A/N: Life is still down and out, but what else is new? Don't you all worry though, 'coz I REFUSE to let it interfere with Loud Silence. As always, thanks to all of my readers and reviewers for sticking it out with me. Your reward is a new chapter! Wooo!

Once AGAIN, this is another chapter I don't take too much of a liking too, but people usually tend to like the chapters that I hate, so I'll just see what happens. Just so you know, and if you aren't the type of person who reads the A/N's, you should read this: This is a fairly important chapter! Things get sort of tied together and things start to make a little more sense. So yaaaay. Everybody say it with me now: "NOW WE'RE GETTING SOMEWHERES!" But really, try to pay attention to this chapter.

And bah, this is the end of Part I!!! Part I, people! Whew, seemed like it took me forever to get this far. Anyway, depending on what I decide to stick into the story and what I decide to keep out, I dunno if this story will last for 2 or 3 parts. It really depends on my planned content and how long I drag on in some parts, and I could always change my mind about something, though the plot is somewhat confusing in some parts. Don't get all huffed up, though, it's not a sure thing, yet. Just giving you a heads up. I'll fill you when I know for sure.

Oh yeah, and I'm updating so soon because I'm gonna be out of commission for about two or three weeks because I won't be having any access to a computer. So I hope this'll be enough for you all until then, and I'll get updating again as soon as I get the chance. But I did leave you all an interesting cliffhanger. But don't let that discourage you from reviewing!!! I'll still be checking my e-mail at school for them!

Also!!! I've gone through this thing with a fine comb, and fixed everything I could, but don't be surprised if there's still a mistake or two. For some reason, when I post stuff, some of the words get stuck together. I dunno what to do about that so until I do, you're just gonna have to ignore it.

So!

Thank you to all of my precious reviewers:

Cin-min: Whew. It's a good thing you are able to wait for chapters to come! Usually by now I have a bunch of reviewers with sticks just waiting for me to let my guard down! Hope you didn't have to wait TOO long for this chapter, and either way, I hope it was worth the wait. Coz I tried, I really did.

Manicalpha: Haha, sexy furless. Or so we all hope. Or so we all REALLY hope, to be more accurate. Uhhh, I don't really know about a freak accident bumping Keira off the stage, but I know what you mean about it. She kinda puts a dent on the scene, BUT that's just my opinion.

thebigouch: It's ALWAYS nice to know that people are taking the effort to click the review button and type up a review, even if it's just a really small and direct one. Flattered to know I have your attention, and even more so to see that I made your favorites list. Thanks!

ChronoClockXVII: Well… Daxter's sadness isn't really a… GOOD thing, but I know what you're talking about! All of the fans out there know as well, that torture is the ultimate entertainment. Physical or mental. You know... like the mental torment I like you see you all go through when I leave a good cliff hanger here and there.

Demyrie: Thanks so much, love, for the long review, and I hope I repaid the gesture with my review of JAM, which again, was awesome. I'm always so contented to know that you think the lines I give to Daxter are 'Daxter worthy' and I'll be writing to you when I get back to my Mom's or if I ever get the chance in school!! Coz where did that stop? GLOMP!!

B.U.G.I.M.S: Rise, my dear reviewer, there is no need to bow. I fully and 100 percent agree with you on the first person POV comment. I can't imagine writing a multiple chapter story without jumping into someone's head. I think I'm so used to it coz I have a journal, but yeah, it totally puts you in the story.

Nikki: Thank you very much. I hope you enjoy this chapter, and don't forget to review again! I like reviews. They make me happy, yes they do. And the more I get, the faster my fingers go. (snicker)

Jira: Yes the human body is a very expressive thing, but we misuse it a lot, it seems. Daxter is actually pretty smart about a lot of things such as this, but he never gets the credit he deserves. And who DOESN'T love the way Jak cares about Daxter? It's just too cute to ignore. Hope you didn't have to wait too long.

Robin C: It's cool to know that you would take the time to actually come back to review! I actually have a small hope that this story may just spark at least a small interest in JakDaxter yaoi for you, 'coz it's really something.

Katy: Aww, thanks hun. I'm really happy to know people that reading ALL. OF. THAT. And then reviewing. That's a lot read, hun, so thanks for your time. It means a lot to me, and I hope you like this chapter just as much. I'm also flattered you think I'm a ''damn good writer' cuz it puts a smile on my face.


--


Of all the places I expected him to go, I never thought that the sewers would be it. I had actually anticipated going to Snake's, and then him demanding answers from her nibble-happy little face. But the sewers were coming into view and I slumped where I was, getting sick and tired of coming back to this place more times than I find necessary.

But I didn't say a thing about it even as the door hissed open and Jak jetted inside, whipping out his gun as he did so. For such a familiar scene, I could never shoo the butterflies away that always found it crucial to flutter around to the point of making me sick whenever he hauled that thing around with him. The way he handled it showed that he knew what he was doing, but the creepy part was the way he stroked it like a loving pet that he refused to leave behind. I sometimes get the feeling that if I never existed, that gun would be taking my place. Then again, if I never existed, we probably wouldn't even be here right now, doing what we do. After all, I was the one who talked Jak into going to Misty Island way back. I was also the one who couldn't make him turn back when I had realized just how scary the place was to me. And if it wasn't for all of that, I never would have come back looking like this, and Jak never would have set out on that stupid journey to change me back and badda bing, badda boom, it ends up sprawling us here, in a city of no hope. That's just the short version, too. On the other hand, Samos is always yapping on about fate and destiny, so I sometimes find myself wondering if Jak was meant to be doing this from day one.

I shook my head as Jak rounded another corner. I could almost see him mentally drawing out a map as he went along, trying to remember the way we had taken before, and retracing those steps. Every once and a while he would pause and look around to get a feel of his surroundings, and then would quickly recoup his few lost seconds and keep going. We eventually made it to the point of going down the ladder, which meant that we were close to the cluster of cronies, which is not where I wanted to be or what I wanted to deal with right now. Not now. But who was I to spoil Jak's fun, and who was I to tell him what to do? And who was I to grab that gun of his and shoot these damn fluttery feelings in my guts, clawing from the insides of my belly.

I puffed out my cheeks in a mocked barf, and rolled my eyes as Jak came into view with the bunch of white coated, sun deprived loons. He didn't bother hiding or sneaking up on any of them. In fact, he wanted to be seen, and it proved effective, since every living thing except for me in that section of the sewers stopped what they were doing to stand in place and stare at the brute that had broken into their 'secret' society not once, but for a total count of two times. I let my eyes travel to the side, where Jak was bearing an amused, toothy grin while he took a few steps forward, completely entertained by their united reaction.

"Relax," he assured them. "I just wanna know a thing or two."

I was tempted to slap the bug guy right across the face right then and there. Did he really expect these guys to take time out of their busy day to listen to him after he gunned them all down and injured some of their employees not too long ago?

Amazingly, they listened.

"Why are you making Light Eco?" He kept his gun pointed at the group, for obvious safety reasons, and gestured toward a nearby pile of jars filled with a white glow with a wave of his hand.

One of the guys closest to us, the same one that I had assumed to be the leader last time we were down here, cracked a wry grin, and even chuckled a little bit. Some of his group behind him joined in, nervously, unsure if they were taking the best course of action. The man who I had indirectly dubbed the leader started to laugh harder and longer, and even raised his hand to his stomach to fruitlessly repress his growing mirth and delight.

"Hahaha," he wiped a fake tear from his eye, over exaggerating his amusement. I bit my lower lip simply because at the time, there was nothing better to do. "Light Eco! Haha!"

Jak gave him a moment to settle down, but when he didn't I could have sworn I saw his eye twitch once. Or twice. He cocked his gun, the clicking enough to shut the guy up already and they were listening to him as he grabbed a jar from the pile and held it up in the air. He shook it violently, making sure they knew what he was talking about.

"That's what this is, right!?" He eyed them all, nailing them to the ground. "Light Eco?"

This time, his lesson learned, he did not laugh. Instead he took a single step forward and cleared his throat, apparently ready to compromise, or at least pretending to.

"You already took some of our stock. What more do you want?"

I'm sure Jak might have taken him seriously if the used some kind of voice deepener or maybe worked out a bit to get something worth showing off. But Jak never flinched at his snappy remark, and wasn't in the mood for mind games.

"Is this Light Eco or not?"

"Well, it… kind of yes… kind of… no… it…"

I was losing more and more of what little respect I had for this guy, when he went from being the spokesperson for the rest of his clan to a stuttering idiot that was stumbling all over his own words. And his voice was so irritatingly brain wrenching, it was only a matter of time before I cracked.

"It's a yes or no question, genius."

It was silent for a mere second, for I had somehow actually accomplished closing his mouth, and he straightened out his coat before going on.

"Light Eco is probably one of the rarest things a person can ever find in these times. Since this is the case, I figured it would be a smart move to take advantage of the situation," he broke off and looked at Jak. "It's a long story, and rather complicated. You might-"

"I didn't tell you to stop."

"U-uh, uh, well, it took some time, but with the help of our boss, we found a pure sample of real Light Eco. It was amazing to see, untouched and wholesome. It was difficult to get into out hands without spoiling it but we eventually got it down here to the lab."

"Who's your boss?"

"Don't worry about that," he seemed defensive. "He's not with us anymore. He drew out a map to the location where he found the Light Eco. Unfortunately, before we could use it, he passed away, and the map was buried with his body. Even with the boss' death, we carried out his plans and using the Light Eco we had found, made duplicates."

"Duplicates?"

"They aren't the Light Eco we original we took it from. They lack the chemicals and materials that the actual eco has. So all it is… is a copy. Deceiving, isn't it? Looks like the real thing."

I could see Jak's eyes flutter in discovery. He was putting together the same puzzle as myself at that moment, mentally connecting the man at the Pumping Station, the piece of paper that we retrieved at the graveyard, and most of all, why the eco didn't work. I was connecting this new bit of information as best as I could, but it was all coming in so fast, it was hard to keep track. And the guy kept going like his mouth didn't have an off switch, with some encouragement from Jak of course, who never once let his gun rest as his side.

"So… Why are you making replicas? What's the point?"

"Since Light Eco is so rare, people are willing to give a decent price for it. Possessions… Money… Anything that might interest us at the time. Selling fake Light Eco is a great way to make a profit in the underground market. We gain so much and we lose nothing!"

"Who buys?"

"A lot of people buy, namely the more greedy and selfish people in this sad excuse of a city. They buy it, and sell it again for a higher price to make their own income. It's a simple process; we're just at the top of the food chain. I'll admit, however… Business as of late has been a little slow. Even from our most frequent buyer."

He beamed, proud of the scheme. Jak was not yet satisfied.

"Who's that?"

"She has a reputation for being cunning and evil, with a scary resemblance of a snake. Which is where she got her name from, no doubt! Snake-"

That name coming from his thin lips crept into my mind and glued itself there, repeating over and over in my head until I was SURE that he was talking about the one and only SNAKE, the one that me and Jak had been doing dirty deeds for. My nose twitched in suspicion and shame. How could I not see it before?

"-has bought from us on more than one occasion, selling it for large amounts of money, I hear, and giving us artifacts and gems in return. However, she tricked us not too long ago, and somehow stole some Light Eco from us, the REAL Light Eco, we thought, preventing us from making any more fakes. Probably for her own self-seeking use and gain, the wench!"

"Then what happened?"

"Well, we sent out one of our best men to salvage it. And as embarrassing as it was, after he left, we found that we were mistaken, and she had really taken one of the fakes. But she still took it without a payment, and there's nothing I hate more than dishonesty!"

"That's real funny," I spurted out of nowhere. "Considering you're the one packaging lies and selling them to people!"

"You make a good point, however-"

"What… happened to the guy you sent out to get back your supply?" Jak interrupted us both, taking the attention off of me and back on the important subject, and the reason we were here in the first place.

"He…" His once boastful expression turned into a saddened one, but he answered all the same. "He never came back."

"By any chance, was this guy wearing a cloak?"

The man pushed his thick glasses up with a steady index finger and stared at us, entranced with our question. He was alert now, and was careful when he opened his mouth. "Yes… Yes he was. How did you know?"

Everything finally made sense. And it was all pretty easy once you thought about it long enough. So Snake gets fake eco from these dorks and then sells it. And one day takes some without payment, causing the sewer creeps to steal it back, which triggered our hunt and destroy mission before. And it was all so stupid at the same time, because most of these things that have been happening… was all a misunderstanding. A mistake that led to minimal chaos. And Jak and I had somehow found ourselves right smack dab in the middle of it. You think that since these guys were such geniuses, they would be able to figure out sooner that they still had the REAL Light Eco, and that it was pointless to send an agent to get back something that they didn't really need.

Let this be a lesson kids, always check your eco supply before you send people on suicide missions. It'll be handy one day, trust me.

It was all becoming heavy on my brain, but Jak was still seeking more information.

"So… where's the real stuff now?"

My limbs stiffened visibly, and my ears perked up in a reflex. I gulped loud enough to deafen my own ears as I waited for the response that I never knew I'd be so anxious to hear.

"Where it belongs."

"One last question…" Jak took two steps forward, eyes searching our surroundings, no doubt brooding about where our target was being held. "Why are you telling me all of this so freely?"

The 'leader' smiled in a futile attempt at being smug, and with a single snap of the fingers, all that was present behind him pulled out weapons of their own. Weapons that seems foreign to my eyes, as I was unaware of the damage they could do, and so big, it was a miracle they could handle the weight. Jak didn't budge but I suddenly felt a throb in my chest that wouldn't go away when I remembered being chased down by the late cloaked maniac. He had seemed so defenseless, at a first glance you would think it was like taking candy from a baby. Until he was on your tail and wielding a weapon so large, it seemed like enough to cause the destruction of the planet. And if I remember correctly…

He had hit us.

"Because I have no intention of letting you or your pet leave here alive."

I could hear the gunshots ring out and slice the air, and I didn't have to pay too much attention to know where it was aimed at. I immediately dug my claws into Jak's articles and held on tight as he rolled out of the way just in time. Another bullet whizzed by, and I could hear the tearing of fabric right next to me, and I closed my eyes. Soon a whole fleet of bullets where crowding us, and I had to marvel at Jak's ability to duck and sway and jump fast enough to avoid anything fatal. I had to marvel even more at the fact that I still remained unharmed.

While most of them were reloading, Jak aimed his own weapon of choice; a lovely little mod that dropped blue pellets like leafs on a windy autumn day. His finger put pressure on the trigger, and I felt the surface beneath me shift and tremble in a constant whir and continuous hum. I could see bodies flying, some injured, some trying to get out of the way, some dead, and I wondered why Jak always had to resort to such extremes when there seemed to be other options available. 'Course, Jak is a trigger-happy fella' and couldn't pull away.

Soon, people were on the ground moaning and in pain, and Jak was heaving heavily, a grin plastered on his visage, engrossed in the episode that just took place. Was he… happy? I shrunk down in a strange hope of him not being able to see me. But his eyes, glazed over in a shimmering gleam of hope and satisfaction, found my own slightly horrified ones, and blew the steam that was spouting from the end of his gun. He winked… Winked at me and then put his gun away, and then he went wondering around the area, ignoring the pleas of white coated bores on the floor, and shaking off the occasional hand gripping at his pant leg. While Jak passed them by without so much as an indication they were there, I couldn't take my eyes off of them. He just didn't seem…

Didn't seem needed?

My vision was blinded by a blinding light waving in front of my face as soon as Jak walked into the next section of the sewers. Secluded in a room, in the very middle, sitting so perfectly in a crystal container, or at least it looked crystal, was something that made the butterflies come back for an early reunion. But it wasn't a bad feeling, it was actually… inviting and nice and I didn't want it to go away. I looked at it as Jak picked it up and waved it in front of me, almost taunting me in a friendly way.

"Jak, those guys-"

"Were as good as dead anyway."

Sometimes, I don't know about the newer Jak. 'Coz he's still the same and at the same time, is so different. Life was something he could toss around and if he dropped it on the ground and it shattered, he would be all like 'oops' and then carry on with his life, with me tagging along like some obedient dog. But there was no denying that he was right. Those guys had no chance of living for too much longer. With a psycho like Snake having a connection with them, and with her insist on making people suffer and getting what she wanted, there was no way in any lifetime that they had a chance of existing for too much longer. In a sense, Jak just gave them an earlier sentence. I gulped at the truth, and Jak once again waved the much awaited Light Eco in front of me.

And this time, I knew it was real. I could feel energy filling the air and a certain essence was about me.

Was this… really it? Would this really…?

Jak was fleeing faster than I could think, and faster than I had ever seen him run before, Light Eco in tow, and me fighting the urge to wrap my arms around his neck, and squeeze and squeeze until he pried me off with a crowbar. This was the real stuff for sure, but the same questions started pounding me from before. Like if it would still really work or not. I didn't even care that he roughly shoved some lady off from her parked zoomer. I actually found it to be mildly humorous, even as we sped off and she shouted less than friendly things out to us.

I looked to Jak at the exact same time as he did me, and I could just feel the blush smother my cheeks. And if it wasn't for the wind whipping my ears around, he might have seen them fluttering in fondness. Our gazes were locked for what seemed and felt like an eternity, and I could've and would've gone for longer, but his head twisted so he could see in front of him and we could get to where we needed to go safely and danger FREE!

I was still staring at him, and I wanted to show my appreciation.

"Thanks, buddy."

But as much as I meant those words, they didn't feel good enough. They didn't get the message across that I was really, REALLY grateful! And that I was so happy to have him with me, and that I wanted him to know that! So I postured myself, and tuned into my more bubbly side, and took a deep breath.

"Really, Jak! I love ya so much for doin' this, I could just…" I paused, an idea sprouting to mind. "I could just…"

Before any red flags or alarms could go off in my head, and before I really knew what I was doing and where I was doing it, (cause this isn't exactly the way I had planned for it to turn out for a first time!) I extended my arms and firmly captured Jak's head with my nervously shaking paws. I was holding his face towards me, entranced by his hair that was gently flapping in the wind, and his confused yet focused eyes, eyes that were on ME. My stomach flipped, because of riding on a zoomer but not being able to look and see where we were going, but I didn't care. My eyes were half lidded in anticipation and partiality, and I quickly opened them fully before Jak had the chance to notice them.

My mug jetted forward and my lips were against his, and I held it there for only a short while but DAMN it felt so GOOD, and I pulled away sharply, heart kickboxing my rubs when I realized that I had just taken my chances, and I might have just blown everything! I prayed and prayed that he would easily assume it was just a 'Daxter way' of showing gratitude, and just let it go at that. It was just a touch of the lips but I will NEVER forget the feeling! So imagine my supreme relief when he smiled, brows rocketing up in that look that read: "okaaaaaaaaaaaaay…" And he shook his head, never taking his eyes off of me as I masked my true thoughts by mirroring his expression and tossing it back to him.

"Jeez, didn't know it meant that much to you," it was part jokingly, and part truth. And he started to laugh, and I sighed as I looked forward, honest to God PROUD of what I had just done and the fact that I had gotten AWAY with it with no question asked, and wanted to go for it again, but knowing I had no real reason to DO it! Unless, of course, I WANTED him to grow suspicious and kick me off of a moving zoomer. The only reason I would have is that he meant everything to me. But that wasn't something I was ready to announce to the world just yet.

When I had finally looked at where we were going, I saw we were headed straight for another parked zoomer. I calmly waited for that little tickling sensation when Jak would switch hover zones and we would dodge it by about an inch or so. But I didn't feel that tensely ready twitch underneath my feet and I worriedly looked at Jak again. He was still looking at me, and as wonderful as that was, it sent me into a panic. My eyes went wide and I pointed towards the obstacle.

"Jaaaaaak!"

His head whipped to the direction my finger was gesturing at, and he hit the brakes, but we were just too close for it to really do anything at all. He leaned back as if it would help him slow down, but regardless of his efforts, we were speedingWAY toofast. And right up there with my thoughts about Jak being okay when this was all over with, my mind raced to the newly retrieved Eco in the VERY BREAKABLE container that we were dragging along with us. But that little notion came just as the crash did, and I was flying in the air, just like I don't once before, minus a fiery explosion. I could nothear Jak screaming, he probably wasn't, but my own screaming sounded more like broken sobs of a shout as I went hurling through the air.

I hate being so small. It gives me WAY too much distance.

I closed my eyes both in waiting for the contact with the ground, and the lost feeling that was forming within me as I wondered if I was still gonna have a chance or not. A headache formed in a millisecond as my body slappeda hardsurface, jerking my body and scrapping my fur and skin against the solid form that I call HURT, and I could hear the crunch of my back that gave me a disturbing yet somehow calming snap from my spine. Nothing broken, just a jerked around. My small weight allowed me to bounce and have a second experience, only less severe.

I could hear the splinter of everything we had just worked so hard for. Everything that Jak had gone through just to help ME, and the worst part of it all was… this was all my own stinkin' fault. If I could've just resisted my stupid urges, Jak would have seen the dang zoomer. As soon as I hit the ground that second time, I could hear my hopes and dreams shattering into pieces that I would never be able to put back together again, no matter how many lifetimes I tried.

Or w-was that the jar..?