AN: So. How's everybody?... *Dodges stones* But I'm back now...with fresh ideas! I may however again take longer breaks than you were used too, but not as long as this last one. Writing is slow nowadays and lots of things happening irl. What can you do? Also a big welcome and a hug to anyone who is recently joining us! *waves*
New format that I will actually follow now. Breaks are now represented with a horizontal line. Thoughts are bold. Memories and flashbacks are in italics. Cybertronian is now bold and italicized.
Chapter 12
The estimated touchdown point was an empty field in Nebraska. A stand of trees made a wide half-moon shape to the east of the field. The Autobots and NEST had chosen these trees as cover until their guests crawled out of their smoking craters.
Ironhide listened to Will as he talked to his men. The other Autobots stayed in their alternate modes and either recharged or spoke amongst themselves on the comm. system. Missing from the group was Jolt and the Chevy twins.
The C-17 they flew in shook slightly, having run into some turbulence. Ironhide didn't mind. Going down in a Primus-forsaken plane could not be the worst thing to happen to him. He loved Marissa. His spark hummed with contentment when he felt Marissa's cool skin against him, and she whispered to him.
"I love you."
Why didn't he just take off with her, instead of going back to the base? He wouldn't ever have to worry about being in battle next to her. Never have to see her shot down by a Decepticon. But, it probably wouldn't last forever. The Cons would find him. And he had Optimus' trust; he couldn't leave his duties behind.
Duty. That's what it was about. It was his duty to protect the Lennox family. Being with Marissa, however much he wanted her, would be the opposite of protecting them. If the Cons knew, they would not hesitate to take her away from him and use her as bait...or kill her to get at him. They've done it before, Ironhide thought. Jazz, Elita, everybody was right. He couldn't do this to her and himself.
Will had quietly walked up to the Topkick and laid a hand on Ironhide's hood.
"Ironhide?"
The mech opened up his passenger door and projected his voice through the car radio. "Yes, Lennox?"
Deciding to take the offer of a seat inside the truck, Will walked around the truck and hauled himself into the seat. Then, he shut the door with a troubled sigh. "Why haven't you said anything about Marissa yet? I had to hear about you guys from Epps, you know? Can you imagine how mad I was?"
Realizing that Will knew already, Ironhide could not think of an excuse or anything to tell Will.
Will read his silence correctly. "If you're wondering how to tell me that the toughest Autobot I know was afraid of what I would do to him if he was dating my sister, don't worry. I get it. But it would have saved a lot of trouble to just own up to it."
"It doesn't matter anymore. I'm done with Marissa now. It'll be better for everyone," Ironhide said, but with an aching spark.
Will shook his head and his brow furrowed. "Why? She didn't tell you to do this, I know. Why would you just give her up?"
"Because I am a danger to her. I wish I had listened to common sense and stayed away."
"You don't know what you're saying 'Hide! She, she loves you. Would you rather that you were never happy ever again? You told me what happened to Chromia! Isn't this exactly what you said would never happen again?"
"I said that I would never hurt the one I loved again," Ironhide replied with a deep growl.
"There is more than one way to hurt someone, Ironhide."
Megatron rested on a throne of scrap metal. His throne room was deep underground, barely lighted and suitable to avoid detection. He preferred to keep to this room for relaxing. Though today, anticipation bit at him.
Too long. The Decepticons had been quiet for too long. Though, it would soon be their time to rise again. Plans had been carefully laid and Megatron was confident that he would strike a major blow to the Autobots. With the long awaited arrival of three of his strongest warriors, preparations could begin. The Autobots could not hide with their precious humans much longer.
"Soundwave. How long until my warriors land on this planet?"
The mech to his left in the shadows responded hastily. "Time until landing: two Cycles of Cybertron time. Earth time: two hours." The warlord had been violent toward anyone who did not appear to appreciate the urgency of the situation. Soundwave did not wish to inconvenience his master.
Truly, the importance of timing their actions was high. The Autobots would likely be observing the signatures of Megatron's warriors, with plans to intercept them.
The squealing Seeker, Starscream had taken an armada to fly high above the area where the three others were to land. So high, that the Autobots could not detect them. Unfortunately, they could not detect the Autobots below either.
Soundwave agreed. It had been too long.
Sarah Lennox's day started with an early phone call from her husband.
"It's nothing to worry about."
There was always something to worry about. There was always an element of danger in Will's life. Sarah didn't want Annabelle to wake up one day, and find that her father was gone forever.
Bringing a spoonful of cereal to her mouth, Annabelle was blissfully unaware of her mother's worries. She sat at the breakfast table and Marissa's dogs Roxy and Eli laid down together underneath the table.
Annabelle simply adored the two and they did so in return. Sarah was at least relieved that her daughter had them to watch out for her. No doubt they had done the same for Marissa.
Now there was an idea. Maybe Marissa knew anything about Will's well-being. Sarah picked up her cell from the kitchen counter and speed dialed her sister-in-law.
Marissa picked up on the second ring.
"Hey, what's up?"
Realizing that she had been chewing her lip, Sarah hesitated before answering. "Oh, Annabelle is finishing up breakfast. I was wondering if you knew what's happening."
"I'm sorry Sarah. I'm trying to find out too, but nobody can tell me," Marissa said with a hint of agitation.
"Well, can you call if you hear anything?"
"Of course. I want to ask you something though. Does this worrying ever stop? It's like every other thought is about them," the younger woman lamented.
Sarah felt her heart reach out to her. She also had a feeling that Marissa wasn't just thinking about the humans of NEST. Sarah feared for Ironhide too, but she felt like she had seen something in the way Marissa looked at the Topkick, as small as it was. Perhaps it had grown.
"For me, no. Not until I have him standing right in front of me. It's something we can't help though, because we love them to much to tell them to stay," Sarah said.
"Hm. How Will snagged you, I'll never know. Are you sure he didn't pay you to be his wife?" Marissa teased.
Grinning, Sarah retorted, "Close. He locked me out of my car so I couldn't escape."
Both women laughed, knowing it was entirely true.
"I'd love to see where this phone conversation could go, Sarah, but I have to let you go."
"That's fine. Don't forget to call later."
"Okay, bye. Say hello to the munchkin for me!"
"I will. Goodbye 'Rissa."
Closing up her cell, and automatically hanging up, Sarah looked out the kitchen window. She did feel a little better, knowing that Marissa was there to wait for the boys.
In the mechanic's garage on base, Marissa had just finished speaking to Sarah and went back to replacing a part on her Camaro. Mercifully, training had been cut short because her instructor was away with the other soldiers. Wherever they were with her bots. Amused, she wondered just when they had become her bots. It must have had something to do with the gradually climbing feeling that this was where she belonged. Her past eight years had been spent looking for a place to fit in, but here she was, just a few miles away from her childhood home. It felt unreal, especially when she remembered that this base was an old military airstrip. And maybe by coincidence, NEST had decided to well, make it's nest here in the hills that she had seen every morning, with a glaring sun peeking over the treetops like an old friend. Or maybe it was fate, a little voice in Marissa's head whispered to her.
Before she could explore her thoughts any farther, Marissa heard someone enter the garage and stop in front of the car. She put down her wrench and slid out from underneath the car. She sat up and of all people, General Morshower was smiling kindly at her. Jumping up, and saluting him, Marissa struggled to spit a "Sir," out.
"At ease, Lennox," the General said.
Marissa put down her arm and wiped her hands on her pants. "Is there anything I can do for you, Sir?"
Morshower cast an eye over the Camaro and smiled. "No, but I would like to take this girl here for a ride when you get done with her."
Cracking a grin, Marissa said, "of course, sir."
"Really?"
"It's the very least I could do, Sir, to thank you for all you've done to keep me with my brother."
Morshower nodded. "Yes, I did pull quite a few strings. Your brother was not the only one who wanted you to stay though."
"Who?" Marissa quirked a brow. She didn't think she knew anyone else at NEST who had the rank to pull for her.
"Prime. He said that it would be safer for you to be here, and with the Autobots," Morshower said. Marissa thought that he sounded like he agreed with Optimus. She couldn't say she disagreed either. Her time at NEST had not only furthered her knowledge of the Autobots, but of the Decepticons too. But if Megatron found out that there was another Lennox soldier out there, Marissa didn't know what would happen.
Morshower held out his hand to Marissa and she quickly wiped her hands on a rag before shaking it . "I suppose you can drop the "sir" now. It's Glen in private company, I mean, we are practically family."
Certainly thankful for the gesture, Marissa nodded but was curious about what the General meant. "'Practically family?'"
"I was good friends with your father. He was a good man, and everyone knows it."
"I'm sorry," Marissa said and averted her eyes to the floor. Mentions of her father tended to make her uncomfortable. "But, I remember nothing about my dad. He died when I was still very young."
Morshower nodded. "A shame your brother was old enough to remember it. It was very hard for him. Your Uncle died to, didn't he? Imagine that. Their mother, poor woman."
Marissa's grip tightened on the rag still in her hand. "Yes. Well, I'm sorry to kick you out like this, but I really must get back to work."
"Right, I'll be seeing you then," Morshower said and walked out of the garage.
Kneeling back down onto the concrete floor, Marissa rubbed the her face tiredly.
{Flashback}
"See? Just turn that ratchet a few times and pop it off."
An nine year-old Marissa leaned against a car bumper and gripped the handle of a ratchet. Her Uncle watched her take the red cable off of a car battery and boosted her up so that she could reach. Her Uncle bore much resemblance to her brother Will. The "old Lennox eyes" ran as a dominant trait in the Lennox men.
Young Marissa finished with her ratcheting and was set down. "I did it right," she said, questioningly more than anything.
Her Uncle nodded and crawled underneath the vehicle. "You want to hand me the seven/sixteenths wrench?"
Nodding, the girl bent over a stuffed toolbox and procured the desired tool.
{End Flashback}
Sighing, Marissa put down the rag and picked up a ratchet. "I'm sorry Uncle James. I should have known." She shook her head in sorrow. "Should have known."
0000000000000000000
Three jets, high above the Earth in the Stratosphere, circled energetically. One, the grey F-22 with stripes across it's wings, rolled and bumped into the black jet next to it.
"They're here!", the F-22 screeched from it's cockpit.
The other jet shifted it's mechanical parts and like a complicated puzzle, was transformed into a beige colored robot with wings sprouting from his shoulders.
The other two jets did the same, and three similar robots were soon hovering together in the sky.
Their attention was held by a blinding light that fell past them. As the light partly disappeared beneath the clouds, the three robots transformed and turned their thrusters up and followed the dust trail.
Pieces of ice pelted them as they neared the object but the jets kept going and moved into an escorting formation.
As the Earth came into view through the clouds, the jets pulled back slightly. The object started breaking apart, and pieces of space junk flew backwards, narrowly missing a jet's wing.
When the ground was dangerously close, the jets pulled up and soared off in different directions. The object separated into three sections and crashed into the ground, disturbing the dry dirt. A fire hastily started in the tall grass that was not able to withstand the heat of the steaming metal shells.
The jets landed nearby, landing on their robot feet and raising their quickly priming weapons into the cloud of smoke now rising.
Through the smoke, three bulky masses marched forward. Their frames were silver and it appeared that they would not be able to deflect an attack from the jets.
The middle robot swung his claw in a mock bow. "To what do we owe the pleasure of your company, oh, great and powerful Second in Command, Starscream?"
Starscream, the striped grey jet, lowered his weapons and flicked his wrist joint at the other jets flanking him. They lowered their own weapons. "You were always the long-winded one, Crankcase," he said with an audible sneer in his scratchy voice. "Megatron was concerned about conflict with the Autobots and the cretin they have affiliated themselves with."
Boredly standing next to Starscream, the other jet's grins were satisfactory.
"Guess they're too busy cleaning up after their pets to come play," the black jet joked.
Crankase's sound receptors twitched angrily and he suddenly raised a sharp digit to Starscream's faceplates. "You mean to say that you let us land right into a possible trap?"
"What! There are no Autobots anywhere-"
A tree exploded a few feet from where Starscream was braying.
"You were saying, Screamy?", the yellow twin, Sunstreaker called from the tree line, running into the field with Sideswipe.
Ironhide crushed the remains of the exploded tree and cocked his proton cannon. Humans moved around him and kneeled with their weapons trained on the shocked group of Decepticons.
From across the field, Optimus Prime came with his blasters aimed at Starscream. Ratchet and the Chevy twins flanked him, wearing frightening scowls.
Starscream turned to look at the Autobots surrounding him and the other Decepticons. He looked the Prime in the eye and cowered inside. The Prime's hard optics told all. They were not getting away without serious resistance. How long had it really been? Perhaps not long enough.
Optimus spoke behind his face shield. "Stand down now and I promise that no harm will become of you. I will make this offer only once, Crankase."
Said mech snorted. "They warned me about you, Prime. You don't fool anyone with your promises. Anyway, I'll take my chances," he airily said.
"Even as vunerable as you and your brothers are? I do not believe that is the wisest decision," Optimus replied.
Enraged by the Prime's indiscriminate compassion, Crankase spat oil onto the ground at Optimus's pedes. "Get fragged."
As the words left his mouth, Crankase's right arm exploded, throwing him into the ground and scattering energon and debris. The seekers shot into the air and Crankase's brothers boldly collided with the nearest Autobots.
Ironhide snorted angrily and felt Optimus glaring at him. He would receive a sharp talking to later for firing at Crankcase.
Optimus quickly switched his attention away from his trigger-happy weapons specialist and fired at Starscream as he shot at the 'Bots with small whining projectiles.
Crankcase seemed to be in immense pain as he laid on the ground, hoarsely shouting at his brothers. Finally, the black seeker landed next to him and heaved the one-armed mech into the sky.
The beige seeker and Starscream swooped down low to hastily collect the others. A few hopeful shots flew after the jets as they hauled the brothers away, never making their mark.
Sunstreaker transformed his blaster back into a hand and jovially pointed at the faint figures of the entourage. "They're lucky those cogheads are so light without armor or they wouldn't be able to get off the ground!"
Will walked with his troops to Optimus and shrugged at the tall 'Bot. "Sorry that we weren't much help, Optimus."
The blue and red mech's optics glowed brightly. "We would not have gotten the benefit of surprise, had it not been for your team, Captain Lennox."
Ratchet spoke up, in the midst of finishing a minor repair on Skids. "A lot if good it did. Those fragging Unicron-spawned Seekers still got away, no thanks to some trigger happy, lovestruck-"
Ironhide grunted and turned his back on the medic, throwing Ratchet the bird over his shoulder.
Optimus exhaled and announced that they would be leaving quickly, before the nearest fire department arrived to battle the slowly building wildfire. Secretary of Defense Keller forbade them to stick around to help with the clean up - especially when civilians were involved. NEST officials were supposed to take care of Cybertronian evidence and would arrive with the necessary "paperwork."
Jazz and the sisters were guarding the plane the Autobots arrived.
Elita looked over the mostly unharmed group as they transformed and boarded. Her gaze lingered on Optimus for a sweet moment. Arcee nudged her in the side, but also looked for the medic bot.
She saw Ratchet stare tensely at Jazz and knew that they were speaking through a private communication link. Going by the anger quietly washing over Jazz's face, she guessed what Ratchet was telling him.
Arcee sent a prayer to Primus, asking for the great creator to give Jazz strength. As a second thought, she also added a prayer for Marissa and Ironhide. Primus knows we all need a break from the drama and sparkbreaking.
0000000000000000000
As soon as the cargo plane came into Marissa's view, her heart went into overdrive. There had been a report about Decepticons, but no one had said anything about casualties and Jolt was not speeding around with surgical equipment. That had to be good, right?
The plane began circling and Marissa's mind went with it. First and foremost, she worried about her 'Bots' and guys' well being. Secondly, she was dying to know where she stood with Ironhide. If what happened in the field-if what she felt was a fluke, OK. She could get over it. Been there, done that. If he ignored her again though, things might get uncomfortable for the mech. Like, 'there is a bullet in my eye again' uncomfortable.
Marissa shook her head with a smirk and left the shadow of hanger three. Graham spotted her right away and waved to her from the side of the airstrip.
"Glad to see that big bird finally return?" He asked as she strolled to his side.
"I'll be happier when I see my returning heroes rather than a bird, Graham."
The soldier adjusted his beret and mumbled, "won't we all?"
The plane descended to the airstrip and it's landing gear carefully touched the ground. Soon enough, the plane was stopped and ready to officially end the flight for it's passengers. The cargo hold hatch lowered and Marissa caught the glint of a familiar truck's smokestacks.
Prime rolled down the ramp and transformed smoothly on the fly. He glanced over the base and the present humans. Marissa couldn't be sure, but she suspected it was she who he was looking for. Anyway, his optics stopped at her and then looked back at the plane.
"Damn robots," she whispered and Graham chuckled at her.
The 'Bots, Ironhide included, followed their leader and stood before General Morshower.
"Secretary of Defense Keller is waiting for you on a call, Optimus Prime."
Optimus nodded respectfully. "I will follow you to the hangar. However, my Autobots need to return to their quarters."
"You're the boss," the General said.
The 'Bots took their leave and Marissa went to greet them.
"Hey, stranger," Arcee said and kneeled to hug the human. She backed off and Elita reached for Marissa too.
Ratchet stood, with arms folded over the scene. "Routine medical checks will be scheduled for everyone soon, but there are no major injuries. What about you, Spawn?"
Marissa felt Ratchet's stare and realized she was "Spawn."
"I'm fine. A little bruised by your name-calling, but still functional," she replied with feigned hurt in her voice.
The twins chuckled and both held their huge palms out to Marissa for a high-five.
"Told you that nothing could touch us," Sunny said quietly, with shining, deep azure optics.
Ironhide couldn't stand watching Marissa with the others, so he silently got away from the group and let his pedes take him to his quarters.
He was worn out and needed to rest but he knew better than to even try. At the very front of his processor, guilt made itself known.
It was not a surprise that Will spoke the truth. This would hurt 'Rissa, but the question was, would it help her more? Help, as in doing all he could to keep her safer. The 'Cons couldn't care less about just another soldier. Just a swat to the side and...
He could not stop his thoughts from going there. It was the very reason why he was here alone in his quarters.
Ratchet buzzed him for a private communication link.
"Marissa is looking for you 'Hide. I'd send her to you..."
"No," Ironhide pleaded. "I'll get her. Has Will spoken to her yet?"
"No, he is still in with the General and Optimus. Marissa knows where he is. It's you who she wants to see, though," the medic stated impatiently.
"Don't get sharp with me, I'm on my way," Ironhide chided, as he walked out of his quarters.
Ratchet grunted, sounding rather unimpressed and the link was severed.
Ironhide stopped in the middle of the hall. Something was going on in his processor. he could feel it like a literal light bulb turning on in his head. He ran a quick self-diagnostic over the connections in his processor. something was different, but he couldn't find it. It was just out of his reach... Like those crystal stalactites that Chromia was always so fascinated by. There was a cave near the crystal gardens where they used to meet up. 'Mia loved to take him on long hikes throughout the winding tunnels. The last time they had visited was right before...no.
'Mia had asked him to meet her at the caves the day that the Autobots declared war on the Decepticons. But why hadn't remembered that until now? Mia...
Ironhide's hands fumbled for the wall.
What?
How could he have?
She asked him to?
Right?
He heard a loud crash and slowly realized that the noise was the sound of himself falling to the floor. Nothing hurt, just felt numb. He curled his hands into fists and dimmed his optics.
Ratchet and Jolt together pushed and pulled Ironhide onto his berth.
"Are you sure he is not in need of immediate attention? If he is involuntarily shutting down in the middle of hallways...", Optimus questioned over a private communication link with the CMO.
Ratchet tweaked Ironhide's legs so they weren't hanging off the side. "No, he is quite alright. He needs a lot of rest, though. I can't believe I actually let him get this far without pumping him full of knock-out anesthetics." He frowned at the recharging mech and tapped his helm as punishment.
Optimus 's connection dulled as he spoke to someone outside of the link. Possibly the Secretary he was meeting with. However, his mundane 'I'm weary of human politics' tone returned in Ratchet's processor.
"I trust your diagnosis Ratchet. How is Ironhide's rescuer?"
Ratchet tilted his head off to the side to catch a glimpse of a tiny human cautiously exploring Ironhide's quarters.
"She is functional and has calmed herself quite a bit. We both had a scare when Ironhide's spark signal alerted my sensors to his situation. A baby monitor is what I think she called it."
The connection dimmed again and Ratchet smirked at Marissa while he waited for Optimus. The human was staring intently at a hologram of Cybertronian art that Jolt had arrived on Earth with and given to Ironhide.
"Ratchet?", Optimus asked. "Apparently Captain Lennox did not like that I asked him what a baby monitor was in front of the General and Secretary Keller."
- I haven't written any farther than this since early April. So yeah, going to take a hiatus.