Guardian chapter 8

Guardian Chapter 8

Memories From the Past
By Steph


Weeks had past since Ironhide had finally returned home to resume his duties as Annabelle’s and her family’s full time guardian. During the past few weeks it had been a rather quiet time apart from the occasional hospital visit for Annabelle to monitor her growing baby. Ironhide could understand Jacob’s worry for his wife and child, he had told Jacob he could monitor their baby himself.

Now that Annabelle’s pregnancy had progressed his scanners were able to clearly monitor the baby’s vitals, he was even able to take unique images showing the growing youngster’s body with his advanced cybertroian technology. Jacob however had declined, insisting that Annabelle be checked up on by human doctors. It irked Ironhide slightly, his scans were far more advanced then any primitive human technology but Jacob had pointed out that the doctors knew what to look for if there was anything wrong.

“Its nothing personal Ironhide” the young man sigh as he stood next to the disguised autobot in the drive way.

“I just want to be sure Annabelle and the baby are all right”

There was no malice in the young man’s voice, just concern that rung through the words.

The black Topkick let a gust of air out from his internal vents, he rocked back on his wheels seemingly slightly annoyed by the human’s conclusion, the old autobot enforced some control over his tone, trying to hide his annoyance and hurt feelings.

“Jacob, my scanners are far more sensitive then the ones you humans use at the hospital, there is no need to go through all this unnecessary trouble”

Jacob turned from his position of leaning against the black truck, his face moving to look at the Topkick. The young man’s face had faint lines across his forehead, an expression, Ironhide knew only too well, it was the same face that William Lennox had pulled when the weapon specialist had tried to help rid the farm of pests, with his cannons that is.  

Ironhide watched the human take a deep breath, before his eyes turned to look at the black autobot,

“Yes I don’t doubt that Ironhide,” he intoned, waving a hand dismissively before bringing it to rest on Ironhide’s left bumper, Jacob let out a breath of air, trying to compose an explanation that would not insult the old autobot.

“Then what is the malfunction?” the black mech’s voice questioned quite abruptly.

Jacob bent his head slightly as if trying to hide his expression from the black truck,

“It’s just that… Ironhide I know your only looking out for Annabelle and the baby’s best interests” Jacob paused, before telling it straight to the black Topkick

“Human doctors would better know what to look for if there was anything wrong, I just want Annabelle and the baby to be ok”
Ironhide fell silent, the young man’s words going through his processor, his spark fell slightly but he decided not to argue the matter further, his voice was toneless, he was saddened by Jacob’s lack of faith in his abilities. He had after all been Annabelle’s guardian since she was a mere infant.

“Very well, you know what is best for your wife and sparkling”

Jacob was slightly shocked to how sad the autobot’s voice sounded, The young man knew the old autobot was merely trying to help, he put a hand up to his face.

“Ironhide don’t be like that, look I’m sorry but I just think it’s for the best, but maybe you cab keep an eye on her for me?” “Let me know  if anything changes.”

Ironhide contemplated Jacob’s words, the sincerity rang out of the human’s voice. Ironhide mentally nodded to himself.

“Of course Jacob, I will keep a close optic on Annabelle, it is my duty after all” Ironhide’s tone was gruff as always but there was no doubting the affection in his voice.

Jacob let a smile spread across his face.

“Thank you for understanding Ironhide”

The sun had just finished setting and all the local inhabitants of planet earth were taking their routine recharge. Ironhide was in his usual spot disguised as a Topkick in the drive way. The last few days had weighed heavily on autobot’s spark, memories from the not so distant past were raging through the black mech’s processor.

Annabelle had in the past few weeks been making the most absurd preparations in Ironhide’s point of view. The house was in a mad state of chaos, Jacob and Annabelle were constantly bringing in strange sorts of equipment. With his reasonable surveillance skills, Ironhide scanned the wheeled instrument that Jacob had brought in out from the Topkick’s flat bed. It was a dull grey colour, made of a sort of thin metal with four small wheels. Ironhide noted the small seat in the middle of the device, his optical sensors narrowed their internal mechanisms as Ironhide zoomed in on the ominous looking object. It seemed slightly familiar. An image flashed through the weapon specialist’s processor.

Ironhide looked in on his new family, he had much to learn, something suddenly caught the old war veteran’s optics, a tiny human offspring was rolling across the kitchen floor on some strange wheeling equipment. Her under developed legs were pushing her along the floor as the device held her upright. Squinting, the black mech tilted his huge head to one side, what usual means of locomotion.

“Ironhide?” ….“Hey Ironhide are you there?”

The weapon specialist was quickly pulled out of his musing by a voice, it belonged to Jacob. His voice conveyed concern,

“Hey are you all right?” the voice was hesitant.

The black Topkick gushed out warm air from his cooling system, his pistons hissing slightly as the black autobot moved slightly on his wheels.

“I am fine, just going over some old data that needs analysing” the mech’s voice sounded tense, the young human noted this as he turned his gaze to look at the truck. He cocked his head to one side as if confused himself.

“You mean thinking?” he asked tentatively, Ironhide’s deep voice grumbled

“Yes I was deep in thought as you humans say” Jacob nodded,

“What are you thinking about?” curiosity  rang out through the young man’s voice. Ironhide’s voice became quiet for a moment as though pondering his response,

“Just memories,“ he did the equivalent of a human sigh.

“Oh” Jacob simply replied, “I’ll leave you alone then.”

With that Jacob took the baby walker in two steady hands and began to slowly walk back to the house. Ironhide relaxed, he was secretly glad the human had decided to leave, he needed some time to think. Annabelle’s pregnancy was taking it’s toll on Ironhide and he would often find himself ‘zoning out’ as the humans said. It brought back so many memories when Annabelle herself was just a mere youngling.

Ironhide widened his audio receptors range as he strained to pick up on the conversation being held in the house.

“I can’t wait” a voice said, Ironhide was sure it belonged to Annabelle.

“Me nether” a soft voice replied, Annabelle moved slightly getting conferrable,

“I have a feeling it’s going to be a girl” Jacob laughed out loud

“Well we will just have to wait and see”

Ironhide dampened his audio receptors slightly, and once more thoughts from the past raced through his processor.

Ironhide surveyed the skies with much more vigilance then usual, his optical sensors scanning every jet and plane that flew overhead. His mighty cannons were folded passively in their respective holders, the whirring of a jet could be heard overhead. Optical sensors zoomed in and scanned the flying object,

:Earth  jet, threat level, minimal:

His two charges were out in the garden with their thirteen month old daughter Annabelle, the young baby was toddling clumsily by her mother’s feet whilst her farther was out painting the garage. Sara turned to water the flowers with her bright yellow watering can, Annabelle’s bright blue eyes caught sight of the black Topkick standing attentively in the drive way just ahead of the young girl.

His armour shone in the midday sun, gleaming coats of light scattered from all directions. Annabelle’s eyes looked up to the huge hulking figure, from the distance the young toddler could make out the autobot’s huge ebony metal head. Ironhide turned his attention from the skies to his charges, carefully scanning each of them with his optics. Annabelle turned her gaze to the black Topkick just as Ironhide scanned to check over her, blue eyes were met with blue optics.

Their gazes locked intensely as the world around them seemed to slow, Annabelle’s eyes were alit with amazement and wonder as they shimmered in the light. Ironhide’s optics regarded the intelligent stare of the toddler. The black Topkick felt his spark begin to hum happily in it’s chest plating, it was strange sensation to the old autobot, he quickly moved his gaze and grumbled in his chest plating to himself as black mech ran a quick diagnostic to make sure nothing was wrong.

Ironhide snapped out of his trance, he sighed to himself, the pregnancy was a mixed blessing, a new start for him yet it brought back memories, memories of his two lost charges and the happy, easy life the old autobot used to have. The black Topkick vented air out from his systems as he powered them down to enter recharge…


Bright and orange colours filled the blackness of the night as huge clouds of thick grey smoke chocked the air, the blaze eating away at the once beautiful cottage. Ironhide’s optics looked on in horror, Jacob’s body was mangled on the ground in a bloody state, one side of the young man’s head in a sea of red, a puddle of blood lay underneath the crippled corpse. Ironhide’s spark almost stopped as he painfully turned his head away from the ravaged body of his charge. Anger raced through his circuits as the cannons on Ironhide’s forearms whirred to life, dangerously flashing in all directions as the black Topkick turned with infrared vision seeking out the monster who had hurt his charge.

A terrified ear-splitting scream filled the air and Ironhide whirred around his optics flashing before narrowing with anger, without hesitation Ironhide charged up the cannons on his forearms, the bright orange light pointing directly at a silver metal head. The figure rose his left hand, claws restricting around a small venerable body, a cry of pain escaped the mouth of the human encased in the claws as they raked dangerously close around the small quivering mass of flesh.. Ironhide instantly lowered his weapons as the screech reached his audio receptors, the large figure rose to his full height, the flames from the burning cottage reflected yellow light which danced and shone around the silvery metal. Deep red, crimson optics widened in triumph as they bore into the bright blue optics of the black Topkick.

Ironhide’s whole internal systems froze and a foreign sensation burned through the weapon’s specialist, fear. The figure stepped forward into the light of the burning cottage, the tips of the his wings moving side to side in an arrogant strut, his huge foot landing on the mangled body of Jacob with a sickening crunch, Ironhide winced at the sound and he shuttered his optics sickened by the sight as the deception lifted his massive foot  looking at the organic mass of red on his silver metal.

“Disgusting” he muttered

Ironhide felt powerless, the silver mech’s red optics stared down at the body in his hand before once more gazing at Ironhide.

“After all this time, you still have not learnt” the deception’s voice sneered at Ironhide, his optics staring at the autobot.

Ironhide’s optics narrowed, his cannons pointing once more at the silver deception, Ironhide’s metal was shaking with pure rage, but the spark in it’s chamber was humming worriedly for his remaining charge.

“What could I possibly learn from you Starscream?!”

Starscream regarded the black autobot for a second, his claw absently running along the body in his hand,

“You autobot scum should know better by now then to become attached to these disgusting hunks of flesh, they make you weak”

Ironhide’s cannons whirred as he charged them up,

“You no nothing slagging decepticon, release Annabelle now!” “Before I blast you for us all to see what your mainframe looks like”

Starscream’s face plate widened into an evil smile.

“my my what a temper, your insolence does not bout well for the safety of your beloved human”

Ironhide’s optics narrowed,

“Release her now, before you see my temper blast you into a million atoms”

Starscream just glanced down to the body of the young woman in his hand, before he returned his gaze to Ironhide, there was an evil glint in the orbs of red light.

The jet’s hand constricted around the body of Annabelle, the young woman let out an ear-splitting screech of agony as the serrated metal claws ripped into her flesh, tearing through it as if it was just paper, blood splashed onto the hand of the decepticon, turning the silver metal a red bloody colour.

Ironhide’s body froze at the sound of Annabelle’s shriek as it was cut off in a chocked gasp, the bones in her fragile body cracking and crunching as Starscream crushed her like a tooth pick.

The black Topkick’s knees gave way as he hit the dirt, his metal body shaking with anger and pain. The black mech’s head looked up staring directly at Starscream

“You, you sparkless worth of alloy” his voice cut off as Starscream threw Annabelle’s body aside her remains skidded to a dusty halt besides Jacob‘s mass of blood. The silver decepticon marched right up to the black autobot, his face just inches from Ironhide’s as his red optics stared down at the weapon specialist. His voice was low and twisted.

“This was all your doing, you have become soft autobot, you failed them.” Starscream sneered,

“Leaving you alive will be a fitting punishment, you can now live out the rest of your days without your precious humans”

Starscream stood upright, Ironhide didn’t even look up, the fight had left him, he just stared at the ground. The silver decepticon activated his after burners sending him upwards as he disappeared into the darkness.

Behind Ironhide the cottage continued to burn, Ironhide’s optics shuttered as he dimmed them, the spark inside the weapon specialist broke as he let out a cry of pure pain and despair rupture from his vocal processor. Shakily the black Topkick rose to his feet and paced over to the remains of his beloved charge’s. The black autobot bent a huge palm down towards the dirt, slipping his fingers under the unrecognisable body of Annabelle, Ironhide’s blue optics stared down at her for a moment, before the black Topkick brought Annabelle’s body up to his spark.

“I’m sorry” he silently whispered to the corpse in his black metal hand. His vocal processor struggling to format the words,

“I failed you” the hand hugged the bloody body closer to his spark over his chest plating, blood covering his black armour. Ironhide’s optics shut all the way before he began rocking back and forth with the body of his lost charge…

Ironhide’s whole body jerked and his truck horn blurred loudly disturbing the quiet morning air, as the black autobot’s conciseness returned to him. The weapon specialist scanned the area, the house was in tact, there was no fire, no blood no bodies and no sign of Starscream, the morning air was quiet and still as the sun came into view just above the horizon. Ironhide’s internal systems calmed, it had been a ‘nightmare’ as the humans called, Ironhide grumbled sourly to himself, it was rare at all for him to ‘dream’ yet last night had been the first time in over fifty solar cycles.

“Primus I need checking by Ratchet” the autobot muttered to himself.

The sound of the front door clanged as the wood hit the opposite wall, Annabelle came out from inside the cottage into the bright warming air, the bump on her stomach now very predominate, her blond curly hair whished slightly in the wind. The young woman carefully walked over to the drive way where the black Topkick was watching.

Annabelle padded over to Ironhide and patted his left bumper, Ironhide was overjoyed to see she was alive,

“Morning Ironhide, you sleep well?” she inquired.

Ironhide was too quick to respond “My recharge was adequate thank you” his voice was deep,

Annabelle folded her arms across her chest, she had known Ironhide for years and could read the black autobot like a book and the young woman knew he was hiding something from her.

“Your hiding something” she accused, her foot absently tapping the ground.

“Slag it” Ironhide cursed under his breath, humans were too observant for their own good, knowing he was fighting a losing battle, Ironhide let out a sigh.

“I experienced what you humans called a nightmare, it was not pleasant my systems are slightly sluggish from it” his voice was half annoyed Ironhide was often too proud for his own good.

Annabelle let a worried expression stretched across her face, she had never known autobots could dream,

“What was it about?”
Ironhide visually shook on his tyres, as he tried to re tell last nights horrific images from his processor.

“The house was burning and Jacob had been killed, I found his body, Starscream was there you were in his hand and, he.. he crushed, I was powerless to stop he said it was all my fault….” Ironhide’s voice trailed off at the end unable to continue.

Annabelle looked at her guardian with a sympathetic response, slowly she walked over to the front of the truck before stretching her arms out best she could and aquadly hugged the black autobot.

Ironhide was slightly taken aback by the gesture but did not reject her, Annabelle’s voice was muffled against the metal.

“Oh Ironhide, it was just a dream, both me and Jacob are fine, Starscream hasn’t been to earth in over fifty years” “Even if we were to die it would absolutely not be your fault, you’re the best guardian any family could hope to have, you have saved my life so many more times then you know”

Ironhide took in his charge’s words as they went through his processor,

“I have been having flash blacks of your parents and you,”

Annabelle looked up, “That’s why you have been all aloof recently”

Ironhide grumbled guilty “Yes” he simply said.

“Ironhide, I know my parents death was hard for you, it is normal to think about loved ones who have passed on, it’s part of the grieving process, but in time it the pain begins to fade”

Ironhide contemplated on Annabelle’s words she was right, it is not right for him to be dwelling in the past, he had to look to the future. Once again it surprised Ironhide that such wisdom could come from a human, but then again humans were full of surprises.

“Thank you Annabelle, that has taken a load off my processor” Ironhide’s tone conveyed gratitude, something rarely seen in the old war veteran.

Annabelle looked up at him and smiled, “Your welcome, it’s the least I could do, you did it so many times for me as a child”

Ironhide mentally smiled, “Annabelle don’t mention this to Ratchet and the others” he asked quietly

Annabelle let out an amused laugh,

“Don’t worry Ironhide my lips are sealed” she promised, Annabelle turned and headed towards the cottage with the newspaper in her hands, the door shut leaving Ironhide alone.

Ironhide settled into monitoring the surroundings. Time would like so many things heal the pain of the losses for both Annabelle and Ironhide. The pain would in time fade like the memories of such pain, memories that would become part of the past.

To be continued…