OK Chapter 8 up. I relatively like this chapter :) Uhh with that, read on…

Disclaimer: I do not own. Yadda Yadda.

'It's Ok. I'm here. I'm here.' I heard Jak coo in my mind which ripped open the already fresh memory of Jak and Kiera kissing; of Jak dying.

"Oh God, you're alive." I said as I threw my arms around his neck. "You're alive. You're not dead. Nothing happened. It was a dream. It wasn't real." I murmured to myself while hugging him tightly to me.

"Come here. You're Ok. I'm here. I'm alive. It wasn't real." I felt him pull be until I was curled up in his lap, wetting his shoulder with my tears. He didn't even know what had happened, and here he was; comforting me. He was so sweet.

He wrapped his arms around me so I was fully in his lap. I felt like a small child again. I remembered Morgan, my adoptive father, doing that to me once when I had had a nightmare, like now. But that was nothing compared to this. This had just seemed so real.

I felt him kiss my hair, and I froze. Jak and I could never have something. He would probably die! I couldn't let that happen. Not on my watch. My dream had just reassured me, even if it wasn't real.

"Thank you, Jak. I . . . I'm fine." I sniffled as I pushed myself away from him . . . right onto the floor. "Ow!" My bones were sore! I guess falling down 30 yards could do that to you.

"Maddy!"

"No, no I'm OK." I said as I pushed myself off the floor and sat on Kiera's bed. "Uhh, thank you, Jak. Were you here the whole time?" He nodded. "How . . . long was I . . . out?"

He held up two fingers. "Two hours?" I said hopefully. He shook his head. "Two days?" I said flatly. He nodded. "Oh. Thank you for staying with me."

"You kept calling my name."

"You heard that?" He nodded.

"What were you dreaming about? I couldn't wake you up for nothing. It started about an hour ago. Before that, you looked . . . dead.' I could see him shiver.

"A very, very bad dream."

"I could tell. You kept saying something about don't die. Then my name. Over and over."

"I'm sorry . . ." I said quietly. I don't think I had ever been more embarrassed in my life.

"No it's fine." He said gently while stroking my hair again. I hadn't noticed he had scootched himself towards me. Friends could do this sort of thing right?

I let out a soft sigh and leaned into his hand. It felt nice; soothing. My head inclined itself until it was lying on his shoulder. Jak seemed to be enjoying this as much as I was, so when I felt his hand creep up and start rubbing my back, I let him.

Somehow my head ended up in his lap with me lying on prone on the bed. Jak was still stroking my face, hair, and arms, when suddenly I heard Kiera yell out my name, and Jak moved and swiftly left the room.

My body and brain were a mixture of emotions. My brain was saying 'bad, bad. This is dangerous for him. Are you going to risk him dying?' While my body and heart was saying 'good. Oh so good. It was just a dream nothing bad can happen.'

My body didn't feel as stiff and in pain anymore. 'Thank you, Jak.' I sighed in my head, but he didn't respond. Maybe he was in as much emotional trauma as I was. Here I was a stranger, who had only been here . . .

I got side tracked . . . how long had I been here. I counted. Then counted again. It couldn't be. I'd been here a month? Already? It felt like a week. I guess I wasn't really a stranger anymore.

"Maddy? Are you awake yet?"

"Yeah! I'll be there in a moment!" I yelled back at Kiera. 'Ok, girl, keep your head on straight!' I thought to myself.

Once my emotions were in check I walked out and saw Kiera, Jak, Daxter, and Samos. When I saw Jak I felt my face go red. I muttered a small 'hi' to them and stood next to Kiera. The others put it off thinking that I must still be tired, but Jak knew. I saw him smirking at me, and I looked the other way and started listening to what the others were saying.

"You guys have to go through fire canyon tomorrow. Maddy, can you go, too?" Kiera asked. I couldn't help but feel a pang of hatred when I saw her.

"Calm down, Maddy. It was just a dream." I said to myself. "Oh yes, I'm feeling fine. A day's more rest would suit me good, then I'll be ready.

"Ok then; tomorrow at dawn." Kiera said before walking out. "Can I borrow your Power Cells? I need to make the heat shield better so you guys can make it through."

Both Jak and I opened up our packs and the mixture of Power Cells came flying out.

"I'm going to go lie down for a bit." I said to no one in particular before I walked out.

O.o.O

I looked outside and it was still dark, but I was fully awake. Might as well enjoy the sunrise if I'm going to be up.

I walked outside and climbed up until I was sitting on the roof. I had forgotten to bring a blanket, so I was shivering. I didn't feel like getting up and getting a blanket, so I sat there. The cold wasn't unbearable; I had felt worse.

I looked out across the horizon of the sea and gasped. I could see two green suns peeking up over the edge of the blue water. "It's so beautiful . . ." I trailed off.

Then I heard a sound. It sounded like someone shuffling around inside the hut itself. I froze, not wanting anyone to find me and order me back inside. I was satisfied and happy out here. My thoughts were clear. That was the night I had fallen in love with the ocean. It was so dark and sinister; yet it was open, ready for anyone to dive into its depths and discover its secrets.

I heard steps on the ladder leading up to the top and I turned around and saw Jak with a blanket. He held it out to me. I crawled over to him and grabbed it. When I was in my previous spot I turned around to see if he was still there; he was. I patted the shingles next to me, gesturing that he should come and sit next to me. When he did I opened the blanket that I had wrapped around me, holding on arms out like a cape. He took the hint leaned in, snuggling up to my shoulder.

I leaned my head on the top of his head, and for how long we sat like that, I didn't know. I was so contented in that second, I forgot everything. I forgot that Jak would go dark. I forgot I was in a video game. I forgot that I was probably stuck here for a long time.

The only thing I knew was how warm Jak's head on my shoulder was. I looked down at him, whereas before I had been staring out into the ocean, and saw him already staring up at me.

"Jak." I whispered.

'Maddy.' I heard in my head.

I felt my head incline towards his, and saw him returning the gesture.
'You shouldn't be doing this!' The voice inside my head was yelling at me, but I just pushed it out of the way.

When our lips met, all other thoughts fled my mind. His mouth was so sweet against mine, his lips moving in sync with mine. When I felt him bite my bottom lip, I gasped at the feeling. Nothing that felt this right could be wrong.

He sucked my bottom lip into his mouth, and I growled at the feeling, going into a frenzy of passion. The kiss got deeper when I felt his tongue lick my bottom lip, asking for permission. I heard his slight intake of breath when I opened my mouth to his, right before his tongue touched mine. There was a zing when our tongues touched and my breath was momentarily lost, and when I regained it, I regained my senses as well.

'What am I doing? He could die!'

I pulled back and said, "Jak, I – I can't do this. I'm sorry." I quickly slipped down the ladder and ran off into the darkness. No I couldn't let this happen. Remember your dream.

'Maddy! Come back!' I heard him yell in my head, but I ignored it. I wish he could know that I was doing this for his safety, but he wouldn't believe me.

I went and hid in the empty fisherman's hut. Everything smelled like brine and fish.

Luckily, no one came to find me, so I stayed the night. In the morning I woke up in a stiff ball in the corner of the hut with the fisherman himself standing there.

"What are ya doin' here, Lassie?"

"I'm sorry; I'll be leaving now . . . I needed somewhere to stay tonight, and you weren't here, so I though you wouldn't mind. . ." I trailed off and tried to slip outside, but he put his hand in front of me, stopping me.

"What happened between you and that lad tha's been following you around like a puppy?"

"Not like a puppy." I said quietly.

"Have ya looked? He's head over heels for ya." Sadly, I hadn't noticed. I had been so involved in trying to not fall in love with him, that I hadn't noticed if he had fallen in love with me. It was just so unbelievable. Here was me, sixteen years old, and I had only had two boyfriends. That may have been a result of being home schooled, but I hadn't known love before, so this was weird.

"I'm sorry." I hung my head in shame.

"Now get. Go get your lad back." He winked at me.

"Thank you." I said gratefully as I walked out the door.

AN. Do you love it? Or Hate it? I really need reviews to get the creative, erm, juices flowing. So do me a favor and review, please?