Ironhide slowly opened his optics, halfway hoping for the scenery to have changed. He knew that it wouldn't but it still didn't stop him from hoping. No longer surprised by the grey metal that constantly greeted him, Ironhide let out a soft sigh then proceeded to stretch his muscle cables out.

Things in his life had changed considerably. How or why, he'd never be able to fully say. He just knew that they had . . . just as he knew that several of his dear friends -- Optimus, Prowl, Ratchet, and Wheeljack -- were dead. Fury had told him as much.

Fury. Just the thought of the Mech's name caused Ironhide to shudder but with what, he couldn't say.

'Strange one, he is,' Ironhide thought, slowly getting to his feet. 'Don't know what his obsession with me is, though.'

Since he had become Fury's captive (when that had happened, he couldn't exactly recall), the Mech had . . . come onto him, as the humans would say. Wrapping his arms around him, holding him, petting him . . . kissing him . . . as if he wished to be Ironhide's lover. The thought, at one point, had repulsed Ironhide. Now . . . he wasn't so sure.

'It's like I've become usta it or something,' he thought, shaking his head. 'Can't dwell on it, though. Gotta find a way to get out of here.'

As per his routine, Ironhide walked the entire length of the room and came to a stop at the recharge bed he shared with the strange Mech. He paused there for a moment the continued around the room five more times before finally coming to a rest. Every time he did this, he tried to think of a way to escape. Every time, and his thoughts often started out in hopes of finding some way of getting away from his strange captors. Instead of ending with a solid plan, they always went to Chromia and he always wondered how she was doing.

She had survived the final battles. Fury had told him that as well. But she never went back to Cybertron. Instead, she stayed on Earth, in their old quarters at Autobot City, and she hung onto old memories, as if they were the only things that would save her life. His captors had allowed him to see that much. After that, though, they never told him anything. They just kept him alive and hidden away. Where they got the energon that helped him to keep going, he didn't know. It was just . . . there and for him alone. His captors never partook in the so-called spoils.

"You're awake. That's good," a familiar voice commented. Ironhide raised his head to see Fury standing in the doorway. He hadn't heard the door open but then he hadn't expected it to, either. The 'Bots that ran this ship were almost as silent as Death itself.

"Yeah, I'm awake," he murmured, sitting up some. "What do you want?"

"To give you some good news," Fury replied, crossing the room. He sat on the bed next to Ironhide.

"Good news?" he echoed. "Since when did you ever have good news for me?"
"Not very often," the black Mech admitted. "And, now that I think about it, it may not such good news after all. Anyway, since I know you hate it when people skirt around what it is that they want to say, I'll just get straight to the point. You're going to be going home. Back to the Autobots."

"What?" he straightened his back, his optics wide. "How?"

"We have found someone to . . . replace you, as it were," Fury answered. "And, before you start asking me a lot of questions, there's something that I need to explain to you . . . everyone on board this ship, as you have surmised, is not a normal Transformer. We are called DeathStalkers."

"DeathStalkers?"

"Yes. We . . . prey upon those who are weak in spirit or depressed, I guess you could say. Or so a LifeStalker would say. It really isn't true. The sadness in this universe feeds us. It's what gives us our strength to carry on. However, when someone becomes so sad or depressed, it overloads our systems. It becomes a painful cry of the soul for help . . ."

"And you thought I was one of those souls?" Ironhide's optics narrowed.

"No. There was someone else we were after when we took you. You offered as a replacement. Once we realized our mistake, however, there was no going back. The Autobot we were after was no longer depressed and we had tried to perform our ritual on you. You've been with us since. We've had to wait for another to become so depressed in order to release you," Fury explained.

"I see . . . and who is this soul that you're going after?"

Fury took a deep breath then looked him directly in the optic, crimson glimmering with sadness.

"Chromia."

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The black Mech let out a heavy as the red and grey Mech hit the floor, unconscious. Ironhide had been outraged to hear that they were going to be turning his lover into a DeathStalker and justifiably so. The two had spent a considerable amount of time living together, loving each other, and pining for the other's touch. To hear that he'd be set free at the cost of her life . . . well, it hadn't gone over well and Fury hadn't expected it to.

"I'm sorry, Ironhide," he murmured, "but there is no other way. We can't have her depression overloading our systems. You have no idea as to how painful it is."

Leaving Ironhide where he lay, Fury turned and walked out the door.

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'I can't let this happen,' he thought. 'I can't let them take her. I don't want to live without her . . . Primus, it isn't fair! My freedom at the expense of her life.'

Ironhide closed his optics and fought back the tears that threatened to overwhelm him.

'Chromia, please . . . if you can hear me . . . at all . . . you have to snap out of it . . . please.'

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"He's suffering," Viper murmured.

"I know," Fury sighed. "If it weren't for the fact we'd already performed the ritual the ritual on him, I'd say let's go for it."

"But we can't. Rules are rules."

"Exactly," the black Mech nodded. "Rules are rules. The only way he can get her out of it . . . is by mating with one of us . . ."

"Or if she suddenly turns around. That's been known to happen, too."

"I doubt that it will, though," Fury murmured. "She's been heading down this road for far too long . . . I just don't have it in me to tell him that she doesn't remember him and that's the reason for her depression."

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"Who are you?"

Ironhide blinked at the question. Before him stood a tall, blue Femme, her optics gazing at him in confusion.

'Chromia.'

Around them, the sun shone and the autumn leaves swirled about in the air. The grass was green and lush. The perfect day . . . the day they had said their final goodbye.

"You're familiar to me . . . Who are you?" she inquired once more. He wanted to scream at her, shout out his name but something inside of him told him it wouldn't be any good. She simply wouldn't remember him that way.

"You know who I am," he replied.

"No. I don't. Who are you?"

"Look deep within yourself and you'll see . . . You'll remember."

"Remember what?" she huffed, her hands going to her hips.

"How much I love you . . . and want you to be happy."

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Ironhide slowly opened his optics. Chromia still had strength within her. He could sense it.

"Keep fighting, girl," he murmured, "and I'll keep fighting for you. Just hang in there. Things will get better. I promise."

Heaving a weary sigh then groaning, Ironhide pushed himself up into a sitting position. His entire body ached but it wasn't anything he hadn't felt before. As he got to his feet, an idea came to him. It was a bit of a longshot but he had a feeling that it would work.

'If Chromia can have a female partner, then there ain't a reason why I can't have a male partner. And if it keeps her safe . . . I'll do it.'

"You're awake," Fury commented, "and sooner than expected. You are one tough Autobot, Ironhide."

"Yeah, I get that a lot," he grumbled. "I'd complain about how you kids can't take a hit but I got a feeling you're older than I am."

"You'd be right . . . I think." Fury tilted his head some. "You've changed. You've made a decision. I can see it in your optics."

"Yeah . . . I have." Ironhide straightened and met Fury's crimson gaze. "I want to stay here. With you."