Endpoint (A TFP Fanfiction)

A few years ago...

"<Optimus?>"came a young, tired voice. Not a voice to be heard like normal, just understood.

The Prime turned slowly, towering over the young scout. Bumblebee was gazing at him with tired and concerned optics. Optimus was surprised he had spoken to him, especially after recent events. The quiet mech had become even more silent, surprising everyone as he proved it possible. Now, Bumblebee stood behind him with slouched shoulder pads and a sad, longing look on his faceplate. Optimus gave him a look of concern, worry falling over his scout and young friend.

"Yes, Bumblebee?" he replied gently, praying that the smaller mech wouldn't go silent again.

The said mech shifted slightly, looking down at his pedes. "<I.. was just wondering what you were doing up right now,>" he said rather quietly.

Optimus glanced up, as if just noticing the time. "Ah, yes, it does appear to be the later hours now." He looked back down to Bumblebee. "I was searching for any remaining Iacon signals; they could, hopefully, give us an upper hand against the Decepticons," he said after a pause, choosing his words carefully.

Bumblebee cringed at what he had said nonetheless. Without them meaning to, the words had stung, even if had been a mere few months after Arcee's demise, and a few days since...

The Prime noticed the small Bot's wince and sighed. "I am sorry.."

The little scout shook his helm slightly. "<I.. it's okay.>" He looked back up to his leader, memories flooded in his optics. "<What happened to them wasn't your fault, Optimus.>"

Optimus' chassis shuddered slightly at the memory. Looking back, it seemed as though he could have done nothing for them, but deep inside, he knew that there must have been something to save them from destruction.

"<The bomb was already active,>" Bumblebee said sadly. "<If Wheeljack hadn't warned us and tried to shut it down, we could all be dead, too,>" the poor scout whimpered. "<Smokescreen was just... being an idiot, as usual.>"

Optimus shook his helm, sadness overwhelming his spark. "They did not deserve such a fate," he said quietly, looking up, as if wanting to see the two in the heavens. "I feel as though... I should have done something, anything, to have changed their fate."

Bumblebee kept gazing at his mourning leader. Watching his expression turn so hurt, so empty, he realized he was seeing a mirror image of himself. His own optics twisting slightly, he reached up and placed a gentle servo on Optimus' arm, seeing as he couldn't reach his shoulder plates.

"<None of us... could have done anything,>" he said as the leader looked back down to him. <And none of us can do anything now. We just have to.. move on. Keep fighting.>" A ghost of a smile reached his faceplate, both and surprising and calming Optimus Prime.

"Thank you, Bumblebee," he said after a few moments of silence, returning the scout's kindness with his own small smile.

Bumblebee nodded and drew his servo away. He blinked and looked away for a moment, seemingly embarrassed. "<Maybe.. you should recharge. You always get on to Ratchet for staying up so late.>"

The Prime nodded at this, realizing quickly that he was rather tired. He shut the monitors off and both of them headed to their own quarters, sorrow still edged in their sparks, but a small sliver of hope had found its way into both of them.

--------------------------(Hey, look, a lazy time skip)--------------------------------

"Another encryption has been decoded," Optimus declared suddenly, raising his voice so the others could hear.