Strange Creatures : New Beginning

A/N: This is my first Transformers fic. I really like Ironhide and Annabelle, just thinking of the weapons expert getting all soft for Annabelle Lennox is just too sweet. So yeah, I think this is going to be more than one chapter. We'll see.

I

Megatron was dead. The Decepticons were all gone, and Earth was safe. Ironhide found himself standing at the edge of a cliff in California, watching Sam and Mikaela "celebrating" their victory on top of Bumblebee.

Optimus was musing to himself, staring at the burning star that lit up the entire planet as it "set". Iron hide closed his eyes in disgust, not wanting to see two carbon based life-forms exchange saliva. It was... so... barbaric.

Sam, Bumblebee, and Mikaela drove away once it got dark, but Ironhide could tell that the yellow Autobot would be back. It was the only logical reason that Ratchet and Optimus would hang around.

"Optimus, are we all going to stay on Earth?"

Ratchet had beaten him to the question. The Autobot leader's optics focused on the yellow car that began to zoom towards them. Bumblebee transformed back into his thirty foot state. Optimus Prime waited until he was all the way over to the Autobots before answering Rachet's question.

"Bumblebee was giving permission to stay by Sam. I think it's wise if we stay here, protecting the humans."

If Ironhide could let his mouth fall open, he would have done so.

"But Optimus! They're primal! Let them fall if it was meant to be!"

His leader, superior, and overall greatest Autobot to ever exist, shook his head, glaring at Ironhide with silent warning.

"No, Ironhide. It's better if we stay here."

The weapons specialist crossed his arms as the rest of the team began to transform back into Earth transportation vehicles. As we watched the other Autobots drive off, he heard a human voice.

"Hey! I still need a ride home."

Ironhide had almost whipped out his cannons the voice was so unexpected. He turned to see William Lennox, the Captain who had helped bring down the Decepticons. Ironhide almost frowned, not liking to thought of as a some sort of ferry back and forth from location to location.

The Captain, sensing the Autobot's contempt, quickly spoke up again.

"I mean, it would be nice. Please?"

Ironhide did roll his eyes this time. He fell back into the form of a sleek black truck, opening the door to the passengers side. The solider climbed in, his body sending off sparks of nervous chemicals. Ironhide closed the door, driving off once Lennox gave him the coordinates.

"You're a good driver."

The Autobot almost smirked. Humans were so... ignorant about the universe around them.

"I know."

When Ironhide pulled in to the house where Lennox's directions led him, he didn't have time to open the door for the Captain. In fact, the Autobot was certain that he had leapt out of the truck while it was still moving.

Ironhide watched with fascination as the army Captain, a man who he had seen face death, destruction, and giant robots. William Lennox was a fine example of a human being, showing much potential at survival tactics.

But when he ran up to the door, his eyes about to start leaking fluid, Ironhide wondered what could have possibly shake the solider so much.

Then he saw it.

A female. Her blonde hair was tied back, and her eyes were red. A little bit swollen. In her arms was a bundle, a lump of flesh. Water and carbon. William's hands shook, looking form the bundle back to the woman's eyes. She nodded, and the Captain took the sack of flesh into his arms, lifting it up.

It clicked for Ironhide.

It was his child. His sensors picked up that the little one was female, just a few months old. Will nuzzled the child's nose, eliciting a happy giggle from the young female. The woman, who wore a golden band on her left ring finger, was Lennox's wife.

Will kissed the older woman. They lost their heads for few moments, until the child let out a... burp?

The army Captain led her inside, and Ironhide rumbled in discontent. He had been hoping to get out of his Earth transport vehicle form. So much for that. The weapons specialist began to slowly shut down all his sensors, leaving only his mind as he began to meditate.

II

Will stared at the sleeping baby as it lay in its crib. Annabelle. A beautiful name for a beautiful kid. Sarah closed her eyes, leaning against him.

"I was so scared... that you weren't going to come back."

The Captain kissed his wife's forehead.

"Me too..." They embraced, lightheaded from everything. "Me too."

They left Annabelle alone, leaving the door open just a crack. Will knew that... that if Ironhide was going to stay... that Sarah was going to have to know about it. He threaded his fingers through her's, whispering in her ear.

"I have to show you something, something that... that I brought back with me."

Sarah frowned.

"What kind of something?"

Will was pulling her down the stairs and through the hallway. He opened the front door, letting it hit the frame behind him, Sarah still a bit uncertain about all of this. He had just gotten home, and he was acting as if he was going to leave again.

"It's more like a someone." Sarah watched as her husband went over to the black truck. He put his hand on the hood, knocking on it lightly. "Ironhide, it's okay. You can come out now."

The engine revved to life, the lights flashing on. Sarah flinched a bit, but paled when a deep voice rumbled... from inside of the car.

"Are you sure it's okay, Captain William Lennox?"

Sarah's brown eyes widen and her hands begin to shake as Will nodded, taking a few steps back.

"Yes. Go ahead."

Before Sarah could begin to question her husband's sanity, or her own for that matter, the car began... fal apart. The roof dismantled itself, sliding back. The entire truck... transformed... and soon Sarah felt her neck craning back, looking up at the headlights of what used to be a black truck, now towering thirty feet above her.

"W-Will?" She looked up. "W-W-What is t-t-that?"

The lights turned off, and all she could see was shocking electric blue orbs staring down at her. Something very alien.

"Sarah, his name is Ironhide."

The... the... it was robot, but calling the being in front of her a robot seemed condescending. Earth had robots. Earth had computers, vending machines, and cars. But Earth did not have "Ironhides".

"Ironhide."

The robot lowered itself slowly to one knee, trying to be as quiet as possible. The blue orbs turned out to be... eyes. Sarah jerked as she fought herself from taking a step back. The ro–Ironhide's blue eyes moved, whirs and clicking Sarah's ears.

"Sarah Lennox, I am an Autobot from Planet Cybertron. William Lennox–"

Seeing that his wife was beginning to swoon, held up his hand, silencing the Autobot from continuing what was probably going to end up being a very long explanation.

"He helped us, and saved all of our lives." Sarah's eyes were still locked with the electric blue optic lenses. "And... and Ironhide needs somewhere to stay..." The solider turned to the weapon specialist. "I'm inviting you to stay here, with us."

Ironhide was speechless. Humans were supposed to be very basic, not much thought behind their actions. The wife turned to her husband, whispering. The action was in vain, seeing as how Ironhide could hear noises that humans couldn't dream of hearing.

"Will, we can't hide a thirty foot... Ironhide. in our backyard! It's impossible!"

Now Ironhide understood the Earth saying of "being under the guillotine". The solider waved to the land all around, steadying his wife.

"We've got over one hundred acres, Sarah. Most of it is woods, and if it makes you feel better, he could be a truck the entire day."

That was when realization fell on Ironhide like a concrete house. If he wasn't allowed to stay here... he would have nowhere to go. Normal citizens of Earth are unaware of the Autobots' presence on their planet. Ironhide must have grumbled or made some sort of noise of discomfort, because he noticed that Sarah was now looking up at him, her eyes softening more than they had before.

"I suppose..." She put a warm hand on his metal leg, patting it with a weary smile gracing her face. "It will be fine. You can stay."

Ironhide blinked, his ocular sensors shifting to zoom his sight, so he could see both of their faces more clearly. They didn't seem to be lying or "joking around" with him.

"I... appreciate your hospitality." The Autobot winced inwardly at the disgustingly noble words. He didn't have the finesse that Optimus did. "Thank you."

III

So Ironhide stayed with the Lennox family. On the third day, when Will had left for work, Sarah Lennox stepped out with the baby female cradled in her arms. He was in the form of a truck, so he remained silent even as the older woman stared at him.

"Ironhide?" The lights to the car turned on, but the Autobot remained silent. He could tell by the chemicals in her body that she was still nervous around him. After all, he was an alien. "You can... um... come out now."

Almost instantly, the car began to break down, reforming into the giant robot. He knelt down on to one knee, leaning forward and downward so he was close to Sarah.

"What do you need, Sarah Lennox?"

Sarah still shivered at his artificial voice. It was gravelly and rough, and she just knew that he had said some pretty dirty things with that voice.

"I want you to meet the newest member of our family." Will's wife shifted the small child in her arms, holding out the female just about a foot away from her body. "Her name is Annabelle."

Ironhide extended his hand, and then his index finger until it was five inches away from the child.

"Annabelle."

Sarah smiled.

"Yes, and Will and I love her very much. If anything were to happen to her..." She trailed off, and Ironhide saw certain chemicals spike and her eyes beginning to water. "Just make sure that she's okay. Please."

Ironhide stared at the infant. Annabelle. The baby was staring up at him, as if processing this new guest. It let out a cry of delight and reached out to try and touch the giant metal finger. As if hypnotized, the weapons specialist let himself lean even farther forward, allowing the tiny fingers to brush up against his metal.

"Hello, Annabelle." Ironhide was no good at introductions. He knew this for a fact. Ask him to blow a Decepticon to hell, and he would. Ask him to tell you how much firepower you would need to bring down one square mile in under two seconds. Just ask him. Ironhide would tell you without a moment's hesitation. But ask him how to speak to a child, to communicate with humans... and Ironhide might hesitate for minutes. Even hours. The baby squealed and tugged on his finger. "She's... not responding..."

Sarah looked on in mild amusement at Ironhide's confusion and apprehension. She bounced the Annabelle, making the baby giggle.

"Annabelle is just a baby. She can't talk yet. Heck, she can't even walk." Ironhide's eyes shifted and focused on the baby, viewing all its health stats. "When she grows up, she'll be able to talk, just like Will and I."

Annabelle steadied her hand on Ironhide's metal finger. His face shifting into a concentrated frown as he directed artificial heat to the tip of his finger. Annabelle's eyes widened and she cooed.

That was when Ironhide officially met Annabelle Lennox.

Later, when Will came home, he saw Ironhide gazing into his daughter's bedroom window. He stayed completely still, thinking that perhaps he could spy in the robot.

"Will Lennox." The Captain jumped, startled that he had been noticed. "Why do humans have to be so confusing?"

The solider chuckled lightly.

"I don't know, Ironhide."

IV

Ironhide suddenly found himself caring for Annabelle just as much as her parents. Shew as still too young for her memory to kick in, but every night he stared though her window at her lying from in her crib.

Ironhide was about to call it a night and go back into his disguise as a black tuck when his sensors warned him of an approaching vehicle speeding towards the Lennox household.

If a robot had adrenalin, Ironhide would be trembling with thrill and anticipation. His cannons fired up as he boldly began to walk down their driveway to "intercept" the car.

It was only when he saw that it was a blazing red eighteen-wheeler that he sighed, disappointed as his cannons were stowed away. In a little jump, Optimus Prime unfolded and rose to his true height.

"Ironhide, how are you fairing with the humans?"

The two comrades slowly walked back towards the house in the black of the night.

"Captain Lennox and his wife are tolerable. Their child, however, can wear nerves thin faster than a bandsaw."

Optimus let out a chuckle.

"The child will grow."

Ironhide grumbled.

"For all the trouble it causes, I'm surprised that William Lennox and Sarah Lennox haven't eaten it yet."

Once again, the Autobot leader began to laugh, this time rather heartily.

"You'll realize that humans are not that bad. Bumblebee did."

Ironhide felt his anger boiling.

"I'm not Bumblebee!" A silence ran over the farm. The sound of a baby crying rose up, reaching the two Autobots. "Damn. Hold on."

Optimus could only watch as Ironhide jogged over to a window on the second story. Annabelle's room. A small antenna on Ironhide's shoulder began to move. The Autobot leader heard a soft choir singing. The crying stopped and the weapon specialist visibly relaxed.

Optimus remained where he was as Ironhide lumbered back over.

"How long have you been caring for the child?"

The Autobot that Optimus would trust with his life grumbled, shifting form side to side.

"I'm not caring for her. I was given orders by Sarah Lennox to monitor Annabelle." The Autobot leader shook his head. Ironhide bristled like a wet cat. "What?"

Optimus just chuckled as he transformed back into the red and blue eighteen-wheeler.

"You called her by her name."

V

A/N: Please, PLEASE review! I'd love to know what you think and if I should continue this! See ya!

-orphan mia