Blaze: Muah! Me newest story, Wicked. I hope it is enjoyable, even though it will be short. Most, if not all, chapters with be told through song, so it's safe to say that this is a songfic. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Jak, Keira, Torn, Ashelin, and Daxter belong to Naughty Dog.

Chapter 1: Nymphetamine Girl

She had heard the story. Who hadn't heard the story? It was all over the place. People were talking about it all over town. She couldn't believe it. She wouldn't. After three years of trying desperately, this was unceremoniously dumped into her lap. It wasn't happening, she was dreaming. She had to be. All throughout her time in this godforsaken place she had done exactly what he wanted. They had fought sometimes, yes, but what two friends didn't?

She had been there for him in the beginning, when he first set out. Crossing all sorts of rivers and venturing through all kinds of forests. She was the one who was forced to see the only man she loved be banished and left for dead. But he chose her.

She looked out the window and saw black vultures flying in the direction of the wasteland. They flew in a 'V' like swans did. She could remember watching the white swans, and was reminded of them by the vultures. But the vultures were black. Black swans. Black like both their hearts.

She blinked back tears and swallowed. It was just a kiss, right? There were only three people witness to it, and none of them had spoken about it, except to say that it happened. It could have just been a kiss between friends. She clenched her fists. He hadn't kissed her, though, had he? Not for her birthday, not for congratulations or thank you. Not for anything. Although she remembered he almost did. Almost…

She couldn't remember how many times she begged him to come see her, how many times she prayed he'd keep his promise, and how many times he never did. She was beginning to doubt more and more that their kiss was a kiss between friends.

He was probably the only one in the city who hadn't heard the story. The only man he knew of her being with was himself. She hadn't made it public knowledge, of course, and he didn't mind. There was no time for things like that anyway; not with the war going on.

So he was blissfully unaware. Until she burst in.

"Torn!" Keira called, tears running down her face. She knew Torn was in love with Ashelin, and up until she heard the stories she thought Ashelin was in love with Torn. Torn looked up "Hey Keir- what's wrong?" He asked, concerned, walking to her side. "I just heard- you must have already known. You must be so upset!" Keira jumped right in, hugging a bewildered Torn. "Why would I be upset?" Keira pulled away and frowned. "You mean you haven't heard? About Ashelin?" Torn's eyes widened. "What about Ashelin? Is she alright!"

Keira stepped back fully from Torn. "You really haven't heard, have you?" Torn shook his head. "What's wrong? What happened to her?" Keira turned around so her back was to Torn. "She went out to meet Jak in the desert- he defeated Erol, you know." Keira paused. Torn was becoming antsy. "And?" Keira pulled in a deep breath. "You and Ashelin… you were together, right?" Torn was shocked at Keira's question. "Why?" Keira turned around. She had tears in her eyes again. "But you never made it public?" Torn was, again, bewildered. "N-no." Keira sucked in another painful breath. "Well… Ashelin just made it public." Torn's eyes widened and there was an awkward silence. And then Keira added, "With Jak."

Torn's eyes widened even more then before, then he became confused. "I thought Jak was with you?" Keira sighed. "So did I." Torn was still unsure. "How do you know? What happened? What did she say?" Keira laughed bitterly. "That's exactly it- she didn't say anything." Torn was growing angrier by the second. "Then what the hell happened!" Keira frowned. Torn was inches from her. "They kissed. In the desert. The whole city is talking about it…" Torn shook his head. "I don't believe anything the city says anymore. Do you remember when the whole city was talking about Jak and I?" Keira would have laughed if the situation had not been so serious. "Yes." Torn nodded. "Was that true?" Keira looked at her shoes. "No." "Then why should I believe the city? I'll believe it if she tells it it's the truth."

Daxter chose that moment to burst into the room. "Hey Keira. Wonder-Boy." torn glared at Daxter and turned, heading to the other side of the War Table. "Where are Ashelin and Jak?" Daxter's eyebrows shot up suggestively. "They're at the other side of town- can't get them apart, those two." Daxter chuckled, hopping up onto the table. Was he really so thick as to not see that what he was condoning could and was breaking the hearts of the two others in the room? Torn stiffened. "I woulda thought you were smart enough to guess they were with each other; the whole city's talking about it!" Torn began shaking. "'It!' What 'it'! What is the whole city talking about!" Daxter blinked, then reverted back to his old self. "Ashelin and Jak were puttin' the moves on each other in the middle of the desert." Torn slammed his hand on the table. "How do you know?" He asked, his teeth clenched and his voice low. "I was there. I saw it." Daxter said, confusion in his voice. Torn turned and kicked the wall and Keira wailed. Daxter, still aware of the pain he had just caused the two went to the back of the bar and began bringing out bottles, whistling all the way.

It was raining when Torn stormed out of the Naughty Ottsel. Daxter said she and Jak were near the Metal Head section, and that's exactly where Torn was headed. He ignored the rain and stomped through the puddles, taking his anger out on them. He was trying to convince himself that Daxter was just messing with him, but in the back of his head he knew the truth. He heard a woman talking to her friend about what happened and he stopped to listen.

"They were kissing in the desert! He'll be good for the Governess, she's been alone for so long."

"What about Torn? We're they together?"

"Torn and miss Ashelin? No, she's too good for him. This new guys suits her much better…"

Torn started walking again and the rain picked up. He walked aimlessly around the city until he literally bumped into Ashelin. Her hair was plastered to her face and she looked like she was heading somewhere purposefully. "Ashelin!" Torn said, relieved to have finally have run into her. "T-Torn." Ashelin stuttered. They started walking side-by-side until Torn asked, "Are the rumors true?" Ashelin stopped in her tracks. They were outside the Freedom League headquarters. "Jak's inside… I've got to go." Ashelin's eyes answered Torn's question. "Ashelin, if you go in there, you're lost to me." Torn said, grabbing her arm. Ashelin looked into Torn's eyes, and without regret, she pulled away and walked in.

Torn stood in stunned silence as he watched Ashelin walk into the headquarters without looking back. Torn felt the cold rain sink into his skin and get a death grip on his heart. She knew his past. She knew she was his only chance at love, or something like it. She knew. She knew.

Torn stormed into the empty Naughty Ottsel and began downing every drink he could see. It didn't take him long to become fully intoxicated.

"Never again. Never again will she hurt me like this."

Keira sat on an old trunk full of Jak's old things. She knew she was being stupid, the classic lovelorn heroine, but she couldn't help it. She hurt so much. She used to be the only one who was there for him other then Daxter.

She heard a door open and close and the sound of heavy boots in the wooden floor. Keira jumped off the chest and walked into the foyer where Jak stood. He smiled at her and hugged her. "It's over Keira. We've won!" He said triumphantly, smiling. Keira blinked. He was playing it off like nothing happened! Fine, she thought, let him. Maybe he would come back to her… maybe he would kiss her like he had supposedly kissed Ashelin in the desert.

Jak walked into the kitchen and began rummaging around for something to eat.. Keira sat on the counter and munched on a bag of chips. "How long have you been here?" Jak asked, sitting next to Keira on the counter. Keira smiled. She often went to Jak's home to wait for him after a mission of his. "Not long." She said, chewing on the chips reminiscently.

She remembered when she could be honest with Jak and he wouldn't care. He would always forgive her. He confided things in her that only Daxter knew other then them. She kept him out of loneliness and he even told her she gave him strength to do things he didn't think he could. It seemed like so long ago when she knew exactly what to say to get him to open up… now she didn't know a thing.

Torn stood behind the counter the next day, still a bit hung-over. He knew what would happen if Ashelin left him. He told her. She promised him she would always love him and he believed it. He promised her that if she ever left him he would never recover. He knew love would be his only weakness because he grew up without it. She grew up with everything. He gave her everything he had ever wanted, she was his dream. But as his dream shattered he felt his life going with it and everything he had hoped to become was locked away inside him.

Torn turned so his back was to the counter and threw the empty bottle against the wall, basking in the sound of shattering glass. He was just angry now; angry with Ashelin for betraying him, angry with Jak for taking his only dream away from him, but mostly angry with himself for being so weak and so naïve.

Torn grew sick of himself and how he was acting. He knew he had to face Ashelin, for she was still the Governess and he was still her right hand. He picked up his coat and threw it on, the long black material of the trench coat swirling around him like a cape. He slammed his hands in his pockets to be met with the sound of crunching paper and a painful sting.

He drew his hand out of his pocket and stuck his finger in his mouth, licking the blood from the paper cut away. With his other hand he drew out the paper in his pocket and looked over them. It was every note, every instruction Ashelin had ever left him. He wasn't sentimental, but he liked keeping things. He sneered and threw them all in the fire near the door. He was addicted to her and needed to stop.

Torn walked to the Freedom League HQ and waited for the elevator to reach it's destination. He tapped his fingers against his leg impatiently until he reached the top. The first room was empty, so he walked on to the second one. He was immediately encircled by Freedom League guards, protectors of the Governess.

The guards backed off once they realized who he was. "Sorry, Torn." The one nearest to him said, pointing to a door at the other side of the room. "The Governess is in there." Torn nodded and muttered a quick 'thank you' before approaching the door.

He opened it and saw Ashelin, staring out a small dirty window in the direction of the forest. Torn hated the forest. That's where they fell for each other.

Jak finished eating and helped Keira off the counter. "I'm meeting Ashelin up at the Naughty Ottsel soon. I said I'd ask you if you wanted to come to celebrate our victory." Keira blinked. "Meeting Ashelin?" Jak nodded. "She was going to go see Torn, and he's already up there." Keira frowned. He was an excellent actor. Either that or Daxter was exaggerating what happened in the desert and it really was a kiss between friends. "Sure. I'll go."

Jak picked Keira up and swung her around, then set her down again. Keira laughed. "What was that for?" Jak shrugged. "I'm just so happy to be home- that this is all over!" Keira laughed and she slipped her arm around his. He grinned. "Shall we?"

Keira was so greatly reminded of the past year she almost teared up. After defeating Metal Kor, there was peace for awhile. And during that time Jak had often done little spontaneous things like he had just done. They'd even danced at Daxter's party…

Torn walked next to Ashelin and noticed she was gazing at the stars above the forest and murmuring names. She told him of a story of when she was little. She used to name all her favorite stars and then try to find them every night. The star she named after herself was directly next to the one she named after Torn when they were younger. That seemed so wrong now…

Ashelin and Torn had known each other since they were young teenagers. Torn joined the guard when he was 13, having nowhere else to go. He was talented and met Ashelin when he was 15 and she was 14 and they grew to be best friends. They were both different then the others; they both grew up without parents, Torn's being dead and Ashelin's being away all the time. They were both outsiders with a lot in common, so it was natural that they were friends from the start.

Torn coughed and Ashelin jumped a bit, turning to face him. "Torn." "I think we should start rebuilding the city soon. There's a lot to do and it will take us a long time." Torn turned and threw the plans he had drawn out for the new Palace on the nearby coffee table. Ashelin nodded. "You're right. I'll get my men working on it right away." She said, very business-like. Torn nodded. They were 'her' men now. They had been 'our' men not a day before she met Jak in the desert.

Jak and Keira arrived at the Naughty Ottsel only to find it was empty. "Huh. Dax said he'd be here soon, he probably went to get Tess." Jak sat in one of the booths and Keira sat across from him. "So, anything interesting happen in the desert?" Keira asked cheerfully, trying not to sound too obvious. Jak shrugged. "I killed Erol. Other then that, nothing major." Jak smiled jokingly, leaning forward on the table as he spoke. Jak had discovered the Precursors as well, and was now the hero. Again.

Blaze: Well, I think that's a good enough spot as any to stop. If you enjoyed this, watch for Modo Bassium, which is like this but with a different outcome. This is NOT a one-shot, so there WILL BE more. Although not much more. Anyways, ta!