I healed fairly quickly to my surprise. I guess that green eco helped out a lot after all. Within a week and a half I was back on my feet. Uncle Torn was reluctant to put me back to work (awe, he cares!) so Dad, Daxter and Aunt Ashelin were doing a lot of work lately. Dawn and I stuck around the hideout most of the time. Unfortunately, someone was always around. Either it was Samos, Aunt Ashelin, or someone else; I barely got a moment alone with Uncle Torn to ask him if he knew anything. Until finally, one day, everyone except Uncle Torn, Dawn and I was gone. I immediately took this to my advantage and started to strike up a conversation with him.
"Hi, Uncle Torn," I greeted, trying to sound cheery, but not doing a very good job at it. I sat down in an extra chair at the side of his desk.
"Hi, Jakie," he replied simply. Well, here goes nothing…
"You know… I really have to start looking for a way back home," I said, "by chance, would you happen to know anything that could help me out?" he looked up at me.
"You know, I think I just may," he answered, then gave me his typical tough guy smirk, "Remember the guy I sent you and Jak out to save at the strip Mine?" I nodded quickly.
"Vin?" Uncle Torn nodded slightly.
"The guy's a genius when it comes to things like this. If you go see him at the Power Station, maybe he can help you out," he explained. I smiled broadly.
"Awesome! I'll go right now!" I said, jumping up.
"Hold it, Jakie," Uncle Torn interrupted. Aw man! Now what! "Are you sure you can just run over there? You're still not fully healed yet." Oops. I forgot about that.
"Did you really have to remind me of that?" I whined, sitting down again.
"He's got a point, Jak-o," Dawn interjected. What the crap? Did she just appear out of nowhere? I hate it when she does that…
"And since when have you started calling me 'Jak-o'?" I asked with false amusement.
"Since right now," she replied, jumping on the desk in front of me. I scoffed.
"Lovely," I mumbled in sarcasm.
"At least wait until Jak gets back here. He can escort you to he Power Station and have your back incase something goes wrong," Uncle Torn finished. I didn't really care very much, but I whined anyway.
"Oh fine! Have it your way," I said, trying to sound as whiny as possible while also showing as much 'I'm just kidding' as I could. "I'll just go clean my gun out to keep busy until dad gets here then."
"You do that," Uncle Torn answered, turning his attention to his maps again. I couldn't resist my next move.
"But first…" I started, and then quickly hugged him around the shoulders. "Thanks, Uncle Torn." Then I let go and walked into the back room. I would've loved to see the embarrassed blush on his face, but I didn't look. I just inwardly smirked and started to happily clean my gun.
Finally, after waiting forever, dad and Daxter showed up. I put my gun down and walked in to greet him.
"Hi dad!" I said smiling broadly. Dawn was with me too, and I guess my cheer rubbed off on her as well.
"Hi dad!" she repeated. The two men smiled at us, acknowledging our cheerful moods, then started talking to Uncle Torn, who was obviously going to give him another mission. Poor dad…
"Jak, I want you to escort Jakie to the Power Station. I would've sent her alone, but I don't want to take the chance of her not being fully healed yet," he explained. Uh oh… blackmail time! I giggled.
"Aw, that's so sweet of you, Uncle Torn!" I said, "You care if I get hurt!" I giggled a little more as Uncle Torn tried desperately not to blush again. Daxter's turn now.
"So, Tattooed Wonder has a heart after all!" he teased. Uncle Torn scowled at him, then turned back to my dad, who, I could tell, was also tried hard not to smile at our constant teasing uncle Torn.
"Anyway, I want you to take her there to see Vin. If anyone knows anything about time travel, it'd be him," he finished.
"No problem. Let's go, Jakie," Dad said, and then started walking out. I quickly followed, throwing another playful smile back at Uncle Torn.
The four of us climbed into the nearby zoomer and dad started it up then started driving towards the Power Station. Somewhere along the line, Dawn and I got into a girlish conversation.
"While you were asleep I actually made Uncle Torn blush," I said, giggling.
"You did?" Dawn exclaimed in disbelief, "I thought that was impossible!"
"I thought so too," Daxter interrupted.
"Well, I did it by hugging him," I continued, "now I think I know why Uncle Torn was always my favorite family member. Behind dad of course." Ok, I couldn't resist doing it to dad too. I lightly hugged him around the shoulders. "Dad was always my favorite!" Making people blush must've been my accomplishment for the day, or something. Probably because it was funny to see a guy that's all the time serious actually turn red.
A little while later (we hadn't hit any KG's along the way, luckily) we reached the Power Station. Dad parked the zoomer and we all jumped out and walked inside, where Vin was working (as usual. Doesn't this guy EVER sleep at all? Sheesh!) on his computers. Dad folded him arms and stared for a minute before speaking.
"Vin, buddy!" he said to get the guys attention, "we need another favor."
"Really? And what would that be?" Vin asked, not taking his eyes off the keyboard. To be honest, I was amazed at all the technical junk here! I loved computers and stuff like that, as you can see.
"Actually, she does," Daxter said, pointing at me. Vin turned around and looked at me.
"Jakie, my daughter," dad introduced me.
"Daughter?" Vin asked, "You have a daughter?"
"His future daughter, "I corrected, "time travel." I cleared my throat. "That's exactly why I'm here. To ask if you knew anything about how to get into the future." Vin did that 'Hmmm' thing and started saying a whole bunch of technical mumbo jumbo, most of which, I had no idea what it meant. We all just stared at him until he was finished.
"Any questions?" Vin asked when he was done. Dawn instantly raised her paw.
"Yeah, um… what?" she joked. I rolled my eyes.
"I think I can to that, but it will take some time to do that," he said to me. AWESOME! I was going home! Finally! Maybe this time I'll actually get it right, and save my dad from his sudden death…