I only own Marianne! Everything else belongs to Hasbro!

~Bonds, Hot Spot~

~Bonds, Blades~

~Bonds, First Aid~

~Bonds, Groove~

~Bonds, Streetwise~

~Bonds, Marianne/Mariposa~

"Normal"

'Thoughts'

"Comms or phone, other side"

"Bumblebee, Tones"

"Bumblebee, Comms"

"Bumblebee, Radio"

I'm a What?

Home

First Aid walks in, carrying me in one hand. The rest of the team is back—which is surprising. I hadn't expected them for a few hours.

Hot Spot turns to us from the back door. "What happened?"

I shrug after Aid sets me down. "Meltdown. Hate 'em, can't help 'em. Wish I could, though."

"She ordered what she wanted at the furniture store, and they'll deliver them in a few days."

"Um…"

I look up to the wary fire-bot. "I can put it together myself. I told them to leave them outside the door." I sigh. "The mission?"

"Went fine."

"We put the frames in the medical bay."

I nod. "All right." I sigh heavily. "ETA on Bumblebee and the others?"

"Three hours. Said they needed to drop off the Yeager's first."

"Thanks." I sigh softly before grabbing my computer, then start for the stairs. The room they set up for me happens to be the one with a walk-in closet—of course, they don't really need closets, so it doesn't matter who gets the "master" bedroom. "Guess I'll get out of your metaphorical hair…"

"Why don't you come with me?"

I look up at the medic in shock. No one usually wants me around after I "melt down" on them like I did earlier. "I'll be fine, Aid. Really."

"I mean it." He smiles. "Besides, I may be able to help you with what we talked about."

I smile before running after him. "But I thought—"

He picks me up and sets me on his shoulder, computer and all. "Hold on tight, both of you." He sighs. "I haven't gotten the chance to scan you yet." I give him a look. "Ratchet wouldn't be happy about it, that's all." He sighs softly. "And, the results will tell me if there's any chance for you to truly get what you want, or if we'll have to show you what it's like on our own."

"Meaning…"

He sets me on a berth before stepping back so I can look around. There's a few cabinets, and another large berth, with a door in front of me and a tarp in one corner. He glances to me before turning to find something in one of the cabinets. "I'm going to scan for Cybertronian features, rather than only doing a routine medical scan. If I find something, it means you're a techno-organic, which means there's a chance one of our kind could form a spark-bond with you. It may not be as strong as what my brothers and I have, but it would give you a taste of what it's like."

I give him a hopeful look, but I have to know the other options. "And if I'm not?"

"Then I'll talk with my brothers about letting you stay with us sometimes, so you can at least have a grasp of being part of a gestalt."

"Stay with you?"

He shrugs, still searching for the… whatever it is that he apparently misplaced, this time in another cabinet. "While we've got our own quarters, we usually recharge together, in the room across from the one you chose. After almost losing them…" He sighs. "I guess I'm a little protective of them, too."

"Not a crime." I shrug. "Aid, trust me. I'm protective too—overly so, sometimes." I look down. "I wish I had my kitties…"

"Kitties?" He pauses for a moment. "Cats? You had a cat?"

"Two, actually. I almost lost one two years ago, because Dad didn't want her inside, but I couldn't just throw her out." I sigh heavily. "The other one was dumped in my lap. She's the sweet one. Miko's the frustrating one, but I still love her."

He looks down at me. "What happened?"

"I had to leave them behind. Miko doesn't travel well, and Winky hates riding in cars." I sigh heavily. "I'm worried about them. Mom had Winky declawed—they cut out her claws, it's a ten-part amputation. I got Miko after Mom died, so she's still got hers, but she's more wired than her "sister", too."

"Sister?"

I shrug. "They're my babies, Aid. I don't care if they're a different species, they're my babies."

He sighs before walking over with something I can't recognize. Too late, I realize I'm in an alien medical bay. It's not that I'm scared—quite the opposite, actually. I'm excited—so much that I'm about to jump off the berth and run around, trying to see everything at once. "You're not afraid of being in the same berth as us, are you?"

I give him a look. "I told you I wasn't." I tilt my head to the side. "I'm just a little confused… You don't—"

"No, no, no. We don't do that. We're brothers, Mari. The only time our sparks are that close to each other is when we're combined, and it can't be prevented."

"Right." I rub the back of my neck. "Just had to ask. Prevents anything awkward in the future." He leans down and starts the scan before stepping away to look over the results. "So…" I slide over to the edge and start kicking my feet. I have more energy right now than I have over the last week—thanks, excitement. It feels like I've gone through six cans of mountain dew in the last hour.

He glances back to me. "You seem… excited?"

"First time in an alien medical bay, and I love the medical field. I wanna see everything!"

He laughs softly. "Reminds me of Hot Spot—except for the medical part."

"Excitable?"

"Energetic." He sighs. "Very energetic."

I smile. "Sounds like someone I know…" I giggle softly. I'd always been the first EMT in the rig when I was still on the team.

"Really? Who?"

I giggle again. "Me." I smile when he stares at me in surprise. "I was the first one on the ambulance every time a call came in, and—except for that one time—I remembered what to do. None too bad—save one that thankfully—and sadly—was called off."

"Sadly?"

"First Mass Casualty event. Thankfully for the people, sadly for me." I shake my head. "God, I almost fainted from excitement on the way to my first call. I couldn't breathe, I was so excited."

"Sounds like you'd be a good addition to the team—once you get trained."

"Isn't that up to…" I point toward the house.

"I'm the CMO, remember?" He sighs. "And I meant the Autobots. We could use another medic. Without…"

I nod. "I know, Aid." I look down before sliding off the berth.

"Where are you going?"

I sigh softly. "Just looking around. I'm not leaving."

He kneels to me. "You don't have to be defensive. We're not going to hurt you." He smiles. "And I'm not upset. It's all right." He stands. "Go ahead and look around, but don't get underfoot. I don't want to step on you." He hands me my computer. "And keep this little guy with you."

"Gladly." I sigh softly. "Wish he—er, it—was a bot. There was one before…"

"He's on his way, with Bee."

"I remember that." I look down. "But he's damaged. He lost a leg. I wish I knew how—but—"

"I'll see what I can do." He turns back to the screen. I hear the sound of metal hitting the floor. "Aid? Is something—" I run over and pick up the large cloth to find a battered wrench. "Oh…" I run a hand over it. "Must've belonged to Ratch…" I look up. "Aid? You okay?" I tap his leg. "Aid?" I shake my head. More than likely, he's talking with his brothers through the gestalt bond. "EARTH TO FIRST AID!"

He jumps before looking down to me. "Sorry…"

"Don't be." I sigh softly. "You okay?" I hold up the battered wrench and the cloth. "You dropped this."

He sighs before sitting behind me, then takes it. "This used to be Ratchet's favorite."

"I figured that." I smirk. "The one he threw, right?" He nods, causing me to giggle before sighing softly. "Wonder who he threw it at last…"

"A door, actually. Sideswipe escaped."

Now I'm out-right laughing. It's only a moment before he joins in. "Guess it's a good thing I was good at dodgeball, huh?"

"Yep." He stands and steps into another room before setting it down, then returns to the computer screen, but instead of reading anything else, he glances over it before kneeling to me. He picks me up and sets me on his shoulder before setting my laptop behind us. "Do you know how to read this?" I shake my head lightly. It's in Cybertronian—I think the Autobot language. "But I could decode it."

"What?"

I wave toward my computer. "I downloaded the Autobot and Decepticon codes a couple years ago."

"Ah." He sighs. "Well, that may take a while. I'll just tell you what it says."

I look up at him. "Anything bad?"

He shakes his head before settling on the berth again. "Something good. You're not just techno-organic…" I tilt my head to the side. "You're a Prime, Mari."

"I'M A WHAT!?"

"You're a—"

I shake my head. "I heard you, I just don't believe you."

"The Star Healer…in my medical bay…"

Apparently I'm not the only one surprised. "Aid? What—"

"We can save him… We can really—"

The door slams open, causing me to jump before cowering behind Aid's foot as four sets of legs appear. The slamming door caused a minor flashback, and I'm scared.

"Aid!"

"What happened?"

"Are you okay?"

"Where's Mari?"

He stands, being careful not to step on me. "I'm fine."

I take a shaky breath, one hand resting over my heart. "I'm not…"

Hot Spot kneels to me. "What's wrong?"

I take a deep breath. "I thought you-know-who found me."

He sighs. "We're sorry."

"We thought something happened to Aid."

I shake my head before looking over to where the others are cuddling into him. "Well, he's a little shaken up, but I don't think it's a bad thing—well, not a bad reason, anyway."

"He told you—"

"About the disruptor blast and its effects? Yes. Trust me, I know. I understand the sensory issues too."

"You do?"

"I've had a few sensory overloads in the past myself, Spot."

"Triggers?"

"Sudden loud noises make me jumpy, first off, so no air horns please. I don't actually have triggers, because they come on suddenly, but I know how you could tell. I'll have on sunglasses, or I'll have my music off. They don't usually happen all at once."

"Tactile?"

I move my hand side-to-side. "I get a little more sensitive sometimes, but it's really hard to explain. I'm still learning about my condition myself." He nods, then glances up to Aid. "Go ahead. I'll be okay. I'm not a stranger to flashbacks." I look at my hands before glancing toward the tarps piled in one corner. "Hmmmm…" I wander over before lifting one corner, and freeze in shock. Ratchet's head, with the armor half-melted off from KSI and damaged from Cemetery Wind and Lockdown, is staring at me blankly—well, not exactly, but it feels like it is. I stumble back with a scream, then start to cry almost silently as the memories from the movie flood my mind.

The five almost sound like one mech. "MARI!"

Someone picks me up before holding me against their chest. "What happened?" It's First Aid. I shake my head before curling up against his chest. "Spot…"

"She—" He glances at the tarp, still slightly raised. "Oh, no…"

"What?" The others turn to him.

"She moved the tarp."

"The—" First Aid glances over. "The tarp." He sighs. "Why didn't you put them in his—in my office?"

Blades sighs. "Sorry. We didn't think, Aid."

Streetwise scoffs before waving a hand toward Blades. "He didn't think."

Hot Spot sighs. "I used to think things like this couldn't happen with us…"

First Aid sighs. "I'll get her inside. Maybe I can calm her down."

"Blades, Streetwise, move the frames into Aid's office before she comes back out here. Groove, check on the new base set-up. Mari's been trying to get it livable, but she—"

"I know."

"Where are you going?"

"To check on Mari. She was really shaken up."

"I'm really sorry, Spot. I didn't know she'd—"

He sighs. "Don't worry about it."

Inside

I sigh and curl into Aid's chest. "You okay?"

I nod, but don't move from my spot. "Wanna cuddle."

In his favor, he only raises an eyebrow ridge. "I'm the only one here right now…"

"What's wrong?"

"Not anymore."

"She's all right, Spot."

"Just a little shaken. I didn't expect to see a head staring out at me like that." I look down. "And the fact that it was Ratch's…" I sigh softly. "I'd never had a bad call before…" I rub the back of my neck. "I mean, I did go out on a paramedic assist once, but it was medical, not trauma. I've… never seen so much damage before, Aid. I—I don't know if I can do this… I wanted to be a field medic when I first became an EMT—that and a doc, but…"

He runs a finger over my head. "You're a natural. I can tell." He sighs softly. "It's not easy for me, either, but…"

"We do what we must."

"Ratchet used to say that to me after a bad day." He looks down at me. "Where did you hear that?"

I shrug. "TFA's version of Ratchet. He said it to Omega." I sigh softly. "And one of the medical dramas I used to watch said that if you hang onto your feelings—your compassion—if you're gonna be a good doctor—you're gonna get sick sometimes, but helping the patient is more important than how we feel." I look down. "But…" I sigh softly. "I almost fainted over practicals, Aid. If I can't even handle a little oral exam, how the slag am I supposed to be a doctor!?"

"Be patient with yourself, first of all. I've got medic programing and I didn't get here in a day." He sighs. "So, when's your class start?"

"Wednesday. Why?"

He smiles. "I want to make sure I'm free to take you in."

"Aid, you're an ambulance—" I giggle. "And a Protectobot. Why wouldn't you be free?"

"I may be needed at the fire department, or one of the Autobots may need me."

"The class is at the fire department, goofy." I laugh softly. "I figured whoever took me in would pretend to be a normal truck for the day and run with them while I worked on refreshing skills."

"Good idea." We glance up to the fire-bot behind us. "I'll be out in a few minutes."

I slide off Aid before starting for the back door. "I need to check on the suites for Bee and the others."

"Groove should be almost done by now."

I shrug. "All right." I glance over to them. "Sorry… about being so high-maintenance. I never wanted to cause so much trouble… I can—"

The fire-bot kneels in front of me. "You're not causing any trouble."

"But Blades—"

"Blades is going stir-crazy because we haven't had a battle in a while. It's not your fault. We may be close-knit, as a team and as a family, Mari, but we're still different mechs. We don't get along all the time. Blades and First Aid disagree all the time." He sighs. "You should have seen the Aerialbots, though. Silverbolt's team was always fighting over something…"

"Like Briar and I. He got all the attention, and I had to handle myself most of the time. As we got older, he started hitting me, but I didn't have the right to hit him back. I used to be desperate for siblings who rarely fought. You don't know how lucky you have it, Spot. Really…" I sigh before changing the subject. I don't want to talk about my old family anymore. "But Blades and Street—"

"Street wanted to put the frames in Aid's office so you wouldn't be upset. Aid was going to handle the worst damage, then have you come help with the minor, so you could get some training. Blades put them in the corner."

"Groove?"

He shrugs. "Just followed the others. Not everyone's used to having you around yet, but we'll get there."

"I know."