A/N: Hi! No, I'm not dead. Just lots and lots of stuff went down. My computer broke...again. Always a hardware problem! And I moved out! Brooklyn's kind of nuts. The first night this really drunk lady followed us inside and asked to us our bathroom. She had 2 bottles under her coat! Than on night three, this woman across the street goes insane, breaks her window with a bat, and than goes tries to hit police with riot shields! That's what's been going on in my life at the moment.

I haven't written in so long and I really wanted to start this and get something out. I've been working on it all day. This didn't turn out how I wanted it to. To be honest, I'll probably redo it at some point. Please don't yell at me and forgive any grammar mistakes! Constructive criticism is wanted/needed! This was just so rushed...

I own nothing!

"Say goodbye to gravity and say goodbye to death. Hello to eternity and live for every breath" The Wicker Man/Iron Maiden

Rich emerald eyes that stood 2ft from the ground, scanned the large dark room. The only light the young child could see came from a thick green curtain.

"Mama?" she whispered, moving her little feet across the steel floor.

Receiving no response, the little elf went further towards the light. Her stuffed flut-flut toy bounced and squeaked as it was dragged by the toddler. When she finally reached the green curtains and extended her small hands to open them, they were ripped apart. The light nearly blinded the 4 year old. A tall silhouette appeared and let out a gasp.

"Shayera?" the lights went on, illuminating the garage.

The silhouette was revealed to be a young woman with her own emerald eyes and aquamarine hair. No more than 21 years. Her expression donned surprise than a frown. Her hands tightfisted at her hips.

"Shayera, I thought I tucked you in 2 hours ago," the green eyed woman said in a firm voice.

The little girl hugged her toy closer. Her eyes burned and watered.

"But I-I heard the alarms and people shouting again,"

The green eyed woman's eyes softened and she smiled kindly. She scooped the frightened child and her toy into her arms. She hummed a nameless tune and comforted her whimpering little elf. This was not the first time the extreme crushing paranoia of this city woke her child in the middle of the night. She sighed deeply. The memory of the ocean mist and green fields kept her breathing.

"Come on, Shay. You can stay with me tonight," The child relaxed in her mother's arms. The woman closed the thick green curtains and the lights in her garage. Her daughter fell asleep in arms on the trip up their apartment upstairs.

The little girl slept contently by the woman's side, despite the blaring sirens throughout the city. The woman glared into space as a passing Hellcat cruiser's piercing lights turned her bedroom red. Nothing could be done about it... yet. She just needed more time. Tomorrow was another day. There would be a Class Two race.. A tiny bit more funding for The Underground. Every step was a little more progress. A little closer to home.

But you can never go home again, can you?

The green eyed woman felt her eyes tear up. She cuddled her daughter and fell asleep, dreaming of the three of them together in Sandover. She silently prayed this gamble would be in her favor. That he would find her and succeed in the role that she was failing. Their fates were a coin toss.

10 Years Later

What was time anyway? How many times had he been dragged down this same hallway? Burned and pierced over a hundred times. What was the touch of the wind like? The sound of water and trees? Misty colored memories. All that was real was the smoke and metal. And the torture. It felt as if hot live wires were swimming about in his blood, burning everything they touched. Constant relentless agony plagued his body and mind. His body numbed to the point of time ceasing to exist. How long had he been in this place? Days? Months? Minutes? Not hearing. Not seeing. Only this hell remained. Through the paralyzed senses, he was able to hear voices.

"Dark Eco injection cycle complete. Bio readings nominal and unchanged"

"Huh, nothing?! I was informed that this one might be different!" That voice. He knew that voice...

"He is surprisingly resistant to your experiments, Baron Praxis," Another familiar voice. "I fear the Dark Warrior Program has failed,"

"Augh!" He felt more pain in his scalp, his head being held up. His eyes flickered open and shut, the bright light adding to his torment. "You should at least be dead with all the Dark Eco I pumped into you!" A shadow over his face.

Haze and smoke followed suit. There were still words and voices but all muffled and gray. He didn't remember any of it. Just the shadow and the smell of gunpowder in his face. What came next was unexpected.

"Ding! Ding! Third Floor! Body chains, roach food, torture devices!" He had dreams and memories of this high pitched voice. To hear it slowly brought him back from madness. He felt a weight on his chest.

"Hey, buddy, seen any heroes around here? Whoa! What'd they do to you?" The voice got closer. "Jak? It's me! Daxter!

Jak lifted his head to see something orange and fuzzy. His strength faltered for a second and his head fell back.

"That's a fine hello!" He felt the weight shift on his body. "I've been crawling around this place, risking my tail, (literally) to save you!"

Daxter? Oh yeah! His best friend since they were four. He came looking for him? To save him? That meant he would free. Be able to do whatever he wanted. He wouldn't have to sit bound by chains for hours anymore. At the mercy of those fucking sadists.

"I've been looking for you for 15 years! Say something! Just this once!" Daxter begged.

Something snapped.

"I'm gunna kill Praxis!" Jak's eyes pealed open, ignoring the pain from his eyes' sudden dilatation.

Daxter slapped a hand over his mouth, shushing him. He said some words but Jak couldn't make any of it out. Jak felt his vision go white as his body grew hot. All he felt was pure hatred and rage. He needed to find Erol and rip his throat out. A misty haze of raw feelings in his mind. His body was thrown forward, his restraints breaking with no effort. He felt the cold steel on his feet. He saw something moving before him. Basic instincts kicked in. See something. Kill it.

"Jak? It's your old pal, Daxter! Remember?"

"Daxter?" That same high pitched voice brought him back again. His flesh cooled and he could think and control his breathing again. When did he get out of the chair?

"What the HECK was that?" Daxter shouted. "Sheesh! Remind me not to piss you off," The orange mammal walked right past the tall one. "C'mon tall, dark and gruesome. Let's get outta here,"

Outside the fortress, they encountered an older man named Kor and young mute boy. For a moment, Jak's demon resurfaces during an assault by the Krimson Guards. Kor set his own fate in motion and sent Jak and Daxter to The Underground. Walking about, Jak took in the city and scowled in disgust. This city was a rotting pisshole. Decaying ancient buildings, depressed citizens, even the streets were shirty and uneven! Everything seem to make Jak's mood even darker. Daxter sat awkwardly on his friend's shoulder. There was a frightening scowl ever present on Jak's face. It was a harsh contrast considering that Daxter kept the image of happy young Jak in his mind.

"How much further?" Jak suddenly spoke up.

"Few more miles up ahead," Daxter answered after checking the GPS.

Jak rolled his eyes. Like hell would he take one more step. If he had to look at one more dirty creep, he'd go on a rampage. Zoomers were flying all over above them. Without remorse, Jak hopped onto a passing single passenger zoomer. He dropped the whimpering rightful of the zoomer to the ground and sped off.

"Jak!" Daxter screamed as he clung to Jak's shoulder armor for dear life. "You just highjacked that guy!"

"Where's the hideout?" Jak ignore his best friend's statement.

Daxter stabilized his balance and gave Jak a light glare. "Up ahead in that ally on the right!"

The rest everyone knows. Jak and Daxter made quick allies with Torn and The Underground. After a few quick missions escorting, destroying property, spying, and stealing, Torn assigned the dynamic duo a simple delivery mission into the Port. They were to bring an Underground informant his payment. Jak had a good time dispatching a few guards who got suspicious. When they arrived at the strip club/bar, they were shocked to find that the informant, Krew, was a ridiculously obese gang lord with connections. Jak did a few jobs for him, earning his trust.

Jak and Daxter walked into the Hiphog Heaven, having just finished their training at the Gun Course. Jak, the natural warrior that he was, mastered his new weapon very quickly. The Underground didn't need them at the moment. There was nothing else to do but do a few favors for Krew.

"Oh dear! How awful! Did she suffer? - No remains? How awful!" Krew's wheezing voice echoed throughout his bar.

"What's Blubber Nuggets' problem?" Daxter rolled his eyes when he saw Krew in 'despair'.

"Not sure. He's talkin' to some lawyer," Sig answered.

"D-Did she leave me anything? - What?! Nothing at all?" Krew practically growled. He shot a dark glance Jak's way than returned to his call. "Yes, yes. I will pass on the message. Thank you, my friend,"

"So what's eating you, Obese Reese?" Daxter piped up.

"A very important client of mine just passed away," Krew said sadly.

"Aww, sorry, man," Daxter said, sincerely.

"Yes and she didn't leave me a dime," The real reason why Krew was sad. "Oddly enough, her lawyer requested to meet you, Jak,"

"What? Why me?" Jak asked, not really interested.

"I don't understand myself. Her name was Keira Hagai. She lead the most successful racing team I have ever seen!" Krew said, his mood perking up a bit.

Jak felt his heart explode in his chest.

"No, not Keira!" Sig finally spoke. He seemed so shocked he fell back in his seat.

"Keira? It can't be! Jak!" Daxter said, frantically. "How's that possible?"

"It's so bizarre. She has named Jak her soul inheritor! Have you even met? She has never mentioned you before!" Krew's mood turned sour again. "Anyway Jak, her lawyer is Mr. Carter and he wishes to see you at-"

Jak didn't give Krew the chance to finish his sentence. He said nothing, grabbed the information for the lawyer's office and Daxter and ran out immediately. After 'borrowing' another zoomer, he was sped through the city. Going an insane 90 mph. This couldn't be real.

"Jak! Slow down!" Daxter cried out, terrified.

"Did you know she was here?" Jak snarled.

"What? No! Now, slow down!" Daxter screamed.

She was in Haven. Alive all this time. Jak never dared to think of her during his years in prison. It turned his stomach. He never wanted to tarnish his memories of her by constantly associating her with his time in prison. But she was dead now.

Jak didn't slow down until he reached the law firm at the Edge of the Bizzare. Carrying a limp Daxter, Jak barged into the office. The others in the waiting room squirmed in Jak's dark pretense.

"I'm here to see Carter,"

The 16 year old blonde receptionist stopped filing her pink nails. At first she scowled at the demanding man in front of her. Her scowl quickly turned into a flirty smirk. Before she could speak, Daxter got in her face.

"Hey, cutie. We just need to see the lawyer guy real quick," the orange rodent wriggled his eyebrows at the young girl.

Like nature intended, the receptionist ignored him. When she saw that Jak didn't even humor her obvious attempts at flirting. She simply point her thumb to the door. Jak mumbled a "thanks" and entered the office. The man sitting at the expensive desk was an older elf, slightly overweight, dark eyes that were sunken into his head, and salt and pepper hair. Without waiting for an introduction, Jak sat himself down rather loudly. The noise got the lawyer's attention. "Ah, you must be Jak. I wasn't expecting you so soon,"

"And I'm Daxter!" the ottsel hopped on the desk.

Jak folded his arms across his chest and glared at Carter. Daxter took the hint that his best buddy wanted this to be over as soon as possible. "We should get started,"

"What happened to Keira?" Jak bluntly demanded.

"Ms. Hagai was in a zoomer accident yesterday afternoon. She hit an eco tank. There were no remains...," Mr. Carter said, solemnly.

Things became so quiet. Jak heard his blood flow through his body as he sat there frozen in time. Carter continued to speak but Jak didn't hear a word. He didn't even notice Daxter vomit into the trash can.

"Right," Mr. Carter pulled out several sheets of paper and a pine box. "As you know, Ms. Hagai has named you the sole inheritor of all she possessed," He pushed them in Jak's direction.

"D-Did she leave me anything?" Daxter stepped forward.

After a brief shuffling through some files, Carter found a little something. "Ms. Hagai has left you a small fortune, but you'd have to check the bank. As of now, Jak holds all of her passwords and access to her accounts,"

Keira left them money? What was she doing all these years? Daxter searched everywhere but he only heard shadows and whispers of her. He heard that she had become pretty big in the racing circuits. If she was around all this time, why didn't she try to contact them? She was brilliant. She could have located them easily. He was sure all these questions were swimming around in Jak's head, but he didn't show it. He remained a rock as usual.

Jak inhaled deeply. He never imagined anything could hurt this much. He opened the pine box that held a few things from her. He sifted through and one thing caught his eye. "Dax?" he motioned the rodent over. Daxter hopped on his shoulder and made an obnoxious sound of surprise. In the dark elf's hands was a photograph of the three of them together in Sandover just before they went through the rift. Daxter was sitting atop the channeler's head while Keira was grinning like crazy with her signature wrench in her hand. Daxter almost found it hard to believe that it was them. They all looked so happy and it was so long ago. Daxter turned and saw the fifteen year difference. Jak's eyes were so dark and hard compared to the lighthearted eyes of the teenager in the picture. Would they ever regain their innocence?

Jak placed the photo back in the box. Daxter rummaged through the rest as Jak signed a few documents. "Was... there any last request she wanted me to take care of?"

"Just one," Mr. Carter leaned forward. "Her daughter,"

Jak's eyes snapped opened. "H-Her what?"

Daxter hopped onto the table. "Keira had a kid? No way!"

"W-What? I - Uh... She?" Jak was fumbling all over his words. How could he possibly form proper sentences in this situation?

"What's her name?" Carter interpreted. Jak nodded dumbly. "Her name is Shayera and she is fifteen years old,"

His thoughts were racing and in a span of one second, he asked himself all the questions that he already knew the answer to. Jak felt his entire body go numb. It only happened once. How could one time result in a pregnancy? He latched onto the chair's arm to prevent himself from falling to the floor. He didn't know how long he was staring into space, thinking nothing, when he saw Carter get out of his chair and walk over to door in the corner of the room. Jak miraculously found strength again and stood up. Daxter sat back and watched this all unfold. Sure, this was serious and shit but it was also refreshing to watch his best friend display emotions other than anger.

"W-Where are you going?" Jak's mouth hadn't closed in the past five minutes.

"I was going to introduce you to her," Carter said, plainly.

"You mean the daughter is here? Right now?"

"Yes, I managed to get her out of prison in time this morning,"

"What? She was in prison!?"

"It wasn't anything serious. She had a bit of a breakdown when she heard her mother died. She drank too much and assaulted a few Krimson Guards. She's a good girl though. You'll like her very much,"

"I can't handle this...," Jak ran his fingers through his hair in an effort to calm his raging nerves. "H-How do you even know she's mine? It's been years. Keira could have met someone else,"

Carter pulled out her birth certificate and pointed to the "father" box. There, in black and white, was Jak's name. "Keira claimed you were the only man in her life,"

Daxter, who was holding it in, finally released it. He burst out in a fit of hard laughter. Gripping his sides, tears, and all. "You knocked up Keira! Oh god! Her old man is going to kill you!"

"If you are still unconvinced, we can get have a DNA test. But from what I've seen," Carter said with a warm smile. "She's yours,"

Jak stood up and began to pace the room. He wasn't even paying attention to Daxter, who was still laughing at him.

"H-How the Hell am I supposed to face her?" Jak's voice's was sounded winded, like he was just running at full speed.

"Does she know Jak is her daddy?" Daxter finally said something of true value.

"I'll leave that honor to you," Carter pointed to Jak

"Are you insane? I just walk up to her and say "Hey, I've been away for fifteen years and I'm your dad"?"

"Perhaps she would happy. When she loses her mother, she gets her father back,"

Jak stared at the door as he continued to pace the room.

"Don't tell her about me... She's probably still upset... That age is so fragile...," He walked back and forth for a minute.

"Quit stalling and open the damn door, Jak!" Daxter barked.

Jak reached for the handle but couldn't bring himself to turn it. Was she really there? She had been so quiet. What is she heard them?! Jak held his breath and peeked through the key hole. His breathing started when he saw Keira's emerald eyes. It was like seeing a ghost. The green eyes on the other side narrowed. Not a second later the door was flung open.

"Carter! I've been in there for hours! I just want to go home!"