Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Mikaela's gut was somersaulting when she saw the mess of her autoshop. Paper strewn everywhere, tools scattered across the floor, expensive equipment tossed aside and upturned. But what really made her sick was seeing her client's vehicles utterly destroyed. When Optimus stepped over the walls and into her lot, he had left no car unscathed.

The pencil pushers assigned to NEST assured that her and her clients would be fully reimbursed for any and all damages, due to the "meteorite shower" phenomenon that took place.

Reimbursement was nice and all, but seeing her business, her livelihood, her childhood home so invaded and desecrated was enough to rattle her to the core.

She hadn't felt like this since the cops had come for her dad. Chest tightening, she walked back outside to sit on the stoop and held her head in her hands. A sharp, questioning trill jolted her from her thoughts, and she looked up at the sleek Camaro parked in front of her.

"I'm fine!" she snapped, before softening a bit "I'm….. I'm fine, I'm okay. Don't worry about it."

Mikaela stood up and gave a small pat to Bumblebee's hood. With the press of a button on her key fob, the garage doors began to slowly roll up, and she beckoned him in.

Once the doors had closed, Bumblebee suddenly transformed, causing her to stumble back and trip over some stray equipment, falling hard on her ass. Teeth grit together, she tried to take a slow breath. Bumblebee crackled apologetically, leaning down to give her a hand.

Mikaela silently waved it away and wobbled upright once more.

She took stock once more of the damage, and made one of her mental checklists. 'Paperwork first, then tools, then equipment, and then I'll give Uncle Bobby a call and ask to borrow his tow truck….' she chewed her lip quietly as she drew up a game plan.

'Bee sheepishly twiddled his fingers as he found a voice clip "-'How may I be of service, madame?'-"

The girl looked up at him awkwardly for a moment, but replied, "If you could pick some of my heavier equipment and machinery off the floor and just put it in one area, that would be really helpful. Some of it is too dangerous for me to move by myself and I'm scared of tripping and braining myself on something sharp."

The mech nodded profusely and gave a thumbs up, and with that they began to work. Bumblebee carefully picked up everything from toolboxes to sandblasting tanks and sat them in an empty corner of the garage, while Mikaela picked up reams of paperwork on the ground, grumbling about the shoe marks on it. That's when she heard it.

A tell-tale snap of wood.

She turned around, horrified to see her baseball bat smashed to splinters underneath Bumblebee's foot. The bat he had planned to use to teach her to play. The last thing dad gave her before the police raided the shop. Mikaela felt like she was choking as hot tears rolled down her cheeks.

Bumblebee had gingerly lifted his pede up to assess the damage, when he heard the strained whimper behind him. He glanced over to see Mikaela's flushed face, hands trying to rub an endless stream of tears away, her entire body trembling.

The mech whined gently as he lowered himself to her level and tentatively offered his servo to her. Mikaela swallowed a sob as she grabbed it and he pulled her into a hug.

Trying to hug a giant robot was hard, and the silly thought helped Mikaela take in a shaky breath as she rested her cheek against cool metal and wept. Bumblebee however awkwardly hovered above her, being carefully still as to avoid knocking her over.

They stayed like that for a moment, the only sound being the whir of Bumblebee's vents and the occasional wet sniffle. Eventually, Mikaela extricated herself. Her eyes were still red from crying, but her breathing was steady again. She ran her hand through her hair and let out a deep sigh.

Thank you, Bumblebee. It's okay, just-" she glanced at the remnants of her bat and winced, "... Let's just take a breather. It's been a really busy past few days. I think I just need to take a nap for a bit…"

Bumblebee took notice of her expression and followed her gaze when he realized. He couldn't help the way his antenna pinned back with guilt.

"No 'Bee, it's… it's okay. I know you didn't mean to break it. It just had a lot of sentimental value." she reassured, giving a wry smile. Mikaela patted his arm and trudged to her (relatively unscathed) room, gently closing the door behind her.

A few days later, if an identical bat arrived on her doorstep in the mail- Bee said nothing, even though he couldn't wipe the sheepish look off his optics.

By then, they had gotten the Auto Shop looking great. Her uncle Bobby had graciously lent her his tow truck, but at the sight of Bumblebee he had blanched and announced that he'd be too busy with summer sales to help her himself.

With the cars towed and everything organized, it was time to get back to business. Between confidential phone calls, signing pesky NDA papers, and arranging a day to meet up with the rest of the Autobots again, she was also scheduling clients, managing walk-in repairs, and offering her services for dreaded bodymod kits. Despite the "meteor" that had lost her a few clients, business was rising now that it was summer.

But during the constant stream of business and dumb bureaucracy, she felt herself becoming lost in her work. Before, after she had gained sole ownership of the shop, Mikaela would often work from the crack of dawn to midnight. She missed sleep, meals, and was even slipping in her grades. It took falling asleep with a blowtorch in hand and nearly lighting her hair on fire that she finally began to take care of herself.

However after the events that happened in the last month, she recognized herself slipping back into that unhealthy pattern. One difference, though, was that this time she wasn't alone. Bumblebee, her new friend and roommate, was here.

It was very strange for Mikaela.

Not necessarily because of the alien thing, but because she hadn't lived with another person since her short stint in juvie.

And also because she hadn't had any real friends since then. Too busy with the shop, her bad reputation, being gay, being socially awkward- plenty of reasons.

Mikaela shook herself from her thoughts and back to the task at hand, as she tightened the last bolts of a transmission kit she was finishing up. The creeper she was lying on creaked as she rolled out from under the car. Sweat dripped from her brow and she wiped it with the back of her palm, when she realized it was dark out. A glance at her clock confirmed; it was 8 at night. She'd been under that damn car for nearly 3 hours.

"Auughhgh." she groaned, bonking her head unceremoniously onto her tool cabinet for emphasis. She knew she needed to eat, drink, and go to sleep, but she still felt wound up. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Bee sitting in his alt-mode, as he'd once called it. Even though he looked like a normal Camaro, she could still feel him looking at her. Weird.

Mikaela felt awkward as she asked, "Hey Bumblebee, you mind giving me a ride to go grab food? I think I'm burnt out from ordering pizza."

Bumblebee garbled something excitedly, and swung his driver's side door open. Mikaela felt a pang of guilt- while she was busy working, Bee had been stuck inside all day. Government orders had been for Bee to stay with Mikaela at all times, but she wondered if they'd mind if he'd be allowed to joyride and explore the city on his own a little. She put it on her list of questions for the next boring government meeting.

She ducked in and the door shut behind her as she buckled herself in. Bumblebee's gear shifter and pedals moved unprompted, and she couldn't help but watch, fascinated. They pulled out from the remote-controlled garage and began cruising down the highway. Mikaela's nose wrinkled whenever she thought about the reality of sitting inside another sentient being, but gently rested her hand on his steering wheel anyways. No amount of weirdness was gonna make her get a ticket for reckless driving.

"-Where to, kiddo?-" The mech crackled.

"Oh, shit, I'm not sure? You can just cruise around for a little, I guess. If I think of something, can I let you know?"

"-AYE AYE, CAPTAIN-"

Mikaela huffed a laugh and patted his dashboard. She closed her eyes and let the warm summer air wash over her. Bee’s radio sat on a hip-hop station and the mixture of music and ambient city noise made her relax a little. Just as she was about to suggest a local mexican restaurant, she was interrupted by a loud, obnoxious roar of an engine. A flashy red, brand new 07’ Mustang model sat next to them at the red light. By the sound of it, with a sawed off muffler. She frowned and rolled her eyes, when suddenly ‘Bee began a low rumble in response. Mikaela shot a warning glare at the radio, she was NOT gonna street race some loser for no good reason.

That’s when the Mustang’s window rolled down and a familiar face was smirking at her. Trent, in all his douchebag glory, with his friends in tow. Of course he’d be the guy to hack off his muffler to make his car sound louder. Mikaela didn’t hide her scowl as he wolf-whistled and said “I see you’ve upgraded. You learning how to drive stick-shift?” while his friends cackled.

This time, Mikaela was the one revving the engine. She turned to look straight ahead to the red light above and took hold of the gear shifter.

“Let’s smoke this fucker, Bee.”

The instant she saw green, she slammed the gas and shifted as the transmission whined. They whipped down the long stretch of highway and she saw that flashy red in her peripheral, following close behind. Lights blurred past and the wind roared in her ears. Concentrating, she gripped the wheel tighter and sped up, shifting once again. Now there was only a red blip in her rearview. Mikaela couldn't help the laugh that bubbled up from her chest at the sight. Bumblebee let out an ecstatic ‘whoop’ from his vocalizer in celebration. But as they neared the next light, he didn't let her slow down. To Mikaela’s shock, he sped into the intersection, downshifted, and slammed his e-brake, spinning them nearly 360 degrees, and swerving to make a u-turn into the opposite lane. He slowed down slightly as they passed by a slackjawed and embarrassed Trent.

Mikaela was panting a little as she gripped her seat. But after a moment of silence she exhaled and began giggling again, flopping back down into her seat.

“Good job, Bee. Next time, though, try and warn me before reenacting 'Tokyo Drift',” she said, and smiled when he gave his own weird, tinny mechanical laugh.

Chapter Text

Bumblebee took in the warm sunlight hitting his plating as he drove down the open road at a steady 70 mph. For miles in every direction was orange, sunbaked earth, split by the unbroken line of faded gray asphalt. The sky above them was a beautiful blue, criss-crossed with stark white contrails. The heat hadn’t bothered him at all- certain places on Cybertron could get much hotter- but for the sake of the human in his chassis, he’d rolled the windows up and put on the A/C. Mikaela was peacefully resting her eyes as they drove, but Bumblebee could tell she was nervous.

For such small creatures, humans could hold a lot of anxiety- especially Mikaela- he thought amusedly. They were both excited to see Optimus and the others, but he supposed she was nervous that the US government would change their minds on her status as a liaison. Optimus, however, was one stubborn mech when he had to be. Bee was sure that as long as it was safe, he’d insist on allowing the girl to remain in direct contact with the Autobots. Whether the stuffy middle-men liked it or not.

Only another couple minutes and they’d be at the coordinates of the new N.E.S.T. base. Bee surfed the radio waves and his internal audio files to let Mikaela know. The act was one he was used to- scouring for someone else’s words to try and communicate- but it didn’t mean it wasn’t frustrating sometimes. The residual energy of the Allspark had partially healed his vocalizer, but it still hurt so much to try and speak. And now the Allspark is gone, disintegrated. The only shard left is safely sealed away- his vocalizer was not at all a priority when it came to the threat of Decepticons stealing it back.

He exvented. Maybe one day, when it's safe, they’ll let Ratchet take and use it to completely heal him.

While lost in thought, Bee realized he could see the tall chainlink fences in the distance, and settled on just nudging his friend awake with his seat. Mikaela stirred and rubbed her eyes, making one of her weird human noises. The second she saw the looming fences, she began chewing on her lip, and ran her hand through her hair. Bumblebee tightened her seatbelt in a makeshift hug as they drove closer and slowed to a stop at a checkpoint. He rolled the driver’s side window down and an armed military officer peered in, before waving them forward.

Slowly, he followed the winding path ahead, in and around several warehouses and buildings and fenced-off areas until he saw what he was looking for. Standing in front of the largest warehouse were Ratchet and Optimus, chatting casually. Bumblebee wanted to jump for joy at the sight, and slid to a stop in front of them. He opened his door for Mikaela, and promptly transformed, pulling the two into a swift hug. Ratchet gave a grumble about human culture rubbing off on him, but hugged back all the same, and Optimus gave him a small pat on the shoulder.

Bumblebee pulled back, to see Mikaela out of the corner of his vision. She stood there awkwardly, hands shoved into her pockets, watching the three of them quietly. Optimus took notice as well, and lowered himself down to her.

“It is good to see you again, Mikaela Banes.” he rumbled, offering his outstretched servo.

Bumblebee felt her relief as she answered, “It’s good to see you too, Optimus,” and stepped onto it.

The larger mech raised the girl to about eye-level, and turned towards him and Ratchet. “I hate to leave so soon, but I must talk to young Mikaela in private. We’ll be back shortly. Besides, I believe Ratchet has a long overdue appointment with you, Bumblebee.”

Bee slumped dramatically, feigning defeat, before giving a broken laugh and responding, “-You’s got it, boss!-”

As the two walked off, Ratchet gave a small amused huff. Ratchet, Ironhide, and Optimus had known each other since before he was forged. They’d been through everything together, and despite their clashing personalities and opinions- they were as close as ever. It made Bumblebee feel sentimental- especially after the loss of Jazz. The thought of his dear friend made his spark twinge painfully. Jazz was loved by everyone, but he had helped mentor and train Bumblebee. And now he was one with the Allspark.

Ratchet gently rested a servo on his back and brought him out of his thoughts once again. Bumblebee answered his concerned look with a question of his own.

“-Where’s the gunslinger?-”

That got a snort, and Ratchet gestured to the inside of the warehouse. As they walked in, he could hear the growing sound of an argument. Bee turned the corner to see Ironhide looming over a disgruntled human in military attire.

“What do you mean, ‘safety risk’?! It’ll be perfectly safe!” Ironhide exclaimed.

“We aren’t making an incendiary shooting range in the backyard, man. I only have one house, one wife, and one newborn child, I’m not risking blowing them up because you wanna try out your new toys.” the man shot back, clearly having had this argument before.

Ironhide waved him off, “Bah! It’s not my fault you humans are so squishy and flammable! I used to-” he stopped abruptly as he caught sight of Bee.

Bumblebee trotted closer and Ironhide gave him a gentle cuff over the head, grappling with him playfully before squeezing him in a bearhug.

“Finally you're here, youngling! Someone who appreciates fine weaponry when he sets his optics on it!” Ironhide chided, giving him a hefty punch on the shoulder. Bee activated and whirled his cannons in response- it felt good to flex them after so long- and mimed aiming at an invisible enemy, earning him a chuckle from his old friend.

Ratchet and the human looked on, unimpressed at their shenanigans.

The green mech growled half-heartedly, “Come on, Bumblebee, before somebody shoots themself.”

“Hey! That was one time, centuries ago!” Ironhide shot back, indignant.

Ratchet rolled his optics and beckoned Bumblebee over to a closed off section of the building. He opened one of the rolling doors to reveal a large medbay slab and worktable. The metal walls were lined with shelves containing Cybertronian medical equipment- but also human things like car batteries, oil, and antifreeze.

“Optimus wasn't joking when he said we had an overdue appointment. I need to do a full physical assessment, including your vocalizer.”