A/n: Second Jak II fic, but I still haven't played the game, so don't kill me if anyone is out of character! I'm REALLY sorry If I mess anything at all up, but I'm still only going on what little I've played of Jak and Daxter and what my friend has told me XD So, please, if you will, DON'T FLAME MY SORRY ASS!

Disclaimer: ...I haven't even played the flippin game! How can you even ACCUSE me of saying I own this! That's right! BACK, LAWYERS! BACK!

--------

It was snowing.

Snowing in Haven City.

He never thought something so pure could ever happen in such a heartless place. It was almost comical.

Maybe there was hope for him yet…

"Wow."

He looked down to the woman who's hand was clasped around his. To him, right then, she was beautiful. Her cheeks and nose were rosy from the cold, steam rising from her lips as she giggled joyfully. He smiled, their entwined hands swinging lazily between them as they walked.

For the first time in almost three years, he was truly glad to be alive—to have lived.

Not even hanging around with Daxter made him feel this good.

He was in love, and, Mar, was he happy.

"I just love snow, don't you?" she asked, swinging their hands a little faster.

"Yeah…" he replied, leaning into her lightly. She giggled again.

"Do you remember when it used to snow is Sandover?" she asked. She closed her beautiful green eyes and rested her head on his broad shoulder. "We used to have snow ball fights, and make snow angels, and…"

"Do you miss it?" he asked. He missed the island too. Everyone did. Samos and Daxter more than anyone. Those two were so in tuned with nature, Samos because of his ECO and Daxter because of what little side of him that had become animal, and it was hard for the two adjust to everyday city life. Old Samos missed his lab, but mainly his ECO. Daxter just needed some open space.

But everyone got by. And, for what it was worth, they were happy.

In time, everything moves on.

She squeezed his hand. "I don't miss it," she whispered, still leaning on him. "I have you; that's all I need." He smiled again.

"And I have you," he muttered sheepishly. He could feel himself blushing, hoping she took it as the cold's fault, not his hormone's. He always felt so awkward around her, quite the change from his normal demeanor.

A change, but a welcome one.

"Where are we meeting Dax and Tess?" she asked, her voice bringing him back to reality.

"The Naughty Ottsel," he replied. "Then to Haven Forest. Tess decided Dax needed a break. He's been a little stressed lately, ya know?" She nodded, her blue-green hair tickling the underside of his exposed chin. Her other arm looped around his, pulling her body closer.

"Poor Daxter," she whispered sadly. "I guess he just can't take city life…"

"Thank Mar for Tess, though, right?" he asked, smiling hopefully. Her frown became a grateful smile as she nestled a little closer to him. He heard a muffled 'uh-huh' escape her.

He couldn't agree more.

He was happy for Daxter. In fact, he was overjoyed his furry little friend had found someone. Although Tess made it seem Dax was nothing but a cute pet to her, and Dax flirted with her like he did with every other pretty thing on two legs, everyone knew it went deeper. He could tell by the way they looked at each other.

The pet names, the baby talk, the flirty grins; they were all a game the two played to fool others, and themselves, that they weren't really feeling for the other.

Never fooled him a bit.

Tess and Daxter were an item, alright, although they'd never admit their feelings to each other. It was cute how they'd dodge the other, trying to keep the obvious a secret. He knew the two would do anything for the other, too. That's why Tess had suggested the forest. She had been the first to notice now city life had been effecting Daxter. He had become extremely stressed, always pacing. He started drinking more, too, trying to calm his nerves.

What little part of him that had given in to the Dark ECO and become an Ottsel was itching for some nature. Just some peace and quiet.

And Tess knew it. She knew Dax needed some open space, or he might just snap under the pressure. She had almost been in tears the night she had told him her fears about Dax. 'He's been drinking too much, Jak!' she had said. 'He'll drink himself to death if we don't do something! I'm taking him to the forest next weekend, but if that doesn't help, if he keeps wasting away like this…I just don't know what I'll do…'

So now everything was set. The two of them were going to meet Daxter and Tess before going to the forest to have a nice, peaceful, friendly walk.

And a confession of love, if everything went as planned.

After Tess had left, grateful of him listening to her concerns, he had had his own talk with Dax, concerning the blonde woman he was so interested in. He convinced his Ottsel friend to tell Tess how he felt about her, ending their game of cat and mouse once and for all. It took some doing, and some bribing, but the fur-ball finally agreed. Most of the conditions of the deal were silly and down right embarrassing, but one was quite sincere.

Daxter had made him promise he'd to come along. He had to be there when Daxter confessed to Tess. Dax didn't care if she came with him, but he had to be there for emotional support, just incase she dumped him.

He knew she wouldn't.

Another giggle pulled him from his thoughts and redirected his attention to the woman still clinging to his arm. Her head was tilted back and her mouth open with her tongue extended out.

"What the hell are you doing?" he asked. She giggled again, closing her mouth.

"I'm catching snowflakes!" she explained. He gave her look.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" he asked her, playfully nudging her side with his elbow. "This is Haven City; it might be toxic."

"I'll take my chances." She smiled again, her head returning to his shoulder. For a while, the two walked in silence, still holding hands. As they passed, he noticed the glances people gave them. Some smiled, obviously unable to recognize him without his armor, and took the couple for normal teenagers in love. Others, mainly the men, glared or looked away to ignore them as they walked by.

So, his outlaw days still seemed to be the talk of the town.

"This is your first real winter in Haven City, isn't it?"

He shrugged. "Yeah, I guess," he replied plainly. "Never really thought about it."

It was the truth. The last thing on his mind in that hellish place had been the season outside the walls of the prison. The cell he had spent his days in had had no windows and had always been, since the day he had first been thrown in head first into it to the last day he was dragged still half asleep out if it, at freezing temperature, which clashed dangerously with his tropical upbringing. It was, and always had been for any prisoner, impossible to tell what was happening in the outside world. Even after he had escaped, the time of year meant very little to him.

He was out for revenge, and that's all that mattered.

Only recently was he able to take the time to stop and look around him again. Given, there wasn't much to see in Haven City other than the newly white washed walls and the somewhat content citizens passing between them. What little nature survived in the harsh, polluted condition of the city was dull, gray, and no doubt slowly dying as it was. But, unlike his partner, he had had an easier time adjusting to the bleak surroundings, and become used to the cloudy, musty sense of urban life.

He was perfectly happy with what he had now.

"I guess I missed it, though," he continued, squeezing her hand absentmindedly. He felt his face contort into a scowl from being reminded of the prison.

And Baron Praxis.

Her small hand squeezed back, the arm wrapped around his tightening. "I'm sorry," she say quietly. "I didn't mean to bring back bad memories." His face softened, and he rested his head on hers.

"No," he said, trying to sound reassuring. "Its fine. Forget about it." His frame shuddered as he let out a long sigh. His blue eyes drifted heavenward, and for a while he simply stared at the falling snow in silence. "It's just…not something easy to forget," he finished finally, his voice low and dry.

Again they walked in engulfed in silence. After a while, she let go of his arm and returned to simply holding hands. He subconsciously noticed how much colder his arm felt now that she was no longer clinging to it. Without their light conversation, he was also reminded of the current temperature.

It was flippin cold.

He out the lung full of air he was subconsciously holding in and watched as steam poured out of his mouth. The yakkow scarf that was wrapped loosely around his neck was large enough to cover most of his shoulders as well, keeping that much of him warm. In place of his normal blue jacket was a yakkow leather coat that stopped around his midriff. He had, though, kept his normal pants and boots.

He liked his boots.

She, too, had changed her attired to fit the winter mood. A similar scarf covered her thin neck, its end draped over her right shoulder. Her sweater was made of thick yakkow fur dyed a faded lavender, a long-sleeved shirt under it. Yakkow leather gloves gripped his bare hands.

"This is taking forever," he muttered to himself. "I should have taken the zoomer."

"You'd burn a lot of power cell that way," she corrected him. "Plus you'd have to wait for it to warm up before you were able to go anywhere." He nodded.

It would explain all the people on the streets.

"JAK! KEIRA! OVER HERE!"

In unison, the two turned their hands towards the shout to see Tess leaning on the side of the Naughty Ottsel, Daxter cradled in her arms. He smiled and headed in their direction, mostly pulling her behind him. "Hey, Dax," he called.

"Tess!" she called behind him, waving at the other female merrily.

"Are you two ready to go?" he asked, looking over the two. Tess was in a green sweater close to hers, a short, red scarf wrapped tightly around her neck, its ends frayed. A blue snow cap covered the top of Daxter's head which had holes cut for his ears. Matching mittens covered his paws.

"Mar, yes," Daxter replied quickly as Tess removed herself from the wall. The Ottsel gave the blonde barmaid a flirty wink before jumping from her arms and onto his usual spot on his friend's left shoulder.

The girls started chatting and he and Daxter fell behind, enough so they could speak quietly and not be over heard. "So, are you ready?" he asked his friend out of the side of his mouth. Dax took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, as if preparing himself.

"Mar, I hope so," the Ottsel said back, his voice shaky.

"You'll do fine, I'm sure." He gave his friend a reassuring smile. Daxter didn't reply, but instead took in more deep breaths. "If you don't calm down, you'll pass out," he warned in a bored tone, "and then the deal will be off." Daxter shot him a grin

"And I was so looking forward to seeing you in that tutu," Daxter replied, still smirking. After a bit more pep talk, he and his Ottsel friend moved to rejoin the girls, Daxter returning to Tess' arms. Again, he grabbed her hand to hold it in his, smiling softly at her. Smiling back, she once again set her head on his shoulder.

It was then quiet as the four of them walked through the snow.

-Owari-
(End)