(Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers; just my OC(s))
(Authors Note: Salutations dear readers, I hope you all are enjoying the story so far as I certainly enjoy writing/editing it for all of you. Just a reminder, I will try to upload new chapters as often as I can, but keep in mind that I have other FF's to attend to as well. Again, thank you for the understanding and support.)
Chapter 3
Anwen finished work around 1600 and was currently rolling over towards the gym/pool to change out of her work clothes before making the 20 minute trip back to her apartment for the night. The last thing she wanted to do was to stink up her nice clothes. Granted, she'd be tossing them into the laundry hamper regardless, but she still had standards.
With that, she made her way into the fitness building and entered the women's locker room where she opened her locker and sat on the adjacent bench to remove her gear. Once her backpack, sunglasses, I.D, helmet and blades were set aside, Anwen stood up, stripped out of her clothes and adorned her black bikini swimsuit from earlier. Thankfully, it had completely dried off since her workout this morning. That being said, she placed her work clothes inside her bag along with her (now dry) towel, to which she then adorned her activewear, rollerblades, helmet, sunglasses, I.D. and backpack before leisurely rolling out of the locker room.
Upon exiting the fitness center, Anwen noticed a pair of Lamborghini's parked across the shuttle bus stop. The silver one she recognized as Sideswipe, and the gold one she assumed was his twin brother, Sunstreaker. With a shy smile, she polietly waved and received a flash from Sideswipe's headlights while his twin angrily revved his engine and took off in a plume of smoke and burnt rubber. At the golden twin's outburst, the young redheaded woman visibly flinched and watched as his silver sibling followed his trail before disappearing around one of the nearby buildings.
Not wanting to invoke Sunstreaker's wrath further than she (somehow) already had, Anwen skated over towards the security gate and flashed her I.D. before peeling away from the massive base as fast as her legs and blades would take her. Granted, she had no reason to feel scared but his outburst made it perfectly clear that she was not welcomed in his presence. That alone was enough to startle her into fleeing the vicinity as quickly as she could.
XXXXX
When she finally reached the apartment building less than fifteen minutes later, Anwen nearly collapsed from over-exertion. Though her legs felt like jello, she dragged herself into the lobby and over to the elevator where she pressed the desired number button. Seeing as how her apartment was on the 9th floor, she was not about to take the stairs; especially not in her rollerblades, nor in her current physical state.
When she was at her stop, the young ginger rolled over to her apartment door, unlocked it, slipped inside and locked it behind her with an exhausted huff. Upon placing her keys, I.D. and sunglasses on the counter, Anwen hung her helmet on the nearby coat rack and removed her rollerblades before setting them aside for tomorrow's use.
With shaky legs, she then carefully strode over towards her bedroom where she removed her backpack and placed it atop her dresser, to which she removed her work clothes and towel, and tossed them into the nearby hamper along with her (now sweaty) activewear and bikini. She then limped into the bathroom and turned on the shower faucet, allowing the water to heat up to the desired temperature before stepping into the tub and turning on the spray. The warm water gradually saturated her curly red hair and moistened her freckled skin, while the heat relaxed her tired muscles and opened her sinuses. While gently lathering her hair with rose oil infused shampoo and conditioner, Anwen emitted a tired sigh as she reflected on the day's events; however, she quickly dismissed them for the time being as she wanted to focus on her personal care/maintenance and relax.
XXXXX
After 15 minutes of washing, scrubbing, rinsing and shaving, Anwen stepped out of the shower feeling fresh and rejuvenated. Upon towel-drying herself off and stepping into her bedroom, she began rummaging through her dresser before fishing out a clean pair of panties and an old, baggy, Power Rangers t-shirt, to which she adorned them for the evening.
Afterwards, she grabbed the hamper of dirty/sweaty clothes and headed over to her laundry closet. Opening the shutter doors revealed a small washer and dryer, while overhead sat a large wooden shelf that contained a box of detergent, dryer sheets, scent boosters and a pair of spiky dryer balls that resembled pufferfish. Underneath the shelf was a clothes bar with several hangers and a carousel-like delicate's hanger meant for air drying her swimsuits, bras and underwear.
With a sigh, Anwen set to work loading up her washer; however, her mind was not focused on the current task at hand. Instead, she found herself thinking about a certain pair of Lamborghini's. She knew Sideswipe was nice if not a bit flirtatious; but Sunstreaker… Anwen hadn't personally met him, but from his angry outburst on the tarmac and the fact that he hated humans was enough to maintain a safe distance from him. A small shiver ran down her spine as she felt a slight tug in her chest. It almost felt like the beginnings of a pectoral muscle cramp. She gently rubbed her sternum and emitted a sigh as the tugging slowly dispersed and ceased for the time being.
XXXXX
Meanwhile, Sunstreaker angrily paced the length of the room he and his twin shared with a scowl plastered across his face. "What in the fragging Pit did you do, you two bit son of a glitch?!" He yelled at his brother as his fists curled into tight balls, causing his joints to creak.
Sideswipe calmly sat on the edge of his berth and gave his twin a shrug, "I don't know Sunny. We've never experienced anything like this before…"
"Why, Sides? Why did you frag us over like this?! And with an organic no less!"
The silver twin narrowed his optics at his brother, "So what if she's an organic! She's kind, compassionate, respectful, and has a great personality. Also, from what I've seen, she has some nice curves. For a human she's quite..,"
"Don't you DARE say she's attractive!" Sunstreaker threatened his twin with a menacing snarl. "What could be so attractive about an organic?! You know what, don't answer that question. I don't wanna know!"
"Sunny, maybe you should look at this as a good thing. I mean, it's not exactly what we originally thought but..."
His optics momentarily flashed red as he glared at his brother, "But what?! This is NOT a good thing! I didn't ask for this! I never wanted to be stuck on this Pit forsaken planet with all these fragging organics! And I certainly NEVER wanted to form a bond with one!" He seethed with anger as he began pacing back and forth.
*stride, stride, stride, pivot, stride, stride, stride, pivot*...and so on.
Sideswipe made a small smirk at his brother, "You're going to wear a groove in the floor if you keep it up Sunny."
"Shut the frag up Sides! If you weren't my twin I'd rip your plating off and shove it up your aft." He then got within an inch of his brother's face and snarled, "Forget about the fleshbag and move on. This will only end in disaster just like all the other times a femme came waltzing into our lives. Nothing good can come of this."
He narrowed his optics at his twin but kept his cool, "You're wrong Sunny. You know she's not like the others. She's the one."
"No, no, NO! She's not the one. There'll never be a 'one' for us because of what we are," he growled, feeling his energon boil.
"I know you don't really believe that. We share the same spark for Primus' sake; don't tell me you weren't drawn to her when you saw her. I know you felt a pull towards her just like I did."
As much as he disliked his brother at the moment and wanted to prove him wrong, Sunstreaker felt a gentle tugging sensation on his spark. The feeling made him growl in frustration, causing him to continue his pacing and brooding. Sideswipe felt the tug as well but kept his mouth shut, though a small smirk appeared across his face.
XXXXX
-The next day-
Instead of her phone alarm, Anwen awoke to the sound of heavy rainfall pelting against her bedroom window. Thinking she overslept, the young ginger frantically reached over to grab her phone and check the time, only to accidentally roll out of bed. "Bon sang (Dammit)!" There was a *badunk* sound as she fell to the floor, landing hard on her elbow before the rest of her body followed suit. With a painful groan, Anwen wiggled out of the blanket burrito she involuntarily rolled herself into and picked herself off the floor before checking her phone: it was only 0525.
Breathing a sigh of relief, she then hobbled into the bathroom to relieve herself, only to be met with darkness upon flipping the light switch. "Vous plaisantez j'espère (Are you kidding me)?! The power's out?! Great. Just fantastic," she groaned as she was now forced to use the restroom and get ready for work in the dark.
Upon exiting the bathroom, Anwen removed her nightshirt and adorned a red colored bra before searching for an outfit that was both comfortable and appropriate to wear.
After five minutes of blindly sifting through her small closet, she pulled out her Goonies tank top, a pair of denim shorts and her freshly laundered blue flannel, before adorning her garments and slipping on a pair of ankle socks, strapping her watch to her wrist, and finally grabbing her cellphone before placing it in the small front pocket of her backpack.
Taking a quick glance out her bedroom window, she noticed the rain was continuing to pour down in heavy streams. "I guess I'll be riding the bus to work today. I better head downstairs so I can catch it before it leaves at 6 or else I'll have to wait half an hour to catch the next one." Stealing a glance at her watch, Anwen saw that it was now 0555. "Crap, crap, crap! I really don't want to wait for the next one!."
With that knowledge in mind, she then hobbled into the living room and donned her helmet, rollerblades, raincoat and I.D. before grabbing her keys. After a final glance around the room, she stepped out of the apartment, locked the door, clipped her keys to her lanyard, slung her backpack over her shoulders and rolled over to the elevator, only to find a large 'OUT OF ORDER' sign across it.
A groan seeped through her lips as she facepalmed at her predicament, "Of course the elevator would be out of order because there's no power. Great. It's going to take me forever to get down nine flights of stairs." With an annoyed huff, she headed over to the stairway and contemplated on how she was going to get down. She couldn't walk due to her rollerblades, and the fact that walking on stairs was difficult for her at times because of all the pins and rods in her feet, ankles and leg. She certainly didn't want to sit on her butt and scoot all the way down because her rear would hurt after a few flights and her job required her to sit in a chair for hours at a time. The only option left was to slide down on the railings.
"Bon sang (Dammit)…," she groaned as she swung her leg over the side of the metal railing and began to slide down nine flights of stairs.
Upon reaching the bottom floor, Anwen climbed off the railing and headed towards the lobby where upon glancing outside, she saw the taillights of the shuttle bus leaving the apartment building. "Attendez (Wait)," she hollered as she darted outside and tried to get the driver's attention. Sadly, her cries went unheard as the bus continued on its course, leaving her standing underneath the canopy.
"Damn my luck. I guess I'll have to catch the next one," she groaned to herself. As she was about to head back inside, Anwen noticed a familiar vehicle approaching the apartment building.
Sideswipe honked his horn and pulled up to the curb before opening his passenger side door :Need a lift?: his voice sounded through the speakers.
Not wanting to be rude in refusing his offer, Anwen smiled and gave a nod, "Oui." She then rolled over to the sleek Lamborghini and climbed in, to which he closed the door and gently fastened the seatbelt around her slender frame. "Thank you so much for offering me a ride, Sideswipe. I really appreciate it."
:Of course, Ani. It's my pleasure to be of assistance.:
"Well, I'm just sorry you're out here in the rain."
:It's no big deal. I was already out for patrol duty, so I figured I'd swing by and take you to work; seeing as how I was in the neighborhood.:
"How sweet of you."
:Well, what kind of mech would I be if I didn't assist a beautiful femme?: Though he was in his alt mode, Sideswipe could still see the lovely shade of red that appeared across her cheeks as well as the smile that graced her lips. His spark emitted a 'humm' as he felt her lean back into the seat while he slowly drove off towards the base.
As they rolled along, Anwen emitted a sigh and took in her current surroundings: the interior was sleek, there was ample leg room, and the seat was warm and put Italian leather to shame. Oddly enough, she felt like she was sitting on memory gel, which was probably why it felt so amazingly comfortable. There was also an intoxicating scent that surrounded her. Looking around, she didn't see any sort of air freshener, so this delightfully attractive smell was coming directly from Sideswipe. It was masculine but in no ways artificial-smelling like a cologne or body spray would be. She couldn't quite describe its precise scent, but it resembled a mix of ozone, new car, and the interior of a Les Schwab tire center.
It was nice.
:So, what do you think Ani? Am I as good looking on the inside as I am on the outside?: There was an obvious smirk in his voice, which made Anwen laugh.
"Of course; though I wouldn't expect anything less from a Lamborghini. You're amazing inside and out, Sideswipe."
:Well, thank you, Milady. And I must say, you look equally stunning yourself.:
"Oh, now you're just being a flirt," she rolled her eyes and smirked.
:Negative, my dear; I speak the truth.:
She felt her cheek heat up again, "W-Well, merci."
:Anytime, Ani.:
XXXXX
After several minutes, the base came into view which brought a slight frown to Anwen's face: while she loved her job and (most of) the people she worked with, she was thoroughly enjoying her time and conversation with the Autobot frontliner. As strange as it was, she mentally wished that their trip wouldn't end just yet. But like all good things, it wouldn't have lasted forever.
Once they crossed the security gate, Sideswipe asked, :Would you like me to drop you off at the chow hall for your morning intake?:
"If you don't mind," she shyly replied.
:Not at all.: There was an obvious smile in his tone, to which Anwen blushed and affectionately rubbed the armrest, making his spark 'humm' in contentment. Upon approaching the chow hall, Sideswipe smoothly pulled alongside the curb and came to a gentle stop.
"Thanks again for the lift. I really appreciate it."
:Sure thing, Ani,: he felt his spark sink at the thought of leaving her, but he needed to return to his patrol.
"Will I see you again later? I mean, if you're not busy that is."
:Of course. If I recall, you seem all too eager to run into me whenever you get the chance,: he chuckled, to which she playfully rolled her eyes.
"The same could be said about you. Weren't you the one who nearly ran me over yesterday?"
:Now, we both know that I would never run you over,: he replied in a serious yet soft tone.
"I know you wouldn't." Anwen gently rubbed the dashboard, feeling the warmth he radiated. She swore she could feel his frame shudder at her touch, though it wasn't in a negative way. There was a tugging sensation on her chest as she reached for the door handle. "I'll see you later. Until then, drive safe and be careful."
:Don't you worry, Ani, I'll be sure to take the curves slow seeing as how the weather isn't ideal for joyriding.:
"I'll hold you to that statement," she smiled as she exited his alt form and stood underneath the canopy as he drove off. When he was no longer in sight, Anwen headed inside the chow hall for breakfast.
XXXXX
Around 0700 Anwen exited the chow hall and contemplated her next move: the rain was continuing to downpour which meant she'd have to face the elements if she wished to reach her destination. Not wanting her backpack to get soaked, she removed it, took off her raincoat, adorned her backpack once more, then slipped her raincoat over it before darting into the downpour and making her way over towards the main hangar.
Unfortunately, due to the inclement weather, the tarmac was rather slick which caused Anwen's wheels to lose traction, resulting in her crashing onto the hard pavement and skinning her right knee in the process. For a moment, all she could do was lay on the ground until she mustered up the stamina and grit to pick herself up without aggravating her injury further.
Once she was back on her feet/wheels, Anwen slowly skated over towards the hanger, only to find that the main doors were closed off to keep the rain out. Any human or Autobot wanting inside would now have to use the side entrance: The human door was built into the Autobot-sized door and many soldiers jokingly compared it to a doggy door. To enter, the Autobots had to punch in a security code on a large keypad, much like the ones outside their private quarters. As for the humans, they could only gain entry by swiping their I.D. cards.
Once Anwen reached the door, she swiped her I.D. and darted inside where she was met with amused looks from Epps, Lennox, Ironhide and Jazz. "Hey Bleu, is it wet out there?" Will chuckled, to which she rolled her eyes and removed her raincoat before shaking some of the water droplets off and holding it in front of her so she could hide her skinned knee.
"Oui, it is wet outside. Merci for the observation," she replied with a smile as she approached the group.
"Don't tell me ya skated all the way here in this Pit forsaken weather," Ironhide teased.
"No. I ended up missing the bus by a few seconds and was about to wait for the next one when Sideswipe pulled up and offered me a ride."
"Damn, Bleu, you were ridin' in style this morning," Epps smirked.
"Well, I can't help that his alt mode is a Lamborghini," she smiled and shrugged her shoulders. "Regardless, he was already out on patrol duty and happened to be in the neighborhood. He was so sweet to offer me a lift, but I hate that he's still out there in this storm."
"Aw, you needn't worry about Sides, lil' spark," Jazz warmly smiled at the young ginger, "Prime, Prowler an' I discussed the sudden weather shift a few kliks ago an' we've decided to withhold further patrols for the rest o' the day. If this storm takes anotha turn fo' the worst, we all might have ta stay indoors and ride it out for a lil' while. As for Sideswipe, he's on his way back as we speak."
Before she could respond, the Autobot-sized door opened, revealing the silver frontliner. "Speaking of Unicron," Ironhide grunted as Sideswipe stepped inside from the downpour and approached.
"Well good morning to you too, Ironhide," he chuckled before focusing on the young redhead, "Hey Ani, it's great to see you again. Did you miss me?"
A small blush appeared along her cheeks as she looked upon the younger mech, "Bien sur (Of course). While I wish the weather wasn't so chaotic, I'm glad you're safe and indoors."
"Same here, sweetspark. While I don't mind a little rain every now and then, I'm not in a rush to go back outside at this time. Those winds were getting pretty strong and at one point I thought I was going to swerve off the road."
"Were you at least taking the curves slow like you promised?"
"Of course. I wouldn't dream of breaking a promise I made to you," he gave her a dashing smile that made her cheeks turn a shade darker. His optics took in her appearance before they honed in on streaks of crimson, "Ani, why is there blood running down your leg? Did something happen?"
A feeling of embarrassment came over the young ginger before she moved her raincoat out of the way, revealing the large, mild abrasion along her right knee, "I kinda lost traction while making my way across the tarmac; but I'll be okay. I just need some rubbing alcohol and a few bandages. How ironic: I ask you to stay safe while driving and yet, I can't seem to heed my own advice and keep myself from getting hurt. I wasn't even going that fast..."
"I'm taking you to Ratchet."
"No, that's not necessary. I'll be okay; I just need a first aid kit."
"Hold on Bleu, I'll get you one," Epps stated as he headed off to look for a medical kit.
"Why did ya try to hide this from us, sparklet," Jazz asked in a caring voice as Sideswipe suddenly yet gently picked her up and set her down on a nearby crate.
She frowned and stared at her blades for a moment before facing the TIC, "Because I don't want to be seen as weak and helpless. I've been taking care of my own injuries for years, so I don't see the point of troubling others with my problems."
"That's no reason to be stubborn, ginger squishy," Ironhide replied. "There's no shame in asking for help."
She merely nodded before Epps returned with a medical kit, a bottle of rubbing alcohol and a bottle of water. "Alright Bleu, I've got a first aid kit and some stuff to clean your wound. You want me to help you?"
Anwen gave a slight nod and emitted a sigh, "Sure...I mainly need help applying the alcohol because I don't like doing it myself due to the intense burning sensation."
"Understandable. I'll let you rinse your knee with the water and then you let me know when you're ready for the sting."
She nodded before graciously accepting the water bottle and pouring some of its contents onto her open wound before dabbing it with a piece of gauze from the first aid kit. Afterwards, she took out a clean piece of gauze and handed it to Epps, "Okay...I'm ready for the pain."
"You want to hold my servo, Ani," Sideswipe offered with a sympathetic look.
"I appreciate the offer Sideswipe, but I-AH! MERDE (FUCK)! Epps, why didn't you warn me?!"
He dabbed her knee and answered with a shrug, "I figured I'd get ya while you were distracted. But I'm gonna have to douse ya with a little more, so consider this your warning."
"Assez juste (Fair enough)," she winced as he poured a little more rubbing alcohol onto her skinned knee, causing it to make a slight sizzling sound. "Question: how is it that I can tolerate being impaled, having my bones broken and my body partially crushed underneath several tons of steel, rock and concrete, yet the simple act of having rubbing alcohol poured on my wound causes me to flinch?"
The dark-skinned soldier gave her a smile, "It's cause ya don't have adrenaline flowing through your system to block out your pain receptors, baby girl." He then closed up the alcohol and took out some Neosporin, "You wanna dab some of this on your knee while I get a band-aid ready?"
At his question, Anwen nodded and gently applied some of the antibacterial ointment onto her injury before placing a clean sheet of gauze over it while Epps then bandaged her up. "There ya go Bleu."
"Merci," she smiled and gently flexed her knee, testing it out here and there. "Sorry for acting like a wine bag a minute ago."
He and the others emitted a collective chuckle before he shook his head, "Nah, you're fine. Besides, you're better than I'd be in your place. Ask Will over here: I complain whenever I get a splinter. Ain't that right?"
He nodded, "Yep; he does. It's pretty pathetic if you ask me."
"Oh come on man, splinters hurt."
"Yea, yea, whatever you say," he smirked before turning his attention to the young ginger across from him, "So Bleu, I heard the power went out at your apartment building."
She nodded, "Oui. I actually discovered that when I got up to use the bathroom this morning. I had to get ready for work in the dark and find an alternative way to get downstairs to the lobby, seeing as how I live on the 9th floor."
"So what'd you do?"
"Well, I couldn't walk down the stairs because that sometimes hurts my implants. And I didn't want to sit on my rear and scoot down because my job requires me to sit at a desk most of the day, and that would have been rather annoying. My last option was to slide down the railing like a sexy fireman. So I did. I'm just glad no one was using the stairs when I did that because I must have looked like un désordre chaud (a hot mess)."
At that thought, Sideswipe mentally grinned but kept his emotions in check as he didn't want to piss off Sunstreaker at the moment. He'd have plenty of time to do that later.
"Actually, the thought of you sliding down a stairway railing sounds rather funny to me," Will chuckled. "It'll only be a matter of time before Annabelle starts doing that on our stairs. Though, I'm sure Sarah won't let her."
"I can't say I blame her. Kids are little daredevils who aren't afraid of injuries or consequences. I certainly wasn't when I was a kid."
"You still are a kid, Bleu," Epps replied with a teasing smile, causing her to narrow her amber eyes in mock irritation.
"I most certainly am not! I haven't technically been a 'kid' since I was 12 years old. But I don't want to go into that spiel at the moment. Now, with that being said, I'm going to head into the office for a minute to drop off my bag and raincoat."
"Would you like an escort, Milady?" Sideswipe politely asked.
A smile crossed her lips as she looked upon the silver frontliner, "I don't require you to drive me, but I wouldn't mind your companionship. Merci, Sideswipe."
"De rien (You're welcome), Ani," he made a polite bow, which made her cheeks darken.
"Oh, tu parles français maintenant (_, you speak french now)?"
"Oui, mon cher (Yes, my dear)," he winked.
Anwen made a soft giggle before the two of them skated off towards the office, while the others remained behind and looked on in amusement and curiosity.
