Keira

Ashelin wanted to offer to drive but Jak didn't give her the chance. He got in the front seat and focused on the road ahead of him. She wisely sat behind him, letting Kor take the front passenger seat.

She looked over at Keira, unsure how to feel about her. On the one hand, this would mean Jak was available but on the other hand, he had thought this girl was dead for two years and, the whole time, she was living with one of Jak's tormentors and, worse, bonded with him.

But Errol, for all intents and purposes, was her friend. They had grown up together. They'd played tag and hide and seek and made mud pies together. To some, that might not mean much but to Ash, it meant everything. She didn't have many friends as a child. Errol was it.

Ashelin sighed. "So, you're this girlfriend that Errol's told me about…? And you're Jak's…"

Keira cringed. "It's complicated. A little over two years ago, we came here and on the way we were separated and Errol found me. I was unconscious and badly wounded. He bound my wounds and nursed me back to health. I asked about my companions. My father, Jak, Daxter. He said they were dead. I believed him. Until the news showed Jak six weeks ago fighting with the resistance."

Jak trembled and shook. Kor saw his eyes filling with black and knew he wasn't as fine as he claimed to be. The black fought with his natural blue and Kor put a kind hand on his shoulder. The blue came back.

"And by then… I know why Errol lied… for two years we got to know each other. He showed me someone far different than he showed to the rest of the city," Keira explained. "Love just sort of happened…"

Kor looked back at her incredulously. "And after you caught him in his lie, did he tell you all of the horrible things he did to Jak."

"Only on Praxis' orders," Keira argued. "Should he have risked his life for a stranger?"

"Funny, your old boyfriend, that was tormented by your new boyfriend, has been doing that for six weeks," the old man growled. He looked at Jak. "And now he's helping you, at Errol's request."

Keira looked down. "I'm sorry…" She didn't know what else to say.

Jak forced a smile. "Hey, it's fine. It is what it is. I'm fine. Really. I'm just glad you're alright. Daxter will be glad to see you." He could not give into his feelings. He could not let the darkness out.

He stopped at the safe house and let them get out. He stayed in the car. Kor looked back at him. "Son? Are you coming?"

Jak shook his head. "I need to be alone, Father… Go on inside, I'll be fine."

The old man sighed. "Be careful, my son…" he watched with worry as the young man drove off. He went inside to see Daxter jumping all over Keira in the living room.

"Oh my gosh! I thought we'd never see you again! Jak was so worried about you," he rambled. "What are you doing here?"

Keira bit her lip. "Daxter, oh I missed you too. I've missed you both so much."

"Where have you been all this time?" Daxter asked.

Ash looked away, unwilling to help her explain herself. She looked at Kor.

The old man glared at Keira. "Daxter, Miss. Hagai is a very temporary houseguest. Errol asked us to give shelter to his girlfriend." He spat the word.

Keira looked down at the ground. Daxter whistled. "Keira, he's not talking about you? Is he? Please say he's not."

The green-haired woman sighed. "Daxter, I thought you and Jak were dead and Errol took care of me and gave me a place to live and a job. He saved my life and I know he did terrible things but I know him in a way you don't."

Kor thought her words. In a way, he understood. Jak knew all of his wrongs, knew he was an evil, old monster with hands stained with blood. But while he understood, it was still this young man, who claimed him as a father, who was hurt by this woman's disloyalty. "Did horrible things to my son!" He growled. "Did horrible things to someone who has spent the last several weeks searching for you. Think about that. While I understand moving on since you believed he was dead but you moved on with the person who tormented him. I hope you appreciate how fortunate you are that my son is a better man than that gold-armored ignoramus or I would let Baron Praxis do what he wanted with you. But… I need to be a better example for his little brother here." He picked up Kaj who ran over to him after finally wriggling free from Tess. "You'll sleep in the living room with Sig."

"Kor, Onin asks if we may stay the night. It is starting to get dark and the Krimzon Guard will be more active," Pecker asked.

He nodded. "You certainly may. Tess, Vin, you're welcome to stay too. There are guest rooms up the stairs and to the left."

Keira looked at Sig. "I guess we don't get rooms?"

The soldier laughed. "I'm only here to keep an eye on Kaj, on his biological father's command. The old coot doesn't want me here either."

She sighed as everyone went up to their beds. "I honestly didn't know Jak was alive until after he escaped. I'm sorry for what Errol did to him but…" she sat on the couch. "He's not a bad person. He's just caught in a bad position."

"Hey, it's your life," Sig said shortly. "If you have no problem dating a man who tortured your former boyfriend, that's none of my business. You can have the couch. I'll take the chair." He said.

The young woman shook her head. "No, I couldn't. You were here first."

He sat down in the chair. "It's no problem. Chivalry ain't dead, ya know." He let his head fall as he fell asleep, effectively ending the debate.

Keira looked around the large room. The ceiling was vaulted and a large light gray stone and dark wood fireplace with two heavy, iron doors was mounted on the back wall with a light gray stone fascia. There were four exits on the bottom floor, to the entryway, the kitchen, the dining room and what seemed to be a back door. Several photos sat on the mantle. Most of them were of Kor and the little boy but there was one of Kor with the boy, Jak and Daxter. They seemed to be signing some important documents. Three other oak frames hung securely on the wall. The fancy calligraphy font read CERTIFICATE OF ADOPTION. A lot had happened in her friend's life over the course of six weeks.

"Keira?" Ash asked, coming to the stairs. "My room has a second bed if you want to sleep there." She offered.

The green-haired mechanic nodded. "Thanks, I appreciate it. Sig, you can have the couch." His snoring told her he was already asleep.

————————

Jak drove all the way to the water slums, to the hut where the only precursor idol sat. He sat in the hut. He clenched his fists and unclenched them.

The idol's blue eyes flashed. "You have returned Young Eco Channeler. And I sense you are in great turmoil. Did my advice not help?"

He growled. "Yes, it did… I turned an enemy into a friend, into family. Daxter and I have a father now… and… I have found Keira."

"Yes, I thought you might find her as well. That is good, correct?" The deep voice asked.

Jak sighed. "It is… except she's known I was alive for the last six weeks and worse… she's romantically involved with the bastard who… who filled me with dark eco and turned me into a monster." He groaned, fighting with himself. "I guess I hoped I hadn't lost everything when I came here. I was wrong."

"But you have gained even more than you lost," the idol pointed out. "Be glad for the things you now have. And thank you for showing us how wrong we were about the metal heads. We did not know about Mar's wrongdoings."

The young man sat down. "Neither did I. I never heard of this Mar back in Sandover Village but he would have come after we came here I guess. I am grateful for what I have. I'm just so… I understand she moved on. She thought I was dead. But why with him? And I visited her mechanic shop a few times, and she couldn't be bothered to tell me it was her. That she was alive. And why him? I guess I understand that he didn't really have much choice but it doesn't make it better. I… I hate him! I'm a monster because of what he did to me! I hate him!"

"Don't hate, Jak. Hate will only cause the dark eco inside you to keep poisoning you. But now, you can move on too. You've been looking for her but can you honestly say that you still feel for her as you did once?"

Jak stared down at the water underneath the slats of the floor. "I don't know. I know it doesn't matter now but I don't know. I'm a different man than I was. We both have been made different by the last two years."

"Yes, you have… and perhaps there is someone else you've been getting to know and forming a bond with," the idol said. "And you've been holding back out of loyalty to Keira. Or perhaps it was the hope that you'd find her alive."

The blond listened. "Maybe… I don't know. I feel so… so… betrayed." He sighed. "I don't know what to do."

———————

Samos didn't want to do this but his underground had been stolen from him. The throne had been stolen from him. His place had been secure when he controlled the child. He didn't expect Kor to suddenly rebel against his authority. For a long time, Kor was the only one he felt he had anything in common with.

He, Samos, the only eco sage in existence, deserved to be the ruler of this kingdom. Not the old man. Not Praxis. Damas, maybe, but only if Samos could take advantage. He had tried for the position as Damas' advisor after Kor had left but the king had turned him down.

At this point, he could only do one thing. He needed to get the kid back (more importantly away from the old man) and regain control. For that, he would need to get creative. To that end, he approached the foreboding palace of their dictator.

AN: What is Samos going to do? How is he going to get the kid away from Kor? Keep reading and please review. And I appreciate offers for commissions but honestly I have no money. However, if my work inspires fanart in your creative mind, please feel free. I believe in the share alike principle. Just reference back to the story.