I only own my oc's!


RE-EDITED!


Aftermath

Ratchet puts Bee's legs back on as Ironhide watches me. I'm know I'm too young to be left alone.

I hold my baby blankie against my cheek as I look up at Ironhide. "Hide, where's Sire?"

He sighs before motioning to one side. "There's nothing you can do, Little One. He's gone."

I sigh heavily. "He and Optimus both say I have reviving power. I have to try." I step over and cover my hands in fire before climbing up and laying my hands on his chest. I know I should be afraid right now, but I can't live with the pain of losing Sire, and so far as I know, I don't have a Carrier. Ratchet had taken time to put him back together before he started working on Bee's legs. "Come on, Sire. Don't leave me!"

"Never 'gain, Girly."

"Sire!" I smile and curl into his plating. "I'm sorry!"

"Wha' for?"

I look up at him, to see him smiling at me. "I hit you, and I called ya a jerk 'cause you didn't defend Bee. I'm sorry. I know better."

Sire sighs. "Ya're jus' a sparklin' still. Ah can' ge' mad a' ya. Ya were worried 'bou' Bee."

We all head up to the cliffside, with me riding in Sire while Sam and Mikaela ride in Bee. Once Optimus arrives, he lets me out and transforms. "With the All Spark gone, we cannot return life to our planet. And fate has yielded its reward, a new world to call home. We live among its people now, hiding in plain sight, but watching over them in secret, waiting, protecting. I have witnessed their capacity for courage. And though we are worlds apart, like us, there's more to them than meets the eye. I am Optimus Prime and I send this message to any surviving Autobots taking refuge among the stars. We are here. We are waiting."

Optimus sighs as Captain Lennox walks over. "We have located a base of operations for you and your team."

"Thank you, Captain Lennox."


That Night, Normal POV

Sire starts toward Ironhide and I once we're settled in, then turns back to the medic. "Ratch?"

The Hummer steps over. "What else do you need? I'm busy!" I know he'd had to check Sire over after I brought him back, and he's trying to set up a medical bay in our new base.

Sire leads him over to me. "Her human family abused her."

Ratchet nods and leans down before laying a hand on me. I've changed into a blue pajama top with an Autobot symbol print and pink collar and cuffs and blue pajama pants with an Autobot symbol print and pink cuffs, and I'm carrying my baby blankie. "Sweetspark."

I fall backward in shock. I quickly clamber further back.

"My name is Ratchet, remember? I'm a friend."

"Then why' you scare me, Ratch?"

"I just need to check you over and make sure you didn't hurt yourself."

"Okay…" I glare up at him. "But no needles!"

"Don't worry, Sweetspark, I don't need to use any."

"Good."


MED BAY

Ratchet runs a scanner over me, then looks up to the doorway, where Sire is watching me. "She is malnourished, Jazz."

Sire sighs. I'm not usually hungry, and he can't get me to eat much most of the time. I simply shake my head nervously as Ratchet looks me over. "I jus' no' hung'y, Ratch."

"You need to eat more, Sweetspark." Ratchet sighs before cleaning the scrapes I got from when Starscream shot the truck, then bandages the worst of them.

Sire looks over at us. "Ah have ta go ge' our rooms se' up. Ah'll be back." He looks up. "Optimus."

"Go. I will stay with her."

"By the All Spark." Ratchet looks up to Optimus. "Optimus, she's been beaten." He looks back down at my back. "Appears to have been done several times before. I picked up several healed fractures from my scans, I can see the scars from some kind of metal—"

I whimper. "His belt. Pwease don' tell them I tol'!"

"Don' worry, Sweetspark. Ya're safe now." Ratchet glares at Sire, causing him to shrug. "Ah jus' rescued her, Ratch. She's still healin'."

I nod. "They use me as a punchin' bag. Guess they didn' plan on me bein' stubborn."

"It is good that you were, for you have survived. You are safe here." Optimus sighs. "I have to contact Major Lennox."

I cross my arms. "I has a name."

Optimus leans down to me. "Major Lennox has a sparkling daughter."

"Wanna stay wif Sire, Optimus!"

"I will return shortly. Jazz…" Optimus then walks out with Sire behind him.

"Do I hafta stay in here?"

Ratchet groans. "Unfortunately."

I look down. "Don' you like me?"

Ratchet sighs. "Of course I like you, Sweetspark, but I do not like having healthy mechs and femmes in my medical bay."

"So I jus' in the way." I look around the empty medical bay. "Even though there' no one here."

"Which is how I like it."

"What's a younglin'?"

"A youngling is our term for a child or teenager."

"Oh…" I look toward the familiar voice. "Optimus!" I grin. "An' Sire!"

Optimus steps over quickly before lowering a hand to me. I take it and follow him. Optimus looks down at me before turning to Ratchet. "Major Lennox is on his way."

I look up at Sire. Ironhide went to take Lennox home, and Bee's with Sam. "When can I leave?"

Optimus sighs. "Tomorrow, after Captain Lennox arrives."

"Good." I smile up at him. He then lays me on his berth. "Optimus, don' leave me here!"

"I shall return shortly. You have been through far too much. It is time you were safe."

"And you' keep me safe?"

"Yes, Little One."

Sire helps me into his berth before covering me with a small blanket. I pull my baby blankie closer before cuddling into him. "Night, Sire. Love you."

"Ah love ya too. Now ge' some res'."

"You stay?"

"Ah'll stay righ' 'ere."


August 4th, Third POV

Lennox walks over quickly. "Optimus? Where is she?"

"She is in my berth room." He sighs softly. "She is Jazz's daughter, Captain Lennox. I expect you to keep her safe. Her Sire is quite protective of her, and he is special ops."

"She is through here, Captain Lennox."

I turn at the voice. "H—Hi. I Mari. Can I stay wif Sire? Pwease?"

Lennox smiles gently. "Of course, Little One. We are working on getting a place for you and your parents to stay." Lennox sighs. "But if not, you can stay on base. You are one of them, after all. I know they take good care of you here."

Optimus nods. "Thank you, Captain Lennox."

We watch the two leave. Once they're out of sight, Optimus turns to look at me. "There's a lot of you, aren't there?"

Optimus sits down beside me on the berth. "It may seem that way, but there aren't as many as we used to have."

I crawl into his lap and lay one hand on his plating. "They' come, Optimus. They' come."

"I know, Little One." Optimus glances down at me. "You are safe now."

"I know. I has a family."


ONE HOUR LATER

I look up when Optimus walks in with Sire. "Major Lennox has returned. He wishes to take you with him."

"What? I wanna stay here wif Sire."

Optimus sits on the berth. "You can, Little One. He is just taking you to get a few things." He smiles slightly. "A berth in your size, some clothes, some toys…"

"Oh. Yay!"

He hands me some clothes. "And your Sire sent these for you to wear."

I nod and quickly change into a red cap sleeved T-shirt with a silver Autobot graphic, blue overalls shorts with cuffs, red sandals. "Let's go!" Optimus nods and lowers a hand for me. I quickly clamber in. Once we're in the main room, he crouches to me. "Be careful, Princess."

"Okay, Optimus. Tell Sire where I go." I run over to Lennox. I trip, but thankfully, I don't fall.

He buttons my jacket, then stands and looks up to Optimus. "I'll get her back as soon as I can."


Store

I grab a blanket-kit and stuffed butterfly, then quickly toss the blanket kit into the cart. It's already almost full of toys, and now it's time to get clothes. I'll see if Sire can help me make the blankie later. For now, I wanna hug my new friend. "Flutter!"

"Mari, put that back."

"I want it."

He sighs heavily. "Then at least put it in the cart so we don't lose it."

"Hug!"

He groans before leading me to the clothes. After getting several outfits, we start for the pharmacy.

"What scent do you like?" I tilt my head to the side. "Help me pick out your soap, Sweetheart." I nod, and point to the strawberry shampoo. "Mari…" He crouches in front of me. "Why aren't you talking?"

I shake my head before shrugging. I don't know why I don't like to talk in public places, I just don't. I feel scared—like everyone is staring at me.

I watch the Captain pick up a toothbrush, and tug on his camo pants, causing him to look down to me, then crouch to me with the strawberry toothpaste he'd grabbed. I lay a hand on my tummy. "My tummy feels funny when I use that."

He sets it back on the shelf before grabbing a different tube, and hands it to me. "It's fluoride free." I tilt my head to the side. "It's a chemical that they put in city water, and some people can't handle it well. This one doesn't have it."

"Thank you." I grab the cart with one hand and stick my other in my mouth. I don't know why, but it feels good, so I do it.


base

I run inside and hug Sire while Lennox unloads Ironhide.

"Jazz, we need to talk." He turns to one of the other soldiers. "Bobby, could you start putting her stuff away for me? I might be a while."

He shrugs. "All right." A dark-skinned hand reaches down to me. "Come on."


Third POV

Lennox sighs before sitting on the human-sized chair in the rec room. Thankfully, it's empty, with Bumblebee off-base, Ironhide waiting up front, Optimus in the communication hangar, and Ratchet setting up the med bay.

"Wha's wron'?"

He looks up to Jazz with a sigh. "Jazz…" He runs a hand through his hair. "First off, you may want to know she's got an intolerance to fluoride."

"Ta wha'?"

"It's a chemical in toothpaste and city water. She said it makes her stomach hurt. I looked it up while Ironhide was driving." He looks at his lap. "She's not…like Annie, Jazz. She may have some kind of disability. She…" He sighs. "She chattered about Disney Princesses the entire way in—even sang some—but when we got to the store, she barely said anything, and seemed more vigilant than a soldier who's been under heavy fire for weeks."

"Ah can handle i'. 'Er Carrier has a glitch."

"A what?"

Jazz sighs. "A disability, in 'is processor. Ah'll see what ah can do." He glances down to Lennox. "Wha' kin' of glitch ya thin' she 'as?"

"From the way she's acting, autism." He shrugs. "She's really a sweet kid, Jazz. You'll get through this." He looks at his watch before sighing. "I need to get back home. Annie wasn't happy when I had to leave again today, but I only have the one booster." He smiles. "I picked one up for you too. She'll need it for a few years yet."


Normal POV

I climb into a blue sleeper with an Autobot symbol print and pink collar and cuffs. It's not one of my new jammies, but Sire left it where I could reach it. He's talking with Will still, so I'm gonna get myself ready for bed. I know how, after all. I climb the leg to his bed before crawling across it. I love climbing, but I hate heights, and his bed is tall—well, not as tall as Optimus' berth is, but tall to me.

Sire steps in. "Will sai' ya had trouble with fluoride."

"I don' know why."

He sits beside me. "Anythin' else do tha' ta ya?"

I look down before looking back at him. "My ol' mommy use'ta use lots of oil—the kitchen kind—and it made my tummy hurt when I ate "good". Mexican food made my tummy hurt too—I couldn' even ea', 'cause the smell was bad 'nough. Fish do that too." I start twisting the hem of my sleeve around my fingers. "An' I no like bread. It feels funny on my tongue. An' puddin' don' taste righ', an' sometimes yogurt bugs me too."

He lays a hand on my back. "Ah'll make sure ta remember tha', Girly." He waves toward the bed Mr. Epps put together. Optimus told Lennox to get the biggest and strongest he could find, so it's thick, strong wood, and what he called a King. I didn't know beds could be royalty. "Bu' righ' now, ya gotta ge' ta bed."

I climb into the big, empty bed. Last night, I got to sleep with Sire in the big bed, but now I gotta sleep alone. "Love you, Sire."