Author's Note: This story follows the events of the Future Series. I wanted to explore Ratchet and Clank's feelings about the past adventure and their friendship a little. Their inseparable, brotherly-bond is a big part of what makes me love the series so much ^^

Oh! And I purposefully published this today, October 26th, in celebration of…

Clank's birthday!

I hope you all enjoy :) Reviews are greatly appreciated!

Disclaimer: I do not own Ratchet and Clank.

It's Good to Have You Back, Pal

Solana Galaxy

Kyzil Plateau, Planet Veldin

Ratchet brushed aside a few stray screws and tools to read the blueprints below. He quickly scribbled a few more notes on them, glancing up at the little, square machine in front of him as he did.

Clank climbed back up on the stool beside Ratchet, standing on it so that he was at eye- level with him. He held out a few more tools, which the Lombax immediately took with an appreciative, "Thanks, pal," before taking up a pair of cutters.

Clank observed him quietly, referencing the blueprints and checking the device as the Lombax worked around the mess of wires and coils. Soon after, Ratchet closed up one side of the plating, and with one last turn of the final screw in the corner, the device let out a spark of life, the bar in the front emitting a light-blue glow for a moment before sputtering off.

"We're getting there," Ratchet said, leaning down to look at the machine at eye-level. He stifled a yawn, unwilling to give in to fatigue just yet.

"Ratchet?" Clank said. The Lombax didn't look up. "Ratchet," he tried again, drawling his friend's name out. Some things never change.

Ratchet's head jerked up after the third time. "Huh? What's up, pal?" he asked with a sheepish grin.

"Perhaps you could try connecting the charge in the opposite direction?"

Ratchet looked down at the machine, rubbing his chin in thought. "Hey, that might work..." he said. He dipped his head in a single, resolute nod and started to follow Clank's advice.

The night fell outside as the evening hours passed, lulled by the gentle, resinous chirping of the native insects. Ratchet scribbled a few more notes on the blueprints, leaning his head on his other arm with a loud yawn. His eyes blinked closed a little longer than usually before opening again. This struggle against sleep lasted a few more minutes before his eyes closed all the way. His hand slowly stilled, scratching gibberish off the corner of the page before it lulled on its side, pencil still loosely held in his grasp. A soft snore started to come from the Lombax.

Clank chuckled softly to himself. He hopped down to turn the main lights off before returning. He slipped the pencil out of Ratchet's hand and set it aside before leaning forward to flip the small, portable light off. He sat back on the workbench, pulling his arms and legs in. He didn't mind recharging here for the night. Ratchet needed to know he was nearby, and besides- Clank wasn't too keen on being all that far from Ratchet, either. His optics closed, the neon-green light of his eyes disappearing behind, and the only light in the garage was the soft blinking of his antenna.

...

Ratchet jolted, eyes opening with a start as he woke. He looked around himself, taking a moment to make out the familiar surroundings of the garage through the darkness; Clank must have turned the lights off when he fell asleep.

Clank.

A sudden feeling of peace flooded through him when he caught sight of the gentle red blinking beside him. There were mornings where he would forget, in that ambiguous time when coming out of sleep, and think he was still living that year searching for Clank. But then, he'd hear the gentle whir and click as the little robot companion awoke, along with a sincere, 'Good morning, Ratchet.'

Ratchet tucked his legs under the stool, hooking his feet on the cool metal ring around the legs. I guess the universe just...rights itself, he thought.

This was a unique occurrence, though: Ratchet had woken up before Clank. He looked over his shoulder. Outside, it was still dark, the horizon faded with the first signs of early morning. The melancholy feeling of the dream that had woken him up still hung in the back of his mind, no matter how much he tried to ignore it. He couldn't remember the details, and decided it best, but he did remember who had been in it. He wished he hadn't, because with that came all the thoughts he had been trying to push away since Alister...

Quietly, so as not to wake Clank, he slid off the stool and started across the floor, rubbing his cheek sorely where a wrench had pressed into it while he slept.

Ratchet walked out, the familiarly warm, dusty breeze of Veldin ruffling his fur and brushing his face. He looked upward at the overhanging ledge on the roof and decided to make his way up. That had always been his favorite place to go, even back before he'd met Clank. Actually, he had watched Clank's ship crash from up there all those years ago. Boy, time flies...

Ratchet knelt down, sliding his legs out from underneath him and sitting back so that he was looking out westward. The clear, open desert expanded out in front of him, the distant layers of mountains each their own distinct shade of blue beyond it. There was a sort of comforting beauty about it all as only home could have. Ratchet could remember when he had wanted nothing more than to get off of this dust-bowl. He had always cared greatly about his home, but he had also wanted to explore; to find answers; to be something. And yet here he was- after so many years of the adventure he had been searching for- back home again.

He reached into his pocket and slipped out Alister's watch. He clicked it open, looking at the picture of the General and his father.

...

Clank guessed very quickly where Ratchet had gone.

It wasn't very long after Ratchet woke up that Clank had as well. He had immediately gone outside and looked up, and sure enough, printed against the moon-lit sky above was the Lombax's silhouette.

Clank made his way up, secretly wondering if Ratchet liked the roof so much because of his feline-likeness. (Clank wouldn't dare suggest this out loud, of course...)

Ratchet's ears piqued. He looked down, noticing Clank coming up to meet him. He pocketed an object in his hands- Azimuth's watch. Clank's optics lowered in concern, immediately understanding why the Lombax had come up here.

But when Ratchet looked at him, his face lit-up in a genuine smile, his former sadness seemingly forgotten at the sight of his friend. "Hey, pal," he greeted. He reached out a hand, pulling Clank up the rest of the way.

"Hello, Ratchet," Clank said. He paused a short moment before asking, "Are you alright?"

Ratchet rubbed an ear, shrugging. "Yeah. Just...couldn't sleep."

Clank nodded, knowing the deeper meaning behind Ratchet's words. He sat down beside his friend, letting his legs hang over the ledge. The duo sat in silence for a moment, looking up at the velvety night sky. Stars glinted and winked, some silvery, others azure, and still others vermilion red with age. Ratchet and Clank's thoughts wandered, and perhaps intertwined with one another's at times without either of them realizing it, as they looked up into the endless expanse.

"That star is Horologium," Clank suddenly said. Ratchet glanced at his friend before looking back up again to search the sky. Clank pointed a little to the right. "That large red one."

Ratchet leaned forward, resting his arms against his thighs as his gaze fell on the star. "Red...That means it's gonna go Supernova soon, huh?"

Clank, still looking at it, answered, "It is quite old- 2.8 billion years, to be exact. I cannot say for certain if its depleted resources of hydrogen will result in a stellar explosion, but it being a Spectral Type M Red Supergiant, I would say the probability is quite high. But, it still has quite a ways to go before anything of the sort occurs."

Ratchet shook his head, unable to hold back a fond, "You're such a nerd."

Clank gave him a sidelong look, swinging his legs. "I could say the same of you; I am not the one who fell asleep in the garage."

Ratchet snorted at that. Suddenly, he put an arm around the little robot and pulled him closer into his side. "It's good to have you back, pal," he said.

Clank smiled up at him before looking forward again. He returned the gesture, putting a hand on Ratchet's back. "It feels good to be back."