Fix Me (part two)

Bee woke up some time later, and was immediately disoriented. Where was he? Indoors…how did he get here? He struggled to remember. Everything was fuzzy…He'd been in that accursed canyon, and his leg had been on fire! Then Barricade had…wait! His leg! Sitting up, Bee looked, to be sure his limb was still attached. It was but…he couldn't feel it. The relays to it had been disconnected. Looking around, he guessed he must be in a Med Bay, but not at the Ark, otherwise Ratchet would have been close by. So where? His question was answered as Hook came into view. He was at the Nemesis…with the Decepticons. But…how did he get here? The question must have been clearly written on his face, because Hook answered it.

"Barricade brought you in." he said, then pointed to the cube of energon, "Drink that. You need it."

Bee knew that! He'd been trying to get out of the canyon for at least a week! He picked up the cube and started to drink. It was empty very quickly. "Where's Barricade now?" he asked, setting the cube back on the table.

"He went to contact the Autobots, to let them know you're alive. And going home soon."

Bee paused, his gaze falling on his ruined leg.

Hook noticed, of course."He's going to have to inform your medic of the damages you sustained. I can't fix it."

"There's no more pain. Did you disconnect the relays?" Bee looked up to see Hook nod.

"There wasn't much more I could do for you. How did you get those injuries?"

Bee looked down again. "I fell." He said simply. He'd give a more detailed answer only to Ratchet.

"I feel there's more to that. But I'll accept that. You fell."

"I did. I slipped at the top of the canyon, and fell." Bee shut up then, cursing himself. He hadn't meant to say more but…He didn't like being disbelieved when he told the truth! Or at least a part of it.

Barricade felt ready to beat his head against a wall. What had meant to be a short message to the Ark had become a long, drawn-out discussion. He really didn't know the answers to certain things that had been asked, Bumblebee would have to answer those. The worst part had been Ratchet, wanting to know just how injured Bee was. Barricade could only say what Bee had told him (the bot had fallen) and what he'd seen for himself (which confirmed the fall.) It was really irritating that the old medic didn't believe him. Hell, he hadn't fully believed Bee at first but…he could see the damage, so it was harder to discredit the answer. Finally turning off the monitor, he sighed. He had a pounding headache now. But he had told Prime he'd bring Bee back. The minibot sure as Pit couldn't get there on his own!

He headed back down to Med Bay, hoping Bee would be awake by now. As he got closer, he heard Hook speaking, and Bee answering. Good. He's awake. Barricade thought, pausing outside the door. Hook had asked Bee why he'd wanted to die, and Barricade was a bit curious as to why Bee had asked to be shot.

"The pain was just too much." Bee said. He was finding that talking to Hook was surprisingly easy. "I told Barricade I should have already been driven mad by it. But I was able to keep a hold on my sanity. To an extent…"

"You kept falling offline, didn't you?" there was the ghost of a chuckle in the medic's tone.

"I suppose that's a large part of it." Bee shrugged.

"Yet you still asked Barricade to kill you. Was the pain truly enough to make you wish for death?" Hook was also curious as to the reason.

"If it had been any other Decepticon, they would have shot me first, without hesitation." Bee said, trying to pull up the memory files of right before he'd offlined when Barricade found him in the canyon. "Cade…didn't. He asked me what had happened…I guess that short conversation sounded more like something you'd hear between friends." Bumblebee shuttered his optics, and knew he'd been right. Barricade had treated him like a friend, not an enemy. He hadn't even activated a gun! "I don't think he ever intended to kill me, though I begged."

"You asked him to help, isn't that right?"

"Yeah…I said, 'shoot me and end the pain…or get me to a medic.' Clearly, he chose the latter."

"Clearly." A crooked smile touched Hook's features. "Well. Either way, you're headed home. I'll get you some more energon. Then check where Barricade is. He's going to get you back home."

Barricade chose that moment to open the door. "I'm here, Hook. Don't go running all over."

"How long were you standing there?" Bee asked. He knew that things like 'perfect timing' only existed in movies. Barricade had to have heard some of the conversation!

Barricade half-smiled at the yellow bot. "Long enough to hear you called me a friend."

"I never said that."

"You meant it, though."

Bee didn't have an answer. Partly because the 'Con was right. When had their last serious fight been? A long time ago. The scuffles they got into now were more of sibling tussles. Sure, they got hurt, but they weren't actively trying to kill each other.

Ark

"Ye're saying the 'Cons have our Little Bee?" Ironhide asked Ratchet…for the fifth time.

"Yes. They do." Ratchet sighed. "Barricade called to tell Optimus that Bee is safe, alive, and he'll be back here soon."

"Why is he over there?" 'Hide said, making Ratchet glare at him.

"Because he was closer to their base when he was found. Now, if you don't shut up, you will be my next target." The CMO was annoyed that his long-time friend couldn't seem to stay quiet for two kliks. He understood the worry Ironhide expressed for Bumblebee, but he could do so silently.

Then Ironhide said something that made Ratchet freeze. "Ah heard that Bee asked Barricade t' kill 'im. Why d'you s'pose he'd ask that?"

"I get the feeling we'll find out once he's back here with us." Ratchet said softly. He hoped that the reason wasn't that Bee had gone mad from being alone and injured for a week. The real question was 'How injured?' Ratchet had seen some doozies – mostly the Twins, and Wheeljack – and hoped he wouldn't have to treat others like those ones.

Nemesis

"Bumblebee, if you're ready to go home, we can head out now." Barricade said, watching as Bee attempted to stand, balanced like an awkward crane on one leg.

"I can't transform…" he said. "You'd carry me the whole way there?"

"I don't see any way around it, honestly." Cade said, moving to catch Bee before the smaller could crash to the floor. "And there's no fragging way you can hop the whole way there!"

"I see your point but-"

"Don't worry about it. I already told Prime I'd be the one bringing you back."

Bee sighed, clinging to Barricade's shoulders. "I'd feel better if I could at least stand on my own."

"With your leg that messed up, be glad you're on-line. And still relatively sane."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You should have been a gibbering idiot yesterday. And those are your own words."

"I was in pain!"

"So? I'm not blaming you. I'm simply repeating what you said." Barricade chuckled, "Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah, I – Wha!" Bee suddenly found himself scooped up into Barricade's arms.

"Then let's be on our way."

By the time Barricade reached the Ark, Bumblebee was in recharge. It was a good thing the bot was light, otherwise Barricade suspected he'd have lost feeling in his fingers by now. As it was, his arms were getting tired. But he just told himself Bee couldn't walk on his own right now. He was not at all surprised when he saw Ratchet walking towards him.

The medic's optics widened as he saw Bee's leg. "How did this happen?" he asked.

Barricade sighed in slight frustration. "I already told you, he fell. If he weren't in recharge, he'd likely tell you more. As far as I can tell, he did fall. And landed hard enough to knock him offline. That's probably all that kept him sane for eight days."

Ratchet shook his head in amazement. For Bee to suffer for that long, he was amazingly strong. He led Barricade to Med Bay in silence. Just a look told him that he'd need to replace the damaged limb, and Bee would most likely need some physical therapy to recover full use of his leg.

In Med Bay, Barricade set Bee down on a berth so gently, the minibot didn't even stir.

"Did he ask you to kill him?" Ratchet asked, setting to work on removing the damaged leg…and administering a strong sedative so that Bee wouldn't wake.

"Unfortunately, yes. But I refused that request." Barricade answered, rubbing feeling back into his arms, which had started cramping up. "It's not right to shoot someone who's down…" Especially if that someone is a friend. He added in his mind. He was still coming to terms with the idea himself!

"I'm glad you feel that way," Ratchet commented dryly, "Many others don't."

"I know that." Barricade had to look away as Bee's leg was finally disconnected from his body. "Bots that have Sparks feel that it's better to take on an opponent in a relatively equal fight. Killing a bot who's as crippled as Bee currently is, is a sure way to look like a total monster. Even if it is a mercy kill."

"Mercy kills are reserved for the battlefield."

"In most cases, they are." Cade amended. "This was not a case where a mercy kill was called for."

"If yah had killed 'im, Ah woulda hunted yah down and offlined you." Ironhide's unmistakable rumble came from behind Barricade.

"Another reason why he's alive right now." Even though he was a little frightened at having two rather dangerous mechs so close, Barricade hid it well. The other reason is that he is nowhere near done with life. And he sees me as a friend…I hope.

Many hours later…

Bumblebee slowly onlined his optics to familiar orange walls. He smiled faintly. He was finally home.

"Hey, there, Mini." Barricade's voice greeted him. "Glad to see you awake and whole again."

"Eh?" Bee was confused.

"Ratchet rebuilt your entire leg and foot." Barricade said with a smile. "Took roughly twenty-two hours to get everything done."

"That's a long time." Bee said, slowly trying to sit up.

"It is," Barricade agreed, "But you can't rush extensive repairs. And you can't deny you need some extensive ones."

Bee simply shrugged. "I knew that right away…before I fell. I mean…I didn't have a foot! I knew it would take a while to fix just that." He looked down, to see the repairs. His right leg looked normal again…only it was a dull silver-grey, instead of his usual bright yellow. He wanted to get up, to see if the new limb would support him.

"Bee, please don't try to get up before Ratchet gives you the okay." Barricade said, setting a gentle hand on Bee's shoulder.

"Why not?"

"Because that leg only just got replaced, Ratchet might need to do a little fine-tuning now that you're awake…And he'd kill me if I let you get up before he says you can."

Bee sighed, but only sat up. "I hate being still like this."

"It won't kill you to remain in one place for long, even when you're not in recharge."

The comment earned him a smack on the shoulder, followed by a tiny chuckle from Bee. Barricade smiled faintly in return. "You know…it'll take some time for you to have full use of your leg."

"Physical therapy…I know." The yellow minibot sighed.

"Bee, look at the bright side," Barricade suggested. "You're alive. That's the important thing here. You know that, don't you?"

Bee looked down, rubbing tiny circles on his new leg with his thumb. "Yeah…I know that." He admitted in a whisper. "But I don't like feeling so helpless. I won't be allowed to transform for a while…"

Barricade watched Bumblebee, the little bot trying not to cry. He leaned over, to wrap his arms around Bee. "What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger." He whispered, using words he'd heard humans say dozens of times. This seemed like a good time to say those same words. "And don't you worry. You will not die from this."

Bee looked up at Barricade, surprised when he'd found himself wrapped in the Decepticon's arms. He didn't know what to say. "Barricade?" he asked softly.

"Hmm?"

"Will you help me get through the physical therapy?"

"If I'm allowed to stay, I will." He promised, as honestly as he could. He didn't know if he'd be able to remain with Bee for long, since he wasn't and Autobot. He hoped he could stay.

"Honestly, Ironhide, I think it would help Bumblebee if we allow Barricade to remain here with him," Ratchet stated as the two bots went to check on the yellow minibot.

"Ah don't like it, Ratchet. He's a 'Con!" Ironhide grumbled.

"Yes, I'm well aware of that fact." The medic calmly went on. "I'm sure - more than sure, actually – that Barricade will help Bee. It'll take some time for him to walk properly again. He's going to need all the help that's offered."

See why I want to feed my inspiration Bug to Megatron now? Eesh...that Bug will put me in the Loony Bin before I'm finished with college!

Anyhoodles...please, please, please leave me a review of this. Do you want a Part Three? Or should i just stop before I go crazy?