I only own my OC's!


Old Family Part 3: Wednesday

The sound of the alarm clock blares through the room. I get up and switch it off before putting on the red plastic glasses and changing into clean underwear and one of the Elmo camisoles, then getting dressed in a minidress with a black long sleeved top with narrow gold stripes, a gold bow, an Elmo graphic, and a layered tutu skirt, a pair of black leggings with gold hearts on the knees, black socks with gold hearts on the ankles, and gold strappy flats.

I head into the bathroom and start my makeup routine, with the foundation, then the lipstick, blush, eyeshadow, and mascara to hide the fact that a six-year-old is wearing makeup. I clean and twist my new earrings, which hurts, but I know it's important. Finally, I brush my hair and braid it—Carrier had walked me through doing my hair as he'd done it for everything, so I know how to do it—and tie off the ends with black hair ties before clipping on gold hair bows. As a final step, I grab a headband that is covered in little gold beads, and made to look like a tiara, and put it on.

I head into the kitchen and get myself a bowl of cereal and a glass of milk before eating, then grab my backpack and the packed lunch waiting in the fridge before pulling on my light blue Elmo raincoat and boots because it's raining again today. I stick my shoes into my backpack and take my backpack and lunch, and leaving to watch for the bus.


I check my lunch, as usual when I'm with Aaron. It's got a turkey sandwich with lettuce and tomatoes, a bag of chips, and a juice box. "Good. Actually edible." I close it and stick it into my backpack to wait out the ride.

"Hi." I turn to find a little girl beside me. She's got a green raincoat and rain boots on, and she's got red hair with light blue streaks. "Hi. I'm Emily. What's your name?"

"I'm…" I pause for a moment. Do I use my real name, or do I use the name these humans gave me six years ago. Real name. "I'm Mari."

"I like your crown."

"Thank you." I smile over at her. "What grade are you in?"

"First. I'm new."

I smile at her. "That's okay. What class?"

"Mrs. Johnson."

"Me too!"


The two of us clamber off the bus and head inside. I show Emily to her locker and stick my coat and backpack into my own, making sure to grab my homework first. After Mrs. Johnson introduces Emily to the class, we get started on reading, with Emily in my reading group—level A.

"Sheyenne, please read the first box."

"It's Marianne, Mrs. Johnson."

"The name you're registered under is Sheyenne."

"Well, that's not my name." I know I'm already getting a beating when I get home, whether I "behave" and "follow his rules" or not—I did it all yesterday, and I still got beated last night, so if it's gonna happen no matter what I do, I'm gonna tell who I really am.

~How are you today, Little Sister?~

I jolt in my chair, and barely manage to not make a sound. ~Pots?~

~It's me. How are you doing?~

~No beaties yet today, but I's still ouchie from yes'erday. I gotted two.~

~He beat you twice yesterday?~

~Yes.~

~Okay, he's gonna get it when we find him.~

~Hi, Bwades. Overs?~

~Hey, Mari. We're still in Culver, if you're still here.~

~Yeps! Where Aidie?~

~I'm right here, Little One. You're eating all right, right?~

~He feedie me so fars, bu' I don't know how much longer…~

~Just hang in there, Little One.~

~How are you doing besides all that? Are you sleeping well?~

~Uh-huh. Miss-y you guys.~

~We know, Little One. Just let me know if you need to talk with me.~


Emily and I head out to recess together, and sit on the swings. "What happened in reading?" I give her a confused look. "You looked spaced out."

"Oh." I sigh softly. "I was talking with someone in head."

"Why dey calls you Sheyenne? Dat's not you name."

I tap my head. "I was kidnabbed. Dey finks my name is Sheyenne, but I's Marianne."

"You was? By whos?"

"Dey finks they's my parents, bu' they finded me. my weal parents are in Nevada, but my family lookie fors me, an' I talks to brovers. We has twin-like bond."

"Twin-like?"

"Is 6 os us. I only girl. dey's owder, but dey still has bond wif me. Den dere's my Unca Blake, my Unca Dusty, an Daddy an' Papa. I's only girl in da whole family."

"Wow. You gots two Daddies?"

"Yep!"

"Cool! I gots two Mommies. One is named "Jane" and the other is "Jamie". "Jamie" carried me, though." She sighs. "You gonna get back to your Daddies?"

"I hope." I slip out my phone and turn it on, causing her to grin. "You gots a phone too!" She pulls out a red Intensity. "I'm 780-4963."

I type her number into my phone. "241-2343."

She taps the number into her phone. "Okay. Now we can text if you get to go back home."

I smile. "Wanna swing?"

"Sure!"


Music Class

I watch as Ms. Madison hands out packets of music. "We're going to start on our music for the winter concert today. Please open Let it Snow. Sheyenne, I said open—"

"Miss, my name is Marianne."

She sighs. "Well, I can't call you something you're not registered under."

"Well, then I won't answer. My name is not Sheyenne."

"Do you want to go to the office?"

"I'll get beat either way, and I'm not Sheyenne."

She crouches in front of me. "Your parents beat you?"

"They're not my parents, but they do. My real daddies love me."

The other kids laugh, but Ms. Madison holds up a hand to silence them. "And you haven't told anyone about this?"

"I twied yesterday, but Mrs. Johnson didn' believes me." I pull up the back of my dress to reveal the marks. The cuts and bruises from the belt yesterday morning are only half-way bandaged now, because of the brush beating last night, and the red marks from the bristles are all over the place. "I tan show you my legs too…"

"That won't be necessary, Sweetheart." She sighs. "I have to get back to teaching, but we'll see what we can do to help you get home."

"Fank you." I curtsey and settle back into my seat after I put my dress back down.

"Now, let's start with Let it Snow."


Lunch

I head to a seat with the other kids who had a packed lunch, and take my seat before opening the bag. I start with the chips and drink the juice box before pulling the meat off the sandwich and eating it. I'm still hungry, though, so I pull off the tomatoes and eat them—they really need salt—then eat the lettuce when they're gone because I'm desperate and I really hate bread.

Once it's all gone—besides the bread—I start outside since it stopped raining for now. Mrs. Johnson is out with the monitors, and she steps over to me before leading me off to the nurse's office. "Show us your back, Sweetheart." I whimper, but nod, and pull my dress up.

"That's not right." I turn back to look at the nurse. "They shouldn't be doing this to you." She sighs before snapping a few pictures with her smartphone, then we move to a back room and she has me take off my shoes and leggings so she can photograph my legs. "These happened yesterday?"

"Yes, Ma'am." She types on her phone for a few minutes before nodding. "All right. I'm done. You can get your leggings back on now, Sweetheart. You were so good." I pull my clothes back on, and follow Mrs. Johnson back up to the class, and watch as she pulls her own lunchbox out. "I saw you didn't have much of a lunch. Would you like some fruit?" She pulls out a bag of strawberries that all but makes me drool.

"Yes, please?" I blink. "And please don't tell Aaron?"

"I won't, Little One. Would you like me to call you Marianne here?"

"Or Mari please?"

"Of course." She sighs heavily. "The rest of the kids will be up soon. Would you like to eat those at your desk?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Is there anything else I need to know before class starts?"

I nod. "I has autism."

"Oh. Well, they definitely didn't tell me that. Let me know if you need anything, okay? I'll see what I can do."

"Otay." I flinch. "No tells Aaron I speaked like'a baby?"

"Of course not."

"Fanks you."

At that moment, the bell rings, and I slip over to my chair with the treasured strawberries as the rest of the class returns and noisily takes their seats.

"Take out your Social Studies books and open to page 55." Over the sound of books thumping and kids flipping through pages, you can hear one child moaning in happiness as she eats the baggie of strawberries while she does as told.


3:05 PM

I gather my homework, check again to make sure there's no red on my hands from the strawberries, and stuff all my stuff into the pink Elmo backpack they make me use before pulling on my raincoat—it's raining again—and running outside to the bus.

I clamber on and settle in my seat before waiting for Emily, and smile when she sits beside me. "Why weren't you at recess?"

"Mrs. Johnson took me to see Mrs. Café."

"You was at the nurse?" I nod. "Why?"

"She taked pictures of the ouchies on my back and legs."

"Oh…" She sighs. "You gonna bes otay at home?"

"I should." I sigh. "He'll beaty me again no matter what I do."

"Oh…"

I lay a hand on her shoulder. "I's gonna be fine. Daddy and Papa are looking for me." As if on cue, the phone I forgot to turn off rings. "Hello?"

"Mari! I's ya Papa!"

"Papa? Where you at?"

"We're in Indiana. We're lookin' for ya."

"Daddy too?"

"Yep! Ya wanna talk ta him?"

"Pwease?"

"Here ya go." The sounds of someone handing the phone over comes through the earpiece. "Mariposa? Sweetspark, where are you?"

I giggle. "I's on'a bus. Overwise I no getty talks to you!"

"Do you know where the bus is?"

I look out the window. "We's at…16th road."

"Officially off the Protectobot's area. Your Sire and I have the country. We will find you, Sweetspark. Just hang in there."

"The nurse takey pictures of 'buse."

"He is hurting you?"

"Because he thinks I runned 'way."

"But you did not. We saved you." He sighs. "I have to go. Jazz is trying to show me to where we might be able to find you, and we are going to set up a stakeout tonight."

"Love you, Daddy! Bye!" I close the phone and smile at Emily. "Daddy and Papa are looking for me!"

"Good. Maybe they findy you."

"Maybe." We pull up to her stop. "See you tomorrow, Mari!"

"You too, Emmy!"

The bus pulls up to my stop. "Sheyenne!"

"Marianne." I slide out of my chair and head up to the front. I climb off the bus and shudder before heading back to the trailer, walking on the sandy driveway to get there.

"Hi."

"How was school?"

"Good?"

"Is that a question or an answer?"

"It was good, Sir."

"All right. Clothes off, on the couch. If you stay quiet, this one will be over quicker than usual." He starts beating on my back with his hands first, which hurts on my bruised and cut-up back, but it's not as bad as it could be. After about a minute, he pulls out a flyswatter smacks it across my back several times before pulling me up. "Clothes on, and get your homework done." He hands me the pull-up. "Put this on. You stay dry again, we'll let you eat."

"Okay." I head into my room and get dressed again before sitting at my desk with my homework, making sure I don't do anything that would get me in trouble with Aaron on them, since he checks my homework. I write their name for me on the top lightly, so I can erase it and write my real name on the top. He doesn't check it when I get it back, after all.


Supper

"Are you dry?" He checks the wetness indicator before nodding. "Get the bitch a plate made."

I look down at the name, but smile at the idea of getting fed. I take the plate of ham, Julean potatoes, and green beans before eating with the Elmo fork.

"How did school go?"

"Good, Ma'am."

"Really?"

"Uh-huh." Aaron pinches my arm. I cringe and try not to cover the spot with my hand. "Yes."

As soon as I'm done, I put my plate and fork in the sink, then head out back through Briar's room and lean on the porch, looking at my playset and sandbox before turning my attention to my play kitchen. I want to swing, but there's a fence I don't know how to open, so I can't unless I go around front. "Pst. Mari."

My eyes widen. I know that voice. "P-Papa?"

"Hey, Girly!" I lean on the porch. "How ya doin'?"

"Gotted beated again…"

"Baby girl…"

"Where's Daddy?"

"He's patrollin' the woods for signs of the escape pod ya came ta Earth in."

"Oh… When you taking me home?"

"As soon as we can ge' ya back." I hold my hands up. "Ya Carrier sai' we're waitin' until the cops do i' the "right way". I' coul' take as long as a month, or be as quick as a week."

"But Papa!"

"Ya'll be all righ', mah Angel."

"Sheyenne Bitchy McAnally, if you don't get your ass in here, I'm gonna beat it!"

"Ya better ge' inside, Sweetspark."

"Bye-bye. Tell Daddy I loves."

"Ah will, Angel. Sleep well."


Backyard, with Jazz, Third POV

"Prowler?"

"Jazz, I have asked you time and again to NOT call me that." he sighs heavily. "What do you have to report?"

"She jus' came ou'."

"How is she?"

"Hurtin', Prowler. Ah can' do this. Ah can' see 'er hur' like this!"

"Calm down, Jazz. I am the one who should be panicking, and I am handling this better than you are. What is the area like?"

"The guy's go' tons o' security cameras, Prowler. He's gotta be more paranoid than Red!"

"I heard that!"

"Sorry, Red. Ah'm serious, though. This guy's go' more cameras around this li'l trailer than Ah've seen in the equivalent zone of the base!"


Inside, Normal POV

"WHAT WERE YOU DOING IN YOUR BROTHER'S ROOM WITHOUT PERMISSION!?"

"I-I was outside, Sir."

"WELL, THEN WHAT WERE YOU DOING OUTSIDE WITHOUT PERMISSION!?"

"P-playing?"

I gasp as he grabs my right arm and throws me, with it, to the floor before kicking me in the stomach. "Then you're not allowed to play anymore! As soon as your homework is done, you go straight to work. I'm going to have a list of chores for you when you get home, and I expect them to be done before bedtime!" he scoffs at my tears. "Stop your crying, Bitch. You asked for it." He shakes his head. "Get to bed, you worthless pile of shit."


Woods, Third POV, With Prowl

"Prowl?"

"Go ahead, Hot Spot."

"Mari's going to school in Culver."

"I am aware of that. What did you have to say about this?"

"I need to know protocol for when she gets hurt."

"Jazz has the five of you looped into the emergency frequency they use in the town. If any call about a 6-year-old femme comes in for the area of the school, you are to respond, no matter what."

"Got it. When do we call you?"

"Once you are certain it is Mariposa. Jazz and I are staking out the house he got her from. We've already made contact."

"You saw her?"

"Jazz did. I am investigating where her pod landed. So far, I haven't—wait, hold up." Prowl crouches and brushes some grass aside, revealing the only piece of the escape pod still remaining—an Autobot shield. He picks it up and puts it into an evidence bag before tapping his comm. "Jazz. Red Alert. I found a piece of the pod."

"Make sure you put it into—"

"An evidence bag. I already have."

"Prowl?"

"I apologize, Hot Spot. I need to check in with Smokescreen before he realizes he was supposed to check in before now. He should be in position by now, and—"

"Smokescreen here. I was solidifying cover as the school counselor and securing Bluestreak's cover for the next stage of the mission."

"And the twins?"

"Are set to do drive-by's of the playground while she is out."

"Good. Their covers?"

"Two underage fathers with little boys in preschool, constantly wanting to check out the schoolyard. Check. I just wish they didn't have to use holoforms and pretenders."

"Sunstreaker is letting Mariposa call him "Uncle Sunny". After he tried to attack her the first week we were on Earth, I find that a very big step in the right direction. I am tempted to take him off the "Banned Sitter" list on Mari's care packet."

"Don't upgrade his status with Mari too soon. He's still pretty… Insubordinate, Prowl."

"I am aware of that, but I also know that a little trust goes a long way. Prowl, Out."


Normal POV

I leave my phone up tonight, because I want to keep the battery level up, and change into my pink collared Elmo pajamas before crawling into bed. Tomorrow's going to be harder than I think I wanna face…