Welcome back! Please leave me a review, I'd really appreciate it. Anyway, I'll be quite so you can read about Franklin's First Crush.

Ratchet and Clank were doing regular maintenance on Aphelion, Ratchet underneath checking on the thrusters and undercarriage while Clank was in the cockpit to check the displays.

"Hi, Daddy!"

Ratchet's head shot up to bang on Aphelion's undercarriage. He groaned in pain and pulled out from under Aphelion to see his darling 5-year-old, Claire, smiling at him.

Kori finally made it to the garage to hear Ratchet groan. "Ratchet, are you okay?" One hand held the small hand of their 3-year-old, Franklin, and the other held their newly 1-year-old Ian.

"I'm fine." Ratchet smiled, rubbing his head a little bit. "Just had a bit of a surprise." He grinned to Claire and spread his arms. "Come here, trouble." Ratchet laughed as the little girl tackled him in the biggest hug she could manage.

Kori smiled and was about to speak when Claire cut in. "Daddy, Daddy! Grandpa gave me hoverboots. He says I'm pretty good with them, wanna see?"

"Hoverboots, huh?" Ratchet smiled before standing and holding out his hands for Claire to hold. "Hold my hands so you don't fall."

Claire gently took Ratchet's hands before activating her hoverboots, she slipped around a little bit but otherwise, Claire was quite stable on them. "Ratchet," Kori smiled. "Your father has equipped a hyper 5-year-old with powered footwear. I don't think Claire should have hoverboots just yet."

"But Mommy," Claire frowned, turning off her hoverboots and pouting at her mother. "I want them and Grandpa said I could have them." She folded her hands above her head and gave Kori her biggest eyes. "Please, Mommy."

Kori handed Ian off to Ratchet, letting go of Franklin's hand and kneeling down to Claire. "If you promise that Daddy and Grandpa can teach you how to use them properly before you start to show off on them."

"But that's no fun." Claire huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.

Ratchet bounced Ian, the baby giggling in response. "But that is fair." He nodded at Claire. "Mommy knows what she's talking about."

"Mama." Franklin tugged at Kori's sleeve.

Kori smiled at Franklin. "Yes, baby?"

"Frank-lin, not baby." The 3-year-old puffed out his cheeks and crossed his arms. "Ian is a baby."

Kori and Ratchet shared a quiet laugh before Kori turned back to Franklin. "Sorry, Franklin. What do you need?" Franklin held out his hands for the circuit breaker he and his grandfather made, which Kori handed over. "Show Daddy and Uncle Clank what you've made."

"Hey, pal, come look at what Franklin brought us." Ratchet called into Aphelion's cockpit. The friends examined the little boy's creation and oohed and aahed at the workmanship. It was obvious that Kaden had done the majority of the work but Franklin was 3. Not old enough to use big boys tools.

Clank turned over the small object in his hands. "This is very well done, Franklin." He handed it back to Franklin, who smiled at the praise.

"Thank you, Uncle Clank. Grandpa helped." Franklin bounced a little before returning to his mother.

Kori lightly pinched Franklin's cheek, standing and putting her hands on her hips. "Anyway, it's lunchtime. Come on back to the house and eat there for once." She took Franklin's hand and looked around for Claire.

Claire was exploring the garage and trying to peak at her father's tools, up on her tippy toes. "Daddy, do you use all these?"

"Yes, Claire," Ratchet smiled, looking at his best friend and Claire's namesake. He held out his free hand for her. "Come on, little dynamite, it's time to eat." Clank hopped onto Ratchet's back and Claire ran over and took his hand.

As the group was traveling back to the family home a damaged green ship with a familiar logo landed on the landing pad. Franklin and Claire ducked behind their parents to hide from the large green buffoon that exited the ship.

"Ratchet!" Quark cheered. "Clank! And…." He looked at Kori.

Kori sighed, eyebrow raised. "My name is Kori, Quark. You crashed my wedding to Ratchet." She gently put her hand on Franklin's head, who was hiding behind her. "And these are our children. Claire, Franklin, and baby Ian."

"Adorable." Quark reached out to touch Claire and she snapped her teeth at him. He pulled his hand back, trying to keep smiling. "Listen, I'm in need of a small favor."

As the adults were talking Claire moved behind her mother to stand beside Franklin. "This guy is weird." She commented to her little brother.

"I like him." Franklin smiled.

Claire raised an eyebrow at Franklin. "You're weird." She reached up to tug on her mother's shirt hem. "Mommy, I'm hungry."

"In a minute, sweetheart," Kori replied, taking Ian from Ratchet so Ratchet could give Quark's ship a once over.

Claire frowned and huffed. Franklin leaned on his mother's legs to try and get a better look at Quark, a shy little smile on his face. He tugged on his mother's pants pocket, looking up at her with curiosity and shyness. "Mama, is that a friend of Daddy's?"

"He is," Kori nodded. "He is Captain Qwark, he's been a friend of your father's almost as long as Uncle Clank has." She shrugged, looking down at the little boy. "Though I use the term friend lightly."

Franklin nodded, still hiding behind his mother. "I like him."

"I can't say I agree with you," Kori smiled. She turned to her husband. "Ratchet, you have three hungry kids waiting for you."

Ratchet's bottom half was hanging out the front of the ship. "In a minute."

"Daddy," Claire went up and tugged on Ratchet's foot. "Daddy, I'm hungry."

Ratchet pulled himself out of Qwark's ship. "Alright, little monster." He smiled at Claire for a moment before he turned to Qwark. "Come and have lunch with us, I'll see about fixing your ship after the children have been appeased."

Kori smiled as Ratchet walked passed her holding Claire's hand. "Wrapped around her little finger."

"Quiet, you." Ratchet laughed, lightly elbowing Kori.

So the group sat down for lunch and Qwark told all the kids about how he saved their parents' wedding and was the hero of multiple universes. How he, Captain Copernicus L. Qwark, saved Ratchet and Clank countless times. Franklin hung on his every word.

Claire interrupted and smiled, food in her mouth. "Daddy almost missed me being born because he was saving your butt."

"Claire," Kori scolded.

The little girl shrugged. "It's true."

"Yes," Ratchet nodded. "But we don't say butt."

Claire pointed with her spoon, frowning a little. "But you just said it."

"You know what I mean," Ratchet raised an eyebrow. "Especially, since you are a little lady."

Claire spooned more food into her mouth. "I'll never be a lady."

"She is your daughter." Kori sighed and smiled at Ratchet.

Ratchet smirked. "Why is it when she misbehaves she's my daughter?"

"Excuse me." Qwark cut in, a little miffed. "I was speaking of my great triumphs when I was so rudely interrupted." He smiled at little Franklin who was really the one one who had been paying attention to him and his story. "I have to recount now for my little fan."

Ratchet nodded. "Right, sorry, Qwark."

So for the rest of lunch, Qwark did not shut up, maybe a little bit from Ian throwing baby food at him. Ratchet could not finish lunch fast enough to finish Qwark's ship fast enough to get the green behemoth out of his house.

Nap time was after lunch so Kori tried to get her children in line to nap, though Ian was already snoozing. Franklin couldn't keep his eyes open but wanted to continue listening to stories about Qwark. Even following them out the door when Ratchet and Clank took Qwark to check out the ship.

"Franklin," Kori caught up with the sleepwalking kid. "Nap time, come on." She tried to grab the little one's hand while balancing a sleeping baby on her shoulder.

Little Franklin shook his head, even though he yawned. "But Mama, I'm not tired."

"Uh-huh." Kori nodded. "Get back here."

Franklin escaped his mother to run to his father. "I want to stay with Daddy." He grabbed Ratchet's pants leg to keep up with him. "And Uncle Clank."

"Buddy," Ratchet smiled and stopped to kneel down to the little boy. "Your ears are getting droopy, Mama is right that it's nap time."

Franklin shook his head, rubbing his tired eyes. "But I'm not tired." He whined.

"I don't believe you." Ratchet laughed, picking up Franklin and standing back up. "Once he's out we'll return him," Ratchet told Kori, who still had to wrangle a 5-year-old into quiet time so Franklin and Ian could sleep.

Kori smiled. "Best of luck to you." She petted the baby head on her shoulder. "Let's get the sleepy head to bed."

"Mama," Claire looked up to her mother. "Can I practice my hoverboots with Grandpa instead of quiet time?"

Ratchet shook his head and carried the three-year-old to Qwark's ship. "Clank, how about you run a diagnostic while I find a place to put Franklin." He looked to Qwark for a second. "How about you hold him, Qwark?"

"Me?" Qwark asked, pointing at himself. "I don't know about that."

Ratchet laughed. "He won't bite you." He handed the pretty much sleeping toddler to Qwark. "Claire would, but not Franklin."

"I don't think this is such a good idea." Qwark laughed weakly, holding Franklin away from him a little.

Ratchet shook his head. "Hold him further away from you, Qwark." He sighed. "Just hold him until I'm done, he'll fall asleep soon enough."

"Okay." Qwark nodded, finally holding the toddler against his chest.

Franklin cuddled up to Qwark, a little smile on his face. "I like you," he whispered in his sleep. Qwark ignored the little child, just holding him until his ship was fixed. It didn't take long but Ratchet happily took his son back after he was finished.

"Kori," Ratchet came back to the house, little toddler on his shoulder. "I think we need to talk about Franklin."

Kori was doing dishes, their 5-year-old off with Kaden. "Should we be concerned?"

"No, but I'm just wondering if you noticed how Franklin reacted to Qwark." Ratchet took Franklin to his room to lay him down in his toddler bed. "I know he's only 3 but he's never acted that way around anyone before."

Kori nodded. "We don't get many visitors."

"No," Ratchet leaned on the wall next to Kori. "I think….Franklin had a crush on Qwark." He shrugged his shoulders, looking at Kori.

Kori stopped and met Ratchet's eyes. "Are you okay with that?" She thought for a moment. "He did keep saying how much he liked him."

"There's nothing wrong with it." Ratchet smiled. "Besides that Qwark is way too old for him."

Kori smiled a little. "He's just a little boy, we'll just have to let him figure that out on his own." She patted Ratchet's head with her wet gloves. "And if it's true, he's our son and we love him for who he is."

"Yeah," Ratchet smirked and wrapped his arms around Kori's waist. "Claire will always be the weird one." He laughed, rubbing his wet hair on her cheek.

Kori laughed and kissed Ratchet's cheek. "She gets it from you." She laughed and leaned on Ratchet.

Thanks so much for reading, hope you enjoyed it. Please leave me a review, I'd love to know what you think. Anyway, see you next time!