Disclaimer: I don't own Transformers or any of the characters, Hasbro & Paramount Pictures does.
Just to say thank you to everyone that has been kind enough to take a few minutes of their time and read my stories. I love to write in the little spare time that I have from school, sports, and work, which makes me even prouder of my stories since everyone seems to like them and they usually seem to turn out fairly well despite my rush to finish them. I am almost sad to see this series end, but I must say that it'll be a relief to be able to focus on my stories about baby Bee. Thank you for reading and reviewing!!
And the term femme-magnet comes from the story Mojo Mayhem by Phoenix13, a truly brilliant story that I suggest everyone read. Simply hilarious.
Now remember, Bumblebee may seem OOC here because he is very young, practically a baby-bot. This is how some of my very little cousins and much younger brother would probably act in a situation like this, so be open-minded and nice, please. Bumblebee would want that.
Little Brother - Epilogue
The warm night breeze that blew through the thick trees of the northern California woodlands which stretched into the neighboring state of Oregon was a welcome relief to the resting Autobots and their human companions. Exhaustion and exasperation with both the local authorities and the government had proven to be too much for the aliens and the tiny beings that had helped them put an end to Megatron. Even the great Optimus Prime could feel his circuits beginning to surge and frizzle within his massive frame as the regulations for him and his soldiers were finalized by Secretary Keller.
It was about one month after the epic battle in Mission City when Optimus finally came to a decision…
They needed a vacation.
Optimus and his fellow Autobots had been enamored by the beautiful forests and long-stretching coastlines of the northern Californian border, the abundance of life in the national parks stunning the long-living aliens. Everywhere they looked or scanned there was another little creature that they had never seen before, scurrying about their immobile forms with endless curiosity and excited chirps. The little sounds emitted by the creatures almost sounded like…
Click. Click. Click.
The Autobot commander gazed down at the slumbering youngling, his dark blue optics temporarily grazing over the four brown tents that surrounded the towering tree at the center of the small woodland grove. His internal systems revved slightly, the sight of the youngling tugging at his ancient spark and filling him with protective warmth. Every moment that was spent in Bumblebee's presence was like a sacred blessing from Primus, no matter how small or short the time period.
Quiet purrs emitted from the young scout, his small frame curled up in the crook of Ironhide's right arm and using the older mech's plasma cannons as pillows. The little bot had sluggishly sat down beside the weapons specialist not too long after the humans had retired to their tents, falling into recharge within astroseconds and slowly lolling into slumber upon his guardian's thick side. Ironhide had not had the spark to disturb him, no matter how embarrassing the situation.
If only you knew how much we love you, little one, thought Optimus, reaching out to the youngling and running tender fingers down his faceplates, If only you knew…
The youngling clicked softly in his sleep, turning his head into the familiar hand that slowly rubbed small circles upon the back of his tiny head, nuzzling the massive palm like he had when he was a little sparkling. Optimus himself clicked softly in reply, continuing to massage the young scout's head as Ironhide subconsciously tightened his grip on his much smaller charge, instinctively protecting the youngling even whilst deep in slumber.
Optimus smiled at the warmth that he felt around his spark, tiny tendrils of energy that were wholly Bumblebee grasping at his core of life with familiar little hands that had become the charismatic Autobot commander's greatest weakness. No other being, be they sparkmate or brother-in-arms, could compare to the little creature that he himself had created all those vorns ago.
Without Bumblebee, the great Optimus Prime would wither away.
Droopy baby blue optics slowly opened and proceeded to look around for about one breem before gazing sleepily up at the towering mech, their deep blue hues shining in the moonlight and reflecting off of the light silver metal that surrounded them. The quiet rev of Bumblebee's recharge cycles resounded in Optimus' receptors, alerting him to the fact that the youngling was still in partial recharge.
"Sleep, little one, I'm here," whispered Optimus, his deep baritone and soft hands lulling the young scout into recharge once again, "I'll always be here."
The Autobot commander gazed down at the youngling with complete adoration, his deep blue optics slowly scanning over the slight contours of his faceplates and the bright yellow paint that gleamed in the moonlight. His expressive optics were shuttered and his internal systems revved quietly in slumber, limbs curled tightly into a little ball with Ironhide's protective arm firmly wrapped around him.
Everything about the little mech was perfect.
Optimus could not even fathom what his life would have been like if he had never created the bubbly little youngling. Bumblebee's bright little spark was like an endlessly burning star, always lighting the dreary world that Optimus lived in whenever he was in the mischievous bot's presence. The death of Megatron had already formed a permanent void in Optimus' spark, the loss of his brother's life effecting him more than he would ever show to those around him. And Optimus knew that Bumblebee felt the irreparable loss as well.
The towering Autobot had noticed the young scout staring off into space on quite a few occasions, his normal bubbly air dissolving into a cloud of melancholy whenever he looked to the night-darkened sky. Although Bumblebee had never met with Megatron on good terms, the little bot had still felt the Decepticon Lord's subconscious presence at all times. And the sudden loss of that presence, no matter how unfamiliar and dark, was quite distressing to the youngling.
Optimus knew that hiding his and Megatron's relation to Bumblebee was wrong and possibly upsetting for the little bot at times. Especially since they were in such close proximity to one another most of the time, but Bumblebee's safety had always been his first priority and if not telling him of their relation ensured his well-being, then so it. No matter how much it hurt his spark, Optimus would never put the youngling in danger for his own selfish needs.
The Autobot commander knew that as long as Megatron's most loyal followers, namely Shockwave, still existed; there was still an increased threat towards Bumblebee's life if they knew of his relation to the great Optimus Prime. He only hoped that none of the Decepticons had been clever enough to discern Bumblebee's relation to Megatron as a result of the few times they had encountered one another during Bumblebee's younger vorns.
Megatron had never been discreet about his relation to the little Autobot until later vorns, never directly stating their relation albeit Megatron had revealed his ability to sense the youngling's spark quite a few times. And Optimus had no doubt that at least a few of the Decepticons had heard their conversation at Beta Nebulae. Primus knew that many of his Autobots had stared at him with questioning optics for many vorns after the incident.
Fortunately, Megatron had become slightly more cautious as the vorns passed, his blood red optics watching the youngling whenever they encountered one another in battle and his voice capacitor becoming watchful of the words that left it. It had only taken his older brother a short time to theorize the reason behind this change: Megatron had a traitor amongst his troops and feared that they could possibly use his little brother against him.
Of course, this theory meant that Megatron harbored feelings besides animosity towards the youngling and actually feared for his safety to an extent. A rather shocking revelation for the Autobot commander. Despite Megatron's merciless regime, Optimus had come to the conclusion many vorns ago that the ruthless Decepticon Lord did feel some degree of love towards their little brother.
If only circumstances had been different…
Nevertheless, Optimus knew that Bumblebee and himself would slowly recover from the sudden emotional blow over time. But the mighty mech also knew that they, as Megatron's brothers, would forever feel a deep void within their sparks.
Nothing could change that cold, hard fact.
The threat of the Decepticons still loomed over their heads, eternally clouding the calm atmosphere that the Autobots had begun to feel when in the humans' understanding presence. Although he knew that his fellow Autobots would respond to his message and soon arrive on Earth within a human year, the danger of numerous Decepticons landing before his own—
"Why in the seven galaxies are you still awake, you slaggin' lugnut?" growled the familiar baritone of his weapons specialist. "Primus knows you're as tired as the rest of us."
"I'm thinking," Optimus replied, gazing off into the clear night sky.
Ironhide shifted slightly, adjusting the little bot that was curled up in his arms and rumbling an annoyed, "You're always thinkin', that's your problem."
"Someone has to do it," he retorted, shooting the black mech an exasperated glare, "Or else we would have all been off-lined long ago."
"Hey, you do what you do, I do what I do," grumbled Ironhide, his thick fingers running over the cannon that Bumblebee's head rested on, "As long I get to blow apart a few 'Cons at the end of the orn, all is good."
Optimus simply smirked at his old friend, leaning against the same towering elm and placing a gentle hand atop the youngling's tiny head. No matter how old Bumblebee got, Optimus still felt as if he had to protect the little bot from the entire universe. He wondered if that feeling would ever change?
The two older mech's deep blue optics met one another for one astrosecond, both of them mirroring what the other felt towards the clever young scout. Never would they stop protecting this precious creature that the oldest Autobot held in his arms. Nothing in the entire universe was more important to Optimus, Ironhide, Ratchet, and Jazz than the little youngling.
Nothing.
Optimus looked over at Ratchet, his optics falling on the tiny compartment on the medic's right chassis panel that housed the remaining fragment of the All-Spark. The life of their dear friend depended on that little fragment, and Ratchet had been working long joors to bring Jazz back to them.
He had sacrificed his life for Bumblebee.
The loyalty and devotion that Jazz had shown towards the young scout had surpassed every bond that Optimus had thought that the two bots had formed over the vorns. The death of Jazz had proved how important Bumblebee was to the Autobots and that many of them were willing to give up their lives for the youngling despite…
Click. Click. Click.
Bumblebee purred quietly in his sleep, shifting into a more comfortable position that included snuggling even further into Ironhide's side, wrapping his little arms around his guardian's monstrous cannons, and then using said cannons as pillows. It was quite a sight, to say the least. And mister-hard-edged-and-cannon-totting-and-planet-blowing Ironhide did absolutely nothing to change it.
"Go to sleep, Optimus," advised Ironhide, his dark blue optics shuttering as he tightened his hold on the youngling, "Or else I'll wake this little rascal and slag him on you."
"You wouldn't dare," rumbled Optimus, gazing warily at the sleeping youngling. Awakening Bumblebee from recharge was like setting an atomic bomb off overtop a heavily populated city; potentially lethal to all parties involved, no matter their allegiance. Every time the youngling had been awoken early…well, Optimus' auditory receptors still to this orn ached at the thought of waking the little bot from recharge.
"Wanna bet?" sneered Ironhide, one optic open and staring at his commander with a smug expression.
"Fine, fine, I surrender," conceded Optimus, holding up his hands in a peaceful gesture, "I'm going into recharge."
"Good," rumbled Ironhide, "Slaggin' femme-magnet."
Optimus leaned back against the tree and started his recharge cycle, patiently waiting for his old friend to fall back into slumber before leaning over the little head that rested upon Ironhide's right plasma cannon. He gently rubbed the youngling's faceplates before softly kissing the top of his head, quietly whispering, "I love you, little brother."
Only the midnight stars heard his confession.
Yay!! It's finally done!! Completely done!! My goodness, this has turned into quite the long story, I never expected this little thought/concept to become the epic that it has morphed into over the past two months. Wow. I hope everyone has liked it & enjoyed reading it. I know that I have definitely enjoyed writing it. Now I can get started on more little Bumblebee stories. Thank you all for reading & I hope that this epilogue has lived up to your expectations!!