A/N: Hello all! Well, this was originally supposed to be a one-shot, but then I started writing it, and well, you'll see how long it got. So, it may very well turn into a two-shot, or perhaps have a total of three chapters. I guess that depends on how far I get into it, and hey, I've started rambling.
That will end now.

This takes place following the end of Jak X: Combat Racing -as you will see from the beginning- and is set in the inn/hotel the group was staying at.
Pairing?
JakxKeira! All the way. (So don't get all perturbed about JxK in this story. That's how it is and how it should be in my book.) Honestly! Ending of Jak 3? Don't get me started.

Grr. Keira and Torn have gotten out of character. Well, they all have really, for the sake of this story. They're dancing on that borderline now...

And with that, our story begins.

It started with the elevator.

Well no, it started the night after the final race and Mizo being blown to bits. Or maybe it started when they awoke the next morning –some with ungodly headaches from allowing themselves an extra drink or two that was more than unnecessary- when a few realized that it was time to return to Haven and their daily routines that never really went as planned. Keira suggested that they remain in Kras City for a few extra days, since they never really relaxed and enjoyed themselves anyway.

It also may have been because their cars weren't in the best condition for long distance travel, and no one was all too eager to be blown sky high when their gas pedal decided that 'going forward' was less appealing than 'monumental explosion caused for some unknown reason, so just shut up and stay in Kras a few more days so Keira can fix the car you moron.'

Ashelin was quick to point out that she still had a score to settle with Rayn –hell, they all did, but Ashelin seemed more eager to get back at the woman than the others did. Daxter also pointed out the remaining thugs once under Mizo's command were still around, along with the addition of the smoke-breathing Razer and the walking hunk of metal known as UR-86 –both of which had randomly disappeared after the final race, even though no one else was really bothered by it. Daxter just had to add his two-sense.

In a fairly un-Keira like manner, the aqua haired mechanic promised to 'take care' of any of Mizo's old cohorts if they were caught breathing within a ten-mile radius of their inn and they were all going to enjoy themselves, dammit, even if she had to bribe, force, manipulate, and/or beat any one of them into submission. (Oh. And she even stomped her foot to emphasize her point. How could you possibly argue with that logic?)

That, and she said it would take her a while to fix all of their cars, adding that Torn must have thought it would be funny to drive over an activate land mine just to see what would happen.

That hadn't been the case, but none of them had enough courage to make a retort to the petite girl –who, it turned out, was the youngest of the entire group, something Daxter liked to pick at and she tried to ignore- for fear of either:

a) being beaten with a wrench,
b) having their car dismantled piece-by-piece and set on fire,
c) being dismantled themselves and set on fire,
d) spontaneously combusting on the spot from the stubborn and slightly murderous glare they were all currently receiving,
or
e) all of the above.

And Jak had thought Metalheads -along with KG Deathbots, Kor himself, Marauders, Sig and his Peacemaker on a bad day, Daxter's not-so subtle innuendo about his relationship with Keira, and Samos after witnessing Jak kissing his daughter- had been intimidating.

Even Sig was keeping his mouth shut; the Peacemaker constantly in his hands was now shielding him.

Daxter of course, apparently thought this awkward silence among them all needed a well placed joke to lighten the mood.

"Man, and I thought you were scary when you got tipsy at the Ottsel and told me all 'bout how you were gonna take out Erol by yourself. That, might I add, would have been funny to watch. Even though I thought you were gonna kill me when I cut you off for the night. But it was worth it to hear all about how you were pretty sure that you and Jak were-"

"We're not talking about that right now!" Keira –with pink now on her cheeks- quickly interrupted the obnoxious orange fur ball, the expression on her face giving the impression that had he been within range she would have kicked him all the way back to Sandover and back.

Samos and Jak, of course, hadn't missed what Daxter had said about Keira's brief interlude with the alcohol so graciously offered at the Naughty Ottsel back in Haven.

"You got a bit what back in Haven?" The short green little man nearly hissed, giving his daughter a look that read 'You are telling me just what happened back there little missy, before I really get mad.'

"We were what?" Jak asked genuinely curious, wanting to hear the rest of Daxter's unfinished statement, as if he was really helping the situation rather than beginning to dig his own grave next to Samos' and Daxter's. Daxter's was just a bit deeper than the others at the moment.

"That is not up for discussion right now!"

Look, Ashelin may have her moments when she was beyond scary, but right now Torn was full-blown terrified of the short girl in front of him that looked just about ready to impale a certain someone –the self-proclaimed 'Orange Lightning' nonetheless- with a dull screwdriver.

Daxter might not have sensed it before, but realized that now would be a good time to keep his mouth shut.

"We are staying here, and that's final!"

Well it was true. Score one for Keira.

Somehow, 'a few extra days' turned out to mean 'three-and-a-half weeks'.

It didn't really bother any of them though, since Keira had to complete strip and redo most of the bodywork on Torn's vehicle ("I did not hit the mine on purpose! When you can either drive into some homicidal maniac with missiles of all things, the mine looks a bit more inviting!" Needless to say, Torn's defense was sorely lacking on the matter.) and the Bloody Hook wasn't the worst place to hang out.

Even if it was once frequented by Mizo's goonies, Razer, random half-drunk people, and randomly Klevier himself on occasion. (No one knew how to explain that one. No one even wanted to.) Oh, and the window/aquarium spat out short spurts of water if a fish swam too close to one of the large cracks following Jak's earlier stunt before the reading of Krew's will. Ashelin looked about ready to annihilate the thing herself when a short spurt of water sprayed her in the back of the head, thus killing 'the moment' she was having with Torn. Orange Lightning didn't seem to mind. Saved him from some unwanted future mental images he was sure would have been coming back to haunt him.

Daxter was particularly moody over having to hang out in a place that wasn't his bar, therefore his girlfriend wasn't there, but didn't seem to complain too much about the free drinks he was getting courtesy of having won the Championship.

Even though it had been Jak driving and Daxter holding onto to the rear fender for all that he was worth.

It was at the end of those three-and-a-half weeks when it happened.

Seeing how Ashelin had been prepared leave from the moment Keira first proposed they stay in Kras awhile longer she was packed and ready, sitting in the lobby with Daxter while they waited for Torn, Keira, and the hero himself Jak to go up to their rooms and collect their things.

Daxter was all but passed out on the couch the moment he reclined he didn't even notice the fact that the trio hadn't returned as soon as they were supposed to. Ashelin of course, did, so she sat in her annoyed state while glaring at the elevator doors.

"We could have left earlier this week," Torn muttered as he jammed the button with '8' on it, glancing at Keira out of the corner of his eye as she rolled hers. "But no, you thought we should stay."

"We'll I'm sorry that you all stayed and enjoyed yourselves. I must be such a horrible person I didn't even realize the pain and trauma I was causing you." She shot back, placing her hands on her hips and looking up at the numbers above the door, each progressive numeral flashing according to the floor they were on.

Jak let out a breath and folded his arms, leaning back against the elevator wall furthest from the bickering duo, not wanting to be caught in the crossfire. He had to admit though; he had really enjoyed himself in the past few weeks, more so than he had in awhile actually. You know, if you ignored the fact that they were only in the city to begin with because they were invited to a will reading where they were poisoned and forced to race against their will to win in order to live.

The food wasn't that bad though. Just ask Daxter, who had eaten twice his weight one night.

And then proceeded to complain about it the next morning. Repeatedly.

Besides –even though Jak would never admit it out loud, or at least to anyone else- he had gotten to spend some time with Keira in the garage, not being interrupted by the orange nuisance long enough to actually get somewhere. Granted most of the time they were working on getting the cars repaired, but during the random intervals when they weren't they had finally been able to sit down and have a decent conversation.

Well, maybe that wasn't all they had been doing. But no one else really needed to know that. (It hadn't been anything over the PG-13 rating people, so please. It was only a little bit of this and just a hint of that. Ok, time to confess. All they had done was flirt awkwardly-and failed, most of the time in doing so- and given one another a quick peck or so. Did they want it to… Oh, well. That was their business.)

"You are a horrible person." Jak was snapped out of his brief reverie at Torn's scratchy voice, looking up at the two in boredom, his gaze often falling upon the mechanic. "You made me stay here and have to put up with the rat in an enclosed space. And you blamed me for something that wasn't even my fault-"

"Oh get over it." Keira mumbled, referring to Torn bringing up the mine incident once more. Jak nodded along with her.

"-and took my entire car apart out of spite," Torn continued, and Keira's remark was cut off by the look she received from him, to which she hmph'd at. After a pause and seeing that they were now at the fifth floor, he began again. "You know, there is a special place in hell for people like yo-"

Startled cries were issued by the three as the lift jostled, making unhealthy creaking and groaning noises before it abruptly stopped. The few lights inside of it flickered before they went out.

And so it was silent.

"…Well this is just fantastic!" Torn hissed in the dark, taking a step back –onto Jak's foot nonetheless- before he slouched against the back wall.

"Shut up," Keira said, folding her arms and squinted in the darkness.

"Well I hope neither of you are claustrophobic." Torn said after a few moments. Jak decided that now would be a good time to finally say something.

"Oh god," He whimpered, smiling. He couldn't see it, but Torn stiffened. "We're all going to die in here! Oh my god!" Keira was now laughing at his sarcasm, much to Jak's delight and Torn's annoyance.

"You had me going for a second there, I though you wer-" Torn stopped speaking as the back-up lights flickered on, startling the trio. Jak blinked a couple of times, raising a hand over his face as his eyes adjusted to the light.

"Ahh!" Keira suddenly screamed, causing Jak to jump back, startled, and Torn to jump as well, smacking his head against the back wall. "Ahhhhhhhhhh!! We're gonna die in here!" She yelled, waving her arms with a terrified look on her face. "We're going to run out of oxygen and die! And it will be all your fault Torn! Wait- STOP BREATHING! YOU'LL USE UP ALL THE AIR! I don't wanna diieee!"

Torn was pretty sure he was going to need a new pair of pants soon, seeing as Keira kept screaming about dieing in an elevator shaft, and he was fairly certain that they weren't so-

"AUGH!" Keira yelled, startling the two men once more. Jak wasn't sure what to do. Should he go over and try to comfort her, or stay where he was and pray to the Precursors that she didn't kill him? He eyed Keira from where she stood across from him as he backed up as far as he could, seeing Torn do the same thing with a cross between worried and petrified expression. "Ah! Ah-ha-ha…"

Keira's outcry was interrupted by her own hysterical laughter as she clutched at her sides, feeling tears form in the corners of her eyes. Her face begin to turn a few shades darker, gasping for breath in between fits of giggles at the looks on Jak and Torn's faces. Jak was able to let out the breath he had been holding while Torn looked just about reading to murder her.

The mechanic's face had now taken on a shade of light red as she let out of the last of her chuckles as she looked up at her comrades.

"Why you little-" Torn began, only to find himself once more cut off, this time by a bored-sounding robotic voice.

"Please excuse the technical difficulties. It appears as though the lift you are currently riding has halted. Please do not worry, as repairs have begun and you will be on your way in a matter of minutes. We apologize for the inconvenience. Please have a nice day."

Looks of disbelief were quickly exchanged. One of the two back-up lights flickered.

Back in the lobby, Ashelin was becoming fairly impatient, glancing at the elevators to see if the other three were going to magically appear, and also looking over at the front doors, half-expecting Rayn to random walk in and directly into her fist.

Oh, that would have been nice. Revenge would be sweet.

But Ashelin's dilemma pretty much paled in comparison to the one the others were in.

"'It appears as though the lift has stopped'? Really?" Torn said sarcastically, shaking his head at the small speaker the voice had only just come from. "Huh, I wonder why none of us noticed it before. Where was I?"

"Maybe because you were too busy ranting about something unimportant?" Keira offered quietly, looking up at the tattooed man who gave her a glare in return. Jak rolled his eyes, letting out another breath and folding his arms.

"Look-"

"Hey, would you two knock it off?" Jak finally spoke, causing the other two to finally look at him. "This is getting annoying, and whatever it was you were arguing about really isn't that important anymore."

"So he finally speaks." Torn said, turning to face the blond. Jak narrowed his eyes.

Keira sighed and closed her eyes, leaning against the side wall in boredom. She slid down the wall until she sat on the floor, yawning with half-lidded eyes at the older two. "Wait, before you two break out into a fight, don't you think we should try to figure out a way out of here?"

Torn and Jak exchanged a look before silently agreeing to not have their own spat going and nodded at the green-haired girl. Torn sat against the wall, stretching his legs before him as best he could while Jak sat facing Keira, one arm resting on his bent knee.

"Wanna see if there's a panel in the ceiling you can slide out of and check out what's going on up top?" Torn questioned the female, pointing at the ceiling of the elevator. There was no panel, and probably never would be unless Torn took out his non-existent blaster and made one, which he would then presumably force Keira through, despite presumably being attacked by a would-be annoyed Jak. But that's just the way it was.

"There isn't one." Jak stated the now obvious, each of the younger people looking up at the blue, half-dying lights.

Torn didn't say anything for awhile, considering that his plan of taking out one of the lights and then pushing Keira through the small opening into the elevator shaft probably wouldn't go over too well. Keira rolled her eyes at them as they stared at the ceiling. Deciding that neither one would come up the idea she already had –they'd probably say something in half-an-hour or so, give or take-, she opened her mouth.

"Do either of you have your communicators with you?" She asked with an almost expectant expression. Torn blinked, mentally smacking himself with an 'I should have thought of that.' Jak simply nodded, reaching into his pocket with roughly the same thought as Torn did the same.

"I do…" Jak began, holding it in front of him. "But the reception sucks. We'd be dead before it even tried to make a call." Keira's face fell, but then they both gave Torn a hopeful look.

"Yeah, well, the reception on mine is…" He squinted at and smirked. "Great, now I just need to call Ashelin and- Oh. Crap."

"Wait! What's 'Oh crap'? Oh crap isn't good! We don't want that right now!" Keira sputtered, shaking her hands. She closed her eyes and took a deep a breath, seeing as how now wouldn't be the best time to have a mental breakdown. Honestly. Jak was right there, and Torn's presence was kinda ruining the moment that the two could have been having…Especially because they more often than not came far and few in between.

Oh Precursors.

The heat of the stuffy room was getting to her head.

"The battery died." Torn said solemnly after a few moments, apparently having witnessed the mini-mental mind implosion Keira had just had for no apparent reason. Jak was watching his sorta-but-not-really-I-don't-even-know-anymore-girlfriend with concern.

Once more, Keira sighed.

"Let me see them." She held out her hand as both men handed over the small communicators that had saved their butts a few times already. (And the plan they had on them was really saving them a bundle. Now they could buy more beer!) She flipped both of them over, examining what kind they were and what batteries they took. Turned out they were the same thing, but there was no rational explanation as to why Torn's had better reception than Jak's. "No either of you have nails or a sharp object?"

Her head snapped up to see two dumbfounded expressions. "Nails?"

"Yeah, you, know. Fingernails?"

"No, sorry. Mine have been cut down to demonstrate their rugged manliness."

"What is wrong with you?" Jak muttered to the Commander of the still-existing-but-not-very-active-because-it-kinda-doesn't-need-to-be Freedom League. Keira's head shook, sending blue-green hair flying gently around her face.

She studied the communicators once more. Well, the backs were both held on by a set of screws, so if she was able to turn them and take them off, the batteries could easily be swapped and the call could be made to get them out of there…

"I don't even know…" Torn replied, gazing to his left as the mechanic suddenly bent down, seemingly adjusting her shoe. To the surprise of both men she began lifting up her pant leg slowly. "What is she doing?" Torn whispered to Jak, who shook his head, his gaze never leaving Keira's leg, unsure of what she was doing and what he was supposed to do. "If she's coming on to you then I really don't want to be here right now." Torn muttered. "Uh, I don't think the answer that you're looking for is –whoa."

Out of a pocket hidden on the inside of her pant leg, Keira withdrew a palm-size pocketknife, deftly flicking it open and going to work on the screws that were currently blocking their rescue. It took her a moment to realize that she was being stared at.

"What?" She quipped, removing the back from Torn's communicator, taking out the battery and setting it down before turning to Jak's, maintaining eye contact with both men. Torn was the first to reply.

"Okay, if she goes to kill one of us, I'm sacrificing you." Jak's gave him a quick glare, turning his attention back to Keira.

"So…um, why, uh, ahem. Why, er, since when have you had that…in…there?" He stuttered, not sure if she would in fact be using it against them. (Torn was understandable, but Jak? She wouldn't hurt him…Right?)

"It was Sig's idea." Keira replied, popping out the charged battery and setting it into Torn's communicator. "He said I should at least have something to protect myself with, seeing how you guys either have guns or fists of fury, and I don't want to be either vulnerable or unable to defend myself. Especially after that incident wit-" Her eyes widened as she caught herself, quickly putting all of her focus into replacing a single screw, and then the other, locking the battery into place.

"What incident?" Jak questioned with a rather demanding tone. His protectiveness was rapidly surfacing, wanting to know who had confronted Keira, offended her, or made any move she was uncomfortable with. Hell, he would find this guy and beat some sense into him if Keira so much as asked him.

Not that she had to ask him, of course.

"It was nothing, Jak." Keira quickly responded, handing the small electronic back to Torn, who had remained strangely quiet the whole time.

"Did anyone try to-"

"Ah, Jak, no. I told you. It was nothing. You don't need to worry about it. Sig was there and-"

"And what if Sig hadn't been there?"

"Then I would have been able to defend myself!" Keira shouted; a hint of anger and irritation in her voice. Yes, Jak was protective of her. Yes, she found that she did enjoy it most of the time, but he really didn't need to worry about something that was currently irrelevant, did he? "Honestly Jak, I can take care of myself sometimes. I spent two years alone in Haven, didn't I?"

Neither one of the guys spoke up. Jak was still perturbed about this guy who Sig had had to save Keira from, and Torn was simply sitting back about to call Ashelin, but waiting for the little argument to die down before he did so.

"See Jak? This is why I don't tell you some things immediately. You just assume the worst and don't really give me a chance to explain it." Her tone softened, as did her eyes. "I promise you, if anyone does try something and I can't handle it, you'll be the first to know."

"I don't…" Jak shook his head, running his hand of his face, brushing his goggles out of the way. "I didn't, I mean…I'm sorry?" Ah geez, what was he supposed to say? He hated this kind of stuff. Yelling at people was something he had been used to after first getting out of prison -and he wasn't yelling as much as he had two years ago-, but yelling at Keira…

In a sad way, Torn found himself amused by the two mini-mental mind implosions he'd witnessed. But he'd been quiet for long enough, and it was finally his turn to say something. (And he was going to! NO ONE would be interrupting him this time! He was going to say a full sentence, and neither Keira, a suddenly stopped lift, nor a lying robot –twenty minutes had passed, and hello! they were still stuck in an elevator!- were going to cut him off this time! Alright. Mental preparation was taking too long. By the time he said something, the couple in front of him would either be in another disagreement or making out. He didn't want to see either.)

"Alright children! It's Torn's turn to talk, and you will not be interrupting me, lest you wish to feel the wrath of an ex-KG whose put up with enough crap from biased little twerps and defiant ex-cons." That settled it. When they got out of there, Jak was breaking Torn's nose -he just had to decide how to do it. Fist? Foot? Head butt? Dark bomb? Choices…-, and that would be the least of the Tattooed Wonder's worries, judging from the heated glare he was getting from Keira.

"And what wisdom could you possibly have to share with us?" His clipped tone was enough to knock Torn down a peg or two. He realized that if he ever wanted to get out alive, he should stop insulting them. They were going to double team him if he went any further. He knew it.

"Oh nothing," He said.

Keira glanced over at Jak, both wishing that they were in the garage instead. Well, they could team up and knock out Torn, getting somewhere other than walking around the eggshell battlefield of 'That incident before Sig showed up'. At least there no one really came to bother them –except for Daxter at random moments-, and they could resolve this matter between themselves. Sealed with a kiss. That was more like it.

But no. Torn wasn't going to be thwarted that easily.

"I just think it's about time we had a talk…"

It wasn't that talk, was it? Samos and the Bird Lady had given that little spiel to Jak, Daxter, and Keira back in Sandover. Now that had given Jak a real reason not to talk. They had barely looked at one another without turning red. Daxter on the other hand… Well, somethings were just best left unsaid.

"…about your so-called 'relationship'."

Oh, so Torn was the matchmaker now. This was going to be interesting.

Jak suddenly wished that the lift would plummet and take him down with it.

A/N: And that is the end of the first chapter. Which may eventually lead to a second. And quite possibly a third. But we'll see, won't we?

Ah yes, Torn has decided to make himself the matchmaker between Jak and Keira, as they rest are worried about their relationship, thinking that's it's slowly withering when in fact... Well, that's for later on in the story.
I promise to add some fluff/romance between Jak and Keira despite Torn's presence. He's not getting away with keeping their love at bay! Ho boy.

And so now, I bid you adieu, and a word to the readers- reviews are appreciated, as long as you're not getting all huffy about JakxKeira.
No one said you had to read it, right?

I'm so gonna edit this when I get the chance. There are a few things I think could change...Erk...
Edit as of 8/16: Ha! I edited this and fixed typos! I feel proud. Sadly.

-Orange0Lightning