Transformers Short Story

Bumblebee's Talk

Rose threw a punch toward the demo dummy in the base gym. Her strikes were fluid and graceful no matter the complicated patterns she completed. She paused and let out a breath, glancing over at the clock mounted above the arena. She wiped the sweat from her brow and pushed the dummy back up against the wall before picking up her top cover on her way out the door. She was immediately greeted by the cool air of the main base hall and Bumblebee. His holo-form was leaning patiently up against the door of his vehicle mode and he perked up to greet her, "How was your workout?" Rose shrugged, "Good, how was scouting?" Bumblee gave her a simple smile, "Good." He motioned to his vehicle form and promptly stated, "Get in, we're going for a drive." Rose raised her eyebrows at his demand, "You didn't ask me." Bumblebee blinked and tried again, "Can you please get in? Although you don't have a choice I'll make it seem like you do by asking nicely." Rose pulled her top cover over her warm-up shirt, "Sure but I get to ask questions." Bumblebee rolled his eyes before opening his passenger seat and disappearing. Rose plopped down inside the Camero and crossed her arms against her chest. Bumblebee's engine started with a roar and they shot almost immediately out of the base hanger once her seatbelt was snuggly fit. They drove for a couple of seconds in silence before Bumblebee interjected, "I thought you could use some quiet after that Decepticon raid." Rose nodded, "And you thought kidnapping me right after the gym was the best idea?" Bumblebee shifted underneath her, "Yes and no." Rose shrugged and turned to look over the passing landscape, "Okay." Bumblebee's face appeared on his screen, "Just like that? I thought you had questions?" Rose hummed, still staring out at the desert, "You said you wanted peace and quiet so I'm giving it to you." Bumblebee turned slightly so they were off the road and driving over the course sand, "Not exactly. Yes, I think peace and quiet would be great but I wanted to talk to you." Rose glanced at his monitor but it remained blank now so she was at a loss for his true feelings, "Sure Bee, talk away." Bumblebee hummed, "Not yet, wait till we get there." Rose leaned back into her seat and asked tiredly "Get where?" Bumblebee didn't answer but continued to speed through the open sand. After a while of silence and uneventful driving, Bumblebee slowed near the edge of a cliff leading down to a small creekbed. Bumblebee's holo-form appeared in the driver's seat and he leaned up against his window. He met her eyes before quickly settling to look over the cliff he'd stopped at. Rose pursed her lips, "What are you looking for Bee?" Bumblebee didn't answer. Rose raised her eyebrows before looking out at the cliff. The cliff was covered in small desert plants and the steep edge was accompanied by the sound of rushing water. She leaned forward to study it more, "It's nice and quiet out here Bee, we're just missing the talking part now." She glanced back at him again but was surprised to see him already looking at her. Bumblebee blinked, "Did I ever tell you about how I first met Optimus?" Rose shuffled so she was facing him and rested her back against the cool window glass, "No, not the full story." Bumblebee nodded, "It was around the same time the Iacon towers fell. I was out scouting for any sign of life signs in the wreckage when Optimus found me." Rose nodded stiffly. Bumblebee clenched his jaw and let out a hollow laugh, "At first I wanted nothing to do with either the Autobots or the Deceptions. I was in-between fractions which meant I was also living on my own for a while. Optimus offered me a position as a scout on his main team. I refused." Rose shifted but stayed quiet. Bumblebee drew a hand down his face, "After that day I stopped exploring most wrecks and started to live a more down-low life. I'd found a good place to hide during the war and I was bent on staying there until everything became settled." He took a deep breath, "Eventually Decepticons found out where I was hiding and destroyed my hideout. I was forced to move over and over again throughout the course of a few earth days." Rose crossed her arms, and commented, "That must have been hard." Bumblebee nodded, "It was...Soon after I found a new place I started to look for more signs of Autobot forces near me. I knew that if I had really any chance of surviving through this war it would be with a fraction and the Autobots aligned with what I believed in. They promised hope for a future." Bumblebee rubbed his scar across his throat, a constant habit, "A couple of days later I found one of the Autobot camps, and just my luck Optimus and many of his main team were stationed there. I continued to watch the camp for a few weeks." He rested his arm over his steering wheel and thumbed over the Autobot symbol, "I guess one of Optimus's main saw me or found out that I was watching them because when I went to visit my spot Optimus himself was waiting for me...He didn't seem angry that I'd been spying on his camp...actually, he seemed kind of amused for a better lack of words." He chuckled, "He offered me the same position he'd given me the first time we met but this time I took it. You should have seen Ratchet's face when Optimus brought me down into the camp." Bumblebee frowned and mocked, "Optimus he's barely even a sparkling and you decided to let him join our fraction? Are you sick in the helm?" Rose laughed along, "Ratchet must have been very happy when Optimus told him you were staying." Bumblebee nodded with a small smile, "He was beyond thrilled...you know I think secretly he doesn't mind me as much as he says he does." He shifted in his seat and his mood sobered, "Ratchet was the one who found me after Megatron." Rose tilted her head but allowed him to continue, "He patched me up the best he could but of course, it wasn't enough. I never blamed Ratchet nor Optimus for what Megatron did himself." Rose patted his hand, "Did you ever tell them that?" Bumblebee took her hand in his and didn't meet her eyes, "No, I was hurting more emotionally than physically with my wounds. I never brought up the topic so we all collectively never spoke about it." Rose blinked and said softly, "Are you okay Bumblebee?" Bumblebee looked over her face, "I will be. I've come a long way from the first time I joined the Autobots and I don't regret my decision to be here." Rose shifted closer towards him in her seat, "Come here." Bumblebee sent her a confused look but edged closer on his seat. Rose tugged him into a tight hug, much to his surprise, "I'm sorry you had to go through that Bee but I'm glad you feel you can talk about it with me. I'm also sorry you lost your home. I couldn't imagine what you're going through and I hope you know none of you deserve this." She pulled back from the hug slowly and stared at him with a glint in her eye, "Just another reason for this godforsaken war to end, so you guys can go home." She sighed and looked him over, "Did something trigger this memory, or were you just reminiscing?" Bumblee rolled his eyes, "It's not a huge deal but Smokescreen doesn't have the decency to keep his mouth shut. It just reminded me of a couple of memories and I haven't told anyone but...I remember you offered a listening ear to everyone after the whole Sunstreaker incident so..." He looked away. Rose smiled, "It's alright Bee. You're welcome to talk to me whenever you need, I'll try to always be there." Bumblebee nodded and suddenly brightened, "Besides were practically sparksiblings!" Rose chuckled, "You're right, I bet Ratchet's even happier to have two of you." Bumblebee snickered, "Oh yeah, he's ecstatic." The two laughed together comfortably for a while. Bumblebee sighed dramatically, "We should probably head back before anyone gets any ideas." A crackle over Bumblebee's comm alerted the two, "We already have." Bumblebee stared at his monitor in horror and embarrassment, he'd forgotten to turn his communication systems off. Rose covered her mouth to keep from laughing at his sullen look and answered for him, "Alright Ironhide we're headed back." Ironhide's head popped up on Bee's monitor, "Good, listening to you two mush over stuff was making me sick." Bumblebee glared at him, "We're you the only one listening or..." Optimus's voice interrupted him, "No, your channel was open to anyone who wished to tune in." Bumblebee covered his face and demanded, "How many people Optimus?" There was silence on the comm before Optimus affirmed, "Every Autobot." Rose burst out laughing, "Gosh, Bee, I'm so sorry." Bumblebee rolled his eyes, "No your not, your laughing." Rose bent over struggling to breathe, "No, no I swear I'm sorry I just..." She dissolved into another fit of laughter. Ratchet's voice was next to appear, "We're talking about this when you two get back." Bumblebee glared at her, "For some reason, I feel like this is your fault." Rose shook her head and said dryly, "I don't usually do feeling podcasts, Bee." Ironhide snickered, "Still live you two. Also, Bee, don't blame her, you're the one who forgot to turn off your systems." His voice disappeared with a chuckle as Bee's engine revved angrily. Bee shared a look with Rose before his holo-form disappeared. His engine started and he whipped the two around, leaving Rose to buckle her seatbelt alone. Bumblee angrily drove back the way they came. Rose sighed and patted his dashboard, "I'm sorry Bee. I really didn't know your channel was on." Bee slowed slightly and answered back sulkily, "It's fine. It's not your fault." Rose raised an eyebrow but allowed Bumblebee to continue driving in silence. When the base came into view Bumblebee slowed even more until they were crawling. Rose sniffed, "You won't be able to escape this conversation....or the jokes for that matter." Bumblebee revved his engine before thundering through the base doors. He swung a u-turn and pulled into his designated parking lot before opening his doors for Rose to get out. Rose unbuckled her seatbelt and jumped nimbly out of his passenger seat. She took one look at the approaching bots and whisked around toward command, "Let me know how it goes, Bee! Good luck!" Bumblebee transformed into his bipedal mode and glared at her retreating form but Ratchet got to her first, "Oh no Rose. You stay put." Rose stopped in her tracks and threw a longing look at command before turning back around to face Ratchet cooly, "Sure thing Mommabird." Ratchet humphed at the nickname but spared it no commentary, "You two, Optimus's office, now." Ironhide chuckled and sent Rose a mock salute, "Good luck Scraplet! Hope it all works out!" He laughed at Rose's expression before walking off to go do whatever he was previously working on. Bumblebee bent down to offer his hand to her, which she accepted, and they both followed Ratchet down the hall and into Optimus's office. His office was once one of the extra hab-suits for guests but he had since refurbished it into a human/bot-friendly meeting room after government officials kept complaining about having no place to talk to him privately. Rose watched as Ratchet entered a code on the door frame and the doors whooshed open. Ratchet motioned them inside and followed, behind them, into the office. Bumblebee set Rose down on the human side of Optimus's office, a platform similar to the one in the main base deck. Optimus stirred from behind his desk and stood to greet them, "Rose, Bumblebee...what you choose to discuss is your decision but whereupon these matters we've overheard concern Ratchet and I, I thought it best for a private conversation." Bumblebee shuttered his door wings but wouldn't meet either Ratchet's or Optimus's eyes. Optimus continued, looking imploringly at Bumblebee, "With regards to Megatron..." He hesitated before starting again, "Bumblebee we understand the horrors you've had to go through with your injury but...I assumed you weren't ready to talk about it and yet I find that not the case." Ratchet moved to Optimus's side and said gently, even for him, "That day, when we discovered you had been struck down by Megatron, we were devasted. And later, when we found you with your voice box torn out..." He shuttered his optics as if to wipe the memory away and continued briskly, "I tried very hard to repair what had been taken from you Bumblebee. I know it wasn't enough but..." He stopped and tried to meet Bumblebee's eye, "You could have told me you wanted to talk about it. What made you think I didn't want to listen?" Bumblebee shrugged awkwardly, "You always gave me this look Ratch...whenever you saw the scar or someone would comment on it...so I decided that I wasn't going to talk about it, not with you..." A pregnant pause followed Bumblebee's statement and he shuffled on his peds. Ratchet stuttered, "But,  but!" He sighed and pinched his nasal ridge, "I wasn't...upset with you or anyone more than I was upset with myself. It's my job as a field medic in the midst of a war to repair and rebuild! You were different Bumblebee. You weren't just some soldier...I cared too much about you...and yet, I failed you." Ratchet stood up to his full height and glared at Bumblebee with a glint in his eye, "I failed you! I thought you were angry at me...and for good reason! No matter what I did or do now I can't fix your voice box. And trust me Bumblebee I wish I could but I can't and I will never forgive myself for it." Bumblebee looked at Ratchet with surprise until it slowly was replaced with anger, "FAILED ME! Do you hear yourself Ratchet!? I wasn't angry at you nor did I ever...ever think you hadn't done your best to fix me! I was just appreciative of the fact that you tried. What you did for me was the greatest thing anyone has ever done for me. You actually gave a flying frag about me." His voice stalled and he coughed before continuing, rubbing his neck, "You gave me a future." He deflated slowly, "So don't give me that slag Ratch." He glanced away from the two mechs and ground his denta together quietly. The room was silent once more until Ratchet began, Bumblebee perking up his auditory apparatus to listen to him speak, "I'm sorry." He scrunched his olfactory plating, "Humph, I don't think I've ever said that to someone before." Bumblebee gave him a weak smile, "I'm honored to be the first." Optimus shifted and softly interjected, "For now I will disregard your use of foul language since the occasion warrants it...Bumblebee...Ratchet, and I both have self-damage we must work through regarding this situation but I do hope this is a lesson to continue talking to us about your thoughts and feelings." Bumblebee nodded and supplied lamely, "Sorry I yelled...I guess I was just angry." Rose cleared her throat, making the three Autobots startle, "Yup still here. From an outsider's perspective on this incident, I can tell you all care deeply for each other. And I think that's important to have but I don't think you need me to tell you that." She finished humorously, glancing at the three as she did. Optimus refocused his optics, "Yes, I do think you're right Rose. I haven't been quite truthful with my...feelings about the situation but we can remedy it in the future. For now, I think it's best if we agree to let this settle for the night and continue tomorrow." Rose hummed and looked at the three, observant, "As a family?" Bumblebee snickered, "Can't kick you out that easily." Rose nodded with a hint of sarcasm, "Not until I air out my grievances." Bumblebee blinked and stated wearily, "Now I'm scared." Rose rolled her eyes, "You? Your a huge 14-foot Autobot who's taken down cons, and you're scared of my feelings? Your gonna hate it in the future." She shook her head, "My dad would have a field day to learn that I'm "opening up" about feeling and other mushy stuff." She scrunched her nose in disgust, "Still doesn't sound right." Optimus let out a small chuckle, "He'll be glad to hear it." Rose shot him a look mixed between horror and shock, "You talk to him? Why? I promise you he's not all that interesting and there's no reason you should be talking to him at all. Did I mention the at-all part?" Ratchet caught on to the conversation and mused, "Quite the contrary, he's very interesting. We have nightly chats when we're both not busy...right now he's catching us up on when you were younger." Rose rubbed her face and shook her head in disbelief, "Oh god. I can't believe him." She sighed in defeat, "But of course he is." Optimus and Ratchet shared a look before Ratchet supplied, "All good things so far." Rose pursed her lips, "For right now at least. Don't worry, you'll start getting blackmail on me here soon." Optimus's optics glittered, "Oh, we already have." Rose pinched her nose, "Of course you have." Bumblebee smirked, "Looks like I'm not the only one with problems." Optimus threw him a soft but stern look, "We have plenty on you two young Bumblebee, do not forget." Bumblebee winced and Rose perked up excitedly, "You've got to tell me all about it!" Bumblebee shook his head in protest, "No way. Don't you dare breathe a word to her! She'll tell everyone!" Rose smiled, "So that bad huh? Now you've got my attention." The two fell into playful banter as the creators watched on in content.