(TFP) Book 3: This Little Word Is Harsh

Chapter 8

   Bumblebee's p.o.v

     Optimus was walking to his berth room, a worn face placed on his faceplates. "Goodnight sir." I said to him with a couple beeps. He turned and looked to me, "Goodnight to you too young one." With that he turned and walked away, disappearing in the darkness of the hallway. My optics rotated as I turned my helm to the med bay. Crosshairs and Ratchet must still be in there taking a look at Hairs' arm.
     I entered the med bay, they were both there. Crosshairs was watching Ratchet work on his arm. Crosshairs' faceplates would flinch a tiny bit every now and then. "How's it going?" Only Crosshairs glanced at me. "It's nothing serious. He just pulled a couple wires loose." I nodded, every tense muscle relaxing. "So Ratchet, what did you do for a living?" He stopped for a bit but didn't look up. "I Uh, I was a doctor." I guess I caught him off guard because he went right back to what he was doing. "What did you do Bee?" Crosshairs Asked. I sighed and my optics drifted to Ratchet once more. Ratchet had completely turned to look at me. His face was full of concern. "Uh, world war three." Crosshairs looked at me swiftly. "Oh Primus kid." I felt...ashamed? It was like a pit in my stomach sucking in all my wiring. "I-I killed a guy. I had to. He-he shot me through my leg." Then, I couldn't believe what I was doing. I leaked a tear of coolant. "I didn't ask to be in another war! That's all my life cycle is! That's all it will ever be!" I kicked the wall. A dent was made. "Bumblebee." I looked and Hot Rod had entered the med bay. His face was tired. You could still tell that there was new metal placed on his side. It hadn't healed completely yet. "I'm sorry." I whispered. He took me in a hug. "Calm down. We all have our breaking points, sometimes you are just on the road there. Other times you don't know you are there." His wise words sucked in. Him and I always got the sentence  of, 'you are too young to be that wise' but then again, that's what war does. It makes you wise. Wise enough to give wise words like an old man who's seen everything.
     "Kid, no one knows completely what you've been through. Hell, I don't think I could still be standing here if I had to go through all what you have. And I'm sorry for that." Crosshairs was standing up now. "You've been through hell through." I told him, he chuckled. "I promise you, it's nothing compared to your history." He hugged me. The mean pirate like mech really hugged me. I was stunned. He smelled somewhat like Hound just no high grade energon. He smelled of gun smoke, gun powder, and...something else I couldn't place but I liked it. I smiled under the battle mask and hugged him back tightly. "Alright, enough mushy stuff, you're gonna make me get too soft." He smirked at me after I let go and he left. "Bumblebee, he's not all a bucket of bolts. He's been through hell also. Lost his only family in front of his optics. His carrier. She was one of the prettiest. She was an amazing femme. Crosshairs offlined the one that did it a long time ago, you may think it's all over but really he can never be the same." Hot Rod was astonished. I was...remorseful. "Poor Hairs." I whirred sadly. "Poor Hairs indeed." Ratchet muttered.

Hot Rods p.o.v

"What was Crosshairs doing before the war?" Ratchet smiled warmly and took a seat. Bumblebee and I did also.
It felt like when we were five orns old and Ratchet was telling us the story of how we were found. We would absolutely light up when it was how IronHide met Optimus or Ratchet was when he was much younger.
"Alright, so Crosshairs used to be a trouble maker when he was younger. He wasn't a bully he was just a little brat. His carrier and Sire would have him in my med bay on Cybertron almost every week." Ratchet smiled a bit at the memory. "Then, when the war broke out. His Sire was one that joined. His Sire offlined in the line of duty. Crosshairs was sixteen at the time. His carrier died when he was eighteen. We were all there for him. That was when he learned to show some emotion. Now, he doesn't show it as often. When he met Hot Rod and you he wanted to keep you both young forever. Looks like he got his wishes." We glared, "Hey!" He smiled. "Get to bed young ones. You've earned it, we have much to do tomorrow." We nodded as we stood to walk down the hallway. As we were walking I looked to Bee. "Who knew." He shrugged, "Guess Ratchet did. Oh ya, sorry for freaking out, I don't know what came over me." I shrugged, "it happens to the best of us." He nodded which gave me the signal of the closed discussion. "Goodnight Bumblebee." He nodded to me, "Goodnight to you too Hot Rod." We separated and went to our berthrooms.

IronHides p.o.v

I was listening to the conversation of the three mechs in the main room and remembered those horrid times. I wasn't born into a way. My old aft got the childhood Bumblebee and Hot Rod never had. I shook my helm as I laid back completely. "I'm sorry." I whispered and looked at the ceiling thinking about how different this world would be.

   Bumblebee's p.o.v

     I thought about Crosshairs and his parents. Why couldn't I have mine? I don't even think they are alive anymore. Maybe they didn't want me. Maybe they did. Maybe they already died. I have no clue. I guess it's not my choice to know. I wish I could. I wish I had a nice childhood with them. The war ruined that. Megatron ruined that. He ruined my chance of talking in many new different manners on Earth. I hated most of what my cycle was. I had a family during this though. That's all I need. But, when I fail them. It hurts. Both physically and mentally. Could I have done something better to not let that happen? Yes. Oh man and Hot Rod. I failed him once.

   "Bumblebee be ready!" Hot Rods voice came from the com link. "Ready brother." Hot Rod ran out from the other side as I aimed for the cons. I was shooting as fast as possible. I jumped out from my barricade and ran out to join Hot Rod. Then, he fell. "Hot Rod!" He was shot. I was suppose to be watching out for him. I picked him up and shot as I went back to base. He was leaking energon from his mid section. "Hang on, please." I murmured.

     I sighed as I got on my berth and laid back. "I let you down."