A/N: It has just occurred to me how random the placement of some of these stories is: some occur before Christmas day, some on Christmas Day, and some after. I'm afraid they come out in the order I write them: you'll have to decide for yourselves when they take place. This one, for example, takes place before 'Presents'. It was going to take place on Christmas Eve, but then I wouldn't have time to add in 'Decorations', which falls in after.
Lights.
It was four days before Christmas, and all of the Autobots had gathered in the common-room to surround the Christmas tree. Little strings of lights swirled up and down the branches, along the walls and draped and dangled from the ceiling. The tinsel and baubles glinted in the soft orange lights. Perceptor and Wheeljack had worked together to create a fantastic five-pointed, sun-coloured crystal for the top of the tree. Prowl's strategic placements of the ornaments had made it beautiful, but their own, more unusual additions had made the tree special: Carly and Chip had suggested that the Autobots should each create a decoration for the tree, and place it on in secret. The item had to have some meaning to the person who 'made' it. Individuality had certainly been attained: someone had hung up a used paint-brush, while one Auotbot had made a cast of a deer's hoof and added it to the tree, and another mechanoid had decided to hang a simple golden ring from some string tied to a branch. Someone had added a symbol to the tree. When Red Alert had investigated its meaning, he found that it related to a long-destroyed city and decided not to look into the matter any further.
Wheeljack made his way to the front of the crowd, holding out a large black box with a bright red button on it. The whole room fell silent as the scientist cleared his vocalisers.
"Ladies, Gentlemen and my fellow Gentle-mechs," he said, taking in Carly, Astoria, Chip, Sparkplug, Spike, Raoul and his comrades. "We have approachin' a special day in th' human year, and although it may not be somethin' we usually celebrate, I am happy ta celebrate it wit' all a' you. Although men in red breakin'-an'-enterin' an' wing-ed humans might not cause all a' our fuel-pumps ta fill wit' warm fuzziness," he paused as some of the mechs laughed. "Sharin' it wit' you does. An' I can't think of a single place I'd prefer ta be right now." About all of the crowd let out one single, simultaneous 'aww': some meant it genuinely, others like Ratchet were being affably sarcastic. "Now some o' yer might 'av noticed the button in my 'and. Now let me tell ya: the display you are about ta see was inspired by a Christmas card Sparkplug gave ta me. It had a tree, not too different from this, an' all o' these lights covered th' tree an' the room an' it looked amazin'! Now I got ta thinkin'-"
"Get on with it!" Ratchet heckled before taking a swig of high-grade.
"Yeah – get on with it!" Cliffjumper chuckled.
"So without further ado, I give ya: Christmas lights!" He pressed the button and everyone looked on in awe.
The glassy bulbs slowly filled with tiny dots of light that glowed brighter and brighter. Then they went out altogether – taking the usual lights with them. The blue glow of two dozen pairs of wide Autobot optics easily told Wheeljack how bewildered his companions were. Then they all focused on him, and went into narrowed slits.
"Wheeljack!" Ratchet shouted, his high-grade glowing and thrusting along with the medic's pointed finger in the direction of the inventor.
"Aha. Heh heh. Jus' one sec, guys." Wheeljack scrambled over to the common-room doors. They would not open. "Ah. Looks like all of the power's gone." The Autobots were all stuck together, in the same room, in the dark.
"Me Grimlock not stay here! Me open doors!" The Dinobots began charging around, looking for the doors.
"Watch the tree, watch the tree!" Perceptor shouted, worried his prized crystal might break.
"Watch the humans! Don't step on the humans!" Bumblebee shouted, making sure to gather and protect as many as he could from being jolted. Only Prowl and Prime had the sensibility to put on their headlights. It was quite amusing, Wheeljack looking like he was a rabbit trapped against the doors as the Dinobots approached him. In fact, he suddenly managed to find the strength to wedge the doors wide enough to crawl through. The power came back on before the night was gone was over, but poor Wheeljack decided that it was wiser not to show himself until tempers were subdued. Ratchet joined him in his workshop and handed him some high-grade. When he beheld the sorrowful expression, Ratchet could not help but chuckle at the many misadventures of his dear companion. Life would never be the same without him.
"Merry Christmas, old friend."
"Merry Christmas, Ratchet."
End.