Disclaimer: I only own my characters like Tome, Zack, and Colle.

Keeroshu: Sorry for the long wait. I haven't really felt like working on this story too much. If any of my readers happen to like Gundam Wing, I've begun a new story entitled 'Perfect's not so Perfect Anymore' (and I'm working on another one, haven't figured out a name for it yet, though). Thanks for being patient! Enjoy chapter 8.

Chapter 8: She Didn't Come Back

That morning, Colle wanted to go exploring. It took a good hour and a half, but she finally explained that she would be fine and return well before dusk. Grabbing her morph gun she set out in search of anything that she might remember from her old lifetime.

Torn was busy setting up scout groups to check the perimeters for any sign of resources or other local survivors. The Freedom League commander had Coby with him. The young man knew much about the area, and after seeing Colle and Zack deal with that monster from the night before, he wanted to do something to get back his home from the beasts. Coby knew they could do.

Zack looked around as everyone became busy with their own tasks. Even Tome was busy, but she wasn't dealing with tactics or the usual military drills. Tome was helping to watch Sarah and Toni. With everyone too busy with what was in front of them, Zack figured it the best and one of the rare times he would get to speak with Jak on a one-on-one basis.

When Zack found the ruler of Haven, he didn't really know how to begin. Jak looked up upon noticing his brother-in-law next to him. A tired smile crossed his face. The king hadn't had much sleep over the last few days. He had been one to volunteer for the first watch and generally stayed through most of the others.

"I was wondering when you'd get the nerve to talk." Jak stood up from looking at a report he had received early that morning of the surrounding area. With his still tired smile, he waited for Zack to ask what he wanted.

"What-how'd you know I needed to talk to you?" That's when the young soldier caught glimpse of an orange little tail.

"It wasn't entirely hard to notice...and you could say 'a little birdie told me'." Jak moved aside to reveal the furry ottsel. Daxter was hiding behind his best friend in order to not see the glare set in his direction.

"Hey, don't look at me like that. I'm only helping you out, remember?" Daxter jumped onto Jak's shoulder.

"Yeah, sure. Thanks, Dax."

"I think it'd be better for all of us if we went for a little walk, don't you?" Jak intercepted the argument that he knew was about to start. He walked toward the stairs leading up and out only looking back for a second to see if Zack was following. Seeing that he was, Jak continued and opened the door revealing the bright morning sunlight.

The three of them silently made their way toward an uprooted old tree. It looked to have been knocked over in one the latest Dusk-rav attacks. It had landed on two houses with it's large and leafy branches. It was only a guess that everyone had escaped unharmed, but that would have sent them into the attack of Dusk-ravs.

"So, Daxter tells me you've got a bit of a problem...and I'd have to agree." Jak looked to Zack as he took his place against the large tree.

"Well, I'd probably agree too, if I knew what the problem was." Why was he always left in the dark?

"Okay, fair enough." The king of Haven thought for a moment. When he found the right words, he spoke. "I'm sure you've notices changes in Tome." Jak looked intently at his young brother-in-law.

"Yeah, it's kind of hard not to." Zack jumped onto the trunk and waited for Jak to let him in on the whole 'secret'.

"This is going to be harder than I thought..." Daxter jumped from Jak's shoulder and sat underneath the shade of the dead leaves.

"You have no idea."

"Okay, will someone please just tell me!" zack wanted to know what was wrong with Tome and if he could help her.

Sighing, Jak stood directly in front of Zack. It was best to go ahead and get it out. Taking a deep breath, the Haven city king spoke...

"Tome is pregnant, Zack."

(A/N: Like you guys didn't see that coming...)

Silence was all there was. A stunned expression was all that could be seen on the face of Zack. It just wasn't possible...Sure, they had...but...

"What?" Zack could only whisper.

"She's pregnant." The silence that followed was suffocating. There didn't seem to be anything else that could be said to make the situation any more difficult.

"That...can't...be..." The news he was given was os over whelming, that Zack didn't even know how to react fully. He wanted to know that it was a dream. He couldn't have possibly done that to Tome...again, he wondered how he couldn't have known. There had been something bothering his girlfriend for some time...and it was something that would change both of their lives forever.

"Sorry, kid. The nose doesn't lie." Daxter tapped his small nose to show his point. "And neither does nature."

The sunlight beat gently down on the blood soaked ground. Colle peered around every bend and turn only to find the same. Destruction...the markings left behind with every Dusk-rav attack. Soon, there would be nothing left. It was almost impossible to hope that there were survivors left in the ruined city. Colle had come here expecting to find a city still standing, with people still fighting; but this city was no Haven.

"How can we stop something so powerful?" She asked herself. "Even with the eco...there are just too many of them."

Shadows crept in and out of Colle's vision as the sun moved across the sky. It wouldn't be long until the cycle would continue. The attacks would start over.

Hours passed as the sun reached its zenith and began its downward trek back towards the horizon. A feeling of uneasiness settled over the shoulders of Colle as she started her way back to the group of soldiers. She looked back once upon feeling as if she were being watched. There wasn't anything there. Figuring it was just paranoia from the impending attack, she continued on her way. However, she readied her gun just in case.

Not far from where she had stopped to rest, a rumble passed through the shattered ground as a wall fell from a ruined building. Getting a tighter grip on her morph gun, Colle took a walk to see if there was anything out of the ordinary. What she found was hardly what she expected.

"Welcome home."

The sun had set long before the Dusk-ravs ever found the group of new comers hiding in a pile of rubble that used to be the cities hospital. The only good thing about their location was the extra supplies of medical equipment for any who were injured. The only bad ting that could be said of their 'hideout', was that there wasn't much protection from the onslaught of beasts.

"Where's Colle!" Jak yelled over the chaos of that evening's battle. His wife had yet to return from her journey through her old home. He had only allowed her to go with her word that she would return safely before the Dusk-ravs appeared. she wouldn't be able to handle a large group on her own, no matter what weapon Torn had given her.

"I don't know! She should've been here by now!" Zack was saying after he finished off his own beast. He was worried about his sister too.

Once the swarm of Dusk-ravs started to move on, figuring they would go in search of easier prey, Jak was ready to go out looking for her. Torn stopped him.

"Out of my way, Torn." Haven's king tried very much to keep his darkness in check. It wouldn't do good to kill his commander. Jak wanted to find Colle, he wouldn't let anything get in his way.

"You're in no shape to do anything." Torn motioned to the gashes Jak had received. The Dusk-ravs of this world were powerful. It was a miracle they had even survived as long as they had. His soldiers hadn't been so fortunate. Five were dead and ten others were badly injured. "The Dusk-ravs are still out there. If we split up now, we're as good as dead. There are too many of them."

"So you're telling us, we're just going to leave my sister out there?" Zack joined the two. He had tried to get Tome to stay out of the battle and stay with Coby and his brother and sister. She had refused obviously. She wasn't going to be left out. Zack had found himself protecting her more so after what he had learned that afternoon. It was still hard to believe what Jak had told him. He was going to be a father. However, the thoughts of his parenthood, were all but dismissed when he learned that his sister had yet to return.

"We'll have to wait until morning." He glared at the two of them when they were about to object. "By then, the Dusk-ravs will be gone and we can split into search parties."

"By then it could be too late!" Zack shouted.

"I'm sorry, but it's all I can do. I won't risk losing everyone when we're this close to the real enemy." Torn placed a hand on Zack's shoulder, but he shrugged it off and left to return to the crumbled building they called home.

"I am sorry, Jak." Torn left his king on his own knowing that it wouldn't be too good to stick around him too much longer. Jak needed to vent and Torn didn't want to be around to see it. He was heading in the direction Zack had gone. Mora was in charge of the wounded and would most likely be back at the hideout.

Torn hadn't spent much time with his wife since they had arrived. Though it had only been a short time, little less than a day, it felt as if it had been a month. Wars took their toll on the body, mind, and even the spirit. Torn felt like he was losing his own battle. One he wasn't sure he could keep fighting.

Keeroshu: Hello, everyone! I know it's been forever since I've posted...I think about a month...sorry about the wait. I know this chapter wasn't one of my longer ones either and for that I'm also sorry. I just hope it didn't disappoint you guys too much. I don't know when the next chapter will be out, but that's because I start college tomorrow.

There is one person out there who knows what's going to happen, so please don't say anything in your review...you know who you are. Anyway, let me know what you thought by reviewing. I can only improve with your helpful judgement. Thanks for reading!