Summer was well under way. It was July 4th, and the base was having a big family picnic celebration. 'Hide and I were both going, as I had strongly insisted. Will, Sarah and Anna were going to be there, and I hadn't seen them very much since we returned from the honeymoon. I'd become much the housewife I'd never planned on being, although I found that I enjoyed it. 'Hide and I had adopted a lab mix that was named Torch, apparently after the Human Torch from Fantastic 4. I appreciated the name. He was a fantastic dog, and though Ironhide had been skeptical, he quickly became attached to the mutt. And Torch kept me company when 'Hide was away at the base or out of the country.
He loved people, and we planned on taking him to the picnic that started in only a few minutes. I was dressed in a pair of short khaki's, loafers and an American flag shirt, with pearl studs and a pearl necklace that 'Hide had gotten for me. He seemed to love to dote upon me, and though I loved everything he got me, I felt bad to be wasting his money.
"Are you ready, Ramona?" 'Hide called from the mud room, where he was pulling on a pair of shoes.
"Just about!" I called back. I was just twisting my hair up into a simple but elegant bun. I was feeling very 50's housewife, today. I trotted down the stairs and joined 'Hide at the door. Torch was already awaiting us, his harness already in place. 'Hide had his leash in his hand.
"You ready, boy?" I asked, my voice high-pitch, "Ready to go? Oh, good boy! Good boy!" And I ruffled his ears. He licked at my face. I laughed.
"Let's go, 'Hide," I said, and we were on our way.
We joined the rest of the laid-back party-goers in the field outside the hangars. Everyone was meandering around, at their leisure. Some of the Autobots were in their holoforms, and some took their true forms. The hangar was far enough out of the way that there was no risk of them being sighted by an outsider. There was a giant grill that had food barbecuing, and a table with cold or pre-cooked food. And I was starving. Once I had my plate in my hand and was picking food from it, Sarah came and began to speak to me. From where I was, I could see Torch freaking out at Ironhide, who was speaking to Ratchet, and both looked concerned. I excused myself from Sarah, and went to see what was wrong, because clearly something was wrong. I made my way through the crowd and to my husband and his friend. When he saw me he took my hand, and it worried me further.
"What's going on?" I asked, looking between 'Hide and Ratchet.
"I noticed that something was off about your hormonal signature. Ironhide and I were just discussing what to do next. Would you mind if I were to do a scan of you?" Ratchet asked.
"No, of course not. Go ahead," I responded. Ironhide sent me a worried glance. I felt a warm tingle go through my body, and Ratchet's face screwed up in confusion. Then the tingle came again. And again.
"What in the pit is going on, Ratchet?" Ironhide said, after a few moments of tense silence.
"I-this couldn't be right," Ratchet responded.
"What is it, Ratchet?" I asked.
"Well, according to the scans, you...are pregnant," Ratchet said. A shock went through my body. How was this possible? How on earth was this possible? 'Hide wasn't...human. I hadn't even considered it to be a posibility...I mean...he was technically a robot! How was it possible...? I'd never had sex with anyone but him. There was a tense silence that seemed to exist only in a bubble between the three of us. Torch was still freaking out a bit, and the party certainly hadn't stopped. But my world had.
"How is that possible?" Ironhide breathed.
"I'm not sure," Ratchet responded, immediately, "The signature seems to contain traces of both Cybertronian and human DNA. Have you been experiencing any symptoms, Ramona? Nausea? Vomiting? Vertigo or dizziness? Anything at all?"
"I...I don't think so...? I'm bloated, but I thought...and a bit hungrier. And drinking more...but..." my mind was reeling. The plate fell out of my hands, and Torch took pleasure eating all the food off of the grass. Ironhide seemed to snap out of his shock, but I couldn't find a way to do so. He turned and put his hands on my shoulders, looking into my eyes.
"Ramona, are you okay?" he asked, his voice low.
"I...I don't..." I swallowed hard, "How?"
"I don't know," he said, and pulled me into his chest, "I don't know."
Fear. Horrible, gut-wrenching fear was all I could feel. But not for myself. My baby. Would he be human? Cybertronian? Some mix of the two? Would I have to terminate the pregnancy? That's something I did not want to do. I didn't.
"Don't. Don't. Calm down, we'll figure this out. I need you to stop crying and calm down," Ironhide said, quietly. Was I crying? No. I was sobbing, heaving horrible, loud, pain-filled sobs.
"What's wrong, Ramona?" asked Will, and his hand touched my back. I gasped a sob, and twisted my hands into fists in Ironhide's shirt.
"We have to go. Can you take care of torch?" 'Hide asked Will.
"Yeah, why? What's-" Ironhide thrust the leash into his hands, then scooped me up into his arms, then carried me away. I knew I was causing a scene-I couldn't stop. My lungs weren't taking in enough oxygen. He sat me in the passenger's seat of his Alt-mode, and took my face in his hands.
"Ramona, listen to me. Listen. You need to calm down and breathe, okay? We'll get home, and we'll talk about this, and everything will be okay, do you understand? It will be. I'm right here with you. Everything will be okay. Just breathe," he said, then pressed his forehead against mine. 'Everything will be okay,' this time it came through the bond. I accepted his comfort this time. I could breathe again.
"Okay," I said, my voice weak and squeaky.
"Alright?" he asked again, assuring himself that I was okay, and I nodded in response, "Alright," he said, finally, then went around to the other side and hopped in beside me, once again taking my hand.
I didn't know what we were gonna do. But Ironhide said it was going to be okay. And I believed him.
I think she's well in her rights to freak out a little bit...
This chapter was inspired by a very dear friend of mine(like a sister), who has a very human baby...my adorable little nephew, B.
Thanks for reading. :3
~Dev
