jackalkat: I definitely think that Will and Sarah will be secondary parents to Tony. Especially since it goes without saying, Ironhide would name them his Godparents. I don't think he'll call them "Mom" and "Dad" anymore (if only because it could cause confusion), but they are still, at the very least, parental figures.

A/N: On another note, wow! The most reviews for this fic ever last chapter! I'm so glad you all enjoy where I'm taking it. :) I was so nervous to go in this direction, but I'm glad you all agree with it. You're all too kind.

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CHAPTER 23
Thinking To The Future

Ironhide was still stunned at what had happened the next day. Going through all that was happening to keep Tony's Father away had been much less stressful before. Now, it was even harder, if only because it was the boy he planned to adopt after all this was over who was in danger. All Ironhide could do to calm himself down was to think of what he would need to do to accommodate a son. He could allow him to stay in the Lennox's home, but he was considering adding on a small apartment area to his barn. The Lennox's owned a lot of land, and an addition would not be hard to make.

Plus, if he and Tony were going to be a family, he truly wanted them both to be under the same roof. Sure the barn as-is didn't scream 'home', but a few additions, including the small apartment he was already mentally designing for Tony, would make it one. Will surmised that they'd have to clean out the barn a bit, spruce it up to look nice, because simply put a boy living in a barn, even a tricked out one, wouldn't entirely go off well with Social Services. They needed to make it up to look more like a two room home. One where his real form rested, and one where Tony would have all his necessities.

It was all far more complicated than Ironhide had initially imagined. But he was willing to do whatever it took to convince Social Services, and the Government, he could properly take care of Tony. Of course, Prowl was utterly amuse by his old friend's slight panic, he'd never actually seen Ironhide this way and it amused him. "So you plan to move him into the barn?" Prowl jested, Ironhide shot a glare to him "And you think-" He began.

"Tony would not be living in the barn, I would. We plan to make an addition attached to it. An apartment." Ironhide explained, pointing towards a large expanse beside it marked off "It'll be like a two bedroom home, I suppose. But Tony's area will include a kitchen area for food, bathroom... Everything he'd need that I won't need." The mech explained "It's all rather simple really." He noted.

"Except he can't cook, and neither can you." Prowl teased.

"I will learn from Sarah how to cook meals. And until I learn the proper human way to do so." Ironhide shrugged "We have Will and Sarah for 'neighbors' if you will. I'm sure they are more than willing to feed him until I've learned." He explained, he tilted his head slightly at Prowl "Don't tell me you have so little faith in me that you don't believe I have already spent all night thinking this out?" He questioned.

"I didn't have MUCH faith, but... You've proven me wrong." Prowl paused a bit "You really love the young human, don't you?"

"He's the most important thing in my life right now. It just took me a while to figure it out." Ironhide told him honestly "If Chromia were still alive right now, I know she'd love him just as much as I do." He shook his head a bit, thoughtfully "Either way, the answer is yes. Though he was a pit spawn when I met him, I have grown to love the boy as my own." He noted.

"Careful, Ironhide, you're becoming soft." Prowl teased.

Ironhide gave a smug smirk in Prowl's direction, he could have shoved a cannon in his face to prove he was still Ironhide. But he and Prowl were very close, for reasons Prowl had already told Tony. He was one of the few mechs in the world that could honestly tease him. "Not entirely." Ironhide grunted "After all I have even worse thoughts of what I'll do to that piece of slag that hurt him now. He should be thankful he hasn't shown up yet." He grunted again.

"Are you worried?" Prowl asked.

"Very, I don't like that he hasn't tried anything yet. I trust Michael's judgement." Ironhide shook his head slowly "Something deep down tells me he's going to go after Tony at a time where I can't protect him, or save him." Ironhide was quiet for a moment "I worried enough as his Guardian. But now that I am more than that? The thought of loosing him scares me more than it would if he were my biological son." He explained.

"You know none of the Autobots would let anything happen to him. He's one of us now, Ironhide." Prowl stared at him slowly "We look after our own even more than we look after our charges. Which is most certainly saying something." Ironhide nodded, knowing his friend was speaking the truth "I'm happy for you 'Hide, I really am." He nodded his head "You're going to make a good Father." He added.

"Thanks, that's one vote of confidence my way." Ironhide snorted.

"Three, actually. Certainly, Will and Sarah have that vote as well. Or they'd have never stepped down." Prowl smirked, Ironhide shrugged a bit "No, that's not how you answer that. They went through ALL that trouble with the Social Worker. But allowed you to take over?" Ironhide smiled a bit "You have a lot more people on your side than you think, my friend." He added.

Ironhide smirked a bit, even wider than before. "Who would have thought you could give a pep talk?" He teased.

"I did take care of you after we found you that day, Ironhide. I feel it my duty to look out for you." Prowl inclined his head "We are not apart very much in age, but I do regard you as my younger brother." He patted Ironhide's shoulder a bit "I'll deny this exchange however, reputation and all." He jested yet again.

"Yeah, yeah. Of course you will." Ironhide jested back.

Strangely, following this talk, Ironhide found his confidence boosted more than before.

...

Tony watched the two of them quietly from the window of his room calmly. If anyone had told him six months ago that the giant robot in the yard would be his Dad, he would have laughed it off. But now, as he stood at the window, as he looked at the mech, all he could think of him as was 'Dad'. Did he feel bad about things with Will and Sarah? Of course, but as Will had put it the day prior, he needed to be with the person that made him most happy, no matter his species, no matter how they started out, he needed Ironhide. And in an odd way, he was certain Ironhide needed him too.

Carefully eyeing his computer, he opened his emails with hesitation. He'd done that a lot lately, anytime he was in my room, just to make sure his Father wasn't threatening him. At least eight emails from Jason Pearson lay unopened for the past few days, and four more were in from that day. He felt his muscles tighten slightly, closing his eyes, he took a deep breath. "How many today?" Tony turned his head at Ironhide's voice as he appeared at the window "I know the look, son." He added.

"Four." Tony muttered, he shook his head "They keep getting more threatening too. But the good news is going by the titles he doesn't know where I live." He went slightly quiet "Just in case though... Shouldn't I probably just... You know, sleep in the barn with you? I can move my bed." He explained.

Ironhide looked at Tony thoughtfully, but knew his answer. Things would look bad if Tony shared his barn with him, it wasn't yet set up to look 'homely' yet. And if social services came for a surprise visit, Tony could easily be taken away because of it. "I wish we could, son. But though they've stepped down from adoption, and I have stepped up for it as of yesterday evening. It would not look good for me to have you living in a barn." Ironhide explained "I still have to prove to them I can take care of you, Anthony. And that would not help me at all." He added.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Tony nodded "You guys handled that yesterday, then?"

"I should get the paperwork in the mail tomorrow morning, if all goes well." Ironhide replied thoughtfully "It won't do anything more than make me your legal guardian, but it's a start is it not?" Ironhide carefully held a hand out slowly "Want to do something, kiddo? You've been pent up in your room all day." He explained "Can't be good for you." He added.

"You sound so much like a Father." Tony grinned, carefully climbing out the window and onto Ironhide's palm "Then again, you kinda always have." He teased the mech as he settled Tony onto his shoulder "What did Optimus say about it? I know you probably asked his permission first." Ironhide nodded his head "Did he approve? I mean... None of you guys have done this before." He added.

"Honestly? He asked what took me so long." Ironhide teased gently.

"And what did MARIE say?" Tony asked.

Ironhide snorted a bit, not really caring what the woman said all that much. "She asked who I was, it took twenty minutes to remind her. Her reply was that she had forgotten to tell you about me." Tony rolled his eyes, Ironhide simply rolled his optics "Doesn't matter anyway, as long as the moron doesn't forget who you and I are on our court date." He muttered.

"Dad, can I ask you a question?" Ironhide grunted a bit, Tony simply stared at him "Are you really going to kill him if he comes after me?"

Ironhide was silent he knew who "Him" meant, and he took this as a sign that Tony was frightened. What child actually liked the thought of death? Whether it was warranted or not? Ironhide took a deep breath, and looked out towards Prowl, who was near Michael at the moment. He didn't want to say this to Tony's face, it was hard to talk about 'killing' anyone with one's kids. "If... If he goes after you, and no other options of saving you are afforded to me..." Ironhide was silent for a moment "I will do what I must to keep you safe." He added.

"I don't want you doing it because he reminds you of your Dad." He added.

"I'm not, I'm doing it because you are my child." Ironhide told him, his voice quiet, angered "Anything I do to protect you, whether it is murdering your Father or not, I do out of love, Anthony." He then added "Please understand that if he takes you. I will kill him, without hesitation or mercy. But I only do so because if he does so, I know he'll never leave you alone. Not until he is dead." He explained "But I do not want to scare you, youngling. That is not my intention." He explained.

"I get it." Tony nodded "Just... Promise me you won't do something stupid." He told him.

"If anything, he should be worried about doing something stupid. I'm the one who can crush him like a guy." Ironhide chuckled, Tony looked at him with a look of sincerity "But I do promise, Tony. I will not do anything 'stupid'. If I kill him, it will be quick." He understood he was more afraid that he'd take it too far "I have no intention of hurting him in a way that would cause you more trauma than you already have." He explained.

Tony nodded his head a bit, allowing his mind to stray a bit. "Alright, enough angst. Seriously, if I want this much angst, I'll watch a teen drama." Tony nudged Ironhide's shoulder plate gently "Come on big guy, lets sneak out and go somewhere. I've been under house arrest for two days and so have you." Ironhide smirked a bit at the boy "I bet you want to get out too." He added.

Ironhide carefully transformed down, around Tony, angling him so that he ended up in his passengers seat carefully. "Lead the way, so long as you don't make me regret it." Ironhide stated, poking fun at him.

Tony smirked as they pulled out of the farmhouse calmly, not even taking notice of the car not too far off. Or the passenger within, whom, from behind a pair of sunglasses, glared daggers at them both. This would not do, this would just not do at all.