Author's Notes: Again, thanks to all my wonderful reviewers, the next chapter is already underway. 'Words like this' are communications between the Autobots on their communication link.
"What the hell is that thing?" Alex demands, too stunned to say anything remotely diplomatic.
Ironhide observes the woman and is rather disappointed by what he sees considering what he's been able to glean from talking to Lennox and overheard conversations he expected her to be a little less…short. While she's physically fit, she's shorter than the other two adults by several inches and her brown hair and eyes don't exactly grab attention either. Not that he's any judge of human beauty, but quite frankly, the Autobot is not impressed.
"It's Will's truck," Sarah replies as she takes a few steps closer to Ironhide.
"That's not a truck!" Alex exclaims waving a hand towards the large black form in front of her, refusing to move any further into the garage. "That's a small continent on wheels."
"I know it's a bit big, but it's a good truck and it has lots of room for hauling your things," Sarah tells her while moving next to the large black mech.
"A bit big? A bit big!?" Alex sputters, her eyes as large as golf balls. "A Chevy Silverado is bit big, a Ford F-350 is bit big, a GMC Sierra is bit big. This thing is a monster with hubcaps."
"Just come over here and take a look at it," Sarah encourages as she places a gentle hand on the fender.
"I'll stay over here, thanks," Alex says, eyeing the Autobot suspiciously.
"Alex, it's just a truck, it's not going to bite you," Sarah assures Alex as she pats Ironhide.
"Sarah, if that was just a truck it wouldn't turn a three car garage into a two car garage with barely any room for the second car and normal trucks don't have smokestacks," Alex states, still not moving nor taking her eyes off of the Autobot with a nervous look on her face. "Didn't there used to be storage space in here above the cars?"
"Yeah, but Will took most of it out so the truck could fit," Sarah tells her, trying not to cringe at the thought of all the lost storage space.
"And speaking of fitting, how did he get it past the garage door?" Alex asks, pointing to the large door that leads to the outside. "The smokestacks are taller than the door.
"They fold down so it can get in and out," Sarah answers. "It's really rather ingenious."
"Ingenious?" Alex snorts in disbelief. "You're joking, right? Why in the world did you guys get this thing?"
"The Army gave it to Will for services above and beyond the call of duty," Sarah states proudly.
"Since when have the armed services start handing cars out?" Alex inquires suspiciously, turning to look back at Will. "I thought they just handed you medal, patted you on the back and then sent you back to the front lines."
"It depends on what you did," Will tells her, shifting Annie in his arms. "And I'll thank you not to call Ironhide a monster."
"Ironhide?" Alex snickers. "You named the truck…Ironhide?"
"He came with that name," he grumbles quietly and Alex just laughs outright.
"It has a gender too?" she chuckles after she's able to get herself under control. "Lennox, when I get a practice, you're going to be my second patient."
"Who's going to be your first?" Sarah asks before Will can respond.
"The nut case who designed this beast," Alex answers, pointing a finger at Ironhide when she turns around. "Either that guy is completely demented or he was on something. Either way, the guy needs help."
"This from the lady who rides her bike everywhere and hasn't owned a car in three years," Will mutters.
"It's better than driving something like that monster and polluting the air, taking up more space than should be legally allowed and wasting our natural resources," Alex retorts as she spins back around to face him. "What do you feed that thing anyways? Baby seals? The blood of sacrificed virgins?"
"If it did take virgins at least we know you'd be safe," he retorts.
"So says the man who probably has more than a passing acquaintance with Rosie Palm and her five sisters," she snarls.
"At least I don't have to worry about the batteries wearing out just when things are getting good," he snaps.
"Alright you two, that's enough!" Sarah shouts at them, bringing attention back to her and the truck. "What are you two? Twelve? Jeez, you two are being a bad influence on Annie."
"Sorry," the two of them mutter, both looking a bit chagrined.
"Alex, please take the truck, it would make me feel a whole lot better if I knew that it was there just in case you needed it," Sarah pleads, moving closer to Alex.
"Sarah, I know it would make you feel better, but I just can't," Alex replies as she takes the other woman's hands into her own. "That thing is just so big I'd be afraid that I'd run down some little old lady, the troop of cub scouts helping her across the street and their den mother and I'd never know it. It's big, Sarah, but it's just too big."
"It's not that big," Sarah tries to argue.
"Sarah, I can't see over the hood of this thing," Alex points out. "I just wouldn't be comfortable driving it, but thank you for thinking of me."
"But…," Sarah starts.
"No, Sarah, but thank you all the same," Alex interrupts. "Let's go back inside and I'll help clean up."
"But…," Sarah tries again, stunned that her offer was turned down.
"Sarah, honey, she said 'no', let it go," Will gently tells her.
Alex steps away from Sarah as Will moves closer and pulls his wife into his free arm to hug her. He gives her a quick kiss on the temple and then ushers everyone back into the house. Before turning off the garage light, he looks back at the large black truck and winks at him with a hint of a smile on his lips. Ironhide briefly flashes his lights at the man and then turns his sensors back up as soon as the door is shut to continue to monitor the situation, concerned that Sarah may still be able to change her cousin's mind.
Hours later and all is quiet in the Lennox house. The garage door opener suddenly turns on; opening the large garage door to the warm night air and Ironhide quietly backs himself out of the garage. As soon as he's clear of the building, Ironhide starts to change back to his normal form and it takes only moments before the mech is standing on his own two feet.
Ironhide carefully walks around, being as careful as he can not to wake the sleeping occupants of the house. It doesn't take him long to reach the spot he's after, a place that would be hard for anyone in the house to see him, but allows him a clear view of the evening sky. Like every night since coming to live with Will and his family, Ironhide's optics search out the star that his home planet orbits around while he waits.
'Ironhide, report,' Optimus Prime's voice comes over the private communications link right on time, breaking Ironhide away from any melancholy thoughts of Cybertron.
'Situation normal, sir,' Ironhide responds.
'Anything new happen since your last report?' Prime asks.
'Only that Lennox's female tried to 'lend' me to her cousin,' Ironhide answers.
'Explain exactly what you mean by 'lend',' Prime demands.
'Exactly what it sounds like,' Ironhide grumbles. 'She wished for her cousin to take me and have me carry her and her supplies for a six month stay up in the mountains at a place called Lake Almanor that would have included us being up there through the winter.'
'I want a full report now,' Prime orders and Ironhide complies, taking nearly fifteen minutes to complete his report. 'Are you sure that this Alex will not change her mind?'
'Yes, sir,' Ironhide assures his commander. 'As she put it, I am "a monster with hubcaps". She seemed rather nervous in my presence; I doubt that she will change her mind.'
'Very well,' Prime says. 'Inform me at once if anything changes.'
'Yes, sir,' Ironhide readily agrees.
'Optimus Prime, out,' Prime states and then the comlink goes silent.
Ironhide is left once again to his own thoughts and his optics turn back to the star that he used to call home.
A few weeks go by and all is normal, or as normal as a family with an Autobot living in their garage can be. The time is drawing near for when Will must return to duty and Ironhide wonders if he should stay or return to Optimus Prime and Ratchet in the warehouse where they're currently staying. But for now that decision must wait as more important things are at hand.
"You know, Hide, I still can't believe she's turning a year old," Will mutters, lost in thoughts of his sweet little girl and not really paying attention to the road they're driving down. "I just finally meet her and she's turning a year old. Sarah thinks she's going to start walking soon."
"So you've stated before," Ironhide patiently replies, not bothering to point out that the man has made these statements thirty-six times in the past forty-eight hours.
"You know what really sucks is the fact that I finally get to meet her and now I have to go away again," Will grumbles, suddenly becoming melancholy.
"But the government has good reason for sending you away again," Ironhide points out.
"I know," Will sighs, as he stares out the window while they go barreling down the road. "Getting Scoponok out from under that town is very important and I know my team is the only one who's had experience fighting the damn thing, but I still hate leaving her again."
"I did not want to leave my home, but finding the All Spark was more important than my wants or needs," Ironhide reminds him, mindful of any hazards in the road while still maintaining his end of the conversation.
"I'm sorry, Hide," Will says as they turn down the road that will take them home.
"For what?" Ironhide asks.
"Sometimes I forget everything you've lost," Will answers. "Yet here I am rambling on about leaving my little girl for a few months and you'll probably never see your home again."
"This is my home now," Ironhide tells him.
"But everyone you knew…," Will starts.
"Is either here, dead or out amongst the stars hiding," Ironhide interrupts.
"It must be hard," Will replies.
"Sometimes it is," Ironhide admits. "But I am a soldier like you and I adapt, as you have."
"It doesn't feel like I've adapted very well," Will mutters. "I hate leaving my ladies. It feels like someone's squeezing my heart every time I think about the fact that I'm leaving next week."
"But you will still do what you were ordered do and go," Ironhide points out.
"Yeah, I will," Will confirms.
"It is good that you are going," Ironhide assures him. "Scorponok needs to be destroyed and with all of the water on this planet, it is difficult for us to go to his location and remove him ourselves."
"Optimus hinted that he might be sending us some help," Will responds.
"Yes, we recently got a communication from another Autobot named Hound," Ironhide replies. "I do not know exactly when he'll reach Earth, but I believe Optimus will have him maintain orbit outside of sensor range until you have reached your destination if he gets here early."
"That's good to know," Will sighs with relief. "I lost two good men to that monster last time; I don't want to lose any more men to it."
"I understand," Ironhide responds as the memory of other Autobots that are now gone flash through is CPU.
"So, what are you planning on doing while I'm gone?" Will asks.
"I was thinking of going and staying with Ratchet and Optimus," Ironhide answers. "Your government finally admitted that they seem to have 'misplaced' Frenzy and Barricade and Starscream are still at large, though we believe Starscream has left the planet."
"How am I going to explain you not being back at the house to Sarah?" Will inquires, a bit surprised by this news.
"Easy, you'll 'lone' me to Sam while you're gone," Ironhide responds.
"Anyone run this past Bumblebee?" Will questions with a snicker, all too well remembering the protective little yellow robot.
"It will not be a true lone, just an excuse to get me out of the garage," Ironhide replies.
"I guess that will work," Will says as they crest a small rise in the road. "What's one more lie to my wife?"
"Do you think she will be upset if she ever finds out?" Ironhide asks.
"If she ever finds out I'll be sleeping on the couch for a month at the very least," Will answers as he notices a lycra clad figure making her way up the next rise. "What is it with bicyclists coming out here? Aren't the bike paths good enough?"
"That's not just any bicyclist," Ironhide tells him. "That's Alex."
"Are you sure?" Will asks.
"Yes," Ironhide answers.
"Guess we better not hit her, huh?" Will jokes as they go zooming past her.
"Interesting," Ironhide mutters.
"What's interesting?" Will inquires as they crest the next hill.
"She's crying," Ironhide replies and Will, in a rather uncharacteristic move, slams on the brakes.