Chapter 17

Jak moved slightly in his sleep, feeling the small, yet warming body of Keira in his arms, his body encompassing hers. Sunlight of early morning filtered in from the windows, and he squeezed his eyes shut in protest. And then he remembered...

What a day it had been yesterday. It seemed to have lasted a year. His life was saved, and his past rediscovered. He had a father, someone who had loved and cared about him. He hadn't been abandoned like he'd always thought. The darkness was turning into light for him, in more ways than one.

Damas told him that he had been kidnapped as a boy, taken from the Wasteland by what everyone thought had been Marauders. The search for the missing Prince, for that was what he was, had gone on for almost a year and half before the city and the boy's parent's had given up hope. For six years after he had disappeared Damas told Jak that he had sent spies to the Marauder hideout, and even trusted Wastelanders to Haven City to look, but everything had been to no avail, obviously.

So many things had changed in the course of one day, and yet one thing had not. Keira. She was still there, in his arms, through sickness and near death- to the discovery of his royal background. He thought about it, and swore his heart swelled with a feeling he could not describe.

He kissed her lightly on the back of her head, smelling her hair, reveling and appreciating his every breath. The renegade had been given a second chance; he would not take it for granted.

Still mulling things over in his head, and trying to sort everything that had happened out in his mind, Jak ran his hands through Keira's aqua hair softly. After a few minutes, she began to stir, and turned over in his arms, so as to face him.

"Good morning," she said in a sleepy tone, rubbing her eyes.

"It is a good morning, isn't it?" Jak said in a chipper tone, smiling.

Keira returned the smile, understanding what he meant. It had been a long day for the both of them yesterday, and she felt completely relieved that Jak was still at her side, smiling and healthy. He moved towards her, giving her a small peck on the lips, then sat up, stretching his arms and back, then suddenly recoiling in pain. The gun wound on the shoulder was still painful, even though it appeared as if nothing had happened to it.

Rubbing his shoulder gingerly he guessed out loud, "I guess that 'great' Oracle didn't heal everything…" He laughed looking at Keira's face. "I think I'll take some pain if it still means I'm alive, huh?"

"Idiot," she mumbled as they both laughed and Keira raised a fist as if she were going to punch his injured shoulder, but then put it down when she saw a boyish look of fear on his face and laughed.

"Very funny," he said in a mock-hurt tone.

"Can you believe we're not running anymore? No more hiding?" Keira suddenly said, on a serious note, staring at him in an almost-dazed way.

"I've been running and hiding as long as I can remember, it's gonna be weird getting used to some peace and quiet. But I wouldn't mind staying, here in Spargus. After all, it is my real home…"

Keira nodded as he spoke and then said, "You don't want to go back to Haven, then? What about your friends? The Underground?"

"Well, there's really no need for the Underground now, is there? Shit, I mean, we can go visit anytime we want now. There's no freakin' Baron or KG anymore, right?" He paused, waiting for Keira's acknowledgement of the facts, "Plus, wouldn't you rather stay here, by the beach, in a city without pollution and poverty? Do we really have anything to go back to in Haven, Keira?"

"Yeah, I guess you are right…Jak, as long as I'm with you, I know I will be happy." Keira smiled, sitting up and wrapped her arms around him hugging him tightly.

"I love you, Keira." Jak said, his arms now holding her body tightly to his chest.

"I love you, too, Jak. Always."

Epilogue:

Deciding that they would stay in Spargus, Damas insisted that he and Keira move into Spargus's palace. Overtime together, a bond began to form between the long separated father and son. In Spargus, however, royalty was no different than the 'common' peoples, and everyone interacted as one. The only difference between them was the Mar family did rule and govern, fairly, over the desert city.

Jak became a key part of the Wastelander army, and loved going out into the Wasteland to solve the Marauder problems, when they arose. There were no more significant threats to Keira, Jak or Spargus's welfare, and that both relieved and irritated Jak. But, he made the best of his new life.

With some encouragement from Damas, Jak proposed to Keira, a year after they moved into the palace. They were soon married afterwards.

A short five months later, a new descendant of Mar was born. Jak and Keira named her Lexa.

The End.

Holy (almost) 3 years! I'm finally finished! Hope you enjoyed the ride! Leave some nice reviews to tell me how you think it went.