It's ironic how these chapters I preemptively title 'small' end up turning out to some of the bigger ones in the story.
Man, I suck at naming things.
Looking in his garage, Kaden could clearly see how Ratchet was a mechanic. Even if he hadn't seen firsthand just how well he understood machines when it came to showing him Lyra and teaching him about the Dimensionator, the giant space of his garage littered with parts, tools, and oil stains was an astute testament to that fact.
He was currently perusing the garage in order to explore more of Ratchet's home, as he had finished sitting in on his call with Sasha, of which Ratchet was still currently preoccupied with.
Kaden thought she seemed like a lovely girl, and with the way she started chewing Ratchet out as soon as she answered his video call, not letting him get a word in edgewise for a good minute, Kaden suspected that between her and Talwyn, he definitely seemed to have a type, which didn't fail to amuse him. But as she was demanding just where the hell he's been this entire time, she suddenly stopped when she finally noticed Kaden on the video call as well, which allowed Ratchet the chance to actually speak up and explain his absence and his trip to the Lombax dimension, and formally introduced her to his father.
She was quite amicable with him, introducing herself as Solana's president, welcoming him to their dimension, and apologizing in advance for any trouble that Ratchet had very likely caused since his arrival to the Lombax dimension, prompting a chuckle from him while Ratchet annoyedly rolled his eyes. Kaden assured her that he didn't stir up anything that he couldn't handle, and in fact apologized himself for making his grand entrance to his son's home punching the other galactic president in his life in the face.
She definitely took it better than Talwyn did, poorly stifling a laugh while admitting that between them, she was thankful someone finally did it, and also commenting that she could clearly tell that he was indeed Ratchet's father for having such a reaction. But as they both chuckled at the statement, Ratchet once again tried to utilize the comradery in an effort to tell her that everything was just fine, and that he learned his lesson and didn't need a talking-to.
It failed miserably, however, as Sasha dropped much of her friendly attitude into one of exasperated frustration towards him, ranting all about how worried sick he's made everyone with his disappearance as he stood there, ears flattened, making no further attempt to argue as he simply took it with an embarrassed and slightly ashamed look on his face.
She also made a point that she was especially worried about his whereabouts given that not only did this Zogg character once kidnap him as Talwyn stated earlier, but he also once previously disappeared from being captured and made prisoner for something called DreadZone, where Ratchet also apparently almost got killed there as well. It uneased Kaden as he heard this, and he distantly wondered just how typical it was for Ratchet's friends to assume he simply died whenever he takes an unexplained leave of absence, but it wasn't as if he could ask him as he was getting thoroughly chewed out for being the reckless, ill-thinking Lombax he always was, even if it somehow miraculously ended up working out in the end.
Kaden could also tell that his business on the call was no longer needed as Ratchet's initial and optimistic idea of avoiding this whole rant in the first place by having him be right there with him failed miserably. That, and also the fact that he started getting lost as she transitioned into all the work she was going to have to do to reassure everyone and their friends that Ratchet was alright.
And so, that brought him to right now, exploring the rest of Ratchet's home after Ratchet assured him that he'll get back with him as soon as he and Clank finish settling things out along with Sasha on their call.
And currently, he was taking a moment to admire the Angel-Class Lombax ship parked in the middle of the garage, with her name being the 'Aphelion', according to the script printed across her side. She was painted a shiny, deep red, and polished quite nicely as well, her immaculate appearance making it pop out in stark contrast to the messy garage that surrounded it, made more evident by all the tools scattered on the floor beneath it from Ratchet undoubtedly tinkering on her. Kaden could tell this was the kind of thing that Mags would absolutely love to geek over like he usually does with ships, especially given the fact that such an old model is in such pristine condition as well.
But, also knowing from his own experience from Mags, he knew better than to go ahead and enter Aphelion—or to even touch her—without Ratchet's permission, even if he wanted to inspect her more closely to satisfy the mild curiosity within him.
Mags always talked about how a Lombax's love for his ship is a sacred thing that shouldn't be tarnished by letting someone get their grimy mitts all over his beautiful spacecraft, and although he doubted that Ratchet is that devoted to such ideals, he didn't want to chance it. Especially since it was clear that he and Mags already share a healthy amount in common with each other according to their very enthusiastic conversation they carried out when they flew to the Center for Advanced Lombax Research a couple days ago.
So, instead, Kaden walks away from Aphelion, and instead looks around at the various projects sitting atop the dented, scratched, and stained workbenches along the wall behind her. Most were adorned with assorted ship parts in different states of disassembly, some had miscellaneous devices that he could only guess what their purpose was, but most notably, was a Suck Cannon, with its internals exposed and all sorts of wires and components sticking out of it, clearly in the process of being modified somehow.
But whatever reason it was being modified for, or the purposes of the other dozen devices sitting around it were actually for, Kaden didn't really care, as it still put a wide grin on his face nonetheless.
It made him feel more than happy to see all of these projects in his son's workshop—and also the fact that he even had a workshop—because it told him that at the end of the day, despite being an intergalactic hero who has faced down Tachyon and brushed with death far too many times for Kaden's comfort, he was still just a Lombax. A naturally curious, inventive Lombax, who—just like his father—appeared to be more inventive and creative than most.
But not only that, standing here, looking around in the middle of son's home, it gave him an incredible sense of relief as well. Like he told Ratchet on that night so, so many years ago, he sacrificed everything just so he could afford his child a chance at experiencing the universe and life despite the apocalypse that Cragmite had ushered in against their people.
Back then, when he thought his life was going to be numbered to mere days, he was content with just the thought of his son living out an entire life of his own—with a home, a job, friends, dreams, accomplishments, aspirations, failures, loves, the whole nine yards. He was content because he knew he was never going to get to see any of it for himself if he was going to be dead. And, unfortunately, it was a sentiment that he continued to hold onto for all these years now.
As the months upon months of appeals began to pass him by along with the dwindling chance to ever reunite with his son ever again, all he could do was imagine—and hope—that he was right about him living out a fulfilling life. Because the alternative was to wonder if his sacrifice wasn't enough, and that Tachyon managed to find him despite everything he did to prevent that from happening and that he was simply dead. He refused to believe it, of course, but as long as he was separated from him, he just couldn't know for certain whether or not that was the case, and he just had to have faith that he did all that he could, and that his son had the tenacity and strength to fend for himself out in this cruel universe.
But now, he didn't have to imagine it anymore. Standing here in Ratchet's home for himself, he was able to see the fruits of his labor, small snapshots into his hobbies and his job, and some of his friends that he's made over the years, having all kinds of adventures with them just as Kaden hoped he would.
Kaden placed his hands on his hips as he simply looked around the garage around him with a wistful, glad smile. Now, after all these years, he could finally answer those questions that had constantly plagued him on many a sleepless night: Was everything he did really enough? Was it really worth it? Did he accomplish his job as a father?
And now, without a doubt, he firmly decided that the answer was a resounding yes.
But as Kaden stood in the middle of the garage, smiling like an idiot, he hears some commotion from outside the garage's open door, snapping him out of his thoughts. Curious, he walks over to take a look, and sees Max and Talwyn standing next to her ship, with the former brushing his hands in a satisfied fashion.
"Alright, I think that's everything, then!" He happily announces, turning back to her with a smile, placing his hands on his hips. "And I've gotta say, you're a lot stronger than you look with how easily you carried all those suitcases!"
She chuckles with a shrug. "Well, as commander of the Defense Force, I've gotta keep up on my training if I have to stay at the top of my game, after all."
"And you're going to have to tell me all about some of your craziest stories as commander, too, I'm sure you've got some good ones!" He joyfully replies before thumbing back to the house. "But, erm, you'll have to save it for a little later. Where's his bathroom?"
"Oh, it's on the hall on your right, second door on the left." She tells him.
"Ah, great, thanks, sweetie. Just give me a few minutes, and we can get going back home. I can't wait to see what the station is like nowadays!" He says as he starts walking back to the house.
"And I can't wait to show you, too, dad." She replies contentedly with a smile. "It's gotten a couple of paintjobs, at least."
And as Max disappears inside the home, she turns back around and starts better organizing the storage compartment on her ship, moving the suitcases this way and that to make them fit better inside the space, albeit with some slight grunting, as their weight did not make it an easy task.
"Need a hand?" Kaden speaks up from behind her, having walked over from the garage.
"Gah!" She cries out with a jump, whipping right around while taking out her blaster, pointing it right at a frightened Kaden.
"Woah, there, it's just me!" He hastily tells her with wide eyes, holding up his hands.
"Oh, shoot, sorry!" She tells him, taking a breath to calm her nerves as she holsters her blaster back onto her side. "Force of habit. I, uh, don't react well to surprises."
"I can tell." He responds, lowering his hands back down. "I guess Ratchet wasn't joking when he mentioned how jumpy you are with a gun."
"Yeah, I… may have almost killed him a few times when he decided to pop in for his unannounced visits." She says with a nervous smile, rubbing the back of her head. "Erm, sorry, I guess."
"No, don't worry, knowing him, I'm pretty positive he's been doing it on purpose if he hadn't learned the first few times." Kaden assures her with a smile. "And besides, you have nothing to apologize for. In fact… I've actually been wanting to thank you."
"Really? Thank me for what?" She asks bemusedly, furrowing her brows.
"Well, for everything." He replies with a small shrug. "Ratchet's told me a lot about you in our time together. About how you met, how you helped him stop Tachyon, and, what I think is most important, how you've been teaching him all about our culture. I'm beyond glad that he managed to meet a Lombax researcher like you."
"I… well… thanks." She responds with some surprise, before coyly looking away, crossing her arms. "But, I mean, it's not like I'm a huge expert on your people's culture or anything, I doubt I really taught him much in the grand scheme of things."
"I wouldn't say that, according to him, you're the one who taught him how to read our language, right?" He asks optimistically. "Just that alone is worth thanking you, on top of everything else you've shown him, however small it may have been. Without you, he wouldn't know a single thing about his culture, or his people, or anything about the life he should've been given. And… that was honestly one of my biggest fears as I was separated from him in the other dimension." He says, crossing his arms as he turns and leans his back against her ship with a shrug.
"I mean, I knew that he'd have to live in ignorance and confusion, given that I intentionally left him here in this galaxy where practically nobody knows about Lombaxes, since it'd be the least likely place for Tachyon to look for him." He continues, gesturing a hand out broadly before them. "But… it just killed me knowing that he'd have to grow up all alone and confused, and ideally, never having a chance to meet Tachyon and finding out why he had to live a life like that in the first place. I knew that it'd be the only way he could be able to grow up and have even a chance at life with that monster out looking for him, but I hated the idea of my child being confused about his non-existent culture, especially given the fact that our species makes sure to do a great job at keeping our business secret from the rest of the galaxy." He states with a sigh.
But then, with a small smile, he turns his head and looks over to Talwyn, listening intently to his words. "But then, he met you. Because of you, he didn't have to live in confusion. He might not have gotten all the answers he could have wanted, but the important thing is that he was able to get answers period. He knows some things about our customs, he knows how to read our language, and most of all, he actually knows about his home, where he was born. And while it destroyed me that I wasn't able to tell him any of that for myself when I left him on that doorstep twenty years ago, it makes me beyond relieved and delighted that you were there to tell him instead."
He uncrosses his arms as he stands up from leaning back on her cruiser, and instead turns to fully face her, placing a hand on her shoulder as he gives her a wide grin.
"But above all else, it's clear that outside of being his primary source of Lombax information, you've also been an incredibly important part of his life, and one of the best friends he could ever ask for." He says earnestly. "I'm happy that my son met you, Talwyn. And that's why I have to thank you."
He then removes his hand from her shoulder, and instead moves in closer to take her into a warm hug with a smile as she stands there in surprise.
However, after a few seconds of her still remaining frozen, Kaden's smile falters a little. "Erm… Is this awkward, having your friend's dad hug you?" He asks nervously. "I guess I should've realized that."
"Well… kinda." She states, right before she decides to wrap her own arms around with a similar smile. "But I don't mind it. I'm thankful I met Ratchet, too, Kaden. He's been there for me just as much as I have for him."
His smile returns back to his lips as he holds onto her tighter, feeling her squeeze back in return as well. "I'm glad to hear that." He says contentedly.
They continue to hug for a few more seconds before they both break away, giving each other warm expressions, before they both hear the door to Ratchet's home open, making them turn around to find Ratchet and Clank walk out, with Max following closely behind.
"Well, think I'm done getting my ear chewed off for a little while longer, at least." Ratchet says in exasperation. "Sasha's making the rounds calling everyone else to let them know I'm okay and to stop the search parties and all that good stuff." He says with a wave of his hand. "I know I should be thankful you guys care about me so much, but I'd be lying if I said it wasn't exhausting sometimes."
"Well, at the very least, I'm sure you are glad that we came back sooner rather than later like I suggested." Clank comments pointedly beside him. "Imagine the mess we would return to if we had been missing for weeks instead of days?"
"If you guys did that, I don't think even bringing back my dad would save me from killing you, Ratchet." Talwyn says amusedly, placing her hands on her hips. "You'd get a proper beating at the very least, I can guarantee that."
"Thanks, Tal, it's always nice to know you show your concern about my health and well-being by actively harming it." He replies with a roll of his eyes. "Seriously, my shoulder is still sore from that punch earlier." He complains, rubbing the sore spot in question.
"Oh, whatever, if you can survive over half the things you do in a month, you can survive a punch from your very concerned friend. A punch that was one-hundred percent deserved, by the way." She counters, raising a finger. "Seriously, don't scare us all like that again."
"Yeah, yeah, don't worry, Sasha chewed me out good for that, too." He says, raising a hand. "I solemnly swear to not disappear into another dimension without telling anyone, Talwyn, I promise."
"Well, that's something that I never would have possibly thought I'd ever have to hear you say, but I'm glad you said it nonetheless." Talwyn tells him with a smile. "Hope you learned your lesson."
"I'd be surprised if he didn't, given how badly she reamed into him on that call." Kaden comments with a chuckle while looking over to Ratchet. "And you know, I was right, that was entertaining to watch!"
"It's always such a joy watching someone else rightfully scold him for doing something reckless, is it not?" Clank adds with a chuckle.
"You can say that again." Talwyn agrees.
"I am literally standing right here, you know." Ratchet comments annoyedly, crossing his arms as he glances between them with a slight frown.
"Oh, calm down, my boy, it just means they care about you." Max tells him with a laugh while patting his shoulder, although it made Ratchet stumble a bit from the force behind it. "But, unless you have something else planned for the two of us, I think me and Talwyn are going to go ahead and head back home to the space station?"
"Do not worry, I do not believe we require your being here, Max." Clank assures him. "You and Talwyn are perfectly free to return home."
"Excellent. But before we do—"
He turns to Ratchet and takes him into a sudden—and suffocating—bear hug, quite literally squeezing the breath out of him with an audible huff.
"Thank you so much for giving me the chance to see my daughter again, Ratchet." He says happily. "I owe you big time for this. Just let me know if you need anything—anything at all—and I'll do whatever I can to help you."
"Y-You're welcome!" Ratchet manages to rasp out, struggling underneath his iron grip.
"And, I need to thank you as well, Kaden." He continues, suddenly letting go of Ratchet as he gasps for air, hand on his chest, muttering something about having had enough of bear hugs for the last couple of days. "It's technically your Dimensionator we used to get here, after all!" He says amusedly.
"Don't mention it, I know exactly what it's like to be in your shoes." Kaden replies with a nod and a smile, holding out his hand. "Of course I'd want to help a fellow father reunite with his child just like I did."
"Oh, come on, now! You know I'm past handshakes at this point!" Max states with a jovial laugh, taking Kaden's hand to just pull him into a tight hug similar to the one he gave Ratchet, also making him puff out a breath of surprise.
"Wow, damn, you've got a tight grip!" Kaden comments with a strained breath.
"You're telling me." Ratchet responds, finally breathing more regularly again, having recovered from the intense display of gratitude.
However, his relief is short-lived, as he finds himself caught in yet another hug, but this time, from Talwyn, under whose grip he was thankful that he could at least breathe through.
"And I've gotta thank you, too, Ratchet." She says earnestly, the happiness clearly heard in her words. "Even though you've made me more than a little pissed for disappearing out of the blue like that, I can't deny that you've also made me the happiest person in the whole galaxy today."
Ratchet smiles as he returns the tender embrace, wrapping his own arms around her. "No problem, Tal." He replies warmly. "It makes me happy seeing you happy like this, too. I hope you and your dad have nothing but good times ahead of you both."
She huffs a small laugh through her nose. "You, too."
They stand there for a few seconds longer before they break the hug, and returning a wide grin to each other before turning back to their fathers in question, who were in turn looking at them with similar smiles of their own before Kaden nudges Max.
"You know, it's crazy to think that he might've been your son-in-law, huh?" He asks him with a smirk.
"Dad." Ratchet groans in embarrassment, burying his face into his palm.
"Well, I think she could've done a hell of a lot worse for a potential husband, honestly." Max replies to Kaden with a chuckle. "But just imagine if we were both grandpas! We'd have to take turns babysitting the kids!"
"Okay, I think that's enough talk from the both of you." Talwyn speaks up as she walks over to her cruiser while both Max and Kaden snicker to themselves, much too amused by their joke. "Are you ready to go, dad?"
"Yep, sure thing, sweetie!" He answers before turning back, glancing between Ratchet and Clank and Kaden. "Well, I'll see you all later, then. We're definitely going to have to spend more time together once I get settled back in, I'll invite you over to the space station, even!"
"And we'll be looking forward to it, Max." Kaden says with a nod. "Now, go ahead and get going so you can spend some time with your daughter."
"Will do!" He says, bidding farewell with a wave as he walks back to Talwyn's cruiser and hops in the passenger seat. Both he and Talwyn give one more wave before the cockpit closes, and a few seconds later, the thrusters ignite, kicking up dust around the ship before it slowly lifts off the ground, and turning place in the air, flies up into the sky, and disappears in the midst of the blue sky above, leaving Ratchet and Kaden standing down below, looking up to where they flew off to.
"…Well!" Ratchet speaks up, turning to Kaden. "I think that's all the big stuff taken care of. Got scolded by Tal and Sasha, assured everyone that I'm not dead, and we got Max back home."
"So… I guess that means we're officially free to do what we want now, huh?" Kaden asks.
"Pretty much." He replies with a shrug. "So, uh… Anything you wanna see while you're over here? In this dimension, I mean?" He asks, holding out his arms as he idly looks around.
"Hmm… Well…" Kaden mutters, placing a hand on his chin, looking off into the distance, into the buttes, mesas, and empty desert of Veldin before them.
After a few seconds, he turns around, and looks back to Ratchet's garage, and once again, feels a swell of happiness of pride at seeing his son's abode, recalling his mental conversation with himself as he stood in the garage earlier, thinking about how much his sacrifice upon leaving his son behind on this planet thankfully ended up being completely worth it.
But as he thinks about that, his mind suddenly freezes onto that thought. It must've been on his face as well, as Ratchet glances down to Clank beside him with an odd look before glancing back to Kaden, raising an eyebrow.
"Erm, dad? You good?" He asks with some worry. "You're not getting heatstroke or something, are you? I know it's a little hot out here today after all—"
Kaden quickly shakes his head, snapping out of his thoughts. "Oh, erm, sorry, no, I'm fine." He assures him. "But, I was just thinking… this is the Kyzil Plateau, isn't it?"
"Uh… yeah?" He answers confusedly. "Why?"
"Well… I was thinking of a place that I'd like to stop by, if you don't mind."
"And where would that be?" Clank asks curiously, tilting his head.
"Assuming that it's still here after all these years, I was thinking that we could maybe… take a visit to your orphanage." Kaden states with a small shrug.
"Wait, really?" Ratchet asks in surprise. "You… wanna see Ms. Perigee?"
"Wait, you're telling me that she's still alive?" He responds, before his eyes widen as he realizes what he just said. "Erm, not to sound rude or anything, obviously! But, it's just… she seemed very old in your memories you showed at the Council meeting a few days ago."
"Oh, yeah, she's still alive, don't worry." Ratchet tells him with a small chuckle. "But, why exactly do you want to visit her, then?"
"Well, to thank her, obviously." He says plainly. "By the sound of it, if it wasn't for her, you'd have a much, much worse childhood growing up than you already did. And not only that, she was also the one who helped you get this place, right?" He asks, gesturing an arm out to his home.
"I… guess that's a good point." Ratchet agrees, following his gaze to his home as well. "And I suppose I'm also a bit overdue for a visit over there, too." He mutters.
"I also believe that this is an excellent opportunity to rest her fears about your disappearance as well, Ratchet." Clank chimes in. "I've no doubt she's caught word about it if even Sasha and Qwark did, you know. We should stop by to let her see for herself that you are safe and sound."
Ratchet gives a sigh along with a slump of his shoulders. "Yay, even more scolding." He groans.
"It is not as if it is unwarranted, you know." Clank tells him, crossing his arms. "It's only natural for the person who raised you to be worried about you, the least we could do is say hi."
"Look, I know you're right, pal, but it doesn't make it any less tiring getting yelled at that you were 'being reckless' and 'not thinking about the repercussions' after dipping out into another dimension for a couple days." He says with air quotes, making Clank give him a look before he sighs once again. "But, yeah, okay, I'll suck it up."
"Good."
"Alright, then, now that we've got our destination settled, let's get going." Ratchet announces as he turns around and starts walking back toward the garage, to Aphelion, with Kaden and Clank following closely behind.
"You know… I'm impressed with just how immaculate you've kept her, given that she's a good two decades old." Kaden comments as they reach her, where Ratchet opens her cockpit and climbs in. "That, and you clearly did a good job when it came to rebuilding her, too."
"Thanks!" He says proudly, rubbing his hand across the dashboard in front of him. "Aphelion has always been one of my pride and joys ever since I found her on Fastoon. It feels great to own a piece of actual Lombax tech, and one that I can actually talk to, no less. Now, come on and hop in, I can show you how she flies!" He says happily, waving his hand over.
"As long as you cool it with all the speeding and flips and barrel rolls that you did in Lyra when you flew her, then by all means." Kaden replies with a chuckle as he walks around to the other side of the ship to get into the passenger seat, with Clank sitting right behind them in the backseat.
Ratchet then closes the cockpit as Kaden begins to look around, and understands what Ratchet means when he said how Lyra looks quite similar to what he's already used to, with Aphelion looking almost just like her, albeit with less features and screens from her being a few generations behind in terms of spacecraft development.
But as he's busy admiring the console, Ratchet switches her on, and the screens and internal lights brighten to life as the thrusters can be heard igniting into an idle fizzling, right behind her voice.
"Welcome back, Ratchet." She greets. "Are we visiting Ms. Apogee again?"
"Hey, Aphelion," He greets back, "And no, actually. We're headed over to Ms. Perigee's."
"Oh, interesting, but what brings you… wait a second… you have another passenger aside from Clank with you." She realizes. "And… wait, he's a Lombax, too?!"
"Oh, uh… yeah." Ratchet says with a chuckle before gesturing over to him. "Aphelion, this is Kaden, my dad."
"Pleasure to meet you, Aphelion." He greets with a smile and a nod.
"Your father?!" She cries out in surprise. "What do you mean this is your father? I thought he was dead!"
"So did I, but, nope! Found him safe and sound in the Lombax dimension, and the long and short of it is that his friends saved him from the last minute after they built their own Dimensionator—"
"Wait, Lombax dimension?" She cuts him off. "Clank, did you finish repairing the Dimensionator, then?!"
"Indeed, I did." He confirms with a nod. "About three days ago, in fact."
"Oh, come on! Even you knew about what he was doing?" Ratchet asks in disbelief.
"Yes, but I think you're the one that has some answering to do, mister." Aphelion says sternly. "You're telling me that you've been running around in the Lombaxes' dimension this entire time?"
"Um… yeah?"
"Then why didn't you bring me with you?!" She cries out indignantly. "You know full well that I wanted to visit the Lombaxes again just as much as you, Ratchet!"
And as Ratchet shrinks back in shame, Kaden instead gives a small laugh. "I expected you to get scolded by your friends, sure, but I can't say I expected you to get scolded by your ship. But, I've gotta say, I'm enjoying it." He states with a smirk as he leans back in his seat, placing his hands behind his head as Ratchet shoots him a look for just a moment before returning his attention back to Aphelion.
"Look, I know I messed up, and I'm sorry, Aphelion." He earnestly apologizes. "I've gotten reamed for that for the last, like, hour by both Tal and Sasha, and you don't need to tell me that I was an idiot for just leaving just like that. I am well aware of that now."
"You do realize that will not stop me from continuing to call you an idiot for that, however."
"I know it won't." He says with a sigh. "But, look, don't worry, because I promise that next time I go back to the Lombax dimension, I'll bring you with us. Does that sound good?"
"Well… while I cannot deny that I wish you would have asked me that the first time you left, yes, I would like that, Ratchet." She confirms amicably.
"Great." He replies with a nod. "Now that we've got that settled, let's go ahead and get going."
"Affirmative." She answers back as she begins to hover off of the garage floor. Ratchet then slowly guides her out of the wide opening of the garage door, where he then promptly has her blast off into the sky, cruising at a high altitude above the ground towards the orphanage.
"As long as we have time to spare, though," Aphelion continues, "Would you mind telling me about what you were up to over there? And elaborate more on as to why your father isn't dead?"
"Well… I've had to tell this story a good three times already now, so why not a fourth?" He responds with a shrug before glancing at the primary console display on the dashboard. "Would you believe me if I said I got arrested within five minutes of showing up there?"
"I would honestly be more surprised if you said you didn't."
He chuckles. "Fair enough. But, yeah, I got arrested, which is coincidentally how I also got to meet my dad." He says as he gestures over to Kaden, still leaning back casually in his seat. "And that's when he told me his story, which is pretty crazy, to say the least. Do you wanna have the honors, then?"
"Why not?" He replies with a shrug before removing his hands from behind his head, sitting back up in his seat as they continue to fly through the Veldin sky. "So, as you may have guessed, after hiding my son and the Dimensionator, I went back to fight that dirty Cragmite, Tachyon, and, yes, I almost did die. But then, just in the nick of time, a miracle happened."
"And so, that brings us here, where we just got done reuniting Max with Talwyn." Ratchet finishes, having recounted every major event they've experienced in the last three days, on top of Kaden's story as to his survival. "So, uh… that catch you up to speed, then?"
"I… would say so, yes." Aphelion replies. "I must say, it seems like you've had a very eventful week."
He chuckles. "It's in my top five at least, that's for sure."
"I know it's solidly at number two for me." Kaden affirms. "Right behind… well… you know the one."
"Well, whatever your rankings may be, just know that I am very happy for the both of you." She says cheerfully. "And also, I would suggest preparing for landing, we are due to arrive in one minute."
"Sure thing, Aphelion." Ratchet says, flashing a thumbs-up. "Even though I never really get what you mean by 'preparing for landing'." He adds.
"I mean 'put on your seatbelt in case of turbulence or any other rough conditions when lowering down to the ground'." She answers tiredly. "Just like what Clank always does, and I also notice your father is wearing his as well, so I heavily encourage you to follow their examples."
He scoffs. "I don't need to put on a seatbelt for that, Aphelion, if I can survive tons of firefights, then I'm pretty sure that I can survive a landing." He says with a roll of his eyes and a smirk. "And besides, this is Veldin, I see no sandstorms, and I guarantee Ms. Perigee's orphanage isn't a live battlefield right now, so I don't see what kind of 'turbulence' or 'rough conditions' we're going to have." He argues, gesturing air quotes as he does so.
Suddenly, Aphelion quickly rolls to the left then right, throwing Ratchet out of his seat, making him smack the side of his face against the cockpit window with a cry while Kaden and Clank remained completely secure—albeit surprised—in their own seats.
"Oops, apologies." Aphelion states sweetly. "An unexpected gust of wind blew into us. I would have warned you, Ratchet, but as I said, it was unexpected—meaning that neither you nor me could have possibly foreseen the conditions needed for you to put on a seatbelt despite your assumptions stating otherwise."
"You could've just said 'please'." Ratchet grumbles as he begrudgingly affixes his own seatbelt with a pout while both Kaden and Clank chuckle.
But as they do, Aphelion announces that they have officially arrived, and looking out the window, Kaden's amusement instantly silences as he looks onto the building of the orphanage. Even though he had only visited this place once, he had it burned into his memory, having that large, indifferent structure haunt nearly every one of his nightmares as he had to recall that warm, dusty night all those years ago.
He hardly notices Aphelion touching down onto the ground as she hopes they had a nice flight, his gaze fixed onto the building's façade, finding it all so familiar, yet so strange. Even after all these years, it still looked the same, for the most part. The only things that appeared to have changed is that it's recently gotten a fresh coat of paint, and the little holes in the walls or shingles threatening to rip off last time he was here were all fixed and patched up, making it look as good as new. Even the sign, which was barely readable in the dark night he arrived here, got the same treatment, with its fading, weathered script proudly presented in bold, immaculate letters, spelling out 'Ms. Perigee's Home for Lost Children.'
He is snapped out of his thoughts for just a moment as he sees Ratchet hop out of the cockpit, Clank following behind from the backseat, and Kaden too takes a few seconds to follow suit.
But as he steps out onto the dusty ground, he looks up, and he freezes as he sees that very same desert landscape that's haunted his memories for all these years. That butte over the horizon, those rocky spires poking up into the sky just on the right, and that small, bustling city on the left, although it has appeared to have grown twice its size, with skyscrapers built in the midst of the urban sprawl.
He might have remembered the building itself, but it was this view that truly tortured him, having spent the majority of his short-lived visit on this planet by sitting on that doorstep just over there, and staring out into that desert as he vainly explained to his sleeping child why he had to abandon him here. He looks up into the sky, and despite it being in the middle of the day, with the sun immediately hurting his eyes, he was still almost able to see those same stars he stared at for what felt like an eternity as he pondered why his life had led him to that awful, awful moment that he had to leave his son forever.
He is torn out of his thoughts as he suddenly feels a hand on his shoulder, and looks back down from the sky to see Ratchet's concerned face.
"Dad?" He asks apprehensively. "Are you alright?"
He goes to answer him, but finds that he has to first gulp down a lump in his throat that he didn't realize he had. He then blinks, but feels wetness in his eyes, making him bring his hand up to wipe his face before looking at his fingers and seeing the dark, moistened spots in the gloves he wore for himself.
He looks at it for a few moments longer before giving a deep sigh, dropping his hand back down as he looks back to Ratchet, mustering a small smile as best he could.
"Probably not." He answers back, huffing a dry laugh through his nose before turning his head back to the landscape before him. "It's just that… the last time I was here, looking at that city, and those cliffs, and that building right behind us… it was the night where I had to abandon you. Just sitting on that doorstep over there, with you sleeping in a basket right next to me." He mutters, turning slightly to lightly gesture his arm to the concrete platform just below the door of the orphanage, resting his gaze on it. "I've had too many nightmares with this whole place burned into my memories, and coming back now is just… a lot for me."
Ratchet follows his gaze to the doorstep, but then back up at his face, his eyes still glistening with some tears.
But then, he reaches over and places his hand back onto his father's shoulder, making him turn his head to look back at him.
"I know it probably doesn't help that much, but… I'm here with you now, dad." He says optimistically with a smile. "And unlike back then, I'm going to stay with you for good. You won't ever have to leave me like that again, and I sure as hell aren't going to leave you, either. I can promise you that."
He then removes his hand, and instead moves closer to wrap his arms around him in a tender hug, and Kaden, after a small moment of initial surprise, smiles and embraces him in return, hugging onto him tightly.
"Thanks, Ratchet." He says blissfully. "But I wouldn't say that it doesn't help. It does. As long as I know I can leave this place with you by my side instead of on that doorstep, I think I'll be perfectly fine."
"You can count on it, dad." Ratchet assures him. "I love you."
Kaden squeezes him a little tighter as his smiles also grows a little wider. "I love you, too, Ratchet."
They continue to hug each other for a few moments longer, Ratchet not daring to break it until Kaden does, to which he wipes his eyes to dry any lingering tears before looking back over to the door of the orphanage. He takes a deep breath as he gazes it, but then turns his head to look back down at Ratchet beside him, putting a small smile as he does so.
"Well… I'd say it's about time we go ahead and actually say hi instead of standing out here like a couple of weirdos." He says with dry amusement.
Ratchet gives a small chuckle as he returns a nod, and the three of them begin walking up to the building, with Ratchet and Kaden taking the lead, and Clank following right behind them. They step onto the doorstep together, and standing in front of the door, Ratchet reaches over and presses the doorbell, where a faint ring could be heard inside.
It made Kaden's breath hitch ever so slightly as he heard it, remembering that very same tone when he himself hammered onto that doorbell right before he turned around and rushed into his ship, not allowing himself the chance to change his mind and take his son with him.
But before his mind could allow him to delve back into those unpleasant memories, it is interrupted as he suddenly feels Ratchet grab his hand, making him look back over to him giving a reassuring smile, apparently not failing to notice his sudden unease.
It did wonders in relaxing Kaden, however, seeing him smile and feeling his hand in his own, reminding him that he was right by his side, just as he promised. Kaden squeezes his hand back and returns a smile of his own, silently thanking him for the gesture.
But as they're smiling at each other, they hear a voice emanate from behind the door, making them turn their heads.
"Coming!" An elderly woman's voice calls out.
And a few seconds later, the doorknob turns, and the door begins to crack open, revealing an aged Veldinite woman, wearing a pair of large, round glasses, and hunched-over slightly with a cane, and appearing just a tiny bit shorter than Ratchet, Kaden noted.
"Apologies for not being sooner, some of the children were—oh, Ratchet!" She greets with pure delight, her face lighting up near instantly as she opens the door even more while Ratchet smiles back at her.
"Hey, Ms. Perigee." He greets with a small wave, letting go of Kaden's hand.
"Oh, I was hoping you'd come visit soon!" She says happily as she moves in, taking him into a hug that Ratchet is sure to warmly return. "It's good to see you again, dearie."
"You, too, Ms. Perigee." He answers back fondly.
"Ah, you too, Clank!" She adds, looking over Ratchet's shoulder in her embrace to see him standing behind him. "I trust you've been doing your best to keep my Ratchet out of too much trouble?"
"As best I can, yes." He replies amicably. "Although I seem to not have been doing an ideal job recently, what with all the worry we've caused everyone with our sudden disappearance."
"Ah, yes, I've heard about that." She says, breaking from the hug, looking at them. "So, what were you two up to, then? Saving yet another galaxy, perhaps?" She inquires amusedly, resting her hands on her cane.
"Erm, nope, just running around in another dimension." Ratchet answers with a shrug and nervous smile.
"I really shouldn't expect any less from you." She replies, rolling her eyes.
However, as she does, she only just now notices Kaden standing next to them, who was been watching their exchange with a soft smile.
"Wait a minute, my eyesight must really be going," She comments in disbelief, adjusting her glasses as she stares at him. "Are you a Lombax? Just like Ratchet, here?"
He smiles with a nod. "Indeed I am. It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Perigee." He greets, holding out his hand.
She takes it after a small moment of confusion, and looks back to Ratchet as he shakes her hand. "You really found another Lombax, Ratchet?" She asks in shock. "Where?"
"In the other dimension I was just talking about, actually." He answers with a chuckle. "Clank actually repaired the Dimensionator, so I finally got to meet them in their dimension, where I found him." He says, thumbing over to Kaden, who lets go of her hand.
"My, you've certainly got quite the story to tell me later, young man!" She tells him before returning her attention back to Kaden. "But then, who are you? A friend he met in the other dimension, apparently?" She asks confusedly.
"A little more than a friend, actually." He replies amusedly. "I'm… well… I'm Ratchet's father." He states with a small shrug.
"Father?" She repeats, beginning to glance back and forth between him and Ratchet with shock. "I… but… Ratchet, didn't you say you found out he died?"
"Yeah, I did, but, as it turns out, I was wrong." He answers back with an awkward smile. "It's… a long story."
"That's quite the understatement!" She replies. "But it's much too hot out today for us to listen to it out here. Come, come inside, we can speak in my office." She says, turning around while walking back through the door. "It should be relatively quiet right now, as well, it is the children's lunchtime."
"Lunchtime?" Ratchet repeats as they follow her inside, with Kaden making sure to shut the door behind them. "Wait, it's Saturday, does that mean they're having sloppy joes?" He asks with a hint of childlike wonder.
Ms. Perigee chuckles to herself as she leads them down the hall. "Indeed, they are. I'm surprised you still remember that!"
"Well, what can I say? Sloppy joes were always my favorite."
"Oh, yes, I remember." She replies fondly as she reaches a door on the right close to the entrance. "I made sure to save you seconds in whenever I saw you were having a bad week. It always seemed to cheer you right up."
"Yeah, it did." Ratchet responds with a nostalgic sigh as she opens the door before gesturing them inside, to which they oblige her before she shuts the door behind them.
Kaden looks around, and recognizes it as her office from Ratchet's memory, with the walls lined with countless pictures of her and all the children she's taken care of over the years, and a humble desk sitting in the center of the room, topped with an assortment of papers, but also a large jar full of cookies, just like what he saw from his memory.
It was also furnished with an aged office chair behind it, in which Ms. Perigee took a seat, groaning slightly from her old bones, but also three more chairs in front of her that she gestures over to once situated in her seat, leaning her cane against the side of the desk.
"Come, come take a seat." She requests, to which the three of them oblige her, sitting down with Ratchet in the middle, and Kaden and Clank on either side of him. "Oh! Would any of you like a drink? Water, coffee, perhaps?"
"Oh, erm, no, I'm good, Ms. Perigee." Ratchet assures her, waving a hand.
"I'm fine, too, but thank you." Kaden adds with a smile.
"As am I." Clank finishes.
"Ah, very well, then." She replies. "But, now that we've gotten settled, I think you should go ahead and enlighten me on what you two have been up to for the last few days." She says, glancing between Ratchet and Clank, before turning to Kaden. "And also, elaborating more on, well, the fact that you are in fact not dead as I have been led to believe, pardon my bluntness."
"None taken, I've been getting it a lot." He assures her with a chuckle.
"Right, well," Ratchet announces, taking a deep breath, "Like I said, Clank finished repairing the Dimensionator after working on it in secret for, like, months now, keeping it a secret from me. Which… you don't know anything about that, do you?" He asks, raising an eyebrow,
"Mmm… I believe it does sound familiar, now that I think about it." She mutters, resting a hand on her chin.
"Oh, come on! Was I seriously the only one who didn't know about your project, Clank?" He asks him in disbelief, crossing his arms.
"Calm down, Ratchet, we have officially met everyone who I have spoken to about it." He replies with a roll of his optics. "You can rest easy."
He sighs, shaking his head before returning his attention back to her. "Well, anyway, yeah, he finally repaired it, and me and him decided to finally meet the Lombaxes. We opened a portal, and hopped into their dimension, and found a city there, where we, erm, kinda got arrested for starting a chase through the city." He says awkwardly, right before raising a finger. "But, the funny thing is, that'd actually be one of the least craziest things to happen to me for the next three days. And let me tell you right now, it's a bit of a doozy."
"And then we got Max and Tal back together, where they flew off to head home right before we decided to come here and visit you." Ratchet finishes explaining, taking a breath before rubbing his throat slightly. "Man, my throat's starting to get sore explaining this all the time."
"Well, you're free to take a drink from the water cooler, sweetie." Ms. Perigee says, gesturing to the small machine sitting behind them, also right next to a coffeemaker.
"Oh, uh, sure thing, thanks." He replies with a nod, getting up to pour some for himself inside on of the small paper cups she has next to it, and taking a swig of it before sitting down. "Well… I guess you can go ahead with the yelling now."
"Huh? What are you talking about, Ratchet?" She asks confusedly, tilting her head. "Why would I ever possibly yell at you?"
"Erm, because I disappeared from this dimension without telling anyone for, like, three days?" He answers, furrowing his brows. "I mean, everyone's been getting on my case for it. Talwyn did, Sasha did, hell, even Aphelion did!"
"Hey, language, mister." She firmly corrects him, pointing at him, making Kaden chuckle lightly as Ratchet shrinks back a bit. "But, no, I'm not going to chastise you, Ratchet, don't worry." She tells him sweetly with a smile.
"Really? Why not? Didn't I make you freak out when everyone was saying I was gone and probably dead in a ditch somewhere?"
"Oh, everyone always likes to overreact to that sort of thing." She replies, waving her hand. "And besides, knowing the little monster that I had to raise and his tenacity and stubbornness, I had no doubt you had it handled, whatever it was that had you go missing. And, wouldn't you know, I was right, seeing how you're just fine and dandy right now."
"Yeah, I'd say more than fine and dandy, actually." Ratchet responds with a smile, looking over to his father, who returns a smile of his own as well.
"And it's wonderful to know that you have father back as well." She says delightedly, turning her own attention to Kaden. "But, if I may ask, why exactly did you two decide to pay me a visit today?"
"Well… I wanted to thank you, Ms. Perigee." Kaden answers her earnestly. "For everything you've done to help give my son the best childhood he could have, despite the unfortunate circumstances. I was worried about him growing up alone and confused when I left him here in this galaxy, but it makes me tremendously relieved to hear that he had you to count on for help and support." He says with a smile. "So… thank you. So much."
"Why, I'm quite flattered, Kaden," She says with a warm smile, "But please, there's no need to thank me. It is my duty to make sure all of my children grow up happy and safe, no matter who they are. And it was a wonderful pleasure to have the honor of raising your child, for he is such a wonderful boy, although he certainly was a bit of a pain sometimes." She says shooting Ratchet a playful look.
He gives a nervous smile. "Yeah… I didn't make life easy for you, did I?"
"Well, I can't say I ever had to worry about a ten-year-old crafting a laser blaster out of a pile of scrap before—or since—so, yes, you certainly made raising a child more… interesting than usual."
Kaden chuckles. "I suppose I should apologize for making you care for a Lombax, then, much less one with his father's blood in him. I know I was a difficult child growing up, at least, sneaking out to go hoverboot all the time, tearing apart all sorts of gizmos to make things, and even stealing my dad's trillium harvester to go fight the Agorians' tournament." He recalls fondly. "I could only imagine the trouble that Ratchet here must've stirred up for you, though." He says, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"While has caused his own fair share of chaos around here, I can't deny that it was an absolute joy raising my little fuzzmuffin nonetheless." She tells him while looking back to Ratchet adoringly, while Kaden tries to stifle a smirk.
He gives a small groan. "Do you really still have to call me that, Ms. Perigee?"
"Of course I do! You may be a renowned intergalactic hero now, but that doesn't change the fact that I used to change your diapers, young man!" She argues. "And besides, even though I see you all grown up in all those magazine covers and holovision interviews and what have you, I still can't help but see the little furball whose highlight of his day was whenever I gave him a cookie." She says sweetly with an adoring smile.
And as Ratchet utters a small embarrassed sigh while Clank playfully giggles to his chagrin, Kaden can't help but take special attention in the way that she smiled at Ratchet, paired with a look that was filled what he could recognize was pure, unrequited love for her child. It was a look that he recognized because it was something that he saw in Marie's eyes every single time she looked at their son in her arms, wearing a smile just like the one Ms. Perigee was wearing now.
And although it couldn't help but send a small pang through him upon being reminded so vividly about his late wife, he was also filled with absolute happiness and relief, feeling assured to see that Ratchet was able to grow up and be raised by someone who had loved him just as much as his true parents would have.
"Well, playful teasing aside, I must say once again that I am more than happy for you to have found your father, Ratchet." She continues. "Hardly any of my children ever get the privilege to ever meet their birth parents, and with you, a member of a seemingly-disappeared species, it broke my heart when I realized that you'd never get that chance, or to even get answers to some of the questions you've been asking nearly your entire life. But then, here you are, showing up to my door with your real family!" She says joyfully, motioning a hand back over to Kaden.
Ratchet grins as he looks back over to him as well. "Yeah, I still can't realize how lucky I am to have found him in the first place, either." He says contentedly.
But as Kaden flashes him a smile of his own, filled with a swell of happiness and love for his child, he then turns and looks back to her.
"I'm happy I reunited with my son as well, Ms. Perigee, but I don't think you should put it that way. As far as I'm concerned, you're just as much Ratchet's real family as me and his mother are." He says kindly. "And, to be honest, I see more than a little bit of her in you, as well."
"I… well, why thank you, Kaden." She thanks him humbly, placing a hand on her chest. "I was simply raising a child as best as I could, and to hear you say that truly means a lot to me."
"I'm glad to hear it. And I've gotta say that you've done a hell of a good job, making my son one of the most courageous, brave, and selfless people I know." He says, looking over to wrap an arm around him with a warm smile, until a few moments later where he realizes what he said and looks back to her with a nervous chuckle. "Erm, pardon my language, of course." He adds.
"Oh, it's alright, I believe you've earned a pass with your flattery." She assures him with a giggle and wave of her hand. "But, I'm just curious, are you going to be staying here with Ratchet now?"
"Oh, no, he's just visiting for the day." Ratchet informs her as Kaden retracts his arm from around him. "He's still living in the other dimension, but with the Dimensionator, I'm going to be able to hop back and forth between here and there, no sweat."
"Oh… well… that's quite the peculiar arrangement." She replies amusedly. "But as long as it works, I suppose. And what exactly is the purpose of your visit, if I may ask?"
"Well, to see what my son's home is like for myself." Kaden answers with a small shrug. "You know, see where he lives, some of his friends, his family, getting a taste for what I've been missing for all these years."
"And in Qwark's case, getting some revenge." Ratchet says with a laugh while thumbing over to his father, looking back at Ms. Perigee. "Get this, he punched Qwark in the face within, like, five minutes of meeting him!"
Clank turns his head to look at him with a peculiar squint. "You are quite entertained by that incident, aren't you?"
"How are you not? That's going to live rent-free in my head for the rest of my life now."
"You certainly sound like Ratchet's father, at least." Ms. Perigee comments with a chuckle. "Ratchet has told me many a time about his distaste for our Captain, and to be honest, I admit I have grown a bit disagreeable of him as well, hearing about some of the things he's done to my little fuzzmuffin."
She then leans over the desk slightly while holding a hand up to her mouth. "To tell you the truth, I am quite happy to hear you actually did that to him, but that's just between us, alright?" She whispers. "I'm not sure how much of a good idea it is to admit you're glad to hear that a galactic president was assaulted!" She finishes, sitting back in her chair.
"Don't worry, your secret's safe with us." Kaden responds with an amused smile. "And I wouldn't call it an assault, but instead more of a… not-so-gentle correction."
"No, it does indeed count as an assault." Clank clarifies.
"Eh, semantics." He says with a small wave of his hand, making Clank roll his optics while Ratchet snickers.
"So, where are you boys headed to after this, then?" Ms. Perigee inquires. "I imagine Ratchet has some sights to show you around our dimension, after all!"
"Oh, well, actually… I'm not really sure." Ratchet answers back with a shrug.
"Wait, really?" She replies confusedly, tilting her head.
"Well, I mean, I've already showed him some of the major stuff, like my home and some of my closest friends, and you, of course, but other than that, can't really think of anywhere else to go." He explains. "Only other place would be, like, my other apartment back in Metropolis, I guess. Why?"
"It's just that I figured you two were going to go back to Fastoon, is all." She answers plainly. "It's the Lombax homeworld, after all, right? And besides, that's where your original home was, correct?"
Kaden's eyes widen in realization as she says that. Somehow, it had never once occurred to him that their home was back in this dimension. Their true home. Their home where Kaden lived out his own childhood, with Marie, and Alister, and the first year of Ratchet's life. The one that he had to abandon just like everyone else did, and the one that he had to accept that he would never see it again, separated from it forever just as he once was with his son.
Until now, that is.
But Ratchet, however, instead returns a troubled look to her.
"Erm… well… I don't know." He replies, rubbing the back of his head. "I mean… it's not exactly a happy place to be after what Tachyon did, you know? I'm not sure if we'd like to go there or—"
"We will." Kaden states suddenly, prompting both Ratchet and Clank to snap their surprised attention to him.
"Wait, we will?" Clank asks.
"Are… are you sure?" Ratchet follows up.
"Yes, I am." He responds with a firm nod before looking back to Ms. Perigee. "Thank you for the suggestion, Ms. Perigee, it seems like we've got our next destination planned now."
"Oh, you're welcome, then!" She responds with a sweet smile while Ratchet continues to glance back at him with unease. "I'm glad I could be of help in whatever way I can. Will you three be departing, then, or have you any more business to take care of around here?"
"I believe we're done here, yeah. Are you ready to go then, Ratchet?" He asks, lightly nudging him with his arm, making Ratchet snap out of whatever thoughts he was thinking of to turn his head back to her.
"Erm, yeah, I guess I am. It was nice to stop by for a visit, Ms. Perigee." He tells her with a nod and glad smile.
"And it's always a great pleasure to have you visit little old me." She replies delightfully.
But as she gives Ratchet a lovingly endearing look, she glances behind and above him to the clock hung on the wall.
"Ah, just in time as well, I should be getting the kids back inside for some reading from lunch anyway. I suggest you two leave now lest having you and Clank be swarmed by the children wanting to talk to the big and famous hero who grew up here, after all!" She states with a chuckle as she grabs her cane and stands up from her chair, with the three of them following suit.
"Oh, I don't really mind it, honestly, I always expect it whenever I come by to visit." Ratchet tells her. "But, yeah, I guess we should go ahead and slip out instead of being trapped here for a few hours, it's a long flight back to Polaris."
"But I am sure we will be sure to visit again soon to make up for it, though." Clank adds. "It's always a delight meeting with the children."
"Well, that's easier for you to say, given that you don't have giant ears that they like to pull on all the time." Ratchet replies. "But, yeah, don't worry, he's right, we'll be back soon, Ms. Perigee. Promise." He tells her with a nod.
"And we will be eagerly waiting for you. But until then, why don't you boys give me a hug before you go?" She says, holding out her frail arms.
With a smile and a nod, Ratchet leans down and picks up Clank in his arm before walking over and hugging her, allowing her to hug both him and Clank in return.
"You boys be safe out there, alright?" She says.
"We'll try." Ratchet replies contentedly.
With one more squeeze, they break the hug, and Ratchet takes Clank and places him onto his back while Ms. Perigee turns back to Kaden, standing aside, and holds her arms out once more.
"You too, Kaden!" She tells him. "Nobody leaves my office without a hug!"
He chuckles as he walks up to her to oblige her request, embracing her, and also distantly thinking that her smaller side really did make her feel like Marie in his arms as well.
"Thank you for taking care of my son for me." He tells her earnestly. "I owe you everything."
"You don't owe me anything, having the pleasure to raise him myself is all the payment I need." She assures him warmly. "I just hope he makes you as happy as he made me."
"Don't worry, he's already doing an amazing job." He responds, breaking away from the hug.
"And I'm glad to hear that." She replies with a smile, right before her eyes widen. "Oh! I almost forgot!" She says as she quickly turns away towards her desk.
"Erm, forgot what?" Kaden asks.
"Why, a treat for the road, of course!" She replies, reaching for her jar of cookies before opening the lid and holding it out to them. "I even baked them this morning!"
"Ooh, yeah, I can smell it." Ratchet says eagerly before taking one for himself, followed by a pleasantly amused Kaden. "Thanks, Ms. Perigee!"
"You're very welcome, Ratchet." She says with a chuckle, placing the jar back on her desk. "I'll see you boys soon, then!"
And with a final farewell, the trio exit her office while munching on her (very tasty) cookies, leaving through the entrance before piling into Aphelion, where Ratchet takes off and begins the flight to Fastoon.
I can tell that we're nearing the finish line on this fic. Assuming that I don't overwrite stuff like I normally do 80% of the time, then I imagine there might only be 3 or 4 chapters left before I can finally conclude this monster of a story. And hell, at this rate, also considering that I might start actually publishing chapters as I finish them instead of waiting as per my usual schedule, that might only be a couple weeks from now. So, fingers crossed, so I can finally get going on projects that I have planned for this AU!