AN: The tale of how Epps kidnaps Sam! Dun dun dun! Sidestory to my main story The Change. Most of you might recognize the idea from the side story that it's mentioned in, A list made by Sam and Epps (which is another sidestory to TC, go figure!)

SIDENOTE: I'm sticking with the timeline that this would be in. Before ALMbSaE, but after the first five chapters of TC. So Barricade's still a Decepticon Neutral. (to anyone who's gotten to the point where he's just a Neutral)

Epps looked Jazz over with a smirk, whistling. "Jazzy baby, you look like Bee's twin."

"Ah know, ain' i' wondahful?" Jazz gave a playful rev of his engine, rolling forward a few feet, and then back a few feet.

Jazz had been brought back not long before this by what had been deemed the Allspark shard retrieval group, mainly because they had to get the Allspark shard first, from Wheeljack and Trailbreaker, which had involved a fight with Soundwave and the Cassetticons, and then take it to where First Aid and Inferno, who had Jazz's body.

After losing at straws, Epps' had personally been the human to bring Jazz back using the shard, and the two had grown close quickly. Jazz had even modeled his holoform somewhat after Epps, being the first Cybertronian to not have a white skintone.

NEST kept a few non-sentient cars on stock for the mech's, the same type of mode that was their preferred alt mode of choice. This included an exact replica of the brand new Camaro that Bumblebee had scanned after Mikaela had made fun of hid outdated alt mode.

Jazz popped the driver's side door open, and Epps slid in, patting the seat in a friendly manner.

"Operation: Kidnap Samual is a go." The Sergeant grinned, and Jazz revved his engine excitedly, before putting his speed capabilities to use and getting them to the store where Sam was in no time.

Epps had asked Judy when she would be sending Sam, and the mother had told him. She had never minded a little mischief. Sam had complained one to many times about Bumblebee parking in different places to the Sergeant, and he was going to do the teen a favor, while having fun with it.

Judy had sent Sam to the store with an extensive list of items that they needed. Bumblebee, being the outstanding mech he was, was more than happy to agree to take his Charge to wherever he needed to go.

If he got to mess with Sam just a bit because of it, that was just an added bonus to the feeling of being a fine example of a Guardian. If he got a little bored waiting for his Charge in a parking lot with nothing to do besides access the internet or talk to someone, could he really be blamed?

It didn't take much to activate his holoform, and pretend to drive himself to a new parking spot. If it was busy he'd make sure to hide himself extremely well. Other times he would park as far away as possible, and make sure Sam got a little extra exercise that day.

Occasionally, he'd let the young teen pack everything into him, before driving off and making the boy give chase. He didn't do it too often though, since Sam had managed to do a rather spectacular faceplant one time. Not only had this made Bumblebee feel guilty, but the boy had been rightly a little mad.

Today Bumblebee waited until his Charge was inside the store before moving. He activated his holoform, a blonde haired, blue eyed, tanned teenage male of about 6'4, and drove himself over into another parking spot. After giving the area a quick scan, more habit than actually checking for Decepticons, since the only Decepticon that was known to still be on Earth was Barricade, and he was back on the NEST base with the others, he settled down into recharge after setting a timer.

Bumblebee awoke when the timer went off, and frowned internally. Sam should have been out by now. He had been read the list, and averaging it out with the other lists and how long it took Sam then, he had over compensated on the time he had set for recharge, knowing he'd wake up when Sam found him.

Bumblebee grinned internally, so his Charge wanted to get back at him, did he? He scanned the area thoroughly, and was shocked by what he found. Or what he didn't find. He couldn't get Sam on his radar anywhere.

He did find the little piece of paper taped under one of his windshield wipers, however. Activating his holoform, he quickly retrieved the paper, and read it.

We got your Charge.

That was it. Those four words, carefully printed in a way that the writing was so impersonal that even if Bumblebee did know the writer, he couldn't guess who it was. His engine gave an angry growl, startling a nearby shopper.

He wasted no time in hacking the store's security camera feed, and finding the time of the kidnapping.

He watched Sam come out of the building, pushing a shopping cart. Saw the teen walk to where Bumblebee had originally parked with a grin on his face.

Sitting in the spot that Bumblebee had been in before was an exact replica of his alt mode. His spark froze as he watched his Charge be fooled by the replica.

The trunk popped open just before the teen reached it, allowing him to place the groceries inside. Then the driver's side door conveniently popped open for the boy. Both things that Bumblebee would have done.

He watched as Sam slid inside, and as the replica started up. He could see Sam's lips moving, and could only assume the imposter was greeting him by radio. Something he himself would do despite his vocaliser having been fixed awhile ago.

He had to switch cameras to watch as the replica pulled out, and then again to see Sam's face. But at this point Sam must have realized that he wasn't inside his Guardian, because it looked like he was screaming and trying desperately to unlock the door to get out.

"EPPS I'M GOING TO KICK YOUR FUCKING AFT!" Sam screamed, he had no problem doing so as he glared daggers at the Sergeant.

The teen was in his and Miles' shared room at the NEST base, tied to his bed. Because honestly, why would Bumblebee ever look in his Charge's room quickly? It was so obvious, and yet not.

Epps smirked, "Shh, you've been kidnapped, remember? I'm just acting like any good kidnapper would!"

He held Sam's head in place with one hand, and placed duct tape over the teen's mouth, effectively silencing him.

Jazz cackled from his spot near to the bed. He had been the one to tie Sam to it. And then Miles walked in.

Miles walked into his room, and froze. Jazz laughing evilly? Check. Epps smirking mischievously? Check. Sam tied up with duct tape over his mouth, staring at him with wide pleading eyes? Double check. He opened his mouth to say something, when Epps and Jazz both turned to look at him.

"Oh, Primus, whatever this is, I swear I didn't see it. Please don't do anything to me!" Miles quickly back tracked out of the room, ignoring the look of angered betrayal on Sam's face, and then ran for it.

Bumblebee spent the next few hours racing around. He went all over Tranquillity, and even the surrounding towns, asking questions and hacking security cameras. Around eight o'clock at night the Scout finally broke down, and went to the Witwicky household to tell his parents.

Judy, seeing how worried and upset he was, patted the Autobot on the hood and told him to go check at the NEST base. She had barely blinked before Bumblebee was gone.

Bumblebee could easily surpass the speeds of any human made car, and did so without a problem. When he arrived on base he went to the one person who almost always knew where Sam was: Miles Lancaster.

In the process he nearly ran the young organic over. Miles was walking next to Barricade's bipedal form as the two headed for the cafeteria, and Bumblebee was heading straight for them without slowing down. Barricade snatched the teen up quickly just a few seconds before the Autobot would have hit him.

"Holy shit!" Was the only thing Miles said as he watched Bumblebee pull a sharp U-turn and then transform.

Barricade snarled, "Watch where you're going, insect."

Bumblebee ignored him, instead moving closer and peering down at Miles.

"Where is he?" He all but hissed out.

"On Earth." Miles responded, crossing his arms and glaring up at Bumblebee from the safety of Barricade's hand.

Bumblebee poked him, and repeated his question.

"In the North-West Hemisphere."

And again.

"In the United States."

And again.

"In the far West."

Bumblebee felt his optic twitch. And again.

"In Nevada."

Primus, but the teen was stubborn. Bumblebee looked at Barricade, and saw that the Decepticon Neutral was actually laughing. It seemed the 'con was enjoying Bumblebee's frustrations, and Miles' responses. He did it again.

"On base."

Bumblebee could almost feel his processor start to glitch. Almost. Was this how Prowl felt? And again.

"What's in it for me?"

"Me not running you over."

"I'm more afraid of the kidnapper, or kidnappers."

Bumblebee groaned, ignoring Barricade's snickering.

Miles seemed to finally decide that he had had enough fun tormenting the Autobot.

"He's in Wheeljack's lab. I'd be quick, heard he's working on something new."

Bumblebee was back in alt mode before the teen could blink, and in five seconds was almost out of their line of sight.

"He's not really in Wheeljack's lab, is he?" Barricade asked, watching the Autobot drive away.

Miles smirked, "Nope."

"And this is why I tolerate you."

Two hours later and Bumblebee had finally, finally, found Sam. The teen was tied up in his own room, having fallen asleep from boredom by then.

He had found out Miles had lied to him quickly, but that wasn't until after searching through the rubble that was Wheeljack's lab for the inventor and his Charge.

He had almost gone back to yell at the teen, but figured he was sticking with the Decepticon Neutral to play it safe.

Instead he had gone to Prowl, and begged for help. The SIC had helped the younger Autobot find out the culprits, and left him to find out where Sam was.

Once he was through with Jazz and Epps, that wasn't hard.

For the next two weeks Bumblebee would only let the teen out of his sight for a few things, even going as far as to have the teen sleep with him, or sleep in the same room as the teen.

The only reason it stopped is because Ratchet stepped in. With his wrench.

Prowl eventually had to make up a new rule just to get the younger Autobot to relax. One that specifically stated, that under no circumstances what so ever, could you kidnap, force against his will to go somewhere, or any such thing, Samual James Witwicky, Charge of Bumblebee.

Jazz and Epps were put in the brig, as well as being made to clean the entire cafeteria with tooth brushes.