I watched TLK for the first time since it was in theatres. God I wish the plot made sense, because I love other aspects of it. Characters and dialogue is a 10/10 for me. At least Ironhide lives vicariously through Barricade thanks to the voice actor, and Barricade didn't die, so yay I guess lol.

Anyway, Enjoy!

Home

…

Paperwork. So much paperwork. How many trees worth of documents had she signed at this point? At least Lennox—no Will—was kind enough to read out the abbreviated version before asking for a signature.

Gas line explosion. Old pipe. Leaks in multiple spots, all set off from the initial house explosion. As cover stories went, it wasn't the worst.

Not long after Will left with the stack of paper, her parents rushed through the door. Her mother walked in first and immediately burst into tears. Her father followed with Sirius in toe. He looked at her with a smile and watery eyes.

Aria and her mother shared a long hug until her father cleared his throat and asked if he could have a turn. When he let go, tears streamed down his face as well. Sirius half jumped onto the cot, licking at her arms and face. Aria cradled his head in her hands, leaning down to give him kisses on his nose. Nothing was better than seeing Sirius happy and healthy.

They stayed nearly the entire day. The cover story worked well enough, soothing over their questions. Her mother offered to stay a few days, but Aria turned her down as Will had advised earlier. Instead, she told them she was staying at Cynthia's place. They were work friends after all, and work friends would do that, wouldn't they?

And so her parents flew back to Iowa the next day, Sirius with them, for the time being.

That same day, Aria was cleared of any delayed injury symptoms and taught the ins and outs of crutches. Her first stop was the bathroom.

Will came later that day to pick her up. He pushed her wheelchair out to the entrance where his decidedly plain looking SUV was parked.

One look at her face caused him to laugh. "What, you were expecting something else?"

Aria rolled her eyes.

They arrived at Aria's new residence twenty minutes later. It had been arranged by the government or whoever was in charge of Cybertronian incident clean up.

As he helped her out of the vehicle, Will handed Aria her crutches and immediately apologized about the steps up to, and inside the townhouse. Not like she was going to complain, the place was probably more expensive than she could ever afford.

The townhouse was a quaint red brick building with six white doors lined up across the front. Around it were other matching buildings that surrounded a community parking lot.

Behind the building was a row of trees and a guard rail along the freeway, beyond that, the National Mall where the Air and Space Museum and NEST headquarters were located.

Will gave her the grand tour of the shoebox like three story home. The place was perfectly maintained and absolutely beautiful. Every piece of trim had some sort of intricate detail lit up by the large windows in every room. Even the hardwood floors glistened in the natural light.

The house was sparsely furnished with the necessities. Will told her she was welcome to personalize it as much as she wanted and handed her a credit card. The card allowed a modest monthly allowance with a little extra so she could stock up on things like food and clothing. She thanked him profusely.

That night, Aria got into her new bed. It was stiff compared to her old one. She stayed up waiting for Ironhide to appear. No matter how heavy her eyelids became, her eyes darted back in forth in the darkness. Any sudden noise caused her to flinch. Not even Wheelie was here to send a signal if something, anything came out of the dark and grabbed her.

Ironhide never did show up that night, and when sleep finally took her, she dreamt of eyes that followed her every move.

…

The next day Aria planned on shopping for all the supplies she needed for her new place. She sat on the foot of the bed and got dressed in one of the t-shirts and a pair sweatpants hanging in the closet. They fit well enough for random clothing supplied by…whoever was in charge of that.

A ringing sound came from her bedside table. She laid back on the bed and stretched her arm out in attempt to reach her newly acquired cell phone. Her fingers brushed it. She stretched further, finally grabbing a hold of it.

"Hello?" she answered without bothering to sit back up again.

"Hi, Aria! It's Will. I don't think I programmed my number into your new phone yet."

"Hey, Will! Don't worry, I'll put you under 'Colonel Lennox'."

"Hardy-har," he deadpanned. "So do you have anything planned for today?"

"Yeah, probably just going to go out and get some stuff."

"Now that you're under our protection, may I offer any Autobot assistance?"

Aria sat up so quickly, her head spin. "Really? I would love that!"

Will laughed. "I have to send the one that's been pestering me the most about seeing you. He can be a little grumpy, but it's the best I can do."

"I can see him again? Is he okay enough to be out?"

"He's okay enough to try and sneak out, so he should be fine for a day trip."

It was still hard to believe she could be with Ironhide again. Not just his holoform, but him in all of his grouchy glory. The thought of him coming with her today made it seem so much less daunting.

Will's voice cut through her thoughts. "The only problem is Ironhide's alt mode will be difficult for you to get in and out of. I might have to send one of my guys out with him."

"Oh, no that's fine, Ironhide—" she stopped herself. She had been just about to tell Will about Ironhide's holoform. "Ironhide and I will figure something out. Maybe just send him with a stool."

"All right, I can probably do that for you," Will said with a chuckle.

They exchanged their goodbyes and Aria hung up the phone. She quickly added Colonel Lennox to her contact list before grabbing her crutches and heading to the bathroom.

Not even ten minutes later there was a knock at the front door. She hobbled over to the top of the staircase. She had yet to go down them, the task seeming a little too daunting to attempt just yet. The last thing she needed was to fall down the stairs and break her other leg. She gripped the handle of her crutches.

"John," she called out towards the door below. "If that's you, could you please come in? I need your help."

Not a second later, Ironhide's holoform appeared just in front of the door. He looked around quickly, trying to locate her. His eyes found hers.

"Aria, what's wrong?"

She gave a little wave. "Could you help me down the stairs?"

Ironhide quirked an eyebrow, coming up to meet her at the top of the staircase. "Of course."

"Maybe if you want to stand in front…" she trailed off when Ironhide shook his head.

"I have a better idea."

Not giving her time to respond, he scooped her up into his arms. Aria made a small noise of surprise and wrapped her arms around his neck. Not this again.

"You know I have to learn to go down the steps on my own, right? It's not like you're always going to be here."

Ironhide began taking her down the steps. "I'm here now though, so you don't have to."

She looked up at him. His form once again appeared solid. Much more real.

Once they reached the landing, Ironhide gently put her down and passed her crutches to her. He then followed her back into the kitchen where she began going through the cupboards.

"William told me we are gathering supplies today?"

She turned her head to the side so she could see the holoform. He had his arms crossed and leaned against the counter behind her. "Well that's one way to put it. I would just call it grocery shopping."

"Grocery," he repeated slowly. "What a strange word."

Aria smiled fondly, though Ironhide could not see it since her nose was back in a cupboard.

"All right now I just need to make a list." Hopefully there was paper that she could use in the house somewhere.

She ended up locating one in a drawer and limped over to the nearby table to begin writing. Ironhide sat down in the chair beside her, intently watching her write out the list. It was a little embarrassing when she wrote down things like toilet paper and feminine hygiene products, but she had to remember such things didn't have any stigma associated to them to a being from a different galaxy.

"You'll probably hate shopping by the end of today," she said, finishing up the long list.

"It can't be any worse than that noisy club or crowded hospital."

Aria put her elbow on the wooden table, resting her cheek in her palm. "You're the one who chose to project your conscience through a human doppelganger."

"I can stop at anytime if you would prefer." He leaned back in his chair. His tone implied he was ready for any challenge Aria could present to him.

Something about the way his eyebrows were raised high on his face, how his eyes shone with mirth, it made her want to win the frivolous competition.

A mischievous smile appeared on her face. "No you wouldn't, because you lov—" the word died in her throat, and a feeling of dread filled her stomach. What was she thinking, saying something like that to him?

He didn't…think that way about her. They were friends, and that was it. Nothing more could happen between them, and she was perfectly fine with that.

Ironhide however, didn't look the least bit bothered by it. Instead, he raised both brows further in obvious amusement. "What was that, Aria?"

She broke eye contact, determined to look anywhere but his eyes. It was like he wasn't at all affected by what she had just been about to say. No, she must have been reading the situation wrong. Surely it was just that he didn't catch what almost slipped out of her mouth. Her gaze met the digital clock above the stove.

"Oh is it ten already? We should probably go!"

Ironhide shook his head but still retained his charming grin. "Whatever you wish."

When they exited the house Aria insisted that she hop down the steps this time. There were only four leading down to the sidewalk, so it was probably a good place to start. Ironhide was right beside her, a hand on her back. He was tense, like he was ready to catch her the moment she began to fall.

Going down the steps wasn't too bad. Having Ironhide there was a great confidence booster.

Once they both made it down to ground level, they made their way towards Ironhide's alt-form. He was parked in the private parking lot in between the buildings that faced each other.

At first glance, he looked pristine. But as she got closer, the light bounced off the black paint irregularly across countless dents and scratches.

"Oh my god, Ironhide!" She spun from his alt form to his holoform.

He only held a finger to his lips.

She flung a hand over her mouth, eyeing the surrounding buildings. It didn't look like anyone was around to hear her. "Are you okay?"

He held out his hand for her crutches. "I've had worse."

Aria put her hand on the handle of his alt-mode and passed them to him. "That doesn't answer my question."

He placed them on the floor in the back. He then picked her up, the passenger door opening simultaneously and he placed her on the seat. He took the seatbelt and leaned over to fasten it around her waist. Only when his face was close to hers, he finally answered.

"Nothing that won't heal."

Why did he have to smile at her like that? It made her heart thump uncomfortably in her chest. His holoform wasn't real, it was all an illusion. Ironhide was an alien. He was the truck she sat in.

She looked straight ahead when Ironhide hopped into the driver seat, doing her best to ignore the satisfied smile that remained on his lips.

"And you're okay enough to use your holoform? It's only been a couple of days."

His smile faltered for a second. "I thought you preferred me this way."

Preferred his holoform? Why would he think that? His true form was much cooler. It was him. His holoform did resemble his appearance but was just a tool to sneak out of the base and see her.

Unless that's what he meant. Duh, that made more sense.

"I do, but I don't want you using it when you don't have to."

He only nodded, keeping his eyes on the road.

Did she…say something wrong?

Nah, she was just reading into it way too much. Music. Music would help.

She reached for the volume dial, twisting it. Ironhide's gaze followed the movement of her hand. His grip seemed to tighten on the steering wheel.

She flipped through the various radio stations trying to find something suitable to listen to. When nothing caught her attention, she turned it back off again and leaned back in her seat.

"Ugh, you would think there would be something to listen to with so many stations."

"Why don't you sing something then?"

Her face heated up. Was he being serious right now? She opened her mouth and shut it again, not knowing how to react to his request.

"Shy all of a sudden, punk? Is it the medication? William warned me that you may act strangely."

"I'm sorry, I think you're right. I feel really…strange," she said, looking out the passenger side window.

It was true, she never had a problem singing in front of him before. But now, just the thought of it made her nervous. What was wrong with her?

"I apologize for asking. I suppose I miss your voice," he said more quietly than before.

Tearing her eyes from the window, she examined his expression. Did he really just say that?

"What? Are my audio receptors showing?"

She sat back and shook her head. Okay he was messing with her now. He chuckled.

The air felt a bit lighter. She began to hum the chorus of the Flower Duet.

Opening her eyes again, she glanced over at Ironhide who wore a light expression as he listened intently. It encouraged her to sing aloud.

…

"What is this?"

"A squash."

"And this?"

"A pear."

"How can you tell the difference?"

Aria sent Ironhide a sideways glance before turning back to tie up her bag of apples.

Ironhide put the fruit back down and returned to his position of leaning on the half full shopping cart. He looked at her expectantly, waiting for an answer.

"I don't know, ones a fruit and ones a vegetable? There's also signs that tell you in case you're not sure."

When they first arrived at the store, Aria spent nearly the first half hour explaining the ins and outs of grocery shopping. But it seemed the more questions she answered, the more he asked. He was really having a hard time comprehending just how many things humans could eat. But seeing how Cybertronians only consumed Energon, it was probably a little overwhelming.

He hummed in response, still looking at the produce with a critical eye. She caught herself watching him until a passing giggle drew her attention.

Two teenage girls that looked like sisters followed behind their mother. The trio came to a stop further down the aisle. The girls, like many others exposed to Ironhide's holoform, constantly peeked over their shoulders at him.

"Do females have anything better to do than look at me?" Ironhide questioned, looking back at the girls causing them to hastily avert their gaze.

"Well maybe if you wore a looser shirt or made yourself less buff, you wouldn't attract so much attention, John."

She narrowed her eyes at the back of the girls' heads. There really was no need for his holoform to be as attractive as it was. It was like he did it intentionally to make her jealous—

Which she wasn't.

Letting out a humph, she limped out of the produce section with Ironhide following close behind.

"Aria, are—"

She cut him off, recognizing the tone immediately. "Yes I'm all right."

They came to a stop in the frozen food section. Aria glared through the glass at a bag of frozen shrimp, despite feeling Ironhide's eyes on her.

She didn't like the negative feeling that burned in her chest. She didn't like him like that.

Needing a distraction from the urge to pull out her hair, she tried to come up with something else to talk about.

"Can we go to my house after?"

Ironhide's demeanor took a sudden turn. His body tensed and he stood more still than before, making him look unnatural.

"Not yet," was all he replied with.

She sent him a sharp look. What kind of answer was that?

He clarified, "I don't think it's a good idea."

"I'm fi—"

"You are not fine, Aria." He took a step closer to her. "You are severely injured and recovering from a traumatic event."

Ironhide's expression softened. He reached forward and took her hand in his, oblivious to the people around them.

"I would prefer to wait until you are in better shape before going. It can be…difficult seeing the aftermath."

She squeezed his hand. It was something he must have known far too well.

"Please, Ironhide?" she whispered. "I need to know if it's actually gone."

He looked down at her and nodded.

…

Ironhide loaded her back up into his alt-form. The seatbelt thing really was overkill.

They made a pit stop at Aria's new place to drop off the groceries. It would have been much quicker if it didn't take her so long to get in and out of the truck. She would have stayed put like Ironhide suggested, but it would be too difficult trying to explain what needed to go in the fridge verses the freezer.

They then drove past the outer limits of Washington where her…old home was.

Letting out a sigh, she leaned her head back into the headrest. Maybe this wasn't a good idea. It didn't help that neither of them said anything since they left the townhouse.

A few minutes later, Ironhide turned down the gravel road. At first glance everything looked normal, but things soon began to change. The people that regularly walked their pets down the street were nowhere to be seen. Driveways were blocked off by yellow caution tape. Trees that had fallen over the road were pushed to the side, revealing scorch marks in the grass and welts in the pavement. The closer to her house they got, the worse the damage became.

They pulled into her driveway, Ironhide merely driving through the caution tape. Aria's tight grip on the door handle loosed and her hand fell into her lap. Her eyes fixed on the rubble remains of the place she called home for her entire life.

The front steps lead up to a crumbled wall, the highest point no taller than the first level. The rest of the house was caved in completely. Bricks, wood, shingles, all of it was scattered everywhere around the house, blackened and burnt. Only a few leaves of her garden poked through the debris.

It really was gone.

"Can you help me out, please?" She didn't take her eyes off the tattered remains of her home.

Ironhide's holoform disappeared from the seat beside her. Not a second later, the passenger door opened and the seatbelt undid itself. Ironhide's holoform reappeared and took out her crutches then helped her out of his alt-mode.

She limped closer to the front porch, remembering how she sat there with Ironhide. Her eyes spotted the familiar poetry book lying on the ground, partially buried in front of her. She would have bent down to pick it up if she could. She glanced back over her shoulder to see Ironhide's holoform leaning against his alt-mode, his eyes fixed on her house.

As she made her way around the remains of her home, memories flashed through her mind. The nights she laid in the grass with her father, pointing out constellations in the sky. Riding horses with her mother. Then there were the more recent times, like laughing while Sirius chased Wheelie around for almost an hour. Standing on the balcony in the soft glow of Ironhide's optics.

She stopped in front of the shed, or rather, what was left of it. Blood stained grass led away from it and towards the gouged earth where Starscream and Ironhide fought.

How could Starscream do such a thing? Mindlessly blowing up everything she held dear, for what? An entrance?

The sound of her name being called drew her attention to the approaching holoform behind her. When she turned to meet him she noticed something in his hand. It was small and pale pink, sitting delicately between his fingers.

A rose.

He held it out for her to take. She pinched it by the short stem, careful to avoid the thorns. Without much thought, she lifted it to her nose to inhale its sweet scent, closing her eyes as she did so.

It was the smell of her childhood, the smell of summer, drinking iced tea on the porch, the smell of good days and bad days. The smell of home.

When she opened her eyes, her vision was blurred with tears and her shoulders began to shake.

Two arms pulled her close to a warm body. She let her crutches fall in favor of holding on to Ironhide for support instead.

He remained there, rubbing her back until she stopped sobbing.

…

If you're sad…just know, if this took place in 2020's, those teenage girls would have been calling Ironhide daddy. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Also I posted some polls (one to do with a couple of sequel ideas), so feel free to way in!