Many Blessings! Welcome to the sequel to A Wrench in The Works;

A romance epic with a lot of emotional high points.

Talwyn fans will be happy to see their favorite Markazian get some time to shine, Ratchet and Rivet fans will be excited to see how the couple progresses...or disappointed to see them fall out...

OC fans, WRENCH IS BACK!

Enjoy and let's start a new journey just like last time!

(I recommend reading a wrench in the works, but there are not too many plot points referenced.)

Prologue

SOME TIME BEFORE

"YOU'RE ALWAYS DOING THIS!" Talwyn screamed at Ratchet, the two were in bed after an obviously intimate night "Doing what?" The lombax covered his face with a pillow as the markazian got up and started to get dressed. "The fact you don't even know what it is, is worrying me!" Talwyn continued and Ratchet sat up in bed "Even when we do this, you still don't know. What am I doing wrong?!" She asked "You aren't doing anything wrong." Ratchet spoke and the markazian ran her hand through her hair.

"Then it's you!" She cried and Ratchet looked at her "You think I don't see you do it, but you do, you are always questioning this relationship!" she continued. "You say you love me, but then I hear you in the bathroom, questioning if you actually do? When we go out, you look hesistant as to why your even there! And when I look in your eyes, I see nothing but confusion. Why are you never sure? I don't even think you know!" Talwyn continued to yell and Ratchet stood up, and took her hands in his, however Talwyn quickly pulled away "Talwyn." Ratchet started but she wouldn't let him talk

"There's that look again. You're afraid." Talwyn said and Ratchet shook his head "I'm not afraid to be with you." Ratchet continued "No. You're afraid to be apart of something, and that scares…the hell out of you." Talwyn's words hit Ratchet hard "No, No i'm not…." He spoke, his voice shaky almost. "I….can't keep doing this with you…" Talwyn started and Ratchet knew where the conversation was headed

"Until you want to be all in with this….I don't think we can be together. And anyone else you see, you're gonna feel the same way, and you're gonna make someone feel a lot worse than me." Talwyn said and Ratchet locked eyes with her "I wouldn't do that." "You did to me." She quickly responded earning an apollegetic look from Ratchet. "I'm sorry Tal…" He spoke and Talwyn simply stared at him for a moment before saying "Don't hurt anyone the way you hurt me cause you don't have room in your heart for anyone else…Not really." Talwyn spoke and she saw herself out of the room.

Ratchet & Rivet: Old Flames Burn Bright

Chapter 1

Talwyn had spent the next couple of months keeping to herself. Focusing on exploring. She visited numerous planets. Particularly those that weren't really populated. She would spend days at a time on these planets. trying to remove the memory of her relationship with Ratchet. She never felt love for somone the way she felt for Ratchet. It was a feeling Talwyn couldn't describe. Considering she had only been in a relationship twice aside from Ratchet, maybe she just didn't really know what love was. Ratchet's confusion and behavior towards her upset her so.

She didn't know what was going on with him. The brave and courageous lombax she had fallen in love with had turned into a ball of confusion whenever they were exploring their feelings for each other, or becoming intimate. Months had passed since the night where Talwyn surmised she couldn't keep it up with Ratchet but that was false. She was still deeply in love, and figured she'd see if he had changed at all. She wanted to believe on good faith if their love was real, that he would correct whatever issue he had for her. She had reached Ratchet's home, and was nervous to knock. She knew the lombax but they had not spoken in some time. She hesitated at the door.

…

EVEN FURTHER BACK

Ratchet had walked up to Talwyn. The two had just had a very bad argument. It was the first time Talwyn had challenged Ratchet about this odd state of confusion and uncertainty when it came to their relationship and it quickly had escalated into a screaming match. The argument only ending due to Talwyn walking out of the house. "Tal…" Ratchet said. "Leave me alone." Talywn quickly shot, just as Ratchet reached to take her hand in his. "Talwyn." Ratchet spoke and Talwyn looked at him sadly. "Do you love me?" She asked "Yes…" Ratchet answered "But you never show it." Talwyn said and Ratchet held his head down "You don't express anything for me!" Talwyn raised her voice and Ratchet nodded. "Talwyn…trust me when I tell you. I love you. No matter how far away I seem….I'll always come back to you." Ratchet said and Talwyn looked in his eyes. "Okay." She said and was soon pulled into a kiss.

….

PRESENT DAY

Talwyn faintly heard music coming from Ratchet's yard. She assumed that he had people over. She clenched her teeth and pulled her hand away from the door. "Maybe I should just come back tomorrow…" She said turning to walk away. But her tail brushed the doorbell, causing the touch sensor to go off and ring the bell. "OH! Shock…" She cursed under her breath.

"I think I'm a pretty good host pal." Ratchet walked up to Clank in the backyard as they were hosting a small get together. "Seeing that Wrench fired you, I suppose he is the host now." Clank said laughing. Suddenly the doorbell rang. "I'll get it, you've earned a break." Ratchet said as he walked inside. He went to the front door and opened it, revealing someone he was not expecting to see. He opened the door to reveal Talwyn who was Looking a bit shy, but she smiled softly. Ratchet felt his jaw slowly dropping as Talwyn finally spoke. "Hi Ratchet." her voice was a tad shaky.

"He…Hey." Ratchet said matching the shaky energy "I was just in town and figured I'd stop by!" Talwyn lied "You live in this town…." Ratchet said "Right, well i've been out of town for a few months, and I just got back a few days ago, was gonna come and say hey…but then I saw you had people over…." Talwyn trailed off and Ratchet waited for a response. But instead was met with a hug from the markazian. "I just wanted to see you…" She admitted truthfully. "But…what had happened with us. I thought you didn't want to see me again…" Ratchet felt himself blushing at Talwyn's touch, as he always did. "I was…fustrated and angry…but I wanna try again, I know we can make this work…" Talwyn said and she pulled Ratchet into a kiss; a bold move considering they hadn't seen each other in months. Ratchet easily submitted to the kiss, which was deep and filled with a "missing you" energy. When they broke Ratchet came crashing back down to reality.

"Tal…" he started "What?" Talwyn asked as she continued to hold herself close to Ratchet. "It's really good to see you and…" Ratchet was cut off by the sound of a dimensional portal opening in the back room. "You just go out this way, everyone's back there! They'll love the lemonade, and hopefully the limeade is good." it was Rivet who had returned with a small entourage of morts to join in at the get together. The morts exited the back door and Rivet turned and saw Ratchet speaking with someone

"Ratch, you didn't say we had someone else….who's this?" Rivet questioned at the sight of the markazian woman who was standing a bit to close to Ratchet for her liking. "Rivet, hey! Wasn't expecting you back so soon! This is Tal….Talywn." Ratchet said and Talwyn could hear a change in Ratchet's voice, the tone he used with her when they were dating. The tone that was absent when they were speaking a moment ago. "Huh….Hi Talwyn. I'm Rivet." Rivet pulled Ratchet back with one hand putting space between him and Talwyn and extended the other to shake her hand. "I'm Ratchet's GIRLFRIEND." Rivet placed a lot of emphasis on the word "girlfriend" which sent a very painful stinging feeling through Talwyn's stomach.

She could have sworn she even winced a bit at the feeling and the sound. "So…nice to meet you!" Talwyn faked a smile and while Rivet couldn't tell Talwyn was faking, Ratchet had known her long enough to see when she was lying. "Talwyn just wanted me to see her new ship, she's just passing through, I'm just gonna take a quick look. Then I'll be back." Ratchet said and Rivet kissed him "Okay." She said turning to walk to the back, but not before taking a moment to glare at Talwyn before going.

Ratchet and Talwyn stepped outside "So…you have a girlfriend…." Talwyn started "Yeah…" Ratchet explained "And you let me kiss you? Wow Ratchet you really don't change, you had me look so stupid!" Talwyn said starting to raise her voice "I'm not arguing with you Talwyn" Ratchet said, trying his best to maintain his tone. "I'll always come back to you, remember that crap!?" Talwyn was fuming. "Talwyn…" Ratchet tried to speak but was cut off "Do you do for her what you did to me? Of course you do or she's just the really jealous type. OR She's crazy!" Talwyn said rather loudly

"TALWYN!" Ratchet said loudly finally losing it because the markazian wouldn't let him speak. "WHAT?!" Talwyn shot back and Ratchet pushed her against his cruiser. The two locked eyes for a moment, and embraced for another kiss. This one was rough and passionate, filled with the same "missing you" energy. Talwyn quickly submitted to the kiss and she realized Ratchet was still the same in this moment. Despite having another woman in his life, Ratchet was here with her in this moment, giving Talwyn their first kiss in 8 months.

"Bolts?" Rivet called as she entered the backyard and walked up to Clank who was overseeing the brolic crimson furred lombax, Wrench grill. "This is the real way to grill silver homie." Wrench said leaning towards Clank who nodded "Clank." Rivet called and Clank turned, Rivet almost never called him by name so he knew something was bothering her. "What's wrong Rivet?" He asked "What you hungry or something? Food's almost ready." Wrench said looking over "Wrench, this is no joking matter." Clank said and Wrench nodded, redirecting his attention to the grill.

"Do you know a..Talwyn? She just came here and she's talking to Ratchet?" Rivet said with a bit of shakiness in her voice. Her insecurities rising in a rapid manner. Clank's jaw dropped "Talwyn…is here?" he questioned "Oh….OH…..OH SHOCK!" Wrench said before bursting into laughter "What? Clank what is it?!" Rivet asked and Clank refused to lie to Rivet. "Talwyn….is Ratchet's exgirlfriend…." Clank explained and Rivet felt like she was just shot. She reached for her heart, which was in serious pain. She began hyperventilating, and she dropped to the ground, balling up

"OH…..Yo you good? Yo you good?!" Wrench ran over alongside Clank and some of the morts. Rivet couldn't hear a word Wrench was saying and she wasn't paying attention to the people who had ran to see if she was okay. Rivet was shaking, trembling like a leaf. Her thoughts raced furiously "Why was Talwyn back now, did Ratchet invite her without Rivet knowing, were they secretly seeing eachother, was she being cheated on?" The thoughts were seemingly loud and screaming in her head "Excuse me…" She said and she stumbled to her feet, pushing past the group and inside to her room. She balled up on her bed and covered her ears hoping that would drown out the noise, but it was no good. Rivet was having a full blown panic attack, and she felt completely overwhelmed as she laid back in her bed, now crying and breathing heavily.

Back outside Wrench threw his hat to the ground in front of Clank "You had to open your big mouth didn't ya!" He asked "How is this my fault?" Clank asked "You shouldn't have said the word girlfriend or ex, yo we know she made out of glass! MILLIE!" Wrench called his twin sister, a soft pink furred lombax who got out of the pool and threw a towel over her shoulder "Yeah. I saw. I'll go talk to her." Millie said entering the house. Wrench turned off the grill. "Hopefully the food is alright, let's go find that homie Ratchet." Wrench said pulling Clank onto his shoulder.

In the front yard Ratchet and Talwyn were still making out but Ratchet noticed the music in the back had stopped playing, he broke the kiss and looked at Talwyn. "What? Did I do something wrong?" She asked "No you need to go. Like now…." Ratchet said and Talwyn was taken aback. "I'll…I'll call you!" She said and Ratchet hesistated before nodding as Talwyn went to leave. Ratchet entered the house to see Wrench and Clank walking up "Oh…you mothershocker." Wrench said looking at Ratchet with a look of disapproval.

A maelstrom of emotions has arrived. This is gonna be spicy.

Special thanks to Clok-Roo who was inspired to share art from the last story which serves as a cover. Much love.

STAY BLESSED

- T