A/N: Wow! Thanks to my reviewers once again. I got more from the last chapter than I expected. If I'm lucky, you'll like this chapter just as much.

I checked for errors and did spell-check. I still might have missed something. You're just gonna have to deal with it, sorry.

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To the following reviewers:

Von: tsk tsk tsk... Lol, I'm glad you enjoy it enough to check it out at work.

Jessica: Thank you very much! I'm doing what I can to keep it all understandable.

Demyrie: O-O !! Yes Ma'am!! I'll keep writing, if you wish, lol. Sorry for the lack of Jak/Dax but I've been planning on working more on that area soon.

Silver Draggon: I for one like cheese, but just for the sake of my grandmommy, I think I should update, eh?

Midnyte Wolf: I am hard on myself a lot, but to tell the truth, I AM enjoying my own story. I'm just concerned about others opinions as well. But I'm happy you like it.

Yami Kanisn: As long as I've captured your interest, that's all that matters, I guess, lol. Thanks!

CassieCats: Yes, yes! I'm goin', I'm goin'! .

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Disclaimer: Jak and Daxter and all related characters belong to N.D. because they're that much better than me. However, Novanya 'Snake' is my own creation.

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Jak was confused and angry all at the same time. He was tired and a little frustrated. And he wanted answers. Heck we both did.

So imagine my bewilderment when Jak... DIDN'T say anything to the Snake Lady, handing her the money and watching her flip through it, and acting as though nothing had happened.

Snake smiled at us, happy to find every last bill in her hands and she stuffed it into her pocket.

"Good work," She praised. "You've earned my trust."

That's great. Too bad she doesn't have mine.

"I think you two deserve a little break." Taking Jak's hand, she placed a small blue orb in his palm, and closed his fingers around it. "I don't have anything for you at the moment. So when that thing starts to go off, you two come back here."

Jak nodded and stuck the little rock into his tunic, turning to leave Snake in the shadows.

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"Jaaaak," I whined, but he already knew where I was headed.

"It might be better if we don't say anything just yet. We'll let things play out for a while and see where we end up."

And I'm just hanging on for the ride.

"Right, right. So where are we headed?"

"The race garage."

Oh joy. Sometimes I'd rather live in the sewers than go back to that place. Keira's always hitting on him every chance she gets, even though Jak still seems clueless to it all. He can be dense like that. She would somehow always manage to make everything about her, too. It was so annoying. I can remember back when we first met her in Sandover.

Our whole lives, Jak and I have always known Samos, but not until we were about four or five were we aware that he had a daughter. It was hard to imagine, too, since Keira was so pretty and Samos was so... not pretty. Her hair was still the same color it is today, only shorter and more tomboyish. Her stomach was always showing, it seems, and even as a young child, her body was attractive.

Wouldn't you know the first time we saw her, she was riding on a zoomer. A very sloppy zoomer, as a matter a fact; probably one she had made herself. Jak and I were doing one of our favorite things: nothing, just laying down and staring at the clouds as they passed by, occasionally pointing out one that looked like a particular something. The peace was broken when a loud buzz ran pass us and the grass and leaves around us fluttered wildly in the sudden wind.

Shaking my head to clear my vision, I licked my overbite and brought myself up to my feet. Asking Jak if he was alright would have been pointless at the time because he probably wouldn't have heard me, anyway. He was busy staring at the girl who had caused said gust of wind.

His eyes moved back and forth, following the young lady, and finally went wide as the girl headed straight for us. From behind Jak, I had my hands placed on his shoulders in attempt to let him know that was still there. I still existed.

I think I had a crush on him back then, too.

The girl on her zoomer didn't slow down as she came rushing towards us. At the last second, Jak leaped out of the way to safety, leaving me there to stare as the oncoming vehicle hit a rock and flipped into the air.

Oh-so-conveniently, the zoomer flew into me, knocking the wind out of me, and crushing me beneath its weight when it finally landed on top of me.

The girl landed on top of Jak...

"Oh...ahhh....A little help here, Jak," I pleaded as the zoomer kept me pinned to the dirt. My weak and scrawny arms reached out helplessly and clawed at the dirt in attempt to pull myself free.

"Jaaak!" I coughed, trying to keep air in my system as I tried fruitlessly to lift myself up, hoping that in the process, the zoomer would fall off my back, but I found I wasn't that strong and collapsed again. But it was okay 'Coz I figured Jak would come for me and help me out. 'Coz he always did. There was not a single time he did NOT come and save me, because he looked out for me all the time.

Except for this...one time.

My attempts to free myself ceased as I caught sight of Jak and the girl he was now lifting onto her feet. She bowed her head and blushed rigorously. Jak placed a hand on her shoulder and gave her a look. From my position I could read it:

'Are you alright?'

"I – I'm fine. But I feel so bad!" She tucked her head into her hands and softly cried. What pissed me off was that she didn't even bother to ask Jak if HE was ok. As she whimpered, Jak comforted her with pats on her back, as I continued my efforts. Eventually I sucked in my stomach and held my breath, dragging myself out from under the totaled zoomer and stood up, dusting myself off. I was unharmed, but a little hurt... at the same time.

All I could do was stare at them. The girl crying, Jak soothing her... and the complete lack of ME! I think it was at the moment I had officially realized my feelings for Jak. My heart raced and I could feel my face burning up and my tiny fist clenched. I never thought about the possibility of someone else walking into the picture.

Now that there WAS someone else...I was full-heartedly jealous. And angry. This chick was getting in the way of Jak and me. I took a second to breathe again and walked up to the pair.

As much as I disliked this girl putting a glitch in the friendship of Jak and myself, I couldn't let them onto my anger.

"Hey there." She lifted her head and she and Jak both looked at me. "Names Daxter. But you can call me Dax."

She didn't move or even blink. So I went on.

"This here is Jak." I leaned in and whispered in her ear. "Jak uh...doesn't talk much... Or at all for that matter, heh."

Her eyes flickered to Jak's innocent face.

"Jak," She said, testing the name. "Jak."

Jak brought a hand to his head and scratched nervously.

"Nice to meet you, Jak. I'm Keira," and they shook hands. I swallowed as I watched their hands connect, wondering what I had just done. I just introduced them...and it might have just ruined everything.

And now, every time I see her, I have this suppressed anger towards her. I've said before, I don't hate Keira, but I don't want her in the picture. Random pictures flash through my mind when I see her. Like the day we first met, when she gave us that special zoomer to go through the mountain pass, when we found that portal and they almost....kissed and I had to break them up before things got out of control for me, when we found her in the future at the race garage, when Haven City was at temporary peace and we were at the Naughty Ottsel and Jak had his hand around her tiny waist.

And sometimes I wonder, why do I even dream?

And I always think; why do I do this? Why do I act the way I do? Why am I me?

Then I always remember. Jak. I love Jak. He keeps me in check.

"Dax?"

Huh?

"I said, are you alright?"

I must not have heard him during my train of thought. Why had he asked me that, anyway? Probably because I let my guard down for a second. I went into deep thought and dropped my guard because of it, leaving myself vulnerable and easy to read. And Jak took that opportunity and read me. He flipped through all my pages.

"'Course. Everything's... fine," I assured him, trying to add a little spice to my tone.

After that, Jak let it go, and I found we had already arrived at the race garage. Jak's face was solemn and distracted. It was my turn to worry.

"Jak, buddy. Is there anything botherin' YOU?"

He looked up at me from his sleepy expression and gave me a warm smile.

"Don't worry about anything," He said.

My ears sunk down and plastered themselves to my head. Why wouldn't he tell me? He usually told me everything. Everything! But... if not now, maybe he would tell me later? After all, I AM his best friend; the one he can tell ANYTHING to. So I chucked the matter and saved it for a rainy day.

Sitting down on one of the work benches, I was enjoying the company we were keeping for each other. That is until little Miss Perfect came struttin' through the curtain in all of her splendor.

"Hey, Jak," She beamed, waving at him with a wrench in her hand.

"Hey," He responded, and Keira froze, pondering.

"Something the matter?" She inquired.

Heh, but she might as well forget it, because there's NOTHING he would tell YOU that he wouldn't tell ME! So don't even bother tryin' to butter him up, 'coz it ain't gonna work.

"Well..."

Well? I know that tone. He wasn't actually gonna spill to her, was he? Before me? Before his best friend? He was gonna tell HER over ME!? My shoulders sunk, but nobody seemed to notice. My jaw dropped slightly, but nobody seemed to noticed. My eyes cast themselves downwards, but nobody seemed to notice.

I was in the room, sitting right next to Jak, ready to comfort him, be there for him, to listen to him... but nobody seemed to notice.

Keira rummaged in her back pocket and pulled out an oily rag. Tossing it to me; it landing on the floor in front of me since I was too shocked to realize that I was supposed to actually catch it, she pulled Jak to his feet and gave me a neutral expression.

"Daxter, why don't you go spruce up my latest zoomer behind the green curtain over there? We'll only be a minute."

What was I supposed to say? 'Don't pull any moves on Jak or I'll have to pull a few moves myself?'

I can't believe Jak was confiding in KEIRA of all people. Over ME!!! After all she's done to him?

'The Jak I knew, wouldn't be working for a guy like Krew'

'Jak! You look.... Different'

Blah, blah, BLAH!

Picking up the rag, but keeping my eyes nailed on Keira, wondering all the possibilities of why Jak would go to her first, why he would so openly and readily tell her what was on his mind, she gently shooed Jak into the next room, shutting the curtain behind her. Jak was hard to open, you had to gain his trust first. Like me, who has been there the whole time, BEFORE her. Before anyone else came into the picture.

Somehow I found myself padding over to the zoomer and hopping on top of it. Bringing the rag down onto its surface, I started to rub it mindlessly. My ottsel ears perked up; trying to pick up any words I could from the other side of the room.

I could hear them whispering, but I couldn't make out any of the words they were saying. I leaned a little closer, almost falling off the zoomer in the process but still couldn't hear a thing. My head lowered and I continued to scrub the vehicle.

I had a pang of something in my chest. I was unsure what it was. It could have been betrayal, but I love Jak too much to go to that option just yet. I want to say rage and maybe a little grief? I just can't get over the fact that he would go to her so fast and leave...

And leave me behind.

Maybe.... Maybe he DOES like Keira. Maybe he likes her enough to trust her with his personal thoughts and feelings more than he does me? If that was the case, then what was to become of us? Of Daxter and Jak? The partners in crime that were always together?

Argh, I don't want to even think of that possibility.

I had given up on eavesdropping. I vetoed the idea of walking over to the curtain and listening because with my luck, they would come back out just as I got there and find me trying to snoop. I really wouldn't care if Keira got mad at me, but I don't want to break Jak's trust in any way shape or form.

Besides, I can't let them know how much I cared that this was happening.

During these thoughts, I had been rubbing the same spot on the zoomer for a lengthy amount of time now. When my brain snapped back into reality, I tossed the rag aside, wondering why I actually did as Keira asked of me and scrubbed her stupid zoomer. What was so different about this zoomer that made it so special from all the others, anyway? It seems that every time I meet up with her, she has a new SOMETHING that she's working on.

I looked down at the spot I had been working on, and saw my reflection looking back at me. For the first time in my life, I noticed how sad, abandoned, and outright lost I looked when Jak was not around. When he was off with Keira. When Keira was soaking in all the trust and friendship that was mine; the trust and friendship that I had earned so long ago.

Just for an hour or so. It's not that long. I'm going for a walk. I need to clear my head. It's alright, though.

As long as Keira's around to saturate in all of his attention, he won't even notice I'm gone until I actually get back.