I only own Mariposa!


First Sunday

Dream

A tank starts firing. Sire drives up with Ratchet behind him.

"Move out! Let's go! Let's go! Move!"

Mikaela glances over and sees a tow truck while Sam runs to Bee. Bumblebee crawls over to Sam.

"I'm not gonna leave you." Sam says.

Bee picks up the All Spark and lays it in Sam's hands.

"Keep it safe." Sam looks at it nervously.

Ironhide transforms, flips over two bullets, fires his cannons, and lands on his feet. He rolls, missing two more, then transforms back into the Topkick. Sire rolls over, transforms before jumping onto the tank.

"Come on, Decepticon punk!"

The tank transforms. Sire kicks a gun off of Brawl's right shoulder before getting thrown into a building.

"Oh, my God!" a lady screams as he makes impact.

Ratchet then runs over and cuts off his arm.

"Concentrate your fire!" The soldiers start shooting at Brawl.


Mikaela smashes a hammer through the driver's side window of a tow truck, then reaches in and opens the door before starting to hotwire it.

"Come on. Come on."


Megatron flies in, transforms, and slides down a building to land.

"Megatron!"

"It's Megatron! Retreat! Move! Fall back!"

"Fall back!" Lennox repeats.

Sire gets hit and falls on his back, groaning in pain.

"Get our guys out of the way! Get out of here! Go! Get them out of the buggy! Move out!"

"We need air cover down here now!" Epps says.


Mikaela drives up in a tow truck.

"Sam, Mari, help me with this." We run over to help.


Megatron flies to the top of a building with Sire clinging to him.

"That all you got, Megatron?"

"Come here, little cretin." Megatron says.

"Ya wan' a piece of me? Ya wan' a piece?" Sire asks.

"No! I want two!" Megatron rips him in half.


reality

"SIRE!" I blink a few times. It was just a dream. My dresser's right in front of me—I can see my reflection in the mirror—I've got Blankie and Flutter, the bathroom door's open, and I can see both the night light in my room, and the one Sire put in the bathroom, but something still doesn't feel right…

Right. Sire's not here. I whimper before starting to cry.

"Mariposa?" I look up to see a blurry version of Carrier. "Sweetspark, what happened?"

"S-Sire—h-he got ripped 'part…"

Carrier sighs. "I promise you, he is safe."

I pick at my top blanket. "How you know?"

He lays a hand over his chest. "I can feel him. Sweetspark, we—your Sire and I—have a bond. I can sense him."

"He's 'live?"

Carrier nods. "He is alive." He sighs softly before picking me up.

"Where we go?"

"I am taking you into my office."

"Why?"

He smiles. "We are going to at least try to get your Sire on the comms, from their temporary base."

"Oh… Okay." I watch him work at his computer for a few minutes, then smile when I see Ironhide.

"What's wrong, Prowl?"

"I need to speak with Jazz."

"Hold on." He disappears from the screen, leaving what looks like the inside of a tent for a minute. "Jazz, wake up. Prowl's on the comm screen."

"Prowler? Wha's 'e wan'?"

"No clue, but he's got Mari."

Sire's face suddenly comes into the screen. "Prowler, wha's wron'?"

Carrier sighs. "Mariposa—"

"I hadda dweam where you was dead 'gain, an' I hadda see you was okay…"

"Oh, Mari… Is ya Carrier takin' good care of ya?"

I nod. "Unca Blue too…" I whimper softly. "Bu' I miss you."

"Ah miss ya too, Girly." He looks up to Carrier. "How di' i' go with Ratch?"

Carrier sighs. "It was there…"

"Ah wish ah coul' be there ta help ya both with this…"

"We are handling it as well as we can. Do not worry about us. You need to focus on your mission."

"Ah know… Primus, Prowler… Keep an opti' on 'er. Ah don' wan' 'er crashin' 'fore I ge' back. Don' think ya coul' handle tha' on ya own."

"She still has yet to reach her normal form, Jazz."

Sire sighs before turning back to me. "Ya takin' care of ya Carrier for meh?"

I look down. "Carrier crash…"

"Ya crashe' on 'er?"

"To be honest, I crashed on Ratchet, but… she was in the room."

"Bwue colored wif me, though, an' I gotta meet the twins, an'…" I whimper softly. "Why Sunny so mean?"

"Wha'?"

"Sunstreaker was chasing her around the rec room this morning. He was about to harm her when I got to them. He has been punished."

"Where was Blue?"

"He was watching her. From what I could tell, he was too surprised by the events to act."

"I jus' wanted him to color wif me, Sire."

"Tha's okay, Sweetspark. Sunny's kinda unstable sometimes. Ya gotta le' 'im come ta ya, no' the other way 'roun'." He turns away, then turns back with a sigh. "Ah gotta go. Hide's go' a bead on one o' the targets."

"Bye-bye…"

"Buh-bye, Girly. Slee' well." The screen goes black.

"Do you feel better now?"

I nod. "Jus' lonely."

We both turn to the door when we hear a knock. "Prowl? What happened?"

Carrier looks surprised—I don't know if it's because Bluestreak's awake right now, or because he's just now checking. "How long have you been awake?"

He sighs. "Mari woke me up, but I could hear you talking with her, so I figured you'd handle it." He steps over to us as I cuddle deeper into Carrier and move to put my thumb in my mouth.

"Come with us. I need to get her pacifier before she puts her fingers in her mouth again."

The two step into my room, and Carrier quickly sticks Binky in my mouth. "You commed Jazz?"

Carrier sighs. "She had a nightmare where he offlined again, Bluestreak. She needed to know her Sire was still intact."


Third POV

The two look down to the now-asleep child. Bluestreak is smiling, while Prowl looks worried. "Jazz still pushing for another sparkling?"

Prowl sighs before nodding. "He is quite persistent, but I want to ensure Mariposa is settled before I so much as think about another sparkling. Even then…with the risk of passing my glitch on again…it may not be worth it. Mariposa is a special needs child, and even though it does not matter in the end, I… I did this to her…"

"Prowl… She'll be fine. Trust me." He smiles. "You didn't cause her nightmare."

Prowl scoffs. "Jazz did by having her in the middle of a battlefield last week." He shakes his head. "Bluestreak, people with her condition are more prone to trauma, not less. Such a small battle, that would never have shaken Jazz or I, or even you, had her trembling and crying. That, added to the way she was treated before Jazz found her…"

"She'll get through it, Prowl. I did, after all. Smokey'll get here soon enough, and we'll all get through this together."

Prowl stands before gently tucking his small daughter in. "She is so…small, as a human, Bluestreak. She was the same size when she was first sparked. It is almost as if I had never sent her here. While I may never be able to forgive myself for sending her to this planet and that horrible family, at least I have found a second chance to raise my daughter properly." He starts for the door. "Come, Bluestreak. We do not want to wake her up, and we all need to get up early to take Captain Lennox and his family to church."

"I just hope she doesn't have another nightmare. I know how bad this could get."

Prowl crosses his arms. "And I do not? Did you forget who was beside you every night until you were old enough to become an Autobot?"

"No, Prowl. I remember." He sighs. "All I meant was that I know what she's going through on a more personal level."

"I know you do, but none of us will be able to forget." He lays a hand on Bluestreak's arm before sighing. "Get some recharge, Bluestreak. Tomorrow is a busy day."


The Next Morning, 8:00 am, Third POV

"Morning, Prowl."

The mech glances toward his brother before turning back to the stove. "Good morning, Bluestreak. Would you get Mariposa up? Her breakfast is almost ready."

"Sure." He glances toward the energon cabinet.

"I will have your energon ready when you return."


Normal pov

"Mari? Wake up." I blink tiredly before looking up at Bluestreak. "Prowl's almost got your breakfast ready."

"What's he making?" I look down at my nightgown. "An' when I ge' dressed?"

Bluestreak laughs softly. "Easy, Mari. Prowl's got your schedule together, and he knows what he's doing. Just relax."

"Okay…" I climb out of bed and follow Bluestreak down the stairs. "Morning, Carrier."

"Good morning, Mariposa." He sets a blue butterfly print bowl and cup at my spot at the table before lifting me up. Right now, I have to use a special-made booster because I'm still human, but someday, I'll be able to use my real chair. I glance into the bowl and find oatmeal, with blueberries and walnuts, and milk, as well as strawberry milk in my glass. "Yummy!" I quickly start to eat.

Carrier sighs softly. "At least she is eating better than she did last night."

Bluestreak quickly drains the rest of his cube. "Want me to get her dressed, or…"

"I will get her ready, Bluestreak. You need to get ready."

"Yes, sir." I watch him leave the kitchen after putting his cube into the sink.

"Hurry up and eat, Mariposa. I have to get you ready."

"We still goin' with Annie?"

"Yes."

I push my bowl back and slide to the floor. "I'm done."

"Come. We need to get you ready."

"Okay."


Carrier changes into holoform—he's wearing a white dress shirt, blue tie, black slacks, black suit jacket, black socks, and black dress shoes—and helps me into a navy blue cap sleeved sailor dress with white trim, a bow at the collar, and two stripes at the hem, white tights, and white patent leather Mary Jane shoes. He braids my hair into two braids with navy blue ribbons braided in, then slips a navy blue sailor hat onto my head before handing me a white sweater. "Now, we leave in ten minutes. You may bring one stim toy, and no pacifiers."

"Yes sir."

"I need to check on Bluestreak. Do not get dirty." He steps out the door before turning back. "And leave your butterfly. I do not want you upset if you lose her."

"O-kay."

"Get downstairs and pick your stim toy. I will be ready to leave shortly." He sighs when he sees my new phone in my hand. "And leave your cell here. You will not need it in church."

"O-kay." I set it back by it's charger, but don't plug it in.


I climb into Carrier's back seat with my new blonde velvet doll, and quickly buckle. We've gotta get Annie, and we have to hurry.


Annabelle's House, Front Yard

Lennox and Sarah walk out, both dressed nicely, while Annie is wearing a light blue cap sleeved knee length chiffon crinkle dress with sequined embroidery, white tights, light blue ruffle-toe flats, and has her hair curled, with a single silver and blue jeweled barrette in the back. I watch as Lennox puts a booster in the backseat beside me. "Mari!"

"Sarah, you and Bella can ride with Prowl. I'll ride with Blue."

"Why, Daddy?"

He crouches to Annie. "Prowl doesn't have enough room for all of us, and Hide's on a mission. I'll be right behind you, okay?" He straightens up and pats Carrier on the hood. "We'll be right behind ya, Prowl."

"Do not be too hard on my brother. He has been through a lot of trauma."

"I know." He sighs. "Prowl, I've been in the War on Terror. I know trauma."

"I apologize. I was unaware of how deep your military career goes."

"Don't worry about it."

"Hi, Annie."

"You got a new dolly? What's her name?"

"Rose."

"An' your Carrier let you bring her?"

"She's to keep me calm. I's…different, Annie."

"That's okay."

I can feel Carrier sigh. "Thank Primus."


Church

Carrier activates his holoform and helps me out, while Sarah helps Annie out.

"Come on, Peter. I'll show you around." Lennox nods to me. "Mari can stay with Sarah."

"Wan' Blake."

"Who's—"

I lean in and whisper in her ear. "Blake is Blue. Peter is Carrier, but I hafta call him Daddy with the humans. Sire stuck with his bot name, but I gotta call him Papa to humans."

"How you do, wif Jazzy gone?"

I look down. "I hadda nigh'mare, Annie. I dweamed he wa' dea' 'gain." I look up to Sarah. "Bu' Daddy call him, and I getta talk wif him, so he's 'kay. I jus' miss him…"

"An…Hide?"

"Hide 'kay too. He safe wif Papa." I feel Carrier pick me up in his holoform. "Hi."

"I need to get you to your class. Blake, you are just down the hall from her, with the teens."

"I can take her, Peter."

Carrier kneels to Annabelle. "I know you can, Annabelle, but she gets very scared in new places. You may take her next time, and after that, until she has learned where to go."

"Thank you."

Lennox kneels to Annie. "Be good, Sweetheart."

"I will, Daddy!"


Carrier sets me down outside the classroom before leading me up to the teacher.

She crouches in front of me. "Hi there. What's your name?"

I duck my head, and try to slip my thumb into my mouth without Carrier seeing me. "This is my daughter, Marianne. She is autistic."

"I'll remember that. Is she verbal?"

"Usually. She does not like talking with those she does not know, and will not speak when she is upset or scared."

"Okay." She straightens up and takes my hand. "Enjoy the service."


"I'm here for Marianne…"

The teacher, Camille—she asked us to call her Cami—turns to the door. "And you are…"

"Blake Tranquilli. Mari's my niece."

She nods. "Mari, your Uncle's here."

I glance over to the door before grinning. "Unca Blake!" I run over and jump in his arms, my picture in one hand, and my velvet dolly in the other.

He lowers his voice. "Your Carrier's waiting for you in the sanctuary."

"'Kay… Why he wan' me there?"

He sighs before shrugging. "I don't know, he didn't say, but he wants you with him for the service."

She leads us into the hall. "Should I expect this?"

He glances to her. "Until Peter knows she'll be okay here." He rubs the back of his neck. "He and his spouse raised me, and Jazz is a lot calmer about changes than he is."

"That short for Jasmine?"

"Nope. Just Jazz. He's on a business trip right now, so it's just me, my brother, and my niece."

"They're gay?"

Bluestreak rubs the back of his neck. "I-I guess. We don't really pay too much attention to genders."

"Was she adopted?" Bluestreak glares at her. "I just want to know, in case her previous family mistreated her."

"Oh…" He sighs. "No. She's biologically theirs, but she was abused by another family before Jazz found her. She's only been back with us for a couple weeks." He glances towards some double doors. "I'd better get Mari to him before he comes after us."

"All right." She kneels to me. "It was great having you in my class."

I nod, then reach up to stick my thumb into my mouth, Rose in my other hand. Bluestreak grabs my hand before I can, and leads me toward the double doors. Once we're in sight of Carrier, I let Bluestreak go and run to him. "Daddy!"

"Marianne." I grin and throw myself into his arms. "Oof."

I giggle. "You silly."

"You startled me." He sets me in the pew beside him. "Now try to stay quiet. The service is about to start."

"Okay." I curl into his side and get settled, then smile as Bluestreak sits beside me.


11:50 am

I whimper softly when someone nudges me. "Mari, wake up. Church is over."

"Hmm?"

Carrier turns to me. "You fell asleep. Church is over."

"Carry me?"

Carrier sighs, then picks me up before starting for the door. He sets me in my booster in his vehicle mode before buckling me in, then climbs into the front seat. "Try to stay awake."

"Okay…" I look up at him. "What you gonna make for lunch?" I sigh when he doesn't answer me. "Carrier—"

"I am planning to fry some chicken." He sighs. "I cannot communicate with you until we get home, because of the crowd, and my cover."

"Wha' 'bou' Blue?"

"Bluestreak is able to contact me over his comm, as I can him, but you—"

"Can't transform yet. I know." I huff before starting to rub the velvet skirt on my stim doll. "An' I hadda leave my phone at home, so I can't call you to talk, either!"

"You may talk all you want. I simply cannot answer unless we are alone."

"Bu' you're not alone now!"

He sighs heavily, and I can hear him muttering to himself. "How could one youngling femme be more persistent than Jazz himself…"

"I can hear you."

The car goes silent, and I can hear the sound of a CD going into the dash before kids church music starts playing. Now, there's something I can do, so I start to sing along.

I've got a home in glory land that outshines the sun
I've got a home in glory land that outshines the sun
I've got a home in glory land that outshines the sun
Way beyond the blue

Do Lord, oh do Lord, oh do remember me
Do Lord, oh do Lord, oh do remember me
Do Lord, oh do Lord, oh do remember me
Way beyond the blue

Lennox suddenly appears, and slides the chair forward before helping Annie into the back. "Hi, Mari!"

Sarah gives his holoform an apologetic look after she shuts the door. "Sorry we took so long, Prowl."

He switches off my music. "Do not worry about it."

"Why was Prowl playin' you music?"

I shrug. "I gotted bored, and talked more than Unca Blue does." I look down. "I think he's mad now…"

Carrier sighs as we pull out. "I am not mad, Mariposa. I am irritated."

"They mean the same."

"Yes, they do." He sighs heavier. "But I am happy to see you refuse to let your differences stop you. You have your Sire's tenacity—"

"What that mean?"

"Stubbornness." He pulls onto our road. "And you have his love of music, and his skill, as well." He stops at Annie's home.

"Thanks, Prowl."


Home

I toss my doll into the bin by the door, then follow Bluestreak and Carrier into the kitchen.

"Bluestreak, would you help her change her clothes for me so I can get started on her lunch?"

"Sure!" He turns to me. "Come on, Mari. Let's go."


Bluestreak helps me into a short sleeved dress with a white top with a butterfly graphic, a purple plaid skirt with a black hem, and a purple shrug, purple leggings, and black flats, then settle on his shoulder with the yellow butterfly binky around my neck.

"Now, do you want to play?" I shake my head. "Want me to turn on your radio?"

"TV."

He sighs. "All right, what do you wanna watch?"

"Powerpuffs!"

"We'll have to see if it's on… And ask Prowl…" He smiles down at me. "But you haven't watched a lot since we moved in here, so I don't think we'll have a problem."

I shrug. "Okay."


After lunch, I get to go back up to my room and play, since Carrier doesn't want me getting dirty before church tonight. I've never gone to evening church before… I wonder what it's like.

At 5:30, Carrier comes in and gets me back in my dress and tights. "Captain Lennox is not going tonight. We will leave in ten minutes."

"Okay…"

"Go ahead and pick your toy from the bin."

"'Kay." I run out the door, and start down the stairs, being sure to walk down them so I don't fall.


Third POV

"I don't like seeing her so quiet, Prowl."

Prowl turns to find Bluestreak in the doorway. "Nor do I, Bluestreak." He sighs. "But I doubt there is anything I can do about it, until her Sire returns."

"Prowl…" Bluestreak lays a hand on his shoulder. "She loves you. Jazz may have had her longer, but you're her Carrier. She's just worried about him right now. It'll get better once he gets back. When she sees him…"

"I know, Bluestreak…" He sighs. "It is time to leave."


That Night, Bedtime, Normal POV

Carrier helps me into bed. "You need to at least try to get some recharge tonight. You start school tomorrow."

"I know…"

He sits beside me. "Are you nervous?"

I nod. "People always picked on me in kin'ergarten, 'cause I wasn' like them, an' I no wanna be teased 'gain…"

Carrier sighs. "I wish I could prevent it, Mariposa, and I will do my best to try, but sometimes, there is very little we can do. Younglings can be very mean, even on Cybertron." He stands, and tucks me in before slipping Binky in. "Get some recharge, Sweetspark. I will be right across the hall."

"Night, Carrier. Love you."

"I love you too."