Swiftalert heard something move next to her. The femmes optics shot open and she scrambled away as she held onto the sparkling. A mech crouched next to her with a welder.

"Easy now. I'm not going to hurt you." He said trying to calm her down. Her optics adjusted and she relaxed when she saw it was an Autobot field medic. She rested her helm onto the little bots and allowed the mech to fix her wound.

"What's your name?" He asked gently trying to keep her calm. He noticed the sparkling in her arms and could tell she was trying to protect him.

"Swiftalert." She mumbled. "I worked at the hospital taking care of the little ones. There's nothing left now." She muttered as she kissed the little bot in her arms. The field medic looked at her for a moment.

"I'm Ratchet." He said as he smiled slightly. "We came down here looking for survivors. We'll take you back to our base, it's safe there." He muttered as he went back to work.

"For how long?" She asked and he knew she was concerned for the sparkling. He paused and looked at her.

"I'm not sure..." he admitted.

~~

A stellar cycle later. The nurse and little sparkling had been sent to a small camp after the field medic had found them. They remained there with other bots as the war raged on around them.

One night Bumblebee woke up screaming, he sat up and hugged himself as he cried. Swiftalert woke with a start, she jumped off her berth and sat next to him. The little bot sobbed uncontrollably.

"Shhhh....it's okay. It's okay." She whispered as she sat him on her lap and held him close. She rocked him gently as he cried.

"H-he's going t-t-to hurt m-me." He sobbed as he held on to her. The femme looked around but didn't see anyone else. She rested her helm on to his and she sighed softly.

"There's no one here..... you're safe." She whispered.

She felt his little frame shake with each sob. The little bot would occasionally have nightmares of the attack on the hospital. It mostly ended with Megatron trying to hurt him, or her. The nightmares had become more frequent and terrifying for him. She wasn't sure what to do. The little bot started to calm down and he stopped shaking.

"I've got you." She said soothingly. He wiped his optics and looked up at her.

"You'll always protect me, right?" He said as he pleaded with his optics. She had always told him that, but she knew she wouldn't be able to.

"There is going to be a day where you have to protect yourself, because I won't be there." Swiftalert said. He just stared at her. "But as long as I'm here, I'll protect you." She said as she smiled. He nodded and leaned his helm against her as he dozed off. She held him tight and quietly wished the war would end.

~~

Half a stellar cycle later...

Swiftalert stared at the floor as Bumblebee fiddled with some stray wires from a machine. A mech had just told her that it was no longer safe for the little one to be there. She knew they were going to take him away to the academy. The femme sighed softly and hung her helm. She closed her optics and tried to think of some way to protect him, keep him from the war. She scolded herself for being selfish. But was it selfish to want to protect someone you love? She jumped as a little servo touched her arm. Bumblebee looked at her with concern.

"What's wrong?" He asked. She smiled sadly but didn't say anything. The room was quiet for a moment.

"Is it because I have to leave?" He whispered. She looked at him optics wide. She hadn't told him that. He was a lot more observant than he let on. She crouched to his level.

"Yes Little Bumblebee." She admitted. "You will be safe at the academy." He looked at his peds.

"Are you coming with me?" He asked hopefully. She wanted to cry he had a way of touching her spark.

"No.....they need me here." She muttered. He nodded and hugged her tightly, she wrapped her arms around him and a tear escaped her optic.

Later she stood in front of the ship and the little bot smiled up at her. He was excited, he had told her how he wanted to be the best Autobot warrior ever. He tugged on her servo and she crouched to his level. He grabbed her arm and wrapped something around it. She looked at it and saw a blue and dark grey wire wrapped tightly around each other, forming a bracelet. She raised an optic ridge and looked at the little bot who was staring at his peds.

"What's this for?" She asked unsure what to think about it.

"It's so you won't forget about me." He said softly. She stared at him for a moment and hugged him tightly.

"I could never forget about you." She said as another tear fell. He wrapped his little arms around her neck cables.

"I'll make you proud." He said with determination. She choked back a sob and looked into his optics.

"You already have my little Bumblebee." She said as she poked an imaginary nose.

They hugged again and she kissed his little helm. He smiled and walked onto the ship. She stood up as he waved happily to her and grinned. She waved back and smiled sadly. He turned and went inside. She watched the ship take off and fly away.

Swiftalert realized that she would never see that little bot again. The femme covered her mouth as a sob escaped. She would never see his smile, never see his bright blue eyes, and probably never see him alive again. She silently sobbed as the ship disappeared.