I do not own Jak and Daxter or any characters from the original games.

CHAPTER 11

Taj sat at the top of a large ramp on the jet board course. He sighed as he pulled his knees up to his chest and rested his chin on top. He still hadn't been given his jet board back and wasn't allowed on the gun course or in the arena to practice his combat skills. Life had become very frustrating for the young Mar boy, he had so much pent up energy and no way of getting it out. Taj smiled slightly at the stories Daxter would tell him about how is father was always running around the city looking for adventure and getting into trouble "Thats why he ended up with dark eco in him" he muttered to himself "And thats why I have it in me" he sighed.

"Y'know talking to yourself is a very bad sign" came a small quiet voice from under the ramp.

Taj lifted his head and saw Marissa walking slowly up the ramp, he frowned and resumed his position "Why are you here, why do you want to talk to a freak like me?" he snapped glaring at her.

Marissa shrugged and sat down beside him "When I said that to the boys, I was only joking...I thought if I made a joke of it it would ease the tension that was bubbling around us all...that it would make it easier for them to apologize...it's so much easier to say your sorry when you don't mean it than to say it when you do" she said quitely.

"You called my entire family freaks Marissa, I can't forgive you for that" Taj spat turning away from her.

Marissa nodded "I know and I'm sorry" she breathed resting her hand on his arm "I didn't mean it, I...I still like you Taj"

"Well that's just too bad" Taj hissed pulling his arm away "Even if I did believe you were only joking, even if I wanted to forgive you...I can't, Anya would never forgive me, and she, Damas and Lexa come first, they always will".

Marissa nodded "So why are you sat at the top of this ramp and not actually riding a jet board?" she asked

"I had my jet board taken off me for riding around on it at school, I still haven't got it back yet" he shrugged.

Marissa giggled "Oh I see" Taj looked at her raising an eyebrow "It's just I was in the library and I was reading through an old year book and I saw a picture of your father, he seems to have gotten into his fair share of trouble when he was at school"

"That was different, he didn't know who he was, he wasn't expected to act any other way than as a teenager, I on the other had have responsibilities" he snapped getting up "I got to go" he said stamping down the ramp. When he got to the bottom he heard Marissa call his name and he turned around.

She stood at the top of the ramp "I really am sorry Taj" she frowned when he frowned up at her "You really are too young to have so much on your shoulders" she said.

Taj nodded and turned away, heading out of the jet board course and towards his mothers garage.

"Hey Mama" Taj called cheerily as he entered the garage.

Keira looked up from the zoomer she was working on and smiled "Hello my baby boy, what brings you here, where's your sister?" she asked grabbing a rag and wiping her hands.

Taj jumped up on to the work bench and shrugged "I think she went home, I thought I'd wait for you" he smiled "So I was thinking, my grounding ends on friday" he started.

Keira raised an eyebrow and walked towards him, leaning her back against the work bench "Yes, it does" she agreed.

"Well do I get my jet board back, and my gun course and arena time?" he asked grinning cheekily at his mother.

Keira laughed and reached up to stroke his face "Your so much like your father when you do that"

"When I do what?" Taj asked innocently

She laughed again "When you have that cheeky grin on your face when you want something...but I suppose you will get your jet board back, but Taj you have to learn to behave on it which means no riding around school on it" she warned.

"I know Mama, thanks" he smiled leaning down to kiss her cheek "What happened to your jet board Mama, I remember dad telling me you we're amazing on it?" he asked.

Keira nodded "I was, but it was kinda hard doing flips and jumps when I was pregnant with twins, and after you were born I just didn't have the time and then Damas and Lexa came along"

Keira wandered away to the office and called to Lee "Lock up for me" she waited for an answer and then walked back "Come on baby boy, lets show you just how good I am" she grinned.

Taj laughed and jumped off the work bench following his mother.

Jak wandered through the small garden at the back of his house and leaned against the doors of the small work shop at the bottom. He watched Keira as she worked at her work bench "Y'know you really are one sexy mechanic" he breathed.

Keira smiled but didn't turn around "And you are one sexy distraction" she breathed back.

Jak grinned and walked up behind her, before he got to her she turned around "And what can I do for you?" she asked

"Well I've sent the kids to go bother uncle Sig so we've got at least an hour" Jak said grinning and wrapping his arms around her.

Keira smiled "Oh I see and what would you like to do for that hour?" she asked.

Jak grinned and pushed her back to against the work bench and lifted her so she sat on it while he stood in between her legs "So Taj says I've some new high scores to beat on the jet board course?" he asked raising an eyebrow.

Keira nodded "Yup, I've beaten all your scores, looks like I've still got it in me" she grinned.

"Well..." Jak breathed running his fingertips up and down her spine under her shirt "...I remember the first time I saw you on a jet board and I remember how god damn sexy it was"

Keira closed her eyes and leaned her forehead on Jak's, her hand sliding down his chest and found the buckle of his belt, she pulled him closer and pressed her groin to his before kissing him passionately "Do you want to close the doors?" she mumbled into his mouth.

Jak smiled against her mouth and kissed her deeper before pulling away, he looked at her "You want to do it here?" he asked smirking moving his hand around and up the front of her shirt until he came to her breast and began massaging it.

Keira moaned softly and pressed her body further into his "What the hell do you think?" she breathed into his ear.

Jak grinned and moved away from her quickly closing the doors and returning to her.

"Marissa came to see me" Taj said suddenly to Anya as they sat in the palace gardens watching their younger brother and sister play.

Anya frowned and looked at him "What, why didn't you say something before?" she asked

Taj shrugged "I knew you'd be mad"

"Well what did she say?" Anya asked

Taj looked at the ground and sighed "Just that she was sorry and that she only said what she said to try and diffuse some of the tension"

"And you believed her?" She enquired

Taj shrugged again "I believe she's sorry"

"Sorry I heard her" Anya spat.

Taj looked at Anya "Look Anya your my twin sister and you're the most important person in my life, but I can't help it if I still like her"

Anya sighed "I know..." she said stroking his arm "...but are you sure its you that likes her and not him downstairs?"

Taj laughed "That's a nice way of putting it...and honestly it's probably more him than me..." he sighed again "...My head knows that I shouldn't trust her and that she probably did mean what she said but there's a part of me that really wants to be with her"

Anya nodded "Just be careful Taj, and maybe if she is up to something you'll be able to figure it out and stop it before she goes to far, you're not as dumb as you look after all" she smiled.

Taj laughed again "Thanks little sis, lets just hope it doesn't come to that shall we".

Keira walked into Anya's bedroom and sat on her bed. Anya looked up from the book she was reading and smiled weakly. Keira frowned "Anya honey, what's the matter, you've been quiet since you got back from the palace, everything okay with Rio?" she asked.

"everything is fine with Rio, it's just..." she sighed and closed the book putting it on the table next to her bed "Taj is thinking of trying again with Marissa, I know its up to him and you can't help who you like but I just don't trust her, I'm sure she's up to something" she said shaking her head.

"Well maybe Taj needs to figure that out for himself" Keira said softly.

Anya nodded "I know mama, I just hope he figures it out before it's too late"

Keira smiled "Taj is a smart boy, regardless of the amount of trouble he gets into, he'll figure it out...you just have to hope it happens sooner rather than later"

"I just don't get it, I mean I understand that girls find him attractive and all but why would she want to go out with someone who she thinks is a freak?" Anya asked.

Keira smiled "He certainly is a good-looking boy, he's just like your father, only he hasn't got that darkness your father used to have in his eyes"

Anya frowned "What do you mean, daddy hasn't got darkness in his eyes?" she snapped slightly.

"Not anymore he hasn't, but when we first met I was looking at some photo's of him that Aunt Tess had and his eyes we're always so dull and dark. You won't have seen it because they've been happy and beautiful since the day you and Taj we're born" Keira explained.

"Since the day I met you actually pretty girl" Jak said coming into the room.

Keira and Anya looked up and watched as Jak sat next to Keira wrapping his arm around her, Keira smiled and leaned into him "We're you really that sad without mama?" Anya asked.

Jak smiled "Well before I met her I didn't realise I wasn't happy, I just got on with my life, but the moment I met her, from the second I walked into her coming out the throne room in the palace, the cloud around my heart lifted, the darkness felt far away. I felt better and I've been the happiest man in the world ever since" he kissed Keira's cheek lightly "So what are you talking about?" he asked.

"I was just saying how much Taj takes after you, he looks just like you only without the darkness in your eyes that you used to have before we met" Keira smiled.

Anya nodded "Can't you tell him he's not allowed to go out with Marissa daddy, can't you forbid him or something?"

"Angel, I can't tell Taj who he can and can't go out with, he's young he wants a bit of fun...anyway if I said he couldn't go out with her he'd only want to do it more, and he'd only do it secret, better out in the open and then we can keep an eye on him" Jak smiled.

Anya nodded and sighed "If only he'd stuck with Lucie"

Jak laughed and got up "Trust me angel, I don't think he's done with Lucie just yet" he said leaning down and kissing her forehead "Goodnight angel, love you" he said walking out the room.

"Night daddy, love you back" Anya smiled.

"So your going out with Marissa again?" Jak asked entering Taj's bedroom and sitting on the bed.

Taj looked up and shrugged "I don't know what I want to do, what would you do?" he asked

"I'd use my head and follow my heart, but it's hard to use your head when your heart is yelling at you to do something else" Jak said

Taj nodded "I'm not in love with her or anything, in fact I think I'm in love with Lucie, but I want to give it another shot, see if she really is up to something"

Jak studied his son's face and looked into his eyes. He smiled "Your mother is right, you have no darkness in them eyes"

"What?" Taj asked confused

Jak laughed "Your mother was just telling Anya about the how dark my eyes were before I met her" he explained

"Oh...so what do you think I should do?" Taj asked again

Jak thought for a minute and then said "You do whatever you feel is right, you're a smart boy you'll figure it out"

"Great some help you are" Taj sulked

Jak laughed and got off the bed "I can't tell you what to do, you have to figure it out yourself, just don't do anything that feels wrong in your heart, okay?" he smiled.

Taj smiled and looked up at his father "Okay, thanks dad".

"No problem son, it's what I'm here for" he smiled "Now go to sleep, love you son" he smiled heading towards the door.

Taj smiled and snuggled down into his bed "Love you back dad".

As ever thanks for reading. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed and I hope you like it. X X X X