Tinman: The Untold Chapters

I Won't Sit on Her

Set sometime after the chapter "Walking with a Weapon" but before the Decepticon incident of "Tinman"...

"Uh huh...oh...I see. Well, thanks anyway, Vickie. Yeah, you take care. Bye."

Sara hung up the phone and sighed with frustration, "Zero for six, Will."

"Well we don't have to go out Sara. We could just stay here and relax." the man offered.

"Will!" Sara protested, "It's our anniversary and I made these reservations almost two weeks in advance!"

Will held up his hands to pacify his wife, "I know. I know. But Mikaela got sick and I don't think we can find a last minute replacement."

Sara pouted and thumbed through her address book for any more babysitter candidates. Since their family lived so far out of the way, neighbors were few and far between and finding babysitters on a Friday night were even scarcer. Finding one last minute was downright impossible. It seemed Sara's best laid plans for an evening out with her husband were going to be flushed down the tubes.

Will spun a pen on the kitchen table lazily before taking a breath and suggesting, "Well...what about Ironhide?"

Outside, Ironhide's acute audios picked up the mention of his name and he discreetly tuned into the conversation inside the Lennox home.

Sara looked up from her book with an almost shocked look on her face, "You're serious?"

Will nodded, "Well he is already here and Annabelle likes him so there's no issue there. Besides she'd be the safest kid in the world with him on duty."

"Will, I...he..." the woman looked down, biting her lip.

Despite the fact that Ironhide was a diligent guardian and had displayed a remarkable about of care when around them, the Lennoxes had never left Annabelle alone with him. Either she or Will was always present and now they were considering leaving their only daughter, a mere toddler, with a sentient, giant arsenal of alien metal.

"You don't want him alone with Annabelle." Will guessed, reading her expression.

Ironhide blinked his optics and listened even more intensely.

Sara seemed ashamed of herself but she replied, "Put aside the fact that he won't agree to do it—Will, he's probably ten tons of metal and she's twenty five pounds of little girl."

The black mech dipped his head, his mouth components twitched. Very slowly and quietly he moved away from the house.

Will moved over to his wife and laid his hands on hers, "I know you worry Sara. But I've fought with Ironhide and despite how big and gruff he is he is exceptionally careful. He won't let anything happen to Annabelle."

She still seemed reserved but Will touched her face, "Come on. Give him a chance? I'll bet he'll be the best babysitter we ever had."

Finally Sara nodded, "All right."

"Go on and ask him." he motioned to the door.

Sara paused, "Could you?"

Will gave her a rueful gaze, "Now come on Sara. It'll mean a whole lot more to him if you ask."

Sara thought a moment and finally agreed, marching out of the house to find the giant black guardian. Of course he wasn't hard to find. Sara could see him standing over by the oak tree just beyond the road in front of their home. It seemed to be the Autobot's favorite spot on the farm when he wasn't in truck mode. She thought about calling him over, but she didn't want to irritate him if he was busy and ruin her chances of persuading him to be Annabelle's babysitter. So she casually walked up behind him, trying to sort out how she would ask this favor. She had the distinct feeling he would say no anyway so she didn't keep her hopes up. When she was staring up at his broad, intricate metal back she chose to speak up.