The Spark- A TFP beecee fanfiction

Chapter Six

           "Bee, that was amazing!" Arcee gushed. Bee smiled uncertainly and raised an opticbrow. This was certainly a side of Arcee he had never seen before. it was refreshing, but nonetheless surprising and caught him a little off guard. 

           "So you're glad you listened to me," he teased. She rolled her optics.

           "Fine, you were right," she admitted, which she knew Bee would hang over head for forever. "He wants to go on another date," she told him. 

           "I'm happy for you," he told her. 

           "Thanks," she said, giving him a servo bump and heading down the hall to her next class. Bee looked after her, a strange feeling arousing. 

~~~

           After a few dates, Knockout and Arcee started dating. She was still vastly unpopular and few in Knockout's crowd truly understood why he had gone for her, but they didn't get in his way. Arcee seemed to make him happy and that was really all that mattered. Bumblebee was happy for his friend, but couldn't help feeling a strange resentment towards their relationship. This wasn't exact phrasing. He didn't dislike that they were dating, it was more that he was scrutinizing of their relationship. For a forceful reason still unknown to him, Bee really wanted to make sure that no matter what, Arcee was happy. She seemed to be. 

           This made it so much more difficult when the news came. Knockout had seemed different for a little while. They had only been dating a few months, so Arcee figured they were just reaching a different point in the relationship.  Who was she to question the slight personality changes? It was definitely not like he was becoming a different person. Or so she thought. 

           Right before third quarter ended, Knockout disappeared. It was explicit that he and some of his friends had defected to the Decepticons. No one disspeared from the academy unannounced for any other reason. It was certain. Arcee's spark broke. He never sent word asking for her to join him, not because he didn't want her to. He knew Arcee better than that. 

           Arcee was inconsolable. Bee spent weeks by her side. She made it through lessons and training, but she was not the same. A few weeks later, she picked up again. She was completely different. She was the way she was before Knockout, but a little harder. She pretended it had never happened, like Knockout had never hurt her, which was a denial that was hard for those close to her to watch. Many defected that month. Classmates. Friends. Bots they considered family. 

          One thing was for certain. The war did not recognize family. It spat upon it. Tore them apart and left them in pieces, unable to recover. Deposited them alone and left no way to escape. Arcee's creators were killed in a Decepticon raid. She was left alone, except for Bumblebee.

           Towards the end of the year, training became more rigorous as the students pushed to ensure their entrance into the next year at the academy. In a duel with Arachnid, who less than a day later defected, Arcee was severely injured and sent to the infirmary. Bee stayed by her side during her slow recovery faithfully.

~~~

           "Bee?" Arcee groggily struggled to focus on her surroundings as she emerged from a very long recharge. Her side ached strangely and the fight with Arachnid came flooding back to her. The gash still pained her, though she tried hard not to show it. 

           "Arcee," he whispered. "How are you feeling?" Arcee shrugged. 

            "Different," she decided, unable to register exactly how she felt. The weight of everything that had happened that year finally hit her. The gravity of the war they were now scrap-deep in was registering. She sobbed. Bee hugged her. 

           "I feel stupid, Bee," she said. "I've always told myself that I would never stop coming out on top and now I realize how stupid and naïve I've been. Life keeps putting me in my place, and I've refused to see it before now. Knockout, the war, my parents. I can't handle much more of this," she confessed. Bee studied her face, before leaning down and kissing her. Arcee was more than stunned. She had never really thought of Bee in that way before, and Bee knew it too.

           "Just wanted to do that once," he said. 

           "What?" she stammered, unable to comprehend exactly what had just happened. 

           "Get your head in the game, Arcee," he said. "You're a capable warrior. The best. You know that. You've hit some rought patches, but you'll make it, I know you will. You always pull through. And no matter how bleak things seem right now, I can assure you that you will always come out on top because that is who you are, Arcee. You belong at the top." Arcee studied his optics. 

            "Bee-"

            "Listen," he interrupted. "You and I make great partners, and I care about you. A lot. I know you've never thought about me in that way, and I never would have expected you to. I know that kiss was probably out of line, but I know that it's time for us to find our paths. You're meant for greatness, Arcee. I know it. You'll stumble, that's inevitable, but you'll come out on top. Maybe our paths will cross again someday, but right now we need to find our own way." Arcee nodded in agreement. 

            "You'll always be a great friend to me, Bee."

            " I know."