Author's note. This was meant to actually be for New Year's day but I ended up being too busy to finish it. And that was probably two years ago, been so long since I updated this fic.

Suggestions are welcome.

Happy New Year everyone.

Enjoy and please review.

Arcee sighed as she stared up at the ceiling of her room which was decorated with glowing stars. She couldn't sleep, the Sparkling was being very active, and pulsing madly with emotion as it slowly grew. She had now hit her fourth month, a very important milestone for a Carrier and it happened to concede with New Year's Day.

This was actually early morning on New Year's Eve, but later on, she'd be travelling to an unknown destination as part of a special surprise to celebrate her fourth month. Her abdomen was now fully swollen and wouldn't expand any more. She was glad of this because she'd been suffering a lot of cramps and aches as it had expanded and had also purged a lot.

That was mostly behind her but she did still have bad cycles where she felt like she'd die. And she still had a lot of cravings for tasty E-Treats and Rust Sticks, so every now and then; she'd get up in the night and go on the hunt for them. That had resulted in a few memorable incidents, including one time when she'd snuck into the Dinobots quarters to swipe a few goodies.

They hadn't been happy when they woke and discovered that their stash of Energon sweets had been raided. All of them had gone on a bit of a rampage through the base, searching for the goodie thief. Ratchet had been forced to catch them and then explain that Arcee's condition made her do strange things but that she wouldn't plunder their larder again.

Arcee smiled ruefully in remembrance, she'd been forced to apologise very humbly to the Dinobots. They'd been very grumpy but had forgiven her before examining her carrier compartments. They'd all been fascinated by the fact she was carrying a little Seeker, because they'd never encountered a Carrying Femme before.

Ratchet had gently explained that even though she was carrying a Decepticon Sparkling, they couldn't harm it as Sparklings were innocent in the War. They had actually expressed the desire to see the Sparkling once it was born and Arcee had told them she'd ask the Seekers if this was possible. They'd been strangely satisfied with this and had stomped off with Ratchet.

Arcee had been told she really needed to make her own Energon sweets so she'd spent an enjoyable day with her mother, brother and Bumblebee making them. Bumblebee had a very sweet tooth as the human said and had a great time with Arcee 'tasting' all their different concoctions. They weren't just making them for Arcee, as it was a holiday; they tried to make enough for everyone.

Different bots pitched in to help, like Ratchet who knew quite a few more adult flavours. Even her father managed to visit for an hour and he helped his children make almost a ton of E-Treats. After a little consideration, Arcee made a batch of spicy flavoured Rust Sticks, to give to the Seekers. They'd been very kind to her during this past month as her body went through all the changes it needed to for the Sparkling. Soon, Arcee would be feeling sensations from the Sparkling, not just its emotions as its body begun to develop.

The Seekers had wanted to spend as much time with Arcee as possible so her father and uncle had agreed to allow them to meet up on Christmas day. It had gone well; the whole day had in fact gone well. She'd actually been woken by Hot Rod who'd grinned down at her as she squinted up at him.

Flashback

"Mmm, Roddy, what time is it," Arcee groaned as she half glared up at Hot Rod who was trying to pull her blanket off her.

"Come on Arcee, its Christmas morning, our first Christmas."

"Christmas?" she repeated sleepily before collapsing back onto her berth. "Mmm, maybe later."

"Arcee, you know you want to get up," Hot Rod said slyly. "Spike and the other humans will be disappointed if you don't."

She waved a hand at him from under her blanket, curled in a semi tight ball due to her bulge. But she'd forgotten just how sly her brother could be but she soon remembered when he bent down and scooped her up, blanket and all. She shrieked out loud and weakly started beating his chest with her fists as he laughed out loud.

"You can snuggle up on the couch," he said as he triumphantly strolled out the room and along to the Rec Room where a Christmas tree had actually been erected.

"You're mean, Roddy," Arcee declared, faintly beating her fists against his chest before going limp.

"I know but you love me anyway," laughed her cheeky brother as he carried her straight into the Rec Room where her mother and father were waiting for her.

She was actually a little mildly surprised to find that they were the only ones in the beautifully decorated room; she'd been expecting a lot more of the crew. It was early but she knew that fact alone wouldn't have stopped everyone from piling in. So as Hot Rod carried her over, she asked.

"Where is everyone?"

"Giving us some time alone," Elita said with a wide smile as she patted the place beside her on the couch.

With a flourish, Hot Rod carefully placed Arcee, blanket and all, onto the couch beside her mother. With a sigh, she leaned back against Elita who wrapped an arm around her as Optimus now laid a hand on his son's shoulder. It was Optimus who now spoke.

"They wanted to give us a chance to experience our first Christmas, all five of us. We can open presents and then go out for a drive if you feel like it. Later, we can join the others and have a party. What do you think about that, sweetness?"

"Sounds great," she said with a wide smile, feeling much more awake.

She lightly stroked her swollen abdomen, thinking how her father had included the growing Sparkling as family. It filled her with deep happiness and in turn, she could feel the Sparkling reacting to her happiness. The feeling was incredible and she sighed in contentment as Elita rubbed her arm.

"You can feel it, can't you?" Elita asked warmly.

"I can," Arcee said in wonder, stroking her abdomen. "It feels wonderful."

"I know," her mother sighed happily, reminiscing about the times she'd carried. "It the most wonderful feeling in the whole world."

"Hmmm," Arcee agreed with a hum, still rubbing the place where the Sparkling was. "It is."

"Do we still have to meet those Seekers later?" Hot Rod questioned as Optimus scooped up the first present.

"Roddy, it's Christmas," Arcee exclaimed, shocked he'd ever suggest such a thing. "Of course I'm going to see them; I've even got them presents."

"Is it sweets?" her brother asked in a teasing tone.

"Maybe," she admitted sheepishly, that seemed to be the main thing she was giving people. "But I've also gotten them some really nice cleaning cloths, their always whipping one out of sub space to polish up their armour."

"That's a very good idea," Optimus complimented. "I'm sure they'll be very grateful, especially as Seekers go through cleaning cloths much faster than normal bots."

"I hope so," she said earnestly as her father now handed the present to her.

"Here you go darling, open your first gift," he said, smiling widely as she eagerly did so.

"Thanks daddy," she said, tearing off wrapping paper.

She squealed with delight, it was a new buffer with several tins of expensive looking wax. While she wasn't afraid to get herself dirty during work, she did love getting herself doled up. As she opened more presents, her excitement grew; she'd been given so many wonderful things.

Some new holovids, a crystal growing kit, several kinds of Energon goodies, a new blanket, more items to beautify herself and many more wonderful presents. The gifts that really touched her were an empty photo album and camera so that she could take pictures of her pregnancy and of the beautiful Seeker Sparkling she was going to have. She'd also been gifting several toys for the Sparklings, suitable for either a Mech or a Femme and also some books on caring for your first Sparkling.

She knew that she wouldn't be the Sparkling's primary carer but it still touched her deeply. The morning was wonderful; it was so nice to spend some proper family time with her beloved mother, father and brother. And it got better when the other Autobots were able to come in, they all wished her a Merry Christmas and had a gift for her while still giving her space so she wasn't overwhelmed.

Everyone had celebrated with flavoured Energon, including Christmas pudding, turkey and mince pie flavours. It was...an interesting experience to say the least.

Finally, it was time to meet up with the Seekers with First Aid and her mother. Because of how far along she was, everyone was even more anxious that she have a Medic present when leaving the base. She didn't mind too much, she was also anxious for this Sparkling to be healthy. First Aid was a nice friendly Mech and she usually enjoyed his company while going to these meetings.

At least he was calm next to the Seekers.

"Baby!" Skywarp cried, scooping her up and twirling her around before nuzzling her swollen abdomen. "How are you?"

"Happy to see you," Arcee giggled as she felt a jolt of delight from the Sparkling.

Skywarp purred, nuzzled even harder before Thundercracker said.

"Okay Warp, that's enough."

With a pout, Skywarp allowed Arcee back on her feet where she was able to produce their gifts from sub space. Both Seekers exclaimed in surprise over them, well, Skywarp squealed before taking them and unwrapping them feverishly. As soon as they saw what she'd gotten them, they both threw their arms around her and hugged her tight. Naturally, they were careful not to squeeze too hard for fear of hurting their Sparkling but they still managed to bestow their gratitude on her.

"I'm glad you like them," she said gratefully.

"We've got something for you too," Thundercracker said with a wide smile.

"Oh, you shouldn't have," she said as they handed her a box with a large pink bow. "You've already gotten me all those sweets."

"It's Christmas," Skywarp said with a grin. "Best Earth holiday there is, of course we've got you a proper present. Come on, open it up."

With a giggle, she opened the box to reveal a beautiful blue cloak embroidered with gold. It had Cybertronian hieroglyphs decorating it as well as old fashioned designs for Cybertron's native creatures. It felt so soft and yet it also felt very strong and durable. She didn't own anything like it and she wasn't even sure if she knew anyone who did.

"Cloaks are traditional part of the Elite Seeker guard," Thundercracker said softly. "We designed one for you and were able to make it in time for Christmas. We hope you like it."

"It's...it's beautiful," she gasped, fingering the lovely material. "But oh...it must have cost so much."

"It's not a problem, Arcee," Thundercracker said firmly. "You're our Sparkling's godmother, its right that you learn about Seeker culture. One cycle, we're create a cloak for the Sparkling and you can help us with that."

She didn't say anything for a moment, just gazed at the beautiful crafted cloak. And then she flung herself at them, hugging them as tightly as she could. They were shocked but then lovingly hugged her back as tears flowed down her cheeks for the thoughtful gift.

"It is beautiful," Elita now said, smiling at the scene before her. "Thank you Thundercracker, Skywarp."

"Least we could do," Skywarp mumbled, a little embarrassed now.

Elita didn't say anything but smiled knowingly. The rest of the visit was very enjoyable; the Seekers both took her for short flights through the snowy forest, laughing when snow tumbled off trees and onto them. They found a frozen lake and after testing the ice, indulged in a little ice skating, Skywarp had been very keen to try this after spotting humans doing this.

Everyone but Arcee fell; they were all working to ensure she didn't damage herself so they ended up with some scraps and dents. But nobody minded, they were having too good a time. After that, they found a shelter so everyone could warm up again and told different stories. Arcee could barely believe what they were doing, four months ago; she would never had believed she'd be doing this with two Decepticon seekers.

But she had to admit, she loved every moment of it.

End of flashback

Arcee sighed, it had been good but it made her wonder what the big surprise was. They'd already given her so much, what more could Skywarp and Thundercracker do for her. It was still amazing that Megatron allowed them to interact so much with her but she supposed he wanted to keep his loyal Seekers happy.

She sighed, it was a shame they were still a war with each other, things would be so much easier. Her uncle wouldn't be constantly plotting to defeat her father and she'd be able to spend more time with the expectant parents. At least it meant none of the Decepticons could target her, they wouldn't dare for fear of Skywarp and Thundercracker's wrath. Angry Seekers were not to be trifled with.

She winced as a slight spasm of pain washed over her abdomen; she hoped the Sparkling wasn't going to be active today. It wouldn't make for a nice day if she spent it feeling like slag and throwing up. Quickly, she rubbed it, trying to soothe the growing Sparkling within and it seemed to work a little.

With a slight huff, she settled back on her berth, it was just a question of waiting.

Much later

"How are you going, Arcee?" came the kind voice of Skyfire over his speaker.

"I'm good, thanks," she replied, cuddling into her new blanket as they flew onwards.

Earlier, the Seekers had arrived to take her to the surprise destination but because of the distance, Skyfire was providing the transportation for her and First Aid. Once again, the medic was accompanying her in case of emergencies but neither of her parents were coming. However, Skywarp and Thundercracerk's Trine leader Starscream was coming with them, he was actually leading the way.

"I wonder where we're going?" First Aid wondered aloud but only received a chuckle from Skyfire.

"You'll see," was the reply, making Arcee groan.

"Ooh, I can't barely wait to find out," she complained. "I've been waiting all morning."

"It won't be much longer," he assured her. "Would you like some music to pass the time."

"Please," she said gratefully, she didn't want to seem like a brat but she was getting a little bored.

Soft music flowed through Skyfire's speakers and Arcee sighed in relief, that was much better.

"Are you alright?" First Aid questioned and she nodded.

"I'm fine, the Sparkling's quietened down," she told him, the Sparkling had been very active before they'd left. "I'm hoping they'll sleep through the rest of this."

First Aid smiled at this, it was his first real experience of treating a pregnant Femme but it was very interesting. Ratchet was providing him with plenty of advice but as the Decepticons were wary of the head medic, First Aid had been responsible for Arcee's welfare whenever she visited with the Seekers. At first he'd been very overwhelmed but after four months, he felt much calmer about his responsibilities.

"I'm going to have a little nap, wake me when we're close," Arcee asked as she yawned, snuggling down again in her blanket.

"I will," the young medic said with a smile as he watched her drift off into recharge.

Sometime later

"Arcee, we're almost there," First Aid said gently, shaking her shoulder.

"Hmm?" she murmured, blinking open her optics. "What?"

"We're almost at our destination," he chuckled as she sat up and stretched.

"Really? She said, cracking her back before rubbing her belly. "How long have I been asleep?"

"A couple of hours at least," First Aid stated sitting back down as they felt Skyfire descend. "But that's normal so don't worry about it."

She smiled before relaxing; Skyfire was a very careful and experienced flier so she didn't feel any discomfort. Feeling the Shuttle touching the ground, she grinned; she would soon see where the Seeker had brought her. First Aid helped her to her feet before they headed for the hatch which opened as they approached.

"You ready Arcee?" Thundercracker asked with a wide smile after greeting her.

"Yes," she said eagerly. "Where are we?"

"The Arctic," the blue Seeker replied softly and she saw how the land was all white, complete with a black starry sky.

"Wow," she gasped, it was so beautiful.

"But that's not the best part," Starscream said smugly as Skyfire transformed. "Come."

They trooped up a slight hill which when they reached the top, found they were overlooking an ice covered sea. Arcee gasped again, this whole place was breathtaking, nothing like anything on Cybertron. But as she watched a light caught her optics and she looked upwards to see the whole sky lit up with flickering colours.

Her mouth dropped open as a ribbon of green swayed across the starry sky, quickly followed by a purple one. They danced, shimmering so brightly and lighting everything up, she had truly never seen anything like it before.

"Aurora borealis," Starscream stated softly, as Thundercracker wrapped an arm around Skywarp who wrapped around Arcee. "Better known as the northern lights, a natural light display that you only find in the northern hemisphere of this planet. What do you think?"

"Primus," was all she could say. "It's...wonderful."

"You like?" Skywarp said with a grin, giving her a kiss.

"I do...so much," she whispered, trying to commit everything to memory as a light blue now flashed across the sky. "Thank you."

"Happy New Year, Arcee," Thundercracker murmured, also gracing a kiss across her head and together, they watched the northern lights dance.

Author's note. Now that Arcee's into her fourth mouth, how do things go? Find out next time, until then.