Hope's Return

Sparkling Like Behavior

It was dark by the time she reached Bumblebee's base. The closed gate didn't surprise her but the lack of response to her knock did. Since the gate was locked, she did the next logical thing and flew over, landing with a loud thud in the courtyard. 

Bright lights filled her vision and she leapt to the side, narrowly avoiding being hit by Bumblebee as he roared past her.

"What in Primus is going on?!"

Her normal calm shattered as she growled at the yellow camero. Bumblebee transformed and raced to her before proceeding to climb up her scales and perch on her back. Whooping a war cry, he dug his peds into her sides. Yelping a little, she turned her neck to stare at him in astonishment.

"Bumblebee! What had gotten into you?!"

"Hope! Oh thank Primus you're here!"

At Sideswipe's voice she turned to see Strongarm and him hauling a spiky mech between them. Blinking her optics in confusion,  she stared at the two of them before arching her helm back at Bumblebee again.

"Grim, give me a hand with Quillfire. Sideswipe will fill you in Hope."

Trying to ignore Bumblebee's jabbing her in the sides, she lowered her helm to Sideswipe's and waited.

"Okay, so you may have noticed that Bumblebee is acting...well...a little sparkling-ish..."

Her optic roll stated that she noticed before she sighed. Reaching back, she pulled Bee off her back and held him in her teeth by his door wings with his peds dangling. He squealed in protest before crossing his arms and pouting like as child.

Despite the humor he got from seeing Bumblebee dangling from Hope's mouth like a kitten, he felt his little sister's irritation and he hastened to explain.

"That Decepticon we just brought back jabbed Bumblebee with one of his quills causing him to revert his processor back to a sparkling. Fix-it said that we just need to wait until the venom works it's way out of his system."

Gently setting Bumblebee down, she pinned him with a  clawed foot, holding him in place while she sent a healing pulse through him. Finally she sighed again and sat back transforming into her Cybertronian form.

Bumblebee jumped to his peds and scrambled into her lap where she stroked his helm as if he truly was sparkling.

"I'm afraid Fix-it is right. He's not physically damaged and this sparkling behavior is only temporary. Best to wait it out."

Strongarm and Grimlock returned just in time to catch the tail end of their conversation.

"What do we do now? Sparkling sit him until who knows when?"

"Hush Strongarm.  This will pass soon enough. Just enjoy it while it lasts."

"While it lasts?! He caused all sorts of problems just a few hours ago!"

"I nominate Hope to take care of him then. She seems to have Bee under control...at least for now."

Hope gazed down at the sleepy mech in her lap and had to smile. Despite the fact she was a Cybertronian,  she still remembered all the times while in human form she had enjoyed tending to the village children. Carefully picking him up, she turned to Sideswipe.

"Where is his berth?"

Following the directions given to a long metal overhang with a makeshift berth under it, she placed Bee down and turned to leave before a servo touched hers.

"Carrier? Stay please?"

His voice was so soft, she found herself sitting down on the berth near his helm. He scooted up until his helm was on her lap and snuggled into her side. Once more she ran a servo over his helm until she felt his breathing even out and she knew he was asleep. Still, she remained until she too, fell asleep leaning against the wall.