Lizzy: ***walks into room reading strategy guide for Jak 2*** Oh hello! Welcome back to my story. This time I've conceived Daxter to help me with the disclaimer. ***walks over to closest and opens it. Doesn't look at an angry Jak and Torn, and pulls a gag Daxter out*** Hello, Daxter! Have a nice sleep?
Daxter: ***groggily holds head and looks around*** wha… where am I? What did you put in my drink, Lizzy? My head hurts like a bi—
Lizzy: ***puts hands on hips and glares***
Daxter: scuit? ***stands up in boy form***
Lizzy: ***smiles sweetly*** Daxter remember when you told me that you weren't saying my disclaimer because I made you get captured by the demon who originally was a boy? Thus, making you kinda gay and you don't swing that way?
Daxter: ***eyes Lizzy suspiciously*** yeah…
Lizzy: ***still smiles*** Well, if you and Tess ever want to have children together I suggest you read this note card. ***hands Daxter the note card and when Daxter doesn't read it, brings out Torn's knife thingy***
Daxter: ***gulps*** isn't that Torn's? Where'd you get it?
Lizzy: ***smile tightens*** do you really want to find out?
Daxter: ah… no. ***reads note card*** Okay, Lizzy does not own Jak 2 or Buffy the Vampire Slayer or the lyrics from 'Once More, With Feeling'. They belong to Naughty Dog Inc. and Joss Whedon. Now on with the chapter! ***drops note card and runs away***
Lizzy: ***places knife back in waist belt*** And now some thank-yous! ***pause*** Or should I say a lot of thank-yous?
Robin C (yes, Torn is hot isn't he? ***drool***) kiz (***sighs*** yes, don't we all wish Jak would proclaim his love?) Squabbit (Ah, the power of the writer! I can make two Jak's! Aren't ye jealous? Oh and Daxter is older and hotter. I'll leave you're imaganition to the rest) nobinoir22 (***bows*** why thank you =P) Li Kenta (I'm glad you enjoyed my portrayals) Azzi Vile (Thanks for the site ***pets plushie*** ah, does it bite?) Daheim (well, we can't have you having seizures now can we? Ohhh and I love your fic! I just haven't gotten around to reviewing it. Lazy me!) LombaxLover (***tear*** Awesomeness in a can? That is so NICE!!! The funny never stops with me!) DarkJakLuver&Tora (***giggles*** you know I've never had someone worship me. I think I'm getting power-high ***evil laughter***) Angeles Erare (thank you! I support Jak/Keira all the way! It's so obvious they love each other!) Miyuki (I couldn't resist putting Daxter as Dawn! They have somethings in comman!) kizna1200 (ahhh, combustion ***sighs*** how I loath you and yet…)
Keep on reviewing you guys! Now on with chapter four! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter Four- The Way, Staying, and FireKeira walked into the weapon's factory a few miles from the Naughty Ottsel. She hadn't been able to get her mind off Jak. Something was really bothering him and she wanted to know what it was.
That and it hurt her to know that Jak thought she didn't love the man he had become. How could he not see that she loved him, the Jak he was today, more then the boy he had once been. The innocent Jak was the counter part of the innocent Keira she had been. The Jak of today was the counterpart to the Keira she was now.
And she was still a little ticked off at him. He couldn't just walk out on her, saying to never see or bother him again. There was something between them whether he liked it or not. If he didn't want it that was fine with her, but he couldn't walk out on it until they talked about.
She had gone over to the Naughty Ottsel, telling herself she needed to talk to Jak. She needed to tell him what she felt and she needed to find out what was wrong with him. She needed to try to bring him out of the coldness he seemed locked in.
But Jak hadn't been there. Torn had explained that Jak had gotten frustrated with all this research when he had came back to the Naughty Ottsel and had gone to the Gun Range only a few miles away to keep busy. He also wanted to be ready to face this enemy.
So here Keira was.
She felt a little silly, chasing after him, but something inside of her knew that if she let him go he'd be lost forever. She needed to draw him into the light.
The metal door protecting the shooting range opened and Keira stepped into dirt covered floor of the shooting range. Jak was in the middle of the room, checking his Blaster Gun and Vulcan Fury Gun. He didn't look up at her though she saw his back stiffen.
"What do you want?" Jak snapped and Keira almost lost her nerve, but then he turned towards her and she saw the weariness, the tiredness, in his eyes and her determination was resolved.
"I… I was… worried about… about you." She stammered. She hadn't realized it before but Jak was very intimidating, since he was taller than her, buffer than her and very, very male.
Jak looked down into her green eyes and laughed harshly, "I doubt it." he said and turned back to his gun.
Don't get angry, Keira ordered herself as her fists clenched, don't get angry, "No, really, Jak. You're so cold and distant all of a sudden. I'm—"
"I don't have time for this." Jak said and placed ammo into his Blaster Gun, "I have training to do, Keira, and you're just standing in the way."
"Standing in the way…" Keira whispered as Jak walked to one of the two doors in the shooting range. One opened and Jak stepped into it. Without thinking Keira followed with sad, sad eyes.
"You're not ready for the world outside." Keira began as Jak started to fire his gun, "You keep pretending but you just can't hide. I know I said that I'd be standing by your side. But I…"
Jak didn't hear Keira's softly sung song as he aimed at the wooden dummy and destroyed it with one blast. Keira watched all this and continued to sing, "Your path's unbeaten and it's all uphill. And you can meet it but you never will. And I'm the reason you're standing still. But I…"
Jak was flipping and rolling, now. Feinting to the left, dodging to the right as the wooden posters of enemies popped up from the holes in the ground. He didn't take notice of Keira as she followed him. His face was set, his mouth grim. He gritted his teeth every now and then when a poster popped out of the ground unexpectedly.
"I wish I could say the right words to lead you through this land." Keira went on, never taking her eyes off of Jak, "Wish I could play the lover and take you by the hand. I wish I could stay here but now I understand I'm standing in the way."
Keira wished desperately that she could rush to Jak and threw her arms around his neck. She wished she could chase away him demons. She wished she could unfreeze his soul.
"I wish I could lay your arms down and let you rest at last. Wish I could shoot your Metal Heads but now that time has passed." Keira cocked her head to the sky as she followed the noise Jak's gun was making, "Wish I could stay here, your light standing fast. But I'm standing in the way."
Jak finished his rounds at last and exited the shooting range, with Keira following quietly behind. But tears were running down her cheeks. She felt so helpless and weak. She couldn't melt the ice around his heart. The one time when it counted, she couldn't come up with a plan. She sniffled.
Jak heard her now and, surprised that she hadn't left, turned to her and looked at her softly. He moved towards her and brushed away a tear from her cheek, "Keira…?" he said softly.
"I'm just standing in the way." Keira finished on a whisper.
Jak couldn't seem to take his eyes away from her. In even in tears, she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. The light in his life. His hands, as if acting on their own accord, lifted from his sides and his gun clattered to the ground. He reached out and gripped her arm and pulled her an inch closer, another inch, three inches.
"Keira, I—" Jak said, yearning to tell her what was in his heart.
"JAK!" For at least the third time, Jak and Keira' romantic interlude was interrupted by someone. This time it was a pale faced Tess. She rushed into the room so panicked, so worried, that she didn't take notice of the tension in the room.
Jak let go of Keira's arm and turned towards Tess. Keira lowered her head and felt a new emotion take over her. A coldness.
"What is it, Tess?" Jak asked, a little angry that she had interpreted them.
"It's Daxter!" Tess cried, "Samos got a note saying a woman called Sweet has him and that she's the demon who's causing everyone to sing! She says she going to take Daxter away to her world after this one is destroyed."
"To the Naughty Ottsel!" Jak cried and grabbed his gun from the floor. Tess nodded and ran from the door. Jak looked back at Keira, who had her back turned to him, and then ran out of the door.
Keira shivered from coldness but she knew it wasn't because the room was cold. She was cold. Bone cold. She turned towards the door, no tears on her face, no emotion at all.
~~**~~
Everyone— Ashlin, Torn, Brutter, Samos, Sig, Tess, Jak and Keira— assembled in the Naughty Ottsel for an emergency conference. The pub was closed for the night, for days if necessary. They all filled into the chairs at the bar and when there wasn't enough Jak and Torn stood, looking grim.
Keira sat besides Tess, patting her back as she began to cry softly. But on Keira' face there was no emotion. She stared off, lost in her own void. Samos looked at Keira sadly. He opened his mouth to as what was wrong, but Keira shook her head. Ashlin and Brutter were talking in low voices, possibly about using a balloon to scout the area.
Sig stood and handed Jak a white slip of paper, saying, "Tess got this a few minutes ago. It's from some chick named Sweet."
Jak took it and read the words, Torn reading over his shoulder. The letter introduced a demon named Sweet, who had the ability to make people sing out their innermost feelings. It went on to explain that she was drawn to this place by all the suppressed emotions of people, Daxter's especially. Sweet explained that she planned to make all of Haven City's inhabitants go 'poof' and then hightail it back to her world, only with Daxter as her king.
"Why would anyone want Daxter?" Torn said after reading the note and backed away as Tess raised her head from Keira's shoulder to glare at him.
"What do we do? The furball's in real trouble this time." Samos said, and patted Tess on the back, "But if I know Daxter, he'll be alright."
"The first course of action," Ashlin said as she moved from Brutter, "would be to locate this Sweet's hideout and go after him, full force."
"YEAH!" Sig agreed, "I haven't used the Peace-maker in so long! I think she's starting to feel neglected."
Brutter nodded, "Brutter get Lurker people to help! We charge in and make Sweet go 'poof'!"
"I think we need to research on this Sweet character more." Samos said, "Now that we know what her name is, finding out about her should be no problem."
"Daxter… Daxter doesn't… doesn't have that much TIME!" Tess wailed and moved away to sit in the corner of the bar to think to herself.
"No," Jak said and stood, glaring at each one of them, "none of you are fighting. I'm doing this alone." He turned to the door.
"Don't be stupid!" Torn snapped, "It's a demon. It's had supernatural powers! How are you going to fight it?" His eyes narrowed with challenge.
Jak looked at Torn harshly and said in an equally harsh tone, "Back off, Torn. I don't need you to help me. I've never needed you help me."
Torn crossed arms over his chest and snarled, "Fine. I didn't give a damn whether or not you live. In fact, I hope you fry."
"Thanks." Jak said, baring his teeth. Then he stood and marched away.
"Asshole." Torn muttered and he too stormed away, but in the opposite direction of Jak.
Ashlin rolled her eyes and looked at Keira and Tess saying, "Arrogant male pride. Torn and I will be back and then we can think of a plan, whether Jak likes it or not."
Sig shook his head, "How can Jak do that to me? He knows I've been itching to use the Peace-maker. Well, I'm going to get it anyway. I miss my baby."
As Sig walked out of the Naughty Ottsel, Brutter turned to Keira and said, "Brutter will go find Lurker friends, just in case. Brutter will be back in short time, you see." He then hunched over and ran from the bar.
Samos, Keira and Tess were the only ones left now. Samos looked between the two women. One with a face of angst and the other one of nothing. He could feel their sorrow, their grief, and he didn't like it. He muttered something about needing to go to the little sage's room and hurried out of the back door.
Tess lowered her head into her folded arms and fought back more tears. Why did everything have to fall apart now? She had just fallen in love, had just received love. Why did Daxter have to taken away? Why didn't he tell her what was bothering him so much instead of hide it in himself and causing all this pain.
Tess raised her head and looked at the door, "I'm under your spell. God, how can this be? Forever gone from my memory. You know I've been through hell. Daxter, don't you see? There'll be nothing left of me. You made me believe…"
Keira lowered her eyes as she heard Tess's soft song and she couldn't help her own words, "Believe me I don't want to go."
The two women looked at one another in mutual understanding. They suffered for their men, whether they wanted to or not. In perfect harmony they sang, "And it'll grieve me 'cause I love you so. But we both know…"
"Wish I had the right words." Keira said sorrowfully, standing from her chair.
"Wish I could trust it was just this once." Tess added, also standing from her seat and walking over to Keira.
"To lead you through this land." Keira sang to Tess, feeling or hoping that the young blonde would understand what was going on within her.
Tess nodded, to let Keira knew she understood where she was coming from, "But I must do what I must."
"Wish I could play the lover—"
"I can't adjust to this sorrow."
"—and take you by the hand."
"We're done and I just—"
Keira and Tess took each other hands to offer some sort of condolence to one another. Knowing that there was someone else also suffering helped a little, "—wish I could stay." They sang together.
"Here." Keira added softly.
"Wish I could stay." Tess said looking to out at the door again, wishing and hoping that Daxter would walk through it. But he wouldn't; not until he was saved.
"Wish I could stay." Keira agreed, thinking of Jak. She felt so cold without him. He drawn away from her and now she had nothing to keep her warm. The thought of that made her trembling.
Finally the song broke and their hands parted. Keira and Tess looked at one another, coming to a silent agreement, as Samos walked in. He looked between them and saw the light in their eyes that meant they had plan.
"Find everyone, Daddy." Keira said, "Jak is not doing this alone."
~~**~~
Jak walked down the streets of the Slums of Haven City. He knew he should go after Daxter and kill Sweet but he wasn't ready yet. He knew where they were, something inside him just knew, but another something wouldn't let him do so. Something was holding him back.
And it wasn't Keira.
Jak regretted those words, more then he could say. He hadn't meant them and when he saw the tears rolling down her cheeks he had felt like the scum of the Earth. No lower then the scum of the Earth. But he felt dead inside. He couldn't seem to tell her that he wasn't sure if he could be the man she deserved. He didn't want to hurt her.
I'm so cold, Jak thought and shivered. Inside and out. All I want is Keira and her warmth. But will she give it to me if I ask her? After all I've said to her, I won't be surprised if she doesn't. I wouldn't.
To try to warm himself, Jak walked over to a trashcan that was burning with fire from the less fortunate people who had to sleep on the streets. He raised his hands over the fire and was still cold. In fact, his shivers worsened.
"I touch the fire and it freezes me. I look into it and it's black. Why can't I feel? My skin should crack and peel. I want the fire back." Jak song and watched as the fire swirled and twirled. Then through it he saw an image. Daxter sitting in a plush chair looking afraid with a red-skinned woman laughing in front of him.
"Now through the smoke he calls to me. To make my way across the flame. To save the day or maybe melt away. I guess it's all the same." I'm ready, Jak thought powered by the song. He was now ready to face Sweet.
"So I will walk through the fire. 'Cause where else can I turn?" Jak sang as he marched down the streets, moving towards Sweet's hideout in Main Town, "I will walk through the fire. And let it—"
Meanwhile, at the Naughty Ottsel tensions were high. Everyone, Torn, Ashlin, Sig, Tess, and Samos had agreed with Keira when she had said that they couldn't let Jak do this on his own. Whether he liked it or not they were needed. But they were all afraid that Jak would be angry. They didn't forget that he was Dark Jak. That he could become that thing. But everyone loved Jak, in one way or another, and none were willing to let him die.
"The torch he bares is scorching him." Torn sang, groaning as deeply. He had long ago decided to give up trying to fight it and just try to get it over as quickly as possibly and then pretend it had never happened, "Jak's lost it, I've no doubt. I hope he fries! I'm the star if that ass dies!" Both Ashlin and Keira glared at him and Torn shrugged with an aggravated sigh, "I guess we'd better go help him out."
Across town, Sweet leered down at Daxter and the young man pushed himself deep into the soft chair, groaning at the very thought marrying her. He was starting to feel ill and he hoped Jak got here soon before the actual wedding got underway.
"'Cause he is drawn to the fire. Some people—" Sweet sang.
"He will—" Torn sang to his friends as they watched him, all feeling their own singing verse coming.
"Never learn." Both Torn and Sweet sang at the same time, though they were not in the same room, "And he will walk through the fire. And let it—"
Keira watched as Torn sang and looked away. She sang softly to herself, "Will this do anything to change him? Is Jak leaving Daxter in danger? Is my love to far gone to care?"
Sig looked around at everyone with almost worried eyes. In his hands he clutched the Peace-maker, "What if Jak can't defeat it alone?"
Samos shook his head, though he hated to admit it both, Sig and Keira were right. If Jak didn't manage to defeat, then they had to fight, "Sig is right, we're needed. Or… we could just sit around here and glare."
Everyone— Tess, Ashlin, Keira, Torn, Sig and Samos— looked around at one another in agreement, "We'll see it through." They sang together as they hopped off their chairs and exited the bar, "It's what we're always here to do. So we will walk through the fire!"
Jak walked down the streets to Main Town, feeling alone and almost lost, "So one by one they turn from me. I guess my friends can't face the cold."
"What can't we face—" Tess song on the opposite side of town.
"But why I froze, not one of them wants to know." Jak cried to the night.
"—if we're together?" Tess finished.
"And never will know." Jak shivered from his own cold.
"He came from the nest much graver." Ashlin pointed out as their grouped neared Sweet's hideout. In the distance they could see the red glow of her power.
Sweet patted Daxter's spiky head while singing, "So one by one they come to me…"
"First she'll kill him, then we'll save him!" Torn said and everyone glared at him and he shrugged, "What? I'm not singing by choice, you know."
"Everything is turning out so dark!" Tess sang to Keira, who nodded her head in agreement.
"The distance redness is their guide." Sweet sang as she felt them near her and Daxter. She licked her lips and Daxter almost barfed.
"Going through the motions." Jak sang as he reached the entrance to Main Town.
"No, we'll save him then I'll kill him and become the star!" Torn sang and Ashlin hit him on the head, "Ow what was that for?"
"That single flame ain't what they had in mind." Sweet pointed out to Daxter who looked around when he felt the urge to sing.
"I think this line is mostly filler!" Daxter sang and when he saw he wasn't going to be singing anymore he growled, "That's it!?"
"Walking through the part." Jak sang.
"What's it going to take to strike a spark?" Keira wondered softly as they reached Sweet's house.
"It's what they have inside." Sweet sang mostly to herself.
"These endless days," Jak told himself, "are finally ending in a blaze."
"He will come to me." Sweet finished her part.
Ashlin, Torn, Keira, Tess, Samos and Sig looked at one another before singing, "And we are caught in the fire. The point of no return. So we will walk through the fire! And let it burn."
"Let it burn…"
"Let it burn…"
"Let it burn…"
Together, the ones who loved Jak pushed open the door to meet Sweet and try to save Daxter from a terrible fate.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lizzy: AHHHHHH! Cliffhanger! Don't you just hate those? I know I do! ***grins*** But I'm sure most of you know what's going to happen next so many it's not a great cliffhanger. Anywho, the next chapter is the last. Am I going to get Jak and Keira together? And how will Tess react to Daxter in elf form? Why am I asking you this?
Daxter: ***wide eyes*** what do you mean? There's a probability that she WON'T like me? God, why Lizzy! WHY!?
Lizzy: ***throws head back laugh*** MWHAAAAA!!
Daxter: ***back away from Lizzy*** Ah, Lizzy, did you get into the sugar again? You know you aren't supposed to have that after nine.
Lizzy: ***licks sugar off her fingers*** I don't know what you're talking about.
Daxter: Okay, I'm going gonna… you know… bye! ***runs out of the room***
Lizzy: As Krew as he died— good riddance to that fat biotch!— oh well… ***grabs bag of sugar and begins to eat*** until next time people REVIEW ***eyes got glassy*** hehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehe