(Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers; just Anwen, Liam, and any other OC I've added into the story.)
(Authors Note: Bonjour my dearest readers, fellow writers, fangirls, fanboys, and TF fans of every corner of the globe! WOW, 50 chapters?! I cannot believe we finally hit the 50 chapters mark! I am so, so, so thankful for the continued support from all of you and I am so happy that you all love this story so much to where you want to keep reading it. While I still have future plans for this story, I really need to work on my other FF's...I know I've said that a lot, but it's true. So, with 2022 coming to an end, I'd like to take a moment to reflect on the last two years since this story's publication: From the ashes of the dumpster fire that was 2020 came the spark of inspiration for Bleu Lambos. As I sat upon my chair in a state of anxiety brought on from the global pandemic and the confining isolation that came with it, I turned to reading fan fictions as a way of passing time and relaxing my nerves. From this, Anwen Bleu was born. At first, she started off as simple a character sheet in a notebook, but as I played around with her backstory, she became the lovable ginger we all know today. So with that, I wish to say thank you all for helping me make this story possible and for the continued love and support. Hooray for chapter 50!)
"English/French"
'Mental thoughts'
"Flashbacks"
'Sarcasm' (or emphasis)
{Cybertronian}
::Sparkbonds::
:Speaker talk:
::Comm. Link::
*:Phone calls:*
Chapter 50
-December 24-
Although many of the N.E.S.T. personnel had returned to their home countries/provinces/states for the holidays, many remained on the island for security purposes and personal reasons. Among those were most of the Autobots as they didn't have an assigned charge to protect; however, since Ironhide and Jazz were Will and Robert's guardians, they and their sparkmates had accompanied them to the States. Yet, despite their absence, training and patrols went on as usual. Now, that isn't to say the Autobots didn't partake in any of the festivities that are typically associated with the holiday season. Quite the opposite in fact.
After learning that many human cultures required fine attire to be worn during holiday gatherings or special occasions, all of the Autobots on base showered, waxed, buffed and polished themselves to where they now shimmered and gleamed. When they activated their human holoforms, they too were well groomed and properly dressed for the festivities in which they were currently partaking in. Sure, they may have been a little overdressed for this particular event, but then again, many of their human comrades were also adorned in formal attire, so they decided not to fret over it.
Having never seen Moonracer or Elita's holoforms until now, both Maggie and Liam were a bit taken aback at how beautiful they were. Of course, they were already beautiful, but to see humanized versions of them was quite remarkable. The femme commander's holoform stood roughly 1.8 meters (6ft) tall and was adorned in silver heels, a set of crystal earrings and matching necklace, V-neck, long-sleeve, A-line, side slit, wine red velvet, cocktail midi dress that enhanced her long legs and hourglass figure. Her strawberry blonde hair was styled in an elegant updo and topped with a crystal hairpin, while her lips were plump and curved into a gentle smile.
Beside Elita stood Moonracer, who came up to 1.7 meters (5ft 8in) in height and wore a pair of white flats and a short-sleeve, seafoam green, 1950s style, cocktail swing dress that also complimented her elegant figure. Although her chestnut brown hair was short in length, it framed her face perfectly and came down to her shoulders in thick, wavy locks. While she wore no makeup, her facial features were stunning on their own as her eyes were bright, her cheeks were rosy, and a soft glow seemed to emit from her pale skin. A warm smile appeared across the medics face as her sparkmate approached and gently pulled her aside to kiss her underneath a sprig of mistletoe that he held above her head in a jovial manner.
At their adorable display, Liam couldn't help but smile as they reminded him so much of his parents. Seeing the tears forming in his eyes, Maggie tenderly squeezed his hand and gave him a reassuring smile as he quickly dismissed the painful memories.
XXXXX
Nearly an hour later, Anwen (and Kenobi) entered the vicinity with Dagny by her side, to which everyone stared at the brunette in shock. Having scarcely interacted with anyone (other than a small handful of people) since the attack, she wasn't surprised by their reactions to seeing her with only one (complete) arm. Of course, they could also be staring at her lack of glasses or her attire, as she looked like she time traveled back from the 18th century. Her hair was styled in an elegant updo, while her gown was floor-length with a top and asymmetrical skirt, flared sleeves and an adjustable ribbon design in the back. Color wise, the outer layer was white with a red floral pattern, while the inner layer was red satin. Aside from the dress, she also wore a pair of baroque style gold and pearl earrings and a matching ring upon her (remaining) hand.
As for Anwen, she looked equally stunning in her blue (sparkbonding ceremony) gown, black flats and pearls. Unlike Dagny, she opted to leave her hair down, but had a section of it pinned off to the side. Glancing over at the brunette beside her, she softly asked, "You okay?"
With red cheeks, she lightly shook her head, "Not really. I'm clearly overdressed and everyone is staring at the void that is my right forearm."
"Well, I think you look beautiful," she replied honestly. "Besides, I'm not exactly casual myself," she gestured to her own attire with a knowing smile.
"I suppose not, but your ensemble is lovely nonetheless."
"Merci."
"Of course. By the way, thanks again for styling my hair and helping me with the lacing."
"Well, what kind of amie (friend) would I be if I didn't lend a helping hand, uh, no pun intended," she awkwardly replied with a bright blush, to which Dagny emitted a chuckle:
"It's fine; I take no offense. Though, I've got to hand it to ya: that was an amusing pun, even if it was unintentional."
"Oh mon Dieu (_ my God)," she smirked and shook her head while Dagny emitted a chuckle at her own joke and self-burn. Sure, her current disfigurement was no laughing matter in all seriousness, but she often used humor as a coping mechanism and was simply doing her best to make light of her current situation.
XXXXX
Although she was having a wonderful time visiting with her brother, friends and coworkers, Anwen wished her sparkmates were here to partake in the festivities; however, they had their own duties to uphold until their shifts ended. While Sideswipe patrolled the island with Bumblebee, Sunstreaker stood across the holding cell that housed Barricade. Yet, despite their current situations, both frontliners kept in contact with their sparkmate through their shared bond and sent her loving pulses while she did the same.
To keep her mind distracted from their physical absence, Anwen was currently sitting at the piano in the lounge room and playing Christmas carols at the request of her coworkers. As she played, she softly began to sing in French, to which Liam joined her in song while their fellow humans and Autobots listened. As for Kenobi, he was perfectly content with lying across Moonracer's lap while she gently ran her holoform fingers through his soft fur.
XXXXX
-Later-
As soon as their shifts ended and their replacements took over, Sunstreaker and Sideswipe headed over to the recreational center and entered the lounge where they spotted their mate sitting on the end of one of the (human-sized) couches with a smile on her face as she participated in a game of '20 Questions' with several humans and Autobots:
"Okay Anwen, if you could bring back one ancient animal species from extinction which one would it be and why," a soldier by the name of Oliver Newton asked as he sat back in his chair and sipped his Christmas punch.
Tapping her chin and taking a moment to think about her answer, the young redhead sensed her sparkmates' presence and smiled, "Well, I think I would have to go with Aurochs (*Bos primigenius: an extinct cattle species, considered to be the wild ancestor of modern domestic cattle*) because like many of the endangered animals of today, humans hunted them to extinction and I believe our forests and wildlands would greatly benefit from their presence. Since they were a wild species of cattle, they wouldn't require our constant aid in order to survive, unlike their modern descendants."
"Ooh nice," Maggie stated as she rested her head on Liam's shoulder..
"Merci." She took a sip of punch as Sideswipe casually sat across from her in one of the Autobot-sized chairs while Sunstreaker stood off to the side and leaned against the wall. He personally didn't want to interact with the humans present, but opted to stay nearby. While both mechs wanted to embrace her and shower her with affection, the three of them had to be discreet with their relationship at the moment; however, this didn't stop them from sending her some rather provocative thoughts through their bond.
Cheeky mechs.
XXXXX
Having offered to take Kenobi home, Maggie and Liam hitched a ride with Ratchet while Anwen rode with Sunstreaker as he and Sideswipe drove her over to the Autobot barracks for a surprise.
"Okay, what's this surprise all about," she curiously asked upon reaching their quarters.
"You'll see," her golden mech answered with a smile as he helped her out of his alt form and covered her eyes while his brother typed in the code to their room and opened the door before transforming and activating the small-scale holoform of his true self.
"Is it a couch for movie nights?"
"Nope," Sideswipe shook his helm and smirked as they led her further into the room. "Although, I admit that would be a slight improvement."
With a slight roll of his optics, Sunstreaker removed his servos from her face, "Okay sparklight, you can open your eyes now."
Upon opening her eyes, Anwen was met with the familiar sight of her parents' piano; however, unlike the last time she saw it, it was completely free of dust and had a big red ribbon on top. "Oh mon Dieu (_ my God)...Merci," tears rolled down her cheeks as she immediately spun around and hugged her golden artist before doing the same to her silver skater. "Merci beaucoup (Thank you so much)!"
"Of course," Sideswipe lovingly cradled her against his chassis and kissed her forehead as his brother wiped her tears away with his thumb.
"How…"
"It was Liam's idea," Sunstreaker answered with a smile. "He arranged for the shipping and delivery while we provided the necessary funds."
"Once it arrived, Sunny and I spent the next few days tuning and refurbishing it," Sideswipe added. "We know how much this instrument means to you, so we made it our goal to return it to you since we couldn't bring it back with us during your birthday trip."
Touched by their selflessness, she pulled them back down for kisses, which they happily accepted and reciprocated. "Je t'aime tous les deux (I love you both so much)."
"And we love you, Anwen."
(Another Authors Note: So, I know the holidays have come and gone, but I hope you all enjoyed my (belated) gift. Fifty chapters?! WHAT?! I'm still trying to wrap my head around it and I wrote it. While I need to really buckle down and focus my attention on my other FF's, I'm hoping this story will continue for another 50 chapters. If not, I'll be sure to write a sequel at some point ;) Anyways, thank you all again for your kindness, support and inspiration. Until next year, stay safe, stay sane, and stay amazingly awesome!)