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Info: Cybertronian language.
Three and a half years earlier….
It was a quiet drive as Ironhide and Hound drove down the Route 50 and toward Washington D.C; the two Autobot soldiers were doing their best not to attract any unnecessary attention to themselves. They decided to change their alt modes in order to protect themselves from the Cemetery Wind. Hound scanned an old green Jeep Wrangler as his new alt mode and Ironhide scanned a red Nissan Vanette. They hoped that, that way they will fool the Cemetery Wind. But the guilty feeling of leaving Ratchet fell heavy on their sparks.
Hound was the first who spoke.
"Maybe Ratchet survived," he said, trough his comm. link. "He may not look it, but he's a lot stronger than he looks," he said, with hope in his voice. Hound needed to hope, even though he knew that the chances for that were very small.
"No, he didn't survive," Ironhide replied, in a voice of cold steel, with almost no emotion. "I can feel it in my spark."
"But we have to hope," Hound said.
"There is no hope; he is offlined, and it's all our fault," Ironhide replied, closing his comm. link.
After 37 hours of driving they finally managed to get to Washington D.C
"Now what?" Hound asked, as they drove down the 14th street.
"Now to find Optimus," Ironhide replied, stopping at a red traffic light. "I just hope, he is still here," he said.
As the pedestrians crossed the street Ironhide's attention was drawn to a woman with short almost boyish brown hair.
"It cannot be," Ironhide muttered, to himself in disbelief. His spark beat faster as he watched the woman crossing the street in front of him, carrying grocery bags. The woman was dressed in a baby blue dress and Ironhide could clearly see the woman's baby bump. Quickly scanning her and comparing her picture from the pictures he found on the internet Ironhide estimated she was six months pregnant. As the traffic light hit green he followed the woman into a small street, keeping a safe distance from the woman. He parked a few meters away behind trash containers so she would not see him; he quickly activated his holoform and followed her.
Ironhide felt his spark beating faster with each step he made; he could smell the woman's perfume, even though he was two meters away from her. He wondered whether to reveal himself to the young woman or not. But if he does that what is he going to tell her? He wondered. Their last meeting ended badly; she got hurt and he was sent to brig. Finally, he decided to reveal himself to her. He raised his hand to touch her, when suddenly his holoform shivered warning him about incoming message.
Ironhide sighed.
Scrap not now Hound he thought to himself, as he raised his hand again; but his holoform shivered again. "Damn it Hound what do you want? I'm busy," Ironhide said, angrily as he opened his internal communication link.
"I want you to stop following Miss. Jones," a firmed voice said over the link.
"Prime?!" Ironhide said shocked. "Where are you?"
"Turn around," the Autobot leader ordered.
Ironhide slowly turned around and came face to face with Optimus holoform. He turned his head and saw that Sandra had already disappeared around the corner. He slowly turned his head toward Optimus.
He opened his mouth plate to say something, but Optimus cut him off.
"What are you doing?" Optimus asked, not taking his eyes off him.
"I just wanted to talk to her."
"Why?" The Autobot leader calmly asked. "The last time Miss. Jones wanted to talk to you; you attacked her."
"I know," Ironhide said, lowering his head down.
"Then why do you want to talk to her? And after all this time?" Optimus asked, his voice softening a little.
"It's complicated," Ironhide said, with a sigh.
Optimus put his hand on Ironhide's shoulder.
"I know what happened…" Optimus started. "I know why you made the decisions you made."
"How?"
"I'm not an idiot Ironhide," the Autobot leader said, with a small smile on his lips. "Beside who knows you better than me?"
"Hound to Optimus," Optimus' comm. link beeped, making his holoform shiver.
"Optimus here," he said, opening his comm. link.
"Sir, Ironhide and I were searching for you, but I lost sight of him. And now I can not find him anywhere."
"Calm down Hound. Ironhide is with me."
"Thank Primus; for a nanoclick I thought those scumbugs from Cemetery Wind got to him," Hound said. "Sir, did he told you about Ratchet?" he asked.
"Told me what?"
"Ratchet is offlined."