Work Text:
Io
Optimus watched his newborn niece. So small and so fragile. Even so, she was already facing the cold reality of the Cybertronian war. The little one didn't have a single day to live and has already conquered the hatred of many bots.
The room was very cold, but her mother wasn't there to warm her up. Poor Bumblebee. Poor Io. Two unfortunate victims so cruelly separated. A mother who died at her daughter's birth and a daughter who was born at her mother's death.
The little one was still sleeping, biting the stuffed bunny. It was a big plush for a human, but the size of a sparkling. So adorable. Everyone was petrified with awe and horror when she was born.
She was an almost perfect copy of her father.
Megatron.
Optimus threw his head back, grunting in anger as he stared at the ceiling. He avoided showing his drunkenness of hate and anger to the little one. His own brother was the most perfect definition of a bastard. As if this war were not a huge hell and a waste he betrayed, used his friend and abandoned they sparkling.
Tears of hate, disappointment, sadness still marked the memory of the day Bee had revealed to be waiting. Even persuading, bargaining, spying, no one could find out the creator's identity. Everyone was suspicious of each other and of any bots the little bee had encountered in the past few months.
He remembered the last months of Bublebee's life. His friend has always been the most energetic and playful of the group. She was a ray of sunlight that attracted all eyes. He never imagined that his brother, a bloodthirsty tyrant, would be interested in her.
This had to have been one of the main reasons the ultra Magnus sent her on a mission to be Megatron's mistress. He understood why she hadn't said anything at first, he would never allow such a thing. Even after ending the relationship, the little bee refused to reveal who the father of the sparkling was.
Seeing Bumblebee get excited about her pregnancy it was understandable that she wanted to keep the baby. A thought she thought would get her and the little one in trouble. And she was right. Giving birth to the son or daughter of the greatest tyrant in the galaxy was not favourable.
Remembered the glow of her friend's optics fading each day, out of fear. Even caught her praying to Primus, probably for the sparkling not to be born looking like Megatron. All in vain.
Io had silver armor with some yellow stripes, with two tiny wings. H stroked the baby's sleeping face and giggled when she took his finger. Despite looking a lot like her father, she had inherited certain characteristics from the little bee: her fingers, her slim shape and her blue optics. No doubt she would have Bee's teeth when she was older.
Even she has no voice in any case everyone hated or avoided her. HE couldn't blame them, they felt betrayed. It was a very cruel blow made by the one they trusted most. Only he and Archer took the little one in their lap and opposed the idea of turning her off.
Prime understood that others didn't hate her out of malice or pettiness. Some of them struggled with various emotions and were trying to deal with this nonsense of secrets along with Bumblebee's death. It would take time to get used to and accept Io.
Io was a unique name. His niece was named after Jupiter's volcanic moon. He didn't know why Bee chose that name, but it didn't matter anymore. His friend is no longer here and he had to take care of the little one.