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CHAPTER 10

Jak ran into Spargus Temple and looked around, he frowned when he saw it was empty "Seem, Anya?" he called jogging over to the door that led down to the bottom of the temple.

The door opened and Seem stepped out she smiled briefly "Ah Jak, nice to see you" she said.

"Where's Anya?" Jak asked looking around her.

Seem looked up and pointed to the top of the temple "She flew up there, said she needed some time" she looked at Jak concerned "Is everything okay?" she asked.

Jak nodded "Yeah it will be" he said before changing into his light form and letting the wings sprout out his back "Thanks Seem" he said before flapping his wings and ascending up to the roof.

Anya sat on the edge of the roof looking out over the desert. She looked around and smiled when Jak landed and quickly changed out of his light form. Jak smiled at her and walked over to her sitting down next to her "What are you doing up here angel?" he asked.

"I love sitting up here and looking out over the desert, it's really beautiful" she smiled looking at her father.

Jak nodded "It sure is, is everything alright Anya,you're not worried about yesterday are you?" he asked

Anya nodded and looked away from him "I've just never changed out of anger before, it was a bit scary" she said as tears began to line her eyes.

"Oh angel, it wasn't your fault" Jak said putting his arm around her and pulling her to his chest.

Anya sniffed "But I've just proved them all right haven't I, I've proved that I can't control it"

"Anya, your still learning to control it, it takes time to learn how to control something so unstable" Jak said looking down into his daughters sad eyes

She wiped her eyes "Its going to be all over school tomorrow, and what about Rio, what if he doesn't want to go out with me once he finds out?"

"If Rio is as great as you think he is then it shouldn't bother him, he knows you have it in you right?" Anya nodded "So he must know that it's going to come out every now and again"

Anya nodded "What did mama say when you told her, did she freak out?" she asked

Jak laughed "She was amazing, she just asked if I could control it and what it felt like, she didn't judge me or run away scared, that's when I knew right then and there that I loved her and I'd never love anyone else" he smiled

"She's pretty awesome isn't she?" Anya smiled

Jak nodded "She sure is"

"Daddy, I don't want people to be scared of me, I don't want my friends to be scared of me" Anya said

He shook his head "If they are real friends they won't be, they'll know you would never hurt them, none of my friends are scared of me"

"I guess" Anya said looking up at Jak before hugging him tighter "Thanks daddy" she beamed

Jak laughed "It's what I'm here for, now come one let's get you home" he said starting to get up.

Anya followed him "But I haven't really had any training yet" she said as she watched Jak change into his light form.

"I think you can skip it for today" he smiled as he watched his daughter change.

Taj and Anya walked into school the next day. Anya stopped as all the other students stopped talking and looked at them, Taj grabbed her hand "Come on sis" he smiled squeezing her hand and pulling her over to her locker.

Lucie rushed up and flung her arms around Anya "Oh my god Anya, I was so worried about you"

"Why?" Anya asked

She pulled away and looked at her "Marissa told every one what happened on Saturday, I was scared you'd hurt yourself or something"

"I'm fine Lucie, really" Anya said hugging her best friend back "But thanks for worrying" she smiled pulling away from her.

Lucie nodded and smiled and looked at Taj "Are you okay?" she asked.

"Fine, how are you and hows Mason?" he snapped.

Lucie rolled her eyes and giggled turning to her locker.

"Didn't take long for it to spread did it?" Rio said coming up behind Anya, she spun around and looked up at him smiling slightly, he smiled back "Hiya babe, good weekend?" he asked before leaning down and giving her a gentle kiss.

Anya smiled "It started off great but then it kinda went down hill"

"Yeah, Dark Anya nearly ripping some one to pieces kinda screws up a weekend" Taj joked.

Rio laughed "From what I hear you changed too?" he asked moving around Anya and pulling open his locker, before reaching for Anya's hand and pulling her into his arms.

"I didn't have a choice, it was either that or picking up the pieces of Marissa after they'd been ripped off and scattered all over the beach" Taj laughed.

Anya looked around "Everyone's looking at us" she said sadly.

"Marissa sure did a good job spreading it around didn't she" Lucie spat "So what did she say to get you so mad?" she asked leaning her back against the lockers.

"She didn't tell you?" Anya asked, Lucie shook her head "She wouldn't would she, her cousins are the ones that have been picking on Damas and Lexa, and one of them pushed Lexa over" she took a deep breath "Anyway she told the boys to apologize but then whispered that we are freaks, she thought I wouldn't hear her"

Lucie looked at Taj "And you wanted to go out with her" she spat

"Alright I know" he said holding his hands up "I just don't get it, why would she want to go out with me if she thinks I'm a freak" he said shaking his head "Anyway, what did she tell everyone?" he asked.

Rio shrugged "She said you and her were talking on the beach and all of a sudden Anya flipped and turned into a monster and tried to attack her"

Anya shook her head "It wasn't like that, she called us freaks"

Rio pulled her closer "I know babe, but it seems like everyone else doesn't"

"It's unbelievable, we've known these people most of our lives and they believe her when she's only just got her" Taj snapped looking around, he saw Marissa and frowned as she came walking over, she stopped in front of him and smiled slightly "What do you want, come to spread some more crap?" he asked angrily.

She shook her head "No Taj, I just wanted to talk to you"

"Well I don't wanna talk to you" he said pulling his locker open and throwing his books in "And why would you want to talk to a freak like me anyway?" he asked sharply.

"Please Taj, I'm sorry" she said gently touching his arm

He yanked it away and turned around "You should have thought of that before hurting my sister, and then telling everyone a load of crap" he hissed before marching down the corridor.

Lucie walked into the boiler room at the bottom of the school and looked around. She smiled when she saw Taj's legs sticking out from under an old work bench and went to sit with him "What you doing down here?" she asked crawling into the space next to him and pulling her knees up and hugging them to her chest.

Taj looked at her and shrugged "I couldn't face history, what's it to you anyway?" he snapped.

"No matter whats happened between us we're still friends aren't we?" Lucie smiled.

Taj smiled and nodded "I guess" he took a deep breath and sighed "I'm sorry I didn't listen to you and Anya, I should have listened to Anya above anyone"

Lucie nodded "You should have done, but it doesn't matter now"

"It does matter, I feel like such a fool, she was supposed to be a bit of fun, a quick fix" he snapped "I should have stuck with you, at least I know where I am with you" he sighed.

Lucie frowned "Is that all I am to you, just some girl who understands you?"

"God no, your more than that, you know that" Taj rushed grabbing her hand and squeezing it "I'm sorry I hurt you" he breathed

Lucie shrugged "It doesn't matter and it didn't really hurt, well it did until I saw how jealous you got about Mason and I, until I realised you still want me" she giggled.

Taj laughed "So you and Mason was just to make me jealous?" he asked

Lucie shook her head "I like him, he's nice"

Taj reached up and cupped Lucie's face, she closed her eyes briefly and smiled "Are you going out with him again?"

Lucie moved her hand and placed her hand over his on her cheek "Taj, you can't just expect me to come running back to you, I think you should figure out what it is you want" she leaned in and kissed him softly, pulling away she smiled "But we're still friends and I'll always be here for you" she brushed her lips to his again before pulling completely away and crawling out from under the bench.

Taj smiled and looked down at his hands, he sighed "But I know what I want" he whispered as he heard the door close behind Lucie.

Keira sat on the beach watching as Damas, Lexa and Tex played at the water's edge "Don't go in the water!" she called to them.

Damas waved and went back to playing as Keira smiled and sighed happily, she leaned back on her arms and looked up at the sun, closing her eyes slightly until a shadow appeared in front of her, she sat back up and opened her eyes frowning at the sight of Torn looking down at her "What are you doing here?" she asked looking around him and seeing his son Tory rushing towards Damas.

Torn shrugged and plopped down next to her "I had to come visit Jak and Sig and Tory wanted to play with Damas so I brought him down for ten minutes, that okay?" he asked.

"I guess, Tory's a nice kid and he and Damas are friends" she shrugged

Torn gave Keira a sideways glance and smiled slightly "You know they could be our kids"

"I don't think so, you cheated on me remember" Keira snapped

Torn nodded "Worse mistake I ever made, letting you go" he said dropping his head and beginning to play with the sand at his fingertips

"You don't mean that, if you hadn't done what you did then I would never have Jak, and I wouldn't have my four beautiful children, and you wouldn't have Tory" she said

Torn nodded "He really is the best thing to come out of my relationship with Ashelin" he sighed "So are you happy with your life, truly deep down happy?" he asked

"You can't ask me things like that Torn, we're not even friends" she looked left and spotted Jak walking towards them with the twins, she smiled and stood up wiping sand off herself before looking down at Torn "But yes, I am happy, when I see my wonderful family I'm happier than anyone else in the world" she smiled before turning and jogging towards Jak. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he wrapped his around her waist and crashed a hot kiss to his lips.

Jak pulled away and smiled down at her "What's this for, Torn been giving you crap?" he said glancing up and to Torn.

Keira smiled and shook her head "Not at all, Tory just wanted to play with Damas that's all" she kissed him again "He asked if I was happy and I turned around and there you where, the reason why I am so happy"

Jak grinned "Well in that case" he said wrapping his arms tighter around her and lifting her slightly before giving her a passionate kiss.

Taj and Anya groaned as their parents kissed on the beach "God, you two are so embarrassing" Taj moaned.

Jak rested Keira back on her feet and pulled away from her "What's the matter son, isn't it nice to see two people in love?" he smirked

"Not when its your parents" Taj sulked kicking some sand around.

Keira stepped out of Jak's arms and looked at her two eldest children "So how was school?"

Anya shrugged "Lucie and Rio were just the same, but everyone else believes what Marissa said"

"What did she say?" Jak asked frowning

Taj looked around at Damas and Lexa "Just that Anya just flipped for no reason, she even tried talking to me, can you believe that..." he pulled a piece of paper out his pocket and handed it to his father "I just couldn't face history today dad, I'm sorry but I skipped" he said looking down.

Jak read the detention slip and frowned handing it to Keira, he wrapped an arm around Taj and pulled him into a tight hug "I guess we can let you off this time son".

Keira smiled and kissed her son's cheek "But don't do it again, or at least don't get caught" she giggled "Now come on we have to take Tex home and we may as well have dinner while we're there" she said linking arms with Anya and walking towards where Damas and Lexa played with Tex and Tory.

"So what are you going to do about Marissa, she still likes you?" Anya asked as she plopped down next to Taj on the sofa

Taj shrugged "How can she like me when she thinks I'm a freak?" he asked looking at his sister.

"Maybe she was just saying I was a freak" Anya tried

Taj shook his head "Anya, we're twins if you're a freak, I'm a freak"

"Do you still like her, I've never seen you so upset about a girl before" Anya asked

He frowned "It's not that I wanted it to go anywhere, just a bit of fun, but she's the first girl who has ever said that about me, remember Jenna?" he asked, Anya nodded "Remember how she was my first girlfriend and she said she couldn't be with me because of all the responsibilities that came with being the girlfriend of the future king, of the grandson of the great king Damas, the son of the great wasteland commander Jak Mar, it just reminded me of that"

"Taj no matter what you do, no matter if you take the throne or not, you are destined to be a great warrior like daddy and grandfather" Anya sighed "It's in our blood Taj, no one can change that"

Taj looked at a photo of his father in full wastelander combat gear hung on the wall "I guess, and he works really hard to be as good as what he is"

"And you've heard the stories, if it weren't for him and his wastelander army this place would have been over run by marauders or, metal heads or even worse" Anya smiled proudly.

Taj smiled as his brother and sister ran in and jumped on him and his sister, Lexa crawled on to Taj's knee and looked up at him smiling while sucking her thumb "Read me a story Taj?" she asked

"And me?" Damas yelled happily from Anya's knee.

Anya laughed and hugged her baby brother "You see Taj, we may be freaks but we're the best and happiest freaks I know" she smiled getting up and putting Damas on the ground.

Taj laughed "You got that right" he said carrying Lexa upstairs.

Jak and Keira stood at the kitchen door watching their children "She's right you know" Keira said wrapping her arms around Jak's waist.

"About what?"Jak asked putting his arms around her slim shoulders and looking down.

She smiled and looked up "We're the happiest and best freaks"

"I'm the freak, the rest of you are just perfect" Jak smiled

Keira tiptoed and kissed his cheek "Your perfect".

Marissa paced up and down in her room and sighed as the voice from her comm unit yelled at her "I know mother, I'm sorry"

"Marissa how the hell are we going to get to be the top crime family when you can't even get a boy to fall for you?" the voice snapped

Marissa sighed again "He did fall for me but them brats screwed it up, if they'd just stayed away from his brother then none of this would have happened" she snapped "And it's not just any boy mother, everyone watches him"

"Of course they watch him he's the heir to the throne you stupid girl, just get it sorted" she yelled before static started to crackled and Marissa slammed the unit shut.

Hope you enjoy. As ever thanks for reading and please review. X X X X