When Starscream onlined from his sedation, he found himself tied down to the same berth which he'd woken on previously. Wonderful, he thought sourly. Even better, the medic who'd treated him was frowning down at him.

"What?" He couldn't help but snap angrily at the fool.

"Don't you 'what' me. I just spent a year putting you back together. I can easily take you apart, or better yet, just leave you without your precious wings." Clearly the medic wasn't in a mood to deal with prissy Seekers.

Starscream fell quiet, a sulky expression across his face. While the medic poked and prodded at him, the Seeker took the time to look around the room as best he could. He was lying on a berth in a small room, possibly set aside just for him. The head of the berth was pushed back against a rock wall, a desk on the far side was covered in tools and what looked like scraps of metal and a few empty energon cubes, a chair tucked underneath the desk and a privacy screen was pressed against the wall. By the berth itself, there was a little metal table – and if he moved his head enough to see past the medic standing in the way, he could see a minute set of chairs and a table sitting on top of it. What were those for? He was tempted to ask but the cranky medic was the only one present and he didn't seem to be the best choice for conversation.

The silence dragged on until the medic spoke up at last. "Alright, I've finished my scans. You want to hear the prognosis or do you want to complain some more?"

Starscream scowled at the mech. "Tell me, because I'd love to hear more from you." He could tell he wasn't going to get on with this particular physician.

"Your core memory processors have been badly damaged. I fixed what I could when I was rebuilding you but the connections will have to reform naturally through your self-repair or I could permanently damage you." He paused. "I didn't expect you to have lost access to quite so many of your memory files."

"Yes well, neither did I." Starscream said snidely. He tested the strength of his bonds again and grunted when they didn't as much as budge. "Is this really necessary?" he whined. "I promise I won't hurt anyone again, just let me outside for a little while, or at least off my back." It felt so unnatural to be lying flat without wings spread out behind him. The niggling panic was there still, lurking at the back of his mind and just waiting to draw him back in to its murky depths. He shuddered and closed his optics, forcing himself to be calm. As easy as it would be to allow himself to panic and let mindless instinct take over, it hadn't worked well last time. They could give him his wings…but only if he played nice.

He dared to open his optics and gaze up at the medic, who was regarding him suspiciously. "You truly don't recall a thing? Not even who we are?"

How irritating, Starscream thought. Haven't we been over this already? He didn't dare say that aloud, not when he wanted to convince them he was harmless and therefore deserving of trust and repairs to his wings. "No. Sadly, I can't recall a thing." He said, voice practically dripping with sweetness. "A shame, I'm sure we once got on magnificently…" He trailed off meaningfully, waiting for the other to volunteer his name.

"Ratchet. And no, we didn't get on." The medic drew back from the berth and picked up a cube of energon that had been left sitting out. "I know this isn't the kind you are used to, but it'll have to do for the moment."

Starscream just stared at him for a moment. Ratchet stared back. After an awkward silence, Starscream finally asked, "Could you let me up to drink it? Or at least bring it closer?" He saw the hesitance on the other's face and sighed. "I won't bite your fingers off."

"That's debateable." Ratchet muttered.

Starscream knew he wasn't trusted but he highly doubted the medic would let him starve. He was right of course, the medic finally bringing the cube to his lips and letting him drink. The taste of energon on his tongue made him sigh once he'd swallowed. Not the higher standard he was used to, perhaps, but it did taste fine all the same. It would keep him going for the time being but since he wouldn't be ripping through his energy reserves during flight, it hardly mattered right now.

The cube was set aside when it was emptied, Ratchet watching him carefully as though he expected the Seeker to spring a leak all of a sudden. When nothing leaked, Ratchet seemed to relax a little. "Well, the repairs to your fuel pump seem to be holding. That's a relief."

"My fuel pump was damaged?" Starscream asked, a little alarm creeping into his voice. A de-clawed hand touched at his chest, as through he'd be able to feel the damage despite several layers of armour being in the way.

"Starscream, you were practically a cube of crushed metal when we found you." Ratchet said patiently. "You're lucky that Optimus has a soft spark. If anyone else had found you, you'd probably have offlined."

Starscream shuttered his optics, trying very hard not to let on how much that hurt. Truly, was he so hated by these people that only one of their number would consider helping him? Where was his trine in this? He knew he had one, he could feel the connections to his spark but it was as though they were blocked, the recipients too far away perhaps. He had to ask, he had to know where they were…why they hadn't been the ones to save him. "M-my trine?"

Ratchet was silent, oddly so. Starscream dared to peek at him, fighting to calm himself and avoid the panic that was threatening to rise up again. The medic's expression seemed torn, as though he wanted to speak yet didn't dare to. "…Optimus wants to speak to you again."

Starscream didn't say a word, nodding mutely and offlining his optics once again. Once more he tried reaching out along the bonds of his spark, desperate for any kind of familiar contact in this unknown place. Nothing. A wave of grief and loss washed over him. Grief for the memories of his trine that he knew he should have instead of the terrible nothing that was in his mind and loss of those he knew he cared for enough to join in a trine bond with. What were they like? Did they know he was alive? Did they care? Many unanswered questions whizzed through his processor and after a moment or two he felt an ache starting in the back of his mind. He scowled through the irritating pain and onlined his optics. Sometime during the time he'd been thinking and attempting to reach his missing trine, that tall mech had come back in –what was his name, Optimus? - and was now speaking to the medic.

It worried him that they were discussing something in low tones, both occasionally looking over to him. Somehow, he was able to stop himself from showing such worry on his face. When they noticed him watching, they fell quiet, the taller mech striding towards his berth.

Starscream couldn't help but flinch when the leader loomed over him, for some reason expecting a blow or an attack. He tried to curl up to protect himself, his thin armour probably not all that good for deflecting strong hits from this particular mech. When no blow came, he felt very foolish. Sheepishly, he looked up at the tall mech. The concern evident on Optimus' face surprised him and the next words from Optimus only deepened his surprise.

"I won't hurt you without provocation Starscream but I will defend myself if you choose to attack me once again." He cautioned. Starscream got the feeling that next time, he wouldn't be waking up at all. "You will be treated as you deserve, based on your actions and words. You are bound because you tried to attack me. Until you give your word that you will not attack another in such a manner again, you will remain here. You will also not undergo any procedures to restore your wings."

Starscream whimpered, panic rising at the thought of never getting his wings back. "No, please! I swear it! You don't understand what it's like without them, I need them!"

"Swear it on what?" Ratchet butted in; deeply unamused with the route this conversation was taking if the disgusted expression on his face was anything to go by. "It's not like he remembers anything important to swear it on and in case you've forgotten, this is Starscream we're talking about. His word is about as good as Megatron's-!" The name gave Starscream chills, distracting him enough that he almost missed Optimus' quiet response.

"I will remind you, Ratchet, that Megatron does indeed hold his word."

"Who-?" Starscream began to ask the obvious question but thought better of it. He didn't particularly want to remember if the name alone gave him shivers. "Please. I would very much appreciate it if I could just step outside. Even for a moment. I promise I won't try to escape. Or hurt anyone. I need to get out from under this rock, please." He despised begging others for anything but right now he was willing to give up a little dignity to beg these strangers for even a glimpse of the sky.

The silence after his pleading was thick and Starscream prepared himself for disappointment. He was pleasantly surprised when Ratchet sighed grumpily and reached over to unclip the bonds holding him down. "You so much as look at anyone funny on the way to the bridge room, I will offline you." He muttered darkly.

Starscream scooted ungracefully down the berth to stand up, trying not to look as nervous as he felt. The threat was real, that he was sure of. He would just have to stick to his promise until they gave him his wings and he could get out of there. The sooner he got out of this carved out rock, the better as far as he was concerned.

-0-

The trip to the ground bridge was at least uneventful. Everyone else seemed to be elsewhere or so Starscream thought. Maybe they were secretly hiding from him, laughing at him behind his back for being a wingless Seeker. It was easy to fight off the paranoia when they came across the ground bridge, the Seeker immediately interested in the finer workings of it. Of course, he was shooed away from the controls by the medic, ordered to stand with the Prime by the entrance to the bridge. He silently stood by as the bridge opened, watching the green light swirl somewhat hypnotically. Entranced, it took a gentle touch from Optimus to get him moving through the bright portal.

They stepped out into dull sunlight, Starscream sighing at the welcoming warmth when the light touched his plating. He missed the breeze against his wings despite the fact he couldn't exactly recall any memories of such a thing. His plating knew the touch however, and he rejoiced at the feeling regardless. It was a step in the right direction.

He walked a little distance from the bridge site, well aware of Optimus watching his every move. Tempting as it was to just run, in the end it would be pointless and wouldn't help him gain the Prime's trust. He needed that trust to get his wings. Gain their trust. Regain my wings. So long as he kept repeating that mantra to himself, he thought he could manage this charade long enough to heal.

It seemed the universe had other plans in mind.

Barely five steps from his bodyguard, his spark exploded. He could feel someone, someone so familiar and welcoming. He felt grief, a loss so strong in the spark he was joined to that he found himself grieving too, though for what he didn't know.Along the connection came a sudden burst of shock and disorientation, the sensation of flying and falling and he found himself on his knees, gasping aloud with the other's cry of shock. There was a brief feeling of recognition and pure joy before he was gathered in strong arms. Fear took hold of him and he struggled, panicking as he was held tight against a broad chest. There was a bright flash of green light around him and his captor and though he tried with all his might to cling to the spark connection, it was ripped away, leaving him empty and cold.

Alone and trapped in a strong grip, wingless and friendless, Starscream acted on pure instinct. He struggled and kicked, the sound of metal striking metal filling the room (room? When had they gotten to a room? What happened to the rocks and the desert?) as his blows landed. Hands grabbing his arms and pinning them down only made his spark pulse faster, panic culminating in a deafening screech.

Silver armour seemed to fill his vision, a dark laugh blocking out even the sound of his own voice. Clawed fingers grabbing his arms, piercing his armour – piercing his wings, shredding them until his energon covered the ground and his vocaliser was spitting static from the constant screaming.

"Let this be a lesson to you, Starscream. My will is law, and if you disobey me again, I will not hesitate to offline you permanently."

He could only lay limp and still in those arms and shudder in horror as the words looped themselves in his processor. An ache was growing there which made it hard to concentrate. As though from several rooms away, he could hear voices speaking.

"-have to sedate him now or he'll-"

Were they talking about him? He couldn't tell through the growing pain…

"I don't understand what happened-"

Silver faded to red, the panic ebbing and leaving behind utter exhaustion.

"-Just let me get-"

"Ratchet wait, he's coming around.

That voice…He knew that voice…

A face swam into view, blunt fingers touching his face, tilting his head up so he could see gentle blue optics gazing down at him. Darkness gathered at the edge of his vision, threatening to consume him. Static still crackled from his vocaliser as he spoke, but he had to ask, had to know –

"…Master?"

Blackness clouded his vision, those bright, concerned, confused optics the last thing he saw before he couldn't stay awake. He slipped into the safety of stasis, the darkness warm and welcoming, eager to make him forget what he'd so briefly remembered.

-0-

(A/N: Not quite the seven page epic that the last chapter was but that was an Optimus chapter and oh my god is that mech wordy in his thoughts. I'm terribly sorry for the delay in this, university had be drowning in assessments and I really should be doing one right now but quite frankly I needed a break from talking about Habitat Management Plans and this chapter needed finished. I hope you think this is worth the wait.

Shout out to my beta Mal, who I should have been thanking the past three chapters but I haven't been, naughty me. I dare you to find the bits which you inspired me with.)