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.

6. Chapter 6

(Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers; just Dagny, Anwen, and any other OC's I've incorporated into the story.)

(Authors Note: Hello again dearest readers, fellow writers, fangirls, fanboys and TF enthusiasts of every gender, race, religion, and nation! First of all, thank you so much for taking the time to read this story of mine and for taking the time to read Bleu Lambos if you've also done so. Second, feel free to leave a comment as I enjoy the positive feedback and like knowing my writing has made an impact on someone's day. On a side note, I'm going to try to focus some of my time on my other stories, but I'll still be working on this story (and Bleu Lambos) whenever I can. With that being said, I hope you all enjoy this latest chapter and until next time, stay safe, stay sane, stay cozy, and stay amazingly awesome!)

"English/French/Italian"

'Mental thoughts'

"Flashbacks"

'Sarcasm' (or emphasis)

{Cybertronian}

::Sparkbonds::

:Speaker talk:

::Comm. Link::

*:Phone calls:*

Chapter 6

-1630-

Although Anwen and Sideswipe's earlier visit was an unexpected yet welcomed surprise, Dagny was now enjoying some quiet time to herself. Granted, the medical staff would regularly check in on her and change out her I.V. bag, but otherwise, she was left alone with her thoughts.

*knock, knock, knock*

'So much for my quiet solitude,' she mentally noted before addressing the entity behind the door, "Come in."

As the door opened, Dagny was surprised to see a familiar holoform step into the room, holding a vase of wildflowers in his hands. "Buon pomeriggio Signorina Pietra (Good afternoon Miss Stone). I hope I'm not disturbing you."

"No worries," she casually waved it off and gave him a smile. "I'm glad to see you."

"Likewise, mia cara (_, my dear). By the way, I understand it's human custom to bring plants or flowers to one who is recovering from illness or surgery, so I thought you might like these," he then offered her the lovely arrangement, to which she graciously accepted:

"These are beautiful. Thank you, Dino."

"Certo (Of course). Also, my deepest condoglianze (condolences) for your pain and suffering."

"Thank you," she gave him a curt nod while smelling the flowers before she set them atop the bed tray while he took a seat in one of the nearby chairs. "By the way, I heard there's a Decepticon on base and that you left him with some pretty nasty wounds."

He sat back in his chair and emitted a sigh, "Sì (Yes); however, I take no pride in such violenza (violence), even though it was necessary at the time."

"You did what you had to in order to protect those around you."

"Maybe, but that doesn't quite ease my processore (processor)."

"Give it time," she assured with a smile before reaching over and gently taking a hold of his hand, where she then gave it a soft squeeze, "Regardless, thank you for your service."

"Prego (You're welcome)."

XXXXX

Mirage kept Dagny company for the next hour until he needed to head out for his patrol, to which he bid her a temporary farewell and kissed her outer palm in a chivalrous/flirtatious manner, leaving her cheeks red and warm, which brought a smile to his face. Once he was gone, the young brunette slipped out of bed and stepped into the adjacent bathroom (while dragging her I.V. alongside her) to use the facilities and freshen up a little.

After a few minutes, she returned to her bed and emitted a groan when another *knock, knock, knock* alerted her to an unknown presence.

"Come in."

Moments later, the door opened to reveal her nurse (Gabriel) carrying a tray of food:

"Good evening, Miss Stone. How are you feeling?"

With a smile, she answered, "I'm fine. Although, I am a little tired of sitting in this room, but otherwise I'm okay."

"I'm sorry for your current boredom. If you'd like, I can escort you to the solarium after dinner," he then placed the tray next to the cake carrier Anwen had left for her, while also being mindful of the flowers.

At the prospect of leaving the room for a little while, she eagerly accepted his invitation, "Sure, I wouldn't mind a change of scenery. At this point, even a walk around the hallway would be better than this."

"Well then, I'll leave you to eat your meal but I'll return in an hour to escort you. In the meantime, if you need anything, don't hesitate to push the call button and ask for assistance."

"Noted," she gave him a thumbs up before adjusting her bed into a more upright position so she could eat. Once he left, Dagny removed the food cover from her plate to reveal some sort of meatloaf with a side of peas and carrots, mashed potatoes, and a bowl of lime jello on the side. 'At least I still have cake,' she mentally noted while slightly poking the meatloaf with her fork. Granted, she loved meatloaf, but she was skeptical of hospital food.

Taking an inquisitive bite, Dagny found that it wasn't as awful as she anticipated. Sure, it wasn't as hot as she would have liked, but at this point she was just glad it was edible. As she ate, her phone suddenly rang, to which she chewed and swallowed her bite of food before answering:

"Hello Livia."

*:Dagny! Oh my God, I'm so happy to hear your voice! Mom and Dad called me earlier and told me you were in an accident and that most of your right forearm was amputated.:*

*sigh* "Yea, I don't really want to discuss what happened as I'm still coming to terms with everything, but I did end up losing most of my forearm because the damage was irreversible. I also requested the doctors to send my severed limb back home so Mom and Dad could cremate it."

*:Wow, that's both horrifying and appropriate, considering it's your body, which means you should have the final say in what happens to it.:*

"Indeed. Regardless, I'm sorry you had to find out about my accident through our parents. I imagine they were pretty hysterical when you talked to them."

*:Yes, but can you blame them?:*

"No, I suppose I can't. By the way, does Rian know?"

*:Yes. I talked with him shortly after I spoke with Mom, Dad and Brigit, so he'll probably try calling you soon.:*

"Figures," she lightly smirked while using her shoulder to hold the phone up to her ear while she took a bite of peas and carrots. "So, my current predicament aside, I assume you also know that I won't be flying home for the holidays."

*:Yes, but I already figured that was going to be the outcome after learning of your accident. After everything you've been through, I wouldn't expect you to travel in your current condition; however, I am saddened that I won't be seeing you in person this Christmas.:*

"Same here. I don't like disappointing everyone, but it can't be helped at the moment. By the way, what day do you fly in from London?"

*:Tomorrow. I'll be heading to the airport in about an hour, but I just wanted to call you before I left.:*

"Well, I appreciate it. Thank you."

*:Sure thing. I'll call you again when I'm in Salem, but in the meantime, take care of yourself and get some rest.:*

"I will. Love you."

*:Love you too.:*

With that, the call ended and Dagny emitted a sigh as she quietly ate her food; however, no sooner had she actually started to properly consume said meal, her phone rang again. This time, it was her brother calling. A small smile graced the young brunette's face as she set her fork down, picked up her phone and answered:

"Hi Rian."

*:Hey Dagny. I heard what happened to you and I just wanted to reach out and check on you.:*

"Well, I appreciate it. Thank you. Also, thank you for not sounding hysterical."

*:Sure thing. I know you probably don't want to talk about it right now, but whenever you feel up to it, could you please explain to me what exactly happened prior to your current predicament?:*

*sigh* "I will in due time. For now, I'm still trying to process everything that's happened."

*:I understand. By the way, Brigit wants to talk to you.:*

"Oh? Are you over at Mom and Dad's?"

*:Yea. Audrey and I thought we should stop by and visit them for a little while after we learned of your accident. But that aside, here's sissy..:*

Before she could even speak, the familiar yet frantic voice of her youngest sister was heard:

*:Dagny! Oh my God, are you alright?! What happened? Who hurt you? Why was the island attacked?!:*

She emitted another sigh and propped her phone against her ear with her shoulder while she stabbed into a small chunk of meatloaf, "Hi Brigit, it's good to hear your voice. As for my current situation: I'm doing okay; however, I don't really want to talk about what happened at this time. Right now, I just want to focus on healing and adapting to my current situation."

*:I'm sorry. I'm just really emotional right now.:*

"It's understandable. Honestly, I'd probably be the same way if I was in your shoes. With that being said, I'm sorry you all had to find out the way you did."

*:It's alright. Honestly, we're all just glad you're still alive.:*

"Same here. By the way, what did Alba have to say when she found out?"

*:Well, she thinks you're faking all this to get attention.:*

"Figures," she rolled her eyes as she stabbed into another chunk of meatloaf. "Regardless, I'll be Skype calling you all for Christmas so she can see for herself that I'm not 'faking it' for attention."

*:Oh, I can't wait to see the look on her face when she realizes that she was wrong.:*

"I know. But all that aside, how's school?"

*:Ugh, it's boring, but that's nothing new. I'm just glad it's Christmas break and I don't have to worry about homework.:*

"Well, enjoy your break while it lasts. I just wish I could be there to spend it with you all."

*:Yea...:*

Sensing the disappointment in her sister's tone, Dagny emitted a sigh and smiled, "Hey now, don't let all this crap get you down. I'll still Skype you throughout your break, and if I can't, I'll call or text you. Either way, I'm still going to be involved and included in the festivities, regardless if I'm physically present or not."

*:Thanks sis.:*

"Of course. I love you, Brigit."

*:I love you too.:*

XXXXX

As promised, Gabriel (the nurse) returned within an hour and escorted Dagny into the solarium so she could watch the sunset and see the stars appear. As she gazed out towards the fading light, she emitted a sigh as she reflected on the last 24 hours and noted how much her life had changed since last night. Looking over at what remained of her arm, she narrowed her doe eyes and frowned, knowing her current predicament could have been so much worse.

Mentally shaking her head of such morbid thoughts, Dagny then thought about the Decepticon prisoner and wondered how he was handling his interrogation and recovery. She still hoped to speak with Optimus Prime and Colonel Lennox about granting her an audience with said Con so she could confront him about the role he played in her disfigurement and the destruction he helped inflict upon the island and its inhabitants. For now, she'd have to play the waiting game, but she was a patient woman and took solace in the fact that the Con wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. Knowing he was incarcerated and under 24/7 surveillance brought her peace of mind as she emitted a sigh and took in the twilight scenery.

(Another Authors Note: Hello again dearest readers! I hope you all enjoyed this latest chapter because I've got plenty of content left to create. Also, I just wanted to mention that Audrey is Rian's fiance, but I obviously haven't added her into the story yet; however, she'll make an appearance in due time :) Until next time, stay amazingly awesome!)