A/N: Holy crap, one review from 100 reviews and only 20 chapters? You guys are too kind! I just wanted to thank you all for following and reviewing this the way you have. I really love to know that you guys are enjoying this little plot bunny I had. :D

We get a bit more of a backstory to Ironhide's experiences with his Father in this. As I felt it was about time SOMEONE brought it up.

...

CHAPTER 20
Kindred Spirits

"You brought me to the COPS!" Tony shouted loudly as he had gotten out of Ironhide "Are you crazy, Ironhide. My Dad's frickin' INSANE. If he finds out about this!"

Officer Michael Brown leaned against Prowl calmly. Said Autobot was currently in his alternate mode, a Dodge Charge Police Cruiser. Meanwhile the older officer stared at Tony, sympathy in his eyes. "Anthony, you're not at a Police Stations. The only people you're among are friends." He stated calmly, doing his best to calm the boy down "Ironhide brought you here out of concern, and if what he said is true, I don't blame him." He then added "You don't know how lucky you are to be alive right now." He added "Most kids who get traded to drug dealers get raped, and left for dead somewhere, or worse, KEPT by them. I've seen it before, many times." He noted.

"My Dad was high, he probably didn't-"

"That is no excuse, Anthony." Prowl spoke up, his holoform appearing "Listen to me here boy, I was there for some of these cases Michael speaks of. No matter how intoxicated your Father was, there is no excuse. He knew what they would have done." Tony looked down slowly "I want you to listen clearly to me, young one. You are a charge of an Autobot. Better yet, you're the GODSON of one." He was very quiet in how he said it "If we report the man, we will protect you, Anthony. But we cannot protect you if we don't have a statement on the incident." He added.

"Will Mom and Dad-?" Tony began.

"We'll tell them together." Ironhide's holoform put firm hands on his shoulders, gently "But first, you need to let Prowl and Officer Brown help you, Anthony. If you tell them what happened, all fears you have of going back will be gone." He told him, trying to keep his voice soft "This is a crime that no one should get away with." He added.

Tony felt his whole body tremble, he closed his eyes, but slowly began to re-account what he'd told Ironhide, word-for-word. He watched Michael quietly, the man was calmly writing down his whole statement. Ironhide's hands never left his shoulders, providing reassurance that he WAS there, and that no matter what, it was going to be okay. When he'd finally finished, Michael and Prowl eyed one-another. "Is there any physical proof of what was done to you?" Prowl asked, Tony looked down "Even after a few years, you must have retained some form of scarring from the vicious attack." He added.

Tony tensed up a bit, and Ironhide knew the answer. "He does not allow anyone to see him shirtless, not even Will or Sarah." Tony stared down at Ironhide's words, trying to avoid eye contact.

"Anthony, son. If I can get pictures of whatever you're hiding, we can make sure that son of a bitch is put away. For a very long time, likely for life." Michael stepped forward, Ironhide backed up, knowing he needed to gain Tony's trust "What your Father did to you is something he should NOT get away with it. And as scary as it is to talk about this, and trust me I know." He told him, quietly as he kneeled to the boy's level "I need you to give me the evidence I need to put him away, because, kid. Trust me, if he was trading you for drugs. I'm afraid other children may be being traded to his dealer." He then added "You could save a lot of people from suffering a really bad fate." He added.

Tony stared at Michael for a moment, slowly but surely he reached for his shirt. It was off after a few long minutes of hesitation. Ironhide could only thank Primus it hadn't been recent, because just looking at what remained of his wounds was enough to make him nearly purge. His whole back looked as though it could have been clawed, three thick scars down it, some prominent remnants of damage stood out most. Ironhide even noticed a large welt on his left shoulder. "I'm going to kill him." Ironhide transformed, quickly followed by Prowl "I don't care if it takes me all day to find that piece of shit. How dare he, HOW DARE HE!" He shouted.

Prowl carefully held his friend back. "Ironhide, calm down, killing the man will only be stooping to his level." Prowl stated in an attempt to calm him down.

"Calm down! Look at him Prowl! This was YEARS ago, and he has a WELT. Do you know how hard that freak would have to hit him!" Ironhide shook his head slowly, his cannons out, ready to kill someone, anyone "He's barely reached the age of fourteen. And he was only ELEVEN when that happened! ELEVEN! He was still a SPARKLING." He shook his head "No one has the right to do that, not to a child, not to ANYONE." He noted "And after that to try and sell him, to some fragging child-loving freak of a drug dealer?" He snarled "Even my Father would never sink so low." He added.

Michael and Tony watched the exchange quietly, Tony was stunned. He'd never seen Ironhide so angry, not even when Jen had broken his heart. This was a side of him that he wished he hadn't had to see at all. Not to mention he had clearly been abused himself when he was young, or at least, that was how Tony took it as. Tony allowed Michael to take a few pictures of his back and chest before slipping his shirt back on. "It's going to be okay, Tony. We're going to find Jason..." Michael stated, clearly referring to his Father "I'll call your Social Worker myself, kid. He'll have no rights to any of your new records, and we'll do our best to see to it he cannot find out where you live." He added.

"And if he does find out?" Tony gulped.

"What do you think, Prowl? Can someone sub over here for you, look after my family?" Michael stared up at Prowl, who stared back at his charge "If I know you, you want to be the one to keep close tabs on the kid. And from one Autobot Charge to another..." He put his hand firmly on the boy's shoulder "I'd like to be the one to kick this guys ass if he shows up. If Will doesn't get to him first." He added.

"I think he should be more afraid I get to him first." Ironhide snarled.

"So, he is going to come after me?" Tony gulped.

"I know how criminals work, son. The second we terminate any rights to know about you he has. He'll come after you." Michael stated, his voice full of honesty "You'll be protected though, I can promise you that. He won't make it anywhere near you." He added, pulling an arm around Tony "Prowl, lets get him down to the station so we can turn this all in. Lest the chief have our asses for it." He added.

"I will return to the Lennox homestead. I have a friend in the system for the week named Drift. He will be more than happy to watch your family." Ironhide nodded, Tony stared up at him nervously "Don't worry Tony, you're in good hands. Even if he did show up at the station, they'll get a profile of him. And Prowl will definitely know what to look for after that." He stated.

"Promise to pick me up?" Tony asked.

"I'll be down there as soon as Prowl comms me that they're done." Ironhide replied.

As Tony was helped into the back seat of Prowl by Michael, Ironhide watched them leave quietly. He couldn't help but be frustrated, this was much worse than he had once believed, and he couldn't help but hate that fact. This man wasn't even human, he was a monster, and he was half tempted to search himself and destroy him for what he'd put the boy through. He knew he couldn't though, as it would only put him through trouble with Optimus unless he had an actually good reason for the attack.

Either way, he promised himself, this man would not only meet him. But he'd make sure he was the last person the man ever met if he was given such a chance.

...

Tony sat in the waiting room quietly, playing around with his thumbs slightly. Prowl had left to get him a cup of water and Michael had been busy finishing up the report. Leaving Tony alone, something that, at this point in time, he did not like. Having finally come forward about this incident did not do well for Tony, he was scared, very scared. He'd pretty much just turned in his biological Father. He knew his new parents would never let him be hurt, at all, but he still felt nothing but nerves at the whole can of worms he may very well have opened.

"He only ever brought you to us because he didn't want you to have to go through what he did." Tony looked up as Prowl's holoform entered the waiting room once more "The mech went his whole life being hurt by his Father until he had no choice but to shoot him dead." Prowl was quiet, so was Tony "The poor mech knows more about what you're going through than anyone else could imagine." He added.

"So Ironhide's Dad, he really abused him?"

"I was a very young officer in Iacon when I was called to their home." Prowl replied "Ironhide was eighteen years old in human years, I was twenty-five. He should have been out of his home at the time, but his Father would not allow him to leave." He shook his head "The mech had been viciously beating him and his Mother since before he could even speak." He shook his head "You both are quite lucky to be alive right now. As you both went through unimaginable things." He added.

"He killed his Mom, didn't he?" Tony asked.

"In human terms... You could say his Father 'raped' his Mother, before murdering her before his very optics." Tony's eyes fell as Prowl stared at him "He told Ironhide that he was showing him how to be a MECH." He shook his head silently "It was the night he almost destroyed his right optic." He said quietly.

"Was that the night he pulled the trigger?" Tony asked.

Prowl was silent for a moment, he sighed a bit. "No, the night he pulled the trigger was the night that his Father came home so drunk from High Grade... That he decided it would be fun to torture and kill someone... Ironhide was his choice victim. He chained Ironhide to a metal berth, and attempted to take him apart, quite literally piece-by-piece. He left a blaster there and Ironhide was JUST strong enough to break free and fire a single round to the middle of his forehelm." Tony's eyes fell at this, really feeling for Ironhide even more now "His Father and your Father are not too different, Anthony. His Father was a sick, sick individual, and it was for that reason Ironhide was never prosecuted. He did the planet Cybertron a service by killing him." He added.

"I don't think I'd ever have the guts to pull a gun on MY Dad, let alone shoot him." Tony replied.

"I don't think Ironhide thought he had it in him either." Prowl replied quietly "But honestly, young one, I hope you never have to find out if you do." He added, before handing Tony the water "Is there anything else you require while I check up on Michael?" Tony shook his head quietly "Alright then, do not go anywhere, and if anything happens... You know what to do." He added.

"No one got him out of there in the equivalence of eighteen years?" Tony asked.

Prowl stood there for a moment, sadly, and shook his head. "Regrettably, his Father was of such high a rank that he had EVERYONE fooled. Ironhide never uttered a word, to anyone." He explained.

As Prowl left, Tony sat there, a much better understanding of why Ironhide was the way he was. He couldn't imagine, couldn't fathom years of that, all of that. He quietly considered for a moment if that made Ironhide a kindred spirit of some kind. If it meant they were supposed to meet. He looked out the window, fate had a strange way of working, and this only served to prove it.