I don't own Transformers, only my OC's.

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Something of a long chapter for you. Enjoy!

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There were a lot of things I had come to expect in life. So when a blue motorbike appeared outside Jessy's house without a rider a day and a half later, I was hardly surprised to find out she was alien. I wasn't even surprised to hear she was an Autobot. I was, however, alarmed to discover she was Ironhide's ex-girlfriend.

"Get on," she commanded.

"No thank you," I quickly turned and headed back to the house. So much for taking a walk.

"Need I transform?"

That stopped me dead. "You wouldn't dare."

"Your government has an uncanny way of covering us up, remember?"

I cursed silently. She was right and I couldn't even pretend to deny it. "What do you want with me?" I had returned to Texas to get away from these beings and yet they seemed to think that was their opportunity to stalk me. And out of the eleven or so Autobots working with my uncle, why did the ex-girlfriend one have to find me? "Why can't your kind just leave me alone?"

"Why are you so arrogant you won't even listen to those trying to help?"

Hadn't I been the one to call Ironhide arrogant just the other day? And wait, what right did she have calling me arrogant when she herself was bring pushy about something that did not even concern her in the first place. "If you want Ironhide so bad you can have him. I'm not interested." Something about the statement sent my insides awhirl.

"Would you shut up and get on."

"Motorcycles terrify me." I wasn't lying, but it was a lame excuse.

I could almost imagine her rolling her eyes. "If I had any intention to harm you I would have done so already. I'm not going to crash myself for your sake."

There was really no arguing that fact, even though I wished I could. Part of me actually wished Ron was here to deal with her, but when I thought about it, he might have sent her himself. "Where do you intend to take me?"I took uneasy steps towards her.

"Somewhere offering privacy."

I groaned. That undoubtedly meant she was going to transform. Perfect. I really should have just stayed inside and tried to fix that stupid porcelain doll the cat broke. I probably wouldn't have been able to do it, but it would have kept me from running into this crazy female robot.

"You still haven't told me your name," I grumbled, swinging my leg over the seat.

"Chromia," she answered before taking off at a reasonable speed.

"You realize there's a helmet law in Texas for those under 21?"

"Quite whining."

It had been worth a shot. I did wish I had sun glasses or something though. Riding on a motorcycle without cover wasn't all that fun, but at least Chromia was kind enough to keep it below thirty.

As the houses were lost to trees and nothing but nature surrounded us for several miles she began to slow. I recognized this place. My heart plummeted. It was where my friends and I had been the day of the tornado.

I practically leapt from the seat when the bike stopped. Chromia transformed quickly and nimbly and much to my surprise she was only about two feet taller than me. One of her wheels had taken the place of legs and the other was mounted behind her head. A rather formidable gun made up her left arm.

She rolled her eyes, "your anxieties isn't very becoming."

"Excuse me," I muttered before walking past her. What did she expect from me when she had a gun that was half her size? "What do you want to chide me about?" Knowing my luck, when this was over I would have to walk all the way back to town.

She rolled out in front of me and loosely gripped my shoulder, "let's walk off your tension."

Worked for me. Chromia led the way, her hand only leaving my shoulder when she felt I wouldn't try anything. Do people really think I'd run away from everything?

"Ironhide doesn't know I'm here," she began. I quirked a brow. "He'd be angry if he knew."

"Somehow that seems backwards."

She chuckled, "I'll admit I'm jealous. You've managed to snag the bot I'm in love with."

"I had no intention to, I swear."

"No, you thought you had fallen in love with a human. Quite a surprise wasn't it?"

"You have no idea."

There was an awkward moment of silence where the faint chirping of birds filtered through the air and forest dander crumbled beneath Chromia's tire. I tripped over a hidden rock once or twice, but managed to stay on my feet.

"Have you spoken to him yet?" she asked as if it were an everyday question.

I hesitated, "Yes."

"And?"

"I think the answer is obvious."

She shook her head, "what are you afraid of?"

"Nothing."

"You're lying," Chromia pushed a branch out of her way. I was about to make a remark when she continued, "Ironhide's not as bad as you are making him seem. He is actually a wonderful lover."

I groaned and squished up my face, "lets evade the sex talk, thanks."

"I'm not referring to that," she laughed. "Though he is quite-" she thought a moment, "fun in those regards."

I could swear an anvil fell and cracked me in the head with all its cartoon glory.

"Beneath that hardened exterior, Ironhide is a very compassionate bot."

I already knew that. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because," she said, "you need to hear it. You're wrapped up in what your society depicts is acceptable and you're not listening to what your spar –your heart is telling you."

I jumped over a small log. "And what would you know of my hearts voice?"

"I know Ironhide is quite taken by you."

"I'm not him."

She smiled, "no, but I can still see it in you."

I shook my head, "I have no idea what you are talking about." I actually did, but I wasn't about to admit it to her.

Chromia remained silent for quite a while. It made me a little nervous. What was she up to? Thinking about? A part of me knew she would not harm me, but I could not help but fret. She had a huge gun and she was the ex-girlfriend. What wasn't there to fuss about?

I nearly jumped when she finally spoke. "I realize you humans are still getting accustom to us being here. In most regards people still don't know, but you don't need to shove us away. Just as there are good humans and disreputable ones, there are good and bad Cybertronians. On the general standpoint Autobots are the good sort. We do have merciless soldiers, I admit I am one of them, but we fight for what is honorable. We've been at war for so long that many have forgotten what peace really is. Ironhide is old enough to remember Cybertron well before the war, but it's a distant memory. He's been up front fighting for millennia's, if he hadn't hardened up he wouldn't be here now. It's been draining for us all."

I sighed and rubbed my arm weakly, "I'm sorry."

"What happened to our world is nothing you need apologize for. It's what's happening here, between you and Ironhide, that you must focus your attention on."

"I don't think he and I belong."

Chromia shrugged, "maybe, maybe not. I can't tell you what your future is, but I can tell you what I see. I know Ironhide is quite taken with you. It's subtle and not easily detected, but it's there."

What was she trying to tell me? I knew… I knew he cared for me…

"At first," she continued, "I thought I was seeing it wrong. I thought perhaps my jealously was blinding me, but as time passed I realized it was real. He has his swings, times when he was frustrated with you and times when he infatuated, though he would never admit it."

I couldn't help but blush. Infatuated might have been pushing it too far, perhaps she meant enamored. The thought only made the blush worse.

Curses!

"Like you, discovering he loved a member of a different species, an organic one even, has complicated things. Your age worries him as well."

"I'm seventeen. I'm not a child." Not that I knew why I made the clarification.

"Amongst our kind you're age is that of a sparkling, but your kin has an average lifespan of only seventy years. Ours can stretch over millions if we take care of ourselves."

I knew they must have had long lives, but it was still startling to hear. Millions? That was… that was… mind blowing… and disturbing when I thought about it in Ron's regard.

"You have to cut Ironhide some slack. He's a romantic idiot."

My gaze snapped to her with shock and confusion.

"When I realized I had fallen in love with him countless vorns ago I was unsure of how he in turn felt for me. Eventually I discovered he did hold affection for me, but he just didn't seem to know what to make of it. It wasn't until I had practically forced myself on him that he made the connection."

I blushed ferociously at the reference. "I didn't have to do that, but, um, I kind of kissed him by accident once."

"When did that happen?" She seemed genuinely curious.

"Ah," this was embarrassing to talk about, especially considering the fact that I was attempting to prove I wanted nothing to do with him. "The night Starscream tried killing me. I was sort of excited to see him afterwards. It was impulsive."

She nodded, unfazed by my words. "Optimus was rather displeased at first when Ironhide chose to stay with you that week."

"Why?"

"Mainly because he wanted Ironhide around in case the Decepticons struck again. He is our weapon specialist after all and his cannons are one of our most powerful assets." She was quiet a moment, watching through the canopy as a commercial plane flew overhead. "He actually wanted to tell you that night," she said softly, "but Optimus and Will would not allow him."

My brows knitted together. "Tell me what?"

"He wasn't human."

I froze. Was she saying Ron had meant to tell me all along? It was orders that had held him back?

Chromia stopped when she realized I wasn't following. "You didn't know?"

I shook my head.

"I'm unsure of the exact details," she wheeled back, "I only know what I overheard. Ironhide didn't want you to be afraid of him after that night and when he realized his affection for you was in fact love, his fear heightened. It seems he wanted to clear things up while the events were still fresh in your mind. Optimus and Will thought otherwise however. I rather doubt they knew of his feelings."

This was too much to digest. "Why wouldn't he tell me all that?"

"Did you give him a chance?"

I opened my mouth to answer, but quickly shut it. I didn't did I.

"When Optimus became aware of Ironhides emotional involvement he retracted the order."

My heart hammered within my chest. "Does everyone know?"

Chromia laughed. I could have cried. "Only Optimus, Ratchet and I know, as far as I am aware. What you two do with your lives is little concern to anyone else, until things turn as they have. That is why I am here. This mess has cracked both your resolves. Ironhide isn't focusing on his duties and you aren't focusing on your family and education." She bent over until her metallic nose was an inch from mine. "Don't make me crack your heads together."

I didn't know if she meant it literally or figuratively or to which form of Ron's she was referring, but I thought better of asking. Instead I stuttered with asking, "w – why are doing this if you still l-love him?"

She rolled her eyes and stood upright. "I'm a hardened femme commander not an emotionless disk drive. Ironhide isn't interested in me as anything but a friend and ally now. Swatting you to the side isn't going to change that."

That only brought one question to min-

"And don't even think for an astrosecond you're the reason we split. That happened well before your existence was known."

I stared at her dumbly with widened eyes. Was she telepathic?

"You're about as hard to read as a fully operational holopad."

I sigh heavily. Was I really that transparent?

"Like I said before, Ironhide is a romantic idiot. I had to kick his tailpipe in gear when we started out and he was still making stupid mistakes after a millennia of being together. You might not be able to physically throttle him, but you're doing a magnificent job of kicking him in the spark."

He was doing a grand job of tearing my own heart apart. What was I supposed to do? It's not like I didn't care how he felt. I did, honestly and truly I did but… on the romantic end of things… I just didn't know what to think.

Chromia sighed in exasperation, "No wonder he likes you. You're both romantic morons."

"Hey!"

"Don't hey me when you can't even open your eyes."

"It's not that…" could I really say it? "It's not like…" did I really mean it? "I just-"

Wack! A sharp burst of pain hit the back of my skull. "Out with it."

Now I really could have cried. That hurt! All I could manage though was dismal, "ow."

"I am not afraid to hit you if you're being ridiculous."

I noticed, I thought with a moan, rubbing my abused head. It wasn't anything drastic, but it still hurt!

"Other than not telling you he was a robotic organism, what reason do you have for treating him this way?"

I had no answer for her.

"I believe the proper term to use for you," she pushed my head down, "is racist."

"What!" I wrenched away, "I am not!"

"You hold distain for another race of people, what about that doesn't fall under the term?"

I hated this being put on the spot thing. "I was nearly killed by one and half crushed by another, what do you want from me?"

Chromia's fist hit her hip, "are you trying to say you've run into two Decepticons?"

"No, I'm saying Ron – Ironhide, whatever his real name is, did a nice job bruising my ribcage before I even knew what a Starscream was."

That caught her. "He hit you?"

"No," I really couldn't lie about that, "but I don't think he knows how strong he is in that human form. How is that possible anyway?"

She quirked what I could only call a brow, "you're blaming him for the harm you suffered during your rescue."

I rolled my eyes, "no, it was the morning before. Jet bot flew over the house, he wrangled me into the truck and pinned me with enough intensity I really wouldn't be surprised if he was the first to break a rib."

"Have you confronted him about it?"

"'Course not." Why would I have? I blamed that injury more on myself than him. If I had trusted Ron more I wouldn't have been struggling and he wouldn't have had to tighten his hold on me… I blamed it… on myself…

She frowned. "I doubt he meant you any harm."

Weakly I hugged myself. "I know."

"Then why the melodrama? We have Megatron to deal with and you're here causing a mess."

"So what am I supposed to do huh? Let people walk all over me just for your sake!" I don't know why I was yelling. I don't even know why I was on the verge of tears. I felt stupid, but I couldn't help it.

A hand landed gently on my head. "You shouldn't let anyone walk on top of you, but you shouldn't walk on others either." I sniffed back the tears and looked up at her. "If you don't want to be with Ironhide, tell him. Stop running away. He'll listen. He isn't going to pursue you if you tell him no. The only reason he came down here is to clear up this mess. He made it and he knows it. He isn't going to force you into anything. The decision is yours and always has been. What he is trying to do now is look after you and your family. They're worried sick about you.

"Whether you like it or not he is always going to be around. He and Will have been working together long before you came into the picture and that is not going to change just because you suddenly feel the urge to blow a few gaskets. Either you two can find a middle ground or you're going to be the most miserable human teenager in existence."

I backed out from under her hand. I knew what she was getting at and it made my heart ache terribly, but I still didn't know. "How is it supposed to work?" My voice was nearly inaudible.

Chromia shrugged. "How should I know? I'm not in love with a human. This is something the two of you need to work out yourselves." She leaned into my face again, "and if you don't do it quickly I will be the one to tell your uncle."

I gulped. I was in enough trouble as it were. If uncle Will discovered the truth about all this I would really need to make a bold move and run to Mexico or something.

"Now get your act together," she back away. "Tell him yes or no, then get your aft back to Washington before I'm forced to drag it there myself."

Somehow I didn't doubt her claim. I would be screaming the entire way too because I'd be absolutely terrified on a motorbike going anything over thirty.

But what was I supposed to tell Ironhide? I was really confused. It was hard to get over the fact he wasn't human, but a part of me still felt attached. I mean, it's not like I had fallen for his looks or anything… not that he wasn't cute as a human, but still.

Why me?

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Nothing like a good old fashion pep talk to get you thinking.

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My feet led me off the path and through the freshly cut grass. Names blurred together as I swept past them, not stopping until I came upon an ordinary gray-salmon headstone. It was frigid and smooth under my fingers as I ran them over the letters spelling out 'Nathan and Alexandra Lennox'.

"Hey," I whispered softly. "It's been a while."