A/N: Hello everybody! So, the great "how did Jak get there?" thing begins...well...in this AU anyway. Or does it...? The chapter steams up. I warn you now. Read, review or no Chapter Nine. ~ Mika

Two years (and a few months) previously

For the first time that day, Keira looked out of the small window in the garage that faced out towards the large Stadium gardens. She was pleasantly surprised and slightly concerned to find that it was dark; she then looked at her clock. 11:30p.m. No other conviction needed that it was, indeed, night-time.

I'd better stop for the night and clean up, she thought to herself, putting her tools down. As much as she didn't want to, she realised she had to stop and go to bed before she exhausted herself completely. Cleaning her tools and hooking them back onto their proper latches, locking them as she went along, she suddenly found herself overwhelmed with exhaustion. Finally, as was her usual ritual, she drew the curtain along, concealing the three-seater Zoomer she'd just started constructing. A ripple of excitement held her tightly. She couldn't wait to finish it, to try and get it developed. Although families were not a large part of Haven City, she was sure there were at least a few who would be willing to buy and own a three-seater Zoomer.

Chuckling to herself, she pulled the shutters down and locked first the window and then the shutters themselves, before switching off all the lights, leaving the garage and locking the door. A breeze swirled between the open corridor between the garages and the stadium, lifting her hair gently. She chuckled again and climbed into her own Zoomer, pulling off and accelerating towards home. As she did so, her thoughts, as ever at this time of night when he wasn't here, wandered to Jak, out once again on another crazy mission from Torn. Although she knew he could take care of himself with Daxter on one shoulder and the Morph on the other, she was still breathless with fear that his lifeless body, or news of his death or disappearance, would reach her rather than his own living self.

Parking the Zoomer, she saw the lights weren't on in the house. A wave of disappointment surged through her as she unlocked the door and stepped inside, flipping the switches immediately. Light flooded the house, easing her immediately. Silence also flooded the house, though this did not unnerve her in the light. Switching the downstairs lights off but leaving the stair and upstairs lights on, she trudged upstairs, grabbing a towel as she passed and heading into the shower.

"Looks like another night alone," she said quietly to herself with disappointment in her voice, running the shower until it was hot, shedding her clothes and then stepping in.

~x~

"Hurry. Hurry. HUUURRRREEEEEE – "

"Dax, I'm almost there!"

"It's almost midnight. Ya already got into trouble three days ago for blowing up another Zoomer – "

"That was a Metal Head!"

"Don't worry, buddy...I know the truth." Daxter let slip a huge comedic wink. "Then yesterday, you left without telling her where you were goin' – "

"She's not my mother. 'Sides, she always knows I come back."

"And today – YOUR FIVE YEAR ANNIVERSARY, MAY I REMIND YOU! – you not only missed the chance of a huge dinner, but you're almost missin' it altogether. You better have a plan!"

"Trust me Daxter, I always have a plan."

The ottsel rolled his eyes. "Sure ya do. Like when we first crash landed in this dump. You had a plan then?"

"Of course I did! I was just in shock at the sudden differences between Haven and Sandover,"

"So say we all," Daxter countered dryly, "but then you had to get into a scuffle with some KG – "

"Hey, we got away, didn't we?" Jak snapped irritatingly. "Anyway, I'm back now." He braked so hard it sent the ottsel flying off his shoulder and crashing into the opposite wall. Swinging one leg off and over the Zoomer, Jak crossed over to his best friend, hands on hips.

"Y'know, you look gay when you do that," Daxter grumbled from his upside-down position against the wall.

"Do wha?" Jak protested, squatting in front of his orange best friend (taking his hands off his hips, of course).

"The whole hands-on-hips thing. It's bad enough that yer waist is rid-ic-ulously narrow and your hair is longer than the acceptable level, but when you do that you look even more like a girl – OW! Easy on the goods!" he yelled, rubbing his head.

"At least I'm not covered in unwanted body hair," Jak sniggered, standing back up and folding his arms. "That more masculine for ya, Dax?"

The ottsel narrowed his eyes, not daring to utter a response in case he got another smack round the head again.

"Now..." Jak straightened up, dusting himself off. "I got a girlfriend to deeply apologise to."

"'Deeply'?" Daxter repeated, sniggering for emphasis.

"That's what she said,"

"Yes, that is what you said, big girl. ALRIGHT, I'M GOIN'!" he yelled before Jak could whack him again. "I gotta go see Tess anyway. Can't beat a day without a scratch behind the ears..." Without – strangely – another word, Daxter scrambled to his feet and took off in the night.

Jak chuckled and slammed the garage shut, locking and double-locking it. Haven was barely safe enough with the Guard's constant patrols as it was, but burglars and thieves made it worse. Sighing, he stretched and opened the door, noting with surprise that it was unlocked.

She must be home already, he thought, a small feeling of worry settling over him. If the door was unlocked, it meant Keira was at least in bed, if not already asleep. Checking the other doors – locked – he decided to go up and risk waking her up anyway.

Shedding himself of boots, he leapt up the stair. Hearing the sound of running water, he put two and two together and snuck into the bedroom, shedding the rest of his clothes, save his underwear.

He lay on the bed and waited for her to come in.

~x~

Keira could swear she heard footsteps above the running water. Turning the shower off, she wrapped a thick towel around her body and opened the door, stepping cautiously outside, fear pricking her nerves. Precursors, she wished she had a weapon handy. Her spare tools were in her bedroom.

The bedroom!

Silently, she darted towards the designated room, noting with a frown that it was ajar. Balling her fists with towel, she cautiously pushed the door open, letting the room flood with light.

"Hey, Keir,"

She almost dropped her towel in shock when she saw Jak on the bed, especially when she saw that he was almost completely naked.

"Jak? How long have you been back?"

"Not long," he said cockily, a half-smile on his face. "Sorry, hon. Mar-damned Metal Heads held us all up. I know, I should've called..."

"Sssh," she hushed him, treading silently towards the bed. In the moonlight, her hips swayed beneath the towel, the motion sending shivers of a particular kind through the young man on the bed. "You're here now. That's all that matters." Crawling over him, her legs either side of his own, she reached his face and pulled him into a long, deep and hungry kiss. A small moan sounded in his throat, especially when she straddled him, sitting on that particular place.

He reached around and undid her towel, letting it fall.

"Happy anniversary, baby," she whispered hoarsely, leaning forward and kissing him again, fumbling with the last scrap of clothing on his body, peeling it away and down his legs. He kicked them away and rolled over, trapping her beneath him, uttering a little "ha-HA". His eyes caught the moonlight and he chuckled again.

"Happy anniversary, Keira," he whispered, sliding between her legs. And he meant it. He meant every word he said to her, save for the times when he was angry at her.

Just like he always promised he'd be back.