A/N: I'm sure I'm not the only one who was wondering about the fate of the Hatchlings in Africa, now that all of the Earthbound Decepticons are dead. What will happen to them? It's time to find out.

Oh, and Buster is the name of Sam's dog. He is (as far as I'm aware) unnamed in the movie but the novel identifies him as Buster.

This chapter contains less angst. Bumblebee is recovering; he is still troubled now and again but he is slowly healing emotionally.

When I first started this, I was just doing it to flesh out DOTM a little bit. I honestly didn't expect it to take off so well. To all of you who've read, favorite, alerted, commented on, and enjoyed this story, thank you. This chapter is for you.

And now, with Chapter Seven, we will draw Moon Shadows to a close.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Transformers, or any of the song/movie quotes used in this story. However, the idea for this story does, indeed, belong to me.

HERE'S YOUR TRADITIONAL, FRIENDLY NEIGHBOORHOOD REMINDER THIS IS NOT A SLASH FIC.

NOTE: DO NOT READ THIS FIC UNLESS YOU HAVE SEEN DARK OF THE MOON! MAJOR SPOILERS ABOUND!

Moon Shadows 7/7

Title: Home

Rating: T (Just to be safe)

Words: 1774

Characters: Bumblebee, Optimus, Sam, Ratchet, Sideswipe, various unnamed Hatchlings

Pairings: None

Takes Place: After Dark of the Moon

Spoiler Warnings: Major Spoilers for Dark of the Moon

Other Warnings: none

Teaser: He'd known of the human phrase "Home is Where the Heart Is" for quite some time. And now, he finally, truly, understands it.

OPTIMUS PRIME IS NOT AT ALL SURPRISED WHEN BUMBLEBEE approaches him and nervously requests permission to go home with Sam. Bumblebee can tell by the thoughtful look the Prime gives him, as if he is wondering why the request wasn't made sooner.

Three weeks had passed since the battle in Chicago, and, during those three weeks, Autobots and humans alike had been involved in rescue, clean-up, and reconstruction. Those three weeks were the longest, most grueling and tiring three weeks on Earth that anyone involved had ever experienced. The city is starting to look less like a warzone, but there is still a long way to go.

It's not that Bumblebee doesn't want to help fix what was destroyed anymore. He wants to help. He really does. He doesn't want Optimus to think that he just wants to quit helping, that he just wants to get away. But with Carly going home to visit her parents, Sam is going back to DC, and after everything that's happened recently, Bumblebee doesn't want to be separated from his human friend. He has more or less come to terms with Ironhide's death, but there are still times, particularly after a long day of working in the city and seeing the aftermath of the battle, when it bothers him so much he wants to break down again. He's heeded Optimus's advice, and turns to the others whenever it happens. It helps.

Being around Sam helps, too.

When Optimus nods in understanding and tells him, "You have my permission to stay with Sam for as long as you want to, Bumblebee," it feels as if a huge weight is lifted off of his shoulders.

And when it's formally announced by Prime to the others that he is going on indefinite leave from NEST duty, it sinks in.

He's finally going home.

Bumblebee knows the real reason Sam chose his and Carly's particular apartment in DC. It's not because it's a nice apartment. It's not because the price was affordable with the rent being split in half.

Sam chose it because it was the only apartment he could find that had a freight elevator. He chose it because it was the only apartment that had enough room inside for a sixteen-foot-tall alien robot to hang out in the main room.

It was the only apartment that Bumblebee could live in. Sam chose it for him.

Knowing this, Bumblebee briefly feels guilty for not visiting Sam very much before this whole recent mess started. But, as Sam told him on the way back to DC, that doesn't matter anymore. All is forgiven.

"You're coming home now, and that's all that matters," Sam tells him.

And as he drives the now-familiar streets that lead to the apartment, Bumblebee promises himself that, if for some reason he is ever called back to NEST for active duty, he will never go so long without visiting ever again.

It isn't until he is inside the apartment, when he leans against the wall in robot mode, when he watches as Sam scrambles around to clean up the mess that was left in the apartment when they left it weeks ago, when he helps as best he can by picking up the pieces of the chandelier that he broke (he is still embarrassed about that), when he lets out a raspy chuckle as Sam yells at Buster to stop barking, mumbling under his breath about how Mojo never was that noisy, when Sam, satisfied at the room's appearance, turns the TV on, plops down and leans against his leg, that Bumblebee finally realizes that he is home, and that he is staying.

It's a good feeling.

The news broadcast on TV is showing scenes from Chicago. Smoke, fire, buildings toppling. More importantly, it also shows the Autobots and their human companions hard at work-rescuing, rebuilding, healing. But the images of the destroyed city are haunting, and Sam can only watch so much before he turns it off.

Bumblebee is secretly glad he does so.

"It's never going to be the same again, is it, Bee?" Sam asks him.

Bumblebee tilts his head to one side as he considers Sam's question.

"No," he responds. "But…we…are…going to…make…the world a better place…than…it…was before."

Sam smiles faintly. "A world of humans and Autobots?"

"Yes," Bumblebee nods. "Humans…and…Autobots…together."

"Sounds nice," Sam muses. He looks up at Bumblebee. "Once everything is over, once everything's settled down, though, what then? I mean…obviously the Government's given you guys permission to stay on Earth again…but where will you go? Where will you stay?"

"With…you."

"Well, I know you will. But what about Optimus and the others? I know they're staying in Chicago for now, but there's no place here for them to stay anymore. Do you think maybe we can convince Director Mearing to put in a word for getting them their own city?"

Bumblebee wheezes a laugh at that. "An…Autobot…City?"

Sam grins. "Yeah. 'Autobot City'. Has a nice ring to it, huh? We should tell Optimus next time we see him."

Bumblebee nods in agreement. The whole idea of an Autobot City is amusing, yes. But it is a good idea, and he knows that Optimus will be interested in hearing more about it.

He spends the rest of the day and evening just hanging out with Sam. Sam does most of the talking, but Bumblebee doesn't mind, content to just listen to his friend.

Maybe it's the lighthearted conversations they had that day. Maybe it's the time they spent together. Maybe it's the knowledge that he is home and with Sam and he isn't leaving.

But that night, for the first time since Ironhide died, when Bumblebee goes into recharge, he isn't plagued with nightmares.

When Optimus Prime rumbles up to them in his truck mode a few days later, Bumblebee's first thought is that something has gone wrong. That some Decepticons weren't accounted for and have attacked, that someone got hurt during reconstruction, that the government has changed its mind again and they've been exiled once more.

"Bumblebee," Optimus says gravely as he pulls to a stop. He does not transform, but remains in vehicle mode, so Bumblebee does the same. "I know I gave you indefinite leave and I am sorry to have to put a temporary end to it, but something has happened, and your assistance is required."

"What?" Sam asks, concerned. "What's happened? Is someone hurt?"

Bumblebee chimes in with a concerned chirp.

"No, no one is hurt. At least, none of the Autobots that are accounted for."

"Accounted for?" Sam questions.

Sir, what do you mean? Bumblebee asks in concern via his comlink.

"A couple of days ago, we picked up a Cybertronian Distress Signal. It is coming from Namibia, Africa. It is not a signal I or any of the others recognize, but it is very weak."

Decepticon survivors? Bumblebee questions. He hopes not, but he knows that it is a possibility.

"I am not certain," Optimus looks at Bumblebee. "I am going there to investigate. Ratchet and Sideswipe are going, and I want you to come as well. The others are still at work in Chicago."

Bumblebee doesn't have to consider. Even though he was hoping he would not be called away for quite some time, he knows Optimus wouldn't ask him to come along unless it was absolutely necessary. I'll come, sir.

"Thank you, Bumblebee. We already have transport waiting for us."

Optimus begins to head out. Bumblebee starts to follow, but hesitates.

"Sam?" He questions.

Sam pats his hood understandingly. "It's okay, Bee. Just come back to the apartment in one piece, okay?"

Bumblebee gently nudges Sam's legs with his bumper to show his gratitude at Sam's acceptance, then pulls back and drives after Optimus.

Bumblebee can't believe this. It seems impossible. It isn't until Ratchet finishes distributing their finds amongst those present and he finds himself holding the smallest Hatchling of the batch that he realizes the importance of this find.

The Hatchlings have obviously been abandoned for some time. They are all malnourished, and for many of them the Autobot help has come too late.

"Megatron and the others obviously had no idea how to properly care for them," Ratchet says in disgust as he examines first the lifeless body of one Hatchling and then turns his attention to the two squirming ones he is holding. "It's a miracle any of them are still alive. They need proper energon feeding, and fast."

"What are we going to do with them, Prime?" Sideswipe asks. He looks at the Hatchling he is holding. "They're Decepticon Hatchlings."

"No," Optimus replies. "Their creators may have been Decepticons. But these Hatchlings have done nothing wrong. They are innocent."

Bumblebee looks at the tiny Hatchling in his arms. It blinks up at him, bright red optics glancing over his face curiously. Primus, was I ever this tiny? Bumblebee wonders.

"We will care for them," Optimus says with conviction.

Sideswipe looks uneasy at this and shifts his grip on the Hatchling he is holding, but he does not argue with Optimus.

Ratchet nods and starts to administer energon to the surviving Hatchlings.

Bumblebee simply watches the Hatchling he is holding. Amusement fills him when the Hatchling begins to click eagerly as Ratchet gives it a tube of energon.

"This one is going to be just fine," Ratchet says in relief. "And so will the others. We got here just in time for them."

Bumblebee looks around at the Hatchlings he and the other Autobots are holding, and Sam's words from a few nights previous come back to him.

It's not going to be the same. He sees that more than ever now, with their find.

But it's not a bad thing.

They've found a new beginning here.

Bumblebee has long been familiar with the human saying "Home is Where the Heart Is." He didn't really understand it when he first heard it, back when he first arrived on Earth. However, once he discovered that the "heart" was a human's "spark", he thought he could see where it was coming from. But it wasn't until he met Sam that he truly came to understand it.

And now, as he watches the Autobots and humans working side by side to rebuild what was lost, as he sees the Hatchlings play with human and Autobot alike with no preference between the two, and when he and Sam go for a drive just to feel the wind rushing by, he realizes he understands it now, more than he ever has before.

His spark is on Earth.

This is home.

~The End