Leon broke the door down to the Command Center, only to watch as Rilena smacked Kyle away, anger in her bright blue eyes. "You asshole! Stay away from me!" Rilena snapped at him, before Ratchet was hurrying to her side with the kids and Leon. "You okay Rilena?" Ratchet asked his wife, who nodded as her shoulders slumped in relief. "Yeah, I'm alright." She said softly, before noticing Kyle moved and she growled, glaring at the Lombax before her.
Leon glared as well, walked over and lifted the dark brown and black Lombax. "We've told you time and time again to leave our Commander alone." He hissed at the other Lombax. "Please, you know as well as I do that someone needs to be a father to those kids and I plan to be that father if I would be given a chance." Kyle hissed out and that's when Ratchet decided to step in. "Riley, sweetie." He said and she nodded, hopping down to Ratchet Junior who caught her, watching Ratchet stalk toward Kyle.
"And they do have a father," Ratchet hissed, grabbing Kyle's attention as Leon looked at him, "me." Ratchet stated firmly, glaring at the other Lombax. "Wha-?" He looked Ratchet up and down, then looked at Ratchet Junior and his eyes widened. "You have got to be kidding me." He muttered, glaring at the father, Ratchet, soon afterward. "Where the hell have you been all these years if it hasn't been here?!" Kyle demanded of the other Lombax. "Been with some other woman maybe?" He snapped, angry to know Ratchet was still alive.
Ratchet snapped, grabbing the other Lombax and Leon let go, knowing better than to get between Ratchet and one who made him angry. "I would NEVER cheat on my wife. I love her and my kids with all my heart, you seem to only lust after my wife and I, mister, will not stand for that." Ratchet pushed the other Lombax against the wall, glare at full force. "Don't come near my wife or my kids again, understand?" Kyle frowned at the threat, before looking at Rilena who was now holding Riley in her arms.
"Tch," He scoffed, "guess you weren't lying when you said he was the best thing to happen in your life." Rilena glared at him. "Does he know all your secrets?" He asked with a grin. Rilena paled and began shaking, making Riley look at her mom and pat her face. "Mommy?" She asked softly, tilting her head slightly. "She can tell me when she's ready." Ratchet hissed, feeling Leon inch closer; Ratchet knew why...he tended to lose his cool when something happened to his family.
Kyle frowned, before Leon placed a hand on Ratchet's shoulder once more. "Let him go, Ratchet, he's not worth it." Leon said softly, knowing Ratchet wanted to fight the other Lombax, yet Ratchet knew what Leon said was true. Letting him drop to the floor, he backed away a little bit, glare never relenting. "I see you around my wife or kids, you'll wish you never met me." Ratchet hissed out, turning around and walking to his wife and children.
He kissed Rilena, then rubbed Riley's head, who reached her hands for him so Ratchet took her from Rilena who smiled as Riley hugged her father. RJ and Ragar smiled up at him as well, glad he was back and their family complete. Leon turned to Kyle who was glaring at the scene. "He's back Kyle, you never had a chance. Rilena never would've been with you since her heart has always belonged to Ratchet." Kyle glared at him, before scoffing, standing up. "Will he still want to be with her when he learns what happened to her on Drek's ship?" He mocked, eyes dark with malice.
Leon's brown eyes went nearly black in color. "If you know what's good for you, you'll keep your mouth shut. What happened on Drek's ship was forced on her, she didn't want it to happen and it wasn't willingly. She was beaten to death and forced, everyone who knows what happened knows that." He hissed, grabbing Kyle by the throat, glad the kid's attention were on Ratchet. Kyle was starting to test the last of his patience and if he didn't keep his mouth shut, he was going to have bigger problems.
"She never wanted that to happen, no woman wants that. Then the experiment five years ago...you took part in that so you are also to blame!" He hissed, tightening his hand just the slightest. "Now, leave them alone before I make do on my promised punishment." Kyle nodded and Leon let him go, letting Kyle leave. He knew the Lombax wouldn't stop but with Kyle having backing from most of the engineers, there wasn't much Leon could do when it came to punishing him. The engineers didn't want him gone, and to be truthful, they did need him but if he continued...well…
Leon wouldn't be responsible for him disappearing.
He turned back to the family, seeing the twin boys crowded around their mother while Ratchet nuzzled Riley, the little girl giggling before she hugged her father. Leon smiled, this was what he had wanted to see most. He had always hoped Ratchet was alive, was out there somewhere, and would find his way back to them. This proved that Ratchet was here for a reason. He was from the past, fifteen years in the past but this was still his family; whoever sent him to this timeline did it for a reason. He just wished he knew what that reason was so he could help.
Conner and those that worked in the Command Center walked in, some surprised to see Ratchet before welcoming him back. Especially Conner, the two had similar interests and at one point Conner had given Ratchet some advice on wooing Rilena. "How's the energy terminal?" Leon asked as he walked over, wondering if they needed to head to a nearby planet to find some Blarg ships that still had fuel and energy. It would be a temporary fix but it was all they could do at the moment.
"It's okay for now, plus our stockpile is good." Rilena said softly as Ratchet looked at them. "The researchers believe they might have found a way to absorb energy from planet particles that are in outer space. If we can use those, then we can keep a limitless supply of energy when fighting Drek. It's all about containing that energy." She explained softly, even as RJ and Ragar walked over to the computer Conner sat at. "Mom, it looks like Takeria is sending us a message." Ragar said and she nodded, going over to the chair and sitting down. Ratchet was reminded of the days when she was a young Commander of the Rebels, when Drek first made his appearance. "Bring up the video link." Rilena siad and the screen turned to static for a moment, before clearing to show the black feline.
"Heya doll, how ya doin'?" Takeria asked, her thick country accent bringing a sense of familiarity to Ratchet. "Hi Takeria, how has the scouting been?" Rilena asked as Takeria grinned. "It's been good, sugah, haven't seen a Blargian ship in a long time. We get little alarms but the cannons over 'ere at Observation Platform Batalia seem to shoot down any ship that DID try and land." She responded thoughtfully. From where she was, it looked like she was at the old Galactic Rangers training camp on Veldin. "Anyways…" Takeria went silent when she saw a familiar face. "I dun believe it." She pressed her face closer to the screen. "Ratchet, that you dear?" The feline's green eyes were wide, she couldn't believe it!
"Yep, it's me Takeria." He responded and she smiled wide. "Well I'll be darned, it's good ta see ya boy!" She greeted and he chuckled, her country accent always made him smile; she was always friendly. "Nice to see you as well, Takeria." Ratchet greeted her in return, she smiled and then Takeria gave her full report. After everything was said and done, with Rilena informing Takeria that they would send the next squad out to give them a reprieve, the video link ended. Rilena sighed and leaned her head back, before she felt a hand against her forehead, making her look up. "You need some rest Rilena," Ratchet said softly and she gave a weak smile, "you look like you need it." Rilena sighed as she sat straight.
"I wish I could but I still have to go down to the power core and make sure it's running smoothly." She brought out the tablet. Ratchet looked at his kids with a smirk and they gave one right back, then he turned his attention to Leon, who raised a brow at him. Ratchet looked at the holographic tablet Rilena had as she stated what she had to look over before she'd be done for the day. Ratchet then looked back at Leon with his own brow raised, smirk still in place and Leon returned it with a nod.
"...And then I have to let Qwark," Leon took the tablet out of her hands. "Eh?!" She jumped and looked up at Leon, who smirked, waving the tablet a bit. "Let me handle things for a bit Rilena," She tilted her head, "you take a break." He looked at Ratchet, RJ, Ragar and Riley. "Besides, you should spend time with Ratchet and the kids." She gave a grateful smile and stood up, nodding. "Alright, thanks Leon." She gave him a hug, one he returned before she turned around and left with the kids.
Leon sighed with a smile, watching them disappear out the door. "I'm happy your back Ratchet, keep her happy." He sat down in the chair that Rilena occupied moments ago and brought up everything on the tablet, she should have a day to herself. Besides, he could watch everything over for the day.
**(Rebels Ship Dock)**
"We've tried finding another jet engine to keep it afloat but none of the engines we find are the right ones that we can safely attach to the ship." Rilena explained as Ratchet looked the ship over with RJ. "What's one of the engines?" Ratchet asked, making her point over to a pile of engines. Ratchet headed over and looked through them, frowning as he realized he wouldn't be able to get the wiring right. "Yeah, I can see why. None of the wiring could work. I'd have to rewire the entire ship to get these to work." He stated, turning back to his family. Ratchet Junior frowned a bit, before turning to the ship. "Do any of the engines match each other?" He asked his dad who hummed, looking through the engines. "No, sorry son." Ratchet said softly to RJ, who sighed.
"Darn it." He muttered, crossing his arms. "I was thinking, if we could find two engines that are exactly alike, then we could see about rewiring the ship." Ratchet Junior suggested, making Ratchet hum once more as he walked over to the ship. Ratchet pulled the plate off the wiring system and looked it over, seeing what wires they had. "I'll see about it some other day, for now, let's just connect." Ratchet said softly, jumping down from the ship and swooping Riley into his arms when she reached for him. "Alright." RJ agreed with a wide smile, even as Ragar nodded silently with a smile.
Rilena smiled from where she stood a little ways away, Clank in her arms. "You have done well in raising them." Clank said softly as he looked up at her, she smiled down at him. "Thanks Clank." She said softly, he gave a smile. "RJ looks exactly like his father, Ragar seems to look like both of you." Clank said as he looked at the kids. "I am curious about Riley though," He felt her tense, "how is she here?" He looked up at her. "My scans indicate that she is yours and Ratchet's daughter, however she is too young to have been from Ratchet considering he has been considered dead for fifteen years. She is only five years old." Rilena sighed, looking off to the side and Clank was surprised to see embarrassment and shame in her eyes.
"An...experiment that went wrong." She muttered, yet this merely left Clank confused. "I do not understand. How was she born from an experiment?" Rilena shook her head, refusing to say more and he sighed, realizing she would not say more. The next few hours were spent at the house underground, Ratchet learning about his children and about how his wife had changed over the years. It was obvious to Ratchet that some things were omitted, they all kept quiet when he mentioned about her being captured but all they said was she was returned and that's all that mattered.
Eventually, Leon and Karla showed up. "Everything is taken care of for the day." Leon said to Rilena when she looked at him expectantly. "Thanks Leon." She said gratefully, even as he nodded to her. "Ratchet." Karla said as she walked over and he stiffened, he remembered little about Karla. She wasn't someone you made angry and that overly calm tone told him that she was angry. Next thing he felt was a smack upside his head. "Ow!" He yelped, rubbing his head, even as Leon and RJ both winced at that smack. That sounded really, really painful.
Afterward, Karla hugged him, surprising him. "Uh...Karla?" Ratchet questioned. "Don't you EVER scare us like that again." She scolded as she moved away, frowning at him. "Sorry." He apologized, even as she sighed and moved away, brown eyes showing concern. "You better be, we looked all over the galaxy for you." She muttered, before Rilena checked the time. "It's almost dinnertime." She stood and looked at Karla. "So, Aunt Karla," The cream colored Lombax perked, "want to help me make dinner again?" She questioned and Karla nodded, heading to the kitchen with Rilena.
Ratchet smiled before looking at Leon who sat across from him at the dinner table. "They do this often?" Leon nodded with a smile. At the table on the left side it was Ratchet, RJ and Riley, while on the right side it was Leon and Ragar. "When we set up base here, Karla and Rilena began making dinner together, something to keep them focused as they talked about anything and everything." Ratchet smiled softly at that, before he watched RJ and Riley interact with Ragar who sat across from them.
A crash in the kitchen caught their attention.
"Rilena!" Karla cried in concern and everyone hurried into the kitchen, seeing Rilena kneeling on the ground, holding her hand which was shaking badly. Leon tensed as he knew what caused it, seeing the blood on her hand and the knife on the counter...she must've slipped and the shaking happened. "Rilena, we need to bandage this." Karla said softly, helping her up...Rilena's entire arm was shaking now, her eyes wide as she stared at the bleeding cut on her hand.
Her mind was flashing back to an entirely different scenario.
Karla looked at Leon who nodded, before he ushered the kids back into the dining room, pulling Ratchet with him. "Wha-but, Leon-!" Leon's glare silenced Ratchet...he shouldn't follow them. "Don't. That will just make matters worse." Leon hissed, seeing how Ratchet twitched to follow his wife. Ratchet bit his bottom lip, looking the way Rilena and Karla went, before he sighed and slumped, deciding to listen to Leon. He will be asking his wife what happened later.
**(With Rilena and Karla)**
"There we go." Karla said softly once she finished wrapping Rilena's hand. Rilena merely stared at her hand for a few more minutes, before she sighed softly, shaking her head. "I just...I froze once I felt the blade touch my hand." She looked at her other hand, the unmarked skin reminding her that Drek never touched her left hand. She always used her right hand for everything, why break the non-dominant hand? She turned her attention back to her bandaged right hand, eyes full of sorrow and shame.
A pair of cream colored hands touching her own made her look up at Karla's soft brown eyes. "Rilena, you survived a traumatizing experience, you still have phantom touches, don't you?" Rilena nodded. "It's common to suddenly freeze up when you feel something real touch you that reminds you of what happened." Rilena frowned softly at that, looking to the side. Did she freeze up because the sharp pain of the knife reminded her of the torture she endured when Drek had her imprisoned?
"Rilena," The Leopardis looked at Karla's compassionate gaze, "what happened wasn't your fault." Karla wanted to cry at the broken gaze behind Rilena's bright blue eyes. "Drek tortured you...among other things, yet you survived. It may have been years ago that this happened but it left scars, both physical, mental and emotional." She ran a finger along the bandage on Rilena's hand. "You'll get better and now that Ratchet is here, he can help you heal." She looked at Rilena once more, turning her attention away from Rilena's bandaged hand.
"I suggest you tell him." Rilena sighed heavily, that was the ONE THING she DIDN'T want to do. In her mind, it would be like reliving what happened so long ago and she didn't want to deal with that. However she knew it was true...Ratchet could help her heal. He had always been there for her and that would never change. He even returned to her after supposedly being dead for fifteen years. It was thanks to the Zoni, she believed that he was back but he still came back and was helping her. Her mind flashed back to all those years ago...when Drek had her imprisoned and what he did.
~Flashback~
Rilena screamed in pain as her back made contact with the metal wall of the cell she was in, before a metallic hand grabbed her throat, keeping her pinned against the wall. Two other metallic, pincer-like arms appeared and grabbed her wrists, pinning them above her head against the wall. "Don't anger me, my little girl." The odd-scrambled like, yet somehow clear, voice of Drek said.
Looking at the face of the man she had once called father before she learned the truth made her want to scream. Half of his face was robotic, a robotic red eye and a normal brown eye looking at her in a mixture of anger...and lust. Half of his body was robotic as well, except his arms and one leg was robotic; he had four pincer-like arms attached to a metal plate on his back. She looked away in disgust as he pulled her closer to him.
"Listen here sweetie," He said almost kindly, yet she could hear the venom behind the kindness, "once we're done here you won't have a thing to worry about." He grinned at her, yet she refused to look at him. "I'll take good care of you..." His still unused robotic arm went to her hips, making her eyes go wide, "you and the child I'll make you have." The next thing she felt was something being snapped around her neck before she felt the pinch of a needle...then everything went black.
~Flashback End~
Rilena had awoken hours later feeling sore and stripped bare, bruises and cuts had covered her and she had been especially sore around her hip region. She hadn't remembered the first night but Drek made sure she was conscious the other nights, he always injected her with a drug that made her unable to disobey him, some kind of drug that made her unable to control her body. Mixed in with that drug forced an intense heat onto her body, one that forced her to beg, yet she hated it.
Rilena looked to the floor, sighing. "When I'm ready...I'll tell him." Karla nodded, she knew she couldn't force Rilena, nor would she force her to tell Ratchet what happened. Rilena should do it on her own time when she was sure she could stay composed. "I'll tell him what happened...and about the child." Karla nodded once more and stood up, gently pulling Rilena with her. Karla knew Rilena had never truly gotten through what happened, lying to everyone and saying she was fine despite the nightmares she still suffered.
"Come, let's go finish dinner." Rilena nodded silently and followed Karla back to the kitchen, washing the utensils and she let Karla deal with the knife. After what happened, she couldn't touch it. "Mom?" Rilena turned around, seeing Ratchet Junior standing in the doorway to the kitchen, green eyes concerned. "Are you...are you okay?" He asked softly, walking closer and Rilena sighed, before she smiled and nodded. "I will be in due time, Junior, in due time." She walked over and kissed his forehead, making him smile softly.
He knows she'll heal. After all, their daddy was back!
Dinner went off without a hitch after that and Leon and Karla left, stating they'd be back in the morning to get them for work. After everything was cleaned, it was time for bed. Rilena held Riley gently as she walked to the bedroom Riley slept in, Clink following obediently at her heels as if it were a dog. Ratchet smiled softly as Riley lightly dozed on her mother's shoulder, before they reached her bedroom. As Rilena shifted to allow Riley to lay on the bed, the girl opened her green eyes. Rilena smiled, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Goodnight sweetheart." She kissed her daughter's forehead, making Riley give a sleepy smile, even as Ratchet watched from the doorway with Clank. "Goodnight mommy." She turned sleepy green eyes to her father, Ratchet.
"Goodnight daddy." His heart melted and his smile got even softer. "Goodnight sweetie." He responded quietly, watching as her green eyes closed. Rilena felt a light tug on her tail and looked down, seeing it was Clink. She smiled, picked him up and gently laid him beside Riley on the bed before the small robot curled into an actual ball and seemed to shut down for the night. However the small blinking red light signaled the robot was very much awake. They left the room quietly, Rilena shutting the door to just a crack, before the two parents made their way to the twins room.
As they entered the two boys had just changed into pajamas and were climbing into bed. Rilena smiled and walked in with Ratchet, both boys smiled upon seeing their parents. "Are you two ready for tomorrow?" She asked them lightly and they nodded, grins on their faces. "Always!" Ratchet Junior said excitedly, he always enjoyed going on missions with his mom! "We're ready for tomorrow." Ragar said softly, a gentle smile on his face. "What's tomorrow?" Ratchet asked with a tilt of his head, making Rilena smile at him.
"Tomorrow is when we're heading to one of the planets that Drek made, using pieces from Aurora." Rilena explained, thinking a bit. "I believe Qwark said the planet was called Barora. It's a planet that uses pieces from Batalia and Aurora." She explained further, before RJ tugged on her arm, grabbing her attention. "What're we doing on the planet?" RJ asked, wanting to know the reason for the assignment. "We're heading there to gather some crystals, we've been getting readings from the planet for a while now." Rilena began explaining.
"We're also going to look for spare Blarg ship parts, as well as any possible medicinal plants." She sat on the bed, rubbing one of RJ's cheeks. "We won't be too long, your job, however, will be to keep an eye on Riley." She looked over at Ragar, who Ratchet was standing beside. "That will be the duty you two have." The twins nodded seriously, they would always protect their little sister. Ratchet was surprised to hear that Riley was coming along as well.
Once the twins fell asleep, Ratchet and Rilena made their way to the bedroom with Clank. "Riley is coming along?" He questioned and she sighed, giving a nod. "Yep. I tried to keep her here a few times...it didn't work out so well." She gave him an amused smile. "She snuck onto the Phoenix and laid low until we landed before we heard Clink and saw her with us." Ratchet's jaw dropped, she was sneaky! "Clink, RJ and Ragar kept her safe and, Qwark stated that as long as she was kept safe, he didn't see a reason for her to not come along." She opened the door to their room and they walked in.
"As such, Leon stated it might be a good idea to have her come along. Clink is able to send us the locations of the crystals through our holo-tablets." She explained, sitting on the bed and patting the spot beside her, Ratchet sat down as well. "Clink never leaves Riley's side, so having her come along tends to be a smart choice." She rested her head on Ratchet's shoulder, making him smile and nuzzle her forehead. He had things he wanted to ask but he was willing to wait. Besides, they have a mission tomorrow and he didn't want her mad at him before they went to bed.
Wrapping his arms around her waist, he laid back with her against his chest, before he buried his face in her neck, inhaling her scent. He relaxed completely and she smiled softly, nuzzling his neck before she rested her arms on his chest, closing her eyes to sleep. Ratchet heard her breathing even out and he grabbed the covers, pulling them up and over them, before looking at Clank who sat in a chair and the two smiled at one another before they both fell asleep as well.
Okay, so this is chapter 3 and this is why the story is Rated M...because of certain themes. I tried not to go graphic but I also wanted it to get across that Rilena had been forced into having an heir against her will by Drek. This is a dimensional Drek though, not the one from their original dimension as the original Drek is dead. Also, the reason I brought Drek back, in case any of you are wondering, if because I felt like he could've been a reoccuring villian as well. Also, I WAS going to do a dimensional Nefarious who was half 'squishy', as he says, and half robot but...meh, at the time I figured he had enoguh screen time. So, in came Drek...since I'm horribe at coming up with original villians. Plus I had fun beating Drek into the ground all the time. ^^
Anyways, I hope you all continue to enjoy the story, despite some themes but there's more to come! ^^