"You have to tell her," Spectra said, to Ironhide over her comm. link as they drove through the streets of LA. She was still trying to convince him to tell Sandra the truth, but without success.

"I can't," Ironhide replied with a deep sigh. "Trust me, I want to tell her the truth more than anything, but I fear what her reaction would be," he said sincerely.

"Ironhide listen….." Spectra began softly, when suddenly Ironhide's voice cut her off cursing.

"FRAG!" he cursed under his breath as he slammed on his brakes stopping.

"What's wrong?" Spectra asked, as she parked next to him.

"I completely forgot."

"Forgot what?"

"Today is Selena's sparkday, and I forgot to buy her a sparkday present," Ironhide replied over the link. "And the sparkday party is beginning in five hours."

There was a small chuckle on the other side of the comm link.

"THIS IS NOT FUNNY SPECTRA!" he shouted annoyed.

"Alright, alright calm down you big tin can. I have an extra sparkday present at home, you can take it," Spectra said. "But you have a bigger problem than the sparkday present."

"Like what?"

"Like….How will you produce two holoforms at once?"

"Frag I did not think about it," he muttered to himself. What am I going to do he wondered to himself. Spectra was right, I can't produce two holoforms at once. I will have to choose he thought.

"Well…? Spectra asked couple of nanoclicks later.

"I will go as Derek," he replied.

"You know this would be a lot easier if you told her the truth."

"My decision is final Spectra."

"Alright, as humans like to say it's your funeral," Spectra said closing the comm. link.

0000

I quietly walked up the stairs and slowly opened my daughter's bedroom door; peering through the open door I saw she was still asleep. I quietly tiptoe and went over to her bed; leaning down I began kissing her all over her face waking her up.

"Mommy! Stop it!" Selena giggled as I kissed her.

"Happy birthday baby," I said, pulling her into my arms.

"Can I open my presents?" she asked, looking up at me with her big blue eyes.

"What no thank you mommy, only can I open my presents" I said laughing, caressing her hair.

"Thank you mommy" she quickly said.

"You are welcome."

"So, can I open my presents?"

I couldn't help but to chuckle.

"You may."

"YAY!"

She jumped out of bed in the blink of an eye and ran down the stairs and into the kitchen.

"Selena no running down the stairs! " I shouted after her, as I followed herdown the stairs. I didn't even make it to the kitchen when I heard her tearing the wrapping paper apart with her little hands. When I entered the kitchen I saw her sitting at the table hugging small plastic cannon.

I smiled to myself as I watched her playing with the cannon. She looks just like her father.

"Do you like it?" I asked softly.

"Yes mommy. Thank you."

"You are welcome. So do you want pancakes for breakfast? "

"Yes, please."

0000

Three hours later

"Dad, can you help me get set up the table?" I asked, as I pulled the plates out of the cupboard.

"Sure honey."

"So, who's coming?" my dad asked, setting up the table for the guests.

"Oh the usual people" I replied, putting the bowls with snacks on the table. "Lennox with his wife and kids; then Epps with his wife and kids" I started to enumerate. "Sam, Mikaela, Selena's friends from kindergarten, and their parents, Monica, Amy, you, mom and Derek."

"And Ironhide is not coming" Dean asked confused.

I shook my head.

"No. He has some meeting at the base," I replied.

"I see."

"We need to hurry up people will start to come in an hour," I said, looking up at the kitchen clock that was hanging on the wall above my head.

000

It was about 5 o'clock when people started to arrive. The first who arrived were Amy and Monica, then my mom and Derek followed by the Lennox family. Half an hour later the Epps family arrived with and Sam and Mikaela. And finally last but not least Selena's kindergarten friends and their parents. The party was going very well the people were chatting animatedly about all sorts of things and the kids were running all over the place giggling.

I couldn't help but to smile as I watched Selena running around playing with her friends. How the time flies I thought to myself.

"She is beautiful," a male voice winced me from my thoughts. I turn around and saw Derek standing next to me.

"Yes she is," I agreed. "Having fun?"

"Yes."

"Sandra…" I heard my mother's voice calling me from the kitchen.

"Yeah?"

"It's time to cut the cake."

"Coming," I said, walking into the kitchen.

"Here put the candles on the cake," she said, giving me four pink candles.

"I hope the kids will like it," I said, placing the candles gently on the cake, trying not to ruin the frosting.

"Oh, they will trust me." My mother assured me, opening the kitchen door. "Alright little ones gather around the table, it's time for the cake," Spectra said.

As the kids and parents gather around the table they began to sing happy birthday.

"Selena baby, make a wish and blow out your candles," I said, as I put the cake down on the table.

Closing her eyes, Selena made a wish before blowing out the candles.

"Okay, who wants to eat some cake?" I asked, cutting the cake and started handing out pieces.

000

By nine o'clock all the guests had already gone to their homes.

"Well pumpkin, we have to be going home to" my dad said, holding Selena in his arms.

"You sure you don't mind Selena staying with you for the night?"

"Of course not, she is our granddaughter."

I nodded.

"Thanks dad."

"Don't mention it. Talk to you tomorrow."

"Alright," I said, closing the door and walking into the living room. "Finally alone," I said, wrapping my arms around Derek's neck kissing him.

"Mhm," he murmured as he wrapped his arms around my waist.

"I love you," I whispered, burying my head into his chest inhaling his scent.

"I love you too sweetspark."

The moment the words had left his mouth, he regretted them. He could feel the change in the atmosphere as her entire body tense in his arms. She raised her head up to look at him.

"Did you just call me sweetspark?"

"No," he replied, trying to sound calm but his voice was betraying him.

"No…." I said shaking, my head, and pushing him away from me backing up. "I know what I heard, you called me sweetspark."

"Scrap," Ironhide sputtered. How could he be so careless?

I watched as Derek's holoform disappeared and his holoform appeared.

"My god," I whispered, covering my mouth with my hand. "Ironhide tell me…. Was it you all along or just for tonight?"

He didn't say anything; he just stood there.

"ANSWER ME!"

"All along," he whispered, barely audible, but I heard him clearly.

I was shocked, hurt and angry. I made a couple of steps back, grabbing the chair behind me and sitting down closing my eyes. He lied to me for years. The man I loved was not real; he did not exist. How could I be so blind not to see what was right in front of me? I thought to myself. Sam knew it from the beginning, and even Annabelle recognized him.

"Please let me explain," Ironhide said in a gentle voice.

"Get out!" I whispered, opening my eyes to look at him.

"Sandra…please," he begged.

"I will not say it again! Get out before I call the police!"

"NO!" he said, narrowing his eyes at her.

"No….?"

"No," he repeated. "I will not leave till we talk."

"Talk…. ! Talk….!" I said, rising from the chair; my whole body shaking from the anger. "You want to talk? Alright, let's talk. I will go first," I said, approaching him. "You lied to me and my daughter for four years pretending to be something you are not…."

"Selena knows," he said coldly, cutting me off.

"What…?"

"Selena knows," he repeated. "From the moment she could understand things I told her."

"Oh, and that should make me feel better!?" I asked, looking him in the eyes. "Why do you hate me so much?"

"Hate you?" He said shocked. "Sandra, I don't hate you. I love you."

He looked hurt.

I LOVE YOU!? HOW DARE HE SAY THAT TO ME? AFTER ALL HE DID TO ME?! AND AFTER ALL THE PAIN HE CAUSED ME?

"You love me?" I repeated with a laugh. "You don't know what love is. My mother was right all along, I was just too blind and stupid to see it. And when I think that I made love to you, it makes me sick to my stomach."

That was it; something inside him snapped and his facial expression changed. His demeanor changed from sad and hurt to pure fury; his eyes became dark and angry and within seconds he had gripped her hair wrapping it around his fist and jerking her towards him.

"ENOUGH! How….how dare you? How dare you say that to me?" he whispered in a furious tone as he moved me up against the wall.

"Let me go Ironhide; you're hurting me," I shouted grabbing his hand, trying desperately to free myself,but his grip was too strong.

I have never seen him so outraged in my life. A vase which was standing on the table fell to the floor with a loud crash as I kick the table, struggling to get free. My back hit the wall as he pressed his body against mine, his hand still wrapped in my hair.

"I've never been so insulted in my life. But I promise you one thing; by the end of the night I'm gonna make you regret your words."

"What are you going to do?" I whispered.

I was scared. His eyes were dark, unreadable.

His mouth curled in a vicious smile.

"Oh, you will see."