(Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers; just Anwen, Liam and any other OC's I've added to the guacamole that is this story :D)
(Authors Note: Hello dearest readers, fellow writers, fangirls, fanboys and TF enthusiasts of every size, shape, color and gender! I am so, so glad to be uploading another chapter for all of you to enjoy at your leisure! First of all, my sister FINALLY had her baby on the 2nd of September which was over a week past her original due date. OMG, the baby is soooo cute! I simply adore her to bits. But cuteness aside, if I don't post new content as often as you all might like, it's because I'm distracted by my new niece or I have other responsibilities to attend to. Second, I really need to work on my other stories. I've unintentionally been neglecting them and it's not fair to put one story over another, but dammit, this particular story has gotten so much love and positive feedback that I can't help but constantly work on it. I have so much love for this story and I appreciate all of your comments and kinds words. Thank you all for your continued support and good vibes. Until next time, remember to stay safe, stay sane, stay hydrated, and stay awesome!)
"English/French"
'Mental thoughts'
"Flashbacks"
'Sarcasm' (or emphasis)
{Cybertronian}
::Sparkbonds::
:Speaker talk:
::Comm. Link::
*:Phone calls:*
Chapter 28
Anwen's face turned scarlet at Liam's question, to which she covered her cheeks in an attempt to hide her blush. "...I don't know what you're talking about."
"Oh come on, Lottie; you're a terrible liar. If there's a man in your life, I need to know." He then gave her a serious look, "I want to make sure that whoever you're dating meets my expectations and treats you right. If you're being forced into a sexual relationship, then I need to step in and put my foot down. As your older brother, it's my job to protect you and see that you stay out of trouble."
She was about to speak up when Maggie approached their table, "G'day Anwen, Major Bleu. Is this seat taken," she gestured towards the empty chair beside him, to which he softly cleared his throat and shook his head:
"Ahem, no. No, this seat is open. Please, feel free to join us."
"Why thank you," she replied with a kind smile before sitting beside him while Anwen tried to hide the grin on her face by sipping her juice. "So, how are your injuries today?" Her question was directed at both siblings, to which Liam answered first:
"Still broken, but not as painful as yesterday. Ratchet can't cast it until the swelling goes down, but we'll see where it's at today. As for Lottie," he glanced at his little sister who was casually chewing on a piece of chorizo while a small smile lined her face as she continued to look at the two of them, "...she's been complaining about having to use crutches. But it can't be helped."
The young ginger swallowed her bite of food and emitted a huff, "If they weren't such a nuisance then I could deal with them, but I hate them with a searing passion."
"Je sais que tu le fais (I know you do)," he fondly smirked. "They occupy your hands and hinder your movements to an extent. But look at it this way: at least your current injury is just a minor fracture compared to...well...vous savez (you know)."
She knew he was referring to her injuries from Mission City, to which she gave him a nod and shuddered, "...Oui...je connais (I know)." Anwen glanced down at the faint scars along her arms before tracing her fingers over one of the large, jagged scars that encompassed her left thigh. *sigh* "But enough about that," she glanced at the Aussie and asked, "How are you this morning, Maggie?"
She swallowed a bite of queso-smothered hash browns before answering, "Bloody (Very) well, I reckon. Of course, work hasn't started yet, so we'll see in due time. By the way, I know Lennox and Optimus gave ya the day off to spend it with your brother, which I think is awesome, but I'm still gonna miss seeing ya in the office," she pouted before a smile crossed her face, "And don't worry, I'll make sure Marcus doesn't tamper with your cubicle while you're gone."
"Wait, what's this now," Liam inquired with a cock of his brow. "Is someone messing with you, Lottie?"
Anwen picked at her food and emitted a sigh, "...To a degree. At first it's mostly been small pranks here and there, but he also insists on calling me 'Bleu cheese', which I despise and he knows it. He also keeps trying to ask me out on a date even though I've turned him down at least a dozen times already.."
"Oh, show him the display he left you the other day," Maggie added, to which Anwen took out her phone and pulled up the picture of the items that were left on her desk.
Upon seeing said photo, Liam felt himself becoming enraged: how dare this asshat belittle and humiliate his little sister! Suffice to say, the fork he was currently holding was now completely bent in half. "Where is he? I want to make his...acquaintance."
She waved it off, "Ne vous embêtez pas (Don't bother), he's been reprimanded for his actions and is now working on the opposite end of the office. He hasn't been much of a problem since that incident anyways. Besides, I gave him a piece of my mind on more than one occasion and I have the Autobots to back me up on that."
*sigh* "Bon (Good). I know they'll bring the hammer down if needed. I just don't want to see my little sister get bullied or taken advantage of."
"Oh trust me, Major Bleu," Maggie stated, "..your lil' sister is quite the spitfire around here. She doesn't let anybody put her down and she's not afraid to speak her mind when push comes to shove. She doesn't take shit from anyone, yet she's also one of the most kindhearted and brilliant women to walk these grounds. All the Autobots adore her and she's made quite a few friends among the soldiers, including Lennox and Epps. So you can rest assured that someone's always got her back when shit hits the fan."
He gave the blonde woman a smile as his body visibly relaxed, "Merci de m'avoir dit ça, Maggie (Thank you for telling me this,_)."
"No worries," she winked before sipping her orange juice.
XXXXX
After breakfast, Anwen and Liam said their temporary goodbyes to Maggie before heading over to the Med Bay for their morning examination. Upon entering the Autobot infirmary, the Bleu siblings spotted Ratchet working at his desk, to which he glanced up from his task after sensing their presence:
"Good morning, young ones. I hope you were able to recharge well enough last night."
Liam took a seat upon the human-sized examination table and gave him a shrug, "I slept well enough after the medicine kicked in."
"Same here," Anwen added with a smile as she too hefted herself onto the examination table and sat beside her brother while setting her crutches aside for the time being.
"That's encouraging to hear," Ratchet stated as he transformed and activated his holoform. "By the way, I've constructed a device that'll give you a wider range of mobility and eliminate the use of crutches."
"Vraiment (Really)?!"
He chuckled at her enthusiasm, "Indeed. Allow me to assist the status of Liam's arm first and then I shall present it to you."
"Bien (Alright). Merci, Ratchet."
"Of course, young one," he kindly replied as he gave her a fatherly squeeze on the shoulder. With that, he then instructed Liam to remove the sling and the flannel shirt he was wearing so he could properly examine his broken appendage. Of course, Anwen had to help him with that task as he was unable to do it with just one (functioning) arm. Once they were removed, Ratchet carefully set to work inspecting the Major's injury while the siblings waited for his results:
"Well the good news is that the swelling has significantly decreased over the last twenty four hours; however, I can't apply a proper cast to your appendage until it's completely gone. For now, I suggest you continue applying a cold compress to it whenever possible and keeping it elevated when at rest. With that, I ask that you return in five days as the swelling should be completely gone by then."
"Peut faire (Can do). Merci, Ratchet."
"Anytime." He then opened the back of his cab and retrieved a strange crutch/peg leg device, "Now, for you Anwen, I've crafted this specialized walking crutch that'll hopefully allow you to move more freely. How it works is this," he gestured to the padded area, "You rest your lower leg on this part and line your upper leg with the support rods. There's three straps in which you can adjust to your preferred comfort, but you want it to be as secure as possible while you're moving. I'll let you strap yourself in and then we'll test it out to see how it works for you and to see if I need to make any adjustments. Alright?"
"Oui, that's fine," she smiled and rested her knee/shin upon the breathable gel-like padding before lining up her thigh and securely adjusting/strapping herself in, to which she gently pushed herself off the edge of the exam table and wobbled. "...Woah...this is really weird but oddly fun," she cheerfully stated before stumbling and grabbing onto Ratchet for support, to which he gave her a reassuring look:
"Take your time. I'll support you while you find your balance and afterwards, we can take a walk around the Med Bay. Does that sound alright?"
"Oui, that's fine. Merci for offering to help me with this."
"Well, I wouldn't be much of a medic if I didn't assist my patients to some degree," he replied with a slight smirk lining his face which prompted her to return the expression.
"No, I suppose not."
XXXXX
It took Anwen nearly fifteen minutes to fully get the hang of her walking crutch, but once she was confident enough to let go of Ratchet and move on her own, she took off with ease.
"It seems you've adapted to that device rather well," Liam noted as he stood up from the exam table with her backpack in hand.
A bright smile lined her face as she continued to move about the Med Bay, "Oui, it seems that way. I guess my body is starting to compensate for my injury."
"I wish my body would do the same for mine," he momentarily glanced down at his arm before facing her once more, "But I don't think the Doc has a device that'll provide me with a temporary arm until mine heals itself."
The Autobot CMO shook his head, "Unfortunately, I do not. But I'm sure I could come up with something nonetheless."
"Oh no, that's alright. I was just joking with you."
"Really? So you're telling me you don't want a cybernetic arm to aid you in your daily tasks while yours heals for the next several weeks," he replied with a smirk, to which Liam emitted a slight chuckle:
"Nah, I'm good. But thanks for the offer."
"No problem."
"Well, I think you'd make a fancy cyborg," Anwen stated as she gave her brother a playful poke on his (right) arm.
"Est-ce vrai (Is that so)?"
"Oui. You'd be like Darth Vader, Robo Cop and Inspector Gadget all rolled into one."
"Merci for the imagery you just planted into my brain."
"De rien (You're welcome)," she giggled as he tussled her curls. Afterwards, she approached Ratchet's holoform and gave him a hug, "Merci for making this device for me and providing me with a better form of mobility for the duration of my recovery."
Returning her heartfelt gesture, the CMO couldn't help but smile, "Of course, young one. As a medic, I strive to make recovery easier for my patients. Seeing you adapt to this device as quickly as you have assures me that you'll be okay. But if you ever need advice or if you just want to talk, you know where to find me."
"Merci, Ratchet."
XXXXX
Upon exiting the Med Bay, the Bleu siblings headed over to the recreational center where they were currently sitting in the lounge room. Liam was casually relaxing on one of the human-sized couches while Anwen played Star Wars-Main Theme on the piano. Her music filled the room and brought joyful tears to the Major's eyes for he hadn't heard her play in years. While he too wanted to join her in a musical crescendo, he would have to refrain from doing so for the next several weeks due to his broken arm. That made him frown: He hated not having use of both appendages, but he figured that a broken arm was better than no arm at this point. With that, he emitted a sigh and rested his head on the back of the couch while the music drifted over him like a warm blanket and lulled him into a peaceful state of mind.
Glancing up into the overhead mirror, Anwen couldn't help but smile at seeing her brother so relaxed. In truth, she still couldn't believe he was actually here with her, but he was and she hoped he wouldn't leave her again anytime soon. Of course, she knew he wouldn't be able to for the next several weeks or so due to his injury. As much as she hated the fact that he was injured, she was at least grateful that he couldn't be deployed at this time. With that thought in mind, she focused back on her music and continued to play from memory.
XXXXX
-1000-
After playing the piano for nearly two hours straight, Anwen opted to rest her fingers and sit down at the nearby poker table with Liam, to which after finding a deck of cards and some chips, they opted to play a round while engaging in polite conversation:
"Sooo, when am I gonna meet this mystery man of yours?"
She playfully rolled her eyes and shuffled the cards, "Encore ceci (This again)?"
"Oh come on, Lottie, I need to know you're being treated properly."
"Uh-huh, I think you just want to invoke some fear and play the role of the overprotective big brother," she dealt the cards with an amused smirk lining her face.
"Donc (So)? Isn't that my job? As your older brother, I have to make sure whoever you're dating meets my standards and expectations."
At the sound of the Autobot-sized door opening, both siblings looked up to see Sunstreaker and Sideswipe enter the room, to which upon seeing her mechs, Anwen felt her heart rate increase as a comforting warmth settled over her frame. She hadn't realized how much she desired their company until just now because Liam had been keeping her mind distracted for the majority of the day thus far. But now that the twins were here, she craved their attention and longed to be near them. Of course, she knew that they were likely experiencing the same thing as well from the way they looked at her with those smoldering cerulean blue optics of theirs.
'Easy there Anwen. Now is not the time to be thinking such lewd thoughts,' she mentally chastised herself. Of course, she couldn't help it: they were irresistible. She loved how they ignited such primal desires within her and how they made her feel like she was on cloud nine. If Liam wasn't here, she'd have them take her back to their room and engage in all sorts of risque activities.
God she wanted them, and they knew it.
"Hey guys," Liam waved them over. "What brings you here at this hour?"
"We just finished a three hour training session with Ironhide and opted to hang out here for a bit. Is that alright," Sideswipe asked, hoping he'd be fine with it.
"Sure thing. In fact, Lottie and I were about to play a round of poker. Care to join us?"
"Sure," Sunstreaker neutrally replied with a shrug as he and his brother transformed and activated their holoforms, to which they both sat on either side of Anwen: he sat on her right while Sideswipe sat on her left. "By the way, we apologize for interrupting your conversation."
"Nah, don't worry about it," he shrugged. "I was just questioning Lottie about this mystery man she's been seeing."
"What man," Sideswipe asked in a casual manner while Anwen dealt him and Sunstreaker their cards. Of course he knew she wasn't seeing any 'man' but rather she was being courted by him and his brother. Glancing over at the young redhead, he felt her foot lightly rub against his leg, to which he returned the loving gesture while being mindful of her injury.
"Oh, Mama Rosita asked if I was the man whom she's been apparently seeing, to which we quickly explained that we're siblings."
"That must have been an awkward conversation," Sunstreaker replied with an amused expression lining his face as he too began to rub his own foot on Anwen's leg.
Liam shrugged at his response with a smile, "At first, but she's never met me before, so I couldn't blame her for asking. Of course, after learning about this mystery man, I've been pressing Lottie for answers."
"And I told you not to worry about it," Anwen frowned as she placed some chips in the center of the table. "Je ne suis plus une petite fille (I'm not a little girl anymore). I can make my own decisions without your approval or supervision."
*sigh* "Je connais (I know); but I just want to make sure you're safe," he replied as he placed his own bet before continuing, "I know you're capable of making your own decisions, but can you blame me for asking all these questions and acting protective? I'm your big brother and it's my job to act this way, especially when boys are involved."
"No, I don't blame you, but could you at least try to tone it down a little? It's a bit overbearing and I'm starting to feel smothered by your brotherly protectiveness."
"Je vais essayer mais je ne peux rien promettre (I'll try but I can't make any promises)," he winked while she rolled her eyes and lightly shook her head.
"So Ani, tell us about this 'mystery man'. Is he handsome," Sideswipe asked with a smirk, to which she narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips together in mock irritation: She knew he was just trying to get a rouse out of her and she mentally cursed herself for humoring him. Although, a part of her also enjoyed it.
"Oui, he's very handsome."
"Is that so," Sunstreaker questioned with an amused look on his face as he stroked her leg with his foot.
"Oui," she curtly replied while trying to contain the urge to tackle him and his brother to the ground. "In fact, you might say he's otherworldly beautiful in both character and demeanor."
"Well, you'll have to introduce us to him sometime," Liam stated.
"Yeeeeah, I'd rather hold off on that for a while. Besides, shouldn't you be focused on trying to woo Maggie?"
At that, he cleared his throat and folded his cards while she smugly smiled at him: "See how the tables have turned? You keep poking and prodding me for answers regarding my personal life, so I'm gonna do the same to you."
"Touche Lottie."
(Another Authors Note: Hello again dearest readers! I'm so glad you're enjoying this story so far because I've still got plenty of ideas up my sleeve. I know the twins didn't get much spotlight in this chapter, but I promise that I'll make up for that in the next chapter ;) Also, I wanted Anwen and Liam to have some more brother/sister interaction with one another seeing as how he's an important figure in her life. Also, yes, he's a bit overprotective when it comes to her dating because that's just his nature. He loves her and wants to make sure that the person(s) she's involved with respects her and cares about her. Of course, we all know Sunny and Sides are ideal for Anwen and have started courting her, but Liam doesn't know that. He will in due time :) With that being said, thank you all again for your continued support. Until next time, stay awesome!)