Author's Notes: Hey everyone. I'm so sorry I've been neglecting my poor story, but apparently my school wasn't kidding when they said I would be living in the communications building this semester and have no downtime to myself. Anyways, stupidly long chapter, but it's full of goodness. Enjoy!

Chapter Eleven
Meetings

'Mar…' she whispered, 'Don't take my son. Please.' She fell to her knees, letting her cries become louder, 'Don't take Mar away from me!'

Jak sat upright with a start, feeling his body trembling under the heavy blankets of the bed. His eyes were wide with fright as his heart raced in his chest, acting as if it wanted to burst from him. Sweat was covering him from head to toe. The small droplets rolled from his brow down the side of his face, dripping down onto the shirt he wore. Each breath he took in was shallow in his chest. It was as if his body could not take in anymore air, refusing the effort he made. Glancing about him, it took the young man a moment to remember where he was.

'That's right,' he thought to himself as he eyes darted about the large room. 'We're still here in the wasteland.'

Daxter sat curled up at the end of the bed, somewhat buried under the large pelt blankets. Despite Jak's quick start, the small Ottsel had barely moved an inch. He merely let a yawn escape him as he curled himself tighter into a ball, trying to keep warm in the cool desert night.

Drawing his knees up to his chest, Jak rested his elbows on top of them. The only thing he could find to do was to take in a few breathes at a time, trying to calm down his shaking form. His dreams were getting worse with each passing time he fell asleep. Although the image of his parents were still shrouded in the shadows of the thoughts, the feeling of pain every time he heard his mother cry out was like a dagger in his chest that was being twisted. He knew that they were there in the palace. And that they were alive and well. But the dream still shook him up, making him feel sick to his stomach.

Pulling back the covers to the bed, Jak moved slowly to place his feet onto the floor. As he rose, he glanced to where Daxter slept; making sure that his stirring did not wake up his friend. The last thing he wanted at the moment was to deal with him and his questions. Grabbing his clothes from the desk chair, he pulled on his shirt and pants, leaving the belts and holsters in a pile on the desk. Placing his boots onto his feet, the young man moved at a quickened pace towards the door. He couldn't find it in him to just stay in the room and try to rid himself of the thoughts that pounded at his skull. He needed to just walk and think. Slipping outside, Jak made sure to close the door without making a single noise. Breathing out a sigh of relief, he started off at a slowed pace. His footsteps echoed throughout the large empty hallways as he walked.

'I don't get it,' he thought as he moved, not even paying attention to where his feet were taking him. 'I know that I keep seeing my parents. I know its Damas and Lena.' Feeling himself slow even more in his steps, Jak came to a halt. 'I had the chance. And I blew it. Maybe if I had told them, I wouldn't keep dreaming the same thing about them. About that night.' A shutter escaped him at the thought of seeing his mother screaming, crying out his name as she tried to reach for him.

Looking up, Jak knew that he had gone further that he wanted to. The sea breeze brushed upon his face and neck, letting his eyes drift to the side. The ocean was stretched out before him from atop the balcony perch he had come to. Sounds of the waves crashing on the rocks below echoed into his ears. Further out where the water was still, the moon's dim glow could be seen upon the surface. As he moved towards the railing, Jak let his eyes close for a moment, letting the cool breeze brush his face gently. He was lost in the moment, feeling as if every bad memory could vanish with the calmness of the sea.

It was like back in Sandover. When the weather was nice, Jak remembered sneaking out from his Uncle's house to meet Daxter and Keira. The three of them would leave the village to sit along the beach to stargaze until the early hours of the morning. They would laugh, tell jokes, and wonder about all the great mysteries that were beyond their island. One moment that stuck out of his mind was when Daxter got his foot bitten by a lobster and it took Keira and Jak a good ten minutes to calm him down so they could pull the little creature off him.

It was those simple things he missed the most. Back before Haven and the dark eco experiments. Before fighting in the resistance and working for Krew. Back where he would cut out on Samos' lectures to go fishing or climb trees with Daxter in the jungle. The times he would be sitting in bed and his Uncle would tell him stories of the precursors and the far off worlds that he only wish to visit. Granted, there was no replacing the ties and experiences he had now. But in a small part of his mind, there were moments where Jak wished for nothing more than to go back to how things were before the rift opened and sent him into the future.

"Shouldn't you be asleep?" a soft voice entered his thoughts, causing him to quickly turn on his heels.

There, standing in the moonlit hallway was Lena, a soft smile on her lips. She wore the same dress from earlier that day, though her hair was simply pulled back into a low slung ponytail. In the dim light, the woman looked as if she had come from the heavens themselves. She seemed to glow as her smile grew upon her perfectly shaped lips. Her hands were folded in front of her as she stood quietly, awaiting a response from the young man.

"I…" Jak began, feeling his face grow warm from embarrassment. "I couldn't sleep. Thought a walk might do me good."

"Ah. I see." The woman told, her warm smile making the young man blush even more. Moving towards him slowly, Lena kept her hands folded before her. She walked as if gliding, her hair and dress moving gently in the light wind of the evening. Looking out to the sea as well, her blue eyes seemed to get lost in thought. He watched her closely as she rested against the rail. She looked out to the opened ocean, letting the breeze move her hair about her shoulders.

In a way, he had always thought his mother would be someone that was beautiful. On occasion, he would overhear the older women of the village chatting with his uncle, questioning about his parents. A few would say that he must have had his mother's eyes, which he now knew to be true. Always the question of what had happened to them as well would arise. And Jak would always overhear the same story over and over again. They had died. Lurkers had gotten to them and someone had left him that night for his uncle to watch over.

"I love the sea at night." Lena's voice broke through his train of thought. He knew that he must have been staring, feeling his face become slightly flustered. "It's beautiful, is it not?" she questioned, not even looking back at him.

Swallowing the large lump that had seemed to take root in his throat, Jak nodded slightly at her words. "Yeah. Reminds me of home." He muttered quietly, smiling at the thought of the life before Haven and the rift gate.

"Home?" the woman questioned, glancing over her shoulder at him. "You mean Haven?"

Jak couldn't help but smile at the curiosity that came to his mother's face. "Well. Haven is where I'm from now I guess. But, it's not where I'm actually from." He paused for a moment, re-thinking his words, "If that even made sense."

"I think it did," Lena spoke with a small chuckle in her voice. Stepping to the side a bit from where she stood, she let her smile shine. Motioning for him to come close, she continued to give him a soft stare. "But I would love to hear more."

Hesitating for a moment, the young blond looked at her. Then, with a small nod, Jak continued on, "I was raised in a village on a small island called Sandover. It was pretty tiny and secluded. Jungles, beaches, and anything else that a kid could dream of having as a playground." He began, leaning against the railing, looking out to the ocean. He kept his eyes locked straight out; unsure if could actually look Lena in the eye. "My uncle raised me and shortly after arriving there, I met Daxter and Keira. And Samos of course."

"Sandover?" the woman questioned, curiosity etched in each word, "I've never heard of such a place."

Smiling a bit, Jak sighed into the breeze, "Its far way. Really far away. I don't even think its even standing anymore. What with all the metalhead attacks, it's probably nothing more than rubble."

Lena could only find a sympathetic smile for the young man, "What happened to your uncle? Does he live in Haven with you?" she asked, letting her blond hair shimmer in the moonlight.

The smile began to fade from Jak's lips at the thought of his 'uncle'. He thought back to the whole town of Sandover. All the people he knew and knew him back. All of them were now long gone. The remains of the once happy village where nothing more than a dead town to the residents of Haven. Sighing a bit, Jak could feel as if a dam had been opened to his thoughts, thinking back once more to all of the things that were thought to be forgotten. Reaching for the pendant about his neck, he held it briefly under his shirt.

"He died," he told quietly, "a long time ago."

Bringing her hand to her mouth, the queen blushed slightly, "I'm sorry." She explained herself to him.

But Jak just shook his head at her words, "Its okay. You didn't know." He said softly, glancing in her direction. "Besides, it was a long time ago. Just…" Pausing his words, Jak glanced down slightly, "A memory."

"Surely you must have some kind of family with you still?" The queen asked quietly, trying to pry deeper into the young man's stern expression.

Jak could not help but stop himself from saying no. It was true. He still had a family with Samos, Daxter and Keira. They were always there when he needed them, no matter how small or major the problem was. In those two years that he had been separated from them, each day seemed like an eternity. Prison had hardened him, transforming him into the warrior that he was expected to be. Before Daxter had come to save him, he had almost given up the hope that his family really did care.

Staring the woman in the eye, Jak let hints of his smile return. "Daxter, Keira and Samos are my family." He told her flatly. "They were always there…unlike my parents."

It almost seemed too harsh, even for him. Granted, she didn't know that he was Mar. No matter how much he wanted to tell her the truth, a part of him thought it better if they never found out. What did he expect to happen from them knowing? It had been years since he had seen them. He was finally able to speak to them about everything that had happened in his life. But everything before Sandover was nothing but a large blur in his thoughts. The only memory he had of them was that nightmare that continued to follow him.

Being taken aback slightly, Lena placed her graceful fingers to lips. "Oh. I…guess I hit a nerve." She spoke, seeing a sense of conflict in the young man's eyes. "I'm sorry Jak. This whole conversation was completely out of line on my part. I should have never asked though questions."

Turning his back to the ocean, Jak pushed off the railing with a strong thrust. Moving away slightly, the young man shifted his weight upon his feet as he let his eyes fall to the floor. The thought of knowing he could be so close to his parents, but not find it in him to tell them the truth made his stomach churn with nerves. He stood tall, letting the floor become the most interesting object at the moment with his boots close behind. The words were there, desperate to leave his lips and spill the truth to her. The image of Lena's sadden face from earlier that day came back to haunt him, seeing the trace of tears in her eyes. Thinking of every possibility made Jak's head swim in confusion, making him feel as if the world were spinning under his feet.

"Jak?" the queen's voice questioned, almost bringing his thoughts out of its jumbled state. "Are you alright?"

Shaking out his head a bit, Jak brought a hand to his brow. It felt as if a drill was being plunged into his temples and into his skull. The harder he shook his head, the more the world seemed to twist and turn about him. 'Just…leave it alone.' Was the only thought that could come to him. 'This will not work. I'm not their son. Not anymore.'

A light touch came to his shoulder, causing the young man to jump slightly. Glancing to his side, the blurred image Lena came into view. Her gentle features looked washed out and faded away, as if his dream had become a harsh and gruesome reality. Upon his neck, he could feel the pinprick area from the wastelanders beginning to burn and ache. His legs began to feel weak under his own weight as he looked about with blurred vision.

Lena withdrew slightly, concern becoming greater than ever before. Jak had grown pale as small beads of sweat began to form upon his face and neck. She could tell that his once stern and cold eyes had grown weak and vulnerable, as if he were a small child fearing the unknown. He looked at her, his blue eyes locking with his own. Her heart wanted to skip a beat, feeling as if that was not the first time she had seen that stare.

'No matter what I want,' Jak thought, looking at the woman for a long moment. 'I can't be him. I'm…not Mar. She…isn't…'

He let himself stagger a bit, feeling the uneasiness of the whole moment hitting him like a ton of bricks. Jak fell back against the railing for a moment, holding his head at the buzzing words running through his mind. Out of the corner of his eye, the queen could been seen. She looked to be speaking, though her words were lost to him. There was concern in her eyes, but he couldn't understand why. He didn't want her help. There was no way it would work. Him as her son? A prince of the wasteland and heir to Spargus? The thought was foolish.

'Mar…' the familiar voice echoed through his mind, just like his dreams from the past weeks. 'Mar…'

No words were spoken as Jak pushed away from the railing, removing his hand from his face. He stepped forward, glancing at the woman once more. Still, he could not hear her voice in his mind as she reached out to him, trying to take hold of his arm. Before she could begin to tug on his shirt sleeve, he withdrew. Taking a step back, Jak felt his eyes narrow in anger. As much as he wanted to let her give him help, he didn't want it. There was not a single falter in his step as he turned away and took off down the hallway. Just as he rounded the corner, her voice finally came back to his ears, echoing his name through the massive hallways of the palace.

No matter how much he protested in his mind, Jak kept running. He couldn't stay inside the walls of palace any longer. He needed to get out and think. Think about everything that had and could happen if they stayed in the wasteland any longer. As much as Sig thought it was the right thing for him to do, there was no possible way that it could work. He wasn't meant to be a king, prince, or whatever other title they could think of to give him. There was even reluctance to the title of 'hero' for the city. He did what he did for some kind of revenge for what the Baron had done to him. The monster he had become was his fault and he watched as the revenge he finally could have was almost bitter sweet in the end.

And what if the wastelanders knew of that as well? What then? Who would want an eco freak as their leader? Jak was told he was talented with eco. Samos trained him to properly channel it through him to have it work to his advantage. And it was the reason he was taken away from this place to begin with. The Baron wanted his eco abilities for his experiments. And because of one turn of events one day, he ended up in the one place his parents and Sig tired so hard to keep him from. He suffered through the experiments and now bore the scars of his gift and curse.

And all he could do was run. He let his feet carry him away from the palace and away from the place that he was told he was safe. Without even looking back, Jak was off down the stairs to the open square before the palace and disappeared into the backstreets of Spargus, not daring to look back to see if he were being followed.

Author's Notes: Hope you enjoyed it! Don't forget to read and review.