Wild World
"Hey, Ironhide?"
The mech in question turned his head to see Sam, all dressed up in a tux he had borrowed from Primus knew where, and raised an optic ridge. "Hm?"
Sam squirmed slightly, obviously feeling awkward. "I know you don't want to go, but I think Anna would like it if you were there." He stopped fumbling with his hands and stuffed them in his pockets with a strange finality. "She could use all of the company she could get, I'm sure."
Ironhide grunted and turned full ways towards the human. He folded his arms against his chest, "Weddings are no place for someone like me to be. The others aren't going-"
"But they don't know Anna like you do," Sam made a brave step in interrupting the weapons connoisseur. "She really appreciates you guys' friendship-"
"Will's funeral was exactly two weeks ago today," Ironhide took his turn to interrupt, finding some intent interest in a tree beyond the Lennox front yard.
Sam looked down, "Yeah, I know." After a moment's silence, he smiled sheepishly and looked back up, shaking his head, "This is the same tux."
Another, more pregnant, silence.
"Uh-" Sam tried to start -
Ironhide shook his head, "Returning from duty to aid in his daughter's wedding preparations. And the convoy to the air base is attacked."
"Doesn't seem fair, does it?"
"Nothing's unfair," the Autobot huffed. "Just inconvenient."
"That's awful-!"
"Perhaps, but it's true," Ironhide wasn't going to be convinced otherwise. "Ask anyone who's lived as long as I have," he shrugged.
"Still, I think that-"
"Oh, jeez. Am I interrupting something?"
Both mech and human turned around to see Annabelle the bride with her dress pulled up out of the dust, her head tilted in question.
"Uh-um, no-"
"I was just leaving," Ironhide answered.
Sam recovered, "Aren't you supposed to be-"
"At the church?" Anna gave her best 'oops' grin. "Yeah, about ten minutes ago. Mikaela called, by the way. You left your coat in Bumblebee, but she grabbed it for you before he left."
"Oh, great. I'll have to thank her for that."
"It's what wives are for; or so I'm told," the bride smiled as best as she could. "But, I wanted to ask you something before you left, 'Hide." She turned her attention to the Autobot who had just been trying to slip away as quietly as a giant robot amongst humans could.
Ironhide tried to start to re-explain, "Anna, listen, we talked about this-"
"Yes, I know how you feel about weddings, and me leaving. But how old are you? How long did you not know I even existed? How long did you exist before I was even conceived? Don't you think 'missing me' is a little immature?" Her tone lowered, reaching the taboo subject of a happy occasion. "I know my father would have liked you to be there. Would you have done it for him?"
"Yes, but-"
"Then do it for me!" Anna sighed, trying to compose herself so to not run her carefully applied make-up. "I was going to walk down the aisle myself, and stare at the empty seat beside my mother while I did so. But I don't want to do this alone, and I don't know anyone else I would rather do it with…"
"Anna, please-"
The bride did not relent, "Will you give me away, Ironhide?"
Sam's cell phone rang, reminding the other two of his presence. He fumbled in his pockets for his phone before finally finding it. He grinned awkwardly, "Uh, Mikaela. I'll leave… uhm, hello?" Answering the phone, he ran to the front of the yard, joining other guys who had waited to proceed to the church.
"'Hide?"
Ironhide sighed, and his mouth plates quirked into a smile, "You really know how to corner me. Are you sure? What does Sarah think about this, and the church…"
Anna grinned, "I've already received Mum's approval, and she's already asked to have the ceremony moved outside." She gestured towards the weather, "It's too nice a day out to have it inside anyway."
"Well," the Autobot groped for a final option, "What about the dance at the reception?"
She laughed, "It's not mandatory." Her smile disappeared abruptly. "It's actually something I would rather skip, really."
"Hm."
"Well, will you do it?"
The Autobot cycled his vents in a heavy sigh.
"For me?"
"Fine," he acquiesced, "for you."
She beamed, "Ah, good. I know it's asking a lot, but, would you like to get going before I give my mother a heart attack? She probably thinks I crashed on the way back here from the church."
Ironhide transformed in the driveway, but hesitated to open his door to the bride. His voice resonated from the speakers, "Aren't the bride and groom supposed to arrive in those special limousines? Don't you think a Topkick is a bit of a downgrade?"
"Pfft," Anna responded, approaching the door as he let her in, "Give me a truck over a limo any day."
"Good," he huffed lightheartedly. "You really are your father's daughter; he would have loved to see you today."
The door closing behind her, Annabelle settled and squeezed the steering wheel in front of her, "Thank you."