Ratchet grumbles as Miko runs up the stairs carrying a CD player. “Guys, my parents sent me a CD player for Christmas!” She starts setting it up. “I brought a couple Christmas carol albums too!”

“Cool!” Raf looks up from his laptop, and for the first time, Ratchet realizes that he's wearing a bright red sweater vest instead of his usual orange one.

Come to think of it, all the humans have seemed to be more… cheerful lately. Both in the colours they're wearing and their attitudes. Jack has on a grey sweater with a dark green tree on it, and Miko is wearing a pink sweater with cat faces and snowflakes across the front, as well as long pants, which almost look strange on her.

Jack grins as he holds up a metal tin. “I brought cookies and enough lights for the railing on the balcony.

Miko smirks, “And I got a tree! It's small… but I'll bring it tomorrow.”

Raf chuckles slightly as he opens his backpack. “I have holly. It's plastic, but it still looks festive.”

Ratchet sighs, giving in to his curiosity. “What in Primus’ name are you doing?”

“It's almost Christmas, Ratchet.” Raf beams at him as he closes his laptop.

Jack smirks, “He's not going to understand what that means, Raf.” The teen starts winding the lights around the railing.

The younger boy stands up and walks closer to the medic. “Christmas is a holiday in December which celebrates family and the birth of Jesus Christ, who is a very important cultural and religious figure, by exchanging gifts.”

Ratchet raises an optic ridge. “And what does this have to do with cookies and music?”

“Traditions!!” Miko grabs one of Jack's cookies as she stares at the player in slight frustration. “Food, decorations, family, presents, and carols are what make Christmas feel like Christmas!”

Jack smiles softly, pausing his decorating. “Although, my favourite Christmas was a year Mom and I didn't have a lot of money… so we just watched an old damaged VHS version of It’s a Wonderful Life and ate grilled cheese sandwiches.”

The medic glances at him confusedly. “That doesn’t really sound enjoyable…”

“It was our first Christmas without my Dad… so I guess we just.. enjoyed the freedom as best we could.”

Raf starts arranging the plastic holly on top of the television. “My favourite Christmas memory is lying on the roof with my brother looking at the stars and imagining they were snowflakes.”

Miko manages to find the instruction manual for her CD player. “Probably sledding… bundling up in thick layers and whipping down a snowy hill at what feels like two hundred miles an hour… even walking back up the hill was worth it.”

As the children start to share more Christmas stories, Ratchet goes back to his work, sighing in frustration when Miko manages to get the music to work.

Dashing through the snow,

Starscream jumps five feet in the air as the intercom jolts to life, pinning his wings tightly to his back in surprise.

in a one-horse open sleigh!

Megatron storms into the control room, where Soundwave is typing madly at the main console as he seemingly attempts to shut off the raucous cacophony.

O’er the fields we go,

The warlord opens his mouth to question the silent mech about the disturbance, but instead finds himself staring in shock and slight horror as embarrassing clips of all the officers begin to play along with the music.

laughing all the way!

“Oh my Primus…” Starscream skids to an abrupt halt behind him as a clip of himself tripping over his own pedes plays.

Bells on bobtails ring,

Soundwave smirks under his visor as he compiles the next four weeks of content to play automatically, impossible for even him to shut off.

making spirits bright,

His symbiote Laserbeak tries not to burst into laughter as the clip changes to Megatron recharging with a vaguely Starscream shaped plush toy clutched in his arms.

what fun it is to ride and sing,

The Seeker stares in horror at the embarrassed and furious Megatron. “My… my leige?”

A sleighing song tonight!

“That is faked!” The warlord tightens his servos into fists, his dark growl starkly contrasting the cheery music. "Soundwave, find whoever did this and when they have shut it off, throw them off the Nemesis!"

Oh jingle bells,

Starscream backs out of the room and rushes to his quarters as a horrible clip of him singing and dancing in the washracks begins to play.

jingle bells

Megatron smirks slightly as he watches before also retiring to his own quarters to wait out the horrible scenes.

jingle all the way!

Soundwave tries not to flinch as a clip of him dancing with Knockout plays. He had to include some horrible clips of himself as well to throw off suspicion, but...

Oh what fun it is to ride

Knockout almost drops the Energon cube he's sipping from as the clip changes to one of him stroking Breakdown's chassis while the blue mech is in recharge.

In a one-horse open sleigh!

“Uh… Knocks?” Breakdown takes a step away from him.

Rudolph the red nosed reindeer,

Knockout's faceplate turns a deep blue colour.

had a very shiny nose,

His friend blinks as he shifts  uncomfortably. “You… snuck into my quarters..”

and if you ever saw it,

Knockout rubs the back of his helm, “Er… that's not why I went into your quarters..”

you might even say it glows!

“Why then?” Breakdown glances at the screen as it plays a clip of a very overcharged Airachnid chewing on a wall.

All of the other reindeer,

The medic winces slightly, “I er.. uh… I would rather not say.”

used to laugh and call him names,

Breakdown backs away further. “That's.. kind.. of creepy, Knocks.”

and wouldn't let poor Rudolph,

Starscream stares at the feed with a blue faceplate as it plays on the private screen in his quarters a clip of himself trying to remove the armour of a vehicon in his drunken state.

join in any reindeer games!

Megatron looks from the screen to the plush Seeker in his servos as it changes again to him rubbing his aft against the wall to quell an itch.

Then one foggy Christmas Eve,

Breakdown stops questioning Knockout when a clip of himself staring lustfully at the medic's aft while they're supposed to be working plays.

Santa came and said,

Soundwave continues to type madly at the console as a short bit of him being forcibly kissed by the terrifying spider glitch plays. He's not sure who that one was for, being as Laserbeak did most of the picking.

“Rudolph with your nose so bright, won't you guide my sleigh tonight?”

Airachnid stares in shock as another clip of her plays, this time she's tangled in her own webbing after she missed a shot.

Then all the reindeer loved him,

Back at the Autobot base almost a week later, Ratchet yells in victory as the Nemesis' signal pops up on the feed.

and they shouted out with glee,

Miko looks up from where she's trying to play the song on her guitar at the same time as the CD. “What is it, Docbot?”

“Rudolph the red nosed reindeer,

“Don't call me that!” He glares at her. “And for some reason, the Decepticons just let down their shielding.”

You'll go down in history!”

Optimus walks into the room, “I suggest we take advantage of this opportunity.”

“What if it's a trap?” Arcee sighs. “A false signal?”

Ratchet hums. “I will send one through first. It is easier to catch one than four.”

Bee volunteers. -”I'll go.”-

We wanna wish you a merry Christmas!

The scout stares in shock at the video feed, staring around the empty control room. -”It's.. the Nemesis.. alright.”-

We wanna wish you a merry Christmas!

Optimus blinks in surprise as a clip of Starscream rolling on the floor with his servos over his audials and screaming plays.

Arcee activates her blaster and shoots at the speaker, only for the blast to bounce off some sort of forcefield. “Is the ship alive again or something?”

We wanna wish you a merry Christmas,

Megatron's voice comes from behind them. “Not exactly…” He sounds exhausted, and doesn't look much better. “I'm glad you came. We were hoping you could assist us in shutting it off.”

from the bottom
of our hearts!

MERRY CHRISTMAS ERRYONE!!

🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄

-Lizzie