I know I should work on my other stories, but this came into my head when I was washing my car Saturday. And I felt like doing a fic for Animated.

Soapsuds and Stars

"So . . . remind me why we're doing this again?" Bumblebee, in car form and covered in mud, looked at Sari, who had a bucket of soapy water, a hose, and a sponge.

"You're caked in mud Bumblebee, and the car wash won't be able to get it off." Sari smiled at him. "Now hold still, this will be quick."

"What are you two doing?" Bulkhead and Prowl walked up.

"Sari's cleaning bumblebee." Prowl stated the obvious for Bulkhead, then noted the muddy-colored car. "And that's going to take a long time."

"Want to help?" Sari gave both of them a wining smile, while Bumblebee protested.

"Sure." Bulkhead very carefully took a step, and grabbed a large sponge. "We'll get you clean in no time." Prowl joined in a moment later. Bumblebee's discomfort a bonus to the situation. (that, and he had a soft spot for Sari's smile.)

"Ratchet, have you seen- never mind." Optimus spotted the three missing mechs and Sari, so he headed outside, Ratchet in tow. "Bumblebee, what happened to you?"

"mudpuddlemumbletrackmumble." Optimus raised an optic ridge. He didn't press the subject. "Hey that tickles!" Bumblebee laughed at Sari scrubbing his right tire. he shook, which dropped an extra bucket of soapy water that had been on his roof, upside-down on Prowl's head.

"Bumblebee, can't you hold still for a nanosecond?" Prowl had trouble getting the bucket off. Optimus helped him. "You're worse than a sparkling."

"You've had experience?"

"My little brother."

"You have a brother Prowl? Let me help." Optimus hosed off the soap with his firehose. Most of the mud came off too. Unfortunately, they all got sprayed. "Sorry, my mistake."

"Yeah . . . name's Bluestreak . . . I haven't seen him in a while." Prowl shrugged it off. Then jumped back as Bulkhead squirted soap. It hit Ratchet and Sari.

"Hey!" Sari got her garden hose, and fire water at him. "Take that!" She was laughing. Bumblebee, clean and not wanting to miss out, transformed and grabbed a second hose, firing at Prowl. Ratchet grabbed a sponge and threw it at Bulkhead, and for a while, it was pure pandimonium. Water, soap and sponges going everywhere.

"Hey, what's going on?" Jazz pulled up and transformed, confused, Optimus gave him a brief rundown, and Bumbleebee hit him with a sponge. "Sounds solid." He joined in.

"Sir, shouldn't we stop this?" Sentinel watched as Ratchet got Optimus in the face with a sponge. (He was wearing his battlemask.)

" . . . I don't think so." Ultra Magnus gave a small smile as Optimus 'rescued' Sari from Jazz, both laughing as Sari overdramatically called Optimus her hero. That's how lfe should be, being able to laugh with friends. I don't think I've seen Ratchet smile in a long time. Ratchet ducked behind Bulkhead as Bumblebee and Prowl squirted at him. "Let's go. I'll talk to Optimus later."

"Haha!" Sari sat down, unable to stand up from laughing. "That was fun!" Optimus finished rinsing off the soapsuds off everyone else.

"Yeah . . ." Bumblebee sat next to her, picking her up. "So whatcha stop by for?"

"I wanted you to show me more of the town, but this was just as fun." Jazz smiled. "So how 'bout tomorrow?"

"Sounds good to me."

"Solid." Jazz noted the time. "Uh-oh, I'd better go before Sentinel comes looking for me."

"Wow, look at that . . ." The sun was beyond the horizon, but the lower west part of the sky was still slightly orange, and several shooting stars shot just overhead. It was a meteor shower.

"Make a wish!" Sari offered a quick explanation to the bots, who turned to look at the sky.

I wish I could stay with these guys, and not deal with sentinel. Jazz found a song, and started to play it.

"When you wish upon a star, makes no difference, who you are, when you wish upon a star, your dreams come true-"

I wish I could paint a picture of this moment, treasure it forever . . . Bulkhead glanced at his friends and the sky.

I wish Sari will stay with us forever. Bumblebee held her closer.

I wish that my father is okay . . . and that they never leave me alone. Sari curled into Bumblebee.

I wish that I could see Arcee again . . . and that these youngbots survive. Ratchet glanced at the group.

I wish I knew what to wish for . . . I wish that they stay like a family. Prowl stared at the sky.

I wish they all get their wishes . . . Optimus stared at the sky. I wish Elita-1 would forgive me, and I wish that she can get her old body back . . . I wish Sentinel would forgive me . . . I wish Ratchet could see that Arcee . . . That Sari and Professor Sumdac can go back to how they were . . . I wish that I can give them everything I've got, and not fail them.

"Fate is kind, she gives to those who love, the sweet fufilment of their secret longings . . . Like a bolt out of the blue, fate steps in and sees you through, when you wish upon a star, your dreams come true . . ."

What's fun is when you can share a laugh with friends, no matter what the reason, and know that you're not alone. me, while writing this fic. I hope you enjoyed it. The song is "Wish upon a Star" by Jesse McCartney (who did Theodore in Alvin and the Chipmunks, by the way.)