BD: Well, this story is supposed to have Torn and Ashy romancing now isn't it? Well, peeps, here it is! Sure, why not go ahead and break away from the whole Jak X line? It's my story damn it! Enjoy. Just forgive me if it's a tad bad. D:

Disclaimer: Naughty Dog owns me and all these characters. Ark's mine though. I love that mofo. :X

Chapter Three

"Thanks for the help," Ashelin said to Torn as she leaned against her car's rear fender. Torn gave her a small smile after he had screwed the last bolt onto the car's wheel. Standing up, he wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"I do what I can," he replied before wiping the grease on his palms onto his pants. "Keira would prove much more helpful—I'm a tactician, not a mechanic." Ashelin closed the gap between them and placed her hand on his chest before tapping his nose as she purred, "You're my mechanic and I really don't give a damn how good you are." Torn smirked and placed his hands on her hips before leaning in for a kiss. Ashelin leaned in as well until—

"Hey!" The two looked up before looking down at Daxter, who was approaching them. Ashelin growled and Torn glared at the ottsel. "What the hell do you want, rat?" The ottsel put his paws on his hips.

"Well excuse me for butting in on your little love fest but we're about to race—ya gotta put in your car's registry code before it can be wheeled out," Daxter explained. Ashelin rolled her eyes, then tossed a card to the ottsel.

"There's the code." Torn took his card out of his pocket, then tossed it to the ottsel. "And there's mine. Now get lost." Daxter looked at the cards, then grinned as he saluted to the two.

"Yeah, yeah, thanks a bunch! You two can cross stripes now!" Daxter turned and left the garage. Just as Torn was about to make a comeback, Ashelin had grabbed him by his shirt and jerked him to her before crushing Torn's lips with her own. Torn was a bit shocked, though he was not deprived of Ashelin's kisses; each kiss was like his first, which occurred when the two were in the Krimzon Guard Training Academy. Torn's body always managed to go numb: was it the lipstick? By the Precursors, he never knew if he would ever get use to Ashelin's kisses. Only on a few occasions was he in his right mind to return the kisses and to his recollection, they had only made out once. He wondered what would happen when they got around to making love. Torn quickly shook the thoughts out of his head to prevent his body from making any "happy" reactions. That's when he noticed that the kiss had ended quite some time ago and Ashelin was standing before him, her arms folded under her chest and a bemused expression on her face.

"Seriously Torn, you cease to stop amazing me," she said with a light laugh. As two racing officials came in, Ashelin began making her way out of the garage. Torn stumbled behind her as he laughed weakly.

"What makes you say that?" he asked as he rubbed the back of his head. Ashelin chuckled as she walked closer to him. "Your reactions after I kiss you are entertaining." Torn gave a half-smile as he wrapped his arm around Ashelin's waist.

"I'm still having trouble believing that you're finally mine," he told her. Ashelin let down her hard ass barrier and softened her attitude as she leaned her head against Torn's shoulder. Torn tightened his hold on her as his expression became stern. "I thought you fell for Jak after that kiss and all." A hush fell between them before Ashelin sighed and lifted her head from Torn's shoulder. The woman stared down at the pavement.

"I regret doing that. The whole Jak thing… it was a girlish infatuation," she said before looking up at Torn. "A fling. I was caught in the moment when he defeated Errol—my emotions were at a high peak when I kissed Jak. I didn't mean it and Jak knows that too well." Ashelin placed her hand on Torn's cheek and the man seemed to nuzzle her hand. The soft touched he longed for was finally his. And Jak did not stand in the way. Ashelin leaned towards Torn and kissed him before gazing into his eyes. Precursors, he loved her eyes. "Torn, I put my heart, my passion into every kiss I give you. It's my love that I give to you and I eventually hope to give you more." Torn's eyes widened at this last comment before he smiled, pulling Ashelin to his chest and hugging her.

"You don't have to prove anything to me, Ash. You've always been above me, always one step ahead of me. " Torn placed his finger under her chin and titled her head up. "I had to fight to get you, and now you're mine. Stop fretting over the past." Ashelin placed her slender hands on Torn's masculine hand before his hand.

"I can't fully begin to forgive myself until we find Keira," she said before grinning at Torn. "You're a decent mechanic, but she has talent." Torn cocked an eyebrow, then chuckled as he began walking to the track with Ashelin. The woman's grin turned sly as she leaned against Torn. "That's all right: I'd prefer a tactician over a mechanic any day." Torn blinked, then narrowed a suspicious eye at Ashelin. "And why's that?"

Ashelin stepped in front of Torn, placed her hand on his chest, then leaned in before whispering, "I don't need a man to just fix me up; I need a man who knows what he's doing to me beforehand and with style." A shiver went through Torn just as Ashelin chuckled and walked away. Torn fully processed the thought and he quickly his forehead with his palm, dismissing whatever plans he had now accumulated in regard to what he would do to Ashelin, given the chance. This was just in case things went wrong with the race—he may never get to have a "piece" of the red-head bombshell pie. Gotta have faith in Jak, Torn repeated in his mind as he ran to catch up with Ashelin at the track. Upon reaching her, he grabbed her by her shoulder, jerked her around, and then pulled her into his arms before kissing her, releasing all of his pent up tension and passion. Torn released Ashelin, who was now in a lovesick daze, before he headed over to his vehicle.

"Hey Ash, your tactician will meet you at the finish line," he told her. Once she had regained her senses, Ashelin got into her race car, which was parked next to Torn's. Once the two and the other racers had started their engines, Ashelin grinned as she looked at her lover.

"I plan to meet my tactician at his door around midnight tonight," she said, causing Jak and Daxter to perk their heads up and glance back. It was at that moment that G.T. Blitz announced that the racing was ready to begin. At the green light and G.T.'s demand for the racers to go, Jak and the team pulled off. Now Torn had two things at the top of his list to worry about: how he was going to survive his first race, and just what Ashelin planned to do to him that night.

BD: There. Sorry if I didn't portray Ashy and Torn the right way or anything. D: I need to watch some Jak II and 3 cut scenes. W00tage. Well, I hope you enjoyed. If you have any suggestions, lemme know. Reviews are GREATLY appreciated. 3

Today's Typing Theme—Gorillaz – El Manana