Okay...first of all I have to say.. when I started this fic I hadn't finished Jak 3 yet. Long story short I was on a ps2 ban for a while after playing Jak 2 nonstop for 8 hours. So I just recently finished Jak 3 and I didn't realize how close my 'Dark Precursors' and their 'Dark Makers' were. So just disregard those minor details! Hope you enjoy the new chapter! Reviews please & thank you!

Chapter 9: The Darkness Reveals

Night came to the Palace like the calm after a storm. Hope had come hand in hand with Jak back to Haven City. Keira had opted to spend the night with Jak in the hospital wing. The couple lay in the hospital bed, sleeping, Jak behind Keira and a protective hand resting on her round stomach.

It was close to midnight and the only one who was still up was a very distracted KG General. With the large, worn book that Samos had lent him, Torn slowly paced the second floor hallways, flipping through he dusty pages, searching for a nonexistent answer to his many problems. An impending evil stood in the shadow of Haven City, and he could feel it.

Somewhere in the darkness of the Palace, a pair of eyes blinked open with a yellow nocturnal glow. Quietly, the creature rose to its feet, claws elongating and horns sprouting and silently made its way to the door. Down the halls with haste he went, setting forth to complete some treacherous task.

"Who's there?" a voice called out from the hallway ahead. The dark creature stopped, developing a low growl in his throat and crouching down into an animalistic position.

"Jak?" Torn flicked a light on and took a step backwards when he saw what was before him.

The claws of the animal retracted as horns disappeared and a green/blonde color returned to Jak's paled hair. Jak stumbled a little, but remained standing.

"What's going on? Where's Keira?" Jak asked firmly, looking around where he stood, then at Torn. His eyes blinked rapidly and he appeared confused.

"We...You need to see Samos. Now." Torn said, motioning for the dazed Jak to follow him towards Samos's bedroom.

Torn pounded on the Sage's door, awaking a grumpy Samos from his sleep. After Torn convinced him that it was indeed something important and couldn't wait until morning, the Green Sage opened his door and let them in. All the while Jak stood by, still unaware what had happened.

"So he was...sleepwalking his dark form?" Samos questioned skeptically.

"Yeah...and he growled at me, too!" Torn replied, giving Jak a scowl.

"I...I don't remember doing any of that. I haven't even had contact with dark eco lately." Jak said, trying to defend himself. Then, abruptly, Jak's ears twitched slightly. He could hear Keira faintly calling for him, but neither Torn nor Samos seemed to hear her. Without hesitation, Jak turned to leave.

"Where do you think you're going, buddy?" Torn snapped at Jak, who stopped and turned back around to face him.

"Keira is calling me." Jak said, getting defensive.

"Liar. You've been compromised!" Torn shouted, releasing his suspicions and getting in Jak's face. On the sidelines, Samos watched as the two elves started each other down.

Jak's eyes flickered with a building rage. "I, have busted my ass for more than a year, protecting this Precursor-damned city. You are the only traitor here!" Jak retorted, referring to when he gave up the discovery of Mar's Tomb by Jak, for the safety of Ashelin, and stormed off in the direction of Keira's calls.

When Jak arrived back at the infirmary, he found a frantic looking Keira staring at him.

"Oh Jak! You weren't here and I...I was scared that you coming back had all been a dream!" she said as her eyes began to water and Jak walked over and cradled her in his arms.

"I'm here. Don't worry," he said, kissing the crown of her head and inhaling her delectable scent. "Are you alright? Is the baby okay?"

"Yes, we're fine." But Keira spoke too soon, as she gritted her teeth in pain and gripped her stomach, crying out in pain.

Jak felt a wave of panic wash over him as he realized what was about to happen; three weeks early, at that. He had no knowledge that these things usually take hours as he ran around in circles, babbling nonsense.

"Jak!" the she-elf-in-labor yelled, and he rushed to her side, taking her left hand. She squeezed it as she had another contraction.

"Ow! ...Jak get a doctor... Daddy... Someone!" She yelled again, squeezing his hand tighter.

"Ah!" Jak shouted as he removed his crushed fingers from her grasp, "I'm going! ...Breath!" he called back over his shoulder.

Jak slid on the carpet as he raced back to Samos's room. The adrenaline rush coursing through his veins felt like he was channeling blue eco again, adding to his speed. Finally, after what seemed like ages to Jak (and in reality, was only more like a minute) he reached the room where Samos and Torn were still conversing on the same subject of him.

Torn scowled as Jak reentered, but he was ignored as Jak rushed towards the Sage. The adrenaline was now gone and he bent over in an effort to regain his breath.

"Keira's...having...the baby...!" He finally spat out.

"My Precursors!" Samos cried, stomping his staff on the floor and then following Jak out the door.

Soon enough, the whole palace was awake at the unearthly time of 1 o' clock a.m. Tess, Daxter, and Ashelin joined Torn outside the door to the infirmary. All of them began to talk amongst themselves excitedly, with the exception of Torn, who sat silently, musing on his suspicions of Jak.

Five hours and 25 minutes later...

Everyone in the hallway had fallen asleep against the walls when a short, yellow-haired doctor walked out of the room and removed his gloves with an audible snap, waking everyone up with a start.

"A healthy baby boy." Announced the doctor. And everyone, even Torn, smiled and stood up, trying to peak through the doorway.

"The mother is resting now, but the father has requested that a Daxter join him." The doctor spoke again, looking around the group.

"That would be ME!" Daxter said with a jump, following the doctor into the room.

Keira had fallen asleep from exhaustion soon after she held her son for the first time, and Jak now sat in a large chair, holding the swaddled being in his arms. Daxter had never seen his best friend so enamored as he watched Jak's eyes beam when his son cooed.

The orange ottsel hopped up on the arm of Jak's chair and looked down at the infant elf.

"He's so small. And, geez Jak, he sure has your ears!" Daxter pointed to the long ears sticking out from the tiny bundle. Jak chuckled at his friend's comment and let the baby grip one of his fingers in its small fist.

"So...Whatcha gonna name him? Jak Junior?"

"Heh...Don't think Keira would go for that one." The proud father said looking over at his sleeping girlfriend. "We'll talk about it later when she wakes up."

Later on, after Daxter had left, Keira awoke from her calm slumber. They discuss quietly about the naming of their son and came up with the regal name of Trajan. And so it was the little family of Jak Mar, Keira Hagai, and their son, Trajan Mar.

BTW: Trajan was the name of one of the greatest emperors of Ancient Rome. He brought Rome great success and was a great leader. I'm a huge Ancient Rome/Greek history buff so I liked this name. Plus, its fitting, I think, for the son of Jak.