WHOA! XD I'm just writting up a STORM! XP Well, if I'm going too fast for ya don't worry it won't last for long. XD lol well it might.

Well, one thing I forgot to mention was this is (obviously if you haven't caught it by now XD;;;) during Jak 2, so J3 DOESN'T EXIST. XD (Just keep in mind I'm only half way through the 2nd game XP) sooo yeah. enjoy! (and review! X3)

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Ch. 4

"Stop scratching it, Daxter!"

"GRRR!" Itch, itch. "I can't help it!"

"Aw, poor guy!"

"GNAAAHH--!"

Tess ran her nails through the fur on my back, but I ignored her as I clawed at the cast around my leg. Keira heaved an airy sigh and proceeded to scold me again.

"Daxter, stooop! If you itch at it you'll just hurt yourself more!"

"easy for YOU to say, Toots!" I growled. Tess giggled and roughed up my goggles. I simply mumbled my discomfort and rearranged them, then went back to my scratch-session with the hard, white guard on my leg.

We all turned suddenly when we heard the door slide open loudly. Keira smiled when Jak came bounding in, a paper bag in his arm.

"Ja--"

"JAK! HELP! Get it off! I'm goin' NUTS HERE!" Keira glared at me for interrupting her, but I coulda cared less. All I wanted was the monster off my leg.

Jak chuckled and rolled his eyes as he came up to the bar. Setting the bag down he looked at me and said, "Vin said not to mess with it."

"And you believe THAT nut! Even HE said he didn't know what the Heck he was doin'!"

"But he's got a better idea than WE do, Dax."

"So!" Jak rolled his eyes again as he rummaged through the bag. I sighed heavily and Tess scratched my back again, apologetically. I suddenly looked up when I heard a rattling.

"Here. You're supposed to take one every hour." I raised my eyebrow as he set down a dark bottle that was about half my size. I looked the bottle up and down.

"Wussat?" Tess picked up the bottle.

"Immune system boosters?"

"Oh!" Keira suddenly chimed as she leaned on the counter. "I've heard of those! They keep you from getting sick!"

I gave her a lame look. "And why do I suddenly need these? And why every hour?"

Jak shrugged as he continued pulling out bottles from the bag. "So you don't get sick." WOW! Good answer, EINSTEIN!

This time I rolled my eyes and looked at Tess as she opened the heavy bottle and pulled out a lavender pill.

A HUGE lavender pill.

"HOLY--"

"Oh my..." Even Keira was taken aback.

"NO WAY! NO FREAKING WAY!"

Jak suddenly looked up at my outburst. Raising an eyebrow at the pill he said, "Well... we can cut it up for ya."

"Cut it up? Cut it up! JAK! That thing's the size of my HEAD! I'll choke on half! HELL I'd choke on a QUARTER of it!"

Tess giggled nervously and patted my head. "Don't worry, Daxy, I'll go cut it up into real small pieces, 'k?" 'Course I didn't answer. I was too busy staring, appalled, at the blonde still digging through that bag-o-treasures, like nothing had happened. Like that pill was just my size. Like my leg wasn't broken in three places. Like I wasn't even there. NOT EVEN THERE.

Well, I slept at the club that night. Apparently Jak didn't want Torn to get any ideas while I was banged up and couldn't get away. So, instead of sleepin' in my nice, cozy, lumpy bunk, I was stuck sleeping on a pile of sheets in the damp corner. Krew wouldn't allow me to go any farther into the place, afraid I might 'Get the furniture dirty.' BAH. Dirty my foot...

Any who, the next day I found myself propped up against the same pillow again, sitting on the counter. It was almost eleven when the door finally slide open and Jak bounced in.

"Jak!" I shouted. It's amazing how good somebody looks when you haven't seen 'em in a day, 'specially when you normally never leave their side!

He chuckled and suddenly patted my head when he reached the bar. "Just came in to check up on Dax before I left for that mission Torn just sent me on," he said to Tess.

"Oh?" she replied, "What are you doing?"

"Oh, just a little playing Fetch. Gotta have the stuff by noon."

Tess looked at the clock. "Oh, that only gives you an hour!"

Jak shrugged. "Eh, no big. Plenty of time."

By now my bottom lip was stuck out in the biggest pout I could make with Ottsel lips and I was glaring holes through my cast. Jak finally stopped rubbing my head and looked down.

"What's up, Dax?"

I turned my head away. "Just don't go gettin' into any rough situations. I'm not there to bail you out, remember?"

He chuckled. "Sure, Dax, sure." Then he turned, without a goodbye or even a wave, and walked out of the club. Tess suddenly itched my back.

"Aw, poor guy. How about I take you out and get you something?"

"I'm fine."

"How about some fresh air then?"

"I said I'm fine."

"Aw, Dax, c'mon! What's wrong?" What's wrong? What's wrong! What's wrong is I'm supposed to be out there too! I'm supposed to be cracking stupid remarks about gettin' us killed and savin' the day, but here I was, sittin' around like a log! An even better question would'a been, 'What ISN'T wrong, Dax!' At least THAT one would'a made me THINK!

So we went out. Yeah, yeah, believe it or not Tess is hard to argue with when she pouts. Anyway, we went down to the bazaar and looked around for awhile. She bought me some weird looking fruit. It was too bitter for my tastes, but I ate it for her. (Call me a sap all you want, but you'd'a done it too!) Well, after that we wandered around a couple places. Nothing really important. Finally we ended up back in the slums and we were just walkin' around, for some odd reason...

"See? Isn't this nice, Daxter?"

"Sure, if you think the smell of an out-house is cozy, why not?"

Tess pushed out her bottom lip at me again and I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, yeah... it's... nice." I couldn't hold back the change in my voice when I said the last word. I don't know why it happened, it just did. Thankfully, though, the blonde didn't inquire about it.

I sighed in a mix of relief and exhaustion. Good thing Tess-baby was carryin' me or I'd'a fallin' over! And how I hate getting wet... You know, I--

"What's that?" I looked up at the girl. Her face was twisted in concentration. Then I saw it. "It sounds lik--"

"INCOMING!" I shrieked and pointed to the air just behind her head. She glanced back and saw three zoomers, heading straight for where we were standing.