-1By the Lights of the Christmas Tree

By: Kyron

Primus it had sounded simple. Just go out, find a tree and bring it back to the Ark. Easy, right? Yeah…right. Except when they don't tell the nature-lovers that in order to get this tree back to the Ark it would have to be cut down. No, no. That part seemed to be completely neglected. So, here we are. Out in the snow, with shovels. Makes sense, right. Yeah. We're out here, in the middle of a forest trying to dig this tree out of the very hard and very frozen ground. Oh joy. Really. Why did I agree to this little trek again? Please someone remind me. Because, frankly, I think I must have been out of my gourd to agree with it.

"Be careful with the roots!" he cautions us. Again. I think that was the fifth…no sixth time in the past ten minutes. Primus.

Bluestreak was running around here somewhere. I think he went back to the Ark to find a container for this thing. That kid is happy as a petro-rabbit in an oil slick. And I guess him being out here keeps him away from the Twins and out of trouble. Not that the slaggin' flowers would come out into the slosh and risk marring up their finishes. Well, one might. The other, no way. So I guess that's why I was so slaggin' surprised when the yellow one came pushing through the branches carrying a large bucket. Yeah, I was surprised. Really surprised. The red one, maybe. This one? What bug bit his aft?

I guess it showed on my face…or in the fact that I stopped digging. Sunstreaker just gave me this look and moved on, setting the bucket down near by and out of the way. You know the look I mean. The one that says 'If-You-Open-Your-Mouth-You'll-Be-A-Minibot-In-Minipeices'. So I kept my mouth shut. Besides, Blue just bounded up, smiling audio to audio, not at all perplexed by the Lamborghini's appearance. I'm not sure if that should have made me nervous or relieved. So I went back to digging and wondering exactly how bad this job was going to make my joints ache later.

Amazing thing is, a few moments after his arrival, Sunstreaker actually picked up a shovel. Next thing ya know, him and Blue are both digging around, making better progress than myself and Hound had shown. They worked quietly and efficiently. Which is odd, considering that Blue normally has the capacity to talk an audio off. I did notice something though…I think. To be honest, I'm not sure what I saw. Ya see, digging around a tree can be close-quarters work. And I swear by the Matrix that anytime those two managed to bump shoulders, something happened. What, I don't have a clue of. Somehow I have a feeling it won't be good, whatever it was. The tree finally, and I do mean finally made itself free from the ground. I just stood back a bit when Sunstreaker pulled it up and gently placed it in the bucket and let Hound and Blue pack it in with some soil. I mean it. He handled that tree like it was glass and last I checked, it was a spruce.

So, we load this thing into Hound's back seat, bucket and all, and let him take it back to the Ark. Sunstreaker moves ahead, presumably to save having someone else's slosh tossed back at him. Me and Blue brought up the back. Thing is, it seemed like Blue wanted nothing more than to shoot ahead. I figured he wanted to hurry and get whatever it was that we were going to do to this tree done. At any rate, we made it back to the Ark and got the blasted pine-needle ridden thing into the rec. room. Low and behold, we find Sideswipe waiting. Now, I might not be the toughest of 'bots but I know when to not stick around and this was looking like one of those times. Minibots plus Lambos equals smashed up Minibots. So, I move to high-tail it out of there when someone calls my name. "Gears? You don't want to help us decorate the tree?" It's Bluestreak. I knew it had to be. And I know that if I turn around now I'll get hit with Blue's 'innocent-but-not-quite' face…or a Lambo fist. Both sound painful, really. So, what do I do? I turn around. And the face is there but not the fist. Yes, both twins are standing right there, looking at me kind of…well, expectantly. So, I get a new feeling. One that tells me that to deny this request could mean much pain for me at a later time. And I get this from both of them. "Sure. I'll help ya out." I hear myself reply. Better safe than sorry. But I tell ya, Blue just smiled all big and stuff and ya can't help but feel better for it. Not that I'd tell anyone but it's true. So, I haul my aft back into the rec. room and start sorting through boxes. Blue starts telling me his stories and all that. You know, just being Blue. We get to workin' and before I realize it, we've got the tree covered in lights and ornaments.

But I'm telling you. I think I need my optics checked. Seriously. They must be on the fritz because I swear to you, I saw something that made no sense to me. Now, I'm not a 'bot that stays up in everyone's business. No sir, not me. But this is something that shocked me to the laser core. I'm there, working on the tree. You know, short guy like me has to stick close to the floor. Anyway, I catch something out of the corner of my optics but it was such a fleeting glance that I'm not positive I saw it at all. It was something I'd been seein' for a while but I guess it never really clicked. I saw Sunstreaker and Bluestreak again…a minor brush of shoulders. And nothing happened. I got that feeling again. The one from earlier.

But I also got real curious to know how Blue got away with that. Normally, you bump into Sunstreaker and he'll have your skid plate as a side dish for his energon. But no, nothing happened at all. Sunny just gave him this small, side-long glance. And if I didn't know the 'bot at all, I'd say he was being sheepish.

Really. I mean it!

The all-powerful warrior looked sheepish as a newly built turbo-fox. For about two seconds. I felt him look my way, and thank Primus I wasn't actively looking back, and just quietly walked out of the room. No one else seemed to notice his little disappearing act, or if they did, it didn't matter. Sideswipe was over near one side of the room, hanging up some more decorations that I didn't even know we had; Bluestreak was on the other side of the tree, taking care of the ornaments for places I couldn't reach. At least, I couldn't at that point in time. Just imagine my shock when there's suddenly a pair of very big and very yellow feet right next to me. And next to the feet, a ladder. I think I must've looked a bit like a flounder for a few seconds before I looked up at Sunstreaker. He just smirked a bit and walked over to his brother, giving him a hand with the other stuff.

I think I must've sat there a few minutes just looking between the ladder and the yellow Lambo. Back and forth. Must've been because I hear Bluestreak chuckling behind me. "Don't worry, I don't think it's broken…" he said and handed me another box of ornaments. Well, all I can say is, if this thing falls apart, I think I'll go on a Lambo parts hunting spree. Not that'd it would do me any good but it's nice to boost my own bravado sometimes. At any rate, I climbed up the ladder, knowing it was going to tumble out from under me. I tensed as it rocked a bit…but nothing else happened. It held. No creaking or groaning of metal about to snap…no, just a ladder doing what it was made to do. Heh, Blue was right. So I set back to work.

Every once in a while, some of the others would come in the room. Many would help with the decorations, some would just gawk. All in all, they seemed impressed by the tree. Hound, after having delivered the tree safely, had to return to patrol. After his shift, however, he came in to check on it. I swear I saw his optics light up in the same fashion that Blue's did. I'll admit, it felt kinda…well, nice to see these reactions from everyone and knowing that I had a bit of a part in it. Even if I feel that part was filled because I like my casing in the correct number of pieces and not any more than that.

Finally, the tree was fully decorated and ready to plug in. So, Jazz, who'd been walking in and out all day, got on the intercom and called everyone into the rec. room. In no time flat, everyone, and I do mean EVERYONE was packed into the rec. room…some even standing outside the door. Hound gave Bluestreak a bit of a nudge, handing him the cord for the lights. And Blue, Primus bless 'em, probably would've blushed if he could've. Bluestreak goes on and plugs in the tree, in time with a countdown that Jazz initiated. Right on the count of one, he plugs the tree in. At first, nothing happens. Nothing at all. Blue looks just as perplexed as the rest of us. You could hear the disappointment coming from a few of the 'bots. Sideswipe and Sunny though just look on.

Then Sunstreaker just walks up to the tree, one arm across his chest and the opposite hand in this thoughtful position under his chin. He just kinda looks at the tree for a few moments, all of us looking on. I'll admit it. I was curious as to what he was up to. Surely he wasn't about to slag the tree…would he? His hand left his chin and reached outward. I think my fuel pump froze. He couldn't possibly destroy all the work we put into this thing! But no. He doesn't. He just reaches out and thumps one of the bulbs. Not two seconds later, the entire tree lights up in all it's multi-colored glory. And then the room erupted in cheers. I just kinda stood there, relieved more than anything else.

Sunstreaker had this surprised expression on his face. I don't think he actually thought that would work. Sideswipe just went up, slapped his brother on the shoulder, told 'em he was one lucky 'bot and walked on laughing with the crowd as they milled about. Sunstreaker just stood there and looked up at the tree, letting both his arms fall to his sides. Bluestreak just waltz on up to him and never said a word. But now I'm positive my optics don't need checking. I'm sure I saw this. Blue's arm brushed against the Lamborghini's and he lightly took hold of Sunstreaker's hand. Sunny didn't react right then, no. He just kept looking up at the tree and the star atop of it. Blue was right there watching it with him. Neither said a word, not one at all. And slowly, I saw Sunstreaker's fingers curl around the gunner's. And I got that feeling again.

Yeah, I got this feeling. The same one that had been popping up all day long. But I figured I was wrong about it. What I'd witnessed hadn't been for my optics, really. But I'd witnessed it anyway. I let myself kinda melt into the crowd behind me. It seemed no one else in the room had seen what I had. Least I didn't think so. That was until Sideswipe clapped one of those big hands down on my shoulder and gave me a wink before looking towards where his brother still stood. I'd been wrong. The entire day I'd been wrong. And I'm mech enough to admit it. And in the end, it was worth it. I can tell that right now. I glance back at the tree one more time. Yeah. It'll always be worth it.