(Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers; just Anwen, Dagny, and any other OC's I've added into the story.)
(Authors Note: Hello dearest readers, fellow writers, fangirls, fanboys, and TF fans for every nationality and genera! I hope you all are having a wonderful holiday season! Can you believe we've almost hit 50 chapters?! That's insane! I hope to upload chapter 50 before New Years, but we'll see. I've been rather busy these last few weeks and I'm sure many of you have also been distracted. I've been trying to write new content for my other stories, but I actually ended up writing an entirely new story, but I've yet to post it. I'll upload the first chapter after New Years, but I thought I should mention that it's not a Transformers FF, but a FF based off the 2012 TMNT show, so yay! Also, I'll be uploading a new chapter for A Barricade of Stone soon, so if you've enjoyed this story, you'll probably like that one too. Anyways, upcoming content aside, thank you all so much for your continued likes and support of this story and thank you all for the wholesome reviews and inspiration. Until chapter 50, have a Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays and remember to stay safe, stay sane (especially with visiting relatives), and stay amazingly awesome!)
"English/French"
'Mental thoughts'
"Flashbacks"
'Sarcasm' (or emphasis)
{Cybertronian}
::Sparkbonds::
:Speaker talk:
::Comm. Link::
*:Phone calls:*
Chapter 49
Shortly after noon, Anwen, Sideswipe and Kenobi ventured over to the hospital to visit Dagny and deliver the mousse cake. Upon locating her room, they politely knocked on the door before receiving a response:
"Come in."
"Bonjour, Dagny. I hope we weren't disturbing you."
At her sincerity, the young brunette shook her head and donned her red-framed glasses, "No, you weren't. I was just resting my eyes for a few minutes." Glancing over at the 'man' beside her, she couldn't help but smile, "Nice to see you again, Sideswipe. How have you been lately?"
He shrugged while gently scratching Kenobi's chin, "I'm alright; though, I should be asking you that question."
She glanced over at what remained of her arm and sighed, "Honestly, I feel like Death hungover, but otherwise, I'm perfectly fine."
"Are you sure," Anwen asked as she placed the cake carrier on the bed tray before she and Sideswipe sat down in the adjacent chairs.
With a frown, Dagny cast her eyes downward and lightly shook her head, "..No...not entirely. I mean, I'm still coming to terms with the fact that my hand and most of my forearm are now gone. I guess I'm still in a state of shock even though I was fully aware that this was going to be the outcome. Regardless, I'll be alright in due time."
"Well, I just want you to know that we're here for you if you need anything."
"Thank you."
"Of course. By the way, Morticia is doing fine. I stayed with her for a little while last night and again this morning when I went over to feed her breakfast."
At that, Dagny emitted a sigh of relief, "I appreciate you looking after her while I'm here."
"Well, I quite enjoy her presence. She's a very sweet cat."
"Yea," she agreed before glancing at the container, "So, this is off topic, but I need to ask: what's with the cake carrier? Is it someone's birthday?"
She smiled and shook her curly red head, "Non (No). But technically, it's always someone's birthday, which means it's always acceptable to eat cake."
"Well, I can't argue with that logic," she smirked while Anwen removed the carrier lid, revealing a beautiful triple-layered chocolate mousse cake. "Holy fuck, did you actually make that?"
"She did, but she had a little help from Sunny and I," Sideswipe replied with a smile as he sent the young ginger a loving pulse through their shared bond, while she did the same before removing a bread knife from the shopping bag and began cutting the cake into slices.
"Wait, wait, wait, Sunstreaker actually used his holoform?! I've never seen him activate it before, but then again, I didn't even think he had one."
"Oh oui," Anwen fondly smiled while sending her golden mech a wave of adoration. "He uses it quite often in my presence; however, he doesn't like using it in front of others, hence why he's not here with us at the moment."
"That, and he's currently patrolling the island with Bluestreak and Bumblebee," Sideswipe added as he set Kenobi on the floor and removed the plates and forks from the bag. "Since yesterday's attack, we've been doubling down on our patrols and combing the island for stragglers that may have been left behind deliberately or not. So far, Barricade is the only one that's been incarcerated."
At that, Dagny's doe eyes widened, "There's a Decepticon here?!"
"Oui. He was taken down into the brig for medical treatment and interrogation." Using a paper towel to wipe off the knife, Anwen then dished up cake for the three of them.
Upon graciously accepting her cake, Dagny curiously asked, "How bad were his injuries?"
"Borderline fatal," Sideswipe admitted. "When Mirage sank his blades into him, he somehow missed his spark by less than an inch. I heard from Ironhide that he also ended up needing an energon transfusion halfway through his surgery. Guess who was his donor?"
"Who?"
"Bumblebee."
Both women were stunned at his answer, to which Anwen curiously asked, "Aren't they rivals?"
He nodded as a small smirk lined his face, "In a sense, yes. Ironic, isn't it?"
"Very," Dagny agreed as she slightly worried her lip before asking, "Would it be possible for me to go down there and see him? I doubt he was the one who dropped the bomb that led to my current disfigurement; but nonetheless, he was still part of the group that attacked us and I would like to confront him about it."
Both Anwen and Sideswipe shared a look before he finally answered, "While I admire your courage in wanting to face him, I'm afraid that's something you'll have to talk to Optimus about."
*sigh* "Very well." Using her one remaining hand, she then picked up a fork and took a bite of the mousse cake, to which her doe eyes immediately lit up. "Sugar honey iced tea, this is delicious!"
That comment caused Anwen to giggle, "I'm glad you like it."
"I do. Thank you both for making it. And tell Sunstreaker thanks for his help."
"Oh, we will," Sideswipe replied with a smirk as he casually took a bite of cake. "Mmm, Primus, this tastes amazing! Remind me to thank Ratchet again for finally getting those holoform upgrades installed."
"Sure thing," Anwen smiled while sending him and Sunstreaker another pulse of adoration, to which they returned her loving gesture, bringing a soft blush to her freckled cheeks. Of course, they also sent her some rather suggestive vibes that sent a pleasurable shiver down her spine.
"So, what are y'all's plans for the holidays," Dagny casually asked as Kenobi hopped onto the bed and sprawled out across her legs, bringing a smile to her lips.
"Well, since my brother is now back on base, I was thinking of spending my Christmas break here with him, while also dedicating some of that time to hanging out with the Autobots," she gave Sideswipe a secret wink, causing him to return the flirtatious gesture while Dagny was distracted with petting Kenobi. "What about you? Do you think you'll be discharged before the planes leave Diego Garcia?"
The brunette shook her head as she picked back up her fork and leisurely stabbed another morsel of cake, "No. I'll probably just call or Skype with my family, since I'm not in ideal condition to be traveling at this time. The doctors want to keep me here for observation for at least a week, but despite everything, I see this as a small blessing because now I don't have to physically interact with my older sister and deal with her melodrama."
"I'm sorry to hear that."
She slightly waved her bandaged stump in a 'forget about it' manner, "No, it's fine. I'm actually kinda relieved to be staying here in Diego Garcia rather than traveling home to Salem. Sure, I'll miss my parents, my other siblings and my extended family, but if you knew my elder sister, you wouldn't want to be stuck in the same house with her for an entire week."
"While I don't have a sister, I can certainly relate to not wanting to stay around a toxic person for any lengthy period of time." A small shudder made its way across Anwen's frame as her mind drifted back to her time in foster care. Sensing her distress, both of her mechs sent loving pulses to her, which brought a soft smile to her face. Curious to hear more about Dagny's family and to engage in conversation, she then asked, "So, you have multiple siblings?"
After swallowing a bite of cake, the young brunette gave her a nod, "Yep. Three sisters and one brother. Alba is my elder sister, and my brother, Rian, is her twin: They're 28 years old. Livia is my younger sister and will be turning 21 in February. And Brigit is my youngest sister and she'll be 18 in August. As for me, I'm the middle child and will be turning 26 next Halloween."
"Condamner (Damn), if I had known your birthday was on Halloween, I would have baked you a cake back then."
"Well, technically you did," she gestured to the mousse cake. "It's just a little belated."
"I guess you're right," she smirked. "So, I have to ask: What was it like growing up with four siblings?"
"Chaotic," she admitted before taking another bite of cake. "Imagine five kids struggling to get ready for school every morning, but there's only one bathroom with a shower. Also, between the five of us, there were only three bedrooms and since Rian was the only boy, he had his own room, whereas I had to share one with Alba, while Livia and Brigit shared the other one. Also, if you had snacks in the house, you had to be crafty in hiding them or else they'd disappear."
"Wow. How did you manage?"
"Resourceful ingenuity, careful planning, and sheer pettiness. For example: Alba had a habit of stealing my clothes and returning them in terrible condition, so I decided to get some petty revenge on her by taking an old perfume bottle and filling it with watered down sriracha chili sauce. Afterwards, when I was doing the laundry, I took her panties and bras out of the washer and sprayed all of them with the chili mist before tossing them into the dryer or hanging them up to air dry. The next day when she went to put on some clean undergarments, she got quite a shock when her tata's and yum-yum started burning."
At that, both Anwen and Sideswipe emitted a laugh, which brought a smile to Dagny's face.
XXXXX
-Later-
Upon returning to the apartment, Anwen decided to pull out her looms and knit. Having put off that particular hobby for the last few months, she decided to resume the project she had previously been working on and hoped to finish it before Christmas. Sitting in her chair with a hook in hand and the yarn ball in the adjacent basket, she laid the loom and the product across her lap and skillfully began to knit.
Intrigued by her work, Sideswipe sat on the adjacent couch with Kenobi and watched as she meticulously knit and purled the yarn around the pegs and manipulated them into the desired pattern. Although they were sitting in comfortable silence, they still conversed with one another through the bond:
::You know, this is actually the first time I've seen you knit.::
::Oui, it is. I apologize for not demonstrating my skills sooner, but it seemed irrelevant at the time. That, and I've been rather distracted these last few months,:: she looked up from her work and gave him a knowing smile while he winked at her.
::I'm not going to apologize for keeping you distracted if that's what you're hoping for.::
::Non. I wouldn't ask you to apologize because I know you wouldn't mean it,:: she playfully stuck her tongue out at him, causing him to chuckle at her adorableness.
::You got me there. But all jokes aside, it's nice watching you like this. I like how your hands seem to move on their own accord and how relaxed you are.::
::Loom knitting is rather relaxing in its own way. Sure, you need to focus on your stitches, but over time it becomes effortless and soothing. Ms. Claudia taught me how to knit and her lessons have proved quite beneficial to me over the years.::
Stroking Kenobi's soft fur, Sideswipe casually asked, ::What was she like? You told Sunny and I a little about her, but nothing that really describes what sort of person she was.::
With a purl, Anwen emitted a sigh and smiled, ::She was strict but kind as I've mentioned. I remember she was a devout Christian and made Liam and I attend Sunday services every week, despite us wanting to sleep in and savor the warmth of our beds. Of course, she'd always treat us to ice cream at the local Dairy Queen afterwards, so it wasn't all bad,:: she added with a smirk before starting a new row on her infinity loom. ::When Liam joined the armed services, she was there to comfort me and often told me stories to distract me from his absence. Though I only knew her for a few years, I'm grateful for what she did to help Liam and I. If she hadn't opened her home and offered to take us in, we might not have ended up where we are now and I might have never met you and Sunstreaker.::
::Then she has our thanks and gratitude.::
XXXXX
After an hour of knitting, Anwen decided to take a break as her fingers were starting to cramp. Normally, this sort of issue wouldn't bother her, but seeing as how she hadn't been practicing her craft these last few months, she wasn't used to the strain that was commonly associated with it. Despite this, she decided to bake some more holiday treats as a means of being festive and keeping her mind off of yesterday's attack.
Knowing she was looking to distract herself from such negative thoughts, Sideswipe kept her company in the kitchen and frequently sent her loving pulses through their bond, while Sunstreaker did the same. At the reassurance they sent her, Anwen breathed a sigh of relief and leaned into her sparkmate as he stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her slender frame.
Since he was using the small-scale replica of his actual body, Sideswipe gently rolled on his wheels, causing Anwen to sway from side to side in a soothing motion. Forgetting her current task, she turned around and hugged his frame while he tenderly kissed her forehead and ran his digits through her curly red hair. Both stayed in comfortable silence as they slowly swayed together in the small kitchen while not caring that there wasn't any music playing in the background.
XXXXX
Shortly after 1800, Sideswipe unfortunately had to leave for his patrol shift; however, Sunstreaker was now off for the rest of the night, which meant Anwen wouldn't be without some company. As she waited for the last tray of Christmas cookies to bake, she heard the familiar static buzzing sound of a holoform taking shape, to which she looked over to see a small-scale replica of her golden mech appear and approach with a charming smile across his handsome face.
"Sideswipe mentioned that you wanted us to start using small-scale versions of our true forms, and I have to say that it's about damn time," he stated in a joking manner, causing her to emit a soft giggle.
"I honestly don't know why I didn't think to ask you both to do that sooner, but I'm glad you have that option."
"Same here, sparklight." He then approached and lovingly swept her off her feet before the two of them shared a deep, passionate kiss. When their kiss ended, Anwen couldn't help but run her fingers along his helm fins and admire how beautiful he was. Sure, he and Sideswipe were always beautiful in her eyes, but having him this size allowed her to further explore and admire his anatomy.
As she glided her fingers along the various grooves and crevices of his armored body, Anwen felt his arms wrap around her smaller frame as he then gently pulled her in for a hug and nuzzled her soft curls. Returning the loving gesture, she rested her head against his chassis and smiled when she felt his metal lips upon her brow. While they stayed silent during this tender exchange, both sent waves of love and affection through their shared bond as words were of little use at this time.
Despite her lingering fear of another attack, Anwen felt nothing but love and safety as Sunstreaker gently carried her over to the couch where he sat down and held her in his lap. Knowing she was still a bit shaken up from yesterday, he made it his mission to help her in any way he could. If that meant cradling her against his chassis and feathering kisses upon her cheeks, then so be it.
(Another Authors Note: Hello again dearest readers and fellow writers! I just wanted to say thank you again for your continued support of this story. I still can't believe we've almost hit 50 chapters! I'll be looking forward to that little milestone in the coming days, but until then, feel free to leave a review as I adore your positive feedback and kind words. Thank you all for continuing to inspire me and for helping me to make this story possible!)