Shout It Out.

I held Annabelle for Sarah while her and Will placed out a blanket and other things. Annabelle looked up at me and I smiled and made funny faces, causing her to laugh.
Ironhide's holoform walked over and leaned on my Alt. Mode's hood, wearing a white wife-beater and dark gray and silver swim trunks. Annabelle looked up at him with a wide smile on her face and reached out to him, wanting him to hold her.
I smiled, “You wanna hold her?”
His eyes widened just a tad, “I'm not so sure about that.”
“Oh c'mon, she's not going to do anything to ya,” I told him.
He rolled his holoform's eyes, “Whatever. It's your fault if she starts wailin'.”
I grinned and handed her over to him, “Hold her gently now. You gotta remember that you're way stronger.”
He grunted.
Annabelle looked into his holoform's eyes with a smile on her face before reaching up and pulling a piece of his hair. I laughed.
I looked over Ironhide as he was being occupied with Annabelle, the corners of his lips, barely noticeable, curving upwards. His holoform had numerous scars over his arms just like his true form. His arms looked like pure muscle, which if he were human, they most likely would be.
Sarah walked over with a smile on her face and took Annabelle from Ironhide's arms, “Thanks guys.”
I smiled back, “No problem.”
Ironhide just grunted.
I climbed out of my seat and shut the door, since there was other people here. In the process of walking over to Will and Sarah's picnic area they set up, I took off my sundress. I placed it by their picnic basket, “I'm going down to the water if you need me.” They nodded and continued with whatever they were doing.
I noticed Ironhide sit down on the edge of the blanket looking as if he wasn't too sure about all the people.
At the edge of the water, I stood there with my holoform's toes in it and looked off into the distance, watching waves roll in. Even with so many people around it was still so peaceful.
“Well well, hello there,” came a voice behind me. I turned around and there was a guy that looked about 18 with sandy-blond hair and green eyes. So he wasn't a decepticon, thank God.
“Hiya,” I replied and returned to gazing off.
“I don't think I've seen ya around here. You new?” He asked, stepping beside me. I noticed out of the corner of my eye he had a beer bottle in his hand. I wrinkled my nose in disgust. Not only was he underage, but there were little kids around here too.
I nodded, “Sorta. I'm not going to be here much longer, though.”
“Ah. Just visiting then. You should stay for awhile, you're way prettier than the other girls around here.”
I rolled my eyes, 'I wonder how many times he's used that line before.'
He wrapped his arm around my waist, making me tense up.
“Dude, seriously, take your arm off of me, please. I don't even know you,” I told him trying to step away.
He held on tighter and put his face in mine. His breath reeked of alcohol, “You could get to know me though. Why don't you come over and join me and my friends?”
I shook my head and wiggled out of his grip, “How about no?” I began to walk away from him, headed over to where Ironhide and the Lennox's were. Ironhide was walking this way when I turned around.
The guy grabbed a hold of my wrist, spilling some of the bottle's contents on me.
“Let go of me now,” I said glaring. I pushed away from him as best as I could without damaging him. I didn't have the strength of a human any more, and I knew I could seriously do some damage to a human.
“Oh c'mon. It wouldn't hurt to join us would it? And then maybe we could go back to my place and-”
I punched him lightly in the shoulder. He stepped back a few steps.
“I said no,” I glared hard.
“Quite a punch ya got there. I like that. Now c'mere,” He made a grab for me.
I stepped back and into someone's chest. I looked up and smiled when I saw it was Ironhide.
“She said no. Now buzz off before I gotta kick ya all the over there,” Ironhide warned. I knew he wouldn't do that, since Optimus explained that Autobots were against harming humans.
The guy took a few steps back, “Hey man, I got to her first. You can have her when I'm done.”
Ironhide glared and stepped towards the guy. I held onto his arm lightly.
“There are young children here. I suggest you and your buddies gather up your crap and take your antics somewhere else,” Ironhide glared and bent down looking into the guys eyes.
The guy's eyes widened fearfully and staggered back before running off.
I sighed, “Thank you.”
“That punk better watch himself should we run into him again,” he said, glaring out at the water. “And you're welcome. Sometimes I wonder why Optimus won't let us atleast just teach them a lesson. Primus sure knows they need it.”
I laughed as we turned to walk over to Will and Sarah, me still holding onto his arm. I felt my holoform blush, but I said nothing of it. It just felt sorta right as I walked beside him.
“Well ya know, humans aren't exactly bright, but we're here to learn from our mistakes. That's how God made us,” I told him.
He shrugged, “True. Guess I can't be too harsh on 'em. I mean my race used to be exactly like that.”
I smiled. About halfway the distance from Will and Sarah, I nudged him. “Wanna race?”
“Hmm. Nah.”
“Awh. You afraid you'll lose to someone as small as me?” I grinned.
He grunted, “Whatever. Don't be whining when you lose.”
We stopped and readied ourselves. I started to count, “3...2...1, Go!”
We took off running, neck and neck. We reached the Will and Sarah in no time.
Not even panting, we asked who won.
Will laughed, “I'm afraid that Ironhide here....lost.”
I cheered and jumped up and down. Ironhide rolled his eyes and did something I didn't expect.
He picked me up and threw me over his shoulder. I glared playfully, “Hey! Put me down! Not cool, whatsoever!” He chuckled and walked all the back down to the edge of the water.
Picking me up he tossed me into the water.
Reaching the surface, I laughed. Ironhide stood there in front of me with his hand out again.
I smiled cutely and grabbed it, but instead of letting him pull me up, I pulled him down into the water.
He surfaced and snarled playfully before dunking me underwater. I splashed water in his holoform's face and then held my hand's up in surrender. Laughing to ourselves, we walked over to Will and Sarah.
Sarah handed our holoform's towels, which we used and dried ourselves off, since we couldn't deactivate because of the other people around.
I wrapped my towel around me and laid back in the sand. Ironhide sat down beside me, watching Will and Sarah take Annabelle to the edge of the water.

About fifteen minutes later, we were all ready to go. Quickly, so no one caught us, Ironhide and I quickly changed our holoforms to where they were dry and not sandy.
After everyone was situated, we left back to the Lennox's home. It was around 3 o'clock when we got back.
With our holoform's deactivated, we rested in the form of our Alt. Modes.
I thought back to the day's events and wondered why I felt so comfortable with Ironhide. After the 'Mile's Incident' those years ago, the only males I felt comfortable with was those in my family and my two guyfriends, who were twins, but they had moved away in 7th grade 'cause of a freak accident involving a drunk driver and their little sister riding her bike on the sidewalk. I haven't seen them since.
I thought back to when we met the Autobots in the alley. I had felt closer to Ironhide than the others before I even knew his name.
'You like him,' a thought voiced itself inside my head. What? How could I like him? I mean sure, he's a rough guy, buff, a nice ass even as a metal robot, and he's also protective, but seriously?
The more I thought about the more I realized that thought was getting truer.
I sighed to myself. He's my friend, I'm not going to ruin this. Besides maybe it's just a crush and all, it'll go away if I don't worry about it.
I went to sleep that night, thinking of my family, friends, and yes, even Ironhide.