I have a poll on my profile page asking a question I really want to have answered. I'm trying to get as many answers as I can, and very few people visit my profile. I've gotten literally one answer in a week, and that's sad. Please answer, and be honest about it.

I only own my OC's!

This starts out JUST LIKE Abandoned, but it isn't. It's similar, but it isn't Abandoned. If you don't want to read the similar if not matching chapters, proceed to "Cons".

Halloween

ratchet's pov

I finally finish my project at six in the morning, and quickly add one of the updates to my hologram systems before checking the statistics. Stable and solid. 'Perfect.' I then turn to my recharging daughter. "As long as she is recharging, I should get some recharge as well."

"Ratchet?"

I turn toward the door after lifting the recharging sparkling, and sigh when I see Optimus. 'No chance to recharge now. The team needs me.' "Optimus. Make sure everyone gets the update. I'm taking Mariposa to my berth. I'll be back."

"Ratchet…" I turn to him. "You need to recharge. We will be all right."

I sigh. "Fine, Optimus."

two hours later

I come out of recharge with a groan when I hear Mariposa crying. "It's all right, Sweetspark. I'm coming." I activate my newly-solid holoform, making sure she sees the action so I won't scare her, then move to the supplies Agent Fowler had gotten for us. After reviewing the directions he had left, I quickly mix the food in a "bottle" before moving to where Mariposa is sitting. I then lift her out of the berth I had set up and set her on my berth. She promptly lies back and starts rolling around, as if this is a game instead of mealtime. "Mariposa, you have to eat now." I lift her and sit her back up before starting to feed her.

Once she's fed, I change and dress her as Agent Fowler had shown us, in a mint green solid short sleeved onesie with a gray flower and collar, gray pants, a gray headband with a mint green bow, and mint green and white tennis shoes with pink bows. I then return to my normal form and pick her up before returning to the main room.

"Ratchet?"

I turn to the practically bouncing youngling behind me. "Yes, Bumblebee?"

"Can I play with her?"

"You can, but be gentle."

"I will." He reaches over and takes Mariposa carefully. After a few steps toward the training room, he turns back. "Thanks, Ratchet."

I sigh. "Peace and quiet."

training room, bumblebee's pov

I step into the training room and look down to the small femme. "Hey, Mari. You want to play?" She looks up at me, causing me to smile. "Hi, Sweetspark. Remember me? I'm Bee." She tilts her head to the side. I don't think she can understand me.

"Bee-Bee-Bee?"

I smile behind my mask. "Yeah. I'm Bee." I tickle her with one finger, smiling when she giggles. I toss her lightly before catching her. She beams and starts giggling louder. I toss her again. She looks up at me before purging on my chest plates. I look down from her to the mess, and back, before reaching to my comm.

main room, Ratchet's pov

"Ratchet?"

I sigh, and try to ignore the comm from the youngling.

"RATCHET!"

"What, in the All Spark, is the problem, Bumblebee!?"

"She just purged all over me!"

I sigh. "I'm on my way. Just stay calm." I grab a cleaning cloth and start for the training room.

Training room, Ratchet's pov

"Bumblebee?" He hands me the sparkling before running for the wash racks. I look down at Mariposa before cleaning her off.

She turns to look down the path the yellow youngling had run, tears coming to her eyes. "Bee…"

"He'll be back, Little One. He's just washing up. I'll let you play with him again after he comes back."

one hour later

"Ratchet."

I look up. "Agent Fowler. What brings you here?"

"I came to check on the little one." He looks around. "Where is she?"

"Bumblebee took her to the training room."

"Ah… I… uh… General Bryce approved your requests for the supplies you'll need to take care of Mariposa."

"Thank you, Agent Fowler."

"How did it go with her last night?"

"Just fine. I was able to strengthen our holograms to be completely solid so we could care for her properly." I sigh. "Though I am unsure as to whether or not the rest of the team has uploaded their copies of my upgrades."

"So it's all good news." He sighs. "I'll be back later. I'm going to go get as much of your order as I can.

I nod and watch him climb into the elevator.

training room, bumblebee's pov

I set Mari down before shifting into my new holoform. She looks up at me before whimpering. "Come on, Mari. It's just me. It's just Bee." Without any warning, she starts to cry.

main room, ratchet's pov

"Ratchet?"

"What's wrong, Bumblebee?"

"She just started crying, and I don't know what to do."

"I'm on my way. Try to calm her down."

"I have been, Ratchet!"

"Calm down, Bumblebee. Your emotions will simply make her more upset."

I walk into the training room to find Bumblebee in his holoform—a teen boy with blonde hair and blue eyes—holding my crying daughter. He's wearing black jeans, a yellow t-shirt, a black and yellow striped hoodie, and white tennis shoes. The second she sees me, she starts reaching for me. Instantly I know the problem. "She doesn't know your holoform, Bumblebee."

"What?"

"She doesn't recognize you. She's just frightened."

"Oh…" He returns to his normal form. "Sorry. Guess you're taking her with you."

"I see no reason to take her from you, as long as you are careful."

"Thanks, Ratchet."

two hours later

I look up when the elevator doors open, followed by the sound of tiny human feet. I shake my head and return to my work, trying to ignore the human child.

"Rat'et! Rat'et! Daddy' takin' me twic-o-tweetin' toni'!"

I sigh and look up. "Hello, Stephanie."

"Hey there, Ratchet."

"And Hello, Maya. What brings you to the base?"

"Bill said you took in a baby girl. I came to help you learn how to care for her."

"And to help get your room set up for her."

"Agent Fowler." I sigh. "What is Stephanie talking about?"

"It's a holiday—Halloween. Children go from house to house, and people give out candy."

"I understand."

Maya looks up at me. "So, where is the baby?"

"Her name is Mariposa, Maya, and she is with Arcee at the moment."

"Mariposa? What kind of name is that?"

Agent Fowler sighs. "It's her Cybertronian name. Her human name is Marianne Rachel."

I fight back a growl. "It's Marianne Rachel Anderson."

Agent Fowler blinks. "What?"

I sigh. "I don't really like talking about it, but I have a twin brother. We've never been particularly close, but we do still communicate through our bond. I've told him of Earth's citizens and what traditions I had learned of… When I told him about Mari, he told me he had chosen a full human designation. I have simply chosen to use the surname he chose for myself and Mariposa."

Agent Fowler nods. "That makes sense. What name did you choose for yourself?"

"Richard." I lower my hand to their level. "Climb on. I will take you to my berth room."

Ratchet's Berth Room, Ratchet's POV

I lower the trio to the floor before sitting on my berth to be closer to them. Maya quickly looks around the room, her gaze stopping at the adjustable metal table I set up so her supplies would be reachable at any height—even in Robot form. On top is a small box I had pieced together so Mariposa could recharge last night, and the metal box where I keep her supplies.

"I have some serious work to do here."

"What?" 'Slag that femme.' "What do you mean you have a lot of work to do?"

"I need to get her a proper crib, a dresser for her things—there's no closet in here—you'll need clothes for her, food, bottles, diapers—you don't have anything you need to care for a child!"

"I beg your pardon! I just got the femme yesterday afternoon!"

"Ratchet." I turn toward the door and notice Optimus is standing in the doorway. "It may be better if you returned to the main room and allowed the humans to prepare your berth room for Mariposa."

I sigh before standing to leave. "Just try not to break anything."

main room

I walk over to the computer and continue my search for energon deposits.

"Ratchet?"

I turn and find Arcee holding Mariposa. "Any trouble with the new programing?"

"Nope."

"How did she do with your holoform? She was afraid of Bumblebee this morning."

"Fine, Ratchet." She sighs. "Mari will get used to us."

"I know. She just needs time." I turn when I hear Agent Fowler walk in. "Maya isn't planning on doing anything too drastic, is she?"

He climbs the stairs before answering. "Just furniture and a play area."

I sigh. 'Thank Primus.'

"Are you going to take Mariposa tonight?"

I turn to Agent Fowler. "Why in the All Spark would I take Mari anywhere?"

"Halloween. I'm taking Steph trick-or-treating."

"I believe she is far too young for human sweets."

"She is—now—but they last quite a while. Maya's kept most of Steph's hidden away for a year already." He sighs. "I meant that it's not good for a human to stay inside for long periods of time, and that taking her outside is the best way to solve the problem before it starts. I have Stephanie's first costume with us if you want it."

I sigh. "I guess it won't hurt her, so long as it's a warm night and she is not recharging."

"I'll be by with Stephanie at six."

"I'll see you then, Agent Fowler." I glance down to where Mariposa is almost into recharge in my hand. "I need to put Mariposa down."

later that night—ratchet's pov

I sigh as I pace beside the new crib in my berth room. Mariposa just finished her last meal of the day, and we are waiting for Agent Fowler to arrive. With Arcee's help, I was able to get the pink, purple, and yellow butterfly costume Agent Fowler left for us on her. Now all that we need is—

"PRIME!"

…Him. I look down to make sure he didn't scare Mariposa. She looks up at me with a question in her eyes before reaching up in an attempt to grab the pink tip to one of the antennae on her costume. I laugh softly before carrying her into the main room.

"Agent Fowler."

"Ready to go?"

"Go where?"

"I am simply taking Mariposa into Jasper, Bumblebee. Agent Fowler and Stephanie will be coming with us." I transform and open the passenger door for Agent Fowler. He climbs into the back and fastens the children in—Mariposa on the cot in some kind of baby carrier, and Stephanie in the seat behind the driver's seat in a built in child seat.

jasper

I activate my holoform as Agent Fowler sets up a stroller. He turns to me as I walk back to get Mariposa. "Don't bother, Rick. I'll get the girls out."

"I was just getting my daughter. She seems frightened by you for some strange reason." I climb back out of my vehicle mode with Mariposa in my arms.

"Are you going to carry her like that the entire time?"

"I don't see why not."

"If she gets too heavy I'll just make Stephie walk. Maya got you a stroller, you know."

"I've barely had Mari for a day, Bill."

"I understand. You've been passing her around the base all day, just to be overly clingy now."

"I want her to know the others. This is the first time today that I've had her to myself."

"But she has settled in?"

"So far as I can tell."

"She's still pretty young. It shouldn't take that long for her to accept you and the team."

"She's already accepted Sadie and Orion, but she's still timid around the others."

"That's good."

I look down at Mariposa and watch as she tries to grab the antennae again.

"She seems interested in that costume."

"Yeah. She's been trying to grab the antennae since Sadie and I dressed her."

Agent Fowler laughs. "Stephanie was annoyed by them."

"All children are different."

"Have you been researching again?"

I turn to glare at him. "I had to learn how to care for her somehow."

base, two hours later

I pull into the base and let Agent Fowler out with the girls, then transform. Agent Fowler hands Mariposa to me before leaving through the elevator.

"Did the two of you enjoy your time together?"

I turn to where Optimus is watching the monitors. "Yes, we did. She mostly slept through it, but I was able to update Fowler on how she has settled in without blowing cover."

"Good." He sighs. "Refuel and recharge. I will finish with the monitors."

"You shouldn't have to keep doing my job, Optimus."

"You are caring for a sparkling, Ratchet, and you have barely recharged in two days. Mariposa needs you at your best."

"I guess you're right. Goodnight." I start for my berth room when I realize that I have yet to tell Optimus of my discovery. "Optimus, I found out why the matrix was reacting to her." I sigh. "She is the Star Healer."

"Shining Star chose a human femme?"

"Don't ask me. I'm not the one with instant access to the wisdom of the ancients, Optimus."

"She is Cybertronian royalty."

I nod. "Even if she were a normal human femme, she would be so to me."