When Ironhide and Paige had reached the elevator of the base, Ironhide heard Paige let out a small whimper.
"It'll be fine Paige" he tried to sooth her already shattered nerves.
"I-I Know" she let out a big sigh "I'm such a coward" she muttered.
"No your not" Ironhide told her "Cowards run away from what they fear"
"I want to run away" Paige said, she had taken off her shoes and was curled up in a small ball.
"But are you running away?" Ironhide asked.
"N-no" Paige stuttered, she closed her eyes and gritted her teeth "I'm sorry for causing you so much trouble" she held onto her knees with her arms. "Ironhide….?"
"Yes Paige?" he waited for her to request something of him.
"Can you hold me?" Paige asked.
"Huh?"
Paige got up and moved tot eh back seat of the truck "Turn on your Holoform" she told him, realizing she had just ordered him she added "Please" Ironhide complied and his holoform flickered to life beside her. Paige was back in her ball position and she let go of her knees long enough to grab his hands and place them around her body in what he supposed was a comforting motion. Ironhide didn't at all mind the fact that he had to hold the small human; in fact he quite liked the feel of her soft body against his hard one. He held onto her as his original from drove forward, because it took some concentration to keep his holoform activate and move himself, his holoform flickered for a few moments and Paige whimpered. Once he was on the elevator he mentally activated it and solidified his holoform once again. Paige buried her face in her knees and Ironhide kept a firm hold on her.
Ironhide had reached the entrance and had driven in, when he stopped his holoform continued to hold the terrified woman until he was sure she was alright.
"Okay, you can let go now…" Paige looked a little white; her knuckles were white from gripping her jeans.
"You sure?" he asked not moving his arms from around her.
"Yup, I'm good" Paige nodded, she was right; he noticed the colour coming back to her cheeks.
He chuckled and let go of her "alright" he brushed his fingers against her cheek and she gave him a small sad smile. Paige managed to detach her clenched hands from her jeans and slipped her shoes back on. Ironhide's holoform disappeared and she got out of him. Then after taking a few steps back she watched the awesome spectacle of a car transforming into a robot.
"Woah…" she breathed. Ironhide smirked pleased he had easily astounded her.
Optimus walked into the area and when he saw Paige he gave her a smile and said "Nice to see you again Paige"
Paige inclined her head politely "Nice to see you too sir"
Optimus chuckled "No need for sir" he told her.
"Okay" Paige told him giving him a smile that made her face glow.
Optimus turned his head to Ironhide "What brings you and Paige here?" he asked.
Ironhide made a sound which sounded like the clearing of a his throat and began "The was attacked by Barricade sir"
Optimus frowned "What? Why?" he looked down at the small human concerned, she was blushing, Paige hated attention.
"I don't know sir" Ironhide shrugged. "He attacked her with his holoform" he added.
"Was it a killing intent?" Optimus asked.
"No" Paige answered for Ironhide.
Optimus knelt down "If you could tell me all that happened we might be able to understand this situation better" Paige nodded; she began her explanation and continued on to the part where Ironhide saved her.
Optimus stood up "Well he was obviously after Paige and not you Ironhide" he said "you were parked near him and he probably knew it was you and he avoided you" he turned his head back to Paige "Can you think of anything that the Decepticons might want from you?"
Paige thought for a moment and shrugged "What little brains I have?" she joked lamely.
Optimus sighed and stood up straight, it was obvious he was thinking, Paige and Ironhide both remained quiet and allowed the Autobot leader to do his thinking. After a moment he spoke again "Paige, I understand that you live by yourself and you have a job, but it is obvious you are in a dangerous situation. I think it best if you come and live at the Autobot base until we get this straightened out."
Paige looked sad at first and then she broke out into a smile "Okay!" she said.
She was about to do a little happy dance when she realized something "Optimus, I don't have any clothes or other things like that" she told him.
"Ironhide can get you your things" Optimus told her.
"On no…" Paige looked up at Optimus and frowned "You can't send him to get my clothes" Paige told him.
"Why?" Optimus asked.
"Because I'm sure you Autobots have no sense of style" Paige said.
Ironhide looked insulted "Excuse me" he said.
Paige turned to look at him and wagged her finger at him "sure your stylish, but for robots! Not for women's clothes" she told him "I would be better if I came along" she said.
Optimus thought for a moment "Well I suppose you can go. Just as long as Ironhide does not leave your side" he said.
Paige touched her small foot to Ironhide's massive foot "We'll stick together like glue"
Optimus nodded "See that you do" he said. He waved them away and Ironhide looked down at the small human in surprise.
She saw is look and lifted a brow "What?" she sounded confused.
"You just altered Optimus Primes orders" Ironhide told her, he sounded somewhat in awe.
Paige blinked a few times and then rushed to hide behind Ironhide's foot, "is that bad?" she whispered up at him.
Ironhide laughed "No! It's just that Optimus' orders are never questioned or altered"
Paige squeaked "Never changed!" she cowered some more "is he going to be mad at me?" she asked eyeing the direction that Optimus had left the room, she had images of him rushing back out and picking her up.
"He would never hurt a human let alone hate one" Ironhide told her. He bent down and stroked her back trying to calm the poor woman, she had been through quite a bit in one day, he thought.
Paige let out a little sigh and angled her head up to look at him "How come I feel so safe with you?" she asked quietly. Ironhide didn't have an answer for her, so instead he ran his finger up and down her small back some more.
"We had better get going" Ironhide stood up and backed away a few steps, he then transformed and Paige climbed in. She settled into the passenger seat and leaned her head back. Ironhide had driven to the great big door that once opened lead to a straight drop to doom. Paige let out a small whimper, and took of her shoes; she was preparing to curl up into her little protective ball when Ironhide's voice stopped her.
"Why are you so afraid of heights?" he asked.
Paige shuddered "I hate them, one misstep and you could be falling a hundred stories to your doom, unable to stop unable to do anything but flail helplessly and scream. But I can handle this… because you're around. Usually I jest need something to keep me distracted."
"Distracted…" Ironhide repeated the word. After a moment he figured he could try something, so he said "Paige get into the back" Paige did what he told her to and sat in the middle seat. Her arms were around her knees and her chin was resting on the tops of her knees. The doors opened and Ironhide drove onto the elevator. Before Paige had the chance to tense her muscles she felt a hand grab her chin and wrench it upward, then suddenly a strange pair of lips touched her own. Paige let out a muffled gasp and struggled to back up, he wouldn't let her, the elevator was still rising and Paige had said she needed a distraction so he figured that he would kiss her. Once they were at the top of the cliff Ironhide broke his hold on Paige. She stared at him wide eyes.
Ironhide stared back, and then after a moment he grinned "well that wasn't so bad was it?" he said.
Paige looked outside and saw that they had already gone up the elevator, she hadn't noticed, "T-Thank you" she stammered. After a moment she began to laugh "well that certainly kept me distracted" she touched a hand to her lips in a thoughtful motion and Ironhide noticed that her cheeks reddened a bit.
"Lets go" Ironhide told her, he gave her a quick smile and Paige crawled into the front seat. Ironhide's holoform disappeared and he began to make his way towards Paige's home.
They got there in under an hour, Paige got out and so did Ironhide's holoform. She led him inside and walked on over to her door. When she reached her door she saw that it was already open. Frowning she opened it and saw Bradley. Paige let out a little gasp and backed up a few steps. She franticly turned to Ironhide and motioned to back up a few steps. Ironhide did as she had asked him to and she turned back to the door.
"Paige…" Bradley was walking towards her.
Paige frowned "what are you doing here?" she asked.
"I wanted to see you" he said, he had stopped walking towards her just as he reached the door frame.
"Oh well, that's nice. I suppose…" Paige ran a hand through her hair feeling quite helpless in the situation she was in.
"Aren't you going to give me coffee?" he asked.
"I-I don't know" Paige said shaking her head.
Bradley smiled he reached out and stroked her arm "I was worried about you" he said "you were attacked after all, I figured I would come on over to see if you were alright. And…. I've also been feeling a little lonely lately" he said.
Paige was about to retort when a hand grabbed Bradley's wrist roughly, "I don't think so" Ironhide growled. He had moved towards them silently, wishing Paige would hit the good for nothing son of a bitch, but she had shown fear and he had taken a subtle pass at her, which as her guardian he could not allow.
Bradley looked at Ironhide coolly "If you would please release my hand. Sir." He said.
Ironhide growled but dropped the man's hand, "Stay away from her" he snarled. Paige was watching the two men with a growing fear; she gripped her hands tightly together wishing she had the guts to break them apart.
"P-Please stop" she murmured, Ironhide heard her and his eyes softened at the helpless look on her face. Ironhide took her hand gently and led her around Bradley and walked her into her apartment, Bradley watched them with a growing anger.
"If you touch her…" Bradley growled angrily. Ironhide narrowed his eyes at the man before him, he felt like proving that he was better than Bradley, but Paige was already in her apartment, suddenly there was a loud thunk and the sound of a body falling to the floor in a heap.
"Owww" Paige's voice could be heard from inside of the apartment. Ironhide closed his eyes and sighed, he then slammed the door in Bradley face.
"Slagging scum" he muttered as he walked into the apartment to find Paige in a heap on the ground. He maneuvered around her and her mess until he head reached her front. Once there he put his hands on her sides and hauled her up to her feet. Paige look a little dazed so he kept his hold on her until she could think properly again. Paige noticed that Ironhide was frowning at her.
"What?" she asked as he let go of her.
"Paige have you ever stood up for yourself?" he asked a bit of anger evident in his tone.
Paige thought for a moment "Well there was this one time, in Pre School. When little Timmy took my lunch and I hit him on the nose" she told him, her eyes twinkled with humor.
Ironhide felt like throttling her "Have you ever denied Bradley anything?" he asked.
Paige thought for a moment "All he requests were reasonable so I saw no need to say no" she told him, her chin coming up in an act of defiance. She knew that she acted weak around Bradley but he had injured her heart and she was still not yet over it.
Ironhide let out a low growl of impatience "don't you get it? He was using you! All he wanted was your body and not your feelings" Ironhide told her, he knew what he was sawing was harsh but she needed to know.
Paige's bottom lip trembled "I Know!" she told him, she pulled out of his grasp and turned around "I'm not dumb Ironhide" she said quietly.
Ironhide looked at her for a moment "you just can't say no" he said. He had hit it dead on. Paige hated denying anyone anything, she always felt as if she was letting them down when she said no. She hated seeing hurt faces, she knew she was soft but she couldn't help it.
"Paige, I know your kind and you love helping others…. But… sometimes no is the best answer" he said walking forward slowly, he stepped over a pile of clothes and gently grabbed her shoulder and turned her around. She had a sad look in her eyes but, she vowed that she wasn't going to cry, she wouldn't; she knew it would be a burden to him. Ironhide looked at her for a moment, and then he backed away and slumped down onto her couch. "Get me some coffee" he told her.
Paige stared at him dumbfounded "W-What?" she asked.
"I said I want coffee" he told her.
"But-" Paige sighed "Ok" she made a move for the kitchen when Ironhide's voice stopped her.
"Never mind, I've changed my mind, I don't want coffee" Ironhide said.
"Oh Ok…" Paige moved back to where she was standing before.
"Cookies… Yeah, I want cookies" Ironhide told her.
"Huh?" Paige stared at him.
"Cookies…" he said looking pointedly towards the kitchen. Paige made a move towards the kitchen when his voice stopped her once more "Actually, I've changed my mind" and so went on the process Ironhide would rudely ask for something and Paige after a moments shock would move to oblige when once more he would change his mind.
It continued until Paige lost her temper "Yah know what Ironhide! If you want something you get it yourself. I'm not doing anything for you" she frowned and sat down on her carpet to show she meant it.
Ironhide stared at her for a long moment and she stared back with a grump pout on her face, then suddenly he broke out into a big smile "That wasn't so hard was it?" he asked. "I would have been pleased with a simple no but that worked too" he told her.
Paige frowned and got up, she went and sat next to Ironhide "You mean you wanted me to say no?" she asked.
Ironhide would have thought it obvious "Yeah, why do you think I kept changing my mind?"
Paige thought for a moment "Oh" she said.
Ironhide leaned back "It felt nice to say no. Didn't it?" he asked.
Paige thought back and grinned "Yeah, yeah it did"
"Great, though I still could use some coffee" Ironhide said.
Paige looked at him carefully and sat back like him "You get it" she told him.
Ironhide laughed, he tousled her hair with one big hand and got up "That's my girl" he said.
Ironhide looked up quickly how to make coffee locating the proper ingredients he started the coffee maker and walked into the living room. Paige was picking up loose articles of clothing and stuffing them into a bag. She was leaning over her couch trying to pick up a pair of pants, her hand came up a few inches short and she waved her arm wildy trying to get at it. Ironhide laughed his low laugh and walked two long strides, bent down picked up the article of clothing and handed it to her.
Paige blew a off a strand of hair that had come to res ton her nose and smiled "Thanks" she said. Ironhide tweaked her nose and she scowled just as the timer went off for the coffee.
Ironhide poured two cups and brought them back into the living room. Paige had stuffed the jeans into the bag and was trying to close it with little luck.
"Hey Ironhide, give me a hand" Paige said. Ironhide put down the coffee and walked over to help her. He zipped it closed and Paige looked at his and her work with a satisfied nod.
"Alright" Ironhide said. "Drink your coffee and we'll get going." Ironhide said. Paige did as she was told. Ironhide drank his coffee quickly not really minding the burn the hot liquid gave him. He put down the cup and looked around her apartment once more, noticing all of the plants and flowers she was leaving behind. Paige of course had known this from the start and had felt a twinge of sadness, but she knew it was for her safety to leave her beloved plants. Ironhide looked through her masses of plants and deciding that she needed at least one he picked up a pot filled with yellow flowers and placed it next to her bag. Paige gave him a grateful look and finished the last of her coffee.
"Lets go" Ironhide picked up her bag and Paige lifted her plant carefully. They walked out and after giving one last look at her apartment the left with Ironhide.