Chapter 2

The night silently drew on. Over time, the light in the cave weakened as the moon overhead crawled along in the sky. It left the cave under a dimmed glow, but enough for the diamonds to retain a fraction of their sparkle. Glitch sat on the cave floor with Rev beside him. They relaxed together, surrounded by the dazzle. Some time went by before Rev unexpectedly rested herself against him. It took him by surprise at first, until the warmth from her body soothed him.

"So Dr. Axon told you about the cave, huh?"

Her quiet voice sent a vibration through Glitch's chest. He gave a small chuckle. "Yep," he answered. "Axon researched the mines when he arrived at Ridgebolt. For science stuff, I guess. He explored part of it with a local. He knew about the diamonds."

"Is that why you went to see him?" Rev briefly lifted her head to look up at him. "For us?"

Glitch smiled.

Rev rested her head again. She had a smile now, as well. "I didn't know he was a love doctor," she softly giggled.

Glitch laughed quietly. Dr. Axon might not have actually been one, but he was at least familiar with the concept. Glitch looked down at Rev again. The sight of her contented, closed eyes as she lay her head on his chest delighted him. The glossy finish to her carbon fiber made it reflective against the diamonds. The soft hum from her hardware calmed Glitch. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes, too. The feeling was back—not the nervous one from earlier in the day, but the one from before. The one that stayed with him for several days after. It was profound, yet peaceful. Inescapable but freeing.

So this is how it feels to be in love.

His thoughts were broken by the glow from Rev's optics. She'd opened her eyes to peer up at him. Her expression changed suddenly.

"What's wrong?" Glitch asked.

"Nothing," Rev said. "It's just…"

Her optics sadly lowered. Glitch waited for her to go on. He wondered what could've been bothering her after they had such a nice time.

"There's so much going on," she sighed finally. "With…everything. With Dr. Exavolt and the gateways and…"

"I know." Glitch gently interjected.

"Doesn't it worry you a little?" Rev asked him. "That we won't have time for each other? That things might get in the way?" She looked down. "I mean, you've got your mission and everything," she said. "You're Iron Star's hero, y'know? You've got so much going for you already. You have responsibilities. I'd feel awful taking you from them."

"You won't," Glitch murmured. "You're not just some part of my life. You're everything I ever wanted out of it and more. I see that now."

Rev stared at him. She didn't expect the answer he gave. Glitch watched her smile return. It carried a minor sadness now, unfortunately. Her worries clearly ate away at her. Glitch wished he knew how to take those feelings away, or at the very least, ease them. He couldn't ignore Rev's points. He even shared her doubts. There was a voice in the back of his mind, the worry that it could all fall apart. Glitch did his best not to acknowledge it. He knew that Rev didn't want to, either. He tried to put on a brave face, to be strong for her. But it was just so hard with everything they were facing.

No.

Glitch forced it all away. He wouldn't let any of that consume him. Rev meant everything to him. Being with her made him the happiest he had ever been. He was fortunate enough to discover something not many Droids experienced anymore. Nothing—not even the threats looming on the horizon—could change that.

"Screw it."

Rev's determination returned when he faced her again. Something clicked in her mind, apparently. It became clear: she'd come to the same conclusion Glitch had about their relationship. She sat up and took his hands.

"So what if the world has problems? We have each other! And if that's all we end up left with, then that's more than enough for me."

"Rev, I…"

"Shh."

Glitch started to speak, but Rev gently placed a finger over his mouth to silence him. Her metal digit tickled his lip.

"No more talkin', handsome."

She began closing in on him a moment later. Glitch let her settle over him. He hugged her waist, locking her in even closer. His hands softly gripped her curving frame. They perfectly faced each other now. Glitch gazed into Rev's impassioned green optics. They mesmerized him. He couldn't escape them if he wanted to. Rev's hands lightly tugged his shoulder gear, beckoning him. She sprinkled him in kisses. Glitch welcomed every last one. At some point, her lip moved to his ear.

"I'm yours," she whispered.

"You have no idea how much I wanted to hear that," Glitch softly breathed. "I want this to work so much."

"Me, too," Rev gently agreed.

Their foreheads met. Glitch smiled through his joy. He couldn't refrain from amorously kissing Rev back. Dr. Axon couldn't have been more right. This was special.

...

The wee hours of the morning came. Rev entered the house through the back door. Mister Fixit and Drill-Bit were asleep as she expected. She tried to stay quiet to keep from waking them up. She planned to crash. Her time with Glitch had been unforgettable. But after he dropped her off and they said their goodbyes, all Rev wanted was a nice, long sleep. It was uncharacteristic of her. Usually, she was a night owl, spending most of her late hours practicing for races. But at the moment, she could barely put one wheel in front of the other.

She finally reached her room after what felt like ages. Serval lay curled up in a corner. The gentle rise and fall of his side told Rev that he, too, was fast asleep. She expected to find him there at that point. Since she got back from the polar regions, Serval's attachment to her seemed to have grown. He'd missed her just as much as her dad and sister. As she softly closed the door behind her and advanced toward her charging bed, she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. She looked a touch disheveled, but she didn't care.

Her head collided with her pillow. The charging bed worked its magic on her battery. Rev pulled up the covers and got comfortable. Her eyelids drooped. Although she was exhausted, her heart soared. Glitch ran through her mind. She lay there, full of contentment, as she daydreamed about him. About all of the time they shared. Their journey together. The fun they had in Ridgebolt. She couldn't have asked for anything better.

He'd been protective of her all week. Rev didn't understand why at first. But then she recalled what he went through—his time on the run, his assault in the desert, the perils he faced in the tundra. Everything he'd gone through as a soldier. As an individual. It made him realize just how precious life was. He didn't just want to survive anymore. He wanted to live. To make the most of his life with everyone in it.

With me.

Rev felt a wave of emotions. She was happy that Glitch loved her and inspired by his perseverance. He cared about his mission. But he cared about her at least a thousand times more.

Not even another minute passed before she drifted off.

...

"Rev! Rev, are you in there?"

A voice rattled her awake only a short time later. Rev let out a small sigh. It had only been a few hours. She slowly sat up and rubbed her optics. Serval met her at the edge of the bed. He slunk closer and rubbed his head against her face. Rev briefly petted him before getting up.

"Rev!" The voice grew even more impatient.

"I'm coming Drill-Bit," Rev huffed. She made quick adjustments to her appearance in the mirror. Serval's suspicious yellow optics flashed at her from his spot on the floor. Rev cringed inside. He was already on to her.

She emerged from her room and looked down. Drill-Bit impatiently stood in front of her, her lips poked out and her arms folded.

"What?" Rev demanded. "What'd I do?"

"I'm mad at you!" Drill-Bit fumed. "You said Glitch was gonna come over. You promised!"

"No, I didn't," Rev argued. "I told you he might come over this week. I didn't make any promises."

Drill-Bit wasn't having it. She angrily turned her back. Rev guiltily tugged at her hip pouch and looked away. Drill-Bit had been looking forward to seeing Glitch again ever since he was allowed back at the house. That was weeks ago, and now that they were back from the trip, there was really no excuse.

"YOU get to see 'em all the time," Drill-Bit huffed. "It ain't fair." She looked up at Rev with a devious look in her eye. "He's your boyfriend now, ain't he?" she teasingly asked.

Rev sighed. "Drill-Bit..."

"Does Papa know?" Drill-Bit persisted. "If he don't, I'm gon' tell 'em!"

"Motorbug?"

Rev saw Mister Fixit coming up the hall. He stopped not too far away. Rev awkwardly stood in front of him.

"Well, there you are!" he exclaimed.

Rev met his eyes again.

Mister Fixit smiled and gave a chuckle. "What do ya know? She's back with the livin'!" he joked. "I thought ya'll woulda ran off together! He brought ya back in one piece, I see!"

Rev looked away again. She had a feeling Mister Fixit picked up on her body language. If he did, he didn't mention anything. Rev noticed Drill-Bit's attention suspiciously shifting between them.

"What's goin' on…?" she asked.

"Oh, nothing!" Rev lightly dismissed it. She took Drill-Bit into her arms. "Go with Dad, ok?" she said. "I'll meet up with you guys in a little bit!"

She handed Drill-Bit off to Mister Fixit. He smiled at her before turning to leave. Rev could still feel a stare burning into her. Serval continued his silent analysis. Rev knelt to his level.

"What, sweetie?" she gently pressed.

Serval gave a suspicious meow. His optics narrowed to glowing, yellow slits. He gave Rev a sudden sniff and took a step back. All she could do was confusedly study him at first. But then it clicked in her head, and she paused.

"Oh," Rev mumbled. "You…can pick up scents. Right."

Serval's eyes returned to their normal size. They grew more inquisitive while retaining a hint of concern.

"I know, I know." Rev facepalmed herself. "It was only our first date, I get it."

Serval gave an understanding purr. His meows softened. Rev felt a bit of relief when he eased off.

"Oh, Serval." She affectionately stroked his head. "You don't need to worry about a thing. Glitch and I are really happy." She gently held his head in her hands. "Ok?"

Serval nuzzled her with another purr. Rev was glad he understood. He was still learning to trust Glitch. Serval knew, though, that he cared for Rev and the family. While Serval needed time to adjust to it, he was more than willing to respect Rev and Glitch's relationship.

Once Rev freshened up, she went into the living room where Mister Fixit and Drill-Bit had gone. Although she'd been there for a week now, she found she still hadn't gotten used to the changes. It was like a different place. Mister Fixit began cleaning the house not long after she left. Rev glanced around at the living room. It was half-empty now after the trash and old furniture had been taken out. The floor took Rev by surprise. She didn't think one even existed under all the litter. Plans had been made to have it pulled up and replaced. Additionally, the room even had a fireplace. Rev's hope blossomed. The house still needed a lot of work, but it was definitely going in the right direction.

Mister Fixit came in from carrying out boxes and smiled when he saw Rev in the room. She gave him a big hug the minute he got close enough.

"Aw, pun'kin bot…," Mister Fixit breathed.

"I'm so proud of you, Dad," Rev murmured.

Their tender moment was almost immediately brought to an end by Drill-Bit. She startled them both with an unsettling old doll. Rev broke off from Mister Fixit with a scream.

"Drill-Bit!" she gasped. "Where did you get that thing?!"

"I found it under the fireplace!" Drill-Bit replied.

"Well, I'll be!" Mister Fixit exclaimed. "I ain't seen that thang in years!"

Rev knew that was no exaggeration. The doll's features were barely discernible under all the soot from the fireplace, forgotten there after being buried by the junk. It was a little girl bot. She was almost Drill-Bit's size. Her body was stuffed while her head, hands, and feet were plastic. She appeared to be wearing a pioneer dress with black boots. The dress was probably pink, but the soot muted the color. Curly locks of yarn that were once gold sprouted from the doll's head, partly obscuring two plastic safety eyes for optics. Somehow, they were the only things that managed to retain their true color. The turquoise stood out against the dark of the soot.

"Papa, she's got my eye color!" Drill-Bit enthused. "Can I keep 'er? Please?"

"Oh, of course ya can, Sillybug!" said Mister Fixit. "I'll clean 'er up for ya when I get the chance. Be thinkin' of a name for 'er in the meantime."

"Ok!" Drill-Bit took off with the doll. Rev shuddered a little. Hopefully, the doll wouldn't be so creepy once it got some TLC. Once Drill-Bit had gone, Mister Fixit lifted his gaze to the air and scratched his chin. Rev looked at him.

"What's up?" she asked.

Mister Fixit continued pondering before he answered. "Come to think of it, Rev, that was supposed to be your doll!"

"It was?"

Mister Fixit rubbed his arm. "Eh, yeah," he chuckled. "Mr. Gary got it for ya when I first took ya in. When I told 'em you was a girl, he thought I meant you was a lil' bitty one like Drill-Bit."

Rev smiled. "Well it was still a sweet thought," she said. "And it came in handy after all!"

"Yep," Mister Fixit agreed, also smiling.

A brief silence came between them. Rev shifted on her tires. She couldn't handle the unspoken tension.

"Dad, there's something I should…"

"I know, dear."

Rev jerked her head up. "You do?"

"Yep!" Mister Fixit nodded. "Ya got in late! I heard that car of his pull up. That engine purrs louder than Serval."

"I just…wasn't sure how you'd feel about it…," Rev began.

"Oh, o'course, I get that," Mister Fixit said. "But I know how ya feel 'bout 'em. I call you my lil' Motorbug, but you're a beautiful young woman. You's free to make ya own choices, I can't stop that."

Rev finally looked his way again. Her eyes were a bit glassy. But for once, they weren't sad tears.

"I love him," she whispered.

Mister Fixit came closer. He pulled her in and kissed her head. "I know," he murmured. "And he loves you, too. He's a mighty lucky young man."

...

Glitch slept for the longest he ever had. When he woke up, it was midafternoon. He bolted upright and blinked at the guest room's alarm clock. Those numbers can't be right! he thought.

He jumped out of bed and hurried to get ready. That was when he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. His eyes fell on his disheveled gear.

Glitch smirked at his reflection. You sly rebel dog.

The sudden knocks on the door made him jump. He winced a little. That couldn't have been the first time someone came through to check on him. He was certain he'd slept through the first rounds of knocking.

"Uh, yeah, yeah, I'm up now!" he called. "One sec!"

He quickly straightened himself up in the mirror, re-buckling his shoulder gear and closing his compartments. Once he was presentable, he went to get the door. Dr. Axon stood there with a plate of refreshments and an endearing grin. "Ah!" he exclaimed. "At last, you are awake! It was extraordinarily late when you got back. Or, early, should I say. You slept for quite some time, even by your standards."

Glitch gave an awkward laugh. "Yep!" he said. "Yep."

Dr. Axon held up the plate. "I thought you might be hungry, so I made you brunch! I hope you like tin-wrapped spring rolls. They're an excellent power source."

"Uh, sure." Glitch nodded. "Thanks."

"You and Rev must have had a wonderful time!" Axon went on. "Did she like the cave?"

"Oh, man, totally!" Glitch answered. "She was all over it." He stopped himself. "Uh, I mean—"

Dr. Axon froze.

"I mean, it went good!" Glitch tried correcting himself. "It went great! She was great. I mean, she loved it! I mean…!" He facepalmed himself.

To his surprise, Dr. Axon's smile was still there. Glitch's metal went cold. He knew already.

"Care to talk?" Axon kindly offered.

Glitch rubbed his arm. "Yeah," he sighed.

They congregated at a small desk in the corner of the room. Dr. Axon sat down Glitch's brunch. He couldn't help but shift with mild discomfort. It wasn't like him to be so nervous with Axon. However, there was something about the Droid scientist's inquisitive blue eyes that made Glitch's face a bit warm.

"How did it go?" Dr. Axon asked.

"The cave?" Glitch took a quick drink and looked at him. "I told you, it went well."

Dr. Axon chuckled. "No, no, not that," he said.

Glitch glanced off again. "Oh, that." He laughed a little while smirking at Axon. "I think you know."

Axon laughed with him. "Yes, yes I do!"

Glitch's smirk faded. He lowered his optics to the floor. Dr. Axon noticed.

"Is something else the matter?" he asked.

"Things are gonna be different now, Doc," Glitch fretted. "Rev and I had a connection since day one, being half-Morbots and whatnot. But being friends kept it simpler, in a way. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad we're more than that now, and I love every minute of it. But I just don't want that to get ruined somehow."

Dr. Axon remained gentle and understanding. "Why, of course," he agreed. "There has been a major change in your relationship."

"You think we moved too fast?" Glitch asked him. "Well, I mean, with everything that's going on. Should we have waited until it was all over?"

"Actually," said Axon, "I think things are moving along for the both of you just fine!"

"You do?" Glitch stared at him.

Dr. Axon nodded.

"How so?" Glitch asked.

"The situation with my brother is indeed of utmost concern," Axon noted. "However, it will take time."

Glitch listened.

"And time is something we all only have so much of," Dr. Axon told him. "Tomorrow is never guaranteed." He smiled. "It is best to make the most of every day!" he encouraged. "Of every opportunity. To follow your dreams. Because you never know if you will have another chance."

Glitch didn't know what led him to, but he hugged Axon out of nowhere. It was a tight one, one that he could really use. Dr. Axon must have understood this; Glitch felt his arms go around him.

"She makes me so happy, Dr. Axon," he softly expressed. "She makes me so much better."

"I can tell," Dr. Axon whispered.

"BY THE STEEL GRAY WHISKERS OF DAVEY JONES! CURSE THAT WRETCHED BIRD!"

They were interrupted by shouting from up front.

"Oh, dear…" Dr. Axon tiredly placed a hand on his head.

They found Feeble chasing Dipper around the house. Melvin was helping him.

"What is going on?" Axon asked.

Melvin managed to stop and answer him. "Dipper's gotten hold of the map! We're trying to get it back from him!"

Dipper came through again. He was practically just a flying blur, but Glitch could still see something rolled up in his talons. Feeble bolted through in pursuit. He noticed Melvin along the way. "Well, don't just stand there gapin'!" he barked. "It's yer bloody pet, fer cryin' out loud!"

"I know, I know!" Melvin sighed.

He and Feeble hurried after Dipper into the next room. Glitch and Dr. Axon followed them. Dipper flew high in the air to avoid Feeble's angry swipes. He eventually settled on top of a tall bookshelf.

"Dipper, please get down from there!" Melvin begged. "That map is very important!"

"Ye fangled, feathery beast!" Feeble yelled. "Come down from yer perch before I pluck ye down from it!"

Dipper defiantly turned his back.

"Why, that does it!" Feeble drew his dagger.

Melvin restrained him. "Mr. Feeble, no, cut it out!" he chided. "Why must you always resort to violence?"

"Ye dare question me, egghead?" Feeble snapped at him. "Well, then, if you're so smart, then you get 'em down!"

"Fine. I have an idea." Melvin reached into his satchel and pulled out a small treat. He held it up for Dipper. "Here, Dipper!" he called.

"Ha!" Feeble flatly laughed. "As if an afternoon snack'll be enough to tame such a foul creature."

"He likes coal," Melvin said. "It's highly nutritional for his species."

Dipper turned his head and noticed what Melvin was holding. He moved closer to the edge of the bookshelf, intrigued.

"Nuh-uh-uh, no you don't!" Melvin cautioned. "We need the map first. No map, no treat."

Dipper's gaze altered between the parchment he kept at his side and Melvin's tasty incentive. The latter far outweighed his desire for the map. He brought it down from the top of the shelf. Melvin took the map before he gave Dipper the treat. He happily crunched away at the small bit of coal.

"Good boy!" Melvin praised.

He gave Feeble a matter-of-fact, "told you so" smile and handed the map to him. Feeble defensively snatched it away while grumbling under his breath.

"Well, perhaps if you didn't frighten him, this wouldn't have happened," Melvin stated. "I'd like to think Dipper took the map to teach you a lesson."

"What?" Feeble threw an outraged glance at Melvin. Dipper remained perched on his shoulder. He turned his beak up at Feeble with an arrogant hoot. The smugness angered him even further. "Why, you squawkin' little maggot…," he began.

Dr. Axon came over. "Well," he said, "now that all of that is settled, I can actually take a look at the map! Feeble, may I?"

"Whatever," Feeble muttered. "Here."

Dr. Axon took the map and returned to his lab. He opened the old parchment and placed it on the table. Glitch joined him. Axon lightly traced over a new place with his finger.

"The next region," Glitch observed.

"Precisely," Dr. Axon replied. "The metal region. And it has two Morbot gateways." He pointed to two circled areas.

"Two?" Glitch warily studied them. The spots didn't seem that far apart from each other on the map, but he knew better.

"Yes." Dr. Axon withdrew from it. "The region is the farthest one yet. It will also be the most difficult to traverse."

"Sounds fun," Glitch remarked, only half-joking.

"You can say that again!" Axon set the map to the side. "We will need to bring bug repellant."

"We will?"

"Ah, yes," Dr. Axon chuckled. "Melvin thinks the bugs are bad here. Wait until we get to the tropics!"

Glitch chuckled alongside him. It wasn't hard to picture Melvin running from a giant mech fly. Then again, he probably would, too.

"So when we plan on leavin'?" Glitch asked.

"We should set out while the weather favors us," Dr. Axon proposed. "Monsoon season will arrive soon. Give or take a few weeks. The sooner we can begin the trip, the better we can avoid that."

Glitch hesitantly glanced away. He didn't have a problem with leaving, but he wished it didn't have to be so soon. They had only been back for a week. He knew Rev wouldn't be too thrilled about that. Things were going well for her with Mister Fixit, and she definitely wouldn't like leaving Drill-Bit for so long again. But they were on a race to beat Exavolt. The sooner they could activate the rest of the gateways, the sooner everything would be over.

"Alright." Glitch made up his mind with a nod. "When's the earliest we can head out?"

"How does Monday sound?" Dr. Axon suggested. "That would give you and Rev the weekend together." He giggled.

Glitch hung his head. "Doc, c'mon," he groaned.

"Oh, no, I am quite serious!" Axon insisted. "It will give you an opportunity to swing by there. Rev tells me Drill-Bit misses you terribly. You could catch up with Mister Fixit, as well."

Glitch considered. That wasn't a bad idea.

"Mister Fixit rang me this morning while you were still asleep," said Dr. Axon. "He would love to have you over again. This time, for dinner!"

Glitch's optics widened. "D-dinner?"

Dr. Axon noticed him hesitating. After a few moments, he remembered why and smiled. "You won't have to worry about that," he guaranteed, "trust me."

Glitch stayed quiet. He was suffering from a flashback of the drink Mister Fixit offered him. Hopefully, Axon knew what he was talking about.

"Mister Fixit will be expecting you around 6:30," Dr. Axon told him. "That is the usual time they have dinner."

"O-ok…" Glitch rigidly moved his head up and down. It was the best he could do for a nod.