"and Will lost a bet and had to go as Hound. he never quit bitching about how heavy all the armor was." Ironhide snorts.

"what Sam go?" Reflect ask.

"oh I went as Bumblebee. of course." Sam grins. Reflect gives Bumblebee a confused look.

"I was Jazz." Bumblebee smiles. Reflect nods.

"Wills armor was so heavy he kept falling over." Sam grins. Ironhide laughs.

"I spent more time picking him up and putting him on his feet before he started drinking that night, then ever before. once he started drinking he decided it was safer to sit down." Ironhide chuckles. Bumblebee smiles at the bigger mech, glad to hear him happily talking about his dead bonded.

"what about that time at the pier-" Sam starts, breaking into giggles.

"oh the time where he tricked Ironhide into the water?" Bumblebee grins. Ironhide scolds.

"hey! I thought my charge was drowning!" Ironhide huffs.

"Will hid under the dock so Ironhide couldn't see him and he jumped in." Sam laughs.

"and not with his holoform." Bumblebee smirks.

"I thought the sand was never gonna come out." Ironhide grumbles, but theres a smirk one his face.

"oh and Ironhides first Christmas with Will. Will got deployed so they missed Christmas that first year, but the second year when it snowed..." Bumblebee trails.

"I almost had a spark attack watching that idiot climb onto the roof! the ladder broke and he was just hanging there laughing." Ironhide growls.

"he pulled himself up onto the roof only to slip on the ice." Sam laughs a little. he and Bumblebee had been there to celebrate with them, the first Christmas after Sarah left.

"he slid straight off the roof, I don't think I've ever seen Ironhide move that fast!" Bumblebee grins. "refused to put Will down for an hour." Bumblebee grins. Ironhide gives a half smirk.

"I was afraid if I let go he'd get back up there." Ironhide mutters. Bumblebee smiles.

"well, we have to go now, Sam just thought he heard you two talking... he just wanted to join." Bumblebee murmurs.

"its nice to sit down with someone who knew him so well and just share stories sometimes." Sam says, shooting a small smile at Ironhide. the mech nods once.

"yeah it is." Ironhide agrees. Bumblebee smiles and turns, walking off with Sam cuddled to him. Reflect hugs Ironhides chest the best he can, grinning up to the mech.

"Ironhide happy!" Reflect squeals. the bigger mech snorts a little and hugs him gently.

"yeah I am... alright squirt, got a few hour left before you need to get some stasis. what would you like to do with those few hours?" Ironhide ask.

"go beach! want see!" Reflect squeals. Ironhide frowns a little.

"well... alright. but you stay with me okay? don't go wondering off." Ironhide warns.

"okay!" Reflect agrees. Ironhide smiles a little and stands up. "more Will story?" Reflect asks. Ironhide nods a little.

"yeah sure, I'll find some more stories I can tell you." Ironhide assures, carrying him out. he transforms around the sparkling carefully, driving off with the sparkling.

Ironhide's careful taking the sparkling to the beach. the only water the sparkling has ever come into contact with is the water from the wash racks. he doesn't want the sparkling to fall in and risk him getting hurt, or worse, rusty. Ratchet would probably kill him if the sparkling started rusting because he fell in the salty water.

"Ironhide take Will here?" Reflect asks, as Ironhide transforms and puts him down. Ironhide nods.

"yeah. me, Will, Sam, and Bumblebee all used to come out here, sometimes others too." Ironhide murmurs. "but only in the day time. we'd all hang out and relax... but at night, I'd bring Will out here, just me and him. I'd lay on my back on the dock and lay Will on my chest, we'd look up at the stars, just lay here for hours. he'd get cold so I'd put my servo over him like a blanket and keep him warm so he wouldn't catch a cold." Ironhide murmurs, looking over the water. "we'd lay out here and watch the sunset, we wouldn't move until we saw the sunrise sometimes. Will liked to watch the sunrise. he liked the way the colors mixed together over the horizon." Ironhide murmurs softly. Reflect coos happily, looking around. Ironhide sighs happily, sitting down on the dock with Reflect in his lap. he's got a small smile on his face.

there were, of course, things he couldn't tell a sparkling that he and Will did. human intimacy wasn't something the sparkling needed to hear about, especially since Ironhide could remember every single little details about those beautiful moments with his bonded. the naked, sweaty, sweet moments in the bed of his alt that he can never get back, but would absolutely never forget.

"I love him so much and I miss him every day little one... but I'll never forget our memories. they're burned into my memory banks forever." Ironhide murmurs, looking out over the water. he's got a sad look in his optics and a bittersweet smile on his face. he stares off silently for a bit, Reflect sitting as still as he could for as long as he could. but he was still a sparkling.

Reflect whines after a bit, squirming in Ironhides lap.

"more stories?" Reflect asks.

"sure kid, what kind of stories?" Ironhide ask.

"happy." Reflect says. Ironhide chuckles a little.

"happy? I have a lot of happy stories about Will, some that you're too young to hear." Ironhide snorts. "anything specific you wanna hear?" Ironhide ask. Reflect shakes his head.

"no just stories." Reflect says. Ironhide nods a little.

"well, my favorite stories with Will include we just lay around and curl up with each other, but you want something better than that." Ironhide snorts.

"better!" Reflect pouts. Ironhide chuckles a little.

"well, lets see here. Will was pretty coordinated on base, but at home, he was clumsy as hell." Ironhide chuckles. "this one time he's walking through the front yard and toward the steps, he finds a patch of ice, out of freaking no where, and slips." Ironhide chuckles. "luckily I caught him, swooped him up so he wouldn't slip again... he used to joke that I'd only carried him like that so I could hold him.... he was kind of right. I loved to carry him around, holoform or not. I loved to carry him.... I wanted him close. I wanted to hold him... I thought if I held him, really held him. if I held him tight and close... I could protect him. from anything and everything. Decepticons, creatures of this planet, guns, people with ill intent... Sarah... I thought I could hold him tight enough she'd never be able to hurt him again, but it never worked. I should've known I couldn't keep him safe forever. that there was no way I'd ever be able to keep him safe... but I protected him from everything I could." Ironhide murmurs, smiling a little.

"Hide okay...?" Reflect ask. Ironhide doesn't answer him.

"he slipped in the bathroom one time and busted his head on the bath tub." Ironhide murmurs softly. "there was so much blood. I was trying to stay calm... but I was panicking. I didn't know humans had that much blood in them... WIll was laughing and trying to assure me he was okay, but then he saw how worried I actually was." Ironhide snorts. "that was the first time he bled in my alt mode. he wrapped a towel around his head and we met Ratchet so he could patch Will up. even Ratchet was worried. he was staining everything red and he was just laughing the whole time... took me a while to realize that it was just something humans do when they're in shock." Ironhide murmurs. "after a bit he kinda came back to himself and curled up in my lap for a few hours. we sat on his bed for a bit until he was calmed down enough, but he fell asleep. I didn't have the spark to wake him, so I held him like that all night. Ratchet was so pissed at me. my stupid holoform took up so much energy back then that I was knocked out cold for an entire day." Ironhide laughs a little. Reflect cuddles into him and giggles.

"Ironhide seem sad." Reflect murmurs.

"I am little one. these memories make me happy... but they're still about my bonded Reflect, it hurts still." Ironhide says softly.

"Reflect... me, I... " Reflect whines a little. "no like Ironhide sad, no more ask stories." Reflect says, turning to hug his neck tightly. the bigger bot hugs him tightly.

"don't ever worry about it Reflect. I will always tell you stories sparkling. I promise. it really helps to talk about it, its just hard." Ironhide murmurs softly.

"but hurts you." Reflect murmurs.

"but its good for me. sometimes the best things for you hurt you a little. its okay. it hurts, but... it makes me feel better. it keeps Wills memory alive even though he's gone." Ironhide explains gently. Reflect nods a little, sitting back to look out over the water quietly.

"then... Hide more story...?" Reflect asks hesitantly. Ironhide nods.

"one more then we'll go home alright? and don't you tell anyone anything I tell you. got it? Will got me out of being a hard ass all the time, made me soft... you and him are the only ones who get to see that, got it?" Ironhide ask.

"okay Ironhide." Reflect smiles up at him.

"lets see here... how about I tell you a story from a time when Will was sick. humans get sick too." Ironhide murmurs.

"okay." Reflect says.

"Will got so sick one winter, that he couldn't walk. he couldn't take care of himself. his temperature was so high, I was worried I'd have to take him to the hospital. he had a fever of 104. if humans get to 108, they're basically brain dead, or at least thats how I understand it." Ironhide murmurs. "he was laying in his bed looking all miserable, I was parked down stairs in the house, not the garage, Will modified it so I could stay in the house when it got cold outside, I stayed inside those few days because he was sick. I was in stasis because I'd had my holoform on for two days and was getting pretty tired. I wasn't really exhausted, the holoform didn't take too much energy anymore at that point. could run it for a week without getting exhausted, but I was tired, and he was tired. I figured I could get a little rest. I woke up to him screaming at the top of his lungs." Ironhide murmurs.

a quick scan proved Will wasn't under attack, but he was awake. he was having, what Ironhide had later learned to be, a panic attack. Ironhides had raced up the stairs to the bedroom in time for Will to slam into him.

"I can't find them! Hide I can't find them!" Will screams, shaking the holoform by his shoulders. Ironhide grabbed his arms gently.

"find who Will? was someone in the house?" Ironhide ask. Will tries to shove past him.

"I can't find them Hide!" he repeats.

Ironhide frowns a little.

"I couldn't figure it out. couldn't figure out who he was talking about... he just kept searching and repeating himself. I finally caught up to him, shook him a little, trying to get him to come back to me. he was having something the humans call, a fever dream, but more like a fever nightmare. the high temperature in his head was causing nightmares. he couldn't tell reality from his dream and it was making him have a panic attack, little one." Ironhide murmurs softly.

"Will, Will, I need you to calm down a little." Ironhide murmurs, scooping the man up gently.

"but... I-I can't find them." Will manages, voice cracking. he breaks down sobbing, curling against Ironhide as the holoform carries him back to bed.

"Will, who are you looking for?" Ironhide asks.

"I can't find Sarah and Annie." Will sobs.

Ironhide sighs, shaking his head.

"he... he was looking for them kid. didn't remember they'd separated and she'd taken off with their kid." Ironhide murmurs. "he couldn't remember and the fever had him searching for them, sobbing when he couldn't find them. he was a wreck." Ironhide sighs softly.

"Will, its alright. they're not here remember?" Ironhide ask. Will sobs against him, shaking his head.

"they have to be here! thats my baby girl Hide!" he shouts. the holoform heaves a sigh.

"I know Will. Annabelle is your child. your world, but she and Sarah aren't here anymore and searching everywhere like this is going to make you sick." Ironhide murmurs, sitting the man on his bed.

"but I saw them die!" Will shouts.

"no Will, it was a dream. okay? they're not dead they are very much alive and at Sarahs sisters house." Ironhide assures.

"I want to see them!" Will screams, getting up off the bed. or attempting to. he stumbles into Ironhides chest, looking dizzy.

"not tonight. when you're feeling better we'll go." Ironhide promises, pushing him back down onto the bed. "now lay down and go back to sleep." Ironhide grumbles firmly. Will grabs his wrist hard.

"I want you to stay here." Will mumbles, shakily.

"I kinda grumbled about it, but eventually laid down with him. better to be there than have him wondering around while I was in stasis, or at least thats what I told myself." Ironhide snorts.

"Will sad family gone?" Reflect ask. Ironhide nods.

"he was very sad they were gone, but when they died... he got a lot worse little one. Will never had it easy little one, but I'd like to think I helped a little." Ironhide smiles a little. he shakes his head, looking out at the water. "things changed that night... he was curled against me, hugging my waist, face buried in my side. he was mumbling things, he sounded crazy, but then he got quiet." Ironhide chuckles a little.

"quiet?" Reflect ask. Ironhide smiles a little, shifting the sparkling.

"I thought he was asleep for the longest time. I waited and waited. he got still and quiet. I didn't think to check with my scanners, I just assumed he was asleep. I was tired, but I should've been more careful. I could've ruined everything." Ironhide shrugs.

"what Ironhide do?" Reflect ask confused. Ironhide chuckles.

"I just assumed he was asleep." Ironhide murmurs. "that was the first time I ever told him I loved him." Ironhide says, with a small smile.

he never meant for the words to slip out, but Will curled up against him and him feeling tired just got to him. the words slipped out before Ironhide could stop them, immediately going quiet. Will shifts, lifting his head up.

"love you too." Will mumbles, dropping his head onto Ironhides chest. he snuggles closer happily, hugging Ironhides waist as tight as he can.

Reflect giggles.

"I couldn't get him off of me after saying those words, until he got better." Ironhide murmurs softly. Reflect cuddles up to him, looking at the water.

"that story sad." Reflect murmurs.

"not really little one." Ironhide murmurs. "it was an accident but it started something better." Ironhide murmurs. "human dating is a primitive and awkward thing, but it wasn't all terrible." Ironhide snorts. "we had a few fun times. I don't remember much of life without some kind of fighting. Wills showed me how to have fun." Ironhide smiles a little.

"'nother story?" Reflect asks curiously.

"one more, then we go back to base for stasis, got it?" Ironhide ask.

"got it!" Reflect giggles. Ironhide snorts and leans back, looking over the water.

"hmmm. well, you thought the last story was sad, so how about a better story?" Ironhide ask.

"yes!" Reflect squeals.

"alright so, lets see, Will showed me how to have fun. we went to a carnival. its... well its hard to explain what a carnival is." Ironhide chuckles softly. he activates a holoform, projecting the image from the carnival over the water. "but there were rides, games, greasy foods... it was definitely not something I was interested in at first, but when we got on a small rollercoaster, that one there." Ironhide says, pointing to a ride on his projection. "his smile made it worth it, as stupid as that sounds. he laughed. like he did that time with the fireworks. it made everything worth it." Ironhide chuckles softly. he sits quietly for a few minutes, before shutting off the projection. "alright little one, lets get home." Ironhide says getting up.

"that not real story." Reflect grumbles.

"I'm tired squirt. we're going home I'll tell you more later alright?" Ironhide ask. Reflect pouts a little, but cuddles up to him.

"I stay night with Ironhide." Reflect reminds him.

"yes I know, you're spending the night with me." Ironhide murmurs.

he carries the sparkling back to the base. Reflects halfway to stasis by the time they get back. Ironhide is careful to transform around him. he cradles the sparkling gently against his chestplates.

"hey, where've you two been?" Wheeljack murmurs, looking up from his cube in the rec room.

"the pier." Ironhide says.

"Ironhide tell stories." Reflect mumbles quietly. he looks ready to pass out right there.

"hearing stories must be tiring." Wheeljack chuckles softly.

"what are you still doing out Jack?" Ironhide ask. Wheeljack shakes his head a little.

"Ratch won't sleep. thinks he's missed something with your spark, he's afraid you're gonna offline. Reflect is too, thats why he's demanding to lay with you." Wheeljack assures. Ironhide shifts the sparkling gently, Reflects engine purrs quietly, nuzzling his cheek against the bigger mechs chestplates. Ironhide frowns a little, rubbing the little mechlings cheek.

"I know. thats why I'm letting him stay with me." Ironhide murmurs, squeezing the sparkling gnetly. "but if I need to have a chat with Ratchet thats fine too." Ironhide assures gently.

"it'd do him some good to get one more look at your spark..." Wheeljack trails hesitantly. Ironhide nods.

"fine." Ironhide mutters, heading for the medbay.

"Hide see Ratch?" Reflect mumbles.

"yes, but then we're going to bed. promise." Ironhide murmurs softly. he carries the sparkling into the medbay, where Ratchets sitting silently on his workbench. he's staring at pictures of Ironhides spark, Ironhide knows its his, because there's still a tear in it from when Will died. its clearly visible. "might do you some good to see the real thing." Ironhide mutters. Ratchet sits up and turns around to look behind him.

"oh, hey. sorry." Ratchet mutters, turning back around.

"would taking a look at my spark help you get some rest Ratchet?" Ironhide ask. Ratchet frowns a little.

"well.... maybe." Ratchet says, rubbing the back of his neck.

"alright." Ironhide mutters. he lays Reflect down on a berth then pops his spark chamber open. Ratchet gets up and walks over. "I'm an ass Ratch, but if it'll give you some peace of mind, I'll let you look at my spark again." Ironhide mutters.

"it'd give me peace of mind to strap you to a berth and run a monitor on your spark all night, but I'm not going to do that." Ratchet grumbles, studying his spark. he steps back with a frown and lets Ironhide close his chestplates. the medic walks over and scoops Reflect up. the sparkling immediately cuddles into him happily.

"I can if you want me to." Ironhide sighs. Ratchet looks over at him, optic ridge raised.

"what?" Ratchet ask.

"once in a lifetime offer. I'll stay here one night for you to run your tests." Ironhide offers again. Ratchet looks confused. "for the sparkling of course, I got no reason to be nice to you." Ironhide smirks. Reflect sits up and smacks the closest part of Ironhide he can reach.

"Ironhide asshole to Ratchet." Reflect grumbles. Ironhide chuckles and pats Reflects head.

"well, I've got one reason to be nice to you." he teases, before looking at Ratchet. "but I'm serious on the one time offer." Ironhide frowns.

"I wouldn't ask ou to do that." Ratchet says.

"I know, but you also wouldn't say it if it wouldn't really make you feel better. I'm not gonna risk you getting all paranoid over this and then not letting me out on the field. the Autobots need me in battle. do your stupid tests." Ironhide frowns. Ratchet seems hesitant. he hadn't actually meant for Ironhide to just, offer up letting him do this. it really would make him feel better for the mechs spark to physically tell him it had no plans of extinguishing anytime soon.

"alright. pick a berth and get comfortable then." Ratchet says, shifting the sparkling.

"but, Reflect," Reflect pauses a second to whine. "but I stay night with Ironhide." Reflect whines. Ratchet smiles a little.

"yeah I know you want to stay with Ironhide, and you will. I promise." Ratchet assures.