We've got a month to find money, or we're going to lose our house. If any of you readers are praying people, I'd love it if you'd pray for us.
"Normal Talk"
"Bee's Talk"
"Bee's Talk Holoform"
"Bee's Text-To-Talk"
"Other Side Over the Phone (Comms)"
'Thoughts'
~Bond communication~
~Telepathic communication~
Divorce Part 1
August 29, 1994, 3:00 AM, Ratchet's POV
I'm woken up by the sound of a phone ringing. I feel around for it before sighing as I pull it off the cradle, grateful that I'd had the forethought to rebuild a human's phone to our size. "Hello?"
"Ratchet! Thank God! I need you to come get me!"
"Agent Fowler? What's wrong?"
"Maya left me, and she took Stephanie! She said I have three hours to be moved out before she'll call the cops!"
"Calm down, Bill, calm down. Give me half an hour to deal with Mariposa, then I'll be there."
"Okay…"
I hang up the phone before climbing out of my berth. "This is one pit of a day already, and it's only three in the morning." I step out and knock on Optimus' door. "Optimus!"
He opens the door and gives me a tired gaze. "Is something wrong, Ratchet?"
I sigh heavily. "Agent Fowler's bonded left him, and gave him three hours to get out, or she's calling the police on him."
"What should I—"
"I need you to comm your friends on the coast. I'll be too busy with Agent Fowler for the next few days to be able to care for her too."
"What about Agent Fowler?"
"I told him I'd come after him in half an hour."
"I'll comm Griffin Rock. You need to get her packed."
I nod. "Thank you, Optimus." I head off to get Mariposa's new Winx Club suitcase and diaper bag I'd bought for a time like this, and quickly pack her suitcase, making sure to toss in the toat, then stick nine 9 ounce bottles of energon into a cooler and set it with her stuff. I then sigh and turn to wake up Mariposa. I shake the toddler lightly, speaking softly so I don't startle her. She's just started sleeping through the night again, and I don't want her to get scared. "Mariposa…"
"Dada, no!"
"Sweetspark, you have to wake up. You need to go bye-bye." Again with the sparkling talk…I wonder about myself sometimes.
"Dada! Go nigh'-nigh'!"
"Mariposa, you need to wake up so you can go bye-bye. Do you wanna go bye-bye?"
"Wan' nigh'-nigh'!"
I huff and pick her up, causing her to scream, which wakes up both Electro and Sunset. "Slag."
"Swag!"
Damn it! I don't want her learning to swear! "Mariposa, we don't say that." She simply glares at me. "You're going to stay with some of Optimus' friends."
"No wan'!"
"I know, Little One, but I'll be too busy to tend to you for a few days."
"Wan' s'ay Dada!"
"I know, Mari… I know…" I sigh heavily, and change her out of her overnight diaper and into a slip on diaper before dressing her in a white long sleeved onesie with an orange and blue butterfly print, blue pants with a butterfly on the butt, an orange T-shirt with an orange and blue butterfly graphic, orange socks, and plain white Velcro tennis shoes, then lay her on my berth and busy myself getting her car seat and gathering her toys. I lay her blanket and teddy bear aside, then stick her duck backpack beside her suitcase with her crayons and coloring book, her new toy phone, and the doll her grandmother gave her stuck inside, along with a new, crocheted tiara, so she won't lose hers.
"They are able to take her."
I turn toward the open door to find Optimus, now holding Sunset on one arm. "Are you ready to go?"
"I will be once I get Sunset back to berth."
"Sorry…about the screaming toddler…"
"Don't be."
"Optimus…"
"She is fine. Mariposa will have tantrums worse than the one she had over waking up." He smiles slightly. "Make sure her schedule is in her bag somewhere. They will need it."
"I will. I planned on it, Optimus."
"I will be in the main room when you are ready."
I type out a memo and stick it with her care notes, slip my notes into her duck backpack, then finally straighten up and return to my normal form. "I'm ready now." I turn to find Mariposa curled on her side with her argyle blanket—something I had tossed over there when I was looking for her carseat—in one hand, rubbing it in a way that has to be some form of self-soothing. "Mari…"
"…'Inky…"
I nod, and clip a plain orange soothie pacifier holder to her collar before looping the other end through the hole on the side of the pacifier. Once that's done, I slip it into her mouth gently. "Go back to sleep, Little One. You'll be in Griffin Rock when you wake up, but Optimus will come get you as soon as we can."
"'Tay… …Wuv'u Dada…"
"I love you too, Sweetspark." I carry her out to the main room with her bags, and set everything down before shifting to holoform and climbing up to Optimus' open door so I can secure her carseat. Once that's done, I climb back down, then pick up the sleepy toddler carefully and set her into the car seat before buckling her in. I step down one more time before grabbing her bags and setting them on the floor. "Bye-bye, Sweetspark."
She waves her tiny hand at me. "Bye-bye, Dada. Yoves."
"I'll see you in a few days, Angel."
Griffin Rock, 6:00 am, Mariposa's POV
I look out the window as Optimus pulls out of the ground bridge. It's brighter outside than I thought it would be. "Op? Me go?"
"You are going to stay with the Burns for a few days."
"Otay. Dada?"
"He has to help Agent Fowler with a few things."
"Wan' Dada."
"I know, Little One."
"Bumbee?"
"He has to go to school, Sweetpark."
"Wan' Bumbee."
"I know." He pulls onto the rocking thing. "We are almost there." I watch the steering wheel until we pull off. "Chief Burns?"
"Hey, Optimus. You almost here?"
"Yes. We will meet in the same cavern as before." He turns to the caves, and soon stops near an underground garage.
"Hey, Optimus."
"Hello, Chief Burns. Sage. Are the children looking forward to seeing Mariposa again?"
"Dani and Graham are." Sage smiles. "Kade's still a little…" She shrugs. "And Cody barely remembers her."
I look up as Optimus shifts into his holoform and puts a new soft crown on my head, then gets me out of my carseat, slips my ducky backpack on, and opens the door.
Charlie reaches up and grabs me. "Hey, Mari."
"Hi! See Dani?"
"Yep. You'll get to see Dani soon." He hands me over to Sage, then climbs up to grab my bags. They have fairies on them. "Where's her schedule?"
I giggle from my place with Sage. "Dada pa'pa'."
"Ratchet put it in her backpack."
"She's really talking now."
"She is. She has also started throwing tantrums."
"We can handle it, Optimus. Mari's not going to be any harder than Cody is, or Kade was."
"I will return for her in a few days. Good luck."
"Thank you, Optimus."
"Bye-bye, Op! Yoves!"
"I love you too, Mariposa. I will see you in a few days." He pulls away, leaving me with the Burns. They start up to the house before walking in, and Sage takes me upstairs, while Charlie goes to the kitchen.
Sage smiles at me once everything's put up. "You ready to go play?"
"P'ay? P'ay me?"
"I can play with you. Charlie has to go on patrol."
"Otay. P'ay Dani?"
"When she wakes up, Sweetheart."
"Wan' p'ay Dani. P'ay Co'y?"
"Maybe. I think he's up…" Charlie steps into the doorway with a giggling Cody.
"Tha's Mawi?"
I wave shyly. "Hi, Co'y. Wan' p'ay me?"
"Pway wif me?"
I giggle and nod. "Dow'!"
"How about you wait until we get downstairs? I can get breakfast started, and the two of you can play."
"Otay, Mommy! I wanna pway wif Mawi!"
Charlie leads Cody down the stairs while Sage carries me. She sets me on the floor, and I squeal when I find Cody's toy cars. I pick up a fire truck and giggle as I drive it around the floor.
Sage's POV
I watch the giggling toddlers before turning to stick Marianne's medication bottles into our fridge. Oh, to be young again…
Jasper, Nevada, Base, Ratchet's POV
I pull back into the base and drive back to one of the empty rooms before letting Agent Fowler out, and wait impatiently for him to unload his things. "Can't you fraggin' hurry up back there!?"
"Sorry, Ratchet. I'm moving as fast as I can." Agent Fowler sighs. "Sounds like someone needs a swear jar."
"Swear jar?"
"Jar you put fees in for swearing, and set fees for bad words. Maya had to make one when Stephie started talking. I'm sure I can find a big jar if you want to start one…"
"I'd better…"
"Ratchet?"
"She's repeating everything I say, Bill. One slipped out this morning, and she said it…"
"I'll see what I can do once I fine a new place."
"Just use the fake house."
"But…your cover…"
"We'll find a new house. Can't be that hard…"
Griffin Rock, 8:30 am
I look up when I hear a pan clang, and watch Sage as she starts cooking. I smile at the smells coming across the house to Cody and I. It's not long before the older kids come downstairs, having woken to the smell of breakfast.
Graham's the first one down, wearing a green T-shirt and jeans. "Morning, Mom." I watch, fire truck still in hand, as he takes the plates off the counter and puts them on the table.
"Good morning, Mom." Dani smiles. She's wearing an orange T-shirt and capri pants. "Mmmm. Breakfast smells great." She looks around, and smiles when she sees me. "I'll help the babies wash up."
Kade stumbles in last, wearing a yellow T-shirt and jean shorts. "Mornin'." He walks into my high chair. "Goddamnit."
"Kaden Thomas! You know better than to swear around Cody!"
"Sorry, Mom… What's this f—" he glances over before turning back to Sage. "Stupid thing doing in here?"
"We've got Mari for a few days. Go wash up, and stick a ten in the swear jar while you're at it."
"Aw, but Mom—"
"No buts Kade. Now go." She smiles when Dani walks back in, leading Cody. He's wearing a train shirt and jeans with a collared shirt overtop. "Thank you, Dani. Think you could bring Mari over?"
"Sure, Mom." She steps over and picks me up before setting me into my high chair. "Want me to get a wipe and clean off her hands?"
"Yes, thank you."
I watch her wipe my hands off, and stick my tongue out at her, only managing to taste the wipe as she washes off my face. "'Ucky! No wan' Dani!"
"What happened?"
Dani sighs as she starts back from the garbage can. "I think she licked the wipe."
"Num-num?" They set a small plate in front of me, and Sage hands me a spoon. "Yay!"
Sage POV
I sit down with the kids to eat, keeping a close eye on the baby to make sure she doesn't choke. While I do, I look over her father's notes once more to make sure I have everything, then set the packet on the counter so I can finish my own meal. Charlie's back from patrol by the time I'm finished, so I explain the changes to the notes while he eats, and I start cleaning up after handing Dani one of the orange metal bottles Optimus brought in the Winx cooler. "Dani, could you please lay Mari down for a nap?"
"Sure, but why?"
"Mari was up at three this morning, and her father doesn't want us to have to deal with a cranky baby."
"Oh… All right." She picks Marianne up and carries her upstairs.
"Make sure you change her first!"
"I will!"
Dani's POV
I set Mari's bottle on the floor, then lay Mari on the changing table and tickle her toes. "Ready to go night-night, Angel?"
"Go nigh'-nigh'…"
"Let's get you changed first, all right?"
"Otay."
"Good girl." I change her, then dress her in a pair of yellow leggings, a cap sleeved orange onesie with frills at the hips, and yellow socks, then lay the yellow jacket and orange shoes aside for her to wear after she gets up. I leave her knit tiara on, since it's soft enough that it won't hurt her while she sleeps. I sigh and lay her in her crib, then cover her with her plush blanket, and hand her the bottle, her teddy bear, and the fleece argyle blanket before leaving the room, turning off the light as I go.
I step into my bedroom and pull out my homework from Friday so I can get it finished while Cody's downstairs with the boys. Crazy toddler wants to "help" with it. I know it'll be my job to listen for Mari, so I might as well do my homework while I do.
10:00 AM, Mariposa's pov
I I blink my eyes and sit up. This doesn't look like Dada's room… Oh, right! I came to visit Dani! "Dani!"
The door opens, and Dani comes inside. "Hey, Sweetheart!"
"Dani! Wan' baba. P'ay Co'y."
"We'll have to get your diaper changed first, Little One."
"Swag!"
"Mom said you weren't supposed to say that…"
"I sowwy…"
"Okay, then." I watch as she changes my diaper, then pulls my leggings back on before snapping my onesie. "Now…"
"Baba. P'ay Co'y."
"Yep. We're gonna get you a bottle, then you can play with Cody."
"Yay!" I look around the room and whimper. "'Inky?"
Dani looks around before grabbing it, and clips it to my shirt. "Here you go, Sweetheart."
I grab it and put it in my mouth. "Tank'u."
"Such a polite little angel."
I giggle, and kick my feet as we head downstairs. Once we get to the bottom, she heads over to an elevator, and we ride down to where the boys are playing. Cody's playing trucks while Kade plays a game on the TV, and Graham's sitting in the corner at a desk.
"Come on, Graham. Do your homework tonight. That's what I'm gonna do!"
"I need to get the babies a snack. Can you two keep an eye on Mari for me?"
"Fine."
Graham steps over and takes me. "I'll keep an eye on them."
"Thanks, Graham." I watch Dani leave before looking up to Graham. "Hi G'am! P'ay me?"
"Sure." He sits beside a pile of blocks and sets me on his lap.
"B'ocks! Wuv b'ocks!"
"Great."
I grab one with each hand, and set them in a stack like Daddy does, then look up to Graham. I like big piles to knock over. "G'am do!"
"Huh?"
"G'am do!" I wave a block in the air. "Do!"
"Oh. You want me to stack them."
"G'am do!"
"All right." He stacks more blocks on my tiny stack, making me giggle.
"Yay! G'am do!" I squeal and knock over the tower. "Yay! Do 'gain! Do 'gain!"
"Okay."
"What's going on over there!? I'm trying to play a game over here!"
Graham smiles. "We're playing."
"You're too old to play, and Mari needs to play something quieter, like Cody is."
We both look over to the boy, who's making soft car noises as he drives a police car around the floor. "Blocks are quiet. She's just getting excited."
"Well, make her stop!"
"No wan'!"
"Sorry, Kade. Mari's going to do what she wants."
Kade huffs. "Fine. I'm going upstairs."
"Kade…"
"I can text without bugging anyone."
"Fine with me." Graham turns back to me and tickles me. "Still want me to stack them again?"
"Do 'gain! Do 'gain!"
"All right."
"Hold up, Graham." I look up as Dani steps over with two bowls. "I need to give Cody and Mari their snacks first." She gives Cody and I each a bowl, sits beside us with a half-peach, and hands Graham another half-peach.
I reach into my little bowl and pick up a piece of yellow fruit before sticking it into my mouth. "Num-num!"
"You like that?" I nod and stick three in my mouth at once. "Whoa, slow down, Angel. They're not going away!"
"Num-num."
"I know it's nummy, but you have to eat slower or you'll choke."
"No wan'." I stick two more pieces in my mouth. I don't want to slow down, I want to eat so I can play some more.
Jasper, Nevada, Ratchet's POV
"Are you sure you need to have paint?"
Agent Fowler sighs. "I have to set up a room for Stephanie, just in case Maya lets her come over, and…well, Mari's room isn't suitable…"
"I get it, all right? So why are we going to Tranquility?"
"Because there's not a hardware store closer."
"I hope you realize how stressful this is on me."
"I'm sure Mari's having fun, Ratchet. She'll be fine."
"I wasn't even able to give her a set time…for all she knows, I may never return for her."
"I'm sure she has more faith in her daddy than that, Ratchet. She trusts you. That's huge for an abused child."
"Still not very reassuring, Fowler."
Griffin Rock, 3:00 pm, Dani's POV
I step into her room and get her up.
"Hi, Dani!"
"Hi, Little One."
"Baba? Num-num? 'Inky?"
"Of course. Just as soon as you're dressed! We're going on a picnic, Sweetheart."
"Pi'ni'?"
"Yep!"
"Yay!"
I change her out of her orange and white frilled tank top, dark blue jeggings, and white socks, into an orange short sleeved knee length dress with black collar and cuffs, black leggings, orange socks, black shoes, then slip on a black sweater before carrying her downstairs with her pacifier clipped to her collar.
"Ready for the picnic?"
"Yep!"
"Go pi'ni'!"
"Get her medication bottle out of the fridge, Dani. I've got her milk with the diaper bag."
"Baba?"
"Not right now, Sweetheart."
"Wan' baba!"
"I know you do, Little One, but we can't give it to you right now. It's packed for the picnic."
"Pa' pi'ni'?"
"Yep. It's packed for the picnic."
"Oh… Yay!"
"Dani, your old stroller is downstairs, if you want it for Mari. Kade, I want you to push Cody's stroller."
"Where's Dad?"
"On a call, Kade. He's meeting us there. Graham, could you get the basket?"
"Of course."
I set Mari into the stroller and fasten her in before following Mom and Graham out the door.
"We go pi'ni'!"
"We're going on a picnic!"
"We go pi'ni'! We go pi'ni'! Co'y, we go pi'ni'!"
"Wewe gonna pway pawk!"
"Wan' p'ay pawk!"
"After you both eat, I'll have Dani watch you play."
"Yay!"
We walk down the street to the park, listening to the two toddlers chatter excitedly. I make it a point to walk close to Mom. She's been sick lately, and I want to make sure she's able to handle this picnic. I'm glad she had Graham carry the picnic basket, though. At least Cody's too young to know what's going on, and Mari's both too little and not around all the time. The rest of us aren't as lucky. We know why mom's more tired than usual, and we know what might happen.
We step into the park and set up the blanket, then set the basket beside Mom before running off after Cody, who darts to the sandbox.
"Me ou'? Sage? Me ou'?"
"Dani!"
I run back over to Mom. "What's—Oh…" I crouch in front of her and lift her out. "Hey, Mari!"
"Wan' s'ing!"
"Sing?" She points to the swings. "Oh. Swing! You want to swing."
"S'ing! S'ing!"
"All right, all right." I laugh. "We'll go swing."
"S'ing!"
I put her into the baby swing and start pushing her, choosing to keep her entertained until Dad gets done with his call. That's when we'll all get back to the blanket for a picnic.
"Pi'ni'?"
"As soon as Dad gets back."
"Oh… Num-num?"
"Yep. We'll have nummys then."
"Num-num!"
"I know you're hungry, Little One, but Dad'll be here before we know it."
Thankfully, just as I say that, Dad arrives, and Mom calls Kade and Graham over with Cody, who is now nearly covered in sand. Mom washes him up as well as he can, and dusts the sand off his clothes, then sits him down beside her and prepares his food on a small plate. She hands it to him and starts making a plate for Mari while the rest of us fix our own plates. She then sets Mari's plate in front of the toddler and turns to fix her own food, all while watching Mari eat the strips from a chicken wing, a cut up half of a cupcake shaped omlet, and a small scoop of salad, and mixed vegetables. Also on her plate is a small scoop of peanut butter, and a handful of diced apples, and pieces of cut up fruit and berries from a kebob. She eats quickly, then squeals and starts playing with the teddy bear Mom had brought for her from one of the ambulances. She giggles and babbles to it before doing what toddlers usually do and waveing it in the air as if she's about to throw it.
While the rest of us eat our cookies—ones with rainbow hearts in the centers and sprinkles around the rims.
"P'ay Pawk?"
I nod and get up before heading to the playground with Mari's hand in mine. "You wanna swing?"
"S'ing?"
"Yep. Wanna swing?"
"Wan' s'ing! Wan' s'ing!"
"I'll go push her on the swings while you finish eating."
"All right."
"Thanks, Dani."
"Ready to swing?"
"Wan' s'ing!" She looks over to the side. "AAAAAAAAAA!"
"Mari?"
"Marianne?"
"Dani, what happened?"
"I don't know!"
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! Scawy! Dani! Scawy!"
"What's scary?"
"Yook, Daddy! Wope!"
"Rope? Cody—Snake. Snake."
"'Nake! No wan'! No wan'!"
"Mari, easy. It's just a Garter snake. It won't hurt you. No ouch."
"No oush?"
"No ouch." He grabs the snake by the head and throws it across the park. "No more snake."
"No mo' 'nake?"
"No more snake."
"Wanna swing?"
"Yay! Wan' s'ing!"
Griffin Rock, 6:45 PM, Dani's POV
I decide to bathe Mari, letting Mom get to bed. She's got a doctor's appointment tomorrow morning, so the rest of us will need to take care of Mari.
I fill the tub with lukewarm water and turn to the still-clothed toddler. I help her undress and lift her into the tub, then pull out Cody's special toddler soap set. I wash her hair gently, then rinse her hair and put a small dot of body wash on an orange starfish washcloth before washing her off, then rinse her and lift her out with a green flower towel. I dry her off and put her overnight diaper on, using the new powder we had gotten right before Cody got potty trained. I then carry her into her room, and dress her in an orange and white striped sleeper with orange trim and a blue and white daisy on the left side, and tuck her in with her plush heart blanket, the fleece blanket, and her teddy bear.
"Good night, Little One."
"Nigh'-Nigh'."
Jasper, Nevada, 7:00 PM Ratchet's POV
I finish painting the wall next door to the room we used for Mariposa's room and turn to Agent Fowler. "Bill?"
"I'm almost done."
"Good. I'll get you to the base, then I need to see if Optimus will let me call Mari in Griffin Rock."
"She's probably asleep by now."
