I don't own anything but Mariposa!


~Bonds, Hot Spot~

~Bonds, Blades~

~Bonds, First Aid~

~Bonds, Groove~

~Bonds, Streetwise~

~Bonds, Marianne/Mariposa~

"Normal"

'Thoughts'

"Comms or phone, other side"

"Bumblebee, Tones"

"Bumblebee, Comms"

"Bumblebee, Radio"


EMS Class

WEDNESDAY, 5:45 PM

"Mari!"

"I'm coming, Aid!" I run down the stairs with my old EMS book and laptop in a damaged purple messenger bag with a pencil bag and an old, cheep notebook, wearing the yellow tunic sweater and jeggings, and my wedge boots.

He herds me out quickly, with the excuse that we're running late, and transforms in the drive before opening the door for me. I wait until we're on the road to comment on it. "Um… Aid?"

"Yeah?"

"We still have ten minutes before that excuse would work on me. I like to leave early."

"Oh…" He sighs. "You're still keeping things from us."

I cross my arms and give him a mock glare. "You're one to talk."

"I know." He sighs. "And I know Spot doesn't like it. You're still new enough to being one of us, that you shouldn't even know how to block a bond, let alone transform or combine…"

I shrug. "Guess I fit right in here, then… Combining before you're a year old… Your first battle… Spot's problem with the hole…"

"Okay, you have a point." He laughs. "We all had our moments growing up, and you will too…"

I look out the window. "I don't block the bond."

"You don't?"

"I keep things to myself…" I sigh softly. "It may have been my saving grace, as I grew up—the reason I'm only traumatized, and not dead… The reason I survived long enough to meet you…" My mind flashes back to that morning, where I'd been talking to fake bots in the fantasy world I live in—a regressed trait a lot of autistic adults have, combined with a trauma shelter of sorts. I usually spent time with Ratchet, Red Alert, Ironhide, Bumblebee, and the Lambo Twins, or Optimus himself…I don't know if it was jealousy, or timidity, that kept me away from Defensor in the fantasy, but I regret it now—and they weren't even REAL. "God, Aid…" I shake my head. He's probably getting it through the bond. "Life was simpler, when it was only a fantasy…but I'd never go back."

"We're not mad." I blink at the steering wheel. "We're not in those movies, right?" I shake my head. "Then you were just sticking with what you knew."

"Didn't know Sunny…or Red…"

"You wanted to be part of a combiner, not just know them, right?" I nod weakly. "And we're pretty tall when we're combined—bigger than Optimus…" I nod again. "We know how intimidating we can be to humans, Mari."

I smirk at that. "You just won't accept it."

"Right! Someday, they'll see we're not dangerous like the cons."

"Just huge." I shrug. "Then again, it's easy to tell I'm one of the few not scared, with how I reacted to Blades when I met you all…" I sigh. "So the fact that I avoided you guys in the fantasy is actually kind of strange…" I rub the back of my neck as he stops outside the firehouse. "But I don't know if I actually was a little intimidated—because you're huge together, when Gipsy's not much smaller—I think she's taller, actually—or because I was jealous because you all had someone to love, and I was out there on my own…" I open the door. "But I wish I hadn't. I wish I'd always known you guys, now… With Ratchet…" I blink quickly, trying not to cry. "With Ratchet down still…I need you guys, and…I don't want regret like that keeping me from letting you all in… I…I guess I'm just scared…"

"You don't have to be, and we'll give you as much time as you need. Don't worry about trusting us right now."

"But I do trust you!" I hug the side of the ambulance, not caring if someone thinks I'm weird. He's my brother!

"I know… Don't worry about letting us in until you're ready. You've been through a lot, and you're still…" He sighs heavily. "You need to get inside before you freeze. I'll be out here when you're done."

"I'm still a what?"

"You're still like a sparkling to our kind, and we don't know if you'll age like a human, or like our kind." He sighs. "Ratchet may be able to help with that once we have him back, but…"

I nod. "Stay safe, Aid."

"Why would I—"

"I just have a bad feeling, and I can't put my finger on why. Stay safe out here, and keep in contact with your brothers. Let me know if something's not right, and I'll be out here as soon as I can come up with an excuse." I sigh heavily. "I have to go." I hug the warm ambulance one more time before running to the firehouse. "Love you!"


I run inside and take a seat before pulling out my book and the notebook before getting a pencil out of the case. I can hear my brother's talking, but I don't pay them much attention as I start to sketch out what I think is coming—Cemetery Wind… Lockdown… Or the Decepticons themselves. 'I hate being psychic!'


AID'S POV

~Guys, stay alert. Mari said she's got a bad feeling about something, and I've never heard her so serious before.~

~You're sure she's not just panicking?~

~She didn't have the same tone as she does when she's panicked… It's like she was in her element… She told me to stay safe, and—~

~You're in the parking lot by the firehouse. Where would you be safer?~

~Besides being here with us…~

~Something's coming…~

~Right now?~

~No. It's at least a few hours away. But I can tell Mari's onto something.~ I can feel him smiling over the bond. ~We need to make sure she follows her heart more, Aid. She may be better at this than I am…~

~It's not easy on her, Street. I can tell she's barely keeping herself together right now…~

~I didn't say—~ He sighs over the bond. ~I didn't mean it like that. I meant she needs to trust herself more, instead of trying so hard to prove she's right. She's going to wind up hurting herself…~

~Like you do?~

~Stop picking on him, Blades!~ I sigh heavily. ~Mari's nervous enough without you guys talking about this!~

~You—~

~He passed a warning on. Mari wants us to be ready if someone shows up here, and we will.~


NORMAL POV

I scoff lightly. The teacher just came in, and it's time for my first class to start, but my brothers are coming in loud and clear over the bond, keeping my ADHD mind off the lesson. ~GUYS! I NEED TO FOCUS HERE! CLASS IS STARTING!~ At least my need for a distraction means I'll hold onto more of the lesson than I would normally.

~We'll keep it down.~

I blink when I realize what triggered Aid to snap. ~…D…did I start another argument…~

~I handled it, Mari. They both want to protect you, but they have different ways of doing so.~

~Like on the battlefield… Doesn't mean I didn't—~

~Blades was teasing Streets over the bond.~

I sigh softly. ~…And I'm an advocate against mistreatment…BLADES! LEAVE YOUR BROTHER ALONE! THEY'RE ALL YOU'VE GOT!~

~Get back to your class, and pay attention. We want you with us on missions…~

~And follow your heart. Trust yourself. You don't have to prove anything to us.~

~We'll protect the house. You just worry about learning what you can.~

I sigh heavily. ~Just don't kill anyone… Love you guys…~

~We'll keep the others safe. Don't worry about it.~

~Don't get yourselves killed, either. Don't push yourself too hard, Street, and don't be too hard on your rotors if it's cons, Blades. I've never fixed rotors before, and I've had enough of overheating cars to last me a lifetime and a half.~

~You won't be alone in there, Mari. I'm here too.~ He smiles through the bond. ~And Ratchet will be soon, with your help.~

~All right, she needs to focus on her class.~

The bond goes quiet, but I can still feel them, so I'm not too worried. Still, I felt better when I was able to hear their voices, but I can't let them know that. I need to pay attention. Spot wants me out there with them, and I need my EMS training or I can't be. Luckily, this is just a formality so I can get recertified.

I return my full attention to the teacher as he starts going through the introduction and starts the same movie I'd watched before, about the Practical Exam—this time without the dizzy spell and near-fainting, thank God. I want my brothers aware.

Within a few minutes, I'm so in my zone I can't even tell my brothers are out there. The only sign they are is the warmth against the portion of me that is still Cybertronian—one that's grown since the last time I was human… 'Should I be worried? I'm more Cybertronian than I was before… Awh, I'll ask Aid tonight. If it is, I'll go back to using my human form unless we need my bot form…'