I only own my OC's.


You don't know how many meltdowns I've had because of my birthfather.


Birthday Party

August 10th, 9:00 am

We've finally finished moving in, and soon after, I got invited to Annie's party—and so did Carrier and Sire. We're going this afternoon.

Carrier lays out my clothes, and I change into an orange cap sleeved tunic with a white waistband and butterfly on the "skirt", blue jeans with orange gingham cuffs and matching tie belt, and orange sandals. I run downstairs, Flutter in my hand, and climb into my seat at the table before plopping her into my lap. I quickly eat the pancakes and sausage Sire made—they're actually really good cooks—before running out to my backyard, where Carrier and Sire have made me my very own swing set, having learned just how much I love swinging. I set Flutter on the ground and move to get on, but Carrier walks over to me before I can sit on the swing. "Do not get dirty, Mariposa. I do not wish to help you change moments before we must leave."

"I won', Carrier." I climb on the swing. "Push me?" He looks down at me expectantly. "Pwease?"

"Yes, but you need to hold on."

I grab the chains and smile when he starts to push me. "Of course. I don' wanna fall." I giggle. "That'd hurt. I don' like'a hurt."

"I doubt anyone does, Little One."

"Some people like'a hur' other people, though."

"We are not able to correct every wrong in the world."

"Wish we coul'. No like being scawed."

"Why are you afraid?"

"'Cause he coul' fin' me, Carrier! I no wan' him take me 'way!" Tears start pouring down my face.

"Mariposa?" He stops the swing before walking around to the front.

"Wha's wron' with Mari?"

Carrier sighs as Sire runs over. "I am not sure. She mentioned being afraid that her human parents would show up and kidnap her, but I am not certain how that would cause this."

Sire kneels to me. "Mari? Wha's wron'?"

I reach out to him, and curl into his plating with a sob. "Save me."

I feel a hand on my back. It feels good. "There is nothing to save you from."

"FROM MY OLD DADDY!" Carrier moves his hand, which only makes whatever this is worse. I don't know what's wrong with me, but I want it to stop. "Sire! Ma'e i' sto'!"

"Make wha' stop?" I gag suddenly, and throw up on him. "Prowler! She jus' purged on meh!"

"Calm down, Jazz. It is not the end of the world." Carrier sighs before taking me. "Mariposa, what is wrong?"

"Don' know." I whimper before curling into him. "S'eepy. Wan Flu'er."

Carrier takes out a cloth and wipes my mouth off with it before storing it. "Go clean up, Jazz. I will stay with Mariposa."

"Don' hafta tell meh twice."

He sighs. "And unless you wish to get it dirty, I cannot give it to you until I have cleaned you up some." He picks her up and carries her with us.

I turn to watch Sire run inside before looking up at Carrier. "I sowwy…"

He simply sighs before walking over to the bench swing they had special ordered—something about Sire wanting it. "We are not angry, Sweetspark. However, I am quite worried. I had believed you were past the age for tantrums…" He glances down to where I'm curled into his plating again before reaching up to his comm.

"Ratchet?"

"Prowl? Is something wrong with Mari?"

"Maybe. I am not sure." Carrier sighs before moving me, causing me to whimper.


Third POV

"Is it normal for a human to have tantrums after their toddler phase?"

"What?"

"She has done well since she got up, but started crying when I took her outside."

"Did she fall?"

"She specifically mentioned that she did not wish to fall, and mentioned that she was scared because of the human couple who took her in—the male, specifically."

"That sounds like it would be more Smokescreen's case than mine, Prowl."

"He is not here at this time, and she purged on Jazz."

Ratchet sighs. "Are you sure she wasn't diagnosed with anything while with the humans?"

"I do not follow."

"I had to look it up, but there is a human condition that causes what you have described, and, from what I have read, it is similar to your own condition, meaning—"

He glances down to the sleeping child. "That she has inherited my glitch."

"I will send you what I have found on the condition, as well as the name and location of a human specializing in the diagnosis of the condition. This may be required for her schooling." Ratchet sighs. "And I will do a more invasive scan on her when you come for your shift tomorrow."

"Thank you." He glances back down to his daughter.


Normal POV

"Mariposa, you need to wake up."

"No wanna."

He sighs. "I have to get you cleaned up, and I cannot do that if you are recharging."

"S'eepy."

"I know, and you can recharge as soon as you are clean."

"Pawty?"

He looks down at me. "I am not sure it would be good for you, right now."

"Bu' I 'kay now. Jus' s'eepy."

"I will have to keep you home if you purge again."

"Sire mad?"

"I could not answer that, Mariposa." Carrier opens the door, only to find Bluestreak on the other side.

"What's going on? Jazz ran through here complaining about his finish like Sunstreaker usually does. He ran into your berth room, if you're looking for him." He glances down to me. "Mari? What's wrong?"

"I puke on Sire."

He runs a hand over my head. "Oh, Sweetspark…"

"She is fine, Bluestreak. Ratchet believes it was because of a human condition similar to my own."

"But that doesn't make you purge!"

He sighs. "It affects her differently in this form. It was merely a severe tantrum of some sort. We will know more after Ratchet scans her tomorrow."

"What set her off?"

Carrier sighs. "She was afraid, and wished we could correct every wrong in the world. I wish we could, just to ensure she will grow up in a safe place, but we cannot."

"She may have more than your glitch, Prowl. She told me the same thing at the park." He sighs. "She said she was haunted, and asked what you had said about me—that she's traumatized, like I am, but because of the people who took her in."

"She is young, Bluestreak, and she will recover with the right kind of attention." He shakes his head. "Either way, we need Smokescreen."

"He'll get here, Prowl. Until then, maybe I can keep her distracted."

"Maybe. I need to get her cleaned up if she is to attend Annabelle's party this afternoon."

"S'eepy."

"I know, Mariposa. You may take a nap after you are clean. I am not putting you to berth like this."


9:30 am

It's not long before Carrier helps me into my bed. He'd slipped me into a light pink nightgown for now, so I could sleep, and finally gave me Flutter back. I sit up and look at him, one hand on Blankie and the other around my butterfly. "Carrier?"

He sits beside me. I'm glad they made sure my bed would hold them, and they made it taller, too—not so tall . "Yes, Mariposa?"

"Sire's not mad…right? I don' wan' him be mad…"

"I am not sure, but I will talk with him. I am sure he knows you could not help it." He stands before tucking me in. "Now, try to recharge. I will wake you before we have to leave."

"Thanks, Carrier."


1:30 pm, Third POV

Prowl's sitting in an easy chair designed for doorwingers, reading a datapad with the information from Ratchet downloaded, while Bluestreak sits across from him in a similar chair. The TV is on Nickelodeon, playing Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide. Of course, the older Praxian doesn't really enjoy the noise from the TV, but it's keeping the mech quiet, so he's tolerating it.

Jazz walks in and flops onto the couch. He's been out in the yard with his music since Mariposa lay down. "Where's Mari?"

"She is recharging. The meltdown took a lot out of her."

"Ah shoul' say." He blinks. "Wai', wha's a—"

Prowl sighs, shaking his head. "Read this." He stands and walks over to the refrigerated energon storage cabinet, kept separate from the fridge for obvious reasons, and made to look like a steel cupboard.

Jazz sits up before skimming it. "This is about tha' disorder Will tol' me 'bou'. 'E sai' Mari had signs of i' when 'e took 'er ta town day 'fore ya go' 'ere."

"Captain Lennox suggested this to you? Why did you keep that from me?"

Jazz shrugs. "Ah didn' know wha' Ratch sai' 'bou' 'er 'til jus' now, Prowler."

Prowl returns with three energon cubes. He hands one to Bluestreak before setting the second on the table in front of Jazz, then settles in his chair with the third before taking a drink from it. "Ratchet agreed to test her for glitches, and gave me the contact information for a human specializing in the condition."

"Why do ya need tha' when 'e agreed ta tes' 'er?"

"Her school may require documentation, and I cannot give them Ratchet's results. At the very least, the femme will have to review the results, and she may want to test Mariposa herself, as well."

Bluestreak turns away from the TV. "Did you already make an appointment?"

"I have. She has to be there at ten in the morning. I plan to see Ratchet at eight, so I will have time to finish my work before then." He sighs heavily. "A lot will have to change if she has it, Jazz."

Jazz sighs. "Ah know." He smiles. "Bu' a' leas' we go' ya 'roun'. Ah don' think ah coul' handle i' on mah own."

"She'll be all right, Prowl. We'll get through this."

"I know, Bluestreak." He sighs. "But if she…"

Jazz looks up from his energon cube. "Prowler?"

Prowl sighs before setting his empty cube on the table. "If she is diagnosed with this condition, then she inherited my glitch as well. I did this to her." He rests his head in his hands. "What if she starts to think I sent her to this planet because of her condition? I am already finding it hard to forgive myself for sending her here, and the only thing we know for certain is that she was abused."

Bluestreak walks over and lays a hand on his brother's shoulder. "Don't worry about it, Prowl. You'll make yourself crash, and Mari doesn't need to see that."

"She will sometime, Blue. Ah've go' tha' mission tomorrow, and Prowler's gonna hafta ge' her tested on 'is own." He lays a hand on Prowl's. "She loves ya, Prowler. Trus' meh. She's no' gonna hate ya."

"She has barely gotten to know me. I have been on this planet for less than a week."

"Bu' ya love 'er, and she can sense i'. Actions speak louder than words ta a younglin', an' all ya done since ya go' 'ere is love 'er."

"Besides, I'll be here to help him out when she's here, and she's starting school in a couple days."

"Bu' 'e'll be on 'is own with 'er when she's gettin' tested. Ya're no' goin' ta the base 'til later." He stands and puts the three empty cubes into the sink before turning back to Prowl. "Ah'm gonna go ge' Mari up. Ya need ta pull ya'rself together, Prowler. Mari don' need ta see ya like this."


1:30 pm, Normal POV

I feel someone shaking me gently. "Mari, Wake up."

I groan before opening my eyes. "Sire…" I sit up and look at him. "You—"

He smiles down at me. "No, ah'm no' mad. We need ta ge' ya dressed before we hafta leave for Will's farm."

"I still get ta go?"

"O' course! Ah wouldn' le' ya Carrier keep ya home jus' 'cause ya go' scared."

I look down. I remember it differently. I lost it on both of them, and puked on Sire. Back with my old family, that would have gotten me beat at worse, and being stuck in here for the rest of the day at best. "But…"

"Ah'm no' mad a' ya for purgin' on meh. Don' think ya mean' ta, and ya couldn' help i'. Prowler's no' mad a' ya either—if anythin', 'e's worried. 'E's downstairs talkin' with Blue 'bou' i' righ' now." He turns to the closet bar in my room, and activates his holoform before pulling out an outfit.

I've noticed he chooses more colorful outfits than Carrier does, and Carrier usually prefers dresses or skirts when I go out, unless it's just to a friend's house. Even then, it's usually jeans. Then again, I've only been with Sire for eleven days, and Carrier for six, so I might be wrong…

He turns back to me with an outfit in his hand, and helps me into the white short sleeved mini-dress with a butterfly heart graphic on the top and a layered pink and white skirt and dark pink leggings. He boosts me back onto my large bed and helps me into white bobby socks and moves to help me into my pink butterfly teal twinkle toes. "Ouchie!" Tears come to my eyes.

"Sweetspark?"

"Jazz!" Carrier runs to me, shifting into holoform fluidly. "What happened, Mariposa?"

I shake my head. Sire didn't do anything wrong. I whimper and point to my toes before trying to move my socks around. "Socks hurt."

He slips the frustrating things off my feet before glaring at Sire. "Have you already forgotten what I told you while she was recharging?" He flips one inside out and checks for anything that could poke me before running a finger over the seam.

"Ratch tol' ya she migh' have—"

"Not around Mariposa." He sighs before turning to my dresser. "Do we have anything without seams?"

"Wha'? Prowler—"

"Just check her drawer." He turns to me with the sock still in his hand. "Can you tell me what bothered you about your socks?"

I point to the seam. "It's ouchie, Carrier." I look at my toes. "Always hadda keep them on my nails 'cause they hurt, bu' sometimes they hang over an' dig ina my li'l toe. Then I gotta fol' 'em over, and i' makes my shoes feel tight and pinchy on it."

"Ya're lucky, Prowler. She's go' a pair." He sets a new pair beside me, one with pink butterflies on the ankles.

He slips the new socks on before helping me with my shoes. I hop off the bed when he's done, and wait for him to French braid my hair. "We need to get more when we go into town. The seams hurt her toes." He twists heart hair ties with balls on the ends around the ends of my braids, then slips my butterfly tiara in. "I will take Mariposa over before she decides to get into something." He turns to me. "Grab your toy."

I scoop up Flutter as I glare at Carrier. I don't get into stuff that much! "Carrier!"

He simply returns to his normal form and sets me on his shoulder before starting for the door. "Get Bluestreak and meet us at Captain Lennox's house."


Annabelle's Back Yard

We walk up their drive and into their back yard. With Annie not in school, and the bots coming, the only humans besides their family is Epps', Sam and Mikaela, and the Autobots, so he and Sire can stay in their normal forms. I'm clinging to Carrier's shoulder. I've never spent a lot of time with humans who didn't want to hurt me, so I'm scared, and more than a little shy.

"Hi, Mari!"

I look down to see Annie, with a darker skinned boy and girl. Annie's wearing a white T-shirt with pink camouflage trim and "Precious Cargo" written on it in pink camouflage, pink camouflage arm-warmer gloves, flare-leg dark blue jeans, white socks, and pink tennis shoes, the boy's wearing a green dinosaur print T-shirt with jean shorts and sandals, and the girl's wearing a yellow shirt with flowers and a floral skort with sandals. Carrier quickly sets me down in front of them. "This is Fred, and his sister Mozambiqua. They're twins."

The girl, Mozambiqua, smiles at me. "Annie said you was a bot."

I grin. "Yep! Carrier's Prowl, Sire's Jazz." I look down at my arms. "This is Flutter."

The boy, Fred, gives me a contemplative once-over. "You don't look like one."

I look at my new shoes and try not to cry. "Carrier says I'm stuck like this for now…"

Fred sighs. "Oh…"

Mozi lays a hand on my shoulder. "We didn't mean to—"

I feel more than see someone kneel beside me. "Mariposa?"

"I'm 'kay, Carrier. Jus' sad."

"Why are you sad?"

"Freddie 'minded her she can't transform yet."

Carrier nods before looking back down at me. "What do you want to do?"

I look up at him. "I'll be 'kay. I wanna play with Annie."

He nods. "Let me know if you want to go home."

"'Kay, Carrier." I hand Flutter to him and run after Annie and the twins.


Third POV

Jazz walks over to the enforcer as he stands with the stuffed butterfly, leaving Bluestreak with Bumblebee. "Prowler? Did she…"

Prowl slips it into his subspace. "She is upset about not being able to transform, but she is otherwise okay."

"So no trouble?"

"I believe I just said that."

Jazz sighs. "Ah read the same information ya did, Prowler. If she has i', she'll—"

"I am keeping an optic on her, Jazz. Just because she may have special needs, does not mean I must keep her away from everyone." He sighs. "I do not want her to become an outcast."

"Ya think she will?"

Prowl sighs. "I worry. She is my only youngling."

"Don'." Jazz lays a hand on his arm. "Prowler…" He sighs. "She don' hafta be."

"She will require a lot of attention if she has my glitch." He sighs. "Besides, once she is able to reach her true form, she will start developing her abilities, and I will have to focus my attention on her training. Neither of us have the time to care for another sparkling right now."

"Aw, com'on Prowler!"

"No." He turns his attention to the children, who are running around playing party games, except for one. Mariposa is watching something in a field, rather than playing with the other kids.


Normal POV

I lean on the fence, staring at the three horses. I hadn't gotten to see them before. One is Will's—the black one, Shadow, if I remember from what Annie told me when I visited before—then there's a chestnut one with a white nose—Blaze—Sarah's—and a golden one—Honey—Annie's.

"Mariposa?"

I glance back when I hear my name to find Carrier kneeling to me. "Hi."

"What are you doing?"

"It was too loud over there." I shrug. "So I came to see the horsies. I wanna ride one, but I don' know how, so I'm jus' gonna watch 'em."

"I can talk with Captain Lennox if you would like to learn. Maybe he or Sarah could teach you."

I grin up at him. "Really?"

"Of course." He glances to the other bots, then the other kids, before turning back to me. "I need to speak with Ratchet. You should return to the other younglings."

"O-okay Carrier."

He kneels in front of me. "Mariposa? Did one of them upset you again?"

I shake my head. "I-I jus' don' wanna play what they do. They don' play it right. Freddie won' listen to the rules, and Mozi keeps messing everything up. Annie's trying, but with the twins' sisters doing it wrong too…"

He sighs heavily before standing. "Would you like to come with me instead? It will not be very exciting."

I climb up his arm before he can stop me.


Other Side of the Farm

"Prowl, I have more information on—" Ratchet looks at me. "What are you doing with Prowl, Little One?"

"They won' play right."

Carrier sighs. "Apparently the human younglings decided to make up their own rules for a game Mariposa knows by other rules, and refused to listen when she told them how she learned it."

"I was afraid of this…" He hands Carrier a datapad. "I downloaded as much information as I could about the condition, and I sent the contact information for the femme specializing on diagnosing psychiatric issues in children. If you bring her to me when you come for your shift tomorrow, I can run a few tests."

"NO!"

Ratchet sighs before running a finger over my hair. "I have to, Little One."

I cross my arms and glare at him. "You already did a checkup."

He nods. "I need to look for something specific this time."

"Bu'…"

"Mariposa." I look over to Carrier. "Why are you fighting us?"

I look down before glancing back to him. "Doctors use needles. I no like needles."

"She is afraid of needles. Most sparklings and younglings are." He turns to me. "Mari, I doubt I will need to use a needle for anything. Even if I did, I would make sure you did not feel a thing. We are far more advanced than humanity, and there should not be a reason for me to use one unless you get hurt."

"Good." I give him a nervous look. "Promise?"

"I promise."

"Prowler, they're lookin' for Mari. Sarah says i's time for cake."

"Cake!" I slide down Carrier's arm to Sire's arms, and smile when he sets me on his shoulder before running to the group. He's not as careful as Carrier, so he's more fun, but sometimes it's scary. Carrier's careful, and sometimes that's better. He's not gonna drop me if I lose my grip on his shoulder.

Sire sets me down with the other kids. "Hi, Mari! Where were you?"

"With Carrier."

She sighs before glancing to Epps' kids. "Because Bobby's kids won' listen, right?"

I smile. She gets it. "Yeah… That, and I wanted to see the horsies."

"You watched Honey?"

I nod. "She's pretty." I step over with the other kids. Her cake is shaped like a seven, with pink icing and lighter pink squiggles and flowers.

After we sing the usual birthday song, they cut the cake—it's chocolate; not my favorite, but I'll eat it so I'm not rude; because my old dad hated me being rude—and give each of us a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Once I get my plate, I retreat to Carrier's leg so I can eat while curled into him. I can feel him tense up for a second when I climb up, but he relaxes quickly once I sit.

"I' still surprises ya, don' i'?"

"What, Jazz?"

"How much she loves ya, even though she jus' me' ya a week ago."

Carrier sighs before looking at me with a slight smile. After a moment, Sire does to, only to start laughing. My cake's gone, and I'm trying to finish my ice cream. "Sire!"

"Ya go' icin' on ya nose, Sweetspark."

"I do?" I try to lick it off, but my tongue won't reach. Only thing I manage to do is make Sire laugh harder.

Bluestreak steps over, holding what looks like a paper towel. "Try this. Sarah, Mikaela, and Epps just went after the twins and Annie, too."

I look up to see Bobby scrubbing icing off Freddie's eyebrow—how did it get there?—and Mikaela wiping off Mozi's hands, while Sarah's wiping icing off Annie's cheek. I think they had an icing fight, now that I think about it. I was too busy thinking about maybe getting to ride horses.

Carrier takes the paper towel and feels it for a moment before reaching down to wipe the icing I know is around my lips off, then wipes the icing off my nose. It's time for presents now, and we got her a horse playset.

I stay on Carrier's lap while she starts opening her presents.


Home, Evening

Carrier hands Flutter to me, then helps me into bed before handing me a cup of energon. With everything off from the mess this morning, then the party, I missed lunch, which means I missed my noon energon.

I take the cup before pulling the sleeve of my pink nightgown back to where it belongs: at my wrist.

"Is something wrong?"

I shake my head. "Jus' won' stay put. I fixed it."

He sits on the bed beside me. "I noticed you were talking differently today." I shrug. I don't know why I do that. "Are you trying to act like me?" I shake my head, then hug his arm.

"I'm being me, but I don' know why I did it."

"Do not worry about it." He smiles at me. "Now, get some recharge. You need to get up early tomorrow. I am taking you to work with me."

"Work?"

"I have to finish some paperwork for Optimus, and you have to see Ratchet for a few tests."

"Oh…" I forgot about that. "No needles, right?"

"Ratchet promised, Sweetspark."

I hand him my cup and lie down, clinging to my butterfly. I've finally put Lily in the box with my other toys, but I'm still sleeping with Blankie and Flutter, even though my baby blankie is folded on the window seat. "Good." I sigh softly. "Ratch is wrong."

"What?"

I pick at the top blanket. "I'm not scared of needles, I'm scared to hurt. Needles hurt." He pulls the covers back and I climb in, then wait for him to tuck me in. "Love you, Carrier."