(Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers; just Anwen and any future OC's I may mention later on in the story.)

(Authors Note: Salutations dear readers, gamers, fan girls(boys) and fellow nerds of a common interest, I am so glad you're enjoying this story and I look forward to adding more chapters for you to continue reading at your own leisure. Just as a reminder: I have other FF's to attend to and update, so if I don't post a new chapter in the next few days or so it's because I'm trying to be fair to all of my readers by providing them with new content to enjoy. Until next time, stay warm, stay safe and stay awesome!)

(Warning! Some graphic scenes are located withing this chapter, so if you're squeamish then skip past the flashback scene.)

"English/French"

'Mental thoughts'

"Flashbacks" (and sometimes sarcasm)

{Cybertronian}

::Sparkbonds::

:Speaker talk:

::Comm. Link::

Chapter 5

Around 0915 a loud siren went off, signaling that a severe tropical storm was swiftly approaching the island. As part of the safety protocol, all humans and Autobots were required to head into the fortified storm shelters or file into the main hangar until the danger passed. That being said, Anwen powered off her computer before making her way out of the office with her fellow coworkers.

Upon entering the hangar, she noticed that all of the Autobots were present and accounted for, and among them were dozens of soldiers and N.E.S.T. crew. The other humans that worked/lived on base were likely hunkering down elsewhere, seeing as how there were several storm shelters to choose from throughout the property.

Meanwhile, Sideswipe was parked along the far wall next to his twin. They were currently using their alt modes in order to hide their facial expressions and privately speak to each other through their bond, seeing as how they didn't want to draw attention to themselves by displaying their frustration towards one another.

For his part, Sunstreaker was absolutely fuming and would occasionally emit an angry rev from his engine. How dare his twin continue to indulge in this Pit forsaken notion that there was a bond forming between the two of them and a filthy organic!

Damn these fleshy piles of slag!

Why did the Autobots have to work alongside them again? While Sunstreaker absolutely detested humans, there was a select few he respected on a military and/or an artistic level. Okay, so the various mediums and styles of art were the one nice thing he liked about Earth. As an artist himself, he had an appreciation for talent and beauty. He missed painting and working with his servos in a more creative way, but war had forced him to put his passion aside and focus on surviving.

As he was continuing to angrily yell at his twin through their bond, Sunstreaker noticed the subject of their argument was now casually talking with Ratchet: apparently the two of them knew each other prior to her joining N.E.S.T. because the way they were talking to one another resembled a conversation between friends and not just coworkers or acquaintances.

-Mission City 2007-

Buildings lay crumbled and ruined all across the initial battle sight, while broken glass and bits of debris littered the streets. Decepticon remains were cleared away and dealt with accordingly while human casualties and survivors were being pulled from the wreckage by soldiers, paramedics and Autobots alike. Thankfully, there weren't too many among the deceased, but it was a loss nonetheless, and the Autobots were especially troubled that they couldn't save everyone.

As the search continued, Ratchet finished stabilizing Jazz's spark and had hooked him up to several machines within the makeshift field hospital before entrusting Bumblebee to monitor him while he offered his assistance to his fellow Autobots and new allies. As he scanned for survivors, the CMO found a faint life signature underneath one of the collapsed buildings before his enhanced audios picked up on a faint feminine voice:

"...H-Help…Aidez-moi (Help)..."

He immediately headed over to where the voice was coming from and responded, "Help is here. We'll get you out."

"...Merci…"

Ratchet glanced over his shoulder and shouted, "There's someone down here! I need assistance." Seconds later, Ironhide and Optimus appeared to lend their aid in removing large chunks of rubble in order for him to accurately peer into the darkness and locate the source of the voice.

Gazing into the mass of debris, the CMO's optics honed in on an organic lifeform pinned underneath the rubble. His scans indicated that she was bleeding, but he couldn't see the extent of her injuries until he could properly reach her. "Miss, my comrades and I are here to help you. Can you move your arms or legs?"

"...O-Oui...just my arms...I...I can't feel my legs!"

Hearing the panic in her voice, Ratchet spoke in a gentle tone, "Okay, I need you to remain calm while we work to get you out. I can't reach you at the moment, but I need you to keep talking to us so we know that you're still conscious. Comment tu t'appelles (What's your name)," he asked in French as he helped Optimus move a large steel beam. He hoped speaking some of her native language would help keep her calm.

"...A-Anwen Bleu…"

"Well, Anwen, we're going to get you out of there. Just hold on for me. Once we get this cleared away, I can assist your condition." He tirelessly worked to clear away the debris until he could finally access her location. Deciding to activate his holoform for the first time since arriving on Earth, Ratchet transformed and out of his alt mode stepped a man in his mid 40's. He stood roughly at 6'1' and was dressed like a field medic. He had short, sandy blond hair and bright blue eyes with a short, well-trimmed beard. Carefully, he and some of the human paramedics descended down into the pocket where Anwen was located. As they worked to free her, Ratchet was horrified to discover that parts of her left femur were protruding out of her skin, along with two metal rods that had impaled her thigh. Her lower leg and both of her ankles were crushed underneath the rubble while both of her arms were cut in several places, and her left wrist was visibly broken. As awful as it was, he had no choice but to leave the metal rods in her leg until she could be properly treated at the hospital. If they were to be removed now, she would bleed out and die.

No! There was no way Ratchet was going to let this young femme die.

For the next half hour, he tirelessly worked alongside the human soldiers and medics to free her from the rubble she was trapped under, as well as provide temporary treatment until she could be transported to a hospital. Once the section of rods had been cut away, (leaving some still embedded in her leg) and she was no longer pinned, Anwen was carefully laid out on a rescue stretcher and brought up to the surface where she was met with bright lights, soldiers all around and...giant robots?! She must have been hallucinating due to blood loss and the adrenaline wearing off. The last thing she saw before passing out was her brother rushing over to her side.

-Diego Garcia. Present day-

The CMO was casually leaning against the wall while the young redhead sat on a crate beside him and...were they speaking French? Indeed they were. Sunstreaker figured that it was to keep their conversation private from the other fleshies that were in the area (Damn storm forcing everyone in this confined space for who knows how much longer). However, all Cybertronians could understand what they were saying, assuming they were within audio range and were actively listening in. Despite wanting to continue arguing with his brother, Sunstreaker found himself wanting to listen to her. He mentally growled before his twins voice chimed in through their bond:

::See, you ARE curious about her.::

The golden twin felt his energon boil, but he refused to admit that his brother was right: he was curious about the small, organic femme. He despised the idea that he could find anything remotely interesting about this small, filthy creature. And yet, his spark was telling him this femme wasn't like the other fleshbags he was forced to work alongside everyday. She was different in some strange way that he had yet to determine or acknowledge, but refused to do so. Why? Pride, mainly.

Meanwhile, Anwen looked up at the CMO and asked, "Y a-t-il eu des tempetes comme celle-ci la ou vous habitiez (Were there storms like this where you lived)?"

He shook his helm and replied in French, "Il y a eu des tempêtes de plasma ici et là, mais rien de tel que les tempêtes de pluie que j'ai vues ici sur Terre (There were some plasma storms here and there, but nothing like the rainstorms I've seen here on Earth)."

"C'est interessant (That's interesting)." She then asked, "Y a-t-il eu de la pluie sur Cybertron (Was there rain on Cybertron)?"

Ratchet smiled and gave a nod, "A un moment donné, il y en avait; mais c'était il y a bien longtemps. Il y avait même des matières organiques dans la région la plus au sud de la planète. Mais c'est de l'histoire ancienne (At one point there was; but that was many ages ago. There was even organic materials on the farthest southern region of the planet. But that's ancient history)."

"Donc à un moment donné, Cybertron pourrait soutenir la vie organique (So at one point, Cybertron could support organic life)?"

"Apparemment si (Apparently so)."

"Wouh, c'est dingue (Wow, that's amazing)!"

"En effet (Indeed)."

She was about to ask another question when her coworker, Marcus Delaine, approached: "Hey there, Bleu cheese, you wouldn't happen to know who was responsible for pranking me this morning would you?"

Anwen tilted her head and looked over at him from the crate she was comfortably sitting on, "I don't, but it was pretty funny hearing you make such a girly scream. It was like you were experiencing reverse puberty or something."

He rolled his eyes at the young ginger, "Whatever. Just let me know if you find out who it was so I can come up with a fitting counter prank."

"I wouldn't worry too much about it. Besides, aren't you supposed to be focused on your job and not about some silly prank war?"

"Uh, in case you hadn't noticed, we're under lock-down right now and can't work without our computers."

She narrowed her eyes, "I'm fully aware we're under lock-down, Delaine. I may be conversing with Ratchet, but in my head, I'm still thinking about my job. When we get the all-clear to go back to work, I've already planned out what to prioritize and tackle first. Of course, I did the more important stuff before the sirens went off, so whatever is left isn't a major issue. But I'd like to finish it today so I don't have to deal with it on Monday."

"Whatever you say, Bleu cheese. I'll see you around," he then headed off, leaving Anwen alone with the Autobot CMO once more.

"Désolée pour ça. Il est une sorte de douleur à l'arrière (Sorry about that. He's kind of a pain in the aft)."

At the use of Cybertronian terminology, Ratchet emitted an amused chuckle, "Donc j'ai remarque. Vous dérange-t-il souvent (So I've noticed. Does he bother you often)?"

She shrugged, "Ici et là, mais jamais au point ou j'avais envie de le frapper (Here and there, but never to the point where I felt like hitting him)."

"Eh bien, si jamais cela arrive a ce point, vous pouvez emprunter une de mes clés si vous avez besoin de quelque chose pour le frapper (Well, if it ever gets to that point, you're welcome to borrow one of my wrenches if you need something to hit him with)."

"J'aimerais ça. Merci d'avoir offert (I'd like that. Thank you for offering)."

"De rien (You're welcome)."

From where he was listening, Sideswipe emitted a slight 'hmm', to which his twin snarled, ::Primus dammit Sideswipe, knock it off! She's not even remotely interesting.::

::Oh really? Then why are we still here? Surely there's something you're attrac..::

::Don't. Say. That. Word. I am NOT attracted to a fleshbag!::

::Sparks don't lie, Sunny.::

His frame visibly shook with anger towards his brother, but he refrained from transforming and acting on his emotions. The last thing he needed was for all the organics to panic in this confined space and the other Autobots chastising him about it. No. He wouldn't let Sideswipe get to him, nor would he allow his spark to deceive him into believing this damn fleshy was someone special. She wasn't. She was just a regular organic like all the other fleshbags he was forced to work alongside. So what if her skin and hair were uniquely different than everyone else's on base. Or that her amber eyes had a comforting warmth to them. Or that her smile brightened up a room and her voice was soft and gentle sounding.

FRAG!

If he was in his bipedal mode right now, he'd punch the wall in anger and frustration. He was angry at himself for feeling this way about an organic, but he was also frustrated because he had no idea what this meant for him and his twin. How was it even possible for them to be feeling these kinds of emotions towards someone outside of their own race?! How would a relationship between two Cybertronians and a human even work?! What did they do to deserve this kind of punishment?

Regardless, he knew Sideswipe was right: sparks don't lie. But surely there must be a way to reverse this horrible outcome. Of course! Ratchet would likely know what to do. ::Ratchet, I need to speak to you...privately.::

The CMO glanced over at the twins from across the room and asked, ::What seems to be the problem Sunstreaker?::

::It's not something I wish to discuss through a Comm. link.::

::Very well. I'll be right over.:: He then focused his attention back on the young ginger sitting beside him, "Apologies Anwen, but apparently Sunstreaker wishes to speak to me. We'll continue our conversation at a later time, if that's alright with you?"

She gave an understanding nod, "Oui, that's fine. I hope everything is alright."

"I'm sure he's fine," he reassured with a smirk. With that he bid her a temporary farewell and walked over to where the twins were parked, to which Sunstreaker transformed and glanced over at his brother:

::I need to speak to Ratchet for a moment. You stay out of trouble and don't you DARE eavesdrop on our conversation.::

::You're going to ask him about the connection we have with Ani aren't you?:: There was an obvious smirk in his tone, to which Sunstreaker sent him an array of angry waves through their bond, making him chuckle slightly. ::I'll see you in a bit Sunny.::

::Don't call me that!:: He snapped back and watched as his twin transformed and leisurely skated off. He then gestured for Ratchet to follow him, to which the two mechs made their way down the hall and stood outside of Prime's office where they began speaking in their native language.

{Alright Sunstreaker, what is it that you need?}

{I need your advice on a rather...embarrassing matter in which Sideswipe has ensnared us in.} He vented an angry sigh before stating, {Apparently he and the fleshy you were conversing with, experienced some sort of 'shock' between them. Being split-sparked twins, I felt it as well, but I have no idea what it means. He claims it's spark related, but I don't see how that's possible considering she's an organic.}

Ratchet rubbed his chin and raised an optic ridge, {Hmm, interesting. I've never heard of such a thing happening before. I may need to run some tests to see how this may be affecting Anwen. For now, tell me what you've been feeling? By that I mean, does your spark feel like there's a physical tightness? Or an emptiness that longs to be filled?}

He snarled and ground his denta together, {Yes.}

{Have you had any thoughts or dreams involving Anwen, or has Sideswipe experienced anything similar?}

Sunstreaker gave a nod and frowned, {Yes, we both have experienced them. Please tell me you can fix this? I have no desire to be tethered to a fleshbag.} He cringed at the thought.

With a frown, Ratchet shook his helm, {I'm sorry Sunstreaker, but you and Sideswipe are apparently in the process of forming a sparkbond with Miss Bleu. Granted, she's organic and you both are Cybertronian, but when it comes to sparkbonding, there's still so much we don't fully understand. I know that it's rare for bots to find 'the one' they're destined to be with, but from what I've read and observed, once a spark is within close proximity of its 'chosen mate', there's no stopping the bond. However, if the bond is denied or abruptly severed before completion, then the consequences could be potentially fatal for both parties.}

{So, it's either bond with the fragging organic or offline?! Are you serious?!}

He narrowed his optics at the younger mech but answered in a neutral tone, {Sparks don't lie, Sunstreaker. I suggest you take some time to get to know Miss Bleu before you assume the worst. She's a very kind individual and quite enlightening to converse with. In fact, she's more like you and Sideswipe than you may realize. Granted, your backgrounds are obviously different, but she's also endured a lot of pain and loss in her young life. You may be surprised at how much you actually have in common with her if you just took the time to get to know her.}

He vented an angry sigh, {So, there's nothing that can be done to reverse this?}

Ratchet shook his helm, {No. But you shouldn't look at this as a bad thing. Many of us go vorns without ever finding our chosen mates, and some bots never find their other half. For you and Sideswipe to have found an individual that is meant for the both of you is beyond amazing. She may not be Cybertronian, but she's obviously an individual of great importance to you and your brother, whether you realize it yet or not.}

Sunstreaker growled, {She is NOT important to me! She's just like every other filthy organic pile of slag infesting this dirtball planet!} He turned around and stormed off before heading down the long hallway. As he turned the corner, he nearly stepped on the very human he didn't want to see right now. "Watch where you're going, fleshy! You looking to get squished?!"

Anwen glanced up at the golden mech, whom she knew to be Sunstreaker. He stood 15 feet tall and was built similar to Sideswipe, except he had fins on the side of his helm and peds as opposed to wheels. Unlike the kind, bright blue optics Anwen was used to seeing, Sunstreaker's were cold-looking and currently had a hint of red to them as he glared down at her with a scowl plastered across his face. She felt her legs tremble but answered in a calm tone, "Non (No), I was just exiting the restroom. And besides, you're the one who nearly stepped on me."

He snarled, "Then maybe you should learn to stay out of my way."

Not wanting to take his crap, Anwen straightened herself out and boldly poked him in the shin, "Well, maybe YOU should look where you're going!" She suddenly felt the familiar electrical pulse as she experienced with Sideswipe, but mentally shook it off as she stared up at the golden mech.

Sunstreaker immediately responded by roughly grabbing her forearm and emitting a feral growl. "Do. Not. Touch," he warned in a dangerous tone before letting her go and storming off.

Though her flannel was covering her appendage, Anwen could tell she'd have some bruises as a result of the force in which she was grabbed. She didn't think Sunstreaker was actually trying to hurt her, but rather, he wanted to scare her into leaving him alone. Regardless, it really hurt and she was still (obviously) upset over the ordeal. So much so, that she stormed down the hallway and nearly bumped into Ratchet as he was turning the corner.

"Anwen," he suddenly noticed her distress and asked, "What's wrong, young one?"

She shook her head and looked down at the floor, "I-I don't want to talk about it."

His optics narrowed as he knelt before her and gently tilted her chin up, "You ran into Sunstreaker didn't you?" A small nod was her response, to which he then asked, "Did he say anything to you? Did he hurt you?"

She bit her lower lip before gently rolling up her sleeve, revealing the large colorful marks that were starting to appear across her forearm. "...I-I don't really think he meant to hurt me. I think he was just trying to scare me…"

The CMO made a slight growl, "Regardless of what his intentions were, he should not have done this to you. I will personally see that he's punished for this."

Anwen shook her head, "Non (No), don't punish him. I think he's being punished enough as it is. After all, he's currently stuck in here with all these humans, whom he vehemently despises. That's a rather fitting punishment in my book."

He vented out a sigh and smiled, "You're correct on that statement: He is being punished to some degree. Very well; I won't dismantle him today, but if he ever threatens you or grabs you again, make no mistake: I will strip off his plating and turn him into scrap metal. He'd make a fancy toaster in my opinion."

At that, she emitted a soft laugh, "You're right, he would." She then watched as he transformed and activated his holoform, to which he then opened the back of his alt form:

"Would you mind taking a seat so I can treat your injuries?"

She smiled and walked around to his cab where she hopped in and sat down before extending her arm out for him to examine. "You know, it's kinda my fault he reacted the way he did. I poked his shin and told him off when he nearly stepped on me."

At that, he raised a brow, "Not many humans would be so bold as to touch him let alone tell him off. Regardless, he shouldn't have grabbed you like that. He could have easily broken your arm or ripped it off."

"I know," she winced as she looked down at the large bruises marring her freckled skin while he worked to bandage her arm. As she thought about the golden twin, Anwen felt the familiar tugging sensation in her chest, to which she gently rubbed her sternum.

"Is everything alright?"

*sigh* "I don't know. I've been getting these muscle cramps in my chest lately."

Though Ratchet already knew why, he had to be sure: "When did you first notice them?"

"Yesterday morning. They appeared shortly after I touched Sideswipe. I blamed it on a static charge in the air because when I touched him, I felt an electrical current pass through me. I thought nothing of it and went about my day as usual, except I'd get these strange muscle cramps throughout the day and again at night every once in a while. Just recently, when I touched Sunstreaker, I felt the same shock as I did with Sideswipe."

"Hmm, were you doing anything out of the ordinary when these aches started?"

"Non (No), I was usually just sitting down when they'd randomly appear. Although, I just realized that they seem to come on whenever I'm thinking about Sideswipe and Sunstreaker. I don't know why that is though."

"Hmm, interesting. I'll run a quick scan over you just to make sure everything's alright." Ratchet helped her out of his alt form before dismissing his holoform and transforming. He then pulled out a device that resembled a laser pointer, to which he aimed it at her and scanned her frame. "Well, according to my readings everything appears to be normal within your chest region. Also, this isn't an injury or a major concern but it seems that you're nearing your monthly cycle. I suggest you increase your iron and vitamin C intake."

Her cheeks turned a bright shade of crimson at that bit of information, "Oh...um...okay then. Thanks for letting me know."

"Of course. Now, if these chest pains continue, I'll conduct further tests to see if anything develops."

"Merci, Ratchet."