I'm sorry this is so late. I only own my OC's!


Setting Traditions

The Next Day, Normal POV

I climb out of my berth and go into holoform before changing into a white long sleeved turtleneck with a pink, lavender, blue, and green butterfly print, a white tank top with dark pink and white polka-dot bows on the shoulders and a purple and pink butterfly graphic, a lavender tutu with dark pink and white polka-dot trim and bow on the waist, white opaque tights, and white Mary Jane shoes with pink butterflies on the toes. Carrier and Sire are meeting with June and Agent Fowler today, which means I have to play somewheres else, or be quiets while the adults talks… I know I cans, but I don't wanna.

Carrier steps inside and pulls my hair up into a ponytail, then takes me into the kitchen once I return to my normal form. Once I'm sitting in my seat, she hands me a cube of warmed low grade with my minerals in it, then settles in her own seat with her cube. "Your Sire and I have to meet with June and Agent Fowler later this morning, Sweetspark."

"I know."

"Miko's going to be in with us, and we'll have the other bots with us, too. Ratchet's leaving Raf in control of the command center."

"So who watchy me?"

"You'll have to be in with us, so—"

"I'll have to be quiet." I pout. "I don' wanna…"

"Sweetspark…" Carrier sighs softly. "Your Sire wants you in the meeting."

"Why I need be at meeting?"

"Orion wants your input."

"Oh…" I blink slowly before pulling at my tutu. "I wears this?"

She shakes her head. "You'll need a bath if you want to stay in your holoform." She sighs softly. "Why don't you stay in your bot form?"

"Likey looky human 'roun' humans. Likey dresses, an' tutus, an pwetty shoesies, an'… An' I getta have the life I wanted back on old earth." I blink before giving Carrier the kitten eyes.

She crouches in front of me and runs a hand over my head. "And what kind of life would that be?"

"I loved…" I giggle. "Getta play whenever… Haves Daddy an' Mommy that loves me…" I bounce slightly on my heels. "An…maybe yous lets me do wha' old mommy say no to?"

"What did she say no to?"

"Old mommy say "No" when we getted pageant invite. I wanna be pageant queen, but she say "No you can't" every times I askeded if I cans be pageant queen 'gain. I askeded every year, an' she always says "no, no, no"… Likey it be dangerous if I's lives life on stage, when I likey performs, an' likey be 'n front ofs peoples. She no even lets me sings on holidays. I only gotta sing after she died because I askeded old Daddy—then he 'bandoned me like I was nobody…"

Carrier smiles slightly. "Well, as you know, Autobots give their children more freedom to choose than humans do."

"I cans do?" I beam up at her. "I cans really do?"

"It depends on what Agent Fowler says, and I'll have to ask your Sire about it, but I think you deserve a chance to see if you like them or not." She leads me into my bathroom and puts my tutu outfit on top of the hamper before getting my bath ready with my special Disney Princess bubble bath and lifting me into my tub.

I giggle and reach for my mermaid Barbie before starting to play as Carrier washes my hair. She combs conditioner through, then rinses it out before putting soap on my favorite sponge. She lets me scrub what I can reach, then takes the sponge gently and finishes me. Once I'm clean, Carrier lifts me out with my pink hooded towel with a strawberry hood, then drains the tub before setting me on floor in front of the sink. I giggle as I pull my towel around me, then watch as she dries my hair before combing it through with my red comb.

She finally stops and wraps a pink towel around my hair, since I can't stand wet stuff on my back. Since the rest of me is dry now, too, I pull on my pink strawberry print fuzzy robe and my matching strawberry slippers. I put my special fluoride free strawberry toothpaste on my pink crayon toothbrush and brush my teeth before following Carrier into my room.

I run over to my dresser and pull on my favorite Batgirl and Supergirl print panties, then pull on my yellow camisole, and tuck it into a pair of white tights, followed by yellow dance shorts so my camisole won't ride up under my dress. I then kneel and buckle my shiny yellow Mary Jane shoes before turning to find Carrier standing at my desk.

I run over and flop into my desk chair and swing my legs as Carrier uses a hair dryer on my hair, then brushes and braids it, twisting and turning my hair into an elegant French-braided bun, then takes a yellow ribbon, and weaves it between the two braids on the back of my head. She steps back, finally, with a smile and a sigh. "Now, let's get you dressed."

I bounce up, knowing Carrier did my hair tight enough so it won't fall down from normal kid activity, and run over to my closet with Carrier following slowly behind me.

I hold my arms up as Carrier helps me into a yellow sleeveless, floor length dress with pale yellow flower lace on the chest, a black sash, and a full skirt with a black lace hem that reaches up to my knees in places. Once it's all fastened, she slips a gold diamond tiara into my hair.

I turn to her with a smile and a giggle. "Want to see what you look like?"

I nod, and she leads me over to my mirror. "Wow… I looks lik'a princess…"

Carrier smiles softly at me before fastening a yellow cloak with white fur trim and a hood around my shoulders, then she slips a black and white glittery pacifier around my neck instead of a necklace. I need it to chew on so I'll keep my fingers out of my mouth, and I used them on Old Earth too. "Agent Fowler and June will be here in half an hour. You may play until then, but do not get dirty."

"Colors safes?"

She smiles down at me. "Yes, coloring is safe." She laughs softly. "Just not with markers, and leave the finger paints in your desk for now."

"Okay…" I smile up at her before settling in my desk chair and pulling out my almost-filled human coloring book before settling down to color.


10:00 AM, Conference Room

Carrier lifts me up to the little white table and chair where I spend my time when Carrier or Sire actually need me to be a part of the meeting, then steps over to her seat to the left of Sire. Aunt Arcee steps in with Jack and June, both dressed up more than normal. She sets them on the table by her seat, and they walk over to the human chairs. Jack's wearing a long sleeved dress shirt with a tie and tan pants, while June's got on a white top and pants, and a teal sweater. June carries a new box of crayons, and a Christmas coloring book over to me. "So you won't get bored during the meeting."

I smile up at her. "Thank you."

Bulkhead steps in then, with Miko in his hand. He sets her on the table before moving to his seat. Miko's got on a dressy plum tank top and boot-cut blue jeans with black spike-heeled boots.

Soon, everyone but Sire has come in. I know he was getting the General and Agent Fowler from the nearby military base, so I'm not worried about him too much yet.

We all look up when Sire walks in. He sets the two humans on the table before sitting at the head of the table. My seat's at the foot when I'm not in holoform, since I'm a Dynasty Prime, too, but I wanna be human right now.

The General turns to the humans. "You three would be?"

"I'm June Darby, and this is my son, Jack."

"She's the nurse?"

Agent Fowler nods. "Yes." He nods to Jack. "Her son is an honorary prime."

"I see…" He turns to Miko. "and you?"

"Miko Nakadai, Sir." Bulkhead's optics widen at how respectful she's being.

The general turns to Agent Fowler in confusion. "What's she help with?"

He smiles. "She helps the 'bots understand differences in Earth cultures. She's here on Elita One's request."

"Understood." He glances out the corner of his eye at the teen one more time before sitting in the last empty chair. He glances toward Sire and gives him a single nod.

Sire nods back, and stands. "It has been brought to my attention that my daughter spent several years with a human family, and has never had real holiday traditions. I believe we need to remedy this over the next few months, but I do not know where to start. That is where this meeting comes in. We need to decide which ones Mariposa will enjoy for the major holidays between now and next November."

"I'll assume that's why the little kid's in here?"

"Yes." I pop my head up at General Brice's comment, and barely notice that Carrier is writing stuff down on a datapad. Sire smiles at me. "She prefers her holoform around humanity."

June turns to me. "So, what were Christmases like for you before?"

I look back down at my new coloring book. "We decorated sometime between Black Friday and December first, with a fake tree. After I was big, I had to do most of it on my own. Then we'd have a lot of chaos and stress, because I'd get 'bused and yelled at…" I sigh softly. "Then we'd go to Stacy's family on Christmas Eve, and my birthparents would stay with us overnight. We'd get up at 5:30 in the morning to get our presents opened. Then we'd do stockings—usually just candy after I was big—and then my old Mom would start cooking something only she and the other adults liked. After it was started, her sister and her family would come over for more presents. Then we'd eat—I ate very little 'cause I didn't like it, of course—and we'd have a boring afternoon."

Sire walks around to my seat at the foot of the table and leans down to where I'm coloring. "What did you want to start doing?"

I blink up at him. "Special Christmas photo…I likey has family pictures…" I pause for a moment. "Drive around see lights…haves Christmas story…sings…watchy movie wif familys…sees Santa Clause…builda snowman—I hasn't done that since Wivy was fives!" I giggle. "I' wa' ginormous, Sire! I finks I still has picture somewheres…" I shrug. "Um…Dressy chri'tmas parties, 'cause I never getta dress ups for Christmas…'members old mommy got candy Advent calendar one year for me an' brover…" I give him a cute look. "An' I always wan'ed to be in beauty pageant…bu' they always say "no, no, no!", an' I no getta be pwetty."

"It doesn't sound like she's too big on getting a lot of presents…"

Agent Fowler shakes his head as he turns to the general. "From what Prime's told me, she was spoiled with presents, but she never got to have the Christmas she wanted while hidden with her human family."

June nods. "It's more about the family traditions and spending time with those you love than presents anyway."

I nod. "And I want to have more of that…I had to hidey in room after presents, 'cause they fout I was 'nnoying…"

Sire runs a finger over my head. "You're not annoying, Sweetspark."

I nuzzle into his finger, desperate as always to feel the loving, fatherly touch.

"I'll see what I can do about getting everything approved with the president." General Brice stands. "I have a meeting with him this afternoon, and need to go before I miss my flight."

Bulkhead nods at a look from Sire, and carries the General into the main room so he can leave.

Agent Fowler picks up where we left off. "So, what were you thinking of doing?"

Carrier sighs softly before smiling at the Agent. "I want to at least try to do most, if not all, of what she asked."

"Even the pageant?"

Carrier glances to me before nodding. "She seems really excited about the idea of having the chance to compete, and I want to give her the opportunity."

Agent Fowler nods. "Get me a list of what you'll need." He starts for Bluestreak, expecting to be placed on the ground.

"Special Agent Fowler." He looks up at Sire. "We have more to discuss."

"You…seem to have it all under control here, Prime. Just get back to me with what you'll need, and I'll get what I can."

"Thank you." Sire turns back to us with a sigh. "Mariposa, Sweetspark…"

I slide out of my chair and walk over to him before looking up at him. "Yes, Daddy?"

He smiles, and runs a hand over my hair. "How would you like to get our tree and buy some decorations on Monday?"

I look up at him. "How many days is that?"

Carrier rests the datapad on the tabletop and smiles at me. "It's the day after tomorrow, My Mari."

"What tomorrow?"

Sire smiles. "Tomorrow is Sunday. Your Carrier mentioned you wanted to go to church."

I squeal and bounce in place. "Yes! I did wanna go church!"

Sire nods and turns to June. "Mariposa requested that she get to be in a child's pageant. Would you be able to get that set up?"

"I guess…" June sighs. "It's not really the kind of life most kids want, Optimus."

I look up to June. "I wanna 'pete, June. I wanna try, because I never gotted to on Old Earth. I 'cides for myself if I likes or not."

"All right, then, Sweetheart. I'll get you all set up."

"Thank you, June."

"She'll need professional photos done…"

Carrier smiles. "We had already planned on that."

I look up at Carrier. "Really?"

She nods. "You're going in next Saturday. I'll set up a family photo then, too."

"I getta do everything I askeded 'bout?"

"If we can, yes."