Robotic love

¤ Chapter 24: My Weapons Specialist ¤

Carol's pov:

I walked to my sector with little Ava by my side, hand in hand .
Her mother died and the father abandoned her a long time ago.
The grandparents had passed so it was just the orphanage or someone had to adopt her.
I wasn't about to let this girl into the orphanage and be exposed or even abused by the care takers, so I decided to take her in.
William said it'll be a lot of work but I said I was up to the task.
I opened the door to my apartment, it was a cream colored living room with a grey kitchen, spare guest room, and bathroom.
"Is this your home?" Ava asked me in aw.
"It's both of our home now, if you'll let me adopt you-" I was cut of as Ava ran up to me and hugged my waist.
"I knew you weren't going to leave me, dose this mean I'll live with you for now on?" She asked me.
"Yes you will." I said chuckling at her excitement.
"So it means that you're my new mommy now." She said with a bright smile.
I smiled happily that I'll have someone to keep me company. Well other than Ironhide, but he'll never see me the way I see him.
He's been very protective of me lately but I shrugged it off.
"If you'll let me." I said to her with a hopeful smile.
She nods her head rapidly and runs around the apartment, excitedly.
As I was setting up the TV for little Ava I hear a knock at my door.
I put on Disney Channel and head to the door.
I opened it to come face to chest with a tall man with blackish gray hair and blue eyes, he's not even two years older than me.
He has to be around age, my cheeks flushed red as I noticed I've been staring to long.
"May I help you? Are you new to this sector or are you looking for Leonoxx?" I asked him.
He smiles at me, his blue eyes staring into my soul.
"Sorry to confuse you Carol. I don't use my holoform, so what do you think?" Ironhide asked me.
My eyes widen as my cheeks flushed deep crimson. I look away.
"It suits you. I wasn't expecting you to come-"
"Mommy who's the man at the door?" Ava asked peired behind my legs at Ironhide.
Ironhide smiles at her and crouched down to her hight.
"It's me Ironhide, you remember, big black bot with huge cannons?" He asks chuckling.
Ava's eyes widen and she nods while smiling.
"You're the bot that mom likes." Ava said smiling.
I blushed and placed my hand over her mouth.
"I have no idea what she's-"
"Do you wanna go see the stars tonight?" Ironhide asked cutting me off.
I stood there trying to capture what he just asked me.
"Did you just asked me if-"
"Please don't make me say it again." He whined walking in, Ava's hand in his.
He looks around my apartment as Ava ran to the couch and coutinued to watch TV.
Huh that girl is something else.
I turned to Ironhide who was walking into my room in interest.
I quickly followed him not wanting him to go through my stuff.
My room is Grey with white swirl design on the walls my bed was near the window.
I looked around for Ironhide and find him nowhere in sight. I jumped as my door closed.
I whipped around to see Ironhide in front of me with a slight smile on his lips.
"What?" I asked him.
"So is it a yes or a no?" He asked me.
I blushed uncontrollably and looked away thinking about who I would leave Ava with.
"I can't just leave Ava here. She just lost so much." I whispered softly, remembering Ava's cries for her mother when I broke the news to her that her mother wasn't coming back. Ironhide nods and smiles.
"I asked Vic to look after her, I understood that you were going to worry about her, and I promise to be there for the both of you because..... I love you, Carol." Ironhide whispered the last part softly.
"I love you too, Ironhide. I always have, but I stayed my distance because I didn't want to ruin our friendship." I whispered to him.
"I couldn't stop thinking about you, no matter what place I was in. I realized how much I loved you when I was in battle with a con all I could think about was you. You gave me a reason to survive. And now that I know that you feel the same way...." He drifted off as he got closer.
"But Ava." I whispered.
He smiles.
"Will be like our own." He says taking my hand.
"I promise to protect both of you. Will you be mine?" He asked me.
I nodded while smiling, tears in my eyes, finally being wanted by someone.
Ironhide smiles and pulls me into a warm embrace. He places his head on mine, his smile never leaving his lips.
"KISS!" A squeal comes from the door. Me and Ironhide look to the door and see little Ava's head peaking through. "Aww, are you guy's not gonna kiss now?" The six year old pouted.
Me and Ironhide looked back at each other and smiled, shared the same idea, nodding we turned our attention back to her.
Ironhide goes first and charges after her. Squealing Ava ran out of the room, while I ran after them.
"I'm gonna get ya!" Ironhide says in the kitchen, as Ava ran out giggling.
I cornered her and picked her up. "I'm gonna eat you!" I said laughing as I kissed her cheeks, as she giggles, squealing trying to get from my hug. Ironhide comes from behind us, picking us up, and landing on the couch in laughs.
I've never seen Ironhide so happy, his face was expressionless when I talked to him in his bot form, even though he laughed at my jokes it was hard to tell if it was fake or real.
I looked at him lovingly as he tickled Ava, her girlish squeals filling the apartment.
"I'll treat her as our own." His voice echoed in my head.
I smiled happily as I knew he will.

~/\~/\~/\~/\~

Me and Ironhide layed on the couch as Ava was fast asleep in my arms.
I gently picked her up and head to the guest room, which is going to be her room.
Ironhide follows as I opened the door and lay her down on the bed and pull the covers over her.
"Night, Ava." I whispered sweetly before kissing her head.
"Night, momma." She whispered before falling asleep.
I backed away slowly, before I could turn back to Ironhide, he slowly walks to Ava's bed a kisses her forehead.
He walks back to me and smiles, I close the door behind us and sighed happily.
"She's a sweet kid." He says as we walk into the living room.
"Yeah, I'm glad I took her in as my own." I whispered softly.
Ironhide takes my hand and spins me around to face him.
My face flushed red when our faces where so close, he started to lean in as I closed my eyes.
I felt the electricity shoot through my body in excitement.
I placed my arms around his neck, deepening the kiss.
We both pull away faces flushed.
"I love you, Carol." He whispers softly. "I love you too, my weapons specialist. " I whispered softly as he brings me into a warm embrace.