I have a poll on my profile page asking a question I really want to have answered. I'm trying to get as many answers as I can, and very few people visit my profile. I've gotten literally one answer in a week, and that's sad. Please answer, and be honest about it.

I only own my OC's!

Baby Girl

normal pov

Sire hands me to Carrier. I'm still awake, but just barely, and I cuddle into his plating, causing Carrier to sigh, and try to hand me back to Sire. "I need to comm Ratchet. She's needed more energon, and I need to check on her car seat."

"She wants you, Heatwave. You know sparklings want their carriers more at her age."

Carrier sighs. "I'll take her with me, then."

"Wan' see Ra."

Carrier laughs softly. "I'm not sure you'll be able to stay awake long enough to see him, Little One. You're almost in recharge as it is."

I force my optics open. "See Ra."

command center, heatwave's pov

I set the frequency and step back to wait for the comm to go through. "Heatwave? Hold on, I'll—"

"Actually, I needed to talk with you. It's about Mariposa."

"What's wrong with her?"

"Ra?"

I can tell he's visibly relieved when he sees her. "Nothing's wrong, as far as I know. She's been needing more energon…"

"That's to be expected as she grows. She hasn't been taking enough for a sparkling her age to begin with." He sighs. "Have you had any trouble getting her to stay in her human form?"

"Constantly. She hates it."

Ratchet sighs. "Watch her, closely. While we're on earth, we can't let the humans know that we're among them."

I growl. "I know." Mari whimpers, causing me to glance down at her. "Hush, Little One. It's okay." I turn back to the screen. "Mari hates having to change forms just to leave the firehouse."

"As I do, and I'm sure you would if you had to, but she's too young to know how to act like a robot, and too big to consider her some kind of invention."

"And if we took her out in this form, she'd blow our cover for sure." I scowl. "Not to mention Chase would have me locked up if I tried to take her out in this form."

"I can fix your harnesses, but unless Optimus gives her clearance, you still wouldn't be allowed to use it."

"We only asked for it so she could ride with us in this form. If we were planning to have humans with us, we'd use her human form. I know better than to risk our cover, as much as I want to."

"Is that all?"

"Not exactly. I need to know about her Cybertronian vaccines, and when they'll be necessary, and…"

"And what?"

"If there's any chance I could be able to…activate…"

Ratchet nods, thankfully understanding what I'm asking. "I'd have to come out there, or have you bring her out here, for both. If we are able to activate your feeding protocols, then vaccinations will not be required until we return. If I had been able to keep her, I would have tried on-lining them sooner than this. Low grade is not the best for a sparkling's systems."

"I'm not a medic, and we lost our medic eons ago. I don't have a way to know if he's still on-line—not like Blades does with First Aid!"

"Calm down. You're going to scare Mari." I know I'm getting too loud, but he doesn't realize the level of desperation my team is at. If anything happens to us, we're gone without him. "I'll be out there tomorrow, if Optimus lets me. He's been adamant that he's the only one allowed to visit, in case of Decepticon attacks."

"I'll see you then."

Bunker, heatwave's pov

I walk over to the others with Mariposa recharging in my arms. "I'll take her into my berth."

She stirs in my arms. "Cawiew?"

"Hush, Little One. It's okay. Go back to sleep."

"Whewe go?"

"Shhh. I'm taking you to bed."

morning, normal pov

I stir and find Carrier beside me. "Good morning, Little One."

"Mownin', Cawiew." I sigh as I look around. "Baba?"

Carrier takes me into the main space, and sets me into the play space. "Blades is getting them."

"Ra?"

"He'll be here soon."

"He'll be here now."

I look up and squeal. "Ra come!"

He kneels to me. "Yes, Sweetspark. I came." He sighs before turning to Carrier with me in his arms. "I'll need to do a medical exam, on both of you. After, I'll see about getting your protocols on-lined, and updating your harnesses. They'll be better than any car seat."

"You can do that?"

Ra turns to Sire. "I can with Heatwave. Your harnesses can't be adjusted because of your vehicle form, and the Sire bond will prevent you from being able to online your protocols for Mariposa." He sets me back down on the couch. "Now, I need you to stay still, Sweetspark."

"Know." I sit still, and let him run his scanner over me.

"She's all right, Heatwave." Ra turns to Carrier, and runs his scanner over him. "Good. Your energon levels are stable, and—"
"I know. Can you on-line my protocols?"

"Just give me a minute, and I'll get everything ready." Ra turns back to where I'm playing with some of the toys Boulder made. "How has she been doing?"

"She seems okay, but after she's been shuffled around so much over the last few months…"

"She's grown attached to Heatwave."

"I had assumed as much, Blades. She grew very attached to me when I first found her. It's still hard for me to leave her…" Ra turns his attention to Carrier's systems.

half an hour later

"Okay, I've on-lined your protocols. It may take her up to a week to get used to this, so be patient with her. From what I could tell, she's been neglected through most of her life, so she'll need time."

"And the harnesses?"

"They'll adjust to her frame as she grows. I will make sure Chase knows he must allow you the freedoms. So long as she does not mess up your cover, she may stay in this form." Ra sighs. "And I'll comm you with a schedule for her vaccinations, once we're able to return. I do, however, want to get this one over with." He holds out a smaller version of his needle back at base.

I duck behind Carrier's leg. "Cawiew!"

"It's okay, Little One." He glares at Ra. "Is that really necessary?"

"This one, added to your antibodies, will help her immunity until we return to Cybertron. Unless you want her getting sick…"

"What kinds of viruses could get to us? We're nowhere near the Decepticons!"

Ra sighs. "You never know, and she's only had this form for a month, Heatwave. In her present condition, she could catch anything—even a minor computer virus from some of this out-of-control technology. She's a newspark compared to our kind, and she doesn't have much immunity. Your protocols will help, but—"

"I get it." Carrier turns to me. "Just one needle. Can you be strong for me?" I nod before burying my head into his plating. He holds my arm out as Ra finishes the injection.

Ra wipes the spot with a small cleaning cloth. "I'm done. You did good, Sweetspark."

Carrier reaches down, and hands me my teddy bear. "Thanks, Ratchet." He picks me up, and starts off to his berth room.

"Wai'!" I reach for Ra. "Hug Ra!" He nods, and hugs me close. I can feel something drip onto my shoulder, so I look up to find him crying. "No c'y Ra. I 'kay."

"I know, Sweetspark. I miss having you home with me."

"Miss too." I smile up at him. "Bu' be wif you, go home."

"What?"

~Carrier, tell him I'll be with him on Cybertron.~

~Got it, Little One.~ Carrier nods. "She meant Cybertron. We'll be together on Cybertron."

Ra nods. "I know. We'll be together again—all of us will." He looks down. "I hope."

Carrier lays a hand on Ra's shoulder. "Red's still out there. I can sense him. We'll be together again."

"Red?"

Carrier takes me back as Ra turns to leave. "He's my little brother, and he's bonded to Ratchet."

"Ra… fam'ly?"

"Yeah. Ratchet's family."

I look around, only to find that we're in Carrier's berth room. "Wha' do?"

He smiles gently as he sits on his berth, and opens his plating. "My energon is better for you than the low grade you've been getting."

heatwave's pov

I move her closer, trying to get her to drink. I know I need to be patient with her, because she's going to be scared. Far as I know, no one cared for her before Ratchet saved her, and he couldn't do this because she wasn't able to activate her Cybertronian form before now. I know Ratchet's right. She needs my energon. I don't want her getting sick. I smile when she finally starts sucking. "There you go."

~Better than baba?~

~Better for you, yes.~

"How's it—" I glare at Blades when he sticks his head through the door. "Sorry."

I sigh. "No, I'm sorry. She's just getting used to it, and I—"

"I understand. She's just a sparkling."

"She wouldn't even be a vorn yet, if we were back on Cybertron."

"I know." Blades sighs. "I just wish I could do this too."

I shrug carefully, making sure I don't upset Mari. "You had your chance."

Blades runs a finger over her cheek, causing her to glare up to him. "She's definitely going to have your temper."

I sigh. "Blades, she'll have her biological parents' personalities and traits, not ours."

"They're not Cybertronian. Some of our traits will be shared through the bonds."

I sigh, and look back down to my daughter. I think she's caught on. Still, I can't let Kade know. He doesn't care about her like I do, and if he finds out about my choice to on-line my protocols, I may never hear the end of it. He doesn't think I can be a creator and a rescuer, and he doesn't want Mari to interfere with my work. In his view, I'm supposed to be his vehicle, and only a vehicle. My daughter needs me to be more.

two hours later, normal pov

I toddle to Chase's room. I like him. He's calm, and sometimes it bugs me, but I like that he has doorwings like me, and I want to see them. I push the door open. "Chasie?" He glances up to me from the can in his hands before purging again. I run over to him, tripping over my pedes on the way. I've barely learned to walk, let alone run. "Chasie!"

Carrier runs over when he sees Chase's door open. "Mari? What's—" He finally notices Chase. "Sorry. I tried to keep her with me."

He sets the waste can on the floor and turns to me. "She is fine, Heatwave." He picks me up and sets me on his lap. "The femme is simply worried about me. I do not mind her presence." He sighs as I stand on his lap. "I am sure my sister would be worried as well."

"Sistew?" I step back, missing the edge of the berth and falling to the floor. I land on my behind, and bang my doorwings on Carrier's leg. "OWIE!"

"MARI!"

I start to cry, not even trying to stand back up. I'm not too hurt, but I'm scared, and Carrier's scared, so it has to be bad.

"Heatwave, do not make such a big deal over this. She will have far worse damage over her life cycle." Chase climbs out of his berth before stepping over to the two of us, and looking over my doorwings and behind. "There is very little damage. All that is required on your part is washing the red flecks off her doorwings. I am sure either Graham or Blades will be able to repair them if her self-repair systems haven't cared for it by the time they return."

"Chase, I can't just—"

"I have a younger sister, Heatwave, and she has a Praxian frame."

"Sistew?" I groan. I'm finally able to talk better, but R's are still tricky sometimes. Sometimes, I can say them fine, other times, it comes out like a 'W'.

Chase nods to me. "Yes. She is seven vorns now, Mariposa."

Carrier turns from studying my doorwings for serious damage to continue. "Making you the youngest Praxian youngling that we know of."

"Spa'klin'?"

"Yes, Mariposa, I am carrying. How did you know?"

"Know." I point to the waste can on the floor. Ra had the same problem when I was still with him. "Feel?"

Chase smiles slightly. "I am afraid there is nothing to feel at the moment, Mariposa."

Carrier sighs. "Come on. Chase is right. I have to wash off what paint you've chipped off my armor before your Sire assumes the worst about me." He sighs heavier. "And Chase needs to recharge."

wash racks

Carrier growls. He's been trying to wash my doorwings for half an hour now. "Mari, hold still!"

"Can't."

He sighs and sets the cloth down. "Mari…"

I start to cry as I throw myself into his plating. My doorwings start fluttering again. I'd been trying to control them, but without Chase and his doorwings, I can't. "No wan'! Ti'ed!"

"I'm sure it does make you tired." He sighs. "I thought Chase was helping you control them."

"Sick."

"I know he's sick, Little One." He picks the cloth back up and gently holds my doorwings still, one at a time, to wash the red flecks off.

"P'ay now?"

Carrier sighs. "Fine. I'll play with you." He sets me into my play area. "But only because Blades is out." He smiles slightly. "Maybe when Chase is feeling better, I can have him read to you?"

I bounce in place, my doorwings following suit. "Sto'y! Sto'y!"

He laughs softly. "Only when he's feeling better." He kneels beside me. "Now, let's play."