Chapter 11

Almost a week has gone by since Hide's official Kidnapping and my mood has not been the greatest. I've been irritable and inexplicably upset. I don't eat much with the family anymore. Preferring to hunt down and kill something than have it be given to me. More than once Ratchet has scolded me for going into the barn a dirty bloodied mess. The first time it happened he thought that it was my blood and I shit you not, had a heart attack. Wait, Spark attack, they don't have normal hearts. But yeah now he just glares at me for getting blood on the floor. The only meal I do share with the family is breakfast. I got to have my Orange juice. Drink of the gods I tell ya'.

Just between you and me, I refuse to admit to the others that it's Hidy's disappearance that is affecting me like this, so to evade questions I pawned it off to the others as a Demon thing.—Technically it was my beast who pestered me about him being gone— This didn't really work out to well for me because ever since then, Ratchet has been trying to give me a check-up or whatever to see how it was affecting me physically. Needless to say I had to threaten the poor bot to shrapnel to have some quiet time.

He's not too put off by my threats, but generally leaves me alone when he sees I'm being serious. Bee' and Jazz aren't around much as they have the job of scouting for an energon trail in search of the Decepticons that fought with Hidy.

We were all restricted to stay on the property by both Optimus and my own insistence, mostly for Sarah and Ann's sake than anything else. I still went on patrols every night though. Whenever Sarah and Ann' left for town for work or whatever they were escorted there by any available bot that happened to have spare time. Not even I was allowed to go to town by myself. Much to my annoyance, but I bore through it. Until we found Ironhide I knew it was best to keep on high guard.

But other than the few restrictions of leaving the property, everything ran rather normally, like an unofficial routine. Every morning I would wake up, have breakfast with the Lennox's.—Now that the Autobot's weren't posing as humans with me they didn't have to come—then I would help a bit around the house and by noon I would go to conference with Optimus, Will and the rest of the available Autobot's in the barn. There we would discuss any leads that Bee' or Jazz had on Hide's kidnaping or lack there off and eliminate possible places on the map. The meeting usually lasted until late in the evening. Then Will would retire back to the house and I would leave for patrol. Usually arriving by midnight or early morning, I would collapse on my hay bed and then the cycle would repeat itself.

Today was no different. I went through my aforementioned routine seamlessly. The day went quickly an before long I was arriving back from patrol intent on taking a quick warm shower then hitting the hay. But when I was getting close to the barn I spotted something curious. The lights were all on in the barn. Usually only the one outside the human sized door was on, waiting for my arrival to switch it off for the night. Narrowing my eyes at the bright structure in worry I quickened my pace and arrived at the door in seconds. Changing into my humanoid form I swiftly opened the door ready for anything that might be waiting beyond those doors.

What I saw confused me a bit. Optimus, Jazz and Bee' and Will were all huddled over speaking at the front corner of the barn and there was a large white sheet covering the back half of it. From behind the sheet I heard the distinct sound of mechanical work. And I smelled a thick metallic yet fruity scent invading the air. I assumed Ratchet was back there doing something since he wasn't with the group. I frowned and walked over to them. Though they weren't whispering or anything I couldn't make out what they were speaking about.

"Guys? What's going on?" I asked as I finished my approach of the group.

They all looked up at instantly, tensing up ever so slightly then relaxing once they saw it was just me. Optimus walked over to me, leaning down on one knee so we were level. He looked at me with serious yet slightly relieved eyes. "Ren. We have found Ironhide." He said in his calming baritone. My heart swelled at the news and I found myself fighting back tears of relief. There was no way in hell I was going to cry because of this. No way, no how. Just because I have a pack member back in my grasp doesn't mean I have to get emotional. Alright brain?

"Is he alright? Where did you find him?" I asked immediately, ignoring both the happiness and worry that filled and hollowed out my chest.

"He managed to escape his holding by the Decepticons and we found him a few miles out of the state limits in the desert." Optimus said. "But he was badly injured, we still do not know the extent of his injuries but Ratchet is working as best he can to help him heal. We fear he may be stuck in stasis for an undisclosed amount of time while he is being repaired.

"But is he going to be alright?" I asked, worry lacing my features. Traitors.

"Yes, he will heal, but Ratchet is yet to tell us of how long it will take for him to recover." Optimus supplied as I looked at the white sheet of fabric that separated us from whatever operation was happening in there.

"Ren you should go to bed. I know for a fact that you haven't slept in two days, and were starting to worry about you" Sarah said, taking a seat next to me in the barn as I continued to watch the unmoving form of Hide on his giant metal bed. I glanced at her from the corner of my eye and sighed.

She was right, it's been forty eight hours since they brought Hide back and since then I've barely moved from my loft after Ratchet had finished his surgery. Not for lack of trying of course. But my beast has been adamant that I stay close to Ironhide's hulking comatose form since we were allowed to see him after surgery.

She refused to tell me why of course, saying that it was necessary and that I would understand some other time. I however just wanted to leave her to her craziness and go on with responsibilities like patrol and house chores, but whenever I would try to leave she would take over my tired body furiously and turn me back around to sit and silently will Hide to get better. Her behaviour was getting more and more erratic as the hours ticked by. And I was running out of excuses to tell the others. As far as they knew I was simply having a stomach ache or something and I just needed to stay in the barn all day and night. But that didn't explain why I never slept.

"I know, I'm sorry to worry you but it's just a demon thing Sar'. My beast doesn't want me to leave the barn anytime soon for some reason, she barely lest me go to the rest room much less sleep." I mini-ranted to her, not once taking my eyes off of Hidy. "I think she's worried about Ironhide though" I admitted. "I guess you could say he's our first injured soldier and she's a bit on edge." I said, only half- believing it. "I'll be fine"

Sarah looked at me worriedly for a little while before nodding along to the information. Eventually she got up and left saying that she would bring me something to eat later and briefly informing me that she would be talking to Ratchet about what I had said. I waved her off and want back to my silent willing once again.

A few hours later I was nodding off finally from exhaustion, but the sound of approaching giant metal feet woke me up faster than I could even proses. Looking up from my stupor I saw the one and only team doctor making his way to me. He sat down as best he could next to my area and stayed silent for a moment.

"If you're here to lecture me about the inherent dangers of pore personal health then don't I already know but there's nothing I can do to stop it. She's being really pissy with me but I don't know how to calm her down and stop her. All I can do until I figure it out is sit here and wait." I said as I hugged my knees to my chest.

He nodded at my words and seemed to proses them for a moment. "It's understandable; we all worry when a close friend is hurt. We want to help the, as best we can, to make them better so that they don't suffer." He said in though.

I pursed my lips and tore my eyes from hide to look up at Ratchet. "But that's the thing. We weren't close friends Ratch; we were barely friends in general. I rarely talked to him during your first week here and when we would it was short and straight to the point. No friendly banter, nor small talk." I said. "It makes no sense that she would be this invested in someone we barely know unless there's something she obviously isn't telling me. Which she is, she said so herself" I complained.

"Have you tried talking it out with her?" he asked raising a brow.

"Of course I have. She just doesn't want to tell me. She said that I'd find out soon enough" I said rolling my eyes at him.

"Well why not making a compromise?" he asked.

"Maybe but there's little no chance she'll be up for it." I said looking back at the object of my current predicament. Hide.

"At least try alright? I'd hate to have to sedate you just so you could get some sleep." He said. I laughed drily at his words but we both knew that it would happen if I didn't get this figured out. He left after that promising to come back and check on me later.

Once he was gone I set out to see if I could make a compromise with my lovely beast. We debated for what seemed like the whole night until we finally reached an agreement... well.. I mostly agreed so that I could get some shut eye. But who cares.

Our agreement was that she would let me sleep only when and where she wanted to as long as it was once a day for at least six to seven hours. I could leave the barn but not the property until hide wakes up. I agreed to that one only because I knew that both Bee' and Jazz were taking over my patrol duties since this whole thing started. And she was not allowed to take over my body unless absolutely necessary. Like life or death necessary.

With that successfully taken care of I left my post finally and took a much deserved steamy relaxing shower then had a hot meal in the house, much to everyone's happy surprise. After thanking Ratchet for the advice and informing my to patrolmen of their new official jobs – with Optimus's blessing of course—I went back to the barn and started to get ready for some much much needed sleep.

But she wouldn't have it. No mater which positioned I tried on the bed – sleep wise people come on you dirty idgits—I couldn't find sleep. Eventually I gave up and just asked her what it was that she wanted. I wasn't amused by her answer in the least. But begrudgingly I nodded in consent and transformed to my demon form and hopped off the loft.

With lazy feet I walked all the way towards Hide's giant bed and hopped on. There was plenty of room for me even with the special tubing that gave him nutrients and stuff. So I pranced right up to hid shoulder and curled up by his neck comfortably.

The last thing I remember before passing out was looking up at his sleeping face and wondering if he was dreaming or not.