Miko's agitated cry alerted the entire base of her bad mood; the slamming of Bulkhead's side door only further enforcing it. She stormed up the tunnel, as Bulkhead transformed and hurried after her, shaking snow from his parts.

Ratchet, Optimus, and Arcee looked up from a conversation with Jack and Raf just as Miko climbed up the stairs, walked over to the sofa, and threw herself down onto it with a soft 'mph!'

"Something wrong?" Arcee asked, glancing down at Jack, who shrugged.

"Search me," he replied. "She say anything to you, Raf?"

The boy shook his head, and then fixed his glasses. "Nothing."

Bulkhead approached her as she sulked on the sofa, head down and arms crossed, eyes narrowed dangerously. "Miko, please, don't pout."

She grumbled, "not pouting."

"If that's not pouting, then what is it?"

Miko's frown only deepened as she thought. "It's my face," she answered grumpily, and then let out another annoyed groan. "This isn't fair!"

Ratchet winced and clamped a hand over his audio sensors. "Not so loud!"

He and Raf stayed back when Optimus and Arcee and Jack went to see what was the matter. During one of Ratchet's long winded speeches about respect for others, Bumblebee sped up the entrance ramp, transformed, and skidded to a stop mere inches from Raf. He turned to greet Raf, but when he noticed everyone crowded around Miko, produced a series of curious beeps and chirps.

"She's upset about something," Raf quietly explained, to which Bumblebee replied with a low, long noise, resembling the sound 'ahhhh.'

"Shocking," Ratchet said crassly.

Raf cocked an eyebrow and gave him a stern look that he ignored.

"What seems to be the problem, you two?" Optimus asked, perfectly mirroring Arceee's questioning gaze.

Bulkhead sighed. He began to speak. "She's upset because-"

"Ok," Miko announced, slightly bouncing on the sofa as Jack sat next to her. "Get this. My mom and dad want me to come home for Christmas vaca."

Optimus and Arcee stared, waiting for more information.

"So?" Arcee said.

"So? So that means two weeks in Japan." Her brown eyes zipped from Arcee, to Optimus, and then to Bulkhead. "With my parents!"

Arcee put a hand on her hip as Bumblebee, Raf, and Ratchet (pulled along by Bumblebee) joined their little circle. "I still don't see what the problem is."

MIko waved her hands in the air. "Hello! The problem is that I'll be in Japan, not here, helping kick 'con butt!"

"It's only two weeks," Bulkhead told her.

"And I thought you told me you had 'two loving parents'?" Jack inquired, holding his palm to the ceiling.

"I also said they were boring!"

Everyone briefly looked over to Bumblebee, listening while Raf translated. It was such a common occurrence now that there was no need to start with 'he said'. "Still, you haven't seen them in almost a whole year. Don't you miss them?"

"A little bit," Miko revealed, shrugging some. "I guess."

"Tut," Ratchet began, standing alert to show his true height, something that could be received as slightly intimidating. "Do you have any idea how ridiculous you sound? Sniveling over something so irrelevant!"

"Now hold on, Ratchet," Optimus cut in, lifting a big metal hand to stop him.

"Hold on nothing, Prime. Bemoaning having to spend two measly weeks with her parents." He scoffed. "We're nowhere near our home. Nearly everyone we've ever known is offline. For Primus sake, show some tact."

This time it was Arcee who spoke. "Speak for yourself," she replied in a cold voice.

The anger left his voice almost immediately, replaced with something that nearly resembled atonement. "Ah, I'm too old for this." He made a dismissing sound, shook his head, and marched off.

Optimus said, "You will have to excuse Ratchet. The war was hard on him. He sometimes says things without thinking."

A short, pregnant silence followed, that Bumblebee interrupted with a quiet chirp of agreement.

But the medics harsh words didn't seem to have the anticipated effect on Miko. Instead of angry, she looked crestfallen. "No, he's right," she answered quietly. "I didn't even stop to think about you guys."

"Didn't have to be such a jerk about it," Jack pointed out with a shrug, "but that's Ratchet."

"I've been trying so hard to fit in here and forget Japan, it's like I almost forgot that they're my parents. Two weeks is nothing when you've been away almost a whole year. Or half a lifetime," she finished, looking from bot to bot.

"So, you'll go?" Bulkhead asked.

Looking completely renewed, Miko stood and patted her back pockets gently. "Guess so. At least I'll get to see my cats," she commented, adapting to the new decision with a lighter, more reserved attitude. "Do you think...Do you think I should go apologize to Ratchet?"

Optimus thought for a moment and said, "perhaps later."

"Okay..."

"I wish I could go to Japan," Raf said. "I bet it's awesome."

Miko shrugged. "You get used to it. I'll bring you back something!"

"Wow, cool. Thanks!"

"I'll bring everyone back a souvenir! Buuuut you guys have to make me a promise." Bumblebee curiously beeped. She slid a hand into her pocket and retrieved her phone, holding it up to Bumblebee, who gingerly took it between two giant fingertips, optics nervously zooming in on it. He looked to Optimus and then Arcee, confused. "One of you needs to take some awesome pictures, if anything happens."

Bumblebee quickly straightened up and saluted, causing Jack and Raf to laugh.

"Hey, how come he gets to do it?" Bulkhead whined. "She's my human."

"Why are you leaving your phone with us, anyway?" Jack asked. "The only time we're in trouble is when you can't follow orders. And you'll be gone for two weeks, so..."

"Maybe I'd better do it," Raf volunteered, holding his hand out for the phone. "You guys might break it." Bumblebee protested loudly, protecting the phone as though his very life depended on it. Eventually, though, he handed it over with a buzz of disappointment. "Sorry, Bumblebee, but your fingers are too big. You won't be able to hit the button. You, too, Bulkhead."

"Aw, man," Bulkhead complained, glaring down at his servos. "I never get to do anything cool."

Bumblebee hummed sadly in agreeance, something that sounded very much like 'me neither.'

Miko smiled at Raf. "Right, so you'll do it?"

"I'll try," he carefully explained. He waved a finger at her face. "But I'm not getting myself killed just so you can get a picture."

Miko gave a thumbs up. "Deal. But be careful with it, I don't want to lose the pictures I've already got saved on it. Okay, B, let's go!" She giggled when Bumblebee shot up like an excited dog and said apologetically, "Sorry. Wrong B. Bulkhead, come on. I need to get home and start packing. Tokyo, here I come, I guess."

Bulkhead complied, following her importantly. He transformed and swung open his door; Miko hopped inside. As they sped off, Raf tucked the small pink phone into his back pocket.

"What do we do if someone calls?" Jack asked suddenly.

"She didn't say," Raf answered thoughtfully.