AuthorsNote: Well, Holy Crap, It has been a while hasn't it? [check his calender] Wow...A...Over...A...Month...I think this is the longest I've gone with out putting down anything from my ideas. I apologize for that, I guess life caught up and I couldn't find time to even think about Earth Bound. But last week or so I found myself dinking around in Flash CS4, and I found myself thinking after making a new movie. If I can get ideas for this, why not any of my stories? So I just put Earth Bound on my phone and when I was on my way to work, which is a forty five minute ride by train. I started reading. Half way through I reached for my bad pulled out my pad and pen and just started writing. I almost missed my stop because I couldn't stop, it was almost scary. By the time I left work I scratched out half of what I written for stuff I consider better and finally just at the start of this week, I started typing crafting a story from my notes. So, without further ado, I present to you. Ratchet and Clank Earth Bound Chapter Eight: A Decision Made.

Also since it's been so long, I'm doing this. I do not own Ratchet and Clank or any of its ideas or rights. Insomniac is the lucky people with that. I only own the story idea. Please don't steal.

Stella waited patiently with held breath while the screen fizzled, as it started to make noise she quickly plugged in a set of ear pieces, turning the volume down she scooted a chair over and waited. And waited. And waited. Suddenly the screen blinked and Angela's 'cross' face appeared on the screen.

"Ratchet, you better have a good reason for calling me so la-" Angela cut off when she saw it was Stella. "Oh.."

Stella was suddenly nervous "Um...H...H...Hi, Angela."

Angela's face softened as well as her voice when she spoke next. "Oh, Stella...uh...honey, whats wrong?"

Stella looked nervous, "Well, I was just wondering if you would help us-uh-me, decide what to do with the decision we were given earlier."

Angela looked at her oddly, her gaze moving off her face "Sky, he doesn't know you're talking to me right now does he?"

Stella shook her head "I hope not, I wanted to keep it a secret"

Angela nodded her head and pointed at something behind Stella "May want to tell him that"

Stella flung herself around in the chair, causing the ear pieces to fall out as she did so. Sky was standing behind her with an eye arch raised and just looking at her. They stared at each other for several moments while Angela was talking into the Vid-Screen on her end, unaware that neither could hear her.

"So...?" Sky finally drawled out

Stella just kinda cringed and looked away

Sky shook his head "I'm disappointed Stella, pulling something like this, and not including me in it"

Stella looked up at him, he grinned at her and she stepped forward and pulled him into a hug, he sighed and patted her back before pointing at Angela on the screen. "I think shes trying to say something."

Stella turned around and sat down on the chair while Sky vaulted up onto the back and rested his feet on Stella s shoulders, she reached for the ear pieces and put one in her ear while handing the other up to Sky.

"-you need to talk to your parents about all this honestly, I can't make your decision for you an-"

"Angela" Sky interrupted her "We haven't been listening, no ear pieces in."

"Oh" Angela looked surprised, she realized she must look like a fool right now. "Well, anyway, My point is, if this is a decision that you don't want to make by your-self's, take it up with your parents, I can give you my thoughts of course, but I cant make the choice for you, okay?"

Both Sky and Stella nodded "We're ready for you're thoughts then Angela" Stella told her

Angela paused for a moment before nodding slowly "Very well, First off, I would be absolutely over joyed to have you here, to see you in the flesh rather then through a Vid-Screen. Stella you would love Megacorp HQ, and Sky your dad pulled some crazy stuns in Silver City, I'm sure you would love to match them. Oh, I can think of so many things. But honestly, I don't think I want to list them off, because it all comes down to this. 'don't come' I couldn't stand the thought of knowing that you chose to come here over being with your mom and dad. It wouldn't be right putting so much distance between you two, a distance that could shatter your family into a thousand pieces, and that's something I wouldn't be able to live with. So please, please, go with your parents on the Phoenix save them the heart break, I can manage seeing you every once in a while through a vid-screen, but for your parents it would be too much. Okay?"

Sky and Stella stayed still for a long time, Stella finally glanced up at Sky as he looked down at her they nodded "Thank you Angela, we've made our choice, I'm sure our parents will call you tomorrow when we tell them, please don't tell them about this."

Angela nodded "Not a problem, just contact me a bit more alright?"

Stella nodded as Sky reached over and closed the connection. He looked down at Stella as she rubbed her chin "Well, tomorrow then, we tell them, and then-" Sky started

"-to the Phoenix" Stella finished

They slapped palms and cringed at the clap sound, then silently crept back to their rooms, to try and get some sleep for tomorrow.

Sasha watched through a crack in her door as her daughter crept down the hall, shortly followed by her son. She crept out and watched fearful as Stella sat in front of the Vid-Screen. When Angela's face appeared on the screen Sasha's mind went blank and she covered her mouth to prevent her gasp from being heard by her children. She ran silently back into her and Ratchets room and ran gasping into the bathroom, Ratchet sitting up as the bathroom door closed.

Sasha was silently sobbing over the sink, her own children, didn't, didn't, want, oh, the pain she felt as her heart shattered. Ratchet came into the bathroom and placed his large hands on her shoulders.

"Hey what's wrong?" he whispered into her ear.

Her reply was several sobs in coming "Our children-outside-talking to Angela-don't want to come" She gasped in between her sobs. Ratchet stiffened for a moment before he spun her around and she buried her face into his shoulder, her body shaking with her grief.

Ratchet waited a moment before leaning his head down to whisper again "Hey, you don't know that. Knowing them, they could have just been calling her to find out what she thought about all this."

Both of their ears twitched as they heard a clapping sound outside and Sasha paused in her crying to creep back to the door and watch her children sneak back towards their rooms tired but happy looking. Ratchet joined her at the door.

"See?" He whispered, "Does it look like they chose to go to Bogon?"

Sasha glanced down at him "You don't know what they chose."

He shrugged "It was worth a shot, I'm just trying to get you back into bed, either way, I'm sure we'll find out tomorrow."

Sasha nodded slowly and moved towards the bed, sinking into the covers and shivering pulled them over her form. She felt Ratchets warm body join her a moment later and slid up next to her, emanating warmth into her chilled form. She felt his hands on her shoulders again, rubbing them and relaxing the tension that had seized them. Slowly her troubled mind and heart drifted into to sleep and soon so did Ratchet.

Ratchet and Sasha's house. Eight hours later.

Ratchet was making breakfast and Sasha was sitting at the table nursing a cup of water when Sky and Stella walked in, both looked bedraggled and tired. Ironically, the same as their parents, and sat down at the table across from Sasha. Stella cleared her throat, Ratchet lifted an eyebrow at her.

Stella tried to keep a serious face as she spoke up "Dad, could you come sit down, we want to talk to you."

Ratchet smiled and sat down next to Sasha, wrapping an arm around her. "Well?" he asked as Sasha watched them.

Sky and Stella linked hands underneath the table "We've made our choice"

Ratchet nodded as Sasha said nothing.

Sky was the one that said it "We've decided to come to the Phoenix with you, We couldn't stand being so far away from you, and were sure you couldn't stand it either."

Ratchet smiled while Sasha popped out of her chair and wrapped her arms around her children, kissing them both repeatedly.

"Uh, Dad, whats wrong with Mom" asked Sky while being assaulted with the kisses

Ratchet just laughed "Oh, shes just a little excited you decided to stay with us."

"We can tell..." Stella responded as she pushed herself out of her mothers grasp "Enough Mom, we get it, you're happy."

Sasha moved back to sit next to Ratchet who's head was bobbing with laughter as she looked embarrassed. Stella and Sky grinned at each other before laughing as well.

They continued for several moments before Ratchet stopped and wiped his eye. "Alright, guess I better make the call then."

Sky and Stella looked at each other mouthing the word "call" before following Ratchet towards the living room where he was standing at attention in front of the Vid-Screen. Stella and Sky watched as the screen flickered, Ratchet saluted and the figure on the screen said something. Sky and Stella tried to hear what he said, but couldn't.

Apparently Ratchet did though, he nodded a few times before replying. "We've accepted, we request a shuttle to be sent here so that we may transport our family and some personal effects to the ship. We also request that you send a team over to run a diagnostic, Sasha and I will affect any repairs ourselves. We also request any surviving Rangers from our personal squad be reassigned to the ship as well."

He nodded a few more times before saluting again "Thank you Ma'am, Commander Ratchet signing off" He reached forward and closed the link, before turning to his family that had gathered in the kitchen door. He sighed once "Well, it's done, two days to pack, then we are moving to the Phoenix."

Three days later

The next few days were hectic, with both the kids and Sasha and Ratchet rushing around the house getting the things they wanted to take with them. Sky trying to decide what he would need on the ship, Stella deciding which of her tools and gadgets to take, while Ratchet and Sasha tried to find all the old gear. Most of it had a special place hidden from the kids, but a lot had wandered the house during their years there.

Finally after much fuss they had the house packed and locked down for their leave. The kids were running around outside playing while Ratchet and Sasha both headed for the hidden room at the back of their closet. Ratchet leaned forward and put his hand on one palm scanner while Sasha did the same with another on the other side. They beeped at the same time and the disguised door slid up into the wall and Sasha and Ratchet both walked though and down the small walkway where a row of armor containers stood closed tight.

They stood still in front of the containers as four of them hissed open and presented their contents to the pair.

Sasha's was the first to show its insides, in the container to the far right was her tired and true commanders uniform. She reached for it and grabbed the under suit, she quickly stripped down to the buff and slid it on. She folded the center flap across her chest and buttoned it up before reaching for her boots and pulling them up her legs. She then reached for her gloves and slid her hands in, clenching her fists several times to test movement. Finally she reached for the small crest she was supposed to wear. She hesitated for a moment. She didn't know how she was supposed to fit her now long hair into the outfit. She shook her head and placed the crest on top of her hair and threaded it through until it held her hair up and dropped it down her back. She would just have to get it cut on the Phoenix. The last thing she did was take the small laser pistol that rested in a groove on the floor of the armor case. She checked its power level making sure it was set for stun before sliding it into the holster on her hip.

As she finished she looked into the container on her left at her combat armor, Ratchets Electrosteel Armor modified to fit her, she had used it to plunge into the wreckage of DreadZone all those years ago. Her mind flashed back to Ratchet laying in the Phoenix's med bay convulsing in fits of terror and she blinked her eyes to clear them of the tears that had gathered there and of the images assaulting them. She reached forward and placed a small device on the center of the armor. Linked to Ratchets quickselect watch the armor could now be summoned to the Phoenix by remote later.

Ratchet meanwhile was currently putting on his own armor. His containers had revealed his form fitting old flight suit and his Aegis Mark V armor. He quickly stripped down to his briefs and pulled on the flight suit before reaching for her armor plates. As he snapped each one on, he noted all the various nicks and scratches that had formed in it. He rubbed his thumb along a particularly deep one along his shoulder plate and remembered how he earned that while rescuing Sasha from Nefarious. He sighed as he slapped the last of his armor plates on and reached for his helmet. He stood looking at it and saw his HUD flicker and activate from his touch. He turned his head to see Sasha was done getting dressed and had gone about attaching quickslect devices to all the other armors that were now sliding up from the ground.

She looked up as she finished and saw him watching her. She walked over to him and bent down to give him a kiss.

"Ready for this?"

Ratchet sighed again and nodded "Yeah' He replied as he slid his helmet over his head, his ears popping out of their respective holes. He slapped the glowing pad on the center of his chest and felt the armor vibrate as the nexus field activated and his armor began to plus its green color. He touched his quickselect watch and turned it to active, thinking about his omni-wrench that he had gotten in DreadZone, it took form in his hands, coated in black and orange he looked at it before attaching it to a loop on his belt.

Ratchet's face hardened and he glanced up at Sasha. "Lets go make the galaxy safe for our kids"

Sasha nodded and they both headed for their room. As they stepped out into the hall Sky and Stella ran in.

"Mom, Dad, Guess what's outs-" Stella started

"Whoa" Sky was first

"Whoa" Although Stella wasn't far behind

Both kids and stopped and their jaws dropped as they saw their parents both decked out in their commander uniforms and with a weapon hanging off their belts. Hearing all these stories about your parents being great galactic warriors and saviors is all well and good. But actually seeing them in person was a whole different thing.

Ratchet raised an eyearch "Something wrong?"

Stella and Sky shook their heads. "Uh..no, just you should see whats outside." Sky replied

Both Sasha and Ratchet nodded and followed their kids outside. When they got outside they looked around, even glancing towards the horizon to see if there was anything coming. Sky shook his head.

"Not high enough"

Both Ratchet and Sasha looked up and we're surprised to see the Phoenix floating in orbit above Veldin.

Sasha blinked. "They sent the ship?"

Ratchet was equally surprised "I thought that it was in a state of disrepair."

Stella pointed up "I have a feeling you'll find out, here comes a ship."

Sasha and Ratchet followed their daughters pointing finger to see a dropship coming in for a landing in front of their house. As it flew down and began landing, a ramp began to lower and a Galactic Ranger started waving at Ratchet.

"Hey Sarge!" Ratchet old nickname with the Galactic Rangers never really faded, even after he had been promoted.

Ratchet chuckled "Long time since I've heard that"

The Ranger dropped off the ship before it had finished landing and ran over to where the four were standing. He stopped and saluted. "Morning Sarge" He turned to face Sasha "Commander"

Ratchet glanced at his shoulder plate "CR-3?" He asked surprised

CR-3 nodded "As soon as I heard that you were back in the game I requested to be transferred to the Phoenix. As did most of the squadron, the rest are waiting back on the ship, I came down to help you load up."

Ratchet held out his hand and CR-3 shook it "Glad to hear it, tell me, have they changed the default programming of the Galactic Rangers yet, or is you're squad still the best."

CR-3 shook his head "We're still the best, and no they haven't changed the default. But I have."

Ratchet raised an eyearch as his family started loading the crates onto the dropship.

CR-3 shrugged "I made a request to the Galactic President. Since I'm a different breed of Rangers, I'm given new responsibility. One right now is Security officer of the Phoenix. Which means that I can make special requests of what units get boarded. One of which is that all units on the Phoenix 'receive' a special 'upgrade' to their systems, so that they can 'up-link' to the Phoenix remotely."

Ratchet nodded as they headed over to grab some crates. "You got some brain smarts too I see"

CR-3 nodded, bending down to grab a crate as well. "Had to, to be a guard for the Galactic President."

Ratchet nodded and they spent the next two hours loading up all the crates that they had packed, and double checking to make sure they hadn't forgotten anything. Finally Ratchet engaged the lock on the house and turned to face the ship where his family was standing. He felt one second of forbidding, as if this was the last happy moment his family would have, but he shook his head and banished it. He jogged towards the ship and leapt onto the boarding ramp as it started to raise. CR-3 grabbed his hand and hauled him into the ship and Ratchet watched his house fade from sight as the ramp sealed against the hull.

Ratchet turned to face his family and CR-3. "Well, we're on our way."

I owe a few thanks here.

First off to Hubbe, who after reading, PM'ed me and sent me advice, nice to know that some people care.

Second to Howl-with-Despair, who's continued written sparked some ideas in my head.

Third and Final To Birdface who deals with me from time to time and Beat-Reads for me.

Finally I leave with you a parting note, something I learned rather hard in my life.

Never, Never let your friends or Family go, never, once its done its hard to get back, and you WILL regret the consequences. I know I do...

Anyway, to all my readers and followers of this series, until next time, Let peace rule you're heart, and you're soul guide your pen.

Emile.