Arcee got up and dressed in the best thing she had: a black dress that settled just over her knees. Optimus squirmed into a suit. They both looked...not as professional as Optima, but they were her near-equal.
Ratchet was waiting for them outside the courthouse, and he nodded when he saw their clothing. "Optima's inside. She's peeved, but we can easily work around that. All you guys have to do is act like a concerned uncle and aunt wanting your nieces."
Arcee hesitated. She wasn't married to Optimus, they were mated, which was totally different and more permanent. They couldn't easily back out of a bond. A divorce was basically a paper calling their marriage off. But bonding was forever, no matter what the other did. That was how mating worked. "But I won't technically be seen as their aunt. I'm not married to Optimus. They won't believe me when I say we're bonded. They don't get that." She was referring to the humans.
Ratchet nodded. "But we'll have to pretend you're married." He led them in.
Just as predicted, Optima fought for the nieces. Ratchet played videos of the children while they slept (Victori in a bed, Lioness hunched over in the corner of the room with her eyes wide open, but she twitched and mumbled in her dreams), ate, and played (which included sitting in a corner, staring off into space, and drawing on the walls).
Ratchet spoke, cutting Optima off. "These girls are in need of a family, a father and a mother, and a loving home to call their own. They need special care only a complete family could offer, and they need to be tended to constantly until they are both well. After they are united with a complete family, their states should improve dramatically. If not, they could become further withdrawn."
Optimus couldn't help but count how many times he hinted at putting the femmes with a family. Optima was neither married nor mated while Optimus and Arcee were.
And the court saw that as well, but Optima had a better home (not an apartment) and an actual job (not drawing pictures or rocking in a band).
Ratchet, during a recess, said that himself. "But..." He set a picture of a house in front of them. "I don't want them to live with Optima. She's too strict and the children will stop being children the moment they step through her door. So, I offer this house, funded by the institution. Rent free. All you have to do is agree to me coming over regularily and checking in on the girls."
Arcee's eyes widened. "That's it?"
Optimus took the picture and nodded. "We will move in as soon as possible."
When the court heard what had been planned and let the children in to sit down due to Ratchet's request (since apparently they were rowdy and Lioness bit someone), they saw as Victori tore away from her escort and jumped into Optimus' lap, pressing her face into his chest.
"Daddy!" She clung to him, even as the escort tried to take her away, apologizing repeatedly under his breath, but Optimus didn't know to who the apology was intended.
The court made its decision to send the girls to live with Optimus and his "wife" Arcee. Optima earned visitation rights every Thursday. She vowed to find a way to get the babies in her care. Optimus remained on high alert ever since.
ooo
The house was beautiful. Because of the move, Arcee had to quit the band and Optimus took up a job (a semi truck driver) which made Arcee giggle to no end until she heard that he would be working nights all night. There was even the chance of him not coming home at all!
"Quit the job."
"Arcee, you know I cannot do that." He kissed her face, dragging her down onto the bed. The children were tucked into (or in Lioness' case, under) the beds in the room just down the hall. "I have to support our family now."
"You have to support your family. They're not related to me!" She crossed her arms and looked away.
Optimus kissed her neck and cheek, pulling her close. "They will be...they are really sweet once you get to know them."
She sighed, but leaned against him and nodded. "Okay..."
"I start working tomorrow. You can handle a fierce eight-year-old and a three-year-old, right?"
She shrugged. "If they're related to Nemesis, probably not, but I'll take my chances."
Down the hall, Lioness was chewing on the blanket under the bed Optimus had wrapped her up in. She didn't like him, or the femme he was with. The only one she wanted was Mama. After tearing the stuffing out of the quilt, she looked at the closet and cooed. "Mama!"
Victori sat up and left her glasses on the nightstand, looking at the closet as the door opened and the figure she knew as Mama walked out, pulling the little ones into her arms and humming to them.
The sound carried through the vents and woke Optimus. He got up and walked to the girls' room, opening the door to find the children awake and bouncing around, Lioness wrapped in the deflated and stuffing-leaking quilt, Victori in her torn pjs. "Lovelies..." He purred and walked to them, not noticing Mama trembling in anger behind him. "It is bedtime."
"Mama!"
"No, I am Uncle Optimus," he said. He felt something behind him and he turned, seeing Arcee rubbing her eyes as she walked in. "Just some restless young ones. Nothing for you to worry about."
"Except when you're gone and I have to deal with them." She tried to take Lioness, but she buried herself in Victori, hissing and growling. "How do you care for children that don't want you?"
Optimus pulled Lioness out of Victori's arms and laid the oldest in Arcee's arms, letting Lioness claw at his arm and bite his neck. "You turn off your pain receptors." He laughed softly and wrapped Lioness in an old, tattered blanket that she was found with. He didn't know where it came from. All he knew was that it calmed the child down. Lioness rolled back under the bed.
Victori was staring up at Arcee as if she had never seen the femme before. Then she blinked and slowly curled up in her arms. Arcee laid her down slowly, then awkwardly tucked her in.
"There we go," Optimus purred and he led Arcee out of the room. Just as the door closed, the sheets covering Victori were ripped back and shredded.
"They're complete animals," Arcee groaned as she flopped onto the bed. "How do I feed them? Put the food in a bowl?"
"No." Optimus laid out on the bed, yawning. "I will show you how in the morning. I recommend you sleep now."
Arcee sighed and nodded, curling up against his side.
ooo
Optimus prepared oatmeal laced with Energon and cherries in the morning. Cherries seemed to be all the children wanted to eat. Pits were everywhere on the floor before Optimus swept them all up and threw them away. He lectured them lightly on trash can ediquet, then he sat the girls down in his lap to feed them. He drank Energon from a cube, letting the little ones take hits off it until Lioness coughed her oatmeal into the cube. He gave it to Lioness after that.
Victori tried to help him do the dishes, but she was easily distracted by Arcee's pet she found at the pound. "Puppy!"
The Pomeranian jumped at the child, nearly bowling her over.
Arcee watched, holding her mug of warm Energon. She nodded. "That's Ginger," she said. "Don't get her wet. It's disturbing to see a wet Pomeranian."
Optimus left after lunch, prying Victori off his leg and handing her off to his mate. "I will be back before you wake up. Keep them from trouble, yes?"
When the door shut, Arcee turned to Lioness, who was running around after Ginger, possibly with the intention of eating her.
Arcee set out crayons and paper, a plate of crackers, cheese, and cubed solid Energon, but the children ate the plate and drew on the walls instead. Arcee sighed, about to clean the walls when Ginger the red Pomeranian became Ginger the next meal. She knew Ginger could probably outrun them if it came down to it, so she let the children chase her. She knelt, rubbing the crayon drawings away. Most of it was stick people, but there was a scene that disturbed her.
It was definitely Optimus and it was definitely her sitting on a bed, Optimus' malformed head against her crooked neck. Were the children spying on her? What else did they see? She scrubbed the scene away and finished just as the children gave up.
They stared at her acussingly when they found their artwork had disappeared.
Arcee struggled not to snarl. "Crayons are for paper," she said, drawing on the paper with a chewed-on crayon. Victori nodded and started to draw too, but Lioness snapped at Arcee's fingers.
They had macaroni and cheese with a side of chicken nuggets and cherries for dinner. Arcee had her cube. She was startled when Victori sat in her lap to eat, but she let her. Lioness was glaring at both of them as if the two sisters had some agreement to not touch Arcee that was now no longer in effect.
Victori asked to be tucked in. Lioness bit her. Victori walked to her room for a glass of milk. Lioness bit her. In the morning, Victori tried to help Arcee make breakfast. Optimus stumbled into the room with a to-go cup of Energon he probably got from one of the Cybertronian-owned gas stations. Lioness bit both of them in greeting, then decided the middle of the hardwood floor looked like a toilet.
Arcee pointed at the puddle, but Optimus cleaned it up and kissed her cheek.
"Let it go. She probably thinks all floors look like toilets now." He rubbed Lioness's head, mumbled something about combing her hair, and jerked his hand back before he got bit again.
Arcee found him later after doing the dishes. He was asleep, a brush in his hand and Victori in his lap. Lioness was under the couch, chewing on the brush. Victori blinked vivid blue eyes at her and smiled. Lioness growled.
Mama stood behind the couch, glaring at Optimus, but hating Arcee.