Right-O, as promised, this is the sequel to Man's Best Friend. If you haven't read Man's Best Friend, you really should. Because it explains a lot. Consider it a prologue to this. It explains how William and Sarah died, how Ironhide became a 1959 Cadillac Eldorado with a huge black Mastiff for a hologram and how Annabelle Lennox became Rosie Ironman. Now, if you haven't seen a 1959 Cadillac Eldorado, I recommend you Google it. It's a HUGE car, long and heavy. One of the last years they made the really big fins on the back.

"Com"

"Out Loud"

Chapter One- My daddy blows stuff up!

"My daddy blows stuff up!" Ironhide grinned. When she had first brought home a note from her teacher saying it was career day, he and Optimus decided that he would pose as a member of the US Military. Now, leaning his hologram against the wall in a loose military stance, Ironhide beamed with pride as his little girl introduced her "daddy" to her 3rd grade class.

Two years had passed since he had almost lost her. Since then, she had grown accustomed to her new name and life with the Autobots. They had been fortunate. She had inherited her father's iron will and other then a normal grieving pattern, according to Ratchet, there had been no negative effects due to the traumatic experience she had gone through.

"Thats very good Rosie, so, Mr. Ironman, can you explain to us what your job is?"

Ironhide nodded, his blue eyes twinkling. "Yes ma'am. I'm a weapons specialist with the military. As Rosie mentioned, I blow stuff up."

Ms. Bellum smiled at her class "Do you have any advise for someone wanting to join the military?"

Ironhide raised an eye brow. Why in the name of Primus would a child want to join the military? Humans. "Don't"

"Hide, ET to being done with Annabelle's school?"

"Any minute now. What's up?"

"We've picked up two decepticon energy signatures entering the atmosphere 2 miles from your location."

Ironhide pushed his scanners to full capacity, kicking himself for not paying attention.

"Hit my cell phone."

Ms. Bellum was about to ask another question, when Ironhide's cell phone went off. Making a show of grabbing it and looking at the number on it, he frowned.

"I'm afraid I'll have to cut this short. They need me back at base."

The look on Rosie's face filled his spark with a tinge of disappointment. He knelt. "Stay here kiddo, I'll be back for you. Keep your com on."

She nodded, hugging him. "Member your promise."

He nodded and made a show of smiling apologetically and heading out the door. Seconds later, a dark blue 1959 Cadillac Eldorado tore out of the parking lot with a squeal of tires. If only he had paid more attention, he would have noticed the silver and blue boom box, sitting on a shelf across the room.

-Two Hours Later-

Ironhide stared bewilderedly at the two retreating jets as they disappeared over the horizon. His warrior instinct was nagging him. Thundercracker and Skywarp never gave up that easily. Something was wrong. If he didn't know any better, he would say they had been nothing more then a diversion... Letting out a string of curses that would make a sailor die of shame, he did a back flip, flying down the road before his transformation was complete.

"PRIME! THEY'RE AFTER ANNABELLE!"

"What?!"

"Slagging pit-spawns, Cracker and Warp were a diversion!"

Ironhide's worst fears were confirmed when his "cell phone" rang. Trying to stay calm as he frantically tried to get back to the school, he answered it.

"Hello? Mr. Ironman?"

"Yeah."

"This is Abigail Lordes, I'm the principle at S. Freemont Elementary School. "

Ironhide swerved violently, trying to get around stopped traffic on the freeway. The mangled mess of twisted cars and the acrid smell of photon fire informed his sensors that he had been right about the diversion. "Prime we got casualties. Looks like someone nailed the I-5 with a Photon Pulse Bomb. I'm guessing they were trying to slow me down."

"Find Annabelle, I'm sending the twins your way. Report in the minute you find something."

"Yes sir"

With a snarl, Ironhide went off-road, nearly jarring his chassis apart as he shredded the ground under his tires. They would pay for this. He would blow every slagging con in the slagging universe into little bits of shrapnel if one hair on his little girl's head was out of place. Forcing himself to focus, he turned his attention back to the phone call with Annabelle's principle.

"I'm afraid Rosie didn't come back in from recess. We've notified the police. Do you have any idea where she might have gone?"

"Probably home. I'm headed in that direction now. Did anyone see anything?"

"I'm afraid not. We're still looking."

Ironhide grinned as two Lamborghini Gallardo, one red and one gold pulled neatly into formation beside him, flashing their headlights, then almost spark-attacked with relief as the tracking beacon on Annabelle's com hit his sensors. He had her. Thank Primus.

"Call me if you find anything"

With that he hung up, about to open a com with the twins when a voice that sent chills into his spark filled his head. Swerving, he struggled to regain control as his systems fritz'd and everything went dark, wrapping itself around the horror that was Soundwave invading his mind as images of Annabelle being tortured filled his processor.

"I will exchange the child, unharmed, if you bring me the sparkless corpse of Optimus Prime. Do we have an agreement?"

Ironhide groaned, struggling against the vice like grip holding him trapped in this world of dark and fear. "GO TO PIT SLAG!"

"Wrong answer."

The last thing he heard was the sound of his own hoarse screams as Soundwave crushed his mind.