(Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers; just Anwen and any other OC's I may or may not have mentioned yet)
(Authors Note: Bonjour my fellow readers, writers, gamers, artists and fan girls(boys). I am so glad you're all enjoying my story thus far for I certainly enjoy writing/editing it for all of you. I wrote this story over a year ago, but it's still a work in progress and I'm certainly not done with it yet. Also, my other FF's require some attention as well, so I can't always post new chapters right away. I try to dedicate a little bit of time to each story and allow small windows of rest in between them so I can focus on other things as well. That aside, if you enjoy this story, you might like some of my others. If not, to each their own. Also, as a fair warning, there is some cursing near the end of the chapter, hence why it's rated M for mature...well, that's one of the reasons. Anyways, I just wanted to extend my thanks to all of you for taking the time to read this story/chapter and by all means, feel free to leave a review as I appreciate the feedback and nice comments. Again, thank you for the support.)
"English/French"
'Mental thoughts'
"Flashbacks" (and sometimes sarcasm)
{Cybertronian}
::Sparkbonds::
:Speaker talk:
::Comm. Link::
Chapter 4
Upon opening the office door, there was the distinct blast of an airhorn which caused the young ginger to literally jump in surprise and lose her balance due to the fact that she was still in her rollerblades. Before she could fall to the floor, Anwen was suddenly caught by a pair of warm, protective servos. "I've got you sweetspark," Sideswipe assured as she stared up at him with wide, trusting eyes while she worked to steady her rapidly beating heart.
'Oh mon Dieu, has his optics always been this bright? And his face...it's so handsome. Why do I have this sudden urge to kiss him? What the hell is wrong with me?' She mentally asked herself, confused yet intrigued. They stared at one another for a moment before a bright shade of red dusted her cheeks as a result of her current stance, to which she removed herself from his servos, "M-Merci Sideswipe."
"Anytime Ani. By the way, if you find out who rigged the door, I can execute a pretty awesome counter prank and avenge you."
She shook her head, "Oh no, that won't be necessary. I know who it was and I already have a plan in mind to get him back. However, I appreciate the offer and will gladly take you up on it at a later time. But for now, this connard (bastard) is going down. He messed with the wrong rousse (redhead)."
An amused chuckle emitted from the mech as he looked upon the speckled human femme: she was such a lovely and kind individual, but by Primus, she was a little spitfire when she wanted to be. He was growing to admire her more which caused his emotions to bleed through the bond he shared with his twin. As such, he could feel Sunstreaker's anger radiating through his spark, but he honestly didn't care at the moment. Sideswipe ignored his brother's fury and casually leaned against the opposite wall of the hallway, wearing a fond smile across his face as he watched the young redhead slip inside the office.
With an annoyed huff, Anwen removed the can of compressed nitrogen from the wall before initiating her revenge on Marcus Delaine, knowing he was the one behind the unprovoked airhorn surprise.
That asshat.
She first set to work by taping said airhorn under his chair before making some minor adjustments to his keyboard and mouse. Afterwards, she used her hacking skills to log into his computer and reset his desktop screen to where instead of the typical blue screen everyone had, it now portrayed the troll meme face in the center. She would go further with her prank, but she didn't have all the necessary supplies nor did she want to permenantly damage government property. Besides, her prank was subtle yet efficient, which is exactly what she wanted.
Once satisfied with her work, Anwen rolled over to her desk where she draped her raincoat over her chair and removed her helmet, backpack and rollerblades before slipping into her blue converse shoes and applying her cherry red lipstick. Afterwards, she grabbed her scrunchie from the desk drawer, exited the office and leisurely approached Sideswipe, who greeted her with a fond smile:
"So, did you leave a nice little surprise for your prank nemesis?"
"I did. While it's not my finest prank, I'm quite happy with it. Of course, I wouldn't have minded taking my joke further, but I'd rather not destroy government property in the process."
"That's probably a good idea," he stated as they headed down the hallway and back over to where Lennox and Epps were still conversing with Ironhide and Jazz.
"Was that an airhorn we just heard," Robert asked the young ginger with a smile, to which she nodded while keeping a neutral expression on her face.
"Indeed it was. And I know exactly who's responsible for taping it to the wall...so I made sure to return it to him in the most fitting way possible."
"Oh no, what did you do," Will curiously inquired.
"I merely duct taped it underneath his chair so it'll be easy for him to find."
At that, all of them shook their heads/helms and chuckled, to which Ironhide crossed his arms and gave her an amused smirk, "But that's not all you did, is it ginger squishy?"
At his implication, Anwen gave a devious smile and shook her head, "Nan (Nope). When it comes to revenge, I tend to use multiple forms of attack. With luck, a few of them will likely go unnoticed for at least half an hour or so. My pranks may be subtle, but they're effective."
"What happened to the innocent girl we spoke to not even ten minutes ago," Epps asked as he playfully ruffled her hair.
"Innocence is life's greatest illusion. I'm a fearful source to be reckoned with," she replied while attempting to swat his hand away, but he just laughed and continued to tussle her curls.
"Aw, you're so cute when you try to act intimidating."
"Je ne suis pas mignonne (I'm not cute)...and you're messing up my coiffure," Anwen playfully/successfully smacked his hand away before removing the scrunchie from her wrist and using it to tie back her long, unruly curls.
"Hey Bleu, have you ever straightened out your hair before?" Will curiously asked while she gave a nod:
"Only once, but it wasn't a good experience. I wanted to try it just to see what my hair would look like all flattened out, but halfway through the process, I accidentally clamped the hot iron onto my ear and sustained a severe burn," she then gestured towards her right ear, which had a faint, white scar across the top.
At that, both humans and Autobots winced as burns on the ears/audio receptors weren't pleasant to deal with. "Well, I for one like your hair just the way it is," Sideswipe stated as a matter-of-factly, "It's beautiful and unique, just like you."
Anwen blushed at his sincerity, "Merci, Sideswipe."
He felt his spark happily pulse within its casing, despite the angry vibes Sunstreaker was sending him through their bond. He knew he'd likely get yelled at by his brother later, but he didn't give a flying frag.
"So Bleu, ya got any plans for the weekend," Epps curiously asked, which she curtly nodded and smiled.
"Oui. Maggie invited me to spend the night at her apartment and join her for a girls-night in."
"Nice. So, is it going to be like one of those typical girls-night where you two sit around painting each other's nails, gossiping and watching chick flicks? Of course, I'm just going by what my wife does when she stays in with her girlfriends. Though, to be honest, you don't seem the type of gal who watches sappy romance movies."
At that, Anwen made a disgusted face, "Eww, no! I can't stand chick flicks. They're way too predictable and cheesy. Besides, romance is a bit overrated."
"To some, maybe; but not to me and my Monique," he stated with a smile. "When I'm on shore leave, I set aside at least one day a week where she and I embark on a date night. The best part is that it's never the same thing. We like to make things interesting here and there, so some nights we'll go out for dinner and a movie, or we'll simply take an afternoon walk in the park or go out dancing."
"Epps, I didn't know you danced," Will stated with an amused smirk across his face.
"Oh yea; Monique and I originally learned how to dance for our wedding, but we enjoyed it so much that we've now made a habit of it. Of course, we usually dance at home after the kids head off to bed. I light a few candles, play her favorite oldies music and we just sway together in the living room. You should try it with Sarah sometime; I bet she'd like it."
"Yea, she would," he agreed before turning his attention over to the Autobots, "What about you guys? Did you ever have dances back on Cybertron?"
Jazz's visor lit up slightly as a smile made its way across his face, "Damn right we danced; though, not like the style Epps was talking about. It was more lively and energetic. Before the war broke out in full, Cybertron used to have a variety of night clubs in which one could dance their afts off and party for groons on end. I used to be quite the rambunctious mech in ma youth, but after I met Prowl, I turned my life around and joined the Autobot Academy. Don't get me wrong, those were some good times, but I wanted more outta life than partying, drinkin' and hookin' up with random bots after long nights of clubbin'."
"Understandable. It's good to have structure in your life." He then looked over at Anwen and asked, "What about you Bleu? Have you ever been dancing outside of school?"
She shook her head, "No. I've never even attended a school dance before; nor did I attend my senior prom."
"What?! Never?!" Epps asked, shocked at her reply. "Didn't anyone even ask you to go with them?"
"Actually, I had several boys ask me, but I turned them all down because I stand by my earlier statement that romance is overrated."
"Oh, come on, scraplet; ya tellin' us that ya wouldn't be at least a lil' moved if some guy came up to ya and complimented on how lovely yer eyes were or how sweet yer voice sounded?" Jazz asked.
She shrugged, "Honestly, I don't always know how to react. I mean, sure, it's nice to be complimented, but I'm usually on the receiving end of some perverted remark rather than a nice one. For instance, I actually had a guy in college ask me if I was from St. Louis and when I said no, he told me that he could still show me how to arch my back."
At that, Sideswipe suddenly emitted a low, angry growl that (thankfully) wasn't audible to the humans. However, both Ironhide and Jazz clearly heard it and were shocked: normally Sunstreaker was the one who would be quick to anger. Not Sideswipe. He was the cheerful and mischievous one. Obviously Anwen's remark stirred something within the young mech, because his optics narrowed and his frame appeared tense. Thankfully, it was quick to pass and he relaxed once more, to which he then knelt beside the young redhead and gently placed a servo on her shoulder:
"I'm sorry you were subjugated to such a crude remark. I just hope that aft left you alone afterwards."
She nodded, "Oui. As soon as he said that, I punched him in the face and left him with a black eye."
"Good."
"So, did you get in trouble afterwards," Epps asked.
At his question, Anwen shook her head, "No. The professor happened to be around the corner and heard the entire thing. She let me go with a minor warning, but gave him an extra assignment to finish by Monday, as well as informed him that I was a minor and such remarks could end his chance at playing professionally. You should have seen how quick the color drained from his face: C'était inestimable (It was priceless)."
"Wait, you said this was back in college? You're 19, right?" Will inquired with a raised brow.
"Oui, but I'll be 20 on November 26th."
"How old were you when you graduated high school?
"Fifteen. I studied extra hard and applied myself to graduate at least three years earlier than my peers, earning an academic scholarship as a result. While in high school, I worked two part-time jobs, obtained my learners permit and driver's license, and bought a van from a friend of mine who then helped me convert it into a place to live in full-time while I finished school and attended college. As for why I was living in my van: let's just say that the foster system where I came from royally sucked and I was better off living on my own. Also, since I only received an academic scholarship, my tuition was the only thing that was fully paid for. It was easier for me to live in my vehicle than struggle for the next twenty years to pay off a student loan, or rent a nearby apartment and pay utilities and maintenance fees."
"Holy hell, Bleu, I had no idea you accomplished all that at age 15. And you graduated college right before you came to Diego Garcia?"
She nodded, "Oui. About a week prior, I had received an email confirming my application acceptance and when I was asked what day I could leave, I said that I would be ready to fly out two weeks after my graduation. Thankfully, I already had an updated passport and a TWIC card, so I only needed that time slot to sort my affairs. Once those were dealt with, I packed all of my belongings, sold my van, and came out here. To this day, I still can't believe I'm actually where I'm at now. Some nights I wonder if it's all a dream and I'm going to wake up back inside my van."
"Well, I can tell ya right now that we ain't no dream, ginger squishy," Ironhide stated as she narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips together, trying to look disgruntled as he addressed her by the nickname he dubbed her with. Of course, that just made him grin, "Now where have I seen that look before? Ah yes, Will, your sparkling also makes that face sometimes, correct?"
Glancing at the young ginger, Lennox fondly smiled, "Yep. Annabelle tends to make that face when Sarah tells her it's bedtime...or when she's given green beans to eat."
"Oh great, now I apparently have a baby face when I pout," Anwen huffed, making the Autobots fondly smirk while Lennox and Epps laughed.
"Aww, scraplet, don't take our jokin' to spark. We's just sayin' these things cause ya so dang cute and we adore ya to bits," Jazz warmly stated and softly rubbed the top of her head, making her smile and lean into his touch.
Meanwhile, Sideswipe captured an image of Anwen's smiling face and saved it in his processor to look back on whenever he wished. He couldn't deny it: she was pretty cute and very beautiful to his optics. Despite Sunstreaker's vehement dislike of humans and this whole spark situation involving Anwen, Sideswipe could tell there was a fragmented speck of curiosity that emitted from his twin as he allowed him to feel what he was experiencing through their bond.
XXXXX
Anwen stepped into the office at 0750 and sat at her desk with a neutral expression across her face even though inside she was grinning from ear to ear at the inevitable outcome of her prank on Marcus. With that thought in mind, she booted up her computer and waited to clock in at 0800. As she patiently waited, Anwen noticed her coworkers filing in for the day. Among them was Maggie, who waved and approached, "G'day, Anwen. We still on for tonight?"
She smiled at the Aussie woman and gave a nod, "Oui. I just hope this storm passes soon. It was pretty ugly out there and the apartment was out of power this morning when I got up."
"Yea, that was awful. I hate getting ready for work in the dark. Hopefully the power comes back on before tonight, though I'm sure they're working on it."
"Well it had better come back on soon because I have a pint of Ben and Jerry's Half Baked ice cream in my freezer and I don't want it to melt."
"Oh, damn, that is a good reason to hope for the power to come back on."
"Right," she stated before the familiar sound of an airhorn blasted out, followed by a loud scream and a notable:
"FUCK!"
Anwen suppressed the urge to laugh, but was finding it difficult not to. Her face was completely red as she remained silent. Meanwhile, Maggie was laughing up a storm. "Wow Marcus, I didn't know you could scream that high."
He narrowed his eyes at the Aussie woman, "Oh stuff it, Mags." He then powered on his computer, only to find the troll face meme staring back at him. "Goddamnit, who hacked into my PC?!"
Again, Anwen remained silent as she waved goodbye to Maggie before beginning her work for the day. After another minute, she heard another grumble from Marcus: "Crap! I can't get this freakin' troll face off my home screen. And why the hell isn't my mouse working?!"
Unbeknownst to Marcus, Anwen had been secretly recording his frustration the entire time and was trying her hardest not to laugh and give herself away. She made herself a mental note to share this comedy gold with Sideswipe later, knowing he'd get a good laugh out of it. With a sigh, she rubbed her sternum and mentally asked why this dull, pectoral pain hadn't left her yet. Was she sleeping wrong? Were her breasts somehow getting bigger and putting more strain on her? She hoped not, for they were large enough already.
Shaking her head of the thought, she ignored the tugging sensation and stopped the recording before focusing back on her work with a smug smile lining her face.
