Here you go, Chapter 12. It should go without saying that I do not own any of the Jak and Daxter characters. Dr. Lucie and all other OCs are my creations.

-Becks

Rayn walked confidently into the bar. Her gaze traveled around the bar until it fell on Jak and Sig. She lingered on the group for a moment until she was sure they had seen her. She smirked and haughtily walked the opposite direction towards a secluded booth on the wall away from most of the party goers. She grabbed a drink from a passing waitress before she gracefully sat in the booth. And she waited.

Keira walked over to Jak. She appeared calm on the outside but her eyes smoldered with curiosity and contempt. "What is she doing here?" Keira demanded.

"I don't know." Jak replied "I haven't heard anything about her or seen her since she left the after party after the Grand Prix."

"If she thinks that she is going to spread her little crime family to Haven, she's got another thing coming" Ashelin spat vehemently glaring daggers at booth.

Rayn continued to sip her drink as her gaze traveled around the bar. She looked at everyone and everything except Jak and his group by the bar. She was baiting them.

Jak saw what she was doing. He sighed and downed the rest of his drink. "I'll go talk to her" he said reluctantly.

As he walked off towards Rayn's booth Daxter jumped up on the bar. "Where is he off to?"

"Our little Kras City princess decided to pay a visit." Ashelin replied bitterly.

"What?" Daxter spun around to see for himself. "What the heck is she doing here?"

"I don't know. But it can't be good." Ashelin replied crossing her arms angrily and continuing to glare at the booth.

"Ashelin, calm down; I doubt she's going to poison us this time. Give her a chance." Keira said.

Ashelin snorted and discretely checked her holster for her pistol.

Meanwhile…

Jak slid into the booth across from Rayn.

"Ah, Jak. It's nice to see you again." She said smiling falsely "This is a lively party what's the occasion?"

Jak silently picked up one of the many copies of the article off of the table and set it in front of Rayn.

She was quiet for a moment as she scanned the article. "Oh, twins. How precious. Give Keira my congratulations will you."

"What are you doing here Rayn?" Jak said showing no indication of offering Keira anything from the crime boss.

"What? We don't see each other for seven years and then I drop by for a visit and you act like I'm about to poison you again." She said acting insulted.

Jak looked back at her coolly not falling for her.

"Alright. Let's just cut to business then." Rayn said finishing her drink and leaning forward. "I want you to come back and race for me, Jak."

"You're joking right?" Jak said leaning back in his seat and crossing his arms across his chest.

"No I'm very serious. Combat racing has become almost boring. There hasn't been anything new, fresh, and exciting in years. All of Mizo's boys ran away after his fall, we managed to convince the best racers to join our team, but they became old news fast. It really went bad after Razer was killed."

"Razer's dead?"

"Oh yeah. About three years ago. It was his last race before he re-retired and he had an unfortunate 'accident'." Jak knew from her tone is was a purposeful accident." He shattered both of his legs. I was trying to convince him to stick around for another season or two but you can't race without legs. So he went into permanent retirement for a few weeks. He was on heavy pain medication and they think he overdosed while drinking. Of course during the autopsy they found a rather large tumor in his lungs, so we really don't know what killed him."

"What a shame." Jak replied neutrally "I always knew those cigarettes would get to him one day."

"Yes. I suppose so. But what do you say Jak? Come back for one more Grand Prix? I'll make sure it's extremely beneficial for you. I could even work it out so Haven was included again. Imagine how it would help economically, and it would liven up the city a little. Add a little variation to the city life." She crossed her legs under the table and brushed her foot against Jak's leg.

"Well the city is doing fine on its own economically. In case you have forgotten, we own the largest eco mine and the most eco refineries which happen to supply half the eco used by Kras each year. We're doing quite fine without the trouble brought with Combat Racing. The last thing we need is more crime." Jak said ignoring her prodding foot.

"Oh now come on Jak. Combat racing isn't all crime." Rayn said moving her foot to caress Jak's leg.

"I don't think so Rayn." Jak said again.

"Jak what can I offer you to convince you to come and do one Grand Prix? Anything you want you can have. Think of it. You'll be like a returning hero. I've got young racers who tell me they want to race like you did. Jak, you're something completely different on the track. You're worshiped by the new racers. I remember when I was young people worshiped Blitz's father, and then they worshiped Blitz, then Razer. Nobody even thinks about them anymore. Everyone wants you, Jak. Think of the glory of returning to the track. Nobody will be able to touch you. You'll blow everyone out of the water and then to the moon. What do you say? One more season, for old time's sake." She said enticingly.

Jak was quiet for a moment. Rayn leaned back sure she had won. Jak thought over the possibility. There was a part of him who would have risen to the chance of racing again; a younger, more reckless part of him. God listen to me, I'm already sounding like an old man and I'm not even thirty. Then Jak heard Ike laugh from across the room. He turned his head slightly to look at this son sitting happily next to Torn watching Samos do "magic" with green eco. Then he looked back at Rayn, sitting across from him looking confident, almost smug. Jak hadn't realized how much he had changed in these past four years. Things that had seemed so important to him years ago now seem silly and pointless.

"No." he replied.

Rayn's confident smile faltered "No?" she said regaining her composure.

"You just don't get it, Rayn." Jak said "Look around you. What is everyone here celebrating? The birth of my daughters. Do you see that little boy across the room, with the blond and blue hair?" Jak pointed "That's my son. I have everything I could want here with me. You can't offer me anything that tops them. You're too late, Rayn. If you had asked me four years ago I probably would have said 'yes'. Now I have more important things to worry about than Combat Racing. I'm sorry you came so far out of your way for nothing." Jak slid out of the booth and stood up "Have a safe trip back to Kras. There's the door." Jak pointed to the door and walked away from the table.

Rayn's mind was in a flurry. She didn't say anything as Jak walked away. She just stared, her sharp eyes following him as he went back to Keira. She watched him as he gently held his daughter. Then she caught Ashelin's eye. The woman was staring at her, hard.

If looks could kill. Rayn thought lazily. She smoothly slid out of the booth and headed for the door giving the same aura of confidence as she had when she entered the bar. Jak had said no to a direct request, but she had other ways to get him to consider her offer. She walked out into the darkened Haven streets, and disappeared into the night.

"So? What did she want?" Keira asked anxiously when Jak returned.

"She was trying to convince me to race for her again." Jak said picking up Diana.

"And what did you say?" Keira demanded.

"I told her no. Did you really think I would have said yes? To go out there and risk my life when I would rather be here with you and the kids?"

"Yeah, well, I doubt that she's going to take no for an answer." Ashelin said turning back to the group. "The princess just left and she looked far from downtroden. I'd watch yourself, Jak. Who knows what kind of crap she'll use to try and convince you to change your mind."

"Don't worry. She's not going to convince me very easily." Jak said firmly.

"She better not!" Daxter spoke up "Oh if she tried anything … I'd like to convince her … "Daxter fumed "Remind me to not drink anything gifted to me, you never know what will be in it …."

"Calm down Dax. It was me she was after. I don't think she wants any of you guys back, just me."

"But why you?" Keira asked curiously "We all raced too and sometimes we were just as good as you."

"I know. That's the funny thing. We were a great team together, but she just wanted me. Something about all the new young racers wanting to race like me."

"Sounds like a load of Yak cow dung if you ask me." Sig said.

Suddenly Diana opened her mouth and cried softly. "She's probably hungry." Keira said holding her arms out. "I'll take her in the back and feed her. Then I'll come for Malena, she'll probably be awake and hungry in a few minutes."

"You don't have to go hide in the back, Keira." Daxter said "It's your party."

"That's okay, Dax. I'd rather not have everyone staring at me as I feed my daughter." She smiled as she walked through the door behind the bar.

"So…" Daxter began casually searching for a topic of conversation.

"Awww, let me see little Malena!" Tess suddenly exclaimed coming up from behind Daxter. She peered sappily at the sleeping infant "Oh she's just so precious!" she squealed. She walked over to Daxter and wrapped her arms around him "So cute, I want one." She murmured in Daxter's ear.

"Um, well… ahem Tessie. Baby, we can talk about that later." Daxter said uncertainly.

The friends just stood there for a few minutes. Sig held Malena gently as the infant woke up and started squirming.

"Oh look. They're almost out of little sandwiches on the buffet. I'll go get more." Tess said randomly jumping to a new subject.

"Hold on Tess." Daxter said grabbing hold of her arm and pulling her back "We have people hired to do that you know."

"Oh I know, but I just feel like doing something right now. I really don't mind." She said hopping off of the bar.

Daxter just stared after her confused. "Uh … okay then … whatever flies your zoomer."

Jak had to take a moment to compose himself after seeing Daxter's facial expression.

"You know, she's been a little off lately. I mean like her moods. She just swings from super happy and bubbly, to irritated, and anywhere in between. I wonder if it's something in the water …"

Jak had to look away to keep himself from laughing. He had seen this happen twice before.

"What do you think?" Daxter said turning to look at Jak and Sig.

"I couldn't tell you, Dax." Jak said innocently.

Daxter studied him. "You know something … You know what's up with Tess."

Jak shook his head trying to keep a neutral face. Next to him Sig cleared his throat and shifted Malena in his arms.

Daxter's eyes got wide "You don't think she's – No way! I didn't even think about that! TESS!" Daxter said leaping off of the bar to chase down his wife.

"So … what did I miss?" Keira said coming out of the back room with a happy Diana.

Jak and Sig shared a look and laughed. "It's more of a matter of what Daxter missed." Jak said between chuckles.

The End.

(Please see Authr's Note in Ch. 13)