetal grey eyes zapped with life as he effortlessly flung the flailing colonel around in a circle. Will burst out laughing, kicking at the other as best he could and causing an absolute scene until he was placed back on his feet. Bee giggled quietly at the two, and Russell happened to be the first to glance back. 

Ratchet and Optimus were quietly standing beside Bumblebee, and Russell found it mildly amazing how similar they looked when standing side by side. Bee obviously got his curls from Ratchet, but the lean frame was inherited from the former Prime. Optimus towered over Bee- even with his heels. Optimus' hands clasped neatly before him to complete the regal grace he seemed to hold at all times. He wore a simple blue tee-shirt with a red button-down, a pair of jeans, and a pair of blue sneakers.  His hair was jet black, pulled up several times to form a mock-ponytail that was held together with a butterfly clasp- with a familiar pair of prisms inlaid into the handles. 

Sideswipe whistled, looking Optimus up and down before looking to Bumblebee. "Well...I could see the resemblance." Bee shot him a look, but Optimus just smiled politely with a nod. Ratchet snorted, bumping Bee with his hip. "Yeah, he's a momma's boy all right. All he got from me was his teeth and his hair." A playful servo swiped at the golden locks, and Bumblebee quickly fled to Optimus' other side with a pout.  Ironhide just laughed, quickly releasing will in favor of kidnapping Bee for a noogie. "Don't forget - he got that nasty temper too!" 

Ratchet and Bumblebee both denied it with various insults, but eventually Bee just let himself drop to his knees to escape the knuckles. With a frown, the blonde quickly escaped to his alt mode to fix his hair and grumble. Optimus just continued to smile, watching the antics unfold until Denny's wide smile got his attention. The taller man tipped his head to the side, his hair swooping delicately behind him. "Is something wrong, Denny Clay?" 

Denny just shook his head, ruffling Russell's hair. "It's just good to see Bumblebee's still got a family to fall back on. I know war isn't usually so kind." Optimus nodded solemnly. "We are all very lucky to have both survived the war, and survived it together." With a quiet glance back, Ironhide slowly grinned. "Yeah. Even with all the close calls, there's still a chance for normal life later." Ratchet turned away to try to hide the embarrassed flush as he gently patted Optimus' back. 

Will hummed, but the seriousness was once broken when Raf slowly shuffled closer with a mischievous half-smile. Shifting from heel to toe, he crept closer and began happily bouncing his hips from side to side like an excited dog. He slowly raised his arms out, his grin becoming more and more pronounced until he slipped his arms around Optimus' middle. Optimus bit back a laugh as he gently slipped his arms around Raf's shoulders. The young man absolutely beamed with the acceptance of his hug, and the humanized mech just patted Raf's head. Bee quietly snuck behind the elder, reaching up to steal the clasp and quickly dart behind Ironhide. 

With the sudden shift in the weight on his head made Optimus quickly, reaching back to where his clip used to be. He frowned at the grinning blonde, but rolled his eyes when Raf happily floofed his hair out behind him. Strongarm's brows raised to her hairline as she tried her best not to get jealous of the waist-length locks. Bee happily pulled his own hair back up, twirling it tightly around two fingers before securing it with the clip. 

Ratchet snorted a laugh when Grimlock happily pulled Bumblebee close. Optimus waved it off, turning back to Chad. "Amusement aside, is there anything I can assist you with to hasten your work?" The official shook his head, gesturing to the Bee Team. "Mostly I just needed pictures of these mech and their alts, but the paint on Bumblebee doesn't match what's on record. The new pictures and information will be updated in our server, but casually 'forgotten' in later reports. If we get called out on it, I'm claiming pressure from Bumblebee." Optimus nodded, but his response was lost when Miko rather forcefully joined the hug. 

Bumblebee beamed a cheery smile, throwing a peace sign near his eye and sticking out his tongue. Ratchet immediately tried to pinch his tongue, and Bee hid his face behind Grimlock's arm. Will grinned as Sam and his parents finally joined them on the ground floor, and Judy smiled sweetly when she realized Optimus was in holoform. It was slow progress to reach the pinned man, but soon enough the elderly woman was giving hugs as well. Bee grinned and tugged Grimlock's arm, sliding from his grasp to join in the growing dogpile. Grimlock bounded over and nearly toppled them all by hugging him from behind. 

When Sideswipe and Lennox started to approach, Optimus huffed playfully. "Why am I a suddenly a Teddy Bear?” Sideswipe pressed in beside Raf, trying to suppress his snickers. "Shhhh OP. Just accept your fate." Optimus rolled his optics, casting a pitiful look to Ironhide- who quickly joined the hug pile, squishing Will against the cuddle victim. Sam shifted his weight, but remained back with his amused father. Bee noticed the movement, turning his helm to stare at the aging man for a long moment. From behind Optimus, no one noticed Grimlock's servo shift to gently stroke between Bee's shoulder blades.

Bumblebee took a big breath as his eyes flicked over to Chad- who was watching the pile with poorly-hidden disgust. "Anyway." Bee quietly slipped from the pile, straightening his sweater and hair. "Is there anywhere we're not allowed to go? I need to talk to Sam... Privately." Chad glanced between the two, opening his mouth immediately to question the blonde. With another glance back to the unnatural blue eyes, he sighed and rubbed his face with his left hand. "This is a surveillance camp. Just... don't leave the boundaries of the camp.” Bee nodded, and his holoform disappeared with a quick flicker. Sam hesitated slightly, but kept his mouth shut as he climbed into the passenger side of the Urbana. 

Sideswipe watched Bee pull out of the hangar, but wasted no time turning his head to Optimus. "So... They have history, and I'm assuming it's not very good." Optimus shook his head sadly, but it was Ron that answered the question. "He treated Bee like shit because he was a scared teen in a grown-up's world. I know Bee doesn't hold a grudge, but Sam still holds his own feet to the fire. It'll be good for them to talk." Judy nodded her agreement, patting Optimus on the arm before pulling back. "He didn't mean to hurt Buzzy Bee, but like Ron said- he was young. He was scared. He did what he felt was best for him, and he regrets it." Ironhide carefully squeezed the elderly woman's shoulder as he removed himself from the group. 

"It's good, we all understood why. Life smacked him across the face pretty hard, and pretty fast. None of the bots held a grudge for wanting something sane.” Sideswipe nodded, mentally crossing off several pranks from the 'payback' list. Strongarm just watched from her place beside Drift and Fixit, shaking her head as everyone but Miko slowly released the former prime. Miko just lifted her head to beam at the holoform, and squeezed tighter. "Imma leeeeeeeech and Imma be here forrreeeevveerrrrrr~!" Optimus just sighed with a patient smile. "Yes, Miko. Yes, you are." 

Chapter Text

Sam absently stroked over the soft leather of the door, watching the scenery roll by as he struggled with his words. Bumblebee was equally as quiet, his radio absently playing a random station at a level that was almost too quiet to hear. Sam took a deep breath, clenching and unclenching his hand on his pants. "Bee... I..." He fell silent in time with the radio as he sighed. "I'm sorry I left you like that Bee. I was being selfish, and I just couldn't cope with the meager responsibility-"

Bumblebee cut him off with a slight tightening of his seatbelt. "It's fine Sam. I was never upset with you over that. It may not have seemed it, but it was a lot of responsibility to ask of a teenager who didn't know of our existence two years prior. I just... What was the final straw? Was it Mickey?" Sam rested his head against the headrest, stroking absently over the center console. "I honestly don't know. I think it was a mix of the new Technopathy and general stress of trying to figure who I was back then. Even I don't know for sure though." Bumblebee hummed knowingly, turning down a side road aimlessly.  

"I can understand that. Even though it's far too late now, I want you to know you were never alone with that stress." Sam's gaze shifted to the dash console, but he remained quiet for the mech to continue through the awkwardness Sam could feel swirling in the back of his mind. "I've always had responsibilities that related to yours. I've had worries that were similar to yours. I just... I was scared to tell you, Sam. Some of my earliest memories are of Prowl teaching me to never speak of my future, of my responsibilities... but now, I can feel something creeping closer. Something's going to change, and I don't want that fear to hold me back anymore." Sam nodded, hesitantly reaching into his pocket.

Pulling his hand out, he revealed a tiny Autobot insignia- small enough to be a pendant. Bee almost stalled. "You- You kept that?" Sam half-laughed, shaking his head. "Of course I did Bee. It was part of your spark chamber. You-" Sam gripped the little sliver of metal, taking a deep breath. "You gave this to me as a friend. It had meaning, and I took that meaning for granted. I... I never deserv-" He almost dropped it when Bee slammed his breaks. "You always deserved it Sam. Making an insignia for another isn't a matter of understanding the weight behind it, it's a symbol." Sam shifted in his seat to face the driver's side when he felt the familiar tickle of a loading holoform.

Bee's hair was down once more, but those deep blue eyes pierced his own from beneath simple eyeliner. Ruby-Red lips were set into a frown, and the unadorned black pullover faded to a matching red ruffle around the wrists and waist. Paired with a plain black skirt and his favorite black heavy-tread boots, he looked as flawless as ever. Sam barely caught a glimpse of the red French manicure before his chin was caught between a thumb and a forefinger. "Sam, I know you feel bad about what happened between us, but it still doesn't change how close we were. When I made you that, I wanted to show you what that bond meant to me. I knew it wouldn't last forever, simply because of our biology." Sam nodded, and Bee gently patted the aging face.

"You're forty-eight years old now Sam, and in those thirty-something years since we last saw each other, I've barely aged. I probably won't change that much in the next vorn, let alone the earth years you have left." Sam nodded sadly, reaching up to squeeze Bumblebee's hand. "Bee, you're not gonna change that much for quite a few vorn." Bumblebee giggled, folding his hands in his lap. "Technically speaking, I'm going to change the most in the next few vorn. I've already gone from what? Twelve to sixteen in thirty earth years? I'll start slowing down again around eighteen in the next twenty years or so, and I'll probably keep that age for the next few centuries. Just look at Optimus! He's like, seven million and his holoform looks like he's barely into his thirties!" Sam nodded with an amused grin, shifting into a more comfortable position as Bee tried to choose the words that would come next.

"But to circle back, I understand the stress really well. Being Optimus' sparkling comes with a bunch of responsibility, especially since he was my carrier." Sam nodded along as Bee gave him a shy grin. "That reminds me, where's your gem? You're always hiding it somewhere." Bee laughed, stroking just below his throat just before an elegant collar necklace shimmered to life. Sam lightly stroked over the prism inlaid in the center before grinning. "Still a fashionista." Bee grinned back, winking playfully. "Of course! So many styles to choose from!"

Sam watched Bee's beaming smile light up his face as the younger shifted his transmission back into gear. Sam quirked a brow, resting his elbow against the sill of the passenger window and resting his head on his palm. Bee shifted through his gears naturally, glancing over at Sam with a vibrant smile. Sam grinned back, unable to resist the temptation. "So, tell me about all the times you and Grim snuck off to make out." 

Sam was very happy the handle grip was nearby, or else he would have hit his head on the dash when Bee stalled out. The dark flush on Bee's face as he whipped his head toward Sam was well worth it though. After about five seconds of mortified sputtering, the teen hid his face in his hands and keened into his steering wheel as he rolled to a stop once more. Sam burst out laughing, leaning forward to pat him on the back. "It's alright Bee. Remember all the times Mickey and I made out in your back seat?" 

Bumblebee pushed himself back against the seat, giving Sam some serious side-eye through his fingers. "Sam, I swear to Primus, you're going to kill me."  Sam shrugged, biting back a grin. "Well, me or Megatron." Bumblebee immediately turned to give him a smack on the shoulder, but missed due to how hard he was now laughing. Sam just grinned at his smaller companion, shoving his shoulder lightly. "But for real though! Give me the scoop here! How'd you and Grimlock get together?" 

Bee relaxed into the driver's seat, his face still flushed while his fingers played with the hem of his skirt. "Well...When we first got to earth, a mech named Underbite was causing a real mess. Strongarm, Sideswipe and I were trying to capture him when Grimlock realized what was happening. His stasis pod was still intact, but it's actual stasis function had been damaged. He got Underbite to get pissed and launch the pod, and the impact broke the lock. I don’t exactly know why Grimlock wanted to make Underbite taste dirt, but it worked out for us in the end. He wanted to join our team, and I could see the benefit in having some muscle on the team. While he was serving his probation, we got close..."  

Sam had his head resting on his chin, grinning widely as Bee got embarrassed once more. Sam hummed an interested note, drumming his fingers against his chin. "Think it's the mech from that dream you used to have? The one with the cave?" Bumblebee shrugged, resting his head on the shoulder of the seat. "I dunno. I never got a good look at him in my dream, but I have a weird feeling about that one. I've been having it more recently." Sam hummed again, a frown slowly overtaking the smile as Bumblebee continued. "I mean, he's got the same optic color and helm shape, but it could have been Jazz or anyone else with audial horns." Sam pursed his lips, giving him a one-shouldered shrug.

Bee stretched quietly, crossing his legs at the ankles. "I'm not horribly concerned anyway. The dreams usually happen like, every night when they're about to pass. I only have this one every other night. It could be vorn before I become Prime still, so I don't think I need to freak him out by asking him about the protectorate stuff yet..." Bee stiffened slightly, but rolled his shoulders to quickly relieve the stress. "That reminds me... I need to clarify that still." 

Sam looked up with honest interest, and Bumblebee found himself materializing a titanite ring to spin on his finger nervously. "Well... I kinda hinted it earlier, but you would never have had to worry about being a Matrix bearing Prime." Sam straightened up then, his eyes boring into the side of Bee's head. "That role's kinda mine." Sam's eyes widened, but after twenty seconds of shocked silence, he nodded slowly. "That...makes sense, actually. Since your Optimus' bitlet and all." Bee nodded, and Sam sunk lower into the passenger seat with a quiet curse.

Bumblebee just gave him a small smile, patting his hand. "It's okay. Like I said... I had to keep it secret. Most of the mecha know, but there were a lot of new 'cons around in Chicago. I couldn't risk making that target on my head any bigger." Sam nodded as he rubbed his face with his hands. “It’s okay, I understand. So it's not just a protectorate, it's a lord protectorate you're looking out for." Bumblebee nodded quietly. 

The silence hung in Bumblebee's cab for a long moment as Sam and Bee stared at each other. Eventually, Sam sat upright, reaching over to ruffle Bumblebee's hair. "If it means anything, I think Grim would be a good protectorate for you. I mean, the age difference makes me worry, but I know you, Bee. If he ever tries to hurt you, I know you'll tear off some important bits." Bee laughed, catching the hand and pulling it from his head. "Yeah. I've heard that from like, six different people now. Why does everyone keep mentioning age?" 

Sam gave him a surprised look, but the bright blue eyes were enough to convince him that Bee didn't know. "Well... uh. Ya see." Bee gave him a half-amused look, resting his back against his door and pulling a leg up to his chest to rest his head on. "Humans get really protective of children. And some people get really fucked up and start wanting to have like... actual sex with children. It's called Pedophilia." Bee tilted his head, but the grin was gone. "It's really abusive and the kids can't protect themselves from the person that wants to hurt them. It's a pretty big issue, and the age gap between you and Grimlock would be pretty grey for a lot of people."

Bee nodded, but tilted his head. "What's the cut-off? Is it just cause my comparable age is sixteen, or is it just the difference in years itself?" Sam shifted nervously, but answered honestly. "It depends. Usually it's if the younger is below the age of consent, and the age difference is like... I think it's four years?" Bumblebee hummed, but Sam could see the confusion working its way through. 

"As an example. If you were my kid, I'd have a gun under Grimlock's chin and God himself couldn't stop me. For me personally, you're too young to be dating someone that old. If you were like, eighteen or something we would be having a serious talk... but at the same time, I know you. You're mature enough to make an informed decision, and I've seen you take a mech's head off. I know you can defend yourself. But you're not human. I can't hold you to a human standard." Bumblebee reached out to pat the back of Sam's hand. "If it makes you feel any better, I'm underage by Cybertronian standards too. But, I've got several people that care for me- that will protect me if I need them to, or give me a place to go if I need to get away." 

Sam frowned, looking Bee over. "It does, but it doesn't. How do I know he's not just gonna force you into sex or other shit that could mess you up?" Bumblebee gave him a patient look that reminded Sam of Optimus far too much. "What I'm surprised you're not asking is how do you know I won’t hurt him? " Sam did a small double take, looking Bumblebee up and down. "I'm hearing that a lot from humans. They're all worried about Grim hurting me. No human- other than Will- has thought of me hurting him. Even I must admit that Grim isn't smart, and I could easily manipulate him to do whatever I wanted. If I had fewer morals, I probably would. Do humans ever take the reverse into account?" 

Sam gaped silently. He absently stroked over the leather of Bee's seat with his thumb, shaking his head in denial. "I-..." Bumblebee watched him for a long moment, but giggled quietly in the end. Sam just gave him a concerned look. "Why do you guys always make me question my life and morals." Bumblebee flashed him a dazzling grin, tapping the tip of his nose. "Cause I'm older than you, silly! It's like, my job!" 

Sam rolled his eyes, using his hand to turn Bee's head back to the road. The teen giggled and put his transmission back in gear. "If it does help to settle your worry though, I have coding that helps protect me from sexual assault. The code puts off certain EM signals that help to block arousal when you're too close to me. Also, this frame doesn't even have a tactile array- I probably won't even get one till my adult frame, or the one before." Sam gave him a half-sarcastic look. "Oral is still a thing Bumblebee." 

The younger just gave him a wicked grin, and Sam's soul went through the floorboard of Bee's alt when he playfully snapped his teeth at the human. "Uh... Point taken." Bee's laughter rang out through his cab when Sam crossed his legs.

 When they returned, it was minor chaos. Two new bots stood proudly beside the others- who were now back in alt modes- and Chad was nearly foaming in anger. "You damn machines can't just waltz in whenever you please! For fuck's sake, you're almost worse than the yellow one and greeny here!" Grimlock frowned at the pissed human, but Bee quietly transformed as Prowl's wings flicked back. 

"Technically speaking, I can. I hold an active visa that permits any travel I require for official purposes- and speaking to our incoming Prime seems to be official enough to warrant this visit. Also, to use your earlier phrase, 'You do realize we are not human'? By your own standards, we are barely credible as sentient beings. Perhaps you should take that into account before holding us to the standards of your own people." Chad bristled, but Jazz cut him off with a shake of his head. "Ya know mech, Bee an Grim ain't doin' nothin' wrong by our standards. An if  Grim tries to hurt Lil' Bee, he'll be put to death fer assultin' a minor. If ya wanna bitch 'bout us bein’ less than Y’all, least we fix our problems."

Optimus immediately shot Jazz a stern look. "Jazz, you are a ranking officer. Behave like one." Jazz' wings flicked back, and apparently even the former Prime was not free from his ire. "I ain' no officer. I got stripped when Xops got dissolved. I'm a civvie and I can tell him 'xactly where 'e c'n st'ff 't!" The low growl brought Prowl's wings back, and the SIC lightly stroked a servo down his arm to bring his attention back. "Jazz, Collect yourself. You'll upset Ricochet. And either way, they are an admittedly young species. We cannot judge... well. We can’t overjudge for their preferred upbringing of their children." 

Chad bristled. "What would robots know about raising children?! You all just come off a damn assembly line!" Bee scooped up Sam in unison with Optimus gathering the humans into his hands, and both retreated several steps with an exchange of amused looks. Prowl's optics narrowed, and he effortlessly plucked the human off the ground by his jacket to dangle the surprised man before his optics. "Youngling, you wear my patience. Cybertronian frames are constructed, not our sparks. Our sparks come from Primus, or from the merging of two active sparks. As for your asinine remarks, I have carried Fifty-Seven children, and am currently carrying my Fifty-Eighth. I dare you to judge my ability to rear a youngling." Chad was silent where he dangled, trying his best to lean as far away from the now-pissed carrier as possible.

Jazz rolled his optics as he took the human from the growling Praxian, protectively sheltering him from the burning glare. A few long moments of staring and obviously foul wing-fluttering later, Jazz grinned and set the human on the ground. Prowl took a deep breath, flicking his wings several more times as he tried to bring himself back under control. Jazz tapped his forehelm against the crest of Prowl's chevron, nuzzling him happily. "Yer too far along fer alla that anger babe. An' when yer mad, I get mad, an' poor Prime hasta deal wit' us." Prowl's wings flickered again, and he nodded curtly. 

Ratchet chuckled, tossing a look at Optimus. "Honestly, I'd take anger over the waterworks Optimus put us through any day." The former Prime cast his mate a mildly annoyed look, but the laughter around the room assured him that his opinion didn't matter. Strongarm tried her best not to be obnoxious when she tried to pry for information. "You were a crier? " 

The Prime sighed with the patience of a god when his third leant forwards eagerly to tell stories. Thankfully, he was spared from embarrassment as Bumblebee lightly smacked the back of his head. This brought everyone's attention to the young scout, and Jazz' wings fluttered happily as he the mood in the room did a complete 180. "Beeeee~!" 

Bumblebee barely had time to set Sam down before he was encased in a hug. Another affectionate nuzzle later, plating started to settle, and Bee was able to question the pair. "So, what brings you two here? I thought Prowl would be buried in his office till everything was set up."  Prowl's tiny smirk was enough of an answer.

"The warrant is getting a rush approval from a judge I am in favorable standing with. I suspect we will have our meeting in less than an earth hour. I assumed it would be best to discuss the finer details with you and Sideswipe in person." Sideswipe perked up, quietly approaching the circle at the sound of his name. Before they could continue though, the sound of a small scuffle in Strongarm’s hands earned a few raised brows. The femme barely had time to lean over before Russell broke free of her servos and jumped onto the floor to beam excitedly. "Can I see your holoforms?!" The femme cursed under her breath with an eye-roll, but Jazz just laughed a chime and cocked his hip as he regarded his mate. "Think you got a 'lil transformation in ya?" 

Prowl rolled his optics in amusement, transforming as efficiently as ever- and possibly playfully flashing his lights for the small human's amusement. Jazz, Bee and Sideswipe followed suit, but the others opted to conserve their energy and stay in root mode. Jazz was out of his alt first, and Russell immediately bounded to the musically inclined man for a hug. With chocolate skin and pearly teeth, Jazz was already a man of beauty. The retro-wrapped shades helped add to the mystery appeal, but the fun was brought back with slick dreads. Black and white beads dotted the long locks intermittently, easily hanging halfway down his back and secured with a thick red band. 

Russell happily smooshed his face against the casual white suit jacket, but still looked him up and down to get the full effect. The black tank top underneath seemed comfortable enough, as was the red Autobot pendant resting on a simple chain. Black jeans and converse finished the look, leaving an impressive overall style. When Prowl's door popped, he was quickly abandoned in favor of hugging Prowl. 

Even Chad was taken back by the slim-built woman that stepped out of Prowl's cab. She was dressed in a business-casual black pantsuit, with a white tank top barely managing to cover her ample breasts. The dark clay skin and waist-length black hair helped crank the overall attractiveness, but the finishing touches were the red-bottomed stilettos and the matching chevron hairpiece that dangled just above melted gold eyes. Unable to help himself, Chad scoffed. "I thought you were pregnant, ma’am." 

He immediately regretted his decision when Prowl looked him up and down. "Once more- I am not a member of your race. I do not need to hold myself to your standards- And I would prefer if you called me Sir." Hair was flicked away from his face, and Russell tried his best to steal a hug without making Prowl uncomfortable. When he tried to pull away, he squeaked as he was squeezed closer to the Praxian. When a slim hand softly stroked through his hair, he gave up and enjoyed the cuddles. Sideswipe just whistled and held out his hand for a high-five that Jazz happily accepted. 

Ignoring the exchange, Prowl continued his previous explanation. "Bumblebee, you will accompany Sideswipe to his meeting with Sunstreaker. I assume the staff will try everything they can to shorten their meeting, so it will be your duty to keep them together until I can find enough evidence to activate the arrest warrants." Sideswipe's nervous glance to Strongarm didn't go unnoticed. "From what I have been able to obtain already, I doubt this will take long at all. Once I can activate those warrants, you can sign off on the release papers and you three will be free to go. I will remain behind with the task force to do the arrests and transfers." 

That last part had Sideswipe's head tilting as glanced between the two. "Uh...how are you supposed to come with us and stay at the same time?" Sharp optics shifted to the confused speedster, looking him up and down once before giving Bumblebee a particularly blank look. Bee pointedly inspected his manicure, barely suppressing his smile. "You ruined the surprise, you tell him." Russell snickered, releasing Prowl's waist and returning to his father's side to watch the oncoming meltdown. 

"Your brother has been severely abused by our legal system, and there are measures in place to correct wrongs exactly like this. HE should not have been prosecuted by that court due to the bias of the prosecution, and no one informed him that this would be considered a mistrial. By that standard alone- If I can also document evidence of the current guards and the sustained abuse that could have furthered his aggressive tendencies, I can submit a waiver form for an exclusive post-trial. The paperwork for which I have already filled out in preparation. What this means is that your brother's case will be re-opened, and referred to the highest power in the Cybertronian legislature...which happens to be Bumblebee. He can then use his political titles to clear Sunstreaker of all his crimes, and yours by extension. By you three, I meant Bumblebee, yourself, and your brother- as free mecha." 

Sideswipe's face made the long nights of emails and arguments all worth it in the end. He slowly turned his head to Bumblebee, who just smiled brightly in return- right up until Sideswipe's engine screeched and the holoform flickered away. Ratchet laughed, immediately approaching the offline Countach to pull him from his processor crash. Russell laughed as he jumped up and down, clapping his hands together in sheer excitement. Ratchet grumbled as he set to work, and the rest of the room dissolved into small chaos once more. 

Drift remained silent as he stood by the wall, his students staring at him hopefully until he nodded a quiet answer to whatever they were comming him. The two cheered between themselves, immediately encasing Fixit in a hug. Strongarm beamed over to Anna and Marie, who were cheering 'new arrival!' alongside Will and Raf. The other humans ranged from surprised to joy to side-eying Bumblebee, but overall the mood remained ecstatic. Sideswipe slowly transformed with Ratchet's encouragement, one servo clutching his helm as he leaned against the wall for support. When three minis crowded him, he accepted the hugs with trembling arms. "Geez Fixit, if this is what a crash feels like..." The minibot shrugged, spinning his wheels teasingly. "You get used to the headache!" 

Denny joined the dogpile as Russell returned to Prowl's arms. "When...How long have you guys been planning this?" Bumblebee tucked a curl behind his ear as he shifted his weight to the other pede. "Immediately after you told me it had been two vorn since you'd last seen Sunstreaker. If he already had sociopathic tendencies before your separation, it's no wonder he's gotten worse without you." Sideswipe nodded, subconsciously squeezing the growing number of minis and humans piling in for affection. 

Bee could see him struggling with his processor, but Prowl just gave him a small smile. "The Senate has always been a source of controversy. It seems to be increasingly difficult to find a mech that won't sell his morals to the highest bidder. The justice system is supposed to protect people like you, but this corruption is obviously still prevalent." Bumblebee scoffed from where he stood. "Prowl, I thought you would have figured that out long ago. No one monitors bots as close as they monitor me without some kinda agenda." Prowl hummed quietly, stroking Russell's hair once more. 

"You are also our Primal Designate. It may be millions of vorn before we find another to take your place should something happen." Jazz scoffed this time, crossing his arms. "Prowler. Babe. They keep trying to get him to accept courtship from senators. The only thing they focusin' on is tryin' to keep the power they got." Bee held his fist out for Jazz to bump. Ironhide joined in with a roll of his optics. "Xops conspiracies!" Jazz just lit up, putting his hands on his hips with a wide smile. "Don' make meh call Raj an' Hound!" 

Optimus just gave the pair a pleading look when they both started to snicker. "No ops parties, and you know full well we won't let the senate touch you Bee." Ironhide gave him a flat look as Bee's holoform dissipated, and his alt transformed back to his root mode. "Ah'd feel better if ya gave more priority ta yer Lord Protectorate. Bumblebee cast him a frustrated look, looking to Optimus for support- who tactfully found something very interesting on his pedes. Drawing the attention from the youngling once more, Grimlock approached to slip his arms around Bumblebee's waist as Bee threw some shade towards his creators. "You guys just like to be nosy!" Grimlock scoffed, unable to keep the mischievous grin off his face. "Of course they're nosy! They're Autobots!" 

The obvious reference to a certain tri-polar triple changer sent all the battle-hardened mecha into fits of laughter, and Bumblebee hid his face into Grimlock's neck as Jazz gave a theatrical gasp. "Ex-squeeze me! I'm not nosy! I prefer teh term forcefully curious ya silly 'con!" Prowl just stared up at his lover's root form with the most put-upon face. "Jazz, if there are any nosy mech in this room, you and Bumblebee top the list." With the betrayed gasp, antics resumed in full. No one bothered to look up when a livid Chad went to his office to sulk. 

Chapter Text

Sideswipe had eventually collected himself enough to rejoin the amused mecha in the middle of the room, carefully relocating the various humans that had climbed atop him for shock-induced cuddles. At some point, Prowl had situated himself onto the floor and pulled Russell into his arms. The teen was happily curled up, basking in the attention that he rarely received to this degree. Jazz sprawled happily to their right, doorwings fluttering slowly with a glazed pleasure that was reminiscent of an overfed turbohound. Bumblebee just sat cross-legged before the mates and the willfully captured human, watching Grimlock ask Strongarm questions about something on a datapad against the far wall, much to the amusement of the Primal Trine. Drift and his students ignored all of them in favor of trying to teach Fixit a new meditation technique.

With Sideswipe settling beside Bumblebee, Prowl restarted their conversation. "Feeling better?" Sideswipe nodded, giving him a nervous half-grin. "Yeah. Sorry about that, I didn't...I..." Prowl waved it off with a patient smile. "As Bumblebee said- it was a surprise. But you need to understand your brother will not be a gleaming model prisoner." Sideswipe nodded. "I never imagined he would be. Prison isn't fun for split sparks, even if they're non-violent." Prowl hummed, running his fingers through Russell's hair. "On that note, Bumblebee has mentioned that Sunstreaker is particular about his finish. Bumblebee will bridge you two to Jazz and I's apartment, and you're more than welcome to get him back up to snuff. It will probably be a good step between prison and meeting your team. I would, however, prefer if the introductions we're made at our apartment. The air is sustainable for humans, and it gives him something relatively constant to lessen the likelyhood of a meltdown." Bee grinned as Sideswipe sputtered. His rejection was cut off with a luxurious stretch from Jazz, lazily flapping a servo in his general direction. 

"Sparklet, you ain't gonna run up the bill higher than the time Prowler an' I flooded teh bath cause Prowler gotta transfluid cravin'." Prowl's face flushed slightly, and he gave his mate an annoyed look.  Bumblebee just laughed, rolling his shoulders to stretch the cables in his upper back. Shifting to better look at the trio of mecha, Russell jumped into the conversation. "Is Sunstreaker someone Dad and I need to avoid for a bit? Or is he ok as long as he doesn't get stressed?" Sideswipe immediately shook his head, resting his chin on his palm. "Nah. Sunny's got good boundaries, but he's problematic when he snaps. I think there'll be more than enough room for him to be a wallflower back at base. Even then, If he gets pissy I'll just take him on patrol with me and he can bitch it out there. That trigger will loosen a bunch when he realizes just how available paint and wax are." 

Bumblebee hummed his approval. "Yeah. And there's always the extra room. He is more than welcome to take that over as a room of his own- even if he doesn't sleep in there." Sideswipe just gave him a grin, flicking a thankful flare through his field. the conversation lulled for a few moments, and Sideswipe found himself absently gazing towards Prowl's chest. When Prowl waved a hand before his chest, Bumblebee had to stifle his giggles. With a sheepish blush, Sideswipe cleared his throat. "Sorry I was just... What's it like to carry?"

The question seemed to surprise the small group, and Jazz grinned from where he lay as Prowl answered. "It's an experience, for certain. I've had unremarkable carries all the way to Bluestreak’s- He had me in a medical facility from about a quartex in." Jazz snickered at that one, carefully stroking a digit up a curious Russell's back. "Why did you have to go to the hospital?" 

"Bluestreak has a high chance of being a Creatrix- a mech predispositioned to carry. The reason we know this is because Creatrixes are notoriously hard to carry. They draw an abnormal amount of energy off their carrier's spark and require far more nanites than their Suma- or neutral- siblings. It would be the human equivalent of a single fetus requiring the same nourishment as a set of quadruplets. I was hospitalized after I fainted trying to ascend a staircase." Russell winced in sympathy. "Is he okay?" 

With Jazz' sudden laughter, Prowl rolled his eyes. "Yes, Bluestreak is alive and well into his adult vorn. He actually became a sniper for the Autobot forces and holds remarkable records." The air of a proud carrier was evident to all those around, but Jazz' Cheshire grin guaranteed an approaching laugh. "Oh yeah! Sharpshooting, Assembly and Cleaning, Longest Sentence Without A Breath-" Prowl's glare cut him off then, and the surrounding mecha either snickered or grinned at the long-running joke.  Strongarm approached the circle, taking a place beside Sideswipe. "Is he a talker?"  Prowl nodded, but the smile took a sad turn. 

"When Praxius fell, he was just before his third upgrade. Just old enough to remember his comms going silent with the deaths of our family. The silence over our bond has never failed to bother him, and he tends to chatter to try to work through it. Too much silence makes him nervous." Strongarm flicked her wings in sympathy, and Sideswipe let his field show his own. "Speaking of children, up little one. I should transform back into my root mode." Russell pouted, squeezing the lithe holoform one last time before bouncing over to his amused father. Prowl's holoform disintegrated in a mildly mesmerizing shimmer as Jazz pushed himself up to sit properly. 

With Prowl rejoining the circle as a mecha once more, the haze of the mundane thickened to a pleasant buzz. "So, I thought I heard a name! I like it!" Bumblebee cheered, clapping his hands together with a beaming smile. Jazz returned it, using his acrobatic nature to curl around his lover protectively. "Yeh! He's always bouncin' round Prowler's spark, so we though' Ricochet was fittin'- Rico for short!" Optimus bit back a chuckle, kneeling beside his third and his sparkling. "I assume Smokescreen and Bluestreak are rearing to help care for a bitlet." 

Prowl's look was more than enough of an answer as Will approached to flop beside Bee. "So, what's that thing you were talkin' about? Create-tricks and Sumo? Are they another class of spark type?" Prowl nodded. "It's Creatrix and Suma. They are two of the three main spark types in terms of reproduction. Since I'm certain you all have the clearance to hear, I won't bother simplifying." Optimus nodded at the statement, confirming enough for Prowl. "The three spark types are greatly skewed in appearance, with Suma being the most common- around 95% of the pre-war population, and 99% of the remaining known mecha. These mecha can sire and carry, but it is difficult for them to conceive. Most mecha in this room are Suma- Such as Optimus, Ratchet, Ironhide, and so on. Attar are the second class, making up 4% of the pre-war population. These mecha are prone to siring due to an abnormally active spark, and usually develop very aggressive coding. I personally know about 17 Attar that survived the war, Including Jazz and Smokescreen. Creatrixes are the final type, making up less than 1% of the pre-war population. We are carrying mecha, and it is nearly impossible for us to sire. Our sparks are extremely calm and tend to take spark effortlessly. The only Creatrixes I know to have survived the war are a pair of femmes by the names Elita One and Chromia, Bluestreak, and myself." 

Denny frowned at the idea of such losses, but continued on. "You've had one of each?" Prowl's wings flicked back in immediate pride. "I have. It is a rare blessing to have one, but I have had the pleasure to carry all three spark types." Jazz nuzzled into Prowl's neck, purring happily. Sam hesitated to ask his question, but Judy lightly tapped him with her walker. "Is-Is that why Jazz is so...uh... hovery?" Jazz flashed the slightly-sharpened teeth with a mix of hostility and amusement. "Yep! He's mine, an' noone else’s." The obvious challenge vibrated in his undertones, but he was quickly quelled by Prowl's servo lightly stroking between his audials. Bumblebee just grinned, taking over for the clingy Attar. "Yeah. It's even worse since Prowl's currently carrying. Anytime they're separated or in a room with multiple mecha, their coding will start to act up and make them both more violent- Prowl's just better at not baring his teeth." 

His playful shot was ignored with a wing flutter, and Denny took the next question. "Do you think the new one- Ricochet- will be an Attar or Creatrix?" Prowl answered instantaneously. "I would assume Attar. Medics say it is too early to tell, but he is quite active." A servo drifted up to lightly rest just above his spark. "The only other sparkling I have carried that was even remotely this rambunctious was Smokescreen- and even he was calmer." Mikaela giggled, taking the next question. "Who was the most difficult carry you've ever seen?" 

All optics immediately fell on Bumblebee. The lieutenant grinned, fluttering his wings in mild embarrassment. "That one right there. He had Optimus on an emotional Rollercoaster when he wasn't making him reset mid-stride." Ratchet laughed, lightly squeezing Optimus' shoulder. "The only thing that was worse than the carry itself was the time after he was born. Primus he never stopped!" Bumblebee leaned back to beam at his sire, who shoved his face away playfully.  "Remember the time I got in the vents?" Ironhide scoffed from his place against the wall. "Rememb'r tha time ya glu'd tha surgical stuff ta' tha ceilin'?" Will laughed at that one, but Optimus had one of his own. "I remember the time you snuck into an unconscious Soundwave's chest to play with Ravage." 

The room exploded with laugher, and Ratchet just put his faceplate into his servos. "That wasn't funny! It took a week to get Soundwave to give him back!" Optimus snickered, looking back towards his mate. "It wasn't even us that got him back. Soundwave got so protective he threw Megatron through a wall. Megatron arranged it after that!" Strongarm was covering her mouth with a poor attempt to cover her laughter. Prowl's helm tilted as he went quiet for a moment, a wicked smile crossing his lips as he snapped and stood. It only took a few more seconds before he looked up, opening the control panel on his arm. "We have our warrant boys. Let's go." Jazz grinned as he joined his lover, snickering as Sideswipe nearly fell over his pedes trying to get beside the mated pair.

Bee designated Optimus in charge during his absence and found himself proud when Strongarm didn't pout over his choice. The recognition was quickly forgot when Grimlock quickly stole a kiss. Taking a few steps to the side, the two exchanged something about Ironhide and a question, but were far enough from the group no one heard exactly what it was. Bumblebee smiled as he gently patted Grim's cheek, bumping their helms together before stepping over to the opening bridge. After a quick confirmation glance, the four stepped through and left the group to their own devices. 

Grimlock grinned as the bridge closed, turning to Ironhide. "So, I wasn't payin' attention that first time. Whas' that Lord Protector-ite thingie again?" Will was mildly concerned about the grin that cracked across Ironhide's face. 

The guards on duty jumped when the quartet stepped through the uncalled bridge, but Prowl just shoved a Datapad with their warrant into his hands. "We need to speak to your director."

Sideswipe didn't ask why Bumblebee hung back behind Jazz, but the speedster himself followed the silent command to stay close to the Lieutenant without question and instead used the time to look around. Main Iacon was utterly massive. They had bridged into the guard room just outside of the lunch room, and Sideswipe silently marveled at the looming four-story structure. The bottom level was the lunchroom itself, housing seven rows of massive tables for even the largest of prisoners. A flight of stairs rested just next to the guard's door- another mirroring its position across the room- leading to cell upon cell of prisoners, creating an indistinguishable murmur of activity. The wall-mounted lights didn't help the ominous glow, and Sideswipe huddled slightly closer as the ominous chill threatened to seep into his very spark. 

It took less than an Earth minute for a commotion to happen upstairs, a bewildered mech appearing and looking over the railing with shock plastered over his faceplate. He shuffled his plating as he collected himself as best he could, and even Jazz had to appreciate the theatrics of the 'welcome'. 

"If today isn't blessed by Primus! High Enforcer Prowl and his mate! What could possibly bring you to my cozy little-" Prowl cut him off as the guard passed him the datapad. "You have been violating statures, Captain Sparkjump. In your hands is a warrant for the mandatory meeting with prisoner 56872-9591." The captain froze like a frightened Petrorabbit but recovered quickly enough. "E-Enforcer Prowl-" 

The ice that dripped from Prowl's tongue almost had Sideswipe wishing the bridge was back. "If I wanted a chat, I would have called you Captain Sparkjump. Pull him from his cell." Sparkjump's servos trembled slightly as he scrolled through the datapad, his plating immediately floofing as he grinned. "I'm sorry, Enforcer Prowl! This warrant isn't valid! It needs to be officiated by-" His optics when wide when Bumblebee leaned to the side with the most innocent hum. "Oh, did I forget to sign? Here, let me see it." 

Jazz barely bit back a snicker as the Captain stumbled back, making Bumblebee snatch the datapad before looking through it himself. His wings were held at a formal cant as he scribbled somewhere on the bottom. Handing it back with the fakest smile Sideswipe had ever seen, Bumblebee damn near purred. "Now, I'm a busy mech. Can we make this quick?" The poorly hidden disdain wasn't commented on as the captain turned to leave- but his spark chilled when Prowl stepped closer. "Article 7, subsection 15 says I have the right to go through some paperwork as well. Care to join me-" Prowl's voice dropped as he and Jazz stepped to trap the intimidated mech between them. "-Captain?"

Bumblebee gave the guard beside he and Sideswipe a sweet smile. "Care to show us to the visiting cell?" The frightened guard glanced between the amused youngling and his horrified Captain, but quickly deemed his job wasn't worth this scrap. "T-This way, Primal Designate Sir." The Captain's glare could have melted plating as the stern Praxian took point and started up the stairs.

Bumblebee and Sideswipe were led through countless twists and turns, ascending and descending stairs, all while trying to ignore rambunctious inmates banging against their cells. It took three different mecha to unlock the doors to solitary confinement, and Sideswipe tried not to whimper when the pale blue walls faded to a gunmetal grey. It was almost like a horror movie watching the lights space further and further apart, the screams and cheers of the other inmates cutting off with a sharp squeal as the door locked them inside. The sudden silence was almost deafening. 

In here, none of the inmate moved as they passed. None looked up. None uttered a single sound. Sideswipe couldn't help his plating standing on end as he passed the rows of broken mecha, his spark clenching in fear and utter despair for his brother. They were led up three flights of stairs next, each flight requiring a special pin from each of the guards standing post. Trying to ignore the gleaming rifles in their hand, Sideswipe stayed close until they reached a single door at the top of the armored staircase. The room inside was a dead grey, and there were simply four chairs and a rickety table in the room. 

From the clamps on the arms and legs of the sturdiest chair, it wasn't hard to figure out which one the prisoners were supposed to sit in. Bumblebee guided Sideswipe behind his frame, honestly not wanting him to see his brother in chains when they brought him through the door moments later. 

At first glance, Bumblebee wouldn't have guessed that the speedster tucked between his doorwings and the broken mech before him were even related-let alone twins. Helm fins adorned the sides of a dull helm, the yellow cracked and faded to the point of serious malrepair. His lips were cracked, his digits on his left servo wrapped in an obviously unsterile cloth, and his vents rattled with each labored intake. 

Sunstreaker was pushed- rather roughly- towards the chair with the clamps, and Bumblebee held up his servo. "That isn't necessary." The burliest guard turned to snap at Bumblebee but seemed to collect himself just before he said something stupid. "Primal Designate, Sir. It is Protocol-" Bumblebee just gave him a flat look, ignoring Sunstreaker's surprised look for the time being. "I don't believe my vocalizer malfunctioned. I highly doubt this single prisoner will ever compare to Devastator or Megatron- He will behave." 

Sunstreaker looked the mech up and down with hesitantly defiant optics, tilting his head quickly when he realized someone was behind him. His audial fins were quietly cranked to high alert, and he slowly grew more rigid as he zeroed in on the quieted breathing of a frightened mech.  "Unchain him and Leave. That is a direct order." The two guards gritted their teeth as they unlocked the chains, and Sunstreaker nearly crumbled to the floor without the crushing weight he had come to know. The guard closest leaned in, whispering quiet enough for Bumblebee's audials to 'miss' the signal as he unlocked the handcuffs. "If you even think of hurting this mech, your life will be a living pi-" 

Sunstreaker didn't bother biting back the smirk when Bee's voice cut him off. "Finish that sentence and you will be the one living in the pit." The guard looked up in absolute shock, but the burning gaze of the lieutenant convinced him to keep his trap shut and leave the room. With the thick reinforced door thudding shut behind the two, Sunstreaker took a moment to push himself upright and stretch his struts with worrying creaks and pops. 

Bumblebee could see the patterns in Sunstreaker's paint- was dull and chipped from obvious beatings, but his eyes still held a spark that Bumblebee had come to know well from Sideswipe. Sunstreaker was a little more built than Sideswipe, but it was obvious he could have some serious speed tucked away as well- that is, if that cough in his engine wasn't permeant. Otherwise, he was just dissimilar enough to pass as a fraternal brother in a crowd. "So." Bumblebee's optics met Sunstreaker's own when the slightly rasped voice rang out. He didn't mention anything about Sideswipe's servos digging into his back at the sound, but grinned slightly when Sunstreaker reset his vocalizer. "What brings you to see a 'violent criminal' like me?" 

"Him." Bumblebee broke into a full smile then, stepping aside to reveal a stunned Sideswipe. It was a solid nanosecond before either moved, but the next optical reset found Sideswipe flinging himself into his brother's shocked arms, tumbling both to the floor in a pile of keening kibble. Bumblebee just took a seat in one of the sturdier chairs, pulling out a datapad to answer some emails. 

Back at the hangar, the humans and mecha had settled in for a real lesson. Ironhide was specifically talking to Grimlock, but he would never deny the curious optics that crowded around the pair. Optimus and Ratchet sat back, watching over their mate with growing amusement.

Grimlock was listening with mild amazement, sitting cross-legged towards the front of the group as Ironhide continued his glorified sermon. "After yeh get through all the scrap tha' goes wit' bondin’, then yer actual duty starts. If ya took on as Bee', ya would be incharga makin' sure he grew up good n' proper. Since he's still a bitlet an' all. Make sure he eats on tha' regular, make sure he goes to medical checks, does any schoolin', all while keepin' an eye out fer someone tryin' to hurt 'em or makin' sure any suitors don try to get too friendly." Grimlock nodded absently as he listened to the list, and Denny raised his hand to ask a question. "How much did you have to do for Optimus? Since he was fully grown when he became Prime." 

Ironhide scoffed, looking back with an amused look. "I hadta keep 'em from runnin' off to try ta talk sense inta Megs- this was befor' 'e went all cray-cray. Tha, and I helped 'em wit' policies an' stuff. I had a bitta experience since I had served as protectorate 'fore. Along wit’ makin' sure he ate an' makin sure he didn't reject the Matrix." Russell tapped his feet against the floor absently. "Did anyone ever try to kill Optimus?" 

All three mates scoffed before the old medic answered. "Oh yeah. Young Prime taking over during an uprising? Yeah. He was poisoned twice in the first data cycle alone- before Ironhide was reassigned to him. Then it was the usual shootings and break-ins." Will made a slightly horrified noise, but the conversation rolled back on point when Grimlock asked a question of his own. "So, how do ya know when someone's tryin' ta kill a Prime? Is it experience?" Ironhide shrugged non-commitably. "Ta be honest, they're usually bad at hidin' it. But tha' don' mean ya should slack. Primes put their life in their protectorate's servos an' it's our duty ta protect em." Grimlock nodded as Ironhide continued. 

"I honestly don' expect too many actual attempts on Bee. He's already got a rep fer bein’ resilient, an' Op's attempts dropped after tha first few failed. Hasn't had one outside of the usual wartime slag since his first big return." Optimus rolled his optics as he cut Ironhide's teasing off. "The honest answer is that the needs of each Prime are different. As I'm certain you already know, Bumblebee doesn't sleep very well- that would be a duty of his Protectorate. As Ironhide said, making sure he eats would be another. Helping him work through any psychological effects of the war we have been fighting would be another. He might ask for help designing his intermediate and adult frames, for help editing a public document, or even more mundane things like helping him with his polish. Exacts are learned overtime through the time a Prime spends with their Protectorate. That's only if they don't bond- if they do, it's a whole other set of responsibilities." 

Grimlock hummed, frowning slightly as Strongarm asked another question about assassination attempts. Grimlock let his brows furrow further, making a mental note to talk to Bumblebee in private about other questions he might think of. His attention was drawn back when Ironhide smirked. "So. Wanna see how a Lord Protectorate fights? " With a toothy grin, Grimlock pushed himself to his pedes to slightly tower over Ironhide. "Ehehehe. This is the part I'm good at!"  

Prowl smirked as yet another box was dropped onto the lunchroom table. It could easily fit thirty mecha twice his size and was quickly filling with any report that could be seen as 'questionable' by the reinforcements that had arrived about a joor ago. Enforcers from around the city had been pulled in, easily making this one of the biggest raids in Iaconian history. Several arrests had already been finished, including Captain Sparkjump and all of the upper officers, and they were quickly being replaced with upright officers that Prowl knew had been waiting for a well-deserved promotion. The inmates were strangely complacent for such a massive upheaval, but the shouted insults and jeers as the 'Captain' had been ushered out in cuffs had answered more than enough questions for the mated pair. 

One of the new officers- a longtime associate of Prowl's by the name of Subsonic- glided down the left-hand staircase with a glimmering cube of sealed high-grade in his servos. He was met with a nod but seemed confused when the concentrated fuel was refused. "Come now Prowl. This is the biggest bust of your career! Surely that deserves a drink!"

Prowl gave him a soft smile as he sat in the open seat beside the Praxian, but the smile was calming enough. "You know as well as I that carrying mecha shouldn't partake in high-grade. However, after the separation, I would be overjoyed if you could join Jazz and I for a drink- Bring your lovely mate as well! It has been so long since I have seen Refrain!" Subsonic cooed happily, passing the cube to Jazz and pulling out a simple cube of midgrade to press into Prowl's servos. "This then. And I gleefully accept! I was beginning to grow concerned with your absence at the precinct! How far along are you?"

"Just over three quartex. I have been recommended not to transform or stress myself, but I am not at risk of an early separation. All is well." With a servo lightly rubbing his chest, Prowl allowed his wings to flutter happily as the first inmate was brought out for their statement. "Jazz, would you be so kind as to go tell Bee he can take the boys home? I want to see them all shined up, or else I might lose my badge." With a musical laugh and a quick kiss, the Xops mech bounded away with a grace that had several catcalls echoing from the boisterous inmates. 

It was easy to find his way through the halls, even if it was a long walk. The stairs were unguarded and wide open, and Bumblebee glanced up lazily when Jazz waltzed in unannounced. Sunstreaker bristled from the corner, Sideswipe tangled in his arms and sprawled against his chest like the happiest of housecats. The lazy wave from the red twin did a lot to calm the battered mech, but the binary clicks and chirps as the twins continued their conversation were easy enough to ignore. "Prowler's gotcha all set up! I'm supposed ta take ya back ta our place, then I'mma double back to help wit interroatin' erryone. Sunstreaker, ya and Sides are more than welcome ta run up our cleanser bill. We jus' ask ya stay inside until we can get Sun's formal statement."

The confused look had Jazz canting his head, and Jazz rolled his head to Bumblebee. They stared blankly for a few seconds before Bumblebee held up a servo, looking down for a second as he onlined his audials before looking back up with a soft 'hmmm?' Jazz laughed and hung his head, flicking Bumblebee in the forehelm. "Twerp! Take em back to mah place, get em cleaned up." Sunstreaker glanced at Sideswipe's wide smile, squeezing him closer. "I'm a prisoner...Sir. I can't leave." Bumblebee waved off the confusion, tucking the datapad back into his subspace. "Not anymore. I pulled some weight and called a formal investigation. The idiots that ran this place previously actually documented the abuse they put you through, and alongside your obvious mistrial, it's enough for me to overrule your sentence. You're coming home with us." 

The mech stared up at Bumblebee from his place against the wall for several nanokilks, before slowly looking down to Sideswipe. The speedster grinned in return, busting out laughing when Sunstreaker quietly muttered 'the fuck do you know these mech.' Barely managing to pull apart from his twin long enough to get them vertical, Sunstreaker stood on shaky stabilizers. It was easier to stand with his twin against his chest though, using his own weight to center Sunstreaker after so many cycles of kneeling in one place. 

Sunstreaker couldn't help but feel cautious, probing his brother's spark in question before regarding the Xops mecha with a hesitant look. "Why?" Bumblebee's optics settled on him. "Why is the... Why is the Primal Designate pardoning me, of all mecha?" Bumblebee grinned, standing to his full (unthreatening, since he was the shortest in the room) height. "Because. Sideswipe brought my attention to your case, and I know what happened to you isn't right. I can’t give you back all the years you've spent in these walls, and I can't give you any sanity that was lost as a result. What I can give, is peace of mind. If you should choose, after passing an exam by Ratchet, you can join my team and help us capture Decepticons that wish to harm Earth and its inhabitants. If you should choose not to, I will release you to Prowl's care for intensive resocialization- he will help you settle into a life that the poor excuse of a Senate has had no problem denying you both." 

Sunstreaker stared in shock, subconsciously squeezing Sideswipe closer. "For now, though, your only duty is to get clean and repaired. I know Sideswipe has obtained some paint and wax, and I think you'll enjoy getting the dust and grime out of your joints." Jazz popped a panel in his forearm, quickly activating a personal bridge. With a theatrical bow, he winked at the two twins. "After you~!" Bumblebee just rolled his optics, stepping through the portal. Using Sideswipe as a half-crutch, the two quickly followed. 

Needless to say, the abnormally clean apartment suite was unnerving for Sunstreaker. Everything- from pictures to the fraggin' styluses- were dust-free and placed perfectly straight. Sensing the awkwardness, Jazz waved them along. "Prowler's got some weird habits. Freaks out if things aren't in their 'proper' place. I like to move stuff on occasion jus' ta mess wit em!" Snickering, the black and white drug a digit across the desk to knock the lined, color-coded writing utensils askew. "Shouldn't you like...not mess with his stuff then?" Sideswipe asked, giving Jazz a mildly amused look. "Well, if it was somethin' like OCD or somethin, I wouldn't do it. S jus his preference, an I gotta set the boundaries of tha box someweres!"

Moving on, he opened a door to a massive cleaning room. Jazz offered the two a comforting smile, stepping back to lock the door on the far end of the hall. "Anythin' in this apartment is free game ta ya'll. Make yerselves at home, an don' worry about cost or nothin. Ain't nothin in here Prowler an I can't walk down to tha store an buy outta pocket. Tha only off-limits room is thisun-" Jazz paused to knock on the freshly-locked door. "- Cause this is Prowler an' I's room. We got our bitlet's frame half-made an' hidden away in there, so I'mma keep it locked so nothin' accidently happens ta it." 

The twins nodded, huddled close and seemingly scared to touch the pristine walls. "Tha's only cause tryin' ta restart when he's this close ta seperatin' is too much hassle. Other than that, like Ah said. Everythin’ is open to ya- fix yer paint, have a cube of high-grade, an at least three cubes 'a midgrade. Each." Turning his look to Bumblebee, he poked him between the optics. "Includin’ you youngin. An you need to get some recharge." Bumblebee sighed, pulling Jazz' servo from his face. "Yeesh Jazzy, I thought Ratchet was my sire!" Jazz rolled his optics, cocking a hip at his former subordinate. "Puh-lease. I ain't yer daddy, but I'm still yer Xops commander. That's an order." Bumblebee just blew a puff of air into Jazz' face, prompting the monochrome beauty to laugh and straighten up. 

Ushering the twins towards the cleansing room, he squeezed their shoulders. "Take yer time. I know ya missed each other, an nothin's better fer gettin' reacquainted than a long oil soaks an' a steamy cleansing to loosen yer paint for a re-do. Prowler an' I will be home when we finish up tha' interviews." With a wave, he was gone as fast as he arrived. Bumblebee leaned against the wall in amusement, shaking his head when Sunstreaker turned the bewildered look to him once more. 

"That's Jazz. He was the TIC during the war- head of Special Operations and mated to Prowl. Prowl was the SIC for the war, and the Autobot's leading Tactician. Both are really sweet mech, but Prowl's got a specialty processor that makes him a little too logical. But, that's a conversation for later. I'm going to take Jazz' advice and get some recharge. You two get clean and refueled. I assume we have a few joors at minimum before they return." Sunstreaker nodded numbly as Sideswipe gave a cheerful half-salute. Slinking into one of the guest bedrooms, he locked the door behind him. With the deadbolt in place, Sideswipe drug Sunstreaker into the bathroom. 

The yellow mech stumbled slightly, but his balance was improving with each step. This single cleansing station was larger than the communal racks at the prison! Sideswipe shifted slightly as he eyed the oil bath in the far corner, tugging Sunstreaker to it with a trembling servo. "He did say we could run up the cleanser bill..." Sideswipe grinned as he started the bath, turning it till the heat was just below unbearable. Just how Sunstreaker liked it. Sunstreaker, however stared at his brother for several seconds. "How the frag did you meet these mecha Sides? The head of fuckin' Spec-Ops?! The Primal Designate?! " 

At that point, Sideswipe chuckled nervously. Sunstreaker's temper flared and he put his servos on dull hips. "You did something stupid." Sideswipe just grinned, sliding his arms around Sunstreaker's waist. "Naturally. I'll give ya the rough gist, cause you'll get all the dirty deets when we merge later. I met Bee and Strongarm- a femme that's back at base- cause I was going half-crazy without you. I took to doing minor violations, just for the feeling of something in my spark again. They were trying to arrest me when Bee got all Primey and tried to slip away to Earth. Strongarm followed him, and I was kinda handcuffed to her. Once there and settled, Bee gave me a choice- be part of his team or go into stasis for trial when they got a chance to get me back to Cybertron." Sunstreaker conceded with a forgiving grimace. He knew he hadn't kept the sappy look of his face when Sideswipe led him into the encompassing warmth of the oil tub with a happy sigh. Snuggled up close to each other once more, Sunstreaker continued.   

"So how did the Primal Designate get to chase you around?" Sideswipe shifted, pulling Sunstreaker to rest against his chest. "Stop callin' him that. It's supposed to be on the hush-hush. But his official title for civilians like us is Lieutenant in the enforcers. Prime comes later, especially since Optimus has come back to life." Sunstreaker sat up straight, giving him a half-horrified look. "He apparently doesn't like to stay dead. But yeah, to give you the rundown. Bee is Optimus and Ratchet's sparking, and he is NOT as old as he seems. He's like, a legit sparkling. He's just over 15k." Sunstreaker's optics went wide, but Sideswipe continued.

"Ironhide is OP and Ratch's third, and it's super cute when they're all together because Bee chills the frag out for twenty whole minutes. The other way to cool him off when he gets stressed is to sick Grimlock on him. They're courting, but before you ask they're not facing. Don't tell Bee, but Grim had his facing hardware offlined when he got his medical exam by Ratchet a while back. Peace of mind and all that." Sunstreaker nodded quietly, trying to keep up. "The other bots on our team are Drift- a samurai kinda mech with two minicon students named Slipstream and Jetstorm, Fixit- our official office-bot and minicon maintenance bot for the Alchemor, and Strongarm. She's like Prowl, but with more hissy-fits." Sunstreaker immediately tilted his head at the mild flush on Sideswipe's face. With a mischievous smile blooming afterwards, Sunstreaker trapped a suddenly clean Sideswipe against the ledge so he couldn't climb out. "Ohhh?" 

Sideswipe immediately shoved Sunstreaker's face against the side of the tub. "She's...kinda cute, to be honest. But she's super into rules and all that, so she can get pretty unbearable." Sunstreaker nodded with a knowing chuckle, curling into the warmth of the tub. "So, Optimus, Ratchet, and Ironhide are visiting?" Sideswipe nodded. "Yeah. There's also a whole mess of humans at the moment, cause the government found out we were hanging out and collecting the escaped cons. The only ones you should really know are Denny Clay, Russell Clay, and William Lennox. Will's close to the big bots, and Denny and Russell are our hosts. I'm certain you'll like them once you get used to them. They're really understanding about personal space." 

Sunstreaker nodded, and Sideswipe allowed his helm to lull against the back of the tub. "So, is Grimlock older than Bumblebee?" Sideswipe nodded. "Yeah. He's a lot older, but the relationship is balanced out by the fact that Bee's a LOT smarter than Grim, and that Bumblebee's the one that killed Megatron. It's not really a concern for Grimlock to hurt Bumblebee. Overall, Grim's more of a fourth Caretaker at this point. But, they are still tech ically dating, so once they retire for the night we try to leave them alone. Let 'em cuddle and talk over what they need to. He usually just hovers and makes sure he takes care of himself anyway, so it's good for them to have some time to be themselves." Sunstreaker hummed but shrugged it off. "As long as Bumblebee understands all the risks and keeps himself safe, it sounds like it's not my business to tell him what to do." Sideswipe hummed his agreement. 

"So, tell me about prison. Was it as bad as I felt in my spark, or was it just the separation anxiety?" Sunstreaker scoffed, trying to sink lower into the cooling oil. "The separation was the worst of it. Other than that, it's nothing like what Shockwave put us through. The beatings weren’t as severe as his. All I had to do was whimper and pretend like it hurt, and they would just stop to laugh. Other than that, everything got better once I was put in solitary. Act a little pissy or volatile whenever someone entered, and it guaranteed me my alone time." Sideswipe chuckled, stoking a servo down the back of Sunstreaker's helm. "Guess we did learn somethin' useful from that scrapheap." 

Sunstreaker snorted his amusement just before he sighed, standing from the cooling oil. "Shower?" Sideswipe held his hands out for help up, and the two grinned at the noticeable difference in Sunstreaker's joints. No longer unstable and lock-worthy, the two stumbled to the adjacent shower that was only a few steps towards the door. Drowning themselves in hot solvent once more, Sideswipe tried to continue the conversation. "Prison food gross?" Sunstreaker's face said it all, and Sideswipe laughed as he pulled his twin under the steaming rain of solvent from the waterfall tap. After a few nanokilks of savoring the heated cleanser, Sunstreaker fluffed his plating and shook his helm. "I wonder why Prowl and Jazz have such fancy wash racks." Sideswipe shrugged as he followed Sunstreaker's example. "My guess is cause they both have doorwings. The fancy bath and this shower probably help with trying to get all the kibble." 

The conversation lulled as they set to work on their frames with brushes and liquid solvent. It was an efficient process with each twin helping the other with the more difficult parts, affectionately nuzzling whenever helms were close enough for contact. Once plating was pristine once more, the tap was shut off and they walked another handful of steps over to the next section of the massive bathroom- the dryer. A silent pact was made to never tell anyone that the massive blow dryer had scared both of them when they were blasted with air from all directions, not just the front. Giggling like younglings, they fluffed their plating until they were dry. Looking over his twin, Sideswipe sighed. "You look awful." Sunstreaker gave him a flat look, but Sideswipe just turned to pull the paint stripper off the shelf. "Let's fix that."

After about 5 joors in the washroom, the twins finally emerged with sparkling paintjobs. Having scanned his brother's alt, the relation between the two was painfully obvious now. Filling a cube, they relaxed in the common room to fully investigate from the couch. The walls were high- tall enough to comfortably fit Optimus. The room itself was sparse, having a handful of holos on the wall of a trio of Praxians- Sunstreaker assumed the monochrome one was Prowl. The blue one and the grey one, he had no idea. They were in all of the pictures though, with the others consisting of the two unknown mecha together with the grey posing with an impressively large rifle. The other was of the two and Jazz playing some kind of game, and the blue one looked rather upset from a probable loss. The fourth was the four together, reclining from the view of an unknown mech in a room with garish orange walls. 

The main attraction was the MASSIVE holoscreen on the wall, easily taking up two-thirds of the accent wall- the rest covered in a wide variety of holos and games, along their respective consoles and players. The large speakers at the top of the room promised some quality entertainment. The adjacent wall was a full window, spanning the entire wall and in prime position to look over the skyline as Luna 1 made its ornly cycle.  The third wall- directly behind them- held the doors to the berthrooms, and the fourth had the Energon preparation stations and dispenser, stocked with enough additives to make even the most devoted foodie's mouth lubricate with digestive nanites. Two cubes of investigation later, the two found themselves growing tired. 

A quick check confirmed a third bedroom just across the hall to the one Bumblebee had claimed, and Sunstreaker was pulled into the room with a welcome ease. Investigation was ignored for the moment, and they quickly curled up onto the heated recharge slab. The haze of sleep started to settle, and the two stared for a long second before a silent consensus was reached. Pressing themselves flush, chestplates parted to allow their sparks to merge for the first time in vorn, and lead them into the most peaceful recharge they've had in their entire existence.

With systems quietly buzzing with a synchronized recharge, neither saw the musical mech quietly crack the door open to peek inside. He closed it with a smile, turning back to his tired mate. Pulling him close, the two dimmed the lights to disappear into their own room. Prowl sat on the berth with his wings at a proud tilt, watching his lover take a moment to look over the growing skyline. "I am glad they're getting some recharge. Ratchet said he would be by in the morning for repairs and a basic checkup." Jazz grinned widely, nodding his approval. "Good. Poor bitlets need come TLC." Prowl hummed his agreement as both watched a flight frame cut through the sky.

"I truly dislike that the senate will allow mecha to go through that. They treat Prisoners worse than Decepticons." Jazz scoffed, shaking his helm. "True. That bad feelin' jus grows erryday Prowler... Hopefully with Optimus back, he can reel em' back in." Prowl shook his helm, silently watching over the sky from his place on the berth. "I wouldn't even push that. I would settle for the Senate giving Bumblebee the Matrix- like they should have when Optimus died." Jazz bit back a bitter laugh. "Yeah. I don' think that'll be happnin' soon." Prowl fluttered his wings once more as Jazz closed the curtain, smiling softly at his lover when he turned to face him.

Roaming his optics over the ever-so-proper Praxian on the berth, Jazz felt his Energon start to heat deep in his stomach. "Mhm. Yanno..." Prowl tilted his helm, knowingly crossing one leg over the other with a familiar smile. "Yer real hot when ya get ta cuss some mecha out." Prowl quirked a brow, aimlessly flicking his wings. "Surprising- My temperature readings are responding within normal parameters." Investigating his manicure, blue optics didn't look up until Jazz was standing just before him. With a digit tilting his chin up, Jazz bent down to kiss Prowl's nasal ridge. "Ah can fix tha'." Prowl just snickered, purring his engine as he slipped his arms around Jazz' neck. "Please do."

Chapter Text

Bumblebee had to admit, he was surprised when he woke to find Grimlock curled protectively around his frame. A rumbling purr kicked up as soon as the Dinobot realized Bumblebee was awake, but the customary good morning kiss kept him from asking anything for a few minutes. Eventually they broke for air, and Bee shifted to slip his arms around Grimlock's neck. "And how'd you get in here without waking me up?" 

"Weeell, Jazz unlocked the door, and you were dead to the world. I told ya that you needed sleep!" Playfully shoving his chosen mate's helm, Bumblebee huffed. "Well, I was busy." Grimlock just purred, curling closer for cuddles. "So, how'd Sunstreaker go?" The growl was enough of a response on its own. "I'm glad he's out of there. I haven't seen them since they went to get clean, but I'm assuming they're lightyears better off than they were a week ago." 

"That's good at least. Think they'll get along with everyone else now that they're together again?" 

Bumblebee groaned and hit Grimlock in the face with a pillow. Rumbling his laughter, Grimlock went directly for the ticklish seams in Bumblebee's sides. The squealing laughter and venomous swears were enough to prompt a grinning Jazz to pull open the door and throw a pillow at Grimlock. Laughter could be heard from the main room when Grimlock fell with a yelp, and Bee quickly bolted from the bed to hide behind Jazz. It didn't take too long for Grimlock to get back onto his pedes, and at that moment Jazz and Bee bolted towards the main room. 

Sunstreaker was notably startled when the pair fled to Prowl on the loveseat and Optimus on the couch, poorly hiding behind the furniture when Grimlock pouted his way to the main room. Sideswipe nudged his twin, trying to help jostle through the surprise of Grim's massive frame and sharpened nails. The Dino easily pulled an '''''unwilling''''' Bumblebee in for a crushing hug and immediately dropped onto his aft, but the lack of true struggle had Sunstreaker glancing to his twin for a confused confirmation. Nothing but amusement echoed through their re-established bond, and Sunstreaker dismissed it as the 'relaxed' Bumblebee that they had spoken about. The knowledge that had come from his twin's spark reassured him that this was a side of Bumblebee he wanted to see more often. 

Strongarm rolled her optics playfully, but after the room had settled a bit Bumblebee took the floor. "Alright then." Straightening up slightly in Grim's arms, he made sure everyone was within easy conversation range. "I'm fairly certain you've had your basic introductions, and I apologize for oversleeping. In case you missed his, this big goof behind me-" Grimlock beamed a toothy smile, rocking Bee side-to-side slightly. "- is Grimlock." Sunstreaker shifted slightly as Bee continued. "Yes, he was a Decepticon. But he's finished his parole and has chosen to become an Autobot instead. That aside, do you have any questions or anything, or did I powernap through that part?"

Optimus chuckled quietly from his place on the largest sofa, crammed between his lover's protective frames as Sunstreaker shook his helm no. Ratchet rested his own helm against Optimus' shoulder while an aged thumb stroked over the back of Optimus' hand. "He's on his way to being healthy as a metrohorse too. He's got a cough in his engine from disuse, but I had the two of them up with Luna 1's setting to give them an overhaul. The more he drives, the better it'll get. No long patrols for at least a week." Nodding, Bumblebee didn't even hesitate. "So, no mandatory patrols at all until Ratch clears you." Immediately sensing Sideswipe's argument, he continued. " Mandatory, Sideswipe. He's still welcome to accompany you on yours- he just won't have anything he has to do until he's back on his pedes." 

Sunstreaker gave him a mildly distrustful look. "I appreciate it, but why?" Judging from the sudden jump by half the mecha, Sunstreaker hadn't taken the opportunity to talk for himself yet. Strongarm found herself staring in shock as Bumblebee explained. "Well, judging from your frame when we first met. The wear on your knees and the top of your pedes, coupled with the scratches on your back, hood, and neck implied they had you kneeling with weights." Optics widened as all non-military personnel went dead quiet. "The way your elbows and shoulders creaked imply you've had your hands bound behind your back for a span of time, and the natural hunch I saw could mean a stressed spinal support disk." Sunstreaker was leaning back now, and Sideswipe couldn't hold back his own taste of fear at how quickly Bee had dissected what had happened. 

Grimlock chuckled his amusement, poking the yellow plating on his side. "Which one this time? WWII? Unicron? Chicago?" Bee gasped and patted Grim's haunch. "Close! Hoover Dam!" Grimlock purred as Optimus gave them a sidelong look, but it was ignored in favor of another jest. "Aw, here I was gonna bet on back in Tyger Pax-" Optimus turned the full brunt of the motherly glare on the Dino, but Bumblebee just covered his face with his hands as a muffled "Nooooo!" echoed from between laughs. Drift's face was horrified as he cleared his throat. "Moving on!" 

Russell happily dismissed the attempt at shifting topics as he suddenly popped out from behind Drift- Sunstreaker startled as the minicons and Denny tried to pull him back. "Did you get hurt in all of those battles?" Bee nodded, holding out his hand for the tiny human to climb onto. "Yep. Those are some of the well-known ones where I was forced onto my knees. I could probably tell you stories for days if I had to recount every time." Russell settled in with a quiet 'woah’, kicking his feet off the side of Bee's palm playfully. 

Moving on himself, Russell waved to Sunstreaker. "Hi, Sunstreaker! I'm Russell!" Sunstreaker didn't respond, just nodded with a dumbfounded look. Denny stepped out, shaking his head. "That's my son. I'm Denny Clay- I own the scrapyard that our team uses as a base." Sunstreaker nodded again, studying the two with a carefully guarded expression. Optimus held out his servo for Denny, seeing as Bee was having a spontaneous staring contest with Russell. Climbing onto the offered hand, He turned his attention to Sunstreaker. "I'm glad Bee was able to get you out of there. Prison isn't fun for humans, I don't even want to imagine what it will be like for Cybertronians." Feeling nervous in the spotlight, Sunstreaker shrugged. "It's nothing compared to Shockwave's slag, so..." Falling quiet once more, Sunstreaker could easily see who understood and who didn't. 

Jazz hummed, rolling his shoulders as he finally sat on the couch beside his mate. "Speaking of ka-vr-krt-vrr-ka-thhrchkt-" Ironhide burst out laughing as most of the mecha's faces went red. "- Bee!" Laughter upscaled for a solid minute, and Bee just gave Jazz a flat look until he continued. "Didja ever get the Senate to tell ya where the Matrix is?" Sighing heavily, Bee sank back against Grim's chest. "If they did, I would have called you to get it back. I'm half tempted to just go in there and call a stop until they do." The eyes in the room were full of wary understanding. Ratchet lightly patted his helm in return. "I still don't want you anywhere near a senator. I wouldn't put it passed this cabinet to try to manipulate you somehow." 

"I know. I don't trust them either. Hell, I'd trust Starscream over Senator Blackwing anyday." Scoffing, Ironhide grumbled something distinctly Cybertronian under his breath. Optimus bumped his helm against his mate's purring a reassuring tone. "Somethin' just ain't right bout that mech." Bumblebee snorted a laugh. "Yeah, it's probably the fact he switches personalities faster than Russel can change the channels on TV." Russell grinned proudly, posing as if he was playing a game on his console. 

Optimus hummed quietly. "I'm certain it will find its way back to us. Even with meddling, Primus finds his own way." With nods all around, Prowl's urge to be a mother-hen took over and he found himself strolling over to the kitchen area to prepare goodies. Jazz just turned on the massive holo-screen, holding up an obviously custom copy of Mario Kart. Wanna get rekt-Cybertronian style?" Russell's grin was more than enough of an answer. 

The more William Lennox was around Chad Arkton, the less he trusted the weaselly man- and thankfully, he wasn't alone. Raf stood beside him casually, sipping from the flask he always carried on his waistband. Will knew better than to judge, because no Alcohol he ever came across smelled quite like home- quite like the bots. "Never got over the dependency?" 

Raf shot him a beaming smile, capping the flask. "Never tried. Ratch and I agreed when I first got the Dark Energon purged- when we realized I now needed Energon to survive- we decided it was a once in a lifetime chance to test extended Energon side-effects on humans." Humming his understanding, Will patted the young man's back. "For Science, huh?" Raf laughed, toasting Will before tossing back what was left. Turning to face the elder, Raf hefted himself up to sit on the railing. "It's super interesting so far. I know I'm currently aging at a normal rate, but my body itself is still like my early twenties! I'm assuming it's due to the supercharged energy it's feeding into my cells." 

"Do you think it's because of the radiation?" 

"I'm not entirely certain. I stopped hurting when I was about sixteen, so I'm assuming I've either adapted to the Energon or the nanites Ratchet has me add have been reinforcing the cells themselves. Very fascinating either way!" Will shook his head, watching over the troops as they began their morning regimen. "Is it strange that I don't like not having the bots around?" Raf gently stroked a hand across Will's shoulders. "Nah. I miss 'em more every day, but I know it's too dangerous for us to all be together. Take Bee and Grim whenever Chad's around- Yeah, they hover and cuddle, but I can see that they're usually way closer. Even around his Team, Bee doesn't really relax unless he's got his entire creation unit and probably a few extra officers around. Having someone small and crushable around... it could become a hinderance extremely quickly." 

Will hummed, and they both fell silent as the soldiers ran the circumference of the room- the rains had left it useless to do any kind of speed testing outside. "Yeah. It's just that we got the rare chance to get close to 'em. I still remember the nights in Egypt when 'Hide would tell me stories of Megs before he lost it, or how he trained Baby Bee to the soldier he is today. They're more than machines to us." Both fell quiet again as Chad stepped out of his office, looking rather smug. The man didn't notice the pair on the railing, instead trotting down the stairs with an unusual pep in his step. 

They remained quiet until he had left the main hangar through the side door that led to the weapons hangar, but quietly shared a look. Will tapped the railing with his fist twice, straightening up. "I trust that man about as far as I can throw him." Raf snorted, kicking his feet absently. "Yeah. I must admit though, it is funny watching that sexist xenophobic get owned by Bumblebee every time he tries to push his shitty views around." That made Will laugh, and he squeezed Raf's knee as he turned away. "Yeah, It is pretty great. I'm just gonna keep my eyes on him, make sure he doesn't do something stupid to try to 'one up' the bots." 

Raf nodded, slipping off the railing. "Yeah. I should still be good for lunch, but if the experiment goes longer than expected I wouldn't wait for me. I'd say a grace of 10?" Will nodded, holding out his fist. Bumping it happily, Raf slid a keycard into the laboratory door. Will watched the young genious disappear inside, whistling quietly he pulled out his phone to text his favorite cannon-wielding pickup. 

- Hey, careful when ya comeback. The Official Duchebag™ is abnormally happy today. 

- Hn. Noted. Anything strange, or just a good mood?

- Nothing in particular- just a feeling. He came out of his office and seemed like he had his guard down. I just didn't like it. How's the newbie?

- I'll tell the others. We'll keep it in mind. Sunstreaker's real quiet, but it's obvious he's overwhelmed by it all. Seems to be adapting quick though. 

Humming happily, Will resisted the urge to call and hear his partner's voice.

- Good. I'd bet my salary this year Sideswipe is keeping him calm through a spark bond.

Some looked up when Ironhide snorted, and the Mech easily explained while he responded to Will's message. "Will says the greaseball is pretty happy toda'. Nothin’ in particular, but we shoul' use abitta caution when comin' back." 

- Yeah, twin bonds can be stronger than a long-mated pair. Overall though, he's way more stable than I was expecting. Keep me posted, Scout.

-Will do, Eagle.

As soon as he got the confirmation from Lennox, he sent the virus to delete their conversation. Sunstreaker tilted his head slightly, but Sideswipe already was on it. "There's a guy back at the military base that's an utter ass. He likes to push his opinions around." Sunstreaker barely managed to bite back the annoyed growl. "Yeah, I knew a guard like that." Bumblebee hummed as Grimlock lightly nuzzled his helm. "Yeah, I know far too many for my own good. Most of them are Senators." 

That made Jazz laugh as he tossed both Bumblebee and Grimlock a sealed cube. "Yer not wrong!"  Prowl rolled his optics as Jazz slid back into his seat, pressing his helm against Prowl's and curling his legs over Prowl's own- accidently kicking the empty goodie tray onto the floor. Lulling his head lazily, the lieutenant looked over to the enforcer. "Did you get your statements done?" Prowl nodded, and Bee nodded. "Good. We probably shouldn't stay too much longer then, especially if Chad's being a creep." 

The Bee Team casually began to collect themselves-Except Bee, who just sat with his optics off and his back against Grim's chest. Optimus watched them for several Nanokilks before he quietly chuckled. "Are you planning on joining us, Chirr-Wic-Click?" Russell grinned as Bee said something back with a strange syllabatic rhythm, but quickly grew confused when half the mecha in the room whipped their helms around in shock. 

Optimus just rolled his optics, responding in the same lyrical tones. A quick back and forth occurred before Bee cracked open an optic with an amused smile and a put-upon "Fiiiine."  Ratchet sighed heavily, shaking his helm as Ironhide lightly jabbed him with his elbow. "Ey now, give 'em some credit- least he didn' inherit yer work ethic!" Immediately wheeling with a wrench, laughter broke out when the weapons specialist now had to parry an angry medic. Sunstreaker was notably horrified by the time Bee had helped Grimlock to his pedes. 

Giving him a disarming grin, Bumblebee scooped up the humans. Drift just leant in- still outside of Sunstreaker's personal space though- and muttered quietly. "It is how they show affection. Years of war has left them with their own quirks." Nodding as he pressed against his brother slightly, Sunstreaker nodded. When the goodbyes were said and the Bridge was loaded, Sideswipe squeezed his brother's servo... only to receive a teasing prod through their bond when Strongarm stepped through the bridge before the twins, leaving Sideswipe noticeably distracted to his twin.  

Ironhide grinned at the quiet antics of Sunny and Sides before stepping through the bridge, immediately scanning the area for his human partner. Spotting the man barking orders at some recruits, Ironhide quietly stepped over and scooped the Colonel into his hands. Colonel William Lennox did not miss a single beat, readjusting to lean back against Ironhide's thumb, propping his feet up on Ironhide's calf once the mech had settled into a cross-legged sitting position. Optimus chuckled and lightly brushed his servo against Ratchet's waist, nodding toward their third. Ratchet grinned in response, patting the larger mech's upper arm.

Bumblebee stepped through next, closely followed by Grimlock, and Ratchet was rather surprised they managed to keep from looming too much when Sideswipe brought Sunstreaker through. All the humans in the room turned to look at the newest mech, and Sunstreaker felt his plating ruffle in response. Sideswipe gave him a soothing grin, using his field to calm his brother- it was always more effective anyway. Chad glared from the balcony, leveling his glare at Bumblebee. "Well well, what a surprise. You brought another back with you."

Bee felt his face might permanently damage if he gave Chad a flatter look. "If you hadn't run off to your office, you would have known that." Huffing like an insulted child, Chad rolled his eyes. "I'll get the camera after I make a few phone calls." Bee didn't respond as the obviously angry man turned and slammed the door to his office. Will just rolled his eyes from his pace in Ironhide's servos before turning his head back to bark orders. The soldiers scrambled, and Sunstreaker visibly relaxed with the attention off him. Bumblebee quietly took an unoccupied corner, pulling out his ever-present datapad while Will enlisted Grimlock to give the soldiers some... incentive. 

Amused chuckles broke out with the Jurassic Park re-enactment, and the air settled with the horrified laughter of the fleeing soldiers and thundering pedefalls of Grimlock's alt. After the sixth lap, the twins silently drifted to sit near Bumblebee. After an acknowledgment grin, they watched him work. Within minutes he had four screens up on his holoprojector, and Sideswipe tilted his helm. "Are you doing inventory?"

Bee's digits hovered for a nanokilk, but he continued fast enough. "Half-way. I keep a grand list of supplies, and once a month I double check the actual stock against what's there. Every two weeks, I make sure my lists match up with the logs on base. I'm doing the latter right now, and the security cameras are helpful for doing it remotely." Sunstreaker nodded, mildly impressed. "Why do it so much? Shouldn't the monthly check be enough?" 

That's when they got the sheepish grin. "Honestly, I could do it once every two months and be perfectly fine considering how small our team is. I'm just bored." That made both burst out into laughter, startling a nearby Strongarm. Bumblebee just smiled. "Yeah. I'm so used to having so much to do- on the field, Scouts will die if we decide to take a breather. That's been such a big part of my life so long, I just get anxious when I don't have anything to put my mind on." Sideswipe snorted. "Oh yeah, we've noticed. At least you keep things running." Bee hummed his agreement. 

Sideswipe fell silent for a long while, but eventually Sunstreaker sighed and rolled his optics. "What do you think is a good option for us once we're don here on Earth? Would that pardon help get a job?" Glancing back up when Sideswipe whipped his helm towards his twin, Bumblebee gave them a small grin that reminded Sideswipe of a certain semi across the room. "Well, I've reviewed the videos of the fight you got into with the guards... I would always be interested in having a bodyguard for special events that can throw down when it's required. Sideswipe is very good at inventory- even if he doesn't like it- so I was thinking of something more business management. If you both work under me, it's guaranteed you won't be separated again, and it's more than plausible to live on that kind of wage and have ample for any hobbies you may want to take up." 

Optics widened, and Bumblebee glanced between them with that same smile still in place. "Even more incentive is the fact that if Sunstreaker is part of my retainer guard, you're both technically high-ranking officials due to the nature of your sparks. Which means if someone happens to harass you about your sparks, they could get in severe trouble for threatening an official of the Prime. This would also extend to anyone either of you choose to bond with, as they would undoubtedly find their way into the administrative district with Sideswipe." The stylus twirled around Bumblebee's pointer and middle digit. "It's an option that is open to you if you should choose to take it. Otherwise, Prowl would take over as your official mentor, and you would be free to pursue any careers you choose. Your records will be dropped as soon as the case with Main Iacon is settled."  The twins were utterly speechless. Sideswipe's jaw hung slightly slack, and Sunstreaker obviously fumbled with the words tumbling around his helm before settling on a single, emotion-filled syllable-"Why?" 

Bumblebee's smile turned to one of knowing, and it left Sunstreaker mildly frightened. "Because. I've got a feeling."

Sideswipe was quiet for a long moment, before realization lit up his optics. "...Ohhhhh." Sunstreaker looked over at his twin as slowly as the syllable was let out, before groaning and putting his face into his servos. Bumblebee just returned to his work, and Sideswipe thumped his shoulder against Sunstreaker's. "It's good." Sunstreaker didn't even raise his helm. "He's got a feeling Sideswipe." The red twin dropped his chin onto his Brother's shoulder. "I'll explain it when we get time." 

Chapter Text

It had taken a while for Chad to finish his calls. Will had taken the down time to tell them all about the unusually chipper morning, and Raf and eventually appeared from the lower levels for 'lunch'- even though it was closer to 7 am than noon. The other humans were still sleeping due to the ungodly early hours, so it gave the group closest to the bots time to catch up without so many others distracting them. Russell had nearly jumped from his skin for the chance to talk to someone who knew what he was going through- Denny jumped at the chance to meet one of the most prominent minds of the modern era. Either way, Russell's homework was finished in record time, and Russell found himself wondering why teachers had to explain it in an hour in a half when Raf did it in ten. All was well until the third time the Nevada native sipped from his flask in a half hour period- That’s when a soldier decided to toss an insult to the young man. 

This lead to Will and Ironhide barking at him in unison, forcing the entire platoon to run alongside the smartass to 'teach him some teamwork'. Judging from the faces of his platoonmates, the soldier was going to learn the lesson well. Once the soldiers left the room, Denny couldn't resist his dad urges. "I'm sorry if this isn't my place, but in case it’s something you've been tryin’ to stop- My dad got off his addiction by slowly mixing more and more water in. It was hard as hell for him, but he was too stubborn to actually get help. He got clean after a year or so." Raf laughed, patting Denny's hand. Russell was proud his dad didn't squeal on the spot from the physical acknowledgment. "It's not alcohol, we just let the soldiers think that. It's actually Energon." Both Clay’s brows went to their hairline, and Russell's confused look was enough to prompt an explanation. 

"Bee was one of the bots I used to ride with. One day, Megatron got into it with Bumblebee when I was in his cab. Bee got hit with Megs’ cannon, and the resulting shock left me infected with Dark Energon. We managed to get my body clean of all the toxins, but my cells were damaged severely by the accident." Rolling up one of his sleeves, Russell felt his blood run cold. Raf just raced over the dark lightning bolt-esque burns permanently engraved into his skin as he continued. "I wasn't getting better, even with Ratchet's medical knowledge. By accident, Ratch accidentally cut his finger when he was cleaning one of the scalpels he had recently used on Bulkhead- a teensy bit of Energon got on my leg, and later that day I was showing significant improvement. I tried a small sip of the stuff the bot's drink for the science of it all, and after the pain faded it helped more than any medication ever had. I've been on it ever since, and I take one of these flasks slowly over two hours. Just before bed, I drink a flask of undiluted Energon and it gets me through the night without any serious repercussions or relapses.”

Russell couldn't decide if he was horrified or amazed, but Denny certainly could. The father frowned slightly, but took advantage of the rare opportunity to question someone more experienced in this situation. "Do you regret it?" Raf looked up, pushing his glasses up his nose reflexively. "Regret what?" Denny shifted, glancing at Russell. Understanding flashed through Raf's eyes, and he smiled as he pulled down his sleeves. "Never. Even if I knew everything I know now- If I knew my friends would be silenced legally, if I knew I would be forced into this stupid government job.” He paused for a moment, debating on if he wanted to continue.  “If I knew Jack and Arcee would die because they became too close- I would still do it. The things I've learned, the bots I've met...I'd always choose them." 

Russell grinned, gripping his ankles to keep his balance when Raf shot him a grin of his own as he continued. "The only thing I've ever regretted about the bots, was not going with when they offered me a place on Cybertron." Bee laughed from his place beside Optimus. "That offer never expired, Little Einstein." Raf grinned widely, but conversations stopped as Chad came down the main staircase with the camera in hand. Sunstreaker growled quietly, but Sideswipe encouraged him to take his alt and get this over with. Will straightened his back as Chad hit the main floor, tapping his servos against Ironhide's wrist in a code they both knew by heart. Within seconds, every mech in the room was watching the shady official with close optics.

The camera was dutifully uncapped, but Grimlock noticed a stall when he saw one. He stepped closer to Bumblebee as Chad took his sweet time documenting Sunstreaker's alt. The steps he took around the nervous Cybertronian were precise and measured, and he was unusually picky about each flash of the camera. Bumblebee could feel the growing apprehension from hics away. The others in the room seemed to sense it as well, as Grimlock had moved to hover protectively behind Bumblebee while Optimus and his mates stood on the other side of Sunstreaker. Sideswipe stood nervously before his twin, beside an equally nervous Strongarm and a casually stoic Drift. The second Chad put the lens cap on, a smug grin crossed his face. Clapping his servos, Bee gestured for everyone to gather up for the bridge home. Without a word to Chad, Bee turned to give Grimlock a half-worried-half-comforting grin as he started to set the coordinates in his personal bridge control.

Just before he pressed the button, his spark froze as he registered the flash of an activating ground bridge behind him. His digits froze, and he cursed every deity he could think of while wrestling with the urge to commit some rather un-autobotly behavior.

The mech that stepped through was tall- obviously a flight frame- and purposefully ignored all others in favor of training the rich purple optics on the runaway Primal Designate. "Bumblebee! It's so good to see you're safe!" Strongarm had never seen Bumblebee have to fix a grin from a scowl, but she sincerely hoped she would never have to ever again. The young mech turned with the fakest smile she had ever seen, but she had to shift her attention to the newcomer. The light purple and yellow mech was admittedly a looker, with dark shadows highlighting the impressive wingspan. Capped digits extended to Bumblebee in an offer of a formal greeting, but Bee's hands remained clasped behind his back as he continued to hold his empty smile. "Senator Blackwing. It's been a while." Ratchet had to bite back the laugh at what was probably the world's flattest greeting. 

"That it has, little one." The words rolled off Blackwing's tongue, and everyone in the room felt their fight or flight response start to kick in. "I would prefer if you didn't call me that, Senator. To you, I am neither 'little', nor subordinate enough to deem that particular brand of disrespect." Blackwing hummed a trilling noise, allowing his optics to glance around the room. "That is true... except the fact that you are not a bearing Prime- You are not as high above the Senate as you would like to believe you are." He barely finished the sentence before that grin on Bee's face turned mildly malicious. "I'm high enough. And we could fix that problem if you all would be so kind as to return the Matrix like you're supposed to when Optimus passed. Let's skip the pleasantries- what do you want."  

Blackwing gave Bumblebee a theatrically disappointed look. "So hostile! Can you blame me for wanting to make sure that the very future of Cybertron itself was safe and sound?" Bumblebee barely managed to keep the 'formal' smile on his face. "Please, Senator. I'm quite capable of taking care of myself." Blackwing took a step forward, and Ironhide sat Will down as charged his arm cannon. "That is something I agree with, Bumblebee. You've managed to elude our scanners for quite some time- that time as a scout served you well. But it's time for you to grow up, little one. The time for hide-and-seek has passed, and you have duties to tend to." 

Optimus stepped forward then, putting himself between Bee and Blackwing. "You have no basis on what he does." Blackwing looked the Prime up and down dismissively. "Neither do you, Primal Quondam. He needs to be where Cybertron knows he is safe- not with a group of criminals who don't understand the gravity of his role!" Grimlock growled darkly as he shifted Bee to stand closely behind him. "You ain't goin' near Bee." Blackwing seemed surprised when Grimlock started to growl. 

Optics flickered over him once with a firm dismissal, before his optics widened. Looking Grimlock over far more thoroughly, the Senator felt his turbines pick up with his growing outrage. "You've selected him as your Protectorate!? Bumblebee, come now! There are a multitude of qualified mecha that can protect you! You don't need to scrape the muck to-" Bumblebee growled his own engine, lightly placing a servo between Grimlock's shoulder blades. "I would rather die with a mech that actually cares for my wellbeing than engage in a failed bond with a mech who would willingly sell me off to the highest bidder." Humans winced around the room at the implication, and Blackwing's wings flicked into an imposing position. "Bumblebee, I am a busy mech. Cut this... this scrap and return to Cybertron."

Bee just growled as bridges opened behind each little cluster of his team, and Bumblebee pulled Grimlock's shoulder as he fled through the bridge. Strongarm grabbed Will and Raf before fleeing through her own, as Ironhide grabbed Denny and Russell to follow suit. The senator lunged for Bumblebee just in time to get Optimus' fist to his face, and the semi made it through the second bridge just before it sealed shut.

Blackwing snarled as the last bridge closed, knowing it was futile to try to track them through the bridges- he was a senator, not Soundwave. Pushing himself to his pedes, he didn't notice the startled man suddenly duck behind a pillar as he turned to Chad. "Marvelous. This is turning into a vat of organic-tainted sludge." Chad sighed, looking over the Cybertronian. "I can damn well guarantee they won't return to the scrapyard. The pulled William Lennox through the bridge with them, but he's got so many assets and friends willing to risk their lives for the bots that it's pointless to track them. I'll put an order through to track their bank cards, and I'll call you when we get a lead." Blackwing huffed, opening a bridge. "I certainly hope this goes quickly- for your planet's sake. Otherwise, I cannot guarantee what the masses back on Cybertron will do." 

Chad shuddered, barely managing to hold back his spite. "Yeah, well, trust me. We don't want them upset either. You'd think someone that's as old as Bumblebee would understand his situation and not be so damn childish!" Blackwing rolled his optics. "Fifty-thousand is young for a Cybertronian, but it is roughly comparable to an Eighteen-year-old for you humans. If he's legally old enough to make his own legal decisions, he should take his place as a Prime and allow us to choose his protectorate through the capable mecha in the queue. But, one way or another, he is not a member of your culture- therefore, what he does and who he bonds with is ultimately none of your concern. In the end, he will learn." Blackwing growled the next part, stalking towards the swirling spacebridge. "Be it his way... or our way." Chad scoffed quietly, muttering his own retort. "That's why you don't put all your fucking importance on an underage brat. Even if they've got military experience." 

Sam swallowed from his place behind the pillar, using the fop of the bridge's closing to cover the sound of his retreat. Pushing his body against the door to the barracks Miko immediately looked up, slowly freezing her current process of tying her shoe. The humans that still lingered in the bunker knew they were fucked before Sam even opened his mouth.

Plating immediately flattened as bitter cold rushed through Optimus' system, and a series of bridges opened before the Prime. Opening his comm, he sent a quick message to one of his most trustworthy humans- Charlie Burns. The message was brief, and encrypted as a automated status check. Optimus stepped through one of the bridges at random, knowing the aging Policeman would understand he plea behind the message. Each bridge led him briefly through a desert, rainforest, another blizzard, and even something underwater before arriving at the scrapyard. The yard itself was a flurry of movement. Denny helped the bots tear down all but the spacebridge and store it in nearby locations. A quick scan of the yard found Grimlock hovering over a notably shaky Bumblebee, but they both diligently disabled the command bridge in silence. Optimus grabbed one of the larger beams, quickly moving it to the 'weight scrap'.

Strongarm and the others arrived in regular intervals, and by the time the group had reconvened Chief Burns had answered the Prime's pleading message. The group looked through the 'normal' scrapyard, and the air of slight despair didn't go unnoticed. Optimus took the start of the conversation. "I believe it is obvious that Chad Arkton is not to be trusted." Will's scoff earned a quiet chuckle around the group, and Grimlock pulled Bee close by the waist to give him an excuse to lean against something. "This means that, for the time being, we will need to be split up. Bumblebee, I have gotten confirmation on a place for you and Grimlock to hide. William-" Will held up a hand, shaking his helm. "I still have my 'ranch' in North Dakota. It's more than large enough to hide everyone." 

Ironhide leant down to bump his helm against Will's affectionately, and Raf couldn't hide the gleam in his eye. "Road trip?" Ratchet groaned, poking the scientist in the chest. "You are not listing to 'Despacito' and 'Reggaetón Lento' on repeat for the next twenty hours!" Raf huffed, slinking back against Will and casually muttering 'Tú chupas los huevos!' Ratchet immediately pushed a squealing Raf onto his back with a menacing growl. Optimus shook his helm, stepping over to place a servo onto Bumblebee's shoulder. "Do what you need to do to take care of yourselves." Bee nodded, and Grimlock's servo twitched as the younger mech quickly bounded over to claim hugs from his two other creators as everyone else discussed travel plans. 

Ratchet squeezed Bumblebee close to his side as he offered his opinion. "We should drive there. It gives them the insight that we're splitting up, but we can scan new alts and hide far better than leaving a bridge trail all over the fraggin' country. Bee and Grim, you two should be fine considering where you’re going." The two nodded as Grimlock pulled the former scout close once more, allowing his plating to settle once his unofficial charge was back in arm's reach. Optimus booted his private bridge once more, nodding to the others. "Drive with the upmost caution, everyone. Scan frequently, and obey the local traffic laws. I will arrive when it is safe for me to do so."

Hesitant goodbyes were said as they took the various bridges for a head start, and soon Bumblebee was left alone with his carrier and his suitor. Optimus seemed to be at a loss for words, settling instead for pulling them both in for a tight hug. Grimlock squirmed awkwardly at first, but settled into the warmth without too much struggle. "You two will go with team Sigma-17. They have agreed to hide you as best they can, and will inform me if either of you have disappeared." Bee seemed mildly excited, squeezing Grimlock's hand with his own as he stepped back from Optimus' embrace. The semi bumped their forehelms together. "I am so sorry I cannot protect you as I should, Chirr-wic-click." Bumblebee shook his helm, purring something back in the lyrical tones that Grimlock didn't understand. 

Straightening up, Optimus opened their bridge. They stepped through to another hangar- the lights were off, and none of the mecha bothered to turn them back on. Using their headlights for illumination, Bee flumped his helm against Grimlock's shoulder. Grim's quiet voice startled Bee slightly- Was Grimlock always able to sound so quiet? - and his processor barely managed to process the question before an amused Optimus answered. "That would be an early version of Primal Vernacular. It is a subtype of Old Cybertronian, but reserved in teaching for only the Primes and their closest cabinets. If you choose to be Bumblebee's Lord Protectorate, you will inevitably learn it." 

Grimlock hummed, thinking for a long moment before he met Optimus' optics with determination that was unusual for the playful mech. "Now's as good as later." Optimus reset his optics in surprise, but settled in with a grin. Bumblebee snuggled into the arm around his waist to listen to Optimus give his Protectorate-to-be the general rundown.

In the hours it took Chief Burns to reach the mainland, Grimlock had gotten thoroughly confused. Bee was giggling when the lights booted up from the outside, and helms turned when the doors pinged a correct passcode. The aging policeman smiled as he closed the door behind him, approaching the trio and receiving equally warm smiles. Optimus held out his servo for the Chief to stand on, and was met with a gentle bump to the forehead from Optimus. Confusion met the semi at first, but the human quickly figured out the meaning behind the gesture once Optimus began to speak. "I am forever in your debt, Charlie Burns. I know the risk you take to keep my sparkling safe is grave, yet you still choose to protect him." 

Charlie patted the blue servo he stood upon. "If you’re the type for level fields, consider us even for protecting Cody and Frankie when the time travel shenanigans happened. If not- That's what friends do. That's what families do. It's my honor to help keep yours safe." Bumblebee grinned as Charlie directed his attention to the snuggling couple. "And it would seem your family has gotten slightly bigger since we last met!" Bee glanced up at Grimlock, grinning as he hid himself slightly in the closest arm. "Yeah, I don't think it's going to be easy to live with Blades when he finally gets to meet Grimlock here." Charlie burst out laughing at the thought, jumping the few feet back to the earth.

"Yeah, between him and Dani, you two are about to have a fun time. Let's get you two back to Griffin Rock- where you'll be safe. The Island knows about the bots now, so you'll be free to roam around. The Government stopped looking around when Doc Greene 'accidently' blew up that ice machine a few years back..." Another chuckle between Bee and Charlie prompted Grimlock to decide not to ask. Putting his hands on his hips, Chief Burns gestured to the cargo bay. "Boulder is waiting with a flat to transport you on, Grimlock. Until we get to the island, pose as a new attraction for the museum. After the ferry leaves, you're safe to drop your cover. The captain will know, and I'll inform any that are on the ship about your predicament- but, I can't guarantee the government won't nose around until we're back on the island. So, it’s best to just enjoy the ride." Grimlock nodded, transforming and wagging his tail a few times for the suddenly awestruck human before disappearing through the bay to get secured. Bumblebee smiled as he heard the loud clang of an enthusiastic hug and a quiet yelp, shaking his helm and transforming after another helm-bump to his carrier. Charlie stroked his hand along Bee's hood before quietly popping the door, giving Optimus a nod before sliding inside and buckling his seatbelt.

"The kids were calling an immediate town hall meeting when I left- we decided to leave out the majority of why, but the whole town knows that you're in danger. I know they'll be as eager as we were to help keep you safe. In the meantime, you and Grimlock will be assisting my team on rescues and repairs that you can safely help with- otherwise, the firehouse is yours to enjoy. I believe Chase is going to bunk with Heatwave to give you two a room of your own." Charlie stroked Bee's wheel supportively as they pulled onto the ferry. "That isn't necessary. Grim and I-" 

"Won't argue on that. You're our guests. Also, I think Chase and Heatwave will enjoy the opportunity to not have to sneak off for their 'team building exercises'... if you know what I mean. Boulder and Blades already teamed up to give Blurr and Salvage a room, but never remembered to separate once they moved here to the mainland station." Bumblebee tried to keep his engine from stalling in embarrassment as Charlie laughed, stepping out to help direct Boulder and Grimlock safely onto the boat. Minutes later, they were safely sailing towards the unmonitored Griffin Rock- and Bee felt his creator bond sing with praise and well-wishes as a familiar Semi fled the coast.

Bumblebee was tempted to comm Grimlock, but he knew the signal would be found quickly here on the open ocean. Settling on his tires, he watched the evening ocean view drift by. Some mildly familiar faces- probably Griffin Rock natives returning from holiday- wandered around his alt every so often, 'ohh'ing and 'ahh'ing with affectionate strokes to his hood. Eventually, Chief Burns collected them all into a group in the captain's cabin. When the humans emerged once more, the pair were met with smiles and respectful distances. When they reached the island, Grimlock held pose until the captain winked, pulling his ferry away to carry the next load off to the mainland. 

Blades immediately sprung forwards, squealing and barely holding back long enough for Bumblebee to transform before squeezing the life out of the younger mech. The stray townsfolk around the dock laughed and stepped back, giving Grimlock ample room to transform and meet the others with his signature toothy grin. Blades' jaw dropped, and he slowly turned his helm back to his closest bestie to mutter quietly in his audial in basic Neocybex. "You said you found a snack, not a full-course meal!" The mortified warble from the former scout sent Heatwave into gut-busting laughter. The humans in the area were all confused, but quickly dismissed it as the resident aliens being...well. Aliens.  Grimlock looked around in confusion, tilting his head at Bumblebee for clarification on the human-esque comment. Groaning and hiding his faceplate in his hands, Bee just huffed out 'you're strong and cute.' Grimlock immediately beamed, fluffing like the proud Dinobot he was. 

Blades squealed quietly, squeezing the Urbana even closer and squealing. "This is gonna be the best! Slumber party! EVER!" Heatwave took that moment to roll his optics, stepping forward to pry the overjoyed helicopter off the smaller mech. Chase turned to Grimlock, greeting him with his usual monotone and politeness. Grimlock returned it with a grin, pulling the police bot in for a hug- easily lifting his pedes off the ground and earning a startled 'o-oh my!' from the now-flustered enforcer. Blurr laughed at the unfortunate capture of the police mech, but stifled it when Salvage leant down to ask him a question quietly. Heatwave chuckled and shook his helm as Chase received an up-close and personal view of that grin before being set down. Grimlock made his way to hover near Bee once more, and the group started to walk up the shoreline towards Professor Baranova's lab.  

Boulder eagerly pointed out various parts of the island as they passed, telling the stories behind them and introducing the pair to various people they happened to pass by. A minor detour occurred when Mr. Pettypaws ran across the road and up a nearby tree. Mrs. Neederlander didn't seem too pleased with more mecha on the island- especially not one who shrieked at the sight of her precious cat, and was now hiding behind a startled Heatwave. But, she dismissed them with her usual huff when Bumblebee got the ever-troubled fur ball out of the tree in record time. Blades contained his squealing with no small amount of overexcited prancing as Bee calmed the larger mech with quiet, soothing tones, leading him further up the shoreline. 

Once the group was moving once more (and Grimlock was effectively glued to Bumblebee's side to 'protect' Bee from any more feline attackers, of course), they finished their trek quickly. Doc Greene and Professor Baranova greeted them with waves, while Frankie happily sprinted to meet the newest mecha. The young woman was eagerly followed by Cody, and Bumblebee scooped them both into his servos with an affectionate wing flutter. Chief Burns made his way up to the Midgard to greet his longtime friend and the two members of his family beside him, grinning at Professor Baranova's mildly awed look. 

"The green one is certainly... large, isn't he?" She muttered, half to herself. Ezra hummed his agreement, but shrugged. "High Tide and Optimus are both rather large- it's probably just a frame type." Charlie hummed his agreement, watching as the Dinobot carefully cradled the kids in his sharpened servos. Even though Grimlock was at the wrong angle to see the softened grin he was getting from Bumblebee, the trio on the balcony was not. Ezra nudged Charlie, who grinned in return. "They're dating. Still in the sappy phase too. Blades is having a field day." The inventor burst out laughing, clapping his hands together as Anna giggled behind a hand and carefully rocked CeCe’s hover stroller. "Well, at least we know they won't be causing any trouble. Young loves tend to be... preoccupied." Ezra went slightly red, but Charlie chose not to address it. "'Fraid not, Anna. Bumblebee's physically too young to be doing any physical intimacy. They do seem to get very cuddly and protective though, so I'm certain we'll get some good pictures of the two dozing or being a little too absorbed in each other for the bot’s surprise scrapbook." 

Anna laughed, giving an overdramatic sigh and pretending to be bored with it all. Charlie shook his head, lightly bumping Ezra with his hip- who in turn, bumped Anna with a musical 'cha cha cha!'. "I wouldn't worry too much about that. If you're ever short of poorly-hidden affection, just watch Heatwave and Chase when they think they’re alone." Leaning up with a grin, Charlie nodded to his friend and descended the stairs. It took about ten seconds for the joke to register, and both scientists traded shocked glances before breaking down into shocked giggles. The group moved on then, intent on meeting the rest of the Burns family back at the Firehouse. Heatwave broke off from the group, seeing as he was the remaining trio's ride home from the town hall.

Blades took the initiative, disappearing into the bunker to collect movies for the oncoming movie night. Frankie kicked her feet, having already planned a sleepover at Cody's and brought her stuff over earlier in the day. The young teens settled down on the couch closest to Grimlock and Bumblebee, instantly turning to get stories of takedowns and captures from the mainland team. Two stories in, Heatwave returned to the base with the rest of the Burnses. The three humans renewed the spirit of enthusiastic greetings and lowkey amazement over the hulking mech curled behind Bumblebee, but overall the consensus was happy wishes to the couple. Chief Burns was right though- Dani and Blades were having a field day. Blurr was jolted slightly by Heatwave, and the racer gave a sheepish look as he finally introduced Salvage with a fist-bump to the Dinobot and a smile from the lieutenant.

Ten minutes of embarrassing squealing with Dani later, Cody pointedly asked for another story. Bumblebee gave him a thankful look, humming quietly as he shifted more of his weight against Grimlock. The Dinobot purred, snickering as he got an idea. "How about the time Strongarm got all detective-y!" Bumblebee groaned at the memory, but Blades just laid on his stomach to kick his pedes in the air with anticipation. Halfway through recounting the time Strongarm got a little too into her detective role, Frankie got The Look™.

She patiently waited till the story was over, but Bumblebee could see the question in her eyes. The bots and humans that had joined them hadn't quite caught on, but the room went curiously quiet when Frankie asked. "So, how did you two meet?" Grimlock grinned, looking to Bee. "Want me to tell this'un, or do you wanna?"  Bumblebee laughed just as Chief Burns came down the lift, joining the group with a comically large bowl of Popcorn.  "Well, we actually met right after I returned to Earth. Some slag went down on Cybertron that I don't have the mental energy to try to translate right now, so I'll skip ahead. There was a mech named Underbite tearing up a nearby campsite, but he escaped before we could arrest him. After tracking him down to a local scrapyard- yes, the same one we wound up making our base- this goof-" Bumblebee lightly rapped his knuckles against Grim's chest with a grin. 

"-Had managed to halfway break his own pod open and was antagonizing Underbite. He upset him enough to goad him into a fight, which gave our group time to get everything figured out on how we could catch him... Why did you want to punch him so bad anyway?" Grimlock gave Bumblebee an amused look. "You'd wanna punch him too after listnin' to 'em brag for a few vorn on end. We were in the same jail before being put on the Alchemor, so I'd wanted to deck him for a loooong time." Conceding with a knowing look, Bumblebee rested his helm against Grim's shoulder once more. "Anyway. After he helped us catch Underbite, I offered Grimlock parole or the pod." Grim beamed a smile, hugging Bee close. 

Blades' lips tugged into a frown as he tilted his helm. "Wait. I thought only prisoners were on the Alchemor?" Chase looked up with alarm when the pieces clicked into place, and Bumblebee chuckled. "Grimlock was originally a Decepticon. He switched sides after he finished his parole." A round of 'ohhhh's went around the humans in the room, and Bee quietly counted on his servos before Blades' helm whipped back around with a screech of 'WHAT?!' The mecha seemed suddenly concerned- except Blurr- as they eyed the Dinobot with varying degrees of caution.

Grimlock just laughed quietly, purring with a toothy grin on Bumblebee's shoulder. Bumblebee rolled his optics but thumped his helm against Grimlock's playfully. Slowly the group began to relax, but Cody stared for a moment longer than everyone else. "Did you choose to be a Decepticon, or was there not really an option to be an Autobot?" Grimlock blinked in surprise, but quickly recovered and reached a clawed servo out to ruffle Cody's hair. "Keep this'un Bee! He's smart! I didn't get ta choose, cause of where I grew up. Stereo-types an' all." Grimlock accented the slightly mispronounced word with air quotes, and Chief Burns grinned at his youngest son before clearing his throat. "Perhaps that's enough stories for now- I'm certain those two would enjoy some relaxation after the day they've had." The TV flicked on, effectively capturing everyone's attention with the old-school werewolf movie that the Burnses had purchased many years ago. 

About three hours in, Charlie glanced back at the oddly quiet couple. He half expected to see them sneaking a kiss while everyone was distracted or asleep, but instead was met with the heartwarming sight of Bumblebee- out cold and curled against Grimlock's side. The Dinobot was gently stroking down Bee's open side, muttering something far too quietly for human ears to register. Occasionally the green helm dipped to nuzzle against the yellow one, purring and cooing quietly to soothe any overactive dreams the youngling might be having. Looking down to his own children, Charlie pulled the VHS from the tape deck, retrieving blankets and draping them over the various unconscious humans. Grimlock grinned as Bumblebee's optics flickered online in response to the movement, looking around sleepily and clicking with confusion. 

The responding purr was a deep rumble, and Bumblebee willingly dropped his helm back onto Grim's shoulder as he curled in a lazy half-stretch. Chase stood as quietly as he could, gesturing for Grimlock to follow. Bumblebee made a move to stand, but Grimlock quickly scooped Bee up as if he was weightless. Heatwave found himself grinning alongside Boulder, who pinged his comm. 

-It's good to see Bumblebee so relaxed. He’s always so stressed when he visited before!

-Yeah. I can tell they'll be good for each other in the long run... Every other time's hes been here, Bumblebee didn't seem like a cuddling type. If he can stand to fall alseep around the big goof, It's obvious they have something that we don't see.

The leader of Sigma 17 nodded, gesturing to the lightly snoring Blades.

-Now, if only that one could be calm for a hot minute.

Boulder chuckled, gripping the unconscious (and definitively dead to the world) helicopter by the pedes. "C'mon. Let's get him in his room." Chase and Heatwave stepped over as quietly as they could, half-carrying, half-dragging the Heli to his and Boulder's shared room. Heatwave rolled his shoulders as the muttering flybot was dropped unceremoniously onto his berth, and he grinned at the sleepy lieutenant and his beefcake of a boyfriend. "C'mon. I'll show you two your room."

The room was just across the hall, but Heatwave helpfully opened the door for Grimlock- seeing as his hands were full and all.  Bumblebee was carefully placed onto the berth, and when Grimlock turned Heatwave had unsubspaced two sealed cubes. "Here. Bumblebee always gets Energon before bed when he visits, so you two can have these. I'll refill my subspace tomorrow, so you don't have to worry about accidentally waking someone up tonight."  Grimlock took the cubes, nodding his appreciation. "Thanks. Bee dun like people aroun' 'em when he first wakes up, so it gives him time to chill out before he has to be a bot."

Heatwave hummed with surprise. "Never pegged him as an antisocial type." Grimlock gave a half-shrug. "He's got a buncha stuff he's gotta do. 'F I were him, I'd treasure any alone time I coul' get." The playful jab at Bee made Heatwave chuckle, and he stepped back when he noticed Chase leaning against the door to their berthroom. Grimlock glanced between the two, with a mischievous grin slowly crossing his face. "Have fun tonight." Heatwave cleared his throat, tapping his fist against Grimlock's shoulder before stalking his way over to the blue mech- only to have Chase slide into the room last second, grasping the slight opening in the armor below Heatwave's throat and pulling him in just before the door clicked closed. 

Grimlock chuckled as he shut and locked his own door, turning back to the sleepy mech on the berth. Grimlock happily laid down beside Bumblebee, pulling him close and sighing happily when he received a half-afted nuzzle in response. A smaller servo stroked his arm, sliding down to stroke a thumb over the cover to his cable housing. Grimlock took the servo in his own, bringing it up to kiss his knuckle and place it back around his neck. The confused hum substituted an actual question, and Grim nuzzled their helms together once more. "Not tonight Bee. Yer tired."

Bumblebee's wings flicked once with mild disapproval, but he relented quickly by pressing close to his chosen mate. Mere seconds later, his invents stabilized as his processor went into primary shutdown for recharge and defragmentation. Grimlock purred, smoothing a servo between Bumblebee's doorwings. "Told ya you was tired." The next few mintues seemed painfully quiet in contrast to the rest of the day, and Grimlock found it slightly hard to follow Bumblebee into recharge. After thirty minutes of the soft hum of the electric and occasional chrrr from the sleeping Prime, Grim eventually drifted off as well. That is, until the first drop of emergency tones sent them both scrambling into defensive stances. 

Chapter Text

Cody laughed as he doubled over the command console, with Bumblebee leaning over the back of his chair and playfully tapping one of the screens. "Look at that face! If Kade gets any angrier, Heatwave's gonna have some competition over his name!" Cody squealed even louder, grabbing Bee's hand and pulling it away from the screen as Kade's irritated voice crackled over the comms. "Cody! What's next? I wanna get this over with!" 

Dani's laughter flickered to life as Blade's activated his comm. "We're done over the park! Out of foam and heading back for a refill." Bee lent over the giggling teen, pushing the call button in his stead. "Heatwave, Kade, there's a secondary fire at 17th and Minden. Boulder, Graham, there's an integrity breach on the southbound bridge when you're done at the bank. Blades, Dani, head to the bridge and divert traffic. Heat and Kade can take over firewatch at this point, because they'll have both out long before you get back." A cheer of affirmatives met him as Chief Burns' chuckle rang out. "I guess Chase and I will head towards home then to relieve you." 

"Roger that. Cody and I will head back downstairs and wait for you in the meantime." The youngest Burns quickly shoved out of his chair, immediately bounding down towards the main landing. Grimlock looked up when the door opened, immediately jumping down from Heatwave's training post to catch the two teens in his servos when they vaulted the railing. Rolling safely into Grimlock's palm, the Dino snickered as the older blonde nearly skidded off the edge of his palm. Purposefully shifting his hand around to keep Bee from getting a grip, Grimlock quickly tossed the two into the air, catching them and rolling them off onto the ground. Both were weak with laughter when they forced themselves to their feet, barely having enough time to straighten their clothes before a familiar copbot rolled back into the firehouse. 

Bumblebee smiled and put a hand on his hip as Chief Burns stepped out, allowing Chase to transform and stretch while Cody bounded forwards for a hug. "Did you two have fun?" "Yeah! Bee was telling me about Russell, and how he and Sideswipe managed to paint Strongarm's lightbar pink once!" Chase frowned from above, leveling a pointed stare at the holoform. "That is a form of harassment." Bumblebee laughed, patting Chase's pede. "You should have seen what she did to them!" 

Charlie seemed honestly surprised at the presence of an unknown teen, and it took several seconds to connect the mystery teen and the idling Urbana in the corner. The soft smile and familiar color scheme was a bit of a giveaway. Charlie chuckled as he held open an arm for a hug, dismissing it as tech that had simply not come up yet. Cody laughed, holding one of his own out and wiggling his fingers until Bumblebee conceded with a small grin of his own. Chase smiled softly, shuddering as his backplates instinctually shifted to accommodate doorwings that no longer existed. Flattening the plating into its proper place, Chase tilted his helm slightly as Blades confirmed his route home over private comms.

After the hug was finished, Charlie prompted the newest blonde to step back as Chase leant down. "Blades is on route to return. I believe your place in the command console is no longer necessary." Charlie nodded, grinning up at his partner before turning back to Bee. "Alright, give me a turn. Let me take a look at you." 

He found himself impressed at just how human Bumblebee's holoform was. His hair was pulled back into the usual ponytail, no makeup, and an overall simplistic style. He turned slowly, showing off his black long sleeve and yellow waistcoat that rested snuggly over a pair of black marching pants with a color-matched yellow stripe. His boots were simply his favorite thick-soled knee-highs. Charlie nodded his approval, watching the happy teen clasp his hands together politely. He grinned as he noticed the yellow manicure, glancing down to the matching shade on his own son's fingers. 

Not noticing the amused look, the two immediately started talking again. Charlie opted to go upstairs to get his coffee and wait for the next emergency.

Bumblebee grinned as Cody tugged his arm excitedly. "Since Dad's back, wanna go see Frankie? She'll be so excited to see your holoform!" Bumblebee nodded, sending Cody into a quiet cheer of 'Noble!' as he turned on his heel. He pushed the call button of the lift with an excited grin, disappearing in mere seconds get his hoverboard and ask for permission to leave. Watching him go up the lift, Bumblebee found himself looking up at a yawning Grimlock. "Gonna take a nap?"  The Dinobot nodded, scooping the tiny human avatar back into his palm. "Yeh. Comm me when you get there?" 

Bumblebee nodded, leaning forward to bump his head against Grim's chin. "Always. I'll let you know when we're leaving too. I don't think Cody's planning a sleepover with that book report due Monday." Chase grinned as Blades came down the lift, and Dani greeted the two bots as she jumped off the lift before it fully stopped. "Good work today Cody!" Grimlock gave her a confused look, but Bumblebee just leant forward to give her a clear view. "I'll let him know you said that!" Blades and Dani both froze mid-step, whipping their heads back towards Bee and Grimlock with surprised looks.

Upstairs, Cody stopped quietly at the kitchen table with his hoverboard in hand. Charlie immediately stopped pouring when he heard footsteps but was still proud his youngest son had the patience to wait until after he had put down the hot coffee pot before asking his question. "Can Bumblebee and I go to Frankie's?" Charlie immediately nodded, blowing on the steaming cup. "Of course, son. Please be home before dark though, there's supposed to be a storm tonight and I don't want you out in it." Cody nodded, shifting his grip on his hoverboard in consideration. "Should I ask Bumblebee to drive us then?" 

Charlie hummed, pulling out a chair at the table to sit at. "The rain isn't supposed to come until late tonight, but it depends on what Bumblebee wants to do in the end. Prescott said on the news it's about an eighty percent chance at about seven tonight." Cody hummed, twirling the board in his hands. "I'll ask him if he can drive us. Seven a little too late to be on this. If we do go in his cab, I'll leave my hoverboard on the open shelf by Heatwave's door." Charlie nodded, setting his coffee down with knowledge of the impending hug. True to form, Cody immediately bounded forward, and Charlie took the chance to investigate Cody's nails with the teen's arms trapped around his neck. "I like that shade you have on. It was actually your mother's favorite color." 

Cody seemed mildly embarrassed about it, offering up a sheepish smile. "I saw Bumblebee doing his holoform's nails earlier, and I liked the color too. He was pretty excited to paint someone else's nails for once." Charlie grinned at Cody, ruffling his hair. "On that note, thank you for going out of your way to include Bumblebee like you have been. I'm certain he appreciates it more than words could ever say " Cody beamed under the praise.

"It's okay- Bee's actually a ton of fun to hang around with! He does get a little...uh... cautious at times, but overall, he's actually really exciting. I guess it's because he's had to grow up too fast." The grin settled into an understanding one, and he gave a half-shrug. "I don't mind it either way, and Frankie loves having a bot to talk science with that doesn't get bored or have to bolt for an emergency."

"From what I know from Optimus, he definitely had to grow up too fast- which means giving him the chance to experience it is a precious gift. One that only you and Frankie can give him. Now, go have fun, and call me before you leave the lab to head home." Cody squeezed his father again, bounding off with an 'I will!'. Charlie shook his head when he heard Dani and Blades squealing in unison through the briefly open door, and judging from Cody's huff the pair were harassing the former scout's 'holoform'. Cody disappeared with an amused shout of 'Hey! Put him down!', and Charlie found himself rubbing the rim of his cup with his thumb with a smile. 

He took a long sip, looking over to the small picture on top of the breadbox. The picture was of the Burns family- plus a cheery young woman with long, red hair. Charlie finished his cup, putting it in the sink and knocking on the countertop before the picture with a smile. "We've done good work raising them." Hearing an engine turn over, Charlie assumed Cody was riding with Bee. Glancing at the clock, Charlie decided he had enough time for a shower before he needed to start dinner. A brief sound of a scuffle and yelling cued Kade and Heatwave's return, followed by his eldest son bursting through the kitchen door and giving his father a grin with all his usual bravado. 

Bumblebee took the curves up to Doc Greene's slowly, laughing and stamping one foot against his floorboard. " Get this- After that happened, Frankie just made direct eye contact with the teacher and just poured in the baking soda! It went everywhere!" 

Cody could barely finish the story because he was laughing so hard. It certainly made the trip go faster, and Bumblebee pulled into the lab's garage in time with the dying laughter. "Oh geez. Miko would love that story! Knowing her, she'd find a way to make a giant stink bomb or something out of it though."  Cody laughed again as he opened the passenger door, cheering as the young woman immediately waved from the upper landing. She quickly jogged down the stairs with a wide smile on her face as Cody stepped out.

Wearing her favorite pink dress, she eagerly patted Bumblebee's hood in greeting. "Hey Frankie! Wanna see the most Noble thing?!" Her interest immediately peaked, and she cocked her hip to give her hand somewhere to rest. "Uh, did Nikola Tesla have a fear of germs?" The question threw Cody off for a minute, but Bumblebee popped the door and hoisted himself out with a laugh. 

With one foot on the ground and his forearms resting on his door, the blonde shot the two a dazzling smile. "The answer would be yes."  Frankie's surprise quickly turned to a squeal that dissolved them both into laughter, and Bee closed the door just in time to get a glomping hug that forced his back against his alt. "This is so cool! You're solid! How?!" 

Easily hugging her back, he barely dialed back the jargon. "Holomatter generator. It refracts light in a way that increases the density, and I can boost the solidity with my internal nanites due to some cool military stuff. I can control this bad boy for about 400 miles, regardless of walls or ocean." Frankie's eyes gleamed with a look he knew from Perceptor. 

"That. Is. So. Cool. Come on, we have to show Daddy!" Bumblebee grinned at Cody as he was shamelessly drug up the stairs, but the blonde shrugged off his favorite coat to place it safely in Bee's cab. He remembered to pull the commlink to attach to the collar of his green tee, but quickly followed the excited teen upstairs. 

When he jogged into the lab, Frankie had already introduced Bumblebee to her father and Anna- who were absolutely mystified by the technology. Anna seemed mildly upset over something but forced a smile to her face when Cody gave her one first. With Ezra thoroughly distracted, she moved to greet the youngest Burns. 

"Hello Cody. Will you be staying for dinner?" Cody happily hugged the aging woman, earning a soft laugh in return. "If you don't mind." Anna hummed, absently patting the mess of blonde before her. "We're just having spaghetti tonight, so I'll be sure to have plenty made. It's good to see you out of the firehouse for once." 

Cody grinned as he straightened up. "Yeah. It's been busy since Spring Break is next week- everyone has been rushing to prepare for the spring festival, so accidents have been on the rise. It should start slowing down now though." Anna nodded, stifling a laugh as Ezra eagerly tested the flexibility in Bee's hand and ask him questions. "Can you eat? Or do you require Energon?"

"I can eat. I have specialized nanites that can process anything into usable energy- mecha like heatwave won't be able to though. Not without an upgrade." Anna giggled, tilting her head. "Do you have a favorite food?" Bumblebee grinned. "I'm particularly fond of coffee- Will took me to a place called Starbucks once. I got something called an Iced Mocha, and it was super good! In terms of actual food, I enjoy trying things. So far, anything with complex carbohydrates are the best for processing into Energy... I am a little fond of sweets though." 

Everyone laughed at the slightly embarassed look. Doc Greene shamelessly continued with his investigation, and the two in the corner watched quietly for a few moments. When he looked up next, Cody found himself frowning at the worried look that had returned to Professor Baranova's face.

"Is it okay if I ask what's wrong? You look upset." Anna seemed surprised, but the look faded to a soft smile seconds later. "You may always ask. I just..." She struggled with words for a few seconds, watching as Frankie joined her father on drilling the teen with questions. "He has so many scars, and I know he can't be that much older than you or Frankie. It just makes a mother worry." 

Cody nodded knowingly, having had the same reaction when Bumblebee had first showed him the Holoavatar. "Yeah. I don't know where most of them came from, because Bumblebee said they're not stories for anyone my age. I guess they're from the war he had to fight in, and I just left it at that." After a few seconds, Cody squeezed Anna's hand with his own. "He did tell me that they don't hurt anymore though, so don't worry too much. He's here to have fun."

The surprised look was back, stronger than ever. Professor Baranova's had no idea what to say for several seconds, but settled on a nod and squeezing Cody's hand in return. "I suppose if I have any questions, I'll just have to ask him like an adult. But for now, it seems like he might need saved from an adult and his daughter." Both grinned as they stepped forward, shooing the excitable scientists away from the flushed teen in question. 

Doc Greene straightened in his chair with a quiet mutter of 'fascinating!' and Bee shyly his face in his hands. From this angle the small Bumblebee pin in his ponytail glimmered in the light, capturing the attention of the resident scientists. "What a beautiful Prisma! Where did you model that?" 

The darkening blush had everyone interested, and Bee shifted his weight as he considered something. "I can't really- I mean..." He fell silent for a second, biting a lip as he considered his words. "Well, you are helping me hide. I suppose I owe you honesty on it."

The humans in the room seemed surprised, but Bee removed the pin so they could see it better. "It's not something I molded- it's more of something I've inherited. Like my scars, it's just how it appears on my holoform. You guys know about the Matrix of Leadership, right?" Cody nodded, but the others all seemed lost. 

"Well, to put it simply, the Matrix of Leadership is an artifact. Kinda like the one that tried to liquify Griffin Rock a few months ago." That earned some nods, and Bee took to nervously twirling the hairpin. "Well, this artifact is special. It can only be carried by certain mecha who have been chosen by Primus to lead our people. Those Mecha are called Primes. To be a Prime, a mecha's spark must be accepted by the matrix through merging it with our own Sparks." Cody's eyes brightened as the information clicked. "Optimus is a Prime!" 

"Exactly. If you see Optimus' holoform, he'll have the same Prism somewhere on his person. He might not have it visible though, he's a little less extra than I am." Frankie giggled at that, but Ezra tilted his head with a hum. "So, if you have one of those... You're a Prime too." 

Bumblebee gave a shy smile, nodding. "In reality, yes. I've been a Prime since before I was separated. In logistical terms, I'm not. I haven't had any of the official acceptance ceremonies, and it's one of the best kept secrets of the Autobots." Anna filled the silence with a hum. 

"So, you need to hide from the Senate because they are trying to influence you before you take your role as Prime." When Bumblebee shifted again, she knew she wouldn't like the answer she was about to get. "In short, yes. The easiest way to make sure a Prime will act in a way you want them to, is to make sure their spark is in alignment with your wishes. This can be done through our bodyguards- called ''Lord Protectorates'. These Mecha have a bond with their chosen Primes, and if they have a favorable opinion of something, it's bound to be transmitted subconsciously."

Bee carefully put the pin back into his ponytail. "The Senate wants to assign me a protectorate. They want to influence me to pass what they want passed, and they know damn well I don't agree with any of it. And now they know I've chosen who I want as my protectorate. I've had to hide because we all know they will take drastic measures to keep their hand. What they don't know is that I'm not as old as they think I am. If I try to take the matrix right now, it'll probably kill me. I'm just...I'm too young." Frankie gave him a sad smile as she crossed her arms. "I bet they don't want to hear that though."

"I'm not even going to tell them. If Mecha found out how old I actually was, it would cause far more problems that Pupu and I feel like dealing with." The head tilting around the room cued Bumblebee to remember his slang. "Ah... Pupu is a nickname for Optimus." 

Cody grinned at that, shifting his weight. "You really are close to Optimus. Does he know you're a prime?" The grin erased all doubt, but Bumblebee answered. "I did imply the Matrix had to merge with my spark at some point." When the room became awkward, Bumblebee burst out laughing. "Optimus isn't my lover guys."

Frankie gave him a confused look. "You just said that you needed to merge to- Ohhhh." The grin that split her face made her father even more confused. When Cody's eyes widened as well, Anna stopped beating around the bush. "How did you become a Prime?"

"I was born this way. I got to access the matrix because I literally developed inside of it- because that's where Optimus' spark was. When I was carried to term, I could already feel the influence within me- that's why I couldn't stay out of the war. Megatron didn't know exactly who's bitlet I was, but I was close to Optimus and that's all he needed to put a bounty on my spark." The shy grin did nothing to ease the confusion on Ezra's face." I thought Optimus was a male?" 

"Technically speaking, Cybertronians have no gender. We have spark types, but mechs and femmes both have the same physical anatomy." Anna hummed, clicking her heel to the toe of her shoe absently. "Absolutely fascinating. So, Optimus Prime is your mother... Who is your father?" 

"Ratchet. He's Optimus' Chief Medical Officer, and an official advisor to him. He does have a third- Ironhide, the Autobot's Weapons Specialist and Optimus' Lord Protectorate. He's like my Step-Dad." Another mutter of 'fascinating' came from Doc Greene, and Frankie pouted. "You get three dads?! Lucky!"

"Yeah. I am. But if you could keep this between all of us, I would appreciate it. If it got out that I was Optimus' heir, it would do nothing but enlarge the target on my helm." Supportive nods went around the room, and Frankie and Cody shared a look. Seconds later, the two teens grinned and bounded forward to grab Bee's hands. They immediately yanked him forwards, yelling something about ''hover ball tournament". With the trio stumbling out towards the gymnasium, Doc Greene shared a smile with his love. 

Anna smiled back, moving to lightly rub Ezra's shoulders. "Well. If his whole family is involved with the war, I can't even imagine when the last time he had a homecooked meal was. What do you say we put a little more effort into tonight's Italian masterpiece? He did say he enjoyed sweets..." Doc Greene smiled, and nodded in affirmation. "Grandmother Greene's sweet sauce it is then! Should we hand-make the spaghetti too?" Anna laughed. "If we have the flour, I say yes."

The dinner was quickly prepped, and Anna hefted CeCe into her highchair as Ezra pulled the last of the noodles off the stove to finish cooking. Bending to kiss his youngest's forehead, he squeezed Anna's hand. "I'll get the other three. Set the table please?" The nod was exchanged with a smile, and the scientist found the teens quickly. The two humans had Bee on the ground, but the vest was nowhere to be seen- actually, the young scout was in a completely different outfit. 

His boots had changed into thick-soled black timberlands, and the long pants had changed to a pair of simple shorts. With the long shirt now a yellow tank top, Bee had no problems trying to duck and weave around the hands trying to capture him. Cody and Frankie followed closely, and Ezra laughed at the sight of the lighthearted antics. 

"Come now little ones, time for dinner!" Bee gave them a grin, pushing them towards the door- only for the loving doc to yell once more "You too, Bumblebee! We made something special tonight, just for you to try!"

The utter shock on his face made Frankie laugh, and she and Cody both quickly yanked the teen forward. Once they had all climbed the stairs, Doc Greene found his smile dimming slightly with the newly revealed scars littering the slim body. The utterly sweet flush on Bumblebee's face was enough to bring his attention back though. "You really didn't need to waste your food like that. I had a cube this morning." 

Waving it off, Ezra gripped his shoulders and guided Bumblebee toward the dining room. "And Milton S. Hershey didn't have to dedicate his life to chocolate! But, it all turned out delicious, didn't it?" 

The skin on Doc Greene's arms immediately rose when a strange ticking sensation enveloped his hands. Suddenly, a jacket appeared underneath his hands- thick and warm, crafted of a resilient cotton and dyed black. The front had highlights of yellow, and each arm had an embroidered Autobot symbol on the shoulders- but Doc Greene noticed the distinct lack of the familiar rimming that all rescue bots carried. 

The simple Autobot symbol was more than enough to give both Ezra and Anna chills, but the way the eldest was forced into a chair by his peers lightened the mood considerably. Anna made sure to put a heaping portion onto each plate, drowning it in the family's homemade sauce and topping each with a healthy mound of parmesan cheese. A thick slice of homemade Texas toast was placed beside the mound of pasta, liberally spread with a garlic butter sauce. 

Doc Greene helped serve the plates, and cans of soda were passed out alongside tall cups of ice. Everyone took their places, and quickly dug in. The first bite made Bumblebee hum in approval, and the young woman beside him grinned. "Try putting it in the toast- like this!" Using her fork to clear out a pouch in the thick bread, she carefully stuffed some spaghetti inside. 

Bumblebee watched with interest, quickly following her example. The next bite had him dropping his head to the table beside his plate, and everyone laughed as he chewed. "Looks like great grandma wins again!"  Frankie cheered before stuffing another bite into her mouth. 

On the mainland, Optimus watched the sky from the cover of the underground Bunker's only 'window'. It was a tiny vent that William had taught him how to open, but it was enough for the Prime's daydreaming. He could feel the utter delight of his youngling echoing through his bond with the setting sun and knew in his spark he had found a new food to try- it was one of the few things to draw such a potent reaction from the usually calm spark he had helped to create. 

Ratchet appeared beside him, lovingly leaning his head against Optimus' shoulder. "Everyone made it ok. Miko was the last one we were waiting to evacuate, and Bulkhead just confirmed her on Cybertron. Prowl and Jazz are keeping them safe." Optimus' plating immediately settled, knowing the group would find their way here soon enough. Investigations on Cybertron had been going wonderfully, but Optimus still feared reaching out to his sparkling- still feared compromising his hiding spot.

His worries did not go unnoticed by his lovers, but at least they understood his concern. This was not the first night he stood before this tiny window, his optics towards Griffin Rock and his spark towards their creation bond for support and confirmation. 

The downtrodden reverie was broken when the comm system rang. Humans and bots went quiet in surprise, but Optimus hesitantly moved to answer. Plating settled when a grey-haired human smiled back, greeting Optimus with a nod. "Charlie Burns. It is good to hear from you." 

"It's good to see you made it back alright, Optimus. I'm just calling in for the usual status check, alongside some extra information." The aging policeman grinned when Will shamelessly leant off the balcony and into view, waving his hello. "All has been well here on Griffin Rock. Bumblebee's been a great help on rescues, and I’m positive Grimlock has been enjoying his lessons with Heatwave. Usually I'd allow Bee to the comm to say hi, but he's over at Doc Greene's with Cody and Frankie."

"That is fine, Charlie. I appreciate you taking the time to comm. It is good to know they have been helping your team." Charlie smiled, and the bots could see the question in his eyes. "Oh yeah. With preparations for the festival, it's bound to be busy- but, that's why I waited to report until they were gone. I was wondering if you would like to help me surprise Bumblebee."

Optimus quirked a brow, and Charlie nodded politely to Ratchet as the aging medic appeared at Optimus' side. "If you're looking to get a good scare as the surprise, just show Bee a clown. He watched that 'IT' movie too many times, and you can get a good shriek out of him if he's not paying attention." Ironhide burst into laughter off screen, and Charlie had to hide his laughter behind his hand. 

"I'll make sure to keep that information from Kade, but I was thinking of something a little more heartwarming. This coming Friday, we need to run repairs on the train tunnel under the town- it runs all the way to the mainland, but hasn't been used since the train malfunctioned late last year. Seeing how Bumblebee and Grimlock will undoubtedly be at the commencement for the festival, I think it'd be a good time to sneak you, Ratchet, and Ironhide over to say hi. After all, that'd be just about a month without seeing your son. I'm certain you and your mates miss him."

Sharing a look with his bonded, Optimus nodded. "That would be greatly appreciated. With the crowds, we can leave our alt modes in the tunnel and tour the streets with holoform. It should be adequate cover to allow us a few hours." Charlie nodded, giving a salute to the Prime. "I'll talk to Cody and have him convince those two to be in their holoforms as well. I have nothing else to report, so I'll you all at the mainland bunker Friday at 6 AM then. I should arrive around the same time to begin repairs with Graham, Boulder, and Chase." 

Optimus returned the salute and gave the human a rare smile. "We shall be there. I look forward to helping you with your work on the tunnels." The tone left no room for argument, and Charlie nodded. The face flickered to nothingness once more, and Ironhide sacrificed the comfort of some of the humans to steal a kiss from Optimus. "Will you stop moping now?" The surprised look was cast towards Ratchet, who rolled his optics. "Please do. You're like the world's most pitiful puppy."

The Prime let his field answer him, hugging them close before returning to his window- but even those without advanced scanners could feel the joy and excitement in his EM field.

Chapter Text

It was a long week for them all. Emergencies didn't slow at all as the festival approached, but this morning was blissfully calm- probably because everyone was getting ready for the commencements tomorrow. Charlie wasn't complaining though, and he carefully sipped the steaming cup of coffee as he pushed the call button for the elevator. The old machine ran as smoothly as ever, lowering him past the garage that everyone else saw as the ground floor. The door opened just in time for Charlie to see Heatwave get his feet pulled from under him, allowing Bumblebee to use the combination of inertia and gravity to send him sprawling onto his backplate. 

Chase immediately approached to invite Charlie into his palm, a safe zone against the two sparring mecha. As Charlie tucked himself against the blue chestplates, the firetruck pushed himself up and wheeled back onto the giggling mech. "How did-?! You can't just-!" Bee danced away from the half-sparked fist lobbed toward his face, and he quickly snagged Heatwave by the wrist. He shifted his weight to one pede, using the arm as a support bar to swing his other pede square into Heatwave's stomach. Grimlock laughed as everyone else winced, and Heatwave dropped to his knees with a warble that was certainly a swear. "You really need to stop opening your middle. You guard your sides and face well, but if you're leaving the squishy bits-" Bee knelt down, playfully pushing Heatwave over "-open to attack, you won't last long against a more experienced opponent." Heatwave groaned as the pain kicked in, but nodded despite it. 

"If you want to fix that, it's honestly just a matter of stance." Blades giggled at the memory of Quickshadow's critique, and Heatwave rolled his shoulders. "Show me." Bumblebee grinned and stepped forwards. Blades finally noticed Charlie's presence, and the other mecha quietly joined Chase to give him the customary 'good mornings' (and excited squeals, if you're a certain copterbot). Chief Burns chuckled and returned them all, taking another drink of his coffee. "Are you all ready to help set up the main stages today? Hopefully all the citizens will be too busy setting up their booths to cause too much trouble." Grimlock grinned as he transformed to his bot mode, wagging his tail. "Am I goin back to Doc Greene's?" 

Charlie grinned as he swallowed the last of his morning coffee. "Yeah. You'll be helping Heatwave and Kade haul pieces for the Mayor's main stage. I'm afraid it will be a little boring, but it's something to do either way." Grimlock beamed as his tail posed a threat to anything nearby. "It's okay. It's been a good vacation from the cons!" Charlie smiled, affectionately rubbing Grimlock's snoot. "Glad to hear you're enjoying yourself. You've been awful quiet, so I was a little worried about how you were settling in." Grimlock shrugged as his smile turned more guilty. "It's slow, and I don get to punch much... but I've been talking with Bee more than I could at the scrapyard. Got to talk about things we usually can't, ya know?" 

Blades squealed happily under his breath, bumping his helm against Grim's shoulder. "Good! Talking is the key to any relationship!" Chase nodded his approval, ruffling his plating in mirror to his confident tone. "Of course it is! Without proper communication, there is bound to be misunderstandings and other inconvenient, yet easily avoidable issues." The chuckle from Heatwave drew everyone's attention, and Charlie nodded his greetings to the approaching pair.  "Have fun?" Heatwave scoffed, his servo still protectively curled around his stomach. "Is that what it's called these days?" 

Bumblebee playfully bumped his hip, earning a pouting glare. "Learn to punch faster!" Any rebuttal was cut off as Kade made his grand appearance, scoffing. "Aww, wasswrong? Did heatey get a thumpin?" Heatwave immediately whirled his helm towards Kade, initiating the morning snark-off. Charlie shook his head, giving Bumblebee a smile that was father-code for 'I'm going to casually ignore those two'. "Mind helping Dani and Blades today, Bee? They're going to be setting up roadblocks by the park- Chase and I are going to handle downtown." Bumblebee nodded, turning his helm to Grimlock. "I believe I overheard you'll be helping Doc Greene?"

The happy tail thumping behind him was a decent enough answer, but the sickeningly cute nuzzle he recieved made everyone grin. Charlie gently patted the softer metal just under Chase's thumb as he turned his head upwards. "If Kade's up, the others aren't far behind. I better start breakfast. Mind putting me down partner?" Chase allowed his plating to fluff happily as his half-monotone suggested a better idea. "Or I could lift you to the balcony- like so." Less than a second later, the police chief found himself laughing as he was suddenly hoisted to the safety railing. It took him a few seconds to get over the rail- he was getting too old for this! - but he gave the squad car a gentle pat when he was clear of any fall danger. He hummed happily as he retreated to the kitchen, and within minutes the sweet smell of bacon lured Kade away from an amused Heatwave. Thirty minutes later, laughter could be heard as the Burns family sat down for the most important meal of the day. 

If only the rest of the day was so peaceful. 

Just under four hours later- almost noon- Chase allowed his sirens to wail as he weaved through traffic. he was politely ignoring the way Chief Burns' strong fingers clenched and unclenched around his steering wheel anxiously. Not even five minutes ago they had gotten a call- Priscilla Pynch had ignored the caution signs and had fallen down the well being rebuilt in Blossom Vale. Eerily enough, it was the same well her doll Cathy had fallen into a few months prior.

The girl was still talking to those who watched from above, but she had obviously broken her ankle in the fall. Bumblebee was already on scene with Blades and Dani, but he, Chase, Boulder, and Graham were on the other side of town installing the stage for tomorrow's ceremony. Kade had been at Doc Greene's to help him haul some of the lights. The only thing Charlie found himself thankful for was that the two on-site bots had been able to move the lid the rest of the way off, so there was no risk of the young girl suffocating. 

What he wasn't so thankful for was the fact Madeline Pynch was threatening charges- Chase had assured him it wouldn't stand in court, as several witnesses had watched Priscilla disregard many signs to sit on the well's edge and were willing to testify. One had even gotten video of her refusing to sit on the ground and the subsequent fall- of her purposefully kicking the lid into a more 'comfortable position.' Graham would need use that video later to volley for the total shutdown of the area until repairs were complete- like it should have been originally. Too bad the Mayor was more concerned about tourist sightseeing to prevent this entirely.

Pulling up to the accident, Charlie was getting out of his partner before they had even fully stopped. He ran to the well as fast as he could, both horrified and relieved when the tear-streaked face turned towards him. "It's okay Priscilla, we’ll get you out of there soon!" Turning to his own daughter, Charlie stepped away from the edge. "Any ideas on how to get her out?" Dani shook her head. "I have no clue. We only got about three-quarters of the well widened- that's as far as Blade's line will go. I'm no engineer, but I don't think it's safe to dig like we did last time. Half those walls still need permanent reinforcement, and we can't even reach the bottom." 

Charlie frowned, casting a worried look back to the well. Bumblebee carefully knelt beside the well, his eyes on the scaffolding above. It was then that Boulder came flying- well... as fast as a bulldozer can fly- over the hill, transforming and carefully putting Graham on his feet. The lean engineer immediately bolted forward, completely bypassing his dad in favor of making measurements. Knowing her brother's underlying anxiety issues, Dani spoke from where she was standing instead of distracting him by hovering. "Can we dig her out like last time?" It was a long minute before Graham shook his head. "No. The structural integrity is shot to pieces still- one wrong move and we'll bury her alive. The best way to get her out is to go straight down."

Dani groaned, looking at Blades. "I'm assuming you don't have extra cable?" The simple headshake was enough to make Graham frown, but he didn't get to respond.

"That scaffolding is anchored tight, right?" Bumblebee's quiet voice surprised everyone, but Graham nodded after the surprise faded. "Yeah, but what does that have to do with the well?" Bumblebee hummed quietly. "Well, this one time- back on Tyger Pax- I had something kind of similar happen to one of my Xops buddies. It might not be the safest option possible, but I can fit down that hole in my Holoform. If Boulder has enough rope in his cab, we can attach it to the end of Blade's line and I can try to pull her out." Charlie immediately shook his head. "I can't put you in danger like that. You're not trained in rescue work." 

Bumblebee gave him a pleading look. "I might not be a rescue worker, but I guarantee I'm more qualified than anyone for this kind of stuff. I've done worse climbs in bot mode while carrying at least 300 pounds of raw explosives. If the line fails, I can boost her up to the point Kade can grab her- then I can just dissipate my avatar once she's cleared. Even if I can't for some reason, I've got experience with straight climbs, and I'm not at risk for starvation or suffocation. It's far better odds than risking multiple trips trying to get both her and whoever goes down there out." Charlie shook his head, giving the Urbana a firm look. "But you do have your ops mods. If you fall, you could actually injure yourself- Optimus has already told me that you dont have a basic hologram like the other bots do." 

Silence rang for a second, and Graham gave his dad an apologetic look. "Dad... He's right. I have no idea what he's been through in terms of war, or what his holoform does exactly, but I know any training he has will be far better than ours. This experience paired with the fact he could just turn off his avatar if he falls... He's got the best chances for a successful rescue." Charlie looked towards his middle child, glancing between Graham and Bumblebee as he struggled with himself as a father and as a policeman. 

Sighing, he nodded. "Kade and Heatwave are still on Route, let’s wait till they get here. Then, we can ask Heatwave to lower Kade on is ladder and remove some of the uncertainty from the equation. Bee, go ahead and prep your holoform. Dani, help him get the harness on." Bee shook his helm as he stepped back. “No need. I'll patch one in. Get one ready for Priscilla though." Stepping back to transform, he took a few seconds to alter his holoform as Mayor Luskey stomped forward with his usual air of outrage. 

"Chief Burns! How did this happen?! I thought you said this well was secured!" Charlie turned his gaze to the sky for a short moment, looking for the strength he desperately needed to handle the mayor. "We will figure that out later, Mayor. Our priority is rescuing Priscilla. For now, I'll have to ask you to step back. We don't need any other accidents to worry about." Mayor Luskey sputtered, reaching up to reflexively hold his toupee as a strong breeze drifted by. 

His next comment was cut off when Bumblebee popped his door- but he wasn't the only one to go completely silent. Bumblebee's mission gear made him a simple, tiny presence- but one that commanded respect, and easily intimidated all those in the immediate area. It was a stark difference than the casual clothing the Burns' had come to know. The knee-boots were similar to his usual pair, but made of a tighter cloth- one with far less chance of slipping, and held a thicker knee-pad to take the blunt of a heavy fall. They were paired with a tighter pair of shorts, and an equally fitted black tank top. The rescue harness he had synthesized fit snuggly around his waist and back, looping around his thighs twice before attaching to the top of his boots in three different spots for added support. Sadly, the comfort and range of this outfit sacrificed his usual cover, and he shifted nervously as the group of humans eyed the innumerable scars on his limbs with various degrees of discomfort and worry. From the way Mayor Luskey's hand drifted from his toupee to his throat, Bumblebee knew which one they were staring at. 

Thankfully, Dani snapped out of it the fastest. "C'mon. Let's get you hooked up to the straps." Bumblebee smiled softly at the save, trotting over to help her attach the cables to the proper hooks. Graham moved into action next, extending the tow-line with the extra rope from Boulder’s cab. He chose to attach it at the winch, so the weakest part would be within grabbing range if it did snap. Charlie went to help Bumblebee prepare, testing the straps for him and giving him a reassuring smile. As Kade rolled up, the Mayor 'casually' walked away... at an abnormally brisk pace that the Burns' weren't going to mention. The firefighter seemed upset that he was the last on scene, but shook it off as his dad turned to address him and his partner. "Heatwave, Kade, get the ladder ready. Bee's gonna drop into the well and try to get Priscilla the old-fashioned way. I want Heatwave to lower you on his ladder as far as he can. That way, we can put as little faith as possible in this rope." 

Heatwave unsheathing his ladder was acknowledgment enough, and he held it down so Kade could climb aboard. Kade caught the safety strap his younger brother tossed his way, attaching it to his belt and the lowest rung possible as a precaution. Looking up to a smirking Heatwave, the snarky fireman gave him a flat look. "What? I don't wanna be stranded down there too." Heatwave hummed a note, poking his partner in the back of the head. "Good to see you finally following a safety precaution or two, copper-top." Dani snickered at the bot's goad, helping Blades loop the loose end around the scaffolding- just in case -before reattaching it to his winch. The blonde approached Kade and Heatwave with a grin, putting a foot on the ladder and holding onto Kade by his waist. Dani handed Bee the extra harness, and Heatwave lowered them into the darkened well. Kade reflexively squeezed Bee once before he allowed Bee to carefully step off the edge of the ladder, using the rope to support his weight.

Thankfully, both the scaffolding and the rope held. Fate only smiled so much though, as the rope turned out to be about three feet too short when Bumblebee was standing. Priscilla watched in half awe, half horror as Bee unhitched himself, landing perfectly between her feet with an admittedly dazzling grin. "Hey there. Ready to get out of here?" She scoffed, trying to not cry any more than she already had. "Uhm, yeah. Took you long enough." He tilted his head slightly at the scathing sarcasm, but chose to ignore it. He carefully slipped the harness over her legs, allowing her to pull it up herself as he lifted her by the arms. Securing it tightly around her lower chest, he helped her balance on her good foot, then looked around. The rope dangled teasingly out of reach, making Bumblebee sigh with annoyance. He stared at the ledge for a long moment, but looked to Priscilla.

"Think you can handle a little bit of pain? If we can get you on that ledge, I'll be able to get the harness attached." Priscilla huffed and shot him a dirty look. "I guess. As long as it gets me out of this stupid hole!" It was so hard to keep from sassing her back, but Bumblebee just guided her backwards toward the wall. "This is where it'll hurt- you've gotta support your weight while I get on the ledge. I'm gonna need you to take a step upwards, and I'll be as quick as I can." She frowned, obviously ready to sass him more...but after another glance upwards, she nodded. "You're lucky you're cute, or I wouldn't help so much!" 

Bumblebee's cheeks went red with surprise, but he ignored the comment. "On three. One, two, three!" She yelped as her bad ankle made contact with the ledge, but Bee was true to his word and on the ledge less than three seconds later. He easily took her weight back, snagging the clasp and beginning to hook her up. After a near-fall on Priscilla's part, she was attached to the wire. Pulling it twice, Bee called up 'clear!' for Blades to begin winding the winch. Priscilla looked around in confusion when Bee didn't grab on as well, but she dismissed it when Kade reached out to her and pulled her to the safety of the ladder. "Got her! Pull us up!"  She looked back down with concern, only to see the blonde grin and flicker away. 

When the bright light of the evening sun hit her eyes for the first time in over an hour, she winced and shielded herself with her hand. A few blinks later, she looked over to the concerned Police Chief- who was standing next to the same blonde from the well, now in a pair of black converse, baggy grey sweatpants, and a yellow hoodie with an incomplete rescue bots symbol on the front. Dani was beside her in an instant with an icepack for her broken ankle. "Come on Priscilla- Your mom's helicopter just landed back in town, and she's going to meet us at the hospital." The young girl curled into Chief Burns' arms, staring at the blonde that had saved her until he disappeared into thin air- and the Urbana stood to his full height. Blades bumped the unknown mech's hip with his own, and Heatwave held out his knuckles for a fist-bump. Maybe... Maybe these aliens weren't so bad after all. That was, until Charlie Burns turned to her with a stern fatherly look. "So. Why weren't you in school, Miss Pynch?" 

Back at the firehouse, things had finally calmed down. It was a big evening after Cody had gotten home from school, and Blades spared no detail when retelling the story to the youngest Burns. It took nearly ten minutes for the chief to realize Bee was being dogpiled with praise and affection, but he dutifully chased his family upstairs for dinner when he noticed the lieutenant's waning excitement. Grimlock had the yellow bot securely curled against his chest, lovingly stroking between sensitive doorwings that were twitching with overstimulation from the excitable family. Just before the lift door closed, Charlie called out to the bots. "Remember to power down tonight- we have a big day tomorrow!" 

Blades beamed back and waved with an 'I will!', but immediately turned to grin quietly at a suddenly embarrassed Boulder. "...At some point." The larger of the two barely managed to stutter out a goodbye to his team, and the others stifled laughter as the two lovebirds rather quickly excused themselves to their shared room. Chase and Heatwave sat a respectful distance away from the other couple, allowing the mood to settle. 

Heatwave spoke first, his field relaxing around them. "I know you're getting burnt out on hearing it- believe me, I live with Blades- But you really did good for your first official rescue with our team." Bee's faceplate flushed once more as Chase continued for the firetruck. "That is also the lowest collateral damage we've ever had on a rescue. Your assistance was invaluable." 

"Thanks guys. I just did what needed to be done- hopefully, she'll stay away from construction sites in the future." Heatwave scoffed, but let the topic die quickly enough. "So, what are you going to do tomorrow? I know Cody wanted you two to be in holoform for the festival, but he wouldn't tell me what for." Bumblebee shrugged, allowing his head to rest on Grimlock's shoulder. With the major offenders of loud squealing gone, his sensornet was finally able to catch back up with input. "I don't know. I know Cody wants me to try some of the game booths that the townsfolk have set up, and Dani's going to buy me a hot dog. Apparently, Griffin Rock has their own special version of a Chicago Dog, and I 'haven't lived unless I've tried it.' Seems like a fun day." Chase gave a rare chuckle, giving Heatwave some rather tame side-optics. "Heatwave knows those particular edibles well." 

The groan was enough of a clarification on its own, but the mech's grumble was an added amusement. "Yeah. I don't know why Kade is apparently the only human that can excrete crumbs like a breadcrumb factory." Grimlock laughed, stroking a servo down Bumblebee's side. "Reminds me of Russell. Strongarm outright banned food in her cab because of 'em." Heatwave chuckled, giving Chase an amused look. "I doubt any ban on food would last long with Kade. I wish he was a little more like his father- Chief always cleans you out when he spills something." Chase met his smirk with his usual air of confidence. "Perhaps you should have scanned the enforcer model then." 

Heatwave laughed, playfully shoving Chase's shoulder. "No way! Besides, robbing a Praxian of an enforcer model is like robbing a Kaonite of their training ring." With his interest sparked, Bee's wings flicked upwards. "You're Praxian?" Chase nodded, straightening up. "Yes. I moved to Iacon with my sire shortly after my carrier's passing- he couldn't stand to be in the city without him, even with it's beauty. Too many memories of their courtship." Bee knew he didn't need to verbally say his sorrow now, and canted his wings. Chase gave him a soft smile in return. "I obtained my final upgrades in Iacon, because it was simply too expensive to have me stay in a rehabilitation center while I recuperated- and it was too dangerous to stray far from a surgeon after my upgrades. I was intending to transfer back to Praxius after my training had completed, but I grew too attached to my team to abandon them. I do still consider myself Praxian in lineage, as it is half my coding and all of my upbringing." 

Bumblebee hummed a playful trill, setting his helm back down. "I didn't know that about you. That makes your personality make so much more sense!" Chase nodded, but the smooth expression was taken at face value as Chase welcomed the conversation. "Have you ever met another Praxian?" Grimlock grinned as Bumblebee nodded. "Yeah. I know three. Prowl- the SIC of the Autobots- is pureblooded through and through, and he has two of his own that survived the bombing." The surprise hit Chase almost as hard as they joy did. Heatwave flared his field as Bumblebee continued. "If you'd like, I can have them swing by after this is all over- or you can come to us. Whichever is easier." Nodding sharply, Heatwave grinned as Chase's backplates rearranged subconsciously. "I would greatly appreciate that. I haven't seen another Praxian since before my majority."

It was Heatwave that changed the topic once more. "Speaking of Majority- when do you two plan on bonding? I need to know when to have the gift ready by!" Bumblebee chimed a lighthearted laugh, waving it off. "No gifts are required- only your presence at our ceremony! We don't have anything set concrete, but I expect we will unofficially bond whenever I take the Matrix. The ceremony itself will wait until after my interface protocols activate. But, I have at least next frame until that happens- this one doesn't even have the hardware, and I'm in this until 45k. Best guess is about Fifty Thousand vorn at the soonest." Chase turned to Heatwave with a soft smile. "Plenty of time to prepare a gift!" 

Grimlock chuckled, nuzzling Bee's helm when he rolled his optics. Heatwave stroked his fingers over Chase's shoulder, pushing himself to his feet. "Chief wasn't lying though- any kind of celebration tends to get crazy here. Get some good recharge tonight- you deserve it, rescue bot." Bee grinned, standing with Chase and helping Grim to his pedes. "You too guys. Thanks for hanging out a bit." Chase nodded politely, casually ignoring Heatwave's arm sneaking around his waist. "Anytime you desire the company. Recharge well." 

The two watched the rescue bots slip into their room before retiring themselves. Grimlock smiled at Bumblebee once the door was locked, squeezing him close before flopping onto their berth in a comically comfortable way. Bumblebee propped himself up on his elbows, crossing his ankles in the air to kick them happily. "So, enjoying yourself so far?" Grimlock purred making sure the smaller mech was stable with his servos on the slim waist. "Yeah. 's weird not punchin' cons in the face every day, but Heatwave's been teachin' me stuff he learned from his sire." Bumblebee purred his engine, stroking his thumbs over audial horns while Grimlock continued. "I... I wanna be honest though. I'll still nervous over the idea of bondin' wit'cha. I'm not backin' out or nuthin', but... It's like senator creepface said. There are mecha that can protect ya better."

Bumblebee smiled softly, stroking his servos over Grimlock's chest. "But there's none as dedicated as you- once you put your mind to something, you always accomplish it Grim. It might not be the traditional way something is done, but it's your way, and it gets the results in the end." Grim smiled, nuzzling Bee's forehelm with his own. "Guess it's somethin' I'll get useta over time. 's just alotta responsibility."

Bumblebee lightly set his pedes atop Grimlock's, shrugging nonchalantly. "You have plenty of time to decide if this is really something you want. It's not like I'm becoming a bearing Prime tomorrow or something, and we can still be together even if you're not my protectorate. I mean, Ratchet is technically just an advisor, but he and Optimus are happy." Humming his agreement, they went silent for a few moments. Bumblebee set his helm on Grimlock's chest plates, continuing to purr quietly as he listened to the steady thrum of the larger spark. A few moments of basking in the quiet, Bumblebee looked up. "Cables?"

It took a few seconds to process what Bumblebee had asked, but Grimlock considered it for a little bit. Bumblebee didn't rush him, instead resting his helm on the broad chest once more with a happy sigh and flutter of highly-glossed wings. With a stern deliberation behind him, Grimlock softly tapped Bumblebee's shoulder. Bee sat up on Grimlock's chest, allowing nimble servos to search for the clasp. He remembered the general area from the last time they traded cables, but it still took a few a few tries before he pulled the release with a happy flick of doorwings. Grimlock reached up, pulling the lever tucked beneath Bee's plating on the first try. Bee gave him a proud grin, but fell to lay beside the larger mech and make himself comfortable. Plugging himself into Grimlock first, the Dino reflexively braced for the smack of the Ops code- only this time, it was more of an aggressive shove than a punch to the faceplate. He didn't even get nauseous this time! 

Waiting about thirty earth-seconds for the code to settle, Bumblebee turned off the light before connecting Grim to himself. The rush of data was faster this time, allowing them both to settle with a happy sigh. Spoken word was abandoned in favor of data packets, and both parties were utterly relaxed and purring within half an hour. Grimlock guided Bumblebee to memory files of his training with the resident Kaonite, and was rewarded with Bumblebee's own opinions of the styles and praise on his process so far. In return, Grimlock got to see the days Bumblebee had spent with the youngest Burns. It was painfully mundane to watch his chosen mate help with school projects and utterly fail at controlling hover-boots, but at the same time, it warmed something in his spark to see his lieutenant enjoying the carefree life that he was robbed of. 

The data transfers slowly decreased in volume and enthusiasm, and Grimlock smiled as he felt the familiar haze of recharge slowly consuming the mech beside him. 

This one though...

This recharge was different. 

He couldn't help but ruffle his plating as he watched something play through Bumblebee's own mind. The youngling was obviously fast asleep, but the image was clearer than any memory file he had ever passed through the connection they shared. 

In his mind's eye, he saw a sprawling skyline- Cybertron's skyline. The city was lit from within, bursting at the seams with life as the rising of Luna-1 bathed the entirety of the city with the naturally generated light. The crystals around them- them? - slowly activated, casting a hazy reflection of gold and silver that was just distorted enough to mask whomever the mech was standing that was behind Bumblebee. Strong silver arms wrapped around his waist, but Bumblebee didn't look back. Instead, his right servo was carefully cupped and raised to be equal to their optics- then each knuckle was kissed, slowly and purposefully by gold-plated lips. No words were spoken between the two, as their intermingled fields said more than they ever could.

There was love here- pure, unbridled love that could only be developed over time. The weight of the sheer adoration threatened to stall Grimlock's ventilations, but he was too caught up in the way Bumblebee's helm lulled so trustingly against his jaw- with no stretch on the smaller mech's spinal strut. He was focused on the way the similar, yet oh-so-different frame rested so perfectly in his arms. When ultramarine eyes turned to meet his, he felt himself smile. This mech was not the Bumblebee fell asleep with earlier that night- this mech was his Prime. Just as regal as Optimus ever was, watching over the world he had rebuilt from his place beside Grimlock. 

The Lord Protectorate squeezed the narrow waist a little tighter, looking over the shimmering Energon river- by the pits, Cybertron had flowing Energon! - just as the first of Luna-1's bioluminescence touched the surface of the river. But even its brightness couldn't compare to the smile on his Prime's face when the view registered. Excitement bubbled in his chest as he stepped back, prompting a confused shuffle of Bumblebee's new frame- notably larger than his Urbana that Grimlock knew so well, but just as sleek and powerful. The lack of wheels was a little disorientating, but the shimmering beauty of his coat-like assembly wiped the thought from his mind.

The confusion Bee felt in his spark mirrored on his faceplate as Grimlock held one of those long, thin servos within his own. He bent at the waist to kiss the back of his servo, grinning up at the embarrassed Prime. When Bee opened his mouth to playfully chastise him, Grimlock dropped to his knees. Kissing his knuckles once more, Bumblebee's optics widened in surprise- the words had caught in his throat, but the growing smile already answered the question on Grimlock's lips. He asked anyway.

Sadly, he couldn't hear it over the Energon pumping in his audials... but it seemed Bee heard him just fine. He was laughing a mesmerizing bell tone as his Prime lowered himself to his knees with more grace than a frame should ever carry. His mind went blank when those delicate servos guided their lips together, save for the utter warmth that had cocooned around both their frames and their Sparks. It was an unnatural warmth that ignited from within, but it wasn't painful. It felt like amusement and acceptance bundled into one heartfelt pulse.

It was... unsettling... when Grimlock was suddenly met with consciousness. It was as if someone had dumped a bucket of ice water on his spark, and he continued to lay Frozen in shock for several seconds. Grimlock was still reeling when Ultramarine optics hazily reset, drifting up to meet his own. The dazed confusion morphed into surprise, but Bumblebee's question caught in his throat. He knew Grimlock had seen. He knew Grimlock had felt.

Sam had become so different than the boy William Lennox had defended back in Chicago. He had lost (most of) his skittish edge, and seemed to take a mental pace that was better suited for someone that had worked in a job they hated for many years. In all honesty, it was probably the truth. Even the difference between Sam and Raf was astounding- where Sam was melancholy and slightly bitter at the world, Raf had all the "Spice" he claimed to have inherited from his mother. 

But even as Will sat on Ironhide's shin, watching the Hispanic man tell Miko not to joke about his mother's aim, he was watching what 'The Geni0us Boy' had become. Will laughed as Raf gave Miko a mortified look, before grinning and pulling off his shoe to throw at the scrambling woman. The chase was on when Miko stole said shoe, throwing it to Sideswipe as Raf barely managed to stay upright long enough to remove his other. The laughter rang around the underground base Will had slowly built over the years, and if he focused he could feel Ironhide's amusement flaring through his field. 

"Goodta see the squirt got out of his shell." William hummed, stroking the glossy red paint that the other had taken on. "Yeah. Especially because I've watched him while we both worked for the military. I never even knew the kid was Spanish blood till I got to watch him get a smackdown for slamming an Energon sample he was supposed to study. I don't know what half those words were, and at this point, I don' wanna know." Ironhide laughed as Miko used her height to overpower Raf, chasing him with his shoe until Strongarm scooped them into her hands for a time-out... only for the two to start lobbing insults in their respective Spanish and Japanese while helplessly laughing. 

The aging man lulled his head back to grin at Ironhide, and was rewarded with a massive servo gently stroking his hair and a deep voice lowering towards his ear. "They grew up just fine. Gotta admit, brings a bitta joy to my old spark. I didn't get ta see 'em that much since I had'ta be on Cybertron, but it reminds me of all the lil'uns I've raised." Will laughed, pulling the servo to cover his chest and legs. "Do they remind you of Bumblebee at all?" 

 That left Ironhide humming for a second, but in the end,  he shook his helm. "No. The only thing that really reminds me of him is the fact that they grew up- but even then, Baby Bee is growing in different ways. Humans like Sam grew to procreate and earn social status. Humans like Raf grow with their life dedicated to Science. They aren't even similar to each other."

Will remained silent, but turned to make eye contact. "Bee is growing to lead an entire race of people, and he's done magnificently so far if I get any bragging rights." Ironhide grinned at his human, using his hand to support his back. "Do you think he'll be a good Prime? Or are you concerned about anything?" Ironhide chuckled.

"The only thing I'm concerned about is the way Bee views bots as a whole. He's always played his hand close, but I actually thought he would be pretty biased towards cons. Especially with what he's been through." Will snickered and kicked Ironhide's thumb. "Yeah, then he goes off and starts dating one!" Ironhide quirked a brow with a grin, catching the offending foot between his thumb and forefinger.  

"Yeah. Can't figure out if I should be worried 'bout that or not. He’s becomin’ more of a wildcard each cycle, but in the end Primus has a plan. I know that from bein' bonded with Optimus."  The quiet attention prompted him to continue, but he casually made a point not to make an eavesdropping Sunstreaker uncomfortable- the mech was still too shy to ask questions, even after a month. "I expected tha' we wouldn't have a bitlet with Optimus. Me an' Ratch? It was probable- but not OP. But, Primus chose to disprove a theory that has been a truth since the Matrix' creation- he gave us Bumblebee. Primus gave him the experiences to understand why this war of ours is happening, and gave him a spark strong enough to..." 

When Ironhide struggled with words, Sunstreaker took a rare chance to speak. "He's the type of mech to care for everyone- no matter your views or background." That earned him a grin from both, and a quiet nod from Ironhide. "He's also gotta spark that understands the issues we never could. Primus speaks to that bitlet in ways even Optimus don't understand." 

Sunstreaker finally sat beside Ironhide, interested in the missing leader. "Well, if that's not enigmatic."  Will burst out laughing, and Sideswipe immediately glanced over at the sudden noise. His brother's smirk put him at ease, so he went back to talking with Raf, Miko and Strongarm. Ironhide sighed, giving a pointed look to the recharging prime. "Yeah, it happens sometimes. Can't be bonded to a Prime without pickin' up some bad habits yerself. The ' T L D R'-" Will immediately reached up for a fist bump as he wiped away a fake tear- his Ironhide was using abbreviations! "-Is that Bee's a fuckin' weirdo in terms of bots, and if you ever catch him spacin' out ya've got a forty-percent chance of pullin' him out of it."

Sunstreaker nodded slowly, humming with mild skepticism. "Because Primus likes to pull a Ying Yang Twins and whisper in his ear?" Sideswipe instantly cheered up unison with Will's glorified scream-laugh. Ironhide rolled his optics, instantly shoving Sunstreaker away with a shake of his helm. Sunstreaker bristled for a short moment, his body going still until he heard the chuckle of 'I don't need no pop culture references today!'. Relaxing slightly, he allowed a nervous grin to form right up until a wrench came out of nowhere, striking Ironhide in helm hard enough to make him lose his balance slightly. 

The weapon specialist immediately chucked it back at the medic across the room, growling out a rather nasty string of curses in Cybertronian. Naturally, the medic retaliated, and the swearing only stopped when a large blue servo covered Ratchet's mouth. "Ratchet. There are children present!" Immediately scoffing, Ratchet pulled down the servo and tore into Optimus with the same pointed warble-chirps. 

Denny- who had just woken up to discover this spectacle- snickered as Optimus leant in to mutter something in Ratchet's audial. When the mech went blue in the faceplate, Ironhide utterly roared with laughter. Will held on tight as the mech doubled over his human charge, his shoulders shaking and his intakes wheezing within seconds. Ratchet pushed himself to his pedes, using Optimus' helm as a stabilizer before shoving it downwards with half-sparked force. Optimus caught the servo in his own, bringing it to his lips in a way Strongarm found eerily familiar.

She wasn't the only one to notice this, as Drift allowed a slight smile to slip free just before the medic turned towards Ironhide once more. "If you have time to laugh, we have time to drive. Get your aft up." Will immediately jumped off Ironhide's lap, prompted a betrayed 'hey!'. Will gave him a theatrical shrug as he backed away, bowing to Ratchet. "All yours, Doctor Of Doom!"

Raf doubled over laughing as Ratchet's glare swung his way. The scolding on telling that particular story could wait a little while. Miko was perched innocently in Sideswipe's servos, but Ratchet dismissed it with a put-upon sigh. Denny gave Russel a soft smile as the young teen pushed himself upright, rubbing his eyes and yawning. " 'S it mornin' yet?" Strongarm passed Raf to Sideswipe, transforming and popping her door. "Not yet. But, you're welcome to sleep in my cab. I'll activate some noise suppressants." 

Without a second thought, the teen slid off the small bed and into the cab with his blanket. Sunstreaker quietly moved to cover beside Sideswipe- totally not protecting Strongarm in any way though. They just so happened to have sat on each side of her flanks. Total coincidence. 

Drift just tapped his students-who now included Fixit, who found the meditation did help what was left of his glitches- on top of the helm to get their attention back. Sam and his parents slept through the entire ordeal, and still haven't stirred.

Optimus gave a smile around the room as Will sat with Miko and Raf (therefore Sides and Sunny by extension), and immediately started asking questions about pranks that happened during the Nevada days. Ratchet stroked his servo across Optimus' back, earning an affectionate nuzzle as Ironhide quickly squeezed him from behind. "Love ya, even if ya are a... what’d you call it? A Kaonic Marksman?"  

Amusement glittered in Optimus' optics, but he nodded. "There was a story I read back during my archivist days. It was relatively similar to Earth's 'David and Goliath', but with Energon shots and a lead ball bearing. It's one of the many theories on how the war started." Ironhide chuckled when Ratchet gave the youngest of their trio a flat look, reaching up to tap the Prime's nasal ridge. "Leave it to you to throw bright Rays of history into our shade. I'm serious though. We got a bit of driving to do before we can bridge safely, so let's go before we lose all our dark." 

When the trio pulled out- dampeners on high- Sideswipe looked to Sunstreaker. He had to nudge him from across the bond to get his Brother's optics off the chassey before them, but he managed to make it look natural. "So, have fun talkin' to the boss bots?" Sunstreaker nodded. "It was informative, if nothing else. I still have some difficulties following the relationships with everyone though." Sideswipe shrugged as Raf helpfully continued. "You'll learn them with time. It's even harder since there's two technically missing, so you just have to guess on them. Besides, Bee is kinda the reigning lead of relationships anyway. He keeps us all interacting."

Sunstreaker hummed, watching the humans play some form of hand game- 'rock, paper, scissors'. "I suppose. I've always been the observer though, so it does not surprise me that I have problems following relationships here as well." Sideswipe casually scooted closer, dropping his helm onto Sunstreaker's shoulder. "If I'm gonna be honest with ya Sun, I'm surprised we're getting along so well. After how long we've been apart, I thought-" Sunstreaker immediately bumped his helm against Sideswipe's to cut him off. "I will never find you annoying. If anything, you are painfully refreshing when compared to the thoughts in my helm." Sideswipe purred as his field suddenly relaxed, and Sunstreaker grinned. Silly mech was always getting anxious over nothing. Sunstreaker was mildly surprised when Sideswipe's bond nudged his own with an affectionate flare- but not directed towards him. 

It would appear Strongarm had dropped into recharge. Sunstreaker returned the affectionate burst as his twin leant back up, reclaiming his position to watch over the femme and their human charge. 

Chapter Text

Morning came far too early for Charlie Burns. The alarm clock screeched suddenly at four am, rousing the aging father far too early for his personal liking. A quick hand silenced the irritating sound, and he rubbed his eyes with the heels of his palms as he took a deep breath. When his heartbeat finally slowed back down, he removed the covers and slipped his feet back onto the floor. His hair was still slightly damp from his shower before bed, but he still took a quick shower simply to wake himself up. 

When he silently closed the door to his room, he smiled at the row of closed doors hiding his children. He quietly slipped downstairs to the kitchen, but immediately froze when he heard quiet laughter from the dimly lit room. The police chief slowly peeked his head around the corner to see Cody, in his pajamas and sipping a mug of something with his tablet playing a video compilation. Charlie gave him a confused look as he approached, but the surprised, yet sheepish look betrayed the missing intent of his youngest son. "Hi Dad." 

"Good morning Cody. What's got you up so early?" The young teen shrugged, nodding towards the coffee machine. "I had a bad dream and couldn't fall back asleep. Thought some hot cocoa and some vines would get me back in a sleeping mood. There's just hot water in there if you want to start your coffee." Charlie ruffled Cody's hair as he retrieved the coffee beans from the cabinet, putting them in the coffee blender for a few pulses. "What was the dream?" Cody shrugged, curling around his mug. "I don't even remember now. Guess the cocoa did its job and chased it away!" The happy smile he got was easily returned as the ground coffee was dumped into a filter and set to work. 

"Well, if we're both up, how about an early breakfast? I have to run a check of the train tunnel before the big event, so I'm thinking bacon and eggs. Quick and delicious." Cody put his now-empty mug on the table before grabbing the skillet from the cabinet. Charlie pulled out the eggs and the bacon, and within minutes there was warm over-hard eggs and crispy bacon to munch on. 

Charlie refilled the mugs of hot chocolate and coffee as Cody set the table, and the two ate in companionable silence. Halfway through the meal, Charlie pressed the 'play' button. The rest of breakfast passed with poorly-hushed giggles, and quoted vines whenever Cody knew one... which was rather frequently. Charlie recognized one and had cheered 'yeet' in time with the video to earn a high-five. With breakfast done, Cody stood to help clean the dishes. Charlie smiled at his youngest softly before grabbing the drying towel, wiping away any excess water from the plates and silverware until Cody turned the hose toward his head for a short spray. Charlie gasped and immediately raised the towel as a defense, laughing as he mushed the now-soaked towel onto the fluffy mop of hair. Cody squeaked in response, immediately dropping the hose in favor of pulling the towel off his head- only to be immediately captured in a noogie. 

The teen broke free with a grin, leaning over and grabbing the hand towel off the stove to finish the last two plates while Charlie put the other dishes away. After this was finished, Cody squeezed his father tight. "Thanks for breakfast Dad." 

"No problem kiddo. Go get some sleep, you've got a big day coming up." Cody beamed as he turned to retreat to his room, and Charlie called out quietly behind him. "And dry your hair, or else the nightmares will come back!" Cody immediately stuck his tongue out, causing Chief Burns to laugh. Charlie waited until he heard the bathroom door open and close, followed by a brief pause and a bedroom door. He finished his mug of 'liquid consciousness', considering waking Graham and just starting work on the tunnels even earlier. Smiling toward the hall, he dismissed the idea. It was hard enough for Graham to get to sleep, there was no use waking him for work that could easily be done in a few hours. 

When he stepped onto the balcony of the main garage, he was met by the sight of Heatwave and Chase sitting quietly in the corner, talking too quietly for him to hear. It only took a few short seconds before the firetruck noticed the policeman leaning on the balcony, but the gentle tap beneath Chase's chin prompted the mech to turn. They slyly bumped helms as they stood, but Charlie paid it no mind. He had figured out their relationship long ago. 

"Good morning chief. Recharge well?" Heatwave's tone was polite, and Chase held out his servo for Chief Burns to climb onto. "I did. What has you up so early?" Chase grinned as he set Charlie on the floor, and Heatwave grinned at Chase softly. "Chase tried to sneak out of the room. Figured I'd talk to him for a bit before everything went nuts today." Charlie laughed at that, shaking his head. "I can't blame you there. Hopefully it won't be as bad as last year..." Heatwave shuddered, and Chase frowned at him. "Sir, I believe that is what is called a 'Jinx'." Charlie grinned. "Perhaps. But either way, we have business to attend to partner." 

Heatwave stepped back with a grin as Chase transformed, popping his door. "Have fun you two." 

When Boulder rolled into the tunnels two hours later, he nearly stalled when he saw Optimus, Ratchet, and Ironhide alongside Chase and Chief Burns. Graham excitedly slipped out to greet the trio, giving his father an ecstatic grin. "Bee's gonna flip when he sees them!" Optimus chuckled as Charlie answered. "This is probably true, but it'll be good to see him happy. He's been a big help, but as a father, I can see when someone is missing their parents." Graham grinned, giving him a playful grin. "Like that time I got lost at Disney World?" 

Ironhide laughed as Charlie squeezed Graham's shoulder. "Exactly like that. Got your foam gun?" Graham pulled the tool from Boulder's cab, and affectionately patted the green plating as he closed the door. "Do we have any big plans, or is it just give you all some time with Bee?" Optimus rumbled his approval as he reversed slowly to scan the walls. "Just 'family time', as I have heard it called. Besides, I have heard that I need to try a 'Griffin Dog'." 

Graham groaned, Charlie laughed.

Bumblebee couldn't deny the excitement as he waited for Cody to come back down with his phone. Apparently the teen had forgotten to plug it in last night and had let it charge until they were about to leave, but the intended pair were enjoying the moment of silence before the insanity of the rest of the day kicked in. Bumblebee was sitting prim and proper on the hood of his alt, his knees together as he held a staring contest with his Jurassic partner. The contest went on until they heard the kitchen door open, after which Bumblebee quickly leant forwards to press a kiss to Grimlock's muzzle.

Grimlock had worked hard on his holoform over the last week, and finally mastered keeping it both active and solid for a full day. However, the mech still struggled with range. Charlie had helpfully suggested that he power down in the new-old train tunnels- It was close enough to the boardwalk that the Dinobot would have full run of the place and enjoy all the spring festival had to offer with Cody and Bumblebee. 

When Grimlock reared up with an amused grin, Cody bounded down the stairs. The teen was half-panting and nearly vibrating with excitement. "I'm so hyped! Are you ready? Frankie's gonna meet us at the crawfish races after we drop Grim's frame off!" Bumblebee grinned from where he sat, tucking a loose lock of hair behind his ear. "Absolutely! I'm excited about this 'Griffin Dog'. If I don't try it soon, Dani might explode. Are you guys going to have one with me?" Cody's excited face dropped like a rock, and a disgusted expression took its place. "Uh, no. Kade and Dani probably will though. I'm gonna get one without the...uh... well, most of it. I'll probably get a mac and cheese dog." 

Seeming to sense the oncoming danger, Bumblebee tilted his head. "What exactly is in a Griffin Dog?" Cody laughed, opening Bee's passenger door. "Well...It's not even a hot dog if you wanna be technical. It's more of a hot... bowl?" Bumblebee tilted his head before giving Grimlock a confused look. Grimlock just shrugged, and Bumblebee dissipated his holoform with a soft smile towards the Dino. His engine roared to life as Grimlock transformed, but his rearview tilted towards his giddy passenger. "So... Wanna drive?" 

The excited squeal was more than an answer.

Cody slid over the main console, clicking his seatbelt back into place as Bumblebee helpfully moved the seat up. "Remember the rules?" Cody grinned, fixing the mirror so he could see properly. "If I break one traffic law or leave the side roads, you take back over." Bumblebee revved his engine in amusement as the teen carefully put him into gear. "If you're good, one day I'll switch to clutch and let you learn that one." 

Cody laughed as he coaxed Bumblebee out, giving him a playful disbelieving look. "Bee, it's the twenty-first century. No one drives stick!" Grimlock laughed from his place behind them. "You'd be surprised! Denny's old car is manual." Cody frowned at the stereo transmitting the comm, and Grimlock rumbled out a chuckle as Cody carefully turned on to the road leading to the tunnels. "What do you want to do first when we get there?"

"I'm not entirely certain. I was thinking of going to that water pistol game and trying to win Frankie a present. Her mother's birthday would have been recently, and I can tell Frankie misses her." Cody nodded, appreciatively drumming his fingers against the soft leather of the wheel. "That's super nice of you. Maybe you can win her a flobster plush? I was saving up to buy her the gigantic T-Rex that looks like Trex." Grimlock purred from behind them, and Bumblebee laughed as they made relatively quick work of the turns leading down to the new-old tunnel. "Sounds like a plan. I wonder if my past combat experience makes the water pistols cheating...?"

Approaching the closed-off tunnels, Cody grinned as he saw his father, Graham, Chase, and Boulder all lingering near the entrance. The bots were casually lounging near the entrance, and Cody had to bite his lip to manage his mounting excitement. He rolled Bumblebee to a stop, grinning as he was praised on his technique. The doors of the Urbana popped to free them, and Charlie gave them a knowing look when Cody exited on the driver's side. Bumblebee immediately beamed. "He's gonna be at the top of his class in Driver's Ed this semester! I swear, those grades will be stella-" 

Almost everyone grinned when Bumblebee went rigid. Grimlock and Cody gave him confused looks, but Bee just began to look around. He settled on a poorly composed pair of humans, hiding near their respective bots. Boulder was his saving grace, as he couldn't seem to take the suspense any longer. He stepped aside first, and Chase grinned as he followed suit to reveal Ironhide, Optimus, and Ratchet all parked a few meters into the tunnel. Grimlock purred as Bumblebee's hands flew to cover his mouth, and the teen was running when Optimus' door opened. 

The holoform had barely gotten out of his cab before he was pinned by the overwhelmed teen. Ratchet and Ironhide were close behind, and Grimlock gave the Burns' family a grateful look. "Y'all are sneaky." Charlie grinned as Grimlock approached the tunnel, pleased to find that the trio had left him enough room to curl up and power his main systems down. One slightly ominous creak later, a pair of familiar tan timberlands hit the dust. To his own disappointment, Grimlock hadn't learned how to completely change outfits yet. He could add and remove parts of the clothing, but not adjust it to his own personal style. Bumblebee had reassured him that he would learn- then joked that he did enough changing for both of them. 

He didn't feel too bad though, because Ironhide hadn't bothered changing either- the older man was still in his 'army casuals'. A black tank top, tan cargo pants, and black boots. Simple and effective. Ratchet had simply swapped the tie and shirt colors, obviously partial to his white and red combo, but the rest and remained the same. Optimus, on the other hand, was 'pulling a Bumblebee' with a completely different outfit. 

 He had his hair up once more- fastened securely in a high ponytail, but with select pieces braided and weaved around the loose strands to ensure the locks didn't go anywhere if a stray gust of winds caught him. The braids themselves supported the ever-present prisms, and overall it was a look better suited for a wedding day than everyday wear. His clothes remained 'plain', consisting of a red button up with blue flame embroidery on the sleeves, tucked into a pair of jeans. A pair of Cherry Red cowboy boots topped off the 'country casual' look.

Bumblebee was just as classy as ever, having reloaded his in the blandest look Grimlock had seen on him yet. His hair was down, and his makeup was washed in mostly neutrals- except his bright red lip, of course. The prisms were delicately laced onto the choker that conveniently covered most of his throat's scars, and the Black-and-sheer top covered his chest while allowing his arms to breathe. The rim of the shirt had a yellow dotted line around the circumference of the hems. Bumblebee kept his usual shorts, but they weren't the usual Hot Pants-esque style he usually wore. These were basic shorts, with small bumblebee emblems 'buzzing around' on the sides. The yellow lines represented the Bee's flightpath, and Grimlock grinned as he realized the matching theme throughout. The same yellow line went up the seams of his thigh-high black socks, before dipping into a pair of yellow Converse Allstar XX. 

Ironhide helpfully called him out on the questionable taste. "So, Bee. Bees?" Bumblebee grinned, humming as he squeezed Optimus. "Bees. Just so they remember my name." Ratchet scoffed, ruffling his hair. "No one will every forget your name, youngling. Now, show me your teeth." Bumblebee "Pouted" as he let Optimus go for a quick physical, and Cody kind of understood the dog-show reference as Bee's joints were checked for any damage over his extended vacation, but he still gave Ironhide a confused look. 

The muzzled man grinned, leaning against the opening of the tunnel. "Bumblebee has physically been through a ton of slag, so Ratchet keeps a close eye on his joints and stuff in case of signs of damage. Bumblebee made a joke once about being looked over like a show-dog, and Ratchet started saying that to piss 'em off. The joke backfired, cause usually Bee just tries to bite 'em when he says it." Charlie laughed, shaking his head. "Sounds like something my father would say." Ironhide grinned as Optimus approached, gratefully accepting a hug from Cody. 

"Thank you for extending your activities to include Bumblebee. The gifts you give him in the way of normalcy could never be quantified." Cody immediately waved it off. "Like I told dad- Bee's fun to hang out with. Besides, now I get to say I trashed a Cybertronian in Burns' Ball!" Optimus gave him a confused look, but the question was dropped when a familiar teen scampered past to hide behind Grimlock. Ratchet was smirking as he approached the group, crossing his arms with a huff. "Are we ready to go?" 

"Pretty much. I think you will enjoy everything today." Ironhide grinned, bumping Optimus' side. "So, when do we get these Griffin Dogs OP has been wondering about for the past week?" Graham and Cody grimaced. Charlie grinned, shaking his head. "In a while. We have to find everyone first." The group set off towards the boardwalk, with Chase and Boulder slowly cruising behind them. Cody grabbed Bumblebee's hand and took off running, making Grimlock laugh as he jogged to keep pace with the pair. 

Optimus smiled as he saw them disappear into the crowd, and Ratchet quietly linked his arm with Optimus' own. Ironhide shook his head at the mildly intimate gesture, knowing the sheer number of people had the medic feeling possessive over their admittedly attractive mate. "So, he's been helping on rescues, huh?" Charlie nodded, and eagerly told them of his help in rescuing Priscilla the week prior. The end had Optimus frowning. "Did the council agree to close the park?"

Graham sighed with a half-shrug. "Only the part near the well. We have cameras set up to alert Chase whenever someone tries to get in there." Ratchet cocked a brow as they finally reached the throng of people. "When?" Charlie and Graham both laughed. "When." Chase purred his engine to alert Heatwave, who idled as a crowd of children smudged his finish. Optimus grinned, but Charlie called out to them all. Ironhide was the most surprised, but Graham helpfully answered the question before it was even asked. "The first day is locals only. And the mayor should have given a quick heads up about you all visiting, so you shouldn't be mobbed by citizens trying to hide our bots." 

"And if anybody tries, point them out to me! I'll kick their butts!" Heads turned as Cody, Bumblebee, and Frankie approached, the young woman clutching an oversized T-Rex plush to her chest. Optimus smiled, nodding politely- only to be half-tackled in a glomp. Ratchet laughed, stepping back just in time to avoid the teen squeeze pile as Cody and Bumblebee joined in. They were met with mixed reactions of surprise and amusement from the crowd, but all of them remained on the positive side of the spectrum. Optimus ignored them all in favor of laughing and petting heads. "Why am I always being hugged?" 

Ironhide scoffed, smirking like the smartass he was and squeezing Optimus' shoulders. "It's that primely aura. Enjoy the cuddles." Optimus gave him an exacerbated look, muttering 'I'll show you primely' under his breath as the teens let go. The distractions came once more as a loud 'HEEEEY!' rang out, and Cody waved back to an extremely lean Caucasian man with orange lowlights and hazel eyes that stood beside Dani. 

He was a relatively simple outfit, with an orange tank top and white zip hoodie, with a pair of white pants and orange sneakers. The orange suspenders hung uselessly around his hips, because 'Just, no. I am NOT from NSYNC!' Needless to say, Dani still teased Blades relentlessly about his fashion sense. Kade appeared a few seconds after Blades started jogging towards them, a hotdog in his mouth and a bread bowl in his hands. Dani squealed when she realized the likeness to their guest and followed Blades to- yet again- hug Optimus. 

The Prime had given up at this point, accepting the hugs with a deliberate look to a snickering Ironhide. Blades cooed as he smooshed his freckled face against Optimus' chest, giggling as Dani cuddled in equally close before the two started gossiping about how squeezable Optimus was. They maintained the hug until a distinctly Latin man gripped them by the scruff of the collar, yanking them off to chastise them about personal space. Ratchet laughed, patting Heatwave's back and stopping him mid-rant. 

"C'mon, we're on a roll here. Give him a quick hug so I can hold it over his helm later!" Optimus huffed his betrayal, but Cody pushed the taller man closer to the Prime. Optimus sighed and held open his arms, and Heatwave hesitated before wrapping one arm around his waist for a quick half-hug. Even with the darker skin tone, his reddening cheeks were visible. ''Y-yeah. Anyway. Ask first." Heatwave crossed his arms, ignoring the snickering about his flush. Overall, he was absolutely stunning. His hair was a rich chocolate brown, but his eyes maintained the reddish-gold that he sported in his bot form. His teeth were slightly more pointed than any other's- namely the canines, which were borderline fangs and normal for someone of Kaonite origin- but remained a pearly white that contrasted perfectly with his unblemished skin. His outfit was rather bland, but exciting in its own way. He wore a plain silk shirt that was just as vibrant as his paintjob, tucked politely into black jeans that covered most of his black sneakers. Ironhide whistled, forcibly turning Ratchet's head away. "Don't look Party Ambulance, I think he's your type." 

Ratchet just rolled his eyes. "I know where you sleep." Optimus chuckled. "Yes- in my berth. Leave it out of this!" Charlie laughed at that, and Optimus shook his head as he shrugged to the other father. "They are always trying to argue at bedtime!" Heatwave grinned, barely suppressing his own laughter. "Yeah- kinda like Kade." The indigent 'hey!' sounded from an obviously full mouth, and Kade approached with a pout. "I do not argue before bed!" Heatwave immediately rolled his eyes, giving Blades The Look (TM). Kade followed by stuffing more hotdog into his face.

Dani tapped Heatwave on the shoulder, pointing to the children all over his chassis. Heatwave refused to look back. "I know they're there. I've got some sensors on them. But I don't wanna see what my paint is gonna look like later." A quiet chuckle came from an approaching officer, but the familiar tone immediately identified him as Chase. "I would not concern yourself with your finish. You always have assistance a question away." Heatwave grinned. "True that. You seen Boulder?" 

"He was following me rather closely, but decided to view the end of the crustacean races." Heatwave nodded, and Chase stood quietly beside them as Kade pouted once more. He was simply wearing a police uniform, fastened to the proper specifications listed in the Griffin Rock Handbook. His hair was buzzed short in the back and on the sides, but the top grew as it moved forward until it had just enough left to wisp over his brow and slightly shield blue eyes from the sun. His hands folded politely behind his back, right up until Dani shoved him forwards into Optimus. 

The group laughed at the embarrassed sputtering, and it was an only a short second before Chase had righted himself. Frankie continued to giggle as the group faded to smiles, and they set out to claim one of the larger eating benches for their group. Bumblebee eagerly ran ahead, his scouting instincts far too strong to avoid even the smallest of missions. 

He came back rather quickly, grabbing Optimus' hand and pulling him towards the right- where Doc Greene, Anna, and CeCe were happily sitting. Ezra waved when he saw the group approach, his hand wavering as he looked over the ridiculously tall man joining the Burnses. His eyes drifted over to the other two strangers, and he traded a look with Anna before they all were within earshot. Frankie fearlessly jogged forwards, stuffing her Trex in her father's face. "Daddy, look what Cody got me!" Ezra immediately smiled, wiggling the tiny arms. "How wonderful, my little Noether! It will have a perfect home in the hammock above your bed, I assume?" Frankie grinned, squeezing it close. "I was thinking on the dresser. It needed something as a centerpiece! Anyway!" She paused, stepping back to gesture to the newcomers. 

"These are Bumblebee's parents. Ironhide-" The gruff warrior grinned, nodding his hello. "- is Bee's step-dad. Ratchet here is Bee's dad-" The medic gave a quick 'hello' of his own. "-And Optimus Prime. He's Bumblebee's mom- just in case you forgot." Optimus gave a slight bow, his smile as kind as ever. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Ezra Greene, Anna Baranova-Greene, and CeCe Greene. I have heard many stories of your experiments throughout the years." 

Anna was understandably startled that the tallest in the group was the mother of Bumblebee, but the resemblance was far too striking to ignore. The group took their seats as the crowd milled about them, all eagerly eating their fill of the midday lunch. Optimus' gentle smile turned amused, and Anna forced herself to look away to gather her manners once more. "My apologies, I had never realized that you would be so... tall." Ratchet snorted a laugh, shaking his head with amusement. "You are fine, Anna. Sadly, height is not a characteristic I can control, and I became used to the initial surprise long ago."

Anna nodded, fascination in her eyes before she turned to Ironhide. "So... What is the role of the step-father in your society?" Ironhide laughed, crossing his arms on the table and relaxing. "Errythin tha' Sire an' Carrier ain' got time or Energex ta do. Run errands, keep the house, supply Energy or Nanites for Protoform Development- anythin." Frankie hummed, nodding as she followed along. Her eyes turned to Bumblebee, who was seated beside Optimus and turned the wrong way to watch Mr. Pettypaws scratch at Huxley Prescott. 

The table was already pretty full, but it should have enough room for everyone. Frankie sat at the end of the right side, followed by her father on the right, CeCe's hover stroller, Anna, Kade, Heatwave, then Chase. Dani and Blades shared the far end of the table, guarding the open seat for Boulder when he finally arrived. Graham sat across from Heatwave, beside Charlie. Ratchet was to Charlie's right, casually watching over Ironhide and Optimus beside him. Bumblebee was perched on the very end of the left side of the table, with Grimlock 'technically' on the end with Cody- but he was sitting on the edge of the bench, paying attention to Bumblebee- and certainly not Mr. Pettypaws a few tables away- as the teen pointed out various antics of the townsfolk to Optimus. 

A flash of light caught CeCe's eye as Bumblebee shifted, and she immediately squalled and reached towards the young blonde. The commotion caused a round of laughter, and mild confusion until Cody caught on. "I think she likes your necklace, Bee. She's always been keen on colors." Bumblebee grinned widely, immediately summoning a hair stick to his free hand. He winked at Optimus, passing it to the enthralled carrier. The Iaconian's height played to his advantage here, as he only had to lean forward to dangle the Prism before CeCe's eager hands. The bubbling coo made quick smiles return to lighthearted laughter, and Bumblebee snickered as Optimus lovingly rested his head onto his free hand with a wide smile. "She reminds me of when you were small, little bug. So full of life, and so quick to learn!" 

Bumblebee bumped his head against Optimus' shoulder, and Frankie zeroed in on Optimus' ponytail... and the identical beads scattered throughout the jealousy-inducing locks. The conversation at her house played through her mind, and she sipped one of the Coca-Cola's that her father had brought in the family cooler with a smile. Anna seemed to notice them as well, but kept the sadness from her eyes as she looked between the two. 

With the hair stick now within CeCe's happy grasp, the Prime straightened back up as he slid a protective arm around Bumblebee's waist. It was fairly obvious that the Prime was doing this subconsciously, and Bumblebee accepted it with equal recogntion. Grimlock caught Anna's eye, giving her a soft smile as the teen rested his chin on Optimus' shoulder. A tranquil silence fell for a few minutes, with each person around the table soaking up the rare moment of peace.

Charlie broke it with a growling stomach and a laugh. "Well, seems like time for food. Cody, Frankie, want to help?" Bumblebee immediately began to stand as well, but he was coaxed back down within seconds. "No, not you. It'll ruin the Griffin Dog Surprise!" Kade laughed loudly, leaning forward to give a smug grin. "And if you're too wimpy to eat it all, pass it down here and I'll show you how it's done!" Dani immediately scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Uh, If I remember right, I'm the one that won last year's competition!" Kade immediately bristled, wheeling on his sister. "That was a fluke! I choked on water!" "Excuses, Excuses!"

Optimus chuckled, shaking his head. "If it is more convenient, I will simply try some of Bumblebee's. I have the least-developed nanite system in terms of digestion, and I doubt I would finish an entire portion." Charlie nodded, looking to Ironhide and Ratchet. "We'll share as well. I do not see the logic in wasting excessive funds to try something." Charlie nodded as the two teens giggled from behind him. "If you all would like another one or something different, let me know. I have money set aside for this, and its tradition to try a bunch of food during the festival before going after the games!" The small family nodded. Charlie had barely turned the corner before Huxley had made his move. 

Seconds later Ezra got a mildly annoyed face, immediately standing and frowning at the oncoming reporter. "Now, Mr. Prescott! Can't you give them a few hours?" Huxley grinned his best breaking-news grin before sliding right between Optimus and Bumblebee. Ezra frowned as a camera cut him off. Bumblebee was 'casually' leaning out of view, but almost fell out of his chair trying to get his personal space back. "Huxley Prescott, reporting live from the Griffin Rock's private ceremony! Today we have a special guest-!" The reporter half-yelped as Dani ruthlessly drug him back, and Frankie grabbed the camera to turn it to herself. "Which is a private affair!" She flicked off the camera and turned to witness the gory of Dani reaming him one.

"-ou know they're hiding! Why would you even consider putting a camera in their face?!" Huxley muttered something, but it was unintelligible. Heatwave frowned at the news anchor, shaking his head. "Either way- you know that the first day is press free! That was voted in the year we got here." Huxley immediately turned to the holoform. "Yes- so you can throttle the news! Reporting waits for no man, or alien! Besides, this wasn't an oversea broadcast. It's local news!" 

Charlie set the tray on the table, startling the reporter. "And even if it's local, the government can still track that broadcast. Besides, Optimus, Ironhide, and Ratchet are here to see Bumblebee- not get pestered." Huxley didn't reply other than a pout, and Frankie passed him his camera. The journalist definitely wasn't pouting as he walked away, and Kade capped his hands to rub them together. 

"Alright everybody, let's dig in! Spring specialty Griffin Dogs!" The bread bowls were passed out, much to Optimus and Bumblebee's confusion. Cody started laughing when Bumblebee peered into the bowl. Optimus looked at Charlie with confusion. "I was under the impression 'Hot Dogs' were served in an elongated bun?" Ratchet hummed. "My references say they are, but this might be the 'special' part of the Griffin Dog."  Kade grinned in a way that explained all of Heatwave's aversions to the dish, but the description didn't help at all. 

"Griffin Dogs are served in a bread bowl to contain all the deliciousness! They've got Hot Dogs, Mac and Cheese, and Scrambled Egg as a base, then they put Relish, Strawberry Jelly, Horseradish, Ketchup and Mustard on as condiments-" Bumblebee's concerned face was growing, and Frankie had to bury her face in her hands to muffle the laughter. "They put a big ol' scoop of Pineapple Ice Cream on top and serve it with milk! Best. Invention. Ever." Dani agreed through a mouthful, and Optimus gave Bumblebee a cautious look. Cody grinned, offering some form of support. "You did say you liked sweet stuff Bee. You might actually like it if you can get past the texture." 

Bumblebee took the fork, digging it in and shrugging before taking a bite. Laughter rang out as Optimus followed suit, and they both took several seconds to chew. From the look on Optimus' face, he didn't like it. He took a drink of milk to wash it down, but nearly gagged when the flavors mixed in an unsavory way. Frankie took pity on him and passed him a coke, which completely obliterated the flavor. "That was an... experience?" He took another long sip of coke before looking over to Bumblebee, who was staring at the glass of milk with the most undecided face he had ever seen on his sparkling. Ironhide and Ratchet laughed, bumping the back of their fists together before taking their own bites. 

Bumblebee hesitantly reached for the milk, taking a drink and scrunching his eyes shut. Grimlock laughed as he pulled the bowl close for his own bite, and Optimus passed the blonde the coke. Charlie laughed as Grimlock shrugged. "I dun think it’s so bad." Kade and Dani cheered, and Charlie grinned as Ratchet glared at the bowl like it questioned the validity of his medical license. Ironhide barely managed to swallow his. Both passed on the milk. Cody and Frankie doled out the sodas while Bee looked Grimlock over. 

The Dinobot grinned and took another bite, and Bee grateful accepted his own coke as he passed Optimus back his can. Kade eagerly took the extra portion, and Ratchet judged him thoroughly for it. Graham hesitated at first due to the nervousness that always plagued him, but gave his own opinion. "H…Honestly, it's the texture for me. That and the relish... I've never been a fan." Cody nodded his sympathy. "I don't like the...well. Most of it. The jelly? On a hot dog?" Frankie finished with a 'No Thanks!'. 

Charlie grinned, gesturing to the pile of plain hotdogs and the packages of mayo, mustard, and ketchup beside them. "I bought plenty, so dig in. The Griffin Dog is an acquired taste, for sure." The plain dogs were passed out, and the rest of the meal went with relative peace- except for the part where Grimlock finished the bowl, and Bumblebee playfully mentioned his sudden doubts in his choice for Lord Protectorate. 

He was now seated in Grimlock's lap, much to Optimus' absolute amusement. Boulder could barely contain his squeal as he arrived to see the whole family together. Optimus accepted the now-obligatory hug, and chatter picked up as Boulder settled down. Dani helpfully kicked off the topics. "So, Ratchet! How long have you, Optimus, and Ironhide been together? How'd you meet?" 

Ironhide grinned, nudging the medic in the side. "Yeah docbot! Tell em!" Ratchet gave him a healthy dose of side-eye before answering. "I met Optimus back before the war was even a rumble beneath Cybertron's society. I was relatively new in the medical profession, and so I- like all new medics- was called in for more dangerous repairs until I had earned enough merit to become a staple in a hospital. My duty was in the Gladiatorial Rings, and the servant houses of Senators. It was after a particularly brutal victory that I had met Megatron. I had recommended he use his own merits to request books from the library- as he had wanted to learn to read at the time- and I offered to pick up his first batch for him since I was his official retainer for the following 'week'.  Optimus- who was then Orion Pax- was the Archivist that helped me collect the books." 

Dani cooed, but Heatwave looked mildly disturbed. "You talk about Megatron as if he's a friend."

Optimus smiled softly. "At that point in time, he was. This was long before the power of tyranny clouded his mind and drove him mad. The three of us were quite close once he had won his freedom from combat, and he even worked with me on the docks for a period of time. It was a bitter day when we had to part ways." Ironhide quietly slipped one hand onto Optimus' thigh beneath the table, and squeezed Ratchet's in the other as the medic picked back up. 
"Yes. We had all become close because young Orion was fascinated with the social structures of the gladiatorial pits. After a while, he began bringing the books after his shift. This continued clear up until the first part of the revolution- when Optimus and I originally joined him to overthrow the corrupt senate. Technically speaking, I met Ironhide on the battlefield. I had repaired one of his greater wounds because I did not believe that a soldier forced into duty should die for another mech's purpose. At that time, I did not know he was the Lord Protectorate for Optimus' predecessor." 

Ironhide laughed, tugging down the collar of his shirt to show the top of a jagged scar on his upper chest. " Still have that'un! That was a baddie!" Ratchet immediately swatted the other, fixing his shirt with a mutter of 'always trying to take the fraggin thing off.' He huffed as Optimus' shoulders shook with restrained laughter. "Anyway. Megatron gave his speech to the new council to plead for equal representation through primehood, but he only angered them all. Optimus stepped in with the hope of clarifying Megatron's intent, but the new Senate chose him as Prime instead. Megatron was notably scorned, and it was the beginning of the end for our kinship with him. Ironhide was selected as the newly-named Optimus' new protectorate, as he was still young when Sentinel Prime passed. When he bonded with Optimus, it seemed natural for myself to follow." 

Dani seemed torn. "I was honestly hoping for a sappy story about like, some moonlight rendezvous or something..." Optimus chuckled. "Not every meeting is as clandestine as Earth Fiction would imply." The Prime gave Bumblebee and Grimlock an amused glance, and grinned wider when he met the teen's half-annoyed glare. Dani noticed as well, but the middle-burns spoke first. "What was medical school like on Cybertron?" Ironhide burst outlaughing, and Optimus had to cover his mouth and turn away.

Ratchet turned slowly, glaring at his mates. Bumblebee grinned from behind his soda can. "Yeah Sire. Tell us." Ratchet stared at Bumblebee for several seconds, shaking his head before answering. "To be transparently honest, I can't tell you most of it. Classes I attended were duller than unpainted base, and I spent a lot of my free time blackout drunk, high, or a mix of the two. However, I never showed up to required lessons or exams under any form influence, and I passed with flying colors to earn my degree." Graham had to fight back his own laughter. "It's okay, I know several people like that. At least you kept it out of your classwork." 

Kade had far less tact. "Woaah, you were a druggie?"  Ironhide was now curled against a shaking Optimus. "Party Ambulance!" Ratchet turned to smack him upside the head, but instead was met with Bumblebee cheering "Weee Wooo!". Kade plowed right through the cheers, leaning forward onto the table. "Do you still do it?" 

Ratchet gave him an offended look. "Pit no! All my... extracurricular activities stopped once I graduated. It turned out to be a great lesson, because by the pits was the withdrawal awful. It made working with mecha that were under similar circumstances so much easier to understand and diagnose." Graham nodded, and Boulder chimed in with a surprising admittance. "I know the feeling on that. I actually had an entire unit where we were exposed to Syk and told to design a building. Everyone failed that unit, but it was certainly an eye-opener on how some mecha see the world." Ratchet hummed, nodding in mild nostalgia. 

"Times were fun- I think- but that is behind me. On that note, as someone who's been there." He paused, turning to the three younglings at the table. "Don't do drugs." Frankie and Cody laughed, and Bee groaned theatrically. "Well slag, there goes our plans for Thursday!" Cody burst out laughing before snapping his fingers and leaning back to 'sulk'. A quick glance around confirmed that the crowd around them was thinning, and Charlie began to clean up. Before he could say anything against it, Bumblebee started collecting things that could be recycled. Optimus stood and claimed the tray, turning on his heel to throw it out with Bumblebee trailing behind to show him the proper recycling bins. The others all stood at their own speed, stretching and generally enjoying the post-food haze. 

When Optimus and Bumblebee returned, Cody eagerly met them. There was a few seconds of quiet scheming before Cody smiled and waved at Mr. Alper, who grinned and approached for friendly conversation. Bumblebee turned to greet him as well, before freezing. The floppy-shoed clown outfit left no doubt who it was, but Ironhide immedately burst out laughing as the oldest teen 'casually' made a shield out of Cody. The laughter caused Optimus and Ratchet to look up from CeCe's stroller, and the medic gave the Prime a patient smile before moving to head off the oncoming freak out. 

Mr. Alper was notably confused when Bumblebee was guided to the other side of the table and into Grimlock's protective arms. Optimus moved to talk to him, breaking the line of sight. Ratchet patted his shoulder comfortingly. "He's scared of clowns. Watched that 'IT' movie too many times." The look of realization was priceless, and Cody had to bite back surprised laughter. Thankfully, Mr. Alper didn't take it to heart. "I was just coming over to tell you guys about the face painting booth. Mrs. Neederlander actually got her paints, so it'll be open at 3!" Cody thanked him, and the councilman politely made his exit. When they rejoined the group, Bumblebee refused to relax until he had left the eating area entirely. Kade was near tears with how hard he was laughing.

Frankie nudged Cody, who grinned. "Wanna go check out the games now?" Bumblebee's hesitantly turned towards them, taking a few seconds to respond with a nod. The two humans quickly grabbed one of Bee's arms, dragging him towards the arcade booths set up along the closed-off street. They still impulsively checked both ways before crossing- all the citizens were in the square with them but who knew about stray drones- and making a beeline for the water-gun attraction. Frankie grinned at the gigantic flobster that had sat there for two years, but didn't bother playing. There was no way she would ever win that many tickets!

Cody and Bee grinned at each other, both taking up one of the pistols and going head to head for several rounds. Ironhide loomed over to the side, his face turning to a half-playful scowl. 

"Scout, that is the absolute worst form I have seen in millennia! Fix your stance and hold it right!" Bumblebee burst out laughing, loosing this round as he turned to spray Ironhide with the water gun. The elder quickly dodged it, gripping him by the scruff of his collar and yanking him upright. He was quickly batted off, and Bumblebee immediately cussed him out in Primal Vernacular. Cody perked up, turning on the puppy eyes. "Can you show me?" Ironhide released Bee with a rather ruff hair rustle. He used his hands to set Cody's shoulders straight, tapping his upper hip with two fingers to get him to stop standing with his weight on one foot. After that, he lightly kicked at his shoes until his feet were proper, then went through a quick lecture about how to properly hold the gun and why. 

Charlie smiled from a few feet away, before being surprised about a hand suddenly slipping around his waist and into a one-sided hug. "Truly. Thank you for everything, Charlie Burns. It does my spark more good than I could ever say to see him so happy and carefree." Charlie returned it with a pat between Optimus' shoulder blades. "It's not a problem. As I said, it’s what family does. After the kids are all gamed out, do you want to join us on the beach? Doc Greene’s family and my own always make s'mores as the sun sets, and High Tide, salvage, and Blurr said they would join us for that part." Optimus hummed happily as he nodded. "I would be honored to, and I know my mates would share the gratitude. I must warn you though, I have seen Bumblebee near S'mores once before- you might not have any left by the end." 

Dani laughed from where she stood, with Blade's arms around her neck and his head on top of hers with a beaming smile. "Better him than me!" Ratchet and Ironhide moved to sit on a nearby bench, as Grimlock moved to cheer Bumblebee on- seeing how Frankie was giving tips on how to decimate the former soldier.  Heatwave and Chase were nearby, strolling through the markets and talking between themselves. Graham and Boulder were looking over the recently-repaired supports of the bank, only to be chased away by Doc Greene and Anna. CeCe was happily sleeping in her stroller, clutching her hair stick to her chest. 

After a small water fight broke out- Bumblebee had won more rounds in the end, prompting a cry of 'retaliation!' from Frankie before Cody doused him. Frankie's face when they won the oversized lobster was mild surprise and jealousy, but it turned to utter shock when they both presented it to her. They helped her strap it to her back as the group reconvened as the sun began to set. Charlie looked around with a big smile. "How about we go start the bonfire? Everyone should be down there by now." Frankie immediately bolted, with Bee and Cody on her tail. Grimlock jogged behind, keeping an eye on them. The others moved at a slower pace, buying occasional trinkets as they were distracted by the shiny objects scattered throughout the stalls. Kade stopped for another Griffin Dog, earning a disgusted look from Heatwave.

The boardwalk was stunning at this time of day. Small, puffy clouds hung over the glittering ocean, and Optimus found himself at peace as they walked to the farthest pier. Cody, Frankie, and Bee were already there, the Flobster plush resting on the safety of an overhang near Baranova's lab as they ran back and forth in a game of tag. Bumblebee quickly used his balance to jump up onto the railing, scurrying out towards the sea with impressive speed. The trio quickly noticed the swell in the water and cheered as High Tide surfaced. "Righ' on time then!" 

A bridge opened seconds later to allow Salvage and Blurr onto the beach. They were met with the same excitement as High Tide, and it only took a few minutes to convince the bots- namely Blurr- to activate his holoform, but in the end everyone was crowded around the campfire and grinning as the comically large bag of marshmallows was pulled from the Greene's family cooler. Optimus couldn't get a good look at the newest Rescue Bot recruits, as they had taken a corner to themselves. 

Four boxes of graham crackers and an equal number of family size packages of chocolate followed, and Optimus smiled as Bumblebee eagerly disappeared with Grimlock, Cody, and Frankie to find sticks. Doc Greene lifted CeCe out of her stroller, bouncing her on his lap so she could watch Charlie ignite the bonfire. 

High Tide approached the bonded trio with a familiar grin, and Optimus eagerly rose to greet one of his oldest friends. The mech's holoform was as distinct as his personality- a scarred man in his fifties, with an obnoxious 'hazard yellow' jumpsuit on. His grey hair was cut short (and looked choppy enough it probably loaded longer, then High Tide took an Energon blade to it), but still worked well with the rugged features and high cheekbones that had transferred over from his bot-form. It all finished out with a pearly white smile that was sharpened with a few chipped teeth. "An' how are ya doin, old frien'?"

Optmus smiled and guided him to sit. "As good as I can be, considering all. Has Bumblebee been behaving for you?" High Tide shrugged. "Ah don't see much'a the pup. He's a Busybug, that's fer sure. Kinda like his sire." Optimus laughed as Ratchet slowly leant forward to give a challenging look. "This is a truth that I cannot deny. It has served him well though." High Tide scoffed, but nodded his agreement. "Yeh. Naow, 'f only he didn' get yer stubbornness, we couldda had a grea' seaworthy mech! Speakin' of seas-"  Optimus smiled as High Tide remembered a tale from his time in the Earth's ocean,  eagerly starting in and talking clear until the teens returned with armfuls of fair-sized sticks. Grimlock wasn't far behind with some extra logs for the fire. 

Cody eagerly opened one of the bags of marshmallows, grabbing a stick an grinning widely before wheeling on Frankie. The two wound up in a small game of chase over the offending marshmallow, and Bumblebee prepped their sticks for when they returned. Optmus watched his youngling closely, following his example to roast his own marshmallow and prep his s'more.  As soon as he pulled it from the fire- surprised at the sudden blackness that had encapsulated the previously white ball of sugar- there was a muffled thud and triumphant laughter from Frankie. Cody was now pinned on the beach, Frankie sitting on his waist as she forced the marshmallow into his mouth. Cody kicked a few times before giving in, laughing around the mouthful as Frankie cheered and rejoined the group to savor her victory with chocolatey goodness. 

Bumblebee passed them their sticks, and the entire group got a laugh at Optimus as the gooey mess didn't allow for a clean bite. The prime hid his mouth behind his hand, and Kade 'showed him how it was done'- by stuffing the entire s'more into his mouth at once. Bumblebee grinned as Optimus finished his first and started roasting another marshmallow. Ironhide and Ratchet took an hour or so, but they eventually caved and tried the sticky treat as well. 

The next few hours were nothing but laughter and mild horror at how many s'mores Cody, Frankie, and Bumblebee ate. The night ended around Two AM, when the adults could barely keep their eyes open and CeCe had long since fallen asleep in her hover stroller. The Autobots all helped pack for the tired humans. The cooler was carried up to Baranova's lab- Doc Greene, Anna, and Frankie said their goodbyes then, with one final selfie to commemorate the occasion. Blurr and Salvage said their own goodbyes, disappearing through a bridge before High Tide waved and dissolved his own to sink back into the sea. 

The bots and the Burnses slowly started making their way back to the old train tunnel. Dani and Blades had to fall back a little, as the giggles and coos over a tired Bumblebee holding Optimus' hand was slightly too much for them to remain quiet through. No one spoke as they walked through the abandoned town, watching some of the automated bots pick up stray pieces of garbage that had escaped the fuller bins. The full moon left them all without the need for lights, and they paused to look at the newest addition of Griffin Rock- the clocktower. It gave a happy boong as it chimed two-thirty AM, and Cody grinned as he waited a few seconds. "Whelp, no time travel!" 

The Burnses laughed together, shaking their heads and continuing towards the tunnel.

Until Bumblebee froze mid-step, his eyes wide. The entire group stopped, turning with sudden alertness when he took a sharp inhale. "Optimus- someone is touching my frame." He barely had time to turn a panicked look on his carrier before his holoform dissolved with the beginning of a terrified whine.  

The creating trio quickly dissolved their holoforms, transforming with weapons drawn. Senator Blackwing smirked from his place before the space bridge, giving them a smug bow. “Give Mr. Prescott my regards.” Ironhide was proud of the shot that connected with his shoulder before he had disappeared through the bridge, and Ratchet was quickly typing to trace the signal. Optimus had dashed forward to try to catch the errant Senator, but had felt the bridge close beneath his fingertips. 

When the others finally made it to the edge of the old station, they knew what had just happened. 

Chapter Text

It took Bumblebee a few extra seconds to reboot from his holoform. It had been a very long time since he had to do a system reboot after a hard separation, but the sharp whine of a tool and a sudden pinch in his chest was more than enough to kick his processor into gear. His optics onlined with a gasp, and he instinctually tried to pull his arms free.

Someone had forced his transformation.

He could feel servos around his wrists and ankles as he stared into the optics of a petrified guard with a buzz saw. The mech mouthed 'I'm Sorry' as Blackwing barked the order to 'get out of the way!'. Bee's optics narrowed as he pulled hard, yanking one servo free and throwing the Energy Blade he kept in the subspace in his palm. 

The senator barely managed to dodge it, but the voice of the High Counselor startled him. "Young mech! As much as I loathe to put you in this position, I cannot permit you to run about any longer! You are Sixty Thousand vorn old now, you can handle the matrix." Bumblebee didn't cease his struggles. "I'm not though! Look in the classified file, you can't do this!" 

He yelped as one of the burlier mech- a candidate for Lord Protectorate, no doubt- gripped him firmly around the waist to carry him out of the main hall of the Senate. He screamed in frustration and fear as he fought against the hold, his claws digging into the vulnerable shoulder plating in a desperate attempt to free himself. As the doors slid closed, he reached out to grab the surface and winced when his hand drug futilely across the surface. The doors slammed shut as he stared pleadingly the sea of disdainful and pitying stares that belonged to the mecha of the Senate.

Bumblebee had to give the guardsmech credit- even as he grunted in pain, he still made it down three flights of stairs before he lost the use of his arms. Bumblebee fell down the last six steps of the flight, scrambling to his pedes before bolting down the stairs. He honestly had never been this far into the building- he had no clue where he was going. That sure as pit wouldn't stop him. He was Xops, not a common mecha!

His coding was a live wire in his mind, prompting him to RUN as the sound of heavy pedefalls echoed behind him. He could count twelve distinguishable pedes- six pursuers. Bumblebee made a quick right, tearing down the hall in an attempt to find somewhere- anywhere- to hide in the empty halls. He made impressive time, looping back and swinging around to run back up the stairs. He could feel the hope bloom in his chest as he turned the last rail.

What he wasn't expecting was a round of new guards coming down at that exact second. He didn't have enough time to stop before colliding with the mech, struggling against the strong pair of black arms that suddenly encircled his waist. He immediately fought back, pushing and scratching until the guard winced and squeezed him tight in an attempt to disorientate him. The pressure broke the last clasp on his chest armor, but it didn't stop the kicking or scratching. The mech inhaled sharply, shaking his head before apologizing and dashing forwards to slam him against the wall. 

The blow to the back and the helm left his consciousness spotty, and he barely registered the feeling of a servo guiding his helm to the mech's shoulder as his world went sideways. The group closed rank around him- one leading, the other four surrounding the mech that carried Bumblebee- and the youngling struggled to reset the systems required for another escape.

The mech didn't look down at Bumblebee. He didn't acknowledge the chill of fear in his field, or the racing of Energon through the trembling servos that weakly pushed and kneaded at his shoulders. Bumblebee could barely hear his voice through the static as he pleaded with a strained vocalizer. "Please don't do this- I'll die." The mech's field tried to be supportive through the crippling shame that flooded through him. "No, you won't, young Prime. This will be over soon." 

He had barely gotten his servo to clench around his shoulder strut when they had stepped off the last flight of stairs, meeting up with the previous group. The trip down the hall was brief, but Bumblebee still earned a smack to the back of the helm when he became too fidgety for comfort. With a group of guards left behind as watch, they sealed the door behind them.  

To say Optimus was freaking out was an understatement. Charlie and Heatwave immediately called for a search of the island, but Cody quickly dismissed that hope with a quiet statement. "He can't be on the island... His holoform has a range of 400 miles." The Burnses' heartbreak was nearly audible, but you could see the hope lingering in their eyes.  Ratchet opened a commline, talking quickly to a startled Fixit and relaying the situation.

Optimus knelt down to reassure the family, and no one had the heart to call out his shaking servos as he gripped his knee so tightly it creaked. "Sadly, this is where your abilities to help end, Charlie Burns. Do not worry- we will find him." Charlie gave him a sad frown as the bridge opened behind him. Ratchet immediately ran through to begin tracking the signal in full. Ironhide lingered a second to wait for their mate as Charlie did his best to comfort Optimus with a hand on the blue mech's thumb. "I know you will. If we can help at all, let us know."  Optimus nodded as he stood. "I will."

Grimlock's systems finally booted back up, and the large mech transformed as he punched his fist into his palm. "Let's go. I gotta punch me a senator."  Optimus nodded with the barest of smiles, following the two through the bridge. The light flashed to complete their exit, and the policeman looked around. His family looked devastated and angry. Dani and Blades were already clinging to one another, Graham was silently staring at a wordless Boulder, and Kade was pacing with his head in his hands as Chase tried to calm Heatwave down close by.

When his eyes fell on his youngest, Charlie's heart broke. He silently pulled Cody into a hug as his youngest finally broke down into the tears he had been holding back. Frankie was called soon after the Burnses climbed inside their respective bots, and the Greene's joined the Burnses that night for an impromptu-sleep over.  

The glorified base under Will's ranch was a roar of activity when Optimus stepped through the bridge. A borderline hysterical Strongarm stood between Sideswipe and Sunstreaker towards the back wall, unable to fight against the red arms that gently encircled her waist as an identical pair of golden servos stroked her cheeks. Drift was on the adjacent wall, coaxing his upset students back onto his arms for a stabilization uplink. Judging from their oil-streaked faceplates and trembling servos, it was sorely needed. Sam was trying his best to stay out of the way, holding a shaking Russell as Denny helped Fixit with prep work at the console. He glanced up periodically to check on his child, but set back to work when he deemed that everything was still under control. 

Raf was already on the balcony, running his laptop for the first time in months to help Ratchet trace the bridge. Miko looked as lost as Judy and Ron, and the aforementioned trio moved to help calm Russell. There wasn't much to do for the teen, but the humans were just trying to stay out of the way at this point. William Lennox was the only one that moved with purpose, approaching a pacing Ironhide after pulling the spare towel off the nearby training rack. Ironhide grinned as he knelt down near the wall, surprising Sunstreaker with how easily he allowed the tiny human to help clean the Mech's inbuilt cannon. He and Sideswipe watched with mild interest at the near ritualistic cleaning procedure, both absently stroking the calming femme's plating as Ironhide and Will talked between themselves over the whirrr of weapons onlining for mission prep.  

Optimus loomed silently in the far corner, optics scanning over the code scrolling past the screen as he tried to guess where it originated from before the computer could confirm it. His comm was static on standby with Jazz- he and Prowl had already begun to assemble a strike force of every active officer- and soldier- to search for the kidnapped Primal Designate. Thankfully, they didn’t have to wait too long for the location to raid.

Sunstreaker stepped forward as the code began to localize the bridge, leaving Sideswipe to dry the femme's tears. "What can I do to help?" Ratchet glanced over with surprise for a second, returning his eyes to the screen as he spoke. "Once we're gone, bridge to the scrapyard. Start making a medical bay. Hopefully, I won't need it, but I'm going to assume they're going to try to get this done as fast as possible. Those bastards know we're coming for our Bee."

A bag seemingly appeared from nowhere, and Ratchet tossed it to the golden twin. "There's packets of sterilizer in there as well. If you have time, go over all the tools with their own wipes, then spray the bag down with the can that's in there. At the very least, make sure there's a secluded area with something flat and berth sized, with a clear path to it. Walls are preferred." Sunstreaker nodded, looking back to Sideswipe. He was met with an equally dedicated stare, and the red twin began muttering to Strongarm and stroking over her helm. The femme was shaken, but she nodded in agreement to whatever was said to her. 

The code finalized as the computer brought up a map, and Ratchet immediately began calling for a bridge as Ironhide addressed the minicon across the room. "Fixit, once we're gone, train yer bridge on Grimlock's spark signature. He'll carry Bee out since he's got tha le'st 'mount of weapons."  Fixit immediately snapped into a salute, but wheeled back when he accidentally smacked himself in the forehelm. Denny helpfully caught him, stabilizing him and turning just in time to stare directly into the blinding green light. By the time Denny's eyes adjusted, the worried creators and Grimlock were gone. 

Everyone but Fixit and Russell went through the next bridge, reassembling the main controls and cleaning out Bumblebee’s berthroom in record time. It was eerily silent as they worked- only Strongarm's shuddering vents and the soft scraaape of metal being rearranged was constant, being interrupted every now and then with the spitting hiss of a welder tracing an arc. After a few seconds of nothingness and nervous boredom, they tore down the wall separating Grimlock and Bumblebee's rooms. They knew in their sparks Grimlock wouldn't mind, as he would be beside Bumblebee until their leader was fully healed. 

The berth scavenged from the Alchemor was broken and chipped, but it served for what they needed. It was one of Bumblebee's many side projects- to repair one for each of them. It took Drift and Sideswipe only a minute to carry it in, and they worked together perfectly for the first time. The humans jumped at the chance to help by sterilizing the massive tools with single-minded determination. They emptied the bag, unzipping it fully to lay it flat. Sam watched as Sideswipe handled the massive can, muttering more to himself than anyone else. "I wonder how it keeps everything sterile while open to the air...?"

The near-noxious cloud of antiseptic followed, and there were grins as the coughing, laughing humans were collected until the mist settled. Sam and Denny doubled over with laughter as Miko whooped out a cheer of 'That's how!', and Sideswipe rolled his optics as he set them back down and picked up a bedsheet. The swath of cloth was nothing more than a hand towel to the mech, and with his help the work of sanitizing went quickly.

When the tools were primed and lined up by importance- or at least they hoped it was, seeing as they didn't know the purpose of half the tools they cleaned. A moment of silence and helplessness later, they gathered in the main area to call Fixit and Russell on the newly-operational console. The bridge flashed quickly, and Fixit praised them for their speedy work reassembling the bridge controls. Raf immediately called him over to double check the coordinates.

The screen lit up to show a topical map of the Iaconian senate, and worried eyes followed the dots as they dashed across the screen. After a brief side conversation, Sideswipe and Sunstreaker began moving some of the Energon cubes into the makeshift med-bay. Russell took the downtime and snuggled into his father's arms, his eyes red from the tears he had shed. "What do we do when he comes back?"

Denny didn't take his eyes from the screen, but leant his head against his son's. "Whatever he needs us to. For once, Bee needs us- and we aren't going to let him down."

Grimlock stepped through the bridge to the most terrifying sight he had ever seen. Optimus was bristling with rage- and judging from the faceplates of the senators, they had never seen him this angry either. '-idiotic thing you all have ever done! If you would have pinged his file, you would have KNOWN that there is a cover file over his actual one! Your negligence is no excuse! Now. Where. Is. My. Sparkling?!" 

The Senate was full of anxious muttering as the High Counselor spoke. "Optimus Prime, I cannot allow your lies to shield your youngling anymore! No sparkling less than forty thousand would have the capabilities that Bumblebee does-" Ratchet cut in. "That's bullshit and you know it! Zeta was only six thousand when he obtained his calling from the Matrix-" The counselor's voice boomed. "Your opinion is biased Ratchet!" Ironhide bristled as he activated his cannons. "Don' ya dare talk ta mah mates like tha'!" One of the senators to the right scoffed. "Ah yes, the Lord Protectorate! Tell me, if everyone is getting an opinion now, should we just allow Bumblebee's upcoming protectorate be a senator then? I'm certain he's just as qualified as Ratchet in the knowledge of what is required to run an entire planet!" 

Grimlock looked around as the argument continued, ignoring the barb at his intelligence. The halls of the Senate were higher than he had ever seen, and the ceiling was ridiculously intricate. He wasn't certain, but he thought it was a depiction of the Primes staring at him from above... but Optimus wasn't on it.  The faces were nothing but dark shadows, piercing blue shards serving as optics.

For some reason, Grimlock didn't feel safe under their gaze.

His mind drifted back to Brother Gunter and the stained-glass windows of his church, and how the various humans depicted on his windows left Grimlock feeling fuzzy in his spark and resisting the urge to wag his tail. Maybe it was the company of the monk that made the difference? Grimlock's optics roamed down the painted mural of Cybertron's golden age, but he frowned. He didn't really believe it was 'just' the company of his favorite monk- these walls held corruption he couldn't understand… he could almost hear Brother Gunter’s quiet voice in his head, muttering that the corruption must run so deep that the building itself has been tainted.

His optics strayed from the spark-chilling murals to view the heavy white double doors that lead in from the outer hallways- and frowned when he saw a familiar smudge of paint on the right door.

The surprise made him step forward slightly for a better view, and the change in angle allowed him to see something behind the guards standing vigil. The matching yellow scuff marks on the pristine floor prompted a dark grin to overtake his faceplate.

It was his time to shine, intelligence or none. He didn't need fancy math to use his instincts and nose.

He transformed suddenly with a roar- startling everyone nearby, including Optimus- Then charged the door. A few senators gasped as they realized what he was doing, and a horrified 'stop him!' rang out from somewhere as he dug into the marbled metal with his talons. One solid hit with the reinforced plating of his helm was more than sufficient for his self-designated task.

The doors flew open as if they were never locked. Ratchet smirked maliciously at the High Counselor before turning and following the big green Dinobot- who was sniffing his way down the hall at an alarmingly fast pace. Grimlock had to transform again to get down the narrower staircase, but he thanked Primus that sensitive nose was paying off. There was a commotion from the main chamber he had come from, but it was ignored. After all, Optimus and Ironhide were up there. They would handle it.

He was mildly surprised when they both quickly followed behind them, and Grimlock barely paid attention to their conversation as they updated Ratchet. "Prowl's here with about seventy officers. More than enough to handle upstairs." Ratchet scoffed as Grimlock transformed once more, sticking his snoot directly against another set of heavy doors. His breath could be seen on the white surface, and he took three steps back before using his helm as a battering ram. He growled as it held, but the distinct splintering of the lock fed the boiling anger growing inside him. 

Three more hits, and the door burst open with a hail of blaster fire. Grimlock's plating took the brunt of it, and the creators behind him sprang into action. A few guards swore or made a noise of despair when they saw Optimus, a those that seemed the most upset dropped their blasters and their frames to the floor.

Most kept fighting.

Grimlock knew in his spark that Bumblebee would be slightly upset as his jaws closed around one of the larger mecha. The rush of Energon and flailing limbs against his tongue was a sensation he himself felt mixed about now, but the satisfying crunch of a suddenly-still frame remained a visceral pleasure to the more animalistic instincts. He spit the top half of the frame on the floor as the other fell uselessly from the other side of his maw. The low growl frightened the group of soldiers, buying the trio of creators enough time to get an advantage.

Less than ten seconds later, Grimlock, Ratchet, and Optimus made their way deeper into the building. Ironhide lingered slightly as he barked an order to the ones whose lives had been spared when they had given up. "Go upstairs and surr'nder ta Prowl. Go in wit' yer servos up. Y'll be given a lesser sentence at tha’ least."

Ratchet paused as he heard one of the guardsmech yell with a trembling vocalizer. "The code to the door is X9R567QT!" 

It would have been useful if Grimlock hadn't plowed through it at top speed, sending metallic splinters through the air like an overgrown woodchipper. 

It was the thought that counted anyway, right?

It took less than a minute to clear the next room, and Grimlock’s helm whipped around piercing scream sounded from the left-hand chamber. He crushed a mech’s chest under his pede as he ran like a honing torpedo, his spark cooling as he felt terror grip him. 

The mecha guarding the door didn't even have time to react as they were crushed under the massive door falling onto their helms.

Once Grimlock's optics settled on Senator Blackwing, the mech’s fate was sealed. The mech’s helm whipped around, lit from below with the brilliant golden spark light as he knelt over the abnormally still Lieutenant. The smirk only grew as he pulled a taloned servo from Bumblebee’s chest. 

Grimlock would swear to Primus himself that it had never felt so good to transform and punch a mech in the face. The crunch of his faceplate was a sound Grimlock would forever cherish... almost as much as the sound of his chassis hitting the ground, followed by the beating that Grimlock had been building in his spark. 

If Ironhide hadn't grabbed his arm, Grimlock knew without a doubt that he would have killed that disgrace of a mech. Instead, his helm whipped around with a growl, but cut off when Ironhide made the blunt statement of ‘Bee needs you’. 

If there was a sound a Ironhide's cannon blasting off one of the bastard's legs, legally speaking Grimlock ''didn't hear it''. Instead, he approached the mech he spent so many nights curled up with. Ratchet was bent over Bumblebee, doing something with his inbuilt tools around the... thing now enveloping Bee's spark. It was honestly the prettiest thing Grimlock had ever seen, but he had never hated something so much in his life. "Need me to pull it out?"

"NO! Pit no, you'll kill him! That stupid fragging son of a fucking-" Optimus lightly stroked a shaking servo over Ratchet's shoulder. The medic took a deep breath as he coaxed one of his clamps under the gold case. "He pushed it in. You are NOT supposed to fucking push the Matrix of Leadership into a Prime's chest!" Grimlock still looked confused, and Optimus answered in a hollow voice that sent chills down his spinal strut.

"The reason so many primes die while trying to take the Matrix is the sheer energy that is emitted when it merges with our sparks. This is a powerful artifact, and can take upwards of orn to fully integrate on its own... If it merges too quickly, it can quite literally boil a spark. By pushing it- forcing it into Bumblebee’s chest too quickly- Senator Blackwing has only sped up the process of absorption, increasing Bumblebee's chances of passing exponentially. The chance of death was already dangerously high due to his age." 

A foom! sounded once more, followed by a shrill of pain, and none of the mecha looked back. 

Even though Grimlock wasn't a medic, it didn't take a doctor to know that the temperature reading on Ratchet's arm was far too high for a frame Bee's size. When a loud bang came from directly upstairs, and Ratchet paused in his work. "Let's get him to the scrapyard. There's nothing I can do… here." Ratchet was mostly talking to himself, but the shaking servo and forced ‘here’ made Grimlock’s plating pull tight.

Grimlock carefully moved to take Ratchet’s place as the medic called for a bridge. He carefully slid his right arm under Bee's leg before pausing. He carefully used his left servo to close the broken chestplates as much as possible before supporting his back and curling Bumblebee close. 

The second the lieutenant's frame rested against Grimlock's chest, he understood the gravity of the situation. The residual heat scorched his plating on contact, and Grimlock knew he would need some level of repair by the time the bridge opened. He bit down on his Glossa instead and walked forward with his helm held high, not bothering to look back as a flood of Senate-appointed guards rushed the room. The bridge closed behind him and Ratchet, knowing Optimus and Ironhide would hold their own. 

Their teamies stared in horror at the unconscious frame as they stepped into the scrapyard. Denny squeezed Russell close as the teen covered his mouth to muffle an oncoming sob. Sunstreaker helpfully guided them back to where Bumblebee's 'room' was located, now thoroughly cleaned and rearranged to be one massively open area. Everything but their nest had been cleared out. On the far end, the berth sat few feet from any wall- Just enough room for Grimlock to snuggle in and monitor his intended.

After obtaining the clear from Ratchet, Sunstreaker and Sideswipe took guard about halfway down the hall. Close enough to be here if they were needed, far enough away to give them the privacy they hopefully won't need. 

An eerily silence fell over the scrapyard, and after a few minutes Sideswipe could be heard talking to Fixit and Denny. Grimlock heard Will's name as well, but he didn't care enough to truly eavesdrop. Instead, he sat in the gap between the berth and the wall when Ratchet wasn’t looking, snuggling beneath Bumblebee's hand and resting his helm against the abnormally hot side.  

From here, he could hear the soft gasping of primary vents and the desperate hum of secondary vents- and a third, mysterious whirrrr that he had never heard in their previous cuddles. Ratchet took a secondary pulse on the wrist that rested on Grimlock's helm, taking a second to stroke between his audials comfortingly before returning to his work on slowing the Matrix' absorption. Grimlock waited silently, thinking back to all the lessons of patience he had learned as he took deep breaths to ignore the pain of his melted chestplates. 

To say Optimus was livid was an understatement. He had never felt such a deeply-rooted anger in all his years, and he was ashamed to admit that each slice of his blade made him feel a little bit better. He understood this senseless violence wasn't an emotional balm- but his Energon flooding his processor was clouding his judgement, and he knew his internal turmoil would only be solved by hearing his sparkling's laughter in his audials once more. 

Once silence rang through the now-empty halls, he dropped to his knees. Ironhide didn't say a word as he slowly knelt before Optimus, pulling the distraught semi in to kiss him through the oily tears that spilled from his optics. 

This was how Jazz found them, with Optimus wrapped in Ironhide's arms and sobbing against his lips. Without saying a word, the Xops commander stepped back out and closed the door as much as he could, standing vigilantly to ensure their privacy until they could collect themselves. 

It took almost an entire Earth hour for Ironhide and Optimus to join the Scrapyard. They held Senator Blackwing's arrest papers- stamped by Prowl and the highest on-duty enforcer on Cybertron. Sunstreaker and Sideswipe gave the pair matching, solemn grins as they walked past. Optimus paused to bump his helm against each of theirs in a quiet gesture of thanks. 

Sunstreaker was adorably flustered when he received his helm-bump, but the flushed cheeks earned a smile before the mates disappeared to watch over their youngling. Optimus managed to keep his optics dry when he registered the pale glow from Bumblebee's spark. For now, his Bumblebee was alive. 

His own spark sang in instantaneous harmony with the Matrix when he approached, but the innate peace was almost instantly overrun with panic from within. The Matrix could feel Bumblebee's spark slipping from its grasp, and it was panicked- the primes were panicked.

They knew Bumblebee should have accepted them easily. Of all of them, Bumblebee should have accepted the Matrix effortlessly.

Optimus knew the danger was the matrix itself, threatened by the circumstances around its reunion with Bumblebee. The sheer familiarity of his spark was the only reason Bumblebee was still alive.

Optimus took his place beside Grimlock, hoping he was not too late to calm the Matrix. Grimlock watched with curiosity as Optimus' digits lightly traced over the surface of the shimmering golden surface, and he blinked as the paint on his fingertips immediately began to melt off. Ratchet's worried frown said more than he wanted it to. 

Optimus closed his optics, reaching out with his spark and allowing his fellow primes to speak to him. The world fizzled out around him as a chorus of panicked voiced began to bounce around his helm.

"He's dying!" 

"It's not stopping, he's too hot!"

"Why isn't this working!? He was ours!" 

"Calm yourselves, my siblings! It is you who shortens his life!" Optimus could see them all in his mind's eye, turning towards him with equally disturbed looks. "He is safe now, with friends, family, and his intended. Your understandable desire to draw him in and protect him is causing him to merge too fast- you are killing him! I assure you, he is alive- allow him to readjust on his own." 

"How do we know!?" 

"I don't want him out there anymore!"

"He isn't safe, Optimus!" 

Optimus felt his spark clench when they all suddenly disappeared. Primus himself was calling them to the meeting room earlier than intended, and Optimus made a note to thank him for controlling his fellow primes. He moved to join his ethereal siblings, but was met with resistance as a rare voice echoed within his mind.

You are correct, Optimus Prime.

Optimus hesitated, his spark trilling in joy and shock that he was being spoken to directly. 

Your youngling will die if there is no intervention.

The joy faded to fear. "How do I save him?"

The energy must be bled off. It will be painful for his designate, but he will accept. They will bond.

Optimus nodded, translating to his frame twitching slightly. "Is there any way to stop the bond from happening?" 

Death.

Ratchet looked up as Optimus suddenly twitched, jolting out of his mystically-induced nap. He pushed himself up slowly, his optics wide as he stared into his mate's optics. Ratchet stopped working, slowly pulling his servos from Bumblebee's chest. His voice was quiet as he vented hard. "...We're going to lose him, aren't we?"

Grimlock had never heard Ratchet be as quiet as he was when Optimus responded. "The only way to save him is to allow him to bond- it is the only way the excess energy will be bled off at a rate that will reverse the damage done by Blackwing." Ratchet rubbed a servo down his face.

"Which one told you. Minimus? Onyx? Solus? Prima? " Optimus steadied his servo within Bumblebee's own. "Primus. He called us to meet early to stop their fretting-" Ratchet muttered 'so that's why it slowed...' under his breath. "- but spoke to me after. There's nothing we can do for him." 

Grimlock nuzzled his helm against the side of Bumblebee's stomach. "So, If I don' bond with Bee, he'll die." Optimus tuned his optics to Grimlock, and the dinobot's vents stalled under the utter despair. 

Grimlock nodded towards the door. "Go keep guard then." 

Ratchet blinked in surprise, and Ironhide stepped forward. "Ya know this's gonna hurt." Grimlock stared him down. "A lot. Yer gonna feel wha' Bee's feelin- 's gonna try to melt ya." 

Grimlock traced a now-silver digit just below Bumblebee's chest as he took a heavy sigh. "When we were with the Burns, Bee and I had a night when we swapped cables-" Ironhide's surprised look turned to one of disapproval, but Grimlock continued through it. "- It helps Bee sleep when 'e hasa bad or stressful day. Give 'em something to focus on. That time, Bee waned ta reassure me.  I was doubtin' whether or not I should be the one to be... here. Beside 'em when he was becomin' a prime. He told me… ‘e told me he didn' care if I was his protectorate or not- as long as we were together. Then we fell asleep." 

The trine remained quiet as Grimlock continued. "When Bee fella' sleep, He didn't dream like he usually did. Ah've seen his dreams a few times, an' they were always a lil’ bit blurry.” He could see Ironhide about to press what this was about, and he continued with a quieter voice. “That dream wasn't blurry."

Optimus' optics widened. "You saw one of his visions."

Grimlock nodded as Ratchet took a quick inhale. Ironhide remained silent, his optics wide in surprise. "I was gonna bond wit' him anyway Optimus. I won't get to fulfill that dream- that vision of proposin' to him back on Cybertron after he gets his next frame- but I can still take care of him. I don' gotta be perfect to protect him." 

Optimus remained silent as he and Grimlock stared at each other. Slowly, Optimus nodded as a sad smile crossed his faceplate. He bumped his helm against Grimlock's own as he stood, taking his stunned mates by the servo as they moved to relieve the twins. 

Grimlock didn't stand until they were gone. Instead, he waited patiently, stroking his servos over the overheated yellow plates. He had been hiding his chest plates from the medic as much as he could, but a quick glance down confirmed the worst- the residual heat from carrying Bumblebee here had nearly melted his plating off.

The warped plating was no longer proud and green, but blackened where there was paint, and a dull silver where there wasn't. Grimlock ignored the stinging pain as he carefully scooped Bumblebee into his arms, carrying him to their nest to settle in. It didn’t seem right to do this on a hard berth when they had a perfectly good nest nearby that he knew Bee adored.

The heat radiating from Bumblebee’s frame was nearly unbearable, and he could feel his coolant evaporating as he used his claw to slice through the melted transformation seam holding his chest shut. The soft clunk of a vent beginning to stick told him Bumblebee didn't have much time left, but he still pressed a soft kiss to Bumblebee's helm. 

"Under Primus' watchful Optics, I promise to keep you safe. I'll make sure no one ever hurts ya like this again, an' I'll do erry'thin in my power ta make sure your life is full'a nothin but happiness. Ah'll take care of ya, even on the bad days when I've made ya mad at me, or when you're upset for any reason." Grimlock took a shuddering breath, pressing their forehelms together where he had kissed.

"I'll be wit' ya every day from now on, even if mah frame ain't. You'll never be alon' again, even after 'ne of us returns to Primus. Alla' this", I swear ta you. Bumblebee of...” Grimlock paused, his optics widening as he nervously chuckled. “…Actually, I dunno if you're considered Iaconian." The sudden confusion mildly ruined the moment, but he dismissed it with a soft smile. He could almost hear Bumblebee laughing it off as he pulled the former scout close.

The first contact of their sparks was as if someone had doused his spark in acid. It hurt. But Grimlock forced his way through the pain. It took several minutes of nothing but pure agony before it suddenly stopped- a soothing balm washed over the entirety of his spark, and he identified a frightened presence. It only took a few seconds for Bumblebee to recognize him, and Grimlock was surprised when the soft voice echoed within his mind. 'Am I dead?'

'No Bee. Not yet.' It was mildly freaky how he could almost feel Bumblebee's servo caress his helm, but he knew both servos were limp between their bodies. 'So we're merging then.'  'Yeah. That fragger Blackwing pushed the matrix into your chest-’ Bumblebee’s energy around him flinched. '- an' Optimus went to tell the primes to stop freakin' out and makin’ things worse. Primus told him if you didn't get the energy bled off-' Bumblebee’s field flaring knowingly. 'Then my spark would have boiled alive.'  'Yeah... That.' 

Bumblebee flickered in amusement as the ‘servos’ stroked down his cheek. 'Groooss! Boiled sparks.’ Grimlock’s amusement faded to a nervousness that washed over them both, and Bumblebee cut him off with an amused purr. Those ghost-like servos slid to intertwine behind his neck. ‘Nothing ever goes according to plan anyway. I’m sure we’ll make due- together.'

Grimlock smiled, pulling Bumblebee closer and settling into a warmth around his spark that wasn’t from Bumblebee. 'Stay with me until... this... is over?' Grimlock kissed his helm, sliding his own ‘servos’ around Bee’s waist. 'Of course, my Prime.'  Bumblebee laughed. 'Okay, if you're gonna do that, get out.' Grimlock outright beamed.

'Priiiiime~!' 

'Ugggggh!'  

Chapter Text

If he was going to be completely honest, becoming a Prime wasn't so bad. Aside from the initial burn around his spark, it was rather enjoyable taking back his matrix. It wasn't anything like the strange gripping sensation Optimus had described.

For the first time, he felt entirely whole.

And Grimlock's presence around him was definitely something he approved of.

And to think, he had been so nervous over the past months. Wondering how well they would fit together, how they would settle into an eternity of irreversible dedication... and yet it seemed all that anxiety was wasted. Grimlock saw him as he was.

Young and battle-scarred, forever warped mentally by the terrors he had seen- and done- in exchange for surviving a war that was not his own...and yet Grimlock still loved him.

He saw the lines of trauma in the sand and respected the mech behind them enough to leave that part for another day. 

Comfortable and snuggled together, they were left alone for some time. Bumblebee didn't know how long exactly, but he was certain they could remain this way for eternity and it wouldn't be enough.

Too bad Primus thought otherwise. 

The god of their people had nudged and prodded softly the first few times- easily ignored by the young mech in favor of curling into the warmth of Grimlock's being. Grimlock happily returned it with an affectionate pulse.

Slowly, Primus had become more insistent- more petulant. With the who-knows-how-many-the poke to the back of his spiritual helm, Bumblebee allowed himself an annoyed dispel of vents. 

With a knowing brush rippling against his spark, Bee focused on detangling himself from his bonded to follow the distant sound of laughter. Grimlock didn't seem to mind, washing him with a one final pulse of affection before separating and disappearing.

Thankfully it didn't take too long to track the source of laughter.

Bumblebee put his hands on his hips as he rolled his optics.

The massive double doors before him were ridiculously ornate, shimmering with liquid gold and engraved from top to bottom with symbols that were slowly clearing from a script older than the one Optimus had taught him into legible text. A little more time and he would probably be able to read them fluently. For now, it just reminded him of how Jack Darby described the doors to Vector Sigma.

It took a bit of effort to force the door inwards, but he couldn't hold back in the slight pride when he finally managed it. Poking his helm inside, he identified the laugh- Primus was laughing at Optimus. 

Stepping into the room- closing the door behind him, of course- the Thirteen all turned to smile. Optimus immediately stood from his seat (more like throne, holy fuck!) at the massive table, and used the length of his legs to his advantage. Bumblebee didn't mind the crushing hug. "It's about time you joined us, little Bee! We've been getting lonely without you."

Micronus snorted. "Yeah. Getting lonely. I don't know who was worse with the impatience, him or Primus!" Optimus turned with a half-pointed glare, but Solus rolled her optics. "After the 'worried' phase, we were convinced you would actually pace, Optimus."

As laughter rang out once more, Bumblebee noted the two empty seats- Zeta's and Megatronus'- near Primus' chair, and a third empty beside Optimus' own. The semi outright carried his youngling to that empty seat, carefully setting him down before pulling his chair closer. Bumblebee didn't bother complaining about the overly affectonate touches. 

He could feel it in Optimus' field- he had been worried.

Bumblebee's pedes dangled pathetically over the edge of the chair if you could even call it dangling. He was so small, his calves were resting at the edge of his seat! This throne was built for a taller mech. A quick glare was sent to a snickering Primus.

Micronus just smiled knowingly, levitating in silent defiance.

When things had settled enough, Primus quieted the room by clearing his vents. Bumblebee grinned and leant forward to rest his elbow on the table, supporting his helm on his servo as he flippantly addressed the ornate mech before him.

"Isn't the point of the first merge to get to know your bonded? Or did you just feel like being super annoying?" Optimus gave him a half-chastizing look. 

Primus' voice was smoother than Earth-based silk. "This is true, but when the first merge lingers so long..."

Bumblebee gave him a devilish smirk. 

Optimus felt dread growing in his spark already.

"Oh, like a certain war?" 

Cue the horrified looks from his fellow primes, and outright amused laughter from their god. 

It was another three days before Optimus awoke from Bumblebee's Primely briefing. 

Instantaneously, The semi gripped Ratchet's incoming servo in his own, shaking his head and groaning as he pinched the bridge of his nose. His two mates gave him confused looks, but helped him to his pedes. "We have raised a monster. He greeted Primus- Primus- by calling his attempts to get Bee's attention 'annoying', then proceeded to curse him out over the length of the war." 

Ironhide doubled over in laughter as Ratched rubbed his servos down his faceplate. "Did he get his aft whooped?"

"Not at all. Primus was highly amused at his antics- even when he started conspiring with Micronus to get Onyx Prime a 'Girlfriend.' Onyx is still deciding if he should be offended." Optimus held onto the shelving for a moment longer before trying his balance. With his pedes supporting him and cautious lovers nearby, he nodded his helm toward the 'hallway' leading to the main of the scrapyard. 

"We gonna tell Grimlock tha good news?" Ironhide rose from where he sat, shaking his helm in amusement as he followed his mates to the entrance of Bee's room. Optimus chuckled with a small amount of horror. "More like Warning him of what he just bonded to... I didn't know Ratchet's sass was hereditary!" With the lighthearted tone from the former Prime, Ratchet half-sparkedly brandished a wrench. Ironhide stroked his servos down Ratchet's waist as he continued. "He'll be awake soon then?"

"Probably within an hour or so. He took the opportunity to ask Primus some questions about the visions. How did Grimlock take to his grand awakening?" Optimus habitually released his battle mask to bring Ratchet's servos to his lips, kissing the knuckles softly until he could take the wrench. 

"He was surprised that he'd been out for almost two weeks, but he recovered quickly. He's been snuggling up to Russell and the other humans in the meantime. Sam was happy to see him, but I could tell he still feels as if he doesn't belong in Bumblebee's life in any form." Ratchet bumped his helm affectionately against Optimus' shoulder in forgiveness, leading him towards the main exit. "So all the other humans have arrived?"

"Finally, yeh. We got em' all set up in the RVs throughout tha' scrapyard. An' fore ya ask, Grimlock's chest platin' got fixed before 'e went out. Diddit just after Bee's." Optimus nodded his approval, reaching over Ratchet's helm to stroke his knuckles across Ironhide's cheek plating. "Thank you both. It makes the process easier when he doesn't have to awaken to damage. Let us tell his team the news, then we should probably make an appearance at Griffin Rock to remove any stress there."

Ironhide nodded, grinning. "Ya should take Russell. Denny's been busy, and he ain't had much of a Spring Break wit' all his worryin'." Ratchet returned the grin. "I'm certain he would enjoy that, if Denny would allow." Optimus gave his mates a knowing look. "If you would like to return to their island for a moment, you could just ask." Ironhide immediately scoffed, shifting his weight. "I don wanna go anywher... Will might though." 

Optimus and Ratchet rolled their optics as the medic responded. "I had already intended to accompany you. I want to thank them again for their assistance in sheltering Bee. Russel truly might benefit from joining us though." Optimus hummed as Sideswipe's head shot off of Strongarm's shoulder. "Perhaps a friend his age will do him well. Especially one that understands his situation."

With Sideswipe's immediate excitement, the scrapyard came alive around Optimus. Bots with faces etched in worry crowded around, and Humans came out of the narrow corridors of scrap like termites. Once everyone was assembled, Optimus lowered himself to the ground. The casual pose had tension broken immediately, but Grimlock's purr and sudden tail wagging had relieved grins breaking out across the group. 

Grimlock shamelessly nuzzled his helm onto Optimus' thigh, demanding a helm rub as the good news was finally given. "Bumblebee has acclimated perfectly. He is as... snarky as ever, and should awaken very soon. By the end of the day at the latest."  

Strongarm's knees outright collapsed beneath her with her relief, but Sideswipe and Sunstreaker caught her and lowered her to the ground. 

Optimus tried not to smile as her doorwings fluttered with embarrassment when she realized exactly how close the resident twins were.

Russell just beamed from his place beside Sam, jabbing the elder with his elbow. "Told ya he'd be okay!" 

Sam smiled patiently, ruffling the boy's hair awkwardly. 

Miko grinned as she kicked her ankles in the air. "So, we gonna throw him a party or what?" 

Ratchet sighed as he rolled his optics. "No, we are not. He will be awake, but he will still require a lot of rest. I don't want him getting excited for at least another Earth week. Stress is bad for a spark in general, and even worse for one recovering from near-extinguishment."

Will rolled his eyes. "So party next week. Got it." 

Ratchet grumbled, shaking his helm.

Optimus chose this moment to steer the conversation elsewhere. "For now, the biggest plan is to inform the Burnses of Bumblebee's recovery. Russell, I have been informed that that you might enjoy a little expedition?"

The way Russell lit up immediately warmed Optimus' spark. 

In the end it was Optimus, Ratchet, Russell, Sam, and Will that went to Griffin Rock. Russell, Frankie, and Cody had hit it off immediately- just as Ratchet had predicted. Stories of secrets were immediately shared with a unbridled glee, as well as cell numbers and addresses. 

The Rescue Bots enjoyed meeting the new humans as much as the sentiment was returned by Sam and Will. 

Rather enjoyed putting them all through a physical.

Following the example of the younger humans, Charlie offered his contact information to the others.

For now, everyone was enjoying the mundane chat while the teens gave Russell a tour of the firehouse.  Will had gratefully accepted the offer of coffee, and Blades had pestered Ratchet with every possible question a about his 'bestie'- was he ok? Can he visit? Can I visit? He isn't gonna get all serious now is he? Will he had to leave Earth? 

Optimus' favorite was the one preceded by a horrified gasp- DOES HE STILL LIKE YELLOW?!

Even Heatwave was groaning at that point, dragging the worried helicopter off by the rotors.

The teens returned about ten minutes after the coffee had been emptied. The unified puppy eyes had Charlie suspicious.

Cody was the one to start. "So Daaaaad~" Charlie bit back his grin immediately as images of his little brother's identical mischevious tone flashed through his mind. "I did really good with the recent rescue, all my homework is done, and my room has been clean for two whole weeks-" 

Charlie felt the grin breaking free, and wished he had more coffee to hide it. 

Frankie's grin widened. 

Dang, he's been caught!

"Can we please go to Russell's for a little bit?"

Ahhh, There it was. 

And there was the unified mob of 'please please please!', 'Doc Greene said Frankie could go!', and 'Dad won't mind! I promise! We just went grocery shopping!'

Looking to Optimus for support, Charlie knew immediately he wouldn't find it there. "Russell is on Spring Break..."

The heavy sigh was met with cheers. 

Thus began the great (mandatory) lunch prep of 2018. 

With a cooler full of sandwich material, bags of potato chips, and the teen's favorite dehydrated soda tucked safely in his subspace, Optimus transformed to allow the younglings into his cab. 

Cody eagerly bounded forward to squeeze his dad, nearly vibrating with excitement. Frankie eagerly shifted her weight as she yelled 'C'mon!' from Optimus' top step. 

Ratchet allowed Will and Sam in his own cab- a rare treat, but they were taking the 'scenic' bridge and it could get cold. 

When the bridge flashed, Frankie squealed with excitement.

Sent off with cheers, well wishes, and Heatwave's deep warning to be careful, they had faces pressed to the untinted windows to watch the cosmos scroll by. 

Flashes of rainbow-tinted eternity scattered through the stars as the energy from the bridge cracked like a whip, and both mates shared their amusement in the humans' reactions- all of them.

They were almost sad to watch the ride end, but the flash of brilliance had the teens bouncing in their seats with conversation of who would lose first at Super Mario Bros, and warnings that the scrapyard wasn't as big as they thought it was- but had plenty of places to hide!

Frankie didn't seem to mind either way, leaning forward into Optimus' dash to be the first one to see the

...silver and gold walls?

At the scrapyard, time seemed to have frozen as the members of the Bee Team stared at the mecha that had stepped through the bridge.

The front mech- thin and regal as he towered around Optimus' height, with sky-blue plating and white highlights to softer plating of his stomach and joints- had gorgeously detailed wings hitched up in surprise. His optics seemed to draw all attention to him, with an oddly familiar ultramarine blue radiating from an angular faceplate. His mouth was slightly open as he grasped for words, and his brow plating was raised with natural surprise. A stunning beauty with a stunned expression.

The mech to his left- black and white with grey wiring to blurr it all together- crossed his arms as he pursed his rather full lips. The lack of amusement was almost as distracting as the doorwings that stood proudly behind him. It was hard to decide where he fell on the attractiveness scale, as dim, dangerously gold optics left him just attractive enough to be admired, but overlooked at first glance.

The third mech was suprisingly large. Easily eclipsing Grimlock, he was painted with a vibrant red that make his orange optics nearly fade into his monochromatic colors  scheme- obviously a firetruck- the mech seemed to be the most surprised of all of them as he turned to address the blue one.

"Lumos, I think you shouldda let carrier dial the bridge..."

The blue mech's surprise turned to annoyance as the black and white beside him burst into laughter that was a shrill and sharp as the teeth in his jaw.

"Oh fuck you Ember. That was once!"