(I hope you enjoy this little moment between Bumblebee and Optimus Prime. This is my first story to not feature any OC's of my own. This is not a gay paring of any sort, this is solely a moment between friends, a sort of surrogate father and son moment that's filled with lots of fluff and tickles. Warning - Memories of violence and memories of death to one parent. Warning - Spoilers to the episode from Transformers G1, 'Attack of the Autobots'. Disclaimer: Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Elita 1, and Spike Witwicky belong to Hasbro.)

A Rare Bonding Moment

It was a bright, calm, sunny day at the Autobot headquarters, and all the occupants were having a very relaxing time, due to the fact that no Decepticon activity was reported by Teletran1. The Autobots had a very good reason to relax. About three days ago, half of the Autobots had been effected by a personality destabilizing device, planted into their recharge stations by Megatron. This made the Autobots turn evil and served Megatron, attacking an Air Base to keep the humans occupied while the Decepticons tried to steal a satellite and rocket to return to Cybertron. Luckily, Jazz, Bumblebee, and the humans, Spike and Sparkplug managed to save the Autobots by creating an attitude exchanger that turned them back to normal. With the Autobots turned back to good, they were able to thwart Megatrons plans and save the day, once again.

While everyone was busy doing other things around the base, Optimus Prime was busy monitoring Teletran 1, just to make sure if the Decepticons decided to ruin everybody's relaxing day, when Spike came up to him.

"Spike, what brings you here?" The Autobot leader asked the young man.

"It's Bumblebee. I'm not sure if you saw this, but he has been moping around the past few days. I tried asking him what was wrong but he never tells me, nor has he told any of the Autobots when they asked him the same question.. I'm worried about him." Spike explained. Optimus listened as the boy told him everything and became very concerned. Bumblebee was usually the brightest, happiest Autobot around, ready to cheer anyone. But, now that he was suddenly depressed, it almost didn't sound like the little buddy he knew.

"Where is he right now?" Optimus asked once more.

"Bumblebee is in his quarters. He refuses to come out." Spike pointed out, and Optimus thanked him and proceeded to Bumblebee's quarters.

As the leader came to the door leading into Bumblebee's quarters, Optimus had some time to remember the times when Bumblebee was little sparkling. He had remembered the day when he and his bondmate, Elita 1, found the helpless little one covered under the body of his lost mother. An orphan, left with no one to look after him. Optimus just didn't have the spark to just let the tiny baby starve to death and go offline, so he had decided to take in the sparkling as his own, becoming Bumblebee's surrogate father. He remembered those days where he had spent half of his days playing with his little bundle of joy, remembered the laughter, the smiles, and the warm embrace they gave to each other, embraces that showed great love for each other. After reality came back to the Primes processor, Prime knocked on the doors and spoke. "Bumblebee, may I have permission to enter?"

He heard the sound of sniffling and sobbing on the other side, before he heard a quiet, sad voice answer. "Come in."

Allowing the doors to slide open, Optimus stepped inside the room, and his attention was focused on a hunched, yellow Autobot rubbing his arms up and down in discomfort. Prime made his way and sat down next to the little scout.

"Bumblebee, Spike has informed me of you unusual behavior, and that you are ignoring him, as well as your team mates. Will you tell me why?" Optimus softly said, but Bumblebee only sniffed and wiped away a tear. "Bumblebee, I need to know why, you can tell me anything." Optimus said as he placed a hand on Bumblebee's shoulder.

"It...it...It's about what happened to you any everybody else, when Megatron turned you evil." Bumblebee sobbed, but he began to cry softly and Optimus patted his back to help soothe him.

"Bumblebee, please tell me. Tell me everything, I can help you." He cooed, and Bumblebee continued.

"It was back at the Air Force base, the one where you and the others attacked. I remember when I tried to stop you. I ...I still remember that look in your optics; Empty, nothing but hatred...Hate and destruction. I did try to convince you that you were not evil, but then you swatted at me and grabbed me, ready to throw me down on the ground hard. I...I really thought you were gone. And there was nothing I could do." Bumblebee managed to say through his tears, but then began crying hard. This stunned Optimus, but he was also saddened, for he knew he could have killed Bumblebee while under Megatrons control. Yet he could have, if Bumblebee hadn't summed up the courage to remind him of who he was. When Bumblebee said that, the real memories of Optimus came to the leader in a flash, but the memories were in a clash with the mind control, and it was soon Bumblebee who saved him by planting an attitude exchanger onto him and Prime was back to normal.

Watching his young member cry, Optimus then pulled the scout to his chest and hugged him tightly, causing Bumblebee to stop crying but went to quiet hiccups and whimpers. Optimus had never held him like this for a long time. Optimus only held him like this when he was a child back on cybertron, but that was a long time ago. Bumblebee listened as Prime whispered, "I know how you feel, I too, have regretful and painful memories of that moment, even though I was under mind control. But, you must know that such a thing like that will never, ever happen again. I already have WheelJack and Ratchet installing new cameras along the base to further ensure our safety. I promise you that I will never be taken away, not as long as I have the strength and love to watch over those I care for, especially you, little one."

"You promise?" Bumblebee asked, his tears now diminishing. Optimus hadn't called him 'little one' in a long time either, but Bumblebee didn't mind.

Optimus in return hugged him tightly. "Yes, I do. None of us will ever go through that torture again."

For a while the two sat quietly, wrapped in their embrace, until Optimus Prime let go of Bumblebee and finally spoke, "Well, now that this discussion is done, why don't we join the others."

"Okay." Bee said, still a bit quiet and unsure. Optimus saw this and thought about what else he could do to help Bumblebee feel better. But then he remembered something; back when Bumblebee was a youngling, he and Prime would often have little tickle fights and that seemed to make Bumblebee happy.

Bumblebee was wondering what Prime was doing while the leader stood still, his hand scratching his chin, thinking. Or so it seemed.

"Prime?" Bumblebee asked, no longer in a quiet, unsure voice, "Prime, what is it? I feel better, I didn't mean to mutter." But then he was suddenly seized by the massive mech and was pinned to the ground as Optimus Prime suddenly began to chuckle. "I know you are, but I think you need a bit more cheering up. And I think this little fight between us is just the thing."

"A fight? What do you...Aha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha, Wha-ha-ha-ha-ha-hat are you doing? Stop, no, no. Aha-ha-ha-ha-ha!" Bumblebee screamed with a big smile on his face plate as he felt the Prime's blunt, gentle, and stong digits tickling the scout's sides and belly.

"I meant to say 'tickle fight'..." He chuckled as he poked at Bumblebee's side to prove the meaning of the term 'Tickle Fight', "...but you interupted me, you little rascal. Cootchie cootchie cootchie cootchie coo! Now you have to live a life of tickles forever!" Optimus teased him, the same way he would tease him as a child, as his digits danced along the surface of Bumblebee's stomach to his arm joints, poking, squeezing and tickling them hard.

This sent Bumblebee into hysterics. "AHHHHHHHH! OH NO! NO! AHA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA! NOT THERE. IT TICKLES, OPTIMUS! AHA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA" Bumblebee laughed out loud, the feeling of the Optimus Prime tickling his arm joints made Bumblebee laugh and remember the tickle fights he had with the Autobot Leader when he was a youngling, making him forget about the incident three days ago, which was just what Optimus wanted.

As Bumblebee struggled to free himself from the tickle torture, he shot his hands at Optimus' sides and the tables were turned, as the yellow scout began tickling his leader senseless.

"AHA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA! NO! BUMBLEBEE-HEE-HEE-HEE-HEE-HEE! NO-HO-HO-HO-HO-HO! I AM TOO-HOO-HOO-HOO TICKLISH FOR TICKLE FIGHTS!" Optimus shrieked with laughter, but Bumblebee just switched from tickling his commanders sides to tickling his stomach.

"You shouldn't have tickled me then. Tickle tickle tickle! Look at the famous Optimus Prime now, losing in a tickle fight against a small scout! Cootchie cootchie cootchie coo!." Bumblebee giggled as he heard Prime's laughter increase in volume as he tickled him more harder and faster on Optimus' ticklish tummy. It was a miracle that none of the other Autobots had not stumbled upon this tickle fight, or else both Optimus Prime and Bumblebee would have been embarrassed.

"Oh-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho-kay! I give up! Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! Aha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!" Optimus laughed as Bumblebee tickled him a few minutes longer, but then, to his relief, Bumblebee stopped tickling him, leaving the both of them gasping for air from the tickle fight. Bumblebee lay himself on to his commander and smiled at him, and Prime smiled back behind his face mask, as he once more wrapped his arms around his surrogate son in a big hug, which Bumblebee returned.

"Thanks, Optimus." Bumblebee sighed as he snuggled closer.

"You are welcome, Bumblebee."

(I hope you really enjoyed this bonding moment. I had this idea in my head for almost a year but could not find the time to write it down, but boy am I glad I did. Please like and leave a comment.)