(Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers; just Anwen, Liam and any other OC's I've added into the mixture.)

(Authors Note: Hello again my dearest readers, fellow writers, fangirls, fanboys and TF fans of every race, gender, country, faction, and genera! First of all, WOW we're now at chapter 41! Thank you all so, so, much for the continued love and support! Now, as I've mentioned in my last chapter, I'll soon be heading back out to work at sea for five months or so, and sadly, that day is swiftly approaching. I was contacted earlier today to return on the third of March, so I've got a little over a week left to spend time with my family and get all of my affairs sorted out before I leave. Now, I'm gonna try to squeak another chapter in before I leave because I don't want to leave you all hanging on an odd number unless it's divisible by five...anything else is unacceptable in my mind. Again, I wish I had more time, but the sea is calling me once more and I must answer her song. So while I won't be online for five months, I'll still be working on this story offline. When I return, I'll have plenty to post :) But like I said, I'll try to squeak one more chapter in before I set sail. In the meantime, feel free to leave a comment as I still enjoy reading your inspiring and kind words :) Until next time, stay safe, stay sane, and stay awesome!)

"English/French"

'Mental thoughts'

"Flashbacks"

'Sarcasm' (or emphasis)

{Cybertronian}

::Sparkbonds::

:Speaker talk:

::Comm. Link::

*:Phone calls:*

Chapter 41

-0400-

At the familiar chiming sound of her alarm, Anwen sleepily emerged from her nest of blankets and sat up in bed with a yawn before reaching over to her nightstand and silencing her phone. Placing Morris (her stuffed moose) beside her pillow, she smiled as a familiar snoot poked out from underneath the blankets, signaling that Kenobi was also awake.

"Salut, mon petit ange (Hello, my little angel)."

With a happy wiggle, the young pup emerged from his cozy cave and hopped down onto the floor as Anwen swung her legs over the side of the bed and donned her slipper shoes and periwinkle booty shorts. Leading him out to the living room, she adorned him in his harness and leash, to which she then grabbed her lanyard/keys and led him out of the apartment for his morning potty break.

As she stepped outside, a chilly gust of wind slapped the young redhead across the face. "Geez it's cold!" Sure, it didn't help that she was only dressed in a tank top, shorts and slippers, but still, it was a bit chilly for having just woken up. That, and the sun wasn't even out yet, nor would it appear for at least another two hours or so.

Regardless, she forced herself to ignore the cold as she walked Kenobi around the grounds and waited for him to do his business. Thankfully, he only needed to pee and was quick to finish as he too wanted to head back inside where it was warm.

As she led him back towards the main entrance, Anwen spotted a familiar silver Lamborghini rolling down the street, which brought a warm blush to her cheeks. While neither twin had patrol duty this weekend, Sideswipe had been assigned the graveyard shift for this past week (Mon-Fri) and was currently making his rounds. 'At least today is his last day; then he and Sunstreaker are all mine,' she thought to herself as a smile crossed her lips.

At the soft purr of his engine, the young ginger felt her legs tremble as she knew he was watching her. As much as she wanted to approach him and kiss him, she had to refrain from doing so at this time.

Damn tradition.

Yes, it was a sweet gesture, but it was becoming increasingly difficult to not be near him or his brother. While they weren't sparkmates yet, Anwen could sense that both frontliners were itching for the work day to be over, even though it hadn't technically begun...at least not for her.

With a reluctant sigh, she gave Sideswipe a wink and led Kenobi back inside the apartment building and over to the elevator where they rode it up to her unit. Once inside, she unhooked her furry baby from his leash and headed into the kitchen to fix his breakfast and refill his water bowl before heading into the bathroom to wash her face and get herself ready for the day.

XXXXX

-0445-

Stepping out of her apartment wearing her blue bikini swimsuit, a pair of activewear shorts, her rollerblades, watch, helmet, backpack, and I.D. lanyard, Anwen locked the door behind her and led Kenobi over to the elevator where they rode it down to the lobby. Upon exiting the metal box, they headed outside and began their trek to the base.

Knowing her puppy couldn't walk/run as fast as she could skate, Anwen slowed her pace so he could keep up. Granted, it would make her overall commute slower, but she didn't mind in the slightest. She also knew he'd tucker out before reaching the security gate and would have to be carried the rest of the way, but again, she didn't mind. If nothing else, she liked carrying him because she knew he'd eventually grow too big to be carried. Glancing down at the small pup, a fond smile lined her freckled face as he looked up at her while happily continuing to trot alongside her: his chocolate eyes sparkled with innocence, a puppy smile adorned his furry face, and his ears flapped with each step he took. He was just the epitome of adorable.

XXXXX

After clearing the security gate and rolling onto the base, Anwen and Kenobi headed over to the gym/pool for a morning swim. Granted, the little pup wouldn't actually be swimming with her, but rather, he'd nap on one of the lounging chairs while she did her laps.

However, upon entering the building, she was presented with an unforeseen dilemma: the pool had been drained and was closed for deep cleaning.

"Well merde (_ fuck)," she groaned before glancing down at her watch and saw that it was now 0510. The chow hall wouldn't be serving breakfast until 0600. Liam wouldn't be up for at least another half hour or so. And due to the whole pre-sparkbond tradition thing, she couldn't spend this time with the twins. With a sigh, she and Kenobi rolled/trotted into the washroom so she could at least shower and change into her work clothes.

For the next ten minutes, Anwen washed, scrubbed, lathered, shaved, and rinsed, determined to meet her personal standards of clean and smooth. Granted, her skin was already like satin, but she wanted to look perfect. Upon squeezing the excess moisture from her hair and stepping out of the shower, Anwen was immediately bombarded by Kenobi's adorable assault on her legs as he happily began licking the water droplets off her skin. This brought a smile to her face as she shuffled over to the sinks and began combing out her crimson locks before weaving them into a thick pair of elegant french braid pigtails, which exposed (most of) her freckled neck and ears.

Perfect.

Of course, she'd restyle it after work, but for now it was more than adequate to suit her needs.

*Awoo*

Snapping to attention, Anwen glanced down at Kenobi with a smile, "Quoi (What)? Am I not paying enough attention to you? Is that it?"

In response to her question, he placed one of his paws atop her foot and licked his nose, to which she knelt down and kissed his fuzzy head before scratching behind his ears. "You just don't want me to get ready for the day; is that it?"

*Arf*

"Oh vraiment (_ really)?"

He wagged his tail in response, causing her to emit a soft giggle before standing back up to finish getting ready for the day. Removing her towel and hanging it up to dry, Anwen then adorned her nude colored bra and panties before slipping on a pair of denim shorts, her Goonies tank top, white ankle socks, and her blue flannel. Granted, these obviously weren't the clothes she'd be wearing later, but she didn't want to risk getting stains on her ensemble. After yesterday's cranberry juice incident, she wasn't taking any risks. That, and the outfit she had set aside for tonight was a little too fancy for work.

With a sigh, she placed her flip flops aside to dry and donned her rollerblades, watch, lanyard and helmet before placing her shower caddy back inside her locker and closing it up for the time being.

Afterwards, she and Kenobi headed out of the fitness building and made their way over to the chow hall to wait for breakfast to be served. While it was tempting to swing by the recreational center and play the piano, Anwen knew that it was best not to because there was a chance that she'd become lost in the music and completely lose track of time. 'Better safe than sorry,' she mentally noted while seating herself in the small lobby area of the building, to which Kenobi hopped up on her lap and laid down for a quick snooze.

XXXXX

"Less than ten hours until the big event. Are you excited," Maggie cheerfully asked, to which Anwen gave her a smile as she stirred some strawberries and blueberries into her oatmeal while Kenobi sat by her feet:

"Bien sûr (Of course); I can't even begin to describe how excited I am for tonight. Although, I have to admit that I'm still nervous about it, but I'm not going to let that stop me."

"Good. By the way, Liam told me that you bought a fancy dress while you were in Quebec. Are you going to wear it tonight?"

She blushed and nodded, "Oui. I picked it up from a local shop while we were exploring downtown and I had it wrapped so the twins wouldn't see it. Liam has it stored in his closet for the time being because I couldn't risk it being discovered just yet."

"Clever girl."

"Merci."

"Of course. By the way, I brought those hair pins you wanted to borrow."

"Parfaite! Merci, Maggie (Perfect! Thank you, _)."

"Sure thing. I'll be sure to give them to ya before we clock out for the weekend. Just promise me that you'll take pictures of yourself after you get all dolled up."

"Don't worry, I will."

XXXXX

-1630-

After sending Kenobi home with Maggie, Anwen headed over to Liam's abode where she freshened up and changed her clothes. Having re-styled her hair, she now had it up in an elegant french braided crown that was accented with a dozen hair pins: they resembled little flowers and were made of faux pearls and crystal rhinestones.

Attire wise, she now wore a long, formal chiffon and lace evening gown that was navy blue in color and had a scoop neck and cap sleeves, and was accented with (navy blue) crystal beads along the chest area. The gown also had a small train in the back and lightly flowed when she walked, giving her a regal aura. For shoes, she simply wore her black flats. And for jewelry, she wore her Mother's pearl earrings.

After applying some rose oil behind her ears, Anwen took a moment to look at herself in the mirror and smiled at her reflection. Although she had opted to not wear any makeup, she was naturally beautiful in her current attire and felt like a real princess. Having never been to her high school prom or any formal dances/parties, she relished in the sensation of wearing a pretty dress and looking like she was about to attend a royal gala. Of course, what she was about to partake in was WAY more important than a stupid party or a dance.

With a sigh, she opened the bathroom door and stepped out to see Liam smiling at her from where he sat. "Oh mon Dieu, Lottie, you look so beautiful."

"Merci," she blushed. "As you can see, I decided to go with the traditional, 'something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue' spiel by having my dress be my 'something new and something blue', while my earrings are something old, and the hairpins are something borrowed."

"Creative."

She gestured to her dress and smiled, "I know it's more traditional for a bride to wear white on her wedding day..or, in my case, sparkbonding day..but my relationship with Sunstreaker and Sideswipe isn't exactly 'traditional', and I never really cared for white dresses anyways."

"Well, you look beautiful nonetheless." He then stood up from his bed and gave her a warm, brotherly hug, "Nos parents auraient été fiers de toi (Our parents would have been proud of you)."

At that, she felt her eyes misting over, to which she hugged him a bit tighter and nuzzled against his chest before he gently tilted her chin up and asked, "Do you want to call Ratchet and have him escort you to the Autobot barracks?"

With a smile, she curtly nodded. "Oui."

He gave her a nod before kissing her forehead and handing over her cellphone, to which she then dialed the CMO's Comm. number while he packed her toiletry bag, I.D. and work clothes inside her backpack and set it beside her rollerblades. Granted, she'd need her things for this weekend, but Ratchet would have to hold them in his subspace until morning, seeing as how she and the twins would likely be occupied throughout the night.

*:Greetings, young one. Might I ask why you're calling me instead of preparing for your bonding ceremony?:*

A smile lined Anwen's face at his question, "Actually, I'm all ready…I just need to head over to the barracks. But..the reason why I called you is because I was hoping you'd escort me."

*:I'd be glad to, but might I inquire as to why?:*

She lightly bit her lower lip before answering, "..Because this ceremony is technically a wedding, correct?"

*:It's much more intimate and personal than your human bonding ceremonies, but essentially, yes. However, I fail to understand why you wish for me to escort you to Sunstreaker and Sideswipe's quarters.:*

"Well, the reason is because I see it as you giving me away. In many human customs, it's traditional for a Father to give his daughter over to her partner when she marries. When I was a little girl, I had hoped that my Papa would one day walk me down the aisle and give me away at my own wedding. But...when he and Maman were suddenly taken from us, I gave up on that dream…at least, until recently. I mean, I see you as a Father figure, and if it's alright with you, I'd prefer to have you be the one to give me away."

There was a pause before her finally answered, *:..Anwen, I can't even begin to describe how touched I am at hearing you say that. Now that you've explained the significance of that particular role and its importance to you, I'm truly honored that you asked me to be the one to give you away. Thank you:*

"Of course."

XXXXX

Upon arriving at her destination, Anwen stepped out of Ratchet's alternate form while his holoform appeared beside her. "You look beautiful, young one."

"Merci, Papa."

At that, he warmly smiled and hugged her, placing a kiss upon her forehead while she tearfully squeezed him. As much as he didn't want this moment to end, the CMO knew there were two mechs who desired her immediate attention. "..You better go on in. They're waiting for you."

With a nod, Anwen watched him phase out his holoform and transform to his full height, to which he then entered the pin code on the door and opened it for her to enter. Stepping into the dimly-lit room, the young ginger momentarily glanced back at the CMO before facing forward once more. Upon hearing the door close, she slipped out of her shoes and approached the two frontliners as they regarded her with warm smiles lining their handsome faces.

"..Primus, you look beautiful, Ani."

"Merci, Sideswipe," she blushed while noting how shiny he and his brother looked. It was obvious that they too went all out on their appearance, as this was a very monumental occasion for all of them.

Kneeling before her, Sunstreaker gently caressed her cheek, "Your eyes alone could outshine the stars with their radiance and splendor."

"Merci. Although, I could easily say the same about the two of you. I honestly didn't think you both could get any shinier than you normally are. Even in this dim lighting, you two glisten like precious gems," she replied as he emitted a slight chuckle.

"True; we do look rather sparkly," Sideswipe smirked and knelt beside his brother before gently taking a hold of her smaller hand within his servo. "..But all jokes aside, we're glad you're here."

"Well, there's nowhere else I'd rather be," she softly replied as she leaned in and planted a kiss upon his metal lips before doing the same to Sunstreaker.

On instinct, both frontliners began retracting their chest armor, to which a pair of bright lights filled the room. Upon adjusting her vision, Anwen realized these lights were their sparks.

"..Magnifique (Beautiful)," she gasped as she stared in awe at the glowing orbs before her: they were like two miniature suns swirling within the transparent casings that held them, but their colors ranged from blue, green, silver, gold, pink, and white.

As she continued to gaze upon the dazzling lights before her, Anwen felt herself instinctively wanting to be closer to them. It was as if their sparks were calling to her, beckoning her to come closer. Without hesitation, she approached and climbed atop their legs (balancing one foot on Sunstreaker and the other on Sideswipe) before reaching out and placing her hands on the glassy cases that held their very life essences.

At this, both frontliners gasped at her touch and shivered in pleasure. Their armor visibly rippled as she caressed their spark casings, to which they then slowly retracted said casings, allowing their cores to reach out to her.

Anwen emitted a soft moan as the colorful tendrils reached out and lightly brushed along her body, leaving a warm, tingling trail in their wake. Of course, both Sunstreaker and Sideswipe felt a rush of ecstasy at her touch, causing their optics to darken with lust and their bodies to shudder. Never had they felt such pleasure in all their vorns. It was sacred and beautiful.

As for Anwen, she too felt ripples of pleasure throughout her body as their spark tendrils continued to wrap around her frame before slithering up to her chest. At this, the young ginger emitted a gasp as they slowly penetrated through her chest, causing her to choke as she tried to draw breath. The feeling reminded her of when she was five and she had fallen out of the maple tree in her backyard, which resulted in her landing on her back. It had knocked the wind out of her, and prevented her from breathing, leaving her gasping for air like a fish out of water. Her vision started to dim as a cold darkness slowly enveloped her.

And then, a warm, comforting feeling washed over her frame as two figures suddenly emerged from the void and stood before her with their arms extended, inviting her to join them. As soon as she touched them, her mind was immediately filled with various emotions and images. She felt immense pain, sadness, and anger; but there was also great joy and happiness laced within the mixture. Upon realization, Anwen recognized these figures to be Sunstreaker and Sideswipe. All those emotions she felt and the images she was seeing: those were their memories laid out before her. She now knew them. She knew their past and the hardships they faced. She knew about their losses and pain. And she knew about their insecurities and strengths. She wanted to cry. She wanted to embrace them. She wanted to kiss away their pain and give them her love.

In her haze, Anwen realized that this is what sparkbonding truly was. It was raw, honest, open. All of what Sideswipe and Sunstreaker were, mixed with all of what she was. Until there were no separate individuals, but one being. One entity. One soul.

Throughout these overwhelming sensations, Anwen cried out while Sunstreaker and Sideswipe's bodies arched upward and their optics dimmed. Truly, they had never experienced anything so emotional and intimate. It was love in its purest form. As Anwen now had knowledge of their past, they too had learned of hers and now knew her. They now knew the extent of the abuse she had endured while in foster care and they knew of the trials and tribulations she had faced.

As the bonding continued, the warm feelings of love, excitement, and happiness were unexpectedly replaced with fear and despair. Why?

Their optics suddenly honed in on the limp body lying across their legs, which immediately filled them with dread. Their sparks dropped and their tanks churned as their energon lines froze in horror. Anwen laid there still and unmoving: her eyes were closed and her lips were parted in a silent cry. Both Sunstreaker and Sideswipe detected a faint heartbeat from the young ginger, but it was too quiet, too soft.

Panic immediately filled their processors as they snapped their spark casings shut and sprung up from the floor with Anwen cradled in Sideswipe's servos as he and Sunstreaker sprinted out of their room and made their way towards the Med Bay.

(Another Authors Note: Hello again dearest readers, fellow writers, fangirls, fanboys, and TF fans! I'm sorry for ending this chapter on a cliffhanger, but as I mentioned earlier, I'll try to squeak in another chapter before I answer the sirens call and return to work at sea for five months or so. Until the next chapter, stay awesome!)