Chapter Co-Authored with Flyby Stardancer and Omicron the IceQueen
A Family Christmas
Ratchet grumbled, shifting in his recharge to hold his mate tighter and bury his face in the pillow on their recharge berth. The medbay was empty for once, and he intended to get in some extra recharge.
There was a chirping as several light weights hopped over the mechas' frames. The cyber-raptors were playing something like tag as they flit around. The queen snorted from her spot curled up beside Ratchet's shoulder, ignoring the lesser raptors' innocent play.
Ratchet was well-practiced at ignoring them at this point, letting out a contented rumble as his arm around Wheeljack tightened. The other mech rumbled as he shifted to scratch the back of one raptor before his arm draped back limply over his mate. He was content with life for now, leaning face-down against Ratchet. One of his sensor winglets started twitching sleepily. Ratchet started to slip back into deep recharge, warm and comfortable. Quiet mornings were too few and far between for his tastes.
The berthroom door opened and a cautious head poked in first. Both of Wheeljack's sensors twitched. Sensing the movement, Ratchet rumbled quietly and his hold on Wheeljack tightened. He didn't wake up, though.
Then the regular sensation of small three-toed feet that had been running over the mecha vanished with alarmed chirps and squeaks. It was enough to have Wheeljack lifting his head. He didn't just have the cyber raptors for pets, but before leaving in the Ark they were very useful as guards or an alert system that couldn't be hacked.
"Hmmm?" The mech asked just before something big suddenly sprawled over and around them. "Hooupf...! ...Ratchet...Junior is cuddling me to much..."
Ratchet started awake with a yelp, looking up at the mech that had him pinned down. Large blue optics were looking back as the nearly too-big frame of Swoop shifted and curled around Wheeljack a little more. A soft nearly sparkling chirrup came out of the young warrior.
Ratchet sighed, and gave the young Dinobot a tug on his arm. "C'mover here, Swoop. You're squishing 'Jack."
"Bad!" The Dinobot worried, then shuffled about. He was the main reason Wheeljack had changed the berth to something bigger and lower to the ground. Swoop chirped as he tried to find a spot that he could get attention from both creators, or at least be in contact.
Ratchet shifted, allowing the mech that acted so much like a sparkling in between him and his mate. "What brings you here, Swoop?"
"Alone," Swoop complained, not minding the queen raptor standing on him and scolding. He, like the other Dinobots, seemed to let the comparative tiny lizard boss them around since coming online. "Grimlock grumpy, Swoop wants cuddles."
"Primus who set him off this time..." Wheeljack buzzed with exasperation, more so since it was his turn to calm Grimlock down. He debated getting up but Swoop's arms were locked around him and Ratchet.
"And the rest of your brothers?" Ratchet asked, reaching up to stroke Swoop's helm.
"Sludge out with shiny gold and red and music mech" Swoop said, his claws pulled back as he started an indexing motion. "Slag recharging with Spike. Waiting for present human, Swoop stayed up, didn't see him."
"And Snarl?" Ratchet asked. He continued to stroke Swoop's helm.
Swoop paused and then shrugged, distracted by Wheeljack scritching at his neck cables.
"Maybe we should call a bath-day soon." The engineer snorted with some amusement. "That attracts the whole lot of them!"
Ratchet chuckled, "I think they wouldn't be happy if it were today, though."
"It's present-family day!" The Dinobot cheered quietly, edging to try and get scratching from Ratchet too.
Ratchet chuckled, obliging him. "Known to the humans as Christmas. Yes, it is."
"Most of the whole planet seems enamored with this native festival." Wheeljack shifted to give the nearest raptor a pet. The mech buzzed in a different tone from before he stretched out, muttering about a good oil bath at last.
"What time is everything again?" Ratchet asked his mate.
"Time?" The other mech asked as he put a hand over his chest, like he had gotten into the habit of doing.
"To be in the rec room. You know Sideswipe will make a nuisance of himself if everyone isn't there," Ratchet said, groaning in anticipation of how the red hellion would act.
"Oh... He tried to come by last night and say dawn, but I told him no. We have half a local hour before the humans come, and he wanted them." Wheeljack said, he sat up though and looked Swoop over, checking out of habit for anything amiss and needing repairs.
Ratchet muttered softly to himself, then sighed. "So, time to gather the Dinobots in here then?"
"We can, might want to put your tools away," Wheeljack looked at where they had cleaned all of Ratchet's personal tools and set out to dry with a fresh coat of anti-rust oil. It had been a pleasant, calm night for once in a long time.
"That won't take long," Ratchet replied, before nudging the Dinobot cuddled between them. "Swoop, go gather your brothers and bring them here."
Swoop gave a protesting chirp, "Swoop wants cuddles and preening." The younger mech pouted. And odd image to say the least from the shock trooper warrior that stood almost three times the height of most mechs that were in the Ark... more if you include the minibots.
"More than presents?" Ratchet asked with a raised optic ridge.
Big dark blue optics blinked, and the Dinobot paused to really think about that.
Wheeljack laughed and settled the matter by getting up and tugging on a large pede. "Up you get little big guy. We can cuddle and do presents before going to the wreck room. Go get the red painted crate from my bay too." The engineer grasped a large hand and made sure the Dinobot didn't look away and was focused to hear all the orders. "Don't open it Swoop, that's Ratchet's present, okay?"
Swoop tilted his head from one side to the other in a bird like way before nodding as he looked back at his other creator, "Swoop get brothers and Ratchet's presents!"
"Good mech," Ratchet said, patting his shoulder before giving him a gentle shove towards the door.
Swoop gave himself a shake once clear of bopping Wheeljack, or knocking anything over with a wing. Then he bounced out with a set of small tremors.
"Good thing we converted the sub-bay to a side room to fit all of them in one spot." Wheeljack motioned to the new side door to Ratchet's room as he started to put some of the tools into brackets, those that Ratchet hadn't linked to his systems.
"Very much so," Ratchet agreed, moving to help put the tools away. He leaned over and kissed Wheeljack softly. "Be right back. Need to grab your gift from the Medbay."
"Yours will be here with Swoop hopefully!" The engineer grinned in his own way, optics bright and crinkling a bit on the edges while his panels glowed a warm shade of blue-green.
"I heard you before," Ratchet chuckled, before ducking through the door that was his shortcut into the medbay. It was less than a breem before he returned, box in hand.
His mate had moved to the sub bay, tidying up a bit to be on Ratchet's good side, his little horde of raptors bouncing around and investigating the place. The queen came trotting over to Ratchet with the sweet sounding chirps of greeting she saved almost exclusively for her owners.
Ratchet set the box aside and scooped her up, depositing her on his shoulders and petting her. "There you go."
The queen purred and shifted her balance to wrap the long tail around Ratchet's neck and crouched almost laying down, the glowing lights on her crest and sides a bright happy green.
"That's still funny to see from the side when she's behind your head," Wheeljack laughed softly.
"It keeps her happy," Ratchet replied, bringing the box and setting it next to the boxes containing the presents for the Dinobots.
"Remind me to thank Perceptor for the help with the new designs." Wheeljack said picking up one of the lesser male raptors, giving it a good scritching behind the smaller crest, where it couldn't reach easily. "Might have some work ahead of us, but Primus it'll be worth it." He grinned at Ratchet, that look of someone pleased with knowing a secret.
Ratchet raised an optic ridge. "What's that look for?"
"You'll see in a few kliks!" Wheeljack's winglets twitched in a show of his high happiness at the mech's plot.
"Really, now," Ratchet said, moving closer and running his hands along Wheeljack's sides. "Does it have anything to do with my gift?"
"Well...yes!" Wheeljack chirped, his winglets arching up, amused at the chittering from Ratchet's shoulders, He leaned over to rest his forehelm on the broad white chest, looking into the medic's alternate mode's wind screen and the trimmings inside for a few moments. "Looks like you had Sparkplug's offspring hiding in you again. Avoiding Sideswipe I bet in this festival season. Poor human pups- er, kids."
"Why do you say that?" Ratchet asked, his hands rubbing Wheeljack's back.
"You have a card taped to your seat that says 'to Ratchet, t-h-n-k-s Spike.'" Wheeljeack read and spelled, "I didn't notice that a few local days ago."
Ratchet snorted. "Could you get it out? Later, when we have private time."
"Of course." Wheeljack nodded, lifting his head at the first set of lumbering footsteps. "And here's the first of the 'boys.' Sounds like Sludge."
"Let's let him in, then," Ratchet replied, loosening his hold so that they could move back into the main room.
"Sire?" A deep voice rumbled out on the other side of the door. A big finger tapping on the door, the Dinobot having been trained to do that instead of trying to mess with a too small key pad.
"This door," Wheeljack poked his head out of the open sub-bay door. "Bigger for you Sludge."
Rumbling a purr, the big Dinobot shuffled down the hall to the second door and edged in, sitting to the side and pressing his pedes together. "Sludge good?"
Snarl was right behind him. "Time for presents?"
"Sit down," Wheeljack pointed to a wall, being careful not to be stepped on or accidently pushed-nudged by his grumpy creation. "Presents from Ratchet and Wheeljack. Then we're going to the recroom for the secret-Santa present game."
Sludge was leaning over a bit, reaching before his big hand got a grip, and- carefully- pulled Ratchet into his lap and a bear hug.
Ratchet yelped, tumbling into the bear hug, before patting Sludge on the helm. "Yes, yes, merry Christmas."
Sludge made a pleased rumble at the pat, hunching to be able to press his helm to the back of Ratchet's. Then with the queen raptor scolding he lessened his hold so Ratchet could get free again.
Wheeljack chuckled, looking out as Grimlock's aggressive foot falls were heard and felt.
Slag's were right behind, and soon both were entering the room. "Him Swoop say time for presents in here!" he boomed.
"Voice down," Wheeljack said, patting Grimlock as the bigger mech paused to transform, then sat with a thud on Sludge's other side.
He eyed the visible presents, two boxes in each hand. "Slag stand and sit." Grimlock ordered, trying to be careful of putting the two boxes down by the others. Then he paused to eye Sludge and Ratchet, grunting. "Grimlock want pretty queen to sit with him," he added.
"See!" Wheeljack called over to his mate, the lesser raptors bouncing around the sitting Dinobots, happy to see them again, "Everyone loves cyber raptors! Best pets!"
"Let's see if she wants to. She might want to stay where she is, Grimlock," Ratchet cautioned. He moved closer to the largest Dinobot, and tried to coax the queen to shift onto him.
The queen raptor sniffed, her wrapped tail twitching around the medic's neck, leaning over to give Grimlock's finger a lick, but staying put for now.
As Grimlock sulked, and then started to purr to coax the mecha creature over, Swoop came in. The flier of the group was being very, very careful with each step, eyeing his box the whole time before setting it down.
"Swoop bring Ratchet's present!" Swoop preened in pride, "No hurt, Swoop be very careful."
"Good mech Swoop!" Wheeljack praised, aware of the interest in the Dinobots at the biggest box in the room.
Ratchet waited a few moments to see if the purring would cause the queen to change her mind, then shook his helm. "Looks like she's happy where she is, Grimlock. Don't worry, you'll have a present to open." He patted the big mech's shoulder before shifting away. He picked up Swoop's gift, moving over to the youngest of the Dinobots. "Alright Swoop. Why don't you set that down and take your own gift?"
Swoop carefully did, paranoid about hurting anything that belonged to Ratchet (all the Dinobots learned that lesson, even Grimlock), he cupped his hands for what Ratchet held out for him. "Me Swoop go first?" He blinked, looking around.
"How about everyone gets one of their three presents and opens them at the same time," Wheeljack spoke up from pushing Snarl to stay sitting down. "And after you open yours, Ratchet and I will try and open all these..." He eyed the various boxes that the Dinobots had put out in front of them. one for each Ratchet and himself. "Then Ratchet can open his."
The Dinobots cheered at that, and Ratchet helped Wheeljack pass around the first round of presents.
"You each get three presents," the engineer explained, slapping Grimlock's hand to wait until his brother's all had a present, "One from Ratchet, one from me and one very special one from the both of us." He looked to his mate to see if Ratchet had anything to add, or if he wanted to give the go ahead.
"Be sure to be careful as you open them," Ratchet reminded them. "Now go ahead."
Grimlock hunkered over to pet the male, lesser cyber-raptor that perched on his pede with a finger, and then set to opening his present with a surprising amount of care not many saw. Once it was open, a deep rumble of interest escaped him, Grimlock touching the network of crystals woven together. "It like tiny one's! Like Carly's! Sun-glitter?" He looked up at the others.
The other Dinobots had opened theirs, and they all pulled out similar items. "Pretty!" Swoop said of his.
"Yes, it's a suncatcher like Carly's," Ratchet said to him.
"And you each get your own color." Wheeljack added, smiling again as he had already plotted to prevent any squabbles over what catcher was whose.
"Where we hang them?" Swoop asked.
"Need good spot!" Snarl added.
"We can find a good spot later," Wheeljack said, moving to Ratchet, "There's not a lot of sun right now in winter."
They all continued to open their presents in order, until all that was left was the large present Wheeljack had for Ratchet.
Wheeljack was projecting his gleeful energy so much that the other mecha in the room perked up. He knew the small, grey and red frame in the padded box had no life yet but was laying inside as if just asleep. Its blue optics were dark but not shuttered.
The engineer was also ready to dart away and up onto the nearest Dinobot's head for some protection just in case.
Ratchet slowly opened the box, and then went very still when he saw the small frame. Then his face shot up to look at his mate. "Wheeljack?" he asked quietly, before reaching in to lift it out.
Wheeljack had a good space buffer between them, watching the small frame rest peacefully on Ratchet's chest, limp like a recharging sparkling. The mostly grey mech had a hand on his lower chest again.
"Tiny mech?" Grimlock tilted his head, puzzled as why that would be a gift, carefully holding the datapad that had his promised upgrades on it.
"Wheeljack, are you trying to hint at something?" Ratchet asked quietly, his optics seeking out his mate's once more.
"Not hinting," Wheeljack said, voice softer than normal, "Telling you something." He eased closer.
"A sparkling?" Ratchet asked him.
"One, yes," the engineer felt safe enough to come over and knelt down with Ratchet. Wheeljack reached into the box and took out a large data pad, turning it on and showing the basic protoform of a second sparkling frame, a femling. "But not just one."
Shock rippled in Ratchet's field. "Two sparklings?" he asked, trembling. "How long?"
"I'm not making newling shells," Wheeljack explained, aware of very interested Dinobots around them. "Just dedicating my energy to the sparks," just in case, were the unspoken words. "It's close that they can come out, but enough time to make the second frame- I thought you would want to do that Ratchet. You wanted femling before the war."
"You went that long without telling me?" Ratchet asked, worry-based irritation starting to color his tone. "What if something went wrong?"
"Then I would have been begging at you," Wheeljack said honestly, "partly they were held in stasis lock with me too, I was monitoring the new sparks, ever day since I found out." ::And I didn't want you considering not having them with the fear of the war.:: he added on private comms.
Ratchet finally turned on the datapad, looking at the schematics for a little femme's frame. ::It is so dangerous...:: he replied hesitantly.
::But so worth it.:: The other mech said as he grasped Ratchet's knee, ::Look around love, we have five walking tanks that won't let anything near the sparklings.::
"Little Dinobot?" Swoop asked in a happy tone then, the lights clicking on the others after he spoke up.
"Yes, you'll have a little Dinobot brother. And a little sister too, though her frame isn't built yet," Ratchet replied softly to them.
That had a few chittering and rumbles of pleasure between the Dinobots over the mechs helms. Wheeljack leaned over and pulled Ratchet into an embrace.
Ratchet leaned against his mate. ::Do we have to go out to the rec room and join the others?::
::Not right now,:: Wheeljack tried to grin, "I think we need a family cuddle. Don't you?"
Grimlock leaned forward to carefully pulled the two mecha into his lap. Peering over Ratchet's head to see the sparkling frame. He tilted his head but had unspoken agreed not to go yet.