I have a poll on my profile page asking a question I really want to have answered. I'm trying to get as many answers as I can, and very few people visit my profile. I've gotten literally one answer in a week, and that's sad. Please answer, and be honest about it.
I only own my OC's!
Mari's Rescued
Third POV, 1:00 AM
"Anything happen on your watch, Red Alert?"
"Not that I could see. Wait, hold up." He sighs heavily. "Bobby just told me she got scolded for using her real name in Sunday School, but I don't know what came of it."
"Prowl, she's out cold. Ah can' feel 'er!"
"Jazz—what?"
"She's passe' ou' on da floor in da room dey had se' up fer 'er. Ah can' feel 'er spark!"
"Jazz, calm down. You would think you were her Carrier, rather than her Sire." He peers into the window. "She is moving now."
Normal POV
I scramble to my feet before stumbling into the bathroom, where I throw up all Grammy had fed me last night. After I'm done, I head back into the room, take off the underwear that have blood soaked into the waistband and fabric on the back, pull on a pull-up, and go to bed.
I'm back and forth for two hours before Stacy's woken up by the dry-heaving and scoops me into her arms. She covers all my injuries with something—finger-combs my hair over to cover the wound from the beer bottle, puts makeup over my bruises, etc, and helps me into a short sleeved pink, orange, and white dress with an Elmo graphic on the skirt, white socks, and my white and pink Elmo Velcro tennis shoes.
"Wha' you do?"
"I'm taking you to the ER. Remember, you were not beat."
"No' bea'."
"Good girl." She grabs the keys, a grocery bag, and her purse, then leads me out the door.
The ER visit doesn't take long—they diagnose it as a stomach bug and send us home with a prescription for a nausea medication for her to give me.
As soon as we're back to the trailer, she puts me back to bed before getting ready for work and leaving again, leaving me battered, broken, and in the hands of the enemy.
Morning
I get up to the too-loud alarm and quickly switch it off before pulling on clean underwear and another white Elmo camisole. I pull on a black long sleeved turtleneck to hide the bruises and burn on my neck, red tights, which I tuck the shirt into, and a black and white polka-dot short sleeved dress with a red bow at the neck and a red Elmo graphic on the skirt. I pull on my black quilted Mary Janes, then head into the bathroom. I twist my earrings—I'm surprised they didn't get pulled out yesterday—and put on my makeup before pulling my hair up into two ponytails with the pompom Elmo hair ties, making sure to hide the now-scabbed over wound on my head. I slip on the offending red glasses, then check the Elmo watch I still don't know how to read on my wrist with a huff. I know I have to be out of here when the little hand is on the 7, and it's almost there. Guess I'm moving slower than usual.
I go back to my room and grab my backpack, not even bothering to try and get breakfast. I know I'm not allowed it, and I feel too queasy to risk it. Emily doesn't need that, after all, and we're going to be together today. I tuck the black and red Elmo tiara into it, then pull on a plush red jacket with an Elmo applique on the left shoulder. All through this, my left wrist is hurting so bad I'm about to cry, but I force myself to hold back for now.
I climb onto the bus and sit down before putting my tiara on and getting an energon drop out and popping it into my mouth with my right hand. Emily climbs on at the next stop and plops by me. "You okay?" I shake my head while holding out an energon drop for her. "What happened?"
"Bad beaty last night. I'm calling it today, so be ready."
"Good thing I gots my baby blankie."
I look at it. "That's jus' like mine! Papa still had mine!"
"Daddy gave me it Friday when he comed visit." We pull up to the Elementary school, and I step up to the front of the bus with Emily's hand in my own. "Bessy, we need to see Mr. Miller."
"Go on, I'll call it in."
We step into the office, and I knock on the third door to the right before pushing it open with my right hand. "Unca Dusty?"
"Right here, Little One." He stands as we step in. "What's wrong?"
"C-code r-red." I black out at that, and hit the floor.
"Prowl!"
third POV
"Prowl, code red! Code red!"
"Prowl here." He huffs. "Smokescreen, calm down, I cannot understand you."
"Mariposa just passed out in my office, but she called the alert before she did. Code red. It's time."
"I got that. All teams, rendezvous at Grissom. I repeat, all teams, rendezvous at Grissom. Protectobots, you need to get to Culver Community Elementary School and get the girls. Do not worry about getting Mariposa to an Emergency Room. Just get her to Plymouth Airfield and air lift them to Grissom. Hot Spot, Groove, Streetwise, you are to rendezvous with us at Grissom. First Aid, Blades, you are on the youngling rescue. Make sure you have Bluestreak's pretender with you. Prowl out."
Emily watches anxiously as two men run in with a stretcher. ~Easy. It's me and Aid. You're okay. Code Red's been initated. We're getting you out of here.~
~These are our holoforms. Our real forms are outside waiting.~ He turns to Smokescreen. "Smokescreen, you need to come with us."
"My v-mode is out back. I'll follow you."
"All right."
"Bluestreak left his V-mode at Grissom, so he'll ride with you. I drove him here, since he's only 15."
"All right. Emily, come with us. Blake, you're with us too. You're staying with the girls."
He nods, and bends down to pick up Emily. "You're Unca Blake?"
"Yep. And I'm going to carry you, since we're going to be moving very fast."
"Otay."
He picks her up, and she cuddles into his shoulder. "Prowl, do you know how lucky you are to have two beautiful femmelings?"
"Very lucky, Bluestreak. I am very lucky. How are they doing?"
"We're getting into First Aid now, but you need to give the others an hour or so to reindezvous."
"I know. We'll be wheels up in 2 hours. Prowl out."
Bluestreak and Emily watch as First Aid pulls the cushion off the back of the rear-facing seat before turning to him. "Put Emily here. She'll be close enough to Mari while being far enough away for me to work. Blades, do you remember how to drive an ambulance, or do I need Blue to drive?"
"I got it!" Blades huffs. "I got you here in one piece, didn't I?"
"Good point." He unbuckles Mariposa from the cot and strips her carefully—certain that she wants to have clothes on when she gets to Grissom. Once she's stripped, he rolls her over and gasps at the damage on the little girl's back. "Primus." He starts working slowly, stitching the damage on her back before bandaging her with an abdominal bandage and two ace wraps, using at least three tubes of neosporin to cover the damage. He then moves onto her head, and shaves the hair away from the spot carefully before stitching and bandaging a half-inch wound on her head, then re-does her hair so the two can still match.
Mariposa's is still unconcious by the time they reach the Plymouth airfield, so they transfer her over quickly before moving their own things. "Bluestreak, I'm trusting you. Get my V-mode to Grissom. I'm staying with Mari. She's too hurt to be without a medic right now."
"Okay. I will."
Normal pov
"Mmmhhhmm."
"Mari? Sweetspark, it's Aidie."
"Aidie?" I sit up slowly and put a hand on my head. I can feel the shaking of the bed, so I know we're moving, but I don't know where. Last I knew, Ethereal and I were with Uncle Smokescreen in his temporary office. "Where we at?"
"We're in Blades, and we're almost to Grissom, Sweetspark. I got you all fixed up and bandaged. You'll be just fine."
"Emmy?"
"Right over there, sound asleep." I turn to where Aid's pointing to find her curled up in a chair, wrapped in a red blanket just like the one that's on my lap. "I don't think she slept well last night."
"She's 'kay? No getty sicks?"
"Mari…"
"I was sicks all last night…"
"It was the head injury, Sweetie."
"I know, but we's 'stalt, Aidie. She's my missy-sissy."
"OH!" Aid smiles. "Well, she looked really pale earlier, but she's got her color back now." He nudges Emily lightly, causing her to wake up. "Are either of you hungry?" I raise an eyebrow, only for him to hold out a couple water bottles with…energon inside!
I grab at mine desperately while she looks at hers nervously. "It's like the gummies and candies, jus' liquid."
"Oh…" She takes hers and sips it slowly. "YUMMY!" She uncurls from the red blanket, and I finally get the chance to see what she's wearing—a black long sleeved T-shirt under a black and white polka-dot dress with a puffed skirt, black leggings, white socks, and white tennis shoes, a white fur-trimmed sweater with the hood up, a black sequined coat-vest, and a silver sequined hat. I also notice that she's got earrings—rhinestones—and a black rubber bracelet on her wrist.
Aid helps me back into my clothes, which makes me cry out when he moves my wrist. "Shoot." He pulls out a brace that's surprisingly my size and helps me into it as gently as he can. It's blue, with red trim and yellow, blue, and red Velcro tapes. "Don't take this off until we're back in Nevada. You're going to need a cast on your wrist, but it shouldn't take long to heal, and I'll make sure Ratchet keeps doing your medical lessons." He sighs. "He's really missed us in the med-bay this last week, Little Sister."
"I missy hims too…"
Grissom Air Force Base
Carrier's waiting for us in his normal form when we arrive. He hugs the two of us close before setting us down and turning to the other bots and the soldiers. "Those on Lennox's and Epps' teams will be going with the others and our vehicle modes. William, you will be taking my vehicle mode, as well as Jazz's, back with you, but Bluestreak and Smokescreen will be going with you. Jazz and I are flying comercial with the twins." Carrier turns to the two of us. "I need to take the two of you into the plane and get you changed. We will send your old clothes with the soldiers, and Bluestreak will put them away and stock Mariposa's emergency kit, as well as prepare an emergency kit for you, Ethereal."
"Thanks…"
He turns to a confused Lennox. "She has just been rescued, and she is aparently shy."
"She's had lots of newness, Willie. She'll be fines once we's all homes!"
"Annie's really timid when things are new too, Mari. I understand."
He leads us into the plane, which is empty for the moment, and helps me into a purple T-shirt with a six-point star of daisies and a ladybug in the center and daisies on the cuffs, purple jeans, and purple socks before handing me a red and black polka-dot ladybug raincoat—it started raining again about half-way here—red and black polka-dot ladybug rain boots, and a red and black polka-dot umbrella with eyes. He also hands me a red ladybug backpack with, I think, snacks and drinks inside. Just by moving my backpack around, I can tell it's got some kind of toys inside. I watch as he changes Emily into the same thing, then hands her a matching backpack that also rattles. "We will get a military car and head up to South Bend, where we will fly back to Nevada. Once we are there, Jazz will register Ethereal for your school, Mariposa, and pick up her uniforms for us. We will spend the day out in the yard if Fixit approves, and you will be allowed to swim. Mariposa must heal before she can join us."
"Where's Fixie!?"
"Fixie?"
"Fixit is at the base with Blaster. He is watching him solely because it was not safe to fly him out in his condition, and we had to come out and search for you." He taps me on the nose before doing the same to Emily, which causes us to giggle. "And finding you was the proverbial icing on the cake." He taps the backpacks. "You have activities to share in here, and snacks and drinks, which are not to be shared."
"But Mommy!"
"You both have the same snacks, in the same amounts. I wish to have Ethereal in for her first checkup with Ratchet before the two of you share anything more than you already have." He smiles. "Mariposa, return to bot form please."
"My ouchies…"
"Your wings will ache from the damage to your back in this form, but it will not affect your wounds."
I nod, and transform, my wings trembling in pain even though they're otherwise still because of Carrier's. I smile when Emily instinctively does the same. "Ethereal, this is your normal form. When the two of you are older, you will be able to combine. Hot Spot will explain it, or Wheeljack, when you have the time." She's ice blue, with a light pink chevron and light pink details on her wings—hearts where I have stars—and wispy designs on her shoulders where I have my butterflies. "I like your paint. You's pretty."
Ethereal smiles at me. "You too."
"Humanity would call the two of you "mirror image twins" because your human forms would have been mirror images of each other. Jazz, in his infinite yet confusing wisdom, decided to make the two of you look different, and I will have to ask Wheeljack to find a way to change her pretender, but I cannot at this time, because he is very busy with his inventions for the war effort. Not to mention I do not wish for my Ethereal to literally become her name."
"What that means?"
"Her name means ghost-like, Mariposa, just like yours means butterfly."
"Oh… You no want her become ghosty…" I shudder. "I no want her be ghosty either." I glance over to her. "I likey her likes she is."
"Good. We will keep her as she is. Maybe she will grow more like you, and maybe not, but we will be happy with what we have." Carrier boosts her into the military jeep before helping me in and buckling me, while she does her own. "Mariposa, I do not want you using that hand until we get you to Ratchet. He or one of the human medics will handle it, and if they cannot, then we will get you to a human hospital and have them. First Aid said it was non-displaced, which surprises me with how you were being mistreated, but as it is a minor fracture, and should only take a few weeks to heal, you will be all right. I will write a note to keep you out of gym, but you may still have to dress. We will figure that out when we get home."
Sire climbs into the passenger seat. "Seein' as ya both have pierced ears now, we'll ge' ta have ya wear real earrin's 'roun' town an' a' ya school. Prowler's looke' up how ta care for new pearcin's, an' go' ya new earrin's so ya won' have ta wear those. He will have Ratch change ya're earrin's ta somethin' ya won' be scared of, so ya don' hafta have Elmo in ya ears no more."
"Thank you, Sire."
Carrier climbs in and starts the car. "This should not take long, but we will get you home as soon as we can. Once we are there and Mariposa is taken care of, we will introduce Ethereal to Fixit and get her wardrobe secured. After that, we will allow the girls to swim within reason. Mariposa will need a cast cover and something to keep the bandaging dry or she will not be allowed in the water. Ethereal, you will be allowed, but if you want to be with Mariposa, we may not be able to swim today. Do you know how to swim, my Little One?" She nods. "Good. Jazz, while I am out with the girls and Fixit, I need you to get Ethereal registered and pick up her uniforms, as I will be very busy with the girls. I assume they are the same size, as the two outfits I got here in Indiana fit them properly, but if they need measurements, I will get them."
We rush through security—easy when you don't have much luggage—and take our seats on the plane. Carrier is beside me, while Sire is behind us and beside Ethereal. While she's quieter and more…logical…than I am, she's also more like Sire in that—I think—she doesn't have a glitch, and she's a lot friendlier and more outgoing—I saw that in school. Now, that's debatable because I have the glitch and she'd crash anyway when I do, which means, I think, that she'd have it, but I can't be sure. Carrier might know more than I do.
I wait until we're in the air before I turn to Carrier. "Daddy?" He glances down at me. "Daddy, does Emmy have a glitch like me?"
He sighs heavily. "I do not know. We will be asking Richard to check her processors once we land."
"Schedule?"
"Base first thing. After that, if we have to, we'll go to the hospital to get your wrist casted, then we'll go to the mall to get Emily's clothes, and hopefully it is still recent enough from getting yours that you will be able to match with her."
"Med-bay?"
"Mariposa, she does not have the skills you do, and she seems to lack the medical processors that you have. She will spend the time with the other younglings or with the other Protectobots while you are learning from Ratchet and First Aid. You will have shared class on Sunday afternoons, though."
"Huh?"
Carrier leans closer to the back of the seat so he can talk to both of us without being heard. "The two of you are starting language and etiquette lessons with Mirage before evening church on Sundays. Mariposa because she is a princess—the title is Star Healer, Ethereal, and only one girl would get the title, though your spark will be checked later this morning to see if it is close enough to Mariposa's for you to be counted as one as well—and you because you will need to know our language and customs in order to function in our society. Our people have had to learn human customs as we go, but I do not want my femmes to go through the same when we return home."
"And if I am a princess too?"
"He'll hafta 'splain things to Damien again, for starters."
"Damien?"
I sigh heavily. "Bully's Daddy. Ella's mean."
"Oh…" She sighs and leans back in her seat.
"Ah think i's gettin' ta be too much for 'er li'l brain, Prowler. She needs a break."
"I will explain the rest as it happens. Marianne, I would recommend you get some rest as well, as I am certain you did not get much rest last night."
"Otay…" I shift around, trying to get comfortable, before huffing and holding my hands out to Carrier. He blinks in my general direction before sighing and nodding, and pulls me into his arms.
Tranquility, Nevada, normal POV
Carrier carries me off the plane while leading Ethereal by the hand, and Sire gets my backpack because of my ouchies. "Captain Lennox should be meeting us here with one of the other soldiers and our vehicle modes. Jazz, I expect you to finish your mission quickly, because the house will need cleaned and we will need groceries for the girls, and I will need to be out with them. Have Smokescreen and Bluestreak help you if you need it, because Mariposa's sheets need changed. With her injury, I do not want to risk her. An infection right now would only harm her in the long run."
"Ah go' i', Prowler."
Carrier sets me into the back seat of his vehicle mode before buckling me into my booster, then helps Ethereal into a matching booster beside me. I'm sure he'd told the soldiers beforehand to make sure he had two of them. Now, of course, we won't be able to use them with Sire's vehicle mode because he's only a two-seater, and we'll have to share a seat—which Carrier would have already covered with the police here in town.
I wait until we're pulling up to the base to ask him what's on my mind. "Carrier?"
"Yes, Mariposa?"
"You still gonna be cop?"
"Yes, Sweetspark. I went through orientation last Tuesday, and I officially start tomorrow, but I will be able to get the two of you off to school first."
"Good. Theri needs us bof there for firs' day."
"And she will have us both." He sighs. "I believe you have someone waiting to see you, Little One."
I look out the window. "Fixie!"
Carrier climbs out in holoform and helps me out before moving over to let Ethereal out, addressing the minicon running at me as he does. "Slowly, Fixit. She is injured."
"Sorry, Sir." He steps over to me and hugs me gently. "It's good to see you in one piece, Mari."
"I missied you, Fixie…"
He puts an arm around me and leads me into the medbay. "Come on. Let's get you to Ratchet. He's waiting to check Aid's work and get your cast on."
Carrier steps into the medbay with Ethereal in her bot form to find me on the berth and with my cast almost finished. It's dark pink, and Ratchet's already put an Autobot sticker on it before putting a clear paint coat on top. We're just waiting for it to dry now.
"Ratchet, could you scan Ethereal's processor and check her spark for me?"
"Of course." She hops up beside me as I shift up to bot form beside her. Ratchet puts a dark pink painted brace on my wrist with a heavy sigh, then turns to Ethereal once it's welded together. "The break isn't so bad that I will need to operate, and we gave her a waterproof cast, but you still need to be very careful with her over the next six weeks, and tell me if something happens with her the moment it happens."
Carrier nods. "Yes, Sir." It's…weird…seeing him submit to another bot that isn't Optimus.
"Ethereal?"
"Y-yeah?"
"I am not going to hurt you, Little One. I am Ratchet, the team's medic, and your pediatrician. Has your Carrier taken the time to explain what I am going to do?"
"Youngling exam?"
Ratchet goes through her exam as he talks to her, stopping to write things down as he does. "That too, and your necessary vaccines, but I am also going to scan your processor, which is your brain, for his glitch, and I am going to check both of your sparks to see if you are simply combiner twins or a true gestalt because of your lost sibling."
Ethereal turns to me nervously. Ratchet takes the moment of distraction to give her vaccines, painlessly as he had done for me. "Carrier lost one of us. There was s'pposed to be three of us."
"Otay… Wha's a glitch?"
Ratchet sighs. "There is a problem in his processor that makes him crash, and your sister has it as well. I am checking to see if you have the inherited the same problem." He sighs heavily before running his scanner over her head, checks the readout, and smiles. "She's clear, and checks out completely healthy, but she may still have a few signs of the condition because of her connection with her sister. Don't be surprised if something happens, and simply call me or First Aid." He turns to us. "Chest plates open, please?"
Carrier steps over and lays a hand on both of our shoulders. "I am sure you have had this talk from your human families, but sparks are to be placed into that "private" area, okay?"
"So…only doctors and you and Papa?"
"Yes, though your uncles may be allowed some of that within reason." He turns to Ratchet. "Bluestreak and Smokescreen have helped me bathe them when I am busy."
"I was not upset by that, Prowl, and thank you for explaining that to them." He steps closer and leans down to look at our sparks. "All right…" He straightens up and smiles at us as we close our plating. We don't like feeling exposed. "They're completely identical, but not perfect halves."
"So they really were a gestalt."
"That is my assumption, yes."
"Are they close enough…"
"Mariposa's spark is a tiny bit different, but that is seen in any set of split sparks. They are close enough to call Ethereal a princess, though I would mention this to Optimus. Come to either of us if she develops any of the abilities Mariposa has. That will mean the Star Healer's spark itself has split, and would mean something major for the Primes, not to mention that I would be gaining another student. The three of you can go. I'm sure you need to settle her in."
"Thank you, Ratchet."
"Do not mention it, Prowl. I was just doing my job."
Culver, Indiana, Aaron's Trailer
Aaron paces his trailer anxiously. "Where is that Bitch?"
"Thank you anyway." Stacy sighs as she steps over. "The school said she passed out ,and the EMT's took her to the ER."
"Then why didn't they call us?"
"They thought their councilor did. They just learned he didn't from me."
"Then call the ER and ask for her."
"I did. They never had her come in."
"Then where is THAT BITCH!?"
