(Notice I've been doing a lot of jumping with missions so this chapter might be mostly filler hope you enjoy) ***

The night was cold, wind from the murky docks washing over me. After we took care of the eggs at the drill platform, we decided we needed a break before our next big mission. Jak and Daxter were in the hip hog haven saloon, I needing some air. So there I was, looking at the buildings and the lights as people walked by. My feet dangled over the water and my mind wandered.

It has been at least a week since I've met bsck up with Jak, he not being the same boy I grew up with in Sandover village. He was so different that I could barely see the parts I was used to. The once happy mute boy with a thirst for mischief and adventure turned into a gun wielding, rough talking man. Granted, I didn't mind the changes all to much but whatever Praxis did to him.. well I hoped it wasn't the same thing I went through. It was hard to sleep nowadays, waking up in random hours to night terrors and pain. I hoped my body wasn't finally rejecting the dark eco. Torn and Tess were concerned. Tess actually worrying about my well being while Torn thinking I was a liability… a risk that they shouldn't take. I snapped back with a retort about Ashlein, and that ended that conversation.

"You okay out here all by yourself?" Tess asked, I turning around to see her walking to me. She sat beside me, handing me something. It was a jacket. Dark blue with black sleeves.

"It gets cold out here sometimes." She explains.

"Thanks Tess." I smiled, putting it on.

"No problem. See, I knew I'd get to see that smile of yours. But.. You're not with Jak. Or Daxter. They're your friends, right?"

"That's right. I… um. Don't have much to smile about these days. You know, the whole overthrow the government has been keeping us busy."

"Right. Its not an easy task."

"No, but how's the whole spying on krew thing going?"

"Oh wonderful. He's perverted and he stinks. Has tighter lips than his pants." She says sarcastically, I laughing a bit.

"Man you got that right. I refused to work with him. Or work under him. I didn't want to work for anyone In this town. I just wanted to get Jak out of that prison, grab daxter and find a way out of here."

"What about the baron?"

"Well I wanted to make him pay for what he did to us, sure. But there was no way we could do that alone. Luckily we found the underground. And… you've been a good friend, Tess."

"Aw, thanks Zoe." She hugged me, I hugging her back, "We should probably check up on the boys. Last time I checked they were playing darts, and not sober either."

"oh boy." I said, getting up and following her into the bar, where Sig and Jak were watching Daxter singing while standing on the bar wobbling and holding a bottle of vodka.

"Alright, what's going on here?" I asked, approaching the bar.

"Oh, heeyyy Zoe." Jak said, turning to me.

"oh crap you're drunk, aren't you?"

"just a little bit." He said, putting an arm around me.

"I leave to get some air and y'all are drunk."

"Oh don't be a party pooper, Z." Daxter said, stumbling towards me, "You… you should have a drink and maybe it'll help ya remove the stick up ya butt."

"Excuse me?"

"Y..you've been so worried about the mission that… that you let your emotions go."

"No. We are not talking about this while you're drunk, Daxter. I'm leaving. You wanna come with?" I look at Jak, who was now playing with my hair. He nods, I helping him off the stool and leaning him against me.

"It's a long drive home. You can stay at the extra room at the gun range." Tess offered.

"you have a room at the gun range?"

"yeah, upstairs. I spend a lot of time there."

"Fair enough. Can you keep an eye on dax?"

"of course."

"thanks tess. C'mon ya drunk." I said, waving with my free arm as I helped Jak walk.

The walk to the range wasn't far, thank the stars, but Jak didn't make it easy.

"Y..You're really strong. When did you get so strong, Z?" Jak asked.

"I've been as strong as you for awhile." I answered, opening the door to the range and shutting it behind us. I helped Him up the stairs, he still staring at me.

"You are sooo pretty Zoe. Do.. do you know that?"

"im flattered, Jak. But this doesn't count because you're shitfaced." I told him, sitting him down on the bed and helping him get his boots off and his holster. He took his shirt off and layed down, patting the space beside him.

Was he… serious?

"Jak.. i…"

"C'mon, Its just like when we were kids at the treehouse."

I sighed, kicking off my shoes and taking my jacket off, climbing in the bed. His soft eyes stared at me for a second.

"Hey, Z?" he asked.

"Yes Jak?" I asked in return.

"You aren't afraid of me, right?"

"No. I'm not." I answered, he leaning into me to rest his head in the crook of my neck. I felt my heart begin to race, my skin heating up.

You're just friends, Zoe. He's not thinking!

"Even if.. I'm a horrible monster?"

"Well, you're not. No matter what people say."

"Thanks.. Zoe.." he muttered, finally falling asleep. I stared out into the darkness, sighing and thinking to myself:

What did I get myself into?

(The next morning)

I followed Jak into the Bazaar, we hoping off the zoomers and walking towards a familiar tent.

"uh, Jak? Any particular reason you're going to this tent?" I asked before he opened the flap. We didn't talk about last night. Part of me was hoping we would, the other part hoped he was too drunk to remember.

"Cool. Check out all the dead stuff." Daxter said, poking at the bird monkey thing hanging from the ceiling, it biting him in return.

"Touch the goods again, rat boy and you'll be raaa counting with your toes." He said, flying towards Onin's hat, landing on it. "I am pecker!"

I couldn't help but snort at the name, Jak and dax both laughing too but hiding it behind their hands.

"Yes, yes I know my mother, she was very vindictive. I am Onin's interpreter." Just as he says this, Onin rubs her hands and claps, sending blue light to fly into the air and waves her hands around.

"Onin welcomes you, blah blah blah. the usual boring salutations. Says nice to see you again Jak."

"But we've never met before." Jak says.

"Before, After, it is all the same."

"Oh! Oh! Let me try! She wants a Yakcow bone! A Yakcow bladder! No, no I got it! For many moons, she has waited for… a juice pop?" Daxter asked, confused. "A jewel shop? Oh, oh I know! She's got a hair ball!" he guessed, pecker flying over and landing on my shoulder.

"A hair lip! A hairy chest!"

"Close… but no! Onin says you seek answers.. raaa about the tomb of mar." Pecker says, onin creating a symbol from light.. it looked familiar.

"So what do we need to know?" jak asked.

"She going on and on about mystical energy channels, Evil curses, stupid woooo crap." He waved his wings around. "Forget all that! I'm gonna sum this all up quickly because youre cutting into my siesta time. Onin wants you to recover three artifacts from the precursor mountain temple. Not two, not four, three. Use the warp gate at the northwest side of thd city, and bring back the three items you find." He says, flying back over to onin and landing on her hat, flapping his wing at us as to shoo us away.

"Give me a sec guys, I'll catch up." I said, they both shrugging and walking out of the tent.

"Something.. on your mind?" Pecker asked

"I wanted to ask Onin something.. something important."

"Onin says if it's about Jak, she says not to fret. Things may look bleak now but stay by his side. And.. one more thing."

"What is it?"

"She says, Look for the light.. for it will be in the most unexpected place."

"wow, that's…"

"Yes, sappy and cryptic. Now run along. I have a feeling that you're the one keeping those two in line."

"you have no idea." I said, taking off after them.

I hoped Onin was right. Because Jak and I both needed the light. Before the Dark eco changed us even more.