(Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers; just Anwen and other OC's I've sprinkled in here and there.)

(Authors Note: Hello my fellow fangirls and fanboys! Okay, so this story is more distracting than I thought :) I tried working on my other FF's but ended up coming back to this one because I've been having so much fun with it and you guys obviously enjoy reading it. Who am I to disappoint? Anyways, I hope you all enjoy this new chapter and feel free to comment as I enjoy your positive feedback. Thank you so much for the likes and good vibes. You guys are what inspire me to keep writing and adding onto this story as often as I do. Of course, I kinda inspire myself to keep writing because I'm just in love with it and can't bring myself to part from it for too long. Regardless, thank you for the continued support. Until next time, stay safe, stay creative, and stay awesome!)

"English/French"

'Mental thoughts'

"Flashbacks"

'Sarcasm' (or emphasis)

{Cybertronian}

::Sparkbonds::

:Speaker talk:

::Comm. Link::

Chapter 20

After placing the leftovers inside the fridge and transferring the towels into the dryer, Anwen sat perfectly still while Sunstreaker sketched her. If it wasn't for the occasional blink of her eyes or the gentle rise and fall of her chest, one would assume she was a statue. She casually sat on the left side of the couch with her shoes off (obviously) and her feet on the adjacent cushion. Her right arm was propped on the armrest while her left arm rested along her waist and hip. Unlike the art classes she modeled for in college, she wasn't expected to pose naked, so she kept her clothes on throughout the duration of Sunstreaker's sketching.

Meanwhile, Sideswipe sat in the adjacent chair and watched with admiration and fascination. He always enjoyed watching his brother draw or paint, but he was especially glad to be witnessing him drawing Anwen. This meant his feelings for her were becoming more prominent as he only offered to sketch those he respected or cared about. And it was clear that he cared about her a lot. Sideswipe could tell from their shared bond that Sunstreaker was feeling a strong urge to be closer to the young ginger: Both of them wanted that, but they had to take things one step at a time. Neither of them wanted to put Anwen on the spot or pressure her into something she might not be physically, mentally or emotionally ready for.

No.

They respected and cared about her too much to do that. She was their missing piece, their brightest star, and their sparks incarnate. They had waited numerous human lifetimes to find her and they were going to make damn sure to do right by her. That, and they feared what Ratchet would do to them if they somehow hurt her in any way. No. When matters concerned Anwen, it was best not to invoke the wrath of 'Hatchet'. Pranks were one thing, but Ani's well-being? That was nothing to joke about.

With that thought in mind, he casually continued to watch as Sunstreaker sketched her while she maintained the same pose she struck for him almost an hour ago. It was quite impressive that a human could sit in one position for a lengthy period of time without moving. Sure, people sat at their desks or on the couch for hours on end, but even then they moved around a little here and there. Anwen hadn't even flinched or changed her expression since she struck her pose: truly, she was committed to this sketch.

Of course, Sunstreaker had actually taken an image of her in case she moved or needed to get up for some reason. He didn't tell her about it because there wasn't a need to do so. At the moment, he was finalizing the drawing by adding in her freckles. After several minutes, he stopped drawing and looked up from the sketchbook, "Okay, sparklight, I'm finished capturing your image."

At that, Anwen emitted a sigh and shifted to where she was properly sitting upright, "Merci, Sunstreaker." She stood up and stretched her limbs for a moment before approaching to look at her portrait: it was gorgeous! Granted, she had seen her image portrayed by dozens of artists before, but none of them captured her features quite so genuinely. Sunstreaker's sketch of her was so detailed that it was almost like she was looking at a photograph, albeit a black and white one. "Oh mon Dieu (_ my God), this is so lovely. I can't believe your attention to detail...you even got all of my freckles and scars accurately placed."

"Well, I wouldn't be much of an artist if I didn't pay attention to detail, now would I?"

"No. No you wouldn't," she agreed.

He gave her a slight smirk before signing his name (in Cybertronian) at the bottom right corner of the drawing, to which he then stood up and handed her the sketchbook, "Here you go."

"You're letting me keep the picture?"

"Of course. I want you to have it so you can look upon it everyday and see just how beautiful you truly are. Granted, it's a picture of you, but it's from my perspective...and I see you as a masterpiece."

Anwen was at a loss for words: his comment literally took her breath away. In response, she wrapped her arms around his chest and hugged him. "...Merci beaucoup (Thank you so much)...," she tearfully smiled as a familiar warmth settled within her chest.

Sunstreaker was taken aback by her sudden gesture, but in no way did he react negatively to it. Instead, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her a bit closer to his frame while Sideswipe witnessed the scene unfold with the biggest grin upon his face. Even though their sparks weren't in these false bodies, they were happily flipping within their casings and trying to reach out to Anwen.

Meanwhile, she felt her own heart beating faster than usual, but in no way did it give her cause for concern: she was genuinely happy and wanted to savor this moment; however, the universe had other plans. As she and Sunstreaker were enjoying this newfound feeling of closeness, the dryer suddenly went off with a loud *BZZZZZZT*. With an annoyed sigh, the young ginger reluctantly pulled away from his warm embrace, but delicately grabbed a hold of his hand for a moment and gave it a gentle squeeze before parting from him and heading over to the laundry closet.

Opening up the dryer, Anwen began removing her towels and placing them inside the basket before cleaning out the lint trap and disposing the fluff into a paper bag she had sitting between the machines. As she did this, Sideswipe asked, "Need some help folding towels?"

Closing up the dryer and bringing the basket over to the living room, Anwen gave him a shrug, "Pas vraiment (Not really), but you're welcome to assist if you'd like." She then sat in the center of the couch and placed the laundry basket in front of her while Sideswipe sat on her left and Sunstreaker sat on her right. Once settled, she then showed them how to fold beach and bath towels so they'd fit better inside the linen closet. Sure, this task was a little mundane, but they honestly didn't mind it. In fact, they seemed to enjoy it because it gave them a small insight of Anwen's personal habits and preferences.

Until today, Sunstreaker and Sideswipe had no idea that she had a specific way she folded her laundry, or that she liked Lady Grey tea, enjoyed gardening (despite her fair skin), and played piano. Speaking of which...

Upon finishing folding up the towels, Sideswipe asked her, "Would you still like for us to take you over to the recreational center so you can play the piano? I mean, you don't have to, but Sunny and I would certainly love to hear you play."

With a freckled smile, the young ginger gave him a nod, "Oh oui, I'd love to! Just let me put these towels away first and then I'll be ready." She then stood up and took the towels over to the linen closet where she neatly stacked them away for later use before placing the (now empty) laundry basket on top of the dryer. Slipping her black flats on her feet and adorning her lanyard, Anwen grabbed her cellphone and placed it in the front pocket of her backpack before snatching up her keys, "Okay, I'm ready."

At her eagerness, both twins couldn't help but smile. "Alright, sweetspark; but since it's still raining outside, we'll probably have to take the stairs again."

"C'est très bien (That's fine). I should be able to walk down the stairs without much of an issue as that doesn't bother me as much as walking up them."

"We'll allow it for now," Sunstreaker stated. "But if you feel any sort of discomfort, please let us assist you the rest of the way."

"I will," she assured with a slight blush as she went around her apartment turning off lights and making sure her stove was turned off: it was. With that, the three of them stepped out of her unit (after she locked the door behind her) and headed over to the stairway where they began their descent down nine flights.

XXXXX

-Five flights of stairs later-

Anwen had to stop for a quick rest as her implants were now starting to bother her. This, of course, did not go unnoticed by the twins as they were more than willing to help her. So now, Sunstreaker was carrying Anwen's backpack while Sideswipe carried her in his arms. He was thankful to be holding her this time around and was enjoying the feeling of having her in this close proximity: she was so soft and smelled sweetly of roses.

Anwen, for her part, enjoyed this feeling of closeness and wished that she could experience it all the time. She snuggled against Sideswipe's chest and rested her head on his shoulder as he continued to gently hold her in his strong, protective arms. Sure, they weren't his real arms, but still, she was enjoying herself nonetheless.

Upon reaching the bottom of the stairway, Sideswipe asked, "So, Ani, would you like me to put you down or shall I carry you over to my alt form?"

Her golden amber eyes met his as a slight blush made its way across her freckled cheeks. How could she possibly say no to his charmingly handsome face? "Well, we are almost outside anyway...I guess it wouldn't hurt if you carried me for a little longer."

"Great," he smiled as he and his brother stepped into the lobby with the young femme in tow, to which they then exited the building and approached their alt forms. ::Sunstreaker, do you mind if I drive Ani back to base?::

::Go ahead.::

::Really?! You mean it?::

::Mhmm. But I'm driving her back to the room after we stop by the recreational center.::

::Okay, that's fair. Thanks, Sunny.::

::Don't call me Sunny!::

Sideswipe smirked over at his twin before gently setting Anwen down and opening his door for her, "Your chariot awaits, Milady."

An adorable dust of pink lined her cheeks, which she politely curtsied in response, "Merci, Monsieur." Upon entering his alt form, Anwen felt the seatbelt gently strap her in while the door closed and his holoform vanished. *sigh* "Sideswipe, why are you so comfortable?"

:Hmm, maybe it's because I'm the epitome of luxury,: there was an obvious smirk in his voice, which caused Anwen to playfully roll her eyes and stroke her fingers over the armrest, causing him to shudder in silent pleasure.

XXXXX

-Several minutes later-

Upon entering the base, Sunstreaker and Sideswipe drove over to the recreational building and stopped outside the doors so they could transform and head inside with Anwen. Once she emerged from the silver Lamborghini, she stood in silent awe at seeing both frontliners shift their bodies until they now stood before her in their true forms.

"Ahhh, it feels good to stretch out the gears," Sideswipe stated as he and his brother took a moment to flex their limbs after being contorted for the last few hours.

"Does transforming into a car hurt," she asked, concerned.

"Oh no, it doesn't hurt us, sweetspark. We just get a little stiff if we're in our alternate forms for lengthy periods of time. Think of it like curling in on yourself and remaining in that position for a few hours."

"It sounds uncomfortable."

"It can be," added Sunstreaker. "But it's only painful if a bot is in an alternate form that's too small for their frame. Like humans, our kind experiences growth spurts in our developmental stages. So when a young bot's protoform grows too large for their armor, he or she needs to find an alternate form to scan in order to accommodate their larger frame."

"Interesting," she stated with a smile as she looked up at the two gleaming mechs standing before her. 'Oh mon Dieu (_ my God), have they always been this attractive?' Anwen mentally asked herself as she emitted a sigh, to which Sideswipe asked:

"Ani, are you alright?"

"Hmm? Oh oui, I'm fine. I just zoned out for a moment."

"Oh, I see...you were mesmerized by our devilishly good looks," he winked, making her face turn a deep shade of crimson.

As much as she wanted to deny it, she couldn't. Anwen had to admit to herself that she was indeed attracted to the twins, but it was so much more than just a physical attraction. She loved their kind and protective nature, their eagerness to learn new skills, and their openness towards her. She adored Sideswipe's fun personality and boyish charms, while she also loved Sunstreaker's creativity and secret tenderness. Both of them were very considerate of her feelings and never made her feel like she was just an object or a pretty face. When she was among them, she felt safe and wanted, which is what she always hoped to find in a partner. While these thoughts swirled through her head, a crash of thunder brought her back to her present situation: "Why don't we head inside before it starts to rain again."

"Sounds good to me, sweetspark," Sideswipe agreed, to which the three of them stepped into the recreational building. Thankfully, it was built with an Autobot-sized door, so they could enter without having to use their holoforms. In fact, most of the buildings on base were designed to accommodate the Autobots in their bipedal forms.

With that being said, Sunstreaker and Sideswipe led Anwen through the recreational center and over to the lounge room where both humans and Autobots could go and relax. Speaking of which: upon entering the room, they noticed that they had some company. Sitting in one of the large Cybertronian-sized chairs was none other than the SIC, Prowl. He had been casually reading a data pad when he spotted the twins enter the vicinity with a young human femme by their side. Of course, this caused him to raise an optic ridge at the scene due to Sunstreaker's strong dislike for organics.

"Hey, Prowl, I didn't think you ever took breaks from work," Sideswipe casually joked as he rolled across the room.

The Praxion mech glanced over at him with a neutral expression, while his doorwings slightly flitted upwards before settling back down again, "I don't unless I feel that I can spare the time to do so."

"Fair enough. By the way, I hope you don't mind us being here. Ani was hoping to play on the piano for a little while, but we can come back later if you'd prefer to relax in silence."

He looked over at the young ginger with a polite shake of his helm, "No, that won't be necessary. Seeing as how this is a public space, you three are welcome to use the vicinity as you see fit. And you needn't worry about the noise as I can always adjust my audio receptors if needed. Although, I don't believe that will be necessary as I'm sure you have adequate skills on that particular instrument," he gestured over towards the piano.

"Oui, Monsieur," she curtly nodded. "Although, I haven't played in a while, so I may be a little rusty." Anwen then approached the upright piano against the wall and sat down on the bench where she casually began playing scales in order to test the tune of the instrument and warm up. As she did this, the twins casually sat down across from the Praxion and listened to her play.

::Since when did you associate yourself with humans,:: Prowl curiously asked the golden mech through his Comm.

At his question, Sunstreaker narrowed his optics at the SIC, ::I don't...But Anwen isn't like the other flesh bags scurrying around base.::

::How so?::

::What's it to you,:: he asked in an annoyed tone.

His defensive behavior caused Prowl to raise an optic ridge while his doorwings slightly flit upwards. It was clear that something was going on between him, his brother and the small, organic femme; but as to what, he was uncertain. Perhaps Ratchet would have an explanation for him. ::I'm just curious as to why you suddenly wish to be seen in the company of a human when you usually express such strong dislikes of them.::

::I don't have to answer your questions,:: he abruptly dismissed his Comm. while continuing to glare at the Praxion. He was physically agitated from Prowl's questioning, but refused to act on it because of Anwen's presence. Glancing over to where the young ginger was currently sitting, Sunstreaker's optics took on a softer glow and his tension all but melted away upon hearing her play the piano.

A quick search revealed that she was now playing Pachelbel-Canon in D, which sounded lovely to the three Autobots present: even Prowl stopped his private questioning just to listen to her play. His doorwings lowered slightly in a calming manner, while his entire frame visibly relaxed. The twins, for their part, also felt a wave of calm glide over their frames upon hearing the soothing melody. Of course, they continued to silently watch and listen to the young ginger while she continued to display her skills.

Once the song was over, Anwen then began to play Beethoven-Moonlight Sonata (1st Movement); however, she was unaware that her playing had drawn attention from other beings. Ironhide and Jazz had recently entered the recreational center with Will, Epps and several other soldiers when they overheard music coming from the lounge room and decided to investigate. Of course, they kept their presence hidden from the young redhead as they quietly sat down in the empty chairs and listened to her play.

While enjoying the performance, Jazz opened up his Comm. link to Optimus, Ratchet and every other Autobot that wasn't present, so they too could listen to her enchanting melody. Meanwhile, some of the soldiers were brought to tears as they continued to fondly listen to the music she was playing. Of course, Anwen was unaware of her additional audience members as she was completely focused on the music. Her fingers skillfully danced across the keys as she continued to play to her heart's content. Sure, she had sheet music back at her apartment and at her current disposal, but she wasn't using them: she was playing directly from memory and in her opinion, that was better than printed notes.

Upon finishing the piece, Anwen then moved onto playing Debussy-Clair de Lune, while completely oblivious to the crowd steadily forming behind her. It was clear that she was completely in the zone and would likely remain in this current state for a while longer, but that obviously didn't bother those present as they were perfectly content listening to her play.