Chapter 94
-0-Epps
His family sat in the car singing as they drove southward. They were on their way to the Lennox farm and the kids were singing Christmas songs. His wife sang, too, but he tried not to. He sort of had a 'key' problem. His dogs were singing as well adding their 'barkatones' to the mix when the right note was sung. He drove along the coast highway smiling and adding his own two cents when he could.
-0-Lennox
He came down the stairs, his dog beside him as he walked with his daughter into the kitchen. They were getting ready for friends and family including the Epps' who were on their way. Even though they worked together all the time they were fast friends as well. Their families were close and did things together on the time off that they had. N.E.S.T. was a tough mistress but the families were dedicated and close.
-0-Diego Garcia
The routine began as it always did. Shifts changed and mechs went to recharge, re-energize and relax. The Three R's as the soldiers called it. Optimus Prime walked to the Rec Room with T-Bar in his arms. Rambler hopped and skipped ahead of him as Prowl brought up the rear with Spirit curled against his chassis.
The mechs who saw the kids smiled, talked to and teased them ... it warmed Prime's spark. They needed this, he thought. The five remaining orphans needed help, too, so he found himself looking around considering his mechs both here and at Autobot City for suitable guardians.
They sat at a table joined by Hound, Trailblazer and a smiling, more outgoing Silverbow. Energon and conversation among friends of long standing started the day at Autobot HQ. They would go about their business and at noon their time they would gather in the younglings' playroom for the soldier and air force femmes who asked them to go there for a 'Christmas Surprise'.
Unknown to Prowl, Prime had scanned the internet finding nothing to hint at what it could be. Prowl had done the same thing unbeknownst to Prime. With their usual good humor, the two sat together enjoying the morning in the midst of their comrades waiting for noon.
Nervously.
-0-Ratchet and Ironhide
They rousted themselves then walked to the Rec Room to sit with Prime and his family. Silverbow remembering Ratchet looked at him with unblinking optics. Ratchet smiled and she smiled back. Then she gathered her nerve, sliding off Hound's lap with her yellow cup in hand. She walked around the table looking at Ratchet shyly as she did.
Ratchet reached out to pick her up, settling her on his lap. She leaned back and pointed at Hound. Smiling up at Ratchet, she clicked the sparkling designation for father.
Hound looked at her with an almost savage love.
Then she pointed at Trailbreaker and said the same thing. The big mech smiled at her with surprise and delight. How was it possible, he thought, to love someone so much?
Ratchet grinned at Ironhide who looked at Silverbow like she was made of platinum. "Good practice," Ratchet said bouncing the youngling on his knee.
-0-Brig
The day was just another one for the four prisoners. They had no idea what was going on anywhere else. They just had four walls, the guards and each other. In other words, it was hell. Dinner would be better than other days, all of the food sent over by the mess halls on base as per the orders of John Fulton. They would get the Christmas dinner all the soldiers got and it would be good.
They wouldn't care a bit.
-0-Ironhide and Ratchet
They walked to Med Bay buoyed by the great morning.
Ironhide glanced at Ratchet. "Femmes are cute."
"They are."
"Makes me want to have one," Ironhide said as they rounded the door to enter Ratchet's kingdom.
Ratchet looked up at Ironhide with a smile. "And I'll be there to catch it."
Ironhide caught off guard paused mid stride. "Let me rephrase that, Ratchet."
Ratchet grinned.
-0-NOON at the Youngling's Room
Word had gotten out and a lot of mechs were already there sitting around the walls and on the floor. The far wall had been opened, the sliding doors moved back so more could attend "Christmas Surprise" for the younglings. The Christmas tree was lighted and very colorful attracting the kids right away. Once their peds hit the floor they were at the tree sitting and kneeling in front of it, looking at the bright decorations.
Prime, Prowl and Hound sat along the wall next to the tree, making room for others. Trailblazer stood along the back wall with Ratchet, Ironhide and Jazz. Mirage, the twins, Bluestreak, all of the off duty second shift and the rest were waiting, though no one had the faintest idea of what to expect.
A beeping sound was heard outside so Ratchet peered out of the door watching as a heavily laden hummer came driving up. Another one followed filled with femmes. They stopped by the door waving up at Ratchet. "Ratchet! Merry Christmas!"
Ratchet grinned. "Merry Christmas. What are you doing and do you need any help?" he asked.
"You could help us carry these bags and that box," they said.
Ratchet moved slightly to lean down to pick up a big bag. He gave it to Ironhide who also took the other one. Picking up a long slim box, Ratchet moved back to wait as the femmes came inside. There were seven of them now, more than the first group and they were welcomed cheerfully by the Autobots.
The younglings sitting by the tree watched them warily including Spirit himself. Silverbow rose swiftly to walk self consciously away. She stood between Trailbreaker's legs. Peering out, her yellow cup in her servos, she watched, her optics never leaving the strange new femmes.
Spirit glancing at Prime was reassured by his smile but moved closer to Rambler who was watching with unabashed interest along with T-Bar at his side.
The femmes gathered then Jessie Landon was pushed forward. She cleared her throat and smiled. "We're so happy to be here. Christmas is a holy day for some of us in our religion but it's also a children's holiday and part of that is giving gifts and toys to them.
"We thought about the little kids here, how it was Christmas everywhere and how they weren't going to get any toys. We made the tree for them, then we made some contacts outside in the world asking for assistance so that Santa Claus would be able to come to Diego Garcia and make sure that the children here weren't missed when he flew by on his sleigh."
All of the Autobots within the sound of her voice instantly accessed the internet finding Santa Claus and the children's holiday part of the season. Grinning and nodding with amusement at the imagery, they watched with deep fascination as the sweetest human femmes they'd ever met began to initiate 'Operation Christmas Surprise!'
Jessie smiled at Prime. "Usually someone gets to be Santa Claus. We thought you'd like to do the honors because you're The Mech around here, Optimus."
Prime smirked slightly as snickers rose around the room. Then he leaned forward to the femmes missing completely the smirk on Prowl's face. "What does a Santa Claus do?"
"We'll hand you the gift and you give it to the child whose name is on it," Jessie said with a chuckle. "Simple."
Prime nodded as he sat back. He glanced at Prowl who wiped his grin off immediately. "Sounds like a good duty," Prime said as laughter and clapping filled the space.
Jessie turned to the group with a smile as one of the femmes reached into one of the two bags to pull out a pink bear. Taking it in hand, she gave it to Prime which was comical considering how big his hand was. "This is for Silverbow."
Silverbow hearing her name looked up at Trailblazer and Hound.
Trailblazer leaned down and pointed at the bear.{For you, baby} he said in their language.
She looked at him clutching her cup, then glanced at the bear, her optics wide at the sight of it. Looking up again, stepped forward hesitantly, she glanced at Hound and Trailbreaker as she came toward Prime. He held the bear out, a pink bear with a silver bow around its neck. She reached out tentatively petting its soft fur. She smiled then looked at Landon who was wiping tears at the time. Silverbow smiled then walked back to Trailbreaker without it. She stood behind him again.
It was silent a moment, then Trailbreaker leaned down. {No, baby ...} he said. {The bear is for you}
Everyone held their breath in an agony of emotion as the little femme struggled to understand. Then she did. She handed Trailbreaker her cup, then walked back to the bear hesitating uncertainly next to it. She looked at Landon, then Prime, waiting to know what to do.
Prime touched to speechlessness reached out the bear and she hesitantly took it pressing her face against its soft fur. She smiled at both of them, then Hound and Trailbreaker, then the bear. She walked to the tree and sat down pulling the bear into her lap. She held her arm against it, the pink of her green and pink paint scheme nearly the same color. She smiled again, holding it tightly as she watched everything and everyone with bright optics.
It was silent a moment and emotionally heavy as the whole group, then Landon absorbed her pain and joy. Then Jessie turned to the bags and boxes to pull out three more bears, brown ones with big red bows. Handing them to the mechs, Prime felt a happiness he hadn't felt in a long time. More presents followed, slippers for their feet with bunny faces on them, blocks, pop-up books and art supplies. There were beads to string and a pull toy that made quacking noises.
It was all wonderful.
Ratchet who was holding a box watched with amazement. What a great idea, 'Christmas Surprise', he thought.
Then Jessie turned to him with a smile. "Ratchet has a box that has a toy they all can share, especially when they get older. Right now, I think that Rambler can use it with someone helping him until he learns how to do it."
They all looked at her, then Ratchet.
Ratchet stared at them, then looked in the box. "Do you want me to pull it out, Jessie?"
"Sure," Jessie said.
Ratchet did and a red bicycle with training wheels emerged. He set it down as Jessie turned to Prime. "Someone at Vandenburg thought a child should have a bicycle."
Prime nodded, glancing at Rambler who was looking at a pop-up book with Prowl.
Rambler looked up and saw the bike, transfixed for a moment at the sight. He looked at Prowl and Jessie, his expression clearly wondering what it was.
When she wheeled it out into the hallway the little bot rose to follow her. Half the room joined them as well watching as she halted in the corridor.
Rambler watched her and when she beckoned he came, then climbed on. She had hold of him and began to move as he put his feet on the pedals. Pushing them himself, they moved slowly down the corridor turning at the junction to pedal slowly back. They paused at the door as Rambler enraptured by the process geared up to go back again.
The party continued as soldier femmes, air force femmes and Autobot mechs talked, played with the children or just watched. It was a new thing to most of the mechs. Having been in war most if not all their lives, the simple pleasures of home, family, younglings, and celebrations had been few and far between. This was the first children's party many of the mechs had ever seen let alone participated in.
The femmes finally left, duty calling and when they did no one noticed Sideswipe and Sunstreaker skate away heading for the tarmac beyond.
They caught up with the femmes before they were back at their barracks cutting them off. Towering over the women, the two most feared front-liners in the Autobot Army halted beside them as Sideswipe knelt. He leaned in and smiled at them. "If you femmes ever need anything, anything at all, call on us. Sunstreaker and I will be there."
"Anything at all," Sunstreaker said as a predatory expression flitted across his face for a moment.
The femmes surprised but delighted nodded.
"Thank you, Sideswipe, Sunstreaker," Jessie Landon said smiling at both. "We will. Merry Christmas."
"Merry Christmas," Sideswipe said. "By the way, we're having a bonfire at the beach on your New Years. If you can come you're welcome."
"We'll be there," Jessie said as the others nodded happily. Then they waved and drove off.
For a moment they silently watched them go. Then Sunstreaker turned to his brother. "What the frag really is Christmas?"
"I don't know," Sideswipe said. "But I like Christmas Surprise. Did you see Silverbow?"
"Frag ya," Sunstreaker said as they turned to go back. "How could you miss her? She's the prettiest femme in the whole slaggin' world."
Sideswipe for the first time in a while wholeheartedly agreed with his brother on something.