(Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers; just Anwen and other OC's I may or may not have mentioned yet.)

(Authors Note: Salutations dearest readers, I hope you all are enjoying reading what I have written so far because I absolutely love writing it for all of you and for myself, of course. I know many of you would like me to update sooner and more often than I have been, but as I've said, I'm also trying to work on my other FF's so I can give them attention and keep them updated as well. I've also been taking some time for myself to work on some of my personal hobbies as another means to keep myself busy and creative here and there. Regardless, I look forward to posting more chapters in the future and I look forward to your comments because you guys are my inspiration. Thank you for all the support and as always, stay safe, stay sane, stay warm and stay awesome.)

"English/French"

'Mental thoughts'

"Flashbacks" (and sometimes sarcasm)

{Cybertronian}

::Sparkbonds::

:Speaker talk:

::Comm. Link::

Chapter 7

Upon entering her apartment, Anwen placed her lanyard/keys on the kitchen counter and removed her blades and helmet for the evening. She then unzipped up her backpack and pulled out her raincoat to hang up on the coat rack. Afterwards, she headed into her bedroom and placed her bag on the dresser before removing her socks and tossing them into the hamper along with her clothes from earlier. Glancing down at her watch, Anwen noticed that she still had ten minutes left to get herself packed and over to Maggie's apartment.

With that, she then stripped out of her bikini and hung it (and her pool towel) over the shower rod to dry. While in the bathroom, she grabbed her toiletry bag and began tossing in her spa supplies, toothbrush, toothpaste, makeup, body spray, hairbrush, and deodorant.

Afterwards, she stepped back into her bedroom and placed the toiletry bag inside her backpack before slipping on a clean pair of panties, her Golden Girls 'Stay Golden' tank top, a pair of periwinkle booty shorts, her oversize blue flannel and a pair of purple non-skid slipper socks. Sure she was now bra-less, but she didn't care: it was the weekend and girls-night, which meant she was free to be as comfortable as she pleased. With that in mind, Anwen closed up her backpack and slipped it over her shoulders before taking a final glance around her bedroom, making sure she had everything.

Nope.

Her golden amber eyes immediately landed on a well-loved stuffed moose peeking over the edge of the covers, which brought a smile to her freckled face as she plucked it off the bed and lovingly tucked it under her arm. Sure, she was 19 years old and worked for a top secret government agency, but she couldn't bear to sleep without Morris nearby. She had him since infancy and he was among the few possessions she had left from her parents. With Morris now accounted for, Anwen headed over to the entryway and grabbed her lanyard/keys, slipped out the door (locking it behind her) and made her way down the hall.

Stepping into the elevator, she pressed the number to Maggie's floor and waited for the doors to open. Upon arrival, she headed over to the familiar unit and knocked on the door. Within seconds, the Aussie woman answered with a cheerful smile across her sun kissed face, "G'day, Anwen! You ready for girls-night?"

"Oui," she replied and stepped inside the apartment, "You know the saying..."

"Clock off, bra off," they both said in unison which led to an array of laughter.

*sigh* "Oh Anwen, I do so enjoy our after work get-together's where we can hang out and be silly like this."

"Me too. Especially since we both don't care about bra etiquette's when we're in each other's company."

"Right," she stated as she stepped back into the kitchen and began dishing up their food into bowls. "So, I was thinking we'd eat first and then have our spa session. After that, we'll paint our nails and continue our MST3K (Mystery Science Theater 3,000) marathon while we wait for them to dry. How does that sound?"

"That sounds wonderful," she stated with a smile as she set her backpack (and Morris) aside for the time being.

XXXXX

While eating dinner and enjoying each other's company, Maggie looked over at Anwen and asked, "Sooo, how was your conversation with Sideswipe? I couldn't help but notice you two were talking together while we were all congregating in the main hangar."

She felt her cheeks slightly heat up as a blush threatened to consume her freckled face, "It was fine...I actually had the pleasure of speaking to him and Sunstreaker on multiple occasions earlier today."

At that bit of information, the Aussie sat dumbfounded for a moment before finally speaking once more. "Are you serious?! You actually spoke with him?!"

"Oui. Although, our first encounter was unexpected and quite brash; however, we soon resolved the issue. He and Sideswipe approached me again as I was traveling homeward for the weekend. I must say that while my first impression of him was a bit harsh, I'll admit that his attitude towards me has drastically improved since I first met him this morning."

"I wonder what it is about you that prompted him to act civil? Other than a select few of his fellow Autobots, Sunstreaker never has anything remotely respectful or kind to say. And he never willingly speaks to us humans unless provoked. Personally, I think he's an arse."

At that, Anwen suddenly felt the familiar tugging sensation in her chest which caused her to gently rub her sternum. Seeing this, Maggie asked, "You okay?"

She nodded, "Oui, I'm fine. It's just a cramp I've been feeling off and on over the last two days."

"Huh, strange. Do you know what caused it?"

"Not really. I asked Ratchet about it and he assured me that it's nothing to fret over. Personally, I think I pulled a muscle in my breast or something because it feels similar to one of those."

"Don't tell me your boobs are getting bigger."

Anwen couldn't help but smirk at her statement, "No, they're not getting bigger...at least I hope not. They're large enough as it is and I'd rather not have to change bra sizes again anytime soon. It's hard enough finding bras that properly fit, let alone look pretty on me."

"You know, I always wondered why bustier girls are only given a small selection of bra colors to choose from. They're usually limited to wearing nude, white or black bras."

She shrugged, "Qui sait (Who knows). My theory is that flat-chested girls are given prettier bras to compensate for their lack of breasts."

"Makes sense to me," she agreed with a chuckle. "Although, it would be nice if all bras were created equal, to where they not only gave us the shape and support we need, but also looked pretty, no matter how large or small our tits are."

"Here, here," she raised her glass in cheers before taking a sip of her drink. *sigh* "Anyways, what were we talking about before this whole bra topic?"

"Oh, just how Sunstreaker is a huge arse. Honestly though, I'm still shocked you were able to communicate with him on a civil level."

At that, Anwen couldn't help the small curve in her lips as she thought about the golden Autobot, "He may have some behavioral issues, but I honestly think there's a decent mech underneath that cranky persona."

"Well, that's a rather interesting theory."

"It's not a theory, but a fact. If there wasn't an ounce of decency within him then why would he be fighting alongside the Autobots? Yes, his brother would likely be an answer, but even then that's not enough. Deep down I know he truly does care about protecting innocents; even if they aren't Cybertronians. If he didn't, he'd be on the opposing side of their war and in rank with the Decepticons."

"Oh, if only more people were as optimistic as you, Anwen."

"Yea, then maybe everyone wouldn't be so tense all the time. Although, some people find my optimism rather refreshing," she stated before taking a bite of her spag bol (spaghetti bolognese).

"Well, it is," Maggie agreed with a smile. "You have a gentle aura about you and when you speak, your voice is pleasant, so it's no wonder why you're easy to talk to."

"Merci."

"Of course."

XXXXX

After dinner and cleanup, Anwen and Maggie started their spa session. At the moment, they were comfortably reclining on the bed with green clay masks smeared across their faces, while their hair was pulled up in messy buns and held back by plushy, pink bowed headbands. The lights had been dimmed and candles were lit to give the room a cozy, relaxing vibe while also providing a soothing citrus scent. Soft meditation music played through the small boombox on the dresser and for the moment, all was right in the world.

While relaxing, Anwen suddenly broke the silence between them, "Hey Maggie?"

"Hmm?"

"This is gonna sound like a strange request, but...do you know how to cut hair?"

"Here and there. Why?"

She sighed and slightly turned her head to face her, "Well, I was thinking about having my hair cut. I've been growing it out since I was 12 and lately I've been wanting to shorten it."

The Aussie woman gave her a small smile, seeing as how the clay mask was preventing her from fully displaying her emotions: "I don't blame you for wanting to change your look considering how much hair you have and the fact that it practically touches your bum. I can't even imagine how long it takes to dry, considering how curly and thick it is."

"It does get to be quite a hassle," she admitted with a soft chuckle. "However, I'm not ready for too short of a cut just yet."

"Sooo, maybe something just past your shoulders then?"

"That would be fine. I could handle that length...or lack thereof."

"Alright then. If you'd like, I can cut your hair after we wash these masks off our faces. Just imagine everyone's reaction on Monday when you come into work with shorter hair."

Anwen felt her cheeks heat up underneath her clay mask as she thought about what Sunstreaker and Sideswipe's reaction would be like. With that in mind, she couldn't help but smile.

XXXXX

Upon washing the (dried) clay masks off their faces, Maggie asked Anwen to pull her hair back with a couple of hair ties in order to section off the length she wanted her to cut. She had decided that it would be best to just chop it off in one go before styling it because her plan was to donate her hair to Locks of Love. A generous thought indeed. With that, Anwen sat on one of the kitchen chairs and closed her eyes as Maggie carefully began cutting through the sectioned off locks of thick, curly, red hair.

*snip, snip, snip, snip, snip*

The young ginger breathed out a sigh as she felt a weight lift off her before she opened her eyes to see Maggie now standing before her with a thick, severed ponytail in her hand. "So, I cut off at least 12 inches. Of course, it would have been much longer if we had wet it first, but regardless, what do you think?"

Anwen immediately ran her fingers through her shortened hair and noticed that it now came just below her shoulders. "Sainte moly (Holy_)...I haven't had my hair at this length since I was thirteen. This feels amazing!"

She chuckled while placing her hair in a Ziploc bag, "And I haven't even styled it yet. Although, I don't think it'll need much styling seeing as how it's so curly and wouldn't be very noticeable unless you straightened it out. I'm just gonna even it out better, but I'll need you to wet it first, so feel free to use my shower."

"Merci, Maggie," Anwen politely bowed her head before standing up from the chair and heading off into the bathroom where she stripped out of her clothes and slipped into the shower to rinse her hair. Once finished, she dried off, dressed and headed back into the kitchen where she sat down and let the Aussie work her skills.

After several minutes of combing and trimming, Maggie set her scissors aside and led the young ginger back into the bathroom where she pulled out her hairdryer and a brush, to which she began blow-drying her damp, crimson locks until they were soft and curly once more. "What do you think? I'm by no means a licensed professional, but I think it turned out okay."

A broad smile lined Anwen's face as she looked at her reflection, "J'aime cela (I love it)! Merci, Maggie." She then gave her a big hug, which was happily accepted and reciprocated.

"Of course. Now, would you also like your nails done or shall we just glam ourselves up?"

"Oh, let's do our nails and then get all dressed up for no reason other than to make ourselves feel good. We can continue our MST3K marathon later, if that's alright?"

"I'm fine with that. Besides, while I absolutely love watching that show with you, getting all dolled up for the hell of it is so much fun and self-satisfying."

"True. Plus, you just cut my hair and I have this sudden urge to get all dressed up and glamorous for no particular reason other than I want to look stunning for myself."

"That's always the best reason. Alrighty then, shall we start with our pedicures first?"

"Oui, we shall."

XXXXX

Nearly an hour later, the girls were finally finished with their pedicures and manicures as part of their girls-night dress-up session. Being a fan of green, Maggie was now sporting lime-colored toes and fingers while Anwen's were a metallic blue color. They were currently waiting for them to dry off so they could apply the top coat and call it good. Thankfully, Maggie had a UV LED nail lamp to help speed up the drying process, which made their salon session less time consuming.

"Wow, my nails look amazing! You should offer your skills to some of the women on base. I bet they'd love it."

The Aussie thoughtfully smiled and shrugged, "Maybe. I actually thought about it once or twice since I arrived here. I mean, sure, I'm not a licensed professional, but I've done plenty of manicures over the years to know the basics. And it's not like Diego Garcia has much to offer in terms of beauty services."

"Exactly."

"Well, we'll see. Right now I'm just happy to be spending time with you."

"Same here. Honestly, I'm so glad I met you because when I first came here I was worried that I wouldn't find anyone to connect with outside of work. Yes, I get along great with almost everyone, but I don't have a lot of girlfriends to do stuff like this with. You know what I mean?"

"Of course. In truth, I was the same way: When I first arrived here, all I had were guys to hang out with; which limited my social options to just watching movies, playing video games, participating in sports, or playing cards. I couldn't have a girls-night-in unless it was just me pampering myself, which is nice here and there but after a while it gets kinda boring and lonely."

Anwen gave a nod as she switched hands under the UV LED light, "I agree. While I do love pampering myself every now and then, I like doing these kinds of things with other girls because I enjoy the conversations we share and the memories we make."

"Sounds like you've had your share of girls-night's."

She nodded, "Oui. When I was in middle and high school, I used to attend sleepovers with my girlfriends every other weekend just to get out of the foster house I was living in. In a way, sleepover's were my 'temporary' escape from Hell."

"I'm so sorry you were in a situation like that."

She waved it off, "You needn't feel sorry for me. I eventually managed to get myself out and focus more on my education and goals."

"About that...I've been meaning to ask: how did you manage to escape that house and live in a van without your foster parents noticing?"

"Well, I had a lot of help from my friends. My copain (buddy), Andy Fisher, and his older brother, Toby, were the ones who sold me the van and helped me convert it into a proper living structure. When they asked me why I wanted to convert the van, I explained my current living situation to them and they immediately offered to help me out. Also, fun fact: my foster family didn't even know I had a job, let alone two jobs, to where I was earning my own income and saving money to sustain myself and buy my van and the supplies I needed to convert it into a proper living structure. If they knew, I would have been ordered to pay rent to live in their house even though I was only fourteen at the time."

"Okay, that's just disgusting. No adult should expect a fourteen-year-old to pay rent. Sure, maybe pitch in with the internet bill every now and then if they're bringing in a semi-decent income and can spare $20 a month or so. But rent? Absolutely not!"

"I agree. Besides, they were quite wealthy and certainly didn't need me to pay them for the less than adequate treatment I was given."

"I understand it's a sensitive topic, but what exactly did they do to you?"

*sigh* "As much as I want to tell you, I just can't bring myself to relive those memories at this time. Je suis désolé (I'm sorry)."

"No, Anwen, you don't have to apologize, nor do you have to talk about it if you're not comfortable."

She merely nodded and glanced down at her (now dry) nails before feeling a comforting hand on her shoulder: "Hey, why don't we finish getting ourselves all dolled up and take a couple of pictures for the hell of it? Afterward, we can slip back into our comfy's, eat some ice cream and watch MST3K. Does that sound alright to you?"

At that, Anwen gave her a smile, "Oui, that sounds perfect. Merci, Maggie."

"Of course."

XXXXX

The sun had finally set when the girls stepped back into the living room looking like they were dressed up for a fancy party or a red carpet event. Maggie wore her little black strapless dress and matching heels, while her makeup was effortlessly flawless and her hair was elegantly tied back in an updo. As for jewelry, she had on a set of pearl earrings and a matching necklace.

Meanwhile, Anwen had to have her (Maggie's) dress clamped in the back because she was a little too skinny to fill it in properly...at least in the waist. Regardless, it was still amazing and she felt like a princess. It was a sparkly, knee length, violet dress that Maggie had apparently worn at a wedding shortly before arriving in Diego Garcia. The neckline was a sweetheart design and the dress itself was held up by a pair of shoulder straps. To complete the look, Anwen had her hair pulled up in an elegant updo and wore silver heels, dark red lipstick and a chunky, cubic zirconia necklace with matching earrings.

"Damn, Anwen, you look amazing!"

"Merci, Maggie. And I must say that you look equally stunning yourself."

"Well, thank you. It's not every day I dress up like I'm about to attend a gala...or a fancy funeral."

At that, Anwen emitted a laugh, "We do look like we're about to put the 'fun' in funeral, don't we?"

"Of course! So, with that being said: what should we do now?"

"Oh, why don't we go up to the roof and take pictures of ourselves under the starlight and then maybe dance to some music?"

"Now that sounds like a fantastic idea! I'll grab my gear," Maggie then stepped into her bedroom and returned within seconds, carrying a camera bag. She then grabbed her keys, to which both women headed out the door (locking it behind them), stepped over to the elevator and entered before pressing the top floor number and riding their way up.

Upon arriving at the top floor, they headed over to the stairway leading up to the roof. Maggie went up after Anwen to act as a support for her in case she were to lose her footing and stumble. She knew stairs were often difficult for the young ginger due to all the hardware in her ankles and leg, which is why she always promised to catch her if she fell.