Current location:	USA, Lafayette, LA
Current mood:	accomplished
Current music:	So gather up your jackets, move it to the exits, I hope you have found a friend
Entry tags:	transformers

[Transformers] Closing Time
Title: Closing Time
Author: Icka! M. Chif
Word Count: 3,020
Rating: Teen
Disclaimer: No recongisable characters belong to me, used without permission for no profit. ‘Closing Time’ lyrics belong to Semisonic.
Warnings: Spoilers for the entire ROTF movie.
Author Notes: It’s now been three weeks since I’ve seen the movie, but the plunnie wouldn’t wait for me to see it a second time before getting done. Apologies for any errors.
Please feel free to point out tense errors so that they might be corrected.
Summary: Sam has grown beyond Bumblebee.

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Closing time
Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end
-Semisonic ‘Closing Time’

"So this soliloquy stuff..." Sam mused, his voice just barely carrying. "Is it a Prime thing, or an Optimus thing?"

Bumblebee's optics flickered as he watched Optimus Prime look a Sam from where they were standing on the edge of the battleship, both of them with their hands on their hips, like they were mirroring each other. He briefly wondered how much of that was unconscious, but most of his logic processors were caught up stumbling over the fact that Sam had apparently understood Optimus Prime's transmission.

Optimus Prime's transmission, broadcast in Cybertronian.

"I believe-" Optimus Prime said slowly, still speaking in Cybertronian. "-That it is an Optimus thing."

"You're not sure?"

"I have never spoken to the other Primes to ask." Optimus Prime said, looking back up towards the sky.

"Oh." Sam shrugged. Bumblebee watched them as Sam obviously thought something over, well accustomed to Sam Witwicky's idiosyncrasies after having watched over the boy for a few of Earth's solar years now. "They're just as cryptic as you are sometimes." Sam concluded casually. "I think it's gotta be a Prime thing."

"Possibly."

With one small word, Bumblebee felt something inside of him break. He reached up and touched his chest where his Spark rested, distantly wondering if he should talk to Ratchet to see if he was broken.

Things had been so going well. Sam was getting out of the pit called 'High School' and moving to 'College', which meant getting out from under his parent's gaze. Not that Bumblebee had anything against Sam's parents.... They were just Sam's parents. And from his limited observations of humanity, they were strange, even for humans.

He'd been excited to spending more time with Sam as well, out of their uncertain gaze and questions.

And then there had been Sam's frantic shout for him. Bumblebee wasn't supposed to reveal himself unless it was extreme circumstances, and Sam and his Father being thrown out into the lawn and attacked by tiny Decepticons counted as 'extreme circumstances'. He'd demolished the Decepticons quickly, hoping that they'd be appreciative of his fast actions.

... They hadn't. Apparently he'd been a bit too enthusiastic about his demolishing and the house had taken the brunt of it. Just as he'd been kicking himself over that, Sam had broken worse news.

Bumblebee wasn't allowed to come to college with Sam. Sam wanted him to send him away, join the rest of the Autobots in fighting Decepticons.

It was Bumblebee's worst fear; Sam had gotten bored with him and was sending him away. While the Decepticons were out there, even stepping up their presence. The evidence of it was right there in front him, Sam having been attacked barely a breem earlier. But Sam had been adamant, his soft comment about Bumblebee always being his first car not softening the blow at all.

Bumblebee didn't want to be merely Sam's 'first car'. He wanted to be Sam's Protector, Sam's friend, his...

And then Sam had laughed, his voice proud and pleased as he talked to... Mikaela. He'd been force to listen as they talked, their words sweet and low, lovers voices, even while fighting. Sam and his parents left, leaving Bumblebee to watch an empty house.

He'd returned to the Autobots with a heavy spark, trying to lighten his mood thinking that perhaps he could spend some time with comrades he hadn't seen in a while, forget about the human who had shoved him away. Then he got his first orders from Optimus Prime. Go to Sam's new school and retrieve him for a meeting with Optimus Prime about a new threat to the world.

Which put him right back with Sam. Part of him was ecstatic, part of him despaired. But orders were orders and Sam still needed Bumblebee, no matter what he thought.

It was just his luck that when he had gone to find Sam, his human was not at the dormitories. He'd spent frantic breems, afraid that the Decepticons had found Sam, until he’d tracked Sam down to a 'Fraternity House'. And when one was a sweet sports car with no driver, it wasn't exactly easy task to accomplish. To make matters worse, once he did arrive, a leech had attached herself to Sam and Bumblebee had never figured out the trick to locking just one door.

There was something seriously wrong with the leggy blond, something he couldn’t put his scanners on. But His efforts to warn Sam that lady was a Super Freak went ignored. Sam hadn't been interested in his efforts to explain, tuning him out with a muted anger that Bumblebee had rarely seen.

In a small fit of temper, Bumblebee didn’t point out that he was pretty sure that this time Sam had said he was going to have an internet chat date with Mikaela. Let him face her wrath.

The discussion with Optimus Prime didn’t go well either. And while Bumblebee could somewhat comprehend Sam's urge to be ‘normal’, he didn’t understand it. Sam had never been 'normal' and would never be 'normal'. He shone; to Bumblebee's humble optics anyway, long before the Autobots entered in his life. He would shine even brighter in the future.

Bumblebee was pleased to hear that he would resume guardian duties for Sam, even if he had to do it from the edge of the large campus, as he is still not allowed near Sam's freshman dorm rooms. He wondered who made up that ridiculous rule and if it wasn’t some sort of sabotage. Or, with their connections to the Government, why hadn't anyone thought to ask for an exception to be made for him. It wasn't like he was an ordinary car.

And there were no garages -anywhere- around campus. He was pretty sure that some of the local pigeons had it in for him. It was a constant debate if he could zap just one or two of them with his Solar Canon without transforming.

Then the worst happened and he couldn’t get to Sam in time. The Super Freak wasn’t just super freaky, but was a Pretender, a Decepticon, which explained his previous circuit scrambling confusion, and was attempting to rip both Sam and Mikaela's heads off. He arrives just in time to see them run over the Super Freak in a borrowed automobile, but wasn’t able to prevent them from being carried away by Grindor.

He followed them the best he can, contacting Optimus Prime and notifying him of Megatron’s resurrection. He’s was forced to wait and observe until Optimus Prime arrived as a small Decepticon prods Sam’s squishy organic brain, which is torture, but is not life threatening -yet-. It was torture, fear that Optimus Prime is going to arrive too late running through his circuits as he listened to Sam’s screams.

The fact that Sam hadn’t even told him that he was seeing Cybertronian symbols is just another stab to his spark.

And when Optimus Prime finally does arrive and they go charging in, guns blazing, it wasn’t Bumblebee that Sam turned towards for protection, it’s Optimus Prime. Bumblebee found himself taking charge of the safety of Mikaela and some random screaming person who was apparently Sam's roommate. Who believed in aliens but didn't think he was real.

... Humans were weird.

What followed was lots of screaming, lots of panic and Optimus Prime, dead. And Bumblebee, standing there, useless. Unable to take the burden of Optimus Prime’s death from Sam. Unable to save the leader who took Bumblebee as a young bot under his command. Unable to save the last Prime.

Useless.

Sam couldn’t even look at him as they took refuge in a long since abandon housing area, all of them in mourning. He didn’t bother attempting to get Sam’s roommate away from the Twins as he grieved. It kept both the Twins and Leo occupied, which was fine with him. Bumblebee couldn’t summon the energy to care about it much.

The news that Sam is now the most internationally wanted person doesn’t help his mood much. Not only were the Decepticons after Sam, but even the humans were going to be looking for him.

An idea is hatched, surprisingly brought on by Leo, to find this ‘RoboWarrior’, and the drive to New York is a tense once as they all make an effort to keep Sam hidden and out of the public’s view. An effort which is pretty much wasted as soon as they find RoboWarrior, the stupid stinky Agent Simmons.

Fortunately, Simmons seems to actually possess more of a brain than he did the last time they met, immediately hiding Sam from view and coming up with much needed information, even if all Bumblebee could do was try to focus his hearing on their underground meeting, the rest of his attention on the sky and their surroundings, endeavouring to protect the last precious thing he has.

The fact that Mikaela had been carrying around a Decepticon with her was a bit of a surprise however.

Forget a Chihuahua, the latest fashion accessory for the go-to girl out in the world – Your Own Mini Decepticon!

Still, he couldn’t help but to be worried about that. Decepticons are dangerous, no matter what size they are. The fact that she took ‘Wheelie’ down on her own does nothing but fill his spark with pride however. Mikaela is a strong warrior.

Then he was back in the role of transportation as they head to the Smithsonian, unable to do anything but wait in the shadows of the parking lot as they sneak into museum, putting their lives and their safety at risk. It was difficult enough sneaking four humans and a mini-Decepticon into the secure facility, three cars or giant robots would be downright impossible.

He waited impatiently, scanners and sensors at maximum as he attempts to keep track of their progress, maintain their cover, keep the Twins from blowing their cover and keep an eye out for Decepticons. It was almost enough to keep him distracted brooding but not quite enough. Bumblebee is a solider, a protector, it’s all he’s known since he was sparked and it was a mindset that was easy enough to slip back into.

Then a giant Seeker, a giant Decepticon stumbled out of the building and everything is confusion as the ancient Cybertronian shouts and waves his cane around. Bumblebee has a tense moment of alarm, but it is calmed as explanations are made. Jetfire’s explanation that Autobots and Decepticons were once a -choice-, something that you chose is a shock. The idea they didn’t have to be one or the other was almost blasphemy.

There were once simply Cybertronians, but it hasn’t been that way since Bumblebee’s earliest memories. He’s almost completely forgotten that time, before the tensions rose high.

The thought is shoved away as Jetfire suddenly teleported them away. Bumblebee has heard of Space Bridge technology, but it was lost long before he was sparked. As he takes in the bright Egyptian sun above them, he was somewhat grateful for it. The war would have been a great deal different, and deadlier, had that technology remained.

Then they were left with a riddle to solve and the wide cradle of human civilisation to explore. Sam didn’t talk to him much, spending most of his time in silence or sharing thoughts with Mikaela. He wonders if Sam blamed him for Optimus Prime’s death, for not getting there fast enough.

The Twins were almost more of a liability than an asset in their mission. True, they could carry Leo and Simmons in more comfort than if it were just Bumblebee and the four humans, but they spend most of their time spending their energies on bickering between themselves. They were the Autobot’s only hope now that Optimus is gone, and the Twins couldn’t stop mocking each other long enough to pay attention to their surroundings.

This came to a head in Petra, as they nearly stepped on the smaller humans and broke a wall that was half their age. Young, in Cybertronian terms, but irreplaceably old in human history, who listed ages in decades instead of vorns. There was a brief feeling of satisfaction as he knocked their heads together and threw them out of the temple-grave.

The Tomb of the Primes was too small for Bumblebee to do more than peer inside as the humans squeeze inside. He took minor affront at Simmons and Leo being there, this being a sacred place, but they didn’t cause much difficulty and he doubted his protests would be heeded, so he remained silent.

The thought was shoved aside at the surge of triumph, of relief as Sam held the Matrix aloft, which promptly died as the Matrix crumbled to dust in Sam’s hands. He had heard the phrase ‘ashes in your mouth’ before, and while taste was not a sense that Cybertronians had, he believed he understood it better now.

Sam is frantic as he scooped it up, shoving the Matrix dust into his sock. Things became frantic once more as they raced to the Pyramids at Giza, clinging to hope that Lennoex had gotten the message and brought Optimus Prime to Egypt. Then there was Devastator, the Fallen Prime, Megatron, Starscream and countless Decepticons, all of them frantic for Sam’s frail human blood as explosions ripped through the air, any of them enough to end the human’s lives.

And then Sam’s parents were thrown into the mix and Sam sent Bumblebee away again. Sam cannot seem to comprehend that Sam was the most important thing, far more important than his parents. Not only for Sam carried the Autobot’s hope for the second time in his short life, but because he was Sam’s most precious person. But he did as Sam wished, promising himself that he would get Judy and Ron to safety as quickly as possible before returning to protect Sam.

Which he was too late to do, an explosion catching Sam unaware just as he rushed to the safety of the combined efforts of the Autobots and the human N.E.S.T. team. He watched in horror as Sam flies through the air, then lands, dead.

Mikaela screamed and screamed, giving sound to what his vocalizer could not. Bumblebee crashed to his knees, unable to process more than his ultimate failure. Sam, his Sam, deceased. Lennox’s shout shook him enough to aid in keeping the others away as Lennox scrambled to save Sam’s life, hope flickering. Perhaps, perhaps… Medics arrived, humans climbing around Sam, working frantically to revive him, bring him back.

Nano-cliks went by. Nothing happened.

Sam did not move.

Bumblebee felt his spark flicker everything came crashing down.

Then there was a flicker of energy Sam as suddenly woke and Bumblebee’s spark flared to life again. It was not through the human medics efforts, but something else. Something Cybertronian. Sam paid them no heed as he rushed to Optimus Prime, the Matrix miraculously whole in his hands once more as he shoved it into Optimus Prime’s spark chamber.

And Optimus Prime was restored as well.

With the revival of Sam, the Matrix and Optimus Prime, there is hope once again. He can feel it, like a current rushing through him.

Then the Fallen Prime rips the Matrix from Optimus Prime, intent on continuing his plans, ripping this planet full of life apart. Jetfire appeared, tearing his own spark out to give Optimus Prime the power he needed to defeat the Fallen Prime. He was peripherally of aware the fighting dying down as all sides stopped to watch as the two Primes rip each other to pieces, knowing that this was the fight that would determine the world’s fate.

It was brutal and slightly horrifying, knowing once more that there is nothing he could do to help. Sam and Mikaela clung to each other as they observed, Bumblebee watching over them the best he could. Mikaela gave him a glance at him at one point, an absentminded thank you, but Sam never took his eyes off of Optimus Prime.

The fight is over now, the clean up mostly done and everyone is being transported back to the States. Sam has been absconded most of the time by the human medics and officers who wanted reports and details what happened. Bumblebee finished his reports hours ago, helping where he could since then. The casualties on all sides were high.

He had hoped that once Sam was freed from the human’s clutches, that Sam would find him. That Sam could rant a little, and they could spend time together with each other.He found out instead through Mikaela that Sam had been freed and went to track his charge down.

Only to discover that Sam hadn’t looked for him at all. Sam had gone to Optimus Prime instead.

A melancholy song played on a radio in the background caught his attention, a mechanic listening to music as repairs were made on the aircraft that had aided them in the fight.

Closing time… You don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here.

He rubbed his chestplate some more, feeling the ache inside. Sam didn’t need him anymore.

Sam, who had carried the Allspark, spoken to Primes, and returned from the end. Sam, who preferred Optimus Prime’s company than his own.

Bumblebee couldn’t entirely blame him. Who would want a mere Scout as their guardian when one could stand on level with the leader of the Autobots? Sam had grown beyond Bumblebee. What function did Bumblebee have in his life that could not be performed better by Optimus?

Bumblebee gave the pair one last look before turning around and descended into the depth of the aircraft carrier, one hand still absentmindedly rubbing at the ache in his chest. Perhaps Sam was right, it was time for him to spend more time with his fellow Autobots. Give him something to do, give him some time and the space away from Sam for a while.

The song followed him down, mocking him.

I know who I want to take me home… I know who I want…

-fin-

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Breem = 8.3 minutes
Vorn = 83 years