"That was way too close, I think we should just call it a draw." Ratchet states as he sits on the edge of the mesa with Kaden, dangling their legs as they overlook the desert before them, able to see Lyra's orange body sticking out as a distant dot in the middle of the dusty landscape.

"Oh, whatever, only a sore loser would call that a draw!" Kaden argues. "I beat you fair and square!"

"By what, a couple of inches, tops? I don't think that's enough to call it a fair win." Ratchet retorts as he crosses his arms. "I mean, at that point, I could have won if there was even a breeze pushing on my back!"

"But, unfortunately for you, there wasn't." Kaden tells him with a smirk. "Sucks to suck, doesn't it, shorty?"

Ratchet scoffs while crossing his arms as Kaden snickers to himself. "Whatever, your short jokes suck, I've heard better from the Agorians. I can see why mom hated them so much if you're always this unoriginal about it."

"Just watch, you'll learn how to love it." Kaden amusedly assures him as he wraps his arm around his shoulders. "Your mom always threatened to leave me because of those jokes when we first started dating, but when she was still saying that by our seventh date, I knew she was bluffing. And by the time we got married, I could tell she started loving them, too, especially since I started to personalize them even more." He says affectionately, looking off into the landscape. "I mean, she did also start punching me because of those jokes, but I could tell that was just her way of saying she liked them." He adds with a smile.

Ratchet once again sees him stare off into the distance as he recalls fond memories, still having his arm wrapped around his shoulders. Ratchet smiles as well, and looks off onto the landscape before them, enjoying the view as they rest in that comfortable, blissful silence.

But after a few seconds, Ratchet hangs his head down for a moment, and turns to look back at Kaden.

"Could you… tell me a bit about her?" He asks softly.

"Hmm?" Kaden asks, snapping out of his thoughts as he looks back at Ratchet.

"Could you tell me more about mom?" He repeats. "You know… what she was like and stuff?"

Kaden smiles as he sees the coy way Ratchet rubs his wrists, and gives him a small squeeze in his arm. "Hey, you don't have to be so shy, Ratchet. I'd love to tell you about Marie."

And as Ratchet simply replies with a glad smile, Kaden then looks off once more, removing his arm from his shoulders as he brings a hand to his chin, looking for the right words to say.

"Well… for starters, she was short, just like you."

Ratchet lightly elbows him, prompting Kaden to snicker. "Something other than that, I mean." He tells him.

"Alright, alright." He reassures him. "Well, on top of being as short as you, she was hands-down the most beautiful woman I've ever known. When we first met, her friend Lorna ran into me in the Academy hallways and knocked us both to the ground. And when I looked up, I saw Marie holding out her hand, giving me the cutest smile as she apologized for her friend's clumsiness. And when I looked into those stunning blue eyes of hers, holding her hand as she helped me up, it just felt like time had stopped. And apparently, that wasn't entirely just in my mind, because I found out later from Alister that both me and her just stood there staring at each other for a good five seconds, still holding hands, until he and Lorna snapped us out of our daze."

He chuckles as he looks back over to Ratchet, wearing an amused smile on his face. "We started dating pretty soon after that, in case that wasn't obvious. And that's when I found out her personality was just as wonderful as her looks. She was kind, funny, smart, compassionate, and wasn't afraid to speak her mind. I remember for our first date, we went out to a restaurant, and when they got my order a little wrong, I didn't mind eating it since I didn't think it was a big deal, but she actually called the waiter over to tell him about it. I'm glad she did that, not just because they gave us a slight discount for the hiccup, but also because it told me the kind of person she was, and I loved it."

He gives a small, longing sigh, returning his gaze back out to the landscape as Ratchet sits next to him, imagining the scenario, feeling happy for finally getting a chance to know his mom. Moreover, he was just happy to see how much his father clearly loved her, seeing the pure admiration in his eyes as he basks in those warm memories.

"What was your favorite memory of her?" He asks.

He exhales a breath as he leans back on his hands, looking up. "That's a tough one." He says with a chuckle. "I would have to say all of them, but I know that's not the answer you're looking for, so… I think I'll have to just give you my top three. Sound good?"

"Yeah," Ratchet replies happily with a nod. But as he does, he suddenly realizes something, and quickly holds up a finger. "But, just make sure it's nothing that'll scar me like what you told me on the flight here." He says firmly. "I really don't want to hear those kinds of memories. Not again." He finishes with a distant look before shuddering.

Kaden laughs. "You don't have to anything to worry about, Ratchet, those ones aren't in my top three." He reassures him.

"Good."

"But they are in my top ten, though!" He adds with a smirk.

Ratchet plants his hand onto his face with a groan as his father laughs once again. "Dad." He says tiredly.

"Alright, alright, I'll be serious." He says as his laughing tapers off, patting his shoulder before leaning back once more. "Well… third favorite would probably have to be when we first met. Like I said, it felt like my whole world changed when I first looked into her eyes, and as I held her hand, I knew right then that I wanted her to be a part of my life. And looking back now, I realize that I saw her thinking the same exact thing as we stood there like idiots in front of Lorna and Alister." He says lovingly. "He always did tease me about it afterward, but I didn't deny it when he said I was head-over-heels for her."

"And your second favorite?" Ratchet asks.

"Our wedding day." He answers without skipping a beat. "That dress she wore was so beautiful. I admittedly wasn't too keen on wearing that fancy suit, but it was worth it when I saw her walking down the aisle, her face absolutely beaming with love and happiness. It felt just like that moment we ran into each other at the Academy, like nothing else in the world existed except me and her. And as we held each other's hands, giving our vows, telling each other that we'll be there for each other no matter what, I didn't think that life could get any better until that wonderful moment she said 'I do', and kissed me. That had to be the second happiest moment of my entire life." He says blissfully.

Ratchet furrows his brows. "Erm, what's the first, then?"

Kaden grins even more, and looks back at him with pure adoration in his eyes. "My number one favorite memory with her; When you were born." He says pointedly. "Granted, I can't say either of us were exactly happy as she was in labor, though. Even to this day, I don't think I've ever heard her swear as much in those twenty minutes you were being delivered than at any other point in her life. She squeezed my hand so tight that she damn near broke it, too." He states with a chuckle, looking at it. "But then, when we finally heard your crying, and laid our eyes on you for the first time… it was indescribable. When she held you in her arms, the tears in her eyes from all the pain turned into tears of joy. We must've just stared at you for over a minute while you were wailing, unbelieving that you were actually here, until she turned and looked at me with the biggest smile I've ever seen her give before telling me that we were finally parents now. We finally had a child. Our own flesh and blood, crying in her arms at that moment. To say that we were elated would be the biggest understatement of the century."

He then turns back to Ratchet. "I know I must have said it a hundred times already, but if you ever become a father, Ratchet, you'll know exactly what I mean when I say that having your child be born is the greatest thing to ever happen in your life. It's not something that even meeting the love of your life can compare to, not by a long shot. And I guarantee that if your mother was here right now, she'd agree with me, one hundred percent. Hell, if need be, she'd shove me off this cliff right now if it was for your sake, and I wouldn't argue one bit. That's how much you mean to the both of us."

Ratchet smiles contentedly. "I'll take your word for it." He tells him amusedly. "But it sounds like you loved mom just as much, too."

"That I did." He confirms with a small, blissful smile. "More than anything else in the world. Before you came along, that is. But even then, she was still a close second. She was the light of my life, and it was comforting to know that no matter how good or bad my day at the Center was, I'd be able to come home and find her waiting for me to give me a hug and a kiss, letting me ramble about my day, listening about hers, and finishing off the evening with one of her delicious meals." He explains with another faraway look. "I've gotta admit that's one of the things that I miss most about her. She was always such a better cook than I was. Especially her stews. Even to this day, I still don't know exactly how she did it, but I can never get them to taste as good as she did."

Ratchet nudges him. "Hey, I thought that stew you made last night was pretty good." He says with a small smile.

Kaden gives a dry chuckle as he pats his arm. "Thanks, but trust me, compared to hers, that was prison food. And that's still after twenty years of me learning to cook for myself too. You're lucky that we didn't meet any sooner in that regard, because twenty years ago, I don't think I could have boiled a pot of water without setting it on fire somehow."

He chuckles a little bit as he looks over the desert in front of them, but then, Ratchet watches as the nostalgic smile on his face slowly fades into one of a bittersweet melancholy, hanging his head slightly as he breathes a sigh through his nose.

"I've gotta admit that was probably the hardest thing for me after the Exodus, though, after she was gone. Having to cook every single one of my meals for myself, eating at an empty table, sitting in silence. And whenever I tried to make her recipes, I could only think about how much better she made them. That… and everything else about her. All the happy memories we had together. All the meals we'd eaten together. All the jokes. All the laughs, smiles, teasing, the quiet moments, the silly moments, everything. And for a good while, I felt like I could never get over her death. I spent so many nights just wondering if I could've done anything differently to save her, or wishing that she was right there next to me, wanting nothing more than to see her just one more time."

His eyes begin to glisten with a light film of tears, threatening to spill down his cheeks at any moment. But instead of beginning to cry, Ratchet sees a small smile creep onto his lips as he wipes them away.

"But after a while, I started to realize something." He says optimistically. "It was pointless to wish that I could bring her back, or to wonder if I could've done anything different to save her during the attack, or anything like that. Because no matter what I wished or thought, it wouldn't change the fact that she was gone for good, and I was only causing myself more pain if I kept spending too many nights of my life agonizing over those questions, wishing to change something I couldn't. So, instead… I realized that I needed to begin feeling thankful for the time we had."

"Thankful that I was able to meet a woman as amazing as her. Even though it's been over two decades, I still remember her as vividly as the day I met her on the floor of the Academy. I still remember all of those wonderful memories I had with her, and they still fill me with love and happiness. I should be thankful that I had happy memories to remember her by, and the fact that our time together was one of the best of my life. And even though she isn't here anymore, she still lives on in my heart as the amazing, beautiful woman that I had the pleasure of loving, and that's all I could ever ask for." He finishes serenely, still wearing a smile.

A moment of silence falls on the duo as they look over the desert landscape, still sitting on the edge of the mesa as Ratchet digests everything Kaden said, filling him with some sadness in the fact that he never got to meet this amazing person that was his mom, but also a sense of… happiness. Happiness from learning more about the person his mother was, and feeling glad that although she wasn't here, she'd still be able to live on through his father's memories.

But not only that, he had to also admit that his father's words resonated with him, particularly, with Alister.

He'd be lying if he said he didn't miss him in some capacity, even after everything that happened at the Great Clock. At the time, he was the closest thing to his real family that he ever had. And to lose him, especially in the way he did… it absolutely ate him up. For months, he wondered about countless what-ifs to change what could have happened, wondering if he could have been able to save him from himself if he tried just a little harder to talk to him, or if he managed to shut down the clock before Alister had to save them both.

But like his dad said, dwelling on those kinds of thoughts did nothing but make him more miserable about what had happened and the fact that he couldn't go back to change it, not without endangering the rest of the universe like Alister did. And he was also right in saying that the best thing to do would to instead start thinking about all the good times they managed to share together, despite everything, and be thankful that he had the chance to meet him at all.

After all, if it wasn't for Alister, Ratchet wouldn't have known anything about his family, or learned half as much about the Lombaxes as he did now. He was the one that taught him how to use hoverboots, and ultimately helped him save Clank after two long years of searching for him. With him around, Ratchet managed to get a taste for the life he never had, living with a fellow Lombax for only a short time, but it was amazing.

Despite everything that happened at the end, Ratchet couldn't deny that Alister managed to make a positive impact on him, and he should be truly thankful for it.

And as he sits there with a small smile, continuing to reminisce on those few fond memories with him, he suddenly hears Kaden clear his throat, and looks over to find him quickly wiping away at his eyes as he sits up a little straighter.

"Wow, look at me," He says with a dry chuckle, "We come out here to have a good time, and I decide to kill the mood with all of that. Sorry."

"Sorry for what?" Ratchet asks him amusedly. "You don't have to be sorry for anything, dad, I loved hearing all of your stories about mom. It's… nice to know how much you guys loved each other. She seemed like a great person, too." He says with a smile.

"Yeah, she was." Kaden replies with one of his own. "But, you know… all of this talk about Marie is making me wonder a little something about you myself."

Ratchet furrows his brows. "What is it?"

He shrugs. "Well… have you found yourself a girl?" He asks. "I mean, me and Marie were a little under your age when we met, so I don't think it's too far off to think you might've found yourself someone, too, especially if you're such a famous hero back home." He adds with a smirk. "Am I wrong in saying that?"

"Erm… no. I've… had a couple." Ratchet answers, looking away as he feels himself blush a little for some reason. Why did it feel weird admitting that to his dad? Was that normal?

Whatever the case, Kaden chuckles at his sudden bashfulness as he begins to pat his shoulder. "Well, look at that, my little boy really is all grown up!" He says amusedly. "So, who were my possible daughters-in-law, then, if you don't mind me asking?"

Ratchet sighs, burying his face into his hand as his father begins snicker. "Dad…" He utters in embarrassment.

"What? It could've been a genuine possibility, you know." He says with a smirk, leaning back on his hands. "Me and your mom married each other when we were pretty young like you, after all."

"That doesn't make it any less weird to hear." He says dryly.

Kaden grins. "Hey, I know something weirder I can ask you: Have you given me any grandkids yet?"

And as he bursts into another series of snickers, Ratchet doesn't even dignify it with a response as he opts to simply turn and stare at him in disbelief, beginning to wonder deep down if this is how Clank always feels whenever Ratchet decides to mess with him, too.

But as Kaden's laughter tapers off, he looks back to him, and upon seeing that look on his face, still not faltering after a few moments, the all-too-amused smile on his face slowly drops.

"Wait, don't tell me that you actually have a kid." He says gravely.

"Wait, what? No!" Ratchet quickly assures him, his expression turning into one of shock. "I'm just wondering how in the hell you always get so entertained at messing with me like that!"

"Oh, thank the stars." Kaden says, placing a hand on his chest as he breathes a sigh of relief. "I swear I was going to have a heart attack if I found out I'm a grandpa right after finally being a dad again." He says with a nervous chuckle. "But not before chewing you out for doing something so stupid when you're so young and reckless and risking your life all the time."

"Yeah, don't worry, I make my fair share of questionable decisions, but I'm not stupid enough to do that. I mean, me? A dad? That's just…" He shakes his head, exhaling a breath. "Yeah, no. Not happening."

"Not for a little while longer, at least." Kaden agrees.

A small moment of silence passes by them as they rest on that thought of Ratchet being an actual father, with them both silently thinking it an insane, borderline impossible idea, but even then, Kaden can't help but feel a small twinge of happiness at that thought, thinking the idea of himself becoming an actual grandpa something… not unwelcome, at the very least.

But before he lets himself daydream about that possibility, he looks over and pats Ratchet's shoulder with a small smile. "Well, with that awkward conversation aside, why don't you go ahead and tell me about your first girlfriend, then?"

Ratchet scoffs, breaking out of his own daze with a small shake of his head. "Yeah, sure, because that isn't as awkward to talk about, either." He says wryly. "Great idea."

"Hey, it's every dad's dream to see his son's first crush, but since I didn't get that chance, the least you can do is enlighten me about what I missed out on." He argues.

"I…" He sighs. "You're going to pull that card a lot to make me tell you all sorts of embarrassing stories, aren't you?"

"Hmm… maybe." He says with a shrug and a smirk that was beginning to make Ratchet realize just why it always annoyed people whenever he did that. "But, back to the topic at hand, who was she?"

Ratchet rolls his eyes as he returns his gaze back onto the landscape before them, able to see some small desert creatures in the distance from their vantage point on top of the mesa. "Sasha." He answers. "She was a Cazar, we met when I was around… seventeen, I think it was."

"Cazar, huh?" Kaden repeats, nodding his head. "Makes sense, they're the closest thing that Solana's got to Lombaxes, I guess. How'd you two meet, then?"

"Well… I was making a big name for myself as a hero after the whole protopet thing with Angela." He begins. "So when this guy, Dr. Nefarious, came around threatening to turn the entire galaxy into robots, her dad enlisted me to help their Galactic Rangers beat him. And it was a good thing he did, too, because the Rangers back then were just… terrible." He shakes his head. "I think Qwark's a better soldier than most of them, honestly."

"Yeah, I remember Clank telling me and Chief Wells about them while we were watching the recruits." Kaden comments, before he suddenly registers what he just said. "Wait… her dad asked you to help with their Galactic Rangers? Who was he?"

"The president of the Solana Galaxy." Ratchet answers nonchalantly. "Pretty nice guy. Not the best president, to be honest, but he's definitely far from the worst. I think that title goes to Qwark."

He then glances over, and begins to grin as he sees his father looking at him in utter disbelief, and enjoying the fact that he's the one being messed with for a change.

"Wait, so you dated the president's daughter?" He clarifies.

"Yep." He says, continuing to maintain his smile.

"The president of an entire galaxy?"

"That's what I said."

"I… that's… huh." Is all Kaden could say as he stares off ahead of them for a moment. "Well… good for you, I guess." He finally says with a small chuckle.

Ratchet chuckles as well. "It's really not that big of a deal, to be honest. I mean, except for all of the media attention at first, we had a pretty normal dating life for a couple of years. We went out on dates, had fun together, unwound at the shooting range sometimes, and got to visit all sorts of cool places whenever her dad sent her to be an envoy and help with whatever diplomatic thing they had to deal with that time. It was great." Ratchet says with a smile, recalling the fond memories before it begins to falter for a moment.

"But…"

Kaden raises an eyebrow. "But…?"

He sighs. "Well, after a while, she decided she wanted to get really serious about her political career and helping her dad out even more with making Solana a better place. But on the other hand, I didn't want to settle down like that, and I still wanted to go on crazy adventures all the time instead of just sitting around in some boring hours-long meeting about which planets get to be a part of this trade deal or peace treaty or whatever." He explains, waving his arm around. "We wanted different things in life, so we started getting into more fights, and eventually, it reached a tipping point until we just decided the best thing to do was to break up." He says with a shrug. "I'm glad Clank was there to help me deal with it afterward, though. It was… a little rough for me, to be honest, having to lose my first girlfriend like that."

"Oh." Kaden mutters, feeling bad and a little regretful for not being there for him with his first breakup, even if it was outside of his control.

Not that he'd know what to say to be honest, given that Marie was his first and only love, so he doesn't really have any experience with breakups, but still, it's a father's job to be there in his child's time of need.

So instead, he reaches over and places a hand on his shoulder, with a sympathetic look in his eyes. "Erm… we don't have to talk about her if you don't want to, Ratchet." He assures him. "I mean, if thinking about her is painful for you—"

"Wait, what? No, this was years ago, me and her are alright now, don't worry." Ratchet reassures him with a smile, placing a hand over his own. "We're still good friends to this day, actually. In fact, I even went to her birthday party a couple months ago, me and my other ex, and we all had a blast together."

"Oh." Kaden says plainly, retracting his hand from his shoulder. "Erm, well… that's good to hear, then. Good for you." He awkwardly follows up. "Glad you're okay."

Ratchet chuckles. "Hey, don't worry, I still appreciate the gesture. It means lot, honest." He says, patting his dad's shoulder in turn, prompting a smile from him. "And honestly, I'm kinda glad we broke up in the first place, too. Her career really started to take off after we did, and because of it, she's the president right now, and she's a hell of a lot better at it than her dad was, if you ask me. It's mostly thanks to her that the galaxy's been peaceful enough to retire in the first place, after all, so I'm glad I didn't hold her back from doing all of that."

Kaden beams. "You know… that's actually really mature of you, Ratchet. I'm not sure everyone would be as happy for their ex like you are, much less still be friends with them. I'm proud of you." He says, patting his shoulder once more.

Ratchet smiles, looking away a little bashfully. "Erm, thanks, but… it's really not that big of a deal."

"Hey, don't say that, having the humility and maturity to recognize things aren't working out is important to have, same with being able to look back on your relationship without being bitter about it." He tells him. "It really speaks to your character, too, and I'm glad to see that you're a good person."

Ratchet huffs a small laugh through his nose. "You know, you're really sounding like Clank right now."

"And is that a bad thing?" He asks with a raised eyebrow.

"No, just… kinda funny. Really makes me realize how much he acts like a dad sometimes now that I know what an actual dad would say." He explains with an amused smile.

"I'm happy someone's been there to help give you advice in my stead, then." Kaden replies with a chuckle. "But while we're still on this topic, I heard you mention your other ex. Who was she, then, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Ah, yeah. Talwyn." Ratchet answers, looking off once more. "She's a Markazian, we met during my whole adventure with Tachyon. You've actually already seen her yesterday, she was the girl who was next to me in my memories when I fought him."

"The one with those two warbots?" He asks.

"Yeah. Cronk and Zephyr, their names were, they practically helped raise her."

"Huh." Kaden comments, recalling seeing her in the Council meeting the day prior. "Well… she seemed pretty, at least."

Ratchet smiles. "Yeah, she is. There were definitely some moments where I couldn't believe I managed to end up with her, honestly."

"Why? Was she the daughter of another president or something?" He asks amusedly, giving a small smirk.

Ratchet chuckles. "No, nothing like that. You remember that Max Apogee guy I told you about last night?"

"The one who put the Dimensionator on Jasindu and disappeared with Angela?"

"Yeah, he's her dad." He tells him. "And just like him, she's a Lombax researcher, too, which is honestly the main reason I felt lucky to have her. Because before I met her, I had no idea about who the Lombaxes really were. In fact, I didn't even know you guys were even gone, until Tachyon came along looking for me." He says with a shrug. "But after everything was said and done with that whole mess, we spent a lot of time together, with her teaching me all about our culture. She showed me artifacts, books, gadgets, and was always happy to tell me all about what various outposts throughout the galaxy were used for. In fact, she was the one who taught me how to read Lombax in the first place."

"Wow…" Kaden mutters, staring at him in awe. "I… really owe her my thanks, then. I was always scared about you growing up without knowing anything about Lombaxes, but… it seems that I didn't have to, thanks to her."

"Don't worry, I've thanked her thousands of times for that already." Ratchet tells him with an earnest smile. "I'm pretty sure she's gotten sick of it by this point, too, even if she hasn't said anything about it. But that won't stop me from thanking her some more, because I really do owe her everything. I know all about my culture, I know how to read our language, and it's thanks to her I was even able to stop Tachyon and find the Dimensionator in the first place. Hell, if I never met her, I might never have been able to meet you, either." He says, gesturing over to him.

Kaden smiles. "It sounds like she's very important to you, then."

"Yeah, she is." Ratchet says with a nod. "I have no idea where'd I'd be without her."

"I see. But if that's the case… why'd you two split up, then?" He asks curiously.

Ratchet doesn't answer for a moment, making Kaden begin to worry if he perhaps stepped over the line by asking that, but before he could attempt to change the topic, Ratchet finally sighs while hanging his head softly.

"It pretty much ended the same way as with Sasha. But this time, it was me who wanted to settle down, ironically." He speaks, with a dry amusement in his tone. "After everything that happened with Alister… I just wanted to be done with the whole hero thing. Just settle down and spend the rest of my time fixing ships back on Veldin, getting away from all the craziness. Tal, on the other hand, worked her way up to commander of the Polaris Defense Force, so she was running all over the galaxy being the hero this time around, and wanted to dedicate her life to it. It was easy to deal with at first, with me tagging along on some missions while she helped me deal with Alister's death, still hanging out, having a good time. But after a while, I got less and less excited for going on those missions with her, and we got to a point where she was so busy we were only visiting each other every couple of days. Then weeks. And eventually, almost a whole month." He says with a small shrug.

"It was only a couple months ago that we finally sat down and talked about it. Tal wanted to keep going and improve the Polaris Defense Force, doing everything she can to make the galaxy a better place, but I wanted to be done with all of that, and just stay on Veldin to make a living as a mechanic, and not a hero. And a relationship where we stay apart in separate galaxies, not seeing each other for weeks at a time, wanting different things in life… it just wasn't feasible. So, we both decided to just cut our losses and, well… ended it."

A small moment of silence falls on them as he rests on that note. And as Kaden looks over to him, he could see that same lingering gloom he had when he talked about his and Sasha's breakup, but this time, it was clearly something that felt a bit more fresh to him. And just like last time, Kaden hated seeing that look on his son's face, so he reaches over to rest a hand on his shoulder once again, with that same caring look about his features.

"And… are you okay with it?" He asks him gently. "If you're still feeling a bit broken up over it, you can always talk to me, you know. I'm here for you."

Ratchet looks into his eyes with some surprise for a moment, and to the hand on his shoulder, and back into his eyes. And with a small smile, he rests his hand over his father's.

"Thanks, dad." He says earnestly. "But… I'm fine, really. It's something that we both knew was coming by the end, and we didn't really fight about it, either. And even if we're not together anymore, it doesn't change the fact that we both changed each other's lives for the better." He says with an optimistic smile. "And it doesn't change the fact that we still care about each other, too. We still visit each other on occasion to hang out if either of us are really bored, and we still have a great time with each other."

"So… you're both happy, then? Even after all of that?" Kaden asks.

"Yeah, we are." He affirms with a nod. "I mean, I do get a little bummed sometimes thinking about the fun times we had when we were dating, but I know that this is the best for the both of us. I mean, right now, with Tal at the helm, the Defense Force is the best it ever has been, and I've been able to be happy at home without feeling obligated to worry and keep up our relationship. But mostly, I'm just happy that we were able to stay friends afterward."

"Well… if that's the case, then I'm happy for you, too." Kaden tells him with a smile. "Even though you might not have found your one and only just yet, I'm glad to see you've made some good memories along the way, and most of all, some good friends. Believe me when I say that one of the most important things you can ever have in life are your friends, because sometimes, they're the only things you have left. So, to hear that you managed to maintain those friendships even after breaking up instead of just burning those bridges makes me happy for you, Ratchet."

He reaches his hand over to his other shoulder to take him into a side hug, which Ratchet gladly returns, draping his own arm across his father's shoulders.

"Thanks, dad." He says contentedly. "I'm glad I have them as friends, too."

"Especially if one of them is a president now." Kaden adds amusedly, breaking away from the hug. "Which is just… wow. I mean, I honestly don't know what's more insane, the fact that you dated a galactic president or the fact that's not even the craziest thing I've heard from you yet."

Ratchet gives a small laugh. "Hey, it's not like I have presidential benefits or anything like that if that's what you're saying. I still have to pay taxes, after all."

"I'm not saying it so much for the benefits, per se, but more in the fact that I don't think it'd be exactly ideal to be enemies with a president." He counters.

"Nah, it's not that bad to be enemies with a galactic president." He comments nonchalantly. "It's just annoying at most."

"And there you go, saying even more crazy stuff." Kaden mutters in disbelief. "So, what? You dated one president, and tried to kill another, is what you're saying?"

"Before he was president, I'll have you know." Ratchet corrects him with a raised finger. "And, well, I guess 'enemy' is too strong a word for Qwark. More like… 'frenemy'. I tried to kill him, he tried to kill me—twice—and he constantly does all kinds of stupid stuff that pisses me off to no end, like taking credit for all my hard work and letting Tachyon take the Dimensionator and making a monkey his vice—"

"Wait, he what?" Kaden interjects, looking at him with shock. "He was the bastard who gave it to Tachyon?!"

"Not intentionally, just so you know." Ratchet attempts to assuage him. "He just stole it from me to throw it into a black hole so Tachyon wouldn't get to it first, but he was an idiot and got captured by him along the way, making me save him and the Dimensionator—again—so… I mean, hey, it's the thought that counts, I guess, right?"

Kaden only stares at him in stunned disbelief, faltering for a moment as he looks down to the ground for a moment before looking back at Ratchet. "…And his guy was elected president?"

"With his vice-president being a literal monkey as well, yes." Ratchet adds.

"How?"

He holds his hands up. "He just somehow has this charisma about him that convinces people that he isn't a bumbling, narcissistic, self-centered moron, and that he's done just as much work to protect the galaxy as I have. Which is wrong, obviously, but, whatever. I've had to deal with him for years now, I'm pretty used to it at this point." He says with an irritated sigh.

"Huh." Kaden mutters unpleasantly. "Well… you're a better person than I am if you managed to not kill him after everything he's done, then. Especially after what he did with the Dimensionator, too! I mean, did he even realize the gravity of the situation in letting that filthy Cragmite get his hands on it? He almost doomed our entire species!"

"Oh, I've reamed him plenty of times for that, don't worry." Ratchet assures him. "And if it wasn't for Clank telling me it was a bad idea, I would've shot him a long time ago."

"Always the voice of reason, huh?"

"Yep. I'd probably be dead without him, especially if I actually did shoot Qwark now." He says amusedly. "It'd be really awkward to have Tal arrest me for assassinating the president, after all."

Kaden gives a small snicker. "To think that you consider assassinating a galactic president to be awkward of all things says a lot." He says as he finally stands up, bringing his legs back from the edge of the cliff as he leans back to stretch for a moment from having sat there the whole time. "Well, speaking of Clank, I think it's about time we get back to him and Lyra over there, it's getting a little late."

"Aw, really?" Ratchet replies with some disappointment, standing up as well. "I thought we had plenty of time to hang out and fly around some more out here?"

"Sure we do, but if we did that, we wouldn't have nearly as much time to end the day by letting you fly Lyra home so I can teach you a thing or two about Lombax tech like I promised earlier." He tells him with a smile. "But, if you really just want to go hoverbooting some more, I guess we can just forget all that—"

"No, I'm good with the first choice." Ratchet corrects him eagerly. "Let's get going!"

"That's what I thought." Kaden replies happily, giving a pat on his back. "So, how about another race, then? First one to get back to Lyra wins."

Ratchet gives him a nod and a determined smile. "Sure thing, then we can really see who's a winner after that last draw."

He scoffs. "What draw? I won that last one fair and square!"

"And again, that was way too close of a tie to call it a fair win by any means, so it doesn't count." Ratchet smugly argues.

"Wow, I'm disappointed in you, I didn't think my son was that much of a sore loser." Kaden retorts dramatically, crossing his arms. "Someone really needs to teach you good sportsmanship."

"Hey, I'll show you good sportsmanship by shoving my win in your face only a little bit when I win this next one!"

"That's some big talk from a guy who's going zero to one in our win count so far." He bites back with a smirk.

"Zero to zero!" Ratchet argues, pointing at him.

"And that'll be zero to two in a second here!" Kaden replies, uncrossing his arms. "Starting now!"

And with that, he leaps off the edge of the mesa they're standing on with a laugh, shocking Ratchet for a split second before he looks over the edge to see him using his hoverboots to safely glide down to the slope at the base of the formation, stopping as he lands for a moment to look up and give him a salute.

"And he says I'm the reckless one!" Ratchet says to himself as he leaps down as well, letting himself freefall before expertly timing his glide at the last second to get down even more quickly than his father did, giving him a decent chance to close the gap between them as they quickly both quickly disappear, leaving nothing but a large cloud of dust as their trash-talking begins to fill the air.

Sorry if this chapter seemed like a bit of a slog, I just wanted some good old-fashioned father/son bonding without any craziness to interrupt it. They deserve it.

But fret not, because the next chapter is really going to pick things up, and I've been wanting to get to it for a while now, so be sure to stay tuned!