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Ratchet stared quietly at the floor of the storage room, refusing to look up at Kaden and Amira.
After Ratchet's parents had come to the arena, Alister offered the storage room so that they could talk privately, away from prying eyes.
So that was why they were now in the dimly lit room that was filled with supplies, Amira and Kaden trying to work up the courage to talk while Ratchet stood, leaning against a wall with crossed arms and glaring at the ground, Clank at his side.
Finally, the silence was broken, but not by Kaden or Amira.
"Why didn't either of you tell me?"
Kaden's gaze flashed up to look at Ratchet in surprise while Amira jumped slightly. Ratchet stared at them with sharp emerald eyes, lips pulled down in a frown.
"Well?"
Another moment of silence, then,
"We didn't know how to tell you." Amira finally replied, voice quiet and soft.
Ratchet scowled.
"So you lied? That was better than just telling me the truth?"
Kaden frowned.
"No, it was withholding information until we could find the right time to tell you. Is it so wrong that we wanted everything to be perfect?"
Ratchet left the wall, taking a few steps forward and pointing accusingly at the man.
"It made me feel like you didn't want me! Like telling me would make everything all the more real! I thought you didn't want to be stuck with me, and that's why you didn't tell me!"
"No! That isn't why!" Amira protested, looking surprised by the accusation.
"Well I know now, after the General told me! But that's what I felt like, and why I ran! You should've just told me from the start, not 'wait for the perfect moment'! This isn't a holovid! If you'd both just told me the day I came to your house, it would've been perfect anyways!"
Everything went silent, Kaden and Amira staring at him in surprise, and even Ratchet himself looked shocked at his own words.
Finally, Kaden spoke.
"What...What do you mean, 'it would have been perfect anyways'?"
Ratchet looked away, thoroughly embarrassed and no doubt blushing beneath his fur.
"W-well, I mean...I've always...Always dreamed of having a mom and a dad...So if you'd just told me in the first place...It would've been perfect already."
Amira looked ready to cry, she was so happy, and Kaden looked to be in the same boat. Ratchet refused to look at either Lombax, embarrassed as he was, and Clank was smiling knowingly.
Ratchet rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, Emerald eyes flickering hesitantly between the wall and his parents.
"Look, I...I'm mad, like, really mad that neither of you told me, but...But I'm..." He gave a sound of frustration, this was harder than he thought! "Look, what I'm trying to say...Is either way, I'm really happy to have you guys as parents." He gave a relieved sigh. "There, I said it."
Everything was quiet for a long moment, Ratchet shifting from foot-to-foot nervously.
And then...Ratchet suddenly found himself being hugged by two very happy Lombax.
"Ach! H-hey! Why is everyone so touchy-feely in this dimension?!" Ratchet complained, wriggling about. Clank chuckled.
"Are you not glad to have parents?"
"I am! But no one's ever been this..."
"Comfortable with physical contact?" Clank offered. Ratchet only offered an uncomfortable grimace, mouthing 'help me'. Clank only smiled.
"Oh my sweet little kit..." Amira murmured, kissing the top of Ratchet's head. The young Lombax looked all the more embarrassed.
"Uh..."
Kaden held his family close, feeling completely whole for the first time in years.
Everything was dark, no light or anything to help Ratchet understand where he was.
"Hello?" He called out, a confused frown on his face. "Clank? Clank, where are you?"
The young Lombax began to feel nervous, the absence of his best friend making him feel so...So alone...
"Clank?!...K...Kaden? A...A...Amira?...Dad?! Mom?!"
Still nothing, and panic settled in Ratchet's chest. No, this couldn't be happening! No! He couldn't be alone, not again! He'd been alone for fourteen years, right up until Clank came along, he couldn't be alone again!
"Can anyone hear me?! Hello?!"
There was no reply.
"N...no..." Ratchet croaked out, falling to his knees. He was alone...
Again.
Emerald eyes snapped open, a choked gasp leaving Ratchet's dry throat. His eyes darted about the room, and he then groaned, rubbing a hand over his face. Why did he have to have so many nightmares?
He sat up, ignoring the trembling of his arms. He looked over, then, to Clank. His best friend, the one who was like a brother to him, never minded having Ratchet wake him up to talk about the Lombax's nightmares.
But, halfway to reaching over to wake Clank from recharge, he froze.
Before going to bed, Kaden- er...His dad (wow, that would take time getting used to thinking and saying) had told him that if there was anything he needed, then Ratchet could go to him and Amir- mom (this was harder than he thought!)
Was this a good place to start? He wasn't sure, his nightmares were a personal thing, a weakness, as he saw it.
But parents...Parents were supposed to be there for their kids, right? There to comfort and sooth, to chase away any fear?
After a few minutes of silent debate, the teen finally made his decision and swung his legs over the side of the bed, standing on shaky legs. He padded out of the room, tail swinging quietly behind him as he walked down the hall, claws lightly clicking against the wood panels. He came to the door to his parents room, and after hesitating, he opened the door, tiptoeing in.
He went over to the large bed where Kaden and Amira slept peacefully. Going around to Kaden's side, Ratchet pursed his lips, debating about how to go about this.
"D...Dad?"
Oh how foreign that word felt on his tongue. Ratchet frowned slightly when Kaden didn't twitch. So he tried again, this time a bit louder.
"Dad?"
Ratchet yelped when he suddenly found himself pinned to a wall, Kaden growling with a hand to the boy's throat...Until he realized that Ratchet was no intruder.
"Ratchet? What..?" Realizing he had the boy pinned against the wall, the man quickly released the boy. "Blast, I'm sorry! You scared me!"
"Ngh...Kaden? Wh-what are you..." Amira mumbled, having been startled awake by the commotion. She propped herself up on one arm, rubbing at her eyes as she frowned in confusion. She was surprised to see Ratchet in her and Kaden's room.
"Ratchet? What's wrong, sweetie?" She asked, concerned and sitting up fully, switching on the bedside lamp.
Ratchet looked embarrassed, eyes falling to the floor.
"I...Look, I feel pretty stupid right now for coming here, but...You both said I could come to either of you if I needed anything. It's just...I had a nightmare. Like, a bad one. Usually I go to Clank, but I figured..."
His voice faded off, but it was obvious what he was saying. This was him giving them a chance to actually do things a family did. This...Was him testing the waters. Kaden offered a warm smile, guiding the teen to the bed and having him sit.
"I see. It's alright, we want you to come to us if something's wrong."
Ratchet still looked a bit nervous and awkward, his ears lowered and tail twitching. Amira shifted, going to sit beside her son. She rubbed a hand soothingly over his back.
"Do you want to talk about it? Your nightmare?"
Ratchet grimaced, shaking his head.
"No, I...I just...I don't want to be alone right now. I just...I need someone around."
Kaden moved over, sitting on Ratchet's other side.
"Well, we're right here. It's alright, Ratchet, you aren't alone. I mean, seriously, we won't leave the house unless we've got someone who we know can keep you safe watching you!"
Ratchet ducked his head, managing a small laugh.
"Was wondering why Alister always seems to be around." He stated, earning a sheepish grin from Kaden and laughter from Amira.
"Yeah, well," Kaden chuckled. "Who better to keep you out of trouble than a General?"
Alister yawned slightly as he entered his passcode into the panel beside the front door of the Lode homestead. Gaining entry, the General stepped in, kicking off his boots and leaning his staff beside the door before going in search of the small family of three.
Sniffing the air, Alister frowned. Usually at this time, Amira would already be awake and cooking something to eat, the woman preferring a meal to a simple snack before she headed off to her place of work. And yet Alister couldn't smell anything: no spices or meats, not even the sweetness of fruit or bitterness of herbs. Frown deepening, the General's ears swiveled slightly. He couldn't hear the sizzle of cooking oils, either, or the muffled voices of people.
Amber eyes flickered to the main staircase when there was an echo of small, metallic steps.
Clank came into view. The small robot offered a friendly smile when he saw Alister.
"Good morning, General Azumith. Is there something you require?"
Alister inclined his head in greeting.
"Hello, Clank. Kaden and Amira asked me to keep an eye on Ratchet while they were at work. I...Thought they would all be awake by now."
Clank nodded in understanding.
"I see. I believe that Ratchet seeked comfort from them last night. It is likely that it took his parents much time to calm him down enough that he could sleep. It is also likely that after such an endeavor, they were exhausted. I am sure, though, that they all will wake soon."
Alister blinked, confused, a frown on his face as Clank walked past him and into the kitchen. The white Lombax quickly followed the robot.
"Why would Ratchet need comfort?"
Clank hopped up onto one of the kitchen counters to be at a better height level.
"You must understand, General, that Ratchet has had a life far more complicated than most others. Therefore, he is more susceptible to very lucid nightmares, whether they be about his many enemies or of his past." Alister's ears drooped slightly, sadness on the Lombax's face as Clank continued. "Usually, Ratchet seeks comfort from me, but now that he has a family to become acclimated to, he sought help from his mother and father."
The little robot began searching the cabinets, knowing somewhere, Amira had stored some fuel for him (not necessary to keep him up and running, but a rather nice treat all the same).
"Ratchet's fight or flight instinct has always been at a much higher level than others, a result of his life, from fending for himself to battling enemies. It also leads to him being very wary and very much awake after a nightmare. It can take anywhere from one to two and a half standard hours to calm him. Ratchet's parents are likely exhausted after such an endeavor, but I am certain they will wake soon."
"I...I see." Alister managed. He gestured back towards where the stairs to the second floor were. "Could I...?"
Clank chuckled slightly.
"Once asleep, Ratchet will wake up for nothing less than a blaster shoot towards his head. You will not wake him, though I do not know if his parents are such heavy sleepers."
Alister smiled slightly, nodding and leaving the kitchen. He padded up the stairs, quietly going down the hall. Reaching the door to Kaden and Amira's bedroom, the General silently peered in.
His smile instantly widened.
There, on the large bed, Ratchet was curled up in the middle. The kit's tail was wrapped around a leg, and an ear was twitching as he dreamed. On either side of him were his parents, Amira with a hand resting on her son's back, and Kaden with an arm slung over his wife and child. Alister paused, leaning forward slightly, and he had to resist the urge to laugh when he heard that Ratchet was actually purring. He'd most definitely have to tease the kit later about that.
With a glance at the nearby clock, Alister quietly shut the door. There was no harm in letting the family of three sleep in, now was there?
