Bumblebee Wants To Come Home

Repair

As Bumblebee fell in behind Optimus, he felt at ease and totally content. His friends-both human and Autobot-had come in search of him, and now Sam was back where he belonged, in his driver's seat. Bumblebee grieved that without his transformation circuit he could not mold the seat around the contours of Sam's body as he usually did, but he could still communicate his happiness to Sam by his engine purr, and this he did.

Sam for his part was equally happy, and let Bumblebee do the driving, running his hands along Bumblebee's dash, and the leather of his seats, something that didn't exactly help Bumblebee keep his attention on the road.

They soon got close to Tranquility, which is where Ratchet, who had turned round and taken the quickest route towards them, met them. He turned and fell in behind Bumblebee, reassuring him that he had his transformation circuit repaired and ready to be installed. However, Bumblebee would have to make a decision.

"Well, Bumblebee, there are two choices, in light of the events of yesterday." said Ratchet. "As it's afternoon, we'll get back to Tranquility by the evening. Installing the transformation circuit won't take long, but then there's the four-hour realignment, which will continue into the night. Unfortunately, it's not exactly a quiet process, and there will be humans recharging-including your Sam there. I can do it that way, or I can leave it until the morning, something that you will be understandably nervous about. None of us likes to be unable to transform, it makes us too vulnerable."

Bumblebee didn't respond for a while. He was still unable to speak properly to Sam, he had neglected that side of his communications repair, but he played back the translation of Ratchet's message for him.

"Well, I'll tell you what, Bumblebee, how about if I sleep on your back seat tonight, and Ratchet stays as well-you could ask him. Between us, I think we can defend you from both thieves and Decepticons alike."

Bumblebee told Ratchet what Sam had said, and Ratchet pulled forwards, so both Sam and Bumblebee could hear his response.

"Bumblebee has said that he would feel safer, Sam, if we do as you suggested. I will stay over, and you can sleep in Bumblebee. Will your parents allow that?"

"I think so, but that doesn't matter." said Sam "I'm doing it, with or without their permission, even if I have to find somewhere other than the drive for us to go. If I have to do that, they'll ground me for a month, but I don't care." He caressed Bumblebee's dash again. "Bumblebee's worth it."

Sam needn't have worried: his parents understood perfectly, and allowed him to do it as long as he took his duvet and a pillow in with him. Mikaela would have stayed too, but there wasn't enough room, so Ironhide took her back, and she promised to come back around the next day while Bumblebee's realignment was taking place. Sam would have liked to have spent the whole night talking to Bumblebee, but the sleepless night and stress of earlier had taken their toll. Sam fell asleep after half-an-hour.

Bumblebee watched over Sam as he slept, feeling rather inadequate. If something did happen, he would have to stand by and watch as Sam and Ratchet fought for him. Yes, he could manoeuvre in car form, but would risk running into Sam on the confines of his parent's drive. He was supposed to be Sam's guardian, not the other way around. Thankfully, the night passed without incident.

Sam awoke, rubbing his eyes and then remembered why he was in Bumblebee's back seat. Ratchet spoke.

"Good, you've had a nice long recharge. If you get out, I can put Bumblebee's transformation circuit in, and then I can carry out the realignment in my vehicle form."

Sam got out, and once again Ratchet turned Bumblebee on his side to fit his transformation circuit, and then began the long process of realigning every single one of Bumblebee's systems. Mikaela turned up soon after they had begun, and she and Sam stayed by him, hands on his hood or side, staying with him through the entire four-hour process. When Ratchet announced that the realignment was complete, Bumblebee flicked open his doors and said to Mikaela and Sam "Come on, let's go for a drive to the lookout point."

The lookout point was the hill Optimus had sent his message from, and Sam realised Bumblebee wanted to go back to robot form without risk of being spotted. He and Mikaela exchanged a glance, and climbed in, and Bumblebee, after thanking Ratchet, took off with a fine burst of speed, heading for the deserted hilltop.

When he got there, he didn't wait for Sam and Mikaela to get out, he (gently) dumped them out of his doors, backed off, and transformed, sighing.

"That feels good." he said. Then he bent, picking up Sam in one hand and Mikaela in the other. He brought them both up to his chest level, carefully hugging them. Then he held them back, looking at them.

"Thank you for coming to look for me, you're good friends." he said. "Do you mind if we stay till it gets dark? I want to enjoy being in this form with you." Sam nodded: it was winter, so it wouldn't take too long.

They sat and talked, and Bumblebee told them some of the stories of what he'd done before coming to Earth, and Sam and Mikaela shared some anecdotes of things they'd done before meeting each other and Bumblebee. Sam talked about how Bumblebee had forced Bobby Bolivia to let Sam have him for $4000, and how his life had changed since that moment, and Mikaela joined in, laughing softly at times.

As it got dark, Sam said "We really should get home now."

"Please, can we wait just a little longer?" asked Bumblebee.

"Okay." said Sam, puzzled. He knew Bumblebee wouldn't ask if it wasn't important to him, but he wondered just why Bumblebee wanted to be here.

Suddenly two bright lights appeared in the sky, and as they got closer, Sam could see that they looked like large shooting stars, or comets.

Or like the other Autobots when they had first come to Earth.

"Is that what I think it is?" asked Mikaela. Sam swallowed.

"Yeah, I think so. But who'se side are they on?"

"Do not worry, Sam, they are some more of our friends. They are called Mirage and Prowl." said Bumblebee. He transformed back into Camaro form, opening his doors.

"Come on, let's go and welcome them." he said.

Sam and Michaela smiled, and got inside.