A/N: So unlike my other fics this won't be a "story" per-say. But it will be a series of one-shots. I, for one, loved the relationship between Grim and Ratchet in the movie and wanted to do my own version of what it was like for Ratchet growing up under Grim's care. Adoptive relationships are my specialty, so my imagination has run wild!

One-shots will be posted out of order. With some taking place post-Movie and others pre-Movie or during the course of the Movie itself. I'll indicate the timeline at the start of each one-shot!

This is my first R&C fic in years (the other is deleted) so please be gentle

DISCLAIMER: Ratchet, Grim, and other characters belong to Insomniac. I own noting in this fic other than any OC or two I decide to throw in.

TIMELINE: Pre-movie, Ratchet is five.

...

PET

"Grim! Grim! Grim!"

Grimroth Razz had never considered himself father material. The older alien had liked spending most of his days alone in his garage in the Kyzil Plateau on planet Veldin. So it never went without question how he'd been roped into becoming an adoptive father to a small, furry creature, one not of his own species for that matter.

Some would say it was a funny story. But he hadn't found much particularly funny about a giant escape pod smashing through the ceiling of his garage. No, he'd been about ready to let whoever was piloting it have it when he'd come upon it. But of course, when it had opened to the sight of a small creature that he'd recognized as a Lombax, an infant at that, he'd refrained.

He could have handed him over then, to some form of children's services. Veldin wasn't big, but it did have a children's home that would take him no questions asked. And to be fair, Grim had planned to do just that, given he was far from what some would consider father material. But one look into those eyes, and he'd decided to keep him overnight. One night turned into one week, and one week turned into him applying to adopt the boy he had named "Ratchet".

To be fair, at the time, he'd been thinking about getting some help around the garage. And though Ratchet wasn't old enough for that yet, he was learning.

All the same, Grim and Ratchet's relationship wasn't the exact same as other relationships between fathers and sons would be. First of all, the five year old called him "Grim" at his request. Grim wasn't sure how well being called "dad" settled with him yet, so he'd trained him since before he could talk to call him that instead. For his part, Grim called Ratchet often by his first name. But had his own terms of endearment for him: "fuzzball", "little guy", "m'boy" to name a few...

Ratchet had some terms he used when they were alone too. Such as "big guy" and "pops", the latter of which he really only used when he wanted something. And while Grim didn't like to believe he caved much from that, he'd have been wrong.

"Ratchet..." Grim stopped his hearty reply when he'd turned from the ship he was working on to see him. "What on Veldin happened to you!?"

Far be it for him to overreact, but most guardians would say the same he figured. Due to the fact his young charge was currently standing in front of him, covered from head-to-toe in mud. The young Lombax gave a toothy grin, trying to wipe some of it off. "It's nothin' Grim. Guess what!?"

"You're gonna get a bath soon?" Grim asked with a hint of humor.

Ratchet giggled a little at his guardian, his grin widening. "Nope!"

"Well, you are. But fine, I'll bite." Grim grunted. "Why are you covered in mud?"

"Hehe! Follow me, Grim!"

Grim didn't really want to follow Ratchet out the front of the garage. It was getting late, he was getting tired, and Ratchet would now need a bath of all things before bed. And besides, just because he didn't call him "dad" didn't make him any less of Ratchet's father. All sorts of nasty creatures could come out at night on Veldin and the last thing he wanted was the young Lombax to get hurt.

Yet, Ratchet was admittedly faster than him, and so he really didn't have a choice. So he stepped out the massive front door, blocking his eyes from the powerful sun that was now lowering in the sky. "Ratchet, you have five minutes! Then I've got to get you fed and a bath!" Grim shouted. "Now where the heck are ya squirt?"

"Over here Grim!" Ratchet shouted back.

Grim rolled his eyes as he made his way towards the sound. It didn't take him long to find Ratchet, nor to find out exactly how he had gotten covered in mud. Plop! Grim jumped in the air as he too got a dose of it, from the one thing that Grim didn't exactly want to see.

Sure, Sand Toad's weren't exactly "dangerous" in most cases. But his first reaction at seeing that the five year old was playing with one in the mud was to snatch Ratchet right up. "Kid, what are you thinking? That's a wild animal!" Grim scolded, staring between the mud covered Ratchet, and the small, green critter in question. "You don't play with that!"

Grim prepared for the creature to try and attack with its jaws at any moment. Yet, he found himself surprised when instead, the creature simply titled its body to one side, looking at him. "He's not mean! We were just playin'!" Ratchet tried to argue. "He's really cool, Grim! Watch!"

Ratchet struggled out of his guardian's grip, landing on his two feet. Grim moved to grab him again, but Ratchet had, again, beat him to the small creature. "Ratchet, I told you to git-." He stopped as the creature seemed to... Let him pet it? He blinked slightly. "Careful of the horns, kid. Those things are sharp."

"I am!" Ratchet said as he petted between them. "Isn't he cool Grim!?"

"Well... I wouldn't really say "cool." Grim replied, still cautious. "Sand toad's aren't exactly known as the most friendly creatures out here."

"This one is!" Ratchet replied, looking up at Grim. "So?"

Grim didn't like the sound of that "so?" one bit. "So what?"

"Can we keep him?"

Grim nearly burst out laughing at Ratchet's questioning. The kid had to be kidding, right? He could already count the reasons it was a bad idea on one hand: it was a wild animal, he was only five years old, and finally, neither of them knew the first thing about keeping a pet. "Absolutely not! I don't even know the first thing about domesticating an animal." Grim replied. "If ya want a pet, we can do research and get ya one from off world."

"But Grim, I don't want another pet!" Ratchet whined quietly. "I want Spikey."

Grim grimaced at the comment. "You already named it?"

"Uh-huh. You like it?" Ratchet asked innocently.

Grim stared at the sand toad once again, as it stared at him quietly. And for the first time, he had to question where the critters kin was. Sand toad's had the tendency to travel in packs, and he'd never actually seen one alone. "Weren't there any others with him? He's probably got a family." Grim tried to reason.

"No. I found him alone." Ratchet replied, then picked "Spikey" up to show Grim something for the first time. "And look, he's hurt."

Grim looked at the creature quietly, and for the first time, noticed Ratchet was right. Something had hurt the critter's leg, and left it seemingly wounded. Grim frowned at the thought, considering that the sand toad's kin had abandoned him to outrun whatever had done it. He sighed quietly, looking up at the nearly set sun now, and thinking over what to do.

Of course, Ratchet's big, bug-eyed expression was not helping. He groaned, looking from the sand toad, to Ratchet, and to the sun again. He really had to be stupid to do this, but he also knew that Ratchet was not going to let this go. The boy was far too stubborn. And he should know, the little bugger had got it from him. "Fine, we'll bring it back to the shop for a few days and see what happens. But the second that thing takes a bite at you, it's gone." Grim told him firmly, noting how Ratchet jumped up and down excitedly. "Don't get too excited. You're taking care of him - walking him, making sure it's got food and water. And it is sure as heck is sleeping in your room."

"Uh-huh! OK Grim! Uh-huh!" Ratchet threw his arms around his guardian. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"

Grim sighed quietly; noting that now, they both needed a bath. "Yeah, yeah, you're welcome. Now come on, before the real dangerous critters show up. You need a bath, I need a bath, and I need to close the shop." Grim replied. "Then we'll find a place for your new... Pet to sleep in that disaster area you call a room."

"C'mon Spikey!" Ratchet shouted. "I can't wait to show you my room!"

"Not until you get a bath first!" Grim shouted as Ratchet took off with the critter in his arms, groaning quietly. "I'm gonna be cleaning off mud in his room tonight, too." He grumbled.

He just hoped that this pet wouldn't end in utter disaster.

...

A/N: Short, I know. But this is really me testing the waters a bit. Hopefully it came out good, and y'all enjoyed!