Orion didn't know what overcame him as Bumblebee fell to the ground, but judging by the youngling in his servos and the energon running down his chassis, he could probably fill in the gaps. His optics widened as he carefully sat down, laying the yellow helm in his lap. Orion's large servo clamped down on the wound in a desperate attempt to staunch the energon flow. He could feel the scout's spark pulse beating erratically in its chamber…or perhaps it was his own?

"Optimus, let me see him," Ratchet commanded. "Lift your servo." Orion obeyed and let the medic study the wound. Arcee and Bulkhead stayed back, knowing that they shouldn't get in the way and fearing for their youngling.

"Bumblebee's lucky he's a good shot…" Ratchet muttered. "Come with me, I need to start working on him now." As the two mechs passed her, Arcee swore she heard Ratchet whisper "suicidal maniac."

They disappeared into the med-bay and everything fell silent. Raf shivered as he eyed the energon trail on the floor.

It didn't help knowing where that energon came from.

Hours went by and Orion exited the med-bay alone. Awaiting eyes and optics pleaded to him for answers, but he couldn't supply any. He sighed, "Bumblebee is critical. Ratchet's doing his best."

Silence again.

Orion soon found Arcee comforting him. Both weren't far from a breaking point.

It was a miracle they hadn't reached it yet.

The humans had fallen asleep long ago. Bulkhead was the only one online, Orion and Arcee had fallen into recharge not too long ago. He heard the whoosh of the med-bay doors and saw Ratchet walk out. Energon stained his servos and fatigue was clear.

By chance, they met optics.

"I'm still working on him," Ratchet said with a monotone. It was all he could do to keep from revealing too much, getting their hopes up. "He's stable…but that's all." And he disappeared again.

Bulkhead didn't find his words too soothing, but it was better than nothing at all.

It was morning. Ratchet had just stopped his work. He was done, the repairs were complete. It was up to Bumblebee now.

He prayed to Primus that Bumblebee's mind would remain intact. The overdose of synthetic energon definitely sped up repairs and made them easier, but at what cost? What did it do to Bumblebee?

If things went smoothly, nothing; Ratchet had been thorough when "cleaning" Bee's energon.

But things hadn't gone smoothly in a long time.

"I can't help but feel responsible…"

"Optimus…" a sigh, "Orion, you did everything you could."

"But it wasn't enough."

"Orion, Bumblebee is alive and that's all we wanted. Now, we're waiting. Bee's strong; he'll come back to us."

"I hope you're right."

"Me too."

Silence.

"Arcee?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you."

After the second day, Ratchet was beginning to have some doubts. Bumblebee was perfectly fine now, so why wasn't he awake? Of course, the medic knew this was a rhetorical question.

"Ratchet, is Bee going to wake up soon?" Raf asked from the catwalk. The braces were off of his legs now. If only Bumblebee could see his charge now…

"Rafael, I will not keep the truth from you," Ratchet said simply. "Processor damage is much like brain damage to a human. The results are unpredictable. Bumblebee's body is fine…it's his mind that's weak. He needs time to recover…and if or when he does come back online, things may be different. He could be processor dead, not remember who we are, or recessed back into a sparkling's state of mind. The possibilities are endless. I highly doubt the latter will occur, but I want you to be prepared for anything. The Bumblebee that survives may not be the one you're familiar with."

"How did he survive?" The question had obviously been pondered time and time again.

"As I said before: Bumblebee's a good shot."

"Bumblebee," Orion was already at a loss for words. "I…realize that you know more about me than I know of you, but that won't stop me. I'm sorry for the pain I've brought upon you. I can't imagine how hard this war is for you, a youngling. The fact that you have a reason to live everyday fills my spark with pride and happiness. You are our hope Bumblebee. We fight for you…we fight for your future. A future without war and hatred for the youngling sparked into a monstrosity across the cosmos.

"You are a war youngling, yet you have found the light in our darkest hour. And that is no easy feat. You are stronger than most warriors, and kinder than the gentlest of mechs. I remember very little of this war now, but I know my role now.

"I am Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots. I fight alongside my family, my comrades. I stand by you, Bumblebee, as you have stood by me.

"Please youngling, awaken soon. We need you to see the future of our race. We need you to lead when your turn comes.

"You must live to see the day when all are one."

"Scrap!" Arcee yelled, punching the wall to vent her frustrations. Bulkhead came through the Ground Bridge behind her, equally upset. "They got away," she huffed. "They have a power source now."

"Now the 'Cons can actually use their Space Bridge." Bulkhead added. "How's Bee?"

"The same," Ratchet replied. "The synthetic energon should have helped his systems. Yes, he's healed…but he should be online again…"

"Synthetic energon is still theoretical," Orion said. "Nobody could have predicted this."

"It doesn't help the facts."

"What aren't you telling us Ratchet?" Arcee snapped.

"If Bumblebee is not back online by tomorrow, he'll be too far gone."

"Ratchet!" Raf shouted, sprinting towards the Autobots. Between breaths, he stuttered, "Bee's…spark reading…fluctuated…"

As soon as Ratchet bolted to the med-bay, everyone else followed.

Barely a minute had passed when the miracle and the nightmare began.

Large blue optics snapped online as the yellow helm pivoted from side to side. The terrible noise of metal screeching against metal filled the base, giving way to static. Bumblebee panicked, desperate to find a means of communication. But his throat hurt like the Pit!

"Bumblebee, calm down!" Ratchet commanded. Bumblebee sat up to meet the medic's optics, but immediately regretted the action. His processor was overcome with dizziness as his vision swam. A large servo was placed on his back, steadying the youngling. Raf was becoming concerned; his guardian had yet to beep something to him or anyone else.

Bumblebee glanced around the room, optics finally settling on Optimus. "Sir," he comm.-linked, "what happened?" Orion searched for what to say.

"You were captured by Megatron while trying to find me," Orion began. "We escaped back to base, but at a devastating cost."

"Bumblebee, can you use your sound bytes to communicate with us?" Ratchet asked. The scout nodded, testing out his modulator with a quiet warble.

"What are you talking about?" Raf noticed the change immediately. "Is Sam alright?" Bulkhead punched the wall, cursing Megatron for all it was worth. Arcee knelt next to Bee's berth.

"Bee," she said softly, "what's the last thing you remember?"

"Barricade ambushed us and I told Sam and Carly to run," Bumblebee recalled. "But Sam…he was injured badly. And…no, that...Arcee, is he alright? Please, tell me he's fine."

"No," Ratchet whispered to himself. Jack looked at the medic for answers. "Bumblebee…appears to have lost some of his memories. Megatron's mental stronghold must have been stationed in one of Bumblebee's most traumatic experiences, one that he never moved past."

"What do you mean?" Miko asked. "Bee's the happiest Autobot here."

"Miko, Bee's coping mechanism isn't…healthy for him," Bulkhead explained. "He doesn't face his problems, he avoids them. After Tyger Pax, he was the first one to volunteer for the solo scouting mission. He was here for years."

"Optimus, is Sam here?" Bumblebee asked again. His optics were filled with such dread and self-loathing that Orion had to avert his gaze.

"Frag it," Ratchet cursed quietly, out of Bee's range of hearing. "This was the worst time period of Bumblebee's life-stream…and he's forced to repeat his worst nightmare."

"Ratchet, what happened?" Raf asked. The medic was hesitant. "Ratchet, Bee's my guardian. Please, tell me." With a sigh, Ratchet began.

"It took me two Earth weeks to complete Bumblebee's repairs. In that time, Samuel's body was buried and his parents and girlfriend severed their relations with us. When Bumblebee came back online, Optimus and I…we had to tell him the truth. Bumblebee…he nearly turned the med-bay into a battlefield. He wouldn't stop blaming himself for what happened, kept berating himself of how inept he really was. It was hard to get through to him. We told him that nobody could have expected this to happen and nobody could have been prepared for the outcome. He ignored our attempts and considered himself a failure as a guardian. He even went to Optimus to request that should he ever want to take up the position of guardian again, Optimus dissuade and prevent him from doing so. Prime didn't agree.

"Weeks later, he fell into a routine. Bumblebee's coping mechanism is finding work, occupying his mind with other tasks in order to drown out his most troubling thoughts. He went on scouting missions and was nearly terminated a few times. It scared us all, especially when he found Carly again. One look at him and she was furious. I don't know what exactly happened during that encounter, but Bumblebee isolated himself until Prime found him energon depleted in his room. During that time period, Optimus was deciding how to divide our forces across the planet to monitor Decepticon activity. Without hesitation, he put Bumblebee on our team. Yes, his expertise as a scout qualified him for the position, but more than anything, Optimus wanted to keep an optic on him.

"Shortly after we arrived at this base, everything just stopped. I'm sure Arcee and Bulkhead talked to him more than once, but Bumblebee was healing. I don't know how or why, but Bumblebee seemed…happier. He started over again, even received a new alt.-mode. I don't blame him, being a Camaro would resurface old demons. After that, he was better, made an effort to socialize more. Maybe it was the new environment and my complaining that did it, but something pulled him out of that Pit. I'd be lying if I said he wasn't different. No, he's meeker now than before. Well, more reserved to say the least. But for a while, I had my doubts. I feared a relapse for both Samuel's passing and Tyger Pax. But…" Ratchet trailed off with a sigh.

"But what?" Raf inquired. "What happened?" Ratchet met his gaze.

"He met you," he said simply. "The day you two first met was the day his optics smiled for us again. And I mean a real smile. He wouldn't stop raving about the two humans he met and the one whose toy he broke." With a slight chuckle, Ratchet added, "He kept promising to buy another one to replace it." Becoming serious, he continued, "But Prime asked him to become a guardian, your guardian, and uphold those duties once more. Bumblebee protested, borderline insubordination, but Prime made the decision final. Bumblebee drove you back to base the next day and the rest…well, you know. If there's one thing this arrangement did, it revitalized Bumblebee. He needed this in more ways than one. Raf, he comes back from every mission for you. He fights for you. You are his reason for existence because he sees you, Rafael, as his brother. The same way he viewed Samuel James Witwicky all those years ago."

"Optimus, sir…please, where is Sam?" Bumblebee's pleas broke the boy and the medic away from their private conversation. "I…I need to find Sam. Arcee, Bulkhead…I need to see him. Where's Carly? Is she with him? Are…are they ok? Please, tell me they're fine!"

"Bumblebee," Arcee sighed. This was going to be difficult, painful, and dreadful…but it had to be done. "Bee…you remember the fight with Barricade," it was a statement, not a question. "He…Bumblebee, Sam's gone." His expression remained neutral.

"No…he can't…it's not possible. He got away from Barricade!" Bumblebee protested, clenching his helm with his servos and shaking it back and forth rapidly. Before he could think about getting off the berth, Arcee pinned him.

"Bumblebee, you have to listen to me. Sam is dead." Their optics locked and Arcee's spark broke as she saw acceptance fill those youthful optics. "I'm so sorry…" she whispered. With reluctance, she got off the berth and took a few steps back. Bumblebee didn't move.

"How long has it been?" The question caught them all off-guard. When silence remained his answer, Bumblebee's optics scanned all of them with desperation. "My chronometer must be malfunctioning. How long has it been?"

"Years…" Bulkhead answered softly. Before Bumblebee could work himself into a frenzy, he felt Optimus' servo on his shoulder joint.

"Bumblebee, please rest," Orion said soothingly. He definitely knew this situation, but the answers wouldn't present themselves. But seeing Bumblebee so distressed gave him determination to try and ease the pain. He was going to trust his instincts. "It is a terrible time for all of us, but you couldn't have done anything. None of us could have. It is not your fault, you have done nothing wrong." The words came naturally and, for the time being, got through to the youngling. With a nod, Bumblebee decided to go back into recharge, if only to escape the universe's cruelty.

Before falling into unconsciousness, he asked Primus why.

"We need Vector Sigma."

Ratchet turned his attention to the amnesiac Prime and scoffed a bit. "Of course we do, but we don't have a means of getting to it."

"But I have the key," Jack added, taking the artifact out of his pocket. "I've been feeling it…pull for some reason. And it glows randomly, like when Bulkhead took us into his room. I was looking at it and it started to glow for a few seconds. Next thing we know, Bumblebee lost his memory."

"Yes, but this doesn't help us. Vector Sigma is still on Cybertron and we have no way of travelling into space to retrieve or even fathom using it." Ratchet stated with a huff. Primus could never make it easy for them, could He?

"If we require a Space Bridge, I believe I can help," Orion said with a smile. "Megatron mentioned it to Soundwave when I was aboard the Nemesis. I don't think he realized I overheard the coordinates."

"Did I just hear that we have a transport to Cybertron?" Arcee asked, smiling as well. Bulkhead walked over to the group.

"Optimus-um…Orion, I think I could hug you right now," he said.

"Please refrain from doing so Bulkhead, I don't feel like repairing another back strut." Ratchet ridiculed lightly.

"We can commandeer the Space Bridge and get to Cybertron," Jack said.

"You and Arcee will go to Cybertron for only you can access Vector Sigma at the moment. A Prime can as well, but Orion Pax isn't Optimus Prime." Ratchet informed the teen.

"Why do you get to have all the fun?" Miko whined, crossing her arms with a pout. Since when did the rest of the humans arrive?

"I can get you a space suit," Agent Fowler offered. "After all, I do work for the government."

"Jack, I can't let you go through with this…" June said, "I…"

"Arcee is his guardian; your son has the best protection he can receive." All heads and helms turned towards the beeps, watching as Bumblebee staggered over to them.

"What do you think you're doing Bumblebee?" Ratchet shouted. "Get back to the med-bay!" To everyone's surprise, Bumblebee shook his helm and stayed put, despite the medic's wrath. June shot a questioning look at Raf, who quickly translated for his guardian.

"I'm coming too. I want to help and, by Primus, I am going to help. I'm also curious as to why none of you mentioned that Optimus cannot remember his status as a Prime." Raf felt a bit unnerved at how formal Bumblebee sounded. Ok, maybe not over-the-top formal, but still…

"We didn't want to overwhelm you," Arcee told him. "But believe me when I say that we were going to tell you."

"You're a scout; you were going to find out either way." Ratchet said. Although it didn't seem like a humorous jab, Bumblebee knew enough to take it as one.

"I was serious about coming with you. I will come even if it is considered and recorded as insubordination." Ratchet knew better than to argue with the youngling now. Besides, when Bumblebee began coping, there was no stopping him. That was the only part he didn't mention to Rafael: everything Bumblebee did was for a reason. Right now, it was to escape this fresh wound by risking his life. Unfortunately, this is also when they needed him most.

Bumblebee looked at Orion for approval. A curt nod was his response.

Before they broke away, the two amnesiacs understood their situation. Bumblebee saw confusion, hope, fear, bravery, and acceptance. Orion saw pain, depression, denial, and longing. Their decisions were made.

When they returned their focus to the chaos and excitement within the Autobot base, they shared the same thought:

No matter how painful it will be, I need to remember...

"For them," Orion whispered, surveying the Autobots' enthusiasm and renewed hope.

"For Sam." Bee whispered without hesitation. His spark felt broken, shattered beyond comprehension. He was convinced that he could never be a guardian, or a best friend, ever again. Looking at the small bespectacled boy by the monitor, Bumblebee felt himself smile. There was something special about the child…something that made him…happy. Even if he wasn't the child's guardian…

"For Raf."

…he would fight for him.

A/N: Yay, I'M FREE! :D I don't know how I feel about the ending, but it's done and I'm happy and nothing can ruin this moment for me! Just to clarify: Bee's still emotionally distressed, but he's trying to "cope."

Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed, favorited, and/or alerted! Now, I'm gonna sit tight and wait for Operation Bumblebee Parts I and II 'cause, let's face it: it's gonna be awesome. Just saw the promo and I fangirled for all 30 seconds of it. :D

Oh, does anyone know if the Nathan Fillion rumor was confirmed? I keep reading that he's going to guest star…and then he has a possibility of joining the cast…and then he's going to voice Bumblebee…and then my brain goes BOOM trying to sort it all out. :3 He's definitely going to be on TFP (I hope he has a hammer :D), but no clue who's voice he'll be providing.