Title: Finders, Keepers (part 10/?)
Rating: Teen (M overall)
Pairing/Characters: Scavenger/Gears,
Disclaimer: Not mine, Hasbro's and other people.
Universe: G1
Warning: Non-Con, disabled partner, captivity, violent punishment,
Summary: Scavenger found a half-dead minibot (Gears) and decided to adopt him as his pet. In this chapter: the aftermath of Gears' plan.
Author'sNote: Sorry for the wait. Here's the next part. Many thanks to eerian_sadow and yavieriel for the beta-ing of this part. Enjoy my dears!

Scavenger came out of recharge with his spark humming pleasantly. When he and Gears had fallen into recharge after their passionate lovemaking session, they left their spark chambers open. Their sparks had synchronised their pulses through the hours spent cuddling. It was a soothing feeling, and it was lulling Scavenger back into recharge.

However, his lover had woken up and was wiggling from his grasp. The spark synchronisation stopped as Gears started to stress while trying to extricate himself from the Scavenger's embrace.

"What's wrong, dear?" asked Scavenger, concerned.

"Let go! Go away!" Gears tried in vain to push Scavenger off the makeshift berth.

Scavenger frowned, upset by the way Gears was acting. The night before, everything had been perfect. They had managed to fix their relationship. Now it seemed they were back to square one! Then, sudden realisation hit him. "Oh, Primus! The battle! You're right, I have to go!" The Constructicon sprang to his feet, and almost tripped over himself in his rush. "Pit!" He cried out as he consulted his chronometer. "They're going to kill me!"

It didn't take long before Gears was alone in the abandoned base. His spark wound down as he crushed the memories of the previous night. He was disgusted that he had allowed a Decepticon to touch him so intimately, but most of his disgust came from having played with the fool's delusion. He couldn't stop feeling some lingering guilt, even if what he had done was for a good cause. He pushed the unpleasant feeling to the back of his mind. It wasn't time to break down. He needed to focus on a new task: a way to escape, either by fixing himself or by creating a communicator.

He mustered his strength and pulled himself to a sitting position, his back leaning on the broken console. Then, he tore off a button eye from one of the plush teddy bears that padded the makeshift berth. With the little round eye, he pried open the plating of his useless left arm. He wasn't a medic, but if he corrected some mismatched wires or removed pebbles, his diagnostic program could reactivate, allowing his healing nanites to resume their primary function. Currently, they couldn't progress any further because they couldn't detect the faulty areas.

The arm seemed to have the right components in place, but the connections were lacking. He pulled some wires around, and when his diagnostic system pinged, stating that he needed repairs, he authorised the demand. While the nanites busied themselves in his arm, he checked his legs. He grumbled, noticing that he couldn't do anything. Half the circuits were missing, the other half were crushed. Besides, even if the nanites could detect the damage, he didn't have enough energy to do a complete self-repair.

After all, Gears didn't know when his next feeding would occur. He thanked Primus for not being one of the odd organics that populated the planet Earth. He couldn't understand why they needed to refuel even if the only thing they did was stay motionless in front of a television watching a boring sports program. At least the vehicles they created followed the Cybertronian logic; no movement, no wasted energy. An underfueled Cybertronian simply went into stasis lock if they lacked energy. If they were economical with their movements, their energy could be stretched out for quite a long period.

Gears figured he might roughly have three orns - little more than an earth month - before involuntary stasis lock occurred. If he didn't manage to reach his friends, he might stay as Scavenger's play doll until the end of time. Needless to say, he had no intention of that happening.

Quickly, he inventoried the pieces that surrounded him as the nanites worked on his left arm. When feeling started to return to the limb, he managed to drag himself to the console and tear an opening that would allow him to pull out some components. He figured now was the best time to do this. After all, he would have a day, maybe even two, before Scavenger returned from the battlefield. This was his longest time he had been allowed to spend unsupervised and with a relative amount of mobility.

Besides, it wasn't like he could do anything else constructive. Scavenger had reclaimed the workpad before they moved. He promised to return it when they were settled down in their new home, but the situation that occurred after their arrival made Gears forget to demand it back.

After a thorough search inside the console, useful components were piled around Gears. Suddenly a creaking sound resonated through the base. He stilled, and then hurriedly hid all the materials he had gathered. Scavenger's return was unexpectedly quick!

Or so he thought. Once his spark calmed down, he realised that the noise was normal; the base was settling for the night. He pulled the material out and before resuming the sorting, he organised a secret hole where he could quickly drop everything inside. He finished just in time, because as he finished he heard something. Scavenger was back, this time for real!

Well, the sound was real, but not the return of Scavenger. He can't be back yet, Gears reminded himself. He's probably licking his wounds after the guys kicked their Decepticon afts.

For a third time, Gears dragged the materials out in front of him and sorted them. He tried to recall some plans for emergency communication devices that each member of the Autobot army was required to download. He knew he had them somewhere, but he'd stashed them away in the back of his processor. Gears grumbled impatiently as it took three tries for his internal search engine to find the program, and he made a mental note to get Ratchet to install an update patch.

However, before he could open the blueprints, he felt a cold draft of air across his faceplate. Without a second though, he pushed everything into the hideout hole. The idiot was back!

Gears waited to hear the shuffling footsteps. For a moment he thought of calling out. But then he realised he was being paranoid and imagined the other coming back. It wasn't his fault. The fight ended groons ago. Everyone's had enough time to see a medic! Granted, Hook's not a proper medic... There's probably a line or something. Or maybe the idiot isn't such a moron. He could just be laying low before coming back, thought the minibot. He accepted his theory and motivated himself to continue his work while he still had the opportunity. He found himself foolish for worrying so much about his captor, when really he should be glad to be alone!

Still, he had a bad feeling that Scavenger would arrive soon. In fact, he was probably on his way now. It would serve no purpose to have resumed work if the idiot barged in. All his sorting would be in vain because he would throw everything back inside the secret hole. With that in mind, Gears laid down on the makeshift berth. When he would wake up, Scavenger would be at his side with a doting look.

Startled awake, Gears sat up and looked around wildly. "I'm awake. Stop stalking me in the dark!"

Only silence replied. "Oh... You're not there. I'm just jumpy y'know. And I'm talking to myself." Gears sighed. In relief, he told himself. He took a moment to look at himself and happily noticed that sitting up hadn't been hard. Gazing around the dark room, he made sure that he was indeed alone. He thought about working on the communication device, but he knew that his rotten luck would summon Scavenger the moment he started. Best to get as much recharge as possible first. He laid back down and, after tossing and turning multiple times, managed to slip into recharge.

Slowly, Gears pulled himself out of a comfortable recharge, feeling like he had slept for several days. Reflexively, he patted the berth around him, trying to find where the idiot was lurking. He should be around, curled up behind him. Strangely, he didn't find the purple and green mech anywhere near. He even called out, but silence was his only companion.

Gears was not getting worried. It wasn't necessary for him to know exactly where his captor was at all times. He glared at the empty space for a few seconds and then pulled out the materials for the communicator. If Scavenger was around, he could ask him to sort all the crap into neat little piles or find the missing parts. That's the only reason why he'd want the other's presence. And maybe for an energon cube.

Gears grudgingly admitted that the inane conversation would be entertaining.

Frustrated that part of him was actually missing the idiot, the minibot smacked some sense into his processor by whacking his forehead with the flat of his servo. "Okay, stop it, stop it. Work," he grunted, and focused his energy on picking out the necessities for the communicator. It didn't take long for him to become utterly bored with the task. What he wouldn't give to regain complete mobility and roll out of here. If only...

Suddenly, a brilliant idea hit Gears. "Why didn't I try it before!"

The minibot quickly engaged his transformation sequence.

"Arrgh!" Gears cried out in pain immediately when the code was sent. Something that should fold over wasn't and what should stay straight was being bent. Gears cancelled the transformation attempt and slumped weakly on the berth as he passed out from the pain.

Untold hours later, he came back to himself. He was sore all over and refused to move an inch. He half-expected for Scavenger to coddled him and tell him he'd take care of him. Gears mustered some energy to look around, but no sappy captor was in sight. How long was he knocked out?

"That was of no help at all," he grunted to himself. The only thing his foolish attempt did, he noticed, was to online his pain receptors. "And of course, I can't turn them off again."

He decided to lay there until Scavenger returned. The fool was used to moving him around after all. So, Gears waited. And waited. And he waited until he got upset and cursed the absent mech. Finally, after damning the fool to the pit and the smelter, most of the pain had receded to a stinging ache. It was sufficient to allow him to doze off, hoping he'd become numb to the pain by the time he woke.

When he awoke he refused to acknowledge that he was disappointed at being alone again. He gritted his teeth and pulled himself up to resume his work on the communicator. If he moved slowly enough, the pain sensors only sent needle stings along his legs.

"Huh, what's this?" Gears picked up one of the toys that made the berth. It was a fluffy white ball and ticked. After investigation, he discovered it to be a novelty clock. He was tempted to open it to steal the wires, but decided against it. He had everything except two resistors, a circuit board, a microphone and a LED. A time-piece would come in handy. Now he could count the hours he had left and the amount of time Scavenger had been gone.

"Why do I even care? The longer he's gone the safer I am." He muttered. "If I can get out of this pit-damned place without seeing him again, then that's the best I can hope for. It's not my fault if Megatron slagged him... It's not like I had much of a choice..."

Gears kept reasoning to alleviate his guilt. "C'mon. He kidnapped me. Kept me locked up, underfueled and..." Gears didn't want to mention out loud what else. If he didn't say it, he could ignore it. "He's a delusional fool. He doesn't know what the frag he's doing..."

He rubbed his forehead, banishing the thoughts that kept creeping back in. Softly, he added, "Primus, let the idiot be alright."

It was well-known by Gears that Primus had a wicked sense of humour and loved to torment him. Just as he uttered the prayer, the base was brightly lit for an instant as the entry boulder was removed. Gears had to reboot his optics to let them adjust back to the darkness but even if he couldn't see him right away, the shuffling sounds were a telltale sign that his captor was back.

"Finally! What took you so long!" exclaimed Gears. Scavenger didn't respond, but he drew closer at a lumbering speed. As the Constructicon approached, Gears remembered the communication device and hastily hid it in its special place. He wanted to tell Scavenger to disregard whatever he moved, but the other's appearance stunned him to silence. "Slag, what in the seven pits happened?"

Scavenger was standing downcast in front of him. His frame was dented and scratched, and dried, crusted energon seeped from numerous wounds. One arm was hanging from nothing but wires, and sparks flew when he shifted his weight on a burnt pede. His ever-present visor was broken by a sharp shard jammed into an optic. The only thing that could be considered intact was his shovel tail: it had been removed.

Scavenger stared down at Gears and trembled, then began sobbing, before he collapsed and grabbed hold of his lover. Gears gasped in pain, but it was drowned out by Scavenger's keening. The Decepticon rocked the minibot, feverishly mumbling: "You're okay, you're okay."

"Shsss, calm down, calm down." Gears tried to sooth the beaten mech, but his words didn't reach to Scavenger. The rocking didn't stop, and desperate servos caressed every inch that could be held. "Okay, that's enough. Let go. Let go!" Gears tried to pushed the other away, or wriggle out of his grasp, but to no avail. He glared towards Primus and let himself be used as a comforter.

When the wailing slowed, Gears spoke again. "There, there. It's okay. I'm okay. Guess you got, huh, punished for missing the battle..." A pang of guilt went through Gears as Scavenger nodded. "Yeah... Well, how about we fix you up, huh? If we don't get that glass out, it'll fuse and you won't be able to get a replacement optic."

Again, Scavenger mutely nodded and freed Gears. Unsure of how to proceed, the minibot motioned for Scavenger to come forward. "Tell me if it hurts." I don't really know what I'm doing, he wanted to add. Instead he bit down on his lower lip to avoid worrying the other. Scavenger was waiting, complete trust radiating from him. This was a unique opportunity to take advantage of his captor, but, his nagging conscience didn't allow him to take any revenge upon the poor beaten mech. Instead, he carefully removed all of the broken glass, wincing in compassion as he pulled out the shard.

"So," Gears started again to cover the uncomfortable silence and to placate his guilt. He found a soft cloth in the makeshift berth and started removing the dried energon. "Megatron was mad, huh?"

Scavenger slowly nodded. "Yes," he murmured quietly. "He punished me... He hit me until he calmed down..."

"Yeah, Megatron's a complete slagger." Gears took out a wire he had kept for his communication device and used it to replace the broken one that kept sparking.

Scavenger emitted a murmur of agreement. "And..., "he started again to shake. Static filled his voice as he continued. "And then it was Scrapper's turn. He, he felt I hadn't learned my lesson from the beating." Scavenger sobbed loudly, and Gears patted him softly on the shoulder. Megatron was a brute, controlled by anger. However one of the wounds that were on Scavenger's frame didn't fit in with the others. It was too clean.

"So he removed your tail?" Gears asked. Not surprisingly, Scavenger answered with a silent nod, followed by a sob.

"He, he told Hook to take it off and not fix anything while I was on the table. He said that I'll be a better worker without it. That I'll stop finding u-useless s-crap."

Gears, at a loss, tried his best to console him. "C'mon, don't worry. It looks like it was well removed... He can put it back if you... work harder? Besides, you don't even have any more space in your junkyar-, I mean treasure room to add new stuff. Just keep rediscovering what you already own." His soft words didn't have the expected results. A high-pitch keen left Scavenger and he curled into a ball as he remembered his punishment.

"Everything's gone. Nothing. I don't have anything left. He made me go down to my room. And, and he placed a blaster in my servos. I didn't want to pull the trigger. But he made me do it. There's nothing left. I couldn't leave, couldn't sleep, couldn't refuel until I destroyed everything. It's all gone, all gone, all gone. I destroyed everything."

It had taken days for him to destroy everything. He had tried to subspace his favourite pieces, but he was under constant supervision. When it wasn't Scrapper, it was Bonecrusher. Scrapper was professional, but impatient, and never allowed Scavenger time to grieve. Bonecrusher, on the other hand, let his brother say goodbye before tearing the objects apart with wicked glee. When the punished mech couldn't take it anymore, Bonecrusher had the authorisation to use any force, short of being lethal, to make Scavenger comply.

A cold shudder ran down Gears back and it wasn't his back coils acting up. The Decepticon had put such sentimental value in his collection that he felt uncomfortable learning its destruction. There were actually some really nice pieces in there, Gears recalled. He couldn't do anything else but rub Scavenger's back soothingly.

"You still have some stuff here," Gears said motioning the surrounding toys that made up the bed. Immediately, the sobbing stopped and Scavenger gave Gears the most euphoric look a one opticked-mech could ever give. Quickly he realised his mistake. "I didn't mean me! "

Of course, Scavenger brushed off the last comment. "You're right! I still have you by my side. You're the only thing that could ever matter! Scrapper won't ever find you. We'll stay together forever! I won't ever leave your side."

"You have to leave eventually. Y'know, for energon?" Gears reminded him with a nervous tone.

"No! Never. I won't ever leave. We'll stay here, always. We'll twine our frames until our sparks rejoin the Matrix."

"Oh no! No! There's no way. I never agreed to that!"

"It's the only way, honey. Can't you see?"

Scavenger was decided and held Gears close, chest to chest. Their sparks pounded loudly, one in exaltation and the other in fear.

"No! It's stupid." declared Gears. Scavenger was ready to hush his lover's fears away, but Gears interrupted him with a panicked plea. "I mean. It won't work. The others, y'know, the Decepticons or the Constructicons are going to find you for the next fight. And they'll find you, us, before we drop from lack of fuel. And I'll be in their hands; at their mercy. I thought you found it dangerous if I was with them."

"Yeah..." Scavenger thought about it, and then he gave a resolute nod. "Okay... I'll have to extinguish us now."

"Oh sure, destroy the last remaining piece of your collection!" Gears didn't mind referring to himself as an object if it meant staying alive. "Do that, and Scrapper wins!"

"I..." Scavenger tried to find a counterargument, but he came up empty. "I... You're right. I can't..." Defeated, the Constructicon released his desperate grip on Gears. The latter let out a vent of relief. "I don't know what we can do..."

"Look, let's just... Sleep on it. Go back to base, bring some energon." After a beat, he added: "Oh, and two resistors, a copper wire, a microphone and a LED, 'kay?"

"Okay...Can't I sleep here?" He asked pitifully.

"No. You've already been out for too long. They'll start to wonder where you've been."

"Oh... "His lover was right. He was lucky so far; Long Haul and Mixmaster never told their boss that they saw him carry some of his collection elsewhere. Scavenger extracted himself from the berth. He lovingly looked down on the other. "You're right...Do you needed anything else?"

"Leave your workpad?"

"Sure." Scavenger complied, no sooner said than done. He looked as emotionally beaten as he was physically. Scavenger loomed above him, waiting for a warm goodbye. "I'll see you soon, okay?"

"Yeah. 'Kay." The nagging guilt Gears felt returned. He tried to squelch it down. He was going to get some spark burns from all the stress. "Be careful?"

"I will!" Scavenger chirped. Had his frame been completely intact, Gears thought the other might have skipped out of the base. When Scavenger was gone, Gears released a large sigh of relief. He felt drained from having to deal with the delusional mech. He let himself melt back to the berth to collect his wits.

"Okay Gears," he pumped, "get back to work. Gotta finish the frame. When he comes back, you won't have a lot of time before he discovers what you're doing!" Sitting back up, Gears resumed work after carefully tucking the workpad in his subspace. "You're almost home... One last hurdle in your way."

TBC