Birthday Party
12:30 PM
I lead the girls back to our room, and pull our outfits out of the closet. I turn to Bee and give him his before we all duck (back) into the closet to get changed.
Star and I change into a red long sleeved T-shirt, a white short sleeved dress with a ruffle at the hem and a red fire truck graphic, red tights, and white canvas Mary Jane shoes while Bee changes into a red long sleeved T-shirt, a white short sleeved T-shirt with a red fire truck graphic, red jeans, red socks, and white canvas tennis shoes, then Star and I help the Twinlets into theirs.
We step back out of the closet, Bee and I once again with our arms full of sparkle components—even though they're about on-level with a three-year-old human—and smile at the triplets as Star opens the door. "We'll be back. Feel free play with whatever, just make sure nothing gets broken."
Blossom dives for me. "Wait!"
Bubbles steps over. "Where is everyone, if we wanted to play with the others?"
I smile. "Red takes Snowy into the security room with him—careful, though. He's very jumpy around humans. Cee and Jazz are probably in the training room with Electra, Lecto, Lyre, and Blue. They're already scouts, and Blue wants to be a sniper—he's a technical pacifist, but he wants to fight back after his home got destroyed."
"Is Fixit going with you?"
~Do you want to?~
~Will your sire let me?~
~He'll have to if we say.~
~You're a part of us, Goofball.~
~You call us your brothers and sisters,…~
~And you're part of Starlight, even if it's a small part.~
~Can I?~
His tone in the bond is so heartbreaking that I can't say no. ~Come on.~
~I need to get my hat.~
I nod, and motion for him to get it. It's a brown hat like what reporters would wear in the thirties. Bee got it from Clark Kent, AKA Superman, when Sire took us to visit the Daily Planet in Metropolis. Not that it's important right now, but Sire's holoform is about as important in America as Bruce Wayne is in the world, and that's saying something. "Yes, he is."
The three of us run out and clamber into Sire's waiting vehicle mode. Fixit settles in the middle while Bee, Star and I share the passenger seat with the twinlets. We only get to do this in Sire because he's too tall for the cops to see into, and not even Agent Fowler knows he does it.
"Seatbelts, Little Ones."
I grab the belt and hand it to Bee while Fixit fixes his own. "Buckled!"
"Ratchet, please activate the ground bridge."
Griffin Rock, Maine
We pull out of the ground bridge and make the short trip to the ferry before pulling onto it. The trip doesn't take long, and soon we're pulling onto the dock. "Just call when you're ready to head back, Mr. Prime!" Sire's holoform waves out the window.
It's barely five minutes before we're pulling up to the firehouse. "Optimus!"
Sire opens his door and lets Bee, Fix, and I out before transforming. "Hello, Cody."
"Hi, Cody!" We run over and hug him together, causing him to fall backwards. "We're five today!"
"We one!"
"I know." He chuckles as he gets back to his feet. "Wow, you guys pack a punch."
I giggle. "We're kinda supposed to."
Bee giggles. "Wouldn't be good if we didn't."
"Just ask Blades!"
Cody chuckles again. "The bots are in the bunker, Optimus. I'm gonna go let Dad know you're here!"
"Can we go to the bunker?"
Sire sighs before nodding. "Come on. We have to let them know we are ready for them to join us."
I look up at Sire with a small smile. "Can we get them? On our own?"
"Yes, but be careful."
"We will!" We run into the garage. "Come on, Fixit!"
~Shhhh…~
~Why?~
~We're gonna sneak up on them.~
~We're gonna surprise them!~
~Follow me.~
~Yes, Ma'am.~
~Fixit…~
~Sorry…~
We tiptoe over to the sink and crouch down. ~Fixit, stay put. Your knees will make too much noise on the cement. Bumbee, Star, with me, quietly.~
~Wha' 'bout Ligh' an' me?~
~If you can be quiet, twinsies.~
~We can!~
~Then come on, quietly…~ We crawl to the end of the counter and I peek around and through the doorway. ~They're all watching TV—I think some game show…~
~Well, what are we waiting for? A theme song?~
~The right time, Goofball.~ I duck back seconds before Streetwise glances our way. ~You almost messed up my timing.~
~Guess it's a good thing we're connected then, huh?~
~Yeah, now shhhh… I need to concentrate.~ I peek back out, then duck back again. ~If we move quickly enough, we can hide beside the couch, but we have to be QUIET about it.~
~Can do.~
~Got it!~
~I do good!~
~Let's go!~
I stick my head out one more time before nodding once, then dart to the side of the couch with Bee on my rear. ~Good. I don't think they saw us.~
~Why are we sneaking up on a team who all almost had their sparks stop once before?~
~They're 100% healthy now, Fix, or we wouldn't be sneaking up on them to begin with.~ I point up slightly. ~One…~
~Two…~ We deactivate our holoforms.
~Three!~ We jump up beside the arm of the red couch. "Boo!"
Blades practically jumps out of his protoform, which had been our goal in the first place. "What the frag!?"
Hot Spot scowls, and glares at his youngest brother. He's carrying, and due within the month, so we're not too surprised about the glare. "Blades, language!" He waves toward us. "Sparklings present!"
Streetwise laughs. "We're lucky she didn't scare you into labor, Spot!"
Groove shakes her head. "Not possible…I don't think…"
"He's due any day now, Groove, so they could have, but I don't think they did…" First Aid smiles over at us. "Where did you all come from?"
I giggle. "Upstairs."
Bee grins. "Sire sent us down to get you. We're almost ready to have our party back in Nevada, and you're all coming."
Blades starts for the door. "I need to go get Heatwave, then. He's lying down with Brightfire."
Groove sighs. "Someone needs to find Chase, too."
"He and Boulder are out back with Destiny. I'll go get them."
"Thanks, Street." Hot Spot crouches to our level. "Where's Fixit?"
"Around the corner. His knees aren't padded like ours were."
Fixit's voice comes from behind us. "Not anymore."
I smile. "We've got friends staying overnight!"
"You do? That's great. I can't wait to meet them."
"They have powers, just like we do!"
"That's so cool!" I nod, and whimper as the story I'd told earlier comes to mind. "What's wrong, Little Bit?"
Star pipes up from where she's holding the twinlets' hands. "She told the story of how she saved you guys at preschool this morning."
"Oh…" He scoops me up and holds me against his chest, then reaches down and boosts Fixit to the shoulder of the arm I'm in, then boosts Light and D-Wave to the arm I'm in, and Star to his other shoulder, before finally picking Bee up and holding him on his hip. "Why don't we go find your Sire, Sweetsparks?"
I shake my head and shift in his arms to where my audio is resting against his chest. "Needs you wigh' now, no' Siwe."
"I'm sure your sire feels very loved right now."
I shift to where I can see, and grin. "Waves!"
"Sorry you weren't able to get much of a nap."
Heatwave shakes his head. "Don't worry about it. It's not every day we get to go to Omega One, Hot Spot."
"True…"
Chase walks in with Destiny on his hip. "Why are you holding Mariposa?"
Streetwise practically darts over to us. "What's wrong with Mari?"
Hot Spot sighs. "She told her class how she saved our lives this morning. You know how traumatizing it was for her."
Streetwise gives me a concerned look. "You okay, Little Bit?"
I look up at him with a smile. "I is now." My face scrunches up suddenly in concern. "You not pushy yourself too hard, wight? You know you ovewheat." I turn to Aid. "An' you…no short-outs, wight?" I glance to Blades. "No panics on calls? No gety hurts? Gwoove? No ouchies?" I look up to Hot Spot. "Backs okays? No troubles wif combines?"
Streetwise shakes his head. "I haven't."
First Aid smiles, almost smirking. "I'm fine, Mari."
Blades shakes his head. "I'm still nervous, but I haven't had a panic attack."
Groove smiles. "I'm good."
Hot Spot chuckles. "I always knew you'd be like Aid. We're all fine, Sweetspark."
I turn to the other three rescue bots. "Waves okays? Chasey? Bou'der?"
Heatwave nods with a slight smile. "We're fine, Mari."
"Sparkles?"
"They're fine too, Little One."
I know he'd normally be really cranky with any other medic over all the questions, so I look down at Hot Spot's chest. "I sowwy I askie so much…I jus'—"
"You just care." Heatwave runs a hand over my head. "It's okay, Little One. He makes a face. "It's annoying when someone does that all the time, but you're not here all the time."
I giggle, and do my best to look stern. "No pickys on Aidie! He jus' cawes!"
"I know…"
"Mariposa. Bumblebee. Brightstar. Dreamwave. Lightstorm."
I squeal. "Siwe!"
Bee grins. "We're in here!"
"Hot Spot has us!"
Sire sticks his head in, and smiles at Hot Spot's appearance. "You seem to have your hands full."
"We woves Spot, Siwe!"
"I know, Sweetspark." His tone changes, like it always does when he's talking to the troops. "Rescue Bots, get your partners and prepare to roll out." The Rescue Bots head for the elevator platform. "Protectobots…" His tone softens again. "Would you like to ride with Defensor, Sweetsparks?"
I nod, grinning. "Fixie an' I get Spot!"
"Bumblebee?"
"Can I ride with Streets?"
"Of course."
"I get Gwoves!"
I turn from Hot Spot to semi-glare at the femme. "Don't hurt my sister."
"I won't, Little Bit."
"Blades…"
The mech takes the twins from Hot Spot. "I'll be careful, Optimus. Dani made sure I have car seats for them." He starts for the platform so he can join Dani.
He goes back to the commanding tone. "First Aid, I want Cody to ride with you."
"Yes, Sir."
I squeal. "Let's roll!"
Autobot Base Omega One
We pull through the Ground Bridge one at a time. Once we're all through, Ratchet closes the ground bridge, and we all climb out to find everyone in the base either on the ground (the adult bots) or on the platform (younglings, Agent Fowler, Ms. Olivia, Glimmer, and the PowerPuff Girls). Kade's holding a baby carrier, and Charlie's got a little girl on his hip and a car seat in his other hand. Dani's holding two car seats, while D-Wave and Light stand in front of her. Bee, Star, the twinlets, and I return to our normal forms and watch as the group of rescue bots transform.
There's pink, purple, teal, orange, and yellow streamers on the yellow metal bars around the platforms, and balloons in the same colors where the streamers are taped to the bars. A large wooden table—most likely something Agent Fowler found in one of the older storage rooms—is standing off to one side with a pink, purple, teal, orange, and yellow striped cloth on it, and streamers and balloons taped to it as well. There's a huge pile of presents on the table in several colors, mostly pink and yellow, with some blue and green, each one with a bright colored bow on top. I can immediately spot the one from the PowerPuff girls—it's wrapped in black, and has a pink, blue, and green ribbon and bow on it.
Bubbles zips down to us. "Welcome back!"
Buttercup crosses her arms. "Who're they?"
Blossom sighs and shakes her head. She looks like a cross between amused and annoyed. "I'm sure she'll tell us once she's ready, Buttercup."
Hot Spot can't help but smile, recognizing the girl's plight. "Siblings?"
Blossom simply nods as I open my mouth to speak, but before I get the chance, Carrier does. "You five need to come with me so you can get ready for your party."
Carrier follows us into our bedroom and pulls out our new outfits before laying them on the bed. She helps me into a long sleeved white T-shirt with black and white ruffles on the shoulders and light pink bows with a sequin "5" and white leggings, then holds out a black and white tutu with a light pink hem and bow and a light pink waistband for me to step into. Once I'm dressed, I sit on the bed and pull on a new pair of black patent leather fashion boots, then step over to the mirror and slip a silver Happy Birthday tiara with light pink feathers on the base into my hair while Carrier helps Bee.
When I turn back to him, he's wearing a long sleeved white t-shirt with a blue shimmery "5", black jeans, white socks, and black tennis shoes. He steps over beside me at the mirror and sets a silver happy birthday crown with light blue feathers on the base on his head. Star joins us, and I help her slip hers in, while Carrier finishes with the twinlets and sets them on their tiny feet. Besides the numbers, we're dressed identically. We LOVE dressing alike.
"Ready?"
I nod, and grin. "Ready."
Main Room, 1:00 PM
We step into the main room. More presents have joined the already huge pile on the table, but these are wrapped in either yellow paper with either bumblebees or butterflies on it, or the Rescue Bots colors, or pink paper with both on it, more than likely from the Protectobots. We shift back to our normal forms before we run up the stairs to the platform together. By now, Fixit's joined Glimmer on the platform, and is talking to Boulder.
"Now…" I sigh softly as the humans—besides Agent Fowler and the Burns—turn to me curiously. The girls are now wearing cap sleeved blouses and heart print white jumpers in their colors, with their braids down, leaving the hair in wavy pigtails. "The red mech talking to my sire is Heatwave, and that's Brightstar in his arms. His partner is Kade—that's the guy in the yellow fireman clothes…who's glaring at me for some unknown reason." I scowl back at him. "The blue and white guy talking to Prowl with a femmeling on his hip is Chase, and the femmeling is Destiny. His partner is Charlie, the policeman over there. The green guy by Fixit is Boulder. He's Destiny's sire. His partner is the blonde guy with the tie. That's Graham. Cody's the blonde boy, and Dani's the redhead in the black flight suit." I sigh heavily, slightly sad even though I'm still smiling. Hot Spot picks this up and lays a hand on my shoulder, causing me to look up at him. "It's okay, Mari. We're right here."
~I know, Spot… It's just… so real right now…~
"You're not the only one who thinks that, Femmeling."
I sigh softly and point up. "This is Hot Spot, the smaller mech with Ratchet and Red Alert is First Aid, the black and white guy talking with Prowl and Chase is Streetwise, the silver girl with them is Groove, and the orange and white guy with the rotors is Blades."
"The one who used to be like Buttercup?"
Hot Spot looks down at me. "They're superheroes—the PowerPuff Girls. Blossom's the one in pink, she's their leader. Bubbles is the one in blue…" I look around. "Talking to my Cyber-cat in cat. She's the "joy and the laughter", as the theme song goes, but she's mostly like Aid—kind and caring, and doesn't like to fight as much. Buttercup…" I sigh softly. "She's the one in the green, and she's their brawler."
"When did you notice that?"
I shrug. "When I was telling the story about them earlier, Blossom." I giggle. "I'm not as good as Streets, but I do have hyper-awareness."
"How did you know…"
I smile, knowing immediately what she's asking. "I've seen you on TV before. We watch it all the time."
"Oh… Cool!"
Carrier clears her throat to get everyone's attention. "Okay, everyone! We're going to start with a few party games, then we'll have snacks and get to presents." We all run down to Carrier.
1:30 PM
After several games using both normal and holoforms—normal games like hide-and-seek and Simon says, as well as quieter games like pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey—'cept we used a turbo-fox—and musical chairs, Carrier heads back to get the snacks and cake from the kitchen. We all look up when an alarm sounds, and green lights start flashing. "What's going on?"
"It's okay, Bubbles." She looks over to where Bee, Star, and I are leaning on the metal bars on the edge of the platform—Dani and Groove are holding the twinlets to keep them from going too close to the edge. We're all in holoform now—even Glimmer—just waiting for the cake. "Mari?"
"Proximity alarm. Someone's coming."
Ratchet sighs and turns to us. "It's just your aunt, Sweetspark."
"Late again." I huff. "She's always late when it comes to getting to base."
"I'll open the doors for them." He mutters as he stalks off to do just that.
"Your Aunt?"
"Star's Warmth and her son. They tend to avoid the base as a rule, because they want to stay out of the war." We all look up when a teal jet flies into the room and transforms, followed by a blue car. They quickly shift to holoform, and Daybreaker puts a pink and yellow polka-dot present with the others.
Carrier walks back in with the cake, along with paper plates and plastic forks, and grins at the sight of her older sister. She sets everything down on a table on the platform and shifts to holoform to hug her before leading the others up to the platform.
We all gather around the table with the cake on it. It's a white two-tier cake with spring green fondant icing on the bottom layer and light blue fondant icing on the top layer, with pink and white flowers with yellow and blue centers, ladybugs, bumblebees, and butterflies over the entire cake, and halves of white flowers with alternating yellow and blue centers around the bases of both layers. She's got butterfly and bumblebee shaped candles all around on the top, lit and flickering brightly.
They sing to us, then the five of us lean forward and blow out the candles together. Carrier pulls out a cake server and starts slicing the cake. "Everyone gets a piece."
"Everyone but Glimmer." I pull out a plastic cup of cat food and open it before kneeling to her. "She gets Ocean Fish-a-Licious." I giggle. "They named it silly, Carrier!"
Carrier nods and hands me the first plate with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, then hands the next to Bee, and the third to Star. We rush over to the coffee table in front of the couch and settle on our knees before digging into our cake as Sire sets the twinlets' cake between Bee and I, and the two holding them sets them with us. We're soon joined by the others, while Fixit settles on the couch behind us, and Glimmer stays by the cake with her smelly cat food.
It's not long before we're done, and Sire moves our five youngling-sized chairs, designed to look like Fairytale thrones, down to the main level. Once everyone returns to their normal forms, they settle around us in a half-circle while Carrier steps over to hand out the presents.
The first ones are large boxes wrapped in our colors with the other's color on the bow. Star's is purple with a pink bow. "This one is from your Sire and I, and only for the older three."
I nod, and turn to the present on my lap before lifting off the lid. Inside are little cannons, specifically meant as a first weapon for scouts, and a handle of some sort. "Wow…"
Star gives the weapons in the box a skeptical look. "I'm really going to fight…"
Bee grins up at Carrier and Sire. "Cool, Sire!"
I look up as Sire steps over to us, and wave him down. "Is that really…what I think it is?"
"It uses energon, otherwise…yes, Sweetspark."
"Did you really talk to the Jedi council?" We all five have the force, and we'd been set up with a Master by the Jedi council, but he'd had to go back to the temple, then we had the exodus, so now he can't find us, and we weren't able to get our training. I still miss Master Yoda some days…
"Yes."
"So…it'll be blue?"
"It will depend on the energon used to power it."
"Blue, purple, or red then… hmmm… Blue."
"We could get some crystals from them if you want a green one, Mari."
"Please?" I smile. "Not that I don't like blue, but… It's the meaning behind the green…"
Sire chuckles softly at my curiosity before moving to get the next set of packages. These are wrapped in green and blue, with lighter colored bows on top. "These are from Ratchet and Red Alert."
"An' me."
I nod to the white femmeling before lifting the top off my box at the same time my siblings do. "A medical kit?"
Snowfire smiles up at us. "Bee's is a first aid kit, just in case someone gets hurt while he's there, and the twins' are toys. Mari's and Star's are real medical kits."
"Oh…cool."
"Thanks, Ratch…" I open the kit and smile when I see the metallic pink soft grips on the tools. "Really…" I smile up at him. "Thank you."
"You're welcome, Little One." He turns to Bee. "And I'll get your new cannons installed once you're out of school for the week."
"Thanks, Ratchet!"
The next set of boxes are pink and yellow striped. "These are from Arcee and Cliffjumper." We nod and open the lids. I let out a soft gasp as Bee gapes. Star simply grins. We turn to each other with smiles before looking back into the boxes and pulling out what looks like metal dolls. Pink for me, Yellow for Bee and Star, and pink/blue for the twinlets. The PowerPuffs seem surprised that a little boy is excited about getting a doll, but they don't comment as we cuddle the toys.
Bulkhead steps over with five metal lockers, like what they have in the public schools, that match our armor, and sets them beside us before moving back to where he was sitting. I know they're for us to keep our desk stuff in, because we'd been getting confused with one desk and two of us, with which was which. It happens with identical stuffs.
2:00 PM
It's been almost half an hour, and we're almost done. Prowl and Jazz got us all a new CD player with his money from the police station, and Aunt Star and Day got us a complete collection from our favorite Earth musicians. We've gotten a lot of activity kits from the Rescue Bots and Protectobots, as well as a board game set from Boulder, a toy doctor kit and a toy tool kit from Aid, and an I Spy book collection from Streetwise. Fowler gave us each a really nice wooden art kit, Kade gave us each a velvet poster to color, Dani got me and Star each a lip gloss making it, and gave Bee a tattoo set, and gave the twins large stuffed bears, and Graham got us a science kit.
Blades has also taken over handing out presents for some unknown reason. We're handed the black package next. I break the ribbons while Bee pulls them off, then we all three start in on the paper. Inside is all four Alvin and the Chipmunks movies, and the corresponding soundtracks. "Thanks!" Bee elbows me. "Mari?" ~I thought you—wait, you're having a flashback, aren't you?~
~A-Aaron broked my old Chip-wrecked CD that day, Bumbee…~
~I still remember how you sounded on the phone that morning…~
~We got a new one now, Flutterby. It's all right. You're safe now. Sire's here.~
~Meany Butt's gone now, Sissy.~
~It's just us an' Papa's fwien's.~
I take a deep breath and look up to the girls with tears in the corners of my eyes, but a smile on my face. "Thanks, guys…"
Bubbles steps up to us nervously. "What's wrong?"
Bee smiles slightly. "She has PTSD from emotional abuse in her old dimension." Ms. Olivia gasps in shock, while the PowerPuff Girls share horrified looks. When they turn back to us, Blossom looks shocked, Bubbles looks like she's about to cry, and Buttercup looks ready to fight. Blades, in a startling motion, whirls around and gives Buttercup a look I haven't seen on him since right after we officially met. "Stop."
Buttercup crosses her arms and glares at him. "Why?"
He sighs, and crouches to her level. "Trust me, I wanted to kill him more times than you can possibly imagine Buttercup, but it won't solve anything, especially now, and Mari didn't want him harmed even if it would have changed something." He straightens up to face his surprised siblings. "What? She looked like she wanted to kill someone, and Mari—."
First Aid rushes over and hugs him. "I'm proud of you, Blades."
I giggle at the whole scene, causing everyone to turn to us again. "For someone who also wanted to kill my human Dad, you're one to talk, Aidie."
The PowerPuffs blink. "He did what?"
"He threatened to kill my human father too, after one particularly nasty verbal bashing. It was funny watching Blades and Spot trying to keep Aid from murder, when he's so against it."
Blades shakes his head before kneeling down with two similarly shaped packages in his hands, before turning to grab a third, matching package and two differently-shaped but still identical to each other packages. "These are from Cody. He's been delivering papers for a month so he could get you these."
Cody glares at the helicopter. "Blades!"
Bee and I share a look and a giggle, then I turn to the preteen. "Cody… you didn't have to get us anything…"
Bee nods. "You know that, right?"
"We're fine with what we have, Cody."
"I know…" He rubs the back of his neck. "You were just…so excited about them last time you came…"
We open the packages and grin. He'd gotten Star and I each a Beados set and a can of extra beads, and Bee Quixels and a can of extra cubes. The twins got finger-painting kits. I squeal happily as Bee screams. "Thanks, Cody!"
"Dani…if you could help me?"
Dani nods, and starts for the table before climbing the helicopter's leg freehand. Blades has a hand under her, of course, but he's otherwise uncaring—like he's used to her doing this. Once she's inside his cockpit, he turns to the last box and sets it in front of us. It's wrapped in orange, and has a red fire truck print. Blades picks up the box and sets it in front of us, but keeps a hand on it until he feels a knock on his window. "Don't touch it." I reach a finger over teasingly. "I mean it."
I huff and jerk my hand back. "Okay…"
He reaches up as he opens his cockpit, and cups his hands around Dani. "Close your eyes."
"Okay!" We squeeze our optics tight, and hold out our arms. It's only a few seconds before a squirming ball of fluff is placed in them.
"Okay, open!"
We open our eyes and squeal. "Puppy!"
I giggle and hug it to me. "Dawmation!"
"Dog!"
"Fwuff!"
"Yay!"
Bee huffs. "My turn!" He takes the puppy carefully and hugs it.
"Me now!" Star hugs her before holding her out so the twinlets could each hug her—gently, of course.
Charlie steps over with a smile. "You like her?" We nod quickly. "She's allowed to come with you when you visit, but you guys will need to take care of her."
"Thank you!"
"What are you gonna name her?"
~Spot?~
I scowl. ~Too ordinary… Dottie?~
~Ew, too…old-sounding. Puddles?~
Bee makes a disgusted face. ~Yeuck!~
~Marshal?~
~That's a boy dog name!~
~Okay, okay, calm down. What about—~
We all speak at the same time. "Patches."
"I like it." Charlie lays a hand on the box. "We've got everything you'll need to start taking care of her in here, so you don't need to open it out here."
