Prologue

I thought it would be different this time.

Keira wove through the other drivers in Haven City, her normally smooth driving bordering on reckless. Her green eyes were not focused on which way she was going. It didn't matter- she wasn't nearly as concerned with where she was headed as she was with what she was getting away from.

I thought we could finally be together.

She looked up and found herself in the Agricultural sector. Thank the Precursors there was so little traffic this late at night. Keira maneuvered her zoomer behind an equipment shed and plunged into a small grove nearby. She found the familiar tree and climbed up to her spot, where she could see and not be seen. Then she wrapped her arms around her knees and looked up at the dark sky. It had not been dark when Keira first found this place. This was, in fact, where she had landed when they first came here in the rift rider. It occurred to her that she still hadn't told Jak about what had happened to her.

There's a lot we haven't said.

Keira had tried to not think about it, any of it. At least when she was driving her mind had been somewhat preoccupied. Now she had nothing to distract her, and everything that happened that night seemed to float in front of her. No, not just from tonight- everything from the last cursed three years! Her head bowed over her knees as she gave in to her tears and her memories.

Chapter 1

A blast ripped through the sky and shook the ground. The citizens of Haven City looked up as the debris from the rift rider fell from above. Jak, Daxter, and Samos had all been deposited in parts of the city that were heavily patrolled and were quickly found by the Krimzon Guard. Keira had been thrown to the Agricultural sector- not only were there less guards but because she was so far away from the others and the debris, no one even noticed her descent. Thankfully, the grove of trees broke her fall and she ended up with no more than some scratches and a few bruised ribs.

Keira started climbing down from the trees when she started to get a good look at her surroundings, then climbed back up. Where was she? This place looked nothing like Sandover Village. Where was her father and Daxter and Jak? She finally climbed down and began asking around, but no one seemed to know how to help her. A few of them narrowed their eyes and looked ready to call over the Krimzon Guard. Keira didn't know much of this place yet, but she knew she didn't want to get involved with them. So she backed away and began exploring the city on her own, looking for anything familiar.

A few months later, Keira was wandering the streets, weak with hunger. She had nearly given up hope when she was taken into a shelter and brought back from the brink of starvation. At first she had been grateful, but then she found out that the "benefactor" who ran the place expected repayment in the form of whatever services she could provide. She was locked in a room and given one hour to come up with a list of ways she could be of help- if he didn't care for what she provided, she would be sold into the "forced labor trade". Keira had gone over her list of talents in her head as she was escorted to the benefactor's office- a dreary pub called the Hip Hog Heaven Saloon. It had been a good thing Keira had recited her list in advance. When she met the owner- a massively obese lecher named Krew- she had been so shocked and revolted that her mind went blank for a minute.

Krew had been prepared to sell her immediately, but paused when she mentioned her knack for fixing things. It just so happened that his hover chair needed a tune-up, and she proved herself when she got it back in perfect working order. Krew's mouth twisted in a horrid grin as he found himself floating higher than ever. "Hmm, we could use someone like you around here. Work for me and I'll consider my charity repaid, ehh?" he had said. For the next half of a year, Keira worked jobs around the Saloon and Krew's other enterprising properties. The more she learned about him, the more repulsed she became. He seemed to have his finger in every criminal pie in the city. She used the opportunity of working at a bar to keep an ear out for any news that indicated what had happened to the others, or the rift rider, or even more about where she was.

Nothing turned up about her father or her friends, and most of the rift rider had been destroyed in the crash, but Keira was able to learn more about Haven City. How it was founded by the great hero Mar hundreds of years ago. How Mar's descendants had served the city- and its inhabitants- well. How Baron Praxis betrayed King Damas and banished him to the Wasteland some years ago. How life in Haven City has gone downhill under his hand since then, though no one dared mention that in a voice louder than a whisper. And- spoken in the quietest of corners in the Hip Hog- how the rightful heir to Haven City's throne was still somewhere in the city, and that meant there was still hope for things to get better.

Keira tucked away what she learned. She found that surviving in Haven City required keeping one's nose out of everyone else's business. The less people noticed you, the less trouble you could get in. It wasn't ideal, but it kept her from starving, so it would have to do. Her views on life changed when she heard about NYFE racing at Mar Memorial Stadium. The season was about to start and everyone was talking about the sport- it was one of the few cheerful subjects people could still discuss freely. Keira had already worked on several of the speeders for Krew's lackeys and knew the machinery like the back of her hand. What she wouldn't give to work on the air racers! But she didn't know any way to get into the business aside from asking Krew, and he wasn't keen on losing her. Then she met Erol.

He had been standing outside the Hip Hog next to his smoking air racer, kicking it in frustration. Keira was about to pass by when he opened the hood to look inside. Keep your nose out of it, the voice in her head warned her, but she couldn't resist a chance to look inside a NYFE racer! "Anything I can do to help?" Erol turned around angrily, then paused when he saw her. "Do you know much about racer engines?" He asked, leaning against his machine and smiling at her. "Not as much about the racers, but I'm pretty handy with other vehicles. If you let me take a look, maybe I can help you get it going again." She replied, walking around him to the hood of the racer. "Normally I don't let anybody but my mechanic touch it." Erol said as she bent over the engine. "But perhaps I can make an exception." He continued.

Keira normally would have suspected where his eyes were wandering, but she was too engrossed in the racer's engine to notice. "Your racer is incredible! It looks like some parts just got a little gummed up- maybe from the air pollution or something. You should make sure your mechanic gets the inside cleaned now and then. And if I tighten this up a little more…." Erol's racer purred as she stood up again, wiping her hands. "There! That should at least get you back to your regular guy." She said with grin. Erol crossed his arms and smiled back. "Well, well! Beauty and talent, I see. Why haven't I seen you around the track before?" Keira blushed a little. "Oh, I love working with vehicles, but my job is here." She jerked her thumb behind her at Krew's bar. "For now, at least. I'd much rather spend my time under the hood." Erol's golden eyes glinted a little. "As would I. Perhaps I'll need to come back and suggest a job change." He took her hand and kissed it. "I hope to see you again, miss…?" "Keira." She replied breathily, though it was more at the prospect of leaving Krew's employ than the gesture. Erol climbed onto his racer. "Goodbye for now, Keira." Then he sped off, weaving expertly and quickly disappearing from view. Keira didn't find out until later that she had met the racing champion, Erol.

Her new acquaintance with Erol is what got her away from Krew. Erol was true to his word and came back a week later to talk with Krew. Her fat boss threw a fit at the suggestion. Just as Keira feared she would always work for the odious man, Erol drew himself up to his full stature and reminded Krew of what his official position was- Baron Praxis's right hand man. Keira hadn't known that about Erol either, and it didn't improve her opinion of him, but then she saw the effect it had on Krew. He spluttered, clenched his fists, and growled, but she saw the fear in his eyes. He couldn't ignore Erol's implied threat- to refuse Erol was to refuse Praxis. "Very well." Krew began slowly. Keira's heart threatened to leap out of her chest. "But," Krew held up a finger, "she continues to work for me. If she is to be a racing mechanic, then she will be a mechanic for MY team." Erol cocked his head. "YOUR team? What team?" He demanded. "I don't have one now," Krew waved his hand dismissively, "and you can use her for now, but I have always loved racing. If I put my own team together, she is my mechanic. Do we have an understanding?" Erol paused, then shook Krew's hand. "It's a deal."

Keira had no idea how she could thank Erol for getting her away from Krew and into a job she knew she'd love. But Krew didn't put a race team together in time, so she was able to be Erol's sole mechanic. She enjoyed working with him- he was always a gentleman, and he certainly was a very talented racer. And only having one racer to tend to meant her time could be spent on her secret vehicle project- the machine. When she wasn't working or looking for her friends, she was drawing up schematics. Since she only had her memory for how it had been assembled, it took another year before it began to take shape. During that time, another NYFE racing season had begun and ended, this time with a racing team provided by Krew. None of his racers came close to competing with Erol, though. Even though he had gotten a new mechanic, he still came by a lot to see her. Keira sometimes thought about telling him about her past, but it never felt right. Maybe she just needed more time to get to know him first.

She distinctly remembered the day she learned she was in the future. Erol had invited her to the back of Mar Memorial Stadium, where they kept some of the more valuable racing artifacts. The area wasn't open to visitors and tours were only arranged for Haven City's elite, so Keira was honored Erol had thought of her. The outing could even have turned romantic if it weren't for the last vehicle she saw in there. Erol had held his hand up to it in a big sweeping gesture. "Haven City is where racing was really born, you know. Other places like Kras City try to claim the title, but none of them have this. The first vehicle in history, invented over 500 years ago." Keira had walked up to craft in great interest, then stepped back in horror when she recognized it. It was an A-Grav zoomer. It was HER A-Grav zoomer, from Sandover Village. Unable to explain the truth of her reaction, Keira feigned illness and ran back to her apartment above her garage. For a few days, she couldn't get out of bed and face the reality, that this awful place is what her childhood home would become. Even if she was able to get the rift rider working again, going back wouldn't change what she now knew. She had never felt more alone.

When she returned to work, she returned with a new resolve- even if this place was the future, it didn't have to be her future. If she could just find her father and her friends, they could leave it all behind. As long as they were together again and back in Sandover Village, then eventually her memories of Haven City would fade into some sort of nightmare. She could live with that, but first she had to find the others and get them all out of here. Keira decided to focus her efforts on the rift rider first. As much as she wanted to find the others more, all her searching up until now had yielded nothing. On the other hand, she was making progress with building the rift rider. If she could focus solely on it, she should only need a few more months before it would be ready. There was just one problem- another racing season was starting soon, and Krew was sending more prospective racers.

Each time another guy came, Keira had to stop what she was doing, cover up her work effectively, and check out the guy's abilities at the stadium track. At first she complied, though she wasn't happy about it. Then she made some courses for the racers to do- checking their times and stats required less time than watching them race. But the guys weren't good enough for the Class Three races, let alone competing with Erol. "Ugh, I don't have time for this!" she yelled after sending away the fifth racer that week. So she stopped taking clients. Krew was not happy about that. After two weeks of ignoring everyone he sent, Krew came by himself.

"I'm surprised you have the backbone to ignore my men, considering you work for me." He glared at her as she stepped out from behind her curtain. I'm surprised you could fit through my garage door, considering your size. Keira thought. Instead, she said, "Krew, none of these guys would last two seconds in the races, even with my best NYFE racer modifications. All you'd be doing is sending them to their deaths and wasting your money." Krew leaned in toward her and she could smell the chopped liver on his breath. "I don't pay you to manage my money, I pay you to fix racers for my team! If you don't accept my team, then I'm paying you for nothing! And I won't abide that, ehh?" He reached forward and fingered a lock of her blue-green hair. "I'll be forced to collect in….other ways, hmm?" Keira felt her stomach lurch when she realized what he meant. "Fine Krew. I'll take your guys. But if you want any worthwhile reputation on the racing track, they need to be faster. If they can get from the Hip Hog Heaven Saloon to my garage in three minutes, then they're worth training." Krew thought about it, then nodded. "All right, but I'll be back again if we have any more disagreements, my dear." He began to float away, saying over his meaty shoulder. "And next time, I won't be leaving without payment!"

Keira hated Krew. She hated him so much that she hated anyone who voluntarily worked for the man. She was stuck in her contract with him, but his thugs were honest hires, if they could be called that. They had a choice and they chose to work with him! She kept her word with the sleazeball, as she now called him in her head, and prepared for a racing team. So far, none of the guys could make it to the garage in three minutes. She was glad for it, but began to get nervous. She knew three minutes was possible, as that was her own personal record. But if she had made it too hard, then it was possible Krew would come for her even after their agreement, saying that she'd purposely made it too hard for any racer to pass. The fact that she could race it wouldn't matter to him, and the way he wanted her to pay was something out of her worst nightmares. What was she going to do?

Keira's apprehension grew until about two weeks before the first race. She was working behind the curtain when she heard someone come into the garage. Another one of Krew's hired muscle, she groaned inwardly. The guy was fast though- he had beaten her record with a bit of time to spare. She knew she needed him for the team, but she had just made a breakthrough on the rift rider and couldn't stop even if she wanted to, which she didn't. Alright, don't turn him away; just keep him busy, she reasoned with herself. Let him practice on the JET-Board she'd made earlier, and she would have some more time to get the motor in place. If he's anything like Krew's other guys, he'd be too excited to play with the toys she'd made to actually remember to race, and then Krew can take it out on his own meathead, not her. Win-win.

To Keira's surprise, the guy had done well with the JET-Board too. Seems to be a natural with machines. Maybe he could actually compete with Erol. She thought to herself. Still, talent isn't the same as character, and it was difficult to hide her disdain for the guy. Apparently she didn't do a good enough job at masking it. Then she heard another voice, a familiar voice.

Chapter 2

Keira was so glad to see Jak and Daxter again, but the reunion wasn't how she imagined it would be. For one, she never pictured herself repeatedly turning the duo away without realizing it was them. For another, Jak was so different. Angrier, coarser, more rugged. He didn't look like her shy sweet neighbor from Sandover any longer. Keira was surprised how sad that made her. It was actually at that point that she realized what a torch she had been carrying for the boy she'd grown up with. Now she wasn't sure if that boy existed anymore.

Daxter remained mostly unchanged, though she wasn't sure how happy she was about that. It would have been okay with her if he'd become less of a flirtatious loudmouth, but at least he was familiar. Keira wished there could have been more time to talk, with both of them, but the first race was about to begin and she needed them to race. Thankfully, Jak seemed just as interested in participating in the races as she was in getting Krew off of her back. He won the Class Three race almost effortlessly. Keira was so glad her friends were okay, but the news was mixed. Jak said he'd seen her father, but he said something was different. Keira followed Jak's directions to the Underground, where the Shadow was waiting. He certainly seemed like Samos, but Jak was right- the Green Eco Sage did not recognize his own daughter and he didn't look the way she remembered. However, as she'd seen with Jak, two years could do a lot to change a person.

Things made more sense after Jak found Samos in the prison, slightly. Keira was relieved to have her father back, but she still didn't understand how the Shadow- clearly a younger Samos- fit into everything. She told Samos and the others how her project was coming, and she was encouraged to continue working on it. She wanted to talk to Jak about all that had happened to the two of them, but he was so busy with his missions with Krew and the Underground, she never had the chance. She still hadn't asked him how he could work with Krew, of all people. Didn't Jak know by now what kind of man Krew was? She wanted him to answer her questions, prove to her that he was still the good guy she knew, but he was never around to do it.

The day of the Class Two race came along, and Keira was in her garage early, putting the finishing touches on her NYFE racer and waiting for Jak. At least she'd be able to see him and Daxter before the race began. Maybe if they came early enough, she could talk to him a little. She looked up excitedly when she heard someone enter, but it was Erol. Even though it wasn't who she expected, she was still glad to see him. She hadn't seen him as much lately, and he was one of the few things in Haven City she was going to miss when she left. "Ready for the races today?" He asked her as she closed the hood of her vehicle. "I think so, just waiting for my racer to get here. He's pretty good, Erol. You might even see him next month at the Class One race." Erol huffed. "You must be pretty confident in him to say that. Still, I'd rather watch him myself before I decide whether to be worried." He leaned against the racer, looking much like he had when they first met. "I was wondering if you want to go back to the museum again with me. Today, after the races. At least, if you think you're feeling better."

Keira laughed, "That was months ago, Erol! Give it a rest already!" She punched his shoulder. He took her hand before she pulled it away. "Is that a yes, then?" He asked, his hawkish eyes looking into hers. Keira hesitated. "It's….a maybe." "A maybe?" Erol repeated with a frown. He hadn't been expecting that reply. "I'd been separated from my family for a long while and just now got them back. I'm not sure if I can see them tonight, but if they aren't busy, I really want to see them." Keira explained, trying to tell the truth without telling too much. A shadow crossed over Erol's face, then was gone so quickly it was like it never happened. "Completely understandable. But if your loved ones are indisposed, don't hesitate to call on me. I should very much like to spend more time with you." He gave her hand a kiss and began to head out of the garage, passing Jak and Daxter on the way.

Keira mused over Erol's invitation as she gave the NYFE racer a quick polish. Erol had made himself about as clear as possible- he was interested in her. Was she interested in him? She wasn't sure. Keira was so preoccupied that she didn't notice Jak and Erol's terse conversation in front of the garage. By the time she finished and came over, Erol was striding away. Without realizing it, she expressed her admiration for him, which wasn't well received by Jak. Before she could stop herself, Keira let all her frustration and doubt unleash itself on her friend, and they were fighting. Suddenly, Jak was storming off and she had messed everything up. Then the speaker announced it was time for the Class Two race. No! If Jak doesn't race, then Krew might….

Before she let her mind wander to that awful conclusion, she noticed that Daxter was still here. Daxter was technically included in the racing contract. That meant that he could represent her team. Would Daxter be willing to do it? Keira put on the most cheerful face she could and suggested the possibility. To her immense relief and gratitude, Daxter stepped up to the challenge. More than that, he actually won the race! Keira had clearly underestimated her ottsel friend, and she decided to make it up to him. She bought him a victory lunch and showed him where she put the trophy up in the garage, and even took his picture to put next to the trophy. Daxter was quite pleased with himself, but Keira could tell that the highest praise for him was when Jak came back to the garage and congratulated him. Daxter really looks up to him. Keira thought to herself. And Daxter is still pretty much the same guy. So maybe that means Jak is the same guy too, or at least someone that Daxter respects a lot. That has to count for something.

Jak turned to Keira and started to say something when Ashelin walked in. That was a surprise. Keira and Ashelin had never formally met- they obviously ran in different circles. Yet here was the Baron's daughter, in her garage. Why? Ashelin gave a quick congratulatory nod to Daxter, who was wiggling his eyebrows at her, then put her hand on Jak's arm and thanked him for a mission he'd done with her earlier. Apparently he'd helped save a lot of people. A voice in the back of Keira's mind reminded her that she was looking for the good in Jak and that was more proof that he was the hero she remembered, but it was hard to listen to that voice when the most beautiful woman in Haven City was leaning in so close to him! It was hard not to compare herself to Ashelin Praxis, and see all the places she came up short. The Baron's heir was taller, fuller-figured, more graceful, and tough-as-nails. She and Jak made a great pair. Keira shook her head. Maybe she was imagining things. Maybe Jak didn't even like Ashelin, or she him. Then she heard Daxter, talking about Ashelin making eyes at Jak and how Jak must want to "pin some medals on her chest". That clinched it.

Keira spun on her heel and stormed out of the garage before Jak could call to her. She couldn't look at him or Daxter right now, and Samos had had to leave after the race to discuss matters with the Shadow. Her apartment door hadn't even shut behind her before she whipped out her comm and called Erol. It seems like her night had freed up after all.

The month before the Class One race, Keira didn't see much of Jak, and with how she felt towards him right now, that was just fine with her. She had plenty to do with finishing the rift rider anyway. And her social life was more than adequate with seeing her father and going out with Erol more and more frequently. Samos didn't seem too keen on Erol, owing to the fact that he worked for the man who had put him in prison. However, Erol was always respectful to Samos and to Keira, so it was hard to complain. And Keira did seem to smile more with him around.

A few days before the race, Keira had just come down from her apartment to her garage when she heard someone in the garage already. Jak. She didn't want to see him. He'd been so busy that he'd had no time for her before all this, so he could go ahead and take the same medicine. She waited behind her door while he called out for her a few more times, then waited for his footsteps to fade away before coming out. She would have to talk to him eventually. She just couldn't do it today. Suddenly she realized she could hear Jak's voice. He had stopped just outside the garage! She was about to duck back up to her apartment when she recognized the other voices- some of Krew's other lackeys. Why would they be talking business here instead of at the bar? She listened.

"If you're looking for the mechanic, she's not there. I just checked." Jak was telling them. "Forgive us if'n we don' take yer word fer it and 'ave a lookey ourselves." Came the reply. "Why does Krew need to talk to her anyway?" Jak demanded. "Duh, that's Boss Man's business, not ours." One of the denser ones piped up. "Li'l birdey's got her own arrangement wi'the Boss, an' 'e just wants t'be sure she's keepin' up 'er end, see?" The first one added. "Well I happen to know what the arrangement is, and she's keeping her end up just fine. If Krew has any more questions about it, he can talk to me." Jak said. "That so? Then you also know she 'as needed some "persuasion" before, an' we're jus' 'ere makin' sure 'istory is not t'be repeatin' isself." The leader of the group seemed keen on going in. Then Keira heard a thwack, followed by some grunts and rustling of fabric, like someone being picked up. Then Jak's voice, "All you need to know is if Krew sends anyone else to "persuade" the mechanic, I'll be using them for target practice. She is off-limits, got that?" Keira heard a thud as Jak let the guy fall back down. She heard them scrambling to get away from Jak, followed by Jak's own receding footsteps. Her hero.

The next time Keira saw Jak again was the day of the Class One race. Keira had seen Erol yesterday, but only to break things off with him. It wasn't fair to the guy, when she was planning on going back to Sandover Village soon. But more than that, ever since Jak had stopped Krew's guys from invading her garage, she had been thinking about her respect for the two men in her life. Erol had never protected her like that, or made her feel safe that way. Maybe her feelings for Jak weren't gone after all. Either way, she felt bad about breaking up with Erol right before the race but it would be worse to lead the guy on. Now she had to patch things up with Jak.

Jak showed up shortly before the race was about to begin, so there wasn't time to say much. What could she say in just a few seconds to make him understand? Keira finally said the only thing she could come up with "YOU'RE the greatest racer I've ever seen." It wasn't enough. It didn't say she was sorry, or that she missed him, or that she wanted to be able to tell him what happened to her, and she wanted to know what had happened to him, and she was there for him no matter what. But Jak smiled in reply and she saw her childhood friend again.

The race seemed to be the last even before everything started falling apart. It was hard to even keep the events right. The riot at the stadium, Erol getting blown up, Baron Praxis stealing the Precursor Egg, finding out about the bomb being built, the Metal Heads in the city. Once the Metal Heads started invading, Keira grabbed her emergency pack from her apartment and ran to meet the rest of the Underground. It was now or never. The rift rider was finished, and they were transporting it near the Metal Head nest, where the rift gate was believed to be. Keira squeezed Jak's arm before getting into the Lurker flotilla. He was staying behind to cover their getaway. "Be careful, you two." She told him and Daxter. "It would be a lot easier to be careful if we weren't stuck with all the dangerous stuff!" Daxter griped. Jak smirked at his friend on his shoulder, then nodded to Keira. "See you soon." "I'd better." She replied, then got on with the others.

The trip to the Metal Head nest was agonizing, and not just because there were several near misses with Metal Head projectile weapons. Samos had pointed out the tumult at the construction site, which they could see from their high vantage point. Moments after that, they saw the ancient weapon activate and blast a hole in the Metal Head nest. With a spyglass, their group could see the blond head of Jak as he entered the nest to take on the Metal Head leader. Keira was terrified for him and silently willed the dirigible to go faster so they could assist him. When they landed everyone took out their small pistols and headed in. The weapons, as it turned out, were not needed as Jak had killed every Metal Head in there. Including the leader, Kor. Finding out he was a Metal Head in disguise was a horrifying revelation, but now he was gone. Jak had saved the world, with the help of his younger self.

Before Keira could praise the two heroes, she found out that the rift rider she had built was not for them to use. It was for the Shadow and younger Jak, who would go back in time to complete the loop. As they left, Keira felt a pang. There went her chance to leave, to go back to the way things were. But as she looked around at her friends, she realized things never could go back to the way they were anyway. They had all changed, and maybe that didn't have to be a bad thing either. After all, Jak was very different, but that didn't stop him from saving the world. Or, as she could admit to herself- and only herself- it didn't stop him from being the man she had fallen in love with.

After the defeat of Kor, things started looking up for everyone. Ashelin succeeded her father and became the new ruler of Haven City, and conditions were already improving. The war with the Metal Heads was over, and all the inhabitants seemed to walk with more hope in their stride. Torn, the once lieutenant of the Underground, became head of the Krimzon Guard, which had gotten a big attitude tune up under his command. And, Keira suspected, the job was also a chance for Torn and Ashelin to see more of each other, which was well and good to her. Those two were perfect for each other. Samos had assumed command of the Underground, though it no longer needed to work to overthrow the city's current leader. He didn't know yet what they would be working on, but Keira could see how excited her father was at the new position.

In the wake of Krew's death, Daxter had taken over the Hip Hog Heaven Saloon and made it his own- the Naughty Ottsel. Tess had been working there before as a spy for the Underground, but now she happily worked with the new owner and listened to all of his stories with great interest. Keira could hardly believe that someone out there wanted to hear Daxter's tall tales, but if there was, she was glad the two had found one another. Daxter threw a big party to celebrate the bar's re-opening, and they all came. Keira was so happy for them- her father, Ashelin, Torn, Daxter, Tess. She just hoped Jak would be able to make it, so she could finally thank him for being her hero.

As if answering her wish, Jak strode through the door a moment later. Cheers went up from the group as they all congratulated the hero of Haven City. When Jak arrived by Keira, he put his arm around her and smiled at her. She smiled back. "Welcome to your party, Jak!" Jak shook his head. "Dax says it's for the bar's new look." He pointed up at Kor's head mounted on the wall. Keira shook her head, "So he says, but everyone knows this party is for you. To thank you for all you've done for the city." Ashelin had been nearby and nodded in agreement. "She's right. This city wouldn't be here anymore if it wasn't for you, Jak." Jak looked uncomfortable with all the accolades. "Aww, look who's feelin' SHYYYYYY!" Daxter slurred, lurching back and forth on the bar with a bottle in his hand. "Whoo, someone needs to stop moving this thing!" He plopped down and took another swig. "To Jak, the City of—no, the Hero of Savin' Hitty!" He finished, proud of himself. The party goers gave a smattering of confused applause as Daxter fell back on the bar top, snoring.

Fireworks were being set off outside, so the group moved out to watch them. Keira glanced up at Jak, who still had his arm around her. Did that mean he liked her? Should she tell him how she felt tonight? He glanced down at her, and the two of them locked eyes. The light of the fireworks was making colors dance across Jak's face, and it was impossible to look away. Without realizing it, Keira face was moving closer to his. Did he want to kiss her? Perhaps, but they were interrupted by Daxter again, and then Samos came to talk to Jak.

Keira sighed as she watched the beautiful light display in the sky. They certainly had never experienced anything quite like these back home. She started, then corrected herself. From before, not back home. This was home now. And really, as Keira watched the fireworks finale, that was okay. Things were getting better, she had the people she cared about with her, and Haven City was not without its charms. These fireworks certainly were amazing. And as far as she and Jak were concerned…she shrugged. She knew how she felt, but she didn't know if her hero felt the same way. She didn't need to ask tonight, though. Perhaps, when things died down a bit, she and Jak could figure that out. She looked over at him, watching the sky by Samos's side. Yes, she smiled, she would talk to him about it later. Tonight, they would celebrate.

Chapter 3

A year. Had it really been a year since the defeat of Kor? When Ashelin had become the Baroness of Haven City, the Shadow and young Jak had completed the time loop, and she realized she was in love with Jak? A year since she'd promised herself she would talk to him about it later, when the time was right?

Apparently the time had never been right. Between the rebuilding of the city, doing tasks for Ashelin, and killing off rogue Metal Heads, her hero had been busier than ever. Well, it wasn't like she was going to sit around waiting for him. Keira kept herself plenty busy as well, using her mechanical expertise to rebuild Haven City's defense systems and repair the Krimzon Guard HellCat cruisers. It seemed strange to be helping the Krimzon Guard, but they were different now. A lot of things were different now, but some things were- unfortunately- still the same. Daxter was still his annoying self. If anything, Tess's ministrations to his ego had made him worse. And she still never got to see Jak. The two of them still had never talked about- anything, really. Maybe if I could get a spare freaking second with him, Keira thought to herself in frustration, I could at least tell him he could talk to me about anything, that I'm here for him. But no, I can't even get THAT!

She slammed the hood down on the zoomer harder than necessary and she heard something dislodge inside. Grumbling to herself, she pulled the hood open again and was about to look around when she heard a commotion outside. She walked out to see some people cheering, some looking subdued. "What's happening?" She asked a nearby celebrant. "The Council has voted, and they're getting rid of him!" He replied with an exultant expression. "What? Who?" she asked with a frown. "The monster of Haven City of course, where have you been?" he responded as another happy local approached. "I heard they're going to banish him." The newcomer said. "I heard they're going to banish him to the Wastelands!" The first one countered, and the two merrily walked off, leaving Keira.

Were they talking about Jak?! She thought in a panic. They couldn't have been. He's the HERO of Haven City, not some monster! He saved everyone! But, who else would be called a Monster? I know that some people didn't trust him when he transformed, but how could I not see the whole city turning against him? It wasn't until she was in the air that she realized she'd gotten on her zoomer and was racing to the palace. She had to talk to Ashelin. If anyone could straighten it out, it was the Baroness. But by the time she got there, Ashelin had already left on a transport for Jak's sentencing. Keira hopped back on her zoomer and flew to the bar, which was also headquarters for the Freedom League. Her father was a major part of the Freedom League. He had to be there, and he had to know what was going on.

Keira thanked the Precursors when she saw her father standing outside the Naughty Ottsel, his focus on something on the other side of the water. "Daddy, what's going on? People are saying Jak is a monster and everything's his fault!" she yelled as she ran over to him. Samos didn't look away from his focal point. "I'm afraid it's true, Keira. The Council claimed his dark powers were an abomination, and they blame him for our current wars with the Metal Heads and the KG Death Bots." Keira shook her head. "That's all wrong. His dark powers helped save everyone, and Krew was the one who let in the Metal Heads, not Jak. And he has nothing to do with these KG Death Bots! Maybe I can talk to the Council, make them see reason." Samos looked older than his even his weathered face indicated. "I already tried. There is no reasoning with them now." Keira felt tears running down her face. "Can you take me to where they're holding him, Daddy?" Samos finally broke his gaze and looked at his daughter. "I just, I have to at least tell him good-bye." Keira whispered. Samos looked grim. "I'm so sorry dear, but—" he pointed over where he'd been watching. "—that is his transport leaving over there. He is already gone." Keira whirled around and saw a tiny red speck in the sky before it disappeared completely. Her breath caught in her throat as she saw it go.

Keira sat in the alley behind the Naughty Ottsel and sobbed. Jak and Daxter were gone. She didn't even have the chance to say good-bye. For all she knew, they had left believing she thought Jak was every bit the monster people claimed. Samos had come to check on her but she hardly noticed him. When she saw her chance to go back to Sandover disappear, she had been able to accept it because she knew she still had her father and her friends. Now two of them were gone, and whatever madness that got them banished from Haven City was still here and making things worse. She shivered, even though it wasn't very cold. Haven City needed its hero now more than ever, and they had just kicked him out. What were they going to do?

When Ashelin got back, she came to the Naughty Ottsel with Torn and they filled the others in on what happened. How Veger spear-headed the committee to have Jak ousted, the legal maneuvering that tied the Baroness's hands, Daxter and Pecker's decision to stay with Jak, and one small hope- a beacon that would call an ally to Jak's aid, if he was found in time. "We've done all we can for him now." Ashelin finished. Keira slammed her hand fist on the table uncharacteristically. "We should have done more for him before!" Ashelin was surprised at Keira's outburst, but she took it in stride. "If I could go back and fix it all, I would. What we need to do now is find out who is behind the KG Death Bots, and whether or not it's related to getting Jak kicked out of here." Samos escorted Keira away before she could yell at the others some more. "I know you're worried about him but yelling at the few allies he has left won't help." Samos told her gently. Keira looked down; she knew her father was right. "It's all so wrong. I didn't get the chance to stand up for him, and now it seems like there's nothing else I can do. Nothing any of us can do."

Samos walked her back to her zoomer. "There isn't anything we can do for him out there, but Jak is a fighter. And a survivor. If anyone can make it through the Wastelands, it's him and that orange rat. So what we can do is try to fix things here. We've got more than enough problems to keep us busy, and if Jak ever gets back to Haven City, we want to be ready to help him." Keira nodded as she swung herself back onto her zoomer. "Alright, Daddy. Then that's just what we'll have to do. I'm going back to my garage to grab some equipment, then I'm moving closer to the Naughty Ottsel with you. We've got a lot of work ahead of us."

That was how the months passed by for Keira. Living by the Naughty Ottsel, she was able to stay in the loop on what the Freedom League learned about the wars on Haven City. And that also meant she learned when Ashelin was able to go see Jak. While Keira wished she could have gone out there herself, she was overjoyed to know he was alive. Angry at Haven City, but alive. With new resolve, she threw herself into the work of protecting the city inhabitants against the Metal Heads, who found new ways each day to infiltrate their defenses. She took to scouring the streets as she traveled, looking for any scrap metal or material to use for weapons or defense. Ashelin appointed her in charge of her own team of soldiers and scientists to get the job done. On her own time, Keira worked on finding a way to secretly pull the shield down just long enough for a person to pass through. She had hoped to figure it out before Jak made his way back. However, when Samos came to tell her they could see Jak for a moment, it was to pass a message along, not to get him back inside.

Keira knew she was not a necessary part of relaying the message to Jak, and she appreciated Samos's thoughtfulness. She knew he wanted her to have the chance to see him that she didn't have before. So she waited by the edge of the city barrier with her father, looking for Jak. Suddenly, there he was. Keira didn't even realize that she had her hands clasped in front of her until she'd been doing it for most of the visit. Why did she do that? Probably because she couldn't throw her arms around his neck. She wanted so much to talk to him, but she couldn't take up any of her father's precious time. So she stood by him, and contented herself with seeing Jak alive, breathing, talking. It was enough. It had to be enough.

It hurt to see him go, but the sting was lessoned by the fact that he was safer than he'd been the last time she saw his transport leave. And Samos gave her a surprise- he placed a shoulder comm into her hand. "You won't be able to talk to him unless he gets within range, but you should be able to hear him, even when he's in Spargus." He told her. She hugged Samos tight and whispered her thanks into his ear while he patted the top of her head. Keira kept the comm in her ear from that point forward. There was plenty of static and white noise, and messages only came in sporadically- a word here, a phrase there- but she was able to hear his voice from time to time, and that helped. She even was able to get a message to him when he was in Haven Forest, though it cut out afterwards so she had no idea if he replied or not. Knowing they had that connection, no matter how tiny or tenuous it was, was enough to sustain her and keep her going.

When Jak made it back into Haven City, he immediately picked up his hero work, tearing down the barriers that had been dividing the inhabitants and killing Metal Heads and Death Bots alike along the way. Without skipping a beat, he headed straight to the KG Death Bot war factory. Even though no one else in the Freedom League had been able to get past its defenses, Jak plowed right in. Keira heard news of his progress from Freedom League HQ and even saw him briefly between missions, but he was always moving on to the next one. She certainly couldn't interrupt that, but she was shocked when she heard him tell the others that the person he'd battled in the factory was Erol, now Cyber Errol.

When Jak and Daxter learn they have to go to the planet's core to activate the planetary defense system, Jak seemed to take in stride, as though this was just another mission for him. How does he stay so calm with everything at stake? Keira wondered. Hopefully she could ask him one day. Another thing she'd noticed- as much as she wanted to talk to her friend, knowing that the plight of the city, the planet, and even the universe hung in the balance helped her put things in perspective. Maybe things will eventually calm down enough to talk about smaller matters. But not today. Keira joined her father and the others in providing support as Jak and Daxter made their way down. The last Keira saw of him was through a spyglass, seeing him jump into a buggy with King Damas and speed out of sight. She gripped the glass tight and hoped for their safety.

Somehow, Keira wasn't sure, Jak and Daxter went from the planet's core to the Dark Maker ship in the sky. Because she found out about it so much later, it was only seconds after she learned they were up there that she saw the ship explode. "No!" She screamed as the others cheered. The threat was gone, but didn't they care about the heroes? Ashelin saw something detach from the debris and make its way to the planet, landing in the Wastelands. She took a speeder with Sig out there before Keira could catch up with them and go too. She turned around to grab her zoomer but it was gone. She could have screamed in frustration. Of all the times for someone to steal her vehicle! Samos grabbed her arm and they hurried back to the Naughty Ottsel, where Torn had established a comm with Ashelin and was playing it on max volume. Torn alternated between talking with Ashelin on the comm and yelling to a guy on the roof, who was trying to catch a visual on his spyglass. "Whoa! It blew up!" he called out right as they heard the explosion over the comm.

"Ashelin? Ashelin come in!" Torn yelled, fear cracking his gravelly voice. The next few seconds of silence were some of the longest ones experience by the people in that room. Then…

"They made it! Jak and Daxter destroyed the machine and they're alright!" Ashelin's garbled reply came through. A cheer went up through the room. Finally, a happy ending. Keira hugged her father tight. "They did it, Daddy!" She whispered fiercely. Samos chuckled and replied. "I'm sure Jak did most of it, though we won't hear him tell it like that!" Keira laughed, feeling light and free for the first time in months.

A lot of interesting things were revealed after that. Damas was Jak's father, and he perished in the fight. The true form of Precursors is actually the Ottsel, which meant that Daxter was a Precursor. So was Tess, who had wished she had pants like the pair Daxter had received from the magical trio. Veger was also turned into an Ottsel, though he seemed to take it as a curse rather than a blessing. The Precursors had invited Jak to explore the universe with them, but Jak declined, saying there was enough for him to do here. It did bode well that the Precursors seemed to think the Universe was safe enough for them to do some exploring, though. Even though Jak was the rightful heir to Spargus, he declined that too, passing the kingship to his Wastelander friend, Sig. And everyone was going back to the Naughty Ottsel to celebrate, once again. Keira's mind was awhirl with everything she had learned that day. It didn't seem possible for anything else to surprise her now. If only that could have been true.

It seemed so happily familiar to have everyone back at the Naughty Ottsel to celebrate. Everyone smiling and laughing, Jak looking uncomfortable under the gaze of everyone's praising eyes, even Daxter getting sloppy drunk. Keira just laughed and took in the happy atmosphere, feeling like a weight that had been pressing down on her chest and shoulders was gone, and she wanted nothing more than to revel in how wonderful that felt. Well, there was one more thing she wanted.

She glanced over at Jak, who stood by Sig and Samos. She was as in love with him as ever, and maybe it's nice to have the timing just right for things, but there was another side to it too. After all, she kept putting off telling Jak how she felt because there were so many bigger things happening. But what if the bigger things will always be there? Could she really live with herself if Jak was gone tomorrow and she never got to tell him how she felt? No, she shook her head. Better for him to not feel the same way about her than for her to have to go through what she did when he got banished. She straightened her shoulders. She would tell him tonight. No more waiting. She saw Jak frown and look over at Daxter, then saw Jak's expression turn to horror and fear. What in the world could make a hero that brave look so scared? Keira looked over at Daxter as well.

"Well, what wouldja expect? He's a handsome hero, she's a swoonin' betty. Of COURSE they locked lips, ha ha ha!" Daxter was saying, slapping his knee. He seemed to be telling Tess about it, but she was trying to quiet him down, without luck. "Can you imagine their kids, Tessy? Good looking mm-hmm. Thass right, man, I called YOU good-looking!" He yelled with a grin over at Jak, who now looked ready to throttle him. "But not just looks, baby. Jak's got all that hero-ness, and Ashelin's got all that baroness-ness-ness. That family would take on ANYTHING!" Daxter swung his arms open so wide he accidentally launched himself off the bar and onto the floor with a crash.

Daxter made such a loud noise falling down that no one noticed or questioned the drink Keira dropped. She looked at it for a moment, then back up and Jak, who was glancing nervously at Daxter, at Ashelin, at her. Keira looked over at Ashelin, who was looking away from Jak so pointedly she might as well have been staring right at him. Torn looked like he had swallowed a lemon. Ohhh….. whispered the voice in the back of her mind as Keira's world crashed around her.

Chapter 4

Keira snapped out of her reverie, looking at the branches around her. They rustled with just a bit of breeze. On any other night she was sure it would have felt nice. Now it just seemed to ground her back into her world, and she didn't want to be in this world anymore. After everything they'd been through, after everything she'd wanted to say, it was over and done. Jak chose Ashelin, the beautiful Baroness.

She wasn't sure why she was so upset. After all, she'd made up her mind to tell Jak how she felt and she knew perfectly well he may not feel the same way. In fact, in a way, this situation was better because now there wouldn't be any awkwardness between them. So why did she feel so empty? Had she just been kidding herself, saying she hadn't gotten her hopes up when she so clearly had? She squeezed her knees tighter. More than that, what was she going to do now? Her sights had been on Jak for so long, how did she move on from here?

You are more than who you care about, that little voice reminded her. Keira wiped her eyes. Yes, she was more. She was Keira Hagai, daughter of Samos the Sage. The best mechanic in Haven City and a great racer too. She was a good person. Maybe someday she would find someone who would see her that way too, but she didn't need to waste her life waiting for them. She had too much work to do, too much life to live. And if Jak didn't love her the way she loved him, then she could wish him well and not spend any more time crying for what she couldn't have. Resolutely, Keira climbed down from the tree and got her zoomer back from behind the shed. She saw the beginnings of dawn creep up into the sky. Strangely enough, she wasn't tired. She wanted to get on with living life on her terms, finally. She pointed her zoomer in the direction of her and her father's apartment, then hesitated. She didn't want to go back yet. She wanted to go to the garage. She nodded to herself and sped off toward the stadium. This was her choice, and she wasn't about to let anyone else's misgivings get in her way.

"KEIRA!" Jak yelled, his voice hoarse. He'd been looking for her all night. After Daxter's embarrassing announcement, Jak had glanced over at Keira and saw the stricken look on her face. It was too painful to look at so he busied himself with making sure his friend hadn't gotten hurt during his fall. Daxter was fine, though Jak made a note to make him pay later. By the time Daxter was helped back to his feet while muttering "M'l'right! M'l'right!" Jak couldn't spot Keira anywhere. He went outside but her zoomer was already gone. He jumped onto his own and went looking for her. He had to explain. Everything was so messed up.

Keira wasn't at her home near the bar. Sometimes she'd also stay at Tess's place but she wasn't there either. To his chagrin, Jak realized that because they'd been apart so much, he had no idea where she would spend her time. So he'd resorted to going street by street and calling for her. The other citizens looked at him like he was crazy and a few of them looked like they wanted to call the Guards on him, but one look at his face had them backing away and shutting their windows instead. He was going to find Keira, and no one was going to stop him.

The sun was starting to rise and Jak was no closer to finding her. He ran a hand over his eyes and then through his hair, frustrated. Why was this so hard? Shouldn't telling someone you love them be easy? He'd been wanting to tell her ever since he found her again in the garage, but so many things stopped him. The way she had looked at Erol, or how she talked about how different he was. Why would she want to be with him? Then he saved the city, and he thought about kissing her under the fireworks but he stopped again. His dark side may have saved the city, but Jak couldn't ask Keira to be with him while he was still possessed by his other half. So he withdrew from her again and focused his time on rebuilding Haven while looking for a way to get rid of Dark Jak. The Precursor Oracle was no help, telling him that he needed his powers even as they were killing him. Onin the Soothsayer had no other answers either. Ashelin gave him full use of the Palace Library in his downtime, but even though he learned a lot about the founder and history of Haven City, there was nothing about ridding yourself of the taint of Dark Eco.

Almost as if on cue, the Council called him a monster and told him his powers were abominable, which angered him and confirmed his doubts at the same time. Then he was banished to Wastelands, and he had no idea if he'd ever see Keira again. He was angry at everyone, including himself. All that searching, for nothing, until he ended up with Light Powers. That seemed like a solution to Jak. Light may not erase the Dark, but at least it countered it. Maybe Keira could be happy with him now. Only one problem—he had to save the world again first.

Facing the Haven City Council, Veger, Cyber Errol, and the Dark Maker ship wasn't what Jak would call easy, but it was still in his comfort zone. Thinking about how to open up to Keira was completely different. Jak wasn't sure how he'd do it, but he told himself to focus on it after the world was safe again. So he pushed it as far back in his mind as he could, and took the fate of the planet into his hands and won. One more time, he was the hero of Haven City. Jak smiled a little on the inside. He was all kinds of messed up, but he knew one thing- Keira deserved a hero. He could at least live up to that. And he did, for about twenty seconds.

Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid! He berated himself as he sped down another street, looking for blue-green hair in the late morning crowds. He'd saved the world, earned his place back in Haven City, and was confident enough in his Light Eco powers to not feel like a monster anymore. He finally felt like he could be worthy of Keira, and then he did something monumentally stupid. He kissed Ashelin. Why had he done that? If he ever found Keira, she'd probably want to know. I want to know that too. He wondered to himself. He had no idea what possessed him to kiss the redheaded leader of Haven City. The Precursors knew they had spent enough time together to know they were wrong for each other. They were way too alike. So why had he done it?

Jak looked at the early afternoon sun, wishing he could take back the kiss. If only he and Keira could start over again. Walk into her garage and—Jak froze. The stadium- he hadn't gone there yet. No one had since it had collapsed in the attacks. Between the falling rubble and the rogue Metal Heads, it wasn't safe to open to the city yet, so they had put the barrier up until the Freedom League could come in. But that wouldn't stop Keira, not if that's where she wanted to go. And if anyone knew how to get past the barriers, it was her. Jak kicked his zoomer into high drive and all but flew toward the stadium. He had already messed up so much. If Keira got herself hurt because of his idiocy, there was no forgiving himself.

Keira wiped her brow and looked around. Even before the sun had fully risen, the work had made her sweat. It was nice, being able to put all her focus into the task at hand. And not just any task, but the first steps of rebuilding her life. Before Jak or any other emotional complications, her love had been machines. Now that the dust was settling on Haven City, she could turn to her passion again, but first she would need to set up a new garage. It would be some time before the stadium would be usable, but if she could recover enough of her old equipment, she could make do with a new location. Maybe even one outside of Haven City, like Spargus or Kras City. She glanced at her progress.

Most of the stadium had collapsed, which included her old apartment above the garage, but fate was smiling on her for a change and about half of her garage had been accessible. Her most used tools had been in her emergency pack when she left, but now she wanted things for repairing engines again. The pile at her feet represented what she could bring back. Of all of her equipment at the garage, about half wasn't buried by rubble. Of that, another half had been broken or too damaged to use. That left only a quarter of what she had, but it was enough to begin again. Now she just needed to find a way to bring it all back.

Keira looked back at her zoomer. It wasn't large enough to carry it all on its own, but the engine was strong enough to tow it behind her. Getting an idea, she climbed over to where her other prototype JET-Boards had been. One was sticking out from a pile of concrete and twisted metal. Keira grabbed it with both hands, placed her feet on either side of the pile, and pulled. It moved about an inch. She tried again, grunting as she pulled harder. The debris around the board started to shift. She put all her strength into it, and with a yank, the board came free. "Gotcha!" She said in victory, then had to jump out of the way as the heavy pile crumbled on itself.

Ignoring the groans and rumbles as the debris fell into place, Keira went to her pile of equipment and looked around. The JET-Board was banged up really bad, and it looked like the propulsion was shot, but maybe if she repaired it just enough for it to hover in place, it could levitate her pile and she could tow it behind her with a cable. She bent over her old project, tinkering with the insides and finding ways to reroute the power to the hover panels. She was so intent on what she was doing that she didn't realize that the sky was darkening overhead, or that the noise from her latest prize had been noticed by some scavenging Metal Heads nearby.

Keira worked quickly. As her fingers became familiar with the JET-Board again, she started fixing it while her mind wandered. A few places needed fine-tuning…How am I supposed to act around Jak now? It's not that I can't move on, but I won't be able to snap my fingers and be over it. Can I keep acting like we're only friends? Fine-tuning was done, but a lot of the wiring and circuitry was exposed. Better cover that up. If only he wasn't so gorgeous and sweet. It would be a lot easier to forget about him if he were a womanizing loudmouth like Daxter. Keira almost dropped her screwdriver. Wait, that's it! Whenever I'm around Jak, I just need to think about what I'd do or say if he were Daxter! I might come off as more sarcastic friend than before, but that's still a friend, not some sappy useless girl pining for a guy who doesn't love her. I can do this. I can do this! Her fingers slowed as she started installing a solar panel and battery, hopefully giving the Board the extra juice it needed to hold all the weight. But can I keep that up forever? I don't know how long it would take to get over Jak and I don't know if I can keep acting like he's another Daxter. We see each other too much around here and Jak's going to notice I'm acting differently.

Keira adhered the panel to the front of the JET-Board and began screwing the battery in place underneath. Maybe I don't need to be here in Haven City. After all, I don't have a garage right now, so starting up again somewhere else wouldn't be much harder than here. Maybe Spargus? No, they tend to race with Leaper Lizards and Dune Buggies, and I'd rather fix racing engines. Kras City could work. I've heard that they're the biggest racing hub around. They also have a lot of gang problems, but I bet I could get a team started without all that. Her hands quickened as she did the finishing touches to the machine. That sounds perfect! Daddy could come visit me there whenever he wants to, and I could try my hand at really living and being on my own. I won't see Jak so much, and if he ever comes to see me, he could just assume Kras City is what changed me.

"Finished!" Keira declared proudly as the modified JET-Board began to power on. She moved it onto the heap where it could catch the last few rays of the sun for its battery, then started gathering all the ropes and cables she could find. She didn't keep too many of them in the garage, but she was going to need as many as she could get in order to tow her pile and keep it secured to the JET-Board. As she gathered them up, her mood turned somber again. That would mean I won't see Jak much anymore, and that there really is no hope for us. Leaving means I'm giving him up, no turning back. Keira dropped the ropes by her pile and felt her heartbreak threaten to overwhelm her again. No! I've done my grieving and I've done my crying. I needed to give him up long ago, I just haven't been able to accept that before now. It's going to be hard for a while, but I will make a life of my own out there and I will learn how to be happy without Jak. I just have to keep remembering that. With her head back up, Keira started a final but quick check of the room. She only had a few minutes before the sun would be gone and she didn't want to stick around in the dark.

Keira moved behind her old toolbox. She'd already looked in it, but maybe….she got on all fours and looked under. Yes! One of her biggest wrenches lay underneath. She hadn't needed it for much besides engine repair, but it was also an uncommon size so it was hard to replace. She inspected it for damage, then realized she could hear scratching coming from nearby. Uh oh…she thought as she ducked behind the toolbox. Could that be some old wiring that I set off? Or maybe a pest?

No such luck. With dread in the pit of her stomach Keira watched six Metal Heads enter the ruins of her garage. It looked like two grunts and four stingers. Not good. The four scorpion-like creatures were not very strong but they were incredibly fast and enough repeated attacks could still kill her. The grunts were worse. Ape-like and larger than her, Keira doubted she could hurt them without a weapon. Maybe she could find a way to use the rubble around her to help. Thinking fast, she grabbed a few pebbles and lobbed them a good fifteen feet away when they weren't looking. All of them fell for it except one of the stingers, who came around the toolbox only to meet the business end of her wrench. Unfortunately, its death cry alerted the others and they started back toward the tool box.

Keira waited until another stinger had come around the corner before hitting it with her wrench. Good, two down. But before she could raise her wrench from the ground, another stinger was already climbing along it to attack her. Keira swung the wrench instead, launching it away from her in a random direction. By sheer luck, it collided with one of the grunts, landing on its face. By even greater luck, the grunt stumbled back in surprise and knocked over a support beam on the other side of the room, killing itself with falling debris from above. If only the stinger was still on the grunt's face at the time, but it had jumped away and joined the remaining grunt in approaching her.

Where was the other stinger? Keira got her answer when hot pain sliced through her left ankle. She looked down and tried to kick the Metal Head away but it was already out of range again. She started backing toward a corner of the room, trying to track all three of the creatures. The grunt was taking a slow approach but the two stingers were all over the place. Keira suffered another two stings- on her left thigh and her right forearm- and was unable to hit them back. In addition to her injuries, her lack of sleep and food for the last 24 hours was catching up with her fast. She began swinging the wrench randomly, hoping the stingers would be discouraged in attacking if she kept her weapon moving.

Is this how it all ends? Keira thought grimly. After all the times the world has been in danger, I go down because of a few Metal Heads? Right after I decide to start my life over again? That is so….UNFAIR! With a furious scream, she used her wrench like a bat and caught one of the stingers mid-air. The Metal Head died instantly, but she had put too much force into the swing and the wrench slipped out of her hands, spinning across the room and landing by the dead grunt. Keira groaned inwardly at the loss of her weapon, which had all but sealed her fate. There was no getting out of here now. Angry at facing her doom, Keira balled her hands into fists and glared at the last two monsters. If she was going to die, she was going to take as many of them with her as she could.

Jak was quickly approaching the city barrier. From a distance, he could see where Keira had lifted the cover to the control box. He only hoped that the code she punched in to bypass it was still on the screen. Thank the Precursors, it was. He pushed enter and the barrier blinked away as he accelerated through. Pushing the zoomer engine to its limit, he raced toward the ruins of Mar Memorial Stadium. He kept the vehicle high, as the sun was almost set and the city wouldn't provide power to the restricted sections. Remembering where Keira's garage had been, Jak veered toward the left side of the stadium and saw the glint of Metal Head skull gems between piles of rubble. Mar, no… Jak shifted his gun out then put it back. If the bullets ricocheted, he might hit Keira. He'd have to use Dark Jak. He gunned the engine- despite the flames beginning to lick its sides- and shot straight for the largest one.

Keira stared down the approaching grunt. There was no use trying to track the last stinger, which had already stabbed her in the side again. She wondered if she could pick up a chunk of cement before it attacked. As she lowered her knees, the grunt sensed what she was about to do and started to charge. It was only three feet away when it stopped and they both looked toward the sound of the dying zoomer engine. What on—Keira began to wonder as a blur jumped off the machine and landed in front of the grunt. It was pale and hunched, but it looked a lot like Jak. Keira's eyes widened. Is that what he turns into? With an inhuman roar, the creature jumped at the grunt and grappled with it. The grunt only lasted moments before Dark Jak's strength overpowered it. With a few slices of his large black claws, Jak's other form disemboweled and decapitated the large Metal Head, dead before its body hit the floor.

The stinger took this opportunity to strike and stabbed Dark Jak in the leg, then started climbing up the wall to get out of range. The scorpion monster was fast, but so was its opponent. Keira watched Dark Jak track the stinger's movements, then jumped six or seven feet into the air and kill it with one punch. As the stinger landed and died, Dark Jak landed and reverted to Jak. Keira looked around the room. He had done all that in just seconds. She looked back at Jak. Once again, he had saved her life. She didn't care what the City thought. Dark Jak was a hero too. Without another thought, she ran to Jak and threw her arms around him. "Thank you, Jak." She whispered. She hoped he knew she was saying that to both him and his darker self.

Jak's reaction was unexpected. He pushed her away and grabbed her shoulders, shaking her a little. "What were you thinking, coming out here alone?!" He demanded angrily. Caught off guard, Keira stared at him in surprise for a moment. Pretend he's Daxter, she reminded herself. She put her hands on her hips and glared back. "I was thinking where do you get the gall to act like I need your permission?" Jak crossed his arms. "If you're going to do something this stupid, then Samos should have you asking him for permission before going anywhere alone." That stung. First he broke her heart, now he's treating her like a child. Keira balled her fists. "You want to talk about stupid decisions? You came out here alone too." Jak growled and stepped forward. "I came out here after you. And I can take care of myself." Keira stepped forward too. "Who says I can't?" She said, her voice rising. "How about the fact that I just stopped you from getting killed?" Jak shouted, his arms gesturing about the room. "After killing four of them myself! And if saving me is such an inconvenience to you, then stop doing it!" Keira yelled back, feeling tears prick the back of her eyes. No, not now….

Jak stopped, his jaw working as he bit back his next retort. This was all wrong. He didn't come here to do this, but he screwed it all up again. The dark eco was still surging in his bloodstream when he reverted from Dark Jak to his regular form, which made him short-tempered for a while after. But that was no excuse for this. He looked at Keira, who looked exhausted and angry, with red welts appearing all over her where the stingers had struck. Her beautiful green eyes looked close to tears. Mar, she deserves so much better than this. Than me. He took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Keir. I was worried about you and I lost my head."

Keira wrapped her arms around her waist. "I'm sorry too. I hate fighting with you." Jak strode over and hugged her. She closed her eyes and rested for a moment against him. Why does this have to feel so right? She thought, then remembered. Daxter. She had to pretend like he was Daxter. She quickly backed up. "Um, so shouldn't we get out of here? You need to get back to Tess—I mean, Ashelin. Do you have any health packs?" Jak frowned. Tess? "Uh, yeah. I got a few health packs, but I'm not—" "Great! Sometimes you're more resourceful than I give you credit for!" Keira answered brightly, stepping around him to retrieve the JET-Board. Jak looked at her, confused. "Well, the sooner we get better the sooner we can get you back to her and back to celebrating! But I want to bring my garage equipment with me. After all the trouble of fighting off those Metal Heads, I don't want to have to leave it here and wait until they clear the place before I can come get it!"

Jak came over and gave her two health packs, then took one for himself. The welts faded from Keira's skin and she instantly felt more awake and alert. "Much better, right? Maybe if we hurry, we can still get something to eat." Keira said cheerfully, reaching up to ruffle Jak's hair. Jak's face went from confused to alarmed. "Are you feeling okay, Keir?" he asked her slowly. Uh oh, the hair ruffle was a bit much. She thought. Okay, act like he's Daxter, but not an Ottsel. "I guess I haven't taken two health packs at once in a long time. It sure sends a jolt to the system!" She answered with a laugh, then walked over to her zoomer. "Where did your zoomer end up?"

Jak watched her for another moment, then accepted her answer. She was acting weird, but it's true that she rarely needed to use a health pack at all, let alone two. It probably did feel weird to her, though he couldn't remember what that must have been like. He practically used them for food. "I think it drifted over there, but the engine's probably shot." He pointed behind the garage and walked with her to check it out. His zoomer floated beyond the old wall of Keira's garage, haphazardly bumping into nearby debris. Keira walked over and began looking through. "Yeah, you sure rode it hard to get over here. Thanks again for that! I think I have enough spare parts to jerry-rig it, but you'll have to be a lot more careful on the ride back. I doubt it's going to last much longer than the ride home, anyway." She had Jak guide the zoomer back to her equipment and she quickly got to work.

Jak sat by the pile, ready to hand her a tool if she called for it. They'd done this many times before. "So, why do you want this stuff all of a sudden? You've been away from here for months now." She asked for some pliers, and when he handed them over she answered. "I've been wanting to get back to repairing racers for a while now, but we couldn't bother with that when the wars were going on. It just wasn't a priority." With a grunt, she pulled some shrapnel out of the motor, then switched out the pliers for a screwdriver. "Now that the world is safe again, I can go back to what I love." Jak handed her a wrench and a rag before she asked for one. Whether she knew it or not, Keira had a specific order to looking over an engine. "Thanks! Anyway, I didn't want to wait any longer than I had to, so I came over here to get what I needed to start a new garage up again." Jak smiled a little. That was exactly the sort of thing she'd do.

"Where are you going to set up shop? A lot of places in Haven are still trying to repair from the war damage, and the track won't be operational for a while." Keira finished working under the hood, but kept her head down. She couldn't look Jak in the eyes for this. "Well, I was thinking maybe I should try my hand at a different location." She peeked out from around the hood. Jak had cocked his head. "You mean, like in the slums?" Keira gritted her teeth and closed the hood. Just get it over with. "No, I was thinking about starting a garage in Kras City."

"WHAT?!" Jak shouted and jumped up from the pile, knocking over a can filled with nuts and bolts. Keira winced at his reaction as she wiped her hands. "Shouldn't we keep our voices down? We don't want any more Metal Heads—" "You're leaving?" he asked in a slightly quieter tone. Keira shrugged. "Like you said, Haven City isn't really ready to start racing up again, and Kras City is practically built on the sport." Jak ran his hands through his hair. "But that place is run by the gangs! You might as well start up racing with the Metal Heads!" "It's not completely run by the gangs. I could find a garage and start my team without any connections like that. Maybe that would be our slogan- 'Join our team, we aren't criminals.'" Keira joked. Jak's jawline hardened. She could tell he wasn't in the mood to laugh.

"Look," Keira tried again, her expression serious. "I'm just wanting to try something new. And with my garage down, starting over in another part of town is going to take almost as much work as starting over in another city anyway. It's time for me to try being on my own." Jak shook his head. "But why do you have to do that in a dangerous city so far away? And don't tell me it's because of Kras City's racing. I know that's not all of it." Keira looked away. He knew her too well. Pretend he's Daxter, pretend he's Daxter…She chanted inwardly. She put a hand on Jak's shoulder. "It's because….of my dad." She lied. "You know how overprotective he is. As long as we're in the same city, he's going to try to take care of me. I'm just trying to figure out if I can stand on my own two feet without him. Sorry if that turns all his attention on to you and Ja—xter. Daxter." She finished, her cheeks heating up with the mistake.

Jak was still absorbing the news and didn't take notice of her slipup. Everything she was saying made sense and he hated it. He tried one last argument. "But Spargus is so much closer and Sig would be there. You wouldn't have to worry about crime with him around." Keira sighed and looked at him as if he still didn't get it. "Having all that help is what I'm trying to avoid. The first two years we were here in Haven were really hard, but at least I knew that my success was from my own hard work." Jak's eyes narrowed. "You want it to go back to when we couldn't find each other?" Keira shook her head. "Of course not! But I do want to be able to succeed on my own again. Maybe it's me living with Daddy for the past few months, but I don't feel like I've been able to do much without someone's help. And that's the one thing about my first two years here that I miss."

Keira had to admit that her own arguments were pretty good, especially since most of them had been made up on the spot. Maybe they were so effective because there was a bit of truth in them. She did feel a little too sheltered under Samos's hand and she did miss being able to run her own garage again. Although back then she was indebted to Krew and owed her even partial freedom to Erol's intervening. But she hadn't told Jak that. She also hadn't told him the most potent reason she had to leave, and she wasn't about to now. She steered the conversation back to Jak's new girlfriend, to help remind herself why she needed to leave. "So… how are things with you and Ashelin?" She asked him. Jak had been staring at the floor and his head jerked up at the question. "Sorry, I know you guys only just got together, but I'm nosy like that, I guess." She said with a laugh. "I'm happy for you two, you know. It seems like everyone is moving into their own happy endings now. She kicked on Jak's engine, which sounded much better now, then walked around to her zoomer and turned it on too. "You and Ashelin, Daxter and Tess. And I'm really excited about starting a new garage."

Jak shook his head and mumbled "no" but Keira was on a roll and didn't hear him. She walked back to her pile near where Jak was standing and put away the tools she'd been using, making a few last-minute adjustments before they were to leave. "I know that's not a love interest or anything" she continued brightly "but machines are my passion in their own way, and that's really all I'm looking for right now." She walked over to her zoomer and Jak slowly walked to his, mumbling "no" again. "And who knows? There's a lot of guys in Kras City. If I can find enough of them not involved in the gangs, then maybe I can find that special someone there too. Racers and me certainly get along—"

"NO!" Jak roared suddenly. Keira jumped away from her zoomer and backed up. She'd seen his temper flare up before but she had no idea what angered him now. Best to get out of his way until he cooled down. But he was walking toward her now. She looked behind her, but she didn't see any Metal Heads or other threats, just the patch of wall between piles of rubble behind her. Jak kept striding quickly and purposefully toward her. She felt her back touch the wall and there was nowhere else to go. What had she done wrong? Why was he so mad? He stopped right in front of her and Keira felt the air in the room change. His deep blue eyes weren't flashing now; they were boring into hers. His jaw was set, but he didn't look angry anymore.

Keira felt her feelings for him well up again. No, not here, not now. She was so close to being able to leave without the city without telling him. He's Daxter, he's Daxter. She reminded herself as she held his gaze. It was too hard to focus with him that close, but she couldn't slip around him either. She put her hands up to push him away- gently- but he reached up and grabbed both of her hands with his. She was close enough to smell him and feel heat from him warming the air by her. This was too close. She wouldn't last long this way. She lowered her eyes and stared at her hands instead. "Keira." Jak said quietly and she glanced back up again. That was a mistake. Now his eyes were pleading with her. "Don't go."

Keira felt herself falling into his gaze and her love for him washed over her again. She felt like she would do anything he wanted now. No… piped up the voice in the back of her mind and with a jerk, she pulled her hands away. "Why not?" she demanded, glaring at a spot on his forehead. "It's my life to live how I want. I can choose where I want to be and who I want to be with." She bit her lip as she realized he hadn't said anything about other people. Oops. "Ashelin and I aren't together." Jak admitted. Keira's mouth dropped open but kept her gaze on his forehead. She couldn't look him in the eyes yet. "We were never together. I mean, we did kiss, but it was all wrong, for both of us."

Hearing that helped her stay mad. What kind of guy kisses someone without thinking about if he even likes her or not? Daxter might, and that's how she had to keep treating him. "What does you two kissing have to do with me leaving? Do I really need to know the women you've gone through before I leave?" she asked, crossing her arms. "Do I need to tell you about everyone I've kissed before I go?" Jak's eyes darkened. "Who are you talking about?" he growled. Keira shook her head. There was no one she had to name, but that wasn't the point. "Why do we need to go over this, Jak? Maybe you and Ashelin didn't work out, but there's bound to be someone else for you out there, and for me too. If I can be happy for you in Haven, why can't you be happy for me in Kras City?" Jak grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her again. "Because I'm in love with you, Keira!" he exploded.

Chapter 5

Keira's resolve disappeared. Her anger disappeared. Everything disappeared. She even forgot to look at Jak's forehead, and her gaze lowered back to his eyes again. They were locked on hers, desperately trying to make her see. "I've been in love with you for years, I—I've been wanting to tell you ever since I found you again, in here." He looked down at his hands gripping her shoulders. Realizing how intense he was being, he quickly let go of her and stepped back. A frown formed on Keira's face. "Jak, what are you talking about? That was over a year ago!" She blurted out in her confusion. Jak nodded. "I know." He answered quietly. "But I had changed a lot and I could tell it scared you." Keira looked down, ashamed that it was true. "And I saw you and Erol." Jak continued, his voice hardening. Keira heard the fury in his voice as he remembered the two of them together. "I broke things off with him. I had every plan on going back to Sandover and it was wrong to lead him on."

That didn't seem to placate Jak. He looked away. "So you two were dating." He confirmed in a low voice. Keira shrugged. "I liked his company, and he had always been so kind to me. He's the reason I got my garage." Jak looked back. "What?" Keira nodded. "It's true. Krew would never have let me out of my contract—" "What?!" Jak repeated, his voice louder. Keira sighed. "We have a lot to talk about, don't we?" She noticed how dark it was. "Should we head back?" Jak looked around too, but he shook his head. "No, we've put it off long enough." He sat down and pulled his gun out. "Anything that tries to interrupt us now will regret it anyway."

Finally, they talked. Jak told her about the years in prison, being tortured under Praxis and Erol. Keira felt sick when she thought of Jak watching her flirt with his torturer. She told him about her arrival in Haven City and ending up at the shelter. She explained her debt to Krew and Jak understood why she hated him so much. He grimaced when she mentioned how Erol got her out of the bar and in the garage, but he continued to listen in silence. When she got to Krew coming over to threaten her, Keira heard a cracking sound. Jak had broken a hunk of concrete in his hand. "I guess you know the rest from there." Jak was silent, and she waited. "If you knew we weren't going back, would you have broken up with Erol?" He asked quietly. Keira thought about it. "Yeah, I think I would have. He was nice to me, but I wasn't feeling it." She answered finally, giving her honest answer. "I probably would have stayed friends with him though, at least until finding out what he did to you."

Jak seemed mollified by that. Now it was Keira's turn. "Why did you kiss Ashelin?" She asked directly. Jak's mouth thinned. "I've been wondering that too. She and I have worked together enough to know we wouldn't work out. We're too much like each other. We might as well be brother and sister." Keira cocked an eyebrow. "So you'd be willing to kiss your sister?" She asked, wrinkling her nose. Jak blinked. "That's….exactly it!" He answered, surprised at himself. "What?" Keira demanded. "No, hear me out. We'd just saved the world, first from the Dark Maker ship, then again from Cyber Errol. We were high on adrenaline. I was ready to celebrate being alive and she was the first person I saw." "Why on the mouth then?" Keira pressed. "More of a miss than anything." Jak answered. "I think we both expected the other to turn for a kiss on the cheek, but it didn't happen." He looked over at her. "Seriously, Daxter completely exaggerated the kiss. I would have kissed him if Ashelin hadn't been there." He said, waiting for her reaction.

Keira sat quietly at first, taking everything in. "But why are you telling me all this now? What about after Kor was defeated?" Jak ran his hands through his hair, a telltale sign he was uncomfortable. "That was my doing. After Kor was gone, some people called me a hero but some called me a monster. I saw how you looked and me and I knew you felt that way too." Keira opened her mouth to protest but Jak continued. "I couldn't ask you to be with me, not until I found out how to get rid of my dark powers. So I found excuses to get away from you and look for a way. I was still looking when I got banished, and then the world was in danger again." Keira sat back, leaning against a larger piece of the wall. "You still couldn't find a way, huh?" She gestured to the room, where he had transformed earlier. Jak shook his head. "No, but I was given light powers. Now I'm just double the freak."

Keira stood up. "You are NOT a freak, Jak! If anyone ever calls you that, I will—" she swayed a little as she realized she'd been sitting in one place for a while. Jak jumped up and grabbed her arm to steady her, but she faced him head on and made her next words very clear. "You are a hero, Jak. Even when I found out you changed into something else and I wasn't sure if you were the boy I remembered, I NEVER doubted that. You will always be my hero." She smiled at him and he smiled back. She was so good to him. And so beautiful. He knew his gaze on her was lingering, but he couldn't help it. After a few seconds, she looked away from him.

"After all this time and everything that's happened, you finally fess up right before I plan on leaving?" Keira asked, turning the conversation back to the beginning. "I know, but I had to try." He crooked a finger under her chin, bringing her eyes back up to his. "So will you hear me out?" Keira hesitated for a moment then said "Alright" in an embarrassingly breathy voice.

"Keira, you are the most incredible person I've ever met. You are so smart and brave and beautiful. I was tripping over my feet around you in Sandover and it's the same way here. You were the only thing that kept me sane those two years in prison. I had to stay alive so I could get out and find you. Then there you were, pulling back the curtain and all I've wanted since then is to tell you how I feel about you. These powers, the thrones in Spargus and Haven City, being everyone's hero, I don't want any of that- I just want to be with you. I want to see your face before I go to bed and when I wake up. I want to make you laugh and protect you from anything that makes you sad." Jak could hear how cheesy it sounded, but he kept going anyway. He took Keira's hands in his again. "I know I'm all kinds of messed up, but if you feel the same way for me as I do for you, then stay. Please. Or let me come with you. I'll spend the rest of my life trying to make you as happy as you make me. I promise."

Keira couldn't remember how to breathe, but her heart was still beating. She could hear it thudding in her ears. She stood frozen, held in place by Jak's eyes on hers and his hands in hers. He stood watching her, waiting for her answer. She opened her mouth, trying to remember how to speak. She saw the fear creeping behind his eyes, wondering if she was about to reject him. Just get air back into your lungs already! She shouted inwardly. With a gasp, she tore her hands away and stepped back. Jak's face was beginning to accept defeat when she jumped at him, wrapping her arms around his neck like she'd never let go. "What TOOK you so long?!" she said, breathing hard. After a moment of shock, Jak's arms went around her too. "I mean, I know what took you so long, but—" Keira tried to explain herself but was cut off when Jak kissed her. Was the earth shifting underneath her or was her head just spinning? She wasn't sure. She forgot how to breathe again. When Jak finally pulled his face away from hers, she gulped down more air and finished, "What I meant to say was, FINALLY!"

Jak chuckled and pulled her close. He never wanted her out of his arms again. It was a shame he'd have to let her go in order for them to get back into Haven City. But not yet. His ears listened for anyone or anything nearby. Nothing. His attention reverted back to Keira and he realized his shirt was wet. "What's wrong?" How did he mess it up this fast? "Nothing. I just hated seeing you and Ashelin." She replied from where she'd buried her face in his chest. "You didn't leave the party to come here, did you?" He asked, putting a hand on her hair. "Mm-mm. I had to get out. Spent most of the night in one of the trees in the Agricultural sector." She murmured. "That's where you'd gone. I'd just looked for you along the roads." Keira pulled back to look at him. "How long had you been looking for me?" "About ten seconds after you left." Jak answered. Keira looked horrified. You mean you haven't slept? You saved the world yesterday! And you spent all night looking for me? Why didn't you take two health packs? I would have been fine with just one—" Her tirade stopped as Jak kissed her again.

When he pulled back this time, Keira was pouting. "You can't stop everything with just kissing me." Jak put his forehead on hers. "What if I promise you're allowed to win all the arguments?" Keira snorted. "Like you could keep that up." "I can if I get to kiss you at the end. You're really cute when you pout, you know." Thinking of the health packs reminded him of earlier. "Were you really just reacting to having two health packs at once? You were acting strange." Keira started walking to the zoomer. "Oh that. I was really trying to not act all mopey around you, so I told myself to just pretend you were Daxter."

"What?" Jak said. He wasn't expecting that. Keira shrugged. "Well, I thought it was a good solution at the time." "Is that why you ruffled my hair?" He asked, walking back to his zoomer. Keira laughed and ruffled his hair again. "What, you don't like that?" He softly brushed her hand away. "Not if you're picturing me like Daxter, I don't." He answered, still weirded out by the concept. Keira stepped closer to him with a sultry smile and ran her hand through his hair, this time softly. "What if I promise to never pretend you're Daxter again?" Jak's frown melted away. Starlight didn't do her justice. "I'm going to hold you to that." He warned her, lowering his head toward her. "I expect you to." She whispered, both of her hands in his hair now. As they kissed in the grayish light of pre-dawn, Jak remembered his vow to make her happy, and with every fiber of his being he knew he would honor that. And Keira realized something. Her home could be in Kras City or Spargus or anywhere else in the universe because her home wasn't a place anymore. Her home was with her hero. Her home was with Jak.

The End