*I don't own Transformers or anything affiliated with Transformers. I only own my original characters and plots. All rights go to Michael Bay and Steven Spielberg.*

Ironhide POV

Sideswipe was supposed to have gotten them away from the fight but he failed to carry out his duties all for the sake of his fragile little ego. This was an unpleasing turn of events to say the least. Picking him to transport the girls seemed intelligent at the time. It was only now that I realized I should have summoned Jolt for protection duty. He would have followed through with his orders and gotten the two of them safely away from the base as I had asked Sideswipe to do. Both femmes, especially my Azalea were now running freely throughout the entire vicinity which was infested with Decepticons. Azalea had even proceeded to run toward the battle.

I ran and ran, but my injured ligament would not feed me the proper speed I needed to stop her. She was too stubborn to listen as I repeatedly yelled for her to stop. Had I realized sooner that Braelynn had fallen into the grasp of a slagging Decepticon, I would have taken care of the situation right then and there despite my injured state.

Nothing stopped the human femme though. Azalea seemed completely oblivious to the fighting that ensued around her. She was far too determined to save her best friend; the mission alone would most likely cost both of their lives and I could not and would not let that happen. This was not their fight. They deserved no part in this mess. This had been exactly what I worried about when Lea had informed her father and I of her young friend's knowledge of the Autobots.

Azalea wasn't that far ahead of me. Braelynn was in full view across the street from her, a servo encased tightly around her body. From what I could make of the situation, the unknown Decepticon was attempting to suffocate her. She was losing the color in her face, and I could see the faint shade of blue on her lips. She was dying, and if I hadn't been distressing over killing the young girl, I would have shot the slaghead the first chance I recieved.

In the distance, I could very faintly hear the sound of a familiar engine. I growled and craned my head to see Barricade racing down the street at an incredibly rapid pace. My spark nearly jumped in between my chest plates when I heard Braelynn yell to Azalea, and I turned to see Azalea standing directly in the Con's path. She tried move herself out of the way but was far too slow, as was I.

I watched in horror as her small human body flailed around in the air. Her body eventually hit the ground, several pops and cracks could be heard following the impact. From where I was standing at the moment, she almost looked as if she was already dead. I immediately rushed over, ignoring the almost silent fighting. The Decepticons were retreating. The cowards.

A pang of hurt circulated throughout my spark as I met her nearly lifeless blue eyes. A weak smile appeared on her face before her eyes closed. I could feel the panic inside me. Everything else around me was irrelevant. Azalea was the only person I was worried about; the only person I cared about. I refused to lose this stubborn girl, especially at the hands of one of my kind.

"Ratchet, I need assistance now," I barked through the com-link. There was no time to wait for his response.

After shifting myself into my lesser form, I ran over to the lifeless girl. I knelt down. Her body was without a doubt bruised beyond belief. I could already see that she had acquired a few broken bones from her collision with Barricade. I had no clue what the Decepticons seemed to want with Azalea. Starscream seemed to be particularly fond of her while the rest of the Decepticons stopped at nothing to prevent Sideswipe from escaping. Just the mere thought of the slagging Decepticons sent my circuits running haywire.

She was not breathing, but she still had a very faint heartbeat. I heard several pairs of footsteps, but my focus remained on Azalea.

"Oh my god, Lea." Will's voice was strained. Seeing his daughter like this must have been particularly hard for him, but it was hard for me as well. The girl I loved may very well be gone for good and the very thought of living without her made my spark want to burst from my chest.

"Where is Ratchet?" I seethed.

I sensed Will's emotions shift.

"He's taking care of Braelynn," his voice cracked.

Before I had the chance to respond, Ratchet was behind Azalea's battered body.

"Move aside," he instructed us.

I shifted backwards and left him to examine her. It seemed like a millenia had passed before he had finished his examination. He stood up, a weary look on his face.

"Lift her with extreme caution. She has a slow, but steady heartbeat. She hasn't got much time left. Her body is shutting down and if we don't hurry, we're going to be too late. Come now," he told us.

I nearly offlined at the sound of his words, but did as he said. I stared at the girl who now lay in my arms. Now I realized more than anything how much she actually meant to me. She was stubborn, she was crazy and not to mention very hard-headed, but she was lovable. Azalea Lennox was everything I needed and more. She accepted me as I was, just as she would accept anyone else. She had all of her humanly flaws as well, but that changed absolutely nothing.

At first, the thought of falling in love with a human had frightened me, but with her I felt like I was in the exact place that I was supposed to be. I had no doubts about my decision when it came to this girl right here. It didn't matter to me whether or not she was human, Cybertonian, or even a slagging martian; she was and always would be my Azalea. If I lost her now, I wouldn't know what to do with myself. I couldn't lose her. She was my mate and I was hers. Nothing and nobody could ever change that.

I looked down at her now bruised face. Her temperature was already dropping and if we didn't get back to base soon, she'd die right here in my arms.

"Don't you dare leave me, kid."

I couldn't help but whisper to her. It was a very slim chance she had heard me, but it didn't hurt to try. I needed her. .her family needed her. .Braelynn needed her. She needed to pull through this, and I knew she would. She was a fighter, she was strong and she had proven this on more than one occasion.

I planted a gentle kiss to her forehead, not bothering to care whether or not her father was watching.

"You have to stay with me. Please. ."

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