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fuzipenguinFandom: Transformers Bumblebee (2018), Bay movies
Series: n/a
Author: FuziPenguin
Characters: Charlie Watson, Bumblebee, Optimus Prime, original characters
Pairing: Charlie Watson/original male character
Rating: PG13
Word Count: 1933
Summary: Bumblebee has never lost track of Charlie. And when they finally meet again, it’s like no time has passed. But it has; things have changed, for better and worse.
Warnings: Alternate Universe, Canon-Typical Violence, Implied/Referenced Character Death
Notes: Self-beta'd. Written for the More than Honey zine
Disclaimer: This is a piece of fiction. No harm was intended in the creation of this work. All rights belong to the original creators.
They’ve said farewell, but Bumblebee has never lost track of Charlie. In his free moments, he plugs into the humans’ internet. Bumblebee isn’t the Autobot’s greatest hacker. He’s good enough, however, that the humans don’t notice he’s following Charlie’s data trail.
For two years, Charlie stays in her hometown. While Bumblebee and Optimus pave the way for more Autobots to arrive on Earth, Charlie attends a local community college, earning an associate’s degree. Never far from cars, Charlie works part-time in a mechanic’s garage. When Bumblebee scuffles with a Decepticon scout and gets a pede shot off, he wishes her gentle hands were around to reattach it.
In fact, he’s tempted to drive from Portland to visit her. Their tiny makeshift base doesn’t have a true medic yet. Driveshaft does his best, but he’s also got two left thumbs.
Literally.
Optimus says ‘no’, however. He worries a scout will be followed by others. He’s right. The next several months consist of the three Earth Autobots doing their best to wrangle the slowly arriving Decepticons. Fortunately, they come in drips and drabs, never so many at once Optimus and the others can’t eventually handle them.
It’s exhausting work, especially as they’re trying to prevent the humans from discovering them. Bumblebee slows down on checking in on Charlie. When he finally has a spare moment to investigate he discovers she has moved. To Nevada.
Bumblebee is dumbstruck. What’s in Nevada? Why has she moved farther away from him? Then he shakes himself. It’s not as if she knows the location of their base.
Sighing, Bumblebee digs a little deeper into Charlie’s records. Surely there’s a reason why she moved. A new job, a new – name?
Humans change their last name when they get married. Charlie got
married.
Bumblebee’s spark whirls in happiness for his friend, and then it promptly slows. He had missed the ceremony.
“What’re you doing?”
Bumblebee practically jumps out of his plating. He disengages his data cord and turns to Driveshaft. ‘Just – checking on something.’
“Ah. Your little pet, huh?” Driveshaft looks haughty as if he’s above the native intelligent species.
Well. Physically he is. Mentally – Charlie could probably run rings around the dim-witted Autobot.
'She’s not a pet, Driveshaft,’ Bumblebee says patiently. Again. ‘She’s a friend. Charlie saved my life twice helping fight Decepticons. I keep tabs on her.’
“Does Optimus know you waste resources ‘keeping tabs’ on one single human?”
‘He doesn’t not know.’
A look of confusion passes over Driveshaft’s faceplates. Bumblebee watches the other mech try to work out the double negative and fights back a snicker.
“Um. Ok.”
‘Anyway, I’m using the humans’ own internet. Plus, I’m on my own time. Was there something you needed?’
“Oh. Yeah! Optimus wanted us to investigate a potential Deception landing. Well, there’s two. One in Montana and one in Arizona. Optimus thinks they’re scouts. so– “
‘I’ll take Arizona. Bye!’
Bumblebee transforms before Driveshaft finishes speaking. In fact, Bumblebee is nearly to the road before Optimus hails him. Sheepishly, Bumblebee performs a three-point turn and faces his leader.
‘Uh – thought I’d get an early start?’
“Follow the humans’ road laws. Be inconspicuous. Do not interact with the Decepticon unless they are actively causing harm to humans or they spot you,” Optimus intones.
‘Of course!’ Bumblebee chirps, bouncing on his tires. If he plans things right, the detour to Charlie will be so minor no one will notice –
“Do not visit Charlie Watson.”
Bumblebee’s engine stalls. ‘Wh-what? What’re you talking about? That’s - ‘
Slag. Double and
triple
slag.
“I keep watch on our allies as well, Bumblebee,” Optimus says softly. He bends over and pats Bumblebee’s roof. “Let me amend my statement: do not visit Charlie Watson until after your mission is complete.”
‘Yes, Optimus. Thank you,’ Bumblebee says. His spark fills with tentative hope. In just a few days, he’ll see Charlie!
--
A few days turn into a few weeks. Then a few months. The Palo Verde nuclear power plant is apparently a tempting source of energy. Before Bumblebee can arrive, two more ‘cons do. The Decepticons are surprisingly discreet about the power they divert, but it’s still discovered by humans. More soon swarm the area in a panic searching for a leak.
Bumblebee has quite the time avoiding the natives while battling ‘cons in a place with incredibly little cover. His coloration gives him an advantage and he’s trained for stealth. Yet, it still takes him five months to subdue all three Decepticons.
Optimus would have sent help, but by then – there is none. Driveshaft had been killed and Optimus himself was severely wounded in a skirmish with several triplechangers.
Earth is heating up. It seems no matter how well they think they squash outgoing communications, some are getting back to the Decepticons. Because they’re still trickling in. And as always, the Autobots are outnumbered.
Bumblebee would give anything for more reinforcements.
There’s a lull for now, however. Arizona, Montana, and Oregon are all quiet. Bumblebee starts making his way to Portland, far more banged up than he was when he left. Yet all his plating is intact, and his engine still runs. Good enough.
Charlie’s address hasn’t changed. He rolls into town late in the afternoon and parks in front of an empty lot catty-corner to her home. It’s small but neat. Her father’s car resides inside the open garage and a tan Honda Accord is parked in the driveway.
Bumblebee sits for over an hour before a motorcycle roars up the road and pulls into the garage. A tall, dark-haired man pulls the garage doors down before entering the house. Bumblebee faintly hears voices, and his spark skips a beat when he recognizes Charlie’s.
Satisfied he’s in the right place, Bumblebee revs his engine and pulls out, vowing to return after patrolling. To be safe, he’d like to make sure no random Decepticon has escaped his notice and followed him.
--
Bumblebee is back at eight the next morning. He’s just in time to catch Charlie giving presumably her husband a kiss goodbye at the front door. She waves as the Honda drives away. Once it’s gone, she steps inside. The door yawns open. Bumblebee curiously watches the darkened area for a moment before she reappears with a cloth-wrapped bundle in her arms.
Charlie walks down the front steps and heads directly to him. Bumblebee has a brief moment of panic. Then he remembers she’s one of the few humans allowed to know his identity as something other than a beat-up Camaro.
“You look like crap, Bee,” Charlie announces. She pauses five feet away, surveying his front end. “You ok? We got trouble?”
For a moment, he wonders what to say. He searches the airwaves and finally clicks on the radio, rolling down his passenger window.
“ ~ don’t worry about a thing // cause every little thing gonna be alright ~ “
Charlie’s shoulders relax. She smiles. It’s bright and happy and is incongruous to her pale skin and slight frame. Bumblebee doesn’t remember her being this thin before. He reflexively scans her entire body.
“Good. Let me in? Got someone you should meet.”
Slightly distracted, Bumblebee opens his side door and Charlie slides in. Oh yes, her mass is definitely less than what it used to be. Despite –
Wait. There are two heartbeats in his cabin.
“Bee – this is my daughter Mikaela. Mik, this is Bumblebee. He’s one of my best friends. You’d never know it because he doesn’t call or write, but he’s a great guy.”
Bumblebee’s entire attention focuses on the tiny being nestled within Charlie’s arms. He can’t bear the thought of waking the sleeping sparking. His engine throttles down to a barely-there purr. The 1950s melody on his radio becomes barely audible.
“ ~ baby, oh baby, I love you, love you so madly ~ “
Charlie laughs. The sound rings like the Praxian crystal gardens used to before their destruction. “She’s a month old. We came home from the hospital a few weeks ago - you timed your visit perfectly.”
There’s a sad catch in Charlie’s voice.
“ ~ I’m sorry, so sorry // please accept my apology ~ “
“No, Bee, it’s ok. You indicated you wouldn’t be able to keep in touch and well – based on how you look, you’ve been in some fights. I scan the news but haven’t seen anything so I guess you’ve kept it quiet.”
Bumblebee hums an assent. Then he goes back to the data he had gathered on Charlie. He’s no medic, especially one for humans, but Charlie’s heart rhythm is off. Way off.
“ ~ here we stand // on the edge of a broken heart ~ “
Mikaela stirs, and Charlie hushes her, rocking back and forth until the baby subsides again.
“Caught that, huh? The pregnancy was rough. Delivery was rougher,” Charlie explains, her voice low. “I’m still recovering. But don’t worry, Bee. I’m ok. And I’m so happy. This little girl makes me so happy.”
Charlie places a gentle kiss on Mikaela’s forehead. Bumblebee’s engine purrs louder. Sparklings are precious, no matter the species.
They sit in silence for several minutes, just enjoying one another’s presence. Charlie eventually starts humming, a soft, soothing melody Bumblebee doesn’t bother to identify. He just listens and records it.
After a few minutes, Charlie shifts.
“I have to get her bottle ready, Bee. I’d love if you could hang around, but if you can’t, I’m glad you could visit. And – and, if something were ever to happen – keep an eye on her for me, will you?”
Nothing will happen to Charlie. She’s still young for her species. She has decades left! Bumblebee will be on the periphery of them all. But -
“ ~ wherever you may wander in your life // surely you know // I always want to be there ~ “
“I can’t tell you how relieved that makes me, Bee. Thank you.”
Charlie pats his dashboard and slides out. His door closes with a quiet click, and he watches to ensure she safely gets into the house. Engine idling, he stays for a few minutes more before leaving to patrol again.
Bumblebee fully intends to come back before Charlie’s husband returns (
maybe
Bumblebee looked up the man’s work schedule at the local mechanic shop), but Optimus contacts him. More Decepticons have landed outside Denver, and Bumblebee is urgently needed.
When Bumblebee rushes back to Charlie’s house, her car is missing. He idles in her driveway and deliberates for several minutes. Finally, he pulls into her garage and transforms. He’s relatively hidden as Charlie’s house is on the end of a cul-de-sac, and there isn’t a home yet built across the street.
Carefully, Bumblebee takes Charlie’s tools off her wall and nudges them into a crude ‘Portland’ on the floor. Then he scrapes his hand against the concrete, leaving behind a smear of his paint nanites. It'll have to do.
Hopefully, Charlie comes home sooner than her husband. Otherwise, he’s going to be
very
confused. Reluctantly, Bumblebee leaves. He speeds toward Colorado and the next conflict.
--
When he checks on Charlie two months later, the first thing he finds is her death certificate. He’s not completely surprised. After his visit, he read up on common postpartum complications, particularly heart issues.
For several minutes, Bumblebee allows himself to wallow in grief. Then he lets it go. Just like he has for everyone else he’s loved and lost.
He has to. Because there are living people relying on him. And now there is a tiny, frail human sparkling entrusted into Bumblebee’s care. He can’t be with Mikaela right now. But, hopefully, one day in the future when she needs him, he’ll be able to rise up and stand by her side.
~ End
