Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It was just before six p.m. when Aria arrived at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. She hummed as she walked upstream of a river of tourists making their way down to a row of buses that would return them from where they came.

The Udvar-Hazy Center was a part of the National Air and Space Museum. It was not only the home of thousands of air and space artifacts, but home to her as well. It had been that way since she first walked through these very doors when she was eight.

Massive planes strung up like toys came into view as she walked onto the balcony. Nearly every day she watched people's faces express the same childish wonder she had felt when she first laid eyes on them.

She walked down the steps of the balcony onto the main floor of the museum. It was there the SR-71 Blackbird sat on display. The distinct aircraft stood out from all the others. It was massive, black, and elegantly curved. The fastest and highest flying aircraft ever built, even to this day.

But it was also the strangest display the museum had. Sometimes her skin would tingle when she was near it, almost as if it had a presence. The story at the museum was that it was haunted. Even as she walked past it now, one of the tour guides was telling a lingering family the story.

"—and then, days after it flew into the Bermuda Triangle, something unexplained happened…" the man paused dramatically. “One foggy morning, it appeared back at the base, not a scratch on it. But when they searched for the pilot… he was nowhere to be found."

The children of the small family gasped in horror, while the parents laughed politely.

"Looks like old man Ernesto is at it again."

Aria turned to acknowledge her coworker, Frank, a dull looking, middle-aged man.

"Hey, at least he's having fun," she said, falling in pace with Frank. "Plus, his story does have some validity. The pilot was never found."

"Yes, but who would want to haunt that old piece of junk?" Frank nodded his head back to the aircraft where Ernesto waved goodbye to the family.

Aria gaped. "Did you just call the Blackbird a piece of junk?"

"Sorry, I keep forgetting you're obsessed with this crap." His tone was not at all apologetic.

"I know. It's crazy that some of us work here because we happen to like what's on display."

"You mean the tour guides and educators? Cause I don't think most janitors give two shits where they work. Cleaning’s cleaning and that's that. At least I'm getting out of here."

Why did the man have to be so miserable all the time? Sure, life wasn't all it was cracked up to be growing up, but that was just how it was. At least he had a family to come home to, unlike her. It wasn’t all bad though, she had a loyal dog and two horses. Well, the horses technically belonged to her parents, but that was beside the point.

"In my defense, I did apply to be a guide, it just turned out they were only hiring janitors at the time."

"And how long ago was that? Three, four years ago?"

"Five," Aria said, her eyes fixed on the expansive body of the space shuttle that sat in the space exploration exhibit.

He shrugged. "Just thought after you graduate you're s'posed to get a job in that field."

Her eyes drifted back to meet his. "I only graduated a year ago, and I want to work here, just not as a janitor."

"Have you ever heard of the term 'overqualified'?"

"I took Astronomy, not rocket science."

Frank squinted at her out of the corner of his eye but said nothing.

It was true though, Astronomy wasn't a very competitive field. Sure, there were some fantastic jobs out there such as researching for NASA, but the majority of graduates went on to basic educational jobs. In fact, educating guests at the National Museum would probably be an honor for aspiring astronomers.

They parted ways when Aria entered one of the public washrooms. The large sterile room was utterly empty. She took her bag off her shoulders and pulled out her gray jumpsuit. She pulled it over the sundress she wore, not bothering to take it off. After zipping it up, she put on her work boots. In the mirror, she took her time putting her long dark hair up in a ponytail. It was always a struggle to contain the mass of hair and have it not look like a disaster. Finally, she fixed her glasses and was out the door.

She turned to go down the hall when something, or rather someone caught her eye. A man was lying on the floor, twitching strangely outside the men's bathroom. He wore a gray suit identical to hers. It was Frank. Was he having a seizure? He was fine just a minute ago when she left him.

Aria ran over to his side, kneeling to get a closer look at him. “Frank, are you okay? Do I need to call an ambulance?"

In response, Frank started to jerk his eyes towards the men's washroom door. "Ba-bathroom," he wheezed out, looking back at her.

Her gaze turned from the downed man to the washroom door. What was in there that he wanted her to see? Maybe medication, or an EpiPen? With a nod, she ran into the washroom, ready to find whatever he was looking for.

Instead, she found four other twitching, huffing, and distressed looking security guards on the floor. Something was definitely wrong here. She backed out the door until she tripped over Frank, falling back partially on top of him.

"Sorry, Frank!" She glanced down at him in alarm, fearing she may have hurt him more.

The man merely let out another huffing noise.

Aria got up and brushed the stay hairs off her face. A faint buzzing and distant panicked voices caught her attention. What in the hell was going on here? Did the noise have something to do with the inebriated men in the bathroom?

Should she run away in case whatever happened to those men happened to her? Or should she find out exactly what was happening? No no, she should stay with the men and call an ambulance first and foremost.

She pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and jammed in the numbers. Her hands shook. What was going on? Maybe they were attacked. Did that mean she was in danger too?

The operator picked up after a single ring, and she explained the situation to them as calmly as possible. The operator responded by sending out a nearby ambulance.

More yells distracted Aria from the phone call. Something was going on. No longer able to resist, she stood up, sending Frank an apologetic look and told him she'd be right back. She grabbed the taser from his belt and took off towards the noise.

Catching up to the commotion, the source of the buzzing noise turned out to be a remote-controlled monster truck, and the voices belonged to four people, one girl, and three boys. The group was crowded in front of the Blackbird.

Aria had to stop and backpedal behind a nearby plane to avoid detection. There were four of them and only one of her. Her eyes flickered from the group to the taser in her hand. She had never even used a taser before. Would they even be threatened by it? They somehow managed to inebriate every security guard in the building, so how could she stand a chance?

But they were obviously here for the Blackbird, and no one messed with the Blackbird. Not while she was around. She sprung out from behind the plane, taser pointed at the group as if it were a gun.

"S-stopwhatyourdoing!" Instead of yelling, her voice came out higher pitched. Her face heated. That was not how she intended to sound.

The group spun around with alarmed expressions. One of the boys, who looked of Hispanic descent, even had the decency to put his hands up.

But that wasn't what caught her attention. No, it was the small toy truck transforming into a robot.

"What, never seen a Cybertronian before?" It spoke.

It spoke.

An ear-piercing screech tore from her throat. There was no robot that advanced on this planet. It moved perfectly and spoke like it had a mind of its own. Human technology wasn't even close to this level. And yet, here it was in front of her.

"Whoa, calm down their lady," the older man spoke up, stretching out a placating hand. The others looked unsure of what to do, so they merely watched.

Despite the man addressing her directly, her eyes and taser never left the robot. "What the hell is that thing?"

The older man took a slow step towards her. "Don't worry about it, he's harmless. Just go home before you do anything too drastic."

"I'm right here," the robot said, raising its hands crudely.

It—he looked harmless with one eye like light dangling from its socket, but that was beside the point. These people broke into the museum, did something to the guards, and had a perfectly functioning robot with them, and they wanted her to just go home?! So when the police came knocking on her door, she could pretend nothing happened?

"You can't come here and tell me to go home! You have to leave, not me!"

"Uh, guys?"

Everyone's eyes landed on the piece of metal the short hair boy hand clasped in tweezers. Was the boy shaking it, or was it vibrating? She didn't spare it another thought because it flew out of the boy's raised hand and hit the Blackbird with a clank.

A pulse of energy rattled the large building. The girl and the boy ran under the Blackbird’s fuselage where that weird face looking symbol was. Like her, many have noticed it before. It was just another mysterious thing about the jet.

But instead of confusion or wonder like everyone else, the girl whipped her head towards the others. "It's a Decepticon!"

What the hell was a Decepticon?

An overwhelming tingling sensation made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. It was similar to the presence she always felt around the Blackbird but intensified tenfold.

The floor shook as the Blackbird started moving on its own accord. Parts noisily rearranged into limbs resembling arms and legs. A head appeared, and it started coughing, trying to stand up while transforming. Aria's legs wobbled, and she fell to the ground.

The Blackbird was standing. Standing. They weren't supposed to do that. None of this was remotely possible. The Blackbird was a military plane from the sixties, not a massive robot. This had to be a dream. There was no way any of this was real.

"Behold! The eternal glory of Jetfire!" it hollered.

It had a name? It couldn't, and if it did—it would be Blackbird. The dumb aircraft didn't even know what it was! It was an SR-71 Blackbird, not a giant robot named Jetfire!

The thing was hunched over, using the biggest cane she had ever seen to make its way to the steel doors that were used to move massive air and spacecraft in and out of the building.

The older man turned to her. "Do not tell anyone, you hear me? Not. A. Soul."

Aria swallowed and nodded. Without another word, the man ran to catch up with others.

The Blackbird pointed a mechanical arm at the doors, commanding them to open. When they didn't, it changed tactics and yelled fire. Again, nothing happened.

Getting angry—well it was already angry—getting even angrier, it shouted fire again. This time a missile shot from its arm pointed at the steel door. It arced behind the robot and hit a hanging plane some ways behind it.

Aria jumped about six feet in the air at the noise, and another twelve when it exploded. Could the Blackbird not aim? Not only was it going to kill her, it was going to destroy the museum in the process.

The giant robot resorted to swearing and smashing the doors down, wandering outside still yammering on. She was about to get up and run in the opposite direction, but her body refused to get up. So she sat there, eyes trained on the broken doors. This could be the most exciting this to ever happen to her. She would regret it for the rest of her life if she ran now. After what felt like hours, she took a deep breath, her decision made.

Instead of fleeing like a normal human being, she ran out the huge doors and followed the path of destruction towards the talking Blackbird.

A yellow Camero and two other smaller cars, one red and one green, were parked near the group. The short-haired boy was on his hands and knees doing…something. Coming closer, it became clear he was carving strange symbols into the ground. He was damn lucky she wasn't in charge of the lawn.

The Hispanic boy was the first to notice her presence. He nudged the girl with his shoulder and pointed at Aria. "Mikaela, Mikaela, she's back! What do we do?"

The girl pried her attention away from the talking Blackbird. When her eyes met Aria’s, she strode towards her. “Look, I know you’re curious, but you have to leave.”

Leave? Leave? She had just witnessed an aircraft transform into a sentient robot who took out half the museum in under five minutes.

“And what, go home and forget everything that happened?”

“That’s exactly what you have to do, okay? These things are dangerous,” the girl named Mikaela said with a determined look in her eye.

"What is she doing here?"

Aria and Mikaela both turned their attention to the older man marching up to them. His gaze was zeroed in on Aria, a deep frown on his lips.

"That's no way to treat a dame," the Blackbird interjected.

Simmons looked up at the robot with a disgruntled face. "Says who, huh? The senile robot that took out half a museum?"

"How the frag did I get caught up in this?" said the much smaller robot from beside the girl, Mikaela.

"Guys, guys! Let's just stop for a minute. Maybe we can talk this through." The Hispanic boy walked towards them, hands up to show he meant no harm.

At least one of them was willing to talk to her. She gestured to the Blackbird. "I would love that. Maybe you can explain how you turned a decommissioned aircraft into a talking robot?"

Said robot hammered his cane down into the grass. "Bullocks! I'll have you know the only decommissioned aircraft is the one I scanned before it crashed off the coast. I, however, am the glorious—"

"Jetfire!" 

"Hrm?" The Blackbird looked down at the boy, now standing beside the symbols he carved into the ground.

Jetfire brought his hand up to his strange metallic beard, suddenly enthralled by the symbols.

He told Jetfire that the symbols were stuck in his head, and someone named Mega- something and "The Fallen" who was the original Decepticon.

At this point, she was totally lost. Just who were these people? And who were these robots that had so much history? The symbols the boy carved did not look like something robots would be able to read. They looked more like an ancient language akin to the first forms of Chinese characters.

And then there was that word again. Deception. The bad guys— at least that’s what it sounded like. But they called Jetfire a Decepticon, and he wasn’t bad. Or at least he wasn’t anymore. 

It was all so much to take in.

The old Blackbird started hollering again after the boy's mention of The Fallen. Jetfire crowded them all together as he spouted nonsensical words. Apocalypse, chaos, mission, the Fallen's search, Dagger's tip, a key, hold on.

Wait… Hold on? Why are they holding on?

They were squeezed together in between Jetfire's hands. The others panicked around her, only making the situation more frightening. They clearly had no idea what was happening either.

Flashes of light sparked from his massive fingers. The air buzzed around them, now supercharged with electricity. Static pricked at her skin like hundreds of bee stings growing more painful by the second.  The sensation of weightlessness consumed her being, then blinding white light.

And then nothing.

Chapter Text

Red light filtered through Aria's eyelids as she regained consciousness. Strange, she couldn't recall going to sleep. She opened her eyes, only for them to be assaulted by intense sunlight that made her squeeze them shut again and fling an arm over her face. A sharp pain pounded in her head. What…happened?

After a moment, she sat up, her hands digging into the soft sand. Clutching some in her palm, she brought her hand up and let it pour back on the ground through her fingers. Was she at the beach? Looking around, there was nothing but sand as far as the eye could see with no sign of water. This definitely wasn't the beach.

"What the hell?" she mumbled, propping herself up with an elbow. It looked more like a desert, and there were no deserts in Washington.

She squeezed her eyes shut. What was the last thing she did? She got up, did chores, went to work…

Work! She talked to Frank, followed voices, and discovered that the Blackbird was actually a robot! Her memories blurred during the events leading up to the flash of light, the robot had said something about a space bridge. But a space bridge was a portal. And a portal meant…that she was transported?

Aria looked around again. This wasn't real. It couldn't be! Teleportation wasn't possible. This was just a hoax. A very elaborate, cruel hoax.

Wait—Where were the other people? Did they just leave her here in the middle of nowhere to fend for herself? She didn’t ask to be a part of this. She was only trying to stop them. They couldn’t just break in, turn the Blackbird into a robot, then leave.

She needed to get out of her now! She needed to get home!

She closed her eyes, attempting to calm her racing heart. Panicking wasn't helping the situation. All she had to do was get up and find out what was going on. That was step one. Step two would be going home where she would wrap herself in a blanket and read on the couch and pretend nothing ever happened.

That the Blackbird wasn’t a robot. That she didn’t get transported somewhere else.

She picked up her glasses that were lying in the sand beside her, doing her best to shake the sand off before putting them back on.

In the distance was the sound of an engine. She stood and looked around. Further out was a yellow vehicle shining in the sunlight. It was the Camaro from the museum. It was driving further away from her, followed by the smaller red and green cars. Did the Blackbird teleport the cars too? What the hell was going on?

She raised her arms up half-heartedly in an attempt to wave them down. It was no use, they were too far. Her body was nothing but a spec in their rearview mirror. Should she try to follow? No, that was a dumb idea. Even if she ran, she would never catch up. The sandy terrain was endless. It was the type of environment she could easily die in if she made any irrational decisions. She would have to find another way out of this, whatever this was.

The air was hot and dry and paired with her growing apprehension, it was suffocating. She rolled up the sleeves of her uniform and unzipped it low enough to air out her neck. Would that old robot be here somewhere? Would the people come back?

In retrospect, following them outside the museum had been a dumb idea. Why, why didn't she stay with Frank and the others and wait for the ambulance to arrive? No, she just had to find out what was going on, had to follow the talking robot outside. Now, look where that got her. Oh, that's right, she didn't even know!

She took a breath. "Stay calm," she said. "Everything's fine."

Still, her hands shook.

There was a strange noise carrying over the gentle breeze. It was familiar, like talking. She turned towards the source, which was somewhere behind her. Sure enough, sitting upon a pile of flat, sand-covered rocks, sat a certain aircraft missing from a particular museum.

The rock formation was scattered and looked like it wouldn't be too difficult to climb. She walked over to it and began to scale up the rocks. The robot didn't seem like a threat, he had been willing to help the other people so that would mean he'd help her, right?

Right?

As she climbed, the noise turned out to be the old robot muttering about something. To who though, was a mystery, seeing as the people had left. Peeking over the edge, her musing was confirmed, the SR-71 Blackbird was talking to nobody but himself. She ducked down before he could spot her, back pressed against the ledge she had been peaking over.

Now that she was here, maybe talking to the Blackbird wasn't a good idea. What was she supposed to say? The giant robot looking thing was obviously not mentally stable, not to mention the fact he could easily squish her without so much as noticing. Talking to the Blackbird seemed more like taking her life in her own hands than having a constructive conversation.

She had to though, the robot was responsible for bringing her here, so it was probably the only way she going to get back home from…wherever she was.

Alright, all she had to do was ask the giant robot where she was. If some kids could confront him, then she could too! Putting her hands back on the ledge, she climbed up.

The robot jumped slightly at her sudden entrance. For a moment, she stood there at a loss. Maybe she should start by waving and saying a simple hello?

Unfortunately, the Blackbird didn't give her the chance, leaning inches from her face. "Who're you?" he spat.

She leaped backward at the massive being’s sudden movement into her personal space, tripping and falling back. The old robot responded by leaning even closer.

"I-I'm Aria," she managed to reply. "Who are you?" she added quickly.

The Blackbird tilted his head making his long metal beard screech and spark against the rock.

"Aria? That's a boring name for a fleshling!" He blinked his weird red glowing eyes and jabbed her stomach rather painfully with a pointy metallic finger.

She went to reply, but her mouth refused to form words. It didn't matter anyway, the massive robot didn't give her a chance.

"You fleshlings can hardly talk! So quiet and jittery, like little fleshy insects," he emphasized his words by jabbing her yet again. "You're lucky I changed sides to the Autobots, or I would have squished you by now!" he suddenly paused, bringing a hand up to his chin. "Then again, your disgusting life fluids might rust my foot, and I'm falling apart as it is, without your help! Are you listening to what I'm saying! I am Jetfire, damn it!"

Well, even if she didn't know what an Autobot was, she was happy that it meant she wasn’t going to be intentionally squashed by the robot. That being said, being stepped on unintentionally was still highly plausible. The massive robot was already pacing again, going on about something else.

"Now as I was saying, the Matrix is the key to the Energon collection machine. But it may also work to bring back the Prime who is the only one that can kill the Fallen. But you must hurry, or it will be too late! And your sun will be no more!"

Aria put her hands up in front of her, trying to get his attention. There was that talk again, none of which made any sense. Matrix's, Energon, Primes, It was all nonsense being spewed from a mysterious robot that transformed into a plane.

She didn't know where to begin. It was like an entire world she didn't know about had just revealed itself to her. Actually, she was sucked in against her will.

"Jetfire, I'll be honest, I have no idea what you are talking about. Could you maybe start from the beginning?" she asked.

A rush of air blew past her as Jetfire sat down on its giant robotic behind. "Alright fleshling, you want a story told from the glorious Jetfire himself in all his eternal glory, do you?"

Unsure of what else to do, she also sat down cross-legged on the rough surface, pebbles digging into her legs. She nodded.

Honestly, she didn't have the slightest clue of what this robot was about to tell her. Maybe he was a science experiment gone wrong? A military weapon with artificial intelligence that somehow became sentient? He did turn into a decommissioned reconnaissance aircraft after all.

"We are originally from the planet Cybertron, though it was destroyed centuries ago," he began. "I was once a great Decepticon seeker—"

…From the planet Cybertron? Planet?

The rest of the robot's words turned into a hazy mess in the back of her mind. Something clicked inside of her. Like she had been stumbling around in a dark room all her life, and someone finally turned on a light.

He was from a different planet.

This thing, this robot, was an alien. Not a squishy creature with long tendrils for limbs, but a metal man capable of making portals through space.

Sure, aliens had to exist.  Every star in the universe had the possibility of sustaining life. But actually seeing one? Well, the odds were quite frankly astronomical. And her, being there at the museum at the exact time and place to witness not one, but two reveal themselves, it was…incomprehensible. Hell, she had been in the presence of one for five years now.

"—You even listening, fleshling?"

Aria snapped back into reality, her eyes meeting with the aliens' red ones. She found herself now trying to take in every detail of this being. Was it a coincidence that he resembled a human? Was anything a coincidence at this point?

"I—you're from a different planet?"

"That's what I said! Cybertron was our home before it was destroyed by eons of war. Now we are scattered throughout space, searching for resources to rebuild our home."

These aliens were all over space? Had they met other alien life forms as well, or were humans the only ones so far? Did they specifically choose earth because of its resources? There were two here for sure, but seeing as they can disguise themselves as planes and toy trucks, there could very well be more.

"How many of you are here on Earth?"

Jetfire hummed in contemplation. "It's hard to say. I've been in stasis for so long, I don't know who's come and went."

"Stasis? As in dormant?"

Wait, he had said that he scanned a Blackbird in the Bermuda Triangle. Did that mean that was when he took on its appearance? She was sure he hadn't transformed at least since arriving at the Udvar-Hazy Center, seeing as he had no recollection of where he was and destroyed half the place in less than five minutes.

"It's like sleep to you fleshlings.” He roughly pointed at her. “We use it to maximize our Energon reserves."

Energon—that was one of the things he mentioned earlier. So it was like fuel?

"What exactly is Energon?" she asked, leaning back on her hands.

"It is our life essence! It’s our food, our blood, our bodies! Without it we deteriorate, fall apart and die! Much like my wretched self!" he yelled and slammed his cane into the rocky surface.

The display made Aria flinch. If this old decrepit robot—alien was still this intimidating and powerful, then what would a fully able one be capable of?

She tried to put the story together as she knew it so far. "So you need this Energon stuff to live, but you've run out…because your planet was destroyed? And now you're on Earth because there is a machine here that can make more?"

"That is what I said. But we cannot let it happen! If the Star Harvester is activated, it will destroy the sun, and this planet will be no more!"

What kind of machine-made energy by destroying a star? And where would a machine capable of such a thing be hidden? Most of all, why Earth? As many stars that may have sustained life, there must have been countless more that did not. Why not use those ones?

Wait, Jetfire kept mentioning something, or someone called "The Fallen," were they the cause of the civil war great enough to engulf a planet? Did Jetfire bring those people here to stop them?

"And all of this is because of the Fallen one?"

"Yes, The Fallen is one of the ancient Primes that went against their one rule: never destroy a star that supported life. He tried to activate the machine long ago, but failed when the other primes took the Matrix and hid it somewhere in this very desert."

Aria abruptly stood up. “Wait, wait, wait! Desert? Which desert? The Mojave?”

“No, no, fleshing, this is what you humans call the Sahara Desert. Don’t you know your own planet? Bah!”

…The Sahara Desert? But the Sahara Desert was in Egypt! Surely this alien robot was mistaken. Egypt was thousands of miles away, across the ocean. He was wrong, he had to be. She wasn’t ready to die in the middle of nowhere in a foreign country. No one would ever find her here!

“Jetfire, I need to go home! Can you teleport me back? Please?”

“Create another space bridge? That’s bullocks! I won’t be able to create another one for—“ Jetfire paused, narrowing his red eyes. “Oh what’s it called on this planet—a lunar cycle!”

“A lunar cycle…as in a month? I can’t wait a month!”

She had animals to take care of! By then, someone would take notice of her disappearance and file a missing persons report. Her parents would panic, her animals would be taken, her home would be seized. And that wasn’t even considering the fact that she might not survive for that long.

And then there was the alleged Star Harvester issue.

Wait, Jetfire was a Blackbird! Was it possible for him to turn back into it? Maybe he could go back to Washington the old fashioned way?

“Could you turn back into a plane and fly to Washington?”

Jetfire slammed his cane into the ground. “I can’t fly yet! I only just woke up! The space bridge took enough energy as it is, and now you expect me to go flying back there?”

So he could turn back into the Blackbird then. The fact he couldn’t transform must have had to do with the Energon stuff he mentioned. Still, he didn’t need to get so offended. Asking to go back home was a fair enough question.

It was back to plan A, then: get to the people.

“I’m sorry for assuming, Jetfire. Can you tell me how to get to the others, then? Maybe I can find a way back with them.”

“They’re already miles out and my scanners show they’re still moving. Your tiny legs would have no chance of catching up with ‘em before certain death befalls you.”

“So what, I just stay here with you until I die anyways?”

“No need to be dramatic, fleshling. Once the boy gets to the Prime, we’ll go see ‘im. Those fleshlings will be there, so we’ll both get what we want.”

It wasn’t the solution she envisioned, but sticking with the decrepit alien was a better idea than going off into the desert on her own. And if what he told her so far was true, then she agreed with him. Who knows, other people could be there too.

“Alright, it’s a deal.”

“Deal? I don’t make deals with ‘umans!”

Before Jetfire freaked out and changed his mind, she switched back to previous topic. It was vital that she knew as much about The Fallen as possible, since tagging along was the only way she was getting out of here.

"So as you were saying, The Fallen is back now, and trying to activate the machine? And those people are supposed to stop him?"

Honestly, how were four people could stop an alien from blowing up the sun? Did they have backup she didn't know about?

"The boy's job is simple. He is to reactivate the Prime, the only one who can stop him."

"You mean one of the Primes that tried to lock the Matrix away?"

"Of course not,” Jetfire spat. “Those Primes are long dead. This Prime is a descendant, and the only one strong enough to challenge The Fallen for possession of the Matrix."

So there were at least a few other aliens on Earth then. Some good, and some evil, apparently.

"How long has this all been going on?"

Jetfire looked up contemplating. "The machine was built in seventeen thousand BC in this planets time, I believe."

These aliens have been here for tens of thousands of years? They were so advanced they could travel across space, build weapons capable of destroying planets and create space bridges. Every time she tried to wrap her mind around it, more and more questions surfaced.

"You mean you've been here for that long?"

"Some of us, yes. Many have come and gone throughout the cycles. Hard to tell who's all here, being as we stay hidden and all."

"So the Prime is here on Earth, and the people that left a while ago are going to help it defeat the Fallen?"

"Haven't I already told you this a hundred times, fleshing?"

The old robot went to get up using his cane. However, it slipped from under him and fell over. "Bullocks!" he shouted, reaching to pick it up.

Just like that, he lost all sense of focus and began rambling nonsense again.

It was starting to come together. The evil robot wanted the energy that the machine collected by destroying their sun. And the people wanted the key to the machine, not to start it, but to bring back the Prime to kill the evil robot and save the world. Pretty wild.

The sun was now low in the sky now, and the events of the day were starting to catch up with her. She adjusted her legs to allow better circulation and leaned her head on her shoulder as she continued to watch the Blackbirds over exaggerated mannerisms.

The fifty-foot alien robot was pacing back and forth waving his arms in the air, yammering on about the Matrix of Leadership, earning it not finding it, and so on. Instead of asking him more questions, she chose to listen to the ramblings seeing if there was anything else she could learn from the eccentric robot.

In a single day, she went from the museum to Egypt, learned about an alien race hiding on Earth, and a machine that could kill everyone if it was activated. And she of all people got mixed up in it all.

Would life ever be the same again?

Chapter Text

Aria awoke confused and disorientated. At least this time her memory came back a lot faster. She was in Egypt with an alien Blackbird.

The sun was already high above, beating down mercilessly on her exposed arms, face, and neck. Her throat burned from lack of moisture. She licked her chapped lips, desperate for water.

Aria propped herself up on her elbow and looked for the old robot, but he was nowhere to be seen.

She shot up to take in the surroundings. No sign of him. That dumb old robot had left her alone in the middle of an Egyptian desert. No food, no water, nothing!

"Jetfire!" she screamed, cupping her hands on either side of her mouth. Her shrill voice wavered and cracked in the dry air.

Now standing, she paced over to the edge of the rocks. Maybe he fell off the side during one of his intensely intrapersonal conversations. As she neared the edge, something wet squished under her boot, and she slipped on unexpected substance.

She let out a screech as the weightless feeling caused her stomach to flop. Everything happened in slow motion. Her limbs flailed and hit the rocks as she fell. The ground came closer and closer until finally, everything went black.

When Aria's vision came back into focus, it was obstructed by sand. Nothing felt broken, but she had a sneaking suspicion that there were going to be some cuts and bruises when she got a look at herself.

After another minute or so of gathering her bearings, she shakily got into a sitting position. She attempted to wipe the sand off her mouth with the back of her arm, but it only caused more sand to scratch at her face and lips.

She looked up. It was a miracle she wasn’t dead. Somehow she avoided most of the sharp edges that jetted out all over the side of the rock formation.

With a shallow exhale, she pulled off her left boot and examined its sole while sand poured out from the inside. The substance was dark and viscous, like oil but not quite. It was probably the same liquid that dripped from the old Blackbird whenever he moved or talked for that matter.

How did she not notice, was she blind? She found herself reaching for the glasses on her face. Yes, they were still there, albeit a bit bent and scratched.

It wasn't until she pulled off her other boot that a stinging sensation crept its way down her arm. Twisting the limb to get a better look, there was a long, jagged cut on her right elbow that stretched down to her wrist. Blood started to soak her uniform and run down her hand. That was going to get painful once the shock wore off.

After she pulled off her other boot and socks too for good measure, she raised her arm to get a better look. It was a pretty gross mix of blood, small rocks, and sand. She pulled out the most massive piece of rock, gasping at the sting as she did so. At least she would die of dehydration before having to worry about the pain of infection.

She stretched her legs out in front of her. The gentle breeze cooled her exposed feet. She shrugged off the stifling jumpsuit, revealing the simple sundress she wore underneath.

The breeze immediately cooled her down as it came into contact with her sweat covered skin. Blood from her arm smeared onto the white fabric. It would have been unfortunate, if not for the more pressing circumstances.

Not bothering to put the sweaty socks or boots back on, she began her search for Jetfire, leaving them and her uniform behind in the blowing sand.

The sun was now on the west side of the sky, and Aria's shadow grew long in the sand. She sat against a rock and watched the sky for any signs of Jetfire, her injured arm cradled on her chest. It itched and stung, making her vision blur with unshed tears.

Her search ended hours ago. She didn't dare venture out of sight of the rocks Jetfire had sat the day before in case he came back, but he never did. Now she sat against them not far from where she fell. Her stomach growled, and her throat itched. It was already taking most of her effort just to keep her eyes open. At least she was in the shade.

It was still difficult to believe everything that was happening. Aliens were advanced robot-like beings that could transform into human machines. Not only that, but they've been on Earth for millions of years, hiding in plain sight. Jetfire couldn't answer her question of how many here, so she was left to speculate. Seeing as they could disguise themselves as anything it was impossible to tell. Were there just a few, or were there thousands? Have they been seen before and covered up by the government?

Then there was the Mission City cover-up that happened a few years ago. The media exploded about a government experiment gone wrong. Conspiracists came out of nowhere, claiming all sorts of ridiculous notions, alien invasion being one of them. Of course, like all other instances, Aria wasn't convinced.

And now, here she was, in Egypt because an alien accidentally transported her here.

The sound of a jet flying overhead drew her from her thoughts. She craned her neck, and sure enough, their one was. However, it wasn't the telltale shape of an SR-71 Blackbird. No, it was another distinct military jet. An F-22 Raptor.

Did it have something to do with the star harvesting machine?

Her eyes followed the jet across the orange sky. So the military was involved then. There was no way that an F-22 was flying over the Egyptian desert without reason. It was strange that they only sent one plane, though. She would have thought that a machine capable of destroying the sun would at least warrant sending a fleet for air support.

Then again, Jetfire seemed to think that a kid could save the world by reviving a Prime to defeat The Fallen, so what did she know?

It wasn't until the thundering sound of a second jet that she turned her head back towards the direction the Raptor had come from. This time it actually was Jetfire.

He came back for her!

The matte black jet's nose was pointed sharply at the ground, its trajectory uncomfortably close to where she sat.

The pain of her arm forgotten, she jumped up and ran to the far side of the rock formation. She had yet to see Jetfire land, and severely doubted it would be grateful.

Not a second later, the ground shook with the plane's impact. She threw her arms up in an attempt to protect herself. Sand sprayed her, feeling more like needles piercing her flesh. A moment later, everything settled, and the only noise was groaning metal. She opened her eyes and lowered her arms. Her gaze fell on a tall cloud of sand and dust and the old alien robot, Jetfire, walking out of it unscathed.

"You're back!" 

Although anger would have been the more sensible emotion to feel after being abandoned, it was relief and happiness that filled her. She ran up to the confused looking alien robot who was gawking up at the rocks that he perched on the day before, scratching his head. He didn't acknowledge her yelling at him until he almost stepped on her.

Letting out a scream, Aria turned and ran the opposite direction fearing for her life. This is what bugs must feel like.

"Where're you going, fleshling?" he said.

The next thing she knew, she was harshly lifted into the air by a giant hand grabbing her. She flailed and screamed, further irritating her parched throat. Was he going to drop her?

"Stop that squawking!" The old robot spat, bringing Aria to his face. "What is this?"

Aria stilled as the massive alien brought her close to his face. His eye focused in on the bloody cut on her arm.

"Blood, eh? Trying to look like a proper warrior? I commend your enthusiasm, but you're supposed to sustain wounds in battle, not before!"

"I am not a warrior! And more importantly, where were you? I thought you left me to die out here!"

Jetfire's face grew angry. "I told you already! I went to go look for Prime, but just as I was making headway, I realized that I had forgotten you! Don't you remember anything?"

That…didn't make any sense. If he told her he was leaving, he would have brought her along. He had clearly forgotten about her until after he left.

She attempted to reason with the Blackbird. "But you-"

"Don't you start with me, fleshling!" he interrupted, shaking her. "Now are you coming to see the Prime or not?"

Grandpa Blackbird was getting impatient. The constant swaying of his hand, while he talked, was making her motion sick.

Of course, she wanted to see the Prime and the people, they were her only hope of getting home. But she also didn't want to be anywhere near the star harvesting machine, or The Fallen for that matter. The F-22 flying overhead also wasn't a great sign. There was guaranteed to be some sort of fight going on there, between either the alien robots fighting each other, or them fighting the military.

Then again, if the military was there, she could get help from them instead. She could go there, immediately find the first soldier and ask them for help. Not like they could say no, she was a civilian after all.

She nodded her head.

The sound of pneumatics and shifting metal filled her ears. The hand she was in let go, and she was dropped into a seat while everything still moved around her. A seatbelt strapped her into position.

As the sound came to a stop, she found herself sitting in a cockpit, surrounded by hundreds of buttons, knobs, and gages. The lever on her right started to move forward.

"Holy shit." She was in the Blackbird.

Didn't people train years for this? She was okay with stationary jets, but she never had so much as looked inside one unless it was on display. This, however, was crazy. In front of her was an oxygen mask. She hastily tried to put it on. Pilots wore space suits when they flew this jet, and she wasn't even wearing shoes! Did the Blackbird even know what he was capable of in this form?

The jet engines came to life, and everything rumbled and shook around her. It was unreal. She was sitting in the cockpit of an alien Blackbird.

The lever moved forward into the halfway position, and the Blackbird started to pick up speed. Her body was pressed back into the weathered seat. The rumbling of the engines became more intense, the already deafening sound getting louder and louder. Needing something to hold onto, she grabbed at the control stick.

"Oh my god," Aria continued to repeat to herself. This couldn't be happening. Could jets even take off in the sand? No no, he wasn't a jet, he was an alien.

The lever slid the rest of the way forward. The Blackbird that Aria didn't even think could fly as of yesterday, was about to take off. The jet went faster and faster, and bumps got harder until the jet would leave the ground and then hit it again. Like an out of control rollercoaster launching into the sky. Bile rose to her throat that she swallowed it back down. She was going to die before her twenty-fifth birthday.

The Blackbird was now entirely in air and continuing to climb, still increasing speed. Even with her eyes wide open, dark spots filled her vision from the intense g-forces. Breathing became difficult, but it was hard to tell whether it was from lack of oxygen or hyperventilation. Just remaining conscious was a battle.

Before long, Jetfire was rapidly decelerating. Her vision came back and her gaze fixed on the sight out the window. They were heading straight into a war zone.

Giant metal aliens scattered about old ruins, attacking each other. Bullets flew everywhere, landing with clouds of sand and smoke. Maybe she should have chosen dehydration.

Before she could contemplate her death further, a voice boomed around her.

"Incoming!"

Her seat disappeared as fast as the seat belt came undone. The cockpit came apart before her eyes and the next thing she knew, she was in a large hand still traveling at breakneck speed.

The ground grew alarmingly close until finally, the jolt of impact rattled her body. Jetfire must have rolled because at one point she was upside down before being let go.

Aria barrel rolled in the sand about seven times before she came to a stop. The scrape on her arm burned as if it were on fire. She twisted her wrist to get a better look, sure enough, it was bleeding again and was filled with more sand than before. She slowly got up, still disorientated. When she shifted her focus to the surroundings, everything was blurry. She lost her glasses at some point during the fall.

Distant shouting of people echoed over the ringing of gunfire. Blasts and bangs of much larger guns and cannons stirred up walls of sand, making the ground quake. Dust in the air was filled with the scent of burning rubber and something metallic. There were tattered stone buildings scattered throughout the battleground, many of them left in shambles, still smoking from whatever weapon caused the destruction.

A stray bullet whizzed past her, snapping her out of her trance and sending her in a beeline for a nearby half crumbled wall. Small bits of the old stone crumpled under her fingers as she peeked out from behind it.

Forget crazy, Jetfire was insane in bringing her here! How was she supposed to defend herself? Even if she did somehow still have the taser, it would be no use. Did those people seriously come here to revive the Prime?

Just past the old buildings were three massive pyramids lined up in a row. The Pyramids of Giza. On top of the largest one was the biggest robot she'd ever seen. It dug at the peak, sending chunks of stone tumbling down the sides.

She tore her eyes away from the monstrosity when she caught sight of Jetfire fighting another, much smaller robot. Well, it wasn't much of a fight, the challenger was already in two pieces. The old Blackbird then had another under his foot and yelled something at it.

Aria couldn't make out his words over the constant gunfire. Sand borrowed up, and another foreign looking robot flew out of the ground just as Jetfire crushed the other red-eyed alien under his foot. It caught him around the middle and proceeded to drill straight through, bits of metal flying everywhere.

"Jetfire!" she yelled as the scorpion looking robot came after him a second time. The old Blackbird pulled it out along with most of his chest and fell over. He punched its head which splattered weird fluid all over the sand.

She broke out into a run towards the downed robot. There was no way he could die. After all, this was over, he had to go back to the museum where he belonged.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw a group of soldiers running away from a cloud of orange smoke. Among them was the boy and the girl from the museum. She stopped dead in her tracks. Did she go back to Jetfire, or get to the people?

Her decision was put on hold when a whistling sound from above dulled all other noise. It was the planes overhead dropping bombs.

Jetfire's giant hand grabbed her, bringing her under him for protection. He hollered something, but Aria couldn't make out the words through the falling bombs. She covered her ears, but it did nothing to muffle the sound. The first hits were the closest. As they went on, they got further away.

It was quiet for only a second before the next wave came down all at once. Whining, then impact, then the explosion. The ground wouldn't stop shaking.

Finally, silence fell over the desert. The hand she was in started moving. Jetfire rolled to the side, looking at her. Everything was gone around them, reduced to nothing but rubble in the sand.

"-you listening to me, fleshling?" Came Jetfire's booming voice. Aria weakly turned her head to acknowledge the alien robot.

"What are you doing here? Get to your humans, damn it!"

If Aria weren't in shock, she would have laughed. "I can't," she said.

She couldn't leave Jetfire's protection. More bombs could drop at any moment. She could be shot, attacked, stepped on. It was hopeless. She was going to be killed. She would never see her family again. Never experience the rest of her life. She would die a janitor with no achievements other than a degree.

"Now's not the time to lose your spirit, fleshling. A warrior can never give up."

She lifted her gaze from the ground up to the old robot. "I told you before, I'm not a warrior. I'm just a girl."

"Girl, boy, human, Cybertronian, it doesn't matter! Being a warrior isn't about being strong. It's about having courage and perseverance. To overcome the odds, not succumb to them!"

As Jetfire spoke, he staggered onto his feet. She couldn't deny the sincerity of his words, nor the effort of his actions. While she sat in defeat with nothing more than a scratch on her arm, Jetfire stood although half his torso was missing.

He was right. Anyone had the capacity to become a warrior, but did she have what it took to achieve it? Between her and the others was a battlefield that she had to cross. All she had to do was make it there.

"Will…" She turned her gaze back from the fight ahead back towards Jetfire's piercing eyes. "Will you come with me?"

A selfish request, but she couldn't do this alone. All Jetfire wanted to do was see the Prime in action, but already his body was mangled from an unsuspected foe only minutes after arriving. Had he known coming here was a death wish? Was there an alternative motive to his actions?

"Let's go then, fleshling."

Aria walked beside the Jetfire, who now limped beside her. They headed through the clearing towards the people. She took each step slowly as if the next could be her last. Her eyes were peeled, taking in everything around her.

There were two different types of robots as far as she could tell. Most of them were menacing, and… jagged, for lack of a better word.

The others, who were outnumbered were much more colorful and had bright blue eyes. The military didn't shoot at those ones. They must have been on the same side as Jetfire, then. Was one of them the Prime?

Her eyes landed on a dark robot in the distance. A bad one? The dark robot had guns the size of tree trunks mounted to its arms. It aimed with precision, firing on other bad ones. As it dodged and parried the others, it became clear that it was not a bad one. Yes, it had blue eyes. It was good.

A metallic roar screeched from right behind her. She and Jetfire reacted instantaneously to the noise. Aria whipped around and brought her arms up. Jetfire turned as well. By the time it took her to process what was about to happen, he neutralized the treat. In a single movement, Jetfire swung his cane and decapitated it. The body fell, green liquid flowing from where its head once was.

Not a moment later, another red-eyed alien charged at them, gun poised to shoot. She turned and dug a foot into the sand preparing to propel herself away. Before she could take another step, the ground shook, and the force of a blast knocked her off her feet.

Jetfire caught her mid-air. He fired back at the assailant with a missile of his own. It made contact and blew the robot apart.

Jetfire placed her back on the ground. "Get to the others!"

He tilted his head toward a red and white helicopter not too far off in front of them. Men in uniforms rushed out towards people on the ground. It was the girl from the museum who was yelling at the boy lying on the ground. Off to the side was what looked like another robot lying under a green parachute.

Jetfire then stood taller than ever and faced two more approaching enemy robots. When she didn't budge, he gave her a meaningful look and a nod.

She turned and ran as Jetfire readied himself to attack.

Ahead of her, the group moved further away towards the tarp covered alien. The was up and looked to be carrying a glowing object, what it actually was though, she couldn't tell without her glasses.

Soldiers gathered around the sleeping giant, and a couple uncovered its top half, exposing its significantly damaged chest. The boy climbed up onto the robot, still holding a strange glowing object.

She slowed and came to a stop behind some soldiers. There were no enemies nearby, so she watched the boy.

"The Matrix of Leadership."

Startled by the sudden noise, she jumped. Behind her, Jetfire kneeled down. He looked worse for wear, leaning heavily on his cane. Aria took a few steps closer to him. Alien robots were new to her, but seeing him like this, he didn't have much time.

If his fate was inevitable, he didn't acknowledge it. Instead, he watched the scene ahead, transfixed like the others.

The boy raised the Matrix above his head and with a shout, brought it down into the robot's chest. As it made contact, static filled the air much like when Jetfire came to life.

The robot made a strange sound like gasping and whirling air. It coughed sand from its mouth as the parachute blew off it as if some unnatural force came from its mechanical body.

Slowly getting into an upright position, it spoke. "Boy, you came back for me."

Its voice was…otherworldly.

"A living Prime! I don't believe it!" Jetfire coughed while crawling closer and bracing himself with the broken wall in front of him. Wires hung from his gaping chest wound.

So this was the Prime? It was big but still dwarfed by Jetfire. Her eyes wondered over its entire form, taking in the vast differences between him and the Blackbird. Red and blue metal decorated its body, scratched and dirty from whatever it had previously been through. Though injured, it had an air of authority unlike anything else. And its eyes… its eyes were the brightest blue she'd ever seen.

The Prime looked up to the sky, Aria followed its line of sight to see another strange looking robot flying towards it. The flying thing disappeared momentarily before reappearing right in front of the weakened Prime. Was that The Fallen?

Just the force sent her, the Prime, as well as the other friendly robots and people around it to the ground. The flying robot then disappeared again, reappearing to attack some helpless soldiers. It stole the Matrix from the Prime, and once again it disappeared. The Prime tried to get up but seemed unable to.

"Oh no," Jetfire muttered, his red eyes fading as he looked on at the Prime.

Aria got back to her feet and placed her hand on his elbow. The dying alien looked back at her.

The moment was lost as the sound of gunfire and missiles returned. Aria plugged her ears with both hands. The military's guns were aimed at the top of the pyramid with a metal structure that was now exposed. It must have been the Star Harvester. No wonder no one knew about its existence, the Egyptians built a world wonder around it.

The powerful flying robot lifted his staff-like weapon. Tanks and rocks surrounding the uncovered machine began to float high in the air. A moment later, they fell back down to Earth when gravity returned.

That alien must be The Fallen. Like Jetfire, it could teleport as if it were an easy feat. And if what she just witnessed actually happened, it could also manipulate gravity. What could the Prime do to pose a threat to such a being?

"All my Decepticon life, I never did a thing worth living until now."

Her eyes shifted to Jetfire. The finality of his words was jarring. Was this the same Blackbird that she met yesterday?

He regarded her with dimmed eyes. "Aria, you're a warrior now. You remember what that means, don't you?"

"…Never give up?" she said.

"Even if it seems hopeless, there's always something you can do," he said and poked her chest with a finger. "Just follow your spark,"

Before she could even begin to formulate a response, Jetfire turned back to the Prime who now looked back at him.

"Optimus, take my parts, and you will have a power you've never known," he said and reached into the hole in his chest. "Fulfill your destiny."

In one swift motion, he pulled a blue sphere out of his chest and held it out towards the Prime. He fell forward, landing on the ground. Motionless.

"Jetfire!" she screamed.

Things started to go quiet again, her vision fixed on the fading blue sphere. Everything that surrounded it faded to black until it was all that was left.

He was dead. Just like that.

"Ironhide, get that girl out of here!"

A man’s voice? No, it didn’t matter.  Nothing mattered. Jetfire was… dead.

Her body was scooped up by an unknown source while two other robots, one yellow and one blue, came towards Jetfire's body. No, leaving him was out of the question. Never taking her eyes off Jetfire, she went to move her legs to no avail. Her body didn’t respond, too heavy to move, too numb to feel. All she could do was stare.

The blue robot shot cables out attaching one to the fallen Blackbird and one to the Prime who was now crawling towards him.

The metal plates that made up Jetfire's body rapidly disassembled and attached to the Prime's body, the red and blue parts now partially covered by Jetfire's worn black ones. It stood to full height with the stature of that of a deity.

"Let's roll," he said and took off into the sky. His alien allies followed him into battle.

The hand that held her placed her back down on the ground further away from other robots. Her attention though was back on Jetfire. All that remained of him was a metal skeleton. In his hand was still the blue orb he pulled from his chest. It was the only part the Prime didn't take.

She had only known him for a day. Completely senile at first, but then, his real personality began to shine through. He was old and wise despite his eccentric character.

He didn't have to tell her anything. Could have stepped on her or left her behind. But no, he helped her. A nobody.

Not only that, but he believed in her. Her, of all people. He called her a warrior, told her that she had the courage and perseverance that it took.

He stayed by her side, protected her, encouraged her. And then, he sacrificed himself for the sake of the Prime and the planet.

He was a warrior.

There was another explosion. Aria jumped at the sound and looked up to see the machine destroyed and the Prime as well as another alien robot toppling down the side of the pyramid. The once floating rocks falling around them.

With the enemies distracted, she bolted towards Jetfire, grabbing the sphere. The rusted metal shell broke apart, leaving a much smaller orb in its place. It was a foreign material that looked like some sort of mix between glass and crystal, the last of the blue glow coming from inside it. The least she could do was take it home and bury it in her flower garden.

She stayed by his body until the gunfire faded in the distance. No more enemy robots remained. Above, two jets took off from somewhere in ruins. One was an F-22 with strange markings, but the other was unrecognizable. Alarms went off in her head. It wasn't a military aircraft. In fact, it wasn't a human aircraft at all. It must have been one of them.

Once the jets were out of sight, she got back up and looked around the battlefield. She spotted the nearest soldier and ran up to him, the orb cradled in her good arm.

The man turned to face her as she neared. Sand and ash clung to the sweat on his face. His eyes were tired, yet wide and alert.

"Do you need assistance?" he asked. His eyes scanned her body, zeroing in on her bloody arm.

"Yes, I need to get home. I'm not from here, and I haven't had water for almost two days now."

He nodded and pulled a canteen from one of his many pockets, handing it to her. "Where are you from?"

"D.C.," she replied simply and took a very long drink. The liquid soothed her parched throat.

He gave her a weird look. "Come on, let's go check out that arm of yours, then we'll talk more."

"Alright," she said.

He glanced at her from over his shoulder. "My name's William Lennox."

"I'm Aria."

She paused for a moment and turned to the battlefield. Her eyes landed on Jetfire's body one last time. She whispered thank you, voice lost to the wind.

While the medic was bandaging her arm in the back of a medical vehicle, the victorious Prime emerged and came to stand beside a Sphinx's head, matching its height. It discarded Jetfire's borrowed parts, letting them fall to the ground around it. Soldiers and robots alike gathered around. The battle was over.

Aria thanked the medic and joined the crowd. She stopped when Prime's gaze lingered on her for a moment.

She must have stood out like a sore thumb among the soldiers. She wasn't wearing any shoes, and the right half of her dress had blood smears all over it. Her hair was no longer in any sort of ponytail and was more like a disheveled mass surrounding her sand covered face. Regardless, Jetfire had been right.

The Prime was pretty amazing.

Chapter Text

Warm water splashed over Aria's face, soaking her sand-filled hair. The shower head was partially clogged, so the water dribbled as much as it sprayed. Not that that mattered, a shower was a shower, and it was amazing.

After the chaos had ended the day before, she was instructed by Colonel Lennox to come with them to a waiting aircraft carrier off the shore. She had joined a convoy of men and aliens, sitting shoulder to shoulder in the box of a large black pickup truck.

Around her was an assortment of military vehicles and regular vehicles following behind. She would have been confused about their presence if she hadn't previously caught sight of some of the robots transforming into them mere moments before they left for the ship. For all she knew, the truck she sat in was an alien too.

Among the vehicles were the bright Camaro, and the red and green cars. Of course, they were aliens. She was disappointed that she didn't realize it sooner.

As they neared the ocean, the giant aircraft carrier came into view. It couldn't come close to the shore because of its size, so a cargo ship had to transport the vehicles one or two at a time from the shore to the ship. Aria and the others remained inside the box as the truck boarded the vessel. Troops squeezed in around them, filling in the rest of the area.

It was late in the evening by the time all the robots were loaded. She and the other passengers were led down a few flights of narrow stairs to a spare bunk room. Inside were nearly a hundred beds, each with its own seat of navy curtains and an assigned locker nearby.

A man hollered out to the crowd of people she was amongst that there would be a tour and briefing in the morning at eight am sharp, and that everyone should do their best to get some shut eye.

It wasn't until an hour later that all the chaos settled, and only whispers echoed throughout the large room. It was difficult trying to sleep. The blackness of her eyelids turned to sandy dunes. Screaming people surrounded the mangled skeleton of Jetfire, the blue orb still glowing in his hand.

The room came to life again. It started with the beeping of alarms, then yawns and grumbles. Aria massaged her eyes, attempting to will away the drowsiness. Never in her life had she slept that poorly.

When she climbed out of the small bunk, she was greeted with the sight of men shamelessly changing wherever they could find space. She wrinkled her nose, overwhelmed by the pungent stench of body odor. Averting her eyes from the changing men, she found a clock on the far wall that read six thirty-three. She had to carefully maneuver around the mass of people, apologizing to any that she accidentally bumped into on her way out.

Finally, out in the hall, she walked towards the woman's bathroom that had been pointed out to her the previous night. Inside was a handful of women in various stages of undress, either getting into or out of the showers. She hopped into a showering stall and peeled off her tattered dress.

She put a lot of effort into keeping her bandaged arm out of the water, using only her good one to clean herself. She washed her hair and body with the small bar of soap provided in the shower. She didn't get out of the shower until the water ran clear, void of any sand and blood.

With nothing else to wear, she put the white dress back on and headed out towards the sinks. The other women were gone now, leaving her alone in front of the mirrors. The only sound in the room was running water from one of the showers. She combed her hair with her fingers, a long and painful process.

Freckles dotted her nose and cheeks, brought out by the Egyptian sun, and her lips were starting to regain their pinkish-red color thanks to available water, but still painfully chapped.

The shower turned off, and a girl came out. Not any girl, though. It was the girl from the museum. Not really knowing what to do or say, she turned back to the mirror sending sideways glances at the approaching girl. Maybe the girl wouldn't remember her.

"Oh my god, it's you!"

Aria's eyes met the girl's blue ones in the mirror. "Er...hi." Way to be eloquent.

The girl's curious look turned to a friendly one. "I guess we kinda got off to a bad start at the museum, but yeah, I'm Mikaela. Nice to meet you!"

"I'm Aria, nice to meet you too," she said and smiled back at Mikaela, hoping it didn't look as awkward as it felt. At least the girl was social, so that made things a little less weird.

Mikaela returned to her own reflection and began to come through her dark hair. Mikaela's hair was long, but not as long as hers. Aria's face was rounder than Mikaela's, and though darker than usual, was fairer in complexion. Aria, however, was slightly taller.

"I'm really sorry about the museum. We didn't think Jetfire was going to tear the place apart. And uh, sorry about your co-workers too, my—" she paused, a loss for words. "—Friend thought it was necessary."

"What exactly did you do to them?" Aria asked, the words coming out slowly.

"We, uh, kinda tased them."

Well, that explained it.

"So that's what it was. I thought they were having a stroke or something. I nearly tripped over Frank when I came out of the washroom. I called an ambulance and everything."

The shorter girl grimaced. "We sent Leo into the men's washroom, but he must not have checked the women's."

Thinking back to when she was changing, what would she have done if a boy spontaneously barged into the bathroom and stunned her with a taser? Suddenly, she was very grateful she was a girl.

Mikaela's eyes wandered upwards to the clock. Aria followed her gaze to the red number that displayed seven forty-five.

"Well, we should probably find where everyone is meeting for the tour," Mikaela said in a high-pitched voice.

Aria was also happy to change the subject. "Good idea."

They exited the washroom and followed a couple of other men towards a large room called a Mess. It was filled with round tables and folding chairs. Along the one side was a buffet table full of breakfast food and multiple pots of coffee and hot water. Seeing as many of the people in the room were eating, both Aria and Mikaela headed towards the food. When the scent of warm eggs and sweet maple syrup filled her nose, she nearly began to salivate. A loud grumble filled the air between the girls.

"Was that me or you?" Aria joked.

Mikaela chuckled. "Probably could go either way."

The pair began to fill their plates with food. Despite the pain of her empty stomach, she avoided serving herself too much. She didn't need a stomachache on top of everything else that was going on.

"Sam!"

Aria flinched at the loudness of Mikaela's voice right beside her. The girl was waving her free hand to catch the attention of someone in the crowd. Aria craned her neck back over her shoulder to catch sight of none other than the boy. Though his features were somewhat blurry due to his distance, he approached quickly and came into focus. He was a little shorter than Aria and had hazel eyes similar to hers. Like the rest of them, he looked worse for wear.

"Mikaela, there you are!" he said, putting a bandaged hand on her back and pecking her cheek.

"Aria, this is Sam. Sam, Aria. You remember her from the museum," Mikaela introduced.

While Mikaela looked at the boy with an expectant glare, he mealy scratched the back of his head and cleared his throat. "Nice to meet you and uh…sorry about that."

"Hey, guys!" said another voice from behind. It was the other boy from the museum. He eagerly walked straight up to Aria and touched her shoulder before a conflicted look crossed his features and dropped it again. He was probably the type to obsess over girls but had no idea how to act around them. "I'm Sam and Mikaela's friend, Leo."

"He's my college roommate," Sam clarified.

"I'm Aria, nice to formally meet you guys."

They all sat down around a mostly empty table to eat. Sam and Leo were both curious about Aria's involvement at the museum and kept asking her questions while she tried to eat. So in between small bites and awkward silences, while she finished chewing, she recounted what happened at the museum and Egypt.

"I'm amazed Jetfire remembered to come back for you. He was definitely not all there," Mikaela said while reaching for her glass of orange juice.

The subject of Jetfire was starting to weigh on her. Sure, they didn't know him any better than she did, but he had just died the previous day. She put down her fork, the rest of her food having lost its appeal.

"I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that aliens exist."

They nodded in unison.

"Yeah, and that they're robots that can transform into vehicles to hide," Sam agreed.

"And hot chicks too!" Leo intervened. "No wonder she didn't want the pizza," he added, slouching back in his chair.

Aria was about to incline her head in agreement but paused mid-action. Did he just say they could transform into people? At first, the size didn't make sense, but then there was the tiny robot that accompanied the trio at the museum. But still, humans are complicated and very organic looking, how could a metal alien transform into a person or even something that looked just like a person?

Sam turned to Leo and Mikaela. "Oh yeah, I asked Skids about that the other day. He said there were stories of Transformers that could make themselves look like people."

"That means it's probably not a common thing," said Mikaela.

Leo shook his head, zealously. "I don't know guys, I don't think Skids knows much in general."

Sam nodded. "Yeah, I want to ask Ratchet or Optimus about it later. They probably know more."

Did she hear that correctly over the ambient chatter? Skids, Ratchet, Optimus; what kind of names were those? Even for nicknames, they sounded strange. Were they experts on the aliens?

"Who are we talking about now?" Aria asked, pushing her empty plate aside and leaning in.

"Oh, sorry," Sam apologized. "Skids, Ratchet, and Optimus are all Transformers."

Aria blinked. "As in the aliens? Cybertonians? You just…talk to them…casually?"

"Yeah. I mean, I guess that might sound a bit strange to you seeing as you've only talked to Jetfire." Sam replied after swallowing a bite of toast.

No, it wasn't strange to her because Jetfire was a bit senile. It was strange because talking to beings from outer space wasn't something to be taken lightly. One had climbed to the top of a pyramid and ripped it apart, and another could manipulate gravity. Even Jetfire could create portals through space! The Prime was massive and had such an authoritative aura, it was impossible to ignore.

Aria leaned further forward. "And you're not at all intimidated by them? I mean, the Prime is huge."

"Oh yeah, that's Optimus. He's the leader of the Autobots,” Sam said.

There it was again. The casualness he exuded while talking about the apparent leader of a faction in a planet-destroying war.

"The Autobots being the good guys, right?"

"Yeah, and the Decepticon's are the bad guys,” Sam nodded. “They're led by Megatron."

Now that was a name—Megatron. If an alien as great as the Prime lead the Autobots, did that mean Megatron was just as powerful?

"How did you get involved in all this anyway?"

Sam and Mikaela shared a knowing look, while Aria and Leo had similar expressions of curiosity. Leo must not have known the story either.

"Well, it all started two years ago when I put my great grandpa's glasses up for sale on eBay," Sam began.

He told the story of how he met the Autobots, starting with his Camero, who was actually a Transformer named Bumblebee. It turned out that the attack in Mission City was, in fact, an alien invasion to a certain extent. He finished his story by telling her how they ended up in the museum, and what his role was during the Egypt battle.

Not only was this boy a considerable part of the alien war taking place on earth, but he talked about it as if it were nothing more than local politics. These were aliens from a different galaxy.

"Do you want to meet them?" Mikaela asked.

The question took almost a minute to sink in. "…Meet them?"

Sam nodded. "Yeah, I think some of them are resting still, but I talked to Ratchet this morning, so it should be fine."

The screech of a whistle put a stop to any further conversation. Everyone in the room turned their heads towards a man standing on a platform near the door. He wore a naval uniform with multiple badges and ribbons on it.

"Good morning, troops. I'm Captain Wilder. I hope you all slept well. We are already running behind schedule due to stragglers, but we will now commence the tour of the USS John C. Stennis. We hope you will be comfortable during your one week stay aboard our beautiful ship. Now please follow me, and for the love of god, don't get lost."

The four of them looked at each other briefly and then got up to follow the crowd out of the room. Aliens aside, the aircraft carrier was the next coolest thing. Hopefully, at some point, she could watch some jets take off from the flight deck. The outside perspective was much more thrilling than actually taking off in one, which was better described as horrifying. If she never rode in a jet again, it would be too soon.

…

The tour took two hours to complete. The USS Stennis was more like a floating city than a vessel, filled with thousands of people, both soldiers, and sailors. Even small cafés, stores, gyms, and even lounges. Too bad, she didn't have any money on her.

Everyone was allowed to go up on the flight deck and just below in the hangar at any time unless otherwise specified. Parts of the bridge were off limits, and they were allowed to use other mess halls, bathrooms or sleeping quarters that they weren't assigned to.

The tour ended back in the same room they started. Aria yawned, ready for a nap. Nothing sounded better than closing the curtains to her bunk and curling up in a bundle of blankets.

Mikaela turned to her. "So, Aria, you want to come with us to see the Autobots?"

Crap. Of course, she wanted to see them, but it was just so much to take in at once. Even thinking about it made her face heat up and palms sweat. Couldn't she meet them one at a time or something?

"What are you guys waiting for? Come on!" Leo's voice called.

Aria and Mikaela looked over to Sam and Leo, both already walking down the hall waving at them. When Mikaela turned back to Aria, she had a bright smile on her face and took Aria's wrist in her hand.

"Let's go!" she encouraged, leading Aria after them.

They traveled up a few flights of narrow stairwells chatting happily, well except Leo's occasional grumble about being made fun of, until they made it to the hangar. It was filled with jets, namely F-18's.

Sam walked on purposefully, passing the flight personnel without a second glance. He must have known precisely where the Autobots were. How though, she had no idea. He must have had military friends.

As they neared the back corner of the ship, some of the planes had been moved off to the sides in order to clear a space for a variety of familiar parked vehicles. Among them was a red and blue Peterbilt, a weird looking car that vaguely looked like a Corvette and the bright yellow Camaro. In front of the vehicles was a yellow-green robot working on a relatively smaller red one.

Upon noticing their presence, the robot looked up and greeted Sam and Mikaela as if it were a regular everyday occurrence. "Greetings, Sam, Mikaela."

"Hey, Ratchet!" Sam grinned. Mikaela also greeted the robot.

The smaller robot spoke up. "Hey, what up, not goin' to say hi to poor ol' Mudflap here?" Its voice was loud and echoed off the concrete walls.

"Hold still," the robot named Ratchet grumbled, fiddling with something on Mudflap's arm.

"Hey, who's dat?" Mudflap asked, crudely pointed at Aria.

Sam took this as an opportunity to introduce her to the robot aliens. "This is Aria, she came with us to Egypt."

"How did she know about us?" the bigger robot inquired, now looking more closely at her. "I haven't seen her before."

Aria swallowed. Both aliens were looking directly at her like some sort of specimen in a jar. Becoming aware of her body, she crossed and uncrossed her arms. Still, they stared, not a noise from anyone else in the vicinity. Wait. Were they waiting for her to say something?

She opened and closed her mouth a few times. Talking to Mikaela had been difficult, but it was nothing compared to this.

Finally, with an exhale, she spoke. "I work at the museum where they found Jetfire. I followed them, not really believing my eyes. Next thing I knew," Aria took a breath, "I was in Egypt."

Ratchet looked thoughtful. "So, you came with Sam and the others to revive Optimus?"

Or right, Optimus was the Prime.

"No, I woke up after they left. I stayed with Jetfire until he came to join the fight…" There was a pang in her chest. Poor Jetfire.

"If it wasn't for Jetfire, Optimus wouldn't have been able to destroy the Star Harvester. We are in his debt."

The noise of hydraulics, rotating metal, and spinning tires filled the hangar. Behind Ratchet, Aria witnessed the flaming truck transform into the great Prime itself. The cool breeze of its complete metamorphosis gently blew her hair back as she stared on at sight.

It stood to its full height, head mere inches from the tall ceiling. The towering Prime held the same majestic posture as the first time she laid eyes on it. This time, however, it looked directly down at her. She absently took a step back.

"Yes," it—no he—said in a deep voice. "Jetfire made a great sacrifice. He proved himself to be a true Autobot."

The Prime actually cared. "I know," she said not meeting his bizarre glowing eyes.

As odd as it was, she had enjoyed his strange and often frightening company.

The alien leader bent down on one knee and brought his sizeable metallic face, barely a meter from her small organic one. "I am Optimus Prime from the planet Cybertron," he said in a well-rehearsed tone.

Aria leaned back at the proximity of the Primes face. Odd glyphs were etched into the sides of where his cheeks would be. The metal faceplates shifted as he talked and changed expression. It was amazing how different, yet similar their species were. Although his eyes looked like a series of lights and optics, he blinked just like a human. He had a metal nose, lips, cheeks, and forehead too, much like humans

But then they were also completely different. Giants made of metal, able to change shape at will. Their limbs were made up of guns, and they ran on a mysterious substance called Energon. Who knew how they worked, or if they evolved or were created.

"My name's Aria Normandy, I'm from uh, Earth," she said lamely. It sounded rather unimpressive when she said it aloud.

The giant robot inclined his head. "It is a beautiful planet."

Goosebumps formed on her skin from the sound of the Primes deep voice. There was the distant sound of an elevator bringing down various planes from the Flight Deck.

"The Autobots are honored to call it home," the Prime gazed at the four humans with, and expression Aria could only identify as respect.

It was fascinating to see these vast, towering robots move and act as freely as people. But it was unbelievable how they were absolutely and entirely sentient. They were compassionate towards each other and towards humans. Jetfire sacrificed himself, not just to save the Prime, but to save the planet as well.

"Yeah, and wit out us, those mean ol' Decepticons would mess you guys up!" Mudflap added.

Ratchet looked up from his work. "Earth's government seems to disagree," he shook his head. "Apparently the Decepticons are here to 'hunt' us. It's preposterous. If we were to leave, the Decepticon's wouldn't waste a moment in enslaving this planet."

"Just how many Decepticons are there?" The battle in Egypt made it clear that there were more than just a few Decepticons. Was it possible that they outnumbered the Autobots?

"Apparently for every one we offline, five more appear to take its place." Ratchet gave a hard look. He then glanced up above Aria's head. "What are you…"

Before he could finish, there was a sound like something was charging up coming from right behind her. Static filled the air pricking at her skin. It was just like the feeling of the pulse of energy when Jetfire first transformed.

Aria whirled around and came face to face with the barrel of a glowing blue cannon almost as big as her.

"Boo."

A blood-curdling scream ripped out of her throat. She spun around and sprinted in the opposite direction.

This couldn't be happening! Was it another Decepticon? Only when she was halfway down the hangar did she slow down to catch her breath. When she did, the sound of laughter rang over the pounding of her heart. Why the hell would anyone be laughing? And why was no one else running?

Curiosity getting the better of her for the second time in the past few days, she turned around. Thank god the robots were so gigantic, or else she wouldn't have been able to see the figure of the Prime scolding another rather sturdy looking robot for scaring the daylights out of the human.

"Ironhide, the girl has been through enough this past week without you frightening her," the Prime's voice boomed through the hangar.

"I just wanted to show her my cannons…" The ebony robot muttered rather dejectedly, disarming its weapon.

"Aria come back, he was just teasing you!" Mikaela hollered over to her. It sounded like she was trying not to laugh.

Aria cautiously made her way back, never taking her scrutinizing eyes off the robot known as Ironhide. She made sure to join Leo behind Sam and Mikaela. He also looked apprehensive of the newest alien.

The black robot was second only to the Prime in size. He wasn't as tall, but bulkier. His one eye was bright blue like the rest of the Autobots, but the other was dimmer. As she got closer, the robot's face became clearer. Half his face was mangled, resembling a battle scar. It made the alien look even more intimidating.

The ebony robot regarded her through narrowed optic eyes. "I'm the Autobots' weapons specialist, Ironhide. It'd be best for you remember it, punk," he spat.

"A-Aria. Nice to meet you too," she sputtered out in response. Ironhide didn't sound the least bit friendly.

"Punk," he repeated.

She was not a punk.

"Ironhide, be nice," the Prime chided.

Ironhide muttered under its breath before turning around and transforming into a very heavy-duty looking truck, joining the other vehicles that had yet to transform. Wait, wasn't that the same truck she rode in on the way to the ship?

"Aria," she turned around once again to face Ratchet. "Don't let him get to you, that's just how he is."

Sam smiled at her. "Yeah, it just means he likes you.” He gave her a friendly nudge.

Aria nodded despite her confusion. Wanting to change the subject, she faced Ratchet and red robots. "So you're Ratchet and er-" What was the smaller one's name again?

"Yes, I'm Ratchet, the Autobots' medic. It's a pleasure to meet you," he nodded at her.

"And I'm Mudflap!" The small red alien exclaimed before Aria could return the greeting to the more gigantic robot.

"Well, it's nice to meet you too." She paused awkwardly before continuing, "It's not every day I get to meet Autobots from the planet Cybertron."

Okay, that sounded dumb. Beside her, Sam and Mikaela started their own conversation with the Prime. Good, now she only had to focus on the two Autobots in front of her.

"Ah, so Jetfire must have told you about our home planet. A beautiful place in its hay day."

Though his tone was light, his face darkened a moment after. Deciding it wasn't appropriate to bring up the destruction of their planet, she asked a different question.

"So why Earth of all places?"

The cloud lifted from Ratchet's expression. Mudflap also looked at him, eager to hear the answer as well.

"The machine you saw back in the desert was a Star Harvester. Its primary function was to harness your sun's energy to produce a substance called Energon. We did not know such a machine existed on this planet, but because of its presence, something else from our planet locked on to its coordinates and landed here as well. We came here in search of that artifact. It was, however, destroyed shortly after we arrived."

Okay, that all made sense. She already knew about the part where The Fallen built the Star Harvester on earth because he was basically an asshole with no moral compass. The artifact though…was it a ship? If it could lock on to coordinates of a machine in a different galaxy, it must be some sort of super advanced technology.

"What made you decide to stay then? If the artifact was destroyed, was there another reason?"

"We decided to stay because of the bonds we've formed. Although the Allspark was lost, we could not abandon your race and leave you to the mercy of the Decepticons."

"Freedom is the right of all sentient beings, and if we must stay to ensure yours, we will," the Prime interjected, joining the conversation.

Aria, Ratchet, and Mudflap all turned their heads to regard him.

"Hey, hey, hey!" A man paced towards them, his boots clacking on the tarmac. Even from a distance, he wore a military uniform. "We can't have civilians talking to the Autobots!"

It was Colonel Lennox. She owed a lot to the man, seeing as he was the one who gave her clearance to board the ship. She didn't, however, like that Sam and Mikaela told her it was okay to meet the Autobots when it clearly wasn't. She opened her mouth to apologize, but Sam spoke up first.

"Awe, come on Lennox, not like she hasn't seen them before! I mean, she rode in with Jetfire!"

Colonel Lennox rolled his eyes but deflated none the less. "I know they're your friends, Sam, but they're also treated as government assets. She needs clearance—" he paused as if he just thought of something. "You told her about Mission City, didn't you?"

Sam and Mikaela nodded. The colonel let out a long, frustrated sigh and turned to face Aria. "I'm going to need you to come with me to fill out more paperwork."

She said goodbye to the group of humans and aliens and followed Colonel Lennox.

Though the Autobots owed nothing to humans, they chose to stay because they felt responsible for their safety. Ratchet said that they had formed bonds in their short time here, and Colonel Lennox called the Autobots Sam's friends. Did that mean that they were more than just allies? That bonds could truly be formed with an alien race? Could she also form a relationship with them?

Could she actually be their friend?

Chapter Text

Two days later, Aria once again traveled down to the hangar to see the Autobots. And this time, she had permission. She walked a few steps behind the colonel. It was challenging to keep up with his pace.

He was actually a very nice man despite appearances. After she filled out a bunch of paperwork that more or less stated she could not mention anything to do with the Transformers under threat of life in prison, Colonel Lennox took her down to get her some new clothes.

Since she had no money to spend, he talked to one of the higher-ups on the ship which provided her with a standard long sleeve shirt and utility pants that looked like what most of the maintenance crew wore. None were just the right size, so she had to use a belt to stop them from falling down, and roll up the bottoms so they didn't drag.

Shoes were another story altogether. She couldn't find a single pair that fit correctly, so she chose the ones that were the closest. I didn't take long for painful blisters to form on the back of her heels and the top of her toes, thus why it was challenging to keep up.

Sam had told her that all the Autobots were now awake and well, so she would be meeting the rest of them. Her excitement, however, was eclipsed by nerves. Yes, they were kind to her, treating her with respect and kindness that she, frankly, hadn't expected. Maybe they were just being polite, though.

Well, minus Ironhide, who was kind of an ass. But Sam had assured her that it was nothing personal. It was just how he was.

Aria walked down the final flight of steps to the hangar. She had to stay close to the wall to allow multiple other sailors to pass by. For such a large ship, the halls and stairways were uncomfortably narrow.

Reaching the back corner of the hangar, the various robots came into view. Her eyes first landed on the Prime, standing so tall that his head just cleared the ceiling. His attention was focused on Ironhide who appeared no less put off than the previous time she'd seen him, arms crossed over his chest.

Off to the side was Ratchet who sat in a group that consisted of four other Transformers, each their own specific color. There was Mudflap as well as a blue one, a yellow one, a bright green one and a silver one. Sam, Mikaela, and Leo also sat amongst the group. No sign of the little toy monster truck.

It took everything she had to not just turn around right then and there. They hadn't even acknowledged her yet. If she left now, they wouldn't even know she had been there in the first place. Maybe she could try again tomorrow? Or the day after that?

"Hey, guys!" Colonel Lennox greeted, causing all the robots to turn their attention towards them.

Well, there went that idea.

Many curious glowing blue eyes landed on her small form. She wrapped her arms around herself, pushing away the urge to take a step back. All these aliens, they were looking at her.

"H-hi," she sputtered.

There was a jumble of greetings in reply.

"It is nice to see you again, Ms. Normandy," said Ratchet politely

The Prime nodded. "Ms. Normandy,"

Mudflap nudged the other small green robot. "It's da chick!"

"Well, look who came cowering back," Ironhide sneered, looking down at her.

Her eyes lowered from the dark robot's scarred face and settled on his large forearms. The massive cannons on them were partially hidden away. Even with them gone, he was incredibly intimidating.

"That's not how you speak to a femme, Ironhide."

The voice belonged to the silver Autobot. He stood and rolled towards space in between her and Ironhide. Interestingly enough, instead of feet, he had wheels.

Ironhide turned his attention towards the approaching Transformer. "She's not a femme, she's a female."

"What's the difference?"

"If you haven't noticed, she is a human, not a Cybertronian."

"That doesn't mean you should treat her any differently," said the silver Autobot, as he came to a stop near her.

"Humph."

What did he have against her? While the rest of the Transformers were polite to her, Ironhide only cared about showing her how superior he was to her, and possibly humans in general. Sam's previous statement of "it's nothing personal" became less and less believable by the second.

She was drawn out of her thoughts when the silver robot took a knee before her in a dramatic fashion, like a knight kneeling before maiden.

"Ignore him, little lady. Name's Sideswipe, at your service."

At the gesture, Aria's eyes slid over to the colonel, sending him a rather pleading look, before turning back to the Autobot. "The pleasure is…mine?"

She swore she heard a scoff come from the ebony robot behind Sideswipe. Sure enough, Ironhide had turned away, turning his focus to the Prime.

Mikaela waved a hand above her head. "Aria!" she called, "About time you made it! Come over here and meet the rest of the Autobots!"

Aria complied, leaving Colonel Lennox's side and joining the group, sitting cross-legged between Mikaela and Ratchet. Sideswipe also returned to his spot. Sam then went around the circle, introducing her to the unknown Transformers.

"This is Bumblebee, my best friend and guardian."

The robot gave a friendly wave while making a humming noise that sounded like someone saying "Nice to meet you" without using the sounds. Aria pulled her lips back into a smile and curled her fingers in a timid wave back. This Autobot had large blue eyes and a round head, making him look young and rather harmless. The doors of his vehicle form were perched on his back like a small pair of wings. Bumblebee was a fitting name.

"He can't talk, so he usually uses the radio when he needs to communicate."

"You got that right!" a voice played from somewhere on Bumblebee's form.

Next up was the bright green robot. It was one of the smallest ones, though still at least ten feet tall. He looked nearly identical to Mudflap, the main difference being their colors. While Mudflap was red, Skids was bright green.

"This is Skids, he's Mudflap's twin. However, that works…" Sam muttered at the end.

"Yeah, but I'm da smarter one!"

"Are not!" Mudflap interjected.

"Am too—OW!" Skids was cut off by a punch in the arm.

Many of the surrounding Transformers shook their heads, some more amused than others. She raised her line of sight above the group, allowing them to settle on Ironhide's form. He conversed quietly with the Prime and Colonel Lennox, paying the others in the circle no mind.

Next up was the blue Autobot. He had wide eyes framed by pieces of metal slanted upwards, making him look more like an owl than anything else.

"Jolt, Aria. Aria, Jolt."

"Greetings," he said, his expression stoic.

Tapping a shoe on the tarmac, she responded, "Um, hi. Nice to meet you, Jolt."

The Transformer nodded. "You as well."

…Well, this was awkward.

Most likely sensing the situation, Sam moved on. "And you already met Sideswipe."

The silver Autobot sent Aria a cocky grin when she made eye contact with him. "Let me know if you want to go for a ride sometime."

"I'll uh, think about it. Thanks."

So, there was Bumblebee, who was Sam's guardian. He was friendly but could only speak through the radio. Then there was Skids, who, like his brother, was immature and not the brightest of the Autobots. Jolt was mostly indifferent to the whole situation, and possibly the quietest of the group. And lastly, Sideswipe, a young and cocky Autobot who wasn't afraid to stand up to the ever-grumpy Ironhide.

It was fascinating to see each of their unique personalities.

"Might want to be careful Sideswipe, if your head gets any bigger, it might explode," called Colonel Lennox, joining the group. Behind him, Ironhide and the Prime also stood closer to the circle of Autobots.

Many of the aliens looked at each other in confusion at the colonel's words before Ratchet spoke up. "Ah, is that one of those metaphors?"

Lennox scratched his head. "Erm, I'm not one hundred percent sure…"

Seeing as Colonel Lennox didn't know the proper answer and Sam and Mikaela remained silent, Aria answered instead.

"It's an idiom. A phrase not meant to be taken literally. A metaphor is—" Aria abruptly closed her mouth. All eyes were on her.

The colonel raised a brow. "What are you some kind of English major?"

"I actually majored in astronomy, but I did take a lot of literature classes," she kept her voice down.

Ratchet suddenly perked. "As in the study of celestial objects and the cosmos? That is truly fascinating, Aria."

"You mean there are humans that study space?" Mudflap piped up.

Now all of the Autobots gave her their undivided attention. She once again wrapped her arms around herself and stared straight ahead, avoiding eye contact at any cost. Her skin tingled.

"Wow Aria, you never told us that! No wonder you were so curious about Autobots," Mikaela said.

The only space-related thing that went through her mind at the moment was how much she wanted to become a neutron star and collapse into herself. Why did she want to meet them again? She could barely socialize with humans, so why would aliens be any different?

"It is only impressive if she has something to show for it," Ironhide said, crossing his arms.

She kept her mouth shut. She wasn't about to tell them about all the papers she wrote regarding the possibility of extraterrestrial life, carbon-based or otherwise. It would just sound stalkerish at this point.

"Do not listen to him, Aria. Anyone who seeks to learn about the unknown is impressive to me. Even we still have much to learn about the universe and its inhabitants. I would be happy to discuss such topics with you in the future," said Ratchet.

"I would like that," Aria replied. It was always nice to talk to a fellow scientist, especially one who potentially had vastly different theories, laws, and research.

…

It was a beautiful summer day. Aria relaxed on a hammock while sipping iced tea through a straw. An F-22 Raptor soared above, performing an array of areal stunts much to her amusement. The hammock swung back and forth, back and forth, but there was no breeze.

Ironhide sat off in the grass. He faced mostly away from her, tinkering away at the guns on his arms. Was he preparing to shoot her with those guns? Or perhaps the fighter jet in the sky?

The hammock swung further. She had to hold her iced tea up so it wouldn't spill all over her white sundress. Higher and higher it swung, until...

Thump.

Aria's eyes flew open. She landed face first on the cold floor. She was about to push herself up when the ship lurched to the opposite side, and she was sent rolling back into the side of her bunk.

What in the hell was going on?

This time she managed to sit up before the floor tilted once again, and she braced herself with her arms. Well, that explained the hammock dream. She sat there dumbly for a moment, still groggy and disoriented. Other than her, the room was empty.

A thud drew her attention, her eyes landing on the rusty orb that once belonged to Jetfire as she rolled on the floor.

She crawled towards it, not yet trusting her legs, and picked it up. Cradling it in her arms, she held onto one of the ladders leading up to the taller bunks and stood. She made her way towards her locker while holding onto whatever she could.

Inside the small metal space was a ball of stained white fabric that had once been her favorite dress. She placed the orb inside and slammed the door back shut again.

She stumbled out of the room and into the empty hall. Of course, the one night she actually managed to fall asleep was the one that everything had to go to hell. She was a heavy sleeper, yes, but this was ridiculous. How had she not heard everyone else getting up and leaving?

Her bare feet padded against the cold floor of the narrow hallway. An unknown draft sent goosebumps down her legs. All she had for pajamas was an oversized tee-shirt and shorts that flapped against her skin as she walked—well, tried to walk.

She ascended the final set of steps up to the hangar when loud shouts and bangs filled her ears. She pushed the steel door open using almost all her body weight. When had it gotten so heavy?

A gust of air blasted her hair back when she finally got past the door. She raised her good arm over her face, squinting through the salty wind at the commotion before her.

Not ten feet away from her was a plane being held in place by six men and Sideswipe. Another man ran around the jet, chaining it to the floor. Behind them, countless aircrafts were also being moved into position.

Water poured in through the opening of the descended aircraft elevators. Soldiers, personnel, and robots alike were swiftly splashing through the puddles while trying to stop planes from crashing into one and other.

Leo, Sam, and Mikaela, along with Skids and Mudflap, were a part of the chaos. She ran over to them, planning to ask what was going on.

"H-Hey, Aria!" Leo hollered waving to her with one hand, the other holding a rope with the other teenagers. "Come help us out!"

The three of them with the two robots were currently holding a helicopter in place near the elevator opening. She ran towards them, keeping as far away from the shifting jets as possible, her bare feet dashing through the icy ocean water.

"What's going on?" she yelled over raised voices and splashing water.

"There's a huge storm outside, we think it's a hurricane!" Mikaela hollered back.

She made out Sam's voice next. "They're trying to get as many planes down here as they can before the storm gets any worse!"

"Worse?" Aria shrieked. "How could it possibly get any worse!"

As if irony itself had heard her, there was a loud bang.

"What the hell was dat?" Mudflap questioned just before the eighty thousand ton aircraft carrier rolled violently to the side.

The thirty-degree angle of the floor sent half the people in the hanger toppling over. Aria, Sam, Mikaela, and Leo were on the ground instantly. Metal crunched and screeched as the helicopter also slid into the nearby wall.

Aria half expected to be crushed in a pile of broken metal. Eventually, she stopped rolling but remained face down with her hands on her head, hopelessly waiting for the floor to stop rocking back and forth.

"Raise the elevators!" A loud voice yelled above the commotion.

There was a loud buzzing sound, and the floor under her began to rise. Oh no, she was on the elevator! She attempted to get up and jump off before she ended up on the flight deck. The hard rocking of the ship left her efforts in vain. Rain pelted her skin. By the time she managed to stand up, she had come face to face with a huge wave coming straight towards the side of the ship.

"Brace for impact!" a distant voice called.

The wave hit her like a wall. She couldn't breathe. The freezing water forced its way down her throat and into her lungs and stung her eyes. Everything was dark and cold, then a searing pain in her back.

Next thing she knew she was up against the railing of the bridge, sputtering out water. An intense pain shot through her spine, causing her to wince and cry out. The aircraft carrier then shifted back again almost just as violently, and Aria was sent tumbling back towards the edge of the ship. This time, however, something caught her mid-fall and lifted her up. Her eyes met the glowing blue ones of the Prime.

"You should not be up here," he said with a stern expression.

Between the tone of his voice and glare, he was frightening. The towering robot ran towards the bridge, Aria still in his metallic hand. She turned her attention over his shoulder, where another wave was approaching.

The Prime placed her on the third level of the bridge. "Stay inside and hold on." He commanded before turning around and helping the others on the flight deck. Through the downpour, the forms of Ironhide and Bumblebee were barely visible.

With one last glance at the turbulent water, she ran to the nearest door. She burst into a well-furnished room and ran into the corner beside a couch that must have been bolted down. Sitting down on the floor, she braced for the wave.

There was another massive crack as the wave plowed into the ship. Aria kept her eyes shut tightly. How many people have been washed away, frozen, and drown to death? Would the ship flood and sink in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean?

Why couldn't she do anything to help? Sam, Mikaela, and Leo had been helping below, and here she was hiding in the corner of a room. Her hands and feet stung, and her fingernails were blue. Her hair clung onto her face and lips, no matter how many times she tried to peel it off.

Perhaps she could assist with the clean up when it was all over. No, that wasn't enough. People were dying, and all she could offer was cleaning up the mess?

Why did Jetfire have to die? They could have teleported home a long time ago. Then he would go back to the museum where she would visit him all the time. But no, he had sacrificed himself. Something she was incapable of doing. Jetfire saved the world, and she was sitting here feeling sorry for herself. He believed in her, called her a warrior. A warrior wouldn't sit and do nothing like a coward.

No. She forced her body up. She wouldn’t let Jetfire down. Taking a shaky breath, she opened the door and was against the railing in one swift movement.

Aria blinked the raindrops from her eyes looking down at the Flight Deck below her. Her blurred vision managed to pick out the three giant robots among vast amounts of humans.

The wind whipped her wet hair around. It was hard to tell what time of day it was because of the dark clouds swirling above them in the sky, like one of those end of the world movie scenes formed by someone's twisted imagination.

There was another large banging sound to her right, followed by hollering that could barely be heard above the turbulent wind gusts. Aria ran uphill towards the edge of the bridge to look over the side of the aircraft carrier. The narrow balcony tilted upwards, exposing the side of the ship that would otherwise be under water.

Without any warning, the ship lurched to the other side, and she was sent toppling over the railing. She screamed as she fell.

Aria hit the water on her side before she was pulled further down into the depths of the Atlantic Ocean. Almost instantly, the current sent her spinning away from the side of the large vessel. Attempting to swim towards the surface seemed impossible. Which way was up? She stopped struggling.

Was this really it?

Something grabbed her. Pulling her in an unknown direction. Seconds ticked away like hours before she was blinded by daylight. Aria gasped for air, coughing out large amounts of ocean water.

She was beside the giant aircraft carrier. Hanging on to the ledge, however, was a giant arm with flaming red and blue paint on various parts. She followed the arm to once again meet the face of the Prime. The soaking alien leader looked far from pleased. She had never been so happy to be alive.

Chapter Text

Aria's happiness had been short lived. The mighty Prime lifted her back onto the flight deck before Ironhide and Bumblebee hoisted him up as well. As soon as the giant hand let her go, she abruptly fell to her knees on the wet fight deck.

While still catching her breath, she glanced up at the three Autobots. Ironhide was talking to the Prime while Bumblebee looked between them and her.

“You could have been washed away saving that human, Prime.” Ironhide sounded upset.

The aircraft carrier was still swinging back and forth in the violent ocean waves. Seconds later there were three soldiers around her, appearing out of the blue. Her focus, however, remained on the talking duo.

The Prime stood tall. “I will not let harm befall any human on my watch.”

"Are you okay?" one of the soldiers hollered over the wind and rain.

She nodded.

Ironhide crossed his arms. “I know that. You should have warned me you were jumping in or let me do it in your stead. It is not worth the risk.”

As much as it hurt, Ironhide was right. It was foolish for the Prime to jump into the water for the likes of her. She also doubted the ebony robot would have jumped into the ocean to save her. He didn’t even like her, let alone care.

The soldiers grabbed her under her arms and lifted her up while another started wrapping what looked like a tinfoil blanket around her. After securing it around her body, they led her back to the bridge and away from the Autobots.

There was a soldier on either side of her preventing her from falling over or slipping on the water washing back and forth across the swaying flight deck. The rushed movements of the two men caused sharp pains in her back. All the while she strained her ears for more of the alien’s conversation. It was useless, though. Nothing could be heard over the rain and the shouts of the men helping her.

They reached a door that entered the first level of the bridge. The third man assisting Aria rushed ahead to open it. As he did, the aircraft carrier shifted sides and the door to slammed open on the man. He quickly recovered and followed Aria and the other two soldiers inside.

The room looked like it was intended to be an engine control room, but it was now crowded with inured men and women and a few doctors running around trying to tend to them all.

Some of the crew workers were covered in blood, while others looked cold and wet like her. Many were wrapped up in similar tinfoil blankets and shivering.

The soldier that had let the three of them in pulled the door closed behind him. The room became quiet. The chatter inside nothing compared to the noise of the storm.

She was then led further into the room and was prompted to sit down beside a blonde man with a gash on his right temple. He held a cloth over it, but the blood seeped through the material and down his face and arm. His lips were pulled back into a thin line.

On her other side was a much older man with a piece of metal jutting unnaturally out of his thigh. There were two medics around him. One was giving the man an oxygen mask and the other was wrapping a piece of clothing tightly around the top of his wound. The man himself was rocking to and fro, clenching his blue hands above the place the cloth was being tied as if willing the pain to go away.

"It will be a minute before a doctor can come check you out."

Aria looked up at the soldier talking to her. Water from her hair dripped onto her eyelashes. She wiped her face with the palm of her hand.

"Just keep your hands under your armpits and breathe deeply. You'll be okay," he added giving her a reassuring nod. He then hurried back towards the door with the other two men.

Aria continued to stare at the space where his head had been long after he had left. The shooting pain in her back had gone away, replaced with the numbness that consumed her whole body.

Something was off. It was more than just her body that felt numb. Her emotions dulled as well. Everything became inconsequential as apathy took hold. Normally the sight of blood made her queasy and the room of injured people would be cause for concern. Instead, she focused her vision on a distant wall while the voices around her blended together into a drone in the back of her mind.

She went to move her fingers, only to find that they didn't listen. Not a good sign but it wasn’t that big of a deal. She was on the verge of hypothermia—or could already be suffering from it—and all she could do was gaze down at her hands. Maybe she was going to die after all.

Is this what dying was like? A semi lucid mind trapped in a hollow shell? She didn't feel cold or wet anymore. Sure her nails were blue, and every visible inch of her body was covered in goose bumps, but she felt nothing.

There was a wail of pain. It came from the older man to her right. The medics had just pulled the piece of metal from his leg. Usually the sight of so much blood would have made her sick to her stomach, but she just stared, her eyelids heavy.

A loud voice brought her back to reality.

"My name is Dr. Chen.”

A man crouched in front of her.

"I'm going to take your temperature, okay?"

Aria nodded, there wasn’t much more she could do.

The doctor held up a scanner to her forehead and held it there until it beeped. He then took her hand and asked if she could feel him touching her fingers. 

“A little bit,” she mumbled, closing her eyes.

"Now's not the time to go to sleep," he said, his eyes meeting hers. He then turned to the blonde man beside her. "Come here and keep this young girl warm before she freezes to death. She has moderate hypothermia that could easily get worse if we don't warm her up. And don't let her fall asleep either.”

The doctor’s voice sounded clear enough, but it was like English was a foreign language of a sudden.

An arm brought itself around her shoulders bringing her close to a body. A hand also reached out and took both of hers in it. Aria looked up through half lidded eyes to see the blonde man giving her a pained smile.

"Doctors orders," he said.

The man's previously bleeding head was now covered in a white bandage, blood was still visible seeping through it. What had happened to him? He was a crew member because of his uniform, which was a jumpsuit much like hers was at the museum.

"You okay?" he asked.

Had he said something?

She leaned her head into him. "No," she murmured closing her eyes.

Something was shaking her and talking, but she paid no heed to it. Darkness clouded her vision and took her away from the confusion.

…

Where…where was she?

She was lying in a bed, that much was clear. The rest was hazy at best.

The only noise in the room was the beeping of the heart rate monitor. The room smelt like a hospital for lack of a better term, like disinfectant and antiseptics.

The aircraft carrier now smoothly sailed along. It almost felt like she was on land again, almost.

Her body felt warm and dry. Her hands and feet were resting on some sort of heat packs. The unnatural warmth covering the rest of her body must have been coming from a heating blanket. She gave a content sigh before opening her eyes, the white lights blinding her as she did.

This must have been the "intensive care" unit of the ship. There were unconscious men and women lying in the surrounding beds. Many had heart rate monitors attached to them as well.

That’s right, she fell into the ocean. If it wasn’t for the Prime, she wouldn’t be here.

A single doctor made his way around the room holding a clipboard. He would examine a patient, lifting their eyelid and shining a light on their pupil. Then he would jot a note down on his clipboard and move on to the next bed.

Upon seeing her awake, he flashed a white smile, the bags under his eyes suggesting he hadn't had much down time recently. Aria smiled back at the bald man.

"Well it's good to see someone's finally awake. I’m Dr. John Matson," he said and shone a light into her eyes. "How do you feel?"

Aria blinked at the sudden light and turned her head away. "Pretty stupid," she said.

"Oh?" The doctor looked amused now, "And why's that?"

"Well instead of listening to a giant alien robot to stay put, I ran outside and fell into the ocean." She made a breathy sound like a laugh and shook her head.

"I happen to hear that this robot you speak of doesn't like to be disobeyed," he said and smirked. "And as far as robots go, I don't think he likes swimming either."

Aria laughed nervously. Now that she thought about it, the Prime did look pretty angry after he had saved her. Perhaps she should have thanked him instead of laughing like an idiot. The sea water must have been to blame.

The doctor looked thoughtful. "Though he did happen to ask about your wellbeing yesterday."

“He…did?”

…

It turned out on top of nearly drowning, Aria also had a cracked rib. She was spared from the pain when she woke up due to the drugs in the IV. The doctor had told her not to do any strenuous activity, and to avoid railings unless absolutely necessary.

Very funny.

Armed with a bottle of pain pills, she was sent on her way. Before going down to the mess to get some food, she went up to the flight deck. It was a day after the storm and curiosity once again led her astray.

A dozen or so planes remained on the flight deck, crowed together in the center like a clutch of chicks. They had minor dents and scratches, but over all looked in good flying condition. Various crew members surrounded the planes, examining them closely.

Around the ship was calm water, sunlight reflecting off the surface. The salty wind was pleasantly cool. It would be easy to be lulled into a false sense of security when the ocean was calm and the sun was warm.

Aria went to take a deep breath of the fresh humid air but paused when sharp pain shot through her back. The drugs must have been starting to wear off already.

She turned to face the sun like a flower after a rainstorm. The peacefulness of the moment was mesmerizing. Perhaps it was staring death in the eye was why she was grateful for such a small thing like the sun shining overhead. If only Jetfire could see it as well.

When the men on the deck started giving her sideways glances, it was a good indication that she lingered too long. She went back below deck. Maybe she could find some familiar faces on the way to the mess hall.

The hangar was in complete disarray compared to the flight deck. Most of the crew was piling up scrap metal that had been torn off the planes. The metal made loud crashing noises as they threw the pieces on top of each other.

All the Autobots were there too, helping in various ways. Some helped collect metal, while others assisted in sorting the damaged planes away from functioning ones.

Groups of soldiers stood along the walls, idly talking with one and other, probably feeling not needed. Sam, Mikaela, and Leo were nowhere to be seen.

There was a loud mechanical “Ahem” sound as the black, sturdy looking robot spotted her and nudged the towering Prime beside him. The giant red and blue alien turned around to look at Ironhide, then followed his gaze to Aria.

She gave a nervous laugh at the look he gave her. He did not look happy. The floor trembled as he walked purposefully towards her.

Seeing something so large coming at her, she squealed and started backing away. The Prime caught up with one extra step. He kneeled down and before she could turn to run. His face was in front of hers in an instant. Her legs turned to jelly and she fell back on her butt. She yelped at the sudden pain in her back.

"I told you to stay put," he said, his voice deep.

Aria opened her mouth to apologize but was cut off.

"Do you know how to listen?" The Prime didn't give her a chance to answer. "No, obviously not." He kept his head close and spoke in a hushed angry tone.

Aria looked down at her bare feet. "I just wanted to-"

"By falling off the ship? Last time I checked, that is not considered helping." The giant robot gave her a hard look with his glowing optic eyes.

Aria blinked, was the Prime lecturing her?

"If Ironhide hadn't seen you fall off the ship, you would not be alive right now."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you mad,” she said. "It's just…" her voice cracked.

The Prime's huge face vented out air in what sounded like defeated sigh. "Calm down, calm down. There is no need to become emotional, just do not do it again." He pointed a mechanical finger to further emphasize his last statement.

The Prime then stood to his full height and turned and walked back to Ironhide who had been watching the exchange.

Aria was left standing there bewildered. Never in her life had she even begun to imagine that she would be lectured by a thirty-foot alien. Not even an "Are you okay?" or a "Happy to see you survived". Nope just a good old fashioned talking to. But that meant he cared at least, right?

She looked at the other robots. Ironhide's expression was hard as he nodded his head as if agreeing with what the Prime had said. Bumblebee, the yellow robot however, looked sympathetically at her before turning back to join the crew members.

The two small red and green Autobots looked like they were about to fight but were separated by Ratchet. After pulling the two away from each other he made his way to Aria, much less intimidating as the Prime had. She managed to stand her ground this time.

Ratchet crouched down in front of her and held out his arm. Aria jumped when a blue laser scanned her up and down. "Hmm, it seems you have a dorsal fracture on your fourth vertebrosternal rib," the alien physician stated.

Aria nodded her head at the robot. "Yeah, it hurts a little," she said idly. Truthfully it hurt a lot more than a little. The dull throbbing pain returned every time she inhaled.

The robot looked interested. "And how did you receive such an injury?"

Aria sighed, "A wave pushed me into the railing."

"Ah, I see," he hummed thoughtfully.

…

Aria's bed had never felt so uncomfortable. She wanted to curl up into her usual ball and fall asleep but her back hurt just to think about it.

When she made it back to her bunk after eating a plate full of mashed potatoes, she discovered Leo loudly snoring in the bed above hers while Sam and Mikaela's were empty. Probably off doing something mischievous.

At least her journey was finally coming to a close. Tomorrow she would sleep in her own bed, in her own house, on the ground—beautiful solid ground—Not this merciless ocean that sought only to kill her. Thankfully these robots can swim, or else she would be dead.

She could finally see her animals again. Her dog would be at the neighbors and her horses would be running low on water by now. Oh, how she missed them.

What was her life going to be like once all this was over? Surely, they weren’t going to send her back home and act like nothing ever happened. The government must have some sort of plan to cover up the episode at the Udvar center that Jetfire practically destroyed. She had already filled out paper after paper to be sure she would not tell a soul about anything she saw. The greatest adventure of her life and she couldn’t tell anyone about it. Not like anyone she would believe her anyway.

Would she ever see the Transformers again? She overheard their secret base was in Diego Garcia, which happened to be in the middle of the Indian Ocean. They, along with the military, would most likely be heading back there as soon as possible. She had a life changing experience and had met towering aliens from a distant planet, only to never see them again. This is what she studied, this is what she lived for!

Could she become a scientist for them? Yeah right, she wasn't that good. They wanted accomplished astrophysicists, not museum janitors. But, then again, from what she learned this past week and a half, anything was possible.

She turned her head to face the wall, with the curtains drawn it was pitch black in her bunk. She lay on her stomach taking small breaths to avoid unnecessary back pain.

The Prime's regal voice sounded in her ears as she imagined his metal face with the symbol on his right cheek. Aria remembered the doctor's words.

“Though, he did ask about your wellbeing yesterday.”

How sweet.

Chapter Text

Aria woke up later that day. Deciding it was time to eat, she made her way to the mess hall before anything else.

Tonight's supper looked like a mix of over boiled peas, carrots, and pork. It was nice to know that they were at least trying to encourage healthy eating. Unfortunately, the quality of the food didn't do it any justice.

It turned out swallowing was quite painful for her sore ribs. If they had hurt earlier that day, they killed now. The cracked one felt especially pleasant. She popped a pain pill and drank some orange juice.

After she finished eating, she made her way to the bathroom. Inside was Mikaela. She must have just finished having a shower judging by her wet hair and towel wrapped tan body. Aria had tried to tan once, just last week as a matter of fact, but hers looked terrible compared to Mikaela’s.

"Fancy meeting you here.”

Mikaela raised her eyebrows cynically "Ha ha. You're funny."

Aria returned the look. "Why thank you."

She turned, heading to the showers and picking up a random towel off the floor as she did. Mikaela must have watched her trying to reach it without moving her back since she heard a laugh before she came over and picked it up for her.

"So I heard you fell off the boat," she said, "And then Optimus jumped in to save you, how sweet." At the last part she batted her long eyelashes and made one of those mock cutie faces. They laughed.

Aria recovered first. "Yeah I honestly had no idea robots could swim," she said while she took off her clothes and got into the shower Mikaela had left the shampoo in.

Mikaela raised her voice over the running water. "Neither did I."

"Though, he wasn’t happy about doing it."

Mikaela chuckled. "I could see why. Sam's dog peed on Ironhide's foot a few years ago and he's still not over it. Brings it up once a week."

Their conversation went from angry wet robots, to Aria's cracked rib, and then somehow to what they were doing when they got home. Turned out they were both going to head straight back to work as soon as they did. Apparently, Mikaela was a body shop mechanic from South Gate California. That explained the amazing tan and car knowledge.

They left the bathroom together after they finished and sauntered back to their bunks where they discovered Leo and Sam yapping away about trivial male things. Aria managed to interrupt and asked if they ever saw the Transformers during their day to day lives.

"Well," Sam piped up, "I hear that the NEST base in Diego is shut down at least for now. Lennox was talking about moving base to Washington, but I don't know if that's what's actually going to happen."

So there was a possibility these alien robots were going to live in her city? That meant if the Decepticons decided to attack, she was screwed. But at the same time, it made the possibility of seeing them that much more.

Maybe the base needed a janitor. Even if it was embarrassing, she would do it if it meant seeing the Autobots more often.

Sure they were big and scary looking, and fifty percent of their bodies were weapons of some sort, but they were absolutely fascinating.

She would find Lennox today and ask what she had to do to become a part of their lives. But she hadn't seen him for days. Perhaps he was in the upper parts of the bridge where she wasn't allowed. Typical.

"So do you know if the base in Washington would be permanent?" Aria tried but couldn't keep the excitement out of her voice.

Sam shrugged. "I have no clue."

Mikaela looked thoughtful while Leo looked perplexed as per usual.

"I hear we're going to be home by tomorrow afternoon," Aria stated, changing the subject.

"Yeah, finally!" Mikaela sounded relieved. Leo and Sam agreed with her nodding.

The four of them talked for a while longer before saying their goodnights and climbing into their bunks. Mikaela and Sam decided to share one tonight complaining that it was too cold. What a terrible excuse, couldn’t they come up with something more clever? Like one of the mattresses springs broke, or... Never mind.

…

Aria's eyes shot open. This was it, the day she got to go home. She practically jumped out of bed, unfortunately her back injury inhibited ninety percent of the action.

It must have been early because the three other teenagers were still blissfully sleeping away.

Aria reached under Mikaela's empty mattress to retrieve the brush they shared. She took it with her to the bathroom along with a few other vanity items they had gathered. Once there, she got ready as per usual.

In the bathroom, she put on her tattered sundress and the t-shirt on top. It made a slightly cuter outfit than the cargo pants.

Aria hummed while she checked herself out in the mirror from different angles, fixing her hair for the umpteenth time, even if her reflection was blurred thanks to her poor vision. Leaving the boat was a big event.

Perhaps she could see the Autobots one last time. Sure, they were scary as hell, but who knows if she'd ever see them again.

The hanger was illuminated by its usual florescent lights when Aria arrived. There were a few crew members here and there, tending to the planes. A few of them nodded at Aria as she made her way past them towards the back of the deck. Sure enough, there was a row of vehicles ranging from a Beat to a Peterbilt. She approached them slowly. Were they sleeping?

The silver Corvette to her left spring to life revving its engine. It spun its tires on the asphalt before doing a tight drift and stopping sideways right in front of where she would have been seconds ago, if she hadn't scrambled out of the way. For good guys, they sure did enjoy being mean.

"Hey pretty lady, want to go for a ride?" asked the car's radio suggestively.

Aria froze. It talked? Wait, it was the robot who was speaking to her through the radio.

"Err, why?"

"I just thought attractive human females liked attractive cars."

It was odd talking to a car; none the less one that called her an attractive female. "Well yeah…uh, sure," she stuttered out.

Aria got up and hesitantly touched the car door. She didn't know if she was allowed to touch it…him, whatever. Plus it was a really expensive looking car.

"Well come on," the radio teased, engine purring.

Aria felt the door move under her hand, opening further. Taking a breath, she got in as fast as she could, which was still pretty slow because of her awkward movements so she wouldn't strain her throbbing back.

"Looks like someone's hurting," came the radio's smooth voice.

"You got that right," Aria responded through clenched teeth. How long was this pain going to last?

The door shut silkily beside her with a satisfying click. The car came to life with an unnecessarily loud roar of the engine that echoed through the massive metal room. Aria was sure the car was going at least sixty up and down the hanger, swerving to avoid aircrafts and humans alike. It was the smoothest car she had ever been in. It was kind of fun actually. Men in the hangar cheered as they drove by.

The Corvette stopped as it neared the others of its kind. Sideswipe had even opened the door all the way to let her out.

Though they had no conversation during the ride, she already felt more at ease near him. He just happened to be a show off that found someone to show off to.

When Aria exited the silver car, all the Cybertonians transformed at once. As they all stood side by side, their height differences became obvious. The Prime was the tallest by far, not to mention he had a superior stature compared to the rest. Next was the medic, Ratchet, followed by Ironhide, Jolt, Sideswipe, Bumblebee, then the twins, Mudflap and…uh, Skids. Aria had asked Sam and Mikaela multiple times to clarify who's who of the giant metal aliens.

"You can't help but make a spectacle of yourself can you, Sideswipe?" said a gruff metallic voice.

Aria turned to see Sideswipe behind her looking rather arrogantly towards Ironhide. "At least I'm nice enough to talk to the female."

Ironhide glared back at him, "I've talked to the girl before."

Oh good, Aria thought, they were competitive.

"Scaring her doesn’t count," Sideswipe remarked.

The sturdy robot growled in response. "Why you little punk!"

They both turned to face each other directly, getting ready to pounce.

"Enough you two," another deep voice commanded.

Aria looked back at the Prime, he sounded much like he did the day before when he lectured her. Ironhide and Sideswipe obeyed without a word and resorted back to glaring daggers at one and other.

"You guys got so told," piped up the red twin, Mudflap. The Prime only had to glance at him before he put his metal hands in the air and backed away from the others.

It was Ratchet who finally addressed Aria. "How is your back?" He inquired, bending down and scanning her again.

Aria squinted when the light passed over her face. "It's still pretty sore."

The Prime bent down on one knee as well to better look at the girl. "You are still injured?" he asked sincerely.

She nodded but it was Ratchet who answered him. "She damaged one of the bones that make up her chest cavity."

The Primes glowing optic eyes flickered back to her. They looked teal in the yellow tinted light.

Unlike all the other robots, he brought his face close to hers to get a better look at her while he spoke. "Is it a curable condition?" He turned his gaze back to Ratchet.

"Yes, it should take about two weeks to heal completely. Under the circumstances that she does not do any strenuous activity," he gave her a scrutinizing look.

"Yeah, yeah!" Aria exclaimed.

"Good," the medic replied tersely.

Aria sighed, it was now or never. "So are you staying in Washington from now on?" Her voice sounded innocent enough.

The prime nodded. "As far as we understand, Washington DC is our new home."

"I see," Aria tried not to sound too happy about it.

The Transformers were going to live in her city! She knew there were perks to living in the capital of the United States, but who would ever imagine this! Well, other than avid comic book readers.

"It is to my knowledge that you also reside there," said the Prime.

How could he possibly know that? Unless he put two and two together when she told Ratchet she worked at the museum while he was behind her.

"Yes. It's a nice city." Good job, Aria. Way to sound like an idiot.

The Prime merely nodded. "We will arrive there soon"

Aria smiled. "Yeah, I think you guys will like it there."

The small green robot looked up. "Anything cool to check out?"

"Well it's the capitol of the United States, so I would assume so. Well at least for people. I don't know what you do in your spare time though…" What did they do? They often talked to the soldiers and each other, but other than that they seemed to always be in their car forms.

"We race," Sideswipe stated like she was crazy for not knowing.

Ironhide growled. "No, we do not. We do what we are told."

"Just because you old timers have nothing to do doesn't mean us youthful bots have to sit and do nothing with you all day."

Was the silver robot trying to pick another fight?

"Sideswipe," the Prime stood to his full height facing him. "It is not a wise idea to start a fight with Ironhide simply because you have too much energy. We will resume training soon enough."

Ratchet spoke up. "And the humans would not appreciate you destroying their ship."

Ironhide and Sideswipes glowing eyes never left each other. "I assure you," the taller black robot snarled, "that the fight would be over long before he could even raise a cannon."

Aria covered her mouth trying to stifle a laugh, he was funnier than Jetfire.

"What are you snickering at, punk?"

She laughed off his threatening tone. He seemed harmless despite his threats.

Ironhide gave her one last glare before transforming back into a Truck. He drove away rather loudly, much like the first time she met him.

"You taught him well, Optimus," it was Ratchet. "Usually he'd try to terminate the human."

That shut Aria up. Maybe he wasn’t so harmless.

"No," the Prime corrected. "He would only threaten to terminate the girl."

…

It was just past noon when a loud horn sounded throughout the ship. Aria, along with the three teenagers, jumped at the sudden loud noise. The lounge they were currently sitting in burst to life seconds later. The crew and soldiers nearly skipped out of the room chattering as if it was the end of the day bell at school. Aria didn't blame them, she felt the same way. They were finally, finally home.

"Come on!" Mikaela urged, already getting up to leave.

Aria awkwardly stood up after the two boys had already joined the younger girl. The three of them waited impatiently for Aria.

"Yeah yeah, I'm coming!"

Upon reaching the flight deck, the four of them found the entire crew of the ship along with countless soldiers. They covered most of the deck while many still crowded the narrow walkways on the bridge. They were all waving to the people on the dock only meters to the ships right. Most of the civilians were women and children who were cheering and waving back.

There was a small jolt as the massive aircraft carrier came to a halt. The engines then shut off, putting a stop to the hum and small vibrations in the floor that seemed unnoticeable the instant before.

Aria yelped at the sudden contact of Leo's arms embracing her. "Oh my god Leo! That hurts, let go!" she hollered at him over the cheering of the crowd.

He quickly let go, "Sorry, sorry! I forgot, okay? Don't hate me, I'm just happy to finally get off this ship!" His voice went from apologetic to excited in a heartbeat. Aria didn't blame him.

They both looked to see Sam and Mikaela kissing off to the side.

"Oh la la," Leo cooed.

It was about an hour before the entire plethora of men had crossed the dock onto land. Lennox had spotted them in the meantime and told them to stay behind until everyone had left the area. They might as well get comfortable because the crowd wasn't getting any smaller any time soon.

Sure enough they were back in the lounge area two hours later. Apparently, they were leaving with the transformers that night. Aria, however, had no more patience with the situation.

"Okay, that's it!" she said shortly gaining the other three's attention. "I'm going to find Lennox and tell him I have animals to take care of. I can't afford to sit her when there's a perfectly fine taxi twenty meters away!"

Aria stormed off as dramatically as she could with a broken rib. She climbed up the stairway slowly and made a loud sigh of relief when she reached the hanger. She spotted the usually silent blue robot conversing with the NEST captain.

"Hey!" she called to the blurry man. He turned to face her, however, she couldn't make out his face.

"Aria? What's up?" The man sounded genuinely concerned, it was the colonel.

"Can I go soon? I really need to get back to my starving animals."

He sighed. "No, people will want to know why there are civilians limping off the dock."

"Come on! No one will even notice me. They're all too busy visiting to even care."

"No," the soldier repeated firmly. "There's no way I'm letting you-"

"I'll take the girl."

Both the man and Aria turned to look at the tall blue robot, mouths a gape for different reasons. Aria took a breath to say something. When no words would form, she exhaled defeated. This robot barely acknowledged her existence before, and now he was offering her a ride home.

"Don't encourage her…" Lennox glared up at him.

This time the Prime himself stepped in. "It would be less obvious to the humans if a car left the ship as opposed to a young female."

"And I am aware that animals taken in as pets are highly dependent on their owners." Ratchet joined them as well.

Lennox raised his voice at them. "No we don't need any more attention than necessary!"

"Come on man, let 'er go," came the small green robot's voice.

The colonel opened his mouth to protest once again, but was interrupted by the Prime. "Then it is decided," his voice was authoritative like none other.

"What!" Lennox said, baffled.

"Jolt will take the girl, and return here once she is home safely," he nodded curtly at the shorter blue robot.

The humans exchanged bewildered looks as Jolt transformed beside them. Aria brushed her hair from her face and turned to get into the blue vehicle.

"Don't you get into that car…" Lennox warned.

Aria shot him an innocent smile and waved before she leapt inside. The car sped off instantly, leaving the angry Captain behind. At this rate, she was never going to heal. But at least she was finally going home, the strange rusty orb wrapped in cargo pants under her arm.

Chapter Text

It felt like forever and a day before Jolt pulled into her gravel driveway. Unlike the typical people who chose to live in the confines of the city close to amenities, her home was much more secluded.

A quaint two-story house with aged white siding stood in a large clearing bordered by lush green trees and brush only just beginning to show signs of the approaching fall. On either side of the steps going up to the front door, a raised garden full of roses, peonies, and dahlias, slightly overgrown and wild, like they were meant to be.

A ways behind the house was a small aged red barn, the roof caved slightly on one side. It sat alongside a large field with only a few trees speckled about.

“This is your home?” came a voice through the interior speakers of the Chevy as it parked on the otherwise empty driveway.

It was just as she left it, untouched and safe. There was no sight as beautiful as her home in the setting sun.

“Yes.”

As soon as she opened the door, the scent of the flowers and trees filled her nose. The air was fresh and still comfortably warm. A stark contrast from the ocean breeze that previously assaulted her senses.

As she carefully stepped out of the vehicle, the bushes between her property and the neighbor’s rustled. Violent barking cut through the tranquil silence. A lean black dog burst out of the trees, still barking and beelining towards her.

Aria, now fully out of the car, kneeled down and stretched out her arms. “Sirius!”

The Doberman crashed straight into her body, assaulting her with wet licks and paws. Her rib throbbed from the force, but Sirius’ attention was plenty of distraction. She pet him and kissed his head. Nothing was more sincere than a dog’s love and affection.

There was a loud sound of rushing air and rotating metal from behind her. She turned to face the blue alien robot, wiping the dog drool from her face. Sirius ran up to him barking frantically and nipped at his heel. Jolt simply shook the dog off.

Aria called Sirius back, when he didn’t listen, she shouted at him louder. He obeyed, backing up towards her and sitting, his brown eyes never leaving Jolt.

She patted his head. “Good boy. Be nice to Jolt or else he won’t come back.”

Sirius glanced at her, letting out a whine.

“This is a canine?” Jolt asked.

He didn’t sound fazed by Sirius’ outburst, so that was good. “Yeah, we typically call them dogs. This is Sirius, he’s my guard dog and my baby.”

“Guard dog? It seems harmless enough.”

Aria scoffed. “Well to you maybe. I have neighbors that won’t even walk by because he looks scary.” Speaking of which, she looked past Jolt to the small entrance between a wall of trees and lilac bushes. “Do you mind standing over there on the grass? I don’t need the neighbors who still do walk by seeing you.”

“Certainly.” Jolt gave a curt nod and took a few steps off of the driveway and out of sight from the opening to the road.

“Sorry.” Aria walked over with him. “It’s a dead end road, by I do still see the occasional car and person. Other than that, this place is perfect.”

“You are not one for company?”

Aria sat down on the grass. Sirius leaned against her as he sat as well. “I mean, I wouldn’t mind it once and a while, just not from strangers.”

Jolt looked around, before mimicking Aria’s action and sitting on the grass. He looked to the house. “You live alone, then?”

Aria shrugged. “Alone with Sirius and my horses.”

“Is that not a lonely existence? Humans seem like social creatures.”

A lonely existence? He sat on the grass of her beautiful property, looked at her beautiful house, and that was the conclusion he reached? Not a peaceful existence, or quiet existence—no, a lonely one.

“I don’t know… I mean I have acquaintances from work, but none that I would like enough to invite over. My parents stop by once and a while though.”

Jolt stayed silent for a moment. His blue eyes scanning the field behind the barn. “I see,” he finally said.

Aria turned to Sirius, patting her legs. He knew the gesture well and immediately sprawled across her, tongue sliding out the side of his open mouth.

“I must go now, dusk is approaching.” Jolt stood up, stray blades of dry grass falling from his as he did.

“Oh, yeah, I guess.” Aria coaxed Sirius off her and got up slowly. “Maybe I’ll see you again sometime?”

“It is unlikely, but it was a pleasure meeting you, Ms. Normandy.”

 Aria opened her mouth, but nothing came out. Was this really going to be the last time she talked to Jolt? To any of them?

“Farewell.” Jolt’s body folded into itself until he once again took the form of a Chevy Volt. It pulled back onto the driveway and out of the opening to the road.

Aria lowered her raised hand. “Bye…Jolt.”

She turned and headed into her house. Was that it then? The end of an adventure. It was short, but the twelve most eventful days of her life.

Teleported across the ocean, discovered aliens existed in the form of giant robots, rode in a Blackbird, witnessed an unknown war, travelled in an aircraft carrier, talked to Autobots, and now, she had said goodbye.

And thanks to the paperwork she signed, no one could ever know about it. Even if she did have friends, she wouldn’t have been able to tell them. At least she had Sam, Mikaela, and Leo, even if they were currently on a plane back to California.

The front door was unlocked as per usual. For some reason locking it always slipped her mind, especially when she had to run for the bus. At least this time it paid off. Her backpack was in her locker at the museum.

The house was as she left it. The west facing windows let in plenty of amber light. She grasped the railing and took the stairs one step at a time.

She entered her bedroom and went straight for the drawer in her bathroom vanity. She dug aground for the bottle of pain pills and popped two.

After drinking a glass of water, she changed and crawled into her bed. Sirius took his place at the side of her bed that faced the balcony doors.

Jolt was right. Normally the silence was nice. Just the rustling of trees outside her window and Sirius’ occasional noise while he slept was enough… but compared to falling asleep to Leo and Sam’s dumb conversations or Mikaela’s incessant gossip, it was too quiet.

Lonely, even.

…

 It wasn’t until the next morning that Aria got out of bed. The house was lit by grey light from the overcast sky. It dulled the colors of the sage green walls and brought out the age of the old wooden floors.

Aria turned on the TV as water boiled on the stove. A narrator’s voice filled the empty silence with theories of dark matter and the existence of black holes. Nothing about alien life, unfortunately.

Most of the food in the fridge was spoilt. The bread had green spots and the milk was long past due. Black tea and a less than fresh egg it was then.

Today was going to be a long day. There was going over to the neighbors and thanking them for watching Sirius, calling her parents, grocery shopping, and possibly working the evening shift at work. She was still scheduled and apparently Mark, her boss, knew the cover story and that she’d been taken in for questioning all this time.  

Lennox had her practice the story back on the ship on multiple occasions, reminding her that jail time for treason was the alternative. Leo was given the same alternative, Sam and Mikaela only had to do half the paperwork since it wasn’t their first time being a part of a top secret expedition with the Transformers.

She washed her plate and cup in the sink and placed them in the drying rack. Sirius sat by the front door waiting to go out after finishing his food as well. She gave him a pat and let him out. Turning the TV up louder, she ventured back upstairs to get dressed.

Although the days were getting cooler, her closet was filled with mostly dresses. The yellow one that flared out at the bottom looked the most appealing. She put on a sweater on top to make it more weather appropriate.

She put on her other pair of glasses. Fortunately, the ones lost in Egypt were her work pair. The downside was she was now down to her last ones.

Putting on her shoes, she joined Sirius outside. Her eyes landed on the driveway entrance.

Jolt had said that she’d probably never see them again, but Sam had once said that it was hard to keep them away once you got to know them.

Sirius ran ahead of her as she walked back to the pasture.

They were somewhere in Washington. Either somewhere in the rural area where they’d never be spotted, or true to their disguises, somewhere right in plain sight to the entire city.

The last place anyone would expect.

Aria grabbed the pitchfork stuck in a half-gone bale of hay. Stabbing into a loose bit hanging off the edge of it, she tossed it over the wooden fence into the pasture.

The ground rumbled with the galloping of hooves. Two horses ran full tilt toward her—or rather the pile of hay. All the fresh grass in the world, and they ran toward the sight of hay like they had been starved for months.

They whinnied and threw their heads as they neared. Azimuth was the faster of the two, his shiny white coat gleaming even in the overcast sky.  

Zenith wasn’t far behind. Taller with a larger head. He was a buckskin, golden coat with a black mane and tail.

They came to a sudden stop just before the fence, dropping their heads into the pile of hay. They looked to be perfectly fine. No visible injuries or limps, and just as fat as ever.

Aria climbed over the fence. The pain medication from that morning seemed to be helping. If she didn’t make any sudden movements, it wasn’t too bad.

“Mom and Dad would surely kill me if they found out I made you only eat grass for a week.” She took turns petting the pair. “And drink from the pond instead of your fancy water trough that you only splash in. Poor, poor creatures.”

“Aria, are you here?”

Aria turned back towards her house where the voice was calling from. Sirius was already full tilt toward the visitor, none other than her neighbor.

“Hey Deb, I’m back here!” Aria climbed back over the fence.

Deborah scurried over, her ginger hair contrasting with the greenery around the farm. The woman never failed to look out of place when she stopped by. She was always dressed in expensive clothing and gold accessories despite being a full time Doberman breeder.

Aria met her half way, allowing Deborah to catch her breath.

“Thank you so much for taking care of Sirius while I was away. Family emergency, but everything’s fine now.”

Deb waved her hand. “That’s quite alright, dear. I figured as much. Sirius was a good boy.” She pet his head while he sat between them.

Aria began to walk back to the house. Deb and Sirius followed on either side.

“Would you like any tea or anything?”

“That’s quite alright, dear. I just wanted to stop by and make sure everything was okay with you.”

Aria’s eyes wandered to a raspberry bush in the distance. “Oh, well thank you for checking up on me.”

Once they reached the driveway, Deb stopped at gave Aria a smile. “Take care, you know where to find me if you ever need.”

“Thanks again, Deb. See you.”

And just like that, Deb disappeared behind the trees and she was alone again.

Sirius whimpered.

…

Work was…weird. Where Jetfire once sat was now a big empty space. The walk to the back offices was almost disorienting without it.

Whatever damage Jetfire caused was already cleaned up. The only remaining evidence of his war path towards the overhead door was a few empty spots where planes once occupied.

Aira walked past a few other offices before reaching Mark’s door at the end of the small hallway. His door was open as per usual. She knocked on the frame before peaking in.

Mark looked up from his computer and waved her in. “You conveniently missed out on an eventful week. Military, government agents, specialty cleanup crews. I can’t believe the Blackbird was a ticking time bomb all this time.”

“Yeah they swarmed in right after I started my shift. The assailants sure worked fast in setting it off.”

“I’m just happy they got it out of here before it blew the museum. Not to mention they cleaned up all the damage in two days so we could reopen again.”

Aria sat down in the chair in front of Mark’s desk. “Are Frank and the others okay and back to work now?”

“Most of them. A couple of them requested a few extra days.” Mark leaned back in his chair, looking down his nose at her.

“That’s good to hear. It was scary finding them on the ground like that.”

A knock from behind drew Mark’s attention away. Aria turned back to see a well dressed brunette in a plaid pencil skirt and black blouse. Her hair was immaculate and her jewelry coordinated flawlessly with the outfit.

“Sorry to interrupt, I just wanted to thank you again for the opportunity.”

Marks eyes were glued on the woman with a wide smile. “You’re first day went well then? Ernesto was nice to you?”

She flashed a white smile. “Yes, I enjoyed working with him. He has some great stories.”

“I’m delighted to hear it. I’ll see you bright and early tomorrow?”

“Of course. Goodnight, Mr. Matthews.”

“Please, call me Mark.”

She smiled and left with a whip of her silky hair.

As soon as the woman disappeared, Aria turned back to Mark. “You hired a new tour guide?”

“Yes, lovely, isn’t she?” Mark finally tore his eyes away from the vacant doorway.

Aria sat up higher in her chair. “You said you’d interview me when a position opened up.”

Mark frowned. “You weren’t here last week.”

Oh so this was how it was going to be? Whoever promoted this man to general manager needed to be fired themselves.

“You couldn’t wait? I’ve been working here for five years as a janitor and you still won’t even give me a chance?”

“No offence, Aria, but you’re not really the ideal fit to be a tour guide.” His eyes swept over her. “You have to look and act a certain way, and you do not show promise with either of those standards.”

“So you want me to dress up and talk to people while I clean the entire museum? That hardly seems fair, especially when I barely make over minimum wage.”

“If you want to make more money maybe you should consider finding a job in your field. I’m sure somewhere is hiring astrology majors.”

“Astronomy,” Aria corrected. “And no, I want to work here as a tour guide.”

It wasn’t like she was asking to become the CEO. She wasn’t even asking for a measly raise. But no, she was just too homely looking to do anything with even the slightest amount of dignity than the job she got when she was starting university.

“Alright, Aria. I’ll consider you for next time we look to hire. Maybe start smiling a little more and putting on a little lipstick or something.”

Sexist asshole. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Now time to get to work.”

…

Aria caught the last bus home. Done another day of her dead end job in her dead end life. Like many nights, she was the only one on the bus.

Sirius greeted her when she opened the front door. After a scratch behind the ear, she let him outside. She turned on the speaker in her room to play soft music while she got ready for bed. The feminine voice soothed the silence of the empty house and drowned out the noise of the wind against the window.

Once she put on her pajamas, she let Sirius back in and did the usual ritual of turning all the lights off in the house. The faint lamp light was enough to guide her up the stairs to her room.

Sirius curled up in his usual spot beside the bed. Aria crawled under the covers and turned off the lamp.

She fell asleep to the sound of music.

Chapter Text

Saturday was a bright and sunny day. By the time Aria got off work—a rare morning shift at the main museum—the nip in the air disappeared making the temperature much more bearable in a skirt.

Mark wasn’t there, automatically making it a good and uneventful shift. Not having to look at the replacement Blackbird was also a bonus. All kinds of indiscernible emotions welled up in her chest whenever she looked at it. In fairness, the thing did change her life quite dramatically.

She smoothed out her black pencil skirt after descending the steps in front of the museum. Her blazer was just warm enough for the weather and the high neckline of her shirt underneath blocked her chest from the cool breeze.

Her heels clicked as she walked down the street past the buses and parked cars. The shoes looked great, but she had to walk a bit slower to avoid tripping and breaking an ankle.

Independence Avenue was crowded and full of traffic as per usual. People loved to sight see, and rightfully so. It was a beautiful street, even the point of the Washington Monument peeked through the trees if she looked in just the right spot.

Aria’s eyes darted around from building to building and back to the road before repeating the process. There had to be something, somewhere. Anything to point her in the right direction.

It was only yesterday that the news caught her attention. The small screen of her TV displayed an aerial view of the very street she was on. A fleet of military vehicles drove down it while an unseen voice informed of increased military presence in Washington, and around the area specifically.

It could mean a lot of things to a lot of people, but she knew more than a lot of people now.

Finding the Autobots had turned out easier than expected. Sure, hiding out in a public place would be the last place anyone would expect, but downtown Washington was a ballsy move, even for the government.

So ballsy, it blurred the line between genius and insanity.

Aria turned down another street of towering buildings, wide as they were tall. If she were the government, she would want them in a building with easy access to the highway and a huge underground parking lot to fit the Transformers in either form.

She came to a stop when a black SUV turned into a tunnel down into a building across the street. The plaque in front read Health and Human Services.

Getting a closer look, the tunnel went down quite far under the building. Gates blocked the parking area from the public, still closing after the SUV. It looked like the ideal place to hide a bunch of Autobots and a large military presence.

The armed guards on either side of the gate and nearby door didn’t make it any less obvious either.

She continued walking around the building. On the other side was the main entrance which wasn’t unusually guarded, making it a lot more welcoming.

She pulled her shoulders back and held her head higher as she entered the building. She looked the look of a professional woman, now it was time to walk the walk.

The lady at the front desk glanced up, the frown never leaving her face. “How may I help you?” she droned.

Aria smiled at her. “I’m here for a meeting, but I was actually wondering where a bathroom is.” She lowered her voice and leaned in a little. “Long walk here, you know?”

The lady perked. “Oh yes, it’s just there down the hall.” She pointed to the one behind her desk.

“Thanks so much!” Aria immediately beelined for the direction of the bathroom, not giving the lady a chance to question her further.

She placed her purse on the bathroom counter. So far so good. Getting into the building hadn’t been too hard. Now that she was in, she just had to find evidence of the Autobots somewhere in the building.

The parking area below was where they would actually be, but wondering down there was a death wish. There would be guards at every entrance and feigning innocence may not get her out of trouble, especially if Lennox found her.

Picking up her purse, she left the bathroom and walked down the hall. It wasn’t that she wanted to be found out, it was obvious she wouldn’t be able to talk to them, or even see them, but just knowing that they were there…that it all wasn’t a dream, that’s all that mattered.

A staircase, that would be the best bet. Much less obvious than the elevator, and much less used. 

She passed various doors bordered by narrow windows and small name plaques. Only a few people walked by. Aria kept her eyes ahead and they did the same. Her clothes fit in perfectly with the other women. Everything was going well so far.

Finally, at the end of the hall was a barren door, beside it was a blueprint of the first floor of the building. It was the stairway.

She looked back down the hall as she reached for the handle.

No one.

She pulled the door open and stepped in, it closed heavily behind her. The clicking of her shoes echoed as she walked down the stairs. She wiped her palms on her skirt before holding on to the railing.

The stairs ended at another unmarked door. It was as far down as the building went.

“Damnit,” she muttered under her breath. The door lacked a window to peak through. She would have to open it.                

All or nothing.

She grasped the doorknob.

Was it worth it?

It twisted under her grasp.

Yes, it was.

She pushed it open.

But why?

A hand hooked around the door from the other side, taking over control. “Ma’am?”

Aria stopped half way through the doorway. A man stood in front of her, tall and dressed in a military uniform.

She opened her mouth. What could she say?

“This part parking garage is off limits until further notice, I need to ask you to turn around and go back upstairs.”

“Oh,” Aria’s eyes wondered past the man to see something, anything behind him. “I’m so sorry, I totally forgot.”

He gave a curt nod. “That’s alright ma’am, just don’t forget again, we have to question repeat offenders.”

“Oh, of course! I won’t. Have a nice day.” She backed up into the stairwell.

“You too, ma’am,” he said and closed the door.

She leaned against the railing at the base of the stairs, balling her hands into tight fists.

“Yes!” she squealed under her breath. “Yes, yes, yes!”

Though she didn’t see anything beyond the guard, the badge on his uniform was a dead giveaway. Most civilians didn’t know the first thing about NEST, but she did.

She ascended the stairs back up to the main floor of the building.

This was it. This was their base. Somewhere past that door were the Autobots. Were they in their alt forms? Or perhaps they were bickering with one and other?

Back on the main floor, she turned down a different hallway where a sign pointed to a different entrance to the building, this one was closer to the back where the guards were standing at the base of the tunnel.

It was slightly warmer outside than it was inside the building. The sun felt nice on her skin as she stood mere meters away from the place the Autobots were hiding.

But maybe just knowing they were there wasn’t enough. Surely there was a way to get in. A way to see them again. Talk to them.

She began to walk away.

Even just for a moment.

A buzzer sounded from the base of the tunnel. Aria froze on the spot. No vehicles were turning into the tunnel.

She looked back. An engine roared from below, deep and throaty. A glint of black emerged from the tunnel.

Fate was on her side as a huge truck turned onto the road.

Ironhide!

She only stared as he drove straight past her towards the intersection. This was her chance.

Running as fast as her restrictive skirt and heels would allow, she chased down the truck. The light had just turned red, stopping him beside traffic half his size.

How was she going to get his attention without looking like a crazed person flagging down a stranger on the street? The guards weren’t far off and could still easily see her if she caused too much of a racket.

She waved her arm at him as if calling a taxi. Could he even see her? What was their vision like in their alt forms?

"H-Hey!" she stuttered before raising her voice. "You in the truck!"

The light turned green, but the truck didn't move. A few cars honked and aggressively switched lanes to get around him. Without wasting a second, she ran towards him. He must have heard her.

Aria stumbled on the edge of the curb and nearly fell into the side of the truck. She caught herself by putting both palms on the door. Definitely not the way to avoid making a scene.

She leaned back from the truck as the heavily tinted window rolled down a crack. A gruff voice boomed out. "Get in.”

Aria rushed over to the passenger side before pulling open the door and climbing in. Through the rear view mirror, the security guards appeared to be in a deep conversation, completely unaware. She sat back in the seat and hastily put on her seatbelt.

"You're lucky I stopped," the radio stated in a familiar voice. "I barely recognized you with footwear."

Wait, was he making fun of her?

"Oh, shut up! I barely recognized you, being a rather plain looking black truck, yourself."

"Autobots don't transform into ‘plain looking’ human vehicles, we only take the forms of the best.” He didn’t hide the pride in his voice. “Except Jolt," he added as an afterthought.

Oh, so he did have a sense of humor. "Poor Jolt, maybe he just wants to fit in, you know, like a robot in disguise?"

Ironhide made no comment.

Maybe she had been wrong about the sense of humor.

She changed the subject. "So where are we going?"

“We?” Ironhide's voice snorted from the speakers. “I don't recall you being invited, fleshy."

So this was how it was going to be. The robot would be sure to criticize her at every possible opportunity. "Alright trucky, where are you going?"

There was a pause before he answered. "To pick up Colonel Lennox from The Pentagon."

“Wait, the pentagon as in The Pentagon?”

“That is what I said.”

“I can’t go there! I already nearly got into trouble today, I can’t add breaking into The Pentagon to that list.”

“Maybe you should have thought of that before your little stunt back there.”

“I was desperate! I found your hideout under the Health and Safety building but there was no way I could get in. Then you show up out of nowhere. How could I resist?”

“You were desperate,” he spoke slowly, “to see us again?”

Oops, maybe she should have worded that differently. Out of all of them, Ironhide would be the one to make fun of her neediness.

“Well, you know… I don’t have much going on in my life, and as an Astronomy major, alien life has been something I’ve studied immensely. It’s only natural I’m curious.” That sounded objective enough.

He grunted. “Aliens. You realize you are just as much alien as we are, if we were to use the term.”

“Does that mean you’re just as curious about us as we are of you?”

A long building with endless walls of windows came into view from the passenger window. The Pentagon was unmistakable due to its size and unique appearance. Time was running out to bail.

“I am not curious of you, if that is what you are implying.”

“Oh, well…” that stung.

“Humans are all the same. Primitive, violent, and generally untrustworthy.”

Aria’s eyes dropped to the radio. “That’s a bold statement. How many humans have you gotten to know to say something like that?”

“The only ones I’ve gotten to know are the ones I trust. Every other human on this planet either has it out for us, or only cooperate because they have something to gain. When we no longer serve them, they turn their backs on us."

It hurt to hear the words as he spoke them. To have such an opinion meant that the government and military weren’t treating them well. Just because they weren’t human didn’t mean they could treat them with disrespect.

The Autobots were smart and selfless and kind. Every Autobot took their time to introduce themselves to her. Even Ironhide, who wasn’t a fan, had looked out for her on the ship.

He’d even stopped to let her in. Something he didn’t have to do, probably wasn’t even supposed to.

She opened her mouth, preparing to apologize on behalf of the human race, but when her eyes landed on the restricted access sign Ironhide had just passed, the thought slipped away.

“Wait, stop! I can’t be here!”

There was a gate and armed guards just up ahead.  

"Uh oh, looks like you're going to have to jump,” came Ironhide’s voice. “On the count of three, ready? Three…"

Was he seriously considering she would jump out of a moving truck? And even if she did, the guards would still see her rolling down the road mere meters from them.

"Two…"

Why wouldn’t he just stop, or turn around, or something? Maybe he wasn’t just teasing, maybe he did actually hate her.

"One. Time to get out," Ironhide's tone was far from serious.

Wait. Was he joking?

She exhaled. "Nope, that's a stupid idea."

There was an amused huff. "Yes, but it would have been funny.” He passed the gate without so much as stopping.

Aria crossed her arms and fell back into the seat. "I don't think you’re very nice either.”

"My feelings are hurt,” Ironhide's rather mocking voice echoed around her.

It wasn’t long after Ironhide parked that a man appeared from behind the other cars in the parking lot. He was much easier to recognize now that she had her glasses. Tall with a strong jaw and shaggy brown hair.

“Do you think he’ll yell at me?”

“That depends, did you breach one of those human contracts that dictate your society?”

“I’m not sure. There was nothing about happening upon you guys and saying hello,” Aria shrugged.

“Is that what this is? Could have fooled me.”

Lennox swung open the driver door, getting in and shortly greeting the robot. It wasn't until he was closing the door that his head snapped towards her.

His first reaction was to freeze and stare at her in complete and utter shock. For a full three seconds he opened his mouth before a look of realization dawned on his face.

"Aria!" He blinked a few times. "Is that you?"

She plastered the biggest smile she could muster on her face. “Long time no see.”

"Ironhide," Lennox said, "why did you bring her here?"

"She jumped in front of me in the middle of the road.” Ironhide’s gruff voice was light. “I had no choice, she threatened national security if I didn't let her in.”

Aria turned from the radio to face the man beside her. "I did not! I didn't threaten anything!"

"You ran straight into me,” Ironhide stated.

"You were waiting!"

Aria looked Lennox in the eye. "He's lying! I was just looking around the Health and Human Services building for the NEST hide out, and when I went outside, I saw him!"

"Wait, how did you know our base was there?" Lennox rubbed his temples.

"The news. It's pretty obvious, thanks to the increased military action nearby. Not to mention when I went down to the basement, a soldier with a NEST badge told me the parking garage was off limits.”

Lennox's eyebrows furrowed further as she spoke. "How did you get inside of the building in the first place? Civilians aren't allowed in there."

"Mostly luck." Aria shrugged.

Lennox simply nodded his head and looked out the windshield. "I see.”

"The girl isn't as unintelligent as she looks," the speakers rumbled.

"Thank you for the compliment, Ironhide.”

Lennox sighed. "Where do you live?"

"Why?"

"Because Ironhide's going to take you home."

Take her home? There was no way that was going to happen, not when she made it this far. Ironhide let her in, and Lennox was dignifying her with conversation so far. Backing down wasn’t an option.

Aria stared him straight in the eyes. "I want to see them again."

Lennox looked up to the headliner before his eyes fell back to her. "Is that what this is about?"

"Yes, it is."

"What if I say no?"

Aria sat up straighter. "Maybe I will threaten national security."

There was no way she would actually do it, but she wasn't about to back off. She was so close.

"No you're not," both Lennox and Ironhide responded.

Threatening had never been her thing anyways. "Please, I miss them! I'll do anything!"

Lennox gave a heavy sigh. "Fine, they could use some civilian company anyway."

"Thank you!" She could have hugged the man. He folded rather easily, way easier than expected.

He rolled his eyes. "Just don't make me regret it."

“I won’t.” Today really was her day.

…

Shortly after their conversation, they arrived at the top secret NEST base which was actually the parking garage of the Health and Human Services building.

Once they passed through the gate, familiar vehicles came into view, neatly parked in individual bays with various soldiers scattered amongst them. Further back, Jolt and Ratchet were talking to each other. Aria jumped out of Ironhide’s alt mode before he came to a full stop.

The base was rather large, even for giant robot standards. At the very end was a tall bridge-like walkway where Jolt and Ratchet were.

Aria's clicking heels seemed to draw the attention of every soldier around. Maybe because she was a woman, or maybe because she was a civilian at a NEST base. Both were possible in a place like this.

Now just a few meters away from the conversing Autobots, she hesitated. Here she was boldly walking up to two Transformers she was vaguely acquainted with. Would they even remember who she was?

She stopped walking. This was a bad idea.

"Ah, Aria. I can't say I've seen you for a while." Ratchet’s voice filled the hangar.

Aria’s eyes slid up from the floor to Ratchet’s face. "Er… long time no see.” It sounded more like a question than a greeting.

Ratchet turned to Jolt. "The girl seems nervous.”

"Perhaps your sudden statement stunned her momentarily," Jolt replied. They both nodded at each other before turning back to Aria.

"No, she's just a wussy," Lennox called from behind her. Aria sharply glared at him as he came to a halt at her side.

Ratchet leaned closer to them, a look of confusion on his metallic face. "What is a wussy? I'm not familiar with human jargon."

Before Lennox could answer, the four of them turned to look at Ironhide who approached them from behind.

"It means the girl is a coward," he said before smirking down at Aria. Somehow, the look suited him.

Wait, what did he just call her?

She looked him in the eye. "I am not!"  She then faced Lennox. "I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but we’re interacting with alien life. I’m sorry that I’m being less than eloquent when in the presence of beings twenty times our size and from a different planet.”

The three robots looked between each other in silence while Lennox put a hand on his face trying to hide his smile.

She was being serious and he was trying not to laugh!

"You’re pretty funny, kid," he said regaining himself. “We’re just teasing you.”

"I’m not a kid.”

The familiar sound of hydraulics releasing air and shifting metal echoed throughout the hangar. Everyone turned their attention to the transforming Prime.

Standing at his full height, his authority radiated through the hangar, prickling at her skin.

"Good afternoon, Aria. I trust you are well?"

Such a simple question became so much more when spoken by the thirty foot Prime. To think, he had jumped into the ocean to save her. She owed him her life, not that her life meant much to him.

"Yes I am, thanks to you."

He nodded. "And your back is repaired?"

Aria smiled at his genuine concern. "Mostly, it's still a bit sore though."

"Human bodies seem like such frail things yet can take vast amounts of damage without causing death." While he spoke, the Prime looked at her thoughtfully before bending down on one knee and leaning closer to her.

It was getting difficult to pay attention to what he was saying while the parts that made up his face rotated and flexed like a puzzle too complex for even the brightest human mind to solve.

Not only that, but he was an alien robot, hundreds, if not thousands of years older than herself. A being that has travelled across time and space, and ended up right here on earth, in front of her, asking about her injury.

"It mostly depends where and how we are injured. It’s quite complex, actually. I little rib injury like mine is a small price to pay for my, uh, lack of judgement that day.”

A muted laugh came from behind the Primes closed metallic lips. "Ah, is that what you call it?”

Oh great, now he was laughing at her. How embarrassing.

The Autobot leader leaned in closer, causing Aria to look back up at him. The Prime's eyes were narrowed in confusion. "You face suddenly became red, are you unwell?"

That one caught her off guard, was she actually blushing in front of the Autobot leader? Probably had something to do with the close proximity, like she was an insect being analyzed by a curious child fascinated by how different she was.

Lennox joined her and the Prime. “Unfortunately, time’s up, Aria. The Autobots have a meeting in an hour that no one felt the need to tell me about."

Optimus stood back up, his head just inches from the ceiling.

Already? She hadn't even had a chance to talk to all the Autobots yet. "Alright." her eyes met the floor. "Will I be able to come back some time?"

Lennox sighed. "I guess. But next time you're going to have to go through clearance, no more ambushing Autobots and threatening national security. Here," he handed her a card from his chest pocket, "call me next time you want to visit."

"Of course!" Aria threw her arms around the much taller man. She released him from the hug, keeping her hands on his shoulders. "Thank you!"

"Just don't make me regret this," he said with a small smile on his face. "Ironhide, since you’re okay picking up hitchhikers, would you mind taking Ms. Normandy home?"

"Of course,” Ironhide said tersely. He immediately transformed into his alt form and began to drive towards the exit.

Aria looked between Lennox and the truck as it drove away.

Lennox raised his brows. “You better hurry, he’ll leave without you.”

Was running after Ironhide going to become a common occurrence?

Chapter Text

Aria sat quietly in the passenger seat. Music played on the radio so quietly it was hard to tell what was playing, perhaps old country or maybe blues?

Other than telling Ironhide her address, neither of them said a word the entirety of the trip. Couldn’t he make some sort of remark? Complain or something?  

She shifted in the seat. Outside the window, the dwindling cityscape into something more rural.

What could she say? Ironhide was unpredictable, one second he would joke around, and the next he would openly declare his distaste for humans. He seemed to tolerate her at least, but to what extent?

Back on the ship, when she fell offboard, it was Ironhide who spotted her. As much as she owed her life to Optimus, she owed it to Ironhide as well. The details were still hazy of what happened after she got back onto the ship, but the vision of Ironhide’s angry expression was clear enough.

What did he actually think of her? Surely, she wasn’t one of the ones that he deemed unworthy of his trust. Then again, had she shown him any evidence of that? She was one of the ones he didn’t know yet, and therefore she would have to get to know him to earn it.

And to do that, she had to say something.

“Thank you,” she began. “Back on the ship, it was you that spotted me when I fell. I know my life is nothing compared to Optimus’, but I’m grateful to both of you for saving me.”

Ironhide took his time to answer. “Just don’t go doing it again. We have more important things than looking out for you humans.”

Aria’s eyes turned from the window to the center console. “I’ll do my best.”

“What were you trying to accomplish?” His voice sounded genuinely curious under the condescending overtone.

“I was trying to help. Everyone else was, why couldn’t I?”

“The crew of the ship are trained for such situations, not civilians. You should have stayed below and let those qualified do what needed to be done.”

“Sam, Mikaela, and Leo were helping.”

“They are hardly examples to follow. If anything, keeping your distance from them would be the best for your survival. Staying even farther away from us would be even more so,” he added lowly.

“But…” She didn’t want to keep her distance from the Transformers. In fact, that was the exact opposite of what she wanted. Didn’t he realize that by now?

Not like she was suddenly going into battle with them. Egypt was a fluke and wasn’t going to happen again. Optimus took care of the problem, and Jetfire wasn’t there anymore to teleport her to dangerous situations.

“From what I have heard from your arrival to Egypt and your attempt to track us down, your curiosity is dangerous to yourself. Colonel Lennox should not have allowed you access to the base, you’re a liability to us now, one we don’t need.”

Even if he was right, it still hurt to hear. “I’ll do my best to stay out of trouble.”

It was all she could really promise.

Trees filled the landscape outside the window. The road was narrow and traffic was sparce. Her house wasn’t far now. Having an actual ride was much faster than the bus. The trip was worth it though, to live out of town.

“This is the destination?” Ironhide asked, pulling up to the side of the road in front of her driveway.

“Yeah.”

The seatbelt undid itself from around her waist. Wait, he was going to drop off way back here? “You can pull into the driveway.”

“I sense a canine on the property. I would prefer not to.”

“You don’t like dogs?” Did it have something to do with the peeing incident that Sam and Mikaela had mentioned? “He’s inside, so he can’t bother you.”

Ironhide didn’t answer, nor did the truck move.

“Come on, I saw your base, come see mine.”

“It is unnecessary,” he replied tersely.

For some reason she refused to give up. “You might like it, just come see.”

The truck made a sound that resembled a grumble before slowly turning onto the driveway and past the wall of trees onto her property. He stopped again, this time in front of her house.

“It’s secluded,” he said.

“Exactly.” She turned away from the window to better face the console of the truck. “The only line of sight in is through the driveway, and the trees are at least as tall as Optimus. You guys can transform here.”

It was the one thing she could offer in exchange for knowing them. Being cooped up in a base in the city would be difficult for anyone. As far as she knew, there wasn’t any other place they could freely transform and be themselves.

It was a long moment of silence before Ironhide replied. “Colonel Lennox has authorized this?”

“No, I just did.”

“That’s not a call you can make.”

“I don’t think it’s a call anyone can make. The government can’t control your every action, you don’t belong to them. And if you think they don’t agree, then what they don’t know can’t hurt them.”

“I will…talk to Optimus.”

There. She got through to him. “It’s the least I can do to thank you guys. Come anytime whether I’m here or not. Just don’t scare my dog and horses and stay out of sight of the driveway.” She opened the door and slid down the seat, dropping onto the ground below. “Well, hopefully I’ll see you later then.”

As she went to close the door, Ironhide’s voice sounded through the speakers. “Thank you, Aria.”

The door pulled from her loose grasp and shut itself with a click. Gravel crunched under his tires as he backed out onto the road and disappeared behind the wall of trees.

She found herself smiling.

…

A few days later, Aria’s ribs felt good enough to attempt horse riding. She spent her day off sitting on Zenith’s back as he leisurely walked around with little input. Trotting was definitely a write off at the moment. Azimuth followed, only wandering away when a particular nice patch of grass caught his attention.

As the afternoon passed, clouds darkened the sky and the temperature dropped. She unsaddled Zenith and put it away in the barn just as it began to rain.

Back inside the house, she made some tea and turned on the small TV for some background noise.

There was still no sign of the Autobots. It was possible Ironhide told Optimus who told him no, or perhaps Ironhide thought it was a bad idea all together. Or maybe Lennox caught wind and denied them.

When had life become so boring without them? Work was dull, home was quiet. She needed a new hobby.

A sharp ring cut through the chatter of the TV. Aria paced over to the phone on the side table where Jetfire’s spark rested.

"Hello," she said.

"Hey Ari, it's mom." Of course it was, no one else called. “Just wanted to make sure you were doing all right.”

This was the third time she had called since Aria had first told them the coverup story for her time in Egypt. Taken in for questioning, detained as a suspect and then released when found innocent. She had to repeat countless times that they treated her well and were only following protocol just to cool her father off.  

“I’m doing fine. Work is boring as per usual.”

“Well if that idiot boss of yours would give you a chance. I don’t know why you still work there Aria, that man doesn’t deserve you as an employee. I know it’s affecting you, especially when you don’t have anyone else to reach out to other than me and your father there.”

“I’m making okay money and get plenty of hours. Plus, there’s no way he’d ever hire me as a tour guide if I quit.”

“I know Ari, I just want you to realize there are other options.” Her mother continued, “Oh, I saw the Aurora Opera Club was holding auditions the other day.”

“Mom.” Aria fell back on the couch.

“Remember how we used to go all the time? How you used to say you’d love to dress up and sing on stage?”

“Mom, I swear.”

“Your choir teacher said you have the voice for it too, but by then you were getting too shy for your own good.”

“You didn’t.”

“I did. You need a hobby and some friends. Just go to the auditions at the very least, I think you’ll love it.”

Aria bolted upright. “Mom! Opera, of all things. It’s been years since I’ve sung anything.”

Her mother was unfazed. “Use your old choir music. Practice a song that shows off your range, go there and sing it. That’s it that’s all.”

She sighed. “When is it?”

“Next Saturday, at noon. Call me when you get back and tell me how it went.”

“All right, I will. Thanks, I think.”

“You’ll love it. Talk to you later.”

With a goodbye, Aria hung up the phone. Of all things for her mother to scheme, Opera was unexpected.

She flopped down onto the couch again. There was no way she would make it past auditions if she didn’t start practicing right away. But her mother was right, maybe it would be a way to make some friends, or at least get out of the house once and a while since the Cybertonians seemed to want nothing to do with her anymore.

…

Perhaps the week went by fast because of the building anxiety in her chest. She practiced singing at every given opportunity. Looking up videos online and a couple of old music books on her bookshelf.

Once upon a time she had no problem singing in front of people, now it filled her with fear. What if she forgot the words, or missed a note, or her voice cracked?

The opera audition was mere hours away. She had already warmed up her voice that morning and only stopped when her throat started to hurt. Already a bad sign.

After she tried reading, then watching TV, then brushing her horses, but nothing kept her attention for more than ten minutes. She was going to butcher the audition and be laughed out of the venue. Why did she agree in the first place again?

With all other options exhausted and a few hours to kill, she went out to the barn and took out one of her bows and a handful of arrows.

On the outside shed wall hung a target tattered and worn from years of use. Like singing, she was out of practice. However, unlike singing, her muscle memory came back much faster. Each arrow getting closer and closer to the center of the target.

Nerves disappeared in favor of concentration. She was so close to a bulls eye. Just breathe, aim, and shoot.

The arrow made a thud as it hit the target, only an inch away from the center.

She lowered the bow and made her way to the shed to pull out the arrows. Next round she would do it.

The low rumbling sound of an engine caused her to turn towards the driveway. Black paint glinted through the lilac bushes a moment before a large truck turned onto the gravel.

Sirius bolted up from the grass nearby, barking at the intruder.

Or rather Ironhide.

Bow and arrows still in hand, she jogged over, Sirius at her side. Of all the Autobots, it was Ironhide that came back? But why? Surely it wasn’t purely for a visit, he wasn’t the type.

Then he did something else even more surprising—he transformed.

Sirius ran ahead, barking even more madly at Ironhide than before.

"If this rodent so much as touches my foot, he will be terminated instantly." Ironhide's metallic face was still twisted into a scowl when he turned his gaze towards her as she came to a stop in front of him.

Aria returned the look after calling off Sirius. "Are you threatening my dog?"

Ironhide's line of sight went from Aria’s face to her bare feet, and back up to her bow. He seemed to ignore her question and instead inquired about her weapon. "Are you training for battle?" he asked, his blue optics met her hazel eyes.

Training for battle? That was a little over the top. "Oh no, just practicing."

"That's a relief." Ironhide sounded more sarcastic than relieved.

"And why's that?" She crossed her arms with bow still in hand.

"Archery is a primitive form of combat even for your species.”

In response Aria drew out an arrow and strung it to her bow, aiming it directly at Ironhide's right glowing eye. “But it’s still a weapon.” She smirked at his slightly surprised expression.

"You dare point that at me? Even the most advanced human technology cannot penetrate my Trilythium steel armor.”

She lowered her bow. "Then what's that scar on your eye from?"

In truth it wasn't just his eye, the gash disfigured the top corner of his metal face. Not that it looked bad, just obvious.

"I assure you, I wear this scar with pride," Ironhide's expression changed into a more serious one when he looked back down at her. "The Decepticon that gave me this was far beyond anything your feeble mind could ever comprehend."

“He must have been nasty then."

Ironhide's undamaged eye narrowed. "Do you remember that giant Decepticon climbing that pyramid?"

"The one the size of a building, yes I remember.”

"He was twice his size." Ironhide's optics flicked, staring Aria straight in the eye.

Aria couldn't help but gape at the Autobot. "Did you kill him?"

"No mercy," he answered menacingly.

Regaining the control of her jaw, she closed her parted lips. "So if you're so strong, how come I didn't see you doing anything spectacular in Egypt?"

"If I recall, I saved you. Spectacular enough?”

He was talking about Egypt, right? All he’d done was give her a ride to the ship when it was all over. Was there something she wasn’t remembering correctly?

“When?”

“When you were standing in the middle of the battlefield completely unresponsive. You would have been stepped on if I hadn’t moved you out of the way.”

She’d been unresponsive when she was in Egypt? She pictured the desert in her mind, Jetfire’s body collapsing in front of her.

“Ironhide, get that girl out of here!”

That’s right. He had. After Jetfire…

“You cared for Jetfire, that much is clear. But I fail to understand why after such a short time.”

“He wasn’t all there anymore, but he still helped me. Even came back for me, took me to you guys. I think he believed in me, as crazy as that sounds. Called me a warrior.”

Ironhide scoffed. “That, you are not. Do not take anything Jetfire said to heart. As you said, he was not all there after being in stasis for so long. Words like that will get you in trouble. It takes years of training to become a warrior, it is a death sentence to think otherwise.”

Aria’s eyes dropped to his feet. He was right. What Jetfire said was only to encourage her to move on. Trying again on the ship only led to her near death. She wasn’t a warrior, she was a girl with her own life to live.

Wait. "What time is it?"

"Ten minutes past eleven a.m." Ironhide replied without hesitation.

"I'm not going to make it!" It was already too late. The trip would only take half an hour normally. But between walking to the bus and stopping at every station on the way, it would take at least another half hour.

She immediately spun and headed straight to her front door. She needed shoes.

"Are you going somewhere?" Ironhide asked.

By now Aria was already on her front porch stepping into a pair of flats and grabbing her bag. "I have an interview at the Aurora Opera Theater in half an hour," she raised her voice slightly so the Autobot could hear.

"I will take you," Ironhide took a step closer. Instantly Sirius was up and barking at him.

"Really?" Aria looked up at him before turning to open the front door behind her, calling Sirius. In response the canine stopped barking and sauntered into the house, never taking his eyes from the robot.

Like a complex puzzle, Ironhide transformed into a black truck. The separate pieces fusing together back into the flawless painted outer shell. Not a trace of the alien robot remained.

The truck’s engine rumbled as she made her way to him. When she stood beside the passenger side door, she paused. Last time she touched him he made it sound like she committed a crime.

"Am I going to offend you if I open your door?"

The door abruptly swung open, hitting Aria in the stomach. She gasped in surprise.

"Now that you mention it, yes it would."

Regardless, she jumped up to the passenger seat and shut the door. "You're not very nice, Ironhide."

"And you are easy to provoke." He backed out of the driveway and was started down the narrow road.

"I see you put on footwear," the radio commented once they turned onto a busier road.

"Well yeah, it's a social norm. I don't want to look like a homeless person."

“Humans and their societal norms. So many useless habits and mannerisms, it’s infuriating. Too many in place to move forward as a species.”

“Is that another reason why you don’t like us?”

“Among many others, yes.”

He still had no problem talking down to humans despite the random visit and offer to drive her to the audition. It was rather contradictory.

Aria rested her elbow on the armrest, palm under her chin. "Why did you come then, if you hate humans?"

"Your military was testing my patience. Prime suggested going for a drive before I blew the base up." He sounded dead serious.

"Good decision." Her voice was higher than usual.

For some reason Ironhide blasting the building to bits wasn't that hard to imagine. What did the Autobots even do on a daily basis? Probably training and exchanging information with the military, but that seemed like a boring life. Did they get days off? Did they have hobbies? She imagined they would drive around town, since that's all they could really do.

Perhaps offering her place to them did mean something if it was where Ironhide chose to go when he was upset.

…

As Aria exited the local theater Ironhide pulled up in front of her and opened the passenger door.

The speakers came to life shortly after she put her seatbelt on.

"I take it your interview didn't go well?"

Aria shook her head and sighed. "No, it went too well. They loved me."

"Then why aren't you baring your teeth as humans do when they're happy?"

Baring their teeth? "Oh, you mean smiling? Because I’m not really sure I want to be in an opera."

Ironhide merged into the busy street. "What exactly is this opera?" he said the word slowly.

So the alien robot drove her all the way to the theater without even knowing what she was doing? That sounded about right for Ironhide.  

"It's a type of play that is told through very loud singing." A little over simplified, but true.

"Do you mean like the strange music Lennox listens to on my radio?"  

An old Jonny Cash song started playing through the speakers.

Aria covered her mouth to hide a laugh. "No, no. Opera is very different."

The music stopped. "Demonstrate it then," the robot sounded far too serious for her liking.

She tensed. "I-" what was she trying to say? This was more nerve racking than the five people that were just judging her minutes ago.

"Are a coward," Ironhide finished blatantly.

Aria's eyes narrowed, so that's how he was going to be. It was just Ironhide, he didn’t have any sort of musical background to judge her against. Just a simple demonstration, for knowledge’s sake.

"Fine then," she took a breath, and relaxed while she exhaled.

“Hold me close and hold me fast

The magic spell you cast

This is la vie en rose

When you kiss me, Heaven sighs

And though I close my eyes

I see la vie en rose”

She stopped after the first verse. It was the song she auditioned with and the judges loved it. The song itself was not really an official opera aria, but it was more how you sang that mattered.

"Humph," was Ironhide’s only audible response.

“I told you it was different.” Aria relaxed back in the seat. “Do you guys have music or sing?”

“No, Cybertonian language doesn’t use mechanisms like vocal cords to change pitch in such a way.”

“What does your native language sound like?”

Ironhide went quiet for a moment, then strange noises like low pitched electronic rumbles ever so slightly resembling a foreign language heavily distorted through a fuzzy radio channel.

He was right, it didn’t sound like a language that could produce music, or at least any that humans could comprehend.

“What did you say?”

“I said that unlike human language, ours is much more efficient. At times it’s irritating to speak because everything takes so long to say.”

He stopped at a red light, towering over every other car at the intersection.

Aria put her hands on her lap, pulling at the hem of her skirt. “Well, that could just be English. There’s probably other languages that are more efficient.”

“We have learned all languages that can be accessed through the internet.”

“Really, it’s that easy for you? I’m jealous.” Nothing sounded more convenient than having a brain that could connect to the internet at will.

He turned onto her residential road, nearly taking up the entirety of the lane.

“You should be. Your carbon-based lifeform is laughably flawed. Evolution by mutation is a slow and painful process.”

“You know about all that? Through the internet?”

“No, we have humans come in and teach us about culture, science, politics. The more I learn, the less hope I have for this planet.”

“Yeah,” she agreed, “times are changing.”

Ironhide pulled into her driveway, stopping half way between her house and the entrance.

Aria got out, once again practically falling out of the truck onto the ground. She was about to shut the door when a thought crossed her mind.

“Did you tell the others about what I said to you before, about coming here?”

Ironhide’s voice flowed out of the truck. “I did. Optimus doesn’t believe the government will allow it, so the others are hesitant to come in case they find out.”

“You came, though.”

“As you said, the government cannot control every aspect of our lives.”

“And here I thought you were a stickler for rules.”

“Humph. That depends on who’s giving them.”

Aria let out a small chuckle. Ironhide’s door slid out of her hand and shut itself.

“See you,” she said to herself as he left.

Chapter Text

Two weeks later, it was finally time for Aria’s first official opera rehearsal. Maybe it was because her mother talked her into it, or maybe because she did way better at the auditions than she thought, but she had accepted the small role they offered her.

It was a lazy Sunday. Rehearsals weren’t until later that afternoon, and she did most of the cleaning after she woke up. The autumn weather forced her to dress up in a coat and gloves to go out and check on the horses.

Sirius sniffed around as he followed her to the barn. The hay her parents had ordered arrived. She shoved the pitchfork in the bale and threw a chunk of it in a heap on the other side of the fence where Azimuth and Zenith were eagerly waiting. No amount of food could satiate the beasts. 

She patted them as they stuck their noses into the hay.

Since Ironhide’s last visit, only Sideswipe showed up. It was last weekend when the Corvette rolled into the driveway. He transformed and was quick to check his paint for rock chips while he complained about dust in his interior.

He was mostly curious about her place thanks to Ironhide telling the Autobots about her offer. He had said that Ironhide wasn’t one to seek out human company so her place must have been something special.

The visit didn’t last, since Sideswipe’s break time was up or something. He said he’d be back though, so he must have liked it too, despite the dust and gravel. It was the price to pay to live in a place like this, unfortunately for him.

At least Ironhide didn’t seem to mind, despite having black paint. Something told her he didn’t mind a bit of dirt though, even if he was usually pristine.

She took off her work boots by the back porch door and hung up her old coat.

Grabbing a cup of coffee from the coffee machine, she sat at the table. The remote was already sitting in front of her, so she turned on the TV and changed the channel until something entertaining popped up.

Chores were done, house was clean, and she practiced singing earlier in the morning. There was nothing to do except wait for rehearsals.

Well, there were things to do, but the biting anxiety in the pit of her stomach prevented it. She could go grocery shopping, or read a book, or put on a movie.

She could figure out what to wear. Maybe it was an excuse to put on that new dress and do her hair.

She chugged the last of the coffee and headed upstairs. May as well practice more singing too.

Grey light streamed into her room through the sheer curtains over the balcony doors. It was supposed to get a bit warmer by late afternoon, but still no sign of the sun.

After putting on some music, she shifted through the clothes in her closet.

She pulled out her new sweater dress, slim fitting, ending just above her knees. She spun in front of the mirror, singing along to the music.

Next, she brushed her hair. The phantom pain of all the matts at the nape of her neck from Egypt still haunted her. Now it was back to usual, ready to be curled, or maybe put into a bun. So many options.

After deciding to leave her wavy hair down, she put on some makeup, not too much, but enough to make a statement.

She was just putting on some mascara when she heard the sound of an engine and crunching gravel over the music.

It sounded…familiar?

The noise rumbled around the house to the back. Aria jumped up from her vanity, hitting her knee on the bottom.

“Ouch!”

She ran down the stairs, through the kitchen and into the porch. Throwing on a semi clean jacket and work boots, she went outside.

Sure enough, it was a black truck parked in the middle of the grassy area behind the house.

She stood at the top of the porch steps. “Hey Ironhide.”

Not a moment later, he transformed, growing taller and taller until a Cybertonian stood where the truck once was.

“Punk,” he greeted with a terse nod and crossed his arms over his massive torso.

“Awe, did you forget my name all ready?” It was only half teasing. He wouldn’t actually forget her name, would he?

“Aria Lucia Normandy. Age: twenty-four. Height: one hundred and sixty-eight centimeters. Eye color: hazel. Hair color: brown. Date of birth—”

“Okay, okay, stop! What do you look up my file or something? Is that even allowed?”

“Ratchet did. He does with most humans we interact with.”

“With permission?”

Ironhide hummed. “That’s classified.”

Aria sat down on the top step, wrapping her jacket around herself tighter to keep out the nip in the air. “Uh huh.”

“Another type of footwear?” he asked after a moment.

Was he trying to change the subject, or was he just fascinated by shoes for some reason?

“They’re good for chores. Keeps my feet warm and dry.”

“But you were bare foot two weeks ago.”

“It was warmer two weeks ago.”

Ironhide muttered something about not understanding human behavior.

“Were there more problems at the base?”

Ironhide’s gaze that had focused on the trees returned to her. “No. Why do you ask?”

“Just wondering. That’s why you came over last time.”

“I’ve recently learned that you humans operate your extracurricular activities on a weekly basis. I assumed you would need a ride since it is Sunday.”

Aria blinked. He…came to give her a ride to rehearsals? She may not have known Ironhide that well, but offering free rides did not seem like something he would do. Maybe he was joking?

“Was I wrong?” his voice broke through the relative silence between them.

“I—no you’re right. I just wasn’t expecting you to offer. It’s not for a while yet, though.”

Ironhide let out a low electronic hum. “I’m curious to survey more of the city. Do you know of any interesting places?”

Of course she did! “Yeah, let me just finish getting ready and I’ll meet you out front.”

She stood and went back inside. Sirius was sitting just behind the door, looking alert. At least he wasn’t barking. She scratched him under the ear as she passed. What a good boy.

Taking off her shoes and jacket, she walked through the house to the front door. There she put on a black coat and ankle boots and slung her purse over her shoulder. She locked the door behind her, fixed her glasses, and turned to face the truck that waited for her in the driveway.

Going sightseeing with an Autobot—And Ironhide at that. How strange.

But nice.

…

Rehearsal went well if she excluded her horrible French. It was amazing to hear other men and women sing with such strong voices. It went to show how much more improving she had to do.

She had Ironhide make one last stop along the way back home, a quiet river viewpoint out of town. It was a lesser known one that definitely wouldn’t be busy this time of evening.

Ironhide filled the silence of the ride with another old war story.

“Three Decepticons had us surrounded. Sideswipe was severely damaged, and my cannons were malfunctioning,” he said as they pulled up to the viewpoint.

No one was there as the last bits of sunlight peeked out through the trees on the far side of the river.  

Even as he parked, he continued without missing a beat. “Just as I took out the last Decepticon, more arrived—the Constructicons.”

“Constructicons?” Aria asked as she slid out of the truck onto the gravel.

Ironhide barely let her gain any distance before transforming.

“What are you doing?” Aria’s head whipped side to side for any people pulling onto the lot. Sure, the road was up a steep hill above them, but that wasn’t much cover.

“My scanners will alert me before anyone gets within line of sight.” He nodded down to her before facing the water. “So this is what you wished to show me?”

“Uh, yeah,” Aria said, still checking over her shoulder. Scanners her ass. “You’ve been around the ocean a far bit, so I thought you might want to check out some freshwater.”

A Virginia rose bush caught her eye. She wandered to it, where the last roses of the year remained.

“There is a difference?” Ironhide asked, looking sightly closer.

“Yeah, we can drink this stuff. Well, after it’s been cleaned a bit more.”

“All life on this planet depends on water, right?”

“Yeah, not only do we depend on it, it’s the origin of life too. Every living organism here started as a single cell under the water.”

While Ironhide’s gaze remained on the water, Aria leaned in to smell one of the roses. The subtle fragrance was fresh like early summer, before everything happened.

“Everyone except for us, you mean.”

“I—didn’t mean to exclude you.” Aria turned back towards the river. Though, it would be interesting to know how the Transformers came into being, what they were made of. But was it rude to ask about a planet lost to war? Wait, his story!

“Oh, I interrupted your story, sorry!” Her eyes met his.

Instead of continuing, he stared back at her, then down to the rose lingering between her fingers. Something changed in his expression.

“We are made of Energon. From what I know of human physiology, it would be closest to blood. It circulates through our bodies until it eventually evaporates.”

Energon, that sounded familiar. Jetfire had told her about its importance. It was the reason the Fallen wanted to activate the star harvester.

“How do you get Energon now?”

“We’ve created a synthetic version using earth’s resources. Not as good, but there isn’t much choice.” Ironhide turned back to the river.

“Ratchet? He’s the scientist of the group, isn’t he?”

“All Autobots were scientists before the war.”

“You’re a scientist? Do you specialize in anything?”

Ironhide crossed his arms and looked out across the river. “No, I’m not a scientist, nor was I ever.”

Aria’s head tilted. Was he not an Autobot?

“I was created for combat,” he answered her question before she could ask.

And he was good at it, judging by the war stories he told her that day. But living an entire life fighting was enough to make any being irritable.

Something about picturing the Earth disintegrating before her eyes made Ironhide’s attitude towards humans more understandable. If she were him, she would even be jealous.

Aria stepped away from the rose bush and towards Ironhide. “I’m sorry. About your planet, I mean.”

Ironhide’s eyes flickered, or perhaps it was the last sliver of sunlight.

“I can’t even begin to imagine what you guys went through.”

His gaze fell and his posture shifted ever so slightly. “I would not wish it upon my greatest foe, let alone you.”

She took a few more steps towards him. “If you ever want to talk, I’m happy to listen. War stories or otherwise.”

Ironhide finally looked down at her, his mismatched eyes bright in the darkness. He nodded. “I will consider it.”

Chapter Text

The months passed by without mercy, only leaving behind their icy breeze and looming darkness. Winter had come, and the snow with it.

Instead of nice dresses, Aria wore sweaters and coats. Never daring to go outside without a scarf wrapped tightly from her chest to her nose. After the ocean incident, the cold felt especially nippy on her fingers and toes.

Azimuth and Zenith sported coats of their own, their fur having grown twice its length. Sirius only ventured outside for as long as he had to.

But this winter was different. This winter she had a friend. Even if he denied it.

Occasionally the other Autobots would show up as well. Sideswipe and Bumblebee mostly. Skids and Mudflap even came once, but Ironhide showed up shortly after and threatened to blow up their afts if they ever returned—whatever those were. That’s when she found out Optimus didn’t know about her covert operation.

“I thought you said you asked Optimus.”

“I decided against it. The military watches him too closely. Even with his consent, it’s a risk.”

“But you told Sideswipe and Bee?”

“They may be rash, but they’re not naive.”

“How did Skids and Mudflap find out then?”

Ironhide crossed his arms, looking away. “They followed me.”

Aria had laughed a little too hard at that one.

Opera rehearsals were going well. Every Sunday Ironhide would show up to give her a ride there and back. Sometimes he would come early, and sometimes he’d stay after. Sometimes he had to leave right away.

It was strange, he never finished that story about the Constructicons, nor mentioned the war again. 

In fact, he seemed to ignore the topic all together.

The phone rang, rousing Aria from her half sleep. She rolled over and grabbed it, squinting at the small display. Lennox.

“Hello?” she said loudly, trying to hide the sleepiness from her voice.

“Aria. This is Colonel Lennox.”

“Yeah, I know you.”

There was a pause.

“What’s up?” she added, rubbing her eyes.

“We need you down at the base in an hour.”

“Huh, why?”

“I’ll tell you when you get here. A ride will be arriving shortly.”

“Ah, okay?”

After a terse goodbye and a voice in the background, Lennox hung up.

Aria just finished dressing before the sound of an engine purred through the windows. It wasn’t the deep rumble of Ironhide, or the rowdy rasp of Bumblebee. It was smooth, not too loud, but loud enough. Sideswipe.

When Lennox said a ride, she’d expected a military escort, or even a taxi, not an Autobot. And speaking of Autobots, why wasn’t Ironhide the one to pick her up?

Guess it really didn’t matter.

"Hey Sideswipe, can't say I've seen you for a while," Aria greeted while the sleek car opened its door for her.

"Did you miss me?" The Corvette's voice came off smug.

Aria hummed. "Maybe if you came around more often, I wouldn’t have to.”

“Not all of us can sneak off the base like Ironhide.”

This was news to her. “Why?”

“He’s the only one they’re afraid will actually blow it up when he gets angry.”

“Everyone says that, but I haven’t really seen him angry. Annoyed, sure, but not angry.”

Angry Ironhide was a scary image. Just the way he talked normally was intimidating, well it had been at first. Turned out, that was just how he spoke. 

“Well today might be your lucky day, little lady.”

"Why? What's the special occasion?" Aria asked once they took off.

The radio snickered. "It's a surprise."

Surprises were one thing, but Autobot surprises were a completely different story. Aria squirmed in the sporty seat. Her coat made it hard to get comfortable in the small interior. All kinds of scenarios popped into her mind.

“Am I in trouble?”

“What makes you think that?”

“I get a call first thing in the morning to come to a top secret base with no explanation. Seems pretty suspicious to me.” She kept her tone light. “So are you going to erase my memory or put me in prison?"

“That depends, is there one you would prefer?" Sideswipe shot back.

Well that was an obvious one. "How long would the sentence be?"

"Wow, I didn't know you liked us that much!"

She leaned her head back and sighed.

Prison would suck, but never knowing the Autobots? Way worse. Life would go back to being the way it was, no friends, no spontaneous visits from beings from a faraway planet. No Ironhide to make fun of her.

"Yeah, I do," she finally answered. "I would do anything but forget."

She looked out the tinted window as the cars and buildings passed by in a blur. Skyscrapers in the distance blocked the horizon. It was almost ten a.m.

The radio broke her train of thought. "Woah didn't mean for you to get all serious there, I was just joking."

"Well then stop making me think so hard!" Aria laughed. Nothing bad was going to happen. Sideswipe wouldn’t be joking around if that was the case, right?

...

Entering the base, Aria was greeted by Colonel Lennox.

His mouth was pulled into a tight line. “Aria,” he said simply and gestured for her to follow.

She swallowed. Maybe she was in trouble.

Beyond him were the Autobots who stood around the bridge. Most of them looked down towards her. Skids and Mudflap were the only two that didn’t look like an important meeting was about to take place.

Something important that she was a part of. And something that Ironhide wasn’t going to be happy about.

Said Autobot stood beside Optimus, his arms crossed. His sharp blue gaze glaring off into the distance. 

Skids nudged Mudflap. “Hey, she looks like the Colonels kid, all dressed up like that.”

“Yeah, one of those marshmallow things!” Mudflap enthusiastically replied.

Yes, she was dressed up for the next ice age, but there was nothing worse than being cold. She took her gloved hands out of her puffy coat and loosened her scarf from around her face.

“Marshmallows, the strange gelatinous white things made of sugar that humans consume even though it negatively affects their blood glucose?” Ratchet was the only one to acknowledge the pair.

“Those breadsticks are like crack!” Played a female voice from Bumblebee’s radio as he nodded.

"This is an official meeting, so let's start acting like it." Lennox moved back to the main area where a tall rail platform now stood.

The sound of Sideswipe transforming came from behind Aira. He joined the other Autobots a few steps away from Ironhide who had not so much as moved since she arrived.

It wasn’t until she came to a stop that a small blue robot caught her eye. It sat on the ground not far from Lennox.

Wait, he was the little runt from back at the museum!

Mikaela had told her his name was Wheelie along with a story that included mouse traps and torching his eye. He must have healed or been fixed since then, both his buggy red eyes looked fine now.

He looked up at her, unimpressed. "So this is the chick, huh?" His voice grated against the silent backdrop.

"Aria this is Wheelie, he's going to be your new uh," Lennox looked at the Prime briefly, "guardian." He scratched his head looking embarrassed.

Aria could only let out an unintelligent noise looking between the small alien and the Colonel. "Didn't Mikaela catch him and put him in a box?"

“Look, Aria. It’s come to my knowledge that some of the Autobots have been going out to your place and transforming. Without my permission.” His eyes never left hers. “What I should have done was cut off all contact, because both you and them have gone against military orders straight from the Sec. Def.,” he paused. “But I also know that’s it’s ridiculous to not give the Autobots any freedom outside of the base.”

Lennox looked up to Optimus who nodded. They must have come up with the idea together.

Optimus’ gaze turned to her. “Because any contact with us puts you at risk, you need a guardian.”

"I still don't trust him," Ironhide growled and turned his hardened gaze from Optimus down to the tiny Cybertonian who shrunk at the attention.

"He has done nothing to make us doubt," Optimus sounded like he was challenging Ironhide.

"One of us should be protecting her, not this piece of scrap." Ironhide turned to fully face his superior.

"You know that's impossible. It would raise too much suspicion. She does not have a license nor own a vehicle" Optimus replied, unfazed by Ironhide’s harsh tone.

“He is a Decepticon.”

Optimus gave Ironhide a lingering look. “He has changed sides. I do not understand why you fail to see that.”

“He’s not capable of being anything more than a Decepticon spy. Is that what you want Prime? This scrap done leading them straight to her? What does he have to gain otherwise?”

“You don’t give him enough credit. We all have the capacity to change, Ironhide.” Optimus’s tone dropped. “You know that.”

Ironhide stepped closer to Optimus, chest to chest. “Do not—” his words died.

“Ironhide,” Lennox’s voice broke the sudden silence. “You’re excused.”

Ironhide turned away from Optimus. His optic eyes swept over Lennox, to Wheelie, then settled on her.

“It’ll be fine,” Aria found herself saying. To reassure him?

The metal that made up his face twisted into an expression of rage. “You place your trust on a Decepticon?”

It took all that she had to keep her voice firm. “He’s not.”

His eyes narrowed into an intense blue glare. “Whose side are you on?”

“Ironhide!” Lennox repeated.

Ironhide huffed, loudly transforming into his alt form and flying past her, out of the base.

Everyone except Wheelie took a collected breath. The tension lifted from the stifling air.

Aria just stood. Sideswipe had been right. Ironhide was terrifying when he was angry. Even more so when it was directed at her. He was wrong to distrust Wheelie just because he had once been a Decepticon. Jetfire had made that clear. Anyone could be capable of anything if they tried.

A wolf whistle broke the silence. Everyone looked over to Skids. "Awe, look at dat, he like the lil’ squishy!"

"I know, we'll be her guardians!" Mudflap gestured to himself and Skids. They then both made crude heroic poses and encouraged each other.

"I really don't think Ironhide would like that any better," Lennox said, rubbing his eyes.

Optimus, Sideswipe and Bumblebee nodded in agreement.

She threw the twins an unconvincing smile. "I'll stick with Wheelie."

...

Aria and Wheelie stepped out of Sideswipe’s alt form after arriving back at her house that afternoon.

The rest of the meeting had been uneventful, with no sign of Ironhide's return. Lennox went over the basics of having an Autobot guardian and had her sign more paperwork. It was pretty straight forward. Don't talk about him and don't let anyone see him. Who knew?

Wheelie himself had to sign some papers. Apparently, he couldn't let himself be discovered and could only venture off the property in alt form with Aria nearby.

Lennox told her that Wheelie did have an attitude but was indeed loyal to the Autobots.

Wheelie had gone through interrogations by both humans and Autobots for months. He then aided the Autobots in a few missions that had a high probability of him defecting back to the Decepticons to save himself from danger. He also gave the military locations of many hiding Decepticons and long forgotten Seekers like Jetfire.

"Thanks for the ride, Sideswipe." Aria waived to the reversing Autobot. Wheelie gave a halfhearted wave as well. The Corvette revved in response while rolling out of sight behind the trees.

Aria turned to go back to the house. Her feet crunching in the snow. Stupid winter.

There were no other fresh tire tracks in the snow which meant Ironhide had not come.

Of course he didn’t. He was mad at her.

"Wow, nice place. Way better than that crazy broad's apartment."

"So her and Sam broke up?"

The tiny robot marched through the snow. For him, it was probably pretty deep. He seemed to have decent traction though, despite his wheel feet.

"Yep, that's why I'm here. Kid's in college and she freaked and kicked me out."

Aria gave an "ah" in response as they climbed the steps to her front door. As soon as she opened it, Sirius bolted out and jumped on Wheelie, catching an arm in his jaw and shaking the robot.

"Sirius no!" she shouted over the screaming Autobot. "Sirius!" she commanded again when the dog hesitated to respond.

One the second command the Doberman released Wheelie and sat between him and Aria looking fully alert.

"What in the hell!" Wheelie screeched. "Do all you crazy woman have giant mutts?!"

Oh yes, Aria did recall Mikaela mentioning she had a Mastiff at some point. "Sorry Wheelie, it didn't even cross my mind that he would attack you." She smiled innocently at him.

"Yeah sure. Whatever you say, kid." Wheelie's eyes didn't leave Sirius.

They entered the warm house while Sirius remained outside to do his business for the time being. Wheelie immediately rushed away to explore his new home while Aria removed layers of outerwear by the coat rack.

Staticky hair stuck to her face. Patting it down she glanced at the floor, only to see wet tracks trailing into her kitchen.

"Oh my god, I just cleaned the floor!" she yelled loud enough for Wheelie to hear from wherever he went.

No answer. What was that damn robot doing? She followed the tracks up the stairs. He wasn’t in the upstairs bathroom or the guest bedroom. That only left her room. If that little shit was snooping through her things, he was staying in Sirius’s dog house!

Aria pushed open the door and marched in. There in the middle of her bed, lying on her white blanket, was Wheelie. He had his hands behind his head propped up on her pillows looking a little too comfortable.

"I'm liking this place, mind if I crash here?" he asked casually.

Aria could only blink. Maybe she should have gone for Skids and Mudflap. At least they couldn't violate her peaceful home. The shock passed.

"Get out of my room!" she shrieked, pointing out the door. Not the most intelligent comeback she's come up with, but the rudeness of this Autobot was…unreal. No wonder Mikaela kicked him out. Did the thing even know was boundaries were?

Wheelie jumped up and out of her bed instantly at the harsh sound of her voice. "Okay, okay!"

The little robot transformed into a toy monster truck and whizzed out of the room with the high-pitched whine of his tiny motor. She adjusted her glasses when she heard Wheelie half drive, half fall down the stairs. At least he didn't get her bed dirty.

While she made her way back down the stairs, a gasp came from the living room. Wheelie was by the couch looking at something in horror.

"What is it now?" She walked around the couch to see what he was looking at.

Wheelie stared at the blue orb on her side table. "Are you going to kill me?"

"What? Why?" She looked between it and the Autobot.

"You have a spark on display in your living room!"

"Oh that? Why, what's a spark?"

Now that he mentioned it, the word did sound familiar. Did one of the other Autobots mention it in the past? Perhaps it was Ironhide during one of his stories.

"It's our life force, our soul!" It was Wheelie's turn to look at her like she was the insane one.

Oh.

She had the equivalent of a human heart sitting on her table. It made sense now, Jetfire pulled it out of his own body before sacrificing himself.

"I’ve been meaning to bury it," she said, looking out the large window behind the side table. She could see Sirius frolicking in the snow.

Wheelie looked up at her. "Who does it belong to anyway?"

"The glorious Jetfire" Aria found herself smiling at the thought of the old Blackbird.

"Holy crap."

Chapter Text

The following day Aria lounged on the couch while pouring over sheets of music. It was Sunday, and that meant rehearsals. The opera wasn't until the coming summer, but she still had a lot of practicing to do.

She usually started by reading the lines of French music to practice her pronunciation, then warmed up her voice before actually singing the piece. She also made herself some tea, like she usually did before her vocal warmups.

It was nice finally being able to relax. The night before, she and Wheelie went out to the rose garden in front of the porch to bury Jetfire's spark. It took Aria a while to dig the small hole since the ground was frozen. When she placed the spark in its resting place, Wheelie said a small word in Cybertronian.

Aria thanked Jetfire one last time for not forgetting her in the desert. Although it was a traumatic experience, she was glad she followed him.

She placed a stone over the spot and Wheelie carved small symbols into it, Jetfire's name.

After, they watched some television. Aria curled up with a blanket on the couch in front of the windows. Sirius lay on the floor by her, half sleeping, half watching Wheelie on the other couch adjacent to the one Aria occupied. A documentary about killer bees kept the Autobot oddly intrigued.

Before singing practice, she showed Wheelie the cleaning supplies. She handed him a mop and filled up a bucket in the sink despite his complaints. She demonstrated her professional mopping technique then observed her new apprentice.

Surprisingly, Wheelie mimicked her perfectly. If anything, he was actually faster. Aria leaned back against the counter and crossed her arms. Okay, so the alien robot was better at cleaning than her.

After that, she introduced Wheelie to the horses. He chose to follow her out to the pasture in toy truck form. When he transformed into his bipedal self, the horses jumped back and trotted around in a large circle, then came back to investigate further. Aria told Wheelie to stay still while the horses slowly approached.

"Dumb animals," Wheelie had commented as Azimuth and Zenith thoroughly sniffed his face.

Aria brushed her fingers through Azimuth's dark mane. "You should sneak up behind one and say that." She gave Wheelie a sly grin. He returned it with a skeptical look of his own.

It wasn't much later when Wheelie decided to go upstairs to the guest bedroom to nap, or whatever the robot equivalent was. Aria made herself a cup of tea and made herself comfortable on the couch where she still sat presently.

She laid down on her back with her head on a pillow and her feet propped up on the opposite armrest. Taking a deep breath, she began warming up her voice with scales. She couldn't sing high enough to be a true soprano, much to her mother's disappointment. But she was cast as a mezzo-soprano which was difficult enough.

She thought of Ironhide as she sang. His face before he stormed away. How angry he had been over Wheelie, even though he did nothing to warrant it since becoming an Autobot. Everyone else trusted him, but not Ironhide.

Then again, Ironhide wasn’t one to trust easily.

She sang a high C when Wheelie thumped down the stairs.

"Holy hell, what is that god forsaken noise?"

Aria sat up on her knees and turned to face Wheelie at the base of the stairs behind the couch. "Oh sorry Wheelie, I was just practicing."

"For what, a horror movie?" Wheelie jumped up on the other couch in front of the window. He flipped on the television.

Aria twisted back around to face Wheelie. She glanced at the crime show that switched to.

"I was singing not screaming. There is a difference."

"Coulda fooled me." Wheelie didn't take his eyes off the TV.

"I can't sound that bad," she said. Unless maybe it's a Transformer thing, Ironhide didn't seem to like her voice either.

Wheelie jumped at the sound of the phone ringing. Aria leaned over to the side table and answered it with a hello.

"Hey Aria, it’s Lennox."

"Oh, hey!" Lennox was calling again? Probably checking up on Wheelie.

There was a short pause. "You haven't happened to see Ironhide today, have you?"

"I haven't seen him. He hasn't come back yet?"

"No not yet. Don't worry, it's not the first time," he reassured her. "Just let me know if you see him."

"Yes, I'll do that."

Lennox gave her his cell number and said his goodbye.

Aria got up. May as well get ready, seeing as she'd be taking the bus to rehearsal today. Going with Ironhide shaved a half hour off commuting time, so she found herself getting dressed later and later.

Entering her room, she closed the door. It was strange having a roommate now. Privacy was no longer a luxury she had.

Would Wheelie even care if he saw her naked? They were completely different after all.

Aria washed her face, brushed her teeth and the rest of her usual routine. She put on a pair of high waisted jeans and tucked her white sweater into them. She also switched out her everyday glasses with her new pair. She was ready.

It was just after two o'clock. She had to leave for the bus stop soon.

In the meantime she sat back down on the couch, another hot cup of tea in hand. Wheelie was watching another episode of Cold Case Files, totally engrossed.

"Do I have to worry about you killing me now?"

Wheelie was about to reply when they both turned their heads at the sound of an engine and tires rolling through deep snow. It sounded like-

"Oh shit," Wheelie looked at her. "Speaking of killing."

"Huh?" Aria pulled the white curtains aside to reveal Ironhide entering the driveway and heading around to the back of the house.

She ignored Wheelie's pleas to not let Ironhide kill him while she put on her outerwear. He came! But was he still mad? Would he yell at her?

It was a risk she was willing to take. All dressed up she grabbed her tea and went to the back door. She put on her boots and went outside.

She closed the door behind her and was about to say hello when she paused.

There was no sound outside. No birds, no wind, nothing. It was entirely silent. Ironhide stood in her backyard looking up toward the grey sky. He watched the falling snow.

If she breathed too loudly, she'd ruin the stillness of the moment. Instead, she softly sat down on the steps of the back deck.

Ironhide raised a hand, as if he were trying to catch a snowflake. He resembled a child who had never seen snowfall before. Perhaps this was the first time he stopped to truly observe it.

Fluffy snowflakes landed on his metal body and melted as they made contact. Small drops of water glistened on his dark armor. Wisps of steam surrounded his form. A distinct metallic smell mixed with the cold winter air.

Normally the Cybertonians stood apart from nature, juxtaposed against the organic life of earth. But now, he blended in with it. Like he belonged.

She took another sip of tea. Outside of her thoughts, the peaceful silence remained. A poem she once learned in school popped into her mind. Maybe Ironhide would like it.

"The way a crow

Shook down on me

The dust of snow

From a hemlock tree"

Ironhide turned his gaze from the snow and looked down at her, a curious look on his face. She smiled at him and continued.

"Has given my heart

A change of mood

And saved some part

Of the day I had rued."

Ironhide took a few steps closer, large foot prints in the snow left in his wake. He kneeled in front of her.

His face was so close to hers. Every scrape that made up each etched symbol. The jagged edges of his half scarred face. The individual fragments that made up his blue eyes. It was so clear, all so detailed.

It was like seeing him for the first time.

"That is a strange manner of speaking," he rumbled.

She watched Ironhide's gaze follow the puff of condensed air that left her mouth. Her face felt warm.

"It's called a poem."

"What is that?" Ironhide tilted his head slightly.

"Poetry is a form of art that uses the sounds and meanings of words that makes it sound beautiful when read aloud." It was a simple enough answer without getting too into it.

The way he looked at her was strange. Before, when Optimus looked at her closely, his eyes always flickered, like he was analyzing every inch of her, trying to figure her out.

But Ironhide didn't. His gaze was steady as he looked at her. He looked content.

"It suits you then," he said, then straightened, barely pausing before moving on. "Aria, I have come to apologize for my behavior. I realize now that I frightened you, and that was not what I meant to do."

He…was apologizing? For his behavior? She gave him a once over. Yes, it was actually Ironhide kneeling before her. He didn’t seem like the type to apologize. Not like it was a bad thing she assumed wrong.

Still, the look of betrayal that had been on his face that day remained in the forefront of her mind.

Her eyes met his. “Why don’t you trust Wheelie?”

“Why do you trust him?” Ironhide shot back.

“Because everyone else does, Lennox, even Optimus. And I trust them.” Aria put both her hands on the warm tea cup. “You’re the only one that doesn’t, and I want to know what he did to make you feel that way.”

Ironhide frowned and crossed his arms. “Being a petty Decepticon spy isn’t enough reason?”

“You guys and your Autobot and Decepticon talk. You make it all sound so black and white, but I know that’s not the case. It’s never the case with anything.”

“Because,” Ironhide hesitated. His eyes left hers, finding the trees instead.

“Because I was a Decepticon,” he said quietly. “And I know that it isn’t an easy decision to make. You don’t just wake up one day and unlearn everything you’ve been taught your entire life and go against what you were created to do. It’s not that simple.”

It explained so much. Why he was made of stronger metal. Why he hadn’t been a scientist like the rest of the Autobots. Why he was built to fight. Why he was so guarded.

She found herself smiling. “So now I know three Cybertonians who changed sides. Jetfire, Wheelie, and now you.”

Ironhide’s blue eyes were on hers again. “Your opinion of me isn’t swayed?”

“Why would it be? If anything, I trust you even more now.”

“You trust me?” Ironhide’s words were slow.

“I do.” Why wouldn’t she?

The look of confusion on Ironhide’s face shifted into a smirk, tension disappearing. “Humans,” he said with a small shake of his head.

Something about his expression was endearing. Maybe it was the easy grin. Maybe it was the fact he was more emotive now that he got to know her.

It was only a few months ago she wouldn’t have imagined him to be curious about a poem. Then again, a few months ago she wouldn’t have told him one.

Speaking of poems. "Oh, it turns out Wheelie isn't a fan of my singing either.”

Ironhide uncrossed his arms. "You assume I do not like your voice?"

"Well, you didn't really say that you did like it either. Actually, I don't recall you saying anything."

Ironhide’s glowing eyes darted off to the side as if he were thinking of what to say.

"I found your singing to be,” he searched for a word. “Skillful."

If that wasn't an Ironhide compliment, then what was? "Thank you.”

He nodded. "You are welcome." Ironhide inclined his head. "I believe it is time to go."

With a nod, Aria went back inside to put her cup in the sink and retrieve her bag. She stopped and gave Sirius a pat on the head. Wheelie was relaxing on the couch, still watching TV.

"Be good, Wheelie," Aria stood in front of the couch with her hands on her hips giving the small robot a critical stare.

He looked back up at her. "Why, you going on a date with grumpy?"

Aria coughed on air. "No, I have rehearsals like I've told you ten times today," she replied, regaining her composure.

"Whatever you say, princess." Wheelie waived her off.

Outside, Ironhide waited for her in truck form. The door opened when she approached the passenger side and closed behind her with a click. The interior was pleasantly warm. It was odd to think that was probably some form of body heat causing it.

They merged onto the busy highway, there was fresh snow on the pavement, so everyone was driving much slower than usual. Ironhide spun his back tires on every turn, he seemed to like sliding around on the icy roads.

Aria leaned on the armrest on the door looking out the window. "Lennox called me today looking for you."

"He does like to try to babysit us," the radio rumbled.

"Shouldn't he be able to track you guys or something?"

"It's easy to turn off."

“Ah.” Of course it was.

Quiet music filled the silence beyond the low rumble of Ironhide’s engine.

So, the great Autobot Ironhide had once been a Decepticon. Was it a coincidence that the three Cybertonians closest to her had changed sides?

She’d never asked Wheelie why he defected. It was a personal decision, as Jetfire once said, and that meant it was none of her business.

Ironhide was no different. As curious as she was, it wasn’t her place to ask. Even if they were friends. Plus, he never said anything about trusting her yet.

And then there was the fact he didn’t expect her to trust him. Why wouldn’t she though? He’d helped her back in Egypt, spotted her falling off the boat and instead of staying silent, he told Optimus. He didn’t even like her back then.

He’d let her in when she ran up to him on the street like a lunatic. He’d come back to her house when she invited him. Hell, now he gave her weekly rides for absolutely no reason.

An Autobot veteran who had once been a Decepticon.

“You’re unusually quiet. Are you afraid now that you know that I was a Decepticon?”

“Afraid of you? Never.” Aria eyed the radio. His voice came from the speakers around her, so it seemed like the best place to look.

“You used to be,” he said after a moment of silence.

“What, back when you were ‘showing me your cannons’?” Her Ironhide impersonation was not a good one.

“It’s a good way to judge a person’s character.”

“By seeing if they run off screaming or not?”

A chuckle came through the speakers. “Are you saying I’m wrong?”

“I mean, I wouldn’t judge a person’s character based solely on their fight or flight response, but I can see where you’re coming from.”

“And how can you tell that?”

“You’re seeing if they’re a warrior or not, right?” When Ironhide offered no response, she continued. “A warrior would stand their ground, and therefore someone like you, and therefore, someone you respect.”

“You sound like Ratchet.”

“Too many therefores?”

“Mmhm.”

A question popped into her mind. “Do you respect me? Even if you don’t think I’m a warrior?”

“I’ll admit I didn’t at first.”

His words were a punch to the gut.

He spoke again, more resolute, “But I do now, Aria. I respect you for your intelligence and compassion. Something not all humans,” he paused. “Or Cybertonians are capable of.”

He was right.

“I wish you guys didn’t have to hide.”

“Technically, we’re not.”

“That’s not the point. You guys are stuck at the base day after day, constantly being supervised by the government and the military. You have no freedoms, no rights. Just cooped up like science experiments in the basement, and the only way you can get out is giving me rides to stupid opera practice.

“You have rules for everything. Every time I come to the base, it’s more paperwork. I can’t say or do anything without going to jail, and you guys can’t either without being kicked off the planet. All I could offer was my place to visit, and that almost got taken away. I know life isn’t supposed to be fair, but it isn’t supposed to suck either.”

The words left her mouth with reckless abandon. Ironhide, who had once been a Decepticon, joined the Autobots who now live on this earth to protect humans from Decepticons. To protect their freedom. But here humans were, taking those very freedoms away from the Autobots.

Compassion. It was the least she could do.

“I have been at war almost my entire life. I cannot remember a time we were not labeled Autobot or Decepticon. It is true Optimus speaks on behalf of our cause, but not of our reality. Ideologies are all that’s left of peace and freedom for us, lost forever with the remains of our planet.”

The air of the truck grew heavy, weighed down by his words.

“But you’re still fighting, which means you haven’t given up yet.”

“We don’t fight for our freedom anymore. On this planet, all we can do is fight for yours.”

Was that it? Was that why he didn’t like humans? To fight for something you couldn’t have yourself. It was the ultimate sacrifice.

She lowered her gaze to her lap. “I wish there was something I could do.”

“You can,” he replied, “By letting me take you to stupid opera practice once a week.”

Just like that his regular intonation was back.

“I didn’t mean to say it like that. I look forward to the rides. Thank you, Ironhide.”

“You’re welcome.” He moved on. “What will you be singing about today?”

Perhaps he was right in changing the subject. It was better not to dwell.

"The wonders of the Orient," she replied with mock enthusiasm. “Though French isn’t my strong point.”

In response, Ironhide spewed out a sentence that sounded something like French.

“Okay, now that was bad. I don’t think your accent works well with French.”

“My accent? It is hardly my fault I’m not good at mimicking inefficient languages.”

Aria leaned back in the seat, crossing her arms much like Ironhide always did. “You’re more one to let your cannons do the talking, anyway.”

“Exactly,” Ironhide said with a humph. “Finally, a human that understands.”

“Ironhide, for you, violence is the answer.”

“Is that a reference? It sounds like a reference.”

Aria shrugged. “Doesn’t mean it’s not true.”

They continued to banter for the rest of the ride there and back again. And when Aria got home, she dusted off an old poetry book and flipped through the pages.

Wheelie didn’t say anything. But then again, he didn’t have to. His expression said it all.

Chapter Text

Spring slowly made its appearance over the snowy landscape. The days of Sirius frolicking in the snow were once again replaced with rolling in the fresh grass.

It didn’t take long for Wheelie to settle into her house. He claimed the guest bedroom as his. Aria helped him redecorate the room by pulling the mattress off the box spring and laying it directly on the floor for easier access.

For Christmas she bought him a bunch of posters she thought he would like and let him put them on the walls. She also dusted off her old laptop for him and bought a small used TV and a PS2 so he could keep himself occupied while she was at work.

In exchange, she gave him a chore list that consisted of cleaning the floors and laundry. At first, she was embarrassed by him constantly bringing up her underwear choices and almost changed her mind, but the convenience of not doing any laundry won her internal struggle by a landslide. It was now a regular occurrence to throw clean laundry at each other.

At least once a day Aria would practice singing. Now that she was finally rehearsing for the song she would sing in the opera, she had to add practicing French to her routine as well. Wheelie got a kick out of it. It was easy to tell when she got a word wrong thanks to that annoying snicker of his.

Aria pulled on all her winter gear and went outside with Wheelie to do the morning chores. It was another above average day. Birds chirped and there was the constant sound of water dripping off the trees. Oh, and Wheelie’s ever constant criticism.

“L'heure bénie où je puis lire dans le c'ur toujours fermé de Lakmé,” Aria annunciated.

“No no, how many times do I have to tell you it’s toujours, not whatever noise you just made.”

Ugh, she could never get it right. “Toujours. C’ur toujours.”

“C’ur toujours.”

Aria stopped on the makeshift path Wheelie had made through the snow. “That’s what I said!”

“Come on slow poke!”  

Aria halfheartedly glared down at him. “Your show doesn’t start for another twenty minutes, relax.”

“It’s time for chores, not butchering French.”

“I’m not butchering it.” Aria glared down at Wheelie as he transformed and drove down the little pathway.

When they reached the fence, she grabbed the pitchfork by the stack of square bails. She piled the hay neatly into the box of the little robot truck. Once Wheelie decided he was carrying enough, he drove under the fence where Azimuth and Zenith were eagerly waiting. He dumped the hay out and back for a second round.

Honestly, he wasn’t really that much help with this particular task, but the company was nice. Ironhide only came on Sundays and the other Autobots even less so.  

Wheelie transformed and gestured over her shoulder. “Hey look who’s here.”

Aria swiveled around, her eyes landing on a particular red and blue Peterbilt turning into the driveway. She looked back at Wheelie and mirrored his confused expression. This was the first time Optimus came by since he and Lennox made Wheelie her appointed guardian.

Optimus rolled off the driveway and onto the grass. He transformed in front of her, sending the two horses to the other side of the pasture.

“Ms. Normandy,” Optimus greeted, kneeling before her. “Wheelie,” he acknowledged the Cybertronian with a nod.

Aria took a step back. “Oh, hey.”

Something must be up for him to come. His expression was neutral bordering on stern, not that dissimilar to Ironhide.

Wheelie was also uncharacteristically quiet. Or was he just scared?

“I’m afraid I bring bad news.”

The breakfast in her stomach turned to stone. What was bad enough that Optimus himself showed up to break the news? Was she going to the base? Did Lennox even know about this visit?

Her mind raced for answers. Nothing she’d done seemed to warrant punishment. Wheelie stayed with her like he was supposed to. She didn’t tell anyone about him, about any of them.

So if it wasn’t because of her… was it something else?

She searched his eyes. Was everyone okay? When was the last time she saw Ironhide? Four, five days ago?

“Aria,” He began, catching her attention. “You have become a friend to us, one of few humans to do so since we came to earth. However, being our friend and ally is a dangerous position for anyone to be in, human and Cybertronian alike.”

Dangerous. As in the… “Decepticons?”

Optimus faintly nodded. “The Decepticons are clever, and will look for any advantage against us, no matter how petty.”

Was he implying she was a liability to them? Wasn’t that the whole point to having Wheelie?

Optimus leaned back slightly, distancing himself from her. “For your own safety, Aria, I hereby cut off all communication between you and the Autobots.”

And just like that, he took everything she worked for away. She’d done nothing, yet she was being punished.  

“W-What about Wheelie?” She meant to speak louder, but her throat was too tight.

“Wheelie will stay with you and will also be cut off from all communications unless an emergency situation arises, in which case he will contact the nearest Autobot. The military will also keep this area under surveillance.” Prime’s face remained impassive.

Her legs quaked. Taking a few steps back, she numbly sat on a bale of hay. “Why are you doing this?”

“Aria, we-“

She cut him off. “How do you know I’m not already being watched? What if your presence is the only thing keeping them away?”

Optimus stood up to his full intimidating height. “My decision is final, Aria. I will not debate this further.”

“Can I at least say goodbye?”

Optimus made a sound akin to a sigh. “I will come back this time tomorrow to take you to the base to say your farewells, will this suffice?”

“…yes,” she replied.

“I apologize Aria, it is the best I can do to ensure your safety.”

Optimus gave her a final nod and a terse goodbye. She watched the semi disappear behind the trees through blurry eyes.

She didn’t go inside. The walk was too far right now, she had no energy left. She kept wiping the tears from under her eyes, but they would not stop.

Wheelie was still there, head tilted downward.

Stupid Decepticons. Weren’t they all dead by now? There hadn’t been a single sign of them since Egypt. Ironhide said so himself, not that long ago. Had he’d been lying?

No, he wouldn’t lie. If anything, he was brutally honest.

And now she would never see him again.

A sob left her.

“Hey kid, you okay?”

Aria hastily tried to wipe her tears and compose herself. There was no need to embarrass herself further. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

Wheelie looked at her skeptically. “Uh huh.” He gestured back to the house. “Come on, you still gotta get ready for work.”

Aria slowly followed him back to the house.

“Don’t worry kid, at least you still got this salvage scrap drone to look out for ya.” He gave her a little nudge on the leg.

Inside the house, Aria took off the layers of outerwear and trudged up the stairs to her room. She heavily sat down on her bed, hay falling onto the white sheets.

Optimus couldn’t just do that. He couldn’t take it all away. Did he tell the others?

Did Ironhide know? Surely he would disagree. He would convince Optimus to change his mind.

Optimus had no proof. He didn’t say anything about the Decepticons being active. Just cutting her off without any evidence.

…Being proactive.

She groaned, falling back onto her bed.

Even if the Decepticons were up to something, couldn’t they just come by more often? For as well as she knew Ironhide, he would love any excuse to leave the base. Any of them would.

She could have a form of protection, and they would have a form of freedom. Even Skids and Mudflap deserved off base time.

…And probably draw too much attention.

Damn rational thought.

Why did Optimus have to be right?

It wasn’t until half an hour later that she forced herself up and got ready for work. She put on the first shirt and pair of pants she found, then brushed her teeth and hair. Her reflection stared back at her sadly.

Back downstairs she put her coat and boots back on and grabbed her bag. She glanced over at Wheelie on the couch half heartily watching a documentary on penguins. Sirius was lying on the floor by the base of the couch Wheelie occupied.

“See you later, Wheelie,” Aria said.

Wheelie glanced over at her. “See ya.”

The bus ride was long and boring as it usually was. Aria leaned her head against the window staring out at the city. Better get used to it.

She dug through her bag for headphones, only to stop when her finger brushed past the cover of the poetry book inside. She pulled her hand back out. Music wasn’t worth it.

She glared out the window.

Work dragged on forever, though it always did. She mopped the floors, dusted aircrafts, picked up garbage after disgusting people that didn’t have the capacity to throw out their own trash.

Mark was off training a new employee, which means soon she would have to meet a new person. Today of all days.

From what she could tell from the distance, the new employee was some lanky teenage boy. Probably annoying and awkward and a half ass cleaner. Most of them were.

Sure enough, a couple hours later her boss and the new kid walked over. She took another one of many deep breaths that day and straightened herself up to greet them in a professional manner. She strained her face, forming a fake smile.

“Hey Aria, how’s my favorite janitor today?” Mark grinned far too pleasantly at her. His charming act.

“I’m good Mark,” Aria turned to face the teenager. “Nice to meet you, I’m Aria.” She reached out and shook his hand. It was surprisingly firm.

“Elijah, nice to meet you as well.” He replied with a much more genuine smile.

Eli was tall, taller than Mark even. He had a slim physique emphasized by his black dress shirt tucked into his dark wash fitted jeans. His face was slender with dark brown eyes and hair that was nicely styled. Overall, he was a pretty nice looking guy. He looked around her age, though it was hard to tell.

“Eli here is going to be shadowing you for the next week or so to get a feel for everything, so don’t be too hard on him.”

Aria’s eyes snapped back to meet Mark’s, but she managed to keep her smile. “Of course, Mark.”

He seemed to take the hint. “All right then, I’ll be in my office if you need anything.” He put his hand on Eli’s shoulder. “Good luck,” he said with a final grin and walked off.

Eli gave her an easy smile. “Well that guy is weird.”

Aria couldn’t help but let out an amused huff. “Don’t worry, you don’t have to talk to him too often.”

“Thank god,” Eli said with a chuckle.

Maybe Eli wasn’t so bad, after all. Anyone who thought Mark was weird was good enough for her.

“Come on, I’ll show you where the supply closet is. Grab the cart and follow me.”

Aria showed Eli around the supply closet, where he could find the brooms and chemicals he could use for specific things. He acknowledged everything she told him with a smile or a nod. Finally, someone competent.

“So, what do you do for fun?” Eli asked as they exited the closet.

“Eh, nothing really,” she replied. Singing in the opera wasn’t the coolest hobby to tell everyone about. “Ride horses, I guess. You?”

“You can ride a horse? That’s cool.” Eli looked ahead embarrassed, “I just play video games and stuff.”

Aria laughed. “Well if it makes you feel better, I suck at video games.” She decided to change the topic. “Are you going to school?”

“Saving up, I want to be a computer programmer. What about you?”

Aria grimaced. “I finished school already.”

They walked side by side through the space exhibits. Eli looked surprised. “What did you study?”

“Astronomy. Kind of a dumb choice in retrospect.”

“As in you’re a janitor instead of a scientist at NASA?”

Aria looked around at all the displays. They were currently surrounded by different pieces of the Apollo 11 spacecraft. Each and every piece endured the hostile environment of space and made it back to earth after serving its purpose, and she was lucky enough to touch it.

“Oh..you like it here,” Eli said from beside her.

“Yeah, my dream job is to be a tour guide.” Aria turned back to him.

Eli nodded and smiled. “Yeah, I can see it.”

She continued to show him the ropes for the rest of their shift. Maybe the world wasn’t ending. Eli could be a chance at a human friend, one she could try to put more effort into, like she had the Autobots.

That evening Aria returned home to a bowl of lasagna sitting on the table. Sure, it was readymade, but it was a very sweet gesture coming from Wheelie.

“Merci Monsieur,” Aria said, trying to get the accent perfect.

Wheelie did his best imitation of an eye roll. “Almost.”

And she still had Wheelie too.

Chapter Text

The world was ending.

Aria stood at the entrance of the base the following morning. In the main hangar stood Jolt, Sideswipe, Bumblebee, Ratchet, Skids, Mudflap, and of course, Ironhide.

Optimus transformed behind her, the unexpected sound made her flinch, the first movement she made since taking the last step down from the aforementioned Peterbilt.

She let out a long exhale. It was happening. She needed to walk forward but struggled to put one foot ahead of the other. Maybe if she turned and ran, they wouldn’t make her do it.

They wouldn’t make her say goodbye.

Optimus stepped forward, going ahead to join the other Autobots. He easily covered the distance in only a few steps. As much as she wanted to follow, she couldn't. Not that it really mattered, either way, she’d never see them again.

How long would it take them to forget her?

"Aria?" a voice came from her left.

She looked up and fixed her glasses that had fallen down her nose. Lennox approached her, a look of concern overtaking his features. Did she look as bad as she felt? Probably.

"Hey, Colonel Lennox," she said with much less enthusiasm than she intended.

He put a hand on her back and pushed her forward. "Come on, kid."

The gentle pressure of his hand on her back forced her forward. Memories of her first visit flooded her mind. How nervous she was seeing them for the first time since the ship. Yet they treated her with nothing but kindness. Her eyes found Ironhide. Well, relatively speaking.

It went to show how first impressions weren’t everything.

The Autobots waited in silence, their eyes glancing between each other and then back to her. All of them except for Ironhide who stood behind the others, staring off somewhere.

Was something wrong? Shouldn’t he look sad too?

Lennox didn't stop in front of the Transformers, instead he led her up the steps of the large bridge apparatus set up behind the towering robots. They made their way to the center of it and were now chest level with the Autobots.

"Alright boys," Lennox began, "this is the last time any of you will be able to make contact with Aria, and vice versa. I am aware that some of you have become close friends with her and that you visit her on your days off.” He looked pointedly in Ironhide’s direction. “This, however, is becoming a danger to not only Aria, but us as well. The Decepticons have been unusually quiet lately, which means they’re probably up to something and we don't know what that is yet. What we do know is that they will exploit any weakness, no matter how petty. And frankly, I don't want to know what would happen if they found out about Aria."

As hard as it was to hear, he was right. From what she’d heard of the Decepticons, they were conniving. But still!

Bee and Jolt nodded solemnly in agreement. Skids and Mudflap slouched slightly more than usual. Optimus, Ratchet and Sideswipe wore grim looks on their metallic faces. Ironhide, however, still appeared largely indifferent.  

The first to approach her was Bumblebee. The expressive Autobot looked at the floor sadly then looked up at her with the most dejected look she'd ever seen. He brought a hand up and held out his finger in front of her. She grasped it, accepting the handshake.

"So long, partner," came Woody's voice from his radio.

She didn’t get to know him very well, but she could see why Sam was so fond of him, he was young and playful and full of vibrant energy.

"Bye Bee," her voice came out a whisper. There was a lump in her throat.

Ratchet came next. She watched his blue optic eyes focus in on her.

"We will all miss you, Aria. We are grateful for your hospitality and kindness."

He had come over a few times, talking about astronomy and asking uncomfortable human anatomy questions. He attempted to scan her horses at one point, to no avail.

"I'll miss you guys too. Thank you for coming to visit, it meant a lot to me."

Next up was Skids and Mudflap. They resembled children that didn’t want to say goodbye to their friend. They walked so close together that they bumped into each other.

"Thanks for hangin' out wit us man."

"Yeah, you pretty alright for a squishy."

The twins were an interesting pair that weren't allowed off the base without supervision, and even that was a recent development. She could tell how unimpressed Sideswipe when he brought them along. They bickered and fought, almost taking a few trees out in the process. Once they re-enacted their fight in Egypt using an unwilling Sideswipe as Devastator. Unfortunately, their act ended with Sideswipe throwing Skids at Mudflap, both of them landing in a pile.

Aria smiled at the memory. "I'll miss you two."

Skids nudged her shoulder then they turned to leave revealing Jolt next.

The blue robot regarded her with a solemn expression. "It was nice to have met you, Aria."

When Jolt came to visit, they usually ended up going on a walk around the property. Some days he would hardly talk at all and some days he would politely talk and ask whatever burning questions he previously compiled for her.

"I'll miss our walks," she replied.

Sideswipe approached next. His silver body gleaming bright under the lights of the hanger.

"I'm going to miss your pretty face, little lady," he halfheartedly smirked.

Unlike the other Autobots, Sideswipe seemed to favor his alternate mode. When he came alone, they ended up going for scenic drives through the city. Despite Aria sitting in the driver seat, he felt no remorse revving at girls as they crossed the street. One lady gave her a very suggestive look and Sideswipe nearly transformed because he was laughing so hard. Other than that, he liked to go through drive throughs and order things for Aria through his speakers. She was sure he got a rise out of embarrassing her as much as possible.

"I'll miss yours too, Sideswipe," she said with a small smile of her own.

The Prime now stood in front of her. Even from here he towered over her.

"We are forever indebted to you, Ms. Normandy. You have provided us with friendship and a place to rest on the days we need it most. You will not be forgotten."

Optimus' words washed over her in a wave of relief. He had been so harsh before. It was probably to distance himself from her mentally in order to make this process a clean break. She was caught off guard. No room to argue, no time to persuade.

As much as it hurt, she couldn’t deny his logic. He was their leader. He made the tough decisions. Many tougher decisions than this. He was kind and compassionate, perhaps the most compassionate being she would ever meet. He had so many things to worry about, and yet he came to her home personally to tell her. He allowed her to come and say goodbye to everyone. And here he was saying goodbye to her face to face.

"Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your lives. I'll never forget you either."

Optimus nodded at her and turned away. Only Ironhide was left.

Aria’s heartbeat quickened as the final Autobot approached. He stopped further away from the platform she stood on than the rest. Why was he acting like this?

"Goodbye Aria, try not to do anything foolish," he said.

Before Aria could formulate her response, he turned away and joined the others.

Aria blinked. She turned to Lennox who matched her look of disbelief with his own. That was cold, even for Ironhide.

"Try not to take it personally.” He put a hand on her shoulder.

Aria bit her lip and looked away. That was as personal as it got. If Optimus was trying to make this a clean break, then Ironhide was blowing up the entire tree.

"I think I should go now," she whispered, not trusting her voice.

Aria followed Lennox back down the steps and back towards the entrance of the hanger. The Autobots followed behind. Just outside was a black SUV with a soldier standing beside it.

As they approached it, the sound of large footfalls stopped behind them. When Aria turned around, all the Autobots stood behind a yellow line just before the exit of the base. This was as far as they could go in their robot forms.

Her eyes swept over their faces, landing on Ironhide's. Even now, he didn’t look at her. The soldier opened the back door of the SUV. She slowly climbed in.

"See ya, kid. Stay out of trouble," Lennox put his hand on her shoulder, giving her a meaningful look.

"Bye Colonel Lennox," the lump in her throat grew larger.

He rolled his eyes playfully, "Just call me Will."

Aria smiled at his attempt to lighten the mood. "Bye Will, thanks for everything."

"Anytime, kid."

Lennox backed away from the open door. Aria looked at the Cybertronians for the last time.

"Bye guys," she said weakly and waved.

All but one waved back.

She stole one last glance at Ironhide. As the door closed, for the briefest moment, her eyes finally met his.

She sobbed the entire way home.

…

She called in sick as soon as she got home. There was no way in hell she could handle being around anyone today. She felt exhausted and wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed and die. It felt like someone carved out every emotion in her body leaving only sadness behind.

Aria leaned heavily on the railing as she ascended the stairs up to her room. Wheelie's door was half open revealing Sirius sleeping on the floor. She peeked in and saw the little robot on his bed with his old laptop.

He looked over at her. "I'm guessin' they didn't change their minds?"

Aria shook her head.

"They'll come around."

Aria turned to leave. "Doubt it.”

…

Aria awoke to a knock on her door. Bright moonlight filtered through the sheer curtains. The clock beside her read 2:24 a.m. She looked back over as her door creaked open. Wheelie poked his head in.

A sultry voice still sung from her speaker on her dresser. She didn't remember falling asleep.

Down on the West Coast they got a sayin'
‘If you're not drinkin' then you're not playin'

She sat up slightly acknowledging Wheelie's presence. "What's up?" she asked rubbing her eyes. They were still sore from crying.

But you've got the music, you've got the music in you, don't you?

"You have a visitor," he replied quietly and pointed across her room to the balcony doors.

Down on the West Coast I get this feeling
Like it all could happen that's why I'm leaving

She looked where he was pointing then back at him. Visitor? No one knocked and her room was on the second floor. Wheelie simply glanced back towards her balcony one more time then disappeared behind the door as he shut it.

You for the moment, you for the moment, Boy Blue, yeah, you

Aria slowly got out of bed and grabbed a cardigan to put over her nightgown. She walked over to the drawn curtains and pulled them back from the French doors. She opened them and wandered out in disbelief. The white light was not from the moon.

Your flyin' high at the show, I'm feeling hot to the touch
You say you'll miss me the most, I say I'll miss you so much

There, standing before her, was Ironhide.

But something keeps me really quiet, I'm alive, I'm a lush
Your love, your love, our love

He looked at her in silence. The lights on his chest illuminated the area in a dim white light.  His good eye glowed brighter than his injured one. They looked at each other. The only noise was the slow song flowing from the room behind her.

"You look awful," he finally said.

Was this real?

Was Ironhide actually here right after he was told that he could never see her again? He was so cold to her earlier, and now he was here in the middle of the night. No, this couldn't be real.

"Am I dreaming?"

Ironhide smirked, "Would you like me to pinch you?"

"No," she said airily, "You'd probably kill me."

"You will have to take my word for it then"

Aria meant to laugh, but a loud sob escaped her throat in its place. Ironhide stayed quiet while she did her best to compose herself and wipe the tears that refused to stop falling down her face.

"Are you allowed to be here?" she finally asked.

"No."

Down on the West Coast, they got their icons
Their silver starlets, their Queens of Saigons

She stepped forward and rested her arms on the metal railing. It was cold. "But you came anyway?"

He took a step closer as well, placing a hand on the railing beside her, "To say a proper goodbye." His voice was gentle.

And you've got the music, you've got the music in you, don't you?

Aria looked into his blue eyes. He was so close to her, if she reached out she could touch his hand if she wanted. So close she could feel the heat radiating from his body.

She stood there taking in all the features of his metal face. Every piece of metal that connected to form shapes that mirrored human features, every intricate symbol, every scratch that marred the surface.

"I'm sorry it had to be this way, Aria."

It was then she saw an expression that she had never seen on him before. Sadness. So they were friends, after all.

"Me too." More tears fell. She tilted her chin up, blinking her eyes.

Was it possible for him to miss her as much as she would miss him?

Slowly, he let go of the railing beside her. He brought a finger up to her face, and with a touch more gentle than she thought him capable of, he brushed a tear from her cheek. He stayed like that for a moment before recoiling his hand and putting it back at his side.

You push it hard, I pull away, I'm feeling hotter than fire
I guess that no one ever really made me feel that much higher

"Goodbye, Aria. Be safe."

She swallowed. "You too."

Te deseo, cariño, boy, it's you I desire

"Don't do anything dangerous," he crossed his arms.

"All right."

"Don't talk to strangers."

She nodded.

"Train every day."

"I will."

I can see my baby swingin'
His Parliament's on fire and his hands are up

"Always keep your guard up."

"Of course."

"If you see a Decepticon-."

"Ironhide," she interrupted.

He recoiled. "What?"

When did he get so close?

"You're rambling." She gave him a gentle smile.

On the balcony and I'm singing
Ooh, baby, ooh, baby, I'm in love

His expression softened, "Maybe I am, but you are the one prone to running toward danger instead of away from it."

"I do not," she mocked offense.

He leaned in. "Tell me again how you ended up in Egypt?"

"Curiosity.” She matched him.

"Don't you humans have a saying for that?" the Autobot gave a lopsided grin.

Aria returned his smile with her own. "We do."

I can see my sweet boy swayin'
He's crazy y Cubano como yo, my love

Once again, he reached towards her, but this time put his hand over the railing beside her, palm up. Aria looked from his hand to his face. He nodded at her.

She approached his hand and hoisted herself up. She sat on his palm and held on to his thumb, her legs dangling.

Her grip tightened significantly as he raised his hand back up and held her in front of him. He sat down heavily behind her house. He rested his arm on a bent leg, keeping her close to his chest. He was very warm. At least she could trust that he wouldn’t drop her.

"Have you learned any new poems?" he asked.

"No, I didn't get a chance."

On the balcony and I'm saying
Move baby, move baby, I'm in love

"Surely you remember at least one?"

I'm in love

She shook her head. No, but she could do one better.

“There once was a blackbird

Who met a dove,

They sat for a time

Looking above

Words unspoken.”

I'm in love.

Chapter Text

A couple months passed since Ironhide came to say goodbye that night. Spring was in full bloom, and with it came Aria's twenty fifth birthday.

The day started off like any other day. Aria got up, hung out with Wheelie while he watched old CSI re-runs.

Horatio was about to do one of his one liners, so Aria threw off her glasses, looking Wheelie dead in the eye. Then, in perfect sync with the television show, she put her glasses back on and began head banging to the opening music. Okay, so she was in a good mood.

Wheelie shook his head. “Moping around for weeks is one thing, but now you’re just getting weird.”

Aria stopped headbanging. “Well look who I’m stuck with.”

“What, I’m not grumpy enough for ya?”

She crossed her arms. “You’re always grumpy. ‘Aria, you never let me finish my show’, ‘Aria, I’m so bored’, ‘Aria, you’re weird, I wanna hang out with someone normal’!” She leaned her weight on one leg. “Ironhide was funny at least.”

“You laugh at me all the time!”

“Yeah, sympathetically.”

“The only person worth being sympathetic for is you. ‘Oh, my Autobot boyfriend is gone, now I have to fill the void with things to do!”

“Like getting a second job so I can feed my pets? Or French lessons cause you suck at teaching me?”

Wheelie pointedly turned back at the TV. “Touché.”

…

Aria looked over at the remote controlled truck from the spot where she was currently mopping. It buzzed around zipping in between people's feet as they walked around the Write Brother's original aircraft.

Wheelie complaining of boredom was nothing new, so she did the most benevolent thing she could to a tiny alien robot, she let him come to work. It turned out he could fit in her backpack, and now he came with her at least twice a week.

Eli ended up being the closest thing she had to a friend now, well human friend. He finished his training with her a while ago, so they would stop to chat when they cleaned the same area and often got lunch at the local food trucks.

Turned out Eli was twenty-two, and when she told Wheelie, he immediately suggested she should go out with him. Sure, he was cute, but he just wasn't her type. Wheelie asked, ‘Why, cause he's not grumpy and made of metal'?

Yeah, right.

“Ugh, that stupid toy truck is back today. I’d like to find the kid that keeps bringing it.”

Aria looked up from the floor to Eli. He was stealing some cleaning supplies from her cart. “Good luck with that. Every security guard here is on the case, and they haven’t come up with squat.”

“Aria, we talked about this.” He met her eyes, dead serious. “You’re supposed to use French swear words now.”

Aria leaned on her mop. “Why do you assume I know French swear words?”

Eli casually browsed the selection of chemicals. “From what you told me about Madame French Lady, I thought you’d know lots of swears by now.”

“She’s a professional, you know. She only insults me in English so I can understand.”

“Ah, only the best of French tutors for dear Aria.”

“Don’t you have a dark corner to sweep?”

“Ah yes, I hear the darkness calling me now.” He smirked. “TTYL.”

“Yeah, talk to you later too, Eli.” She resumed mopping after a quick glance at Wheelie.

Eli was right, her tutor from Paris was quite the woman. She openly gaped the first time Aria sung in French—not in awe, but horror. She was appalled that the opera would allow Aria to sing such a beautiful song with such an atrocious accent. At least her French was quickly improving. Turned out, Wheelie hadn’t been the greatest teacher.

An incoming buzzing sound brought Aria back to reality. Wheelie was fast approaching. She scanned the area to see if anyone was looking. Thankfully, everyone was more interested in the aircrafts on display.

Wheelie ran straight into her. His tire caught her pant leg, allowing the front of the truck to roll up slightly before she could kick him off again.

"Oh my god Wheelie, get off of me!" she hissed, looking everywhere but at the small Autobot truck.

She walked back over to her cart only to have him ram into her shin again. This time she whipped her head down ready to threaten bodily harm, but he quickly distanced himself and did a few spins.

What was he getting at? Perhaps he wanted her to see something? She put the mop back on the cart and placed a wet floor sign on the ground. Glancing around a final time, she followed Wheelie, keeping her distance without losing him in the crowds.

He led her to one of the main atrium's that had since been repaired from Jetfire’s outburst.

Sure enough, he headed straight to the replacement SR- 71A Blackbird. It was bought from the Science Museum of Virginia for something akin to lots and lots of money. From the underside of the of the nose, she witnessed Wheelie run straight into another person's leg.

Yep. She was going to kill him.

As she rounded the jet, a familiar voice called out, "Wheelie?"

Aria couldn't help but yell, "Sam!"

The confused boy looked back up at her for a moment before recognition dawned on his face. "Aria!"

Beside him was a beautiful blonde woman wearing a figure-hugging dress and a pair of black—wait were those Christian Louboutin's? All right, this woman was perfect.

Aria closed the distance between them and gave Sam a quick hug, hopefully it wasn’t too much. But they were friends, right?

She shot Wheelie a look that sent him off and out of view. From the corner of her eye, she saw Eli cast the toy truck an irritated glance from where he was sweeping.

"Carly, this is my friend Aria," Sam introduced. "Aria, this is my, uh, friend Carly?" he finished lamely.

Oh good, Sam was on a date.

Carly ignored Sam's awkwardness and held out a hand. "Nice to meet you," she said with a beautiful British accent.

Aria returned her greeting and shook her perfectly manicured hand. Was this the plot twist of her life? Was she in love? Aria hoped she wasn't gawking as obviously as she thought she was.

Sam looked around. "So uh, is Wheelie your guardian or something?"

Aria rubbed her temples. "Yeah, something like that. I'm guessing Carly knows about…everything?"

"Yeah, I was just telling her about what happened in Egypt actually." He put his arm awkwardly around her waist. Was it his first time touching a woman? Cause it looked like it.

Aria raised her eyebrows. "Yeah, that was an adventure."

"You were there?" Carly interjected, a disbelieving look overtaking her gorgeous features.

Aria glared at Sam. "You didn't even tell her about me?"

"I wasn't at that part of the story yet!" Sam's lips formed a smirk as he turned to Carly, "I didn't officially meet Aria until we were on the aircraft carrier leaving Egypt. But she apparently followed us outside the museum with Jetfire, got teleported with us, and was abandoned in the middle of the desert after we left to find the Matrix. Every time I saw her after that she was screaming like a crazy person."

He must have thought of something else funny because he stopped to laugh. "The best part was when we were introducing her to the Autobots, Ironhide actually snuck up and scared her. You should have seen it, she practically ran to the other side of the ship screaming." He wiped an amused tear from his eye.

Aria let out an unamused “ha ha” while the two laughed. No point being offended, she would have laughed if she saw someone else in that situation.

Despite the warm atmosphere, her chest grew heavy.

Sam must have seen the pained look on her face. "I didn't mean it. I was just teasing."

"I'm not allowed to see them anymore.”

Sam looked taken back at her sudden statement. Carly was as well, but she seemed confused more than anything. There was a lot she still didn't know.

"What, why?" A look crossed Sam’s face as he put two and two together. "They didn't want you to become a target."

"Pretty much. No point moping about it though," Aria let out an exhale. "Hey, my lunch break is in a couple minutes, do you guys want to go to a café or something? I can get you back into the museum after."

"I saw an Italian bakery down the street," Carly suggested.

"That's the one I was thinking of. I'll be right back."

Aria tried to keep the smile from her face on the way back to her cart. What were the chances? It’d been forever since she last saw Sam.

Aria grabbed her cart and wheeled it back to the storage closet. She then took her bag to the woman's washroom and took off her jumpsuit, under it she wore a summer dress of her own. She slid on her sandals and exited the stall, joining a few other women in front of the mirrors. After a quick finger brush through her hair, she headed back to Sam and Carly.

She spotted Eli on the way. "Hey Eli.”

Eli tied up a garbage bag and smiled at her. "What's the occasion?"

She put a hand on her hip. "Oh, just going for lunch with my friends so I’ll see you later."

"You have friends?" Eli raised his brows in mock surprise.

"Oh go to hell, Eli." She turned to leave.

"Already there!" he called from behind her back.

She laughed and sent him a backwards wave which he returned.

Ten minutes later, the three of them sat at a small table by a sunny window. Aria sat across from Sam and Carly.

"This is such a charming place," Carly commented, still looking around.

"And their coffee is the best," Aria added holding up her drink for emphasis.

The three of them ate and kept the conversation light. Carly complimented Aria's dress and asked Sam once again why he'd never mentioned her before. She seemed genuinely offended at Sam's nonchalant shrug.

Sam and Aria then started talking more about their adventure in Egypt, and finally Aria told them all the events she's gone through since.

"So the NEST base is right in Washington?" Sam stared at her in disbelief.

"Yes, and don't you even think about telling anyone I told you that. I'd probably go to prison for the rest of my life." Aria leaned in and pointed a finger at him.

"That's amazing that they came to visit you all the time." Carly practically had stars in her eyes.

Sam nearly interrupted her. "Yeah and that Ironhide was your personal chauffeur," he chuckled. "And here I thought he didn’t like you."

Aria’s chest tightened at his comment. "That’s because he didn’t at first." She looked out the window and took a sip of her drink.

"Ow!"

Aria looked back at the duo to see Carly glaring at Sam. She then turned her attention back to her, "I'm sure they all miss you, Aria," she gave her a smile, "And I think you’ll see them again.”

Aria leaned back, her shoulders slouched. “I signed paperwork.”

This time it was Sam who replied. “You really think some paperwork will stop the Autobots?”

…

That evening Aria sat at her vanity putting on the final touches of her makeup. Her hair was freshly curled, and her gown was already in a dress bag. She always waited till she made it to the club before changing. Too much attention wearing one on the way there.

Sure, Wheelie said it was an impulsive decision, but getting a part time singing gig wasn’t a bad idea. It was the perfect way to get accustomed to singing in front of an audience. The extra cash helped too.

She went down the stairs and found Wheelie in his usual spot on the couch. A part of her wanted to be mad at him for his little stunt early today, but seeing Sam and meeting Carly had been worth it.

"You coming tonight, Wheelie?"

He turned off the TV. "Duh."

"Then let's go."

Aria put her bag on the floor and Wheelie transformed and backed in. She slung it over her back and folded the dress bag back over her arm. With a quick check to make sure Sirius still had water in his bowl, she left.

Blue Bella’s was especially busy that evening, it was jazz night after all. The venue itself was dimly lit by old chandeliers, under them were about forty tables, a small dace floor, and a modestly sized stage with red curtains. Groups of men and women filled the club, many dressed up in fancy clothing.

As Aria walked in, one of the performers, George, played jazz on the grand piano that was placed on the edge of the stage. Aria sang with him all the time. He was an amazing player and a very nice man.

Tonight however, she was performing with a local jazz group. They only rehearsed a few times in the past, but there was so much improvising that all she really had to do was memorize the song and just go with the flow. It was quite different than opera rehearsals, but the experience was priceless.

She changed behind a divider in one of the small dressing rooms backstage while Wheelie crawled out of her backpack that was placed in the corner. How he unzipped it from the inside was anyone’s guess.

"Ya know, since you don't seem to like Eli, maybe you should try picking up one of the guys here," he said casually from the other side of the divider.

Aria rolled her eyes despite Wheelie not being able to see her. "Would you drop the whole 'I need a boyfriend' thing?" She stepped into her dress and shimmied it up her waist. "Plus you can't just pick up random guys, they have to like you back you know."

"Lots of guys here like you," Wheelie stated.

Aria pulled the straps over her shoulders. "Like like, not just like. Though I don't expect you to know the difference."

"I live with you, of course I know the difference. When you like like someone, you act like a moron."

"Hey-"

Wheelie cut her off. "Look, Aria, there's a guy at the back table that's always here to watch you sing or whatever. You should try talking to him."

"What, no! He sounds like a creep." Aria came out from the divider and sat on the vanity bench to put on her heels.

"Come on, dating a guy would distract you from the Autobots more than French lessons and you know it."

"All right, all right. Where does he sit? I'll see if he's a creep or not myself," she said, standing up.

"Back corner, in front of the big window."

Aria nodded and rolled her eyes at him again. "God, you're a pain."

"You're welcome!" he called after her as she left down the hall.

Aria joined the other performers backstage. There was the jazz band she was playing with, a couple soloists, and a few other singers. She joined in the general chatter between vocal warmups until it was her turn to perform.

It was about eleven when she walked out onto the stage. Before reaching for the microphone, she already started to scan the tables for the man in the back corner. The stage lights blinded her, making it exceedingly difficult.

The trumpet began to play to her right, drums and guitar behind her, and a clarinet to her left. She immediately began to sway to the music, still keeping her sights on the back tables.

"Do you know what it means to miss New Orleans
To miss it each night and day"

As she sung, her eyes better adjusted to the lights and she could start to make out the people in the back tables. There were a few groups of two or three men, and one of four women.

"Miss them moss covered vines, the tall sugar pines
Where mocking birds used to sing."

Beside the women was an empty table. No, it wasn't empty, there was a man sitting by himself. He looked in his mid thirties, short black hair and an overall rugged appearance. Even from the distance she could tell he worked out, maybe he was military?

She made eye contact with the man, which wasn't unusual for her, she made eye contact with lots of customers while she sang. Unlike the other customers though, his eyes widened like a deer caught in the headlights before hastily looking away.

"And there's one thing more, I miss the one I care for
More than I miss New Orleans."

…

"Hey, Cynthia?"

"Hey, Aria?" the waitress responded playfully.

"That guy in the back corner that sits by himself, have you talked to him before?"

Cynthia put her tray down on the table Aria sat at by the stage. She took the seat beside her. Currently George was playing the piano with another female singer, her dress sparkled in the lights.

"Yeah, he's kinda weird. Doesn't say much." She glanced back in his direction. "He always orders a drink but never touches it."

Aria rested her arms on the table. "So he’s a creep?"

"Why are you asking Aria, You like him?" She sung, wiggling her brows suggestively.

"Wha- no!" Aria gave the friendly blonde woman a playful shove on the shoulder.

Cynthia giggled, "No he's not a creep, just a little shy in my opinion," she placed a shot in front of Aria from off her tray. "Go talk to him!"

Cynthia gave her a nudge and got up to continue her rounds.

Aria’s eyes fell back on the shot glass filled with some sort of amber liquor. What the hell, it was her birthday after all. She picked up the glass and gulped it. Managing not to cough, she put the empty glass on the table, got up, and walked straight over to the guy at the back table.

Seeing him up close, the first thing that stood out were his bright blue eyes. Honestly, it was hard not to when he was staring at her approaching figure as if she were the angel of death.

Before she could open her mouth to speak, the man abruptly stood up nearly causing his chair to fall over. She stopped walking towards him, taken back by his reaction. Though his eyes were wide, his expression was otherwise blank. Unnatural. She stared at him and he stared at her, neither making a move.

He looked…familiar?

Then without warning he beelined toward the exit.

Who was he? Why was he acting like this?

She followed.

He vanished into the entryway and out the door. Aria caught it before it fully closed again.

The cool night air brushed her hair back behind her shoulders while she searched for the man in the parking lot.

But he was gone.

The sound of a revving engine passing by caught her attention, perhaps because it was otherwise quiet, or perhaps because it sounded familiar. She looked towards the street. Her heart clenched tightly in her chest. She knew that black truck anywhere.

Immediately she stormed back inside and straight to the changing rooms. She poked her head into a few before spotting Wheelie playing on her cell phone under the vanity she sat at earlier. She closed the door behind her and marched up to the small Autobot.

"You knew that guy was with Ironhide! He's a NEST soldier, isn't he?"

Wheelie came out from under the vanity. "Don't be such a dolt, Aria!"

"I'm not a dolt, you are! What if I get arrested? I'm obviously not supposed to know about him since he bolted!"

Wheelie slapped a hand over his face. "Oh my god Aria, that man is Ironhide."

Aria's mouth was already open to yell back at him, but she clamped it shut again. She brought her hand up to her forehead and sat down on the bench.

"What?" was the only word she could formulate.

"That man is Ironhide's holoform. Basically a 3D projection but with mass," Wheelie explained.

"As in it's made of matter? He can just create a physical human body? Why do I not know about this?" The more she thought about it, the more questions she had.

"Yes, yes, and it's a secret."

"I thought there was a zero secret policy between Autobots and the military."

"Yeah well this is the secret of secrets. It's a technology only a few of the Autobots have."

Why would the Autobots keep such a useful ability a secret? It would make communication much easier for both them and humans. Were they hiding a weakness, or perhaps their ultimate strength?

"Why would the Autobots let Ironhide use it then?"

"Well duh, they wouldn't. The only ones who know about this are us three."

"How did you even know?"

Wheelie stood a little taller. "It was my suggestion."

Aria narrowed her eyes. "You're in contact with him even though you're not supposed to be?”

“He contacted me.” Wheelie continued when Aria didn’t reply. “I don't know if you've noticed this kid, but Ironhide kinda does what he wants."

"I take it by his reaction, you weren't supposed to tell me, were you?" Aria raised a brow.

"Nope.”

Aria let her head fall back. "Great, I blew it. Now I'm never going to see him again."

"I don't think it's possible for him to stay away from you actually. I wouldn't be surprised if he was here for your next show," Wheelie reached up and patted her knee reassuringly. "Oh, and happy birthday by the way."

Was Wheelie right? Ironhide did in fact do what he wanted. But to go as far as this? To risk everything just to see her? She was just another human. And yet, Wheelie was sure Ironhide wouldn't leave her no matter what.

“Wait, did you say he bolted?”

Aria nodded, only half listening to him.

Wheelie laughed about it for the rest of the night.

Chapter Text

"So how were your friends?"

Aria sat across from Eli in the cafeteria during their break. It was the first time they could really talk since the day Sam and Carly came to visit due to their different schedules.

"They were good. Sam was just taking his new girlfriend on a date," Aria replied. She took a bite of her chocolate pudding. Eli had a container full of raw veggies.

Eli nodded, "Ah, so that was your first time meeting her then."

Aria looked at him from above her glasses. "Did you see her though? She's gorgeous!"

"Not my type," Eli shrugged. Taking in Aria's dubious expression, he smirked, "Guess she's yours, though? I didn't realize you flew that way."

Aria blinked, taking in Eli's statement for a moment. She let out a nervous laugh, "I mean she's pretty and all, but I don't think I want to kiss her."

"That wasn't a very confident statement."

"Yeah, well you caught me off guard," Aria replied, eating another spoonful of pudding.

Eli chuckled. "It must have been a while since you've seen Sam last, I don't think I've ever seen you that excited."

It was September of last year when the whole Egypt situation happened, and it was currently mid May so that would mean it's been about eight months since she met Sam and the Autobots. It was surprising actually, it didn't feel like that much time had passed.

"Almost a year now, I guess. He's going to Princeton right now so it's a bit of a drive. He was here because Carly is looking for a place in Washington."

"How'd you meet if he lives in up in Princeton?" Eli took a bite of a baby carrot, barely chewing it before swallowing.

"Actually, he's from California. I met him here actually, well him and his ex." She added.

"Awkward," Eli sang.

"It's crazy though, his ex was just as hot!"

…

That evening Aria took extra care getting ready. She sincerely hoped that Wheelie was right about Ironhide and that he would be there regardless of being caught.

She sat at her vanity, gazing at her smiling reflection as she carefully did her makeup.

For some reason she wanted to look perfect tonight, not that it mattered. Ironhide had seen her at her worst and the most he ever did was comment on her shoes, or lack thereof. She let her eyes fall closed as she recalled his deep voice teasing her. Just the thought of hearing his voice again...

"Someone's in a good mood."

Aria's eyes snapped open. She looked at the small robot in the mirror. He came in and made himself comfy on her bed behind her.

"Like you can tell," Aria scoffed.

Wheelie did his version of an eye roll, "Yeah with your constant humming and dumb smile on your face it's impossible not to."

Aria frowned, "I always hum."

"No, you always sing. You were so far off in la la land you didn't even notice me come in," he smirked at her. "Plus, I saw that little dance you did with the broom this morning."

"I always dance with the broom."

Wheelie didn't dignify her with an answer, only looked at her even more skeptically than before.

Aria sighed, "Alright," she took a breath, "I'm excited to see him."

"Say it,” Wheelie taunted with an evil grin on his metallic features. “Say his name."

"Ironhide," she blurted, diverting her gaze back to her reflection and watching her face turn red.

Wheelie slapped his knee wheezing with laughter. She absently grabbed her brush and ran it through her hair for possibly the tenth time since she got home. She did her best to regain her composure despite Wheelie's obvious attempts to embarrass her.

"Honestly Aria," he said, wiping an imaginary tear from under his eye. "Why don't you just admit that you like him. Or like like or whatever."

Aria's hand halted mid brush stroke. She abruptly turned around to face the little Autobot, nearly gaping at him. "I do not like like Ironhide! He’s my friend and it’s perfectly normal for me to want to see him again."

"Uh huh," Wheelie mumbled looking at the back his hand in mock interest.

"How can I like him like that? He's a giant metal alien! Now would you stop bringing it up!"

"Sure, sure."

"And even if I did like like him, he wouldn't like me back that way because I'm a tiny squishy human!"

Wheelie just hummed again.

"We don't even have anything in common, plus he's probably way too old for me. And how could I be physically attracted to him when he's all big and metal and transforms into a truck! He can't even reproduce, which is the whole point of being attracted to someone in the first place!"

"Those are great points and all, but you still can't help but like him, right?"

"Ye- "Aria snapped her mouth shut. "I mean no!"

"Keep telling yourself that, princess," Wheelie replied, getting off the bed. "Oh and I'm gonna hang out here with the mutt tonight so you and grumpy can have some quality time."

"Wheelie!" Aria yelled after him as he rolled out of the room. Shaking her head, she turned back to the mirror to finish getting ready. She began to hum again.

Why did Wheelie thrive on annoying her? Feelings were already complicated enough in general, and Wheelie stirring the pot wasn’t helping anything.

She blended brown eyeshadow on her lids and put a light layer of mascara on her dark lashes.

Ironhide didn’t like humans much anyway, the fact they were friends was a miracle in itself. Not to mention that she nearly forced it upon him by literally chasing him down the street months ago.

She put on berry colored lipstick and fastened a dainty necklace around her neck. Her heart fluttered. It was time to go.

…

Friday evening at the club was open mic night, meaning anyone could perform whichever genre they liked. Aria was scheduled for ten thirty and it was currently twenty past ten.

And she was still five minutes away.

Because she got carried away getting ready, she lost track of time and missed her usual bus and had to wait for the next one.

The bus stop was five blocks away from the venue. Normally she took her time during her walk, but today she practically jogged down the sidewalk. Her black heels clicked against the pavement as she did her best to avoid running into sauntering people and tripping hazards on the old sidewalk.

Minutes later she arrived at the club, the old sign above the door flickered neon blue. Aria dashed straight for the changing rooms, choosing the first available one. Her dress was a full-length form fitting black gown with thin straps and a thigh high slit up one side. One of these days she had to get some satin gloves to cover up the long scar on her forearm.

Fixing her hair one last time, she made her way backstage with only a minute to spare.

Walking onto the stage, her nerves lit up. Was Ironhide actually here? Was he watching her now?

She stood in front of the mic and waited for her queue by the violist off to the side, all the while searching for him in the far back.

As she began to sing, she finally found him. Unlike last time when she caught his eye, he didn't look alarmed. He just looked back at her for a moment before dropping his gaze down to his full glass.

Aria continued to sing, never taking her eyes off the holoform Ironhide created to watch over her. Would he run this time?

Finally, his eyes met hers again, and she smiled as she finished the song.

Leaving the stage, she navigated through the tables towards the back. She was stopped a few times by customers complimenting her. Eventually she reached Ironhide's table and sat down beside him.

He didn't acknowledge her presence, instead he looked up at the stage where the next performer nervously walking onto the stage.

The man fiddled with the microphone as the music began to play. He took a breath and began a melodic R&B cover.

They both continued to watched the man as he got more comfortable. Aria glanced at the holoform from the corner of her eye. His face remained impassive, but for some reason his features looked slightly…off.

Wheelie informed her that the accuracy of a holoform was limited by the understanding of the life forms they mimicked. Perhaps that's why his skin didn't quite look real. It lacked small details like pores, fine lines, and the slight discoloration of where facial hair was shaved.

He seemed to notice her sideways glance and turned his head away. Was he still contemplating leaving her?

Aria’s thoughts halted when a hand rested on her bare thigh revealed by the slit in her dress. She snapped her head to look at him fully, but he only continued looking ahead. She followed his line of sight to the man now confidently singing on stage.

"No one can know about this."

Aria nearly jumped at the sound of his low voice. It sounded just like Ironhide's, yet slightly different.

"I know," she affirmed. They both continued to look at the stage.

There was silence between them while they listened to the music.

Aria’s eyes dropped to the wooden table. "You think it's worth the risk? Following me?"

The holoform's grip on her leg tightened for fraction of a second. "Wheelie cannot protect you.”

Well, she knew that. Wheelie wasn't meant to protect her; he was there to warn her. Ironhide, however, was protective by nature. It didn't take long to come to that conclusion. It was that combined with his stubbornness that led to him being here.

"Is that why he's helping you keep track of me?" She couldn't help but glance over at him again.

"I didn't give him much of a choice." He returned her sideways look with his own.

Her heart fluttered as she gained the courage to put her hand on top of his.

"I'm glad he told me.”

Ironhide's expression softened for a moment, a ghost of a smile on his lips. And then in an instant it was gone, replaced by a stern glare. He pulled his hand out from under hers as if it burnt him.

"I have to go," he said, standing up.

He scanned the room. Luckily, everyone had their eyes glued to the man on stage, transfixed by his breathtaking vocals.

She turned back to him, "Wait, Iron-"

He disappeared.

Aria gasped and looked for him in vain. The light fluttery feeling in her chest turned to lead. Grabbing his full glass of alcohol now recognizable as rum and coke, she gulped it down.

He could be such an ass sometimes.

…

It was just after one when Aria left the club that night. Outside, she was greeted by the fresh cool air, not too warm, not too cold. She’d brought a change of clothes for the trip back home, but forgot her shoes, so she still donned her heels, which would have been fine if it wasn’t for the fact her feet were sore from running to the club earlier.

Her eyes wandered across the road at all the parked cars glimmering in the streetlights.

Back when Ironhide took her to rehearsals, he would wait outside the entire time. His excuse upon asking was that “waiting for her was better than the base”.

And by that logic…he may still be around somewhere. And there was only one way to draw him out.

By fighting stubborn with stubborn.

She leaned her back against the brick wall of the building and crossed her arms. The last bus would leave in a little under half an hour. She had time.

Only a few people crossed her path, likely headed home for the night. Most paid her little more than a sideways glance.

The door to Blue Bella’s swung open. “Aria, what are you still doing here?”

Aria’s eyes met Cynthia’s. “Oh just…” stubbornly waiting for someone who may not even be there. “…waiting for my ride.”

Cynthia’s mouth formed into a wide grin as her eyes narrowed. “Since when do you get rides home from work?”

Oh no she didn’t. “I have friends, you know.”

“Of course. And they just coincidentally come to pick you up the same day you make googly eyes at that guy.” Her grin stretched wider. “What’s his name anyway?”

“Don’t you have a husband to get home to?”

Cynthia laughed. “Have a good night, Aria. Learn his name for me!” She blew a kiss and walked away.

Aria rolled her eyes. First Wheelie, now Cynthia. Where did they even get these ideas from?

Sure, Ironhide touched her leg. Maybe if he were a regular guy, it would mean something. But he wasn’t. He probably didn’t think it was any different than a hand on the shoulder. He’d never so much as mentioned what he thought of human’s appearance beyond being squishy and fragile. While he was twenty feet tall and made of metal.

And could apparently make himself into a human that wasn’t hard on the eyes, per se.

“Who are you waiting for?”

Aria sprung upright. Ironhide’s holoform stood beside her. “Ironhide!” She took a breath. “You scared the soul from my body.”

“It isn’t difficult.”

The darkness made the unnatural shade of blue of Ironhide’s eyes stand out even more. There was something else off about them too, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. They looked the right shape and size of any other person. Dark eyelashes, heavy eyelids, his brows were in proportion to his face.

Then it hit her.

“Why aren’t you blinking?”

“Is that why you’re staring?”

“It’s very unsettling.”

He blinked.

“Thank you.”

“Any other inefficient human things you would like me to do?”

“I think blinking is fine for now.” Aria winked, drawing another blink from Ironhide. “Walk to the bus stop with me?”

“Is that what this is about?”

Despite Ironhide’s question, they both began to walk.

“Why, you mad that I won?” Aria smirked at him.

“You didn’t win. I chose to come out.”

“Because I was standing there. Where are you anyway?” Aria scanned the road once again.

Ironhide didn’t break his gaze. “Don’t you already know enough of my secrets?”

“You’re the one showing up at the club as a human. I’m sure you’d be curious if I suddenly came up to you one day as a Cybertronian.”

He scoffed. “You? A Cybertronian? I didn’t realize you were funny.”

“You’re just mad because I’d probably be taller than you.”

Ironhide finally looked away. “Humph.”

Aria couldn’t help but giggle. She opened her mouth to reply, only to let out a squawk as her heel caught on a crack in the sidewalk.

Next thing she knew she was on the ground. Pain radiated from her ankle. She sat up and grabbed for it.

The pain got worse, extending into her foot and up her shin. She for sure sprained it.

Ironhide crouched down beside her, looking between her face and the ankle she was cradling and then down to her shoe.

She let out a long breath through her mouth and inhaled through her nose. “Don’t you dare say it.”

“Footwear,” he enunciated, bringing out his accent.

Aria’s head fell back on her shoulders, only to snap back up when her shoe began to slide off her foot. Ironhide gently pulled it off, never touching her skin.

“I don’t know how you manage to be so gentle sometimes.”

“You think I’m only capable of being a brute because I’m a soldier?”

“More like because you’re normally ten times the size of me.” As she spoke, Ironhide came to her side, putting one arm under her legs and the other behind her back. “Hey, what are you doing?”

Ironhide lifted her off the ground as if she weighed no more the shoe he’d placed in her lap. “I’ve seen human leg injuries before. You’re not supposed to walk on them until they are healed.”

Aria looked away. At least they were almost at the stop.

A couple whispered at each other as they passed by. Another man nodded at Ironhide. Great, now everyone was looking.

When they got to the stop, Ironhide stood beside the bench instead of placing her down. She wasn’t that light, but then again, this was a holoform, so maybe weight wasn’t an issue. For some reason, she didn’t want to ask.

When Ironhide made no indication of moving after a minute passed, Aria looked up at him. “You’re not going to sit down?”

Ironhide’s eyes met hers. It looked like he was about to question her, but something almost mischievous took over his blank features.

He sat down.

With her still in his arms.

Her cheeks heated up. Being carried was one thing, but now she was sitting in his lap. In public, no less!

“Ironhide!” she hissed.

“I’m just doing what you asked.”

Aria made a show of glaring at him before diverting her line of sight. At least the bus would be there any minute.

Her ankle throbbed, but the unnatural heat that radiated from his body felt rather nice. Like that night when she sat in his hand, close to his chest.

Was this even any different for him?

It felt like so long ago, but so recent at the same time. He was never supposed to see her again, even that night. Yet he did.

And here he was now.

He could have left again when she approached him, but he didn't.

She had been mad at first, when he disappeared. But now all her negative emotions were buried by a strange feeling of satisfaction.

Despite the risks, he was here. Even if it was dangerous and stupid and completely unnecessary for him to be here.

If he was caught, the military would learn that the Autobots were still keeping secrets. And she would end up in jail for treason as stated by the contract she signed.

Ironhide boarded the bus when it arrived. He kept her in his arms the entire time, drawing more eyes to them on the slow way home. Her eyelids grew heavy. Between the long day and Ironhide’s warmth, it was getting hard to stay awake.

Maybe she could rest her eyes for a minute.

Just a minute.

Chapter Text

"What are you doing back so soon?"

Aria’s eyes slowly drifted open thanks to the muffled voice behind her bedroom door. Why was Wheelie talking so loud in the morning?

About to pull the covers over her head to block out the sunlight, she paused. When did she get home last night?

“Hey wait, you can’t just—"

Aria’s door abruptly opened. Holding onto the handle was Ironhide’s holoform, and behind him was Wheelie who slowly let go of the former’s leg.

She nearly shrieked, pulling the covers up to her neck. What the hell was Ironhide doing here?

That was when the memories came back; tripping on practically nothing, Ironhide carrying her home…and then resting her eyes on the bus. Damn it! Why couldn’t she be a normal human being for once in her life?

The thought of him putting her to bed was both mortifying and sweet. Now he knew what her house looked like. What her room looked like. And worst of all, what she looked like while she slept. What if she snored?

“You are awake?” Ironhide asked from the doorway. He hadn’t moved an inch since she reacted despite Wheelie hissing at him to get out of her room.

Aria ran her fingers through her messy hair. Who knew what she looked like. Her makeup was probably a mess between mascara and eyeshadow. It didn’t help she still wore last night’s clothes either.

She carefully sat up further. Her ankle throbbed at the movement. “Yeah—yeah I am.” She finally met his eyes. “Thanks for, uh, bringing me home.”

“I didn’t know if I was supposed to wake you.”

“I can’t believe you let me fall asleep in the first place. I’m sorry, guess I was tired.”

“Healing requires rest, doesn’t it?”

“Well, yeah, but I just have a sprained ankle. Nothing serious.” She pulled the cover back to reveal her leg and smoothed her skirt to cover as much as her thigh as possible.

The appendage looked normal enough, until the large swollen bulge where her ankle should have been.

Ironhide let go of the door handle and came to the side of her bed, his eyes never leaving the injury.

“Don’t touch it,” she said as he went to reach out.

He complied, but brought his face closer, examining it.

While he looked at her ankle, she couldn’t help but look at his face. Though his expression was overly neutral, his eyes showed moderate concern. But his lack of expression wasn’t even close to how unnatural he looked in sunlight. Much more so than the club. So many things were ever so slightly off. Uncanny almost.

The mattress shifted and Wheelie appeared over the foot of the bed as he crawled up. “Oh boy, that looks nasty.”

Aria rolled her eyes. “Which, the swelling or the color?”

“Both,” Wheelie said, he held out a finger and poked her ankle before she could react.

“Ow,” she emphasized, even if the little poke didn’t hurt that much.

“Ew, its hot and squishy. Maybe you should see one of those doctors or whatever.”

Ironhide looked from Wheelie back to her leg. If anything, he looked more concerned than before. Then it was his turn to touch the swollen appendage despite her protests, but instead of poking, he placed his entire hand over it.

“OW,” she said even louder, glaring at him.

But his hand remained.

“I will take you to the hospital,” he said after letting go.

Aria adjusted the blanket back over her leg. Hopefully that would deter any further touching. “I don’t need to go to the hospital for a twisted ankle.”

“What if it’s broken?” Ironhide straightened back to his full height.

“It’s not.”

“How do you know?”

Aria laced her fingers together on her lap and leaned back on her pillow. “I don’t.”

“And how does one find out?” Judging by the face he was making, he already knew he won.

Aria glared at him. “Fine.”

“How are you going to take her? You’re at the base,” Wheelie interjected.

Aria followed Wheelie’s gaze back to Ironhide. "You're at the base?"

Ironhide raised a brow. "I'm not allowed to be here, remember?"

"I didn't think you could be that far away."

"Your home is only twenty-three miles away from the base. My range is roughly four hundred.” He held his chin high.

"Is it difficult to do? Wheelie told me it takes a lot of concentration."

Ironhide threw the small robot a sideways glance before regarding Aria again. "It isn’t difficult for me."

Aria nodded. Typical Ironhide answer.

Wheelie jumped off the bed. "We'll wait outside while you get ready."

Wheelie made it to the door first, waiting for Ironhide to exit the room before closing her door behind both of them.

Aria straightened her back. "Wait, are we taking the bus then?”

But no one heard her.

Carefully, Aria got up, first unwrapping herself from the mess of blankets, then shimmying over to the side of the bed.

She swung her good leg down before slowly letting down the other. Every ounce of blood felt like a sack of bricks as it flowed into her foot.

Why did the closet have to be so far away? She’d have to hop.

Grabbing onto her bed post, she stood on her good leg. Maybe it would be better to go to the bathroom first.

She washed her face and brushed her teeth, then stripped from her clothes and stumbled into the bath. Not like she could shower anyway, slipping would probably be the end of her.

After bathing, she made her way to the closet. Pants were out of the question. Who was she kidding? Pants were nearly always out of the question. But at the same time, her ankle wasn’t a pretty sight.

Her eyes fell on a long summer dress. Perfect.

She held onto the stairway railing with both hands, taking her time going down. She only made it about three stairs before Ironhide came from around the corner and up the stairs to meet her. He held out his hand for her to hold onto.

Of course she accepted it.

Placing her hand in his wasn’t so bad. But the moment he wrapped his fingers around hers, realization dawned on her. She was holding Ironhide’s hand.

No, no. His holoform’s hand. There was a difference…Just like being carried.

As they descended the stairs, her eyes lingered on Ironhide’s hand, then up to his strong wrist and forearm that was covered by his dark jacket.

He cleared his throat, or rather mimicked the sound. Aria's eyes shot up to his face, startled out of her trance. They made it to the main floor.

Looking closely at him now, she said the first thing that popped into her head.

"Your face looks weird."

Ironhide raised an eyebrow. Wheelie snickered from somewhere in the living room.

What? If he wanted to pass as human in broad daylight, he’d have to work on his human camouflage.

"Come on punk, let's go," Ironhide gave her a gentle pull towards him and led her towards the door.

Aria's eyes slid over to the small robot. "You coming, Wheelie?"

"Nah, three's a crowd," he replied from the couch.

"All right. Don’t burn the house down, and don’t leave Sirius outside for too long.”

“Uh huh, uh huh,” Wheelie droned.

Aria slipped on a pair of sandals, leaning on the back of the couch for support. She then grabbed her bag while Ironhide opened the door.

The second they stepped outside, Sirius was at Ironhide’s feet, sniffing his legs.

"Why won't this damn thing leave me alone?"

Aria told Sirius to sit. "You probably don't have a scent, so he's confused why you don't smell like anything other than your surroundings."

He let out a very Ironhide like grunt in response, giving Sirius a final look before holding his hand out for her once again. He helped her down the steps.

“Do you want me to carry you?” He asked once she made it down.

She eyed him. It didn’t sound like he was making fun of her, but it was more likely she just missed it in his tone. Either way, a part of her was inclined to say yes. But no.

“No thank you, I can probably make it if I can lean on you.”

Ironhide let go of her hand and offered his arm instead. “Why? Afraid you’ll fall asleep again?”

It wasn’t hard to miss that time.

She linked hers to it. “No. I’m afraid you’d drop me.”

He scoffed at her smirk.

They walked arm in arm down the road bordered by lush deciduous trees. Occasionally homes closer to the road could be spotted between the foliage, while dogs barked at them as they passed by.

Ironhide walked slowly as she limped by his side, putting as little weight as possible on her bad foot. Because of that, most of her weight was on him. He didn’t tease her for it, which was unusual. He hadn’t even mentioned her footwear since.

They just walked in silence, and it was nice.

They made it to the bus stop on the corner. Traffic was minimal, only a few cars passing by now and again. Aria let go of Ironhide’s holoform and sat down on the bench. She lifted the dress enough to see her ankle. It didn’t look any worse, but it didn’t look any better either.

Letting her dress fall back over the injury, she looked up to Ironhide who stood beside the bench. He was still looking down at her now hidden ankle. He must have realized he was staring because his eyes flickered up to hers.

She patted the bench beside her, but he still didn’t move. Maybe he didn't know what the gesture meant. "Come sit down beside me.”

"That is not necessary," he replied, crossing his arms instead. Honestly, he looked like a bodyguard; the way he stood with his shoulders pulled back and head held high.

He really needed to relax for once. She reached out and pinched his pants, trying to pull him towards her. He didn't budge, but her focus was redirected toward the feeling of the fabric under her fingertips. They weren't really clothes, just a part of his holoform, but how did they feel so real? Like he perfected the clothing but not his human features.

"How come your clothes are more realistic than your skin?"

He looked down at her with his usual blank expression. "That's classified."

According to Wheelie, Ironhide had to examine things closely to get them right, which would mean he'd looked at clothing closer than humans.

"You snuck into Lennox's place with your holoform to look at clothing, didn’t you?"

He hmphed and looked away, suddenly interested in a Dodge driving down the road. So she was right after all.

"If you need to examine a human closer, you can use me," she offered. Maybe that sounded wrong? Whatever, he'd never noticed a sexual innuendo before.

"Fine," he grumbled and sat down in the spot she previously patted.

Without much warning, he leaned in so close that if he breathed, she would have been able to feel it. His bright blue eyes scanned the details of her face. As he did, his features subtlety changed. Small pores and the slight discoloration of veins under his skin appeared.

Ironhide's blue eyes met her hazel ones. His irises dulled to a darker shade and became instantly more realistic. It was like watching someone turn up the resolution in a video.

Finally, he leaned back, but he wasn’t done yet.

He took her hand and examined it. He raised his other hand and ran it over her fingers, feeling them down to her nails, then turning her hand around and looking at her palm, completely transfixed.

His gentle touch sent pleasant tingles down her spine. When was the last time someone touched her like this?

Ironhide abruptly released her hand and stood up. The sound of squealing brakes signaled the arrival of the bus. Ironhide outstretched his hand to help her up.

She took it and pulled herself up. As she did, her gaze met his.

He looked completely different.

His holoform went from passable in low light, to an actual person. No, more than that. He was handsome.

She tore her eyes away before he could call her out for staring. Instead, she reached into her bag and pulled out her bus pass along with some additional change. The bus driver gave her his usual greeting but nearly faltered when he noticed Ironhide behind her.

She sat in her spot near the front of the bus, Ironhide's much more realistic looking holoform sitting down beside her. The bus pulled back onto the street.

“How is your foot?” Ironhide asked after a few minutes of silence.

“It’s seen better days. Probably going to take a while to heal though.” She sighed. “I’ll have to call into work today.”

He nodded, looking toward the front of the bus.

“You’re holoform looks much better now.”

His eyes snapped over to her.

“What? No one can hear us over the sound of the bus. I can barely hear myself think half the time.”

After a moment he spoke. “I thought I made myself look worse.”

“Why’s that?”

“Both you and the driver looked taken back when you saw me.”

Aria hastily looked at the seat in front of her. “No no. I was impressed actually.”

“And the driver?”

“Probably surprised someone was with me.”

“He’ll get used to it then.” Ironhide replied, crossing his arms and leaning back in his seat.

She could have sworn he was eyeing the driver through the rear view mirror.

The bus stop was a short walk to the hospital. They strolled mostly in silence on the way there, but that was probably because she was too focused on walking to keep a conversation going.

They were greeted by the cool air of the hospital as they entered the sliding doors. The waiting room was fairly crowded with people in various states of distress. Most talked amongst themselves, while others were quiet. Some looked fine, and some looked pale and held onto injured limbs.

They made their way to the reception desk where a lady sat behind a glass divider. She looked up as they approached.

"How may I help you?" she asked politely.

Aria smiled back at the lady. "Hi, I tripped last night and wanted to get my ankle checked out.”

"Please fill this out and bring it back to me," the lady instructed. “If you find a free chair, feel free to prop your leg on it.”

Aria thanked her and headed over to some empty seats, there were two side by side, but no spares for her foot. Oh well.

She sat and started filling out the form, beginning with her name and address. Ironhide not so subtly watched her write from over her shoulder.

“What did that female mean when she told you to prop up your leg?”

“Oh, just to help swelling,” she replied, checking off some boxes.

“It has to do with your circulatory system?”

Aria turned to him, not hiding her grin. “Yes, exactly. Lymph fluid builds up at the sight of an injury as a part of healing. But due to gravity, it doesn’t circulate very well, so we can elevate our injury to help it drain.”

“That sounds disgusting.”

“Why, thank you,” Aria practically sung in response and went back to her form. It was a breeze compared to the stuff she had to fill out at the base.

She was about to get up to hand the form back to the receptionist but was stopped by Ironhide taking the clipboard from her.

He got up and strode purposefully over the desk, gaining the attention of many of the people in the room. It wasn't like he was insanely tall or excessively built. He was well proportioned with wide shoulders and broad chest that tapered down to a slim waist. It was more how he walked. Like a soldier that demanded the attention of everyone in the room without a single word.

She turned her attention to her hands. She really needed to stop staring.

Ironhide came back and took his seat next to her. Suddenly, she didn’t want to look at him.

“Give me your foot.”

She looked. “What?”

This time, it was him making a gesture of patting his thigh.

Aria’s eyes traveled between his face and his hand. Was he being serious right now?

He raised an eyebrow.

Aria scanned the people around who were busy in their own worlds. “Fine.”

She swiveled in her seat so her back was on the arm rest and lifted her leg onto his lap just above his knee.

Ironhide secured her leg with his hand. His thumb rested on the top of her foot where the swelling started. Ever so gently, he stroked her skin.

Aria turned away once again as her skin warmed up. She should have said no.

“I can feel your pulse you know.”

She didn’t have to look to tell he was smirking.

It was another two hours before she was finally able to see a doctor. The nurse guided them to a room and had her sit on a gurney. Ironhide sat down in a chair in the corner. The nurse told them the doctor would be by shortly and left.

She suppressed a shudder, the last time she saw a doctor was back on the ship, and that wasn’t a fun time. Compared to the waiting room, the office was quiet and cold. She should have brought a sweater.

Ironhide was looking around. First at the desk, then to the posters on the wall depicting skeletons and internal organ systems. Unfortunately for him, she needed a distraction.

“Hey, bet you can't do this!" she teased and stuck her tongue out at him.

He looked visibly taken back and then narrowed his eyes. "What is that thing?"

Aria laughed at his response. "It's my tongue," she said through giggles.

He got up and stepped in front of her, leaning down so his face was close to hers. Her cheeks tingled with warmth.

"Show it to me.”

She stuck her tongue out again. What she didn’t expect was for him to reach up and pinch it. They both recoiled immediately.

"It's wet!" Ironhide hissed, wiping his fingers on his pants.

Aria burst out laughing again. "What did you expect?"

Ironhide looked offended, as if it were her fault that his fingers got wet. Then out of nowhere he stuck his tongue out at her. A perfectly replicated tongue!

"All right, do this then," she challenged, bringing both her brows as high as she could on her forehead, feigning surprise.

Ironhide seemed to accept the challenge and mimicked her surprised expression. She then drew her brows close together and pulled her lips taunt, glaring at him as hard as she could. He scrunched his face for a moment like he was trying to figure out which muscles to use, then finally produced a rather intimidating glare.

Aria nodded happily in approval. She was about to make another expression for him to copy but stopped. Ironhide was already trying to make the same happy smile she must have been making.

Her heart skipped a beat when he had it perfected, it reminded her of her own dumb grin. It was adorable.

"What?" he asked in mock offence, even then his smile grew bigger to match hers.

She couldn’t resist. “You’re cute when you smile.”

Ironhide's smile settled into a lopsided grin, it looked much more genuine than his previous attempts at the expression.

They were interrupted by the door of the small room opening, revealing the doctor. She strode into the room and sat down at the small desk, typing on her computer. The room went quiet as if the moment they just shared had never happened.

Chapter Text

Aria took the following few days off work. Mark had been skeptical at first but gave in once she told him she had a doctor’s note. He gave her a week off unless she wanted to come back sooner.

Her other boss at the club was much more lenient. Plus, she only worked part time there.

Madame Bardot simply came to her place for her French lesson that week. The opera was fast approaching and there was no way the woman would let her go without practice just because of a leg injury. That and she had bought tickets to the performance for her and her friends.

The day after Ironhide took her to the hospital, he had to go on a mission. He didn't give any details other than that he'd be back in a couple of days. He then proceeded to tell Wheelie that if the tiny Autobot so much as considered letting her out of his sight, he would regret it.

Wheelie came to a personal compromise and took to yelling at her to be careful whenever she traversed the stairs. Usually from the couch.

At least he did his best to feed the horses while she brushed them from behind the fence. They could be pushy at times.

It was a Tuesday morning when Aria got up with relative ease. She wandered downstairs at a decent pace and was quiet enough not to wake Wheelie. She didn't plan on going anywhere, and the horses still had plenty of grass and hay to keep them going for at least a week.

She walked into the kitchen. The tiled floor was cool under her feet. She turned the stove on and double checked the water in the kettle.

Aria took her position at the little round dining table that sat in between the kitchen and living room. The surface was mostly clutter free except for her compound bow off to the side and a small vase full of pink roses she picked from Jetfire’s garden yesterday.

Sirius got up from his bed by the back door and happily trotted over. He sat beside her while she gently stroked the smooth fur on his head.

It was probably a good day to clean. Do some laundry and scrub the bathrooms that she’d been neglecting. Then maybe some target practice, it had been a while since the last time.

Shrill whining accompanied by thuds meant Wheelie was on his way downstairs. Lately he’d been using his toy truck form to descend the staircase instead of his bipedal one. It was an absolute pleasure to watch.

He barely made it around the corner when Sirius began to growl.

A strange tingling feeling caused her to look around. It was oddly familiar, like when Jetfire was about to teleport. She was about to question Wheelie when a figure suddenly appeared in between her and the Autobot.

She immediately recognized the broad figure. Not that materializing out of thin air already gave him away.

Loud barking filled the room and in an instant Sirius lunged at the holoform. Aria grabbed his collar in the nick of time, hollering no. She was pulled up from her chair but managed to stop Sirius before he could attack. His growl turned to a whine, and he sat down obediently.

Ironhide put a hand on his hip. "I didn't know you had it in you, punk."

Aria looked between Sirius and the holoform while she tried to figure out what he meant. "What do you mean?"

"Fast reflexes and a stern command. There is hope for you yet.” He pulled out a chair and sat down at the table across from where she stood.

Aria hesitantly released Sirius. He sniffed at Ironhide curiously and went to lie down, still keeping the holoform in sight.

Steam began to billow from the kettle spout. Aria got up to grab a cup to make some tea.

She turned around to face her guest. "Ironhide, do you want some..." she trailed off. "Oh yeah."

Ironhide sent her a knowing smirk and shook his head. Aria turned back around and grabbed her cup before she could embarrass herself further. She made her way back to her spot at the table.

"That is interesting attire," Ironhide commented to her approaching form.

Oh no. She was still wearing her nightgown. Between the thin lavender silk and the incredibly short length, it didn’t hide much.

Despite her internal mortification, she sat down and simply finger combed her hair forward until it covered her chest.

"Oh these are just my pajamas." She took a sip of her tea, doing her best not to choke on it.

Ironhide tilted his head the slightest bit. "Pajamas?" he questioned and looked at her nightgown closely and without shame.

"Y-yeah," Aria stuttered, putting down her cup. "They're what people wear to bed."

"Why are humans so uncomfortable with their natural forms?" Ironhide asked again without missing a beat.

Aria furrowed her brows at his question. Natural forms?

Oh.

"As in, why do we always wear clothes?"

He nodded.

"Uh, societal norms, I guess. Not all humans wear clothing like we do here in America though," she paused. "I thought you guys had a person to teach you about human cultures at the base."

"I would rather ask you than a random female I see once every other week."

He’d rather ask her…or torture her? Surely the human culture liaison would have gone over clothing by now.

Ironhide, however, didn't give her a chance to change the topic. "So there is no time when humans here do not wear clothing?"

"Well yeah, when we bathe and um..." Aria shifted uncomfortably in her seat, "reproduction?"

Ironhide looked like he was about to ask yet another delicate question when Wheelie saved her with a loud coughing noise from the couch. "Aria, isn't it time to make breakfast or something?"

"Good idea!" Aria practically yelled. "I'm just going to go get dressed first."

She quickly stood up and flashed a smile at Ironhide, not missing the swift once over he gave her with his sapphire eyes.

She practically stumbled up the stairs and closed the bedroom door behind her. She immediately face planted herself onto her unmade bed with a loud groan.

Couldn’t Ironhide give her a teensy bit of notice, or at least materialize outside and knocked? She didn't realize just how comfortable around Wheelie she'd grown until another Autobot popped up in her house.

It didn’t help that her brain was still trying to connect Ironhide and Ironhide’s holoform as being the same entity. Sure, his voice and personality were the same, and when he smirked his metal face was reflected in it, but now he was human. And even that wasn’t true.

Honestly, she just wanted to see him again. Not his alt form, not his holoform. Him. Just like how it used to be.

But that wasn't going to happen ever again thanks to the government. She should be grateful she was able to see him at all, but it wasn't enough.

With another sigh, she lazily rolled over onto her back and sat up on the edge of her bed. She looked around her room that was littered with clothes on the floor. Oh yes, she came up to change.

It was another warm and sunny day today, so she picked out a yellow sundress. As she pulled it on, she heard Ironhide's deep muffled voice from downstairs, he must have been talking to Wheelie.

After getting dressed she went to the bathroom to do her usual routine. She then brushed her hair and put it in a quick half updo. It looked good enough.

She exited her room and walked down the short hall towards the stairs, keeping quiet.

“Did you at least find anything?” Came Wheelie’s voice.

“No. They set it off intentionally.”

“There’s no way they know where they are. You guys made them undetectable, even to yourselves.”

“They should have taken my advice and attached guns. Kill at least a few of them.”

“Shame whenever you bring up guns, the humans always do the opposite.”

Aria descended the stairs cutting off whatever tirade Ironhide was about to go on. The hard look in his eyes softened when his gaze met hers. She raised her brows sending him a knowing look and then walked back over to the table to retrieve her cup.

It sounded like a device that detected Decepticons—well, Cybertronians in general. Was that a part of Ironhide’s mission? Hopefully it wasn’t set up anywhere close by. Surely the Decepticons would stay away from Washington.

She filled the cup with hot water and added another tea bag. Ironhide not so subtly watched her. Which was fine now that she wore more appropriate clothing.

She was about to go sit down again when Wheelie spoke up. "Aria, breakfast.”

"Ah!" She turned back around, putting her cup beside the stove. She gathered some vegetables from the fridge and began to chop them up on her cutting board. As she cut up the peppers, Ironhide came to rest against the counter beside her. He watched her actions intently.

She moved onto mushrooms when Ironhide took to looking around the rest of the kitchen. He glanced at the sink for a moment, then casually reached over and turned on the tap. He let the water run for a couple of seconds before turning it off again and returning his attention to her. Aria smiled to herself.

"Mind getting the eggs for me?" she asked, directing her smile at him.

Ironhide unfolded his arms and rested his hands against the counter behind him. "Unfortunately, I don’t know what those are."

"You don't wanna know," Wheelie called from the living room.

Aria rolled her eyes. "They're in the fridge," she gestured to it seeing Ironhide's questioning glance. “Brown cardboard box."

Ironhide’s brows only furrowed further, but he went to the fridge regardless. He rummaged around for a minute before he closed the door and put the egg carton down on the counter beside her.

"Thank you.”

"You're welcome." He already had the box open and was examining an egg.

"Just be care—”

The egg exploded between his fingertips.

“—ful.”

Never had a man looked more unimpressed than Ironhide in that moment.

Neither of them moved. Ironhide appeared to have completely frozen in his blasé state. Hand still held away from himself and yolk dripping onto the ground.

Aria burst out laughing. She had to lean on the counter to stop from kneeling over.

“Here,” she said after a solid thirty seconds of laughter. She took his wrist and guided him to the sink. She turned on the tap and rubbed a bit of soap between her palms, then used it to wash the egg off Ironhide’s much larger hand.

“Ugh, why does everything I touch have to be wet?” Ironhide’s deep voice came from behind her ear.

“You were holding it too hard. You have to be gentle.”

“I don’t do gentle.”

Aria craned her neck to look at him. “Yes—” His face was right there. Inches from hers. She looked back down at their hands. “—you do.”

“And how do you know that?” His voice was right next to her ear now. Lower in tone than before.

She kept her focus on the task at hand and avoided eye contact like the plague. “Well you haven’t accidently killed me yet. So there’s that.”

He chuckled.

She let go of his hand. He could do the rest. It was just washing his hands after all. Easy task, really. Why did she even do it in the first place again?

“Thank you, Aria.”

“Uh, you’re welcome.”

She returned to cooking, still keeping her eyes down.

Once the omelet was finished, she took her spot at the table with Ironhide joining her, still inspecting his hand.

The holoform put his elbows on the table and leaned in. Under his intense gaze, Aria ate even slower and more carefully. She indulged him knowing that she probably did the same to him and the other Autobots without realizing it.

Eventually his eyes began to wander and fell to the compound bow on the table. He picked it up to examine it further. He touched all the different parts of it and pulled on the strings.

"Do you plan on training today?" he asked, glancing up at her for a moment then back at the bow.

"I was thinking about it. I just have to adjust the draw weight on that one first. Haven’t been practicing much lately.”

Ironhide nodded, still eyeing the bow from every angle.

“You want to join?” she asked.

Ironhide put the bow down. "I would. I'm curious to see what you can actually do with this primitive weapon."

"Okay, I just have to do some things first." she grinned and took a final sip of tea.

Ironhide slouched back into his chair. "Fine."

After breakfast, Ironhide had no issues with following her around and upstairs to her messier than usual room.

Ironhide leaned against the wall by the door as she gathered up her clothes from the floor and piled them into the laundry basket.

“You’re sure you don’t feel pain anymore?”

“Not enough to be chaperoned up the stairs by an Autobot.”

“I can never be sure with you humans. You’re rate of healing makes no sense to me.”

“You just didn’t want to hang out with Wheelie.”

“You are far better company.”

Aria looked up at him from the pillow she had placed back in its proper spot.

Ironhide’s eyes were on the balcony. He wandered over, carefully twisting the handle and opening one of the twin doors. He stepped out onto the terrace.

Aria followed him outside.

Ironhide’s hand rested on the twisted piece of handrail. "I apologize for the damage."

Aria’s face burned. He didn't need to know how many times she looked out the window at the bent railing while she got ready. He didn't need to know how many times she leaned against it while she thought of that night.

"Don't worry about it," she said. "It faces the trees so no one can see it anyway."

He nodded absently, still looking thoughtfully at the railing.

Aria turned away before he could see her face. "I'm going back downstairs now. Don't forget to close the door when you come back in."

Without another word, he followed her, closing the door behind him.

...

"I've never seen one of those up close before," Ironhide commented from behind Aria as they walked towards the old shed.

"What, a horse?" Aria looked at the two beasts that were trotting towards her from across the field.

They reached the fence just before the horses came to a halt in front of them. They huffed loudly and attempted to sniff Ironhide.

He took a step back. "They are larger than I anticipated."

Aria laughed and climbed over the fence. Her horses crowded her looking for attention. Ironhide watched with what looked like mild concern.

"This is Azimuth," she patted the black and tan horse, "and this is Zenith," she pet the white one on the nose.

Ironhide approached the fence again. This time when the horses came to investigate him, he reached out to pet them like she had.

She giggled at Ironhide’s scrunched up face while Azimuth ruffled his hair with his nose. While he was occupied with the excited animals, Aria entered the shed where she stored more bows in with farm tools.

Mounted on the wall were two compound bows and two wooden ones. She took the bigger of the wooden ones down, it was the one her dad used when he came over for target practice.

On a shelf below, she stored her arrows and other accessories. She had quite the assortment thanks to years of archery themed Christmas presents from her parents.

There was a hum of approval behind her.

"More than one, I'm proud," Ironhide said with a lopsided grin.

She did her best to maintain composure despite the warm tingly feeling that filled her body. He was proud of her?

"I've been practicing archery for most of my life, so yeah, I've got a few."

She passed the one her father used to Ironhide. She then gathered some arrows and a couple of arm guards.

"You expect me to use this archaic thing?"

"I know it might be difficult for you because it requires skill, but I believe in you."

Ironhide's eyes narrowed at her sarcastic tone. "Is that a challenge?"

Aria flashed him a cocky smirk as she passed him out of the shed. Outside, Sirius chased around Wheelie's alt form over by the house. She shook her head. They both had too much energy sometimes.

She gestured for Ironhide to follow her over to the side of the shed where the target was set up. A simple piece of plywood backed by two by fours so the arrows wouldn't penetrate the building.

"I'm guessing you know how all this works? Hit the middle of the target, all that."

"Of course," he replied.

They walked away from the building towards the two rocks Aria had set up as the forty-yard mark. She put the quiver full of arrows on her back and strapped on her arm guard on her bare arm. She looked at Ironhide who watched.

"You might want to take off your jacket, or make it disappear or…something."

The holoform flickered for a moment and the dark jacket was replaced by a simple white tee shirt. She turned away before he caught her gawking.

Swallowing, she asked him to hold out his arm so she could put a guard on him too. Her hand shook slightly as her fingers brushed his forearm. His skin may not have been real, but it felt like it.

She backed away when she was finished and handed him another quiver full of arrows. "All right, I'll demonstrate for you."

She took her position behind the rocks and notched an arrow. She brought the bow up with an inhale. While exhaling, she pulled the string back until it rested against her chin and lip. A moment later, she released the arrow. It sailed through the air and hit its mark near the center of the target. She raised her brows and gave Ironhide a cheeky grin.

"That hardly seems difficult," he said, taking her place at the stones.

"All right then, prove it."

Ironhide mimicked her stance almost perfectly. He notched the arrow on the string and began to pull it back.

"You have to use your other hand," Aria interrupted. "It’s a right handed bow and you’re using your left."

He released the bow string and gave her a strange look. "What difference does it make?"

Aria resisted the urge to laugh. "A lot when it comes to bows."

"Ah."

He switched hands and once again brought the string close to his face but not touching it. His hand was a little low and his elbow wasn't turned out enough.

He released the string and they both watched the arrow fly. It hit the top corner of the target.

That…wasn’t bad. Forty yards was a long distance for a beginner. Then there was the breeze to correct for, familiarity of the bow, even stance to adjust.

"Wow that was pretty—"

Before she could finish, he had already notched another arrow and pulled back. He modified his stance slightly and fixed his elbow. This time the arrow hit one of the outer rings of the circle. He growled as he went for another arrow.

She couldn't tell if he was frustrated because he didn't hit dead center on his first try, or because he didn't like to be beaten. He released arrow after arrow, modifying slightly each time. May as well wait until he got whatever it was out of his system before she helped him.

Aria grew hot as the sun beat down on them. After a few more minutes of observing the angry holoform, she sat down on the cool grass and leaned back on her palms.

Finally, Ironhide ran out of arrows. He looked partially at her and partially at the quiver across her back.

"Would you like some suggestions?"

He muttered something at first and looked over to the target where her arrow taunted him from its spot near the center. He crossed his arms with the bow still in hand.

"Alright," he finally relented.

She let out a huff of laughter and got up to help him. He returned it with an eye roll and grin. Thanks to her, his expressions looked perfectly human, and for that she was proud.

She spent a few minutes explaining what he was doing right and wrong and then walked with him to the target to retrieve the arrows.

She shot a few more times, explaining her process as she did. This time Ironhide openly asked her questions that she happily answered.

"I admit it," he said. "I'm impressed at your skill with this weapon."

"Thank y—"

"Despite it being useless on the battlefield."

She frowned and put her hands on her hips. "It's not useless!"

"I'm only kidding, punk.”

This time when Ironhide took aim, his form was perfect. She was a little put off that his holoform did not need to breathe, or have any body sway for that matter. When he held the string back to his cheek, he looked like a statue.

He released the string, and the arrow landed right beside hers in the second ring from the middle.

"Holy crap.”

"That's more like it." Ironhide did little to hide his satisfaction.

Target practice quickly descended into a competition, which was probably how most things with Ironhide turned out.

As the day went, they backed up to further rock markers until they reached the sixty yard mark. Her amazement towards Ironhide's skill shifted to his amazement towards hers. At some point Wheelie and Sirius joined them, the former sitting down on the grass beside her.

Ironhide was currently taking aim. Real fabric or not, it stretched over his torso leaving little to the imagination.

“Try not to drool, eh.” Wheelie said under his breath.

“He’s not even real,” she hissed back.

Ironhide released the arrow. Unlike the rest of his recent shots, it missed the target all together.

"So, ‘Hide, you going to Aria's thing next week?"

"I'm afraid I'm not sure what this 'thing' is," Ironhide remarked while he took aim again.

"You know, the opera? You only drove her to rehearsals for months."

Ironhide let go of the string, sending the arrow flying. "No, she neglected to tell me anything about it." He lowered the bow.

"Well I'm sorry I didn't know you could suddenly will a human body into existence. And even so, I know you wouldn't like it, it's not some half an hour musical. It's hours of singing. It’s all very inefficient."

"I would endure it.”

"And my parents are going to be there, so I might not even get the chance to say hi."

Wheelie and Ironhide exchanged mischievous glances.

Aria huffed, "Ugh, I'm going to get something to drink. Try not to scheme while I’m gone."

Chapter Text

It was a Thursday when Aria went back to work. A morning shift, at that. She sat at the table, half looking at a poetry book, half watching whatever nonsense was on TV that Wheelie abandoned.

Ironhide insisted he take her to work the day before and arranged to appear in the living room at seven. He’d come back every day since archery practice, so they came up with some ground rules when it came to randomly teleporting into her house. The last thing she needed was to be in the middle of changing and Ironhide popping up in her bedroom.

In preparation, she’d let Sirius outside.

Her skin prickled just as the holoform materialized in the same spot he did before, near the table.

"No mutt?" he questioned, glancing around.

“Good morning to you too.”

He hummed, his eyes only met hers briefly before finding the open book under her hand. “Poetry?”

“Yes, Edgar Allen Poe, to be exact.”

Ironhide sat down. “And what does he speak of?”

Aria slid the book over to him. He took it, pinching the page awkwardly and flipping it. It was probably the first time he’d touched a book, but he managed not to tear the delicate pages.

“Annabel Lee,” He read. “That’s the same name as Will’s child.”

Who now?

“Oh, Colonel Lennox’s daughter. Yeah, it’s a somewhat common girls name.”

If Ironhide heard her, he didn’t acknowledge it. Instead, he squinted at the page and began to read.

“It was many and many a year ago,

In a kingdom by the sea,

That a maiden there lived whom you may know

By the name of Annabel Lee;”

His voice was robotic, but his face fluctuated through a volley of confused expressions.

“And this maiden she lived with no other thought

Than to love and be loved by me.”

He stopped.

“Well what do you think?”

“She lived with no other thought than to be loved by him? That does not seem realistic.”

“It’s poetry, remember? You’re not supposed to take everything literally.”

Ironhide hummed again, going back to scanning the words on the page.

Aria got up and called Wheelie from the base of the stairs. “I’m going now!”

She went to put on her shoes at the door.

“And neither the angels in heaven above,

Nor the demons down under the sea,

Can ever dissever my soul from the soul

Of the beautiful Annabel Lee.”

He looked back at her. “What does that mean?”

“It’s a metaphor for their love. Even though she died, he will continue to love her. And death itself can’t truly keep them apart.”

Ironhide joined her at the door. “So souls are a metaphor to humans?”

“Kind of? Some people do believe in them.” Aria let Sirius back in as they left the house.

When she turned back to Ironhide, she was met with his intense gaze. “Do you believe in souls?”

“Are you testing me, Ironhide?” Aria smirked at him as they began their way to the bus stop. “I don’t believe humans have souls, but that doesn’t mean I believe the same goes for Cybertronians. That’s what your spark is, right? Your soul.”

“Did Wheelie tell you that?”

“He did. The day we met.”

“And what brought up such an intimate conversation between you and that scrap drone?”

“I had Jetfire’s spark in my livingroom.”

Ironhide made a similar face to Wheelie that very day.

“I didn’t know what it was!”

“Then why did you take it?”

“I…didn’t want to leave him behind.”

“Where is it now?” Ironhide spoke considerably softer.

“I buried it in the garden by the steps.”

Ironhide nodded, looking ahead. “A human burial.”

“Yeah, sorry. I didn’t know what else to do. I didn’t want to tell you guys.”

“You are correct about our souls,” he said after a moment. “They make up who we are, what we look like, what we feel. And once we die, our sparks join the others in the afterlife. If you cared enough about Jetfire to bury his spark here, then I know he watches over you.”

That was if he hadn’t forgotten about her again. She smiled none the less.  

“Is that why I had to rescue you, then? You were mourning at his death?”

“I didn’t even realize it was you. When you grabbed me, and then when you drove me to the ship.”

“You went through a lot that day. I barely recognize you from that girl in Egypt. To think, I would become her chauffeur.”

“Chauffeur? Not sure if you noticed, we’re at a bus stop.”

Ironhide made a halfhearted humph as he scanned around the area of the bus stop. From the houses to the trees and back to the road.

“Did you see something?” she asked, sitting down on the bench.

“No.”

Still, he looked around.

It wasn’t the first time he’d done this. He did it before, after archery practice. Then again the day after. And now today. Was he worried he was going to be caught? Her first guess was that the Autobots were onto him, but it wasn’t her place to ask.

“Do you want to sit down?”

“No.”

Yeah, one of the Autobots was definitely onto him. That was the perfect opportunity for him to make a comment to embarrass her.

There was only one option left.

She leaned down and rubbed her ankle.

Sure enough, Ironhide was at her side a second later. “Are you alright?”

She resisted the urge to smile at her victory. “Yeah, wrapped it up for extra support. Last thing I need is to trip and fall over with a crowd of people nearby.”

“But it doesn’t hurt after walking?”

“Ah, a little bit.”

“Would you be able to run if you had to?”

The question came out of nowhere and his tone didn’t suggest it was a joke, either. “Huh?”

“From the crowd of people you fall in front of? Or will I have to come carry you again?”

“Ironhide?”

“Yes?”

“Shut up.”

He grinned.

The bus arrived a couple minutes later. They sat down in the same spots as their previous ride last week.

There were quite a few people on the bus. Many recognizable from Aria’s other unfortunate morning shifts.

As per usual, Ironhide didn’t talk much when other people were around. Perhaps because he didn’t want to draw any more attention to himself, or maybe he was just uncomfortable around strangers.

Not that she blamed him, at least three of the other women on the bus shamelessly stared at him throughout most of the ride. A pair that sat together would occasionally stop to whisper and giggle to each other.

Seeming to read her mind, Ironhide's holoform leaned in. "What is wrong with those females?"

It took Aria a moment to reel in her thoughts that seemed to fall out of her brain at the sound of his low voice so close.

She then turned her head to whisper back, "They think you're attractive." She tried her best to keep her tone indifferent.

His eyes slid down to meet hers. "Do you think I am attractive?" he asked with a poker face.

Aria opened her mouth and then closed it again. What the hell was she supposed to say to that? She couldn't tell if he was being serious or not thanks to that damned neutral expression he wore.

She reached up to fiddle with her glasses. "I mean—uh, objectively you would be considered attractive, but it's completely subjective who an individual finds physically appealing, and uh..."

"That doesn't answer my question," he said, quirking his lip.

Aria broke eye contact. "Err, yes? I mean your holoform is," she clarified more to herself than anyone.

"Don't worry, Aria. It does not affect me either way," he chuckled deeply as he followed her gaze out the window. "It does explain why so many females bought me drinks while I watched over you though."

Aria couldn't help but let out a huff of laughter. Okay, that was funny.

...

Ironhide walked Aria straight up to the front doors of the museum. He told her he would be back that afternoon to see her during her lunch break, you know, in case he needed to carry her.

After parting, she glanced over her shoulder to see Ironhide's holoform disappear into the crowd and out of existence.

She walked straight to the offices, locating Mark's door labelled Manager. She gave a gentle knock before entering. Immediately Mark looked up from his monitor and smiled.

"Ah, my favorite head janitor!”

His fake enthusiasm was a joke.

Aria crossed her arms. "Nice to see you too, Mark.”

"There’s that glowing attitude we all love. Anyway, I want you to work close to Eli today. Don’t want my star janitor hurting herself again."

"Okay." She resisted rolling her eyes.

"Good, try not to have too much fun." He winked.

Aria scoffed and exited the office. Mark seemed to think her and Eli had a thing and it was getting pretty annoying. At least Wheelie had moved on to teasing her about Ironhide.

"Hey, Aria!" Eli greeted when she found him in the storage closet sitting at the little table in the back.

"How've you been?" Aria grabbed her uniform and putt it on over her clothes.

"Bored without you."

Aria sat down across from the lanky boy. "Aren’t you always bored?”

“True.” He nodded. “Speaking of boring, my car’s at the mechanics.”

“How’s that related to boring?”

“My dad’s lending me his.”

“What is it? Something cool?”

Eli raised his chin. “Brand new Toyota Camry. Six cylinder. Over a hundred horses.”

“Wow,” Aria deadpanned.

“I know right? Want to go joy riding after work?”

He looked way too excited about a Camry. “Uh, no?”

“Fine. Can I at least drive you home? I want to meet these legendary horses of yours.”

“You want to meet Azi and Zen? Actually?”

“I mean, it’s basically like meeting wild horses, isn’t it?”

“Why’s that?”

“Cause you never ride them, remember?”

“Hey!”

They continued to chat for a few more minutes while gathering supplies for their carts.

"So how’s the injury? Mark said you sprained your ankle?" He nudged her playfully.

"Yeah, pretty much healed now. Could have used the rest of the week, but hey, I like money.”

“So no running any marathons in the near future for you?”

“Hah. Jokes on you. I’d never run a marathon anyway.”

The pair started cleaning around the test model Hubble Telescope. Eli moved on to quizzing Aria's knowledge of it. She happily spewed out facts about it from how it was built to the "Hubble trouble" it had when it first entered orbit and took fuzzy pictures.

Eli openly praised her knowledge which only encouraged her further. As they passed other crafts and objects from the space race, he asked her more and more questions with genuine interest. He seemed particularly interested in the subject.

Eventually they drifted apart, cleaning different areas of the museum. As per usual, patrons were happy to ignore her presence completely. Not too far was the woman Mark hired almost a year ago guiding a large group of people to a pair of space suits on display. That should have been her.

Stupid Mark.

“Hey Aria, lunch time.” Eli called, coming up to her.

“About time. My ankle is killing me.”

"One of the guards came looking for you, said there was a guy here to see you. I told him I'd pass on the message."

"Ugh, I told him to wait outside." Aria attached the mop to her cart.

"Come on, I'll walk you to the entrance." He gestured behind him with his head. “Guess I’m eating alone this afternoon.”

“Sorry, Eli!”

The museum was much busier now. They made it to the entrance where people waited in lines to purchase their tickets. Frank, the security guard she tripped over months ago, told them her guest was waiting in the customer service office.

Like the rest of the building, the office was crowded. Passed the people standing at the desk she spotted Ironhide sitting in one of the chairs that lined the room. He seemed to notice her at the same time and stood.

“Well, who’s this?”

Aria nearly jumped at Eli’s voice. She didn’t realize he followed her into the office.

“What? I had to meet the guy who would come to see Aria.”

Like a bird of prey, Ironhide's eyes snapped over to Eli. It was a look that could strike fear into the heart of any foe. Eli was either aloof or stupidly brave, because all he did in response was hold out his hand to shake.

He grinned at Ironhide. "Elijah Thompson."

Ironhide's eyes merely narrowed further at Eli's outstretched hand. After a moment he clasped it in a noticeably firm grip.

Eli made unwavering eye contact. "Aria never told me she had a boyfriend," he commented releasing Ironhide's larger hand.

Oh no, Eli thought Ironhide was her boyfriend. Why did he immediately have to come to that conclu—wait, she had to introduce him! Why hadn't she thought of a name for him yet? Was this really the first time it's come up since she started spending time with his holoform?

She needed a name for him, one that was simple and easy for her to remember. Her mind raced through names of men she knew, trying to think of on that suited Ironhide's masculine holoform.

"Uh—yeah, this is John," she blurted. Oh crap.

Both Ironhide and Eli looked at her surprised. She opened her mouth to backtrack, but Eli beat her to it.

"Wow Aria, and here I thought you wanted to get with Sam's girlfriend."

"Hey just because I think she's good looking—"

Ironhide cut her off. "Come Aria, it's time for you to eat something."

She looked between the two who both looked at her. Did they have to be so awkward?

Again, Eli broke the tension. "See you later Aria. Have fun on your date!" he sung as he turned to leave.

Ironhide didn't comment while Aria felt her face heat up. Thankfully, no one seemed to notice their exchange.

"Do you need your bag?" Ironhide asked as they left the building.

Outside the sun shone brightly, rays of sunlight reflected off the Ad Astra—the needle shaped sculpture that decorated the front of the building

"No, I’ve got some change in my…” pocket. Damn it. She was still wearing her uniform. Well that was embarrassing.

“I think I’m going to run back in and…”

 There, on the road partially blocked by buses, was a large black truck.

"You like what you see?"

"You're actually here?" She tore her eyes from the truck back to his holoform.

Seeing the beautiful black truck parked proudly on the street nearly brought tears to her eyes.

She wanted to be upset with him for blatantly coming to where she worked in broad daylight. The museum was only minutes away from their secret base. All it would take is one person to see, one Autobot to drive by.

"I know what you're thinking. We'll go for a drive. No one will know."

Aria swallowed. "I'm not sure if driving around is better or worse."

They walked down the block towards the food trucks. Aria bought a wrap and an iced coffee. Ironhide questioned the drink. Apparently, he often heard Lennox complaining about his coffee going cold and how nasty it was. Aria laughed at took a sip. Explaining coffee to an alien wasn't the easiest task.

She walked back slowly and finished her food and drink before they made it back to Ironhide's alt form. She didn't want him complaining in case she dropped a piece of lettuce.

She grabbed the handle and crawled up into the passenger seat, it was the first time she opened the door herself since she first stopped him in traffic. She immediately rolled down the window to let the fresh air in.

Ironhide climbed into the driver’s side of his alt form. She looked between the radio and the holoform. Which Ironhide did she talk to?

He must have noticed because a smirk appeared on his face. "Confused, punk?"

"It's a little strange, I guess."

"You're telling me," Came his deep voice from the radio. "Normally I can't see you within my alt form, but now I can see you through my holoform."

Aria fidgeted, Ironhide had told her during one of her many rides in the past that it was an act of trust for a Cybertronian to allow someone into their alt form. He’d gone quiet after he said that, as if he didn't mean to imply that he trusted her. She teased him none the less.

"Why are you keeping your holoform activated anyways?" Aria asked as Ironhide pulled out into the busy one way.

"You opened the window, someone could see in."

"I've had the window open before."

He was quiet for a minute, focused on the road ahead. Eventually his eyes slid over to meet hers. For some reason the intense look on his face seemed familiar. She had seen it before, but not on his holoform.

It came back to her then, the night he came to say goodbye. It was the expression he made when he was completely honest with her.

"I prefer talking to you face to face," he started, turning his eyes back to the road. "And since I'm unable to in my alt mode, this is the best I can do for now."

Aria’s chest warmed from within and her stomach filled with butterflies. She looked at the holoform who sat rigidly, eyes looking out the windshield.

"Besides, I'm your boyfriend now."

Aria's smile dropped and the butterflies turned to stone. She turned the other way focusing on buildings out the open window.

Oh no, she was hoping he didn't catch that. Judging by his teasing tone, he fully knew what he just implied. Ironhide, her boyfriend? That was crazy! He would never want to be with her, no no, she could never be with him—wait, why was she even thinking about this? None of it mattered, he was an alien, a giant metal alien.

Why Eli, why did he have to say that?

"I didn't mean to agree with him!" she blurted. "I got fixated on making up a name for you and forgot he called you that! When I get back, I'll tell him it was a misunderstanding."

"It seems like a good cover to me. From what I understand, human relationships are just friends that also find each other attractive."

Aria's face became the surface of the sun. Dating was a bit more complicated than that, but maybe he was right, it was a simple cover. Most people would automatically assume they were a couple anyway. If he didn't know about all the other parts of what being boyfriend and girlfriend entailed, maybe it wouldn't be so bad.

"All right, I guess. If you really want to, we can try."

"Yes, I look forward to embarrassing you," Ironhide said with a lopsided grin.

Aria huffed, of course he did.

They drove around the city's center for another fifteen minutes. Aria pointed out buildings she'd been to and ones she wanted to visit. She got excited when they passed the Kennedy Center, where she would be performing next Saturday.

As far as she knew, she talked him out of going despite Wheelie trying to convince him otherwise. She was only on stage for a small part near the beginning and sang one song. The remaining two hours would probably be boring for the Autobot.

All too soon, Ironhide was parked in front of the museum again. Aria opened the door and turned to say her goodbyes, only to see Ironhide's holoform getting out of the truck. She got out as well and waited for him to walk around to her. They crossed the road to the entrance of the museum. As they neared the Ad Astra, Ironhide stopped.

His eyes scanned the groups of people walking around them.

"Is something wrong?" she asked, looking around.

"No."

The breeze blew a couple of stray hairs onto her face. She brushed them back behind her ear.

He was doing it again.

"What, worried about me?" 

His blue eyes met hers briefly before he looked away again. If anything, he looked uncomfortable. Or was he actually worried?

"Ironhide?" She spoke quietly so no one would overhear. "I wish you would tell me what’s going on.”

Her words seemed to make him more uncomfortable.

"Can I try something?" she asked.

He looked down at her, nodding.

"Can I touch you?"

Ironhide gave another slow nod. "You may."

She stepped closer and reached out with both hands, grasping his. Her heart beat faster. Hopefully he couldn’t hear it. "Is this okay?"

If he was surprised at the action, he didn't show it. He just nodded while he looked from their joined hands up to her face.

Next, she let go of his hands and held onto the sides of his torso. Her fingers rested just under his arms. "And this?"

Now his eyes betrayed his bewilderment, his blue irises shadowed as his brows furrowed. It looked like he was about to protest, but he nodded again.

This time, Aria took a step forward and closed the distance between them. She wrapped her arms around him fully and rested her head against his shoulder.

Ironhide stood as still as a statue, his arms still hanging at his sides. He did not return the embrace, nor did he reject it.

"Aria, what are you doing? Humans are looking," he hissed.

"It's a hug, Ironhide. Humans do it all the time to comfort one and other."

"In public?"

"Anywhere," she affirmed.

His body relaxed slightly. "Am I supposed to do something?"

"Put your arms around me."

As she had instructed, his arms came up and wrapped around her. Only a moment later, his cheek rested against her head.

"How long does this last?" he mumbled into her hair.

Her heart leaped at the sound. "As long as you want it to."

He hummed in response but didn't let go as she expected he would. She let her eyes fall closed and enjoyed the comfort of the hug. When was the last time someone held her like this?

"Aria!"

She abruptly let go and turned to the sound of the familiar voice. Eli was on the steps outside the doors. He gave a small wave to gain her attention.

"Hey Eli," she called back.

"Better hurry up before Mark fires your ass!”

"Yeah, yeah, I coming."

"Nice to meet you, John," he added with a wave to the holoform that had now crossed his arms.

Ironhide grunted in response, but Eli was already long gone inside. Aria giggled.

"What?" Ironhide said with a glare.

"Oh, nothing," Aria replied, bringing a hand up to stifle her laugh. " Anyways, I have to go back to work now."

“I’ll meet you here at five?”

“Actually, Eli’s giving me a ride home. I’ll see you tomorrow though?”

“I’ll give Wheelie thirty minutes notice.”

“Sounds good to me.”

“Stay safe, Aria.”

“You too.”

He disappeared.

Aria swore in surprise. That was a little bold, even for him.

She made her way back to her station. As she grabbed her broom, Ironhide's words filled her mind.

From what I understand, human relationships are just friends that also find each other attractive.

She nearly tripped on her bad ankle. Did that mean he found her attractive too?

Chapter Text

“So this is the place,” Eli said as they pulled into the driveway.

“Yep. This is it.” Aria adjusted herself in the seat.

“I must say, it’s quite impressive. You sure you’re not secretly rich?”

Aria rolled her eyes and got out of the car now parked neatly in front of her house. “No, no I’m not.” She gestured for him to follow her. “Here, the horses are in the field in the back.”

Eli followed, walking rather slow and taking in the sights.

Aria glanced into the windows of the house as they passed. Hopefully, Wheelie wouldn’t come outside and hopefully Eli wouldn’t ask to come in. She hadn’t thought that far ahead when he offered earlier.

“You don’t mind if we make this quick, do you? I have to head off to my other job pretty soon.”

“You’re waitressing one?” Eli’s eyes lazily fell from the trees to her. “You can just say your house is a pigsty and I won’t come in.”

“Hey, my house is clean thank you very much.”

Lucky Eli was distracted by the pair of horses practically galloping towards them. “Woah, they’re huge!”

Aria snickered under her breath at the innuendo as she grabbed for some treats from a tin that sat near the hay bale. She put them in Eli’s hand. “Here, hold your hand out flat for them.”

“Which one’s which again?”

She introduced the horses to him, rubbing their foreheads as they inhaled the alfalfa cubes from Eli’s palm.

“Okay, I have to know you’re secret.”

Aria stopped petting the horses. “What secret?”

“How you can afford all this. I can barely afford to feed myself let alone pay rent. I know Mark doesn’t like you, so I doubt you’re making much more than me. So, you’re a coupon hoarder or what?”

“Ugh, no.” Aria’s shoulders relaxed. “I don’t technically own this house. It’s my parents’. They’re basically renting it to me for dirt cheap. The horses are theirs too. Still, it’s pretty expensive compared to what I make, but I’ve managed so far.”

“So it’s like you’re childhood home?”

“Yeah, pretty much. My parents moved to Iowa a few years ago while I was in university. I got really upset when I found out they were going to sell the house, so they made me a deal to rent it until I could afford to own it. Worked out for them, they still get to keep their horses, and I still get to ride them.”

“Awe, Aria couldn’t let go of her baby blankie” Eli cooed.

“Yeah, yeah. Shut up.”

They walked back to the silver Camry. Eli didn’t make any further comments about going inside, which was nice.

“Hey, it’s dusty! Now I have to wash it before giving it back to my dad.”

“What does your dad do, anyway?”

“Oh accountant for some firm. Nothing interesting.” He laughed.

Aria smiled back at him. “See you later, Eli. Thanks for giving me a ride.”

“We’ll have to hang out sometime. Bye rich kid!”

He closed the door before she could yell at him.

…

“Is he gone?”

Aria closed the front door behind her, petting Sirius at her feet. At the top of the stairs, Wheelie peaked out from his bedroom.

“Yeah, finally. He wanted to come see the horses. It didn’t cross my mind that he’d want to come inside, so I thought it would be okay. Sorry, Wheelie. Thanks for hiding.”

“Well give me some warning next time. Geez.” He started down the stairs. “I thought Ironhide was bringing you back anyways. Something happen to grumpy?”

Shoes off, Aria sat heavily on the couch. “No. But he’s been acting weird.”

“You think? You’ve got him spouting poetry. That’s the least Ironhide-y thing I ever seen.”

“No not that. Besides, just cause he’s an old war vet, doesn’t mean he can’t enjoy other things.”

Wheelie crawled onto the adjacent couch, leaning an elbow on the armrest. “Well if you don’t think that’s weird, then I don’t know what is.”

“I think it has to do with that conversation you guys had a few days ago, when I was upstairs.”

“Oh that?” Wheelie nearly squeaked but regained himself. “Classified.”

“You know I’m not going to say anything to anyone.”

“Ironhide classified. He’d kill me if I told you.”

“I’ll tell him I made you tell me.”

Wheelie shook his head. “Nuh uh.”

“What if I guess what it is, and you tell me if I’m right?”

He shifted.

“I think NEST had the Autobots create a device that can detect Decepticons, but the Decepticons are on to it and setting them off either because they know where they are or are trying to find all of them.”

No answer.

“Are there Decepticons here, Wheelie?”

He crossed his arms. “No. The only Energon detector that hasn’t been set off, is the one in Washington.”

“Then I don’t have to be worried yet.” Aria sat back into the cushions.

“Maybe you should be,” he said quietly.

Her back straightened again. What was Wheelie saying?

“I’m going to tell you something that’s Autobot classified, all right? So don’t go telling any humans.”

Aria nodded.

“You know there’s different types of Transformers; Scientists, Warriors, Seekers, Droids like me. Well, there’s another type, but they’re not so common anymore. Perceptors. They’re kinda like dogs on this planet. Most of us can’t detect Energon signatures unless we’re touching the source. Perceptors are different though, they’re what the Energon detectors are based off of. They can detect Energon signatures like dogs can track smells, no matter how small.

“The Energon detectors were only put up a few weeks ago, and they’ve already found most of them, which means that they most likely have an Perceptor on their side.”

“So you’re saying the Decepticons know the Autobots are in Washington?”

“Yup. They would know about this place too, thanks to your old visitors. And if it’s a good Perceptor, it knows I’m here too.”

“But that was months ago. Surely, something would have happened already, especially if it knew about you.”

“Depends how good it is. It could be waiting though.”

“Waiting? Why?”

“Because of your more current visitor.”

“…Ironhide? Does his holoform have an energy signature?”

Wheelie nodded.

She swallowed. “He’s worried because he could be leading the Decepticons straight to me.”

“He knows his presence is a double-edged sword. On one hand, he could be leading them to you, on the other, his presence could be the only thing keeping them away.”

Aria’s eyes dropped. “I wish he told me.”

“Doesn’t matter. There’s only one solution and you won’t like it. So he’s taking the risk.”

“What solution is that?” What was the point of asking? The answer was clear.

“Leaving this place and separating yourself from us for good.”

“But I don’t want to do that.”

“Well duh, that’s why he’s around so often. We’re both keeping an eye out.”

She looked out the window. “I will too then.”

“I’m sure it’s fine. Only Ironhide comes here, so they probably don’t care much. They’d go after Sam and his girlfriend long before you.”

“Do they know?”

“They got half the human military keeping tabs on them.” Wheelie waved a hand. “Don’t you have to get ready for work or something?”

“Yeah.”

…

A week later Aria sat in a noisy room backstage. Beside her, was the lead actress, Julia.

The opera was about to begin.

Their dresses were made up of a choli and sari, and on their heads were jewels and silk scarves. While Julia played Lakmé, Aria had the minor roll as her servant, Mallika.

"Are you ready, Aria?" she asked, her eyes were bright with excitement.

Aria let out a shuddered breath, "As I'll ever be."

The announcer finished his introductions and the symphony began to play. Aria and the other performers lined up in the rehearsed order outside the stage, and the man who played the priest went onto set while the curtains still hid the stage.

She had done a few dress rehearsals at this venue already, so she knew that unlike the club, there were a lot more people in the audience. Two thousand of them. Including her parents.

The curtains raised and she waited for her queue, then made her way to her spot by the priest. One of the actors opened a fence prop and let others onto the set, she bowed to them then kneeled as one of the actors began to sing.

While she listened and faced away from the audience, she took a breath. Her duet was going to start soon. The song she practiced and practiced until it was perfect.

The aria ended and only four of them remained on stage. It was finally her turn to sing. All of her practicing paid off when she sang her first line and didn't screw up. Her voice carried through the auditorium in an exchange with Julia. Then they turned to better face the audience and waited for the musical queue.

Opening their mouths in perfect unison, they began the Flower Duet. Their voices rang through the entire concert hall. Hearing the gorgeous aria herself, it was like she wasn't even singing it, instead just listening to the beautiful sound leave her throat in perfect harmony with Julia’s.

Once the aria came to an end, they entered a boat prop and they gently floated off stage, singing until they were no longer able to be seen.

Backstage again, the performers and crew quietly praised them. Aria could have cried with relief. Julia gave her a quick hug and told her she had done great.

Nothing she’d ever done compared to that. No screw ups, no missed words, just perfection between the two of them. She wiped a tear from her eye before it could fall. What an experience.

About fifteen minutes later, Aria and Julia got back onto the little boat prop and re-entered the stage. Aria only had a few more small parts before Lakmé shooed Mallika away so she could talk to her soon to be love interest, Gerald. After that she was on stage a couple of more times as a background actress during the second act.

...

After her final part in the play, Aria went back to the costume area. One of the designers helped her out of her costume and jewelry. After she was down to her tank top and shorts, she went to the bathroom to wipe off her over the top stage makeup and change into a nice pair of black trousers and a silk top that she loosely tucked in.

She exited the backstage area from the door that led into one of the many hallways. She wandered over to a café and ordered a drink while she waited for the intermission.

Twenty minutes later, the hall outside of the cafe flooded with people. Aria finished the last of her drink and went out in search of her parents.

She passed by one of the adjacent hallways called the Hall of Nations. Flags of the United States allies hung from the ceiling all along the hallway. Not many people were in it, but only one stood out.

Of course he was here. Did he actually watch the opera? No, he didn't have money to pay for the seat, maybe he just came to see her afterwards to take her home.

Still, he had plenty of opportunities to mention he was coming.

She opened the glass doors to the hall while his back was still turned, looking up at the flags. Now was her chance to sneak up on him, payback for their first meeting!

She did her best to keep her footfalls silent as she approached. Even from behind, his holoform's stance was imposing, but it didn’t deter her.

She was so close now. Just a few more steps and she would have him, just a few—

"Aria," he half turned his head to regard her, a smirk on his lips.

"God damnit! I was so close..." she trailed off as he turned to face her fully. He was wearing a black dress shirt tucked neatly into dark jeans. His sleeves were rolled up casually, exposing his forearms. The button up shirt fit perfectly against his torso. Aria couldn't help but let her eyes wander.

"Like what you see?" he asked, a smug look on his face.

Aria sent him a flat look in return. She wasn't going to let him win this one.

"Seen better," she quipped, punctuating her point by looking boredly at people as they passed by.

"You should see me in person, then.”

Aria's face burned at thought of his robot form giving her the same cocky grin as his holoform. There was no way she was attracted to him that way. He was just a super cool alien robot that also happened to be her friend who also happened to have a good looking holoform who also happened to be her pretend boyfriend. Yep, that was it. Nothing more, nothing less.

"Yes, yes, you're pretty cool." She brushed him off. "Now, why are you here anyways? My show doesn't end for another forty-five minutes."

"I am aware. I came to watch your play, as Wheelie suggested. I'm not disappointed. Though, it is a strange art form."

"You...watched it?" Aria blinked at the man. He actually sat through the Opera and wasn't disappointed?

"I did drive you to practice. I at least deserve to see the end result."

Oh no. She did sing well, didn't she? She tried to think back to her duet. Did she sound as good as she thought she did? Maybe she did screw up and she just didn't realize.

Should she ask him? He would be honest, but did she want an honest answer?

Ironhide seemed to take in her expression before speaking. "Your voice exceeded my expectations. I didn't know someone so small could sing with so much power, at yet be so beautiful."

He thought her voice was beautiful?

"Thank you.”

Ironhide crossed his arms. "Weren't your parents supposed to be here?"

"Oh!" She completely forgot about them.

"I'll come with, come on." Ironhide began to walk back to the Grand Hall with Aria.

Walking through the sea of people, she grabbed Ironhide's hand in an effort not to lose him. Unlike her, people actually parted for him.

"Ari!"

Aria turned around and looked in the direction of the familiar voice. Sure enough, her mother waved at her from one of the lines, her dad was at her side.

Aria led Ironhide over to her parents who were about mid line at one of the concession stands. She let go of his hand and embraced them.

"You were amazing, Ari!" her mother cooed, her father nodded beside her with a proud smile.

"Thanks, mom. "Oh! Mom, dad, this is John," she introduced. "John, these are my parents, Carmen and Dan."

Ironhide stepped forward and shook her mother's hand gently with a polite greeting, "Mr. and Mrs. Normandy."

Aria smiled through the nerves as he moved onto her father, who looked at him calculatingly. Their hands met in a handshake.

"Nice to meet you, John," her father acknowledged.

"Likewise," Ironhide nodded.

Her father stared at Ironhide, the wrinkles around his eyes more pronounced than usual.

Ironhide returned the look with a much more neutral one. He didn’t make any sort of move to end the silent confrontation.

"You look like a soldier, John. Are you military?" He finally released his hand.

"Special forces."

Her mother's brows disappeared behind her bangs. "So Aria, this is your boyfriend?"

"Uh yeah. We just recently started dating, I guess."

"That's great! And how did you meet?"

Aria blanked, yet another answer she didn't plan beforehand. Then again, she didn't plan on introducing Ironhide as her boyfriend to her parents today either.

"...We ran into each other on the street.”

"Actually, she ran into me," Ironhide said with a grin.

Aria made an offended noise. So it was going to be like that, huh?

Her father chuckled, "That sounds like Aria, all right."

"Yes, her air headedness can be endearing sometimes," her mother chirped.

Her father snickered, "Her head is so far in the clouds, she became an astronomer."

Janitor, more like. "Ha ha, dad.”

Ironhide, however, looked down at Aria. "I don't think there's anything wrong with looking up to the stars. You never know what you might find."

Aria looked up at him, of course she understood his double meaning, but did he intend for it to sound so romantic? Her mother must have also picked up on it, as she nearly squealed with joy.

Aria and Ironhide were bombarded with questions until they reached the front of the line. They both declined the offers of drinks from her parents and then walked off to the side somehow losing her father and Ironhide in the process.

"You sure you don't want to stay at the house while you're here?" Aria asked. Wheelie could camp out in her closet if need be.

"No no, we thought about it, but then I saw this gorgeous five star hotel with an amazing view not too far from here."

"All right, if you're sure."

"We were thinking of stopping by tomorrow before we leave, though. It feels like it's been forever since I've seen Sirius and the horses."

Aria grinned, "I'm okay with that."

"Oh Ari, I can't believe this, my daughters in an opera playing at the Kennedy Center singing one of the most iconic arias in history! And now I find out you have a boyfriend for the first time in years!"

“It’s nothing serious. We’re more friends, really. People just keep assuming we are and it’s easier to just go along with it.”

“Ari, did you not see the way he looked at you? I don’t even mind that he’s older, as long as he treats you right, that’s all that matters.”

“He does.”

Maybe at first, he’d been abrasive to say the least, but all it took was a little generosity to show him she wasn’t so bad. And since then, he’d slowly turned into the Ironhide he was today. Funny, loyal, caring. The only thing that really stuck around was the lingering cockiness. And well, he could be stubborn too.

“Good. Then he passes my test. Now he just has to get past your father.”

Aria looked around. "Where did they go, anyway?"

"Oh probably arm wrestling somewhere, let's go find them and then get to our seats." She took the last sip of her red wine.

It only took a minute to find the men. They looked like they were having a casual discussion at the bar.

They met up and made their way into the concert hall. They were seated in the middle tier, so there were seats above and below them. Part of the orchestral pit was visible, and the stage looked much smaller. On either side were screens that displayed subtitles throughout the opera, but currently they displayed Lakmé in elegant writing.

"Where are you sitting?" she asked Ironhide who was walking beside her. Her parents were a ways ahead.

"Beside you."

"Huh? How did you get a seat anyway?"

"Wheelie got it for me. He is more useful than I gave him credit for. He hacked into the database, found your spot, and changed the name on the one beside it."

Aria groaned. "I really should take that laptop away from him."

"I'm just glad NEST doesn't know about his abilities. They wouldn't have pawned him off on you as a last ditch effort to pacify me if they knew he was a half decent hacker."

"Are you talking nicely about Wheelie? What put you in such a good mood lately?" Aria nudged him playfully.

"Not being cooped up in that base for weeks on end tends to help."

"You guys really have nowhere you can go outside of the base?"

"We are not authorized to transform off base anymore."

"What?" Aria stopped mid step. She pulled him off to the side to let people past them. "You guys transformed at my place all the time."

"It wasn't until after. The government had Ratchet help them make a device to monitor transformations. Unlike the tracking chip, we haven't figured out a way to deactivate it yet."

"Was it a direct result from visiting me?" Why had she never thought of that before?

"It wasn't your fault, Aria," he took her hand and led her to their row. “You only offered. We made the choice to come.”

She got off easy being told she couldn't see them anymore. They, however, were now being monitored to the point where they had to tamper with devices or accept their loss of independence. For beings that believed in freedom, the government was set on giving them less and less.

They got to their seats just as the lights began to dim. Aria sat down in between her father and Ironhide, the former of whom leaned over to Aria.

“He’s a good man, Aria.”

“I know that.”

“Just be careful. He—People like him live dangerous lives, you know?”

“I’m aware of that.”

 “I just don’t want you to get hurt, that’s all.”

“He keeps his job separate from me. I’m perfectly safe.”

“No, not like that.” He tapped on his chest. “I mean in here.”

What was he implying? That Ironhide was going to break her heart somehow? It made sense for her dad to think like that since he was under the impression Ironhide was her boyfriend. Sure it would hurt if Ironhide left her, but heartbreaking? Maybe if he died or something—

Her eyes met her father’s.

The music began and the curtains lifted to reveal Lakmé taking care of her unconscious lover in a secret hut in the forest.

She watched Julia perform intently, her father’s ominous words faded to the back of her mind. That woman could convey her emotion even to the very back corners of the auditorium. Her voice was as loud as when she stood right there beside her.

Eventually, the play came to an end with Lakmé's dramatic death scene when she poisoned herself when her lover chose to leave her in the name of duty of his country.

Slowly, they filed out of the building. Aria said goodbyes to her parents in the parking lot before they called a taxi, leaving her and Ironhide to wait for the bus.

"So," she looked at him, "what did you think of Lakmé?"

"I didn't mind it, though it could have been much shorter if they didn't take ten minutes to say one thing."

Aria laughed. "I did warn you about that."

"I think I understood it well enough. Much like that poem, it is an overdramatic telling of tragedy, as most women would not kill themselves over lost love. It is another art form meant purely to convey emotion."

"Whoa, a couple of weeks ago you didn't know what an egg was, and now you're a fine arts expert? Are you even Ironhide?"

“Why, is my analysis incorrect? What is your opinion of the play then?”

“No, I agree with you. Though, you do remind me of Gerald.”

“The officer Lakmé killed herself over?”

“Yeah, choosing duty over love. Sounds like something you would do.”

“Perhaps in his situation I would.”

“His situation?”

“He barely knew the woman.”

Something about his stoic expression made his statement all the more funny.

“Oh my god, remind me to show you Romeo and Juliet next time we get the chance.”

Chapter Text

In the week following the performance, life went back to normal. Ironhide stopped by every day or two, Wheelie attempted to ride Sirius, Mark tried to make her work overtime and still refused to give her a raise. Eli gave her the sage advice to get knocked up and go on maternity leave. She punched his arm for that one.

She was cleaning up her room when her phone rang. She ran her nightstand and sat on her bed to answer it. The caller ID read Blue Bella.

“Hello?”

“Aria, how are you?” her boss’s voice was genuine.

“I’m good, Henry. And you? You sound more chipper than usual.”

“Well that’s because I’ve been getting a lot of calls recently.”

“From customers?”

“Yes. Asking about you.”

“Oh?”

“I was confused by your sudden popularity too. So I asked one of them how they heard of you, and they said you preformed at the Kennedy Center!”

“I told you I was in an opera, remember? That’s why you gave me the job.”

“Well, yes, I knew that. But I didn’t think it was the Aurora Opera Club! One of our regulars went to see Lakmé, and there you were! So he started telling his friends and now it seems I don’t have enough tables this weekend! Aria, we’re taking reservations!”

People were making reservations to see her? “You’re sure it’s because of me?”

“Yes! Every person asks when you’ll be singing next and how much tickets cost! At first, I said we didn’t do that, but now I have people trying to pay for tables to secure a spot! I can’t believe it. I have a local celebrity!”

“That’s a bit of an exaggeration, I think. But I’m grateful none the less.”

“So this weekend, do you think you could do four songs instead of two? You can have anyone you want to play with you, George, Lenny, Angela, all, none. Whatever you want! They’re ready to rehearse any day of the week!”

“Uh I might have time the day after tomorrow? I can come up with a set list in the meantime and let you know who I need tonight?”

“Perfect! Let me know asap.”

“I will!”

She hung up and leaned back on her hands for a moment before springing up and running down the stairs.

“Wheelie!”

He sat up, twisting around to see her over the back of the couch. “Where’s the fire?”

“My boss called!”

“What, to fire you?”

“No, not that one.”

“What then?”

“I think I’m getting a raise.”

“You think?”

She did a spin in her sundress. “Yeah! I’m famous now!”

…

The rest of the week flew by.

She sat at her vanity getting ready. She put on her favorite berry lipstick and dawned her newest gown, strapless, made of ivory silk. Expensive, but hopefully an investment. Her eyelids sparkled to match her dangling earrings and necklace.

Walking downstairs, she held her dress in one hand and her heels in the other. Ironhide was there sitting on the couch, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, fingers laced together. Wheelie was slouched on the other side.

Ironhide stood so abruptly, Sirius jumped up as well.

“I’m ready to go if you are.” Aria met him beside the front door.

Ironhide took her coat from the hanger and helped her put it on. “Are you nervous for your big night?”

“Not at the moment. Just excited.”

They exited the house, Ironhide’s holoform disappearing a moment later. Outside, there was a large black truck parked on the driveway. She’d lucked out, it was patrol night for him. Or at least that’s what he claimed. It was just as likely that he threatened someone… or everyone.  

The door opened as she approached. However, the sheer height proved a challenge due to the long dress. She placed her shoes on the floor of the passenger side, then began hiking up the gown.

“Do you need a hand?” Ironhide’s voice came from the speakers.

“I mean, if you don’t mind.”

Ironhide’s holoform appeared beside her. Next thing she knew, his hands were on her waist as he lifted her straight up.

She stepped into the cab and sat down. Ironhide’s holoform once again disappeared and the door shut.

The ride was unusually quiet. At this point, it was obvious why. She’d yet to tell him about her and Wheelie’s conversation about Perceptors. There was just never a good time to bring it up. All it would do was make him worry more. Besides, nothing happened. Not even a strange occurrence. And she’d been watching out since.

There was still no doubt that was why he was giving her a ride in person. And why he’d showed up for lunch the other day. He wouldn’t risk being caught otherwise.

They arrived at the club. Ironhide stopped on the road in front of the entrance and let her out using his holoform. As he drove off, his holoform walked inside with her.

“Is that hard to do?” she asked him, her eyes following his alt form.

He let out a grunt. “I’ve gotten pretty good at it.”

She was about to make him elaborate but stopped when she opened the doors into the packed club. Her boss went all out, candles decorated the tables surrounded by beautifully dressed people sipping drinks.

It looked like every staff member was working that night. Three bar tenders instead of the usual one, and all five waitresses were running around. Henry himself was out mingling in his black suit and bow tie. George was on stage playing jazz on the piano.

This was insane. There must have been a hundred people crammed into a room that normally only housed ten to twenty at the time. It was like a whole different place. And they were there…because of her. This was twenty times worse than the opera. She wasn’t just a minor character in a cast. She was the star of this show.

“I think I’m nervous now.”

Ironhide smirked down at her. “All this for you, punk. I’m impressed.”

“Shut up.”

“Aria!” Cynthia popped up from the crowd in front of her. “This is crazy! I can’t believe you didn’t tell us you were in Lakmé! We could have milked this even more.” Her sparkling eyes turned to Ironhide. “And I see you brought your plus one.” Her mischievous smile stretched from ear to ear. “I’ll take you to your table.”

Sure enough, Cynthia led them to one of the tables up front, next to the small dance floor and stage.

“So finally going to tell me your name, stranger?”

“John,” Ironhide said, taking his seat.

“Well then, the usual, John?”

“Sure.”

“Aria, you want a shot? On the house of course.”

“Yes, please.”

Cynthia left them.

“On the house?” Ironhide repeated.

“It means I don’t have to pay, the house will pay.”

Ironhide’s neutral expression remained. “I don’t follow.”

Aria shook her head. He’d come a long way, but sometimes it was the simple things that stumped him.

“Aria!”

She snapped her head in the direction of the male voice. A man at the table beside them, a blonde woman at his side. What in the hell was he doing here?

“Colonel Lennox?”

“Hey, long time no see!”

“W-what are you doing here?” This wasn’t good at all!

Ironhide went completely rigid, not turning around to face the colonel.

“My wife’s sister went to your opera. They were gossiping and I heard your name come up. Next thing I know, I’m getting dragged out to a club that I’ve never heard of. Small world!” He put his arm around the woman’s shoulders. “This is the Mrs. herself, Sarah.”

Aria reached out and shook her hand. “Nice to meet you, Sarah. I’m Aria.” Shit. She had to introduce Ironhide or else risk making the situation awkward. “This is my friend, John.”

At the sound of his codename, he pivoted in his seat to face the couple and nodded without saying a word.

“Nice to meet you, John. Call me Will.” He stretched out a hand.

Ironhide glanced down at it for a moment before grasping it. “A pleasure.”

Though his tone was flat, there was a glimmer in his eye. Lennox didn’t seem to notice his voice, somehow. Maybe it was a bit different due to the lack of robotic reverb his true form had, but it still sounded nearly identical to her ear. Not to mention his accent.

Cynthia came back with drinks, placing them on the table. “Aria, you headed backstage soon? You’re almost up.”

Aria downed the shot. “Yeah, I’m going.” She stood, giving Ironhide a hard look as she did. “Try to stay out of trouble.”

Ironhide only gave a lopsided grin in return.

She shook her head before turning to leave.

Backstage was just as busy as the front. She put her coat in the changing room and switched her shoes. She then met up with the other performers to go over any final details before showtime.

They waited until the curtains were closed, then the rest of the group took their places around the stage. A cellist, pianist, violinist, and a guitarist, and two backup singers. She, however, remained just backstage, waiting for her queue. This was meant to be a show after all.

She was spoilt tonight, having the first ever cordless microphone owned by the club on her request.

The curtain lifted and the musicians began to play a soft swing beat. Once the audience quieted, she strutted onto the stage, beginning the song.

“Summertime

And the livin’ is easy

Fish are jumpin’

And the cotton is high.”

The songs came and went as if they lasted only a millisecond. Yet people came up and danced to each, some slow and some a bit faster, swaying with her to the beat of the music. Each piece melted into the next until the last was done.

The crowd applauded, some even standing up and raising their drinks.

Aria beamed, looking between the audience and her fellow performers. Everything was going perfectly.

Then, an angelic voice unlike any other, cut through the noise of every person present. “Viens, Mallika, les lianes en fleurs!”

A woman at the bar hand a hand over her chest in pure shock sat just beside Julia, which wasn’t so easily recognized as Lakmé without the black wig covering her soft brown hair. The place once again went silent in awe of her voice as she stood and made her way to the stage.

Aria turned off the microphone and began her part in response. “Ô maîtresse! C'est l'heure où je te vois sourire”

As she continued, Julia came up onto the stage taking her spot beside Aria. The cello and violin played as they began the Flower Duet.

Ironhide, who now sat beside Lennox at his table, was leaned back with his arms crossed, a small grin on his face. Lennox on the other hand was slack jawed, but that probably had a lot to do with the amount of empty beer glasses in front of him. Sarah wore the expression of most other people, eyes glued on them, expression nothing other than awe.

The song ended and this time the crowd gave them a standing ovation. Lennox stood up clapping with Sarah joining in a much more subdued manner. Even Ironhide clapped a couple of times, though clearly not sure about the gesture.

After a bow, the curtains closed in front of her. She followed Julia and the musicians off the stage.

“That went perfectly! Thanks again for coming,” Aria said to Julia as they went backstage.

Julia laughed. “Except for that lady I gave a heart attack to. I’ll have to apologize to her later.”

“Aria!”

She turned to Cynthia who walked through the door. “Firstly, wow! Secondly, I’m going to have to cut your boyfriend off if you don’t come out soon.”

“Why, what’s he doing?”

“He’s ordered at least six drinks ‘on the house’ for that other guy. I think I liked him better when he didn’t talk.”

Aria looked up and rolled her eyes. Of course he was. “Ugh, I’ll pay for them. Be out in a minute.”

Cynthia left, leaving Aria to chat with the others for a bit before she too headed out. Someone else was on stage performing a Louis Armstrong cover. She sat down beside Ironhide at Lennox’s table.

“I didn’t know you had it in ya, kid!” Lennox gave her a slap on the back.

“Did you have that all planned, Aria?” Sarah asked, obviously much less drunk than her husband.

“Yeah. People came because they found out I was an opera singer. Might as well sing some opera.” She shrugged with a grin.

The next half hour was a rotation of people coming up and praising her performance. From the corner of her eye, she could see a crowd forming around Julia as well.

Slowly, the club began to die down as people filtered out for the night. Thankfully, both Lennox and Sarah were drunk enough not to pay too close attention to anything going on.

“On the house means the fine establishment eats the bill, so you don’t have to pay it,” Lennox explained, his elbow on Ironhide’s shoulder.

“Eat it?”

At this point, Aria sat back and watched the exchange. She was buzzed at best, so watching the drunk Colonel Lennox explain things to Ironhide was an absolute blast. Sarah seemed equally enthralled.

“Not literally! You sure don’t get out much do ya, Johnny?”

Ironhide frowned. “Johnny?”

“What, you don’t like it?”

Sarah sipped on her martini and pointed at Lennox. “Call him Willy.”

Ironhide only looked more confused. His eyes turned to Aria’s.

“Please don’t.” Was all she told him.

“Oh, I love this song!” Sarah said out of the blue. “Will, come dance with me!”

She didn’t really give him a choice. She pulled him away from Ironhide, making him stumble a bit.

“You know Johnny, you remind me of a friend of mine.” He put his hand on Ironhide’s shoulder before Sarah could yank him away. “I can see why Aria likes you.” He gave his shoulder a final pat and let his wife drag him onto the dance floor.

Aria sent Ironhide a pointed look. “You got him drunk on purpose, didn’t you?”

“It was in our best interest.”

“Yeah, I don’t think he’s going to remember much.”

On the floor, Will was excitedly spinning his wife multiple times in a row.

“It was interesting talking to him as an equal. Sarah as well.”

“Sarah? Why, does she not know about you?”

“She does, but she’s deathly afraid of me.”

“Afraid, or she just thinks you’re a jerk?”

His light hearted smirk dropped ever so slightly as he broke eye contact. “She doesn’t go near me. Not since I first showed my true form.”

Oh. Sarah was actually afraid of him. Afraid of Cybertronians. Sure they were frightening at first, mostly due to their huge size. But they were kind and funny, had thoughts and feelings, no different than her or Sarah.

The song faded into the next one and the woman began to sing in French.

“She lets me see Annabelle though, in my alt mode. She thinks I’m a man on the phone.”

Aria laughed. “Because you talk to her from the speakers. I can understand her confusion.”

While she spoke, Ironhide’s gaze shifted from her to the woman on stage, a peculiar look on his face.

What? Did she say something weird by accident?

“This song is familiar.” His tone was distant. Only half talking to her.

Oh he was listening to the music. “Yeah, La Vie En Rose. It’s a popular one.”

“It’s the one you sang to me.”

“Oh, yeah I did, didn’t I?”

“Do you want to join the others?” He gestured to Will and Sarah on the dance floor.

“You want to dance? With me?” Her voice came out a little higher than intended.

“On the condition that you’ll show me how.”

He stood, holding out his hand to her. She placed hers on his palm and followed him to the others.

“Alright, so put your hand here,” she said, placing it on her waist. “Then I’ll put mine here.” She rested hers on his shoulder, then held onto his free hand with hers. “And then just kind of sway—like the others are doing.”

She moved her body to the rhythm of the song and after a couple of seconds, Ironhide began to follow her movements. He adjusted his grip on her waist, ever so slightly brushing his thumb against her skin exposed from the backless dress. A shiver ran up her spine.

“What is the meaning of this song?” Ironhide asked just loud enough to hear.

“I thought you could understand French.”

“I do. But it’s like your poetry. Life in rose, what does that mean?”

“Ah, it’s describing the feeling of love. It’s often explained as wearing rose colored glasses, where all you see is beauty and perfection.

He let go of her hand and poked the bridge of her nose. “And where are your rose colored glasses?”

“I have rose colored contacts, thank you very much.”

He put his other hand on her waist. “And is everything perfect?”

She brought her free hand up to his other shoulder. “It is. I performed at the Kennedy Center, and I got to be the star of my own show here—and people actually came to see me. Me, of all people.”

“Why wouldn’t they? You’re the most perfect human I know.”

“Who’s wearing the rose contacts now?”

He pulled her closer, till their body nearly touched. “Perhaps I am.”

Butterflies tingled in her stomach as she wrapped her arms around him and rested her head on his chest. “Thank you for always being there for me.”

His chin brushed her hair as he spoke, “You’re welcome."

Chapter Text

Almost

The next morning Aria sat out on her front step enjoying the perfect summer weather. Beside her sat Ironhide's holoform, equally relaxed and content.

Music flowed out behind them through the open windows. The grass swayed gently in the breeze. Soft clouds dotted the vibrant blue sky.

Off in the yard, wheelie was attempting to ride Sirius, who kept getting too excited and jumping until the Autobot fell off.

Aria hadn’t been expecting Ironhide to appear earlier that morning but wasn't disappointed when Wheelie relayed the question. Quite the opposite, in fact.

She looked down at the book in his hand as he flipped through the pages, stopping to read every once and a while. She’d brought it out to him earlier.

She eyed the words from his shoulder. "Find any you like yet?"

Ironhide grunted and turned the page. "The language is difficult to understand in many of these."

"That's because they were written in the sixteenth century by a man named William Shakespeare. His works are notoriously hard to read and understand."

“Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?” He read the first line of Sonnet 18. “Thee?”

“Another way to say ‘you’ in old English.”

Ironhide hummed and flipped the page to one that was dog eared. "You like this one?" His thumb ran over the folded bit of paper.

"I marked it last night, it’s Romeo and Juliet."

“The one you mentioned before.” He flipped through the pages. "Tis but thy name that is my enemy; Thou art thyself, though not a Montague," he read. "I don't understand."

Aria leaned her head on Ironhide’s shoulder and continued the passage.

“What’s Montague? It is nor hand, nor foot,

Nor arm, nor face. Oh, be some other name

Belonging to a man.

What’s in a name? That which we call a rose

By any other word would smell as sweet.”

Birds sang in the trees while Aria waited for Ironhide to comment on the strange language.

“It’s a love story, like your play. Two lovers who were never meant to be.”

“Yes, while Lakmé is about a women falling in love with a foreign man, Romeo and Juliet are from opposing families.”

"Are the endings the same?"

Aria reached for the book in Ironhide’s hands and turned the pages until she reached the final act. “This is when I have to tell you that both the plays aren’t actually love stories, they’re tragedies.”

“A love story that ends in tragedy is still a love story. He went back through the pages to the beginning. “Did my heart love till now? forswear it, sight. For I never saw true beauty till this night.”

“I would have never guessed you were the romantic type.”

“I like the ways human’s express it. Art and poetry. Dramatic plays and songs. All trying to describe a simple feeling.”

She lifted her head from his shoulder to better look at him. “You think love is a simple feeling? I don’t know how it works with Cybertronians, but it’s a very complicated thing for us humans.”

“I see that.”

“Hm?” Aria looked him in the eye. Why did he keep saying things so cryptically?

“What is love to you, Aria?”

Though his words were soft, she went rigid. “Wha—How should I know? I was sixteen the last time I even dated a guy. I was infatuated yes, but that wore off and I realized he was a loser.” She broke eye contact. “I’m not even sure what love is supposed to feel like.”

“You’ve described it though. Lakmé, La Vie en Rose, now Romeo and Juliet?”

“They only describe it though. I can’t imagine what it would actually feel like to love someone so much that you’d die for them.”

“What do you think it would be like then?”

“I’d imagine it’d be an epiphany moment. Like one day you just realize that you’re in love and then everything makes sense.”

“Just like that.” He lifted his free hand and brushed her cheek.

“Yeah.” She didn’t pull away. “Do you know what love feels like?”

“What light through yonder window breaks? It is the East, and Juliet is the sun.”

“That doesn’t answer my question.”

“Then perhaps I already know the feeling.”

“I wouldn’t doubt it, you’ve been around longer.”

“What if I told you it was a more recent development?”

“As in here, on Earth?”

“Yes, not far from here,” he said softly and leaned towards her.

Her heart beat against her chest, his face was only inches from hers. His gaze was so soft. More gentle than the breeze that brushed her neck beside his fingertips "Do you...know what you're doing?"

"I have an idea," he whispered and tilted his head.

Was this real? He talked about love…and now this? Was it a test? An experiment? His expression was so peaceful. Calm. The blue of his eyes, brighter than the sky, half lidded yet confident.

Maybe it was something else.

She leaned in to close the distance when Ironhide's eyes widened in alarm and jerked his head up to the sky.

Wha—

Ironhide's hand grabbed hers in a painfully tight grip and next thing she knew she was being ripped off the steps and away from the house.

"Ironhide what's—" she stopped mid shout when she caught sight of a jet appearing over the trees.

"RUN!"

An eerily familiar whistle filled her ears as the jet launched two missiles aimed straight for them.

Aria screamed while she ran behind Ironhide towards the road. Ironhide stopped mid step and she ran straight into him. He spun her around so his back was to the house and engulfed her in his arms. The whistling sound grew louder and then…white.

Ironhide's body disappeared as her own body flew through the air. She landed heavily on her side, knocking the wind out of her lungs.

Trying to gain control of her ragged breathing, she sat up. Both the jet and Ironhide were gone.

And…so was her house. Only fire and smoke billowing where it once stood, deep gouges in the earth around it.

"Aria! Get out of here!"

She tore her gaze from the house to the tiny Autobot who had come out of nowhere. "Wheelie?"

"It's Starscream, Aria! You have to get out of here before he turns around!"

She struggled to her feet. Her chest ached from the explosion. "Where's Ironhide?"

"He's gone, we have to go!" Wheelie helped her up anyway he could.

The sound of jet engines returned. Aria sprinted towards the road, Wheelie somewhere behind her. She looked over her shoulder at the fast approaching Decepticon, two more missiles shot out towards her.

This time Wheelie grabbed her leg, bringing her down. As her face hit the gravel of the driveway, two more explosions rocked the earth around her. One hit somewhere on her property and one in the trees. She covered her ears, but it did little to dull the sound.

Once again, she scrambled to get up. She had to get away.

The jet that had previously been high above now arced around, wing only meters from the ground, more floating than flying. Up close it was huge.

She spun to sprint in the opposite direction as the jet rounded on her, blocking the road ahead. It transformed into a giant silver Decepticon, bigger than Optimus.

Starscream.

She screamed at the top of her lungs and urged herself to run even faster, she ran towards the trees. Maybe there she could lose him.

The ground quaked with the robot's footsteps, causing her to stumble as she fled.

Aria reached the tree line and darted in between the tree trunks and bushes. Just behind her, trees snapped and fell, doing little to hinder the Decepticon. Still she ran. Branches whipped her face and arms. Her lungs burned like never before.

The road appeared through the brush, and she ran straight out onto the asphalt. The sound of squealing tires came from her left and she caught sight of a car heading straight toward her. She froze. The speeding car was only a foot away when a giant hand hit the side of it, sending it flying across the road and into the trees on the other side.

Still frozen, she looked up until her eyes landed on Starscream’s face. The shouts of her neighbors echoed around them.

"Hello, Aria," he greeted as if he didn't just try to kill her.

Aria fell back, her legs going numb. How did he know her name? Was he going to kill her? What was she thinking, of course he was. She couldn't give up now. She had to run!

Taking back control of her legs, she got up as fast as she could, bolting down the road away from him. However, before she could take a second step, his arm swung out. She sailed through the air. Had he hit her?

She hit the ground, but there was no pain. Nothing.

She blinked, not moving. She was back by her house— The pile of smoking rubble that remained of it. The blurred figure of Starscream glinted in the distance as he moved towards her.

No. Not again. She rolled onto her stomach, using her arms and legs to crawl away. She squinted at the field, but there was no trace of the horses. They must have jumped the fence. They had to have. Sirius ran too. He had been away from the house, hadn’t he?

And where was Wheelie?

“Where are you going, Aria? Trying to crawl away like a little insect?”

Something hit her again, sending her tumbling to the side. Red caught the corner of her eye when she finally came to a halt. Her leg. It was covered in blood. Something white jutted out of her shin.

Oh god. What now? There was nothing she could do. Nowhere she could go. The barn wouldn’t protect her. Neither could the trees.

“Hey you, ugly!” Wheelie’s voice cut through the crackling fire and her ringing ears.

Starscream turned. “Why if it isn’t the little traitor. Come to beg?”

“Beg who—you? Megatron’s bitch? No thanks.”

“Why you little—” The Decepticon charged towards Wheelie who transformed and darted the other way.

What was Wheelie doing? He was going to get himself killed! But the was nothing she could do, other than accept his distraction and hide.

But where?

She pushed herself up with her arms. They shook under her weight, but held. She rolled onto her knees, putting her weight on the uninjured one first, and pushing off the ground. The second she stood, pain like nothing she’d ever felt before radiated up her broken leg.

She howled and collapsed. The pain wouldn’t stop, like fire searing her leg from the inside out. The jagged bone jutted out further.

There was no other option.  She had to set it. But how? Pushing it back through the skin and hope that it lines up? Use supplies from the barn to make a brace then run for it?

What other choice was there?

She crawled, using her arms and good leg to push her backwards towards the barn.

Explosions rocked the earth. Trees along the road bent backwards like twigs, chunks of asphalt littered the grass.

Oh no.

Starscream propelled himself into the air, hovering above the treeline.

“It’s about time,” he said before transforming back into a jet.

He shot off faster than her eyes could follow. A loud boom echoed through the sky and pushed her down into the burnt grass.

Was Wheelie okay? Her neighbors? The person in the car?

Was she?

She got back on her arms and crawled faster.  She was only halfway to the barn.

Her ears rang louder and louder. Roaring. Rumbling.

No. Not her ears. Something else—

The whistling of incoming missiles drowned out the sound. All she could do was throw herself back down as the jet flew past.

Searing heat. Pressure like a brick wall.

She coughed. Her lungs felt like stones. The air tasted like ash and fire, heavy with smoke. The barn was in pieces, strewn out like a puzzle yet to be assembled.

From the rubble, she looked toward the sky beyond her house where Starscream flew off.

Something else caught her eye. A faint blue glow through the billowing smoke that spiraled around it. A whirring sound she knew well. As it grew louder, the odd swirls of smoke spun faster, the glow brighter. Cannons. Then a flash of ebony.

His silhouette formed through the ashes. His eyes searching.

“Ironhide!” She hollered through her burning throat.

His eyes were on her in an instant.

However, his gaze left hers in favor of the sky above. Starscream flew overhead and straight towards him.

Ironhide managed to sidestep just before Starscream transformed and collided with him at full force. Both Cybertronians went flying from the velocity of the attack.

The two titans battled hand to hand. Starscream was much bigger than Ironhide, but the ladder was more nimble.

If there were words exchanged, they were in Cybertronian, the metallic noises drowning in the loud crashes of metal.

The fight was brutal, like nothing she’d ever seen before. Ironhide grabbed Starscream’s arm mid swing and punched him squarely in the face, sending him flying back into the rubble.

Starscream got up using his jets to slam into Ironhide again. Ironhide held on and flipped him over his back and into the ground.

Instead of getting up, Starscream caught him off guard by shooting him with a gun protruding from his wrist.

Pieces of metal flew from Ironhide's body, landing around her like rain. The Decepticon took the opening and clashed once again, now clearly having the upper hand.

She couldn't watch this! She had to do something, anything to help. If only she had a weapon.

Her eyes fell on the remains of the barn. Wait. She did!

Crawling through the rubble, she pulled out one of the compound bows. She scrambled through more boards and debris, tossing them to the side. There! A handful of arrows.

But the tips were dull. Not meant for anything more than target practice. What were they going to do to a Cybertronian?

A crunch and more flying metal. This time from Starscream. Silver shards sparkled like glass.

That was it! Ironhide once said he had special armor.

She crawled back out to the grass where pieces of black steel were strewn, grabbing one.

She looked between the shard and the battle ahead. It was just shorter than the length of her palm and almost as wide.

Starscream landed blow after blow on Ironhide, who could only dodge and land a punch here and there.

She clutched the metal in her hand, the edges digging into her skin painfully. He was there for her, and now she needed to be there for him.

She grabbed some twine and pulled it from under a pile of hay. Blood from her fingers made it harder to wrap the metal onto the arrow. She secured it in a knot. It was heavy, she’d have to get closer to make it work. She put the bow on her lap.

The ground shook with their heavy steps. Still locked in a deadly dance that neither would let up on, both Autobot and Decepticon didn't notice her crawling closer. Her target in sight, all she had to do was wait for an opportunity.

But where?

A moment later, Ironhide landed an elbow into Starscream’s neck. Starscream stumbled back towards her. Close enough to make out the exposed cables behind his ankle.

It was now or never.

With every ounce of strength she had left, she pulled back the string of her dad’s bow, took aim, and shot.

The black arrowhead hit its mark, severing the cables. Blue liquid gushed out.

Starscream let out a shriek and began hopping on one leg, reaching behind him to pull the arrow out. His red eyes met hers.

"Why you—"

Before he could finish his sentence, a loud bang rang out. He went sailing past Aria, silver metal flying everywhere.

Ironhide had shot him point blank with one of his cannons. His arm still outstretched to fire another.

Starscream gathered himself surprisingly fast, sloppily transforming into his alt form and taking off.

Ironhide went into a sideways stance. The cannon he had pointed towards the retreating jet shifted into something longer and narrower, the end glowing brightly. Static charged the air.

He balled his hand into a fist and fired the devastating gun. White light shot out, hitting the jet. The sound boomed after the impact and the jet spiraled down somewhere far in the distance.

Was he dead?

"Aria."

Ironhide kneeled in front of her, his face close to hers. He looked tired, but not just from the fight. She didn't know how she could tell, but it was as plain as day to her eyes. He was exhausted.

She parted her lips to speak but the lump in her throat prevented her from saying anything. Metal fingers came up to her face, brushing against her cheek.

"You came back," she croaked.

Ironhide's fingers slid down her cheek to her shoulder. From there his hand came around behind her and he brought his face close to hers. It felt like a hug. She wrapped her arms around his neck, returning it.

"Of course I did," he rumbled.

Warm tears streamed down her face as she sobbed into the metal of the crook of his neck. She never wanted to let go. Large fingertips gently brushed against her back, comforting her.

She released him, sitting back on the ground. Ironhide's eyes fell from her face, down to her leg. She followed his gaze but quickly looked away. The pain once again surfacing to the forefront of her mind. She clenched her jaw.

"You're…bleeding." His voice was off.

"I think my leg’s broken, Ironhide." Her hands began to tremble.  

Ironhide made a frightening noise and glared out into the distance where Starscream had crash landed. "I'm going to kill him."

Her arms and legs tingled uncomfortably. Everything felt hollow. It was too hot and too cold.

“I don’t feel well.”

Ironhide looked back at her. His expression changed instantly. “Aria, your skin is losing color.”

“I think I’m in shock.” Black spots filled her vision.

“Stay awake. We have to leave before the police arrive.” He took a step back and transformed.

Even without her glasses, she could see his alt form was completely haggard. Panels barely fit back together, scratched, torn, and dented.

“I don’t think I can…”

“Come on,” Ironhide’s holoform appeared beside her, fuzzy and flickering.

He lifted her in his arms. His body felt hazy, staticky. Sometimes firm, sometimes fleeting, like the surface tension of water. He placed her in the driver’s seat and flickered out of existence. The door closed.

Only half the road remained intact. Downed trees and powerlines laid in the ditches. At least the destruction was mostly localized around her house.

Well, where her house once was.

“Stay with me, Aria.” Ironhide’s voice cracked through the speakers.

But she was numb.

Chapter Text

War and Peace

Everything was a blur. At some point she was pulled from Ironhide’s alt form and into an ambulance. Paramedics hovered above her, shining lights into her eyes and snipping away the remains of her tattered dress, asking question after question.

At some point she was placed on a gurney and rolled into a hospital room. She was hooked up to an IV almost immediately. The two doctors that were assessing her discussed her leg for a moment then nurses came in to wheel her to the x-ray lab. Her leg was bent into uncomfortable positions despite the pain medication, and then she was sent back to her room.

When all was said and done, it was decided that she needed major surgery to correct the bones. Once again, she was wheeled away, this time to the cold operating room flooded with bright lights. A mask was put onto her mouth and nose. She was told to count down from ten. She made it to seven.

When she woke up again, she was in yet another room. Or maybe it was the same one. It was hard to discern. She would have adjusted the blanket, but her arms were too heavy. She closed her eyes.

Something pulled up her eyelid and a bright light blinded her. She swatted at the flashlight. Earning an explanation from the doctor. Checking for signs of a concussion, she claimed.

Once Aria was a bit more alert, the doctor told her that the surgery was a success, but there was a chance she may never get full function back in her leg. Not only that, but scars too, from the initial injury and one from the incision they had to make.

A little later a nurse came by to help her bathe. She helped Aria get out of her hospital gown and sat her on the showering seat. Dirty water dripped off her and down the drain.

She was wheeled back out to the bed, now donning fresh sheets. The nurse helped her up since the cast on her leg was quite bulky.

Now sitting more upright in bed, she combed her hair with a provided brush but gave up when the mats proved too stubborn.

"Well look at that, you’re alive!"

Aria looked up at the sound of the light hearted voice. There, in the doorway, was the one and only William Lennox. For some reason her eyes began to water. Instead of his uniform, he was wearing a casual jacket and blue jeans. According to her clock, it was nearly midnight.

The brush fell limply at her side, forgotten. "Colonel Lennox!" She held out her arms to him.

He froze for a second before his smile returned and he gave her a hug. She squeezed him, rocking back and forth, nearly causing him to stumble.

"How are the pain meds?" he asked as he let go. He then grabbed a chair and placed it beside her bed.

"My leg doesn’t hurt and I just gave you a hug, so they must be working."

Lennox’s eyes went from her to the x-rays on the wall. After a quick look he clucked his tongue. "Damn, girl. Lucky you're not losing it."

“I’m practically half Transformer now.” She followed his gaze to the post surgery x-ray. Rods held together the once shattered bone. Even on the x-ray, it didn’t look good. Who knew what her actual leg looked like. What it would look like from that day on…

“Guess my dress wearing days are over.”

He put a hand on her shoulder. “You’ll be fine, Aria. I mean, look at me. I’ve got more scars than I can count, and I still landed a hot wife.”

She only bit her lip. It wasn’t the same.

The grin dropped from Lennox’s face as his posture slouched.

“Do you mind if I ask you about what happened?”

She looked up at him and then back to the bed sheets. “He came out of nowhere. I was sitting outside with—with Wheelie. He told me to run and we got out of the way just in time. Starscream transformed and came after me, but Wheelie distracted him. That’s when Ironhide showed up.”

“And you had the bright idea of shooting him in the back of the leg with an arrow?”

“Ironhide told you?”

Lennox nodded. “He agrees it wasn’t a smart move.”

“Starscream was going to kill him! Was I just supposed to watch?”

“Ironhide and I are in the opinion that the right thing to do isn’t always the smartest. And for that we commend you. He told me he may not have gained the upper hand otherwise.”

The image of Ironhide being attacked by Starscream played through her mind like a broken record. Pieces of ebony metal glistening as they flew.

“Is he okay?”

“He’s at the base resting up. Ratchet said his Energon levels were extremely low, and the synthetic stuff isn’t all that great, but he should be back on his feet in no time.”

Low on Energon? Did the fight take that much of a toll on him? Or was he already tired from a previous mission. Or was it...

His Holoform! He’d been constantly using it. To sit with her at the hospital, to watch her shows. He showed up at her house nearly every day. He danced with her.

He shielded her from the blast.

The blast!

“Wheelie! Did you find him? Sirius? The horses?”

"They're all fine."

Aria let out a breath before he could finish.

"Wheelie’s at the base. Your dog’s at a kennel for now, and your horses are being sent to a boarding stable.”

“What about my neighbors?”

“Only a few minor injuries, no casualties. We got lucky this time.”

It was a miracle no one got seriously hurt, but luck still didn’t seem like the right word. There was nothing lucky about what happened.

She looked back at him. “Do my parents know yet?”

“There’s still some stuff to take care of before we can let them know. Should only be a couple more hours.”

“What’s the cover story then?”

“Gas line explosion is what they’re going with.”

“How are they going to explain away Starscream?”

“Lots of paperwork from eyewitnesses, media is being told it was a coincidence that an F-22 was headed towards the airport.”

“I don’t know why you guys bother hiding them. The Decepticons apparently aren’t that subtle and the Autobots need more freedom.”

Lennox rubbed his temples before speaking. “I know that as well as you do, doesn’t mean we can make it happen. It’s easy for us to think everything would be better if we did, but the general population won’t. We’re giving the Autobots all the freedom we can by hiding their existence and offering them refuge.”

“In the middle of the city? They’re not even allowed to transform off the base. How is that freedom?”

“How do you know that?”

“I—I thought it was always a rule. You let them transform at my place, which was the only exception. When you cut them off, obviously there was nowhere left.”

He didn’t look convinced. In fact, he leaned back in his chair. “I get it now. Ironhide’s been sneaking out to see you.”

Damnit. Now what? Who knew what he would do if he found out about her and Ironhide. Think. Think!

“I’m not sure about sneaking out, but I did see him once while I was waiting for my bus. He gave me a ride to the store, but that’s it. I haven’t seen him since.”

“And when was this?”

“I don’t know, like a month or two ago?”

“Uh huh.” He said slowly. “That wouldn’t have anything to do with Ironhide’s quick response, would it?”

“What do you mean? I thought Wheelie sent out a message.”

“That’s the thing. He didn’t. He said the initial explosion damaged his transmitter, which Rachet later confirmed. We didn’t find out until the explosion was reported.”

“Oh.”

A nurse knocked on the open door as she entered the room. “And how are we feeling this evening, Miss. Aria? Any pain?”

Aria shook her head. “Nothing at all”

As the nurse came over to check her IV bag, Lennox got up. “I better head out. I’ll come pick you up tomorrow.”

“All right. Thanks for visiting, Colonel Lennox.”

“I thought I told you to call me Will.” He rolled his eyes. “See you tomorrow, kid.”

“Bye.”

What was she going to do now? Lennox was onto her and Ironhide. Her leg was mangled. Her home was gone along with everything in it. Everything.

The room went dark as the nurse shut the door for the night.

…

Something warm touched her hand. Staticky and not quite solid. A dream or…

Just as her mind began to drift, the warm feeling left. She opened her eyes.

At first everything was dark. Her eyes seemed to take forever to adjust before she could make out a figure near the door.

She rubbed her eyes while she sat up. Was it a nurse checking on her? The figure had a clipboard in their hands. Her movement caught their attention. When they turned their head, the light from the window illuminated half of their features.

"I didn't mean to wake you."

"Ironhide! You're here!"

If she could, she would have jumped into his arms.

He looked back down to her charts, his face once again hidden from the light. "I wanted to make sure you’re alright. I can’t stay for long.”

His neutral tone contrasted from her elated one. She reached over and turned on the lamp. He seemed…fuzzy. And not because of her poor vision.

She tilted her head. "Ironhide?"

Between his hazy appearance and lack of emotion, something was off. He must have been exhausted, still injured. And here he was, using excess energy that he could be using to heal.

"Are you crying?"

Aria wiped away a tear from her cheek. Ironhide placed the clipboard back, coming to her side. Instead of sitting on the chair Lennox had pulled over earlier, he sat on her bed.

She sniffed. "I'm just worried about you."

Confusion overtook his features. "After everything that happened to you today, you’re worried about…me?"

"You’re tired and hurt. I know I’m not supposed to know, but your holoform takes up a lot of your energy. Energy you don’t have to spare right now."

Warm arms wrapped around her form, engulfing her in his embrace.

"I was supposed to protect you," his voice was muffled by her hair.

She placed her arms around Ironhide's waist. He needed her support as much as she needed his, even if he would never admit it.

"You didn't fail, Ironhide. You came as soon as you could."

Never in a thousand years did Aria imagine herself comforting the Autobot. He was always so powerful, so strong willed. He had done so much for her. This was the least she could do in return.

"How can you say that? I let you down when you needed me most." He leaned back away from her, still holding onto her forearms. "Seeing you like this, I—" he faltered. "I should have been there. I should’ve convinced Optimus to make me your guardian. None of this would have happened."

"Ironhide—" Aria attempted to reason but was cut off.

"Do you know how hard it was, Aria? How hard it was to watch Starscream attack you and not be able to do anything about it?"

He looked visibly upset now, pain and anger etched into his face, his hands on her arms now gripping her firmly, even as his holoform flickered.

She placed a hand on top of his. "What happened, happened. There's nothing we can do about it. But it's over now, and we're both safe and together again."

“You could have died. I told you to run, and you didn’t.”

“I tried before you got there. And when you did, there was no way I was going to leave you, not when you needed me.”

“Starscream would have killed you when he got a chance.”

She leaned forward and hugged him again. “I wasn’t about to let him kill you either.”

Instead of answering, he returned her embrace. It was difficult to tell if the fuzzy feeling was from his holoform or from within her own body, but either way, it was nice.

After what felt like minutes, she let go of him. Despite the tiredness reflected in his hazy features, his eyes flickered over her face, probably examining the severity of all the minor scratches and bruises on her forehead and cheeks.

“What, admiring my rugged good looks?”

She was met with his fond smile. He brought his hand up to her cheek, caressing it with his thumb. “I’ve already got that category covered, punk.” His fingers slid back into her hair, where they caught almost immediately. “Despite your best efforts.”

Aria absently brought her hand up to sooth the stray strands. Oh yes, she forgot about her attempt to brush it.

"What, you don't like it?"

She riffled through the messy sheets until she came across the abandoned hair brush. She brought all her hair to the front and started to brush it again. Almost immediately the brush got stuck. She pulled at it, trying to maneuver it out to no avail.

She let out a frustrated sigh and rested her head on her hand. Her eyes met Ironhide's lopsided grin, half amused, half sympathetic. When did he get so good at making human expressions?

"I prefer it when you’re not injured.” He reached for the brush. “Would you like some help?"

"Help…brush my hair?"

Ironhide rolled his eyes with a smile. Something he surely learned from her. He got up and repositioned himself right at her side.

With a careful touch, he began untangling the brush from her unruly mess of hair. Unsure of what else to do, Aria picked at the sheets. Was this really happening?

Ironhide managed to free the brush. He examined it closely, then took some of her hair in his other hand and began to brush it.

"Such a strange thing, hair," he commented.

"Yeah, it's a hassle."

Silence fell over them. The only sound in the dimly lit room was the sound of the brush working its way through the knots in her hair. He took his time, making the process as pain free as he could.

Her eyes drifted shut. She could let the moment go on forever, but the air grew heavy with words unspoken.

“I know about the Energon detectors. I asked Wheelie a while ago.” She opened her eyes. “You were acting strange and I figured whatever you guys were talking about that day was part of it. He told me about the possibility of a Decepticon that could track you down, even if you used your holoform. How you knew that being with me was either making me a target or the only thing keeping them away.”

The brush paused in her hair mid stroke. Ironhide's focus shifted to her face, and then away. She continued before he got the chance to speak.

"I figured they had nothing to gain by attacking me. Just some girl that happens to have a couple of Autobot friends. I know next to nothing about what you guys do, what missions you go on, what plans you make… So why was I a target? I don’t have anything worth any value to them.”

“Your value to them is your value to me. Decepticons are petty, and they know exactly how to attack in the way that hurts most. I shouldn’t have underestimated them. We thought all the Perseptors were gone, but they have proved otherwise, and you paid the price for it.”

The brush clattered to the floor. Ironhide held out his hand, translucent and tinted blue, like the rest of his arm. His fingers tightened into a fist and the color went back to normal.

“I’ve only met a few humans and gotten to know even fewer. The soldiers at the base are like us, hardened by years of training and war. Scientists only care about our weapons and technology. Officers only give a damn if we cause trouble. To many of them, we are nothing more than assets that make their lives more difficult. And though I agree that we do, I don’t appreciate their attitude. We followed all their rules for years and nothing came of it. Mission after mission, following human commands and failing because they don’t listen or learn. We’re nothing but weapons to them.

“But then you appeared. A human unlike any other I’ve met. Carefree and loving, unaffected by war and suffering and death. I wanted to experience it too, and by doing so, I let my guard down. I could have prevented all of this from happening, but I let you in. I was selfish and let my curiosity get the better of me. I brought this upon you, so it was my duty to protect you."

It hurt to hear him blame himself for letting her into a life filled with danger. It was a risk she took. At first, for some adventure. How could anyone not? But then it became clear what she could offer them. A place to go to get away from it all. To be themselves without the threat of getting into trouble for it.

Ironhide appreciated it most of all. He came by the most, he stayed the longest. He stopped talking about the war.

"You know I wouldn't have given up if you didn't stop for me that day. I would have tried over and over to see you guys again. And besides, it was my curiosity that started it all, you know that." She put her hands on either side of his face, "I don't know if I ever told you this, but if I had to, I'd do it all again, if it meant meeting you."

His eyes were bluer than ever as he looked at her. He put his hand over hers. "And I promise I wouldn't scare you the next time."

Chapter Text

Paperwork. So much paperwork. How many trees worth of documents had she signed at this point? At least Lennox—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 her 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, at least 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 complex 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 at the foot of the bed and got dressed in a t-shirt and sweatpants already 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 an attempt to reach her new 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. The thought of him coming with her today made it seem so much less daunting. So much less lonely.

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.

“Do you like your new residence?

“It’s pretty,” Aria said as she opened a drawer full of utensils.

“It seems ill fitted to your situation.” He gestured to the stairs.

“I told you I have to learn how to go down the stairs. Going up’s one thing, but I’d have to starve up there until you came to…rescue me.”

“I will be here as often as I can be, Aria. It was my presence that caused your injury, I will do what I must to help you heal.”

“I told you it wasn’t—” but the look of guilt on his face stopped her. “At least I’m closer to the base now.”

Ironhide looked away. “I requested that you stay at the base, but William refused. He told me you would want more space than what they could offer there. In exchange he allowed me to see you.”

“I mean, he was already onto us,” she said, drawing his focus back to her. “All I told him was that I happened to see you once when I was waiting for the bus and that you gave me a ride to the store.”

“And I told him that we haven’t seen each other since.”

“No wonder he didn’t believe me.” Aria smiled before resuming her search through the cupboards.

"William told me we are gathering supplies today?" Ironhide’s holoform moved to lean against the counter, crossing his arms.

"Well that's one way to put it. I would just call it grocery shopping."

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

Aria closed the cupboard doors over the stove. "All right now I just need to make a list.”

She grabbed a black notepad out of the 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 any time 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, 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 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 foolishly blurt out his name. “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. It was only when his face was close to hers that 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 got 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.

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

"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 La Vie en Rose. He seemed to like that one.

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 alright."

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. "We can dance around it all you like, but you are 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 hadn’t taken 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 versus 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 Ironhide was right. 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 gravel. 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 loosened 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 lay 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 barn, 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. There was 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.

Chapter Text

The weeks passed by as Aria adjusted to her new life. She now had crutches mastered and could tackle the stairs in her new house with ease. At first, she spent most of her time watching movies and documentaries, but that got old fairly quickly, especially without Wheelies commentary. 

Ironhide had long since healed and was subsequently sent out on missions with the rest of the Autobots. He didn’t tell her details, but it was obvious they were upping their Decepticon search efforts.

Still, he’d been gone for almost a month now.

Before he left, he took her to visit Azimuth and Zenith at the boarding stable. Both horses ran up to her from the back of their paddock, whinnying with excitement. Instead of reaching out to them, she began to sob. Not tears of sadness, but of joy. Ironhide gave them each a pat while she wiped her eyes.

Not long after that, reports of lights in the sky off the coast of Mexico dominated the media. From the blurred footage online, it looked to be another wave of Cybertronians. When she called Will that night, he only grumbled and told her his personal phone was for emergencies only and hung up. So they were probably Autobots.

And then there was the unemployment issue.

“Wait, that was your house?” Mark had responded.

She held the phone further from her ear. “Yeah, I just got out of the hospital for a broken leg. Wanted to let you know I probably won’t be able to work for a while.”

There was a huff before he replied in his usual customer service voice. “I’ll get Eli to cover for you, then. Can’t risk losing my best janitor.”

“I was wondering…” No, too soft. “When I come back, I want a raise.” Yes! That was it. “And I want to be a tour guide.”

A snort came from the other end of the line. “I didn’t realize it was the annual ask to get promoted time already. No, Aria, you’re an invaluable member of our custodial staff. I couldn’t risk losing you.”

“Then I’m done.” She went to hang up but paused, then brought the phone back to her ear. “Find someone else to walk all over!” That time, she did hang up on him. For good.

Currently, she sat on a comfy chair by the large living room window with a book in her lap. It was an autobiography titled Code-Name: Hero written by Seymour Simmons, one of the people in the group that broke into the museum. It wasn't horrible per se, but it was excessively melodramatic.

She rested her chin in her hand and looked out the window for what felt like the umpteenth time. Will was coming over in less than half an hour to discuss going back to the base. She had called and texted the man almost every day until he finally relented.

Her eyes settled on a car parking on the street below. A man got out of the driver side and ran around to the passenger door, opening it for a woman. He helped her out of the vehicle before closing the door behind her. The couple then walked down the sidewalk, hand in hand.

"What are you smiling at?"

Aria dropped the book on the floor. Ironhide stood beside her chair, his eyes fixed on the couple with a grin on his face.

"Ironhide, you’re back!" She used her arms and good leg to stand from the chair.

He held on to her arm. “Careful, punk. Don’t hurt yourself on my behalf.”

Not heeding his warning, she pulled him into her arms. He looked like his usual self, no strange glitches or strange tingly feeling as she held him close.

"What are you doing here? Will is coming over any minute now,” she said, releasing him from her embrace.

Ironhide helped her back into the chair, then kneeled beside her. He picked up the book and placed it on the small coffee table. “It’s not my fault I’m faster.”

“You do have an unfair advantage.”

He grinned. “How’s your leg?”

“Better. How was the mission?”

“That’s classified.”

“I asked how was it, not what you were doing.”

“Nothing critical to report.”

“That’s…good.” Nothing eventful meant no one got hurt. It also meant they didn’t find anything. “You think Starscream is still alive?”

“He wasn’t at the crash site. Damn Seekers.”

“Do you think he’ll come after me again?”

“Not even Starscream is stupid enough to attack so close to the base.”

Would he though? He was so fast. He could simply fly over and destroy half the block.

“We’ve set up Energon detectors all around the perimeter of the city.” He took her hand. “The second one gets set off, I will be here.”

She looked back out the window. “What if you’re on a mission?”

“Then one of us will.”

“How do you know?”

“Because I asked them to.”

She twisted her hand to better hold his. About to thank him, she was cut off by a knock at the door.

"One second!" she yelled down to the main level before turning back to Ironhide. “Are you coming back later?”

He nodded, brought the back of her hand to his lips, and disappeared.

“Huh?” Where did he learn that?

She shook her head. “Coming!”

She limped down the stairs with decent speed and opened the door for Will.

“Hey, girly! You’re looking…rosy. Did you run a marathon or something?”

“Oh, well—uh, lots of stairs, you know?” She moved to the side to let him in.

They went to the dining room on the main level. She was about to pull out a chair from the table, but Will got to it first, pulling it out for her.

She thanked him and sat down, lacing then unlacing her fingers on her lap. “So?”

“So—” He started at the same time.

They both stopped talking. Will let out a huff of laughter before trying again.

“I have good news and bad news.”

Of course. It could never be just good news, could it? She leaned in. “Good news first please.”

“You can come back to the base.”

“YES!” Finally! After so long, it was happening! “Thank you so much Lennox—I mean Will. Or do I call you Colonel again at the base?”

He waved her off. “Course not. Unless other higher ups are around, but you won’t be there when they are anyway.” He adjusted in his seat. “Which brings me to the bad news.”

“What? I can only come once a week? Only half an hour visits?”

“No, no. Nothing like that. You can pretty much be there full time if you want.”

“Full time? Like a job? What is it?”

He didn’t answer.

“Will?”

His shoulders dropped. “It was the only way we could get you in. I swear I looked for any other opportunity, but there was none.”

Oh. So that’s where this is going. “I’m going to work at the base…as a janitor?”

He gave a slow nod, lips pulled tight.

She flopped back into her chair with a sigh. “And here I thought this could at least be an opportunity to do something better with my life.”

“It’ll only be until we find you a better position, and you don’t even have to take it.”

“No, I’ll do it. At least it’ll be a lot less crowded.”

“You still have time to think about it. What, about a month till you’re on your feet again?”

“Something like that.”

“You’ll have full access to the training facilities for any extra physiotherapy you want to do.”

“I’ve never worked out a day in my life. Thanks for the offer, though.”

“It’s never too late to start. Weight training, sparring, it can be pretty fun sometimes.”

“Getting punched in the face? Sounds fun all right. I’ve had enough action for a lifetime.”

“I’m just saying, Aria. It doesn’t hurt to prepare yourself in case something happens again. There’s a reason for all the paperwork, you know. You’ve put yourself in the middle of an alien war twice now. Don’t expect it to suddenly stop just because Ironhide took down Starscream. There’s a lot more Decepticons out there, and they will try anything to get to the Autobots.”

“So you got mad at me when you found out I shot Starscream, and now you want me to train to defend myself?”

“Not to fight them, to run. To be prepared for anything. You’re a target now and that’s not about to change. Part of protecting you is teaching you to protect yourself.” He leaned in. “Now, I can’t do that officially, but with access to the base, there’s nothing saying you can’t learn off the books.”

She only swallowed. Maybe he was right. “I’ll think about it.”

Will stayed for another half hour to chat. He mostly went over aspects of the job and some people she’d be working with. Officially, she’d be working as a custodian for the Health and Human Services building, and that was fine. She would be closer to the Autobots, closer to Ironhide. Closer to safety.

And Will did make training sound kind of fun.

It was about an hour after he left when Ironhide appeared once again. “It’s me,” he called from the front entry way.

She leaned in her chair towards the stairway. “Come in. I’m upstairs.”

“How did your meeting go with William?” Ironhide asked as he sat on the chair beside her. For some reason, he always sat incredibly awkwardly on soft couches and chairs.

“It went well, I guess. I get to come back, but as a stupid janitor again. I was trying to look at this as a new chapter of my life and do all the things I didn’t let myself do before. Yet here I am, doing it again. Same shit, different day.”

“No one is telling you to do it.”

“It’s the only way I’m ever going to see you again.”

He tilted his head. “I’m right here.”

“No you’re not. You’re at the base. This is just,” she waved a hand, “a projection.”

“If you think my holoform is just a projection, you are mistaken. I am just as real as you.”

“But this isn’t your body, it’s just an image with your voice and personality. Sure, it’s real, but it’s not the real you.”

“Which is it then? You said you preferred me like this.”

When had she said that? Oh no. Back when he took her to go shopping. He took it the wrong way.

“That’s not what I meant. The only reason I prefer you like this is because it’s the only way I can see you at all.” She took a breath as his face remained impassive. “I know you’re the same Autobot in both forms, but in my mind it’s like you’re two different entities. There’s the Autobot, Ironhide, and the human, John. And I’m constantly reminding myself that you’re a holoform, that you’re Ironhide.”

He didn’t respond. His neutral expression bordered on something else. The way his brows pulled together and how his lips frowned more than usual. Almost like he was…hurt.

She opened her mouth to try again. To take back the words she’d said. But he beat her to it.  

“Is seeing me worth doing something you don’t want to?”

Did he not get it? It wasn’t long ago that she’d admitted that she would through everything again just to see him. Egypt, the ship, even the destruction of her home was insignificant compared to him. Did he not get that? Did he not understand how much he meant to her?

“I don’t know, do you like using your holoform to see me?” Came from her mouth instead.

He looked away.

“Then it’s only fair for it to be my turn.” She stretched out and put her hand on his shoulder. “Plus, I’ll finally get to see the others!”

She was met with his lop sided grin. “They’ll be happy to see you too.”

Relaxing back in her chair, she let out a sigh. In front of them, on the coffee table was the now dried rose he had picked from her garden. The pale pink petals now shades of copper.

Ironhide must have followed her gaze. “You still have it?”

“It’s the only thing left.”

They fell into silence.

“I never did thank you.”

She looked back at him.

“You risked your life for me.”

“Will told me you were mad about that.”

“I was.” He crossed his arms. “But I also recognize what you did for me, and for that I thank you for. Just promise me, you’ll never do it again.”

She raised her brows. “Why, were you intimidated by my prowess?”

Ironhide gave her a long look before his expression lightened. “I can assure you, Starscream was.”

“Good. Because next time I shoot him, it’s going to be in the eye.”

Ironhide gave her a look.

“In self defense, of course.”

“Hm.”

…

Later that night, Aria sat at the table, chewing on the last of her supper. The townhouse was silent besides the occasional noises through the walls from the neighbors. She would do anything to hear Wheelie make a sarcastic comment, or even hear him yell at the TV when a character did something stupid.

But that would change soon. She’d go to the base and see Ironhide and the Autobots almost everyday. So what if she was a janitor again? This time she chose to do it. And hopefully her new boss would be better than Mark.

Poor Eli was stuck picking up all her shifts until Mark found some other sucker to take her place. How was Eli doing anyway?

She picked up her cell phone and opened the contact list. Only two were programmed in. Colonel Lennox and Colonel Lennox Home—Emergency. She clicked off the screen.

Wait, she knew Eli's number. It was only one digit off hers. They’d joked about it back when they exchanged them months ago. She typed it in and stared at the blank message screen.

Would he even want to talk to her? She no longer had her job. Would it be weird to reach out now?

No, he came to her place once. That had been fine, so texting was probably okay.

She typed in a casual message as if she didn't mysteriously stop showing up to work. Almost immediately her phone buzzed with a notification. Eli was quick to respond, like usual. From what she knew, he didn't go out much.

Wow, Aria! I was starting to think you died! I heard about your house. I tried calling you, but I guess you got a new phone.

Yeah, I’m just thankful I was outside and no one else got hurt. Sorry about all the extra shifts by the way!

Oh I quit the second Marky-poo tried dumping extra hours on me. Got to go back to school soon anyway.

Oh yeah, he was still a student. Perfect timing then! Maybe Mark will have to pick up some slack then.

I hope so. Karma’s a bitch!

She sat at the table for a while longer texting back and forth with Eli. It was good to hear from him. No talk about Autobots or Decepticons, missions, or wars. Just casual catching up like two regular people.

After the sun set, she got up with one crutch and carried her plate to the kitchen. Instead of going upstairs to bed, she sat back on the chair to resume Simmons' book.

She only got through a paragraph before dropping it on her lap and looking out the window. Past the street and the buildings, past the trees and the bridge, was the sliver of grey brick wall of the Health and Human Services building.

Chapter Text

There it was, in all its glory, half the size of the other. Pale flesh bordered angry scar tissue. One long and straight from the incision, and a much wider jagged one where bone had once poked through. The long scar on her arm was nothing in comparison.

The cast finally came off a couple of weeks ago and physio began, yet here she was in front of the mirror again.

Just staring.

At least the crutches were finally gone, but she wasn’t out of the clear yet. It was a time of balance, regaining strength in the atrophied muscle, while not pushing too far.

Her closet was slightly fuller than before, added to with each little shopping trip over the last couple of months. Sweatpants and t-shirts, sweaters, a pair of trousers with the tag still attached. But no dresses. It was probably a trousers day anyway.

She changed, using the bed frame for support. Her door was closed out of habit. It had been months since she had a small Cybertronian roommate across the hall, yet she still woke up in the mornings expecting to hear his voice.

Ironhide only came around once or twice a week. He claimed he was being monitored more at the base, so he had to be more attentive. But there had to be more to it than that.

When he first came to visit her, he looked fine, but now when he did, his holoform looked fuzzy and he preferred to stay still. Almost like he was going on more missions without telling her.

Sure, it wasn’t her business, but still…

No. No it wasn’t her business. He wasn’t obligated to tell her anything. They were friends with their own lives.

She had just finished breakfast when there was a knock at the door. The taps were light, so it wasn’t Ironhide, which meant Will had arrived early.

Maybe he came with Ironhide!

She made her way to the door, walking as fast as her weak leg would allow.

“Morning, Aria,” Will greeted

She glanced over his shoulder to the parking lot. “Good morning.”

He seemed to notice. “Unfortunately, we’re taking a regular vehicle today. The Autobots are having their weekly cultural studies class or whatever you want to call it.”

“Are they learning about anything exciting today?” She slid on her shoes and followed him out to the vehicle.

He opened the door for her. “Hygiene practices or something?”

“Oh no. They’re never going to look at us the same.”

He got into the driver’s seat and pulled out of the parking lot. “Just pray Ratchet doesn’t ask you any personal questions. He likes to ‘gather additional data’ from the guys after. Asked me about my sex life once, after learning about our reproductive processes.”

“Is it really necessary to teach them that?”

He shook his head. “No, but they kept asking about how humans breed until Amber decided to have a biologist come in and explain it in vast detail.”

“Amber is the cultural liaison?”

“Yeah, Amber Lee. You and her would probably get along.”

…

After a quick tour and informal job orientation, Aria and Will stood outside a door that looked into a massive room. The dark room was illuminated by a projector screen that currently displayed stock images of a woman in a bubble bath smiling unnaturally at a blank wall.

On a small stage, stood Amber. She had short sandy colored hair with neatly trimmed bangs. She wore a brown blazer and matching pencil skirt with a pair of modest heels. Quite cute, actually.

The slideshow came to an end and Amber flipped on the lights. Both Aria and Will backed up from the small door as the entire wall lifted out of the way. Autobots filtered out chatting to one another, much like high school kids exiting class.

First Optimus, then Ratchet, the twins, Jolt, Bumblebee, then two she hadn’t seen before, one red and one blue.

When Ironhide didn’t emerge, she peeked back in to witness him practically shoving Sideswipe out of the room. The latter intently talked to Amber, who politely smiled back.

“I’m sorry, I can’t today, Sideswipe,” she said.

“Come on, you said we could go for a ride sometime. I’ll take you wherever you need to go.”

Ironhide gave him another nudge out of the room. “Sideswipe, stop harassing the woman.”

There was something about seeing him, the real him. Something about hearing his voice. She was smiling like an idiot and Will was right there to see it.

Sideswipe bickered back before trying again with Amber. “Is it my alt mode? You like Lotus? McLaren? BMW?”

Ironhide finally pushed Sideswipe out of the room as he listed off manufactures. Amber only shook her head, giving him a wave before exiting through a different door on the far wall.

“Why doesn’t she like me?” Sideswipe asked as they walked past without so much as noticing her or Will. “She told me silver is her favorite color, what else does she want?”

“Believe it or not, human females care about more than just color.”

“Oh yeah? And how am I supposed to know that?”

“Have you tried asking her what she likes to do?”

They rounded the corner back to the main hangar and out of sight.

“Sideswipe’s got a bit of a thing for Amber if you couldn’t tell. Poor girl is being constantly harassed. We tried talking to him about it, but HR doesn’t mean much to Autobots.”

“Yeah, that’s…interesting.”

So Sideswipe was attracted to a human and completely open about it?

“Well I’ll be damned.” A voice drew her attention towards the ground. “If it isn’t Aria.”

“Wheelie!” She crouched down to his height, putting her hands on the bits of metal that made up his arms.

Beside him was another tiny Autobot, bulkier in stature, with almost goggle-like optics.

“Yeah, I know you missed me.” Wheelie patted her arm. “This is my friend Brains, by the way. Brains, Aria.”

Brains gave a salute. “Yo!”

Aria put out a hand for a handshake. “Nice to meet you.”

“Pleasure’s all mine.” He said, returning it.

“Other bots didn’t even notice you, huh?” Wheelie said as their group began back down the large hall m the others had gone.

“Well I mean, we are kind of tiny.”

“How do you think we feel? Always the little guys.” Brain’s gave Wheelie a hefty slap on the back.

“Yeah, but we got each other now. No more getting stepped on, you and me,” Wheelie replied.

“Oh, Will!” Aria abruptly turned to him. “Does Wheelie get to live with me again? Brains can come too.”

Will frowned. “Unfortunately, they’re going with Sam and Carly to their new place.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, Sam’s in the process of moving here. Probably be best to have him with some protection since he’s further from the base than you.”

She only made a noise as they turned into the main hangar where the Autobots were gathered, mingling with each other and human staff.

“Hey, guys!” Will hollered out. “Our new employee has arrived.”

Every head in the room turned to her. Then a course of greetings that garbled together in illegible noise.

Her eyes swept over the familiar metallic faces, finally stopping when she found Ironhide’s. He gave a small nod.

“Aria, so good to see you.” Ratchet was the first to speak out from the crowd. “Tell me, do you feel pressure from human society to groom the various natural hairs of your body?”

“Like, as in shaving? Then yes.”

Ratchet leaned in closer, now clearly intrigued. “You do appear to be in good repair despite recent circumstances.”

“Ratchet, give the girl some space.” Optimus approached, towering over the green Autobot. “Aria, my condolences for the loss of your home.”

She swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded.

More Autobots gathered around uttering their sympathies.

As sweet as it was, if they kept it up, she would ruin her mascara. She lifted her eyes to the unfamiliar red Autobot. “So you guys got some new recruits?”

“Aria, this is Mirage,” Optimus gestured to the red one, “and this is Wheeljack.”

“Ciao,” greeted Mirage.

Wheeljack was much more enthusiastic. “So this is the famous Aria. So nice to finally meet you.”

Wheeljack had heard of her? Did Ironhide say something?

“Nice to meet you guys too.”

The Autobots began to talk over each other, breaking into various conversations.

“Aye, Squishy, ‘bout time you came back.”

“Yeah, long time no see!”

The twins stood so close together, sparks flew from between their arms.

“We never thought old ‘Hide would shut up about you.”

Skids slapped Mudflap on the back. “Aria this, Aria that. Only one worse is ‘Swipe talkin’ ‘bout Amber.”

“Who’s talking about Amber?” Sideswipe’s voice rose above the rest. “Did she come back?” He pushed through the twins, looking around Aria for any sign of the woman.

“No, unfortunately not,” Aria said while shaking her head.

His optics landed on her face, widening as if he had an epiphany. “Aria, you’re a human female. Tell me, what can I do to win her affections?”

“Uh…”

More glowing blue eyes landed on her, just as curious as Sideswipe’s. From behind Optimus, even Ironhide now looked intrigued by what she would say.

She only echoed what Ironhide had said to him earlier. “…Find out what she likes?” 

“I have. She likes hiking and small creatures such as rabbits. Her favorite color is silver and her preferred method of hygiene is bathing with epsom salts.” His shoulders sagged. “Nothing I can do anything with.”

Okay, those were weirdly specific observations. Would Ironhide say things like that about her if asked what she likes? Her gaze met his for only a second before she returned her attention to Sideswipe.

“Maybe you could offer her a ride out to a hiking trail?”

“I have, but she claims they are down gravel roads, not suited to my alt form. She’s refused every offer I’ve made her anyway.”

“Have you tried human acts of romance?” Ratchet asked from beside Ironhide. “Gifts or perhaps words of endearment?”

Oh no. Ratchet would have him confessing to a woman who didn’t sound interested. “It might be too soon for words—”

“Have you tried poetry?”

All eyes turned towards Ironhide who shrugged. “I’ve heard they can express fond emotions in indirect ways.”

Aria resisted the urge to back out of the room.

“Ironhide, where have you heard such things?” Optimus asked. “I do not recall Amber lecturing us on such topics.”

Ironhide looked her dead in the eye. “That’s because Aria did.”

No one seemed phased by Ironhide’s blatant words. Instead of asking him for details, they instead focused back on her.

Sideswipe came closer and kneeled. “Aria, will you teach me?”

“I am also curious,” added Ratchet. The others nodded along.

“What exactly is this poetry?” Jolt asked.

As she explained, she couldn’t help but drift back to that day in the snow when she first recited a poem to Ironhide. How at peace he looked. How soft his eyes were.

Ratchet nodded. “So you use things such as metaphors and similes to tell a story? Interesting.”

“I don’t know how to use those!” Sideswipes face twisted into a frown.

“You can use rhymes. They’re a lot easier to start with.” Aria hummed. What was an easy thing to rhyme? Oh! “A common one we use to start is ‘Roses are red, violets are blue’. Then you say two lines following that, and the last one has to rhyme with blue. Like ‘you’ or ‘too’.”

Sideswipe rubbed the back of his head while the others made similar gestures of thought.

“Perhaps you could give us an example?” Wheeljack piped up.

She hummed. “Roses are red,

Violets are blue,

The grass is green

And cows say moo.”

That earned a few blinks.

“Allow me.” Ratchet took a step forward into the vague circle they had formed.

“Roses are red

Violets are blue

We are from the planet Cybertron

Our sparks are blue.”

She opened her mouth to correct him, but stopped. She clapped instead. The Autobots nodded and cheered, clearly impressed.

Skids and Mudflap barged forward.

“Roses are red,” Skids started.

“Violets be blue,” Mudflap took over.

Skids shoved him over. “We gon’ kill dem Decepticons

They looked at each other. “Megatron who?”

They fist bumped.

Optimus made a noise akin to clearing his throat. “Roses are red

Violets are blue

Freedom is a right

For me and you as well— No, no. That’s not it.” He muttered with a wave of his hand.

“All right, let me try.” Sideswipe stood straighter.

“Roses are red

Violets are blue

I like your chassis

We should go for a ride too.” He looked around for approval.

“You’re going to have to do better than that.”

Everyone looked at Ironhide.

“Oh yeah, let's hear yours then.” Sideswipe said, poking Ironhide in the chest.

Ironhide brushed him off, then gave a swift glance around before his eyes settled on her.

“Roses are red

Violets are blue

The sky shines brightly above us

But only half as bright as you.”

Her heart fluttered as she broke eye contact. She brought her hand up to her face in an attempt to hide her heating cheeks. Luckily, Sideswipe diverted everyone’s attention.

“Ironhide, you have to let me use that!”

“That’s plagiarizing.” Ironhide put his hands on his hips. “Come up with your own.”

“Why? Not like you have anyone to impress.”

Ratchet brought a hand to his chin. “I believe the poem was intended for Aria.”

Both her and Ironhide faltered. Spewing out words of denial.

The conversation eventually moved on with little consequence. It was so nice to finally catch up with the Autobots. Overall, they were in good health and in good humor. They talked about her new place and some of the places they’ve been—well until Will warned them about sharing classified mission details.

After what felt like hours of catching up, some of the Autobots wandered off to rest, usually in groups of two or three.

Before long, it was just her, Ratchet and Ironhide who remained in the main hangar. Even the employees went home for the night.

“Aria, would you mind coming with us to the other room?” Ratchet asked once Bumblebee and Sideswipe disappeared from view.

“Sure.”

She followed them back towards their lecture room, keeping clear of their footfalls. Maybe they didn’t want to hang out in the open anymore. Then again, Ironhide was less talkative than he normally was, especially after reciting his poem. Who knew he had it in him.

The overhead lights automatically flickered on as the Autobots entered. They reached the center of the room and turned to face her. Ratchet looked pointedly at Ironhide.

“Aria, I—” Ironhide pinched his nose, more agitated than anything.

She took a step closer to him. “Yes?”

He let out a stream of air, then went down on a knee in front of her. “I have a gift for you.”

He had a gift? For her?

One of the pieces of metal that made up his chest shifted as he reached in and grabbed something. It was small in his fingers, resembling a baton. He placed it in her outstretched hand.

It was dark metal, about a foot in length, lightweight and smooth. A few small Cybertronian symbols were etched onto it.

“What is it?”

“It’s a weapon.”

She held onto one end of it, as if it were a bat. “To beat up my enemies?” She giggled at the thought.

The glow of Ironhide’s optics seemed to soften. “It’s a bow.”

Bringing the piece of metal to her face, she examined it closer. “It transforms into one?”

He hummed as he nodded.

“How do I do that?”

Ratchet answered, “It requires an Energon source to function.”

“Oh.” Aria looked back down at the Cybertronian weapon. Then how was she supposed to use it?

Movement caught her eye. When she looked back, Ironhide’s open palm was in front of her. In it was a glowing blue crystal shard. Her eyes traveled from it to his face.

“It’s yours, if you accept it.”

She picked up the tiny shard from his palm. It was no more than an inch, but it glowed brightly against her skin.

Ratchet kneeled beside Ironhide. “We have done all the testing we could with the human scientists. We believe it is harmless to your health.”

“Is this Energon?”

“Yes, in its purest form. Once inside your body, we believe it will circulate Energon within your lymphatic system and possibly your bloodstream.”

“Wait—It has to be inside me?”

Both Autobots nodded.

“Preferably under your breast tissue, on top of your ribcage near the lymph nodes to ensure efficient circulation.”

“You don’t have to, Aria.” Ironhide interjected. “But it ensures the bow will work only for you.”

“I’ll do it.”

Ironhide blinked. “You will?”

She nodded, grasping the Energon shard in her hand.

“In that case, there’s only one condition.”

Aria smirked at him. “I can only use it in self defense?”

He poked her in the chest. “That’s right, punk.”

Ratchet made a disgruntled noise. “And I thought Sideswipe was bad.”

Chapter Text

Aria wiped the sweat off her face with the back of her hand. She sat on a bench in the training room, two ten pound weights on either side of her feet. It was only her third visit so far, but she was already feeling the results. Or at least that’s what someone told her. The pain was a good thing— allegedly.

The first day she walked on a treadmill and a stair climber until her legs burned, the second day she tried bench pressing, and today was anything that made her arms and back burn. It was probably a good idea to at least be fit for archery.

She put away the weights and went to the women’s changing room. She showered and changed into sweatpants and a t-shirt. Her appointment with the resident doctor was in fifteen minutes.

The doctor's office was on the far side of the base, somewhere she’d only recently seen thanks to her new job. The secret base was three times the size she’d originally thought. The main hangar alone was impressive, but there was a whole second hangar with higher ceilings. The walls in this hangar were made up of at least three floors worth of observation windows.

She waved up to Wheeljack and Optimus as they passed and received nods of acknowledgement as they continued their conversation. Something about upgrading Optimus’… sword? Huh. Who knew?

Continuing past the second hangar, she entered a hallway lined with doors. The doctor’s office was the third door down. She sat on one of the chairs in the small room.

It was funny, a year ago she’d hardly ever gone to the doctor, now she was a regular. Meeting an alien race proved to be more dangerous than even she had anticipated.

At least this was a voluntary visit for once. From what she’d heard, this was half an operation and half a science experiment. Only three Autobots, Will, a scientist, and a doctor knew about the Energon shard “experiment”. Lennox had been skeptical, but Ironhide and Ratchet ensured it was safe.

The door opened and the doctor and scientist walked in. They both wore lab coats, the only distinguishing feature between the two was that the doctor wore a stethoscope and the scientist wore clear safety glasses.

“Hello, Aria, how are you today?” the doctor asked. She had greying hair in a bun and soft brown eyes.

“I’m good, and you?”

“Better now that my day’s about to get more interesting. I’m Dr. Harlow. This is Dr. Martinez,” she gestured to the younger woman, “she’ll be assisting me and documenting everything.”

Dr. Martinez only gave a curt nod while scribbling something down on her clipboard. Aria nodded back, though Dr. Martinez probably didn’t notice.

Dr. Harlow sat in the rolling chair at the desk. “Can I get you to sit on the bed and remove your shirt? I have to run a physical to determine the best placement.”

Aria did as requested, removing the baggy t-shirt but didn’t touch her bra. She would have specified if Dr. Martinez hadn’t been staring her down like a lab rat and taking endless notes about who knew what.

The much more human doctor slid her chair in front of Aria and pressed a stethoscope up to her chest. “Take a few deep breaths.”

Aria inhaled fully, like at the Kennedy center right before singing her first note. Then exhaled until her ribs couldn’t compress any further.

“Perfect,” Dr Harlow said, moving the stethoscope around Aria’s chest and back with each breath.

She then wrapped a blood pressure cuff around Aria’s arm. “Do you have a preference of which breast you’d like the shard inserted?” she asked as the cuff inflated uncomfortably.

Aria had never thought about that. Not like it really mattered. “Whichever you think is best.”

“Veronica, could you bring the shard over so we can assess the size?”

Dr. Martinez sprang into action. She dropped the clipboard that was previously glued to her hand and went straight for the cupboard.

After Ironhide had shown her the Energon shard, Ratchet took it back and gave it to the doctor. He said Dr. Harlow had to sanitize it in advance.

Dr. Martinez pulled out the plastic cup. It was full of clear liquid that faintly glowed blue thanks to the shard inside. She held it up to her face closely enough for the light to reflect off her safety glasses.

“Veronica,” Dr. Harlow said flatly. “The container?”

“I’m sorry.” Dr. Martinez snapped out of her trance and brought it over. “I just can’t believe I’m seeing a piece of a Cybertronian spark!”

She extended her hand to give the shard to Dr. Harlow when she froze.

Dr. Harlow took the cup with a sideways glance, then held it up to Aria’s chest. “It looks like it will fit well here.”

Aria didn’t respond. Her eyes were on Dr. Martinez who was fumbling with her pen and clipboard.

Did she just say…spark?

A Cybertronian spark. Not a shard of Energon. How could she have been so stupid, of course it was a spark. It was the same color as Jetfire’s. The same glow, only brighter.

Aria took a slow breath. “Can I see it again?”

Dr. Harlow handed her the container. Both she and Dr. Martinez were silent, their eyes on Aria.

Sure enough, there it was. Brilliant blue resting against the cup. A piece of a spark. But who’s? Was this from a dead Cybertronian? But how was it so bright then? The cup was warm too, Jetfire’s spark had been cold.

“Who’s… spark is this?”

This time, both doctors looked at each other. It was Dr. Martinez who spoke.

“It belongs to Ironhide. He had Ratchet perform the operation without our consent or knowledge. When Ratchet did notify me, he told me it was an Energon shard as well. It wasn’t until I did multiple tests on it that I confirmed it wasn’t just any Energon, it was the specific chemical composition of a spark. Ratchet wouldn’t tell me whose spark it was either, but it was easy to tell due to Ironhide’s subsequent lethargy. Not to mention the intended recipient is you.”

He was just going to take out a piece of his spark and give it to her without saying a word? He couldn’t just do that! Who did he think he was?

“I’m going to kill him,” she muttered.

Keeping the small jar clutched in her hand, she threw her shirt back on and stood abruptly. Both women got out of her way as she marched out of the room and back out to the hangar.

A couple of passersby moved out of her way, creating more distance than usual. She stepped into the large hallway between hangars only to nearly trip on two small Autobots.

“Eh, watch the little guys!”

“Yeah, we can’t help our size!”

“Wheelie, Brains! Have you seen Ironhide?”

Brains opened his mouth, but Wheelie gave him a hardy slap and answered instead. “Haven’t seen him lately, s—something up?”

Aria crouched in front of him. “You know.”

Wheelie took a step back. “I may have overheard some things—"

“So do you, or don’t you?” She leaned closer, eliminating any personal space he had between her and the wall.

He let out a squeal but didn’t say anything.

She was about to threaten him when Brains finally spoke up.

“Is this about that whole spark debacle?”

“So you guys do know.”

“Yeah, we helped ol’ Wheeljack make the bow. Not supposed to tell nobody though,” Brains continued despite Wheelie’s protests.

“Who else knows about it? Why didn’t’ anyone tell me?”

“We weren’t supposed to know either. Wheeljack slipped up and told us. That’s it though, the rest of the Autobots don’t know, even Optimus,” Wheelie said.

“But why wouldn’t he tell me? I want to know when I’m putting a piece of someone’s soul in my body.” She held up the spark shard for them to see.

They both panicked and averted their gaze from the small container. When she wrapped her fingers back around it, they recovered.

Wheelie was the first to speak. “Obviously because you’d freak out and say no.”

“I would not!”

“Uh huh.”

Brains hummed. “I think it’s romantic.”

Aria’s and Wheelie’s heads snapped towards him.

“Why is it romantic?” she asked.

“It’s really not,” Wheelie cut in.

Brains didn’t take the hint. “You haven’t heard the story?”

Aria shook her head.

Wheelie raised his arm in attempt to stop Brains, but Aria shushed him.

“When the war first began, two Sparkmates got caught in an Energon raid. The femme was shot in the spark cavity by a Decepticon. Her mech got her out of the building and away from the battle. When he looked at her spark, he saw that a piece was missing and that she didn’t have much time left. Not knowing what else to do, he cut out a small sliver of his spark and attached it to hers. Her spark fused together with his, saving her life. It became a custom after that. Sparkmates gave each other a piece of their spark, kinda like how you humans give rings here.”

Aria leaned back until she sat on the floor.

Wheelie relaxed and rolled up to her. “That’s probably the other reason he didn’t tell you.”

“He didn’t want me to find out about the implications.”

Wheelie gave her a pat. “He’s not doing it because of that. He’s doing it because it’s the only way to give you a weapon strong enough to take out Decepticons.”

“He’s not?” Came Brains voice from her other side. “Huh.”

“I know your still figuring things out when it comes to your relationship with Ironhide, but he just wants you to be safe, so do yourself a favor and don’t overthink it, princess.”

So she was supposed to take Ironhide’s actions at face value? Not like it was anything terribly important—Just a shard of his spark after all.

She let out a heavy sigh and got up.

Brains jabbed a thumb down the hallway. “He’s in the main hangar, just got back a few minutes ago.”

“Thanks guys. I’ll tell Ironhide he owes you two for saving his life.”

Wheelie quickly nodded and pulled Brains down the hall in the opposite direction.

Sure enough, Ironhide was in the main hangar in his alt mode. 

That’s why he’d rarely visited, he wasn’t tired from missions, he was tired because he was missing a piece of his spark.

A few others were parked around in their alt modes. Bumblebee and Sideswipe had their backs turned, headed towards one of the training rooms.

As she approached Ironhide’s alt form, the driver door opened in advance. She climbed in, using the steering wheel to hoist herself up into the seat. The door closed with a soft click.

She sat in silence. There was no greeting, nothing. Just silence. Not the comfortable kind either. The tightness in her chest extended into the air around her.

“I’m sorry, Aria. I should have told you.”

He knew then, why she was here.

“I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

“It would have been a lot less uncomfortable if I heard it from you and not a woman I just met slipping up.”

He sighed, his alt form sinking ever so slightly. “If I told you, you would have said no. You would have asked questions that I can’t answer.

What questions did he think she would ask?

“You said it yourself, I can’t always be there for you. And it’s when I’m not there that you’re a target. A weapon is the only way to do it. A weapon that you alone can use, so no one else could ever use it against you.”

“I understand that, but you’re clear about your intensions, so why not tell me what else it could mean so I don’t have to find out from someone else?”

He was silent for a long time.

“I feared your reaction.”

Something in her chest dropped into the pit of her stomach. Her gaze fell to the container in her hand. The spark shard shined back at her.

Ironhide continued, “I didn’t want you to reject it. And because of that, I lied.”

On the one hand, it made total sense where he was coming from. Offering something so precious only for the person to say no because it was too much, too soon. On the other though, lying wasn’t the answer.

“Thank you for being honest with me now. It means a lot,” she said, bringing her free hand up and rubbing her thumb on the steering wheel.

“I’ve lost too many of those I care about. I can’t risk losing you too. I will protect you at any cost, Aria, even if that means protecting your planet to do so.”

It was at times like this that she wished she could see his face. His eyes as he looked back at her.

“Promise you won’t lie to me again. Even if you’re afraid it will make either of us upset.”

“I Promise.”

“Good. Now I have one more question.”

He hummed.

“If I put your spark shard in my chest, does that make us Sparkmates?”

The entire truck shifted as Ironhide sputtered something in Cybertronian. “No, of course not. Sparkmates are something else entirely.”

She relaxed. “Alright, just wanted to make sure we're not doing something unintentional.”

“Aria—” he stopped himself.

“Ironhide?”

“Don’t forget I am still your boyfriend.”

Aria scoffed and opened the door. She slid down to the ground putting most of her weight on her good leg.

“Goodbye, Ironhide!” She shut the door.

Ironhide revved at her as she walked away. She flashed him a smile over her shoulder.

Ahead of her, Wheelie and Brains peeked out of the hallway entrance. The second she made eye contact, they both disappeared in a chorus of clanking metal and curses.  

“Hey, princess.”

“’Sup, lil’ lady.” They said in unison when she found them again.

Aria squatted down. “Hi guys.”

Brains scratched the back of his head. “Well how’d it go?”

“Pretty good. He apologized and I forgive him.”

“Just like that?”

“Just like that.” She stood up. “Walk with me?”

They nodded and followed.

“So you’re going to do it?” Wheelie asked.

“Yeah. I feel better about everything now.”

“I thought you’d be even more weirded out knowing the truth. How did he convince you?”

“He didn’t ‘convince’ me to do anything. It’s a piece of his spark after all, and I trust him with my life.”

Brains gave Wheelie a little elbow who attempted to wave him off.

Aria ignored whatever mischief or secret bet they placed. Not like Wheelie’s teasing was a new thing, and it was nice to see him have a friend to share his antics with.

Dr. Harlow was still in her office, she apologized on behalf of her and Dr. Martinez for the unprofessionalism. It really wasn’t their fault anyway.

Aria continued the physical. Ironhide’s spark shard was back on the counter, casting a faint glow on the surface.

The following day she had the operation in the same office. The only evidence of the spark was a small vertical incision on the side of her left breast beside her sternum.

Once the local anesthetic wore off, a pleasant warmth filled her chest.

Chapter Text

It was around noon when a louder than usual engine revved into the main hangar. It didn’t sound like any of the Autobots, with its distinct higher pitched engine.

Aria looked up from the spot she was sweeping in between Jolt and Bumblebee, the latter of whom had their windows down, playing some eighties hair metal.

Parked by the entrance was a motorcycle. The person riding it got off and removed their helmet. It was Will.

Aria dropped the broom off at her cleaning cart as she made her way over to him. “I didn’t know you had a bike.”

“Don’t usually ride it to work, but I figured it was nice a day as any.” He took off his gloves. “Why, you like bikes?”

“I had a dirt bike a long time ago, before my parents made me choose between it or horses. Old Honda. It was a blast.”

“You have a license?”

“No, it was just a dirt bike.”

“Why not? A bike would be perfect for you. A lot cheaper than a car would be.” He leaned in closer to her ear. “And a lot less hassle than an Autobot.”

Aria snickered along with him before answering. “Never had the funds to buy one. Plus, it’s been so long I’d probably fall over.”

“Wow, Aria. I learn something new about you everyday!” He gave her shoulder a squeeze. “Come on, you can try mine around the building. Plenty of parking lot space.”

She crossed her arms, doing her best Ironhide impression. “I don’t have a break for another hour.”

“Take it early! Not like anyone’s going to care. Come on!”

With a swift glance back to her cart sitting off to the side of the large room, she gave a shrug. “Yeah, why not.”

She didn’t have to change or anything. Unlike at the museum, there wasn’t a uniform. Here she could wear whatever, so jeans and a t-shirt worked well enough. At least training and physio paid off, her legs were the same size again. Maybe even more muscular than before!

Will simply turned the bike around so it was facing out the overhead door. Outside was warm and clouds speckled the blue sky.

She hopped on. The bike was a bit tall, so only the balls of her feet touched the ground. The Kawasaki sport bike had a different sitting position than her old dirt bike, but still felt somewhat familiar.

Will helped her turn it on and she quickly went through the controls. Front brake, rear brake, shifter, and clutch.

Will passed her his helmet, “for legal reasons”.

It was loose on her head, so she had to hold it down to open the visor and put her glasses back on. She gave a nod, kicked up the kickstand, and putted around the mostly vacant parking lot.

Outside she rode around in first gear. Will had followed her out and now stood by the security guards outside the door.

Once the bike felt more comfortable under her, she began doing circles and figure eights, going faster and leaning further with each round.  

Every time she circled past the overhead doors, more and more Autobots appeared at the entrance. Eventually, she rode back to them.

Ratchet and Ironhide looked on like a pair of dads. Sideswipe and Bee were being scolded by Optimus for transforming and attempting to play in the parking lot too.   

“How was it?” Will asked as she removed his helmet and handed it back to him.

“It was great! Maybe I should get one now that I can probably afford it.”

Aria and Will walked through the crowd of Cybertronians.

“What a dangerous mode of transportation,” Ratchet commented.

Jolt replied, “I think it’s efficient. I’ve seen them navigate through traffic with relative ease.”

Skids and Mudflap were making crude motorcycle noises while holding onto invisible handlebars.

Ironhide and Sideswipe stood side by side examining the bike as if it held all the answers to life’s greatest mysteries.

Will stopped at Aria’s cart with her. “How’ve you been feeling?”

“Good, the incision’s all healed. My arms and legs are still get tingly sometimes, but I haven’t noticed much else.”

“Have you got the bow to work yet?”

“Not yet. Ratchet and Dr. Harlow say it might still be a while yet, maybe not until the tingling feeling stops and the Energon gets a chance to fully circulate.”

Will shook his head. “You know this is nuts, right?”

“I’m aware,” Aria said with a chuckle.

A man called Epps called Will from one of the hallways. Apparently, it was time for him to get back to work too. He gave a farewell and left Aria to her own devices.

…Her own devices being the dust pile left on the floor. The fact it was untouched spoke volumes about Wheelie’s absence. Gone were the days he’d “accidentally” drive through them. He and Brains were now roommates with Sam and Carly in their new apartment. Hopefully the mischievous duo weren’t too difficult to manage.

Countless dust piles later, seven p.m. rolled around. Aria brought her cart back to the janitorial closet and grabbed her bag. Next stop was the gym.

The more she explored the base, the more of a resort it became. Training rooms, gyms, cafeterias. She’d even found the offices that were converted into hotel rooms.

The Autobots had multiple rooms too. A couple of training rooms and three more quiet ones for privacy or sleep—stasis. Then there was the big theatre room where Amber held her lectures.

A couple of others were in the gym when she came out of the changing room. She’d seen them before—the regulars.

Aria hung out in the free weight section. Dr. Harlow told her to take it easy for at least another week so the incision could heal properly or in case it caused complications with the Energon beginning to circulate through her body.

It was nine when she entered the shooting range. She took the bow out of her locker after entering the passcode and putting her finger on the fingerprint reader. The room was empty besides her, but that was because she had special permission to use it between nine and ten since the bow was a secret.

The black baton shaped piece of Cybertronian technology sat in the palm of her hand. Still nothing despite the persistent tingling in her fingertips. When was she going to finally be able to use it? Or even see it for that matter?

Static filled the air and sent a strange shock through her chest. She whipped around to the sudden presence just as he appeared.

She just about said his name but froze. The room had security cameras!

“I already asked Wheelie about the security cameras. He says they get turned off from nine to ten thanks to Will.”

“So no one sees the bow?” That explained the specific time window Will gave her.

Ironhide nodded. “Still nothing?” he asked, approaching her.

She held it out to him. “No.”

As he took it, his hand brushed hers. She nearly flinched at the sudden jolt.

Ironhide only raised an eyebrow at her for a moment before looking back down at the bow. He turned it in his hands as if feeling for size and weight.

She looked up at him. “Can you make it transform?”

“I cannot. My holoform isn’t made up of enough Energon to make it work.”

“Really?” That was almost enough to make her feel better. Ironhide’s holoform was purely made using Energon, and even that wasn’t enough to activate the bow.

“If my true form were your size, I could. Otherwise, no.”

“So if there was a Cybertronian my size, they could use it?”

“Aria, I told you I made this bow in a way that only you can use it. The bow is technically made to only work with my Energon signature. With the shard in your chest, you now also have my Energon signature.”

So that’s how it worked. “But what about the Perceptor? Can’t it track me now?”

“It can, but if it’s already tracking me, it knows where you are. That’s why you’re so close to the base.”

Her eyes fell. He was right. Not only did she live near the base, she spent most of her time here. Still, living in one of the small hotel like rooms wouldn’t be bad. She could sleep soundly knowing Ironhide was only a few floors down.

Ironhide slowly reached out, taking her hand in his “We won’t let anything happen to you. The moment an Energon detector goes off, I will go to you. And if I can’t, I have instructed the other Autobots to protect you in my stead. I give you this weapon hoping you will never use it.”

She looked down at their intertwined hands. Everything bad that’s happened so far had been to her. She got hurt, healed, and gained another scar.

But what if the coin flipped and something happened to Ironhide? What if he got badly hurt and couldn’t protect himself? Would she have it in herself to step into the fight to protect him?

When he fought Starscream, the best she could do was cause a distraction. And if that hadn’t have worked, then what? Would Ironhide even be here right now? Would Starscream have killed him?

Her vision began to blur.

He looked out for her time and time again. Even before he knew her back in Egypt.

A shard of his spark was in her chest, and there was nothing she could do in return.

“What’s wrong?” Ironhide’s voice cut through her thoughts.

She wiped the tears from her eyes before they could fall. “I-I’m just scared.”

“It only takes me five minutes to get to you, less if I have to.”

“But how long would it take me to get to you?”

He frowned.

“What if you’re the one in danger somewhere far away on a mission, or even at the base? There’s nothing I can do to help you.” She blinked as more tears fell down her face.

Ironhide closed the distance that separated them. His arms wrapped around her, enveloping her body in the same warmth the spark shard emitted in her chest.

“I’ve been around for a long time, Aria. I’m not about to go anywhere.”

“You’d better not.” Her words were muffled by his chest.

They stayed like that for a long time. Long enough for the tears to dry from Aria’s eyes.

“Are you still tired?” She asked, not moving.

“Not anymore.”

They parted but remained close. The air of the room sent a chill down her spine.

Ironhide’s eyes fell from her face to her chest, narrowing in concentration, searching for something.

“It’s impolite to stare at a woman’s chest you know.”

Ironhide’s attention snapped back up to her face. She couldn’t help but giggle at his stunned expression.

Between Dr. Harlow’s constant prodding and Dr. Martinez’s little tests, she’d had her shirt off more times than she could count in the name of science.

She reached for the hem of the t-shirt. Not like Ironhide would be interested in her chest anyway. To him, it was just a human body, right?

Before her thoughts could stop her, she lifted the shirt over her head. Under it was her sports bra that she had to pull down a bit more to reveal the thin scar. Lifting her eyes from it, she was met with Ironhide’s surprised expression.

“Well, there it is,” she said.

He looked between the scar and her face a few times before his body visibly relaxed. He then lifted his hand up and brushed her skin where the scar was. The shard in her chest warmed up and the tingling sensation intensified from the tips of her fingers to her toes. Slowly, he placed his hand over the spark shard.

And her heart.

His gaze immediately softened.

The intense tingle turned to something more pleasant, almost like a hum.

“Can you feel that too?” she asked.

“I can.” His eyes never left hers.

A faint whining noise drew her attention down to the bow in Ironhide’s hand. He hummed, taking his hand off her chest and held it out to her.

She grasped it, holding it close to her face. It wasn’t cold anymore. “Is it working?”

“It recognizes you. Try to make it transform.”

“How? I thought it just does.”

“You have control over it.”

She looked up at him. “That doesn’t help me much.”

He grinned. “You feel the Energon, don’t you?”

“Yeah, all over.”

He grasped her forearm. “Draw that feeling to my hand.”

She nearly laughed. Her arm already prickled under his touch. Like ever nerve fired at once at the mere contact. “And then?”

He ran his fingers down her arm to her wrist. The action alone sent tingles down her spine, but with the addition of the Energon, it was more like electricity that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.

The feeling spread to her palm as he brushed it with his fingers. The bow came to life the second the electrical current in her body met it.

Each end of the metal expanded out and unfolded until it resembled a combination of a recurve and compound bow. Despite the fact it tripled in size, it was still the same weight, lighter than any bow she’d ever held before. The bowstring was made of multiple thin metal cords braided together. It looked way too difficult to even attempt to pull back. Did Ironhide even consider the draw weight?

She placed her fingers on the string and pulled back. It wasn’t light by any means, but it wasn’t heavy either. She lowered the bow and turned back to Ironhide.

His soft smile turned to his usual lop sided grin. “You like it?”

“It’s amazing! I’ve never seen anything like it before!” Minding the bow, she threw her arms around him. “Thank you so much, Ironhide.”

He returned the hug. “You’re welcome.”

She let him go, falling back onto her heels. “Now I just need some arrows.” She went back to the lockers. In hers were some arrows she’d bought days ago. They were expensive since they were made of carbon fiber, but who knew what this bow could do. Or who she’d have to use it on.

Ironhide crossed his arms and stood back as she took her spot. At the other end of the range was a human shaped target attached to the wall. It had a couple of bullet holes around the chest and head area.

She took stance and brought the bow up. She gauged the weight as she adjusted her aim. Pulling the drawstring back to her cheek, the pressure released much like a compound bow. Aiming at the figure’s head, she relaxed her fingers.

A loud crack filled the air. Bits of arrow flew around her, narrowly missing her hand and face.

“W—what?”

It exploded before it even left the bow. She’d flexed the arrows the other day, so they weren’t cracked or broken.

Ironhide was at her side in a second. His eyes flashed over her before he swiftly took the bow from her hands that still held it up.

“What’s the draw weight of this bow?”

“Three hundred and fifty pounds,” he answered, still checking her over.

Other than a small nick on her hand, she was lucky. That could have easily been much worse.

 Wait, did he just say…

“Three hundred? That isn’t even possible. Most bows don’t even go up to eighty! I mean I can only pull fifty, and that’s when I’m in shape.”

“Wheeljack helped me design it to penetrate any Cybertronian armor.” He exhaled and shook his head. “We thought the carbon arrows would be strong enough. Clearly, we were wrong.”

Realizing she was still tense, Aria dropped her shoulders and let out a shaky breath. “I can go look for stronger arrows. I just looked in the one store.”

The bow in Ironhide’s hand transformed back into a small rod. “No, I’ll have Wheeljack help me make arrows. It’s the only way we can know they will be strong enough.”

“That sounds like a better idea.” She reached out for the bow. “I’ll go put it back, it’s just about ten.”

Ironhide handed it to her. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”

She smiled. “Mmhm.”

“All right then. Sleep well, punk.”

“Good night, Johnny.”

He disappeared with a smirk on his face.

It was only when she was about to leave when she noticed her shirt was still on the floor.

How did she manage to forget about that?

She got home later that night and immediately got ready for bed.

What a day. First riding a motorcycle for the first time in about ten years, then finally seeing the bow. It was absolutely incredible. To have that kind of force behind it was frankly, incomprehensible. Even the strongest arrows she could find exploded from the sheer velocity.

Ironhide wasn’t kidding when he said he wanted her to have a weapon strong enough to fend off a Decepticon.

She got into bed, pulling the mass of covers over her body. She ran her fingers over her arm where Ironhide had and closed her eyes. He only meant to do it to help her use the bow, but his touch was so gentle.

Hopefully the bow wouldn’t work the next time so he’d have to do it again. Or maybe she could just pretend...

Chapter Text

It was a week later that Aria rode in on her new motorcycle. New to her at least. The thing was a few years old, but still looked great. Sporty and dark grey. Not too fast, but not slow either.

Lennox was already there, giving a little congratulatory clap as she removed her helmet.

“Looks like you survived your first solo ride!” He wiped an invisible tear from his eye like a proud father.

“That’s because I wasn’t following you around for once. I could actually take my time around corners.”

“Well well well, look at that, girly’s got a bike.” Sideswipe came up to them. “’Hide’s not going to have an excuse to give you rides anymore.”

“Well there’s still rain and wind.” Aria listed off on her fingers as they walked toward the bridge. “Oh and the entirety of winter.”

As she spoke, said Autobot was parked in his usual spot beside Ratchet. If he heard Sideswipe, he didn’t acknowledge it. She waved at him and the others as she passed, receiving honks and sirens in response. Personnel in the base groaned and a few covered their ears at the sudden onslaught of noise. Whatever. It was nearly noon.  

The maintenance closet wasn’t terribly different than the one at the museum, especially since she reorganized it the same way it had been there. She filled up her cart and grabbed a box of garbage bags.

Throughout her shift, the Autobots were in and out of the base. As per usual, Ironhide didn’t talk to her much, only making the odd comment when she was near him.

“I believe you missed a spot,” he rumbled out the driver window as she mopped the floor next to him.

“Ha ha,” Aria deadpanned. “If I had a dollar for every time someone said that to me, I’d hire my own janitor and never clean again.”

A beat of silence.

“Humans pay each other to say things?”

This time she did raise her eyes to look at the truck. “Idiom.”

The passenger door abruptly opened and hit her on the butt.

She stumbled forward more out of shock than force and spun around just as the door clicked shut. “Ironhide!”

He chuckled as she narrowed her eyes at him.

“Aria, this guy bothering you?”

She turned back, craning her neck up to Sideswipe. “Yes, actually. Beat him up?”

He kneeled, extending a blade from his arm and leaning on it as if he were a knight. “Of course, my lady.”

They must have learned about the Middle Ages recently.

Ironhide transformed as Sideswipe charged him. Aria dropped the mop and pushed the cart away just in time.

Ironhide stepped to the side, grabbing the rushing Sideswipe by his shoulder and flipped him onto his back with a metallic thud.

Ironhide put his hands on his hips, looking down at Sideswipe. “I would challenge you to a battle of wits, but it seems you have none.”

Aria covered her mouth so Sideswipe couldn’t hear her laugh. Though not a true Shakespearean quote, it was still pretty funny.

She grabbed a microfiber cloth from her cart and held it out to Ironhide. “A token of my gratitude, sir knight.”

Ironhide easily closed the distance and kneeled to take it from her.

“Hey, I was the knight in shining armor!” Sideswipe said from behind him.

She never took her eyes from Ironhide as he examined the cloth. “Oops, guess I got confused during the skirmish.”

Will marched over, pointing to the culprits. “Hey, no fighting in the main hangar, we have training rooms for that now.” He then looked at her. “And no egging them on.”

Under Will’s intense gaze, she held her hand out to Ironhide who hastily gave her back the microfiber. “Yes sir!” She scrunched it up and threw it back on the cart…only to miss.

Will’s eyes followed the cloth as it landed on the floor. He rolled his eyes, shook his head and left with a backwards wave.

Both Ironhide and Sideswipe grumbled. The former transformed back and resumed his spot, while the latter went back to the group of Autobots who were not so subtly watching the event.

Aria threw Ironhide a sideways glance as she picked up the mop.

It wasn’t much longer before lunch time rolled around. Ratchet invited her into the little Autobot circle that consisted of himself, Sideswipe, Bee, and the twins.

Jolt, Mirage, and Wheeljack had formed another little group with Ironhide a little ways over. A couple of soldiers also stood around talking with them.

Of course Aria was pulled into the rambunctious group. She sat on the bridge, feet dangling from either side of the railing.

“Where’d Optimus go?” she asked as Skids and Mudflap reenacted Ironhide and  Sideswipe’s earlier altercation for probably the hundredth time.

Ratchet was the one to answer. “Out with the Colonel. I saw them leave twenty-three minutes ago.”

Aria nodded as she took a bite of her sandwich. Her eyes landed on Bee and Sideswipe who had started arguing about something or another.

“Please, you’re not even close to being as fast as me. Straight line or not,” said Sideswipe.

“I am speed,” came Lighting McQueen’s voice as Bee pointed a finger at Sideswipe.

“You wish, slow shifter!”

“Concept car!”

Aria tilted her head. Who would be faster? Just because they transformed into specific vehicles didn’t mean they performed the same as them. Did horsepower depend on the Autobot? Were some just naturally faster than others? Could it be trained?

“Hey Aria, you’ve gone on rides with me. I’m clearly faster than this guy.” Sideswipe jabbed a thumb at Bee.

“Uh…that’s hard to say.”

Ratchet shook his head. The twins who had also been listening to the argument now also looked at her.

“Come on, you know I’m the fastest one here.”

There was a scoff in the distance. When Aria glanced over, Mirage was turning back to his group saying something in Italian.

Was this a touchy subject for Cybertronians?

“I don’t know, I haven’t really seen any proof of that.”

Sideswipe frowned. “Proof? What more proof do you need? I’m the most aerodynamic!”

Aria exaggerated her shrug. “Aerodynamics aren’t everything.”

“Fine. If you’re so smart, who do you think the fastest one is?”

She couldn’t help but grin. Both he and Bee now stood side by side in front of her, waiting for her choice.

Making a show of looking between them and tilting her head as if in deep thought, she made them wait for at least a minute before coming to a decision.

“Aha!” She pointed her finger in the air as if she had an epiphany.

The two Autobots leaned in. Skids’ and Mudflap’s eyes were wide. Even Ratchet looked genuinely intrigued.

“I think its…”

Tension thickened the air. The entire room was quiet. Bee and Sideswipe leaned in further.

She put a finger to her chin, drawing out the moment even longer.

“Well?” said Jolt from across the hangar.

It was quiet enough to hear his voice reverberate through the base.

She looked at Bee, then at Sideswipe, then back to Bee. Their posture resembled loaded guns more than Autobots. Her eyes settled on Sideswipe.

“Ironhide,” she announced.

Sideswipe was mid cheer before he realized what she said. The surrounding Autobots and a few personnel snickered at Sideswipes reaction. Bee gave him a hardy slap on the back.

“You’re just playing favorites! I’m way faster than that old bot.”

“No I’m not.” Aria grinned.

“Oh yeah? Then who’s the strongest Autobot?”

“Ironhide.”

“See?”

“I’m not sure she’s wrong,” Ratchet spoke up.

“Who’s the funniest?”

This time Bee perked up.

“Ironhide.”

“Wha—no he’s not!” Sideswipe blurted before recovering. “Coolest?”

“Ironhide?”

“Fun to be around?”

“Ironhide.”

“Most clever?”

“Ironhide.”

“Lamest?”

“You.”

“Slag!”

Aria laughed. “You forgot best looking.”

“Yeah, that!”

“Ironhide.”

Sideswipe let out a defeated cry, turning away in obvious defeat. “Femmes,” he grumbled as he sat down away from the others in shame. The twins joined him, probably doing more to annoy than console.

Discussion turned back to more casual volume levels and Aria finally got a chance to eat the rest of her sandwich.

“You sure fed him a bite of proverbial humble pie,” Ratchet said with a nod.

“You said it!” Bee chimed in.

She gave a light hearted shrug. “Someone’s got to do it.”

Glancing over to the other Autobot group, her eyes met Ironhide’s. The sly grin on his face was enough to avert her gaze. Her heart fluttered uncomfortably in her chest as she took another bite of her sandwich, keeping her eyes trained on the Autobots in front of her. Maybe she got a little too brave putting Sideswipe in his place.

Why did she have to bring up the best looking thing? Surely half the people listening knew she was kidding. She had been kidding, right?

Ironhide wasn’t good looking.

Right?

Her face only heated up more.

…

“Hello, Aria.”

Aria looked up from the garbage she was changing. Amber was walking towards her holding two cups of coffee.

“Hey, Amber. How are you?” Aria tied the bag and put it with the others on the cart.

“Ugh, just snuck past Sideswipe.” She sighed as she handed a cup to Aria. “I’m running out of excuses.”

Aria thanked her. Amber was one of those people that enjoyed going on coffee runs just to get out of the base. Will had been right about her and Amber getting along.

“He’s not that bad. You might even like him if you got to know him.”

“Oh yes, I heard about your guy’s exchange earlier. Wish I could have been there to experience that firsthand.”

“Ah.” An embarrassed laugh escaped her mouth. Ever since that look Ironhide gave her, all she wanted to do was forget about it. “Yeah, it was fun joking around to get under his skin.”

“Sounded like it worked well from the stories.”

Amber tagged along as Aria continued the end of the day garbage round up.

“He’d probably leave you alone if you went for a ride. He’d be great to go with for your coffee runs.”

“It’s much more likely he’d get worse. I suppose I’m flattered an Autobot is interested in me, but it’s mostly just strange.”

“Yeah, I know, right? It must be weird.”

“I know they’re a lot older than us, but it feels like a teenage boy hitting on me. Maybe if it were Optimus or Ironhide or something…”

Aria lost her grip on the garbage bag she was tying, dropping it back on the floor.

Was Amber implying she wouldn’t mind getting hit on by Ironhide? Did she think he was attractive too?

Aria let out a little laugh. “Yeah, Optimus isn’t too bad on the eyes.” She kept her voice casual.

Amber raised an eyebrow. “I guess Peterbilt’s are kind of good looking trucks. I was just thinking more of the age thing. They’re more at my maturity level at the very least.”

“Oh!” Aria blurted. “I totally agree. I mean the flames are awesome.”

“If we’re really being honest, that voice in a man’s body, I’d have to reevaluate my marriage.” Amber took a punctuated swig of her coffee.

Aria took a sip of her coffee in leu of a response.

Amber swiftly changed the topic after that, then parted not long after, leaving Aria alone to finish taking out the trash.

Of course Amber wasn’t attracted to Cybertronians. How dumb was she to think that for a second?

She threw the garbage bags into the bin outside.

Amber was the only one in a similar situation to her, with the roles reversed. She may have found aspects of them potentially attractive, but not physically.

Aria sighed, closing the bin. Did she even find them physically attractive? She pictured Ironhide, his blue optics looking at her. The metal plates that made up his face, solid, yet his expression somehow soft.

Nope.

She put the cart back in the maintenance closet and grabbed her bag, heading towards the gym.

He transformed into a pickup truck. He was practically as tall as her house. His arms were guns! The only reason this was a problem was because of his stupid holoform. That was it.

Just like Amber said, if the Autobots were human, it would be a whole different story.

But then…they wouldn’t be them. Ironhide wouldn’t be Ironhide.

She let out another long sigh as she exited the changing room into the gym. It was empty today. Probably something to do with it being Friday night.

Aria went straight for the squat rack. She was making pretty good progress with her leg besides the disfiguring scar from ankle to knee.

She put heavier weight than last time on each side of the bar. It was time to push herself a bit more and had absolutely nothing to do with stupid Ironhide and his stupid looks and her stupid feelings about it. Nothing.

This was about being weak. This was about holding her ground in the face of danger. This was about standing up to any challenge. She had a bow now, one that could kill Starscream the next time she got the chance. Now all she needed was the strength, the endurance to use it. She wasn’t going to be a Decepticons punching bag anymore!

“Argh!”

She dropped the bar behind her as a searing pain shot through her bad leg. She fell back onto the mat, clutching her shin trying to quell the burning sensation that radiated below her knee.

“Stupid Transformers!” she hissed through her teeth. All they did was make her life miserable. Jetfire teleporting her to a war zone, Starscream for destroying her home. And Ironhide for making her feel—feelings!

Why couldn’t she just be normal?

Where was Wheelie when she needed him? He used to be so annoying, always encouraging her that she liked Ironhide and he liked her back. It was so ridiculous at the time. So easy to deny.

But now? Now she missed the validation of her feelings.

After who knows how long, the pain dissipated and she got back up. She needed a shower to mope in.

Keeping most of her weight on her good leg, she limped back to the changing rooms. Most of the lights were off, leaving only a few to illuminate the showers in dim yellow light.

She carefully got undressed and stepped into the shower, closing the curtains behind her.

The water was perfect. Soothing. She leaned back to soak her hair when her skin tingled for a fraction of a second. Her eyes shot open.

“Who’s there?”

“I assume you already know.” Ironhide’s voice came from the other side of the shower.

“John, this is the girls changing room. As in human females only.”

“There aren’t any cameras.”

“What if someone else was in here?” Wait. “Did Wheelie give you coordinates again?”

“Maybe.”

She shook her head. “I knew I shouldn’t have let him keep that laptop. What are you doing here anyway?”

“I’ve been waiting for you all night.” Her heart fluttered. “Wheeljack and I finished the arrows.”

Oh yes, the arrows. “Really? That’s great. Thank you.”

He hummed just loud enough for her to hear over the running water.

Not really sure where to go with the conversation, Aria turned around in the shower and reached for the shampoo. As she did, she leaned on her sore leg and let out a yelp.

She leaned back against the shower wall and cursed under her breath.

“Aria, are you alright?” Ironhide’s voice was much closer now.

She released her breath. “Yeah, just my leg.”

“Do you need any assistance?”

“Nope,” she chirped while rubbing her leg.

“Aria.” His voice was much more stern than before. “Don’t be shy of your natural form.”

She closed her eyes. It had been a long time since that topic first came up. But maybe he was right. He’d never looked particularly interested in her body before. He didn’t like her like that anyway, right?

And his help would be appreciated.

“Maybe you could pass me my towel?”

The sound of her heartbeat filled her ears. What was she doing? Would he pass the towel to her without looking? What if he caught a glimpse? Would he be disgusted by her human body? Ask what things were?

Swallowing, she kept the pressure off her leg and went to turn off the shower. Her fingers just touched the knob when the curtains opened.

Aria yelped at stuck herself back into the corner, covering herself the best she could. “Ironhide!”

He had the decency to at least look taken back before his eyes dropped to her leg.

That’s right, he’d never seen it before.

His eyes never left the scar as he stepped into the shower and kneeled in front of her. Water splashed on his hair and dripped down his face as he brushed his hand over the damaged skin.

She couldn’t talk, let alone breathe. All she could do was look down at him.

“I should have been there sooner.”

His eyes rose to meet hers. Vibrant blue in the golden light. His hair was soaked.

“It’s okay,” she breathed.

The pain in her leg had all but disappeared in favor of whatever this new feeling was. No, it wasn’t new, just a lot stronger.

His gaze fell back to her leg. His hand slid up from her shin to her thigh then up to her hip, his eyes following.

She wanted to make a witty remark about him examining her natural form, but the words kept dying in her throat.

His touch was so soft. It always was. Gentle and caring, the antithesis of the way he acted around others.

He rose back up, his hand on her waist now, like that time they danced together. His white shirt clung to the contours of his body, the wet material exposing the skin under it.

She slowly relaxed her arms, letting go of her body in favor of touching his.

His eyes wandered to her chest and his hand followed. The feeling of the shard was hardly discernible from the fluttering in her chest when he laid his fingers on top of it. She put her hand on his.

“Can you feel my heartbeat?”

He nodded, leaning closer to her.

She tilted her head up and let her eyes fall closed.

His lips met hers.

It only lasted for a second. When she opened her eyes, he was still close but had a curious expression on his face.

“Did I do it right?”

She blinked. Then blinked again. A smile tugged at her lips and before she could stop herself, she laughed.

He frowned and opened his mouth to say something, but she cut him off by pressing her lips to his. If he wanted to know how to kiss, she’d teach him to kiss.

She slipped her tongue into his mouth, half expecting him to recoil, but he didn’t. Instead, she was met with his in return. A fast learner, no doubt.

She let go of his arms and groped at his torso. From his solid abdominals up to his chest, then grabbing onto the fabric of his back. He felt so good.

His hands did the same. Feeling every inch of her exposed body, lingering on the parts he’d never seen before. That he’d never touched before.

His lips pressed harder into hers, he pressed her back into the wall, holding her tighter. Every time their lips parted, she had just enough time to let out a pant.

She ran her fingers through his hair as he went for her neck, leaning her head to the side. She moaned at the sound of the deep rumble that escaped his throat.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing his body up to hers and met him for another kiss.

Then everything went dark.

She jumped, loosening her hold and fumbled to turn off the shower. Cold air hit her body as reality set in.

“Aria?”

What had she just done?

Chapter Text

Aria practically sprinted down the hallway towards an emergency exit off to the side of the building. There was no way she was going through the hangar. Not after that.

She’d never dressed so quickly. Or in the pitch black for that matter. It wasn’t till the lights went out that she returned to her senses.

Kissing Ironhide’s holoform naked in the shower? What was she thinking?

Hormones. That had to be it.

Ironhide spoke as she got dressed, but he may as well had been speaking Cybertronian.

She’d sputtered some sort of excuse and rushed out of the changing room where he couldn’t follow. Thank god for security cameras.

The ride home felt quicker than usual. Aria parked in the stall in front of her house. She peeked in after opening the door. He wasn’t there.

Why? Why?

She sat down on the chair near the window giving her sore leg a rub before pulling out her phone and searched through the contacts. It was a little after seven, that wasn’t too late was it?

She held up the phone to her ear as it rang.

“Hello?” came a male voice,

“Hey, Sam! It’s Aria.”

“Oh, Aria! Sorry, I totally forgot I gave you my number.”

“Yeah, long time no see, hey?” Ugh, why did she say that? “So, uh, how’s Washington?”

“Oh you know…” Sam cleared his throat. “Job hunting. All that fun stuff.”

“I know the feeling.” Aria let out an unconvincing laugh. “So, I was wondering if Wheelie’s around? At all?”

A pause, then, “Wait…you’re serious?”

“Um, yes?”

“Hey Wheelie!” Sam shouted away from the speaker. “Phone!”

Carley asked something about who would be calling for Wheelie in the background.

“Uh oh, what’d ya do?” Wheelie asked a few moments later.

“Are you somewhere private?”

“Yeah I’m on the balcony.”

The balcony..? Whatever, as long as Sam and Carly weren’t there. “Wheelie, I kissed him! Wait, no, he kissed me—but I kissed him more!”

“’Bout time, sis,” Came a voice that wasn’t Wheelie’s.

“Brains? Wheelie!”

Wheelie made a nonchalant noise. “Not like we don’t already know about your guys’ thing.”

“Yeah Ari, we’re happy for you,” Brains added.

“No, it’s not like that. It was a mistake. I don’t like him like that, it’s just his holoform! What am I supposed to say to him now?”

“That you’re a total doorknob,” Wheelie deadpanned.

“I thought you liked him, sis. Making googly eyes all day at the base.”

“I do not make googly eyes at Ironhide! He’s a truck most of the time!”

“Look, Aria, you gotta make up your mind. You’ve been leading him on for what, almost a year now. You gotta tell him that either you like him, or you like like him.”

“But I—how do you even know he likes me like that?”

“Aren’t you calling because he kissed you?”

“Maybe he’s confused too?”

Brains snickered in the background.

“Yeah? Name one time ol’ ‘Hide’s sounded remotely confused.”

The second she paused to think of a time he’d showed hesitation towards her, all that filled her mind was that cocky smile of his.

“That’s what I thought,” Wheelie said after her moment of silence.

“It’s all you, sis,” Brains added.

Were they really being honest? Did Ironhide truly like her like that? No, that didn’t matter, because she didn’t like him like that. She had to tell him and end…whatever this was.

He was a Cybertronian and she was a human.

Monday then. Monday she would confront him and end this misunderstanding. She would apologize for kissing him, explain that she was physically attracted to his holoform and had a lapse of judgement.

But she still wanted to be friends. Because being friends was okay.

Yes. On Monday, she would tell him.

…

“Shit.”

It was Monday.

Aria took her sweet time getting off her bike. There were more vehicles than usual in the base parking lot. Was there something going on that she wasn’t told about?

Still, that didn’t matter. She’d go straight up to Ironhide and ask to speak with him privately. That’s why she came early.

She let out a shaky breath and swore again.

One step after another she walked into the base. Breathe in and out.

How was he going to react?

Would he be mad? Upset? Would he yell?

He must have known something was up from the way she left him on Friday, since he didn’t show up at all over the weekend. It would have been nice if he did, then she wouldn’t have to agonize over what she was going to say for the past two days.

One of the guards greeted her as he let her into the base. It was strange that the bay door was closed. Something was definitely going on.

She was greeted with chaos.

Every Autobot was transformed and pacing around scattered personnel frantically trying to calm them down. People in suits and uniforms talking to each other, illegible chatter echoing off the tall ceilings.  

Dead ahead was Optimus who was physically restraining Ironhide from whoever was on the bridge. It appeared he was shouting, but even Ironhide’s voice wasn’t discernible above the noise.

She turned and flinched as Ratchet came to a stop only a few feet away. He was perhaps the only Autobot that wasn’t currently arguing with a group of humans.

“Greetings, Aria. Perhaps now is not a good time to be at the base.”

“What’s going on? Did I miss something?” She dodged a man walking past.

Ratchet kneeled. “It was announced this morning that we are no longer authorized to have permanently attached projectile weapons on our person. We are required to immediately remove them.”

Attached projectile weapons? What was he—oh! “They’re taking away your weapons? But aren’t they apart of you?”

No wonder Ironhide was pissed. They couldn’t just take away his cannons!

“They are now allowing us to carry them as external weapons for the time being, but only when permitted.” His eyes landed on the bridge before falling back to her. “I believe this may be a result of Ironhide and Starscream’s skirmish, seeing as it was an unauthorized use of deadly force on Ironhide’s part.”

“Wha—What about all the other Decepticon attacks? Mission City and Egypt?”

“When we arrived in Washington, we gave verbal contracts to not engage Decepticons without your government’s consent. Ironhide broke that contract.”

She glanced back at Ironhide who was still hollering at Will and a few others on the bridge. This was happening…because of her?

“None of us blame you two. We are glad he got to you in time.”

But this was horrible. Another right being taken away from them because of her involvement. She opened her mouth, but Ratchet spoke first.

“Any of us would do the same, be it you, or Colonel Lennox, or Sam.”

Aria swallowed and gave a quick nod.

“Perhaps you can go talk to Ironhide.”

She turned back to Ironhide who had his hand on the railing, actively crushing it under his grip as he argued with the men. The loud chatter of the base faded away as the image of Ironhide standing in front of her balcony filled her vision.

A metallic crunch snapped her back to reality. Ironhide ripped off the piece of railing and let it fall to the ground. He abruptly turned away and transformed, roaring out of the base, sending both human and Autobot scrambling out of his way.

Back up on the bridge, Will was looking between the other two men with him, one in a military uniform and one in a suit. They spoke a few indiscernible words before Will took his leave, climbing down the stairs. He caught sight of her and immediately marched over.

“Hey, you can take the day. It’s not really the best…environment.”

“I—” What could she say? Should she apologize for messing everything up?

Will put a heavy hand on her shoulder. “Don’t worry about it, Aria. If you want to help, find ‘Hide for me. I’m sure he’ll be happy to see you.”

“I’m—” Another man came up to Will, drawing him away with nothing more than a curt nod. “—not so sure,” she finished under her breath.

She took one last look around the chaos before leaving the base.

The ride home was short. There were no signs of Ironhide past the tire marks leaving the hangar.

There really couldn’t have been any worse timing for this to happen. He was already mad, and what she had to say was only going to make things worse. Why did everything have to be so difficult?

She turned into the parking lot in front of her townhouse and caught sight of someone sitting on the steps up to her door. No, not someone. Ironhide. Parked nearby was his alt form.

Shit.

He looked up at her as she parked. His expression was distinctly indifferent. His posture was slouched, the complete opposite of his usual demeanor.

Even as she took off her gloves and helmet, all he did was watch.

“You want to come inside?” she asked as she approached.

He inclined his chin and stood, following her inside. He waited while she removed her jacket and shoes then followed her upstairs to her sitting room.

“I’m sorry about what’s going on,” she began, sitting down on the chair next to his.

He let out a humph, closing his eyes as if to compose himself. “Are humans treated the same way by your government?”

“I mean, in a lot of ways, yes. Lots of things they do seems unfair, but they do it to—I don’t know—prevent the same thing from happening again?”

“Are they aware that what they are doing will just make things worse? Putting us at more of a disadvantage only makes the Decepticons more dangerous. Especially when they find out.”

Her eyes fell. “Yeah, I know.”

“Well then, if you know and I know and William knows, then why do they insist on doing it?” He lowered his voice. “All these decisions are being made by humans that haven’t even met us. Why do they have the power to take what little we have left with no evidence it will help?”

She was overtaken by the urge to reach out to him. To hold him. To hug him until he felt better.

What was wrong with her? Instead of doing any of those things, she merely answered.

“Our world is full of band-aid solutions and quick fixes. Rarely are things done that would actually solve the problem. We’re more likely to sweep it under the rug until we’re forced to deal with it later.”

She glanced up at him from the dried rose on the coffee table. His focus was towards the window and the city beyond. He only frowned in response to her words.

What else could he do?

He didn’t deserve any of this. None of them did, of course, but him especially. Maybe it was because all of this was happening because he saved her. Because he wanted to be there for her. He was one of the most selfless beings she’d ever met, and all he got in return was a part of himself being taken away.

“I haven’t heard that one before.”

“Hm?”

“Sweeping something under the rug.”

“Oh, it means trying to hide something in hopes it goes away.”

He slowly turned his focus back towards her. “Like what you do to me.”

She froze as his eyes met hers. Blue as ever despite his hard expression. “Wha—I would never, Ironhide!”

“You ran.”

She opened her mouth, sputtering. “I—I meant to talk to you today! As soon as I saw you.”

“And tell me it was a mistake. That you didn’t mean it.” He remained completely impassive.

“Yes!” she blurted. “I got carried away. It’s just your holoform—I’m really attracted to it, and I got carried away when I should have stopped!”

Ironhide recoiled as if her words physically hurt him. “Why do you keep denying it?”

“Because it’s not normal! And it’s not fair that you keep using your holoform to make it feel like it is. You’re an Autobot and I’m a human and that’s that!”

His expression turned from hurt to anger to something else.

But he disappeared before she could decipher it.

Disappointment? No. Regret? No.

Defeat?

She dropped her face into her hands, shaking her head. How could she be so stupid? He was everything to her and all she ever did was hurt him.

Wait! Maybe he was still outside.

She jumped up, sprinting down the stairs. She threw open the door, her socks coming to contact with the cool cement.

But he was already gone.

What now? It couldn’t end like this.

The base!

Throwing on her shoes and helmet, she ran over to her bike. She put her glasses back on and pulled down the visor, starting the engine and speeding back to the base.

She arrived in what felt like both forever and only a second.

The base was in no different state than less than an hour ago. The only difference was that Ironhide was nowhere to be found. What if he didn’t come back? Where else would he have gone?

Sideswipe was just about to pass her by unnoticed when she called up to him. It took him a second to spot her amongst the personnel filtering past.

“Have you seen Ironhide? Did he come back?”

“Why are you asking me? You’re the one he goes to.”

“He was with me, but I said something stupid and he left!”

“Oh no. Relationship problems already?”

“No. Yes—I don’t know. Can you please just help me or something? I need to find him!”

“Well why didn’t you just ask in the first place?” He took a step back and transformed. The Corvette door swung open. “Come on.”

She jumped into the driver’s seat. The door closed behind her only a second before Sideswipe darted between human and Cybertronian alike and out of the base.

“You know where he is then?” she asked, still fumbling with the seatbelt between Sideswipe’s highspeed turns.

“I have a few ideas.”

If Ironhide was bad for speeding through traffic, it was nothing compared to Sideswipe. By the time she got the seatbelt fastened, they were already on the freeway headed east. One she’d been on a thousand times before.

“You think he went to my old place?”

“A few of us still sneak out there. It’s the only place we can get some peace and quiet, especially now that there’s no neighbors.”

“I guess.”

It was still weird that the Autobots came by despite her no longer living there. Did they come more often now than before? Maybe they liked the property more than her company.

“We were going to ask your permission, but ‘Hide said he’d tell you when he thought you were ready.”

“Ready? Ready for what?”

“To come hang out with us there. We feel bad taking advantage of your place without you.”

Blurred shades of green passed outside the window as they exited the city. Lush trees and grass filled her view, familiar and comforting, unlike the brick concrete surroundings where she lived now.  

“I appreciate that, but I don’t think Ironhide will be there after what I said to him.”

They pulled onto the small road that led to her driveway, caution tape haphazardly tied to trees flapping in the wind.

“This has been his secret hideaway since we moved here.”

She leaned forward in her seat. As soon as the remains of her house came into view between the trees, her eyes landed on the black Autobot sitting behind it. If he heard Sideswipe pull up to the end of the driveway, he didn’t acknowledge it.

“Told ya.”

“Thanks, Sideswipe,” was all she said, eyes locked on Ironhide’s figure as she let herself out.

With the sound of crunching gravel and a retreating engine behind her, she approached the rubble. Her stomach felt like a rock, weighing her body down. Her shoes dragged past the driveway and into the tall grass.

It wasn’t until she was right beside him that he glanced down at her so fleetingly that she may have imagined it.

She opened her mouth…but what was she supposed to say? It wasn’t like she’d been wrong, it was the way she said it. There had to be a better way to explain it—a way for him to understand how she felt.

But…how did she feel?

No, it didn’t matter how she felt. There was only right and wrong, and her feelings were wrong.

Everything was wrong.

It was then that Ironhide finally spoke. Her eyes flew up to his faster than her mind could perceive his words.

“Would it change your mind if I told you that I love you?”

No…no. Surely that wasn’t what he said. “Y-you what?”

“I love you.” His words were strong. Clear as day. Yet, it sounded like Latin.

“I wanted to tell you sooner,” he continued. “But I decided to wait until you were more comfortable. Though, every step I took forward, you took one back.”

“But that’s because I’m—we’re different. It’s not—”

“Aria.”

She shut her mouth. Never had he said her name so harshly before.

He faced her now, tone as sharp as his eyes. “I don’t care about what’s normal, but I doubt that has ever crossed your mind, has it?”

Oh, now he was pinning it on her? “How am I supposed to know how you feel?” She raised her voice louder, letting everything out. “You’re from a different planet, remember? I don’t know what you think is normal or not normal, just like I don’t expect you to know the same for me!” She gestured wildly. “All I know is that everyone is going to think I’m a freak!”

“Why do you care so much about other people’s perceptions?”

“Because I don’t want to be an outcast!” Despite squeezing her eyes closed, her tears still escaped. “You’re my only friend. Before I met you, I didn’t have anyone. Just Sirius and my horses, and I don’t even have them anymore!”

The sound of shifting metal filled the quiet gaps between her sobs as his shadow enveloped her.

“If I am your friend, then why are my feelings the only ones you haven’t considered, hm?” He reached out and caressed her back. “You must value my thoughts and opinions as I do yours.”

“I do. I just thought I was crazy for thinking you would ever like me that way.”

“You mean like like?”

An undignified snort escaped her. Wheelie was dead next time she saw him.

“Yeah, I guess.”

“And do you know why I like like you?”

She shook her head.

He used his thumb to brush away the tears on her cheek, warm and gentle. “Because you’re not normal. No one else has dared to do what you’ve done for us, and you’ve lost everything because of it. And even after that, you still refuse to let us go. Let me go.”

How he managed to look so soft was indescribable.

She looked up at him through heavy eyelashes. “I don’t want to be apart from you. Everything’s just so quiet when you’re not there.”

“I feel the same.”

She reached out for his thumb that hovered close to her face. The metal was smooth under her fingertips. “I’m sorry. For being so difficult, I mean.”

He gave a lopsided grin. “About time.”

She let out a huff of laughter.

He leaned in until the glow of his optic eyes bathed her skin in blue light. The spark in her chest hummed, sending a strange warmth through her body. She stood and brought her hand up to his face, touching the metal that made up his cheek. He came even closer, leaning into the touch. His hand cupped her body, ever so slightly pushing her closer to him.

She stayed like that, caressing the various parts of his face, from his nose to the jagged metal around his eye.

Everything finally felt right. After all this time, after all the things they’d been though, all the words they’ve said. After months of denial, of optimism, of regret. All it took was one conversation. For one of them to finally say something, finally be honest.

What was the point of wanting to be normal when all she wanted was to love a Cybertronian.

She was the first to break the silence. “I’m afraid if we tell anyone, they’ll make me leave or fill out more paperwork.”

“Of course they would. It seems to be this planet’s answer to everything.”

“What do you want to do then?”

“I’m happy with what we’re already doing.”

“Me too.”

“But no more running away.”

“Only if you don’t disappear.”

“I won’t.”

“Then it’s a deal.” She pressed her lips against his face, sealing it with a kiss.

Chapter Text

Optimus was the first to have his guns removed. He and Will had been sent to the Ukraine on short notice, so Ratchet and Wheeljack worked overtime dismantling the weapons from Optimus’ body all while creating a transforming trailer he could haul them around in.

Now that guns were no longer mounted to the Autobots, Wheeljack went out of his way to create even more, seemingly working through the night, as every morning the arsenal grew.

It had only been a day since Will and Optimus left, but much like a classroom when the teacher walked out, the atmosphere of the base completely flipped.

Friday was both very relaxed and very hectic. Between the twins and Bee, there was always some form of music blasting through the hangar. Sideswipe decided to practice doing donuts after having the last of his guns removed, saying something along the lines of getting used to the sudden weight reduction.

Ratchet was currently working on Mirage who was telling him off in Italian, while Wheeljack was sitting off with Ironhide discussing something that sounded a lot like a new gun.

The personnel who normally powerwalked through the base now sauntered, forming groups and chatting about their personal lives. It was kind of weird actually. These people hardly made eye contact with each other, and now they gossiped like teenagers.

Aria turned back to the mop bucket. Where she stood, Bee’s and the twins’ music mixed together into a garbled beat. Maybe it was time to change mop water and go to a different bay. Her eyes wandered upwards toward Ironhide who was talking to Wheeljack. She hadn’t cleaned that area yet…

Nope. Too obvious.

Sideswipe was bad enough, constantly asking for details of what happened after he dropped her off. He even dared to make a comment to Ironhide the other day, something about being a pushover. In response, he—well, was pushed over. Turned out, Ironhide was one for irony.

“For someone trying to be subtle, staring across the base isn’t helping your case.”

Aria jumped at Sideswipe’s voice. His alt mode had pulled up behind her, window rolled down.

“I was not staring!” she hissed back. “I was thinking.”

“Uh huh. About what?”

She dunked the mop back in the bucket and turned to leave. “That time Ironhide pushed you over.”

“I was caught off guard.”

Aria only hummed as she walked the mop bucket back to her cart. She snuck a glance over to Ironhide only to meet his blue eyes from over Wheeljack’s shoulder. She whipped her head back around as her face heated up.

To think, he loved her…for whatever reason.

So far nothing had really changed between them. If anything, he was more distant. But it didn’t seem like it was because of her, no, it had something to do with the mission Will and Optimus were on.

On top of that, there was the whole gun debacle. He’d managed to put himself last in line, after Mirage. But even then, Ratchet was almost done removing Mirage’s weapons.

Maybe she should have gone into politics. If only she’d known she’d become friends with an alien race. But she was only a janitor.

She began mopping another part of the base.

…

“Get your hands off of me!”

Ironhide’s voice echoed through the hanger, silencing the drone of idle chatter.

Aria looked up from the floor. A military vehicle separated her from the Autobots, though it was obvious what was happening.

“Ironhide, there is no need for this. Now give me your arm.” Ratchet’s patient voice was stark contrast to Ironhide’s.

“And then what, hm? What will they take next? Our voices?”

“Stop this behavior.”

A part of her wanted to move, to go to him. But her body was frozen. Ironhide sounded so angry, so hurt, and there was nothing she could do.

Ironhide’s voice only grew angrier. “Human’s control when we can transform, when we can leave, when we can be seen by others. Now they take away our ability to defend ourselves and those we care about?”

“It is for everyone’s safety—”

“We are prisoners here, Ratchet. What do we know of the outside world beyond what we’re taught? We are slaves to the humans. Our lives have been sacrificed for the sake of coddling them.”

Out of all the Autobots, it was Ironhide who had the most freedom, so why was he so upset about it? No one ever stopped him from leaving the base, and even then, he had his holoform. Throughout their time together, he’d experienced everything from bus rides to attending an opera. He’d had a taste of what life was like…and perhaps he wanted more. For himself and the others who hadn’t experienced it yet.

Still, getting upset wasn’t going to help the situation. If he refused to have his guns removed, who knew what would happen. Ironhide may not know yet, but refusing wasn’t an option he had. And she didn’t want to know what the punishment would be.

“…humans are our allies. We must work with them if we want to win this war.” Ratchet spoke as she finally forced her legs into motion.

“We don’t work with the humans, they tell us what to do and we do it. We are nothing but weapons to…”

His voice died as his eyes met hers. His angry expression flashed to guilt as he swiftly looked away.

All other eyes on the base, however, remained on her. Thankfully, the attention was drawn away from her when Ironhide sat down with a heavy thud. Ratchet placed a reassuring hand on him before nodding at Aria in silent thanks.

The drone of chatter soon followed. Many of the soldiers and personnel came up to Ironhide as Ratchet got to work on his canons. Though she couldn’t hear their words, their body language spoke volumes. They were consoling him.

“So ‘Hide’s got a thing for the janitor, eh?”

Aria jumped at the sudden voice beside her. How long had she been staring? The man was dressed in the standard NEST military uniform minus the beret.

“No, we’re just friends.”

The man gave her a look but moved on. “A lot of us never really thought about how they feel here. Always assumed they were like us, just doing their job.”

Aria faced him more fully.

“But he’s right,” he continued, “They are stuck here. At least back in Diego Garcia they had free range over a large part of the island. Moving them to downtown Washington wasn’t really in their best interests.”

Aria shook her head. “No, it wasn’t. If I’ve learned anything so far, it’s that nothing is ever done in their best interests, the government just says whatever they have to in order to make it sound that way.”

“Some of the guys are already talking about having a barbecue here, maybe getting a little entertainment. Make this place feel less like a prison for them. Lennox ain’t here, so who’s going to stop us.”

Something lifted inside her chest. “That’s a great idea.”

She glanced back over to Ironhide who now spoke to a group of men. Jolt and Sideswipe had also joined in.

…

At exactly nine p.m., Aria entered the indoor gun range. It was finally time to test out the new arrows Wheeljack had made. Unlocking her locker, she grabbed the bow and…very short arrows?

The shaft was not much longer than her palm, simply an arrowhead and strange material that made up the fletching. Not only that, but there was a seam in the shaft indicating it was two pieces.

She swallowed, the arrow balanced in her open hand. Willing the invisible force of Energon down her arm and into it, it expanded. Not only that, but the shaft took on a blue glow as if it had sucked the Energon from her veins.

Static filled the air and her chest tingled where the spark shard was located. A second later Ironhide appeared a few feet away, his eyes immediately landing on the arrow. He closed the distance between them in only a couple of steps. His frown remained as she handed it to him.

The glow faded as he inspected it. Finally, his focus turned to her. “You’ve been to the doctor recently?”

“Yeah, on Wednesday. Why? What’s wrong?”

“What did they say?”

“Everything was fine.”

“How hard did you try to make it transform?”

“Not very. I just imagined the Energon going down my arm like you showed me.”

He grunted, handing the arrow back to her. Once again, the glow returned.

“And you feel alright?”

She nodded. “Yeah.” When he didn’t say anything, she continued, watching his eyes scan her face. “Can you tell me why you’re so concerned?”

His gaze dropped down to the arrow. “The glow is caused by excess Energon. You’re using much more than needed to transform it.”

“Is that a bad thing?”

“It looks like Wheeljack designed it to use the excess as reinforcement. I had him do something similar to the bow, but you weren’t able to activate it.”

“Maybe I can now,” Aria said, passing the arrow back to Ironhide so she could focus on transforming the bow.

She focused the energy down her arm like the arrow, and immediately the rod sprung to life, taking form of the large bow. This time, grooves in the bow took on the same blue glow of the arrow, carving out intricate patterns and Cybertronian symbols.

When she looked back to Ironhide, she was met with his lopsided grin.

“What?” she asked, failing to hide a grin of her own.

Instead of answering, he took a step closer to her.

She lowered the bow to her side, allowing him to close the gap between them. He brought his hand up to her cheek, caressing it with his thumb.

“If I kiss you,” he asked, “will you run?”

She raised her heels off the floor, brought her nose up to his. “No.”

“Good.”

His lips met hers, feeling more real than ever. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her body up to his and deepening the kiss.

Holoform, Autobot, Cybertronian, alien—who cared. It was all so superfluous. He was Ironhide, and she loved him.

She broke the kiss, catching her breath, something Ironhide didn’t have to do. He simply held her as she rested her head against his chest. It was like their dance back before everything happened.

“I’m sorry for walking into your shower. I should have had more tact.”

She leaned away so she could look up at him. “So you did do it on purpose.”

“I was unsure. And curious.”

“About showering, or about my natural form?”

“I’ll let you decide.” He released her from his warm hold. “Now let’s see that bow in action.”

Oh yes, the bow.

She took position at the end of one of the aisles. Bringing the bow up to the perfect position, she notched the arrow, resting her finger against her cheek. Hopefully it wouldn’t explode this time.

She loosed the arrow. Before her eyes even found it as it flew, a large crack filled the air. How was it so fast?

Ironhide hummed in approval as she looked between the bow in her hand and the arrow imbedded in the rubber wall behind the target.

He followed her down the aisle where she attempted to pull it out.

“I thought it was supposed to get stuck in the rubber, not go all the way through!” she said with another tug.

“I would have been disappointed with anything less.” Ironhide grabbed the arrow, and with one swift tug, removed it. Powder residue from the concrete wall covered the undamaged tip.

Aria gaped at it. “How did it not break?”

“You expect anything less from a Cybertronian weapon?”

“No. I guess not.” She grinned at him.

They exited the aisle, Ironhide standing off to the side as she got back into firing position. She glanced at him as he rubbed his forearm, then back at her target.

Wait.

She lowered the bow. “I never asked how you’re feeling.”

He followed her eyes down to his arm and abruptly stopped rubbing it. “It feels…strange.” Instead of looking at her, he looked absently off to the side. “I apologize for what I said earlier. I forget that you are a human too.”

“How can you forget I’m human. I mean, look at me.”

His eyes finally met hers. “To me, you’re an entirely different being.”

Her chest warmed as butterflies took flight in her stomach. But, it wasn’t true.

“There are lots of people like me. Anyone who isn’t a part of the government is along for the ride as much as you are. Many people—humans—would want you to have the freedom you deserve.” The fuzzy feeling fell flat. “But a part of me thinks that’s why the government wants to keep you a secret. If no one knows, they have more control.”

“We will never be accepted by anyone until the Decepticons are dealt with.”

“You might be surprised. Yes, some people will want you gone, but there’s lots of people like me who would understand.”

“You only understand because you know us, which is something not many have bothered to do.” He paused before continuing in a gentler tone, “All I did when I met you was mock and ridicule everything you did or said, and all you did in response was show me kindness.”

Aria reached out and took his hand. “That’s because I could see straight through you. Anger and resentment usually stem from sadness and hurt, so I did the only thing I could. And when you accepted my offer, I was so happy, even if Wheelie never stopped bugging me about it.”

“What did he say?”

“He’s been onto us before we even knew. He used to catch me looking at the balcony all the time.”

“The balcony?”

“At the railing.”

Realization flashed across his features. He went to apologize, but she spoke first.

“I was never mad about it.” The image of that night filled her mind. The soft glow of his eyes. How he held his hand out to her. “Maybe I’ve like liked you for a lot longer than I thought.”

“So you saw through my feelings, and I saw through yours.” he said with a smirk.

She became hyperaware of his thumb caressing the back of her hand. “Before Starscream came, was that real? Were you going to kiss me?”

His lips fell into a more serious expression. “I was.”

Aria dropped her gaze. “I wasn’t sure if it really happened. Everything before that moment feels so vague, like a dream.”

“We were reading Shakespeare.”

“Romeo and Juliet?”

He nodded. “One of my many attempts to show you how you felt.”

“How were you so sure I was in love with you?”

“By the way you look at me,” he said, as if it was obvious. “I remember the first time I realized what it was. I was angry that day. Angry at this planet and at humans. Yet, I still found myself there. I was wondering why I bothered, why you were the person I came to seek solace. Then I saw your face…and I knew.” He dropped his gaze. “The way that you looked at me…it made me feel like I belonged. You saw me for exactly who I was and accepted me anyway.”

Her heart fluttered. “That day in the snow.”

He nodded. “You were reciting a poem.”

She’d been sitting on her back steps watching him. He was so peaceful, watching the snowflakes fall. Was that the day she fell in love with him? Could it have been before? When had the excitement of getting to know an alien turned into the excitement of falling in love?

“I was confused myself, at first,” he continued, “trying to figure out why I felt such a way towards a human. But then I realized it didn’t matter because it made no difference. After that, all I could do was help you reach the same conclusion.”

Aria swallowed. “Deep down I did realize it, but I denied it. Every day I’d wake up and hope I’d see you, even for a minute. I was always hoping to catch a glimpse of you whenever I took the bus or when I sat on the steps during my lunch break. I always felt so dumb for doing it, but there I was doing it all the same.”

“And if you did, would you chase me down again?” His eyes were soft.

She took a step closer, closing the small gap between them. “You know I would—oh!”

Ironhide turned his head to follow her line of sight up to the digital clock on the wall. It was two minutes to ten.

“You have to go before the camera’s turn back on!”

He released her hand, leaving it cold. “I’ll meet you at your place when you get home?”

For some reason his question made her entire body tingle with nerves. “Sure…uh, you can come straight inside by the front door.”

He grinned while she contemplated what to do. Should she give him a hug goodbye? A kiss? How did they usually say goodbye? Oh no.

Ironhide seemed to read her thoughts, only smiling wider before leaning down to place his lips on hers. The feeling faded to a tingle, and when she opened her eyes, he was gone.

The clock read nine fifty-nine.

She threw her bow and arrows back into her locker and slammed it shut with unnecessary force.

Back outside, she put on her gear and rode home by streetlight. Once she parked in front of the condo, she grabbed her keys only for the door to open when she made it to the top step.

She chuckled at the gesture. “Moving in already?”

“It’s as good a place as any.” He took her helmet, placing it on the table beside the door before helping her with her jacket.

Not really knowing what else to do, she scavenged for food in the fridge while Ironhide took his usual spot at the table. When everything in the fridge was deemed too much hassle to make, Aria grabbed a granola bar from the pantry. She sat down beside him and took a bite.

“How is your leg?” he asked.

“It’s fine now. Just tweaked it the other day.”

“And you’re done physiotherapy for it?”

“Yeah.” She took another bite.

“Then why are you still training so much?”

She swallowed. “Because I want to be stronger.”

“You don’t need to be stronger. I will protect—”

She cut him off. “You made me that bow because you said you may not be there to protect me, so which is it?”

“I made the bow for you to defend yourself until I can be there for you. You don’t have to exhaust yourself every night trying to become stronger.”

“You don’t want me to be strong, is that it?”

“I do, but—”

“But what, you don’t think I’m capable of being strong like Sam or Will?”

He raised his voice. “You’re not a warrior, Aria, nor should you try to be one.”

Aria gaped as her mind processed what he just said. “What did you just say to me?”

“Aria, I—”

“This is coming from the Autobot who prizes nothing more than strength? I thought you’d be at least happy for me.”

“It’s not that, Aria.”

“Then what? Why is it that I can’t be a warrior?”

“Because I don’t want you getting hurt.”

She stood, causing the chair to scrape across the floor. She put her foot up on the chair and pulled up her pant leg, exposing the deep scar that ran down her shin.

“I’ve already been hurt.” She then pointed to all the thin white scars scattered across her arms and legs from both Egypt and Starscream. “Here and here—oh, and here.” She pulled up her sleeve revealing the other large scar on the back of her forearm. “I don’t think I had a single scar before the day I met you. Now I can’t even wear dresses!”

She took her foot off the chair. “I’m going to bed. Goodnight.” And with that she marched upstairs.

Ironhide’s footsteps echoed after hers as he called out to her. “Aria, please!” He said, catching her bedroom door before she could close it on him. “Listen to me.”

She pressed back against the door. “I’m changing!”

He withdrew his hand and she slammed the door shut. She threw off her clothes, scattering them across the floor.

“Aria, it’s not that I don’t think you’re capable.” Ironhide’s voice was muffled by the door. “You’re strong already. Stronger than most. Nothing can hold you down.”

Her shoulders slacked.

“But being strong isn’t always enough. I know I’ve put you in danger, and I will do everything in my power to keep you out of it for now on. But all that means nothing if you put yourself in danger because you think it’s necessary.”

Aria slipped on her nightgown. Sighing, she opened the door. “Protecting you means everything to me.”

She took his hand and led him to the bed. She got on one side and patted the other for him. Still fully clothed, he lay down beside her.

“When you and Starscream fought, I was sure I was going to watch you die. You say you’ll do everything in your power to keep me safe, so why can’t I do the same for you?” She curled up next to him, burrowing her forehead into his chest.

“You know why.” He wrapped his arm around her.

“Because you don’t want me to get hurt.”

“Or worse.”

“But don’t you realize I don’t want you to get hurt either?”

“Aria, promise me something.”

She didn’t like the sound of that.

“If the day ever came that I was to be hurt or…worse, promise that you will run.”

She lifted her head off his chest to look at him. “Ironhide, I don’t want to promise that.”

“Please, Aria. Use your strength to protect yourself, do not put yourself in danger on my behalf.” He ran his fingers through her hair. “In life or death, my spark would never rest if anything were to happen to you.”

She closed her eyes. “Alright, I promise.

Chapter Text

Movement stirred Aria from her comfortable spot. Warmth moved away, allowing the ambient air to chill her. She slowly opened her eyes, blinking as she did. Ironhide leaned over her, planting a soft kiss on her forehead.

“I’ll come back later,” he said, voice quiet.

She closed her eyes again as he moved away. The blanket was pulled over her shoulder, but when she looked again, he was gone.

Later that morning, Aria got up. With her robe wrapped over her nightgown, she stood in front of the stove, cooking some eggs. It was already eleven and the dark clouds that covered the sky earlier had dissipated.

Ironhide had stayed the entire night. She woke up a few times throughout, unfamiliar with the sensation of sleeping beside someone. Though…he didn’t sleep. At some point he had turned off the light and got her to go under the covers. Hopefully he didn’t drain too much of his energy by using his holoform all night. Partly because she felt bad, and partly because she wanted him to do it more often.

Sizzling brought her back to reality and she stirred the eggs before they burnt to the bottom of the pan. Putting them on a plate and grabbing her tea, she sat at the table to eat.

She’d just finished when her chest tingled. She looked towards the entrance down the hall just in time to see Ironhide appear beside the front door and gestured for him to join her.

“Back already? What’s the occasion?” she asked as he sat.

“I am to relay to you that there is a,” his brows furrowed, “barbecue today—whatever that is.”

Aria perked. “At the base?”

He nodded, but still looked unsure. “I thought that a barbecue was a method of making food, but the men are acting like it is a big event.”

Aria couldn’t help but giggle and stood from her chair in favor of sitting on his lap. She wrapped her arm around him. His confusion of her action quickly passed and he adjusted to make it more comfortable.

“A barbecue is dad lingo for having a party, but a special kind of party that includes barbecue foods like hotdogs and burgers. It’s a fun summer thing!”

Ironhide hummed in understanding. “I see.”

“When does it start?”

“About an hour. They were setting up tables in the hangar this morning.”

“Is it casual?”

Ironhide raised a brow.

She rephrased the question. “Were the guys dressed in uniform?”

“No, they wore civilian clothing.”

Aria got up. “Perfect, I’ll go get ready.” She made it to the base of the stairs before looking back at Ironhide who still sat at the table. “You can come,” she added with a smile and a wave.

Back upstairs, Ironhide made himself comfortable on the bed. Aria sat at the vanity, but she could see him through the mirror. Her room was set up exactly as her old one had been, except there was no balcony to look out onto.

While she began doing her hair for the first time in what felt like forever, Ironhide had taken interest in the book that had been on her side table. He started by flipping through the pages but must have got caught up in a passage, his eyes tracing the sentences.

With him occupied, she took her time curling her hair. Most of the items sitting on her vanity were still brand new, bought weeks ago for when she finally felt like using them.

She looked at Ironhide once again through the reflection and he glanced back, holding her gaze. “What are you humming?”

Damn it. Had she been humming again?

She curled another section of hair. “I’m not sure. I don’t really notice myself doing it.”

“I miss your voice.”

That caught her off guard. “I haven’t really felt like singing much, lately.”

He inclined his head. “I know.”

She finished her hair, satisfied with the result. “What do you think of the book?”

“Do human’s write stories about revenge often?”

“I’d say so. They’re usually started by a loved one being killed by a bad guy and the rest of the book is about the protagonist seeking revenge.”

“And does he succeed?” he asked, gesturing to the book.

“I’m not sure yet, I haven’t read that far.”

“Do you have a prediction?”

She hummed in contemplation. “Revenge plots all end the same. The protagonist kills the one responsible, then realizes it’s all for nothing because it doesn’t bring their loved one back. I don’t know why they can never figure that out in the beginning. Revenge doesn’t solve anything.”

Ironhide looked back down to the book, flipping towards the end.

“No spoilers, though! Maybe it will surprise me.” Aria laughed as she began putting on makeup.

“If you’re referring to how the book ends, I won’t say a word.”

Aria took her time finishing her makeup. Not that she put lots on, she just wanted it to look perfect. Now all that was left was to find something to wear.

She thumbed through her closet which was now filled with long sleeved shirts and pants. None of it was suited to a casual barbecue though. Anything other than a nice summer dress seemed wrong. It was such a warm and sunny afternoon, too.  

She sat heavily on the bed beside Ironhide. “I don’t suppose you have any suggestions of what I should wear?”

Getting up, he put the book back and then rummaged through her closet piece by piece. He inspected each one closely and felt the material in his fingers.

Aria sat in silent observation until finally he turned around to show her the dress he’d pulled out. White with a rose pattern.

Of course he found the one dress in there.

“I thought you claimed not to have any.”

“My mom got it for me when she came to visit the other day. I’m not wearing it.”

The formfitting dress, though beautiful, only reached her knees.

He came over and placed the dress on the bed before kneeling in front of her. He gently touched her leg.

“I see you’re letting other people’s opinions hold you back again.”

She kept her mouth shut. Even though he was right, she wasn’t about to agree. Was it so wrong to not want people to gawk at her?

With a sigh, he closed his eyes, and a look of concentration overtook his features. Before her eyes, a scar formed on his face, running down the side of his forehead, past his eye, and down to his cheek. It mirrored his true form.

He smirked. “Well, do you think any less of me?”

Why did he have to be so damn good looking when he smirked at her like that?

She only glared back. “Fine. I’ll wear the dress.”

After changing—which she did inside the bathroom, despite Ironhide claiming he’d already seen her naked—they headed downstairs. Aria went for her jacket but abruptly stopped.

“I can’t ride to the base in a dress!” Not to mention the helmet would ruin her hair. Bus it was then.

Ironhide reached for the front door. “You’re in luck, NEST arranged transport for you.”

Aria paused as he opened the door and nodded his head for her to look. She took a step and peeped out. There, beside her motorcycle, was Ironhide’s alt form.

“God you’re smooth,” she said looking back to him.

He grinned.

Now she could wear her new shoes then too. She sat on the bottom step to take off the tags before fastening the dainty straps. There was no mirror by the entrance, but they probably went well enough with the dress. He only made a small comment on her footwear.

The passenger door opened for her. And before she could contemplate how to get in without flashing the entire neighborhood, Ironhide put his hands on her waist and hoisted her straight up.

“Thank you, sir,” Aria teased.

In response, he kissed her hand.

He then went around to the far side of the truck which faced the trees, and the second he was out of sight from the windows, he vanished.

The engine rumbled to life.

Aria smoothed out her dress as they drove. Hopefully she wasn’t overdressed—or underdressed for that matter. There weren’t too many women at the base, and out of them, Amber was the only one she’d ever really talked to. The men there were a totally different story. A couple names came to mind of the ones she briefly talked to now and again, but for the most part, she only really chatted to Will and the Autobots when they weren’t busy.

Worse case, she could hang out in a corner.

They pulled into the parking lot. The overhead doors were all open, music blared from a large sound system inside, folding tables were scattered inside and outside the doors, populated by personnel either sitting or standing around them. White smoke billowed from multiple barbecues set up in a row against the wall, one of which, was attended by a very large man wearing a pink apron, chugging a can of beer.

There was a round of cheers as Ironhide drove past the crowd and into the base. Aria hopped out with as much grace as she could muster. Ironhide immediately transformed just as Sideswipe skated over to them.   

“Lookin’ good, Ari.”

Amber strode up beside the silver Autobot. She wore shorts and a blouse tied up around her waist. Very girl next door and totally different than her usual business casual.

“Wow, Aria! Is that you?”

Aria felt her face heat up.

“You look so glamourous!”

“You look great, too!” Aria returned the compliment.

“Thanks, I wasn’t sure what to wear! My husband laughed when I was about to leave in my suit.”

Aria laughed along with her.  

The afternoon turned out to be pretty fun. Aria spent most of her time with Amber, going around and chatting with the Autobots and a few acquaintances. Other than the odd glance, no one had so much as mentioned her scar.

At some point, a group of guys set up a makeshift stage on the bridge, playing a range of different types of music either together or taking turns. There was a guitar, clarinet, fiddle, ukulele, and a lone drum. The men had a good time going from jazz to country.

People shouted up requests between songs. The Autobots looked on in wonder. Other than Ironhide, none of them had experienced live music before. Ratchet, who sat beside her, asked questions about human’s ability to improvise music and how it was possible to play by ear.

“They really need a singer,” Amber said from the other side of her. “Ed’s so out of tune, it’s painful.”

Aria laughed. Ironhide’s words from earlier that day echoed through her head. “Maybe I should go up there and show them how it’s done.”

Amber turned her head to better look at her. After a moment of examining her face, she spoke, “Wait, you’re serious?”

Aria gave a light shrug. “I mean, I’m not a bad singer.”

“Aria, you can sing?” Ratchet asked, now leaning closer.

She nodded, twisting back to Ironhide who stood behind her. He looked back inquisitively, eyes bright as ever.

She swiveled back to Amber. “Yeah, screw it, why not?”

Despite sudden nerves tingling through her stomach, she strode over to the steps up to the bridge. Once the man vigorously playing the fiddle finished and there was a round of applause, she quickly ascended the steps.

She gave a quick wave as she approached the group who were now deliberating what to play next. They paused in curiosity.

“Hey, you guys want a singer?”

Their eyes lit up and a couple of them answered over each other in a course of yes’s.

“I do mostly older stuff. Swing and jazz kind of thing,” she offered.

One of the men—Ed, as Amber called him—perked up. “You’ve seen Some Like it Hot? Marilyn Monroe?”

“Of course!”

They deliberated which songs they knew. Chaotically, one was agreed on. Ed, the ukulele player, and Amir on the fiddle knew the song. The others agreed to improvise.

Getting into position, Aria found herself a lot higher than she normally was while performing. Both glowing blue eyes and shining human ones were upon her. She took a deep breath.

She was a singer. Sure, it had been a while, but it was like riding a bike. She’d performed more times than she could count. Her scar may not even be visible to them from this angle. As the music began, she let herself fall into the rhythm.

“I wanna be loved by you, just you
And nobody else but you
I wanna be loved by you, alone!”

She swung her hips to the rhythm. Holding the microphone in one hand, she danced with the other. Her voice echoed through the hangar, sounding both familiar and foreign.

“I couldn't aspire
To anything higher
Than, to fill the desire
To make you my own!”

The clarinetist took over in a solo, standing beside her. She danced along, giving a wink to Ironhide as she began to sing again. Sideswipe went to nudge him but was swatted away.

“I wanna be loved by you, just you
And nobody else but you
I wanna be loved by you, alone!”

The base erupted in cheers. Aria beamed at the personnel and the Autobots who also whooped and hollered, well some did. Bee, Sideswipe, and the twins were fans.

Her eyes landed on Ironhide. He inclined his head ever so slightly, but she didn’t miss the proud look on his face.

She was formally welcomed into the band and sang a few more songs before heading back into the crowd.

In the end, the barbecue was a success. The Autobots were more talkative than ever. Sideswipe finally convinced Amber to go on a ride, Jolt made a human friend, Bee and the twins choreographed a dance with a group of soldiers, Ratchet was invited to play the drums, Mirage was checking out some of the guy’s cars outside, Wheeljack was showing off hand grenades, and Ironhide—well he looked more content than ever at the base, happy to sit near Aria and speak to whoever approached.

It was the first time she’d seen him joke around with any human other than her or Will. And even though she knew it was there, she couldn’t keep the dumb smile off her face.

Chapter Text

It was a shame the boosted morale of the base didn’t last for more than a couple of days. The Autobots and personnel had been friendlier than ever, Amber went on coffee runs with Sideswipe, and Mirage even started speaking more English rather than insulting everyone in Italian.

Then Will and Optimus returned. Apparently, they arrived at the base the night before. Optimus still hadn’t spoken a word to anyone, Autobot and human alike. Will was nowhere to be seen, likely in meetings with all the other missing higher ups that normally hung around the base.

There was now talk of the director of national intelligence arriving later that afternoon. A woman named Charlotte Mearing. From the gossip, it sounded like she was also the director of NEST.

But that was nothing compared to the other rumor going around.

“Buzz Aldrin? The Buzz Aldrin?”

“Yeah, kind of cool I guess. Not every day we get astronauts around here. Well, not human ones. Wonder what’s going on,” Amber mused.

“What’s going on?” Aria repeated. “Buzz Aldrin is coming here. Today! Do you think he’ll do a presentation? You know, I wrote a paper on him in my first semester. Second man to ever walk on the moon! Nineteen minutes after Neil did. Oh, and before he was an astronaut, he was a fighter pilot. You know he flew an F-80 Shooting Star? It was America’s first ever jet-powered fighter plane. We have one at the museum!”

“Woah, Aria, breathe.”

Aria closed her mouth. “Ah, sorry.”

Amber only rolled her eyes. “It’s Mearing you should be worried about. I heard she’s a menace. There’s no right answer with her. I met her months back after I started. Called her ma’am. What a mistake that was.”

“I don’t think I have to worry about that. I’m just the janitor here. I’ll just go hide out and clean some back office. Or maybe I’ll find Buzz! You think he’ll sign my uniform?”

“I knew you were weird, but not this weird.”

“I don’t know how you’re not excited to meet a man who’s walked on the moon and flown multiple fighter planes. He’s basically my role model. I applied to MIT like six times before I graduated high school. When I didn’t get in, my mom got me a signed poster of him instead. One of the best gifts ever! I had it in my spare bedroom until Wheelie saw it and—”

Amber swiftly changed the subject. “Oh look, they’re done with their meeting.”

The overhead door they stood by began to open. One by one, the Autobots exited the room now done with whatever meeting they were having. They were all in their alt modes. According to Amber, some of the Autobots were requested to stay in their vehicle forms as much as possible while Mearing visited. It didn’t take much brain power that it was mostly referring to Skids and Mudflap.

She hadn’t been able to talk to Ironhide about it, so there was no way to know if the Autobots were mad about it or if they chose to for the same reason many of the personnel were trying to lie low with the impending visit from the director.

There was a ding from the intercom. “The director will be arriving in ten minutes.”  

Amber waved her to follow her. “Come on, we need to find an inconspicuous spot.”

“I’m not sure. I don’t want to get in trouble again for hearing some top secret thing I’m not supposed to know.”

“Aren’t you curious?”

“I am, but I usually find out things from the Autobots or Will later. I’d rather go see if Buzz is here yet.”

“His visit probably has something to do with Mearing. She gestured up to the bridge. “It looks like they’re setting up for a presentation.

When Aria surveyed the area below the bridge, something caught her eye. She grabbed Amber’s arm to stop her. “What is that?”

Amber tilted her head to look around Aria at the object. While the rest of the Autobots kept their distance, Optimus was parked in front of it.

“Your guess is as good as mine,” was all she said before continuing toward the back corner of the main hangar.

The corner was a popular spot. Not only was it inconspicuous, but it was the local watering hole as some of the guys called it. Not that water was why Amber chose it, rather because the coffee station that accompanied the water dispenser.

Aria kept her eyes peeled for Buzz, or the director for that matter. Occasionally, her eyes would drop to the floor that her and the other janitor had spent the last two days meticulously cleaning. So far no one had walked on it with dirty shoes. Good. No reason to call her out for not keeping the place sparkling.

Time ticked on. Ten minutes passed, then twenty. Still no sign of either guest. The Autobots seemed to have grown restless, many transforming and going about their day. One of the men decided to do some basic training drills with Bee to impress Mearing.

Another ten minutes and most of the Autobots were up and about. Wheeljack was presenting Ironhide a new gun that even from the distance, looked huge.

Without warning, a group of people walked through the commotion. Will and a stern looking woman in a suit were at the front.

“That’s her, that’s Mearing!” Amber hissed and hastily turned towards the coffee machine to pour another cup.

Aria wasn’t sure why Amber was so concerned. There were plenty of people walking around between them and the director to be noticed. If anything, most of the personnel were forming a group around Optimus and the strange object.

The base went relatively quiet. Mearing’s voice was just audible but not distinguishable. Whatever she said got Ironhide’s attention. He shouted and hit Optimus. A metal bang filled the hangar.

For the first time since returning, Optimus transformed—and he was angry.

Amber gestured for them to join the crowd as Optimus and Mearing exchanged heated words. They were talking about the object on the table.

She found herself following Amber up to the edge of the crowd. She stood on her tippy topes to try to see past the heads of many taller men. Amber took the less subtle approach and stood a few steps up a nearby staircase.

Then before she could make out what Mearing was saying over the two people whispering beside her, none other than Buzz Aldrin walked out of a nearby entrance.

He was older than she expected but walked with poise. He introduced himself to Optimus who returned the gesture, now noticeably calmer. She only drew her eyes away when Mearing spoke up, this time from the bridge.

It turned out the whole space race was because a Cybertronian ship crashed on the moon. And the object in front of her was what caused the Chernobyl meltdown.

This…this changed everything. Another thing kept from the history books. First Egypt and now Chernobyl. Not to mention the entire space race! Neil and Buzz were probably the first men of the modern world to come across a Cybertronian ship…and it was completely covered up. Had the Transformers had been that close to earth for that long? Perhaps that’s when Jetfire came to Earth, maybe he was following the ship.

There were so many secrets. So much she still didn’t know about the government and about Cybertronians.

It wasn’t until Ironhide spoke that she came back to reality and looked up at him.

Optimus then told them about the ship called the Arc, and the Autobot captain aboard.

Sentinel Prime.

…

The public part of the meeting didn’t go on for too much longer. In fact, everything went exactly as Aria had hoped. Mearing, Lennox, and the other higher ups had Optimus, Ratchet, and Ironhide follow them to a private room, leaving Buzz to mingle with the crowd.

Turned out Aria wasn’t his only fan there.

She and Amber stood in a makeshift line in front of Buzz who was actively signing whatever people brought up to him. After what felt like hours of exchanging theories of what they’d just learned, they finally neared the front.

“I wish I brought my book,” Aria whined.

“What book is that?” Amber didn’t sound very interested in the subject.

“No Dream is too High.”

“Aren’t you going to ask him about what he knows about all this?”

Aria crossed her arms. “I doubt he knows anything I don’t already. And if he did, there’s no way he’d tell me. Let me just get his autograph and then we can focus on all the lies we’ve been told our entire lives.”

Before Amber could reply, it was Aira’s turn to meet Buzz. She practically shoved her cell phone into Amber’s hands. “Can you take a picture pretty please? Maybe like ten so hopefully one of them is decent?”

She then approached Buzz, he held his hand out and gave her a firm handshake.

“I’m so honored to meet you sir—Doctor!”

“The pleasure is mine, young lady. Are you a soldier here as well?”

“Oh no.” Aria quickly shook her head. “I just work here. I do have a degree in Astronomy though. I tried so hard to get into MIT like you but I could only get into UVA—which is fine! Oh and up until recently I worked at the Smithsonian. Don’t tell anyone, but once when I was cleaning the Apollo 11 display,” she leaned in closer, “I tried on your helmet. It was so heavy!”

While Buzz was laughing and signing the back of her coveralls, a stern voice called over the chatter.

“You, girl. Over here.”

Aria looked up to see none other than the director herself. A few steps behind was her assistant who was still toting around several bags and purses.

With a spin, Aria gave Buzz a final handshake and fervent praise then jogged up to Mearing who frowned as she looked Aria up and down.

“I hope you have clearance to be here for your sake,” she said.

Aria hastily pulled out her ID lanyard from under her uniform. “Oh yes, sorry about that. I’m Aria—”

But Mearing wasn’t paying attention. Her assistant had run up shuffling papers and whispering something into her ear.

“So this is the chick, huh.” Mering gave her another once over, this time her expression was slightly more curious than judgmental. “The infamous janitor.”

What was she supposed to say to that? Amber warned her there was no right answer, so maybe not answering was the best option. She swallowed instead, keeping her posture as confident as she could muster.

Though by Mearing’s face, it was obvious she could see right through the act. “Come. Follow me to my office.”

Aria only nodded and did her best to keep up with Mearing’s pace. At least she wasn’t wearing heels, unlike her poor assistant.

Mearing led her to an office that she had dusted a couple of days back. Her assistant closed the door behind them, leaving Aria and Mearing alone in the dimly lit room.

During the walk there, Mearing’s assistant gave her the file which now sat open on the desk. As Mearing flipped through paperwork, Aria caught flashes of photos. Scans of her ID, injuries, x-rays, the smoky aftermath of Starscream’s attack, her new condo, the shard of Ironhide’s spark in a glass jar, the bow.

Her entire life since Egypt, contained in a file folder.

Mearing stopped and pulled out a blown-up picture, turning it so Aria could get a better look. Like most of the others, she had no idea it had been taken.

It was a still shot from a security camera at the base. Ironhide was sitting on the floor with an elbow resting on his knee. The much smaller figure in front of him was her, half bent over laughing. Probably at something he’d just said by smug the look on his face.  

“Care to tell me about your relationship with the Autobots?”

Aria wiped the smile from her face and lifted her gaze from the photo. “We’re…acquainted.”

“Uh huh,” Mearing said slowly, leaning back. “And Ironhide, specifically?”

The lamp on Mearing’s desk suddenly became very interesting. “…Friends, I guess.”

“Are we talking friends like Sam and Bumblebee or friends like Sideswipe and Amber?”

Aria opened her mouth only to close it again. Was Mearing implying what she thought she was implying? There was no way she could know. Not like she and Ironhide really did anything that would give them away in front of anyone. Unless the cameras didn’t actually shut off when she was in the shooting room.

“Sam and Bee,” she blurted.

Mearing’s eyebrow rose above the rim of her thick framed glasses. With a skeptical noise, she pulled out a new folder and wrote Aria/Ironhide on the tab.

“We’re really not that close,” Aria tried again.

Mearing ignored her, instead pulling out more photos from Aria’s file. There was one of her leaning on Ironhide in his alt mode, window rolled down and her mouth open, clearly talking to him. Another one showed her sweeping and Ironhide watching her. The last showed Ironhide and Ratchet having a conversation and her sitting on the stairs of the bridge watching them.

Sideswipe was right, she wasn’t very subtle. Even from the grainy images, she could see the look in her eyes that Ironhide had described before. She did look like a girl in love. Or rather like Wheelie put it—a girl with a dumb smile on her face.

Mearing stacked the photos neatly and put them in the new folder. “Your feelings aren’t any of my business Ms. Normandy, but any friendships you have with the Autobots are. I’ve never heard of an Autobot doing this kind of gesture before, but in doing so, it’s opened a lot of doors.”

There was something about Mearing’s tone that raised Aria’s internal alarms. “Doors as in helping our relationship with them, or doors as in something else?”

“Let me make something clear to you. Building stronger relationships with the Autobots is the only reason you’re still here. We can only achieve so much until we’ve earned their trust, and we can only do that thanks to people like you and Sam Witwicky.”

“What do you mean people like us?”

“Civilians. We attempted with Amber to have a government employee fill the gap between the two by making her more of a civilian in their eyes, but they’re not buying it. She’s gotten zero information from them, even with Sideswipe pining after her.”

“Does she know this?”

Mearing gave a half hearted shrug. “It’s not in her job description, but she has been told to take notes on any information that may be of interest to me.”

Aria relaxed her shoulders. So Amber didn’t have any ulterior motives.

But what about her? Was she being used for some ulterior purpose?

“I can see that you’re now wondering what you’re unintentionally helping me with.”

“You still haven’t told me what doors I’ve opened.”

“I’ve been keeping a close eye on your little experiment with Ironhide.” She moved Aria’s file out of the way to reveal another one under it. This one had a Classified stamp on it. Inside had surgery photos and pages full of Aria’s handwriting that she had written detailing her experience since having the shard. Then there were the questionnaires she had to fill out on a weekly basis asking about any changes or symptoms.

“I see you are able to activate the bow now,” Mearing said, pulling out the most recent update Aria had written. “‘Lighter and stronger than any other bow’” she read. “‘Arrow embedded itself in the cement wall.’”

Aria only nodded.

Picking up the phone on her desk, Mearing dialed a number. “Clear out and turn off the cameras in the shooting room.” She hung up before whoever had a chance to answer and stood.

For some reason, Aria couldn’t move. Her eyes were fixed on the open file. Fixed on the picture of the fresh incision in her chest.

How could she have been so naive? Did she really think that her experiment was a one-off? Something to keep tabs on out of interest? It was more. So much more.

Mearing opened the door. “Come on, I don’t have all day.”

Aria robotically stood and followed Mearing out into the hallway. It was a short walk to the shooting range. The last person exited as they got there. Mearing closed the door behind them and locked it. A moment later, the flashing lights on the camera switched off.

“It won’t work,” Aria said quietly, stopping in front of the lockers.

“You’re going to have to speak up.”

Aria faced her. “I know what you’re doing. And it won’t work.”

“And what makes you think that?”

“Do you know what a spark is?” Aria turned back and opened her locker, pulling the bow and an arrow from it.

“A Cybertronian organ that stores and circulates Energon through their bodies.” Mearing was looking at the bow which now resembled a baton, then back up to Aria. “It’s their equivalent to a heart.”

“It’s their s—”

“Yes, I’m aware they refer to it as their soul. But souls do not exist, and we only deal with the physical and not the spiritual.”

Aria allowed the tingle to travel down her arm and into the piece of metal in her hand. It flexed and grew into the bow. “It doesn’t matter what you and I think of souls. It matters what they think. If a Cybertronian believes they are giving someone a piece of their soul, then they are. And that’s not even considering that it may physically be their soul and actually does contain their essence.”

Mearings eyes never left the weapon. “So it could function as both their heart and their brain. Noted.”

“No, not like that. Why does there have to be a human equivalent? They’re not even from this galaxy!”

“Ms. Normandy, I don’t have time for this. Just shoot the arrow.”

“Tell me exactly what you’re planning!”

“We are in a war right at this very second. Something is going to give very soon and we need to be able to defend ourselves.” She put her finger up to stop Aria from interrupting. “If we can convince the Autobots to make us these weapons on a much larger scale, then we can help them as much as they help us. They’re your friends, you said so yourself. Would you not want someone like Lennox to have a more powerful weapon to defend the Autobots during an attack?”

Aria held out the bow for Mearing who took it. The glowing symbols faded into nothing and after a moment, it transformed back into its smaller size.

“I was told by the Autobots that giving someone a piece of their spark was a very personal decision. Only a couple of them even know about it. There’s no way it will work on any kind of scale close to what you’re envisioning.”

“And did they mention if the Transformer has to be living for the spark shard to work?”

A strong feeling of dread washed over her. Even the split-second thought of Ironhide dying made her stomach lurch. “What do you mean?”

“We have a stockpile of Decepticon parts waiting to be repurposed. We could probably make enough shards for hundreds of weapons if the Autobots will build them for us.”

“They wouldn’t have any Energon anymore though.”

“Optimus has the Matrix. I believe that would be able to recharge the sparks with enough Energon for a human to use.”

“Do the Autobots know about any of these plans?”

“No. And they won’t until you’ve had yours for much longer. In the meantime, I expect you to not say a word about this conversation to anyone if you like your new house and job. Now if I’ve answered all your questions, would you be so kind?”

Aria took the bow from her outstretched hand. Once again it transformed. Without so much as a pause, she pulled the string back and loosed the arrow into the target.

Then the resonating thud of the arrow embedding into the cement wall filled the room.

Making Cybertronian weapons. That was why she was here.

Chapter Text

After a couple of days of deliberation, it was decided that Optimus and Ratchet were to go to the moon. They took a rocket called Ares V. It was originally lined up for a different mission from what she gathered, but Mearing was able to hijack it with a day’s notice. After only a minimal amount of begging, she managed to watch the launch from the backseat of Ironhide’s alt form.

And so, Optimus and Ratchet were in space…while she was in her kitchen listening to Ironhide go on about Sentinel while trying to make an omelet.

“He was the one who made Optimus a Prime—an honor above all others,” he spoke as he deftly chopped an onion.

Aria stood aways away, near the open window. “So Optimus was his successor after he took the Arc with the secret weapon that even you guys don’t know about?”

“Yes. He’d already proven himself to us, so we naturally turned to him for leadership.”

“Did you know Sentinel personally?”

“I did. I met him when I was still a Decepticon.” He began chopping a red pepper. “Sentinel ambushed my team. Though it was our first meeting, I had already heard the stories. I knew we had no chance. At the time, our ideologies clashed. We didn’t believe he was a Prime nor did we believe in his plan to save Cybertron. I told my team to stand down, and in turn, he didn’t attack. He told us his plan and said if we interfered, he would kill us all to save the planet.”

“And what was his plan?”

“Our energy source was fading. He believed the way to save it was by finding a long forgotten relic and recharging it with a star.”

“Wait, relic? Would that be the Allspark?”

He nodded, a proud look on his face. “We did not believe in the existence of the Allspark, nor did we believe that teleporting a star into our solar system wouldn’t end in our immediate demise.”

Aria almost dropped the entire egg in the pan. “Sentinel can teleport stars? Like, as in our sun?”

Ironhide took the egg from her hand. “He was working with Wheeljack to create the technology. My team and I attacked Sentinel, but Optimus was able to hold us off for Wheeljack to initiate transport. Next thing we knew, there was light and we felt strength return to us immediately.”

“The same Wheeljack that’s here?”

Ironhide inclined his head and put the lid over the omelet.

“But why didn’t the star destroy the planet? At least it would have affected the gravity.”

“Sentinel and Wheeljack took care of that. The teleportation tech also functioned as an anti-gravitational device. It completely offset the gravitational forces of the star while maintaining its relative position within our galaxy.”

“Wow. You guys really are on a different level.”

“What was your initial indication?”

Aria tilted her head and crossed her arms. “Hm, well if it wasn’t the Blackbird transforming into an old man, it was definitely when a Chevy truck pointed his cannon at me.”

“If it makes you feel any better, I do that to most humans when I meet them.”

“Way to make me feel special.”

When the omelet finished cooking, they sat at the table. She complimented Ironhide’s cooking to which she received a smug reply.

Sentinel sounded like a godsend to the Autobots. Someone who could actually put an end to the Decepticons, especially if he truly was a descendant of the Primes. Jetfire had gone on about them and practically worshipped Optimus. Ironhide didn’t dare challenge Sentinel either, which was something to be said in itself. Of all the Autobots she’d met so far, Sentinel may be the greatest…if he was alive.

And if he did return and he did defeat the Decepticons, that would mean that Mearing’s secret weapons program wouldn’t be needed. She would never have to tell Ironhide or reveal to the Autobots that Mearing wanted to give soldiers Decepticon sparks powered by the Matrix. These were their souls and nothing good could ever come from it.

What would Ironhide think if he found out? His personal decision to give her a piece of his soul to protect her was only allowed because it could be used for weapons research. Because it could be used for war.

And all the Autobots wanted—all Ironhide wanted, was to be done with war.

“Is something wrong, Aria?”

“Just an eggshell.” Aria smiled at him. “I’ll let it slide this time.”

“I know there’s something you want to say.”

She slowly chewed the last bite before meeting his eyes. “If we were just friends, would you still have given me a piece of your spark?”

“You mean if I didn’t love you, would I have given you a piece of my soul?”

“Yeah, I know you said you didn’t intend it to be in the romantic way, but knowing what I do now, I think you did.”

Ironhide leaned back, crossing his arms. “It doesn’t have to mean anything if you don’t want it to. You accepted it as a means to use the bow, that’s all it has to be.”

“And what if I wanted it to mean more? I mean—I know we haven’t known each other for that long, but at the same time…”

“Aria, I gave you a piece of my spark because I love you and that I’d do anything to protect you.”

She got up from her seat to sit in his lap, wrapping her arms around him. “I wish there was something I could give you in return.”

He held her tight. “You’ve already given me everything.”

This. This is what love felt like.

…

A couple of days later, Aria got ready for work. It was an afternoon shift which turned out to be perfect. Optimus and Ratchet were scheduled to return that afternoon, that was— if they hadn’t already.

She rode to the base and showed her badge to one of the guards of which there were more and more each day. More guards, more soldiers, more protocols, more paperwork. How NEST kept everything organized was a mystery.

At least she was granted special access to the back door that didn’t have an Energon detector yet. They still weren’t very sensitive and therefore couldn’t pick up on smaller readings, but according to Ironhide and the doctor, the Energon levels in her body were increasing by the day.

A month ago, the base would have been hectic, but now it was the norm. Personnel were walking more briskly than ever, Will was always in a meeting, and the Autobots were constantly training or going over drills.

“Aria!”

Over by the nearest group of people was Amber who was now walking toward her.

“Hey, Amber.”

“Did you see him yet?” she asked.

“Sentinel?”

Amber squeaked. “Yes! Aria, he’s huge. I think he might be bigger than Optimus. Looks like an old man from what I saw. Come on, he’s in the observation room.”

The Autobots were there as well. Aria looked down through one of the many windows at Sentinel who was placed on a large chair. Ratchet was scanning him while the other Autobots watched.

Sentinel really did look like an old man. His body was faded red, covered in scorch marks and dents.

“They brought back some other stuff too.” Amber pointed down at open boxes with huge metal rods inside. “Apparently, even the Autobots aren’t really sure what they are. But they’re grilling Wheeljack because he looks like he does know, just refusing to say anything beyond the fact that Sentinel was the one who invented them.”

Aria’s eyes fell back to Sentinel, then to Ironhide who was talking to Optimus and Sideswipe, the latter Ironhide swatted at when it looked like he said something he thought was funny.

Not long after, Optimus left the room with most of the Autobots joining him. Only Ironhide and Ratchet remained.

“Well, I’d better get back to work.” Amber stretched her neck. “Have to make Sentinel a crash course on humans presentation for when he wakes up.”

“Make sure to include bathing and sexual reproduction. Ratchet still asks me inappropriate questions, and it’s been months.”

“Of course, naked people front and center!” Amber called, earning the looks of a pair of scientists down the hall.

Aria stared back down at the sleeping Prime and then at the strange metal objects near the wall. Knowing the transformers, they could be anything.

Movement caught her eye. Ironhide was coming over, gesturing for her to come into the observation room. She opened the glass door separating them.

Ironhide stopped, his head was level with her. “I wondered when you would get here.”

“How is he?”

“He’s in what we call stasis lock. I heard Ratchet explain it to William that it is much like a human coma.”

“Does that mean he was injured in the crash? Will he be okay?”

“He is not injured. It was self induced, so he could be one day found and awoken.”

“It’s a good thing Optimus has the Matrix,” Ratchet said, joining them. “He’s been asleep for a long time, running on his last trace of Energon.”

Ironhide took a step back from Aria, probably realizing just how close he was to her when Ratchet joined them. “Will there be a toll on Optimus? Using the Matrix like that?” he asked.

“Nothing he can’t handle. The Matrix merely has to jumpstart Sentinel’s spark. Then he can use our synthetic Energon to fully recover.”

Ironhide gave a curt nod.

“The Matrix is what brought Optimus back to life, isn’t it? That’s what Sam used in Egypt?” Aria asked Ratchet.

“It does not normally have the power to bring a Cybertronian back to life. Sam had a piece of the Allspark which transferred its power into his mind. When he found the Matrix, the Allspark’s power transferred to it. That was the energy that allowed Optimus to be revived.”

“The Matrix also has a special connection to the Primes. Only a Prime, or a Cybertronian with the potential to be one, can wield it,” Ironhide added.    

“When Sentinel wakes up, will he be the leader of the Autobots again?”

Ironhide and Ratchet looked at each other.

“That, we do not know,” Ratchet said.

Ironhide lifted his chin. “It would be up to Optimus.”

They talked for a couple more minutes before Aria had to start her shift. Ironhide waited for Ratchet to transform and exit the bay before once again leaning close to her. It wasn’t often that she was face to face with him like this, not since she had a balcony.

His optics shone a soft blue, conveying his wordless contentment. The spark in her chest hummed and a phantom warmth filled her chest.

She glanced down, half expecting it to be glowing.

“I feel it too,” Ironhide said in a low rumble.

“What is—”

“Aria! You’re not authorized to be in here!”

Aria jumped and Ironhide straightened, distancing himself from her.

Lennox walked in followed by a few soldiers. “Get going before Mearing sees you! Ironhide, help me move those rods. Wake up time is at twenty-one hundred.”

“Rodger that.” Ironhide gave her one last fleeting glance and left to help the soldiers.

Aria swiftly left the room and went down the stairs back to the main hangar. They weren’t going to wake up Sentinel until nine, which seemed strange. Unless it was in case he reacted badly and pulled a Jetfire, then nighttime might avoid some unneeded witnesses.

Would he be senile like Jetfire? Time hadn’t done the old Blackbird any favors. Perhaps stasis lock was different, and time had no effect on Sentinel.

But other people were worrying about that.  

She wanted to know what that feeling was.

The spark in her chest always emitted warmth, but the last few times she’d been close to Ironhide, it got much more noticeable. And this time was the most intense of all.

And he felt it too.

Did that mean they were connected in some way? Sure, between Cybertronians that seemed very likely. But for her and Ironhide?

Conscious of the fact she was probably making a face when walking past people, she relaxed.

She’d have to ask Ironhide when she got the chance.

Unfortunately, she was on office and hallway duty all day. She took the opportunity to clean Mearing’s office while she was out.

If it wasn’t for the high probability of cameras in the room, Aria would have been tempted to steal one of those pictures of her and Ironhide. Not that they were particularly nice photos, but they were probably the only ones in existence with the two of them together.

After a few agonizing hours of cleaning every uninteresting part of the base, it was break time. She made a pit stop at the lunchroom to eat her sandwich before venturing out to see if she could find Ironhide.

Still chewing, she walked into the main hangar. She kept close to the wall to avoid the scrap Skids and Mudflap were having. Bumblebee and a few personnel were trying to break them up.

The other Autobots were staying out of it, their alt forms parked in their designated areas. Her eyes swept to Ironhide’s empty spot. He was probably out running errands with Will.

Maybe she could go find Amber.

Before she turned to leave, Ratchet transformed. Instead of stopping the fight as she assumed he would, he walked around and over to her.

“Aria, care to talk for a moment?”

“Sure.”

She followed him to the empty presentation room. The automatic lights flickered on as Ratchet pressed the button to close the large door.

Aria went over and sat on the stage by the base of Amber’s podium.

Ratchet kneeled in front of her, raising an arm to scan her.

Aria lifted her arms. “Didn’t we just do this a couple of days ago?”

“Do you feel hot or abnormal in any way? Perhaps not now, but earlier in the observation bay.”

Oh.

Oh no.

Could she have any semblance of privacy around Ratchet?

“I was going to ask Ironhide about it when I got the chance.”

“You do understand then.” Ratchet hummed. “Your connection with Ironhide is strong.”

“I think we’re…close.”

Ratchet finished the scan. “Indeed. What intrigues me, though, is how you’ve managed to become so close with what limited time you have together. I have never seen Ironhide grow so attached to someone so quickly. And a human at that.”

“So the feeling is because we are close?”

“Between two Cybertronians, yes, the feeling is mutual. However, you are a human with a piece of a spark in your chest. So the connection is one way. You are feeling what Ironhide feels.”

“He feels like that…about me?”

“There’s a reason we call our loved ones Sparkmates.”

“I know that.”

“You do?”

“Wheelie and Brains told me about it. But Ironhide said that giving me a piece of his spark didn’t mean that. Only that it would allow me to use the bow.”

Ratchet tilted his head. “And do you want it to mean only that?”

Oh no, he was onto her.

“Surely you’ve realized by now that even if the gesture was merely to help you defend yourself, it was a gesture of love.”

Still, she didn’t say anything. Was she even allowed to admit that she loved Ironhide to anyone? The Autobots weren’t oblivious by any means, they constantly teased her and Ironhide at any given chance, but telling them that she and Ironhide truly loved each other?

“Ironhide is a guarded mech,” Ratchet said. “He has loved and lost before. I believe that is why he is so protective of you.” He must have read the question in her eyes. “Her name was Chromia. She remained behind on Cybertron and is likely gone. It was hard for him to leave her behind, but necessary.”

“He left her?” That didn’t sound like something he would do.

“She refused to leave because she wanted to stay and help refugees. She told us she would follow us on another ship after she’d found everyone. We sent her our coordinates shortly after arriving on Earth, but we have yet to hear back.”

A small noise left Aria’s throat. Chromia sounded…so noble. So, so much better than her.

“Chromia was born a warrior. She never backed down from a fight, and it almost cost her. Ironhide saved her more than once. But every time she finished healing, she would leave and fight again. Her recklessness led to Ironhide’s scar.”

“He said he got it from a giant Decepticon,” she recalled.

“One that Chromia tracked down and tried to take on, alone. If Ironhide hadn’t followed her, she would have perished.”

Was Ratchet trying to make her jealous? Make her feel inferior? “Why are you telling me this?”

“Because I want you to know, Aria, that Ironhide would die for you.”

Her stomach dropped and she blinked as her eyes started to sting. She couldn’t look at Ratchet.

“He is our friend and so are you. So I must ask you to protect him.”

“How?” she asked, already knowing the answer.

“By keeping yourself safe and doing as we tell you.”

Little did Ratchet know, she had already promised the same thing to Ironhide.

“Okay.”

…

The large digital clock read eight p.m. It was almost time. She lowered the incline and shut off the treadmill.

The changing room shower was never the same after Ironhide’s visit. He did still pop up from time to time but hadn’t peeped at her since.

She couldn’t bring herself to stop thinking about Chromia. Why had Ironhide never mentioned her before? Even when he used to tell her old war stories, her name had never come up. Maybe it was too painful for him.

One part of her wanted to know everything, but the other wished she never heard the story at all.

She finished blow drying her hair and started to brush it when a siren blared through the speakers. She flinched and dropped the brush. Why did it have to be so loud? The Energon detection alarm went off almost every week thanks to the Autobots sneaking in and out of the base.

The alarm only lasted a minute before shutting off. By then, she put everything in her backpack and headed for the hangar.

The base was packed. Like a lazy tide, everyone slowly made their way toward the observation room. Two people, in particular, caught her eye.

Sam and Carly were walking past the Autobots, Bee trailing behind them.

She lowered her hand when they didn’t see her wave.

“That’s embarrassing,” said a raspy voice by her feet.

“Wheelie!” she squealed, bending down and embracing his small pointy body the best she could.

“Woah princess, no need to get touchy feely.”

Brains came up beside Wheelie. “Heya, Ari.”

“Hey Brains!” She decided against giving him a hug too. “You guys here to see Sentinel?”

“Well shit, that’s tonight? Nah, Sam just had a Decepticon ambush him at work.”

“Wait, what?”

“Uh huh,” said Brains. “Sounds like Lazerbeak which means Soundwave is nearby.”

Aria looked between them. There were Decepticons in Washington? What about the Energon ditectors?

“Good thing they’re waking up ol’ Prime. He’ll make the Decepticons think twice.”

Awakening Sentinel in T-minus five minutes.

Both of the small Autobots ushered her along.

“Don’t worry, Ari. As long as we got Sentinel, ain’t no Decepticons touching us!”

She hoped Brains was right.

“Aria, over here,” Amber called. She was standing on the steps by Sam and Carly.

She, Wheelie, and Brains joined them.

“Sam, I heard what happened. Are you okay?” Aria asked as soon as Sam noticed her.

“Aria, what are you doing here?”

“There was a Decepticon at his new office, Accuretta Systems. It killed one of his co-workers!” Carly cut in.

Accuretta Systems? Sam got a job there straight out of college? She must have applied at least six times without so much as an interview.

No! That wasn’t important. “Did you say someone died?”

“Yeah, he was acting strangely, right Sam?” Sam nodded. “Then he allegedly jumped out his window.”

The conversation swiftly died when Optimus walked into the room carrying a glowing blue object. It shone brightly, casting a blue glow against the white walls.

Optimus pressed the object into Sentinel’s chest. Sentinel lurched as if electrocuted then jumped up. In seconds, he had a sword pressed to Optimus’s face.

Personnel panicked as Optimus reasoned with Sentinel. The other Autobots came out as well.

Sentinel, though disorientated, did seem of sound mind. He spoke of the war, but more importantly about the rods—or as he called them— the pillars.

They sounded much like what Ironhide had described in his story; transport technology, capable of teleporting stars from one solar system to the next. Sentinel warned Mearing of their power and that they must be kept secret from the Decepticons at all costs.

Sentinel’s conversation with Mearing didn’t last. Optimus and Ratchet ushered him back into the seat and told him to rest.   

“Hey, you didn’t answer my question,” Sam said as they followed the crowd out of the observation bay. “You work here?”

Carly also looked curiously at her.

Aria shrugged. “Just a janitor. You on the other hand got a job at Accuretta? How?”

“I don’t know.” Sam shrugged. “Someone sent in a recommendation on my behalf. I’m not doing much better than you, though. Mailroom assistant.”

Carly put a hand on his arm. “Sam, it’s an important first step. Oh look, it’s the Director. We should go talk to her while we have the chance.” She paused at turned to Aria. “It was lovely seeing you again, we should meet for coffee sometime.”

Aria agreed at waved them off. When Mearing caught sight of them, she gave a swift gesture and the three disappeared into the hallway.

Deciding it was time to go home, Aria started for the parking lot. The Autobots would probably be preoccupied for the next little while so there wasn’t much point waiting around for them.

“What, ol’ grumpy not giving you rides anymore?” Wheelie came rolling up to her, Brains catching up.

“I thought you would know, seeing as you two are always scheming.”

“Hey, it’s mutually beneficial, ‘Hide gets what he wants, and I stay in his good books. Win-win.”

Brains elbowed him. “Nah, you totally ship them.”

Aria rolled her eyes. “Hey, are you guys staying here tonight? Want to have a sleepover at my place?”

“Awe thanks, princess, but we gotta go back with Sam and Blondie.”

“No problem. Thought I’d offer.” Aria did her best to hide the disappointment from her voice.

Back home, she got ready for bed. It had been an eventful day. Seeing Sam, Sentinel, the pillars, Ratchet’s story. It was a lot.

She went upstairs to the chair that faced the window. Just visible was the roof of the base. And in that base was Ironhide. He was only minutes away. She was safe. The Decepticons wouldn’t come after her here.  

She sat down in the chair and closed her eyes, breathing deeply.

The Decepticons wouldn’t attack.

The Decepticons wouldn’t attack.

She opened her eyes. Maybe she should have stayed at the base.

The faint ticking of the clock filled her ears as she sat there looking out at the distant lights of the city. The book she had attempted to read lay forgotten on her lap.  

Static filled the air and tingled her chest. When she looked over, Ironhide stood near the stairs, illuminated by the light of a nearby lamp.

“Aria, why are you still awake?”

She looked up at the clock. The short hand was nearly touching three. Had she been sitting there for that long?

“Oh.”

“Come on, it’s time for you to sleep.”

He came over and held out a hand. But she shook her head. “Can’t see from there,” she whispered.

He looked out the window, eyes scanning the cityscape. After a moment, his expression changed. He had figured it out.

“I am here, outside.”

“I thought you’d want to be with the others tonight.”

“They are all resting like you should be.” He took the book from her lap and placed it on the table.

“I want to stay with you.”

“I am staying with you.”

“Outside.”

Ironhide looked surprised and then grinned his usual lopsided grin. “You’ll need a cover then.”

Aria yawned. “You mean a blanket?”

Ironhide helped her up. “Yes, and that other thing that goes under your head.”

“A pillow.”

She took said items off her bed, bunching them in her arms. Ironhide didn’t give her any notice before picking her up and talking her downstairs. Her chest filled with warmth.

She thought of telling him, but it slipped from her mind. Her eyelids were getting heavy.

The next thing she knew, she was outside in the cool air. Sure enough, Ironhide was parked there. The rear passenger door was open and the rear seats were folded down into a makeshift bed. She crawled in and untangled the blanket from the pillow. She laid down and the door closed.

“Comfortable?” Came Ironhide’s voice from the speaker.

“Mmhm.”

Chapter Text

It seemed like only minutes passed before her name was being called. She opened her eyes and blinked at the grey morning light. The door was open at her feet where Ironhide’s holoform stood.

“Come, Aria. I have to return to the base.” His voice had come from the truck, not the holoform that was beckoning her.

Slowly, she sat up. So it wasn’t a dream. She had spent the night with him.

She put her pillow in her lap and scooted towards the open door. She took Ironhide’s outstretched hand. In a quick movement, he scooped her up and held her close to his body. She put her arms around his neck and rested her head against his chest. A familiar hum filled her ears.

He carried her inside and up the stairs. He placed her gently on the bed, arranging the blanket over her body and tucking it around her shoulders.

Her eyes kept closing so she had to force them back open again.

After tucking her in, he leaned down and rested his forehead on hers. He placed his hand over the shard in her chest and she was immediately filled with a warm, pleasant tingle.

He said something quietly…but she couldn’t remember.

…

BEEP BEEP BEEP.

“Ugh.”

Aria wrestled out of her blankets and pressed the button on the alarm. She rolled onto her back and rubbed her eyes.

She took her time getting ready. The constant afternoon shifts were really spoiling her. Waking up at nine was always such a luxury.

By the time she arrived at the base, it was lunch break. Of the Autobots, Sideswipe, Jolt, the twins, and Sentinel were there.  

Aria changed at went to grab her cart out of the janitor’s closet. Just as she was about to unlock the door, someone called her name.

Aria turned to face none other than Mearing and her assistant walking towards her. Oh no, what had she done now?

“Hi, Director,” Aria greeted, keeping her voice as level as she could.

“Congratulations, Aria, you’re getting promoted to research assistant,” Mearing said in her business as usual tone. “The papers.”

Her assistant held out a small stack of papers to Aria.

She took them. “Research assistant? To who?”

“Dr. Muchimba Kamati. Third floor, room 3718. All the information you need is on the paperwork.”

Why did that name sound familiar? She’d heard it before…or rather wrote it as a reference. “As in Dr. Kamati, one of NASA’s top Astrophysicists?”

Mearing practically rolled her eyes. “Just get up there and do whatever she tells you.” When Aria didn’t move, she added, “You’re first shift started ten minutes ago.”

“Oh my god, thank you!” Aria practically ran over to the main elevator.

She had written at least five papers citing Dr. Kamiti’s research on wormholes to further space exploration. She was one of the biggest names in Astrophysics, coming from Namibia with a degree in Engineering and Space Technology and finishing with a PhD in Astrophysics from Harvard.

When the elevator dinged and the doors opened to the third floor, Aria just stood there.

Was she still dreaming? Sure, Mearing probably knew her entire life history, but there must have been someone more qualified to be Dr. Kamati’s research assistant.

It wasn’t until the doors started closing that Aria grabbed them and rushed out. The hallway looked familiar. Was this the floor she’d been on when she originally snuck into the base? Who knew that she’d end up working there.

She stopped in front of the door. 3718 Dr. Kamati, the plate read. She held a fist up, and after a few seconds, finally knocked.

“Come in!” A voice yelled from behind the door in a thick accent.  

Aria entered the room. It was a decent sized office with a couple of computers, monitors on the wall, and a table with one of Sentinel’s pillars on it.

Dr. Kamati was standing next to it, clipboard in hand. She had dark skin and very short curly hair that was dyed ginger with black roots peeking through. Under her lab coat, she wore a black turtleneck dress with tights and low heels.

Aria approached cautiously and introduced herself.

Dr. Kamati shook her hand. “I’m sorry to have needed you on such short notice. My previous assistant did not have clearance for this assignment, so I needed a new one.”

“You just started here?”

Dr. Kamati gave a curt nod. “I got a call in the middle of the night and was escorted here this morning. Tell me, you already know about the Cybertronians?”

“I do. For about a year now.”

Dr. Kamati tisked. “I knew we had a branch assigned to a secret government agent, but aliens already capable of space travel and teleportation? That would have been nice to know for my research.”

“Honestly, I thought NASA did know.”

“Politics and science only see eye to eye when it’s necessary. And the existence of these pillars make it very necessary. Now,” she said, putting the clipboard down. “That is your computer. I hope you know how to run code.”

“Yeah, I’ve done some modeling before.”

“Good. Sit.”

…

After hours of painstakingly strengthening old neural connections in her brain, she was done for the day. She had jinxed herself and was now back on a regular nine to five shift, but that hardly mattered, she was basically an astronomer for NASA! Working on top secret alien transport technology nonetheless!

She’d already called her parents during her break to tell them the news. She’d even messaged Eli for the first time in weeks—of course leaving out the classified information.

Congratulations on moving up in the world from janitor to assistant.

She let out a huff of laughter at the text as she walked through the hangar. Most of the Autobots were still gone, including Wheeljack who she had a list of questions for.

“Awe, come on, let me give you a ride home!”

Sideswipe was pestering Amber who was trying to walk past him.

“I told you, my husband is picking me up, Sideswipe. Go hit on someone else,” Amber said and continued walking towards the exit.

He deflated but immediately perked up again when he locked eyes with Aria.

“Hey, hotshot, heard about your little promotion! Thought you’d at least come visit even if ‘Hide’s out.”

“Sorry, Sideswipe. I wanted to, but my schedule was messed up today. Want to go get coffee? Maybe the others will be back by then.”

“I like how you think, little lady!” Sideswipe transformed, the driver door swinging open.

“How come you never wanna hang wit’ us?” Skids came over as she was getting in.

Mudflap punched him in the arm. “Cuz we ain’t allowed to leave the base, idiot. ‘Hide have our heads anyways.”

“If you two would stop damaging human property, they’d let you out once in a while,” Jolt said, approaching them.

Aria waved at them before Sideswipe closed his door.

The sun was low in the sky, painting the clouds vibrant orange. Sideswipe complained about Amber and this ‘alleged’ husband of hers he’d never seen. After almost half an hour, he finally dropped the subject and Aria had a chance to talk.

“So the Autobots are out patrolling or something?”

“Yeah. City wide search. Lennox and his team are checking out the building Sam was attacked in yesterday.”

“Do you think they know where the base is?”

“Hard to say. And before you ask, ‘Hide’s been checking around your place. Not that they’ll try anything now, if they don’t already know we have Sentinel, they will soon.”

“Brains said something like that too. That the Decepticons won’t dare try anything with Sentinel around.”

“Oh yeah, even Megatron knows not to cross him.”

“Ironhide told me a little about him before.”

“Those two go way back. Sentinel was the one who assigned me to train under Ironhide. Said next to Optimus, he was the strongest Autobot around. Bravest too. That makes me the third strongest Autobot.”

“What about Bee?”

“He can be fourth.”

She laughed. Bee would probably have something to say about that.

“Is he with Sam now?” she asked.

“Yeah. He’s been Sam’s guardian since he arrived on Earth.”

“If you guys are so sure the Decepticons won’t attack, why is he staying with him?”

“Precaution. Unlike you, Sam goes looking for trouble.”

“He seems to live—” she paused, looking for the right word, “an exciting life.”

Sideswipe chuckled at that one. “That’s one way to put it.”

They drove around for a while before stopping at a drive-through. Aria crossed her arms as the window rolled down and Sideswipe ordered for her.

He got quite the kick out of ordering, like it was something taboo for him to do. Well, it probably was, as it fell under the “interacting with civilians” clause of his contract. But it wasn’t hurting anyone. The most that ever came from it was the confused face of the window attendant.

Sideswipe took the long way back to the base while Aria sipped on her iced coffee, gathering the courage to ask the question she’d been meaning to.

“You said you’ve known Ironhide for a long time.”

“I have,” he answered slowly.

“I heard a name in passing the other day and I was wondering…if you know an Autobot named Chromia.”

Aria nearly spilled her drink as Sideswipe slammed on the brakes for a yellow light he would have normally run. “Was ‘Hide seriously talking about Chromia?”

Well, that didn’t go as smoothly as she’d hoped. “What? No. Not Ironhide. It was Ratchet—I think. I was just wondering who that was.”

“Oh—Oh! Right, dumb of me to assume. Uh, yeah, I knew her. Tough little femme. Stayed back on Cybertron to help refugees.”

“And her and Ironhide were…a thing?”

“A thing?” Sideswipe muttered to himself. “Oh like in a relationship, yeah they were. Kind of one sided if you ask me.”

“Oh?”

“Chromia was pretty reckless. Went out on missions even when Optimus or Sentinel told her not to. Ironhide would always go after her so she wouldn’t get herself offlined—killed, that is. But I think she did it on purpose. Like I said, Ironhide was one of our strongest, so when Chromia wanted something done, she’d do it knowing Ironhide would follow through even if she couldn’t. Nearly got him killed once. Huge Decepticon with one of Soundwave’s prototype guns.”

“That’s the one that gave him his scar.”

“Figured you knew that, he loves to brag about it. He likes to take all the credit even though the only reason they lived was because Optimus and I made it in time for backup. Ironhide was just lucky getting in the last shot.”

“Did Chromia stop after that?”

“I think she felt bad. He only just healed when we decided to leave Cybertron. That’s when Chromia said she was staying. Me and the others thought it was another ploy to keep Ironhide there, but when he said he was going to stay with her, she told him no. She knew he’d do more good out here than back on the planet.”

Sideswipe’s story painted Chromia in a different light. She was noble, but recklessly so. Someone who wanted to win even if it meant playing dirty.

And playing dirty meant putting Ironhide’s life at risk. 

“The bots and I really appreciate what you’ve done for him. He used to be angry and bitter, and well, still is from time to time, but he’s been a lot better thanks to you. I think even Lennox sees that, probably why he lets you two get away with so much.”

She had always wanted to think that she did, but hearing it from Sideswipe gave her a sense of validation. All she wanted was for Ironhide to feel accepted. To show him how much more to Earth there was outside of the base. How much more there was to humans.

And she had, thanks to his holoform.

But the other Autobots weren’t so fortunate.

“I just wish I could do more for all of you.”

“What are you talking about, you’re great! Hanging out with us all the time, joking around, singing. You know, you should try a little of your magic on Sentinel, he’s having some difficulty adapting.”

“To Earth, you mean, or to Mearing?”

“Taking commands isn’t really something he’s used to. You’d be helping out Amber. She says he doesn’t care much for learning about your culture.”

They were pulling up to the base now. “Maybe I’ll start by introducing myself first.”

“Yeah. Oh look, he’s back. I’ll go distract Optimus so you can talk to him.”

“Okay.” Aria got out of the Corvette. “And thank you, by the way.”

“No problem, little lady.”

Sideswipe transformed and approached Optimus. As he did, Aria scanned the hangar. Besides Optimus and Sentinel, no one else had returned. It was getting late too, the clocks read ten past seven.

It worked out well. Sentinel was standing near the bridge. She climbed the steps just as Sideswipe was leading Optimus away to tattle on something he saw the twins do.

Sentinel looked down at her when she came to a halt near his face. The bridge was set to be level with his chest.

“Hello, I just wanted to introduce myself. I’m Aria, and I guess as of today I’m a research assistant. Actually, the things I’m researching are your pillars. It’s amazing technology!”

Sentinel merely looked at her. Face impassive, not a flicker of emotion.

She didn’t sound that stupid, did she?

“Um, anyway, I used to live on a little acreage out of town. It’s surrounded by trees, so no one can really see in. Some of the other Autobots go there when they get sick of the base. I’m sure Ironhide or Sideswipe would take you there anytime—It’s a secret though, so don’t say anything to the Director.”

Still no response. Not even a nod of acknowledgment.  

After a few agonizing seconds, Sentinel looked to the side to Optimus who was once again coming over.

And as if she never existed, Sentinel walked towards him and continued their conversation.

Aria just stood there.

Chapter Text

It was weird to see Sentinel act so normal around Ironhide after how he treated her the night before.

Yet, as she took another bite of her sandwich and watched from afar, they seemed no different than two veterans talking about old times. The other Autobots were gathered around them like an audience listening to a campfire story. Sideswipe even intervened from time to time, making shooting gestures with invisible guns.

“I don’t know why you don’t eat in the lunchroom like everyone else,” Amber said as she sat down beside her.

“I usually hang out with them.” Aria gestured to the group.

“So he’s a jerk to you too?” Amber looked vehemently at Sentinel. “He really needs to get that Cybertronian-sized stick out of his ass.”

Aria choked, recovered, and swatted at Amber. “Why, what’d he say to you?”

“Absolutely nothing! When I did his introductory presentation, he just stared at me as if I had the audacity to be speaking to him! Then he just left when I asked if he had any questions.”

“Yeah, that’s pretty much what he did to me.”

“I don’t care even if he’s some kind of god to them, he has no right to be a sexist asshole. He barely gives the director the time of day.”

They talked—or rather complained for a few more minutes before Aria had to get back to work.

She’d never looked at more code in her life. Trying to read it was a nightmare. Luckily, that’s all she had to do. Dr. Kamati was the one doing the interpreting.

“It is like the pillars can create a wormhole by disrupting gravitational forces.”

Aria glanced back at Dr. Kamati who was reading the notes she’d handed her. She then wrote something on her clipboard and handed it to Aria.

“Take this to the Autobot who can answer my questions.”

Aria nodded, taking it and going back to the elevator. She’d go look for Wheeljack again since Sentinel ignored her existence.

She exited the elevator and went around the bend in the hallway to find the hangar once again in chaos. What was it this time?

The Autobots were in their alt modes, Will was in front of them giving instructions. Just as she got close enough to hear, he jumped into Ironhide’s alt mode, and the convoy left the base.

It wasn’t another Decepticon attack, was it?

Two men walked past. “Did anyone even see him leave?” the one said to the other.

“Adam, do you know what happened?” she asked, recognizing him as one of Bumblebee’s training buddies.

“Oh, yeah, Sentinel left without telling anyone. He doesn’t have a tracker, so now we have to go out and find him before he gets into a police chase or something.”

“What’s his alt mode?”

“Brought in a firetruck. He wasn’t happy about it. Wanted to keep his original alt mode.”

“Come on, truck is here,” said the other man who Aria didn’t know the name of.

“Talk to you later,” Adam said and continued for the doors.

It was a shame Ironhide had to go after Sentinel. It felt like forever since she last had the chance to talk to him.

She turned to go back to the office when Wheeljack caught her eye. He was leaving one of the adjacent hangars.

“Hey Wheeljack,” Aria called up to him, jogging over.

“Oh Aria, good to see you!”

“I have some more questions if you wouldn’t mind answering them. From my new boss about the pillars.”

“And I have something to give you, come.” Wheeljack led her back into the room he’d just left. He pressed the button to close the large overhead door.

The room was full of clutter. Wheeljack used it for making and upgrading weapons. A huge gun rested on the Autobot-sized table in the middle of the room. It was the same shade of red as Sentinel.

“Oh that.” Wheeljack followed her line of sight. “Fine weapon there, an old favorite of Sentinel’s. We call it the Cosmic Rust Cannon. One hit from this and the Decepticon’s body will oxidize and rust away into nothing. I’m cleanin’ it for him. But for you,” he stumbled over a pile of metal on the floor as he reached for something. “I have these.”

In his hand were more arrows for her bow.

“Thank you.” She went to take them, but he curled his fingers.

“These arrows are different. ‘Hide told me about your increasing Energon levels and asked if I could make something more—how should I put it—substantial. Unlike the other arrows, you can charge these ones with Energon. Then, when you fire, they explode.”

“Ironhide wants to give me exploding arrows? Are you sure?”

“Well he said he wanted you to have arrows that would work even if you didn’t have time to aim. Explosions are the natural solution.”

“And you’re positive they won’t accidentally blow up in my face?”

“They don’t call me Que for nothing.”

“Uh huh,” Aria nodded slowly, finally taking the arrows from him. Namesake or not, according to the Autobots, Wheeljack did make good weapons.

After carefully putting the arrows in her back pocket, she pulled out her clipboard and started asking Wheeljack Dr. Kamati’s list of questions.

…

After another few hours of work, Aria had to once again leave the office. She told Dr. Kamati she had weekly appointments with the resident doctor. Thankfully, she didn’t ask any questions though it looked like she wanted to.

Dr. Harlow was looking at the blood sample she’d just taken from Aria’s forearm. It was getting quite painful, having a syringe jammed in her arm week after week. At least Dr. Harlow alternated arms to give her veins at least a couple of weeks to heal.

“Still looks normal,” she said aloud so Dr. Martinez could write down the observation. She then took the syringe from Dr. Harlow and took it over to her microscope.

Just as Dr. Harlow was pressing on Aria’s lymph nodes near her collarbone, the door opened.

“Sorry I’m late,” said Mearing, closing the door behind her.

“No problem, Director,” Dr. Harlow replied and continued her physical examination.

What was Mearing doing here? Was she even allowed to be in the room?

Of course she was, this was all her doing. Aria was Mearing’s experiment, after all.

Mearing took a seat in the corner of the room. She didn’t say anything, just observed, which wouldn’t be that bad if it wasn’t for Aria wearing nothing but pants and a bra for the physical.

Meanwhile, Dr. Martinez put the remaining blood sample in the centrifuge.

Aria put her shirt back on after the exam was finished. Like clockwork, the centrifuge came to a stop at the same time.

Now Mearing looked intrigued. She stood up and walked over to the two women. Dr. Martinez took the tube out of the machine and held it up to the light for everyone to see.

Dr. Harlow was the first to speak. “Looks like Energon levels are still increasing.”

While the doctors took down notes, Mearing was still staring at the sample.

It probably was pretty jarring to someone who’d never seen it before.

Harlow had told her that after a blood sample was spun, there should be three layers: red blood cells, platelets, and blood plasma on top. The plasma in a normal sample was a clear yellow liquid, as hers had been.

Now it was pale blue. And when Dr. Martinez shut off the lights, it glowed faintly.

They all waited a while longer for the final part of Dr. Martinez’s analysis. She separated the plasma from the rest of the sample and spun it again for another ten minutes.

They all sat in silence. It wasn’t normally the case, but Mearing’s presence seemed to affect the two doctors as much as it affected Aria.

Mearing, however, was typing rapidly on her phone for almost the entire duration of the cycle.

The whirring sound of the centrifuge stopped. Dr. Martinez got up and started to measure the now two distinct layers in the liquid. One faint blue, and one clear yellow.

“Energon to plasma ratio is nearly one to one. Up three percent from last week. It looks like levels are finally stabilizing.”

“Good,” Mearing said and stood. “Now what have you done for physical testing?”

The two doctors glanced at each other. Dr. Harlow answered, “We are letting Ms. Normandy exercise at her own discretion. We haven’t been keeping any records of her progress.”

Mearing looked down her nose at Aria. “Have you?”

Aria shook her head. “No, Director.”

Mearing hmphed. “Since these two,” she looked at the doctors. “Can’t seem to follow instructions, I’ve arranged for you to do an endurance test at an external facility tomorrow morning. You’ll be meeting Colonel Lennox here at seven a.m. sharp. He’ll be your overseer for the day and report back to me. Am I clear?’

“Yes, Director,” Aria replied tersely.

“Good.”

…

Aria yawned. After yet another night without seeing Ironhide, she was back at the base. It wasn’t even seven yet, and she’d probably eaten too much breakfast and drank too much water. A part of her wanted to go to the bathroom now instead of throwing up at the sight of whatever endurance course she would be subjected to.

Mearing just had to make everything her business and turn an act of love into a military experiment.

It didn’t matter if Ironhide’s spark made her stronger or faster or if it did nothing at all. What mattered was that he gave it to her and that if needed, it would allow her to protect herself.

She sighed and leaned against the wall.  

At least Sentinel was back. They must have found him in the evening or during the night. The Autobots were all in their alt modes, still resting. Couldn’t she just go curl up with Ironhide? A nap in his backseat sounded nice right about now.

But alas, Will showed up a few minutes later and took her to the training grounds in a vehicle that wasn’t an Autobot.

When they rounded the corner to the outdoor facilities, Aria’s jaw dropped.

“I thought you said this was a basic training course?”

“Yeah, for NEST special forces.” Will scratched the back of his head. “It’s more like a Navy SEAL obstacle course. Don’t worry, we don’t expect you to finish it. It’s just a test to see what level you’re at. You’ve been going to the gym, right? No big deal.”

“No big deal? That rope is two stories tall! I run on a treadmill and do bicep curls!”

It wasn’t an exaggeration either. There were ropes, log obstacles, walls of netting, trenches, tires, even sandbags!

“I know you do more than that. Come on, there’s no pressure. No one else is even here.” Will gestured around the course. “I’ll show you how to do each obstacle, then you try it, then at the end, we’ll do a run through of the whole thing.

When all she did was look at him with an expression that surely didn’t hide her inner panic, he continued. “So first is the vault.”

The vault was a series of logs elevated off the ground. Will demonstrated, using only his hands to hurdle over them. He came back and went over the technique step by step.

Once she got it down, it wasn’t so bad. It was mostly confidence and momentum. Easy.

Will praised her and moved on to the next obstacle: tires. He put his hands behind his head and stepped through them. Aria followed right behind while mimicking him.

Then came a towering wall made of loose netting. She followed Will’s lead and climbed slowly. By now her forearms burned, but she made it to the top and began descending. The key was not to look down. Never look down.

“Wow, Aria, I can’t believe you did that first try!”

She nodded, hands on her knees, catching her breath. After a couple of seconds, she straightened.

“Okay,” she said. “What’s next?”

“Have you ever climbed a rope before?”

“Yeah, in school.”

“Perfect.”

The rope wasn’t that bad either. Despite the blisters forming on her hands and burning muscles that made her eyes water, all she needed was a minute to catch her breath between obstacles.

There was a tightrope walk, a wall with narrow ledges to grip, platforms she had to jump and hoist herself up onto, more logs, more tires, until finally she was done.

“You really have been working out,” Will said while checking off the list in his hand. “Your upper body strength is well above average for a girl—no offence.”

They walked back to the start.

“Now time to do the endurance part of the endurance test. I’m going to time you this time. You have three attempts per obstacle. Your goal is to finish the course.”

“Is there a time limit?”

“Not for you…but for our guys, it’s ten minutes.”

“You can do all of that in ten minutes?”

“My record is nine minutes twenty two seconds. Course record is eight minutes fifteen.”

Aria shook her head in disbelief and then went to the starting position. Ten minutes, yeah right. Just finishing would be a miracle.

Will blew the whistle. Aria went into a dead sprint towards the vaults. She sprung up and threw herself over each consecutive log before landing on the other side. She threaded her fingers behind her head and stepped through the staggered tires.

She just had to remember to breathe.

She practically threw herself onto the net wall, climbing clumsily to the top and back down again.

Somewhere, in the back of her mind she knew her hands were raw and her muscles ached, but this was nothing. Not compared to running for her life in Egypt or getting attacked by Starscream. This was just some obstacle course.

Up the rope, down the rope. Up the platforms, across the tightrope, more tires. Her muscles would just last long enough to finish each obstacle and then recover just in time for the next. Her arms were numb, she tripped over the sand.

Across the ledge wall, up the log pile, down again and through the steep trench.

Forcing her body up and over one last elevated log, she fell to the ground and half crawled to the finish.

The beep of the timer being stopped was drowned out by the sound of her throwing up on the ground.

Will was saying something about being amazed, but she focused on the water bottle in his hand. It was difficult to drink and attempt to catch her breath at the same time.  

Then the bottle fell from her hand, and she lay on the ground. The clouds seemed to spin.

“You still alive?” Will asked after giving her a minute.

“Uh huh,” she breathed out. “Time?”

“Fifteen minutes fifty two seconds.”

“That’s not…terrible.”

Will squatted down next to her. “Aria, I’ve seen men train for years and barely finish the course. I think there might be something to this Energon thing.”

“I think it helped me recover between obstacles faster.”

Will hummed. “Do you think you could do another one now?”

Aria sat up. Her breathing was back to normal, but the dull ache of her muscles remained. “Maybe in a life or death situation.”

“Fair enough,” Will said with a laugh. “You’re done with the course, but…”

“But what?”

“There’s a teensy bit more testing I want you to do.”

The teensy bit more Will referred to was a strength test. They went back to the base and used the gym there. On the way, he gave her bandages for her hands which were torn to shreds.

There she deadlifted two-hundred pounds, squatted one-fifty, managed five pull-ups and forty push-ups.

Before the test, she hardly ever dabbled in weight even half that.

Finally, at three she finished a five-mile jog on the treadmill. Will had pages of notes with one definitive answer.

She was way more fit than she should have been.

…

It was a rainy Friday afternoon when Aria came down from Dr. Kamati’s cramped office. They still hadn’t had any significant findings with the pillars that made the sense of what Sentinel called ‘their laws of physics’. Dr. Kamati reassured Aria that this kind of thing would likely take years to even begin to understand.

“I forgot how awful statistical analysis was. I think it might be worse than reading code all day. It’s like I blanked it out of my mind when I finished school.”

“Why study it if you don’t enjoy it?” Ironhide asked.

She adjusted her spot on the plates of metal that made up his shoulder. “I do enjoy it, but I like the theory more. Plus, I was sure a science degree would land me the tour guide job I’d always dreamed of. But no, Mark said I was overqualified. What a jerk.”

“Do you want me to threaten him?”

“You? No. I should go do it.” Aria flexed a bicep.

“I heard William mention your physical test. He said you did well.”

She had wanted to tell Ironhide about it as soon as she’d finished, but he was out on patrol. He said he visited her later that night, but she had already passed out.

“I barely made it through the course, then he made me come back and do a bunch of strength tests, and then made me do cardio!”

“You did do well then. Do you know why they decided to test you?”

“Mearing requested it. She came to one of my exams and saw my blood sample. She wanted to know if the Energon affected me physically.”

She kept it vague. They were getting dangerously close to the topic she’d been avoiding.

Ironhide’s eyes narrowed. “That is not the Director’s business.”

“Everything between me and you is her business. She told me as much.” Upon seeing Ironhide’s questioning expression, she elaborated. “She has separate files on humans and Autobots that are close. One for Sam and Bee, one for Amber and Sideswipe, and one for me and you. She showed me a bunch of camera stills of us talking or looking at each other. She’s probably got people keeping tabs on us right now.” She glanced up at the camera in the corner of the room.

Ironhide examined the camera closely, his optics dilating and constricting. “I don’t see any audio input system. They can’t hear us.”

Aria blinked. “You can see if it has audio?”

“It’s not very difficult when you know what to look for. Human tech is still very rudimentary.”

“Did you just call my people primitive again?” Aria tapped a finger on Ironhide’s face.

“Your technology is basic. Your bow was primitive, even to human standards.”

She nuzzled her cheek to his. “Good thing I have such a noble Autobot to make me a new, superior Cybertronian one.”

“You can’t deny it’s better in every way,” he said, leaning into her.

Just then the overhead door opened to reveal Sentinel. For a split second, it looked like he was going to say something, but his eyes lingered on Ironhide and then to Aria on his shoulder.

She and Ironhide straightened. And before Ironhide could get a word in, Sentinel’s expression darkened.

“I did not realize how low you’ve fallen, Ironhide. Fraternizing with a lowly human.”

As Sentinel turned to leave, Ironhide abruptly stood, almost causing Aria to lose her balance and fall. “How dare you say such a thing!”

Sentinel faced him. “You abandoned Chromia on our doomed planet. And now you disgrace her memory with this inferior being.”

“Inferior?” Ironhide seemed to stop himself from attacking and collected himself. “I already made it clear to you. Chromia refused to leave.”

“Then you should have stayed with her,” Sentinel bellowed before dropping his voice. “Or are you still struggling with loyalty?”

“Do not question my loyalty, Prime.”

“Then perhaps I should question your sanity.”

Ironhide went to say something back, but Aria put a hand on his face. When he looked sideways at her, she shook her head.

“Disgusting,” was all Sentinel said before leaving.

Ironhide turned away, wordlessly holding his hand up for Aira to climb onto. He let her down next to Amber’s podium.

If the pacing wasn’t an indication of his rage, the burning in her chest was.

“How dare he speak of you like that. Comparing you to her. Questioning my loyalty.”

“‘Hide,” Aria raised her voice over his heavy footfalls. “Don’t take it personally.”

Ironhide stopped at her words and looked down at her.

“He doesn’t like humans.” She gestured to herself. “He’s made that pretty clear the last few days.”

“What did he say to you?” Ironhide kneeled in front of her.

“Actually, he hasn’t said a word to me. I tried introducing myself and he kind of just looked at me as if I had the audacity to speak to him. Amber said she had a similar experience. Clearly, he thinks we are beneath him.”

Ironhide looked away, snarling something in Cybertronian. The lights of his eyes softened when they met hers again. “I’m sorry I didn’t realize. I’ve hardly spoken to you since we brought him to Earth.”

“It’s not your fault.” She reached out and touched the side of his face. “It’ll probably take a while for him to adjust and realize we’re not so different. Just like you did.”

“I never thought you were beneath me, Aria. You were too good to be true, and I didn’t trust it. Now I do, and you’ve shown me everything this world has to offer.” He stood. “I will ask Optimus to speak to Sentinel about this. What Sentinel thinks about humans is irrelevant, he cannot speak to you or anyone like that.”

With resolve in his step, he went to exit the room.

But she wasn’t done yet. There was still one more question that clawed away at her insides until she couldn’t hold it in any longer.

“Do you think I’m inferior to Chromia?”

Her words stopped Ironhide in his tracks. He stood there, completely still, as if her words froze him.

“Who told you about her?”

“I’ve…heard the story. I’m not upset or anything. Just…” She looked down at her hands. “Curious.”

He looked back over his shoulder. “If you believe you are inferior in any way, you are wrong. You are opposites, and I hope by the feeling of the shard in your chest, you know my spark shines for you only.”

Ironhide turned away and exited the room leaving Aria there with a hand on her chest.

The feeling that flooded her was that of pure sincerity, stronger than any words could describe. It brought tears to her eyes.  

How could she ever doubt his love for her?

Chapter Text

Aria sat at the table writing out the shopping list for the day. Ironhide was due to come over any minute now. They had planned to spend all of Saturday together for weeks now.

He was always amused by the things at the store, which would be their first stop. Then there was a new coffee shop Aria wanted to try out. After that, they could go out to the viewpoint by the river then maybe go to Blue Bella’s and listen to some music.

She scribbled down peaches on the list as the rumble of Ironhide’s engine came from outside. She opened the front door just as he was walking up the steps.

“Is that new?” He gestured to her dress.

She stepped outside and spun, the material flowing around her legs. “Yeah, you like it?”

“I do. Does it come with footwear?”

Aria scoffed. “Don’t ruin a nice moment.”

Ironhide flashed her his usual grin and followed her inside.

Aria started getting ready to go. “How are things at the base?”

“I talked to Optimus. It seems he is already aware of Sentinel’s indifference towards humans. However, Sentinel’s behavior extends beyond humans now,” Ironhide said, leaning against the counter.

“What do you mean?”

“He’s been different since he left the base. After you left yesterday, he did the same thing to Sideswipe and Amber as he did to us. I think he did something to the twins too, they refuse to go near him.”

“And he wasn’t always like that?”

Ironhide shook his head. “No. Never.”

“Are Amber and Sideswipe okay?”

“Sideswipe took it in stride. I didn’t get a chance to talk to Amber. She left immediately after.”

Aria grabbed her purse and went to put on her shoes. “She probably wasn’t happy. She already had a bad experience with him. I hope she doesn’t quit because of it.”

“Amber’s a strong woman, she’ll be alright.”

Before Ironhide helped her up into the passenger seat, Aria waved to one of the neighbors who was guiding her child to the condo a few doors down. Ironhide stared for a moment too, then followed Aria’s lead and gave a small wave.

The woman held the toddler’s wrist and helped the little boy wave back.

“Human children are so small,” Ironhide said as he began backing out.

“Well you’ve seen where they come from, haven’t you?”

He nodded then looked over to her. “And you could create one too, if you wanted?”

Aria’s cheeks heated up as Ironhide continued to gaze at her earnestly. Suddenly, pedestrians became more interesting.

“I mean, technically yes. I just don’t really want kids.” She met his eyes. “Do Cybertronians…have kids?”

Now Ironhide had the grace to look abashed, even if was only for a second. “Not at all like humans do.” He looked back at the road. “Cybertron,” he began, “unlike Earth, has a living core, almost like a supercomputer. From time to time, it created hot spots on the surface of the planet, and in those spots, Cybertronian sparks would form. Those sparks would be picked up and coated with a special type of living metal. Each spark has a unique code, like genetics, that when combined with the metal, would form into a unique Cybertronian.”

“Like a child Cybertronian or a fully grown one?”

“Fully grown, but naïve and uncoordinated. Though, it isn’t a long process. The Cybertronians that found the spark and infused it become its parents.”

“What were your parents like?”

This, Ironhide didn’t answer for a long time.

“I was not created in the traditional way. When the war began, Decepticons began collecting all the sparks they could find, then scan them and destroy the weak ones. The remaining would be born into the ranks of the Decepticon army.” He never met her eye. “I was not created because of love, but because of war.”

She reached over, touching his arm. “But you are loved now. By the Autobots, by me, I’m sure even Will does to some extent.” She laughed. “And if it makes any difference, I was an accident.”

His sad smile grew softer. “Thank you, Aria.”

…

The shopping trip ended with Aria throwing peaches at Ironhide’s holoform.

He’d decided to test her newfound strength by loading her arms up will all the bags. He’d forgotten the bag of peaches though, putting it in her hand as an afterthought. She ended up dropping the bag in the parking lot. Enraged by the avoidable incident and the loss of perfectly good peaches, they became projectile weapons.

To her dismay. He caught all of them.

The peach debacle over and groceries in the backseat, they headed to their next stop.

“I think we passed it already. I swear it was that last turn.” Aria twisted back in the seat.

“Why do you always doubt my navigation system?”

“Oh I’m sorry Mr. Robot in Disguise. Please, continue to take the long route.”

“I will, and I’ll park on the correct side of the road because of it.”

He’d been right. And only gloated about it for a few minutes.

He came around to help her out of his alt form. Instead of taking her hand, he picked her up by her waist, giving her a spin before putting her down.

Aria giggled, kissing him on the cheek.

“Aria?”

Both Aria and Ironhide turned. There, by the front door of the coffee shop, was Carly.

“Oh, hello Carly!”

But Carly’s eyes were glued to Ironhide’s alt mode. “Is that an Autobot?”

Aria put a finger to her lips and went over to her. “Yes, it’s Ironhide,” she whispered.

Carly squinted as if trying to recall the name. “Is he your guardian?”

“Uh…”

“Yes.” Ironhide’s holoform came to Aria’s side.

“Oh, this is John. He works for NEST.”

As the two greeted each other, Aria couldn’t help but notice the once over Carly did.

“You two coming in? I believe we did say we should get coffee together sometime.”

“Yeah, sounds great.”

While they waited, Carly explained that she worked nearby and was headed home after.

“How are Wheelie and Brains?”

Carly let out a groan. “Aria, I have no idea how you dealt with Wheelie. He’s such a—a pervert.”

“Just make him do the laundry. Gets it out of his system, plus he folds well.”

“Huh. Maybe I will.”

After ordering drinks and Ironhide insisting that he didn’t need anything, they sat down at a table by the window.

“Sam’s been acting so strangely since the incident at his office. He has Brains and Wheelie doing all kinds of research about astronauts of all things. He’s printed about twelve missing people articles dating back to the eighties.”

Sam was researching missing people and astronauts. Did he know something no one else knew? But how?

“Does he think it has something to do with the Decepticons?”

“He must. But I’m worried about him. I don’t want him going off and doing something stupid and getting himself hurt or killed.” There was a faraway look in Carly’s eyes.

“We will do what we can to keep him safe,” Ironhide said.

“Can you really promise that?” she said rather aggressively then deflated. “It’s just…I’ve already lost my brother to war. I can’t bear the thought of the same thing happening to Sam.”

“I can promise you that we—and the Autobots will protect him at all costs.”

Aria resisted the urge to snap her neck towards him. At all costs? At all costs? What did that mean? Sam’s life was no more important than Ironhide’s. From her point of view, Sam should stop doing whatever he was doing to protect the Autobots at all costs, not meddling with information that no one else knew about.

“Thank you, John. That means a lot to me.”

They talked for a bit longer which relaxed Carly. Aria pressed herself to stay engaged in the conversation.

Why couldn’t Sam do what she was doing? Stay low and keep himself safe so he didn’t have to depend on the Autobots to protect him. It wasn’t rocket science. In fact, it was the obvious thing to do. Was self preservation an instinct he lacked?

“I’d better get going,” Carly said after about an hour. “I have a work party tonight that I have to convince Sam to go to.”

Outside, Carly gave Aria a hug. “Thank you for listening. It means a lot.” She released her. “You too take care of each other. And you,” she added, looking at Ironhide’s alt mode.

Ironhide gave a faint nod.

They parted ways.

“Should we be worried about Sam? Maybe he’s onto something.”

“Bee is with him and we have—”

“Sentinel, I know.”

“We may not see eye to eye with him, but he is still an Autobot. Even Megatron would be foolish to try anything.”

Unfortunately, blind faith in Sentinel didn’t come as easily to her.

Back at her condo, they unloaded groceries. This time, Aria made Ironhide carry everything in, which he did effortlessly.

Aria put some cans away in the cupboard. “So what exactly did you mean when you said ‘at all costs’?” she asked, keeping her voice casual.

When there was no answer, she straightened to find Ironhide caught off guard.

“Aria, it is our duty to protect humans. Sam especially—”

“Yes, which is fine. But at all costs? Do you know what that actually means?”

“I would die to protect him.”

“And where does that leave me, Ironhide, huh?”

“Aria—”

“Sam may be your friend, but I love you. You’re everything to me. I don’t ever want to hear you say you’d die to protect anyone, even me. I want you to live!”

Despite her outburst, Ironhide came closer to her, pulling her into his arms. His chin rested on the crown of her head.

“As much as I try to hide it from you, it is the reality of the life I live. I am a soldier, and protecting those I care about is what I must do.”

“Can’t we just run away or something?” Her voice muffled against his chest.

“There are days I want to. But I cannot. I made a vow when I became an Autobot. To fight to the end or until all are one.”

“Do you think that will ever happen?”

“All we can do is hope that it will.”

They stayed like that a while longer.

“Will you at least try not to be reckless? That protecting at all costs will only be an absolute last resort?”

“Me? Reckless? Who told you that?”

“I won’t name names for their protection, but I have heard the rest of the eye-scar story.”

He hummed. “Chromia.”

“It sounded like you were both pretty reckless. Her running into fights, you running in after her.”

“I never did realize it until I got to know you,” he said. “She would put me in harm’s way while you would do everything in your power to keep me from it. I knew how it felt to love, but not how it felt to be loved. And now I do.”

…

Ironhide helped Aria finish putting away the groceries. Ironhide’s version of helping, however, was picking Aria up and setting her on the counter and doing it all himself under Aria’s direction.

“So do you want to go to the viewpoint after, or Blue Bella’s? I think George is playing a piano concerto tonight.”

Ironhide closed the fridge. “What if we stay here for a while?”

“We always stay here.”

He came over to her, standing between her legs that dangled from the counter.

“I want to kiss you again.”

Aria absently lowered her eyes to his lips and the angle of his jaw. “We do kiss.”

“I mean like before, in the base.”

The tingle in her chest amplified her rising heartbeat. The thought of that night still made her swoon.

“Oh, you mean kiss kiss.” Her voice was strangely weak. It was like she was a teenager again. Some blurred line between nervousness, excitement, and some other feeling she wasn’t willing to admit.

“Yes, because we like like each other.”

She slid her hand on his chest and grabbed his shirt. “Are you going to tease me or kiss me?”

He answered by pulling her to his body and putting his lips on hers. She gripped his shirt while her other hand ran up his arm.

She parted her lips, deepening the kiss. Her tongue met his.

Wrapping an arm around her, he pulled her from the counter and pressed her against the wall. His hands slipped up her dress and explored her body. Her waist, her butt, her stomach, her chest, her leg.

She tilted her head back to catch her breath only to let out a sigh as his hand caressed her thigh.

“Do you know what you’re doing?” she breathed.

“I have an idea.”

“Then touch me.” She took his hand and put it between her thighs.

By some miracle or previous research, he knew what to do.

He kissed her as she panted. She groped at his hair, his neck, his shoulders. She tossed her head back. Ironhide went for her neck, kissing every inch of exposed skin from her jaw to her collarbone. Then when she couldn’t hold it in any longer, she squeezed her eyes shut and let out a moan.

She relaxed, pressing her cheek to his chest and using his body to support her weak legs.

“I can’t believe you just did that,” she said, catching her breath.

“Did I do it right?” Ironhide’s deep voice reverberated through her ear pressed against him.

“Yes, but I’m not going to ask how you knew to do that.”

“Just pretend I’m a natural.”

His body suddenly stiffened.

“‘Hide?”

No answer.

She stepped away from him and looked up at his face which was completely impassive.

Then he came back. His eyes locked with hers. “I have to get you out of the city.”

He didn’t give her time to question him. He picked her up and carried her to the front door.

“Ironhide, what’s going on?”

“Decepticons.”

He put her in his alt mode, vanishing as soon as she was in the seat.

A neighbor’s scream was cut off by the door closing.

The seatbelt wrapped around her like a boa constrictor. “What do you mean Decepticons? Where?”

“In the city. I’m taking you to Will’s house. You’ll be safe there.” He was already on the road.

“Will’s house? Doesn’t he have a wife and daughter? Why would you bring me there?” She struggled against the seatbelt that refused to budge.

Ironhide ran a red light. She flinched as an oncoming vehicle nearly hit them.

“They are ten miles out of the city. You won’t be found.”

Won’t be found? Was he crazy? Of course she would. Instantly.

“The Perceptor, Ironhide, remember?”

He slammed on the brakes. If she hadn’t been pressed against the seat by the seatbelt, her face would have hit the dash. Her stomach lurched when Ironhide then spun around on the freeway.

“The base then. But you will stay hidden, let us protect you.”

“I will but—” Not at all costs.

His engine roared as he weaved in and out of traffic at twice the speed. Flashing lights caught Aria’s eye from the mirror. A police car was chasing them.

It caught up, driving beside them, siren wailing.

“To punish and enslave…” Aria read. Oh no. The window was heavily tinted but there was no driver.

“Barricade.” Ironhide swerved, hitting the Decepticon alt mode.

Barricade recovered, now on their tail.

The sound of Ironhide’s engine was deafening, yet Barricade could keep up.

The glove box opened in front of her. Inside was a familiar black piece of metal. Her bow.

“How did you get this?” she yelled over the noise.

“Aria, I need you to shoot Barricade. We cannot lead him back to the base.”

“Me? Why can’t you?”

“I would have to transform. Now shoot him, quickly!”

The bow transformed as Aria grabbed it, nearly extending the width of the cab. The exploding arrows were beneath it. Her seat spun around just as she picked them up. The rear window rolled down, giving her a clear line of sight to Barricade.

She drew back the bow. It was awkward in the confined space. She channeled Energon through her and into the arrow that began to glow vibrant cerulean.

Barricades form began to shift. Two large guns formed where the doors were. Cars swerved out of the way, crashing into walls and other vehicles.

“Shoot him!”

But Aria didn’t get the chance.

Blinding flashes of fire erupted from the guns. She tensed, squeezing her eyes shut.

Then weightlessness.

She opened her eyes. She was airborne. Missiles streaked past her and Ironhide who transformed midair. His hand was around her.

The bow. The bow was still in her hand.

She let go of the string. Faster than the eye could see, the arrow struck Barricade’s windshield.

Ironhide’s body shielded her from the blast an instant later.

Next thing she knew, she was back in the passenger seat, Barricade nowhere to be seen behind them.

Her head fell back on the seat. “Have I told you, I love you?”

“You can tell me all you want when we make it back to the base.”

“Calling all Autobots to rendezvous at NEST headquarters.” Optimus’s voice said through the speaker.

“On it, Prime.”

They made it back to the base in record time. Ironhide opened his door and Aria was immediately grabbed by two of the guards and pulled towards the building.

Ironhide then spun around and drove back out of the base.

“Ironhide!” she shouted after him. Where was he going?

“He was requested for backup, they’ll be back in a minute, I’m sure.” The one guard said when she looked at him.

Aria yanked her arm from his grip, surprising him. “Backup for who? Are there more Decepticons?”

“Two left. Following Bee and the others bringing Sentinel back.” He grabbed her arm again, forcing her to continue into the base. “We have to get you into the bunker until they’re eliminated.”

“No!” Aria ripped her arm out of his grip harder this time. “I’m staying right here until Ironhide gets back.”

“I don’t know what you two have going, but whatever weird crush you have isn’t an excuse to ignore orders given by a superior.”

“Garrett, let her stay.” Will came over.

“Yes, sir!” Garrett replied, stepping away from Aria but remaining beside her at attention.

“Aria, if things look like they’re going south, you’re getting in that bunker. Do I make myself clear?”

Aria nodded quickly.

“Good.” He said and moved on.

At least he didn’t notice the small metal rod she held behind her back.

Flashes of light and an explosion drew everyone’s attention toward an area a few blocks away. Garrett gripped his gun tighter.

Was that where Ironhide was?

She swallowed. Would he come back?

Was he okay?

Cars sped down the ramp into the area in front of her. Bumblebee, Sentinel, and Mirage followed by Sideswipe and finally, Ironhide.

Aria put a hand on her chest, over the shard and let out a breath. He made it.

Sam got out of Bee and began hurriedly talking to Will.

Will barked at Ironhide to protect Sentinel.

Ironhide transformed. “Consider it done,” he said.

Aria’s eyes found his and then to the wound on his chest. He looked like he was about to say something to her but was interrupted by Sentinel.

“What you must realize, my Autobot brothers, is that we were never going to win the war.  For the sake of our planet’s survival, a deal had to be made…with Megatron.”

A gun cocked. Sentinel turned.

A blast. And then another.

Ironhide was on the ground.

Her mouth was open, screaming.

She was running. Or falling.

The gun was aimed at her.

She reached out for Ironhide.

His hand grabbed her, pulling her into his body.

Another blast.

Hot. Blazing. Blinding,

His grip went slack.

Everything sounded like it was underwater. Like it wasn’t real.

Hollow sounds of gunfire like pebbles being dropped into a pool.

This wasn’t happening.

“Are you okay?”

But he wasn’t. He was looking at his hand as it disintegrated.

He turned his head, weakly looking at her with dimming eyes. “Aria…”

She touched his face until it faded away.

And all that was left in her hand was…

Stardust.

Chapter Text

Golden dust swirled around her, picked up by the wind, glittering in the air.

Swirling. Swaying. Blowing away.

No matter where she looked, there was no trace of him. All that was left was dust.

Pooling around her, covering her.

But…he had just been there. Just standing. Just talking to her.

He—it couldn’t be. This wasn’t real.

The ever-present hum in her chest. The warmth…

It faded.

Faded into nothing.

And she was cold. Empty. Dead.

Nothing but her own hollow heartbeat remained.

Hands grabbed at her. The explosions had ended. She was being pulled.

Pulled away from him.

“NO!” she screamed, twisting out of their grip. “Don’t touch me!”

They were talking to her. But whatever they said didn’t matter.

Ironhide was gone.

After she told him to be safe.

The hands came at her again. This time more forceful. She screamed at them to let go.

Screamed at Sentinel for doing this. Screamed at Ironhide for leaving her.

Screamed until she had no strength left and was dragged away.

In one hand, her bow, in the other, dust.

The hangar was filled with injured people. The Autobots were sitting. Ratchet was looking over Bee. No one spoke.

The only sounds were the groans of injured soldiers and her own gasping breaths.

The hands were still on her. Rubbing her back.

“Hey, where’s Optimus?” came Will’s loud voice from right behind her.

“Two minutes!” A man yelled in return from somewhere in the base.

“And Mearing?”

“Arriving now!”

If Optimus had been there in time, would things have gone differently?

She only sobbed louder.

Will pulled her into his arms. The sounds that escaped her throat muffled in his bulletproof vest.

Was it true? Would Ironhide never hold her like this again?

No. No…

Why? Why him?

How could Sentinel?

Voices picked up around her.

“Which one was it?” Mearing asked from somewhere above.

Ratchet was the one to answer. “It was Ironhide.”

He sounded so…so sad.

She only cried harder.

“Get her to Dr. Harlow.”

“It’s Saturday, Director, she’s not here.”

“Then. Get. Her. Here.”

Will pulled her up, keeping her close and guiding her through the hangar.

She looked up at the Autobots as they passed them. Each of them had a similar look on their face. Defeated. Betrayed.

The back of the base was badly damaged. The smell of smoke overcame her senses. The vault where the pillars were stored was ripped open and emptied.

Flickering lights illuminated the dark hallway. Will led her to the familiar hospital bed she’d sat on time and time again to get her blood taken.

The bed shifted as Will sat down beside her. A hand once again rubbed her back.

“I don’t know what to say,” his voice was weak. “I didn’t think Sentinel would…”

Aria only cried harder. She spoke the only words she could formulate.

“Why? Why Ironhide?”

He sat quietly with her for what felt like hours. Ironhide has been his friend too.

And now he was gone forever.

Dust.

She squeezed her hand.

“Aria is that your bow?”

Her eyes dropped to the bow at her side.

“How do you have that?”

She didn’t answer.

Will sighed. “Do you have all your arrows?”

She shook her head.

“I’ll get them for you. Stay here and wait for the doctor.” He stood and left.

As soon as the door shut, she turned her hand over and relaxed her fingers.

Gold dust glittered.

It was that gun, wasn’t it? The one Wheeljack fixed.

She squeezed her hand shut again.

Time passed. Her mind circled.

Ironhide’s blue eyes looking at her, the flash of light, his gasps of pain as his body disintegrated.   

A smaller, softer hand rubbed her bare arm. “Hey, Aria,” Dr. Harlow said softly.

She hadn’t heard the door open.

Dr. Martinez was there too, a disconcerted look on her face.

“Can you get me a cloth? She’s covered in dust.” Dr. Harlow said to her.

Dr. Martinez began wiping her skin with a warm cloth as Dr. Harlow began her physical.

Aria’s wet skin prickled. It felt cold and clammy. She didn’t want to look. What if her skin was blue?

Her body was hollow. There was no more warmth.

“Everything looks normal. Aria, could you stand up for one second?”

Normal? Nothing was normal.

“Aria? I just need you to stand now.” Dr. Harlow repeated. “Lennox said you weren’t injured, are you?”

When Aria still didn’t move, Dr. Martinez got Harlow’s attention.

“She just watched him die, Evalyn, could you be a bit more sensitive?”

“Yes I’m aware they were friends, but we need to get this over with.”

“Friends?” Dr. Martinez moved closer to Dr. Harlow so her voice could barely be heard. “They loved each other!”

This only brought another wave of tears. Her throat already ached and stung.

She did love him. Why did he have to die?

Why?

Why?

She never did stand up. Even when the door shut and the room went quiet. The clock on the wall ticked relentlessly as time moved forward without him.

The door opened again, squealing on the hinges. The boots belonged to Lennox, coming towards her with hollow thuds against the laminate.

“I know it’s hard, Aria.” His hand reached down to hers resting on the bed.

She didn’t move. Her body felt like lead.

“But we gotta get you home.” He took her hand and pulled her up.

He led her out of the room with an arm around her shoulders. She walked on autopilot, her legs taking her toward a different exit.

A man was waiting there. He opened the door of a waiting SUV and Will helped her inside. Finally, he passed her a military-grade backpack, giving her a significant look as he did so.

Just before he closed the door, she spoke.

“You’re going to get him, right?”

“Oh yeah, we’re going to get ’em.”

…

The man parked in front of her house and opened her door. Mustering what little strength she had left, she got out of the SUV and up the stairs to her front door. Her bag and keys were long gone, at least she forgot to lock it.

She closed the door behind her and fell back against it before sliding down to the floor and curling up.

Light from the windows faded into darkness. And then darkness to light.

Was she asleep or awake? Was it all a dream? A nightmare?

But her dress was still torn and dirty. Cuts still etched her arms and legs. Dust still fell from her body onto the floor.

Glimmering gold in the light.

Her hand went to her chest where the last piece of Ironhide remained. Cold.

“Normal,” Dr. Harlow had said.

“The Energon in her body must be maintaining the spark now. It’s a fully enclosed loop.”

“I’ll tell the director.”

“Should we?”

“This is your project, Veronica. Do you want the funding or not?”

“I don’t know anymore.”

She dragged her feet up the stairs and into the bathroom. There she sat in the shower until the water ran cold down her skin and ragged dress.

And then she lay in bed. Soaked.

How could Sentinel do such a thing? How could he do that to Ironhide? Ironhide who trusted him, who respected him, who revered him?

And he shot him in the back.

The room darkened once again.

The next day she went downstairs. It was like she was just there moments ago. It was sunny and Ironhide was kissing her. Teasing her. Holding her.

Why did Sentinel kill him?

How could he?

She sat in the chair Ironhide always did and ate whatever she could bring herself to. Then she ran to the bathroom to vomit it up again.

Once again, the sun began to wane. But this time there was a noise.

A knock.

Aria stood so abruptly that the chair toppled over. Only one person ever knocked.

But…It wasn’t him. She went to pick up the chair.

Whoever it was knocked again, louder this time. They called her name through the door.

The voice was—

“Aria!” Sam called as he opened the door. “You here?”

Before she knew it, he was giving her a tight hug.

She would have cried again…but there was nothing left.

“Look, Aria, the Decepticons have Carly. They have Chicago locked down and NEST won’t let me do anything. I’ve got a group of guys coming with me and Wheelie said you might want to come along. He said you have a secret weapon. Do you?” He had his hands on her forearms, a hopeful expression on his face.

“Wha—Why do they have Carly? Is she okay?”

“Because her boss is a creep and used her to get to me. Now she’s in Chicago and I’m going to need all the help I can get to get her back.”

“She told me you were up to something,” Aria breathed and looked into his eyes. “You knew what was going on and—” A fire ignited in her chest. “YOU! You did this! If it wasn’t for you meddling with the Decepticons, Sentinel wouldn’t have killed Ironhide!”

She put her hands on his chest and shoved him. He fell like a sack of potatoes, landing on the floor with a thud. She marched up to him, grabbing his shirt and lifting his torso off the floor.

“Now you’re asking for my help after I watched him die? Because you couldn’t keep your nose out of other people’s business and stay out of danger for their sake? No. You couldn’t, could you?”

Sam held his hands up in front of his face. “I’m sorry, okay! I didn’t think Sentinel was one of them! I never thought he would—”

“He would what? Shoot Ironhide when he had his back turned? He was going to kill me too, Sam!” Her throat tightened and her eyes stung. “The way he looked at us before. I should have seen it coming. I should have known I put a target on his back.”

She backed away from Sam, falling against the wall. Crying. Sobbing. “Why him?”

Sam was next to her. “I’m so sorry. And I’m sorry for coming here. I’ll go now.”

She took a breath. “To Chicago?”

“Yeah.”

“Is Sentinel there?”

“Yeah.”

She took another breath. Deeper. “I’ll go.”

…

After changing into cargo pants and a shirt, she went back downstairs to pack the backpack Will had given her with basic supplies like water and granola bars.

Wheelie had told Sam to find her for a reason, and it wasn’t to save Carly.

There was no reason to keep herself safe anymore.

She followed Sam to the door. Two vehicles were waiting there, a car and a truck, both full of men.

She looked at Sam. “Where are the Autobots?”

“They’re, uh, gone.”

What was left of her heart plummeted lower. “What do you mean gone?”

Sam turned his gaze towards the floor. Sadness was etched on his face too now that she looked. “Sentinel demanded they leave the planet.”

For a moment it looked like he wanted to say more but didn’t.

“So, they’re all gone now.” Aria took a step out the door and looked up at the sky as if she’d be able to see them. “I hope they find a better planet than here.”

“Hey, Sam! We’re not bringing a girl to Chicago.”

“No, she’s got super strength or something. She’s coming.” Sam said, following her out of the house.

“Yeah well, it’s going to take more than Ms. Captain America here to take on a city full of Decepticons.”

Aria pulled out the small rod from the side pocket of her backpack and held it up for them to see. With the squeeze of her hand, the ends extended into the intimidating Cybertronian bow. The symbols etched through it glowed in the evening sunlight.

“Well, shit,” exclaimed one of the men.

Chapter Text

Dove

What was supposed to be a ten hour drive ended up being almost fifteen. Numerous roadblocks and detours were stationed along the interstate to keep anyone from even getting near Chicago. The opposite side, however, was a nonstop chain of vehicles from Illinois to Ohio.

They switched drivers every few hours and went straight through the night. Even Aria had a turn while the man called Epps gave her pointers. It brought back old memories.

“I don’t know how I’m supposed to see anything with your big hood in the way! What if someone was right in front of us?”

“That’s why I said to look further ahead, punk.” Ironhide’s voice came from the speakers. “Then you can anticipate instead of—”

She slammed on the brakes as a bird flew across the road.

“React,” Ironhide finished.

“What if I hit that bird? Then what?”

“You’re hardly doing twenty, Aria. We need to try main roads eventually.”

“No, I’ll stick with the gravel. Better yet, the passenger seat.”

Everyone in the vehicle was quiet, listening intently to the radio. Depending on the station, it was either updates on Chicago or people yelling about the existence of the Cybertronians and how the government dared hide them.

At least the Autobots would be safe from the fallout this news would surely bring.

Epps had only brought up her bow once during the entire ride. He had asked her where she had got it from.

“It was a gift,” was all she had said.

At first, it looked like clouds blanketed the morning sky, but as they neared the city, they thickened, and the smell of burning filled the cab of the car.

It was smoke.

At the city limit, people wearing tattered clothes lined the grass along the highway. Some had their thumbs up to hitchhike, others merely walked beside the endless sea of traffic.

It looked like there had been one last police barricade before entering the city, but it had been destroyed. The cars were still on fire.

Aria jumped when somebody banged on the window.

“What are you doing here? Leave!” The woman’s frantic voice was muffled by the glass.

It wasn’t just her, everyone was either yelling at them to turn around or to let them in the car. Epps only drove further into the burning city.

The smoky skyline was dotted with alien ships. Gunfire and explosions rang out from all around them, shaking the ground when one was particularly close.

Epps parked and everyone got out of the vehicles. Aria wandered behind Sam, surveying the surroundings. Not far off was a subway car, one end laying on the road and the other leaning on a building.

She went to look closer while Epps was yelling at Sam, telling him there was no way they were going any further into the city. Sam on the other hand was going to get Carly with or without them.

She agreed with Sam. There was no way she was leaving until she killed Sentinel.

He wasn’t going to get away with it.

Not while she was around.

Lound jet engines whirred above them and a second later loud shots rang out in rapid succession.

Aria ran under the subway train, holding her hands over her head. There was shouting and screaming. The ship fired at them relentlessly. Through her fingers, she witnessed people being shot and immediately disintegrating.

No blood. Just bones…

And dust.

Something large flashed through the sky over their heads and hit the ship. It spun and crashed sending more people running out of its path.

A gun cocked behind them. Aria whipped her head around. She’d only just heard that sound days before.

But it wasn’t Sentinel. It was Optimus.

But…Sam had said they were gone.

Everyone was just as surprised as she was. They came out of hiding to see him.

The other Autobots drove up behind Optimus in a long convoy. Three that she had never seen before went straight up to the Decepticon crawling out of the ship and tore it limb from limb.

As Optimus and the three new Autobots explained how they got out of the ship, Aria only stared. Stared at all the Autobots. They were all there.

All except…

“Hey Aria, over here.”

She looked down. Wheelie and Brains came towards her from the Autobots who were discussing what their plan was.

She knelt in front of them, pulling them both into her arms.

“You guys are okay!” she said through fresh tears. It was so good to see them again. “Thank you, Wheelie, for telling Sam to come get me.”

Wheelie gave her a pat before prying him and Brains out of her arms. “Yeah well, I figured if any human was smart enough to sneak up on Sentinel and kill him, it was you. But we’re back now, so we can go get him together. I mean, if you haven’t noticed,” Wheelie gestured up to Optimus. “Big guy’s just as pissed as you for what Sentinel did.”

“We all are,” Brains added.

Sure enough, each and every one of the Autobots wore hard expressions.

Whatever discussion Optimus and Sam were having was over. Bee was now getting into the crashed ship, Sam just behind him, climbing onto his shoulder.

The Autobots transformed into their alt modes and went after Sam and Bee.

“Come on,” Epps called to her. “We’re heading to Trump Tower!”

She finally came out from under the train. Sideswipe slammed on his brakes and the door flung open. Aria got in, followed by Wheelie and Brains.

“What are you doing here?” Sideswipe hissed as soon as she closed the door.

“The same thing you are.”

“We’ve got it now, Aria. You don’t have to be here. Ironhide—”

“I know this is the last place he would want me. But that doesn’t matter now, does it?” Her breathing grew more ragged. “All I have left is this hollow feeling in my chest and a bow.”

“Yeah ‘Swipe,” Brains said, “she deserves to be a part of this just as much as you do.”

Sideswipe made a disapproving noise but continued to follow the convoy. “Just try not to do anything too stupid…for Ironhide’s sake.”

She didn’t reply.

A few blocks away, above them, the ship Bee and Sam were in began shooting at a building. That must have been where Carly was. Sideswipe drifted around a corner, sending her body into the door. The convoy had changed directions, now headed toward the place Bee’s ship was spiraling toward.  

By the time they got there, Sam, Bee, and Carly were scrambling out of the wreckage. The three of them looked a little beat up but otherwise okay.

Aria got out of Sideswipe’s alt form and approached the downed drone everyone was gathering around. They were trying to contact the military. When the drone moved, Carly began to tell it where the pillar was.

And Sentinel.

The Autobots quickly left to scout ahead, leaving her and the humans behind.

She knew where Sentinel was now. An investment building by the river.

Sam and the others were discussing how to shoot down one of the pillars, but the pillars didn’t matter. The whole world could come crashing down and she would still find Sentinel.

While the others planned, Aria’s eyes drifted through the wreckage. Something orange glimmered. A dual sport motorcycle. Unlike her new bike, this one resembled her childhood dirt bike. Something that could handle this terrain.

She lifted it back up onto its kickstand. The key was still in it.

The others were still talking, but she already knew where Sentinel was.

She got on the bike, kickstarted it, and rode off. The sound of the bike drowned out the calls of her name.  

Her bow and arrows were back in the side pocket of her backpack. Eight in total, three of which would explode on impact.

Those were for Sentinel. He could have all three.

She was going as fast as the ravaged cityscape would allow her. Anything small she simply rode over, occasionally catching air on the larger objects. The wind was sooty and burned her lungs. Gunshots grew louder.

Then, a Decepticon stepped out from behind a building ahead of her. It looked like the one the three Autobots had ripped apart before. It had no resemblance to anything human, like it didn’t have an alt form. It was just…an alien.

Its red eyes found her. All she could do was swerve out of the way as it pointed its gun. A streak of light passed as the bike slid out from under her. She rolled on the dirty asphalt, only coming to a stop when her body hit something hard.

Her head still spun. Which way was up?

The sky came into focus, and so did the destroyed car she was up against. It blocked the Decepticon from view, but its quaking footsteps drew closer, causing the car to shudder.

She grabbed the bow from her backpack. Arrows fell out onto the ground as she did. She picked up one of the regular arrows.

The bow transformed in her hand, glowing vibrantly against the dullness of the city. She notched the arrow, pulled back, and stood from behind the car.

The Decepticon had just caught sight of her when she released the string. His arm raised but abruptly stopped when her arrow landed in a thick cord on its neck.

It was one of the places Ironhide had told her to aim.

“The neck is a weak spot. An arrow there will stun.”

Thick blue liquid oozed from the wound and the Decepticon froze and convulsed as if it were being electrocuted.

“Then, when their chest is exposed aim here.” Ironhide pulled at his chest plates to reveal an enclosed chamber inside. “The arrows should be just strong enough to penetrate, but your aim has to be precise.”

“I don’t think I could do it.”

She pulled back and loosed another arrow at the small target between its chest plates. It stumbled and toppled over into a building.

“As long as I’m around, you’ll never have to.”

She went up to the fallen Cybertronian, stopping beside its head. She grasped the arrow and ripped it out of the cord. Then she stepped onto its chest and yanked that arrow out too. Energon from its spark chamber sprayed her skin.

She held up her arm observing the drops on her wrist. They were fading quickly, shrinking into nothing.

No, that wasn’t it, they were absorbing into her skin.

It made the ache in her head go away. And the pain in her hip from hitting the car too.

The bike felt even lighter when she lifted it back up. She kicked it back to life once again and continued along the river, her vision blurred by tears.

She had never felt so strong and yet so, so…

Empty.

She scanned the tops of towering buildings, balconies, reflections in the glass, but nothing.

Carly had seen the building Sentinel was on and this was the way they’d come from.

She had to be close.

A ship descended from the side of a building like a fly taking flight. It dropped until it was only feet off the ground in front of her.

But she didn’t have time to waste. The second the movement caught her eye, she stopped the bike, planted a foot, and had the bow aimed at it.

Her arrow penetrated the small portion of glass and the ship lurched to the side, scraping against the asphalt.

The bow transformed back, and she shoved it back into the pocket before kicking the bike back into gear and speeding past the crashing ship.

Only another few blocks down, something red moved on the top of a building. She hit the brakes so hard that the rear tire came up.

It was him.

He was over one hundred yards up, and from this distance she stood…it was nearly a two hundred yard shot.

The furthest she’d ever shot accurately was eighty.

Sentinel paced back and forth between two cupulas on either end of the building. She could just make out a faint glow within them. The pillars.

The pillars that had wasted so much of her time. Time she could have spent with Ironhide.  

The bike fell as she swung herself off it. From here, she would be just an ant to him. The pathetic insect he thought she was.

But he messed with the wrong one and he would pay for it.

He would die for killing Ironhide.

She pulled back the sting, one of the explosive arrows notched. It glowed brighter and brighter as she forced more and more Energon into it. More and more anger. More and more hatred.

She pulled back on the string harder, willing it with every fiber of her being for the arrow to hit its mark.

The bow made a noise, and as if acknowledging her. The ends extended further, the string pulled further back, more symbols shone cerulean.

“What do the symbols mean?” She asked, running her fingers along the etchings on the bow.

“They’re like,” Ironhide paused, thinking. “Wishes.” He took her hand in his and guided it across the bow. “These mean protection. And these mean strength of will.” He went to another. “This one means focus, for your aim, I mean. And these,” their hands rested over a series of tiny glyphs. “Are a poem you once made for me.”

Her cheeks suddenly burned. “You remember it?”

He nodded. “I…added to it.”

“You did?”

“There once was a blackbird

Who met a dove,

They sat for a time

Looking above

Words unspoken,

But they know it’s love.”

A scream ripped from her throat as she pulled back as hard as she could and released the arrow.

Chapter Text

Everything happened so slowly. The windows of the building flashed blue as the arrow climbed. Sentinel turned, his eyes only just meeting the arrow as it closed the distance. At the very last second, he moved out of the way.

But not far enough.

There was a deafening explosion. Windows smashed in a cascade down the building. Rubble rained from the sky.

Aria covered her head with her hands, still clutching the bow tightly. All she could do was hope that she wouldn’t be crushed as brick and concrete smashed the ground around her.

When the noise finally stopped, she straightened, eyes immediately finding the spot Sentinel had been.

What felt like minutes passed as the dust cleared. A glint of red was all she needed to once again take aim.

“You have great audacity for a far lesser being,” Sentinel’s words rang out. “Look what you’ve done.”

Shattered fragments of the gun that had been attached to his back were in his hand.

The gun that killed Ironhide.

“I’ll kill you!” she shrieked, vocal cords burning from the ash.

Instead of answering, Sentinel pointed an arm cannon at her. It wasn’t dissimilar to Ironhide’s.

She loosed the second detonating arrow as he fired. The small projectile was engulfed by the infinitely larger blast that hurled toward her.

Everything happened within a split second. Still standing with the bow in front of her body, the flames engulfed her. A wall of blistering heat hit her like a truck, but it didn’t touch her. Instead, it hit a wispy blue veil that expanded out from the bow. And then she was flying.

Her back hit something hard, but not solid. The burning feeling that enveloped her was replaced by a blanket of cool water.

Floating.

Rays of light penetrated the surface of the water. They were getting further away as her surroundings grew darker and colder.

Was that it?

Sentinel killed her.

But she had died trying.

Died avenging him.

Ironhide.

She failed him.

“What do you think of the book?” She asked Ironhide as she got ready for her show.

“Do humans write stories about revenge often?”

“I’d say so. They’re usually started by a loved one being killed by a bad guy and the rest of the book is about the protagonist seeking revenge.”

“And does he succeed?”

They’d talked about this before.

How revenge was pointless.

Killing Sentinel wouldn’t bring Ironhide back. It wouldn’t make the feelings go away.

She would still miss him. Still love him more than anything.

All he wanted was for her to stay safe, and she did the complete opposite.

But what was there to live for anymore? He was gone…

Forever.

The water around began to glow.

She raised her arm. The veins on her wrist were glowing the same blue as the bow, as if her blood was replaced by Energon.

There was something beautiful about it. In the gift Ironhide had given her.

A piece of his spark.

A deep rumble filled her ears. Something large surrounded her and pulled her out of the water.

The metal hand opened. She shifted into a sitting position.

The city was covered in a thick fog that didn’t smell like fire, or the ocean. The Cybertronian war ships were barely visible in the sky. They moved slowly, gunfire dulled, as if she were still underwater.  

She wobbled and stood on the hand and turned to face whoever was holding her.

He towered high despite being waist deep in the river. Red eyes regarded her, but his face was impassive.

It was like there were two of him. Like she had double vision. One version she recognized, old, hunched, and jet black; the other was young, regal, shining white.

Jetfire.

He lowered his eyes towards her stomach.

There was something in her hands. She held the hollow glass-like sphere up, the veins in her arms still glowing.

Her face reflected back at her, scattered cuts seeping blood that mixed with water.

It was Jetfire’s spark.

But how could that be? It was still in her garden, guarded by the thorns of overgrown roses and the ruins of her home. The stone was still there too somewhere, engraved with his name. It was meant to be his final resting place. A place far from Cybertron that surely the younger version of himself never imagined he would be.

Yet, it was here in her hands, lifeless as the moment he pulled it out of his chest. Empty, hollow, delicate.

When she looked back up at him, something else caught her eye.

Figures behind Jetfire, lining the bank. Countless sets of glowing eyes, blue, red, green, all looked at her with the same solemn expression that Jetfire wore.

Only one of them stepped closer. The only one she recognized. One of his eyes was bright, and the other dulled by a scar. He did not look angry, nor have the soft expression he normally wore when he looked at her.

A part of her wanted to cry, to scream. To jump off Jetfire’s hand and swim to him.

But the other part of her knew. Jetfire was dead. Ironhide was dead. All the Cybertronians behind them were dead.

That she was dead.

Taring her eyes from him, she looked back at the spark in her hands. It was cold like the spark in her chest.

Jetfire continued to stare at her, never saying a word.

He didn’t have to.

Slowly, she brought his spark closer to her body. It was like the detonating arrows. Empty. Yet there was a force from it. It wanted Energon. It needed Energon.

She obeyed. Energon flowed from the shard in her chest into the spark.

It began to hum.

It began to glow.

When she blinked, she was back in the water.

Her lungs burned. She pumped her legs and swam upwards to the light.

Distant gunfire filled her ears as she emerged. She faced the side of the river Ironhide had stood. But now, he was nowhere to be seen. None of them were.

She turned around and swam back to the other side. She pulled herself out of the water, crawled a few feet, and sprawled on the warm asphalt.

If there was a distinction between clouds and smoke, she couldn’t see it. The air smelled like fire.

The building Sentinel was in was long in the distance, far upstream from where she had drifted.

Yet, when she turned her head to the side, the bow was right there.

She laid her head back again. An explosion went off in the distance causing the pebbles around her to vibrate.

How was she still alive? Sentinel had shot at her and yet she didn’t die.

Or maybe she did.

How else could she see Jetfire…and Ironhide.

They were among countless other Cybertronians, Autobot and Decepticon alike, all standing together. All united by death.

“Till all are one,” Ironhide had said.

They fought and killed each other for their cause…only to go to the other side together. Is that what it meant? Did they know that it was all in vain?

She squeezed her eyes shut only to see Ironhide’s solemn face.

When she did die, would she go there again?

She raised her hand, the one that grasped at his dust. Her veins no longer glowed.

She wasn’t dead yet and neither was Sentinel.

“And does he succeed?”

She would.

Now wasn’t the time to die.

Not while Sentinel lived.

She forced herself back to her feet. Her legs shook under her weight and as took a wobbly step towards the bow and picked it up.

Her entire body ached but the feeling wasn’t new. She’d felt similar after falling off the aircraft carrier, and again after Starscream tried to kill her.

She walked back towards the building Sentinel was on. He would still be there, protecting his precious pillars.

Her glasses were long gone. Everything was blurred, like the city was a hazy watercolor painting.

A loud metallic roar echoed between the tall buildings and another explosion shook the ground. Aria stumbled, her bad leg hurt more and more with each step until her walk became a limp and she had to rest against a streetlight.

The thrumming of helicopter rotors caused her to look upwards. The sky was filled with multiple aircraft that looked like Ospreys. The first sign of the military in the city.

The moment was short lived. An ever-familiar silver jet with alien markings followed closely behind them. Starscream began shooting them down. Men in wingsuits flew through the skies like falcons as they sored through flaming wreckage.

Keeping her eyes on the sky, she resumed her journey. The streets around her were quiet now. The Decepticons must have been distracted by whatever was going on in the distance where gunfire rarely ceased and the skyline was alive with fire.

Perhaps that was where the Autobots were.

A huge building a few blocks away lurched. No, it was moving…or something was moving inside of it. Huge, like a massive snake coiling around the building, was the Decepticon unlike any other. It had no face, just an opening of rotating teeth that devoured anything in its path.

The building groaned and toppled onto another one, casting a shadow over the street where she stood. Out of nowhere, Optimus, donning jet wings, flew overhead and towards the metal worm.

Nothing was distinguishable through the resulting balls of fire that engulfed them. The worm fell and Optimus flew up to the top of a crane.

He looked like the first time she’d seen him in Egypt when he had merged with Jetfire. He had only just landed before being shot down again, getting caught in a crane and falling out of view.

Aria continued down the street. The other Autobots wouldn’t be far from him.

She only made it to the next block before having to stop again. Her leg throbbed, and when she tried to breathe deeply, a sharp pain radiated through her ribs and back.

Cracked or broken, she didn’t know.

Painfully, she slid her backpack off. It was soaking wet and twice as heavy. She pulled wet granola bars out of it. She’d already eaten some during the trip so there were only two left.

Water had penetrated the wrappers, but she needed the sugar. After finishing them, she pulled out the arrows from the side pocket of the backpack and stuffed them in the back pocket of her pants.

The bag itself was left behind.

She felt slightly better, though still far from okay. But she just had to make it back to Sentinel and kill him with the last detonating arrow.

A scream came from just around the corner. She looked but her vision was blocked by a skyscraper. There was loud banging and scraping like cars being destroyed. More screams. The voice was familiar.

Her pace quickened. She stopped at the edge of the building and looked around.

It was Starscream. Sam and Carly were hiding in front of an overturned bus.

Him.

There was the Decepticon that destroyed her home. He would have killed her and Ironhide too, if given the chance. And now he was after Sam and Carly.

No.

Not this time.

The bow reacted, extending outwards. She already had the arrow intended for Sentinel in her other hand. She notched it and spun out from behind the building, aiming it at Starscream’s neck.

“DON’T MOVE!” She screamed.

All eyes fell on her, Decepticon and human. Starscream did not move.

“Well, well, well, look who we have here,” Starscream hissed, “Little Aria.”

He…remembered her name?

“Oh don’t look so impressed. You were a key part of our plan.”

“What plan? The one to kill me? Cause last time I checked, I’m still alive!”

“But Ironhide isn’t.”

The bow once again expanded to its greater form. “Tell me then!”

“Oh now, Aria, why don’t you ask our mutual friend? It was all his idea, after all. Besides Optimus, Ironhide was the biggest threat. And unlike Optimus, Ironhide made himself vulnerable. Our little spy found a way to take advantage of that.”

Spy. What spy? Unless he was talking about…“The Perceptor.”

Starscream leaned ever so closer. “Yes.”

Aria followed his movement with the arrow.

“When his first plan failed, he waited until a much better opportunity presented itself,” Starscream continued.

“What opportunity?”

“Sentinel,” Starscream replied darkly.

She just managed to keep hold of the arrow as the last of her strength disappeared.

Starscream immediately moved closer, but she tensed, pulling the bow tight again. Starscream froze.

“That’s no ordinary weapon, I see.” Starscream eyed it now that he was closer. “Ironhide has been planning too. I wonder, if I shot you, would it protect you?”

She already knew the answer.

“It would.”

It had to. How else was she still alive?

He slowly leaned away. “Then little Aria, what will you do? Use that arrow to kill me in the name of your dead lover, or go find the Perceptor that ordered us to do it?”

“You think I believe the Preceptor ordered Sentinel to kill Ironhide?”

“He didn’t have to. He just had to say it.”

“Say what?”

But she already knew that too.

“That Ironhide was infatuated with a lowly human insect.”

Each syllable stabbed at her like a knife.

Why Ironhide?

Because she was selfish. Because she wouldn’t stay away. Because she fell in love.  

She should have never invited him to come back to her place. No, she should have never gone to their secret base.

If she hadn’t… He would still be alive.

Her arms burned. Either she’d have to fire the arrow or relax the string.

“Is the Perceptor here?”

“Oh yes. Not far.”

“I’ll let you go on two conditions.” Her eyes never left his. “One, you leave this city, and two, you owe me a life debt.”

Starscream tilted his head as if examining a specimen then let out a low laugh. “Until we meet again, Aria.”

Starscream launched into the sky. The blast of pressure sent her back onto the ground. Sam and Carly ran to her.

“What were you thinking letting him live?” Sam looked between her and the Jetstream out of the city.

“He wasn’t worth the arrow.” She felt weak again. The bow and arrow shrunk back down.

“Out of all the Decepticons, Starscream was not the one to start conserving ammo!” Sam gestured to the place Starscream was.

Before Sam could say more, Carly burst in front of him and embraced Aria. “What are you doing by yourself?” she asked, releasing her and facing Sam. “I thought you said she went back home?”

“I thought she did!”

She slowly got up. “I found Sentinel already.”

Both Sam and Carly looked at her.

“I destroyed his gun but he blasted me into the river before I could finish the job.”

“Jesus,” said Sam. “You’re not going to try again, are you?”

“No.”

Sam examined her face. “I don’t believe you.”

“I’m going to find that Perceptor.”

“Wha—What even is that?”

“A Decepticon that can detect Energon signatures from long distances. I think it’s been after us for a while now.”

“Us?” Sam grabbed her arm as she turned to leave.

“Ironhide and I.” She swallowed. Saying his name made her eyes sting. “If Starscream was telling the truth, then it’s here.”

“Exactly! Starscream was lying to save himself!”

Aria took his hand and removed it from her arm. “I don’t think he was.”

She gave him and Carly a nod and left.

“Sam, you can’t let her leave!” Carly’s voice came from behind her.

Sam’s answer was quiet. “I don’t think we should get in the way.”

Aria walked aimlessly. Sentinel was no longer her target, he was a means. An instrument of another’s scheme.

It had been the Perceptor the entire time, and she had known it and done nothing. Absolutely nothing!

She and Ironhide only treated it like a minor inconvenience. An excuse to stay close together to keep it away.

But it apparently had plans of its own. It was after Ironhide. It knew Ironhide went to see her alone. It knew Ironhide was using a holoform and so it knew where she lived.

That’s how Starscream found her.

Its plan did work. Ironhide did exactly what it would want him to do. He came before any of the others knew what happened. He came alone and Starscream was waiting.

And it almost worked.

If the Perceptor was so acute at sensing Energon that it could find Ironhide’s holoform, it would easily be able to sense her at this point.

But what would it look like? Huge and imposing like Barricade or Starscream, or dark and savage like the nameless one she killed?

She wandered away from the river into the more dense city streets. People peered at her through windows like feral animals scared to be seen. Some darted between buildings. Distant cries would be silenced when a ship came too close.

There was no sign of the Perceptor. Maybe it didn’t care about her. Ironhide was its target after all, and it succeeded. It had Ironhide killed in cold blood right in front of her eyes.

And now it was just going to leave her.

She willed the Energon through her arms as if she were holding the bow tucked in her pocket. She forced it into every inch of her body, balling her fists, curling her toes, clenching her jaw.

It felt as if she could turn herself into a bomb.

“I know you can sense me!” she screamed in the middle of the street. “I’m still a loose end you have to take care of!”

Her shriek bounced through the city streets, broken, gravelly, desperate. All other noise ceased.

Then footsteps. Not large and metallic, no, small and human.

A boy came out from a small side street. Fair skin with sleek brown hair and a look of surprise in his dark eyes.

Aria wiped her eyes as if it would make her see more clearly, but it was still him.

“Eli? What are you doing here?”

Chapter Text

Eli approached Aria. “Why are you screaming like that, are you trying to get everyone in my neighborhood killed?”

“You—you live here? I thought you were still in D.C.”

“I was until I started university here last week. The better question is what are you doing here and why do you look like shit?”

Some mixture between a laugh and a sob escaped her lips. Of all the people to run into, it was him.

“I missed you too,” she said and gave him a hug.

He stiffened for a moment, then gave her a pat on the back. When he stepped back, he gave her an expectant look.

“I, uh, came to help find a friend of mine.”

Eli raised an eyebrow. “You sound unsure. Are you trying to find that guy you were hung up on? John, was it?”

Aria bit her lip and wiped her eyes before more tears could fall. “No,” her voice was weak, “he’s…not in the picture anymore.”

“What did you breakup or something? What a loss, he was quite the sight to behold. Almost wet myself when we shook hands.”

She couldn’t answer.

“Damn, it feels like it’s been forever since I’ve seen you. I guess since your house blew up. Must have sucked to watch it be destroyed like that.”

For some reason between his tone and phrasing, the statement didn’t feel at all sincere. Not that sincerity was his thing.

“Yeah, old pipes I guess.”

“Must have been a real wake up call, I bet.”

“Yeah.” Eli’s coping mechanism of whatever type of humor was getting under her skin. “Hey, let’s go back to the river. I think the military is around there and they can get you out of here.”

“Oh really? What about your friend?”

She nodded for him to follow her. “We already found her and…you’re my friend too.” She tried to speak lightly to a degree of success.

“Awe, Aria, no need to get sentimental.” Eli moved closer and put a supportive arm around her as they walked.

Her leg immediately felt better when she put some of her weight on him. “I’m just saying.”

They walked a little further before Eli spoke again. “Who were you yelling at anyway? You sounded deranged.”

“Just someone I thought was here…but maybe I should just leave it. What’s done is done and nothing I do would make a difference… Not anymore.”

Maybe she could just help Eli. Optimus would surely be after Sentinel and the Perceptor…it didn’t care about her. Why would it even show itself to a lowly human like her? It accomplished its goal.

“So you have a vendetta with someone in the city? It’s not one of those robots, is it?”

“They’re not robots.”

“Okay, aliens, whatever.”

Whatever? Did Eli take anything seriously? “They’ve destroyed this city, don’t you care? They could come out of anywhere and kill us.”

“But they haven’t. Killed a few people on the street when they first arrived, but that’s the last I saw of them.”

She stopped mid step and looked at him. “You’re serious.”

“What, going to call me a psychopath now?”

She released him so she could better see his face. “Are you?”

He was…smiling?

“I like watching others squirm, does that count?”

She took another step away from him. Her leg trembled. “I…don’t know.”

“What about causing others pain?” His smile grew.

She shook her head. “You’re not being funny anymore.”

“What happened to your resolve? A few minutes ago you were begging to have your life taken and now you look like some lost little girl,” he said the last part in a mock baby voice.

Aria let out a sob. “I don’t know what to do. I don’t know what to feel. I just…I just want to see him again.”

Eli made a face like he saw something repulsive. “You really are disgusting.”

She crumpled to the ground. “Why him? What did he do?”

“Oh, you’re still going on about him.” Eli wiped the hand that was previously holding her with on his clean shirt. “I guess if you want to know what he did to deserve it, I suppose would be choosing to spend his energy on you.”

He was right. But hearing it out loud…

All she could see was how he had looked at her before he…

She couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t talk. Tears wouldn’t stop pouring from her eyes.

“I mean think of it this way,” Eli’s voice was louder as if he was intentionally talking over the sound of her sobs. “All that time he spent doing useless things with you, he could have been using to track down the real enemy.”

The real enemy. The Perceptor.

“You know.” She looked up at him. “You work for them.”

Eli’s eyebrows raised. “Me? Work for them? You’re kidding, right?”

No. There was no way. The things he’d said. He knew about Ironhide. About everything.

Aria shuffled away from him and got back to her feet. She pulled out the bow and it transformed in her hand.

Eli looked more amused. “Oh really?”

“Tell me where the Perceptor is!”

All he did was cross his arms. “You really are so naïve it’s embarrassing.”

She drew back an arrow and pointed it at him. “TELL ME!”

His clothes began to shift. His voice went hollow. “I am the Perceptor.”

His skin was swallowed by a layer of dark metal. His face peeled back, dark eyes turning brilliant red. Before her stood a Decepticon unlike any other.

She fired the arrow. Eli dodged so quickly that he was a metallic blur. She grabbed another arrow. It fumbled in her hand as she glanced down to make sure it was a regular one. Eli was too close to dare use the last of the exploding ones.

Eli stood there until she could take aim again. What was he waiting for?

“I like the look in your eyes when you’re desperate. Is that the face you made when Ironhide died?”

She shot at him again, but he sidestepped out of the way. Her hand went for another arrow.

“I bet you really thought you were special, winning over an Autobot like old Ironhide.”

She let out a scream as she sent another arrow at him. Maybe it was her aim, but it looked like he barely moved to avoid it.

“But I’m afraid you weren’t. The minute I sensed his signature leaving the base more frequently, I knew I had to find out what got his attention. ‘There’s no way he’s falling for a human,’ I thought, but sure enough, he started using his holoform. And then—” Eli let out a laugh. “After I sent Starscream to kill you both, now you have an Energon signature! I thought ‘No, no way’, but sure enough, I can practically see it in your vile, disgusting, fleshy, human chest.”

Aria hastily notched the last arrow. Eli was in front of her now, his alien face half amused, half disgusted.

This time, he caught the arrow.

“I think it was worth it in the end though.” He tossed the arrow away. “Playing your friend was fun while it lasted. Watching you fall in love with the Autobot I planned to have killed in front of your eyes. You should have seen Sentinel’s face when I told him. I knew Ironhide’s fate was sealed.”

She went for the last arrow. The one that would kill them both.

Eli grabbed her bow. She tried to pry it away from him, but he didn’t budge. He jerked it back towards himself. Aria stumbled forward. Eli’s face was inches from her. His optic eyes wandered down the bow.

“To protect at any cost,” he read. “How sweet.”

Then without warning, he plunged his sharp metal fingers into her chest.

She gasped in pain. His fingers moved under her skin, ripping, tearing. She grabbed at his arm, but again, he didn’t budge. She screamed and fell backward as he ripped his fingers out.

Her hand immediately covered the wound. Warm blood gushed out between her fingers. Something was very very wrong.

Pinched between Eli’s claws was the shard of Ironhide’s spark, still glowing brightly through the blood that coated it.

His eyes narrowed. For a second, it looked like he was straining—like he was trying to break it. Then he stopped and merely flicked the shard away. Like it was nothing.

Aria followed it with her eyes as it landed and rolled under the remains of a car. She went to crawl towards it, but the world was spinning. Her chest was burning. Her leg was aching. The bow in her hand shrunk back into a rod.

Whatever strength she had left was ripped out of her. Without Ironhide’s shard—

“Now…now you have nothing.” He looked up to the sky. “And your world is ending. How fitting.”

She couldn’t help but follow his gaze. The sky was gone, replaced by a planet.

So Sentinel did succeed. Cybertron was here, just like he wanted.  

Eli kneeled in front of her, pinching her face between his nails and forcing her to look at him. “I can feel the Energon draining from your body.”

She looked into his eyes. This was Eli’s true face. It was hidden behind every smile since the moment she met him. All the while, he was only figuring out how to make her suffer. To learn what she cared most about in the world and take it away. It was he who told Starscream to destroy her home. It was he who told Sentinel about their relationship. All because he wanted to. Because he enjoyed it.

“It’s a shame Ironhide isn’t here.”

He ruined her life because it was fun. He killed Ironhide because she loved him.

“I really wanted you to both watch each other die.”

She blinked the tears from her eyes. Her grip on the bow tightened. “You chose the wrong human to fuck with.”

“Wha—”

The unmistakable sound of the bow transforming and piercing metal filled the street.

Eli’s red eyes flickered. Slowly, he looked down to his chest where the bow had impaled him. Energon leaked down the symbols from his spark chamber.

He went limp. The tip of the bow protruded further from his back as he sunk further onto it.

She relaxed her grip and the bow transformed. Eli’s body fell beside her, scraping the asphalt. His impaled spark rolled away.

Slowly, she crawled away from Eli. Her arms shook under the weight of her body. When she got to the car, she lay flat and reached. She groaned, stretching as far as she could. The shard was just close enough to grab with her fingertips.

She sat back against the car. Ironhide’s spark was clutched tightly in her hand as she lifted it up to its intended spot against her bleeding chest.

And there she cried.

She had killed Eli, and nothing changed.

Ironhide was still dead and Cybertron still blocked out the sky.

She had been right. Revenge was pointless. It didn’t solve anything.

The only difference was now she had no target. She completely failed to kill Starscream and without the shard she had no energy left to go after Sentinel. Both carried out Eli’s plans. Both succeeded in destroying her life.

She used the bow Ironhide had made her promise to use in self defense to find and kill Decepticons.

Was that why he looked like her like that in the vision? Did he know what she did through the spark in her chest?

She opened her hand, peeling back her fingers coated in drying blood. There it was, still glowing faintly. She sent a wave of Energon down her arm and it began to glow brighter.

So that was it. The circuit Dr. Martinez mentioned. Ironhide’s spark gave her Energon, and in turn, her Energon now fueled it.

Her connection with him was lost, but this piece of him was still alive.

She was keeping it alive! It’s what Jetfire was trying to show her.

“Yo, Aria, there you are—holy shit.”

Wheelie and Brains strode up to her looking worse for wear.

Wheelie stopped beside Eli’s body and kicked it. “Is that a Pretender?”

“And the Perceptor.”

“Awe, damn. No wonder we could never find ‘im.”

“It was Eli.”

Wheelie did a double take. “You’re shitting me.” He gave the body another kick “Asshole.”

Brains came over to her. “Woah woah woah! Wheelie, she’s bleedin’!”

Wheelie rushed over. Both of them examined her. It was sweet actually, how they spoke to each other as they prodded at her arms and legs.

“You know, princess, you’re damn lucky Eli didn’t kill ya.”

“Wait, what’s that?” Brains started prying at her closed hand.

She lifted it back up to her chest, holding it close.

Wheelie must have put two and two together. “Did he rip out the shard?”

Aria swallowed and nodded.

Wheelie cursed again. “Come on, let’s get back to the others. Maybe some of those human doctors can put it back in you.”

When she didn’t move, they each grabbed one of her wrists and pulled. She let out a cry of pain. Her entire body protested against the movement.

Wheelie did a once over when she stood. “Jesus, you look like you got hit by a truck.”

“And you all wet,” Brains added.

He was right, her hair and clothes were still damp.

“Did you fight any other ‘Cons?” Wheelie asked.

As they walked, Brains went around collecting arrows.

“A couple.”

Wheelie gave her a skeptical look. “Yeah, like who?”

“Some alien looking ones, Starscream,” she paused, “and Sentinel.”

Wheelie put a hand on his face. “I thought you were going to stay with Sam and sneak up on him or something, not go marching off on your own like a—”

“I destroyed Sentinel’s gun.”

“You probably saved a lot of bots by doing that.” Brains held up the arrows he’d collected. Three in total.

“What’d Sentinel do after that?”

“He tried killing me. Shot me with a cannon.”

Wheelie stopped so fast that his tires screeched. “And you lived?”

Brains nudged him. “The bow, dummy. ‘Hide probably added an energy field. Protect her from gunfire ‘n’ all that.”

Starscream mentioned something about that too. That the bow would shield her if he attacked.

Ironhide never said anything about it, probably to prevent her from doing anything stupid like she was currently doing. It was most likely the reason Wheeljack was allowed to make her detonating arrows. The bow would likely protect her from the resulting blast.

He truly did turn a simple bow into both a powerful weapon and a shield.

Aria held up the bow. Even in its rod form, the markings Eli had read were visible. Ironhide said they meant to protect, but Eli told her the full translation.

To protect at all costs.

To think she was mad at him for saying that he would do that for Sam, while he meant it just as much for her.

He had said it was the reality of the life he lived. But why did it have to be that way? What was wrong with wanting to run away from it all?

Why did he have to be so damn noble about it?

Their war was stupid. The planet hovering about them was a hollow shell of what it once was. No amount of Earth’s resources could repair it, it was long past that point.

The Decepticons fought for nothing of any substance anymore. They were ruled by a Cybertronian that loved war for the sake of war. Sending life after life to the place she had gone only to stand side by side along…

The river flowed in front of them. Gunfire and explosions lit up the horizon beyond.

“After Sentinel shot me, I think I had a vision or…something.”

“Whaddya mean vision?” Brains asked.

“I saw Jetfire, and Ironhide, and a bunch of other Cybertronians. I was holding Jetfire’s spark.”

Wheelie was looking at her as if she were crazy. “Sounds like some dream.” He turned to Brains who shrugged.

“You don’t think it could have meant anything? It was like he was trying to show me Ironhide’s spark shard was still alive because of the Energon in my blood.” She opened her hand up again. The glow of the shard illuminated her palm.

Wheelie and Brains craned their necks to look.

“It’s still glowing! Even outside her body!” Brains said, giving Wheelie a shake.

“How much Energon do you have?” Wheelie asked, ignoring Brains.

“Lots, I think. At least, that’s what I was told. Even after Eli ripped the shard out, I could still transform the bow.”

“And then you stabbed him with it?”

“Yeah.”

“Geez. Hey, would you do me a favor and not mention to anyone that it was my idea to bring you? I think I’d be booted from the Autobots again.”

“I won’t say a word.”

The ground quaked as a deep rumble filled the air. Cybertron imploded, sucking in any loose or floating objects into it. Large alien ships, aircraft, and teetering buildings gave way to the pull of the planet.

Aria’s body felt weightless. Wheelie and Brains clutched her pants as they all watched the planet disappear from the sky.

Sam had done it. The control pillar must have been destroyed.

The city ahead of her was still alight with explosions which meant Sentinel was probably still alive.

“Come on!” With another surge of energy, she continued forward.

The two small Autobots followed after her.

Optimus came into view. He was on a bridge fighting a silver Decepticon the same size as him. Sentinel was laying on the ground nearby. Crawling. Defeated.

The sound of metal weapons crashing rang in her ears, but her eyes never left Sentinel as she drew nearer to the bridge.

All his greatness and dignity peeled away, revealing an old pathetic traitor in its place.

He caught sight of her. Their eyes met as the noise stopped.

Optimus approached, drawing away his attention.

And with a pathetic attempt at justifying himself for betraying them, she watched as Optimus killed him.

Chapter Text

As smoke and ash lifted, dozens of people converged around the bridge. Most wore military uniforms apart from Sam and Carly who embraced each other as if they’d never let go again.

Seeing them like that…should have made her happy. They were together and safe. She resisted the urge to look around. Ironhide wasn’t there to do the same with her.

There was just the shard that glimmered through blood in her trembling hand.

The Autobots appeared next, solum, tattered, and scorched. They gathered around each other, hands on each other’s shoulders, words of condolences and affirmations muttered between them.

Wheeljack was missing. Bumblebee was shaking his head as Dino talked to Optimus.

The battle was over, but everything still felt off. A victory, but at what price?

Chicago was ruined. Sentinel, the Autobot they had all looked up to, lay dead. Near his body lay another. Whispers of Megatron reached her ears. It was him then. The Decepticon that ruled over the rest.

Did that mean the war was finally over? With him and Sentinel gone, who did the Decepticons have left to follow?

Would Starscream try to take over? Ironhide once said he wanted to be the leader but couldn’t since the other Decepticons didn’t trust him.

Maybe it was over then. Not that it mattered. Ironhide was still gone.

A voice rang above the others. “Don’t tell me—Aria, what are you doing here?”

At this point, Will was starting to sound like her father. He marched up to her with a look on his face conveying both relief and that he was about to kill her. Before he spoke, however, his eyes dropped to the wound on her chest.

“Medic!” he yelled, taking her arm without further acknowledgement, and pulling her behind him. “I need a medic now!”

A part of her wanted to tell him she was fine, but the other wasn’t as sure. Wheelie and Brains stayed close as they navigated through the mass of people attempting to organize themselves.

It wasn’t long before she was ushered to sit on a cement barricade. A man with a red cross on his uniform began cutting back the fabric of her shirt.

Will sat down next to her with a grunt. “Did you come on your own or was this one of Sam’s bright ideas?”

Wheelie suddenly became interested in a soda can blowing across the road.

“Sam asked me to help him find Carly. I went off on my own after we found her.”

Will massaged his temples as the medic began to clean her wound. “I don’t even want to know, but I’m going to ask anyway.”

The medic warned her that he was going to disinfect the wound. Aria yelped in pain as soon as the liquid touched the exposed flesh.

Finally, the medic finished. It took a minute for the burning sensation to fade back into a manageable ache. “Sentinel shot me into the water. The Perceptor did this.”

“Of course you went after Sen—wait, what do you mean you found the Perceptor?”

“Well technically, he found me.”

“Was it after you?”

In a very subtle movement, she opened her hand that rested between her and Will just enough for him to see the shard.

His wide eyes flickered between her, the shard, and the gaping hole in her chest. He leaned in closer, though the medic could still easily hear them as he applied a patch and gauze.

“I knew him.” If she didn’t have Will’s full attention before, she did now. “I worked with him at the museum, I—” her voice cracked. “I thought he was my friend, but he was after us the whole time. He knew Ironhide and I were close. He wanted us to suffer.”

The medic handed her a couple of pills and a glass of water before moving on to the next person.

“Did you…Is he..?”

“I killed him.” She couldn’t control the tears streaming down her face. Her voice was weak and hoarse. “He had Ironhide killed because he thought it was disgusting that we loved each other.”

Will hand on her back froze. “Wait, actually? I mean I suspected you two were close and maybe had a little crush or something…but I had no idea… Ironhide assured me the spark thing was a step towards human-Autobot relations and would allow you to protect yourself in case any more Decepticons came after you.”

Aria gave a pitiful laugh. “He wasn’t wrong.”

“I’ve never met an Autobot who broke more rules than ‘Hide this past year, I guess now I know why.”

“We didn’t mean for it to happen. I was just trying to be nice to him.”

Will visibly swallowed before opening his mouth. “I uh thought you had a boyfriend. The one we met during your performance.”

“That’s over now too,” she croaked.

Will was quiet for a while then took a breath. “Knowing these guys comes with a price. It was only a matter of time before you paid for it. I’m sorry, Aria. ‘Hide was a good bot, he didn’t deserve to go out like that.”

They sat for a while in silence. While Aria allowed tears to stream down her face, Will wiped his away. Wheelie and Brains sat against the wall at their feet.

Her eyes drooped and shut. Her body was so heavy, every bit of it aching and sore. Before the blackness of her eyelids, Jetfire stood, looking at her.

She jerked awake. She looked at her lap but Jetfire’s spark wasn’t there. It was important, she could feel it. But why?

Why did Jetfire show it to her?

It glowed in her vision, but in real life it was hollow. Empty. It wasn’t until she forced Energon into it that it began to glow.

Ironhide’s Energon.

The tiredness lifted from her body just as lines of military vehicles rolled towards them and helicopters appeared in the sky.

…

They were sent back to the base despite half of it being torn apart. There was nowhere else to go. It was chaos. Paperwork, medical exams, every office dedicated to a unique purpose. Sign in, Decepticon sightings reports, casualty records, psych evaluation, weapons drop off, metal detectors, Energon detectors, security and identification checks.

She was smart enough to have Wheelie and Brains take her bow and arrows to conceal. Mearing wasn’t getting it back.

Now she laid in the presentation room. It was dark and filled with beds and sleeping bags. Everyone was directed there when they finally finished doing everything. The room was quiet except for the odd snore and the muffled voices from outside the room.

Hopefully, this would all die down soon. She needed to talk to Ratchet or Optimus about her vision. About Jetfire’s spark.

He wouldn’t let her rest until she did. Every time she closed her eyes, she was met with his piercing red ones.

Did she finally become a warrior after all?

After Ironhide told her not to be one. After she promised him to keep herself safe. After he died.

Is that what it took to truly become a warrior? The pain and the anger to drive forward even after being shot and stabbed?

She never really wanted to be one. And she never wanted Ironhide to be one either. All she wanted was for her to be her, and for him to be him. And they had that, if only for a short while.

And in the end, that’s why he died. Because instead of being a warrior, he was being himself.

Maybe that meant she should want him to be a warrior because that’s what kept him alive for so long.

No. That wasn’t it. She just didn’t want the consequences. She just wanted him to be happy.

War was so stupid. So pointless.

It destroyed peace and extinguished happiness.

She brought up her hand. Her palm glowed a faint blue. She thought of giving the shard to Wheelie too but couldn’t bring herself to let go. The guards concluded the Energon detector had malfunctioned when she passed through.

Over time, the muffled voices from the main hangar faded and the dark room filled completely.

Ever so slowly, she pulled off the cover of the sleeping bag and got up. She carefully stepped around sleeping people, whispering apologies when she occasionally tripped on a blanket.

Cracking open the door was an assault on the eyes. The white lighting of the hangar slightly flickered from the damage Sentinel caused.

She closed the door behind her as someone hissed at her about the light. The hangar was mostly empty besides the Autobots gathered in the corner and a few personnel still wandering or talking quietly.

These were not the familiar faces that normally occupied the base, these were officers from other sectors of the government. Ones that said no one was allowed out of the room until further notice.

Despite the bright lighting, the sheer size of the hangar and piles of rubble allowed her to sneak along the walls out of sight. Not even the Autobots had noticed her as they talked quietly among themselves.  

Finally reaching them, she put a finger to her mouth.

They acknowledged her with nods. Sideswipe and Bee looked over to the nearest personnel who had their backs to them in deep conversation out of earshot.

Optimus was the first to speak. Ratchet still tinkered with his reattached arm even though it looked fine. “I am glad to see you are well.”

“Yeah, Wheelie told us about your encounter with the Preceptor,” Sideswipe said. “Did he really tell you that he was the one behind everything?”

“Yeah. I don’t think he expected me to live.”

Ratchet leaned down closer to her. “Aria what you did was reckless and dangerous. You were not meant to use that weapon to seek out war, only for self defense.”

Optimus put a hand on Ratchet’s shoulder. “We cannot blame her for her actions. We were all angry at Sentinel’s betrayal. Aria had a right to join the battle.”

“Did you offline any ‘Cons, Aria?” Sideswipe asked.

“A couple. I almost got Sentinel too when he had his back turned.”

“He didn’t have his gun,” Optimus commented. “Was that your doing?”

Aria swallowed and nodded. “Better than nothing, I guess.”

The Autobots looked between each other. Even Mirage looked impressed.

“You may have saved many of our lives. That gun was far too deadly. Even Optimus wouldn’t be able to do anything if he was hit.” Ratchet looked from her to Optimus.

“I thank you for it, Aria,” Optimus said. The other Autobots nodded in agreement.

Sideswipe leaned in. “What I want to know is how you destroyed his gun and lived to tell the tale.”                                                                                                                

“Didn’t know you could shoot,” came a voice from Bee’s radio.

Ratchet gave her an encouraging nod when she looked up at him. Wheelie rolled over to her from his place near Jolt’s foot. He reached behind his back, metal shifting to pull the bow partly fused to his body.

The Autobots’ eyes were on the bow as Aria took it. It transformed in her hand. Its cerulean glow lit up her skin. It was dirty now that she looked at it. Dust and Energon covered the surface, marring the symbols.

It felt different in her hands now. Heavier. But not in the physical sense.

“Is that Cybertronian? What is it?” Jolt asked.

“It’s a bow,” Ratchet answered before her. “A weapon used by humans since primitive times. Due to her skill, Ironhide thought it would be a more suitable weapon for Aria than a gun.”

All the Autobots spoke at once. Both to her and to each other.

“But how? Our tech requires Energon to function.” Sideswipe gave an inquisitive look, pushing Bee out of the way.

The others quieted, waiting for an answer.

Aria’s gaze dropped. There was an easier way than telling them.

She raised her other arm and opened up her palm. The Autobots all leaned in to see the small object that glowed there.

“No…” Sideswipe looked at it and then to her.

Bee made a surprised noise. Dino said something in Italian. The twins looked at each other, confused.

“What is dat?” Skids asked

“A shard of Ironhide’s spark.” Optimus straightened. “Of course.”

“It was the only way we could think of,” she said.

“Optimus,” Sideswipe said, turning to him. “It’s still glowing.”

“About that,” Aria said. “Can I talk to you and Ratchet alone?”

Optimus nodded. Instead of him and Ratchet leaving the group, the other Autobots stepped away to give them privacy. All except for Sideswipe, Brains, and Wheelie.

When the others began to whisper among themselves, Optimus regarded her. “I did not realize you were Conjunx Endura.”

Sideswipe looked just as confused as she was. Before either of them could ask, Ratchet spoke.

“It is an old way of saying Sparkmates.”

Aria shook her head. “I—we haven’t known each other long enough for that. It was just so I could use the bow.

Sideswipe crouched down. “So you admit that you love him?”  

“I do, but—”

“But nothing. You guys love each other and you have a piece of his spark. That sounds like Sparkmates or Cunjunx-whatever to me.”

She looked down at her fingers as if a ring magically appeared. “I’ve never got the chance to give anything back to him though…But that’s why I want to talk to you. I think I know a way now.”

The five Cybertronians looked between each other before the weight of their gazes settled fully on her.

“I think I had a vision.”

Wheelie went to say something but Sideswipe shushed him.

“When did you see this vision?” Optimus asked.

“I was thrown back into the river. I thought I was dead, but a hand reached down and pulled me out of the water. It was Jetfire.”

“You saw Jetfire?” Ratchet sounded confused.

“I recall Lennox telling us that he took care of you in Egypt,” Optimus said.

“Yeah, he accidentally teleported me with Sam and the others. He could have left me to die—I mean he didn’t know me at all—but he came back and brought me to you guys. He believed in me, called me a warrior, even protected me.”

“Jetfire was a great warrior and a compassionate Autobot. Even in his old age, he would not leave an innocent behind to die.”

“I feel bad that I thought he was senile at first. He’d been in stasis for so long…”

“You must have meant something to him if he showed himself in your vision,” Ratchet said.

She swallowed. Wheelie had not reacted well when he’d first found out about what she did.

The small Autobot seemed to sense her train of thought and answered. “She took Jetfire’s spark home with her.” The Autobots were taken aback, but Wheelie continued. “She didn’t know what it was at the time. When I told her, she suggested we bury it. Human custom,” he added.

“In my rose garden. Wheelie engraved his name on a stone.”

“A kind gesture,” Ratchet said.

Optimus nodded in agreement.

Aria continued. “But in my vision, I was holding his spark. I could channel Energon into it, like I do to the bow when I use it.”

Ratchet inclined his head. “Our sparks do function as a vessel—”

He stopped talking when Optimus looked at him. “The Energon in your body is Ironhide’s Energon.”

“From his spark shard,” she said.

The Autobots now look more interested than ever, their expressions lighting up as they put the pieces together.

“I think Jetfire was giving me permission to use his spark—”

“—To fuse with the shard to become a new spark for Ironhide,” Ratchet finished.

“Is it possible?” Optimus asked, his voice was light with wonder.

“I don’t see how it couldn’t. If what Aria says is true—and I believe it is—we have Jetfire’s permission.”

“Wait wait wait,” Sideswipe spoke up. “Won’t he need a body?”

“Not a problem. Sentinel had spark-metal on his ship. We brought some back.” Ratchet gestured to the other side of the base where the vault Sentinel had broken into still stood. “It’s in there.”

“Brain’s and me will get it,” Wheelie said, rolling up to her.

“Yeah boss.”

Sideswipe stood. “I’ll take you back to your old place as soon as we’re allowed.”

Optimus looked pleased. “Good. I will talk to Lennox when I am able.”

“Aria, keep the shard close until we can begin. I fear without contact, it may lose the Energon it holds and die.”

Aria brought it up to her chest. “I won’t let it go.”

Rachet’s expression softened.

She parted ways with the Autobots. Sideswipe picked a fight with Bee to distract the personnel while she went back to the quiet room.

Despite the aches in her arms and legs, her body felt lighter. Like she could run all the way home to Jetfire’s spark. Instead, she hopped between sleeping bags until she found hers and laid down.

She cradled the shard of Ironhide’s spark in both hands against her chest beside the bandage.

When she closed her eyes, Jetfire looked back at her.

Proud.

Chapter Text

Aria laid on the couch, eyes fixed on the window. It was raining.

The weeks had dragged on. Day after day, each getting slightly colder until all the leaves fell from the trees and blew away. Soon there would be snow.

It was quiet. Always quiet. Aside from her parents’ occasional visit, there was no one left to talk to.

After that night at the base, she was sent home. They were going to send her with one of the personnel at the base, but she dug her heels in, standing her ground until it was Will who took her.

She explained her plan to him, emphasizing the Autobots had agreed.

“You really think it will bring him back?” he had said after a long pause.

“We have to at least try.”

He looked at her, eyes glassy. “Okay.”

They went to her old house where yellow leaves still clung to rose branches. It was there she dug until she found Jetfire’s spark.

It seemed to vibrate in her grasp.

Will looked at it. He had said she was nuts to keep a Transformer’s spark when she knew nothing about it.

In response she pulled out the piece of Ironhide’s spark. Like a magnet, it attached itself to Jetfire’s spark.

Eyes wide with wonder, Will wrapped it in his jacket.

Then when he took her back home, he promised to give it to Ratchet.

And that was the last she’d heard. From him. From anyone.

Since then, the news revolved around aliens. The secret was well and truly out. No more speculation, no more conspiracies. Aliens were real. Aliens were robots.

Aliens had destroyed Chicago.

Blurry videos long lost, now resurfaced. Her heart ached whenever a black truck appeared, or Ironhide’s faint silhouette was caught in the corner of the screen like a ghostly shadow.

Leo appeared a lot, and a friend of his. They were the ones with the biggest conspiracy website.

Simmons was strangely absent, but his book sales hit an all-time high. 

The Health and Human Services building was half under construction and half barricaded off. It was perpetually surrounded by a mass of protesters and media, spanning for blocks.

What would it feel like to have found out the Transformers like this? Massive beings that caused nothing but war and chaos. Would she have wanted them off the planet like so many people wanted now?

What would her life be if she hadn’t met Jetfire?

She’d have her house and horses and dog. She’d still be working in the museum with the replacement Blackbird. She wouldn’t have scars.

She wouldn’t have been targeted by Starscream or Eli.

She wouldn’t have met the Autobots.

She wouldn’t have met Ironhide.

Wouldn’t have watched him die.

But if she wasn’t in the picture… he may not have died at all.

She was the reason Sentinel had killed him. Because she was a disgusting human and Ironhide stooped so low as to love her.

It was all she could do to bring him back.

Maybe he was already back.

Her severance package arrived in the mail two weeks ago. The condo was in her name, bought and paid for. She was also paid out for her house. It wasn’t how she’d imagined giving her parents the final payment for it, but it was done.

She’d called Will more times than she could count. He’d never once answered. He’d warned her of that though. That she wasn’t allowed back. Wasn’t allowed to say anything.

But that never stopped the Autobots, so it wouldn’t stop her either.

She’d found herself in the protesting crowds more often than not. There wasn’t much else to do.

Just a glance, that wasn’t too much to ask, was it?

Instead, people blocked her view and screamed next to her. Words of baseless hatred.

If she hadn’t felt so tired all the time, she would have fought. Anything to stop the words being hollered around her. Deafening wave after wave, like the sea.

Now she found a routine. Wake up, watch the news, eat, watch the news, eat, watch the news, go to bed.

The TV stayed on mute. Just a glimpse. That’s all she needed.

There was a knock at the door. Her eyes refocused on the clouds.

It wasn’t that long ago she would have run to the door. But she could only be let down so many times.

The person knocked again. More quickly this time.

She shifted, slowly sitting upright.

Another knock and a muffled voice.

A familiar voice.

She bolted towards the door, unlocked it, and swung it open.

There, down on the stoop, was Wheelie. A little further back was Brains.

“’Bought time.” Wheelie grabbed Brains and pushed him past her legs.

Aria closed the door, locking it before turning around and scooping the Autobots into her arms.

She couldn’t help the tears that fell down her cheeks. “I’m not letting you leave ever again!”

“Missed you too, Ari,” Brains huffed out.

“We tried to come sooner, but we only had one chance,” Wheelie said as he gave her a pat.

She finally released them and wiped her eyes. “One chance to sneak out?”

“Once chance to get you in.”

“Does that mean it worked?”

Wheelie and Brains looked at each other in some sort of silent exchange. The moment dragged on for far too long.

“Yeah, so far so good,” Brains said. Wheelie shrugged in mutual agreement.

She looked between them. “So far so—what does that mean?”  

“It means Will thinks it’s time you sneak in. Him and the director lady are gone for a few days so now’s our chance.”

“You know they won’t let me through the front gates, let alone into the base. I read the paperwork, I’d go straight to prison.”

“Yeah, Aria Normandy would, but not Anna Seller.” As Wheelie spoke, he produced a badge from a cavity near his chest.

She took it from him. Other than the name and title, it was identical to her old one. She couldn’t suppress the smile. Her picture was the same as her old tag.

Anna Seller. NASA Extraterrestrial Research Department.

“Thanks guys,” was all she could manage.

Wheelie hooked a finger into the lanyard and tugged the badge from her. “One condition. We’ll need a ride.”

…

Wheelie squawked as he and Brains tried to squeeze into Aria’s backpack. She held it open while the pair shoved at each other.

Aria glanced at the clock. “Maybe you could transform Wheelie, and then Brains can sit on top?”

“Like hell!”

It took at least ten minutes before Aria finally got on her motorcycle, Wheelie’s head poking out of the backpack and Brains clinging to her stomach like a baby koala. Not like anyone would notice with the speed she was darting through traffic.

She navigated to the one open street that led to the base. Soldiers lined the sidewalks and the road itself was backed up with idling vehicles while security waved them through one by one. Wheelie leaned close to her and told her to pass on the shoulder.

Normally she wouldn’t have done it, but Wheelie said Will was on board with whatever plan this was.

It was Calan at the gate, he’d scanned her old badge probably a hundred times by now.

She rode slowly past the questioning gazes through car windows. Many of the people looked familiar, and for the ones that didn’t, at least her helmet visor was tinted.

When Calan waved the car through, he walked over to where she parked.

“I’m astonished you two made it!” he said to Wheelie and Brains. Wheelie poked out of the backpack and flipped him the bird.

Aria handed Calan the badge then flipped up her visor.

“Nice to meet you, Ms. Seller. Everyone is waiting inside.”

“Thanks, Calan.”

“Don’t be a stranger in there! Lots of people heard what you did for ‘Hide.” He gave her a pat on the arm as she rode past.

She parked in her usual spot amongst the cars and military vehicles that filled the lot. Had it been intentionally left empty for her?

She took off her helmet and put it on the ground next to the bike. After taking off her gloves, she shoved her hands into her pockets. The rain and the cold penetrated her body to the bone.

Brains walked ahead of her while Wheelie remained in the backpack. According to him, Brains rode on his alt form for most of the trip to her place.

Inside the base was busy as ever, but as she scanned the sea of faces, most were unfamiliar. Many wore military uniforms that lacked the NEST insignia. There were more scientists than ever.

But the thing that stood out most was the amount of people in suits. Most of the base was now filled with government officials. A group passed her on their way out, leaving a heavy scent of cologne in their wake.

“About time you got here, Anne.” Amber appeared at her side, extending out a cup of coffee.

Aria thanked her and took it. Amber looked no different than the day she last saw her.  “Yeah, looks like a lot has changed.”

“I’d tell you everything, but the media’s pretty much got that covered. Mostly just know-it-all suits trying to decide the fate of the Autobots.” She began to walk and Aria fell into step beside her. “But that’s old news. I want to know how’ve you been. I mean, I heard what you did in Chicago and then there’s what you did for Ironhide.”

Aria’s body involuntarily jerked at the sound of Ironhide’s name. Amber stopped beside her.

“You know about Ironhide?”

Amber looked down at her coffee. “About that… I’m sorry about anything I said in the past that may have been insensitive. It was only after Will came back with a spark that anyone told me what was going on between you two. I just thought you were nuts for going to Chicago.”

“Don’t be sorry, I really was trying not to make it obvious. It’s not exactly…normal.”

“Aria, you went into a war zone for him. I love my husband, but I draw the line at going into battle for him.” She laughed lightly before sobering. “Who cares if he’s an Autobot, who cares what anyone thinks. If you guys love each other, that’s all that matters. I can’t think of anything worse than being made to feel bad about something that should bring you joy.”

Before Amber could see her cry, Aria gave her a hug. “Thanks,” was all she managed to say.

Amber let her go and gestured for Aria to follow. “Come on, let’s go see the ‘Bots.”

They were headed towards a newly constructed area of the base. Once a part of the main hangar was now two more rooms with Autobot-sized doors.

Amber led her into the closer room of the two. They walked through the open overhead door and were greeted by eight Autobots.

Aria’s eyes flicked across each of their faces. Optimus, Rachet, Sideswipe, Skids, Mudflap, Jolt, Mirage, and Bee. Then her gaze wandered to the rest of the room. Other than a few objects here or there, it was empty.

“She’s a little one track minded at the moment, but here’s Anne!” Amber called out.

The Autobots ceased their conversations and suddenly many pairs of glowing blue eyes looked down at her.

Then there was a course of greetings. They looked… happy.

It was such a stark contrast to Chicago when they were battered and dented. Their eyes had been dim with fatigue and their shoulders slumped with the weight of battle. She often dreamed of them when she could sleep.

But here they were, looking just as well as she’d seen them a hundred times before.

“Well if it isn’t the little lady of the hour,” Sideswipe said as he rolled over to her. He’d always reminded her of Wheelie, but his movements were much more graceful.

Wheelie, on the other hand, was clattering out of her backpack. She took it off and helped him out of it. He let out a huff and told Brains to keep his mouth shut.

“You two have done well,” Optimus said to the small Autobots who abruptly stopped bickering and straightened. Then he turned to Aria and nodded.

“Nice to finally see you guys, too.”

Bee played a tune that he and the twins danced to.

Ratchet and Jolt gave her an approving smile.