Tinman: The Untold Chapters

Walking with a Weapon

"Hi!" she repeated.

"Annabelle, what have I told you about coming so close to me without my knowledge?" he chided.

The little girl shifted from foot to foot, "Don't."

"That's right. I don't want to accidentally hurt you." he pointed at the house, "Now...go back to your mother."

A mist entered the girl's eyes, "But...I wanna play with you."

"Oh. Umm..." Ironhide grunted uncomfortably, "Perhaps later. I must make my rounds of the property."

"I help?" she asked with great hope.

"Well...I..."

"Pleeease?" the child begged.

The Autobot looked around, "I don't think you could keep up with me."

She pouted noticeably, "I wanna go with you! Please?"

"Umm..."

"Please, Ironhide? PLEASE?" her begging intensified.

Ironhide tried to think of some excuse to deter her, but that pleading shimmer in her wide blue eyes was enough to bend his resilient will.

"Oh...very well." he relented.

Annabelle clapped her hands and then lifted them, "Pick me up! Pick me up!"

The weapons specialist hesitated. He'd never held Annabelle before. Sure, he'd removed her from his foot when she decided to climb on him, but he never lifted her more than a foot off the ground. To be honest it was another disturbing notion that plagued his processors.

What if he dropped her? What if he squeezed too hard?

"Pick me up! Please?" Annabelle demanded, completely oblivious to his worries.

As he was debating the action in his mind, he recalled what Will had said the day they talked under the oak tree, "Sara and I trust you with us and Annabelle. You just have to learn to trust yourself. Relax a little."

Releasing some built up heat from his air vents, the black guardian knelt down and placed his hand on the ground. Annabelle wasted no time scrambling into his massive palm. Ironhide waited, mentally preparing himself. With great care the Autobot curled his fingers as a barrier and stood up. The child squealed with delight when she rose twenty feet off the ground within a couple seconds. She didn't appear the least bit afraid, but Ironhide was feeling like he'd dropped out his engine.

So far, so good.

"Annie? Annie!" Sara began to call when she noticed her daughter wasn't in the yard anymore.

Habitually, Ironhide returned to the house.

"Hi, Mommy! Hi, Daddy!" Annabelle waved from the lofty height in Ironhide's hand.

Sara's eyes widened. Her subtle reaction unsettled Ironhide. He hoped he hadn't overstepped his bounds by holding the child. The parents might not like the idea of their daughter being up so high and in his powerful hands. Ironhide approached the house and readied himself for a reprimand.

"What are you doing up there, Annie?" Will asked with a playful smile.

"I go with Ironhide!" she announced.

Sara seemed mildly concerned, "Where exactly are you going?"

"I will be patrolling the outer rims of your property." Ironhide pointed as he explained.

Though Will didn't appear concerned, Ironhide could immediately tell Sara was worried for her daughter. Whether it was because of him or because of something else the Autobot couldn't be sure. The little girl was becoming a burning coal in his hand.