I only own my oc's.

Discovery

August 14, 2016, 2:00 AM, Scrapyard outside Crown City

I'm woken up by the sound of someone purging. I sit up and fumble around for my glasses and smartphone. Once I find them, I slip on my glasses and quickly turn on the flashlight on my phone so I can scan the pitch-black room for the source of the sound. I can't really see anything amiss in the room—Fixit's cot-like bed is against the far wall, his meager belongings are piled in the corner across from it, my own mattress with my special transformers blankets and sheets is obviously under me, with a cinder block beside me as a nightstand. On the cinder block are three water bottles, a weather-ready lantern, and the book I had been reading the night before. On the floor by the mattress is my laptop and tablet, and my usual pair of tennis shoes. My few boxes of clothes and belongings are in the far corner, with a door between my stuff and the orange minicon's that leads to a Cybertronian bathroom that's been upgraded for a human to use as well.

I stop the beam of the flashlight on Fixit's bed—his empty bed. "Great…" I climb out of the bed and pad over to the door before knocking lightly. "Fixit?"

The minicon's usually chipper voice comes through the door, sounding a little more tired than usual. "I'll be out in a minute!"

True to his words, he's out within the minute, and looks up at me. I know he's expecting me to go inside, but I crouch in front of him and rest a hand on his shoulder. "You okay, Fix?"

"I'm fine, Mariposa."

I rub the back of my neck nervously. "I thought I heard someone purging…" The minicon gives me an apologetic look. "Fix…"

"I-I wasn't trying to wake you up…"

I shake my head and try to herd the minicon toward my own bed, even as he tries to head to his own. "Fix…" I sigh heavily. "That's the third time this week…"

"I'm fine, Mariposa."

I shrug. "If you say so…" I sigh softly. "I think it's been happening too often for you to be fine, though…" I motion toward my bed. "Why don't you lay down with me, and I'll see what's going on with you as soon as we wake up."

He sighs softly before rolling toward my bed and sitting on the edge. "Thanks…I guess…"

I sit down beside him and put an arm around him. "What's wrong, Little One? You seem…cranky… It's almost like—"

The next thing I hear is a soft sob as the minicon buries his head in my chest. Through the coolant tears streaming down his faceplates, he tells me everything. "I've been purging for close to a week… I feel tired all the time… I've had a helm-ache off and on for the last three days…" He gags suddenly, and I reach over to grab the empty cube from his supper the night before and hand it to him moments before he purges—almost on my lap. "Th-thank you…"

"Don't mention it, Fix." I run a hand over his head. "You'll be okay, Sweetspark… I'm right here."

He turns to me with a soft sigh. "You don't have to be."

I shake my head. "I know." I smile at him. "I want to be." I help him into my bed before sitting beside him. "Little One…" I sigh softly before stroking his head. "You were alone for too many years on that stupid prison ship. I was alone for years before I found Bee. I understand, and trust me when I say it wasn't something I want to see others suffer through. You're my buddy, and I plan to stay right here no matter what you need—even if you don't want a bond, or whatever kind of connection Drift has with his little guys, I'm sticking with you."

"Thank you." I smile down at the little guy as he moves closer to me, and lays his head against my shoulder. "I was usually ignored by the larger bots because of my glitch…"

I giggle. "What glitch?" He opens his mouth to answer me. "I know what you're talking about, Sweets, but I do the same thing, all the time. If I can screw up and not think twice about it, then why wouldn't I give you the same?" I shrug. "I may laugh sometimes, but that's something I can't help, and I know you understand why."

"You have one too." He sighs and sits up before blinking at me. "I'm sorry…"

I shake my head. "Don't be, Fix. You're sick…"

"I shouldn't—you're not—you don't want someone like me around…"

I scoff and cross my arms. "Now who told you that ball faced lie?"

He whimpers softly. "S-Sideswipe…"

"Hush now… It's okay…" I slide him onto my lap carefully before pulling him close to me. "I never would have stayed in here with you if I didn't care about you, Fix… Trust me." I smile slightly. "The only thing I liked about Transformers when I first learned about them, besides Optimus himself, was Minicons, so don't you dare think I don't want you around." I scoff. "Those idiots on Cybertron may have thought you weren't worth anything, but I don't, and if I ever see them, this pacifist is going to be locked in one of those stasis cells for kicking a few heads in."

"You…You'd do that for me?"

"Yes, Little one. Of course I would. You mean the world to me, after all. I'd give my life to make sure you were safe and happy." I smile down at him. "And the only reason I haven't offered to be a deployer or symbiote carrier for you is a fear of rejection on my part." I stare in shock as the little guy starts out-right crying, again, in my arms. "F-Fixit? What did I say, Baby?"

"Y-you r-really w-want m-me?"

I nod, and smile gently. "I wouldn't have said it if I didn't mean it, Little One." I simply pull him in for a hug before looking him in the optics. "Now, you need to calm down before you get yourself all worked up, Sweets."

"Well, no one ever wanted to have me for a companion or symbiote because I have a glitch."

I glance to Fixit with a gentle smile. "I've always liked the idea of having a symbiote, but I was too afraid of rejection to ask the minicon I wanted as one…"

"W-wait…" I glance down to him, waiting for him to figure it out. "There's only two other minicons here, and they already have a deployer…" He looks up at me. "You wanted…me? You-you really wanted me? But I'm…"

"You're an amazing engineer, a great medical assistant, and you're adorable. I don't care if you say the wrong word at times, or if you get caught in a verbal loop, because I do the same thing, so if you were about to say glitched, forget it."

"I'm vorns older than you, though…"

"It doesn't bother me, Sweets… You're important to me…"

I move the blankets back and help the minicon get settled in—the wheels, which are actually a special-built "wheelchair" because of his model's miss-shapen feet, sitting off to the side by the mattress—before settling in behind the minicon, cuddling into the warm metal, and pulling them over myself. I then reach over Fixit to my phone and change the alarm to ten.

"Why…" Fixit yawns heavily. "Why'd you change your alarm?"

"We're both sleeping in tomorrow, and I'm running a full medical exam once you wake up."

"I'm okay, Mari… It's probably just a virus…"

"If it is, then you'll know for sure tomorrow." I sigh softly. "Besides, you've been a lot more sensitive than usual, and I need to know that you're okay."

Morning, 10:00 AM

I groan and switch off the alarm before sitting up. I sigh softly as I slide out of bed and get dressed. Once I'm changed, I turn to check on Fixit to find him still recharging. "I'll let him recharge. He's been pretty tired lately, after all…"

"M-Mari?"

I sit on the mattress and lay a hand on the minicon's shoulder. "Just go back to sleep, Little One. We'll worry about your medical exam once you're ready to get up…"

He sits up anyway. "I've already recharged too late, and I've been doing that all week. I have too much work to do."

"Fix…" I sigh heavily. "What time have you been getting up? You're always up before me…"

"I usually get up at six, but since I started purging I've been getting up at eight or nine."

"About the same time I usually do…" I sigh heavily. "Well, since you've been sick for almost a week, you're off duty unless Bee needs you specifically. Just get some rest, and let me know when you're ready for me to do your medical exam…"

"Okay…" He lies back down and lets me pull the covers up.

"And don't be afraid to call me if you think you're going to purge again. After all, once you're better, if you still want to be my symbiote, we can form that bond…"

12:00 PM

I look up from the plate Denny had brought me from the diner when I hear Fixit's wheels. "Hey, Little One." I set the plate down and turn to him with a smile. "How you feeling, Sweets?"

"Better, thank Primus."

I nod. "That's good." I pick up the small cube I'd grabbed from where they've stored their energon and hand it to him. "Lunch, then we'll get you checked out, all right?"

"Okay…" He sighs softly before taking a drink from the cube. "Where is everyone?"

I shrug. "Chasing down some con. Again."

He finishes the cube off quickly, then rolls over to the command center. "I need to be ready in case they need—"

I run over and lay a hand on his shoulder, leaving my plate on the chair. "Fixit, Sweets, relax. I've been watching them. Everything's going just fine." I smirk. "As a matter of fact, they should be back any time now."

"If you're sure…"

"I am, Sweets." I set a half-full cube beside him on the console, causing him to give me a confused but grateful look. "I noticed you'd been drinking a little more than usual… I hope I'm not overstepping…"

"Thank you…" He shakes his head. "I was about to ask for another…" He finishes the cube almost as quickly as he did the first and turns to me. "I…I guess I'm ready…"

I take Fixit back into our room, rather than doing the exam in the tent where we usually do the medical exams and repairs, so he can have a little privacy. I start with a scan, wanting to have an idea of what's wrong before going on with the rest of his exam. I pause over his spark and I can't help but smile. "Fix…you're sparked…" He looks up at me. "You're carrying, Sweets."

He starts laughing, causing me to give him a confused look. "The doctors back on Cybertron said I'd never be able to carry…"

I pause for a moment to count before turning to the minicon. "Well, they lied, then, because you're definitely carrying. There's ten newsparks."

He looks at the floor before looking up at me with tears in his optics, and a small smile on his face. "C-can I see?"

I nod, and smile down at him. "I need you to lie back on the berth, so I can check a few things, then I'll let you see, okay?" He nods and lies back on my bed. I cover my hands in the inferno and rest them over his chest before closing my eyes so I can focus on his spark. After a moment, I open my eyes, and nod down to the minicon. "Everything looks good." I step away and grab the small mirror Denny had hung in the bathroom for me, then rejoin the minicon. I set the mirror on the side of the bed and smile down at him. "All right, Sweets… I need you to open your plating so I can get one more look." I wait until he does, then re-check the count and status before picking up the mirror. "All right, Little One. You ready to see?"

"Yeah…"

"Okay…" I set the mirror as close as I dare. "There they are…"

He adjusts it to where he can see. "Holy Primus…" A single finger runs over the reflection gently. "I'm going to be a Carrier…" He looks up at me. "They're okay, right?"

I nod and run a hand over his head. "Everything looks good so far, so yes." I take the mirror and wait for him to close his plating before I help the little guy sit up. I then step into the bathroom and put the mirror back before rejoining the minicon in our room. It only takes about a minute to realize the minicon is crying his little spark out over something. "Fix?" I sit beside him and run a hand over his head. "What's wrong, Sweets?" He doesn't respond, but buries his head in my chest and clings to me. "Shhhh… It's going to be okay, Sweetspark… I'm right here…" I sigh softly and pull him in for a hug, and simply hold him until he starts to calm down. "There now… It's okay…" I lean him back and wipe the tears out of his optics with my thumbs before pulling him into my lap. "Now… What's wrong, Little One?"

"I-I'm scared…"

I smile gently before running a hand over his head. "You're allowed to be, Little One. Anyone in your position would be." I pull him close and cuddle him for a moment. "I'll be right here if you need anything."

"Y-you don't h-have to be…" A single coolant tear rolls down his faceplates before he starts crying again. "I'm sure you don't want a carrying minicon as a symbiote…"

I sigh softly and lean him back to where I'm looking him in the eye and smile gently. "Your being sparked changes nothing, Fixit." I pull him back in and let him rest his head on my shoulder. "I want you Fix, no matter what your condition, and I promise, a few newsparks won't chase me off. You mean the world to me, after all… I'll never let you fall…"

"Thank you…" He yawns and cuddles closer to me before drifting off. I wait a few minutes to make sure he's out before removing the wheels, tucking him back into my bed, and stepping into the command center with my computer so he can recharge.

"Fixit's not up yet?"

I look up to find Denny, and shrug. "He was, for about half an hour. He's out again, though."

Denny nods, and moves to slip out of the command center. "I'll make sure Bee knows to keep it down."

"Thanks." I sigh heavily. "Think you could let Drift know I need to talk with him alone sometime?"

"Why?"

I sigh heavier. "I need some advice, from someone who already has minicons." I smile in spite of the weight on my shoulders. "I'm planning on forming a symbiote bond with Fixit once he's feeling better."

"Forming a what?"

"Symbiote bond. It's a stronger version of what Drift has with Storm and Stream."

It's less than half an hour before Drift walks over to where I'm leaning against the console. "Hey."

"Denny said you needed some advice?"

I shrug. "Sort of…" I sigh softly. "I know Storm's kind of emotional, and I'm planning on forming a Symbiote bond with Fixit. Since he's the first minicon I've ever had, I wanted to make sure I don't do anything that could hurt him… I mean, he's such a sensitive little guy, and he's had such a hard life… And now…" I sigh heavier and flip over the console before shifting to my robot form. It's pink, with galaxy print trim and pink doorwings, and, while extremely similar to my twin brother, with my Carrier's—Elita-One, FYI—finials. I usually like to stay in my human pretender form, so I can interact with the humans and minicons on their level, but that doesn't mean I hate my true form. "We just found out he's carrying, and from what he told me, I'm pretty sure this will end up traumatic in some way, and…I just don't want to see him hurt…"

Drift sighs heavily. "I still have much to learn in that aspect of mentoring…"

"I'm aware of that, but Storm hasn't come to me with anything close to what he did back when you first joined up with us." I shrug. "Besides, the only people I can go to besides you is Fracture or Soundwave, and I think you know why I don't want to go to them."

"I understand…" He sighs softly. "Jetstorm and Slipstream are still younglings, so it may be difficult for me to understand your position with Fixit over the next few months, but I will do my best to help you where I can."

"Thanks, Drift. That's all I ask…"

"How is he handling the news?"

I sigh softly. "He keeps thinking I'm going to back out because he's carrying—or sick, or because Sides says I hate minicons—which I don't, by the way. I love the little guys!" I shake my head. "He's recharging right now. Poor little guy exhausted himself—started crying over the fear of what's coming, and thinking I was going to leave because he's carrying." I sigh heavily. "If I wasn't a devout pacifist, I'd be over there slagging Sides right now for putting that slag about me hating minnies into the little guy's head." I sigh softly. "I need to get back in case he wakes up. I'll let you know how he's doing later…"

"That will not be necessary, Mariposa."

I sigh as he walks away, then run to the command center before returning to pretender form and running inside.