A Barricade of Stone

by Freya2Xana

Dagny was a human, working for N.E.S.T. and the Autobots. Barricade was a Cybertronian and a Decepticon scout. They were supposed to be enemies. They were supposed to hate each other; so why couldn't they bring themselves to do so? They say opposites attract, but that's just a silly, old wives tale..or is it? Perhaps they were simply destined to find one another.

2. Chapter 2

(Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers; just Dagny, Anwen, and my other OC's.)

(Authors Note: Hello dearest readers, fellow writers, and TF fans of every faction and genera! Thank you all so much for taking the time to read this story! I know this is only the second chapter, but I hope you've enjoyed reading this fic so far. Like I mentioned in my last note, some of the characters I add to this story are featured in my other TF movieverse FF titled, Bleu Lambos. So if they sound unfamiliar to you, that's why. Both of these stories take place at the same time and in the same universe, but they're different from each other in their own ways. Think of them like Marvel movies: same universe, but different characters with their own stories :) Regardless, I hope you enjoy this latest chapter and until next time, stay awesome!)

(Warning: This chapter contains graphic content that some viewers may find disturbing. You have been warned.)

"English/French"

'Mental thoughts'

"Flashbacks"

'Sarcasm' (or emphasis)

{Cybertronian}

::Sparkbonds::

:Speaker talk:

::Comm. Link::

*:Phone calls:*

Chapter 2

-1610-

Although the day had been relatively uneventful, Dagny still had that uneasy feeling nagging in the back of her skull, which left her feeling tense and paranoid. Stepping onto the shuttle bus, she emitted a calming sigh and walked down the aisle before sitting in one of the available seats, to which she then opened her book and silently began to read where she last left off.

As she focused on the printed words before her, a familiar ringtone alerted her of an incoming call from her mother. Marking her page once more, she unzipped the front pocket of her bag, pulled out her cellphone and answered it with a smile:

"Hi, Mom."

*:Hi sweetie, I hope I'm not calling you at a bad time.:*

"No, I just got off work and boarded the shuttle bus for home."

*:Oh, good timing on my end.:*

"Yea. So, is everything alright over there?"

*:Well, your Father and I have been rather busy with funerals these last few weeks, but I won't bore you with the details.:*

"Thanks for the consideration."

*:You're welcome. Now, the reason why I called, other than to check on you, is because I wanted to ask if you were planning on coming home for Christmas this year.:*

"Honestly, I don't really know yet. I'd like to, but I don't really feel like dealing with Alba's drama."

*:But Dagny, she's your big sister.:*

"So? That's no excuse for her to act like a spoiled princess who thinks the world should revolve around her."

*:Now Dagny..:*

"Mom...please...can we just talk about this some other time?"

*:Alright. I'll call you again tomorrow. Take care of yourself, sweetheart.:*

"I will. I love you."

*:I love you too, sweetie.:*

Upon ending the call, Dagny placed her phone back inside her bag and emitted a sigh as she slouched down in her seat while the bus casually rolled along. 'Maybe that was what my uneasy feeling was about: being guilt tripped by my mother into coming home for the holidays,' she rubbed her temples and groaned at the thought of having to put up with her older sister for an entire week. One or two days? Maybe. An entire week? Fuck no.

Not wanting to dwell on such negative thoughts, Dagny opted to watch the scenery pass by as the bus neared the apartment building. As she stared out at the various flora and structures, she couldn't help but overhear some of her coworkers talking about their own holiday plans, to which she let out a soft groan. She really did want to see her family, but Alba always made things difficult. Not only was she whiny and entitled, but she was also bossy and vindictive. In other words: She. Was. A. Cunt.

A small chuckle emitted from the young brunette at that before the bus slowed to a stop outside of the apartment building. Once her fellow tenants/coworkers exited the shuttle, Dagny stood up and draped her bag over her shoulder before making her way towards the front of the bus and stepping off in front of the pathway leading to the lobby entrance.

After entering the building, she checked her mailbox and smiled upon seeing a small package. Glancing at the return address, she saw that it was from her younger sister, Livia, who was studying abroad in England. Opting to open her package inside the apartment, Dagny closed and locked her mailbox before heading over to the elevator and riding it up to the ninth floor where she resided.

Upon unlocking the door and stepping inside her abode, she tossed her keys into the small ceramic bowl on the kitchen counter and kicked off her shoes with a sigh of relief. "Fuck, I am done with heels for the rest of the year," she groaned as she made her way into the bedroom and placed her package on the dresser before removing her bag and lanyard, to which she retrieved her cellphone and set it on the nightstand.

A familiar dingling sound alerted her to Morticia's presence as the little feline suddenly jumped down from her kitty tower and approached with a series of loud purring sounds.

"Well hello there, my sweet! Did you have a nice day of prowling and sleeping?"

*meow*

"I thought as much. By the way, we got a package from your Aunt Livia."

Said feline responded by lovingly rubbing against her legs while she casually removed her work clothes and tossed them into the hamper. "You know, some days I wish I could trade places with you. I wouldn't have to worry about collective family drama or disappointing those I care about…," she frowned before removing the pins from her chocolate brown hair and unhooking her bra and garter straps. "Sorry for rambling," she sadly mumbled before carefully slipping off her undergarments, to which she then tossed them into the adjacent 'delicates' hamper.

Afterwards, Dagny slipped on a fresh pair of panties, a pair of baggy black sweatpants and a matching t-shirt before pulling her hair up into a messy bun and stepping into the kitchen to feed Morticia and fix herself some dinner.

XXXXX

-1700-

As she lazily twirled some spaghetti onto her fork, Dagny emitted a sigh as she stared blankly into oblivion. Her mind was full of questions as to what she should do about her upcoming holiday break. Should she stay home and avoid having to put up with that bitchy cunt of an older sister, while at the same time, disappointing her parents and other family members by not being there to celebrate with them? Or should she just go and put up with Alva's inevitable melodrama bullshit?

And what of Morticia? What would she do about her if she were to agree to visit her family for the holidays? While she could just take her along, Alva would definitely complain and throw a hissy fit, stating that she (Dagny) is so inconsiderate of her husband and son's allergies. She'd then likely go off on one of her rants about how she and her family are being victimized, which would inevitably lead into a heated argument between the two of them. Of course, their parents' would likely take her (Alva's) side because they don't want her to leave and take their grandson away from them for another couple of months.

Oh yes, Alva often used her own son as leverage to get what she wanted.

Stabbing her fork into a meatball, Dagny emitted a growl of frustration before the familiar sound of her cellphone pulled her back into the present. With that, she quickly got up from her seat and ran into the bedroom to answer it:

"Hey, Rian! How's it going?"

*:Hey, sis. I haven't heard from you in a couple of weeks and was wondering how you're doing.:*

"Well, I'm stressing about what I should do for the holidays."

*:Ah…let me guess: Alva?:*

"Yep."

*:I figured as much. She's always been a bitch and honestly, I hate the fact that she's my twin.:*

"Your evil twin," she quipped with a smirk, to which he emitted a laugh:

*:You got that right. Did you know I actually have her listed on my contacts as 'Spare Parts' rather than her name? And the best part is she still doesn't know.:*

"No way! That's freakin' hilarious," she smirked and walked back into the kitchen.

*:Yea. Anyways, I just recently received a package from Livia and I was wondering if you got one too.:*

"I did, but I don't know if I'm supposed to wait until Christmas to open it."

*:No, you can open it. I talked to her yesterday and she said it's okay to open them now.:*

"Well, I might hold off on opening mine for a bit longer because I still don't know if I'm coming home or not."

*:Aw, I wish you would. You'll miss out on seeing everyone and you'll miss out on Mom's fattigman cookies and kvæfjordkake (*meringue and vanilla layered cake*).:*

Although she was still eating her spaghetti, Dagny's stomach began to hungrily growl at the mention of their mom's baking. "Damnit Rian, why'd you have to say that?"

*:You're welcome,:* there was an obvious smirk in his tone, to which she pouted and narrowed her eyes while lazily poking at a meatball with her fork.

XXXXX

After ending her call with Rian and finishing her dinner, Dagny placed the leftovers inside the fridge and began washing the dishes while Morticia lazily groomed herself on one of the kitchen stools. No sooner had she started the cleanup, a loud air raid siren suddenly went off, signaling an impending attack on the island, which meant civilians needed to evacuate over to the bunkers ASAP. At the sudden noise, Morticia darted into the bedroom to hide.

Abandoning the dishes, Dagny immediately snatched her keys and cellphone off the counter and rushed into her bedroom, to which she pulled the kitty carrier out of the closet before coaxing Morticia out from underneath the bed and gently placed her inside said carrier. Afterwards, she tossed her keys and phone inside her bag and draped it across her chest before gathering Morticia and exiting her apartment.

While running down the stairs, Dagny nearly lost her footing, but managed to grab onto the railing before she could fall. Despite her own fears and anxiety, she was far more concerned for her cat as this entire ordeal was terrifying and stressful for the young feline. While she and her fellow tenants continued to make their way down the stairwell, the young brunette momentarily held up the carrier and glanced inside to see Morticia staring back at her with those bright yellow eyes that were now wide with fear. As several loud explosions went off outside, tremors from the resounding shockwaves caused the building to shake on its foundation, which was then followed by screams of terror as everyone quickened their pace down the stairs in attempts to make it outside and over to the bunker.

As soon as she made it out of the building, Dagny was immediately assaulted by the smell of gunsmoke and burning debris, while the sound of explosions and gunfire melded with the screams of fleeing civilians. As she ran, she noticed a familiar redhead running beside her and protectively clutching a puppy to her chest. There was no mistaking that this particular redhead was her neighbor and coworker, Anwen Bleu.

The two women exchanged glances before a bomb was suddenly dropped near their location, which forcefully knocked Dagny off her feet, causing her to unintentionally drop the cat carrier and fall to the ground with a painful *thud*.

A white light flashed before her eyes, a shrill ringing sounded in her ears, and the smell of blood assaulted her nose.

"DAGNY! Oh mon Dieu!" Anwen's accented voice sounded muffled and distant despite her only being a few feet away.

The young brunette laid upon the ground in a daze as pain surged throughout her right arm and shoulder, indicating that she had been hit in the blast. Although she wasn't looking at her injuries, Dagny knew the situation was bad. Yet, despite her wounds, her immediate concern was not for her own well being but rather, on the overturned pet carrier lying nearby.

"...B-Bleu…is my cat okay," she worriedly asked the young ginger, to which she carefully turned it over with her free hand and gave her a reassuring look:

"Your kitty is safe, but we need to get out of here. Can you still walk?"

"I…I think so," she shakily picked herself up off the ground while avoiding the gruesome carnage that was her right arm. As she reached for the carrier, Dagny suddenly felt a gentle hand on her left shoulder:

"Here, let me carry the kennel while you hang onto me," Anwen stated as she picked up the carrier with her free hand, while the other securely held her puppy. "Now, grab onto my arm and stay close."

"T-Thank you," she softly cried tears of gratitude and held onto her as they made their way to safety.