CHAPTER 12
"TONY"

Christmas came and went before Tony even knew what had happened. Suddenly it was him, Will, Sarah, and Ironhide again. Except now, Ironhide was far more friendly, a lot more. He'd encouraged Tony to spend more time with kids his age. Of course Ironhide scanned each and every one and watched them like a hawk. But overall, it seemed Tony was happier now that Ironhide had accepted him into their family. He was even happy to have him there, quite a bit. He felt weight on his hood and rumbled a bit. "You need to stop doing that." Ironhide noted.

"Call it my wake-up call. It's only seven, way too early for recharge." Tony teased, sliding off his hood as Ironhide roared his engine a bit "Okay I get it, you're not a giant chair." He laughed.

Ironhide transformed slowly, and smirked, crouching down to his youngest charge. "No..." Ironhide scooped him up, and set him gently on his shoulder "But that, I do believe, is, young one." Tony chuckled a bit "Do your parents know you're out here with me?" Tony nodded his head "Good, I think last time I took you out without their knowledge Sarah was going to offline me." Tony laughed at that "What are you up for today, punk?" He noted.

"Anything, big guy, just want to get out of the house." Tony smiled somewhat "Maybe we can catch that new sci-fi flick down at the drive-in. You know the one I've told you about?" Ironhide grunted somewhat "Oh come on, you've promised me you'd take me ever since Will got disinterested in it." Ironhide turned his head a bit "Please please PLEASEEEEE." He stated almost childishly.

Ironhide was half-tempted to call Bumblebee, who Tony had hit it off with. Perhaps he'd take him, he told himself. But he quickly decided that Tony would only be upset with him, and as much as he hated when he did this. He hated to see Will's kids upset even more. "Alright, alright, alright. Yer lucky I like ye more now or I might flick you off my shoulder." Ironhide laughed setting Tony down "Now get inside kid, before I change my mind." He noted.

Tony smirked, climbing inside of Ironhide and seating himself down. The boy leaned against his Guardian's seats slightly, smiling to himself. Though Ironhide and him had gotten off to a horrible start, he was really starting to like the weapons specialist. He sighed as Ironhide drove down the road, staring out at the country, a smile continuing to plaster his face. He wasn't adopted yet, but he couldn't deny this really felt like home now. "Anthony?" Tony turned his head to the radio "You're very quiet." He noted.

"I was just thinking big guy." Tony patted his guardians dashboard "Relax, alright?"

Of course, it was only a few minutes before Tony was the one who needed to relax. They'd barely stopped, paid for the movie, and found a spot when Tony saw them. Even though it was nighttime, Tony could have easily noticed the trio of bullies from his school from the moment he climbed out of Ironhide. The weapons specialist quickly noticed Tony's change in demeanor. "Anthony, what's wrong?" Ironhide asked, shifting a bit "Your stress levels have skyrocketed." He added.

"It's nothing... Just..." Tony shifted a bit "Those guys over there." He muttered.

"What about them?"

"That's Ricky and his friends." Tony explained, knowing he'd told Ironhide about them before "Just forget it, Ionhide. They'll... They'll-"

"Hey Hick!"

Tony bit his lip as Ricky shouted at him, he heard the shuffling of feet behind him and closed his eyes. Tony only turned around when he felt even an ounce of courage. "Look Ricky, I don't want trouble. I'm just here to see a movie with my Uncle." He stared at them "He'll be back any time, so you'd better just move along..." He tried to stand his ground "He doesn't like bullies." He added.

"Is that a threat, retard?" Ironhide felt a slight jostle as Ricky thrust Tony against his side "You need your Uncle to fight your battles now? No surprise there considering you haven't got the balls to fight back." The mech's anger only grew, Tony wasn't even trying to fight back with words "Come on, grow a pair and fight me yourself. Or are you too much of a-"

"Stand down if you know what's good for you."

The disembodied voice of Ironhide caught the young bully off guard. Yet his hands still remained gripping Tony's shirt. Ironhide let his form slowly shift, thankful that the world knew they existed now. Because Primus knew the boys were about to have the scare of their lives. Ricky dropped Tony like a sack of potatoes. "I'm his Uncle, IRONHIDE, it's a pleasure to finally meet you..." Ironhide plucked Ricky off of the ground "RICHARD." He noted with a grin.

"Yo! Let me go! Let me go you FREAK!" Ricky shrieked.

"Alright, I'll letcha go." Ironhide dropped him a few feet before catching him again, and lifting him back up "Still want me to let you GO?" Ricky shook his head violently "Good, now yer gonna listen good, you little sack of SHIT." Anyone who knew Ironhide knew if he cursed in English, you were in trouble "If I ever see you touch him like that again, I'm going to take the biggest, fattest cannon I can find. And shove it up to your little ass." He noted, it may have been physically impossible, but it visibly shook Ricky to the core "I want you, and your group of hoodlums to stay away from Tony, or I swear I will make good of this threat." He noted.

"Y-Yeah! Whatever you say! Please just don't hurt me!"

Ironhide dropped him a considerably smaller distant. Allowing the three boys the chance to run, Ironhide simply snorted. He crouched low to Tony, who stared up at him in surprise. "Are you, alright?" He asked at the look of pure shock on Tony's face "What, what is it?" He asked.

"You called me "Tony"." Tony stated, then added "And you just protected me."

Ironhide stared at him, surprised at himself, moreso due to the former. He hadn't even noticed, he'd been so used to calling him by his full name he figured this had been no different. The latter, well, he'd protected Tony before, but never in such a manner. He'd only scared off a few other bullies briefly by nearly running them down. He'd never physically or verbally threatened a threat to the boy before. He slowly transformed down, knowing he was causing a scene. "They were going to do you harm..." Ironhide stated quietly "I could not-"

"But you threatened them." Tony noted.

"Didn't I tell you I loved ye, kid? I don't just throw the word around." Ironhide snorted, Tony smiled "I will never see the day I let a loved one of mine get hurt. I would do that for any of you, Will, Sarah, Annabelle, and you..." He noted, staring at him quietly "If those brats ever go after you again, Tony. Come STRAIGHT to me." He then added "I have a cannon just the size of his little piglet rear with his name on it." He noted.

Tony smiled, then stared where the three boys had run off to. He then stared back at Ironhide, and rubbed his hood gently. He had almost thought that Ironhide had been joking on Christmas Eve. But to know that not only Will and Sarah loved him, but Ironhide did too. He felt safer then ever before. No one had ever stood up like that for him before, no one. And he'd never forget the first time Ironhide did. "Love ye too Uncle Hide." He replied, then added "Thank you." He added.

"Anytime, youngling."

It was the night that the two of them had truly gone from enemies to family.

...

A/N: I know this chapter was relatively short, but I thought it covered what I wanted it to. Moving them from rivals to family. The rest of the fic focusing on them learning to be 'family' until we get closer to the end. :) Reviews make my day!