I only own Marianne! Everything else belongs to Hasbro!


~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"


Kittens

The Next Morning

I sigh softly as I step outside. It's warmer than it has been—not that it really matters, because it's still winter—but the snow's starting to melt, and it's starting to feel like spring. I know it's only 35̊, but to me, it feels almost warm.

Meow?

'Speaking of spring…' I look around for my cats before spotting a long-haired calico looking up at me fearfully. 'She looks like a baby still…' I kneel to her and pull out the bag of treats I've started carrying in a compartment on my frame, then hold one out to her. "Here you go, Little One."

She takes it and runs for the entrance to the medical bay. I look closer when I see something curled in the snow, almost in a little pile. "Oh. My. God." I'm suddenly aware of how cold it is out here, to them. ~AID!~

~Mari!? What's wrong? Where are you?~

~Outside the medbay. I'm fine, but…~

~Mari? What's wrong, Little Sis?~

~Kittens. It's way too cold out here, and they're curled up on cement… We have to do something, Aid. They can't survive like this!~

~I'm on my way. Try to keep them warm.~

~Okay…~ I kneel to them and hold my hands over the small pile, not even trying to count them while they're still out here in the snow.

~If you can't—~

~I lost a three week old kitten once, Spot. I can't watch another kitten die…not like this… It was heart-wrenching enough being told to give up on him the week before. I-I can't lose another kitten!~ It's all I can do to keep my pain out of the bond as everything from Frosty's short life comes back to me, my helplessness at the forefront. ~I can't…~

I feel a hand on my shoulder. ~And we won't let you…~ He looks over them gently before sighing. ~Groove, I need a couple of Mari's old towels.~

I take a deep breath and let it out. Now that I'm past the initial grief over my lost kitten, I'm in my element. ~And bring some water, and some of Winky's food. The mom's gonna need it.~ I scoop the pile up gently, whispering comfortingly to them as I do. ~They're less than a week old…~ I reach up and take the towels from Groove and make a small, but soft, nest in one corner of the medical bay. ~Spot, think you could find the mom? She's small, and tri-colored…~

~I'm on it.~

~Just don't scare her.~


I smile down at the kittens curled up together in the nest, barely paying their nearby mother any mind. She's warm, and safe, and I don't think she minds being indoors. The next few hours will tell us more on that. I shift down to human form and run a finger over the nearest head.

~They're so little…~

~They're supposed to be, Street.~

~You're sure you know what to do?~

~I've raised an orphaned kitten before, and, though he didn't make it, the ones I helped with three years ago did. Besides that, I've cared for a nursing mother before. We don't need to do much unless Mom disappears, and it's not that hard.~

~Do they always recharge like that?~

~They look kind of like a gestalt, curled up like that…~

~Yes, and I know. They can't regulate their temperature at this age, Spot. They need the warmth, and the best way is to curl up with Mom.~

~But she's—~ Aid motions to the mother, who's exploring the medbay.

~Mother cats are usually really good with their babies. It's rare for one to be abandoned.~ I sigh softly as I look at the back of my arm. ~I've been scratched, bit, poked, treed…and cuddled, for intervening.~

~Poked?~

~Winky's mother, Brownnozer, was so quick in her attacks, she'd only leave tiny poke-marks, rather than long scratches. Leia would scratch—leave long, painful, bleeding cuts, Lily would bite…Sparkle would tree me…~

~Tree you?~

~And there's the embarrassing story from my childhood…~

~Thought you couldn't remember any?~

~Thank the kittens.~ I giggle in spite of myself. ~I'd grabbed one of her kittens, and as I said, mother cats are protective… Well…~ I break off into another fit of giggles. ~The kitten was meowing so bad—he was scared, which is normal when a kitten that young is picked up by what is, to them, a giant hand—and she started after me.~ I send them the image of the angry, almost all white calico cat running after me, then my climbing onto a picnic table. ~I only wanted to hold him, but I gave him back. She was fine once she had her baby back, but I was sad… I wanted kitty cuddles 'cause I couldn't have other cuddles…~

Spot reaches down and picks me up. ~We're here now…~

I shriek at the sudden hand lifting me. I'd been too busy "cat-grannying", as Mom called it, to notice him. ~Whelp, now I know what the kitten felt…~

~Sorry…~

I shake my head. ~ You're fine. My fault. I wasn't paying attention.~

~That's no excuse for me to scare you.~

~Startled. I was only startled.~ I nuzzle into his hand. ~You're sneaky for being so big.~ I giggle. ~At least I didn't fall in a hole…~ I shrug. ~Did get stuck in a tree, though…~

~How'd you—~

~Cross seeker-like sky hunger—I like to be up high—with a fear of heights—I hate looking down…makes me dizzy…~

~Like Silverbolt?~

I nod. ~Or Prime-verse Blades. He's acrophobic too…~

~An acrophobic helicopter?~

I want to snap at him about TV Tropes and Acrophobic Birds being a thing, but it's so quiet in here my ears are ringing, and I don't want to break the silence. ~Silver's an acrophobic bird, so's Aligned's Blades.~

~Acrophobic bird?~

~Get on the internet and look up TV Tropes. You'll find a mention of Silver, and you'll find their Blades, too.~


Midnight

I sigh softly and slip out of the pile before starting for the stairs. I have to check on the babies. Once I'm outside, I shift down to my human form, rubbing my arms against the chill. "Shoulda grabbed a coat…" I sigh heavily before starting for the medical bay, and the litter of kittens I had moved to the area next to the door, inside and out of the cold. They're only a few days old, and I can't let them die.

I kneel beside the nest Aid and I had set up, only finding one small calico inside. "Damn…" I look around before grabbing an abandoned blue cloth, and quickly wrap the trembling thing into it before sticking her into my shirt. It's okay, Little One. It's okay. Let's get you inside before you freeze."


Inside

I run for the library, barely remembering to shut the back door in my rush. I quickly find the book I'm looking for—the one with the emergency kitten formula recipe—and turn to the page before running to the kitchen. I step over to the human-sized corner they'd set up with my favorite treats, and a few kitchen supplies, and pull out a bowl before mixing the recipe. Once it's together, I carry the bowl and an eyedropper I'd found, and settle on the couch. After turning on the TV and playing all the recorded episodes of Rescue Bots, I pull a little into the eyedropper, then feed the now-warm kitten one drop at a time while listening to my favorite cartoon.

Once the kitten stops eating, I head into the kitchen and clean up before finishing with the kitten, then walk back over to the couch and set her on my lap. I'm too tired to bother with finding a bed for her right now, my cats hate newcomers, and I can't take her back into the berth room with me. She'd get smooshed.

"It just ran out of energon."

I look up to the TV screen with a soft gasp. I didn't realize the season three finale was the first two episodes on our new DVR.

"So, we can't steer now?"

"Or move. We're stuck here."

"We're not stuck, we're falling." They all scream.

"Inconvenient."

"We'll fall out of the sky if we don't get those windmills moving."

"Hurry."

"Dad, we can't keep this up much longer."

Charlie turns to his children sadly. "I know, son, but if we fail, we'll fail giving it our best try."

Chase glances down at him. "Spoken like a true Rescue Bot."

Heatwave sigh softly. "Chief, we have an alternate power source. Energon can buy you time."

"No. You can't give us your energy to keep the dome up. That would mean—"

"Cody, you taught us everything we know about humans, and that includes doing whatever you can to protect those you care about."

"Being a Rescue Bot is about serving, saving, and protecting those in need."

I whimper softly. I can't help it—I'm barely keeping myself together as-is. I hear someone come downstairs, but don't bother to pay them any attention. I know I kinda snuck out, but I'd had a bad feeling about the kittens—and I'm glad I did, in hindsight.

"That's the what, but your family gave us the reason why."

"I can't let you sacrifice yourselves for us."

"With all due respect, sir, it's not your call." Heatwave turns to his team. "Rescue Bots, roll to the rescue."

"Rescue Bots, roll to the rescue…" I blink back tears and pause the show long enough to get myself back together—right as they're starting to show where they're all hooked up to the dome. "And keep rolling on…"

"Everything okay?" I glance up to find Blades standing over me, and nod. "Then why'd you come down here?" He glances over me. "And why are you in your human form?"

I sigh softly. "I had a bad feeling about those kittens we found, and went out to check on them. She abandoned the smallest one, Blades. I…I can't come back to berth, because she'll get smooshed." I sigh. "And, I'll have to get up every couple hours for the next week or so, so we have to find a safe way to keep her with us, and we can't do that tonight."

He sighs before sitting beside me. "I'll stay with you."

"You don't—"

He glances at the TV. "I don't think I've seen this one before…"

I glance up to him before crawling into his lap, kitten and all. "Don't think you'd want to…" I rub the back of my neck. "I've been researching, into this continuity…" I sigh softly. "Defensor's in a book that goes along with it, Blades, meaning…" I blink. I'm closer to crying than I had been over the Rescue Bots giving the lives no one knows they have. "Blades, you're in Aligned…Spot's in Aligned…Aid's in Aligned…Groove…Street…" I shake my head before nuzzling into him. "And Optimus tells them they're the last rescue squad in the first episode…"

"We're offline…"

I look up into red optics. "Hi, Spot… This isn't what it looks like."

"You're not down here crying over our not existing in this show?"

I blink before sighing. "Well, I wasn't at first. Blades showed up, and it reminded me of what I'd been looking into…" I nod to my lap. "I had a bad feeling about the kittens, and I have a sixth sense, so I had to check on them. She was the only one in the nest we made…her mom abandoned her, Aid…"

"The poor little thing…did you—"

"Fed her, made sure she pottied, washed the eye dropper, and stored the emergency formula in the fridge." I reach over and hit the play button.

"Whatcha watching?"

I glance up at them. "Today and Forever."

"What?" Spot settles beside me.

"You don't wanna know." I motion to the screen. Aid reaches over with a gentle hand and takes the kitten from me.

Kade turns to Heatwave. "Almost home, Heatwave. Just hang in there."

"Just remember…you're gonna owe me big for this."

"Heatwave? Heatwave." He reaches up to his comm. "Dad, the bots can't take much more of this. They're getting too weak."

Chase leans back against the dome brace as Charlie sighs. "I know, son, but we have to respect their choice. As much as we hate it."

In the third quadrant, Boulder falls to his knees. "Buddy, you okay?"

Dani's climbing up to Blades' face as his hand goes limp. "Cody, how close are we?"

"Nearly there."

A sob slips out as I turn and burry my face into the living equivalent of the mech I'm currently crying over—first time for everything, I guess… Usually I'm crying over Heatwave. He just sits there with one finger on my back, watching as the island is returned to its place.

I glance back when I hear the soft splash, still quietly sobbing.

Kade looks up to Heatwave. "Heatwave? Come on, you bucket of bolts. Wake up." He climbs to Heatwave's face. "What's the point of saving our home if you're not gonna be here anymore?"

Optimus walks over. "You would've done the same for him, Kade."

Aid sighs softly. "Primus…"

"Our medic has seen to the Rescue Bots and given them several energon transfusions."

Cody looks up to Optimus. "Are they going to be okay?"

A voice comes from around the corner that makes the Burns Family turn in shock. "About time you showed up."

Cody runs over and peers around the corner to find the four of them sitting on crates. "Noble."

"Chase decided to "entertain" us while we were recovering by reading us police manuals."

Boulder looks down at them. "With footnotes."

Blades raises a hand, the infusion tube still connected with energon flowing into his frame. "In all of Earth's languages."

Chase holds up a finger. "Did you know there are similar laws in every culture? Mankind truly is a fascinating species."

Blades facepalms.

Comically, the one I'm on does as well, which—thankfully—makes me laugh. "Thanks, Blades. I needed that." I pause before laughing harder. I just quoted Aligned Ratchet…again.

"The medic…"

"Is Ratchet, Aid. Heatwave has Medix, but he's only in the toys and books…not this." I wave to the TV.

Spot turns off the TV, then runs a finger over my head. I'd forgotten I was still in human form. "You're upset."

I sigh softly. "Wave almost died, Blades almost died… I'd be lying if I said I wasn't—"

"You were upset when we went to berth, Mari."

I look down slightly. "I've been researching Aligned." I wave to the now-dark TV. "The continuity, with Rescue Bots, and Prime, and RID 2015…" I sigh softly. "It's got three books, and two games that tie into it…a-and Defensor's in the books…a-and maybe in the games…"

"Mari?"

"Defensor's in the books, even i-if you're not mentioned as separate entities, a-and he's not in Prime, a-and Optimus t-tells them in the first episode, of Rescue Bots, t-that th-they're th-the l-last Rescue team, which means Defensor's offline, a-and—" I cling to his finger as he picks me up. I shift to my bot form and cuddle into his armor after he sets me in his lap.

"We're right here…"

I nod, but continue. "I-I was thinking today… What would Blades be like, i-if he was the last one… Th-this one… H-he's got courage, and he's stubborn, for being so scared…he's a hotshot…reckless at times…"

Streetwise steps up behind the couch. He'd gone into the kitchen for something while I was talking. "You're trying to figure out if they're the same mech." He sets a warm cube into my hands. "It's warmed sweet-en. It should help you relax."

I nod. "Because Defensor's in Aligned, Street. You're in Aligned. There's only one thing that would have happened, if Wave's team is the last surviving rescue squad."

"We died…"

I nod. "Maybe leaving one behind." I sigh softly. "I got the tip from a fanfic, which is why I'm doing so much research on them…" I blink quickly, trying to fight off tears. "But just the idea that he could be the last of a gestalt… It's tearing my spark in two…"

Streetwise settles beside me. "What clues have you found?"

"Reckless moments… Shock about their "not being active"… His fear of flying, which only comes up because of the fan-written story I read… He's cuddly, when no one else cares to cuddle…"

"He craves the closeness others fear, just like you did?"

I nod. "Right. I was attracted to him from episode one, because he reminded me of myself." I sigh softly. "And I got to thinking, while I was feeding Jasper…" I'd decided to name the little calico Jasper, since I've already got a Miko, and it stems from the Aligned continuity as well. "How much would our Blades change, if he had been the one left on base, and Aid had gone to the moon prison? Would he be afraid…especially of losing what he had left? Would he still want to fly, after the ship you were coming back on was hit, or would he become as scared as Silver? Would he have a change of spark about brawling, and choose to change his ways, like their Blades—who had wheels on Cybertron—said in Echoes—the fanfic—that he liked being a copter at the same time he'd hated it, because it had been Groove's form." I sigh softly. "How would his personality change…if he was the last of his kind?" I drink the warm energon while watching Blades' uncharacteristic borderline panic—at least, uncharacteristic for the one with us.

"I don't know, Mari. I-I…" Blades sighs heavily. "Aid wasn't the only one lost, over the vorns we spent away…"

I look up to Spot as I hand Street the empty cube. ~How'd you handle it, without…~ I don't even want to think about other rescue bots off-lining right now. I just watched Wave's team fall again.

~We took turns, grieving. As long as we didn't all fall apart at once, we could survive, and maybe make it back.~

~And we did, vorns later, only to learn Aid had blocked all memory of us…~

~He panicked, and pushed past us, to get to Ratchet… It really hurt…~

~It was the only way I could stay alive… Ratchet needed me… I hated the thought, but…~

I pat his hand with one hand while squeezing Groove's with the other. "You're all together now, and I'm here too. It's okay… You got through it… No more grieving…" Aid simply stares at me. "What? I was the rock for Mom and Pap at Mam's funeral. I can be the strong one now, too."

"You were about to cry over another version of Blades."

I shrug before turning to Streetwise. "I've been that way off and on since last September, goofball. Being autistic means I'm stoic. I won't react the way others would expect me to."

"So…" He sighs. "You weren't reading a story off your phone yesterday?"

"Actually, I was, but it was connected to my research." I sigh softly. "Echoes, Street. I was reading Echoes." I look over to the helicopter beside me. "About my copter-related questions… My spark tells me he'd kinda do a 180̊, then maybe another 90̊ when they came back—still a brawler, but not as eager to fight as before—but my mind tells me that's stupid, because what battle loving mech suddenly turns pacifist?"

Blades sighs. "I don't know what to think…"

I sigh softly. "It's a theory I have with theirs, Blades. Don't put too much stock into it." I shrug at their looks. "It's a theory I'm still trying to prove, and I might never be able to." I sigh heavily. "I need season four… I need more episodes, slag it! I don't have enough information!"

"And you look exhausted. Come back to berth."

"The kitten… She needs fed during the night for at least the next week…"

Aid sighs. "I'll get up with her, and we'll work out a night feeding schedule tomorrow." He shrugs when I give him a look. "I've done it before, Mari. I can do it again."

I look around, suddenly remembering I don't have Jasper anymore. "Where's Jaspie?"

"I've got her. She's safe." Aid sets her in my hand before I panic any worse.

Streetwise turns to me. "He cried, when we thought we'd lost Aid. He just…broke down…sobbing…" He sighs softly. "Like you did, when you shot that guy night before last… Because Aid was alone, if he was still alive…alive, and alone, and the bond broken…"

I sigh and put an arm around the cruiser as we step through the door to our shared berth room. "I'm the one who's supposed to be upset about this, Street…" Blades turns to give me a look. "Street gave me the last piece to the puzzle." I sigh softly. "I needed to know how he'd react, to losing a brother. Multiply that reaction by four, and…"

Aid steps in with a small white basket and a couple more cloths. "He might never get back to who he was, even if they came back…" He sets the basket in the far corner before putting Jasper into her new bed.

"A 270̊."

"A 270̊?"

"180̊ plus 90̊. He'd go from being a brawler, to more like Aid, then go half-way back to himself if they came back—still a street fighter, but less likely to go all-out as he does now."