I only own my OC's!


Aid's Story

8:00 AM

I step into the med-bay, still in bot form. "What took you so long?"

"Hey, Ratch. Feeling better?"

"A bit…" He shakes his head and steps around Mirage's—AKA Dino's—frame with a huff. "I will feel a lot better once I can walk around my med-bay without stumbling over someone's frame."

Aid shakes his head. "We need to add on, now that we've got three medics."

Ratchet nods. "That would be nice, especially since Aid's about to test out, but I do not think I want to work in a construction zone while I am sparked."

I shrug. "So we'll take down the wall as a last step." I turn to Aid in confusion. "Test out?"

"He thinks I'm trained enough to formally end my training, which means I'd get to handle patients without him watching—"

"If we were on Cybertron, he might have been sent to run his own hospital, especially since he was CMO until you revived me." Ratchet shrugs. "I would like to be able to give him his own office space, but we have so little room…"

I smile. "Aid?"

"Yeah?"

"Once we've got everyone back, we've got to come up with a plan to extend the med-bay."

"And have to work around Ratchet while he's carrying? He'd hate that."

"Aid, we've got two sparklings on the way so far, and this lull in the war is only going to create more. I can only hope I don't spark up anyone today, just from reviving them. I don't know how not to use it at full strength, so we may very well have some problems."

~If you get Wheeljack sparked up, he'll probably try to split it and make another new gestalt!~

~I can only imagine…~ I shake my head. ~Hopefully three will be enough for him…~ I sigh softly through the bond. ~Guys, don't tell 'Jack I might be 'stalt until we've confirmed, and definitely make sure Flight knows that, okay?~

~I will.~ Aid sighs. ~You know, all five of us are Carrier mechs, right? I mean, not all of us have carried before, but we are all able to carry.~

~I suspected that, after you started to explain carrying in gestalts…~

~Mari…I've been through all that first-hand.~

~Really? Was it Spot, or…~

~I'm the one who carried before—I was having twins—but we'd had to… OH~

~Aid? What… Aid!~ I snap my fingers in Aid's face. "Ratchet!"

"What's wrong?"

I snap my fingers in Aid's face again. "I don't know. We were talking about carrying through the bond, and he just—" I snap again. "Froze up."

"Nothing in the bond?"

I shake my head. "I've got nothing, and I don't think they blocked me out, so…" I move to snap again.

Aid snatches my hand in the air. "I'm fine, Ratchet. I need to do an energon test on Mari, now."

"Why?"

"Please don't…"

"You're going to be a medic, Mari. You'll have to get used to needles." Ratchet steps over to me with the syringe. "Aid, why do you need me to do an energon test on Mari?"

"Remember when we'd learned I was carrying back on Cybertron?" Ratchet nods. "Well, do you remember what we'd been forced to do because of the war?" His eyes widen. "That's why I want an energon test."

"Aid… I sincerely doubt that she's…even with what you've learned…"

"I have to know, Ratchet, and Mari won't start the revivals until Spot gets back with the Aerials, so…"

"She's got a Praxian frame!"

Aid all but throws his hands in the air. "And she looks just like me!"

"If that ever meant anything, then Streetwise would be Prowl's son!"

"Well he's not! But she might be!"

I blink as my eyes flash back and forth between the sudden–and still continuing—argument. First Aid—pacifistic, sweet, quiet, gentle-sparked, compassionate First Aid—is arguing with Ratchet—and he started it! ~Spot, I think we broke Aid!~


Third POV

Hot Spot, Silverbolt, Skydive, and Fireflight are walking along the Chicago river, when Spot stops suddenly. Silver stops before he reaches Spot, but the other two walked into each other's back—Dive into Silver, and Flight into Dive. "Spot, what just happened?"

"Mari thinks she and Ratch broke First Aid."

"What?"

Spot nods, laughing. "She literally just said that she thinks they broke Aid." Spot sighs softly and shakes his head. ~You think you what?~

~Aid just fraggin' blew his top at Ratchet! Seriously, he's in here yelling at Ratchet when I've never heard him speak louder than…well, than he usually does!~

Spot stops laughing, worrying the Aerials. "What?"

Spot shakes his head. "Something's not right."

Fireflight turns to Spot with a worried look. "Spot?"

"First Aid just…just blew up at Ratchet, Silver."

"He what!?"

"Hold on, I need to see what's going on."


Normal POV

~First Aid, what's going on?~

~Ratchet's fighting me on doing an energon test.~

~Who needs an energon test, and why is it needed?~

~Mari, and so I can check her CNA against mine.~

~Aid…~

~I haven't stopped searching for her…for them…since we transferred the sparks…~


With Aerials, Third POV

"He wants an energon test…on Mari…because of the twins we'd had to give up…around 25 earth-years ago…"

Fireflight turns to Spot with wide optics. "How old is Mari?"

"24…"

Fireflight's optics light up at the idea. "Spot, they have to do the test…"

Silverbolt nods. "It would explain a lot of what we'd learned, Hot Spot."

~WHAT!? Whole story, now!~

"You—hold on…" He sighs and shakes his head. "Seriously…"

"What's wrong?"

Hot Spot huffs. "I used to think none of this could happen with us…"

"Hot Spot…"


Normal POV

~NO. Not. Yet. Tonight, after the two of you are off work. We don't need Aid losing it while he's trying to work.~

~It's understandably not an easy story for him to tell, Mari. Just…trust us on this one, okay?~


With Aerials, Third POV

He sighs in relief. "Blades and Groove handled it." He turns back to Silverbolt. "Obviously we're still settling in with Mari… We've had a lot of this lately…" Silverbolt gives him a look. "Hey, it's not her fault, we're just not completely used to her presence yet. We're still just getting used to each other, and obviously we've had a lot of stress lately…"


Normal POV

~M'kay… But I really hate being in the dark like this…~

~I know, Mari. We all do…but Aid'll tell you when he's able to. You just have to be patient.~

~And…do the energon test…for us?~

~M'kay…~ I look up to Ratchet and hold my arm out. "Go ahead."

"What changed your mind?"

I glance down before sighing. "Brothers…"

"All right. It'll only take a minute, okay?" I nod, and wince as the needle goes into a line. It only takes a few seconds before he's pulling it out again, labeling it, and picking up another before sticking Aid with it. "All right, I've got to run these. I'll be back in an hour."

"Aid…" I sigh softly and lay a hand on his arm, sighing when I see the spark-broken look in his eyes. "Hey… It's okay…"

He shakes his head. "I don't know what I'll do if this comes back negative…"

"Aid…" I sigh softly and hug him closely. "It's all right… Even if I'm just the new addition, I'll still be right here… I won't leave you, okay?"

He nods and leans back. "Where's Spot?"

"Out with the Aerials. Blades is too."

"They're together?"

I shake my head. That was way too vague. "No. Blades is on patrol with Raid and Slings, the other three Aerials are with Spot. Groove and Streets are inside with Fixit." I sigh and put an arm around Aid before leading him to the door. "Come on. Let's go stay with them. Ratch'll come get us when he's done."


inside

"Mari? What's going on?"

"Aid's upset, so we're taking a break. There's nowhere to sit out there, and we're not reviving anyone until Spot and Blades get back, so…" I step back and let the two hug their younger brother.

"Aid?"

"Are you okay?"

Aid sits on the chair before leaning on his knees. "I will be…" He sighs heavily. "I'm trying not to get my hopes up, but… I want this to be it… I want her to be—them to be—my sparklings… I don't want to search anymore…" He breaks then, and starts to cry, his face buried in his hands. "I want my babies…"

"Even if we were still on Cybertron, they wouldn't be babies anymore…"

"I know… But they'd still be sparklings by our standards…"

~Aid? You okay?~

~I'll be all right, Spot…~

~Are you okay?~

I take one look at Aid—he's calmed down for now, but he's got unshed tears in his eyes, tear-streaks on his face, and he looks like he lost his best friend AND his dog died within minutes of each other. ~He's not okay, Spot, but he's still alert.~

~Good. We're on our way back now, and Blades is almost done with patrol. Can you handle things until I get there?~

~I'll do my best.~ I turn to Aid with a soft sigh. "Anything I can get you?"

"I'll go warm up some energon for him."

"C-can I have some too?"

Streetwise smiles down at my minicon. "Of course."

"Thanks, Streets." I turn back to Aid before sitting beside him on the couch and putting an arm around him.


With Aerials, Third POV

"I've asked Mari to handle things until I get home. I know she can do it."

Silverbolt nods. "All right, but we still need to hurry back. Aid needs you."

"I know…"


Normal POV

"Mari, how did this come up?"

I reach up to my comm in surprise. "Hey, Silver. Um… We were talking about the revivals we're doing in around an hour, maybe earlier, and laughing about the chance of Wheeljack trying to make another gestalt out of his if he sparks—by the way, we don't want him to know anything about Claire and I until we know for sure—then we went on to the fact that the five of them are carriers…"

"Flight and I are too…"

"Cool. And he mentioned he'd carried before… Then he just… Froze up, and then he started arguing with Ratchet…"

"I got it now. Thanks."

"Don't mention it…" I turn back to Aid, who is now holding a steaming cube of energon, and Streetwise is taking another, smaller cube to Fixit. "Want me to get Jaspie?"

Aid shakes his head and gestures with the cube. "Not until I finish this. She'd hurt herself on it if I got her now." He sighs softly. "Spot's back…"

I move over by Fixit so I won't get trampled when Hot Spot comes in. A moment later, Spot rushes inside, followed by the three Aerials, who approach at a normal pace. "Aid!" He sits on the coffee table in front of him before laying a hand on Aid's shoulder. "Hey. It's all right, Aid. I'm here now." He holds out his arms as if asking for a hug.

Aid hands off the steaming cube before falling into Spot's arms in tears. "I want them back, Spot… I just want them back…"

"I know, Aid…I know…"

I look down to find the minicon staring up at me. "What just happened?"

"Long story, and I only have the last…half hour of it, so…"

Blades steps in with the other two Aerials and sighs heavily. "She's got a right to know, after all this…" He turns to me. "Ratch have the results ready yet?"

I shake my head. "Still have half an hour before he's supposed to…"

Aid sighs. "That means I have the time to tell her what's going on."

"Aid…"

"No. I want to. She deserves to know." Aid sighs before taking the re-offered cube of steaming energon. "We were all on the Artemis—we'd had to leave the planet by that point—when I found out I was carrying twin sparks—right before they were supposed to transfer. I had literally Earth days to figure out what to do, because a ship was—is—no place to raise a sparkling, and I couldn't do anything after the transfer… Streetwise found this planet, and selected two human women to hide them in—like a closed adoption, just before the baby's born, rather than after. The sparks would remain in stasis until the human it was planted in conceived a child of the proper gender, at which point the spark would become part of the infant from conception. We didn't know if the sparklets were split-spark or not, from how far into the gestation I already was, so we took the risk of separating them, just in case the Cons found one…so they wouldn't be able to find the other… Ratchet transferred them into containment fields…Spot and Blades took one to Indiana, and the other went to Texas with Groove and Streetwise… While Ratchet watched me for signs of complications…from the early but necessary separation—especially with my spark damage from when our bonds broke…"

My eyes widen in shock. "Guys… Claire's family lived in Texas around that time…"

"So…now do you see why I made Ratchet do the energon test earlier?" I nod. "One child went to Indiana…and one to Texas. We weren't able to watch them as we'd wanted to, so I was rightfully scared when the war came to this planet back in '07, and could only pray that the two were okay…"

"I was fourteen…and Claire was seven… We hadn't even met yet…but I'd seen her in a dream when I was seven, so…"

"Then Prime died in '09…"

"Sixteen and nine…still hadn't really met…"

Aid smiles slightly at my comment before sighing. "Then Chicago, in 2011…which you know about…"

I nod. "Eighteen and eleven… we were just months shy of that fight…"

"Then Ratchet died in 2014, and I had to come down to take over his role…"

"Twenty-one and fourteen… our birthdays are both in April…"

"Then we met you…just two weeks ago…"

"Twenty-three…she's sixteen…"

"You become a Protectobot after I find that you've got a spark, and you're human. It's like you're the answer to my prayers, but I need the proof to be certain, and…and then we learned about your friend…and the gestalt-connection the two of you have…" Aid gives me a watery smile. "And I'm almost positive you're my sparkling, but we need the proof to be certain, and…"

"Ratch seems to be taking his sweet time with that proof…"

Hot Spot crosses his arms. "Blades…"

"Spot…" Blades crosses his arms. "I'm just worried about Aid."

I speak up before Spot has the chance to. "I know, but that's no reason to be rude. It hasn't even been an hour yet."

"And knowing what you went through, and how you came to us… It hurts, Mari… I never wanted my little ones to know suffering… That's why I sent them away to begin with…"

"First Aid…"

"Ratchet!" Aid jolts off the couch at a speed that impresses Hot Spot, who has to dive back to avoid colliding with him, and taps his comm link. "I'm here, Ratchet. What is it?"

"Aid… We have a double confirmation."