Hobo

by Storygirl747

Honest, Obliging, Be Polite, Observing. These are the qualities that make up Lilac, a young hobo. While watching the shooting stars, she made a hopeless wish. And then he appeared. Can this young hobo (or feral human as the twins like to call her) help a slightly damaged mech across the country to his twin? And can the three go from being friends to more? Set after the first movie

13. Bitter Memories, Malls, and Renovations

I do not own Transformers, Nor do I own any other brands, shows, or patented materials that I may mention in this story now and in the future chapters.

Big Thank You to; Animaniac95, Aurielion, CKnot38, Dannikins2144megy, DarkKnight31816, DawnsLite, Edges05, Felien13, KaDogy, Mxrkie, Nach9208, NoxiousFeels, Pudu2004, diamondgirl8820, psychicgirl32, scarlet rose white, .06122001, vbralyn,Lwwas-forever, PurpleMoon22, Sharlay Scoboni, Sunshine-She-Be, 98, lotus20 and tinkerwolfgirl for Following this story!

Big Thank You to; Aurielion, CKnot38, Dannikins2144megy, DarkKnight31816, DivergentBisch, Edges05, Felien13, KaDogy, Mxrkie, NoxiousFeels, Pudu2004, StarlingWolf, TheSpaceCadetLibrary, ayumiku 24, diamondgirl8820, kellyann2807, psychicgirl32, scarlet rose white, .06122001 and vbralyn for adding this story to their list of Favorites!

CrystalAris: Lol! I love your head cannons! We'll have to wait and see how she and Galloway interact. You might know more about the character than I thought ;) As for if I will follow cannon...we'll have to wait and see! ;) I hope you enjoy this new chapter! Brace yourself, it's a bumpy ride.

validole: Hello! I am so glad that you love the story! That is a good question about Sideswipe and Sunstreaker, and I partially answer it in the chapter below. Feel free to PM me if you have any more questions after this chapter regarding her guardian. As for your concerns...the good news is that we won't see Galloway for some time. The second part of your concern is accurate. The chapter below will be proof of that. I hope you enjoy this new chapter!

scarlet rose white: Aww! I'm glad that you loved the last chapter! Hopefully they were happy tears! I hope you enjoy this next chapter!

Guest: Here is the update! I hope you love it as much as the last one!

Lwwas-forever: Aww! Thank you! I'm glad you found the chapter adorable! The culture is something from my head cannon. I couldn't imagine the Autobots wanting to hurt her after learning what they did about her. Now, that is not to say that they cannot get angry at her or other humans. They are dynamic characters after all. But given the connections they immediately made between her and a sparkling, I figured their gut programing would be to comfort her, after giving her a stern talking to. I hope you enjoy this new chapter!

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{"Text"}- Com. Links/text messages/projected text. this is specified.

'Text'-Internal monologue/inner thoughts

XXXXX- Time change/text break

00000-Flashback: Someone is remembering, experiencing, or explaining what is happening

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TRIGGER WARNING!

This chapter has descriptions of emotional and physical abuse! If you do not want to read these things, please skip all areas of the story labeled as a flashback. If you are unsure of what the flashback symbol is, please see the glossary above for details on the flashback symbol.

Seriously, please do not read those scenes if they will trigger a negative memory, anger, anxiety, PTSD/PTSS. Trust me, no piece of literature is worth ruining your day/evening. If you do choose to read them and you feel triggered, please consult your support system asap!

-Sincerely Storygirl747

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4:00am

"Lilac…Liiiilaaaacc…."

"Mmmmmm…."

"Lilac, time to get up."

"Mom?" She mumbled sleepily as she cuddled further into the berth.

Epps smiled as he kneeled next to her. "No…Epps. But you still need to get up."

She whined tiredly as she attempted to burrow further into the berth. Seconds later her breathing slowed as she fell back asleep. Epps laughed before nudging her again.

"Come on Lilac. You need to get up."

This time she rolled onto her back and squinted up at him bleary eyed.

"Wha's wrong?" She mumbled before realizing who she was looking at.

"Are we under attack?!" She startled sitting straight up.

Epps laughed gently and shook his head.

"No, we're not under attack. It's time to go."

Lilac looked at him confused until she saw her backpack at her feet. The last evening's events slowly came back to her as she looked around and saw Jazz sitting on the berth next to hers grinning.

Her heart filled with sadness as she looked up at Epps who wore a gentle expression.

'Time to face the music' she thought as she leaned forward to get her things. She fought back tears as she hefted her bag over her shoulders and walked over to the stairs.

"See ya Babyspark!" Jazz crooned from where he sat on the berth. He was grinning impishly, but Lilac was too sad to notice.

"Bye Jazz…I'm gonna miss you…"

"Naaah. Ya won't miss me for long!" He said still grinning. More than anything Lilac wanted to give him a hug goodbye. But Epps beckoned her down the steps to where a golf cart was waiting.

With one last look at the bot she made her way down the steps as though she were walking to her own execution. She got over to the golf cart and buckled herself in per Epp's instructions. She looked back at Jazz to see him gently smile at her.

"Everythin'll be alrigh' sparklin'."

She gave him a watery smile and a short wave as Epps began to drive off. The doors opened automatically allowing them to drive through and out into the hall. Lilac watched as the doors shut hiding the still smiling Jazz.

She clenched her jaw and swallowed the bile rising in her throat as Epps drove silently. She contemplated taking off the seatbelt and running from the cart down a hallway, but one glance out of the corner of her eye at Epps told her that she wouldn't succeed.

She was caught. Now she had to face the consequences.

'Please….I don't want to go back! Please! Sideswipe if there was ever a time to burst in and save me now would be it!' she mentally pled as they began to approach the same room where she had first met with Captain Lennox and Sargent Epps. Much to her disappointment, the newly red frontliner was nowhere to be seen as the doors opened for them and closed behind them.

Epps drove in and parked off to the side, motioning Lilac to be quiet. Lilac looked at him with a broken-hearted pleading expression as he unbuckled and got out of the cart. He mouthed "Everything will be okay" as he beckoned her with a hand.

Resigned to her fate, Lilac quietly sniffled as she unbuckled herself and followed the man to the platform where he, she and Lennox had shared a meal. As she climbed the stairs, she realized someone in the room was talking. Looking up she saw Lennox looking up at the large screen mounted on the wall. A video call with the Secretary of defense was being held.

'Maybe they're waiting until the meeting is over to send me away.' Lilac thought to herself as Lennox did a half turn towards her and Epps.

"Actually, she just arrived."

"Can she speak?"

Lilac looked up confused. Who were they talking about? She instinctively turned around to see if another woman was on the platform with her as Lennox gently grabbed her shoulder and ushered her in front of the camera with a quiet "Come here real quick".

"Huh?" She said confused.

"Hello, young lady."

"Uh…Hello…"

"Lilac, this is the Secretary of Defense."

"Do you know who I am?"

"Uhhmmm…the Secretary of Defense? …. Mr. Keller?"

The man smiled gently at her genuinely surprised she knew his name.

"Yes. Do you know what it is that I do?"

Lilac blinked before canting her head.

"If I'm not mistaken, you are second in command in the military chain of command, with only the President of the United States being ranked higher. You craft national defense policy, working with the White House and Congress to develop military initiatives as part of a broader foreign policy. You oversee all operations at the Pentagon, and you help coordinate intelligence-gathering."

The room was dead silent as everyone stared at her in surprise. Lilac shrunk in on herself as Keller blinked before pursing his lips and narrowing his eyes. "Did…did I say something wrong?" She asked fearfully. The secretary huffed a laugh. "Did someone tell you to say that?"

"Say what?"

"What I do. Did someone give you my job's description."

"No sir. I read about what each cabinet member does before the last election. My friends and I talked about who we would vote for and what position we would want if we ever ran for office. I didn't want to have your job or anyone else's because it's too much pressure and someone is always going to mad at you because they don't like the choices you made. And sometimes people can be really mean in politics."

She blurted out making the man laugh. She was terrified.

"Truly, and honestly I wish more people held your understanding of politics young lady." Lilac smiled sheepishly but didn't say anything else as the man continued to laugh before calming down.

"Well, you know what I do and who I am, could you tell me a little about who you are and how you got to where you are?" Lilac blinked before looking to Lennox nervously. He nodded his head with a small smile.

Lilac gave the man a brief explanation as to who she was and how she got there. She struggled to do so, because she was censoring the parts of the story that would give away that Sideswipe wasn't human and that she was a runaway.

When she was finished the man looked at her confused.

"Captain?"

"Yes sir?"

"She did have contact with the NBE's correct?"

"Yes sir."

"Young lady, did you purposely try to keep the fact that you aided an alien across the country out of your explanation?"

Lilac's eyes grew wide in alarm before she bowed her head a little fearing she was in trouble.

"Yes sir."

"Why?"

"I…I…didn't want him to get in trouble. I didn't want any of them to get in trouble."

"Trouble?"

"I'm just a kid…I don't think most people would believe what I say…a lot haven't so far. But I didn't know if you knew and I didn't want to tell you because they're supposed to be a secret and I didn't want to get in trouble, and I don't want them to get in trouble, or to scare people…" she rambled nervously.

"Did they scare you?"

Lilac paled but decided to tell the truth. "At first…. but! But it was only because we met in the dark and we both couldn't see, and it was raining! And then after that, I didn't know what he was, so he scared me again during the day."

"But after that you became friends?"

"Yes sir. I like to think we are friends. He saved me 3 times from his enemies, and I helped him when he got hurt, and when he needed to learn how to act human."

"And the other Autobots? What about them?"

"They're very nice. They scared me too at first, but that's only because I met them so close after Sideswipe and I were attacked. I had decided to go my separate way, and I met the other Autobots in vehicle form shortly after."

"And because you were not sure if they were friend of foe, they scared you."

"Yes sir. I ran away, but then Sideswipe introduced me to them, and everything was okay after that." She said leaving out last night's escape from base, much to the relief of Lennox and Epps.

"I see." Keller said nodding his head. Lilac swallowed thickly as the man sighed tiredly.

"Well young lady, I must say that I am very concerned by what you and the others have told me. 3 Decepticon attacks inside of a calendar week is not good."

"No sir." Lilac said sadly as she hung her head feeling as though she were in trouble.

"When I read the reports about how you aided the Robit, err Autobot I immediately grew concerned. As you stated, the Autobots are a secret, one that we would like to keep from the public for as long as possible."

"Yes sir."

"When I saw your name, I had an assistant perform a background check. Do you know what that is?"

"No sir?"

"A background check is something we do when we want to know more about a person. When done with grownups, we look to see where they have worked before, if they have committed any crimes, and to see if they are trustworthy." Keller said gently noticing the child's quivering lower lip.

"However, in your case we needed to see who your family is so that we could reunite you with them." Lilac whimpered as tears started to roll down her cheeks.

'I should have trusted my gut!'

"That is, until I saw that you were previously a ward of the State of Kentucky. Your file is quite large young lady."

Lilac sniffled as she meekly looked at the screen, her lips trembling ominously as her body shook with silent hiccup-sobs.

"Your file says that you were previously adopted by Scott and Beverly-Anne Dixon, a little under three years ago."

Lilac instinctively shrunk into herself a little at hearing her tormentor's names.

"However, when Sideswipe found you, you were living on the streets. Or rather in the backwoods. Correct?"

Lilac nodded mutely.

"I see. Well, I'm afraid that I cannot allow that to continue. As a minor you need to be looked after."

Lilac's vision began to spin as her heart raced. She heard what sounded like an intense rushing of water in her ears as her face heated up. She couldn't breathe.

"However, the Captain as well as several of the Autobots have given verbal testimony that these people, have been very cruel to you. A sentiment that I agree with given the evidence provided from Ratchet, and yourself given your current body language and facial expression."

Lilac was internally struggling to stay standing. She wanted nothing more than to collapse to the ground screaming and crying, begging them not to make her go back. But something about what the man said stopped her, but just barely.

"Accusations of abuse are not something that I take lightly. However, in your case you seem to have a substantial amount of proof. And for that reason, I believe that it would be best for you not to return to the Dixon's custody."

Lilac exhaled, unaware that she was holding her breath.

"Y…you mean it?"

"I do. There are some things that I will need to verify, but from what I have seen and heard thus far, it would not be in your best interest to return to them. Nor would it be wise for them to retain custody of you."

"Thank you…"

"However, given your current living arrangements or rather lack thereof, I cannot in good conscience allow things to continue as they are."

"S…S…Sir?"

"Should our current investigation into your case be successful, as I imagine it will be…" he said mumbling that last part.

"You will once again become a ward of the state. I for one, do not believe that would be good for you. Studies have shown that in order for you to have the best possible chance at having a successful future you will need consistency. That consistency includes living in a safe environment and having an adult to look after you until you are fully grown."

Lilac looked up at the man on the screen mesmerized by the hope he was giving her.

"Finding a foster parent that is qualified and can accommodate for your current needs was impossible."

Lilac slumped before the man began speaking again.

"However, as luck would have it, there is currently someone at that base that has expressed an intense wish to adopt you."

Lilac stared at the man before doing a double take.

"Wait…wait…s…someone…. wants…to…adopt me?" She said looking around in confusion. She hadn't me any of the other soldiers. So that meant that it could only be Will or Epps.

"Yes. As a matter of fact, they happen to be standing in the room right now."

Lilac turned around and looked at the smiling Will who gave her a sympathetic but gentle no headshake. She turned to Epps who was standing just off camera and grinning only to receive the same gesture as before. Confused she continued to look around the room. None of the soldiers looked at her. She kept looking around until her eyes landed on the room's largest and up until that point most silent occupant.

Optimus chuckled softly, a gentle and warm expression in his optics.

"Y…you? You want to adopt me?" She asked shyly.

"Yes, if you will have me."

"But why?" She blurted out in surprise before slapping her hands over her mouth in embarrassment and shame.

'Oh, that was so rude! How stupid are you?! Mama said to never say stupid stuff like that! He probably won't want me now!'

"I have always wanted a child of my own. I previously have not had the luxury of having time or the resources to do so. Now, with our war ending, I believe I have these luxuries and more with enough excess to share."

'But only if you'll have me' went unsaid. Lilac looked back to the screen to see an expectant looking Secretary.

"W…w…w…wait. You want me to choose?"

"Yes. As he said, he would like to adopt you, if you will have him as your permanent legal guardian."

"A…are…are you sure? I mean yes! Yes, I want you to adopt me! But…but is it legal?" She asked with innocent curiosity.

"Technically yes. He has already declared himself your protective guardian due to the Decepticon attacks you have witnessed- "Keller said making Lilac look back at the Prime in surprise before her head snapped back to the screen as the man continued.

"And technically, there is no rule against him legally adopting you. Nor is there anything in the treaty preventing it. At least not yet."

Lilac gulped.

"And there never will be if I have anything to say about it. After everything you have experienced and all you have done, you deserve a good home with a family."

Both Optimus and Lilac smiled at the man's sentiment, feeling that he was correct. They deserved just that, a good home with a family.

XXXXX

By 5:30am the meeting was ending. Lilac, feeling exhausted was escorted out of the war room by Epps.

"Alright Prime, let's talk paperwork…"

"That's our cue!" Epps hissed to the child holding her hand as they walked down the stairs and out of the room. Jazz was just outside of the room, leaning against the wall grinning.

"Well, hey there Babyspark! Epps!"

"Jazz!" Lilac crowed as he reached down and scooped her up.

"What?"

"I'm getting adopted! I'm getting adopted!" She sobbed happily into his chest plates.

"Awwww! That's great news sparklin'! But why are ya leakin'?"

"I'm…I'm sssoo, so happy! I'm getting adopted!" she sobbed once more quietly as Sideswipe rounded the corner.

He saw Jazz's confused expression as he held his crying friend and his spark lurched. He saw that she had her backpack on. She was sobbing. Recalling the last time, he saw her like that he quickly checked the base's online calendar and saw that there was a meeting that morning about Lilac.

"NOOO!" He bellowed as he snatched Lilac from Jazz.

"What the hell?!" Epps blurted.

"Hey! Give 'er back Sides!" Jazz snapped.

"NO! I MADE HER A PROMISE SLAG IT! NO MORE ABUSIVE CAREGIVERS!"

"Sides, calm down…"

"FRAG NO! I AM NOT GOING TO LET YOU TWO JUST HAND HER OVER TO THE SLAGGARDS!"

"Sideswipe…" Jazz said in a stern tone. Sideswipe narrowed his optics at his commanding officer and held the child further away.

"I made her a promise Primus slag it. I intend to keep that promise. You will not be getting her from me."

"Sideswipe." Jazz deadpanned as he took a step towards him watching as Sideswipe took two steps back.

"Trial by combat. That is the only way I will even consider you coming near my friend. And I won't lose." He snarled just as Optimus Prime, and Captain Lennox exited the war room.

"Sideswipe, what is the meaning of this?"

"I won't let you send her back to those abusive fraggers! I'm not sorry sir. She deserves to have a real family!"

"I agree. She does deserve that."

"Then why are you sending her back?! How could you do something so fragging awful to her?! She's just a kid!"

"Sides…"

"No, I'm serious Lilac! I'm not letting them hurt you! Not again!"

"But they're not hurting me."

"Don't give me that slag!"

"I'm serious."

"I don't know how they convinced you, but I don't believe it! There is no way in Pit that I am letting them or anyone else send you back to those pit fragging slag helms!"

Lilac despite herself started to laugh. Sideswipe looked at her confused and concerned. He wasn't sure how they'd gotten her to believe that she wasn't in danger, but he was not buying it.

"Sides! They're not sending me back!" she giggled

"There was a meeting this morning!"

"I know. I was there!"

"You…were?"

"Yeah!"

Sideswipe looked at her in confusion before turning his steely gaze back on the command team that was beginning to congregate in the hall.

"The meeting wasn't about sending me back, or even sending me away!"

"It…wasn't?"

"No!"

"Then what the frag was it for then?!"

"To discuss someone wanting to adopt me! Someone here." She said with a soft laugh as the mech turned to stare at her in confusion. He then looked around the hall at the confused and annoyed expressions of his allies and teammates finally settling on his Prime.

"May I ask why you are holding my charge like that?" Sideswipe stared for a few klicks before manually blinking.

"Your…. charge?"

"I'm getting adopted Sides." Lilac confirmed from his outstretched servo.

He looked back to his Prime who now held a very amused expression on his faceplates. He looked at his other commanding officers trying to see if there was any deceit.

"It's okay Sideswipe." Lilac said giggling.

He looked back to his Prime and adjusted his flared and fluffed out armor.

"Uuuhhmmm…"

Optimus chuckled as he patted the frontliner on the back gently.

"It is alright. You were not informed of the purpose of the meeting."

"Serves you right. After how late you and your aft of a twin reported in last evening." Ratchet grumbled as he snatched Lilac from him.

"I greatly appreciate your willingness to uphold your promise to her Sideswipe. It is very commendable that you would stand up to us to ensure her safety."

"Err…yes sir. Thank you, sir." Sideswipe said in embarrassment as the others started to smirk and snicker at him. He hated being the last to know things!

'He would make an excellent bodyguard for her. I will make a note of that and ask him later' Prime thought as Ratchet declared that she had no new damage to her frame.

"Soooo…. what is happening now?" Sideswipe drawled nervously, wanting to change the subject quickly.

"Now, we find Babyspark some new digs! Right?"

"Huh?" Lilac asked confused.

Epps smiled at her before answering. "That is correct. Now that Optimus has become your temporary legal guardian, we need to find you a better place to stay here on base."

"Not that I minded roomin' with ya in Medbay. But we all figured ya'd need a lil' space to ya'self. Someplace where ya had some privacy."

"I will still be closely monitoring your health. However, I can do so without you staying in the Medbay."

"As it is, there just so happens to be an empty room down the hall from the Medbay. That is where you will be staying." Will added as they all began to walk up the hall to the previously described room.

"I'm not staying with you guys? Or with the other soldiers?"

"What? No!" Epps laughed.

"Of course not! You're just a kid, not a soldier! And besides we kinda thought you'd want your own room."

"My own room?"

"Yeah. Something wrong with that?"

"N...n…no…it's just…I've…I haven't…had my own room since…I've always had to share…" she said sounding surprised. 'My own room…I get my own room! Me! I get my own room!' she said excitedly in her head.

Once they got to the room, Ratchet let Lilac down as Will fished a set of keys out of his pocket and inserted one into the lock on the door.

As the door opened a cloud of dust exited making the humans sputter and cough.

The room was dark, dusty and ridden with webs.

"Oh…"

"Uhhh…" The two men muttered quietly as Lilac carefully entered the room looking around. There was an old pea green army cot against the south wall and an old desk sat against the east wall next to a sliding glass door. The old wooden floor creaked and moaned with each step.

"Do human quarters normally look like this?" Sideswipe asked curiously as Lilac continued to look around in awe.

"No…we haven't been in this room yet. Naturally, we're gonna clean the place up so that it's actually livable." Will answered.

"No, it's okay. This is just fine to me."

"Lilac, there are webs everywhere…" Epps trailed off as he watched a cockroach run across the floor into a rather messy web where a spider quickly descended out of the shadows to claim its prey.

"I can make it work! Honest! I promise this is okay!" she said excitedly as she looked at the two doors on the north wall. The first door was closest to the front door where Will and Epps were still currently standing as they surveyed the room. Walking over to the door she opened it to be greeted by even thicker layers of webs.

"The blueprints say that that is your closet."

"I have my own closet?! Really?!" She squeaked in excitement.

"Yes…and you have your own washracks as well." Optimus added from outside her room.

"Huh?"

"Bathroom."

"Wait I have my own bathroom too?! Really?!"

"Yes…is this not common for younglings?" Optimus asked in concern as she darted over to the other door opening it to reveal a rust ridden bathroom.

"WOW! I have a bathtub and a shower! How cool is that!" Lilac chirped.

"Well, that depends on a few things. Architecture changes over time as trends come and go. This used to be captain's quarters when this base was last active. But most houses nowadays don't have a bathroom attached or within a bedroom unless it is a master bedroom." Will answered the large mech.

"Or if it was just built differently." Epps added.

What is that awful stench?" Jolt asked as his face scrunched up.

"Several years of decay and rust." Ratchet supplied as he projected his holoform, A tall, lean built man with dark brown hair and black framed glasses. He wore black dress shoes, black slacks, a chartreuse polo and a white doctor's coat.

"This is not acceptable. There are at least fifteen hazardous arachnids living in this area alone." He muttered as he walked through the bedroom into the bathroom only to gape in horror.

"Do not touch anything youngling!"

"Why not?"

"Do you not see the rust on everything?! Your race can develop several serious diseases because of exposure to rust! Come along. I do not wish for you to be in here any longer!"

"Awwwww…. okay…" Lilac said softly as she slunk out of the bathroom only to see Will, Epps, Jolt, Sideswipe, and a few other new faces looking around the room.

"This can't be healthy for her." Jolt said as he took in the sight of the bathroom.

"You're telling me! Squishy, none of the washracks we've seen before have looked or smelled this bad!" Sideswipe added as a similar version of his holoform cringed away from the door into the bathroom with a disgusted expression. Lilac took in the golden version of Sideswipe's holoform before looking back to Sideswipe in confusion. Her eyes darted between the two a few times before the gold version growled "What are you fragging staring at femme?!"

Sideswipe rolled his holographic eyes. "She's never seen your holoform Sunny."

"So?! That doesn't give her the right to stare!"

"Mute it already slag helm! And open that door back there! Get some "fresh air" in here as her race says." A large muscle clad man said. This man had on combat boots, blue jeans, a black t-shirt, and dog tags. His face was set in a scowl, his one dark blue eye piercing right into Lilac's soul. The other eye was lighter, almost white with a scar running through it from the top down. His hair was a silvery grey and shaved military style.

Sunstreaker scoffed at the man before opening the back door. He was greeted by dunes of sand and a pile of tumble weeds in the north corner of the yard.

"The area outside isn't much better Hide." Jolt said to the large man in the black t-shirt. The man harumphed and walked back to the door.

"R…r…really. This is okay. I can make do with this, honest. I'm not worried about some rust or the spiders. I'm used to those things!" Lilac said as she placed her bag down on the cot.

"Be that as it may, this is still not meeting the standards of having safe living conditions. We're gonna have to renovate this room a little if we want to be in compliance." Epps said.

"Ratchet, could Lilac stay in the Medbay for a few more days?"

"What for Captain?"

"It'll take a few days for Epps and I to get this room ready- "

"A few days? Respectfully, Captain if you allow us to assist, we could have this room prepared before the end of this solar cycle." Ratchet said cutting the man off.

"Really?" Epps said as he flicked on the light switch only to watch and hear as the sole yellow bulb popped and went out.

"Absolutely." He the Medic confirmed.

"Removing all this slag should not take long." Ironhide grunted.

"I can rewire her quarters and connect her to the rest of the base's power grid within a joor." Jolt offered. "We can reforge her washrack features from scrap, and other discarded materials. The removal of the arachnids and other insects however will need to take place first. My scans show that there are structural deficiencies that are allowing the creatures to enter this room from several locations. By repairing these deficiencies, we can ensure that they do not return." Ratchet said.

"And it wouldn't hurt to spray a little pesticide either. Just in case the bugs do find a way back in." Will added.

"Aww, but you guys don't have to do all that! Honest! I'll be just fine living in here as it is now." Lilac said as she sat on the cot listening to it creak ominously.

"Lilac, even though you are okay with how the room is now, we aren't. We want to make sure that you have a place that is clean and safe to sleep in. Please, let us fix this room so that you can have that." Epps said gently.

"O…okay…" she said shyly as she stood up with her bag. As soon as she took a step forward, the cot collapsed with a puff of rust filled dust.

"Oh…" she said in surprise before turning to the others. "It's fine! I can sleep on the floor!"

"No youngling. You will not recharge on the floor."

"But I don't have a bed to sleep in…I think I can fix that one…" she said as she watched a large spider chase a cockroach across the floor. They had run out from underneath the fallen cot behind her.

"No. Nope. C'mon. We'll get you a new bed. As it is we need to go shopping for you." Epps said as he watched the spider catch the roach, shuddering.

"Shopping? What for?"

"For starters, you need some new shoes. Those look like they're about to fall off your feet." Epps said making Lilac look down at her feet. "But I like my shoes…"

"You also need to purchase her new armor. The set she was wearing when she came in is very thin. It also has holes in it defeating the purpose of it being used as protection." Ratchet added. Lilac frowned. She liked her shoes and her clothes.

Epps seeing Lilac's expression kneeled and smiled gently at her. "We don't have to get rid of your old clothes if you don't want to. But we do need to buy you some new ones, so you have enough things to wear."

"But I have enough clothes to wear…I can make at least 12 outfits with what I have…"

"And that is true…but we want to buy you some more so that you can have plenty of choices beyond those 12."

"But all that stuff is expensive, isn't it? I'm not worth the money…"

"Lilac, the government is giving us money to take care of you. The money we'll be using is meant to be spent on you. Getting you clothes, toiletries, and other things to ensure you have a safe living space." Epps said.

Lilac looked at the man confused. Why was he so insistent on doing so many nice things for her? No other foster family before had. Well, except for the drug dealing family, but that was sort of different.

"Those who cared for you previously did not provide these things for you?" Optimus asked in concern as he kneeled and peered into the room at her. Lilac looked at them with a contemplative frown.

"Well, whenever I was sent somewhere new, I just took whatever stuff was given to me from the group home. Most of the time I only had what I came with."

Epps sighed and shook his head. "Well…" he sighed as he gently put a hand on her back trying to usher her out of the room. Lilac skittishly moved ahead of his hand making him wince a little.

"Little one, our job is to care for you like our own. I believe that entails purchasing items of your own that you need. Clothing, fuel, and furniture. Correct?" Optimus asked Epps as he and Lilac exited the room.

"That is correct. I know this may seem strange Lilac. It's a big change from what you are used to. But I promise that what we are doing is supposed to be done for you. You're just a kid. It's time for the grownups to take care of you. Okay?"

Lilac looked up at Will, Epps and the Bots in innocent surprise before answering meekly. "Okay..."

XXXXX

The Adults decided to split up the tasks. Epps, Sideswipe, and Sunstreaker would take Lilac into the city to get her clothes and things for her room. Will, Ironhide, Ratchet, Jolt and Optimus would stay behind at base to oversee operations and to help get Lilac's room fixed up for when she would return.

"So, first we're gonna go to Target to get you some basics. Shampoo, shower gel, toothpaste, things like that. Then we'll go to the mall and a furniture store or two to get you what you need for your room. Okay?" Epps said as he put the purchasing account information for Lilac in his front jacket pocket.

"Okay…" Lilac said back timidly as she looked over to the grinning Sideswipe and scowling Sunstreaker.

"Guess we have our pick of the Lambo's huh?" Epps said as both transformed. Sunstreaker's engine gave a furious snarl as Lilac approached. She squeaked quietly as she back tracked away from him.

"Nah. Think I'll be a better ride than either of 'em!" Jazz said as he strolled into the recreation room.

"Oh, you're going with us? Didn't think you could what with- "

"Nah., I think I'm healed up 'nough to go for a cruise!" Jazz said as he quietly transformed down into his Pontiac Solstice form.

"Besides, I've been itchin' to burn some rubber and see more bout you humans!"

"But won't Ratchet be mad that you're going with us?"

"Babyspark, sometimes it's better to ask fo' forgiveness than to ask fo' permission!" Jazz said as he revved his engine.

"Alright. But let's make 2 things clear; number 1; If Ratchet gets mad, we had nothing to do with this. We are innocent bystanders here. -"

"Deal."

"Number two- "

"If he breaks down, or gets worse you're not responsible?" Sideswipe added innocently.

"Yes, also that. BUT- "

"I aint gonna break down! What kinda busted bot do ya'll take me for?"

"Jazz you were legally considered dead less than a week ago." Epps deadpanned.

"An' Babyspark revived me. Ratch' patched me up an' got me runnin' again. I'll be alrigh'!"

"Alright, fine. But again, we're not responsible for the imminent wrath of your doctor. Got it?"

"Yep!"

"Cool. Now, number 2; You can only play good music. No polka or accordions." Epps said with a shudder

"What's an accordion?"

"It's- "

"Trust me. You don't want to know." Epps said.

XXXXX

The three bots headed into the city, Epps, Jazz and Sideswipe making idle conversation as Lilac watched the scenery roll by. Much to her surprise, Epps directed Jazz and the others to one of the nicer shopping complexes. Once the mechs had parked, everyone got out and looked at the large structure in front of them.

"It's so big…" Lilac said quietly.

"Super Target?" Sideswipe wondered aloud.

"What kinda name is that?" Jazz added.

"It just means they carry more stuff. Come on, let's go." Epps said as he offered Lilac his hand. She looked at him nervously.

"I know you don't feel comfortable with being touched, but this is a safety thing. I need to make sure that I can pull you closer to me in case someone isn't paying attention backing out or pulling in."

Lilac looked around and sure enough she saw a driver slam on their brakes as a pedestrian hurried behind the car while talking on their phone.

"O…okay…" she said softly as she grabbed the man's hand. Together they walked into the large store.

The mechs and Lilac looked around in wonder as Epps grabbed a cart.

"Okay, let's get you started with some toiletries. I think they're over here." He said as he walked over to the personal care aisles. On instinct Lilac immediately looked for the cheapest brands she could find. She was alarmed by the higher prices.

"Something wrong?"

"This stuff is more expensive here than back home…. I'm sorry I don't have a coupon…maybe the store will have one? I think I can find something cheaper- "

"Lilac, it's not about price."

"But you only get so much to spend on me…. right?"

"Well, I mean within reason. I Think we can spare 3.99 for Suave or L'Oréal. And besides, it's not like we expect you to make a bottle of shampoo last a whole year in one go. We can always get you more."

Lilac looked at the man perplexed.

"C'mon Lilac. He has a point. And besides buying a better solvent now might decrease visits to Ratchet later."

"Huh?"

"The better shape you keep your frame in now, you know, good cleaning maintenance, using good solvents and brushes on a regular basis, will mean that your frame wont malfunction as much. You won't have to see Ratchet more often."

"That's not exactly how it works for us, but yeah. He has a point." Epps added to Sideswipe's comment with a whisper.

"Why don't we focus on finding you some scents that you like first. Then I can worry about the price later. Deal?"

"A…are you sure?"

"I'm positive."

"O…okay…" Lilac said nervously.

XXXXX

It took about 15 minutes and several explanations from Epps that he would worry about the money for Lilac to finally finish picking out her toiletries. Once that was done the five walked over to the clothing section.

"I see no harm in getting started here as far as shopping for new clothing goes." Epps said sighing as Lilac immediately walked over to the clearance rack and started looking through the oversized offerings on the rack.

"Lilac…"

"It's okay. I think I can get three shirts for 5 dollars on sale! I'll eventually grow into them I think…"

"Lilac." Epps said patiently making the girl frown.

"I always buy stuff on sale. I'm pretty sure that I can grow into these shirts."

"Lilac, this is a man's extra, extra-large. You are never gonna grow into this."

"Ohhh." She said sadly.

"Alright. Let's talk for a second."

"I know you have money to spend on me…"

"Let's not think of that right now. Come over here and let's sit for a minute. I want to try something."

"Ummmm…okay…."

"Close your eyes."

"Okay?"

"Think back to when you went shopping for clothes last. What is the first thing you remember?"

Lilac shivered and opened her eyes. She shook her head as her eyes welled up with tears.

"I know it's scary to remember, but I need you to try. I'm right here. No one is gonna hurt you, I promise."

"We got yer back sparklin'. Nobot's gonna getcha with us standin' 'round ya."

Shivering, Lilac closed her eyes again.

"Okay…tell me the first thing you remember. Sights, smells, sounds…"

"I…I was sore all over. Mom…Mrs. Dixon hit me with the belt again that morning. I…I wanted pancakes…and I'm not 'sposed to have pancakes…"

"Okay…"

"We went to the store…Walmart…We needed new clothes…for an event. Photo opt…Dad…Mr. Dixon was supposed to be at an opening. We were 'sposed to be there with him…but we needed something nice to wear. Something new."

"What happened next?"

"I wanted to look around…she…pulled me along. She was smiling…wide…I could see her teeth. She was wearing red lipstick…but her eyes were angry…she was trying to make me understand I was in trouble…without saying it."

"Okay…"

"Tyler went to his section and got what he wanted fast. Tina wanted this really pretty dress, but they didn't have her size. She was upset, stomping her feet…"

"Alright…."

"I liked that dress too. It would fit me…but Mrs. Dixon slapped my hand when I reached for it…"

00000

"What do you think you're doing?! Don't you see that your sister wants that dress?"

"Y…y…. yes. B…b…. b….b…but-"

"But nothing! You don't touch the dress that my daughter wants to wear." She hissed furiously into Lilac's ear.

"Don't worry honey, we'll find the dress in your size. Oh, look there's a store clerk right there! Let's ask if they have any more in the back!"

"Hello! Hi there!" She said eagerly to the young man who was restocking pants on a display.

"Hello, how can I help you Ma'am?"

"My daughter wants this dress, but we can't find it in her size. Do you happen to have any more in the back?"

"Oh, no. Sorry but those are all the ones we have."

"Are you sure? Can't you just check?"

"I'm sorry but, I'm positive. That dress has been very popular since we put it out. I've re-stocked it at least three times this week!"

"Ohh. Well, thank you for letting me know. Come along kids."

"But Mooom!"

"Honey, honey, I know you want that dress, but if it's that popular, then maybe we should find you something nicer to wear."

"Hey! That's not fair! If she gets something nicer then so should I!"

"I never said that you wouldn't sweetheart! Oh, hold on, your father's calling."

While she was on the phone, Mrs. Dixon let go of Lilac's hand. Lilac walked over to a different display. It was a manakin with a rainbow stripped t-shirt and jean shorts. She stared at the colors happily marveling at how nice the princess cap sleeves looked on the shirt.

"What are you doing?!"

"Huh? Ah!" Lilac said in surprise as the woman harshly grabbed her arm and pulled her back from the display.

"How many times do I have to tell you?! Stay close!"

"Buh-"

"Quiet."

"The dress…the...the shirt…AH! Ow!"

"I said be quiet." Mrs. Dixon hissed in Lilac's ear as she harshly squeezed her arm. Lilac went silent and still as her eyes welled up with tears.

"Uh oh." Tyler snickered.

"Looks like she's gonna need to be punished again." Tina said in a sing song voice.

"Tina, Tyler, go on ahead up to the register. Get some candy."

"Okay!" The two chirped before running off snickering at Lilac's expense. Mrs. Dixon stayed close to Lilac and continued to hiss in her ear while looking around, confirming there was no witness to what she was doing.

"If I have told you once, I have told you a thousand times! You are not my real daughter. You are a burden that no one else wanted to take on. It is a privilege that we took you in."

"Yes ma'am."

"You are not my real daughter, therefor, you do not get what my real daughter gets. You do not deserve what my children get. Do you understand?"

"Y…yes ma'am." Lilac squeaked as she began to lose feeling in her fingers.

"For you to think that you'd ever deserve to wear an outfit or a dress that nice is laughable." She chuckled as she let go of Lilac's arm and stood up.

"Now come along. And stop crying before I decide to give you even more to cry about when we get home." She snarled quietly through a picture-perfect smile.

Lilac swallowed thickly and went rigidly still, trying to hold back her terrified hiccupping sobs. She forcibly grabbed her left wrist and dug her nails in for three seconds before allowing her hand to slip down and grasp two of her fingers.

Quietly she walked behind the woman, back straight, and emotionless.

00000

"Oh Lilac…"

Epps said as she opened her eyes, tears spilling out.

"I didn't deserve them…"

"How could a caregiver be so cruel?" Jazz muttered sadly.

"Mrs. Dixon said so. I didn't deserve- "

"She's wrong." Sideswipe said firmly.

Lilac looked up at him from where she was sitting.

"He's right." Epps said as he continued to kneel in front of her.

"Lilac. You are a person, not an object to be used as an accessory. You deserve to have nice things, just the same as anyone else."

"He's right."

"I agree."

"Re-really?"

"Yes. So, today, let's not think about what anyone has told you before about what you do and don't deserve. Today, if you want something just tell me and we will get it."

"But…that…the money- "

"Don't worry about the money. Right now, you are on a shopping spree. Whatever you want today, I'll buy."

"Really? You…you mean it?"

"Yes, I really do mean that. Now, is there something that you see here that you like?"

Lilac looked around at the clothes, her eyes settling on a soft purple dress. Epps followed her eyes and smiled.

"Do you like that dress?"

"Yes."

"Do you wanna try it on?"

"I can do that?"

"That's what the dressing rooms are for."

"O…okay…Can…can I try it on please?"

"Yes, you can. Let's see what your size is." Epps said gently as he stood up and helped her to her feet.

XXXXX

When Lilac tried on that dress, and emerged to several coos and awws from Jazz, Sideswipe and Epps, she was confused at first before they each began to explain how they liked the color on her and how they thought she looked pretty in it.

Cheeks burning red, she bashfully gave them her thanks, and she began to relax.

She redressed in what she left the base in and put the dress in the cart. Looking around she found more outfits she wanted to try. Before touching the clothes, she asked Epps about every single outfit. When he reminded her that she could pick whatever she wanted she smiled brightly and tried to think of a way to carry everything. With the help of Jazz and Sideswipe to carry the clothes, Lilac tried on 7 more outfits, settling on the four she liked the most before putting them in the cart.

"Hey Lilac, could you use one of these?" Sideswipe asked as he held up a large bra making her face burn dark red.

"What's that thing? Looks kinda like a primitive double-barreled version of my energy pellet slingshot." Jazz asked curiously as he took the "device" from Sideswipe.

"Nah. This is too soft. An' squishy…"

"It feels nice though." Sideswipe added as he reached out and grabbed one of the "barrels" squeezing it gently.

"Put that down." Lilac muttered quickly sounding mortified as Epps tried to fight back laughter.

"Why? That femme shaped display has one on. Don't you need one too?"

"No. And stop squeezing it! Put it down please."

Epps was laughing now.

"I don' undertan'. What's the purpose of this thing? An' what's so funny?"

"I don't want to talk about it. Just put that down please so we can go."

Shrugging Jazz put the "device" back with the others of its kind noticing how the Sargent was trying very hard to quell his laughter as they walked over to the register.

Once they were checked out, Epps directed Jazz to their next destination, Tranquility Fashion square. AKA the local mega mall.

Lilac looked up at the mall with wonder. She tried to remember if she had ever been to a mall before.

"You ready?" Epps asked offering her his hand.

Lilac quietly nodded her head before grabbing his hand.

XXXXX

Their first stop was a furniture store. There Epps let Lilac pick out a queen-sized mattress, as well as a nice hardwood bedframe with matching dresser and desk. While he called back to base to let the others that the frame would be dropped off that afternoon, Jazz the twins and Lilac continued on to another store to buy her more clothing. Lilac found another 4 outfits before Epps met back up with them. He happily paid for the outfits before they walked to another store and bought 5 more.

"I still think that yellow dress looked nice."

"That shade of yellow really wasn't my color though."

"The yellow in that dress made you look sickly." Sunstreaker said bluntly. Everyone stopped and stared at the previously silent holoform. He kept walking.

"That…was kinda harsh don' ya think?"

"No. It's the truth. Her complexion is too pale to pull off that shade of yellow. She would look paler and sick if she wore it. If you all want her to look like slag, then by all means go back and purchase the dress. The navy-blue dress that was bought instead is a better choice. It pops against her complexion, and it makes her eyes seem lighter, making them more striking. This won't happen with every shade of blue, but that one combined with the cut of the dress and the fabric type worked exceptionally well."

"Oh…."

"Thank you…" Lilac said in surprise. The holoform gave her a lazy half wave as he continued walking.

As they were heading to a shoe store, they walked through the food court. Checking his watch, Epps decided that they should stop for lunch.

It was a little challenging for the man to convince her that it was okay for her to order what she wanted, but eventually Lilac relented and allowed him to buy her what she wanted to eat.

Once they were done with lunch, they found a shoe store where Lilac bought two pairs of sandals, two pairs of tennis shoes, and two pairs of dress shoes for special occasions. Epps seeing that the girl was partial to what she had on her feet decided to surprise her by taking her to the converse shoe store.

"Why don't we get you a few pairs that fit?"

"Really? They're so- "

"What did we talk about this morning?"

"I know…but you've spent so much already…"

"You also bought most of your clothes on sale. Which honestly is impressive. I had no idea that this many sales were happening at the same time. But regardless, do you see any colors that you would want?"

"Is there a color that matches the ones I have?"

"Yeeeep! Right here. Let's get you the right size. Any other colors?"

"Can I please have a pair in pink?"

"Uh huh. Here's that pair. Anymore?"

"Ummm…. maybe one in dark purple?"

"Sure. Gonna take a wild guess here, Pink, purple, and white are three of your favorite colors huh?"

Lilac laughed softly. "Yes…I don't know why I like those colors so much. I just really like them."

"Nothing wrong with that. Any other colors?"

"Oh, no. But thank you."

"Alright. Why don't you wait outside with the others while I pay for this."

"Okay. Thank you!"

"Man…I guess I understand what humans mean by shop til you drop. This is exhausting!"

"Pit…I had no clue how much energy ya'll exert by walkin' round everywhere. Ya don' even look tired Babyspark!"

"I dunno. Guess I'm okay. We can probably go back to base now."

"You sure?" Epps asked as he walked out with yet another bag. Thankfully, Sideswipe and Jazz offered to carry some of the bags from earlier.

"Yeah, we should probably go back. I don't know if all these bags will fit in your trunk though Jazz."

"Who said anythin' bout my trunk?"

"Oh…uh…I can keep everything on my lap- "

"Nah, sparklin! I got subspace remember? I can haul all 'o that an' then some back."

"You sure?"

"Positive."

"Before we go back, can we stop somewhere first?"

"Where?" Epps asked as they all stood up from the bench they were sitting on.

"Toys R Us. I've never seen human toys before." Sideswipe said with a straight face. Despite what Epps had been told about the prankster, he couldn't detect any form of mischief on the holoform's face.

"You okay with that Lilac?"

"Yes!" She said more excitedly than she meant.

Chuckling, Epps let Sideswipe lead the way.

Apart from Epps, who had been to the toy store before looking for gifts for his nieces and nephews, everyone looked around with a sense of wonder.

"Whoa…human sparklins have a lot of differen' toys…"

"Yeah…Look at that! A mini alt. mode!" Sideswipe said as he dashed excitedly over to the motorized kiddie cars.

"They got systems and holo games too!" He crooned as he looked at the game consoles in the video game section.

Epps laughed. "Why don't you all look around. We'll do a lap around the store and meet you back up here in 10 minutes?"

"Sure…"

"Cool."

"Whatever." The three mechs said as they looked eagerly at the games and toys in front of them.

Lilac and Epps walked around the store, with Lilac showing the man some of the toys she used to have when she was still living with her mom. Seeing that she liked a particular stuffed rabbit, in animal alley, Epps picked it up for her. As they rounded the corner, they saw the twins sword fighting with pool noodles while Jazz contemplated the many nerf guns in front of him.

Lilac laughed a little making the three look at her. Sunstreaker huffed and put his pool noodle away, only to be smacked in the back of the head by the one his twin still held.

"Ha! I win!"

"I didn't have a weapon stupid!"

"That's your fault!"

Epps got between the two as they began to argue. Meanwhile Lilac watched Jazz walk from the Nerf guns back over to the electronics section.

"Babyspark, why do younglin's have so many violent toys an' games?"

Lilac frowned wondering what he meant before the realization hit.

"Probably because it's all make believe for most kids. I've never really thought about it…"

"Huh…" Jazz shrugged before looking at the consoles and the games again.

"Wish I had some cash. I'd like to play some o' these. They look cool."

Lilac frowned. She looked at the price of what Jazz wanted, and she felt the wad of money in her pocket that she took out of her backpack just in case.

XXXXX

When Epps rounded the corner with the twins in tow, he watched as Lilac handed a cashier cash, paying for a new Xbox 360.

"Wait a second- "

"It's okay. This is my money. I wanted to do something nice, since you guys have been so nice to me today."

"But you didn't have to. You should keep your money, save it for something special."

"But this is special. Please? I really want you guys to have something nice too. Please?"

Epps sighed. He allowed her to pay for the console. However, on their way up the escalators he snuck over to an atm and got out the same amount she spent from his account promising himself that he'd find a way to sneak the money back to her in some way shape or form.

Once they reached the top of the escalators Epps saw Lilac curiously looking at a Baskin Robins.

"Would you like to get some ice cream?"

"Huh?"

"It'll be a little while before we get all the way back to base. Why don't we get a little snack to hold you over?"

"R…really?"

"I don't see why not. Come on."

Epps said as they walked into the store.

"31 flavors? That's impressive." Sideswipe said making the sever give him an odd look.

"He's ah, not from around here."

"Oh." The server said with a nod of his head. "Would you like any samples?"

"Lilac?"

"I…I can sample things?" Again, the clerk gave the group an odd look. What was with these people?

"Yeah…" Epps trailed off seeing the odd expression on Lilac's face.

"Could you excuse us for a minute?"

"Yeah…sure…"

Epps frowned as he, the bots and Lilac sat down at a table.

"Talk to me Lilac. What's on your mind."

She shook her head.

"Okay…why don't we do the exercise like we did before. Can you close your eyes?"

Lilac did as he asked and began to relive the memory.

00000

"And here we see the beautiful Dixon family out to get some ice cream at the local ice cream parlor…"

"I want a scoop of chocolate, and a scoop of rocky!"

"What do you say son?"

"Please!"

"Alright, we'll take a waffle cone with a scoop of chocolate and a scoop of rocky road in addition to the scoop of vanilla in a dish please."

"Anything else Mayor Dixon?"

"No sir but thank you."

"Thank you for coming to our shop to celebrate your son's win! We're all very proud of him and his team."

"Well thank you so much! I can't help but be proud of my little slugger and his team! It was an incredible game you know! Bases loaded, one out to go and my son here hit his first homer winning the game!"

"Well congratulations Tyler!" The owner said as he handed the boy his ice cream. "Thank you!"

"You are most welcome!"

"C…can I have some ice cream too?" Lilac asked timidly from where Mrs. Dixon was holding her hand.

"No sweetheart. You've already had too many sweets this week."

"B…but I haven't had any sweets…"

"Now don't you lie like that. And besides it's your brother's special day. He earned an extra treat."

"But…Tina gets to have some…"

"No buts young lady. The answer is no."

"B…But…"

Lilac stammered as the camera crew and the reporter swiveled to look at her and her "Mother".

"Lilac…" Mrs. Dixon said in a gentle yet stern tone as she kneeled before her with her back facing the camera.

"That is enough." She said quietly and firmly, her eyes conveying her fury. But Lilac didn't care. She was determined to get Mrs. Dixon to cave in front of the reporters and hit her. Or she would have to treat her like her own children to save face. Either way, Lilac knew she would win.

"A little stubborn isn't she?" The reporter joked.

"Why not give her a small scoop?" The camera man asked as Lilac's stomach growled.

"Oh no no no. She has Prader Willi Syndrome. We're still trying to set boundaries including the important ones in her diet. She really has had too many sweets this week…"

"But it's not fair! Tina and Tyler always get what they want! Even extra treats!" Lilac said stomping her foot.

Mr. Dixon frowned at her behavior before giving a subtle nod to his wife.

"I think we need to take a time out break in the bathroom for a moment. If you'll please excuse me…" Mrs. Dixon said in embarrassment as she hustled Lilac to the bathrooms.

Since the ice cream parlor was a small business, there were only two family style bathrooms. Mrs. Dixon walked Lilac into one of the bathrooms and locked the door behind her.

"Okay, young lady I think it's time for some meditation." Mrs. Dixon said gently as she turned on the water full blast while glaring at her. Lilac gulped knowing she was in trouble. She backed up to the wall whimpering. Mrs. Dixon closed the space between them in two quick strides.

"You dare to embarrass us in front of all those people?!" she snarled as she grabbed Lilac by her ponytail. Lilac yelped and then cried when Mrs. Dixon punched her in her kidney. Mrs. Dixon forced her to the floor.

"You want a treat? Lick the floor." She snarled as she grabbed Lilac's head and forced her face into the floor. Lilac sobbed going still.

"Oh no you don't!" Mrs. Dixon hissed as she forcefully turned Lilac's head and forced her mouth open pulling out her tongue.

"Pleeesh! LI'm slorry!" Lilac babbled as she squirmed.

"You made that big scene out there about how you wanted a treat. Well as it turns out someone spilled a treat all over the toilet and floor." Mrs. Dixon growled as she forced Lilac to lick the yellow coloring off the floor around the toilet.

"MMM! I bet that tastes good! Lemony right?" She mocked as she guided the girl's head forcing her to lick all around the base of the toilet.

"Plleeeeesh! Shtooopp! Li'm slorry! Li'm slorry!"

"Hmmm, I wonder if it's sherbet or sorbet?" She crooned quietly as she forcefully guided Lilac's head and tongue to lick the entire toilet, stopping after she finished licking the seat.

"After all that sweet, I bet you'll want a cool drink of water. Oh look! There's some chocolate at the bottom of the bowl! Better get that too!" She snarled as she tried to force Lilac's head into the toilet. Lilac grabbed the toilet and braced herself, stopping Mrs. Dixon.

"No…please…I…I'll be good I promise!"

"Hmmm. You sure you don't want that chocolate? You made an awful big scene. Who am I to deny you what you deserve as one of my children?" She mocked.

"…Please…please…please…. n…no…no more. Please." Lilac begged.

"Hmmmm…." Mrs. Dixon hummed thinking it over. "Alright." She agreed allowing Lilac to slump in defeated relief.

Before Lilac could move, Mrs. Dixon wrenched her left shoe off. Lilac looked up panicked as she retrieved a wooden spoon from her purse.

"If you scream, or make any noise, I'll hit you somewhere where it will hurt worse." She promised. Lilac heard the whistle of the spoon as it cut through the air before she felt pain blossom from the ball of her foot. She stuffed her fist in her mouth to keep from making noise.

Mrs. Dixon was speaking just loud enough to be heard over the still roaring water. "Inhale on one…annnnd exhale on five…. again inhale on one…" She continued until she was satisfied with how much she had beaten Lilac's foot.

"Very good sweetheart. Do you feel better now?"

Lilac nodded dumbly as she forced her swollen foot back into her shoe.

"Okay. Why don't you wash your hands, and we'll go back out to join the others." She said slipping her motherly mask back on. Lilac did as she was told, watching out of the corner of her eye as Mrs. Dixon took some paper towels and soap and wiped down the toilet to make it look like it was cleaned on purpose.

Once Lilac's hands were dry, she straightened up and grabbed her left wrist, digging in her fingernails before her hand slipped down to grab her two fingers. Mask firmly in place she stood in front of the door waiting for Mrs. Dixon to finish washing her hands. Once she did Mrs. Dixon opened the door allowing the raucous laughter of Tyler's team, The news reporter team and the owners to sail in.

No one had heard a thing.

On their way out, Mrs. Dixon tripped Lilac causing her to fall with a soft yelp that no one but she heard.

"Oh dear! Lilac you really must be more careful." She said sounding sickly sweet. Lilac knew the secret message though. Act like the trip is what caused the pain in her foot, and don't try a stunt like that again. Lilac got up and quietly limped behind Mrs. Dixon who was smiling at her husband who was happily distracting the crowded room with stories from that day's game.

00000

"Oh my God." Epps said sounding horrified as he hugged Lilac while she cried.

{"At this point…I don't know if I give a frag about boss 'bot's orders. That slagging femme needs to be punished."}

{"Agreed."} The twins said over the communications link they shared with Jazz.

It took a few minutes for Lilac to calm down, but once she did Epps offered to leave if she wanted. But Lilac looked back at the display with such curiosity and fear. She really wanted to taste the ice cream…

"Lilac, I swear to God right now that nothing like that will ever happen to you again. I swear."

"We'll protect ya." Jazz added.

"And I'll personally kick the aft of anybot that says otherwise or tries anything." Sideswipe added with a whisper. Shaking off the bad memory, Lilac stood up and looked at Epps. "C…c…can I try a sample please?"

"Yes, you can. C'mon. What flavor?" He asked as they walked up to the counter where the clerk now looked at her with masked sympathy. He had overheard some of what she was telling the others and he felt awful for her. Policies be damned. He was determined to let her try every flavor if she asked.

XXXXX

In the end, Lilac only tasted 5 different flavors before settling on two scoops of Superfudge Truffle in a waffle cone. Epps and the other Autobots sat and watched in amusement as she ate her ice cream. Every time she would lick the ice cream, she would close her eyes and smile. Epps grinned to himself as he quietly took a picture of her.

Lilac couldn't remember when she last had ice cream, nor could she remember a time where she felt so happy. She loved the richness of the chocolate, and she loved the crunch of the waffle cone.

"Uh, Lilac…you got a little something on your face." Epps said as he offered her a napkin. Lilac gave a confused "Huh?" before seeing her reflection in the pink tabletop.

"Oh…thanks…" she said sheepishly as she wiped the chocolate off her nose and cheeks.

XXXXX

Once Lilac and Epps were done with their ice cream, the group began their trek back to where they entered the mall so that they could return to base. As they were walking, Epps saw Lilac looking longingly at Barnes and Noble. Smirking he guided her towards the store and once again encouraged her to get whatever she wanted. With a hopeful look she walked around the store, picking out novel after novel. To Epps and the Bots, she looked to be at peace as she slowed down and contemplated the many vast titles in front of her. While she browsed, Epps and the bots took a moment to peruse the magazines whilst also keeping an eye on her.

After a little while, Jazz noticed that Lilac (who was carrying a large stack of books) got on to an escalator taking her to the store's second story. With a frown the mech followed her. When he found her next, she was sitting on the floor, almost walled in by the different stacks of books around her. She was reading so intently that she didn't see or hear him walking up to her.

"Heya Babyspark. What're ya readin'?" He asked only to receive no reply. With a frown the mech tried again.

"Yo, sparklin'!"

"SHHHH!" Several people hissed quietly at him.

"Sorry!" He hissed back. Looking down Lilac was looking at him with an apologetic smile.

"We gotta get ready to head back soon. Ya almost done?"

"Oh…uh…yeah. Sorry."

"No worries. Ya gonna get all those?"

"Hmm? Oh, no. I…I mean I want to…but...books are really expensive."

"So?"

"I'll only get two or three. Maybe someone can bring me back later. Or…I can buy some extra ones with my money…."

"Lilac, Imma repay that favor from earlier."

"What favor?"

"Ya bought us a console, Imma make sure you get all these books."

"Jazz- "

"Do you want all these books? Like do you really really want them?"

"Yes…."

"Then you're gonna get 'em. Listen, I was watchin' ya earlier, and you've been your happiest in this store."

"Yeah…"

"I dunno what it is, but this place an' these books make ya happy. That's what we want. So, if getting' these books'll make you happy then we're gonna get 'em for ya."

Jazz said as he picked up one stack of books before putting it on another.

"But- "

"As Primus would have it sparklin', yer guardian happens to have been an archivist. Trust me when I say that he would want ya to have all o' these books."

"What's an archivist?"

"You'll have to ask 'im." Jazz said with a smirk as he easily carried the tall stack of books for her to the escalators. Lilac followed him down seeing that the others were already in line at the checkout. Epps happily paid for the books. He also picked up a membership brochure. With how much she liked to read, it might be worth looking into. As they walked back to the parking lot, they stopped in Justice to get Lilac some decorations for her room. Once they were done, they made their way back to the parking lot.

"Primus I'm so happy to be rolling again!"

Jazz laughed at Sideswipe's eagerness to leave. "Gotta say though, it was pretty cool to learn more 'bout humans up close. Might have to go back 'gain."

Epps laughed. "Believe me you'll have plenty of opportunities to learn more about us humans."

XXXXX

On their way back to base, Will called Epps to let him know that they were almost done with renovating Lilac's room. As promised, Jolt had rewired the room, and Ironhide had sealed the cracks in the walls before he and Will finished fixing the floorboards. Meanwhile Ratchet and Jolt were still fixing the bathroom while Optimus worked on putting together Lilac's furniture.

Given that it would still be a few hours before they were done with her room, Epps decided to go and get he and Lilac some dinner. On their way out of town, he asked Jazz to stop again at Amore dall'Italia pasta house.

It wasn't a big place, and the parking lot was only half full. The restaurant was owned by a husband and wife who used to live in Italy before moving to the state a little more than a decade ago. When they entered Epps and Lilac could smell garlic bread and other pleasant smells.

"What is this place?" Jazz asked.

"This is a restaurant. Most adult humans can cook for themselves, but when we don't have time or when we don't want to, we'll go out or order take out to eat." He answered quietly.

"Ohh." Jazz said as he and the others were seated at a large booth towards the back of the restaurant. Once the waitress gave them their menus and walked off Epps began to explain more of how a restaurant worked.

"Okay, so not all restaurants are the same. Some are nicer than others, so there are certain rules you should follow."

"Like…?" Sunstreaker drawled boredly.

"Elbows off the table. Inside voices only. Say please and thank you. Sit up straight. Phones silenced and in your pocket. If the call is an emergency, it is polite to take the phone call outside. Use the proper silverware. The smallest fork on the left is for salads and appetizers. The larger fork is for the main course. On your right, the largest knife is the dinner knife used for cutting meat. The smaller knife if present is the salad knife. The spoon on the right is the soup spoon. The smaller plate in the upper left corner is the bread plate, on top would be a butter knife if the appropriate food was being served. The short stemmed fluted glass in the top right in front of you is for water, the long-stemmed oval glass in the top right is for wine. When holding a glass with a stem, do like so." Lilac instructed quietly as she lifted the water glass by sliding the stem between her third and fourth fingers. The glass rested easily in her palm.

Epps nodded his head thoroughly impressed.

"The internet says to stick out your smallest digit as you drink."

"That is outdated. Do not stick out your pinky unless you see a significant amount of other people doing it." Lilac said as she quietly drank her water. Jazz and Sideswipe mimicked her making a soft gurgling noise. Lilac raised an eyebrow.

"Before I forget, try to be as quiet as possible when you eat or drink something. Smuching, slurping, smacking your lips, chewing with your mouth open, burping, blowing bubbles or drinking too loudly is typically frowned upon."

"Smuching?"

Lilac demonstrated with her water making Sunstreaker recoil at the noise. "See? Just how you don't want to hear it, neither do we."

"Got it."

"Noted."

"Where did you learn all of this?"

"I really…don't want to talk about it." Lilac said softly. Epps smiled gently at her. He had made her relieve too many negative things today. He was perfectly fine with letting her keep how she obtained her knowledge to herself.

When the waitress came back, she took their order for drinks and asked if they were ready to order. Lilac and Epps were still undecided, so the waitress decided to check in on another table to give them some time.

"Everything sounds really good. I'm not sure what to try…."

"I think I'll go with a simple spaghetti and meatballs." Epps said idly noticing Sideswipe shiver. Just then the waitress came back. "Are you ready to order?"

"I'll have the spaghetti and meatballs please."

"Alright, soup or salad with that?"

"Salad please with a side of ranch dressing."

"Alright. And for you?"

"Oh…ummm…I'm not too sure. Everything looks so good! I kinda wish I could try them all…"

"Well why don't you? They have a menu option for that!" Sideswipe said.

"They do." Epps confirmed.

"Oh, but it's so expensive, and I'd hate for any of the food to go to waste."

Epps frowned. "Why don't we do this? We'll get the tour de Amore dall'Italia. You take what you want off each plate, and we'll pack up the rest to eat as leftovers."

"We can do that?"

"Of course! As it is, I was gonna bring back some food for the guys anyway. If that is what you want, go ahead and get it. My treat."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm as sure as I have been all day. Go for it kiddo."

"O…okay…can…can I um have- "

"You want the tour de Amore dall'Italia. Soup and salad does come with it alright?"

"Okay."

"What kind of dressing do you want?"

"Ummm…can I have the vinaigrette on the side please?"

"You sure can. Alright, thank you guys. I'll go ahead and put in that order for you"

"Thank you." Both Lilac and Epps said at the same time.

"Epps…."

"Yes?"

"Thank you…. thank you so much for everything. F…For today for everything. Thank you."

Epps smiled fondly at her. "Aw, don't worry about it. I'm happy to help."

XXXXX

While their food cooked Lilac, Epps and the bots sat and talked about the day they'd had at times marveling over what they had seen. It was a nice change of pace for everyone, simply being able to sit and talk about life and the things that they thought funny.

Before long, the food was brought out. Lilac and the bot's jaws dropped at the portion sizes of everything as Epps laughed.

"There's so much." Lilac said in surprise as Epps unwrapped his silverware from his cloth napkin.

"Well, that's not a bad thing. This food reheats really well so it won't be a problem later when we eat it. Dig in Kiddo!"

"I don't even know where to start… What's that?"

She asked pointing to one dish.

"That looks like the lasagna. It matches the picture on the menu." Sideswipe said. Lilac decided to start there. Carefully she scooped out a small portion from the dish onto her own plate before taking a bite.

Lilac froze.

"Babyspark? Somethin' wrong?"

"Kid?"

"Lilac?"

Tears leaked from her eyes.

"Are you okay?"

"Did you burn your tongue?

"This is so delicious…I…. I…." She squeaked softly as she looked at Epps with joyful watery eyes.

"Awww, Lilac it's okay…" Epps soothed as he put down his fork.

"I dunno if I've ever eaten something so good before…"

"Ahh. It's okay. It's okay…" Epps soothed softly trying not to laugh as she looked back to her food with renewed interest.

In the blink of an eye, she finished the lasagna she had scooped out and was reaching for a different dish, the penne alla vodka. She liked that dish even better than the first.

On and on it went, Lilac sampled dish after dish. Manicotti, Fettuccini alfredo, Carbonara, Shrimp pesto, Spaghetti and Meatballs, Baked Ravioli, Penne Florentina. Lilac sampled them all and loved each and every one. In between servings of pasta, she ate at the large salad, dressing it to her liking with the vinaigrette dressing, and sipped on the delicious tortellini and meatball soup.

Jazz and Sideswipe opted for some of the salad and bread as well as a few bites of the Fettuccini and Baked Ravioli. Both decided that they liked these human foods.

Before long, the dishes began to empty. Lilac was none the wiser as she continued talking to the bots and Epps as they ate. She was currently laughing at something Sideswipe had mentioned about their trip when Epps excused himself from the table to pay for the meal, and to order roughly half a dozen pizzas for the base. There would be a few leftovers but Lilac (with a little help from the bots) had finished a considerable amount. Once the order was placed, Epps came back to the table, and seeing how happy she was in the moment, he decided to take a quick picture. Lilac, Jazz, Sideswipe and a reluctant Sunstreaker scooted closer together as he took the photo grinning at them as they grinned back. Even Sunstreaker cracked a small smile for the photo.

"Excuse me? But would you like to be in the picture too?" Their waitress asked.

"Could you?" Epps asked in reply.

"Sure, go ahead and squeeze in." she said as she gestured with her hand. Once again everyone scooted close together to take the photo.

"On three, okay? One…two…. three!"

"Thank you so much!" Epps said as he got up to retrieve his camera. As he did so a man in a fine white chef's coat walked up to the table.

"Hello everyone. My name is Giovanni Conti. I am the owner of this restaurant. It is not often that someone orders our tour de Amore dall'Italia and I wanted to see how it came out for you all."

"It was very very good." Sideswipe said.

"It was the best Italian food I've ever had!" Lilac chirped innocently making the man chuckle.

"Well thank you so much. I also heard that your table ordered some pizzas to go, correct?"

"Yes. We wanted to bring some leftovers home, but it was so good we kinda got carried away." Epps chuckled. The man laughed along with him before nodding his head. "I understand."

"You mean Lilac ate everything." Sunstreaker said plainly.

Her cheeks burned red as she looked down at her plate. Had she really eaten so much that they couldn't take home leftovers?

"Hey, now. We all ate a lil' off the plates here. It's not all her fault."

"No…it is my fault."

"Lilac, you were hungry. It's okay that you ate that much and enjoyed it." Epps said gently. The owner cocked his head to the side and frowned.

"Please don't apologize for enjoying the food young lady. If you were hungry then you needed to eat. Having a big appetite is never a bad thing here!" He laughed gently making her smile sheepishly.

"Speaking of, would anyone here happen to have room for dessert?"

"Oh, none for me thanks, but Lilac would you like anything?"

Lilac looked surprised. She wasn't sure what to say.

"What is…are the desserts?" Sideswipe asked curiously. He had heard the word before in passing, but he still wasn't sure what they were talking about.

"Dessert is the best part of the meal if you ask my wife-"The man began as Epps excused himself to take a phone call outside.

"We have a few different options, cannoli's which are pastries with sweetened ricotta and mascarpone cheese and other fillings in them. We have a tiramisu which is cookies dipped in coffee and then layered with a sweet cream to make it a cake, we have our Italian cream cake, limoncello cake and of course the triple chocolate cake. Honestly if you ask me the tiramisu is the best dessert we have. But if you ask my wife, she'd go for any of the three cakes."

Epps nodded his head in understanding as he returned. "They all sound so good, but whatever we get we'll have to get it to go. We're needed back home."

"Say, would this home happen to be the old base up the road 30 or so miles?"

Epps looked at the man with a shocked expression. "I don't mean to pry. My wife and I returned from a trip outta town, and we came back that way. We saw vehicles and people moving around so we assumed that the base became active again."

"Ah. Well yes it would be."

"My thanks for your service, sir. Especially after everything that has happened so recently with the Mission City terrorist attacks."

"Oh, thank you."

"You already paid for your meal?"

"Yes sir."

"Dang it! Well, how about this, since you've all been some of the best customers we've had in a while, I'll take those pizzas off and donate enough dessert for each person at the table to have a taste of everything!"

"Really? You don't have to do that…"

"It's no problem at all! I imagine you're feeding some friends back home, right?"

"Yes, sir I am."

"Then it would be my pleasure to support the troops this evening! If you'll come with me, we'll get the pizzas refunded."

"Thank you so much!"

"Yeah, thank you!"

"Thank you!"

"Thank you!"

XXXXX

When they got back to the base, Epps quickly unloaded the food from Jazz and placed it on one of the tables in the rec room.

"More on this later fellas! I gotta go do something important! He shouted as hopped back into Jazz as they headed for Lilac's newly renovated room.

When they got there, Will, Ironhide, Ratchet, Jolt, the twins and Optimus Prime were waiting for them at the door. Lilac got out with nervous excitement.

"Welcome back little one. Did you enjoy purchasing new things for your quarters?"

"Oh yes! I had lots of fun today. Thank you so much again for taking me!" Lilac said to Epps and the bots that went with her.

"No prob Babyspark!"

"So that's where you snuck off to! Don't think I didn't notice your absence, Jazz!"

The saboteur winced a little. He'd no doubt have to endure the Hatchet's rage. But later. Right now, he was curious to see what Lilac thought of her room.

"Okay, so to enter your room you need a key code. Right now, it's simply 12345. But we can change it later if you want." Will said.

"Okay." Lilac said in surprise as he punched in the numbers and opened her door.

A warm glowing ceiling light lit the room. On the east wall sat her new desk with a new laptop computer on top of it. On the south wall sat her new queen-sized bed with the bright pink and purple comforter she had chosen at Target earlier that day. Her new dresser sat in between the doors to her closet and her bathroom, and on the west wall right next to the door to the hallway was a very very large bookshelf.

Lilac's jaw dropped as she walked into the room even further. The floor didn't squeak anymore. It was perfectly shiny having been sealed with an Autobot strength epoxy. Slowly she walked over to her bathroom. Her bathroom gleamed in the natural light that surrounded her new mirror. The counter was wide, made of a fine white stone that looked to have tiny flecks of gold and silver metal in it. In the middle of the counter sat the sink with a brushed steel faucet. Off to the right sat a new bathtub in a little tiled alcove. The tub looked to be made of the same material as the counter, and much to Lilac's surprise it had jets in it as well. At the back of the bathroom sat a toilet and a large walk-in shower with what Lilac believed to be the largest shower head she had ever seen.

"Whoa…." She muttered as she walked back out.

"We reforged everything in your washracks. The white tile included." Ratchet stated sounding somewhat smug. "We also made your closet larger so that you could properly store more sets of armor." Ironhide added.

"Are your quarters acceptable?" Optimus Prime asked.

Lilac bounded back out of her room, and promptly wrapped her arms around part of the Prime's leg.

"YES! Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you so much!" she said as tears of joy leaked from her eyes. The Prime looked down at her with a bemused smile.

"You are most welcome child."

XXXXX

It took a couple more hours for Epps and Sideswipe to help Lilac decorate her room. Ratchet had taken all of her new clothing to sanitize it once he heard that other people may have been able to try it on.

Once they were done decorating Lilac began to get ready for bed, showering and changing into the T-shirt and shorts that Epps had loaned her. He and the others had already bid her goodnight, with Ratchet telling her to meet him in the recreation room at 7:00 the next morning so that he could give her breakfast and another checkup. When she left her bathroom, she walked over to where her backpack hung on the back of the chair at her desk. Opening it up, she got out the photo of her mom as well as Momo, her stuffed panda before walking over to her bedside table. There she set the photo down before attempting to crawl into bed. Unfortunately, the bedframe was designed so that the frame could be altered, making it closer to the ground or farther away, and Optimus had opted for the latter. With a tiny grunt of effort, Lilac was able to pull herself onto her bed where she laughed to herself.

Two weeks ago, she would have given her right arm to have a problem like this. And now here she was laying in her bed in her room, after she got done showering in her bathroom. 'Who could've guessed wishing on a star would work?!' she mused to herself. Then, something her mother said to her suddenly came back. "Never think that you are alone. You will always have someone there for you, be it me, God, or those who inhabit the farthest reaches of space."

She couldn't help but smile. "You were right mom. There is someone here for me. Ironic that it was someone from the farthest reaches of space." She sighed as she turned off the lamp next to her bed and got under the covers. Silently she stared up at her ceiling as her eyelids grew heavy.

'I wonder if she knew…'

---

A/N: Hello everyone! This took longer than I wanted, and I honestly contemplated cutting the chapter in half, but I just couldn't find a good stopping point to cut it at! So here we are. We are officially in the "building a family" arc of the story now! Get ready for fluff, and some angst!

A couple of things I want you to know; The flashbacks Lilac had, are partially based on experiences I was told about by friends and a family member. In other words, yes, these types of things can and have happened to real people. It's sickening. I ask that if you see something, or you know someone is being hurt, that you speak up and tell someone.

The other thing I wanted you to know is that I am grateful for all of you who have stuck by me for the last few years. I know that my posting is not as consistent as it used to be, but it makes my day to hear from you and to see that my story stats haven't totally died off, even though our fandom seems to be dying a slow death.

I will be posting new a new chapter to And All that Jazz! Before the end of the week. (I'm re-editing that one, despite it being done for at least 2 months.) I will also be looking to post new chapters to Dimensional and Love Quadrupled this week as well so stay tuned!

As always, please Review, Follow and Favorite this story! I'll see you all in the next chapter!

CLYL! (Com. Link You Later!)

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UPDATE:

Hello Readers! Due to the fact that continues to have issues with email alerts, uploading story stats and other website errors, I will be moving all of my works over to Archive of Our Own starting December 25th, 2023. My username on there is the same as here so please do not be alarmed if you start seeing my work over there under my name! My work has NOT been stolen or plagiarized! However, if you do see my work under a different name on AOE, , or anywhere else, please let me know as it may have been stolen or plagiarized. It has happened before sadly on Wattpad! I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season and I look forward to writing and posting more!