A/N: Hello there! Thanks for reviews and advice and the like. Sorry about lack of updates, been ill recently (am still technically ill now, not sure what's causing it :( ). But because I lurve you all I'm doing this chapter. And yes, I have gone through and edited it :) Read, review or no CAPITOLO OTTO (that's Chapter Eight to the rest of you). ~ Mika

Daniel released Torn's fingers and shot across the garage to his mother the second Jak launched for the former Commander. Luckily for the man, his reflexes kicked in just as the ashen creature launched for his throat. Diving out of the way, he curled up defensively as the Jak-creature's claws plummeted into the wall behind the pair with a low boom. With a snarl, it wrenched its claws free and whirled towards the fallen man. Uncurling, Torn delivered a kick to the creature's face when it got within range of his legs. It swiped angrily, roaring in pain, catching Torn's trouser leg with one black claw. The former Commander's head hit the floor as he was dragged by the ashen creature for a very painful minute before he got the material free of the claw. Whirling around, as if realising its prey was trying to escape, the creature stumbled towards Torn, claws now elongated to its fullest. It bent over and grabbed a handful of material, lifting the dreadlocked man off the ground – and off his feet. Nose to nose, face to face, Torn struggled to free himself from the creature's grip just as it drew its free claw back, aimed it and swung it towards –

"Stop!"

That yell did its job, stopping the creature's claw dead, mere millimetres from its tattooed target.

Indicating to the terrified little boy in her arms that he should stay where he was, Keira slowly got up, standing up straight. Letting her eyes rest first on Torn and then the creature, which had reverted back to its normal self, she walked slowly towards the pair.

Jak, wearing a horrified expression, was still holding the soldier in the air.

"Jak, put him down," she said softly. Her lost boyfriend complied, scowling, no apology from his lips. She sighed, folding her arms almost defensively. "Look, Jak...Two years. It's...A lot can change in two years. A lot can happen,"

"No shit," Jak replied acerbically. "Evidently with him." He pointed at Torn to emphasise his point.

"No, it's not like that!" Keira pleaded, frightened he was going to "turn" again. "Not with him. Jak, he's helped me and Danny over the last two years. He saved us today."

The blonde let out a long, low sigh. "Then who? Who've you been seeing? Whose prisoner have you been for the last two years?" He softened his tone. "Who changed you, Keir?"

"Who changed me?" she echoed, laughing humourlessly. "Who changed you, Jak?"

Jak sighed internally, debating whether to tell her here and now. He had no time to make a decision before Daxter cut in.

"Uhhh, hey lovebirds, sorry to break up your little reunion, but can we discuss this somewhere else?"

"The rat's right," Torn agreed, although one could tell by his tone that he did not like agreeing with the ottsel. "Jak, you're probably being hunted. Keira..." So are you. By the same person. "We need to get away before we're found," he eventually finished. Let Keira tell Jak who's been her captor for two years. "Keira, you got everything you need?"

The young woman nodded ferverently. Jak wandered over, placing his hand on the three-seat Zoomer.

"You never finished this?" he queried, not looking at Keira, his voice uncharacteristically soft.

"He...wouldn't let me," Keira answered, lowering her eyes almost in shame.

A surge of anger swept Jak in its current, and once again, he wondered who could possibly have enough power to even attempt to control someone as headstrong – as strong overall – as Keira.

Control her enough to separate her from doing what she loved.

"Let's go," Torn said shortly, getting uncomfortable with the developing atmosphere between the newly reunited couple. They seemed to snap out of their stupor, Keira calling her son over, and everyone left the garage quickly, scrambling into the Hellcat.

"By the way, where are we going? I'm pretty sure...he knows every angle and plain of the city," Keira wanted to know, shuddering at the last part.

"The Bunker," Torn replied, smoothly pulling off the vehicle.

"The Bunker?" Jak queried again.

"Underground HQ," Keira whispered in his ear. "The hideout? You remember?"

For a moment, his brain didn't take in the words, so relieved was his body to feel Keira's touch for the first time in two years.

Then it sunk in.

"It's still going?" he asked incredulously.

"Yeah, course it is," Torn said dryly. "You'd think we'd stop without you?"

"Hey, Tattooed Wonder. Don't underestimate what he did before he disappeared!" Daxter interjected pointedly.

"Oh, like you spent two years only looking for him. I'm sorry, I completely forgot about that," Torn replied, voice dripping with sarcasm. "Now shut up, rat, I gotta concentrate,"

"Don't you tell me to – " Daxter began indignantly before Jak slapped a hand over his mouth. Pushing it off, he looked indignantly at his best friend, who just looked at him back.

"So, Torn, you're still doing that double-agent thing you're a master at?" Jak asked the named man, an underscore of venom in his voice.

"Actually, I quit today,"

"Oh, so you've finally decided which side you're on then!"

Torn let out a long, loud, controlled breath and stomped on the accelerator pedal, causing the car to jolt.

"AH! Easy, ya walkin' work of art!" Daxter grumbled.

"Shut up, rat, or I'll go so fast you're gonna get thrown out of the damn thing," Torn growled.

Daxter shut up and clung onto Jak's shoulder pad safely.

~x~

Later

Keira smoothed down the blankets on the makeshift (single) bed she'd been given for the night. It was now nine in the evening and after the long day, she was exhausted. The same could not be said for Danny, who had made a new friend in the form of a small child known only as The Kid. Eerily to all concerned, the two mute little ones shared facial features that could only come from genetic relation – which was impossible due to the fact that as far as was known, the Kid had no family. Less eerily so, both children got on like a house on fire in their own silent manner.

"Danny! Beddy-byes!" Keira called when her young son bolted into the room, a blur of blue and yellow-tipped green in clothes and hair respectively. She moved so that he crashed into her arms, stopping instantly. Swooping him up and holding him tightly in her own, she swayed him back and forth, her green eyes looking deep into his own, wide blues. She listened out for footsteps before lowering her voice to a whisper. "You met your Daddy today. Not nasty Daddy, but your real Daddy."

Her son looked back at her, a protest in his eyes.

"I know...he was angry. Not at you, little one. Never at you," she whispered, smoothing down his hair. "I think...someone did something bad to him which made him angry. But the Jak I knew was never that...not before we came here." She shuddered, moving slowly towards Danny's own makeshift bed. "You know, Danny, Daddy and I have been here for seven years and...I don't like it. I still don't like it and I don't think I ever will." She sighed, holding him close. "I guess we're stuck here until I can get that damn Rider finished..."

Even breathing answered her. When she looked down, she noticed the toddler was asleep. Peeling back the covers with one hand, she laid him down gently, tucking his teddy under one arm. He curled up as if he was back in the womb, his little eyelids fluttering.

His mother kissed him once and tucked him in.

"He asleep?" a whispered voice behind her wanted to know.

Keira turned to see Jak. "Yeah. He is." He's keeping himself close, she noted, as if he's nervous.

"Can I come in?" he asked.

"Uh, sure," she said before she could stop herself. Tentatively, so not to wake the toddler, he came in and sat on the floor. Letting out a slight sigh, she sat in front of him, legs crossed, arms loose just as he was. Jak longed to grab her hand, lace his fingers with hers as they used to, but he instinctively knew that wasn't the right time.

Several awkward moments passed between them before one of them spoke.

"So...you're back," she said, a little breathlessly, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. She saw that his hair had grown long in the last two years and she longed to run her fingers through it. She too instinctively knew that it wasn't the right time.

"Yup," he replied shortly.

"Where did you go?" she suddenly demanded, almost bitterly, tears beginning to flood her face. "You left me, Jak. Just when I needed you the most and you left..."

"Keir, I'm sorry. I really am," Jak said. "I wouldn't have left you. Not intentionally. But...things happened. Like you said...things...things changed."

"What?" she demanded again, folding her arms. "What happened?"

A long silence passed between them. The blonde raised his eyebrows, locking eyes with Keira.

"You sure you wanna know?"

Keira swallowed before nodding firmly.

"Okay." Jak let out a cleansing sigh. "You may want to get comfortable. It's a long story..."

Così corro e nascondo, e mi strappo su
Inizio ancora con un nuovo nome...