There For You

There For You

Autobots weren't supposed to seek revenge, it wasn't their way. But Arcee couldn't help it. Knowing that Starscream had been the one who killed Cliffjumper, that he had been the reason why Cliff was no longer with them, she wanted to avenge her fallen partner. She wanted to kill Starscream. And regrettably she had almost gone through with it, until she had the feeling that someone was watching her. When she looked up and saw Bumblebee looking down at her with disappointed optics, she couldn't do it. Somehow the young scout still was able to maintain some childlike innocence even after everything he had been through and that innocence was what kept her from murdering right in front of him.

Bumblebee was the youngest member of Team Prime and because of that, the rest of them were supposed to set good examples for him. He had pretty much always looked up to Optimus and because of that sometimes the rest of them could forget that he looked up to them as well. Arcee had always tried to do her best at making sure that she set a fairly good example, after all after being on the same team for such a long time she had come to consider the younger Autobot as a little brother. And the fact that he had caught her about to kill Starscream, sent guilt coursing through her. Which was why after Optimus had given her a short talk, she had come up to the mesa above the base. Arcee wanted to be alone, so she was currently gazing up at the moon and stars, trying to keep her mind away from thinking about what had happened. But the sound of approaching footsteps told her that she wasn't going to be left alone like she had hoped.

"'Cee?"

"What do you want Bumblebee?"

"Optimus suggested that I come up here to talk to you," he replied sitting down beside of her.

"There's nothing to talk about. I just want to be left alone right now."

"Oh, okay. Hey 'Cee can I ask you something?"

"What?"

"Why did you stop? You could have killed Starscream, why did you stop just because I showed up?"

"Because you wanted me to stop and because it would have been wrong to do it in front of you."

"It would have been wrong even if I hadn't been there," Bumblebee pointed out. "So why is me being there a big enough deal for you to stop?"

"You're like a little brother to me 'Bee, I'm supposed to set a good example for you. Killing Starscream the way I was about to wasn't setting a good example."

"You're feeling guilty aren't you?" Bumblebee beeped softly.

Arcee remained silent and turned her head away from Bumblebee. The scout looked at her curiously, waiting for a response. After several minutes of silence he realized that she wasn't going to answer him at all. He supposed that he could take her silence as a "Yes".

"'Cee you don't have to feel guilty. You stopped yourself, that's all that matters. None of us are mad at you for what you almost did."

"You're all disappointed though. Especially you, I could see it in your optics when you found me."

"Well yeah I was. That wasn't you down there. And besides you're like a big sister to me and I didn't want you to go through with doing something that would end up changing you. I don't want a different Arcee, I want the Arcee that all of us know and care about."

"That Arcee keeps making mistakes."

"So you have issues keeping your emotions in check when it comes to Airachnid and Starscream. They killed two 'bots that were really close to you, we understand that you're going to be angry when it comes to them. You can talk to the rest of us too 'Cee, we want to help you."

"Since when did you become the one who gives out advice?" Arcee asked finally turning to face Bumblebee.

"I don't know," Bumblebee shrugged. "I guess when you became the mopey one. It's weird you know, you being mopey."

Arcee smirked and shook her head. Now Bumblebee was trying to cheer her up. Of course he wouldn't be Bumblebee if he didn't try to do something like that.

"Not as weird as you acting like Optimus," she replied. "Of course you weren't quite as serious as he would be."

"I wasn't acting like Optimus and even if I was, it wouldn't be weird," Bumblebee stated matter-of-factly.

Arcee just shook her head again. She knew that Bumblebee wanted to be like Optimus, the Autobot leader was pretty much his father-figure, mentor, and hero, so acting like him wouldn't be weird for the scout. But to her, it would be. Primes don't party, and seeing Bumblebee not having fun just wouldn't be right.

"Whatever you say 'Bee."

"So are you feeling better yet? Because if you're not I need to rethink my strategy."

"I guess, but I still want to be left alone for a little while though."

"But you're not feeling guilty anymore right? I'm not leaving until you don't feel guilty."

"Why do I get the feeling that you won't leave even if I say that I'm not feeling guilty?"

"No I'll leave, just as long as you mean it. If you don't mean it I'm going to stay here until you stop feeling guilty."

"How do you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Remain so happy all the time. After everything you've been through, you're just happy. Does none of it bother you anymore?"

"Not having my voice always bothers me. But I'm used to these beeps now, so if there's no way for me to ever talk normal again I can handle it. I won't really like it, but I can deal with it. Hey, you're changing the subject! You never told me if you're still feeling guilty or not."

"I'm not going to stop feeling guilty just because you told me not to be 'Bee. It doesn't work like that."

"Well it should."

Arcee couldn't help but think it would be nice if it did work like that. But the sad truth was that it didn't. She was going to feel guilty for what she had almost done for a while. When she lost grip on her emotions like she had with Starscream, she just wasn't herself anymore. When her anger got the best of her, she could do things that were just as bad as what the Decepticons could do. And honestly it scared her. She could be just as bad as the enemy and all it took was the mention of her dead partners to send her to the brink. She was walking a thin line and now she was growing worried of what would eventually push her over the edge.

"You know it's really easy to tell when you're letting your guilt eat you up. You just sit there with your arms crossed looking off into the distance like you're really hurt. It's really depressing 'Cee. You're making my job of cheering you up a lot harder."

"Cheering me up isn't your job."

"Not officially. But someone has to do it."

"No they don't."

"Of course they do. If no one tried to cheer you up you'd be mopey all the time and then you wouldn't be fun to be around. And then what would we do? Of course you've never really been the fun one, but my point still stands."

"You're not going to drop this at all, are you?"

"Nope, so you better start cheering up."

"I can't cheer up just like that 'Bee. It takes time."

"Well I've got plenty of time."

"What about when you have to recharge? There's no way that Optimus and Ratchet will let you stay up here then."

"I can stay up here until then," Bumblebee replied.

"And how much longer will that be?"

Arcee could tell that Bumblebee was tired by just looking in his optics. He needed to go recharge, but most likely wouldn't go until someone forcibly drug him back down inside the base. Until then he was just going to stay until she was happy.

"Go recharge 'Bee, I promise I'll be less mopey tomorrow."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes I'm sure, now go," she said giving him a slight nudge.

"Fine. But just remember that we're all here for you 'Cee, you can talk to us," Bumblebee said as he gave the femme a quick hug before getting up and heading back down inside of the base.

Arcee watched to make sure that he went. She was doubtful that her guilt would be completely gone by the next day, but at the very least she would try to hide it for Bumblebee's sake.