Strange How Things Change

Disclaimer: I do not own Jak and Daxter, nor of anything that belongs to Naughty Dog.

Author's Note: After almost a year of not being anywhere near I've decided to re-enter the fandom of Jak and Daxter with a bang. No pun intended. With the recent decline of story expectation, I thought that maybe I'd come back, crank out this one-shot and maybe rewrite all those other older fics I wrote when I was 13 and 14. Wow... I was young when I wrote those! Anyways, read on.

Warning: Spoilers all through and up to Jak X, yaoi (boy on boy action) and mild language.

Note-

blah blah Dark or Light talking to Jak

" blah blah blah" Jak responding to Light or Dark

His wheels crossed the checkerboard line nanoseconds before UR-86's sped across, screeching as the robot slammed onto his brakes, empty eyes glaring at the hero with the glistening blond hair. Cheers erupted from the crowd and several other racers crossed the line, but no one paid them any attention, just looked upon their hero with adoring eyes and hopeful smiles.

Jak took his medal, giving Torn a small tilt of his head. The ex-KG commander returned it slowly, his arm curling around Ashelin's waist as she walked up next to him, equally as sweaty from the race they had just done. Sig had suggested it. "Come on, chillipeppers. I think a good race ought to do us all some good!" The race had been good, it was a way to release energy without sneaking away from Kras City to let Dark and Light out to frolic around, spending their eco reserves before disappearing back into his mind.

I'd sure like as hell to go 'frolic' around the Wasteland. Haven't let either of us out lately, Jakkie-boy, came Dark's slow dreadful drawl, echoing around Jak's mind.

He ignored his other half, signing an autograph and continuing on with others who were offering their papers and pens. He tried not to let his other egos notice how much the nickname bothered him. "The race was enough. You don't need to waste the extra eco that's so hard to come by," he ordered to the two of them. "Just... try and be my mind, alright? Don't talk, just pretend."

Sounds like a bad tagline for a movie. Light said it that time and Jak's green eyebrows lifted. Light didn't know what movies were, once upon a time. But things change, they always do.

"Hey, Jak!" Daxter called from their vehicle, painted black with a sleek red racing stripe down each fender. "Let's go over to the Bloody Hook and get a drink, hmm?" He asked, bouncing slightly. "I'm starving and they have food!"

Jak slid into the driver's seat, one leg dangling down absentmindedly as he looked out over Kras City. He could see the lights of the Bloody Hook off in the distance and knew that the rest of their friends were probably already there. Keira was probably waiting for him, waiting with food and drink and a kiss that would promise things later. His heart thudded suddenly.

"Dax?" He asked softly, turning and pulling on his goggles and bandanna. The ottsel looked at him curiously and slowly copied his movements. "How about we go to the Naughty Ottsel, back in Haven?" Dark and Light's confusion swirled around in him. Haven City? What's there? Keira is here, waiting for you, Light said and Jak could see his head cocked to the side, glowing white wings fluttering against his back slowly.

"I need a change of scenery, Daxter needs to see Tess and I could do with a homemade meal that didn't have strange spices on it," Jak murmured back to the two and started the engine.

"Whoo-hoo! Tess-baby is going to love this!" Daxter said and was beaming excitedly as he buckled down, bandanna pulled across his nose and mouth. Jak grinned beneath his and with a run through his short hair, gunned the engine and sped off towards the city's borders.

Haven City

The Naughty Ottsel was more packed than ever and as Jak parked his vehicle next to the zoomers in the small parking lot out back, he felt a sense of déjà vu, being here again. It had been months since he'd been here, the place he'd called his job, his home and then the head quarters. Strange how quickly things changed. "Honey, I'm home!" Daxter bellowed, throwing open the back door and strutting into his bar.

Jak chuckled softly as he heard Tess's amazed squeal of happiness, closing the back door softly behind him. The bar was packed; every table was taken, new tables were added in the center and those were full, the bar was packed and two new bartenders were working there, smoking cigarettes and serving out colorful drinks and beers as if it were water, taking money up with even smoother hands. He sat down at an empty bar stool and watched as Tess continued to smother her ottsel lover with kisses and exclamations of 'YAY'. He ordered a beer and folded his hands on top of the bar, sighing and looking up at the trophies that decorated the ceiling and walls. Kor's head was right above them, with Jak and Daxter's picture next to it. Pictures of pin-up girls, Kras City trophies, and even a singular Precursor Orb glistened up there where everyone could see, but never touch.

"Thank you for bringing my snookums back!" Tess said, suddenly throwing her lithe orange body against Jak's chest and part of his mouth. He coughed, getting a good bit of hair down his throat. "It was dreadful here without Daxter!"

Jak coughed and smiled softly, pulling her away softly. "You're welcome, Tess. Anyone around here that I might know?" He was eager to see if he knew anyone anymore, or if they had all moved on to bigger, better greener pastures.

"I think Jinx was here earlier, he's been in a slump lately," she frowned and ran her toe across the ground. "During the war, one of his comrades was killed in the first bombing of the Water Slums, and just a few weeks ago, he lost the other one to a bad explosion in the Metalhead City Area."

Jak frowned softly. He, himself, may not have known Jinx well enough to make a judgment call, but he did know him well enough that his two comrades, stupid and brainless as they might have been, were Jinx's only... friends inside Haven's walls. That might have explained why Jinx was so eager to help during the War, getting his mind off worse subjects. He raised his head to ask another question, but both Daxter and Tess had scampered off, leaving Jak a few more coins for another beer. He smiled softly, shaking his head as he stood up, looking over multiple heads, trying to spot any familiar faces.

A few of the Freedom League guards waved and yelled joyously and he returned them half-heartedly. It was good to see them all, see their faces, so full of joy and relief now that the war was over and things could be back on their rightful track into the future. Why so interested in the bomber, all of a sudden? Dark asked abruptly.

"Just... interested." Jak answered vaguely and finally caught sight of dirty blonde and sun-kissed hair in the far corner of the bar. He weaved his way through the guards, stopping to shake hands and give a heavy back beating. "If anything, I can get a free upgrade for my gun from him."

Jinx was bent over a corner table, his hair loose and oily around his face. It no longer had that smoky look to it from being near bombs too long and his body was lithe, his clothes hanging off his frame loosely. Gaunt fingers were tight around a beer bottle and when Jak stepped in front of the table, blocking the light and tipping his neck to take a swig of his beer, Jinx gave a slight snarl. "Move outta my light."

"You looked like you needed something to annoy you," Jak answered and looked down at the mop of unruly hair.

A dry, humorless chuckle echoed up. "Pretty-boy," it lacked the normal tease to it, "didn't think you'd ever show yer face 'round Haven after racing with them big boys."

"I didn't think about coming back. But Dax wanted to see Tess, and she said you were in a slump," he answered and sat down in front of Jinx. He leaned foreword slightly and reached beneath his rear to pick up what he had set on. It was Jinx's waist holster, gun still inside it, minus all ammo. He frowned slightly and sat it on the edge of the table, facing the wall.

There was a strange, almost companionable silence between them. Jak ordered another beer and leaned back, watching Jinx nurse the singular beer he had been working on for the entire night, it appeared. Finally Jinx raised his eyes and Jak sat up a little straighter at the look in them. His golden hazel eyes, once full of lust and tease were flat and pale, not a singular speck of emotion in them. "Why are you here Jak?"

The hero stiffened even more. In all of his memories, as far as they went back, he could never remember Jinx calling him 'Jak'. Sure, Jakkie-Boy, Dark Boy, Blondie... and other, teasing names, but never just JAK. He frowned and felt the leather of his pants creak against the metal seats. "I told you, Daxter--"

"No, why are you sitting across from me when you could be with your grease monkey girlfriend?" He almost snapped it before dropping his eyes back down. He must have felt Jak's confusion because he chuckled slightly, more dry, lifeless humor. "I watch the news, Dark Boy, Kras City is all about gossip and races. Two things that yer exceptionally good about. Every broad in Haven mourned the day they said you were taken by the mechanic."

Jak shifted slightly. "You sound broken up about it," he tried to make it a joke, grinning crookedly.

Jinx didn't say anything for a long moment. He suddenly stood up, finished off his beer and waved to Tess who was sitting back on the bar with Daxter, talking to customers. He picked up his waist holster and tied it around his waist. It hung lower than normal and Jak winced at how thin the bomber had become. He started to walk away, but stopped next to Jak. "I was Jak, you were the last one around here besides Mog and Grim who gave a damn about me. Now you're gone too, just like the others." He left, bitter and angry and Jak was left staring.

Part Two will be up within a couple of days.