Note: The Transformers aren't MINE, I don't own them. Hasbro does, and Paramount Pictures.

This is the first chapter! Tell me what you think about it, and stay tuned for upcoming chapters. I'll update ASAP.

Enjoy!!

Chapter One – Associated

Tranquil rays of the setting Earth sun spilled a tender glow against the yellow and black accented armor plating of the Autobot, Bumblebee, and his metal skin warmed gradually within a breem, his protoform body beneath his armor soon warming also. His optics turned online slowly and he established them a rich-blue hue, lazily turning their gaze to the sky.

Each cloud seemed to be gently brush-stroked in an assortment of warm reds and golds, delicately dotting the sky as if they were a soft collection of orange marshmallows. The sun was dipping behind a hill, and Earth's birds twittered pleasantly in the distance.

A small smile tugged at a corner of Bumblebee's mouth, causing his curved cheekplate ridges to lift. The beautiful illustration Mother Nature had brought forth to him this late afternoon calmed him and thus, Bumblebee vented out a breath of relaxation, turning his droopy blue optics to Optimus Prime, his leader, great comrade, and brother in arms.

"Aren't sunsets on Earth simply astonishing?" His smooth voice raised the question in the mild British accent his new voice modulators provided him with. He looked back at the sunset. "I find them utterly comforting. Don't you, Sir?"

Optimus, who lay back against a tree, smiled and nodded his head slowly with a low hum in agreement. His optics turned down to Bumblebee, a gentle palm stroking his back with complete devotion for the younger mech. The color of his optics warmed to an amorous blue glow, his fingers fatherly fondling with Bumblebee's sensitive wings. The younger mech laughed softly whilst his wings twitched, their hypersensitive circuitry receiving a pleasant jolt through their wiring.

"Haha, Optimus," Bumblebee managed to say through giggles. "Ohh, that tickles." His wings twitched again, then fluttered. Optimus chuckled with him, wiggling his fingers against the mech's wings. A smile stretched across his faceplate as Bumblebee's body shuddered.

Bumblebee uttered a last giggle as he slid back to lean his head against Optimus' shoulder, his optic lids falling slowly. Optimus moved an arm around the bot's waist, stroking his stomach with light brushes.

"Don't fall asleep, Bumblebee," His deep voice resonated gently. "S'too early to recharge now."

Bumblebee smiled. "Oh, I know, Sir," He said, turning his big blue optics to his commander's. "I won't let my recharge systems come online fully. Only partially."

Optimus nodded and the younger mech's head returned to his shoulder. He drew lazy circles into the contours of Bumblebee's armor, his optics dimming as they regarded the setting sun. He breathed in deeply before yawning, feeling Bumblebee shift slowly against him. Optimus was tired from the hours of work he had spent in the last joors. His recharge systems begged to be initiated.

"Bumblebee," he called him softly.

"Yes, Sir?" came the polite reply.

"Wake me in four breems," Optimus said, leaning his head back against a tree. His optic lids fell. "I need to sleep for a little while."

Bumblebee nodded. Optimus was out in less than five earth minutes.

The young mech sighed and watched the trees' leaves flow gently in a breeze, some of them snagging loose and floating in the air. The wind calmed and Bumblebee subconsciously scanned the skies, noting the cloud formations and earth creatures that flew by.

He wondered how the rest of the Cybertronians were doing back on their home planet and he wished some one them would come to Earth. He dearly missed seeing the femme that had his spark, Arcee. Though she was in a relationship with Hot Rod, Bumblebee loved her. He prayed to Primus that she would come one day. But, he knew that traveling to Earth was one trip that had no return trip home.

"With the Allspark gone, we cannot return life to our planet," as Optimus had said. That was one downside about being on their new home, Earth. Bumblebee missed Cybertron, like every other robot probably did. Despite the fact that Bumblebee loved being around humans, Cybertron was his home. Home is where the spark is. And his, was there.

His antennae twitched and rose as he heard soft rustling in a nearby bush, and his blue optics widened. He looked toward where the sound came, his gaze falling upon a collection of shrubbery, trees, and other foliage. Bumblebee scooted from under Optimus' arm cautiously, not waking him, then rose to his normal height, his hydraulics emitting a short hiss.

"H-Hello?" He called softly.

No reply.

His footsteps were dulled thuds against the grass as he moved toward the vegetation, optics scanning everything through their infrared vision. Bumblebee blinked upon hearing a tiny whimper, his head moving in various directions sharply. What was that?

He leaned down, straining his audio receptors. The rustling came again, followed by tiny footsteps against the earth. Bumblebee turned his head and his optics scanned thoroughly. Almost immediately, they zoomed to a creature darting to hide in another bush. Bumblebee nearly gasped and he blinked again.

"Who…" He trailed off.

His massive hand gently pushed the push aside, revealing to his optics the creature. It was a human civilian boy, dressed in an off-white sweatshirt, blue jeans with a hole at the knee, and sneakers. He had a backpack, Bumblebee noticed, and splotches of dirt dotted his clothing. His teenaged face was pale, his light blue eyes wide as they fixed themselves on the giant robot. His blonde hair was just above his shoulders, and wisps of its bangs were tossed on his forehead.

The boy whimpered, his hands clutching the straps of his backpack tightly. He tried to dart away, but Bumblebee blocked his path with a giant hand, shaking his head in protest.

"You're alright…" He whispered.

Bumblebee's internal sensors automatically scanned the boy's body. His brow furrowed as they detected a speedy heart rate, elevated body temperature, quickened breathing, and an increased amount of noradrenaline pulsing through his system. Bumblebee shook his head slowly, his faceplate soft with a warm expression, and he offered the boy his hand, turning it palm-side up beside him. The human was terrified.

"No, no, it's okay," Bumblebee cooed, leaning down so his faceplate was close to the boy. "I'm not gonna hurt you. It's okay…"

He softly nudged his hand against the boy's leg, and the human stumbled away, his eyes remaining fixed on Bumblebee. The mech twitched his fingers slightly, gesturing for the boy to come near his hand.

The human only blinked with a heavy swallow, standing a good foot away from Bumblebee's palm. Bumblebee shook his head again, withdrawing his hand. He squatted, smiling at the human. The boy just stared back, fear in his eyes. He looked as if he were going to pass out. He had a white-knuckled grip on his backpack straps.

"Don't be afraid," Bumblebee said softly, lifting a single finger to slowly prod the back of the boy's head. The human whimpered, tensing as the massive finger stroked his head. It slid down to his back and under the backpack, caressing his spine curiously. Though it was made of a roughened metal, it stroked him so tenderly, as if it were made of actual human skin. The fear died in the boy's eyes and he smiled softly. Bumblebee chuckled shortly.

"You see? I'm not going to hurt you," He said quietly.

The boy nodded and his trust in the robot grew. He felt Bumblebee's finger move away. The mech's hand turned palm-side up again and this time, the boy hopped onto it, sitting himself in its center, releasing his backpack straps. Bumblebee stood slowly and set the boy in front of his optics, his faceplate appearing giant to the smaller human.

Bumblebee scanned over the civilian's body, then smiled wider, seating himself cross-legged in the grass. Bumblebee felt the human's body shiver. He was probably frightened to be at such a height in the air.

"What's your name?" Bumblebee asked, lowering the human to his lap, but keeping him in his palm. "What do you go by?"

The boy swallowed, almost afraid to answer.

"…D-Darren," he sputtered nervously. "Darren Lomeli." His voice was deep, so Bumblebee assumed that the human was well in his teens, though his complexion didn't support that theory. But, "Looks can be deceiving," as humans liked to say.

Bumblebee made a face, nodding. "I've never heard that human name before…'Darren,'" he repeated the name softly, storing it in his memory banks. "I like it."

Darren smiled shyly, shifting in Bumblebee's palm. His eyes wandered, then suddenly widened as they fell upon Optimus Prime's massive armored form, recharging quietly against a tree. Darren breathed out shakily, shooting his gaze back up to Bumblebee, who had been watching him with a smile.

"Wh-Who is that?" Darren asked, his voice trembling. He pointed.

Bumblebee chuckled, one metallic finger bending inward to stroke Darren's head.

"He's my commander," he answered calmly. "Optimus Prime."

Darren's breath halted.

"Optimus Prime?!"

Bumblebee blinked. "M'hmm…"

"Oh my, God," Darren breathed, staring at the gigantic robot. "I've seen him before…He was fighting that big dude at Mission City, wasn't he?"

Bumblebee laughed. "He was, yes. Combating Megatron, who is now dead."

Darren nodded slowly. "Jesus, I can't believe that's him…I saw him…and now, here he is, again, right in fronta' me." He laughed nervously. "God, damnit…"

Bumblebee chuckled, his laughter rattling in Darren's ears. The human did have a way with words, and expressing himself. He obviously wasn't the kind that held back, and Bumblebee liked that little spunky edge the kid had.

Darren shook his head with a short groan, finally looking away from Optimus, back up to Bumblebee.

"So, what's your name?"

"Bumblebee," the mech answered, nodding once. "I'm a scout and spy, as well as Second Lieutenant of my platoon."

"Wow," Darren said with a smile. "That's awesome." His eyes looked about the land and seeing no one else, his brow furrowed. "Who else is in your lil' gang 'ere?"

"There're three other mechs," Bumblebee began. "One is designated Jazz, and he is the second-in-command, first lieutenant. Second, we have Ironhide, the weapons specialist." Bumblebee paused, chuckling. "If you see him, watch out. He has a certain something against humans…and he has cannons. Lots of 'em."

Darren swallowed. "You mean…He wants to kill me?"

"Not you, Darren. Humans. He finds them primitive and violent."

"Oh…So, he's gonna kill us, basically. Or at least he wants to."

"Well, if Optimus weren't there to stop 'im, who knows what would happen," Bumblebee said coolly, shrugging once. "He never gets far on his rants about humans. Prime always shuts him up."

Darren nodded slowly, a little fear still in his eyes. "So, if he acts like such a traitor, then why doesn't Optimus just fire 'im then?" He laughed.

Bumblebee smiled. "Because Ironhide is an excellent warrior. We need him," he replied. "He's extremely acrobatic, regardless of his massive size, and he's a very tough mech."

"Hmm, sounds like it," Darren said, twisting his lip. "Who's the last guy?"

"Ratchet, our medical officer, mechanic, and engineer," Bumblebee said. "He can fix anything." Bumblebee ended with a smile at the human, his optics a warm blue. Darren returned the smile, then yawned.

"Sounds like you've gotta pretty kick-ass crew 'ere," Darren complimented, stretching out his legs. "So, what, are you guys like…undefeated er somethin'?"

Bumblebee laughed. "I wouldn't say undefeated. Some of us have been injured…"

"Like, how?"

The mech sighed. "My legs fell off in an explosion at Mission City," he said, and gestured to his legs. "It's a miracle Ratchet healed me. The pain was unexplainable."

Darren's eyes widened. "That has to hurt," he winced.

"Our second-in-command was literally torn in half, and his life was barely saved," Bumblebee said, sounding extremely thankful. "Jazz was at the very point of dying, but that Ratchet…he works miracles."

Darren let out a low whistle in agreement. "Damn, right."

Bumblebee chuckled. What a character, Darren was.

"How did you come across our base?" Bumblebee asked, suspicion hinted in his voice.

Darren bowed his head slightly, his face displaying what looked like hurt to Bumblebee. His eyes slitted slightly and he swallowed, his fingers fiddling with one another.

"It's a pretty rough story for me to spit out, so…apologies," Darren said.

Bumblebee shook his head. "If it pains you, don't tell me."

"No, I-I…It doesn't."

Bumblebee's spark dropped slightly as he hinted sorrow tugging at Darren's tone of voice. His voice was quivering too.

"…Only if you're sure," Bumblebee said softly. Darren nodded slowly.

"My parents…" he began. "…I know they know I exist, but they act like I'm invisible, except when I need certain things, like food, water, etc." He sighed. "My dad's a drugie, a junkie, and I know he loves me deeply. As a kid, he loved me more than my mother, it was obvious..."

Bumblebee watched tears well in Darren's eyes, threatening to spill down his cheeks. The sight of the human wrenched his spark and Bumblebee uttered a gentle whirr, stroking the boy's head with a single finger. Darren blinked and tears fell onto Bumblebee's palm, and he choked back a sob, turning his face away.

"I'm sorry, I-I…"

"No, Darren, I understand," Bumblebee said softly. "Don't force yourself to tell me."

"I have to," Darren said in a sharp breath. Bumblebee stroked him quicker, energon tears now welling into his optic ducts. He fought them away, using his finger to pat the boy's chest.

Darren inhaled deeply, and then coughed once before starting again. "The drugs took away my real father. They made him some guy I can't even recognize to this day. He's just not the same. I know he loves me, but he never bring himself to show that. He's a completely different Dad…"

Bumblebee nodded. "Have you told him that he needs to stop?"

"I-I have, I have," Darren choked out. "He just doesn't get it, Bumblebee. You can only tell a person so many times 'til…'til you don't know what else to say anymore. I've run out of words, so it seems."

"Tell him that there's a freedom beyond the addiction, one where you're not constricted to the substances that he's so bound to," the mech said calmly, wrapping a few fingers around the boy's trembling body in a tender hold. "Contact someone, tell anyone, Darren…anyone. Get your father help." His words lingered in the air.

Darren nodded, hugging one of Bumblebee's fingers.

"I-I'll try," he stuttered.

"And what of your mother?"

"I'm only a mistake to her. I'm the result of the day my dad accidentally got her pregnant. She never wanted children…"

Bumblebee grimaced and tensed. "A mistake?" He whispered. "No one is a mistake."

Darren shook his head. "I only wish my mom knew that…'cause – "

"Everyone has a purpose in life," Bumblebee finished for him.

Darren laid his head against Bumblebee's finger and closed his eyes. "Exactly."

Bumblebee brought the human closer to his body, moving his fingers from around him. Darren slipped off his palm and moved against his body, pressing his back against the giant robot's stomach.

"I wish you were my mom and dad, Bumblebee," Darren said in a sigh.

The mech's finger tussled the boy's blonde hair. "Things'll get better within time."

"I know…But, I can't take it anymore. Time's too slow."

"Just be patient, Darren. You'll see."

"Yeah…That'll be the day," Darren said in a weak chuckle. There was no hint of sarcasm in his voice. Bumblebee believed the human had taken his words to heart. The thought made his own spark flash inside him, and it hummed happily.

Bumblebee smiled, chuckling as the human's tiny movements against him tickled his metal skin. Darren ceased, pale blue eyes looking up.

"What?" He said.

"You tickle," Bumblebee laughed.

Darren snorted, extending himself against Bumblebee's stomach.

"So sorry," he apologized sarcastically.

Bumblebee's faceplate warmed with a fatherly expression he hadn't put on ever in his life, and he set a massive hand over Darren's body as if it were a giant metal blanket. Darren removed his backpack, then tucked it under his head as a pillow. His eyelids fell and he sighed.

"You don't mind if I sleep a lil', do you?"

"Of course not, Darren," Bumblebee said softly, looking down at the human.

Nodding, the human shifted.

"You're really cool, Bumblebee, y'know that? You're wicked cool."

Bumblebee's spark fluttered happily. "And you, too, Darren," he complimented, stroking the human's spine with a finger. "And please, call me Bee."

Darren grinned. "You've got it, Bee."

Bumblebee turned to regard Optimus, who was starting to move in his sleep. It hadn't been four breems yet, Bumblebee told himself whilst tilting his head. Oh well. It was better if Optimus would wake himself, so he could be with Darren. He wondered how the commander would react when Bumblebee showed him the human. He hoped his reaction would be positive.

Bumblebee's CPU transmitters "flickered," indicating that his internal sensors had noticed a change in Darren's status and he looked down. The human's breathing was slow and deep, his heart rate also slow and decelerating every second until it reached a steady tempo. His body temperature had lowered to normal, his brain's activity lessening. Darren was gradually entering a light sleep.

The young mech smiled and lifted his optics to Optimus, who was yawning and stretching his limbs. The old metal that composed his frame emitted low metallic groans and squeaks, and then Optimus' hydraulics released a deep hiss as he vented outward, turning his optics online. Bumblebee chuckled softly, the sound rattling the boy gently.

"Welcome back, Sir," he greeted Optimus with a wider smile.

Optimus looked to Bumblebee and gave him a lazy wave, rising to his normal thirty feet before walking over to him. His optics fell down to Bumblebee's hand that rest over his stomach, and he raised an optic ridge.

"Your stomach's bothering you?" Optimus asked, clearing his throat afterwards to wake up his voice modulators.

Bumblebee laughed. "No, no, Sir. I've found someone…"

Optimus blinked, squatting at Bumblebee's side. "Well, who is it?"

Bumblebee parted away his fingers, revealing to Optimus the sleeping human.

"It's a boy, Prime," Bumblebee said softly. "A civilian boy."

Optimus widened his optics, scanning over the boy.

"How in Primus' name did he get here?!" He whispered.

"I believe he ran away from his home, though I'm not positive," Bumblebee answered, returning his hand over Darren. He stroked him again, Optimus' optics watching. "He's having conflict with his creators…"

Though Darren was in the stage of a light sleep, he could still hear the two robots whispering. His heart skipped a beat as he heard Optimus' deep, heroic voice only a few feet above his ear, and he had felt the mighty transformers' eyes on him. He couldn't believe the hero himself was in his presence. What a gift from God, Darren thought.

Bumblebee and Optimus began conversing in another language, and Darren furrowed his brow at this. The yellow robot was creating a series of purrs and clicks with his tongue, then talking fluently, smoothly in the awkward tongue that was native to them, and Optimus' did the same in his replies. Bumblebee created more throaty sounds, each one seeming close to Darren, because his ear was against Bumblebee's stomach. He heard gears and bolts turning within the robot as Bumblebee twisted to look behind him, then talk back in the language to his commander. With a single sound, the commander nodded.

Optimus' heavy footsteps started and faded within a moment. Darren was alone with Bumblebee, outside…alone. He knew the robot had told him not to be afraid, but fear surged through him. He couldn't help it. He had wandered to a home of five enormous robots. Who wouldn't be afraid? They were huge and could easily hurt him without trying.

He tensed, feeling Bumblebee's finger nudge into his back, fondling with his spine. The mech was always doing that. Was he just curious or did he actually feel affection toward him? Darren mentally stabbed himself. Robots didn't have feelings. They were just a bunch of metal. But, somehow, he thought Bumblebee was growing close to him. He shivered.

He heard Bumblebee purr softly like a cat, running his finger to Darren's front. The human tensed, feeling the metal touch toy with his stomach, wiggling little circles into it. He couldn't help, but laugh, hearing Bumblebee chuckle with him. The robot seemed to be nothing but sheet metal and bolts, but he was much more than that. He was like a human father to Darren. He knew how to make him happy, laugh, and smile. He felt a connection beginning between them both, and he knew it would grow over time.

Bumblebee eased the human into his palm before standing slowly, tucking Darren in a comfortable nook in his chassis. Darren opened his eyes and crawled into the little opening, pulling his backpack along, and pressed his back against a partition in his armor. He extended his body, then curled it in a little, closing his eyes again. Bumblebee continued walking, and smiled. The human boy sent many happy pulsations through his spark. He was growing attached very quickly.

He eased a finger into the nook of his armor, patting the boy gently.

"Sleep well, Darren."