I only own my OC's!


Competition Starts

the next Morning, 2:00 AM

"Mari?" something nudges me slightly, and groans. "Mari."

"Hmm?" I open my eyes to find a pale and sick-looking minicon. "Oh. Fixie…" I sit up before putting an arm around him. "You don' look so good, Bitty…"

"I think I'm going to purge…"

"Aw… Poor little thing…" I slide out of the bed before helping him out. "Come on. I've got ya." I take him into the bathroom quickly, still barely making it to the toilet before he purges—thankfully not on the floor. "Want me to get Mommy?"

He shakes his head before laying it on the seat. "I'll be okay…"

I sigh softly before leaving to get a couple of my light pink washcloths wet. "You're sure you don't want me to get Mommy?"

"Yeah…" He sighs before purging again with a noisy retch.

It's all I can do not to run away. My little tummy can't handle much more of this, but something much stronger is making me stay. Instead, I kneel beside the minicon and lay one wet cloth on the back of his neck, then use the other to wipe the energon off his mouth before setting it on the back of the toilet. "You need to go back to berth. I'll be okay."

"'M not leavin' ya, Bitty…" I sigh heavily. "Unless it's to get Mommy or Daddy. You don't need to be alone right now."

"It'll pass in a few minutes, and you need to recharge…"

"Fixie…" I sigh and shake my head. "Then you won't be able to get back up in the bed. I have trouble sometimes in holo, cause it's taller than I am, so you'll have trouble too. You're…well…Bitty."

He simply groans and leans back over the toilet before purging again. I sigh softly and start rubbing his back gently. "Just get it out, Bitty. I won't leave you…" He sighs before struggling back to his feet. "Fix…" I stand and flush before taking him back to our bed. "Feel better now?"

"Not really…"

"Aww…" I help him up into the bed before climbing up to join him. "It'll pass, Bitty… You'll feels better soon."


7:00 AM

"Mari—"

I smile up at sire, even though I'm tired. I wasn't able to get back to sleep after Fixit woke me up. "Hi."

"Hi." He sighs. "How long have you been awake?"

I slide off the bed and land on my feet. "Since two. Fixie purged 'gain…"

"It's jus' a par' of carryin', Mari." Sire sighs before reaching over to wake him up. "Come on, Fix. We need ta ge' ready for church." The little orange minicon simply rolls over. "Fix, i's time ta ge' up."

"'M tired…"

"Ah know, bu' we've gotta ge' ta church, an' we'll be goin' straigh' ta the base after, so ya hafta come with us."

"All right, I'm coming."

Sire helps him down before leading the two of us downstairs, where another metal chair with a booster like mine is waiting. Sire steps over and helps my tired minicon up after boosting me into my own seat. "Ah'll ge' ya 'gon, Fix."

Carrier turns with a pink butterfly print plate holding a sausage and vegetable omelet and hashbrowns, and a matching cup filled with strawberry milk. Beside the plate is a waiting energon cube with my minerals in it, and a red chewable vitamin. "Hurry up and eat, Mariposa. We have a lot to do today."

I nod and quickly clear my plate, then finish my milk and drink my energon, all the while watching Fixit sip at his tiny cube. "What's wrong, Fixie?"

Carrier steps over to him with a couple bottles in his hand. "He may still be nauseated, Sweetspark." He turns to Fixit with a sigh before handing the minicon three tablets.

"What those?"

Fixit sighs heavily as he stares down at the medicine. "One's a carrier supplement, this one is Cybertronium, and…" He looks up to Carrier confusedly.

"The last one was left by First Aid, and is supposed to help with the morning sickness, Fixit."

Fixit nods and takes the pills with the last of his energon before turning to me. "What's that?"

"Kid's vitamin." I pop it in and chew it up before smiling. "They're medicine, but they taste good too."

Carrier steps back over to help us down. "Ratchet's a little worried. She was malnourished when Jazz saved her from the humans who took her in." He turns to me. "Mari, you need to brush your teeth. I will be in as soon as I get Fixit taken care of."

"But…"

I turn to him. "It's jus' robots in disguise, and things like that, Bitty." I look up to Carrier. "Right, Mommy?"

"Yes. I need to upload a holoform program, and find a suitable outfit for you to use with it so you can come to church with us." I follow the two up the stairs. "Then we will need to find a suitable human name for you to use, and find a way to cover for your carriage, because human males cannot carry." He leads Fixit into his office and shuts the door.

I step into my room to find Sire pulling clothes out for me. "What I wear today?"

He nods toward the bed, where a silver and black zebra-print dress is waiting for me. "Tha'. Ah'm jus' packin' ya some clothes for the base, so ya don' ge' ya're church clothes dirty."

"An' Carrier's gonna ge' me ready?"

"With mah help, o' course!"

A minute later, Carrier steps into my room in holoform, with another holoform—this one with red hair and blue eyes. "Fixie?"

The holoform nods. "But you'll have to call me Noah while we're out."

"M'kay." I turn to my dress. "Gotta get ready so we can go bye-byes…"

"Yep." Carrier helps me out of my pajamas and pull-up, and into a pink pair of Barbie panties before helping me into a pair of black tights, my black shiny Mary Jane shoes, and the silver dress. He zips the back of the dress and ties the belt with a bow before holding out a black sequined shrug. I slip my arms into the sleeves before flopping into my desk chair. Carrier quickly takes down my curlers before combing my hair out, then clips a silver and black zebra-print hair bow in. As a final step, he hands me a matching pacifier on a black ribbon, which I quickly slip over my neck.

Sire steps back and smiles. "Ya look beautiful, Girly."

"Come. Bluestreak is waiting downstairs." He walks down the hall and knocks on the door. "Smokescreen, come on. It's time to leave."

"I'm taking Blue, right?"

"Yes." He nods down to me.

"Morning, Unca Smokey!"

"Good Morning, Kid." He crouches to me. "I know you're excited about this contest, but I need you to remember something for me, okay?" I nod. "The beauty this girl thinks about is only skin deep. True beauty comes from within. Pretty is as pretty does."

I nod. "Okay."


Church, 9:05 AM

We pull in right in front of Uncle Smokescreen. His holoform climbs out wearing a black suit with a red tie, while Fixit—who rode in with Carrier, Sire, and I—is wearing a brown suit with a red tie. Carrier, Sire, and Uncle Bluestreak are wearing the same thing they did last week.

Sire steps out with a small bag, while Carrier steps over and helps me out before crouching in front of me and smoothing down my dress. "Remember, Mari. Nothing they say today impacts how I think of you. You are my beautiful little girl." He then hands me my bible and Rose before standing and taking my hand.

"You look so pretty today, Marianne!"

"What a beautiful dress!"

Carrier glances to Sire. "I assume you told them about the competition?"

"Nope. Ah'm gonna talk with her Sunday school teacher as soon as Ah can, though."

Carrier nods slightly, then looks down to me thoughtfully. "She is a beautiful girl. Sometimes I wondered if I were the only one to notice…"

"Here comes the brat…" Sire looks surprised. "She's wearin' the same thin' as mah baby! Oh, the nerve of—"

"Jazz." Carrier lays a hand on his shoulder. "Relax." He glances over to them. "She is wearing red, first off, and she is not as close to Marianne as you might think. You need to talk to her teacher. Marianne, go with your Papa. Noah, come with me."


"This little…competition…is because Mari was called ugly last week?"

"Yes Ma'am. Daniella's been terrorizin' her for the las' several weeks—almos' since we move' here—an' Ah can' le' her ge' picke' on…no' when 'er Daddy's been through this back when we were li'l. She's a beautiful chil', an' Ah' gotta do somethin'." He sighs when he sees the look Cami gives him. "Now c'mon. Ah'm no' sayin' beauty's all she's go' goin' for 'er, bu'… Well, like Pete's brother Dustin said this morning, pretty is as pretty does, an' mah baby needs ta have a chance ta prove tha' she's jus' as pretty as the nex' girl."

"And you want me to judge them?"

"Nah, jus' wha' they're wearin'. Ah'd never ask someone ta judge a chil'."

"All right. I'll get back to you and Damien with the scores tonight."

"Thank ya, Ma'am."

"Come on, Sweetheart. You look very pretty today."

I give her a little curtsy. "Thank you."

"Come on in, and take a seat."

"Hey, Mari. Love the dress."

I turn to find my best friend, who's wearing a green knee-length dress and lacy socks. "Hi, Annie. Fanks…"

"Don't you—oh! Hi, Miko, Saki! Hey, Jade!" I give her a confused look as the trio—the first wearing an orange and green camouflage skirt and striped top with flats, the second wearing a light blue Asian dress with Mary Janes, and the third is wearing a dress shirt and slacks with a vest and tie in green. "They're the new kids from the base."

"Oh!" I smile over at them. "I'm Mari." I turn to Annie. "I woves the dress, I jus' don' wanna get pickied on 'gains…"

"Oh…" Epps' kids walk in then, all wearing yellow, quickly followed by Addie and Cori, who are wearing their usual red-and-orange, one twin wearing a red dress with an orange shrug, while the other wears the exact opposite.

It's not long before Daniella steps in, with as much flare as a seven-year-old can have. When she sees me, she scowls and flounces over to sit beside me. "How dare you copy me!"

I huff and cross my arms. "I didn't copy you…"

"Mari was here before you, Ella."

"Don't call me Ella! I'm not Ella!"

"Daniella…" Cami smiles at the class. "Today we're going to learn about the Prodigal son."


"Hey, Miss?"

"Yes?"

"Oh! I'm here to pick up Mari. I'm her Uncle Dustin."

My head pops up. "Unca Dusty!" I run over and jump into his arms, allowing him to carry me out to Carrier.

"Hey, Kid!" He waits until we're away from the door before setting me down. "So, what did she say this time?"

I look down. "She say I copy her, but she copy'd me…"

"How'd she say it, Angel?"

I pout like she had. "She say "How dare you copy me!", bu' I no copy her…" I smile up at him. "But Cami scolded her this time!"

"She sounds like quite the little brat."

"She is a little brat."


Sanctuary

"Hi, Daddy! Hi, Papa! Hi, Unca Blake!"

Smokescreen slides past us to where he's sitting beside one of the new mechs. "Hey, Henry."

"Hi Dustin! How's Miko doing in her class?"

"She's doing great. I think she'll really fit in with them."

"What did you learn about today?"

"Prodigal son. He runned away with his 'heritance before his daddy die', an' blowed it on parties, then hadda lives wif the piggies! Den he goes home, an' his daddy throws a party for him! His bro's mad, bu' he gets everyfing left on the farm now, so he haves no reason be mads."

"Interesting." He takes my picture—today it's of a man in a pig pen—and slips it under the pew. "We have to be quiet now, okay?"

"Otay…"

"That girl you mentioned accused her of copying her, Jazz."

"The nerve…" Sire huffs. "Well, hopefully, this little contest will keep the bratty femmelin' from hurtin' anyone else…"

I turn my attention from Sire and Uncle Smokescreen when I hear a groan beside me. "Fi—Noah? You otay?"

He shakes his head, causing me to nudge Carrier and stage whisper in his ear when he leans down. "Fixie gonna be sicks!"

Carrier jolts before nodding, and moving to help him back to the bathroom. "Come on. Quickly."


third pov, Men's bathroom

Fixit again barely manages to make it into the bathroom, and purges rather violently for almost a full minute once he reaches a stall. He looks up to Prowl once he can find his breath. "Sorry about this… I know you don't like me…"

"Hey… I never told you I did not like you."

Fixit lays his head on the toilet seat. "You I-I-implied it last night…"

Prowl runs a hand over the minicon's head. "Just try to relax. It helps." He sighs. "I do not handle change well, and did not expect you to come in with my daughter." He shakes his head. "Rick told me years ago not to fight my…condition. If yours acts up, just let it happen." Fixit looks up to him nervously. "I would tell Mari the same thing if she were to try to fight hers."

Fixit groans before purging again, then moves to stand, causing Prowl to help him up. "Why do you care so much?"

"I have been in this position myself."

"You're not a minicon."

"No. I am a carrier myself, and I understand the struggles you will have to face over the next few months." He sighs before leading the minicon back to the rest of the family.


Normal POV

"He otay nows?"

"Yes, Sweetheart. Now, you need to pay attention, okay?"

"Otay." I scramble into the holoform minicon's lap and cuddle into his chest. "Mine…"


6-8 Classroom, Third POV

Camille watches her class work on coloring their pictures as she walks around the room, checking to make sure they're still working. "Why does Mari leave?"

Annabelle turns to Miko with a soft sigh and walks around so she can whisper to the girl. "'Hide says it's a "Praxian thing"… That Prowl doesn't want her away from him for very long because of her age…"

"Oh…"

"Please sit down, Annabelle. Free coloring time isn't free wandering time."

"Sorry, Cami." She returns to her seat.

Daniella leans over to her. "Your friend doesn't have much of a chance to win then, does she?"

"What?"

"Marianne left the class. That means I'll win, doesn't it?"

"I don't know…"

The brat of a girl returns to her picture, leaving Annabelle to wonder if Marianne ever has a chance against Daniella so long as Prowl pulls her out.


"Mari, it's time to wake up."

"Hmmm?" I sit up and realize I'm still on Fixit's holoform. "Oh… Sorry…"

"Don't be. You were tired. I had you up pretty early this morning, after all." He sighs. "But, Peter's ready to go, and Jazz wants to help you change before we leave."

"Otay." I slip my binky in and take Fixit's holoform's hand, letting him lead me back to where Carrier and Sire are talking with the preacher about something.

On the way back, Daniella steps over by me. "I have a better chance at winning because you left class, and you're way too old for that binky!"

Fixit freezes in his tracks, and turns to the brat of a little girl. "Young lady, do you have any idea who you're talking to?"

She smirks. "A retard."

Fixit flinches back at her words, causing me to squeeze his hand. He quickly regains his composure, and crouches to her, since his holoform is designed to look like a normal-sized human male. "First off, that's no kind of language for a little girl like you to use."

"Mommy does!"

"That's no excuse." He shakes his head. "Secondly, you should never treat someone with a disability like they're less of a person. They're just like you and me."

"I'm not a retard, and I don't need a binky."

"Stop saying retard. It's not a nice word." He sighs heavily. "Mari is no different than you are, even though she needs a pacifier. She is still a little girl, and deserves to be treated like a person." He straightens up and turns to me. "Come on, Mari. Your Papa's waiting."

I flinch at the danger in his tone, but trot alongside the furious minicon as if nothing's wrong.


Normal POV

Sire takes me into the mens' room and pulls out the bag he'd brought with him, and helps me into a white cap sleeved T-shirt with a yellow and white chevron striped pencil graphic with silver sequins and pink polka-dot eraser, yellow and white chevron striped shorts with pink polka-dot cuffs, and pink sandals, then pulls my hair into two curly pigtails and puts yellow and white pencil shaped chevron striped bows on the tops. "There. Now ya're ready for the base."

Why we go 'gain?"

"Aid wants to prove somethin' to Ratch, an' Ratch needs to scan Fix an' ya together to check for a bond."

"Oh…" I smile up at him. "Then we know if Fixie getsta stay forevers?"

"Then we'll know." He sighs. "Ah jus' hope Prowler's no' gonna do somethin' ta hur' ya…" I give him a nervous look. "No' like tha', Girly. Ah'm worried tha' he'll make 'im stay a' the base anyways…"

"Oh…"


Third POV, With Fixit and Prowl, Outside

Prowl slides his holoform into the driver's seat of his vehicle mode before motioning Fixit to sit on the passenger seat. "What happened in there?"

Fixit looks up from where he had been fiddling with the vent. "Huh?"

"What happened with the brat from Mariposa's class?"

"Oh…" He sighs. "That girl's…" He huffs. "She called Mari a retard, to her face. I know younglings are mean, Prowl, but they're not that mean!"

"I have had my own experiences with mean younglings, Fixit. They did not out-right call me a retard like this girl does my Mariposa, but…" Prowl sighs heavily. "They put a helmet on my desk in the youngling center—the kind used for sports—because I have a logic glitch, and I was rather…clumsy, as a sparkling…and some younglings are forced to wear them because of special needs. It hurts, having to watch her struggle with this girl, and knowing that she has my glitch… Some days, it is all I can do to not blame myself for her struggles…"

"Prowl… I-It's not your fault. She…She'll get through this. You'll see. She's really strong, even though she's…so little. When I first heard her call Mari that, I thought I was going to just slap the fire out of that little girl, but… Mari… She kept me grounded, Prowl…" He sighs heavily. "I'm sure it's just mood swings, since I'm carrying, but…"

"I wanted to do something to her as well, when she poured paint on Mari their first day of school, but I did not. We are titans on this planet—even you—and we could so easily hurt them. We cannot act on our…frustrations."

"But I'm—"

"We are all made of metal, and humans get hurt easily, Fixit—especially their sparklings and younglings."

"I know. I'm…I'm a pacifist, Prowl, but that femmeling just…"

"I understand. You need to move back now. Jazz and Mariposa are on their way out."


Base

Carrier helps me out of the back before taking a motion sickness bag from Fixit. Once we were out of sight of the church, he had returned back to his normal form, but the little guy had gotten sick yet again on the way to the base. I'm grateful Carrier decided to put some in his V-mode when he got to Earth.

I shift up to my bot form before turning to wait for Fixit. Sire, Bluestreak, and Smokescreen are back in their bot forms, too.

I laugh as Carrier tosses the bag to Sire, who fumbles with the (thankfully closed and sealed) bag of unprocessed energon before tossing it toward a trash can. "Why'd ya do tha'?"

"To see how quickly you would react. Be thankful that was sealed, and not a human diaper. I have heard they are quite messy."

"They are." The two turn to a laughing Epps. "Trust me on this one, Guys. I've got five kids."

Carrier turns back to help a wobbly Fixit out of the back before nodding to me. "Take him to Ratchet. He will need something stronger to help with his nausea."

Before I go more than two steps toward the base, Sire steps over beside me and Fixit. "Di' 'e make a mess in ya Carrier, or…"

I shake my head. "He's just makin' sure."

"All righ'. We're gonna have Blaster waitin', jus' in case ya need ta talk. We've got 'bout an hour before we have ta ge' home so ya can ea', then we've gotta ge' ta the store."

"Who winned?"

"We'll learn tha' tonigh'."

"Oh…" I step through the door with an arm around Fixit, and lead him into the med-bay. "Ratch? Aidie?"

"First Aid is on his lunch break. What did you need, Little One?"

"Fixie's sick, Ratch…"

"Aid said you'd probably be back in today…" He sighs heavily before boosting the minicon onto the exam berth. "Where's your Carrier, Little One?"

"Makin' sure Fixie didn' make'a mess… he puke' on the way here… At'a church… A' two in'a mornin'…"

Ratchet sighs softly. "He's carrying, Little One. He's going to be sick for a little while, okay? That's a part of it. Your Carrier was quite sick himself, as a matter of fact."

"You made it."

"Hi, Aidie."

"You're supposed to be on lunch break."

"I was waiting for my little sister to get here." Aid turns to me with a smile. "How was church?"

"This one girl called her a retard to her face."

"Fix…" I sigh, and look up to Aid. "She's jus' a bully. I'm used to bullies…"

"You shouldn't be." He steps over and boosts me up onto the berth beside Fixit. "Now, what's wrong with our little patient here?"

"First Aid…"

"Just watch for a minute, then you can say your piece."

"He's been purging off and on since two this morning, and…I think he's started having mood swings. He went off at the bully…" I pause for a moment. "And we came here to check for a symbiote bond."

"And last night?"

"First Aid! She is a little girl!"

Aid simply nods at me. "Mari?"

"Fixit crashed from a verbal glitch. He had a fever when he came around, and…"

"Go on…"

"And I was right when I said it could be from purging, or from a temp glitch from crashing, and you added that it could also be the stress he was under when he crashed."

"First trimester symptoms of pregnancy?"

"Aid, she's—"

"Morning sickness, cravings, high sense of smell, headaches, mood swings, and more I can't pronounce, but I can learn to, and I know to watch for."

"Symptoms of Tox-en poisoning?"

"Now you've—"

"Nausea and dizziness on contact, extensive contact weakens them till they can't move, then they die."

"How would you tell if someone was gestalt on sight?"

"You couldn't tell right after seeing them unless they were with their siblings. After a few minutes, you would be able to tell if they were clingier than a normal bot, and after a long time things like recharge habits would become noticeable. To confirm, I'd check their sparks when they were together."

"How would you tell I'm gestalt?"

I look up to Aid with a smile. "You rarely go off-base without the others, you're protective of them, you'll be more gentle with them in here, and… I know, from knowing you, that you did lose them before, and you're lost without them." I smile. "And Spot said last night that I was similar to gestalt, so…" I grin up at Ratchet. "I'd say that, given a day to observe, you could tell someone was gestalt from how they sleep, and how easily they form family ties."

"If you walked into a scene like we did last night, what would your steps be?"

"Check the scene, check the patient, take vitals, get a history, and get the patient to a trained medic."

"And if you are the medic?"

"Check for damage to the processor, fix it if there is any, and stay by his side and help him calm down when he wakes up."

"You told her what to say."

I shake my head. "I jus' has a way wif med'cine."

Ratchet huffs. "How would you replace a severed limb?"

"Attach the energon lines, repair the nerves, repair or replace the struts, repair the protoform, brace the limb until it settles and has a chance to heal."

Ratchet blinks. "Full code?"

"CPR and shocks, if that didn't work, I'd use my inferno. If that failed, I'd have to call it, because they're already gone."

"Delivering a sparkling?"

"Comfort the carrier if they're panicking, guide the sparkling out, clamp and cut the cord, control bleeding if there is any, and let the carrier have their baby."

"This is unheard of… She's six!"

Carrier steps up to the door before nodding to me. "And I was able to tell the moment the sun would rise at four vorns, Ratchet."

"I know, but… medical savantism?"

"She may simply have something like my battle computer."

"Carrier!" I stand on the berth before moving to hug him.

"Are you nearly finished with her? She has yet to have lunch."

"I just have to scan her and Fixit, then they can go." He hands Carrier something. "These are for his nausea. They are a little stronger than what Aid gave for him last night, but they are still safe for the sparkling." He runs a scanner over us before sighing. "They do have a bond, but it's still forming, so keep them together as much as you can, and I'll do another check next week. Prowl…" Ratchet sighs. "I cannot believe I'm saying this, but… Bring Mari by after school tomorrow, and we'll get started."

"Really?"

"Really, now go on. You've got to go home so you can eat. I'll see you tomorrow."

"You too, Ratch!"


Carrier fixes spaghetti for me before getting everyone else a cube, and we start eating as quickly as we can. "Wha' did Ratch say?"

Carrier sighs, but smiles. "She's got to be at the base after school tomorrow for her first day."

Sire grins at me. "Are ya 'cited?" I nod. "What 'bou' Fixit?"

Carrier smiles. "They have a bond, but it's still weak, so we need to keep them together as much as possible for the next week. After that, we will have to go back to Ratchet so he can re-evaluate."

"So… Is 'e stayin'?" Carrier doesn't speak, but slides his human-sized datapad across the table. I can't see what's written on it, but Sire grins. "All righ', then. Ah'll hafta stop a' the mall before we ge' the groceries, then."

"Sire? Carrier?" I look between them before turning to Bluestreak and Smokescreen. "What's goin' on?"

"We're going to the mall because we need to get some things we won't be able to get at the grocery store."

"Why?" He shakes his head. "Papa, why we gonna go mall?"

"Don' ya wanna go to the mall?"

"I do, bu' why? Why we need ta go?"

Carrier sighs, and puts his empty cube in the sink before stepping over to me. "The two of you are going to get some clothes for you to use in the med-bay, and…" He lays a hand on my shoulder, glancing over to Fixit for a moment before turning back to me. "And you are going to pick up a few things for Fixit, as well."

"I-I get to stay?"

Carrier nods. "He gets to stay, but he will have to stay with you." He turns to Fixit. "We have a room across from Smokescreen, but we are keeping that empty for now." He sighs. "Jazz is insistent on another sparkling, and…" Carrier glances down to me. "And I am not entirely ready for another child yet. I am still getting used to taking care of my Mariposa after having to send her away as a newspark, but I have agreed to keep the room open, just in case."

"I'm fine with sharing a room with her, Prowl."

"Ah'm takin' ya ta ge' a berth o' ya own, so ya won' hafta struggle inta Mari's berth anymore."

"Oh…thank you, Jazz."

"And we will get you a few other things, too…but you will have to let Jazz know what you need, okay?"

"Okay."

Sire slides out of his chair and puts his cube into the sink before taking my now-empty plate and cup, and Fixit's empty cube. Sire slides Carrier's list off the table and starts for the door. "All righ', Mari. Ge' ya toy. I's time ta go."

"Jazz…" Carrier holds out a key ring with a single silver and black key on it. "I had this delivered from the Cadillac store in town. General Morshower paid for it…he said we would need a vehicle that was large enough to carry us all to help keep cover as a human family."

He glares at the key. "So now ah'm a fraggin' soccer dad?"

"Language." Carrier sighs. "You will not have enough room to take both Mariposa and Fixit without this, and there is more storage in this as well."

"An' Mari's booster?"

"I put a purple booster in the backseat for her already." He jingles the keys again.

Sire snatches them out of the air with a scowl. "All right, Mari, le's go!" He steps over to help Fixit down before following me out the front door.

In the driveway sits a purple minivan with dark tinted windows. "Oooh… Pwetty!"


We go to the mall first, and find a shop selling nursing supplies first thing. We check inside, and quickly find children's sizes in the very back. A shopkeeper steps over to us while Sire and I are looking at them. "We don't usually have much interest in the children's sizes… Are you finding everything okay, or do you need help?"

Sire lowers the pair he had been looking at, and turns to the woman with a smile. "Ah think we have thin's under control here, bu' thanks for askin'."

I look up to her. "Why you sells kids sizes anyways?"

She crouches to me. "Some parents want their older kids back with them when they're having another baby, and they want the kids to wear something that won't be hard to clean afterwards, just in case they get into messes."

"Oh…"

Sire and I look around before choosing one for me to try on. Once we know the right size, we grab at least ten different patterns, and head up to the register. After he pays, and my new scrubs are packed into a medium-sized paper bag, we step back out into the mall proper. Even I can tell Fixit is exhausted, but since he hasn't said anything, we keep moving. Our next stop is a furniture store, where Sire picks out a sturdy twin bed with mattress and box springs that Fixit's able to get into and out of easily, and that matches the wood in my room. He pays, then we head down to a department store. After picking out red and orange bedding—and a red and yellow quilt the minicon had really liked at my asking, he turns toward the register to pay, while I glance over to a rack of plush blanket. "Noah." I nod toward the rack. "You need a blankie."

"No I—"

Sire turns to us. "Yeah ya do. Ya can' keep usin' Mari's or Pete's."

"Sorry…" He steps over and glances over them before pulling down a red and gold one, and hands it to Sire.

"Ya don' hafta apologize, okay? You're tired." Sire turns and pays for the bedding and blanket, then we head back out to the van, where a man has just finished loading the furniture—the bed frame in pieces, and the mattress and box springs on the floor of the car, with all the seats folded into the floor. Sire quickly loads the bags, then sighs and turns to Fixit's holoform. "Ge' in, and lay down."

"Why?"

"Cause Mari has ta be buckle'."

We stop at the grocery store, and Sire rushes through Carrier's list as quickly as he can while still making sure to get everything off the list. Once we're done, I help him load the back of the new van before we all climb back inside in our holoforms.


Home

"How did the new van work out?"

Sire nods. "Smooth ride, bu' I prefer mah own frame."

"I know, Jazz." Carrier grabs a handful of bags. "It is certainly easier to simply use our subspaces for groceries, but none of our vehicle modes can hold everyone for church or other trips."

"Ah know…" Sire pulls out the new bed until he can reach Fixit, who is back in his normal form, and soundly recharging, curled on his side under the plush throw blanket we'd insisted he get. Once he can reach him, he scoops him up as gently as he can before starting for the door. "Ah'll ge' this sleepy-head inta a berth, then ah'll be back ta help."

"Do not worry about it, Jazz. I will have Smokescreen get the new berth inside. You just worry about putting it together so Fixit can recharge."

"Ah'll pu' 'im on the couch for now. Mari may wanna play…"

"She can play quietly if she wants to be in her room, or play in her playroom. The minicon needs to recharge, and we only have the one other room, and that's—"

"For our new sparkle'."

"When I am ready, and not before."

"Ah know…" Sire sighs before heading inside.


Church, 5:55 PM

I look up from where I'm sitting on Fixit's lap, between Carrier and Sire, when Cami steps over and slips a tiny piece of paper to Damien where he's sitting behind us with Daniella, then hands another to Sire before walking around to where she usually sits. "Wha' you ge, Papa?"

He looks down at the words scrawled on the little slip of paper. "I's ya resul's."

"Results?" Everyone turns to him eagerly.

"What does it say?"

"Geez, Pete. For no' wantin' her ta do this, ya're mighty excited."

Carrier huffs. "Just read the note."

"Okay… I' says: "Love how you matched the bow to her dress… 25…"

"Jazz?"

Sire turns to look at Dami. "Wha' did 'Ella ge'?"

The man looks mildly unamused, but not bad enough to lash out. "24."

Sire turns back to us. "Ya won, Mari."

"Just today. There's still three more weeks before she's won the contest."

Sire turns back to Damien and shrugs. "True."

Carrier nods. "She has special needs, Damien, as do I."

I slip out into the aisle so I have room to move, and bounce around for a moment before starting to twirl. I love dresses like this, and I won!

"How did I lose? She didn't even stay in our class all morning!"

Sire turns to her with a soft sigh. "Cause the competition is 'bou' how you both look and ac', no' how long ya stay in class."


Sire takes me upstairs and helps me into a baby pink star print nightgown before tucking me into the bigger bed, then kneels to make sure Fixit's settled in the little bed they got for him. Sire had gotten one with wheels, that was low enough to roll under my bed during the day, so I still have the same amount of room to play.

The second Sire leaves, Fixit slips out from under his covers, and stands on his bed—which has its brakes on thank Primus—before climbing onto mine and scrambling under my covers. "Fixie?"

"I was lonely…"

"What if you need to be sick again?"

"I can climb down with my bed—just like I did to get into your bed."

"Okay." I shrug before hugging him close. Carrier had me wear a pull-up, just in case, so I'm safe just in case of accidents, and I want my mini close right now too.