Chapter 4: More Apologies
A/N: Okay. I'm back! I'm so sorry for the long wait. I'm going to be updating frequently from now on. Thanks soo much to all who reviewed. It means a lot!
Roc2Roll: I'm working on finding a link. But it's really hard to find a pretty blonde girl with a jagged scar running down her face. Trust me, I've been looking for a MONTH.
Phoebe Cosette Grace: Thank you so much. I hope my story lives up to your expectations. J
MollyDarkheart: Thank you! I'm working on it, my updates should be every other day to every three days from now on. Holidays and school got in the way for awhile.
wolf-shadow666: Thank! Yeah, the nightmares are there to help stress the severity of the loss and the haunted feeling Lissa still feels. Hopefully her confidence in herself will grow as the story progresses.
Luna636: Thank you!
No Name: Yes he did. Well, I suppose that now, at this part of the story, it was just the attraction he felt for her talking. But we do know that he cares.! J
MissShelz: Yes they do, and yes he does! J
fanmanbookman: I guess we'll see as the story goes on. Thanks for reviewing!
FORD B: Thank you.!
Lissa looked through her drawers for something suitable to wear. She decided on a white Under Armor tank top, short black spandex, and her neon green running shoes. After putting everything on she looked at herself in the mirror. She had a great figure, but she knew that didn't matter once someone saw her face. Lissa stood there for a while, leaning in to get a good look at her eye. She noticed tears start to well up and spill over onto the shiny pink surface. She'd never admit it, but she wished she looked normal a lot of the time. If she didn't have that ugly scar, maybe boys would actually come up and talk to her. As it is one look in her direction and most of them wouldn't even cast a second glance. She wanted so badly to be pretty, and it hurt to think that she never would be.
Sighing, she looked away and walked out of the room. She strided into her bathroom and put her hair into a quick ponytail, careful not to look into the mirror in the process. Once that was done she went downstairs and left a quick note for Sam and Judy telling where she was. A truck's engine rumbled outside, Ironhide must be getting impatient. Lissa rolled her eyes and watched the Topkick from the kitchen window. What she didn't know was that Ironhide could see her too.
Hide' watched the girl with great interest and amusement. He knew what she was doing, she was stalling just to piss him off. Lissa propped her chin up with her hand and started drumming her fingers, watching expectantly. The engine growled, he was not dealing with this.
Lissa watched as the driver's side door slammed shut and Ironhide's holoform came striding up the drive. She could tell by the smirk on his face that he was up to something. She squealed and ran to lock the door so he couldn't get in. Just as she did, a loud banging was heard.
"Lissa!" Hide' barked, amusement laced deep in his voice.
Lissa laughed and looked through the little hole in the door. "Who is it?" She sang.
Ironhide rolled his eyes. "The fragging pizza boy, who else?"
Lissa bit her lip to stop herself from laughing. "Oh I'm sorry, you must have the wrong house. I didn't order any pizza."
He banged on the door again. "Lissa open this door right now."
She smirked. "Or what?"
Hide' crossed his arms and leaned against the doorframe. This girl was starting to get on his nerves. "I'll take the door down."
She gasped and narrowed her eyes. "You wouldn't dare."
"Trust me. I would." He said.
Lissa shrugged her shoulders and walked away. If he wanted to play this game that was fine with her. "Go ahead." She called out from the living room.
A loud crash emitted from the hallway. Lissa scrambled up and ran into the corridor. Standing in front of her was a huge tank of a man and her aunt and uncle's now broken front door. "Really? Do you know how much trouble I'm going to get in for that?" She growled.
Hide' brushed all the loose wood shavings off his clothing. He didn't understand why she was so angry. She said he could, it wasn't his fault. "You said go ahead. So I did." He stated, like it was the simplest thing in the world.
"But I didn't think you meant it!" She cried. "Ugh!" She stomped into the kitchen to grab her bag. "Let's just go." She said as she brushed past him.
Ironhide watched her get into the passenger side. He knew she was angry at him, and for some reason that bothered him. He didn't even know why, and that frustrated him even more. He had no idea why this girl, this human, made him feel the way he did. And he just met her! Any time he was around her he felt flustered. Something he had never felt around a femme before. Looking up at Lissa, he noticed how sad her eyes looked. She was looking out the passenger side window, so he was sure she didn't realize he was watching her. His spark ached for the girl. He didn't know all the details of what she'd been through, but he knew enough to know that it haunted her. And those nightmares. He could still hear her blood curdling scream. Hide' wanted to help her. And he was going to try his best to do whatever he could.
Lissa jumped when she heard the door shut beside her. Ironhide started the engine and backed out of the driveway. Taking his eyes off the road he looked over at her. She had her head cast down, not meeting his eyes. Hide' cleared his throat. "Lissa." He said.
Lissa tilted her head towards him, letting him know she was listening.
"I'm…sorry for breaking the door. It was my fault for thinking you were serious. I'll tell Sam when we get back what happened and fix the door."
Now Lissa looked at him. She was shocked that Ironhide even spoke to her, much less apologize. "No, it's not you're fault. I shouldn't have been so stubborn. You don't have to tell Sam anything, and I'll fix the door. It's fine Ironhide."
Ironhide drove in silence after that. He had no idea what to do at that point. He had apologized to her, but instead of just accepting it she apologized. Lissa rested her head against the window, trying to calm her nerves before tryouts. She starting humming a familiar tune, one that her father used to sing to her when she was a child. She had forgotten the words a long time ago, but she remembered the melody. It always helped settle her down when she was stressed.
Ironhide listened to Lissa's song. There was so much emotion laced into it that he was captivated by the sweet melody. It was so calming, and it gave him a peace that he hadn't felt in a long time. "What is that called?" He asked once she was done.
"Sweet Sunshine." Lissa answered without looking his way.
"It's, quite calming." He stated.
Lissa smiled softly. "I know." She murmured. "My dad used to sing it to me when I was a kid. I forgot the lyrics but the tune stuck with me all these years.
"Do you miss him?" He asked quietly.
Lissa sat back in the seat, and her face scrunched together in agony. "Yes." She whispered, tears streaming down her cheeks.
Ironhide pulled over then. Somehow, another part of him just took over. A softer side, much different from his war-hardened self. He pulled the girl into his arms and let her cry into his chest. Spine-wrenching sobs rolled through her as she let out all the years of hurt and sorrow. She burrowed into him, clutching his shirt in her hands. Ironhide just held her, running his fingers through her hair and down her back in an effort to soothe her.
They stayed like that for a long time, until Lissa had no more tears to shed. She looked up at him with bleary eyes, "Sorry." She whispered, and moved back over to the passenger seat. Hide' put a hand under her chin and turned her head back towards him. "Why are you sorry?" He asked. "You've been through a lot Lissa." He ran a finger down the scar.
She blinked at him and looked away. "I try not to show it in front of everyone. But sometimes I just miss him so much. I'm just sorry that you had to deal with that Ironhide, I know you probably weren't comfortable-"
He cut her off, "You needed someone. Don't worry about me or what I'm comfortable with. I know what you've been through."
Lissa giggled a little and tried to make light of the situation, she ran her own finger down his jagged scar. "I guess we're scar buddies." She said.
Ironhide smirked and got the truck back on the road. "Perhaps. Now, you need to get to your tryouts, you think you're okay enough to do this?"
Lissa nodded. "Let's show em' how Detroit girls do it."
A/N: Sorry for any grammar mistakes. I just want you guys to know that this will NOT become one of those total fluff stories. There's an underlying storyline that involves Lissa and the secrets behind her father's death. But this is an Ironhide/OC story, so I have to put fluff in here and there. The next chapter will involve her tryouts and a little more information about her nightmares. Thank you so much for reading, and as always REVIEW! They make me write faster. J
~Court
