Author Note's

So this is what happens when your cousin brings you booze and damns you write something. Ironically the chapter came out pretty epic -granted the make out scene with Daxter and Keira were taken out because it was creepy and apparently wrong. Thanks to EcoSeeker for her reviews and thank you for Mai'shardstyle for her subscription.

The ABC's of Perfect Mistakes

Chapter Ten: J is for Jak

Parker ran until she couldn't run anymore, she threw back Keira's patchwork green curtain and ran into the arms of Lena. Both Amberly and Keira yelped when Parker jumped on the girl. Lena gasped when Parker tackled her but wrapped her arms around her, shushing her silent tears. From Haven Forest to the Stadium she kept her brain off, even risking her life and taking a zoomer to Keira's workshop; but she had to get to Lena and Amberly. She couldn't be alone, not now, not ever. She sobbed into Lena's arm.

"Is she okay?" Keira asked stepping up to the girls.

"Shh," Lena whispered. "Parker what happened, come on give me a hint or something…"

"I- I- I-" She stuttered before she heard someone come in.

"We destroyed Krew's cargo." A voice said, Parker straightened and backed away from the voice. It was Jak, he'd come to kill her. She pressed herself up against the farthest wall and breathed deeply through her mouth.

"Great." Keira snapped sarcastically. "I'll send you a medal. Now if you don't mind, I'm on a deadline!" She shouted. "So scram!"

"Are you always this difficult?" Jak snapped.

"Let me handle this Jak!" Daxter snapped as well. Parker looked Keira as she sat up straight as if she was shocked by something. She got up. "Listen lady, we beat your stupid course, and we can outrace anybody in this city!"

"Wait!" Keira shouted. "That voice!"

"And there's just two things you need to know, one we don't wanna join your stinking race team and two you just lost a date with Orange Lightning, let's go Jak."

Keira threw the curtain back and Parker jumped to her feet ready to run Keira shouted, "Daxter! It is you!"

"Keira!?" Daxter shouted.

"Oh I never thought I'd be so happy to see your furry little mug!" She shouted rubbing Daxter's face. "And Jak…" She paused. "You look… different."

"It's been a tough ride." Jak mumbled.

"The Baron pumped our boy here with Dark Eco, now he has super moves or something… and a few anger issues."

"Hold the phone!" Lena shouted coming out beside Keira. "You know these losers?"

"Yes, Jak and Daxter are my best friends."

Jak glared at Lena. "How do you know Keira?"

"We both have race teams," Lena looked behind her. "Hey Park, the Trouble Twosome's here!" She shook her head quickly, giving a small squeak when she saw Jak try to look at her through the crack of the curtain. "Don't mind her," Lena said waving at Parker. "She's obviously having a bad day."

There was a paused. "Yup." Jak answered.

"Parker," Keira shouted out. "These are the two I've been looking for! I've been looking for you guys forever! Oh, and planning on a way to get back home. Somehow that rift took us far into the future. I calculated the time displacement and-"

"We found your father… well sort of." Jak cut in.

"Workin' with the Underground fighting the Baron!" Daxter cheered. "But…" He paused. "Um…"

"What?" Keira asked, sounding frightened to Parker. She moved forward slightly trying to see everyone standing together.

"You need to see him." Jak said. "And I need to get to the Baron!"

"He could try winning the Class One championship." Lena offered. "The winner of that race always gets to go on a tour of the palace, but Erol always wins."

"Jak can race for my team!" Keira piped up. "But… we should think about getting out of this place. I don't like it here and some of the people are creepy."

"Jak my boy," A voice said behind them, Parker peaked her head out some more as Krew floated around the corner. "I need that Ruby Key you found, ey. A special client has requested it."

"Sorry about that Krew," Jak said tossing him the key. "I must've forgotten."

"Right," Krew snarled taking the key.

"Attention all racers, the Class Three Race is about to begin."

Lena sighed. "When are they going to change the voice?"

Keira nodded. "It's creepy still hearing Amberly's voice over the system."

"Come out," Amberly said yanking the curtain back. "They're gone."

"So you were hiding from them." Lena chuckled. "What did Daxter do look at the goods?"

Parker stared at her friends as they laughed. Of course they didn't understand. One never came into the experiment bay, the other was ignorantly blissful to what happened to her friend and the other was cast out of Haven with a bullet. They didn't understand what she did, what she created. She covered her face and sobbed into her hands, she dropped to her knees and wailed.

"Oh my God!" Lena exclaimed. "Did Jak do something to you?!"

"Jak would never-"

"Shh." Lena snarled. Parker startled when she felt Lena's hand on her shoulder. "C'mon Park, tell us what happened."

She shook her head. It was too horrible to speak about.

"I'm going to watch the race." Keira grumbled. "Don't miss my boys kicking butt on the track." Parker listened to Keira leave, her footsteps leave the garage. She breathed through her mouth and felt her body shudder at every breath.

"Okay, she's gone, now tell us what Jak did." Lena demanded.

"It wasn't Jak." Parker said into her hands. "It was me." She hugged herself. "Have you guys heard the rumours about Jak?" She looked at her girls, they both looked to each before looking back to Parker.

"Of course." Amberly said. "Everyone's heard the rumours, about how he loses control and kills everyone. A woman at the bar said he killed a guard right in front of her before turning back to a human."

Lena shrugged. "I heard that he's working with the Metal Heads, that's why he can us Dark Eco."

"I saw… It. The creature, It was cold, gray and ruthless. It destroyed the Cloakers in the forest, ripped to shreds and then…" She took a deep breath. "It turned on me."

"Did he hurt you!?" Lena roared.

"No." Parker whispered. "It just held me close and touched my face, as if It recognized me. It licked my blood off It's claws and then kissed my forehead." She looked up to Lena. "It turned back into Jak and he let me go, he tried to talk to me but I ran." Her breathing hitched and she rocked back and forth, trying to regain control of her brain. It's void eyes kept haunting her brain, finding its way into the brightest places of her memory and turning them dark. She kept gasping, heaving and rocking. "It's not something that Jak always had. It, that thing, that dark creature, I put it in him. Erol and I. We made the monster that's been running around the streets." She balled her hands into fists and hit her head. "Why didn't Olivia and I kill him when we had a chance? Even Dash could've done it! Why, why, why, why!" She screamed.

"Could you do it now?" Amberly asked.

"What?!" Parker and Lena shouted at the same time.

"Could you kill Jak now?" Amberly asked. "If the city needed you to kill him, would you do it, for your city?" She glanced towards the enterance. "Think about it, if we defeat the Metal Head Leader people are gonna need something else to be scared of. Why not the Dark Eco freak and his orange rodent?"

"But Jak's our…" Lena started.

"Our what?" Amberly snapped. "Our friend? Partner-in-crime? Buddy? It doesn't matter, soon or later he's gonna turn on us, all of us. His mission in life, his only mission, is to kill the Baron and when he's finished with that?"

"He's gonna turn on the city." Lena muttered looking down at Parker. "She's right you now."

Parker shrugged just as Keira ran in. "He won! He won! He won!" She jumped on Lena and started bouncing. "I can't believe it! I'm getting closer and closer to getting into that Class One race!"

"Congrats, Keira!" Lena cheered hugging the girl. "Soon he'll be racing against Erol and Parker."

"When does Dash race again?" Amberly asked helping Parker to her feet, she kept her back to Keira and wiped her face dry.

"Dash races for Krew or the Baron." Lena sighed. "You'd think he'd race for his little sister's team."

Both boys came in together, a bronze trophy under Jak's arm. He prompts it on the worktable and Daxter jumped down beside Keira. "When is this city gonna provide a real challenge?"

"Hey," Ashelin called out coming into the garage. "I watched you race today. You were pretty amazing."

"Oh thanks," Jak mumbled as Keira jumped down behind him. "Ah Keira… this is… um… Ashelin. She just a…"

"Everyone knows who she is." Keira snapped.

"And Keira's a-"

"A friend." Keira snapped. "A very good friend."

Ashelin stepped forward and touched Jak's arm. "Thanks for helping out with that tanker, Jak. You saved a lot of lives." Ashelin sighed. "I'm not my father you know. Ever since I was a little girl I've stared down from that ridiculous palace and dreamed of a better place." She cleared her throat as a group of guards walked by. "By the way, they're hurting for you. I'd watch out for Erol, I can't protect you from him." She glanced once more at the group before leaving.

"Whoa!" Daxter cheered. "She's a betty, and she likes you Jak! Not that I can account for her tastes." He jumped up. "I bet you'd like to pin some metals on her chest." Daxter chuckled as Keira stomped out. "What?" Daxter looked to the three girls. "What'd I say? Jak, what did you say?"

Amberly sighed. "I'll go talk to her."

Lena chuckled. "I have a meeting with Torn and the Shadow." She turned to Parker. "Onin wanted to talk to you about something as well."

"Goodie." Parker mumbled.

"We're going to the Dig!" Daxter announced.

"Congratulations." Parker snapped walking past them, without looking at Jak.

"Onin says, red looks good on you." Pecker squawked the second Parker pushed back the curtain.

Parker rolled her eyes and sat in front of the old women. "I thought she was blind."

"We know you've switched side moron." Pecker snapped. "I added the moron part."

"Careful Pecker," Parker snarled. "Or you'll be the main course to a side of stuffing and gravy."

Onin chuckled and started 'speaking' again. "Onin says, she's glad to see you working with the Underground and helping the Shadow get the Kid back on the throne."

"Well what else am I going to do?" Parker asked drawing circles in the dirt floor. "We all know what the Bazaars want but I don't think I'll ever make a good Baroness."

"Thinking that little boy will do a better job than another child is a little farfetched, don't you think Onin?" Kor snapped walking in, Parker glared at the man as he limped into the room. Was it just her or was his limp getting worse? Kor stepped beside Parker almost stepping on her. "How will he face the test when he's still a child?!"

"Isn't that the point?" Parker mumbled drawing a couple more circles. "He's supposed to prove himself worthy, get the Precursor Stone and save the day."

"And if he doesn't?"

"Then we'll think of something else."

"Do you expect him to stand up to the Metal Head leader?"

"Sure why not?"

"Onin, talk some reason into her!" Kor said pointing to Parker. "Expecting that little boy to save us is folly! At his age he'll never be ready for the Metal Head leader!" He turned. "Oh Jak... we were just talking about Samos' plan."

"Onin says your voice sounds very familiar." Pecker said. "I bet you golden oldies go way, way back." Parker smirked as Kor backed away. "Onin needs you to prove yourself Jak, you've shown your brass, you've shown your bran. Now you must show your brains as well. Frankly, I think she's pushing it but I'm not the boss. Bet this test and the third piece of the seal of Mar will be shown to you."

Parker stood. "Good luck Jak," The blonde glanced to her before sitting in the place she used to be. She backed up a step and watched as Jak focused on the coloured Ecos in front of him. The first time Onin gave her a test like this she was much younger and Rhiannon stood behind her, prompting Parker and cheering her on. Parker sighed and left the tent. The sky was getting darker and she could smell rain.

"Parker, I need you to take out a bunch of Hellcat Cruisers that have been causing troubles." Torn demanded. "There's already been four deaths this week."

"I'm on it." She said peeking her head back in. "Hey Dax," He turned at his name. "I got a mission okay, I gotta go."

"See ya latter sweetheart." Daxter piped as she ran down the street grabbing the nearest zoomer.

It hurt to destroy the cruisers since she and Lena planned them out. It hurt even more when the first one blew up and she knew this wasn't going to be an easy mission –physically and emotionally. She always imagined herself driving one of them, patrolling her sector and reporting back to Erol about her progress. She'd kill to get in the cockpit for an hour… even for ten minutes.

But it was a pipe dream that was never going to come true.

She took another zoomer, one less damaged then her first one, and drove to the Industrial Section where it was closing in on them. She fired from the zoomer but quickly jumped off when it started to smoke, she rolled to the ground and kept firing until the beautiful cruiser started to spiral downwards. She ran out of there, jumping when she heard the explosion and the screams of bystanders. She shoved a drive off his zoomer and rounded the corner to another cruiser, this time the guards were ready for her and started shooting. She changed gears and sped up aiming the vehicle at the cruiser, once it was close enough she pushed herself off and hit the ground when her zoomer hit. She rolled away from the burning metal and started to run, picking up blaster packs as she went. She ran until she was sure she wasn't being followed until she was almost knocked over by someone.

She looked down at the Kid, he was wrapped around her leg and squeezing hard. She could tell he was crying, he trembled as she bent down and picked him up. Torn, Lena, Tess and Amberly ran around the corner, with Samos and Kor wobbling after them. The Kid nuzzled his face into her shoulder and sobbed.

"Thank the Gods, you caught him!" Amberly wheezed. "We thought we lost him."

"We?" Torn snapped. "You were supposed to be watching him!"

"And I had paperwork to do!" Amberly shot back. "Remember those stacks of death certificates you dropped on me ten minutes ago?"

"Last time I checked, I'm pretty sure it was his job to take care of the Kid." Lena snapped motioning back at Kor.

"Kor did tell him back Samos' plan." Tess mumbled. "He was so scared and he ran."

"Yah I would run too," Parker snapped at Kor. "You don't even know if Jak has found the tomb yet!"

At that moment all their communicators went off, Parker glared at Torn who was the first person to take out his unit. He smirked and showed Parker, on the small screen was a skull icon –the tomb. She sighed and shifted the Kid's weight on her hip. Samos nodded and walked to Parker. "Alright, Parker, Kor and I will take the Kid to the Tomb. Torn you hold down the fort at the Hideout, Lena go prep Vin for receiving the stone and Amberly make sure all our communications are up –I don't want the Baron's forces knowing about this. Tess, go keep Krew busy and then return with your weekly update."

Parker drove to the Tomb, where the Baron's old statue used to stand. The Kid was glued to her hip but Kor was able to tear him away and get him on the elevator. Parker paused outside when she heard a zoomer stop behind her, Jak jumped out and ran up to her.

"We found the tomb." He smirked.

"I know," She pointed to her communicator. "Got your message."

"How's the Kid?"

"Scared, of course." She stepped towards the door. "C'mon let's find this stupid stone."

"Parker," Jak said grabbing her arm. "We need to talk about what hap-"

"Later." Parker said looking over her shoulder, Jak followed her gaze. "When the world isn't falling down around us."

TBC…