Something More

A/N: One thing I WANTED TO POINT OUT is that I used the phrase, “human litter,” referring to Jak. I was actually envisioning one of those Egyptian chairs that royals would sit in and men would carry—and when I looked it up, I learned that they were called litters. Litters are usually made of wood, but Daxter’s is made of Jak. Hopefully that won’t confuse anyone too badly. As always, thank you for the reviews. And my dear Sione, you’ve accomplished in one chapter what has taken me more than four to do, but our dear ottsel will be a redhead once more, I promise.

Robin: I thought of outtakes this time! It seems like doing that last chapter really put me back in the swing of things.

Sione: Last chapter *was* dramatic. This one has a little more action, I think, and also some more drama.

VeryNaughtyOttsel: Yeah, Razor’s role is an interesting one in this story. He’s not as nice as I’d like him to be, though.

Disclaimer: Jak and Daxter are the property of Naughty Dog, Inc. I’m just using them for my own personal gratification. MUAHAHAHA!

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Jak was numb. The racer that had just spent the entire morning in a huff because he suspected his best friend and love of his life of having grown eyes for the girl everyone expected *him* to end up with—*only* to be told that Dax may actually play for the other team. *His* team, to be precise.

//FUCK. What in the precursors’ names am I going to do? Fuck, fuck, FUCK! That asshole probably made a pass at Daxter… How can I confirm that, though? He’s probably just lying to throw me off guard. Still, how could he know so much about us? It was like he rifled through my mind when I wasn’t looking…//

Jak was scared.

//It’s not like that many people have even SEEN Dax as a human. Aside from Keira and her dad, who else really even understands the depth of the situation? Even DAX has admitted that he can’t really have a relationship with someone that’s physically… incompatible. But a man, no less? UGH. I can’t even stand the thought of it. Men are PIGS, doesn’t he know that by now?//

And worried.

// Of course he knows that.// This was driving him *out…*

//He spent almost an hour trying to barge in on Keira’s bath!// Of.

//This whole thing is starting to sound a little far-fetched.// His.

//But still… How could Razor know so much?// MIND.

//Something must have happened that night in the bar. I knew it! I should never have let him leave the room. The one time we DIDN’T shower together and this is what I get. Fuck, fuck, FUCK.//

With that, the racer stormed off toward the force field.

“Yo.” He muttered nonchalantly.

“Um, *hello* Jak.” The ottsel replied. “I just finished making some adjustments to Torn’s car. I’m about to double-check Keira’s work on ours if ya wanna stick around.”

“Okay.” Jak murmured.

Daxter just shook his head and sighed. “You sure there’s nothin’ wrong with you? You seem downright depressed.” The ottsel took one last look at him before crawling beneath their car.

“Just worried, I guess.” The racer relaxed his muscles a bit, and raised his voice so that Daxter would hear him. “It’s a big day.”

“Yeah, I get ya. I really wish you could take this baby for a test drive. The configuration seems a little… *experimental* if you ask me. Should go quite a bit faster, though. I think this mod amplifies the dark eco explosions somehow and ya get more bang fer your buck.” Orange Lightning continued to work.

“Yeah.” Jak responded meekly. “I think I’m a little worn out after having to mingle with all those racers. I should have said I had to stick with you and oversee repairs or something.”

“Haha, like I need you to check my work-checking. Keira does a good job. Torn is the one ya should be worried about. His and Ashelin’s mods look like they were assembled by a drunk, and I don’t think she even *lets him* drink.” Dax smiled as he poked a head out from under the vehicle.

“Everything check out okay?” Asked the racer.

“Beautifully.” The ottsel winked. “Alright, now why don’t you give me a ride to the bathroom and I’ll get cleaned up for the race?”

“Mm.” Jak nodded.

// - // - // - // - // - // - // - //

When the clean ottsel exited the bathroom upon his human litter, Rayne tapped her glass to signal a toast. Daxter noticed that there were a lot more people in the room since last time he checked.

“It looks like the entire racing circuit is here.” The ottsel whispered to his friend.

Jak shuddered at the feel of warm breath against his neck. In a hushed voice, the racer responded. “Calm down, will ya, Dax?” He could feel Orange Lightning’s heartbeat behind his right ear.

“Now that our lead racer has graced us with his presence—we have an announcement to make. In the spirit of sportsmanship, today’s event has been switched from a race to something of a battle royale. You won’t have to obliterate your opponents, but you must shoot, bash, and mine the other cars out of submission. It may be cause for relief in some ways, as this afternoon’s meet and greet has really cut into everyone’s tactical planning time.” Rayne elaborated.

Razor snorted at that. “Zat voman should speak for *herself.*” He muttered. Jak shot him an angry glare before looking away. He knew Rayne wanted this to go smoothly.

The blue-haired woman in the center of the room began once again. “The race begins at 1400 hours. That gives you…” She tipped her watch into the light. “…Just over an hour to get back to your garages and drive your cars onto the field. While we were indulging in this *cocktail* party, the tournament council ordered some last-minute additions to the grounds. Automated cannons along the perimeter will occasionally launch mines, which—as you all know, will explode on contact with any sort of eco. So that’s all, and good luck!”

The sounds of all the other racers bidding their farewells melded into an ambient backdrop to Jak’s unpleasant thoughts. He hadn’t considered a change in the racing format. Besides, their car was just modified for *speed,* not endurance. //How on earth am I going to keep Daxter safe?// He thought nervously.

Orange Lightning seemed to have read his mind, however, as he whispered into the racer’s ear, “Don’t worry, Jak. I’ll be fine. Besides, the captain’s gotta go down with his ship…”

“Just because you helped mod the car doesn’t make you it’s *captain,* whatever that means. I’m the driver, here.” Jak smiled. The racer was in somewhat of a playful mood after all.

Dax leaned closer to Jak’s ear before adding, “I wasn’t talking about the car.”

Before Jak had the chance to react, the ottsel leaped from his shoulder and scampered over toward Ashelin and Torn at the force field. “Excuse me, ladies. I’ll just deactivate this baby for ya. One moment, please.”

As Daxter looked at the generator, he couldn’t help but notice that one of the wires had been severed… and then crudely reattached with electrical tape. “Didn’t even take the time to solder…” The ottsel muttered under his breath.

Instead of drawing it to Jak’s attention, Dax decided to avoid catastrophe and simply input the command codes Keira had transferred to him earlier that day. The racer appeared just in time to watch the force field disengage, so he took the opportunity to scoop Daxter back up onto his shoulder. The left one, this time.

“Here you are! I took the liberty of fine-tuning Torn’s work installing the new mods onto his and Ashelin’s cars, and ours seemed ready to go already. I’m a little worried, though.” The ottsel explained.

“What do you mean, rat?” Torn barked.

“Sheesh! I’d expect fer you ta show me at least a little bit of gratitude every now and then. I should have left your car the way it was!” Dax started to work himself up.

“Ugh, calm down. Daxter, what are you talking about? What’s got you worried?” Ashelin asked in an uncommon fit of cool-headedness.

“Well, Ashe… Ya see, yer car was modded to withstand more hits. The extra plating around your engine makes it much more resilient toward mines—and you won’t face utter demise if you’re hit with a missile head-on. You’d probably want to wave your white flag and run to safety, but out of everyone on this team, you’re definitely the safest.”

“I don’t understand… Isn’t that a good thing?” Ashelin pointed out.

“Yes and no. The *problem* is that both Torn’s car and the one me and Jak are ridin’ in have been modded for speed. Keira actually REMOVED some of Jak’s armor to facilitate a reduction in drag. I guess the idea is, ‘Jak heads to the front and Torn acts as a human missile shield and backup in the event that Jak is taken out,’ and Ashelin’s basically a turtle—not much better than a stationary armored tank.”

Dax paused for air.

“Now, that works GREAT in regular races, but in this battle royale situation… Not only are we gonna be pitted against one another, but *Ashelin’s* most likely to win.” The ottsel took a rest by actually sitting on his friend’s shoulder.

Jak inhaled deeply. “Alright, guys. Let’s just agree—we don’t take each other on unless everyone else is out of commission. No point in screwing our team’s chances of getting ahead.” The hero remarked.

“Right.” Torn agreed.

“Yeah, gotcha.” Said Ashelin.

With that out of the way, Jak left the two lovebirds to themselves and walked to a secluded corner of the room. It was just him, Dax, and a prickly-looking potted plant. “We need to talk.” The racer confessed.

“What? Finally going to explain why you’ve been so out of it lately?” The ottsel straightened up where he sat.

“What? No! What are you talking about?!” Jak was on edge. “No, Dax. I wanted to talk to you about this event—the battle royale? I think you should sit this one out.”

“Not a snowball’s chance in Hell.” Orange Lightning was unyielding when it came to this issue. “I told you before, we’re the Demolition Duo! Together ‘til the end… Besides, you know I’ve been having nightmares about you getting into an accident.” The ottsel clarified. His ears fell after having uttered that last admission.

“Look, Dax. No one cares more about you than I do. I feel like I’m being irresponsible… Maybe we can modify a helmet so that I can strap you inside—to shield you in the event that everything *does* blow up in our faces.” Jak was concerned.

“Look, maybe by the next race, we’ll have figured something out. Right now, we need to get that car onto the field. We can argue about this while we’re celebrating your win—sound good?” Daxter sounded hopeful.

Jak bought it, albeit reluctantly. “Fine. Grab your goggles and let’s get out of here.” The racer headed back to his car. Torn and Ashelin had already cleared theirs out, and they left the garage door open for him.

The racer climbed in through the window and searched the car seat before realizing that the key had already been inserted into the ignition. Daxter crawled into his lap so that he was sitting behind the seatbelt, leaned against Jak’s belly and looked up expectantly as the racer ignited the engine. It seemed somehow that the motor was much louder than usual—which probably had more to do with the fact that parts of the hood had been removed than anything else.

Keira waved them toward the exit. “Come on, guys! What’re you waiting for?” A wind blew by and she held on to the back of her hat with caution. The question was obviously rhetorical, though—as they were already on their way out.

// - // - // - // - // - // - // - //

Their starting place was marked with a sign bearing their team’s insignia. There was one for each participating member of each team, and they were evenly spread along the outside of what looked like an enormous motocross track. From the looks of it, Ashelin had the best chance at taking cover behind a large rock. “Figures.” Dax sighed to himself.

“What?” Jak looked down through tinted goggles.

“Eh? Oh. I was just thinking that all the factors seem ta be linin’ up against us this time around.” Orange Lightning flashed a weak smile. “I’m sure we’ll be fine.” He added unconvincingly.

The racer placed a protective hand over the ottsel’s chest and abdomen, effectively pinning the little guy to his own. “Don’t worry,” Daxter couldn’t tell which was more soothing—the sound of Jak’s voice or the feel of that gloved, callous hand caressing his upper body. “I’m not gonna let anything happen to you.”

“Thanks.” Dax murmured. //Wow, Jak. Way to replace my fear with an indescribable feeling of embarrassment! Damn it… Why does that have to feel so GOOD?// The ottsel shuddered under the ongoing volley of touches and strokes.

And then suddenly, as soon as the Jak-induced state of bliss had begun, it met an abrupt end. “Why’d ya st—“ Daxter started to say.

“Shh.” The racer spoke gently and patted his friend for reassurance. The battle was about to begin.

Everyone turned their attentions to the billboard-sized big screen TVs and listened over the loudspeakers. “Listen up, racers and race fans, because I’ve got an exciting last-minute announcement to make… *after* the commercial break!”

“What NOW?” Rayne grumbled.

“Don’t worry about it, honey. I’m sure it’s no big deal.” A feminine voice spoke from behind. Keira was the first to recognize who it was.

“TESS!” She ran forward and hooked an arm around the big-bosomed blonde’s waist. “Someone’s just been *dying* to see you.” The cute mechanic flaunted her devilish grin.

The blue-haired team leader was so excited that a steady flood of tears had graced her otherwise flawless visage. Rayne was beyond words as she flung herself into the warm embrace of her long, lost friend.

Meanwhile, G.T. Blitz was back on the air. “Welcome back ladies and gentlemen! “ The Blitzman’s voice bellowed across the loud speakers.

“And now for the special announcement!” Pecker flapped into the foreground of every television within 150 square miles.

“Ssh, you’re such an imbecile!” Grumbled the monkaw’s human co-host. The camera panned to a shot of an unfamiliar black racecar. “The news we’ve been waiting to tell you, folks, is that a new contestant has just entered the competition as part of Team Mizo. This *dark knight* has opted to remain anonymous for the time being, so let’s see how he performs in the pit!”

Echoes of the roaring crowd painted the atmosphere. It would sound more encouraging had they not been part of a community that revolved around watching others risk their lives in pointless displays of ego inflation day in and day out. //This is one place I could NEVER get used to.// Dax thought to himself.

Jak’s heartbeat had slowed to a steady tempo—a beautiful cadence that Daxter usually only encountered when he curled up on top of the racer’s chest at night. It was something that the ottsel didn’t know how dearly he cherished before coming to this unusual city. He closed his eyes and embraced the calm.

But it didn’t stay that way for long. The racer’s pulse began to quicken as tournament staffers donning blue jumpsuits and wielding wooden clipboards made their last rounds. It seemed like nothing more than a glorified roll call, but Jak tensed all the same.

“It’s going to start soon.” The hero told himself.

The racer leaned against his window and scanned his surroundings. Cars were lined up so that team members were separate. Jak was just wondering how the other players dealt with the tension when he noticed the “dark knight” flick a cigarette out of his window. His mind flashed back to earlier, to Razor.

//Ugh, what a jerk that guy was. I had almost forgotten about that for a second… It’s… it’s stupid to let him get to me. I mean, what does *he* know? He’s a racer that doesn’t race, and he walks around in some sort of bath robe all the time…// Jak pondered intently.

//What does he even DO for a living? He says he’s a representative for Mizo’s team, but what does that even mean? I’ve only ever seen him at parties and bars. Maybe he’s an alcoholic… A washed up old drunk that goes around saying crazy things to everyone.// Jak mused.

//No. There was plenty of free booze at that party, and you didn’t see him even TOUCH the champagne.// Argued the racer’s mind.

//Well, he IS a chain smoker, that’s for sure. I bet he even EATS with a cigarette in his mouth!// Jak chuckled inwardly, having triumphed over his better judgment.

“Hey, Dax…?” The racer asked.

“Yeah, buddy?” His friend replied. Just as their eyes made contact, a horn sounded throughout the stadium.

“Sorry, Jak!” Dax shouted over the hum of last-minute commercial announcements. “Looks like it’ll have to wait!”

Jak smiled weakly before nodding in agreement. The racer tightened his grip on the wheel and stared directly ahead in a half-hearted attempt to remain focused. It took a dose of Daxter’s incessant wiggling to quell his anger and bring him back to the task at hand.

Meanwhile, the ottsel’s mind was on anything *but* their current mission. //Jak seems really tense again. I’m sure he’ll calm down once we get started… I wonder if Tess made it here alright. Rayne looked *really* excited at the prospect of seein’ her. That lady isn’t so bad, really… She said we could use her pool! I’ll have ta remind Jak to take me swimmin’ later on. After this, we’re really gonna need it… I’m tired of sittin’ around. When are we gonna get this show on the roa—//

Daxter’s thoughts were interrupted by a strong hand clasping his torso. “Ladies and gentlemen, ARE YOU READY?” //I guess that answers that.// Dax thought to himself.

Cheers from the crowd boomed over the stadium speakers loudly enough that the racers could hear. //They’re just trying to psyche us out.// Jak reasoned. Dax couldn’t tell if the vibration in the air was from the engine, the crowd, or a combination of both. His sensitive ears had already taken more than their fair share of abuse for one day.

“On your marks!” The crowd noise was replaced by the loud announcer. The ottsel braced himself against his best friend and protector.

“Get set!” Jak’s right foot was hovering inches above the acceleration.

“GO!” The green-blonde floored it.

//We just need to outrun any missiles and hope we don’t take much enemy fire.// The racer was finally beginning to think straight.

Some of the other cars had already engaged in combat. They were shooting so much that the mud they flung up had compromised their vision. When Ashelin did the same, Torn gave cover from off to the side, so they effectively double-teamed one of Mizo’s men.

Jak was circling the perimeter as fast as he could go. The hero was bent on survival—Dax lay flush against his groin, and he didn’t even flinch. Right then, Jak was worried more about the guy tailing him from halfway across the field.

The racer checked his rearview mirror. //Edje. Another one of those guys from that bar.// The green-blonde made a note to himself. //If it’s a chase he wants, that’s what he’s going to get.// Jak was determined to make this work in his favor.

Edje caught on quickly enough. He launched one of his missiles, so Jak slowed down a little and allowed it to pass him—which was fortunate, because he might not have noticed the neat row of mines laid before him. //Looks like they didn’t tell us EVERYTHING about this track.// Jak mused.

The green-blonde changed directions and went the way he had already come. Edje was set on finishing off his target and followed. He must have been a little too focused, however, as he ran into the very same set of mines that Jak had turned to avoid. With that, one more player was out of the game.

Unfortunately, the racer’s victory was cut short by a disturbing message in his helmet’s comm unit.

“Jak?” It was Rayne, and the signal was a lot fuzzier than he was used to. Daxter looked up from his lap as if to say, “What’s going on?”—and he hoped the silent gesture was enough.

“I’m here.” Paying attention to the road AND Rayne was more than a little nerve-wracking. Jak took a detour from his safe area to drop a few mines in the general playing field. He barely dodged another missile before their blue-haired blue-eyed team leader had gotten back to them.

“Woah, nice evade, hero! Anyway, Torn’s out for good. He’s okay. They said that if you’re taken out, you should wait it out in your cars, unless you catch fire—in which case, they’ll send a rescue. That way you won’t get run over on your way off the field.” She explained.

“Anything else?” Jak asked.

“Over and out.” Rayne added through the static.

The racer sped up a little bit. This part of the pit was unusually quiet. According to the boards, there were only five cars left. When he finally came upon another vehicle, the racer shot his first missile.

“Got him!” Daxter exclaimed. The ottsel was so excited that he had forgotten to be afraid.

“Dax. Sit.” Jak commanded. Orange Lightning sunk back into his seat.

“I just want you to be safe.” The racer added.

//I appreciate the sentiment, big guy, but the race was getting interestin’. I never expected this to be over so quickly.// The ottsel was feeling a bit… idle. But that was about to change.

Someone was shooting behind them. Jak looked over his shoulder just long enough to watch Ashelin and Shiv destroy each other.

“Jak.” The comm channel bustled open again.

“I saw.” Was his only response.

“Stop talking about me as if I’m not here!” Ashelin piped up.

“It’s up to you now, Jak. Gun that mystery driver down and we can go home.” Spoke their leader.

“Right.” Said Jak.

“Ten Four.” Rayne ended the conversation. It was better to keep comm traffic brief in case other teams were listening. Rayne was even thinking of assigning code names to everyone. At least no one could say their team wasn’t organized…

// - // - // - // - // - // - // - //

“Well, Dax. It looks like there’s just one car standing between us and victory. Looks like we didn’t need that extra body armor after all.” Jak smiled down at his best friend.

“Who else is left?” The ottsel asked.

“Just that black car. You know—the last-minute entry.” Jak was talking, but his mind was on the track, searching for the other vehicle.

Some distance away, the dark knight was singing aloud. “//Oh vhere, oh vhere has my leetle dog gone?//”

Daxter’s eyes widened. “I don’t have a good feelin’ about this.”

“//Oh vhere, oh vhere can he be?//”

“Why not?” Jak almost had to shout over the rumble of the engine.

“I dunno. Everything about this event has been a little strange, hasn’t it?” Dax cuddled up with Jak’s thigh while the racer reflected on their current situation.

//I wonder if he knows something that I don’t. I’ll have to ask him later—maybe he overheard something at that party and his imagination just ran with it. The racer thought. Where is that guy, anyway?//

“//Vith his ears cut short and his tail cut long…//” The dark knight took one last drag on his cigarette before flicking it out of the window.

//OH.// Jak’s jaw nearly dropped when he realized that the black car had been running still just 10 yards ahead. //Wait a minute. Is he… SMOKING?//

“//Oh vhere—oh vhere can he be?//” The man finished his song.

“Vhat is ze matter, Jak?” The dark knight’s vehicle slowly inched its way to Jak’s side. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost or something.”

//Razor.// Jak finally understood. In under a second, the green-blonde had begun shooting, but the black car was too close to his side to hit. Razor took advantage of their joint predicament by dropping a few mines and then speeding away.

BOOM. One of the mines *did* explode, but not directly beneath them. “DAMN IT!” Jak hollered. //I wanna KILL that guy.// Razor was getting ahead.

As Jak followed in hot pursuit, it became abundantly clear that Razor’s car was built for speed, as well. Minimal body plating, dark eco practically pouring out of the engine… If Jak didn’t hate him so much, he would have admired the man’s taste in machinery.

In what was quickly developing into a game of cat and mouse, Jak was only glad to be the cat. Razor had already dodged one missile, but the green-blonde had nailed him with more than a few normal rounds. In turn, Razor dropped mines as soon as he picked them up, and made several failed attempts to lure Jak into the traps that were simply part of the field.

The hero lost sight of his prey around a large boulder beside a rather inconspicuous cave entrance. //There’s no way to tell where he went…// The racer thought about what to do next. //Ah… Oh well, fuck it. If he didn’t go in the cave, he’ll have to come in after me at some point and I’ll ambush him. I am NOT gonna just drive past it and get blown to bits when he pulls the trigger.//

Jak drove in shooting, and didn’t stop for over 15 seconds. When he didn’t hear any return fire, the racer grew weary. //We could be sitting ducks in here.// Jak drove a little deeper into the earthen tunnel, turned off his lights, and shut down the engine.

“Do ya mind tellin’ me what in the precursors’ names ya think you’re doin’?!” Yelled Daxter.

“Sshh…” Jak hushed his friend. “Look, this engine doesn’t even take long to start up cold, right?”

“Right…” The ottsel responded. He didn’t know where Jak was going with this.

“Well, it’s warm right now. We’ve been running it at top speeds for about 15 minutes straight, so if we need to go anywhere, I’ll get us out of here. In the mean time, we’re below tolerance for heat-seeking missiles, and we have the chance to ambush Razor.” Jak calmly explained.

“Who’s Razor? You mean last-minute contestant guy?” Dax was confused. He didn’t like being left out of the loop.

Jak sighed. “You know, that guy who threatened you at the bar? The one with the knife…”

“HIM?! But I just saw him at that party. He was wearing a bath robe or somethin’! Are you sure?” Orange Lightning didn’t even realize their opponent was a racer.

“Yeah, he has that funny accent…” Jak muttered nonchalantly.

“Oh.” Was all Daxter could come up with for a response. He got the feeling that his friend didn’t really want to talk and simply closed his eyes for a short rest.

His friend, however, was a little worse for wear. //Dax would NEVER lie to me. But if that’s the case…// Jak was powerless against the onslaught of rabid emotion. He couldn’t help but replay Razor’s words in his head over and over again.

//‘Have you ever stopped to consider zat *maybe* young Daxter could fall for a *man,* like yourself?’//

He could practically smell the smoke from Razor’s cigarette. //What exactly was he trying to SAY? I mean, it *sounds* like he thinks *I’ve* “fallen for a man,” which, in a sense, is true—but I haven’t told ANYONE. What gives?! And if that’s not it, is he trying to say that Daxter is interested in ME personally? …Eh. Wishful thinking, at best. I know that jerk must’ve done something to Dax. Maybe he bought him a few drinks at that bar. The little guy says all sorts of crazy things when he’s drunk…//

The ottsel in question had begun to grow a bit restless, and it wouldn’t take long before all of the tossing and turning started to have an effect on Jak’s peace of mind—let alone his groin. He was about to nudge Daxter to get him to stop when they heard something.

“He just started his car!” Daxter exclaimed.

“Dax, do you remember how far this cave goes?” The racer asked his friend.

“From one end of the track to another, and there are side entrances along the way.” The ottsel responded.

“That’s about half a mile…” Jak figured in his head. “Alright. We’re goin’ in!”

Just as he had planned, the engine was up and running in seconds. Jak pushed his vehicle to the limit. Daxter had slipped out of his seatbelt, but he held fast to Jak’s tunic. The racer always had a protective hand ready to swing down and catch him if they were to encounter any kind of turbulence along the way.

“LOOK! There he is!” Dax had stood up in his spot to watch through the window.

“Well, what are ya waitin’ for?! SHOOT HIS CAR, JAK!” The ottsel’s voice was quite audible when the little guy wanted to be heard.

“No.” Was the racer’s response.

“Whaddaya *mean,* NO?” Dax howled.

“He’s trying to see if we’re chicken.” Said Jak. “We’re going to call his bluff.”

Meanwhile, Razor had found the situation all too amusing. “//Jak be nimble, Jak be quick.//” He spoke to himself in a sing-song voice as he shot his first missile.

“//Jak jump over the candlestick.//” Luckily, Jak noticed the blinding force of metal and light headed toward him and swerved out of the way. One of the cave’s surveillance cameras wasn’t so lucky. //So that’s how they follow all the action.// The racer thought to himself as he turned away from the wreckage and faced the road in front of him once again.

“//Jak jumped high, Jak jumped low.//” Razor shot his other missile, and—as expected, Jak dodged it once again.

As the two cars closed in on one another, neither was going to back down. Jak was determined to win. As crazy as Razor obviously was, he had to value his own life! Jak thought so, anyway, so he pressed onward. “This is it, Dax.” Sweat beads trickled down his forehead as the racer stared ahead.

Just as they each approached the point of no return, Razor did something no one could have expected. “//Jak jumped over…//”

He boosted. “//…and burned his toe.//”

// - // - // - // - // - // - // - //

“NO!” Rayne gasped. Keira stood horrorstruck as tears streamed down her face. They watched the huge eco explosion on TV.

“Daxxie…” Tess whispered under her breath. She grabbed the first aid kit she always used on the boys and ran to join the emergency field medics.

Jak felt as though he were swimming through the air above his body. Some people came and pulled him out of the car. He heard someone say, “You’re going to be alright,” and he believed him, but something else was on his mind at the moment.

“*Dax…* Where’s Daxter?” The racer sat-up where they had laid him down. He was practically unscathed, save for the emotional trauma of having been separated from the most important person in his world.

He heard some voices. “Sshh, shh, we don’t want the cameras or microphones to pick this up.”

“C’mon you guys, OUT! Nothin’ ta see here, alright, buddy? Jak’s fine, and I’m a professional. Go help those guys over there.” It was Tess, and she was pointing to Razor’s car… or at least, what was left of it.

“Tess?!” Jak shouted. Never in his entire life had he been so happy to hear that woman’s voice.

“Jak… Look.” Her voice cracked a little. Jak walked over to where she was sitting and all but fainted at the sight that lay before his eyes.

“…*Daxter? * B-but… HOW?” The hero dropped to his knees and gathered his *human* best friend into a snug embrace. Tess returned with a blanket.

“Here.” She said. Together, they wrapped their beloved redhead in a gray camping blanket. He was naked, after all.

“Is he hurt?” Jak asked. He felt like a new parent or something.

“He’s unconscious… Look, Jak. Don’t worry about racing for a while. Get him to somewhere safe. Don’t go back to your hotel.” She seemed even more worried than he was.

“Don’t go back to the hotel? Why not? All of our stuff is there.” Jak pointed out.

“We’ll get everything for you. Don’t worry about a thing. Here are the keys to the Naughty Ottsel and my rental car. Take that to the transport and go back to Haven. You’ll be able to hide there.” She used a second blanket to conceal Daxter’s hair. “You mustn’t let *anyone* see him like this, okay? Friends, of course, are okay, but be careful.”

“Thanks, Tess.” Said the hero as she gave him a quick hug.

“It’s going to be much harder to protect him like this, Jak… Do you need a weapon?” Even as she spoke, she searched her bag for a small pistol.

“No, Tess—really. We’re fine… Is this what you came in?” Jak nudged his head in the direction of the little go-kart she had arrived in.

“Yeah. Let’s get back to the garage and get you out of here before the press swarm in.” When she finally DID find her gun, she took out two cameras in the immediate vicinity.

“Your morph gun is in my car. I finished installing those new mods you brought over.”

“Mm.” Jak responded. He heard her words, but barely grasped the meaning. Right then, the only thing that meant anything to him was the naked man in his lap.

//Dax… What happened to you?// He noticed the feel of his friend’s breath against his neck and smiled.

//This IS what you’ve always wanted, ya know.// Tess was driving, but she kept stealing nervous glances at her old friend and courtier.

//Please be okay. Please be okay! I’m sorry we weren’t on the best of terms when this happened, Daxxie. Please be okay…// The blonde bartender was much more worried than she let on.

By the time they made it back to the garage, Tess had to rescue Rayne from the reporters. Keira was just glad to see Jak alive. Even she didn’t know the full extent of what had happened. When Jak walked by with a large bundle in his arms, Keira gave him a questioning look. His response was just to lean right next to her ear and say, “Tell Tess I said she can fill the team in later. We’re going back to Haven.”

// - // - // - // - // - // - // - //

Jak didn’t waste any time getting Dax to Tess’s car. He propped Daxter in the passenger’s seat and drove directly to the transport coordinates. It wasn’t docked at the time, but that was to be expected. It would come back as soon as it had finished ferrying someone else.

The hero didn’t have time to buy Daxter some clothes, so he took a quick peek in Tess’s trunk while he dug out his morph gun. Luckily, she hadn’t retrieved *all* of her bags, and Jak was able to locate at least an oversized t-shirt and some socks. He had rearranged Tess’s belongings so that her basic necessities and unmentionables were in one bag, and his morph gun and her pajamas were in another.

The racer hoped that no one had followed them there. He also wondered if Razor had survived the crash, and if so, whether or not he had seen Daxter’s transformation. //Tess is right… No one really knows about Dax’s history. …I hope this works out for the better.// Jak decided not to worry. At that point, the only thing left to do was wait.

They were on a transport within the hour. It was a good thing that Jak looked the way he did, or someone might have asked questions as to what he was holding. For once, the racer was glad for his vicious reputation.

It wasn’t until they were in the air that Jak finally took some time to relax. He leaned back against the metal wall. Without even realizing it, the green-blonde had begun stroking the redhead’s right arm. After a while, Jak moved to the floor and laid his friend out on the bench he had been sitting on.

“Alright, Dax.” Jak said to no one in particular. “Time to get dressed.”

Jak unzipped the backpack he had borrowed from Tess. One by one, pieces of clothing had resurfaced. A large, gray shirt… Socks… A small pair of women’s boxers… The racer looked at his friend. //He IS small… These should fit.// He blushed at the thought of seeing Dax naked again.

The crash site was different. Daxter had just transformed… The only thing on Jak’s mind was his best friend’s livelihood, not his state of undress. Here, alone in the transport’s passenger compartment, the nakedness was a little harder to ignore.

The racer couldn’t help but gulp at the prospect. //Come on, Jak… You can DO this.// He told himself. No part of Jak’s life could have prepared him for what he was about to do. Slowly, with shaking hands, he unfolded the blanket that hid his best friend. What he saw nearly took the wind out of him.

Jak did something that, in other circumstances, may have seemed rude. He stared. From the beautiful and soft, dark, red hair to the innocent expression he wore on his face. Daxter looked… Exactly as he had remembered him, but older.

“So thin…” Jak whispered. He ran his hands down Daxter’s sides. The racer stopped at his best friend’s hips and blushed. //Wow…// His eyes widened. //Right. Got to get him dressed. CLOTHES!//

The green-blonde scrambled to find those boxers. They were different from his own. Shorter, but probably long enough, and they were made of something akin to flannel. Calmly, he shifted Daxter’s feet to accommodate the process, and he guided Tess’s shorts across lean legs. The tranquil look on the redhead’s face had an all-too sobering effect. Quickly, the racer unhooked his fingers from beneath the elastic, and looked away from his now boxer-clad best friend.

He felt his face grow hot. //I guess he’s going to be happy about that pubic hair, after all.// Jak giggled a bit. In a few days, Dax would be up and about, and this will be nothing but a distant memory. The racer made quick work of the socks and shirt, replaced the blankets and waited.

Before long, the transport had landed. //Finally, a familiar place.// Jak thought to himself. He slung the backpack over his shoulder, collected Daxter into his arms, and made his way to the Naughty Ottsel. He was hoping to find one of Tess’s zoomers outside, although the protection it could offer to Dax or himself was questionable at best. Orange Lightning usually manned the guns, so he hoped they would be okay without their normal attack capabilities.

By the time they arrived at the bar, Jak thought his arms were going to fall off. He didn’t find the zoomer. //She must have locked it up.// The racer thought. Jak almost doubled back to Tess’s workshop when he noticed Keira’s car parked down the street. //Perfect.//

Once again, he propped Daxter into the passenger’s seat and started heading where he had wanted to go all along. The racer was trying so hard to do everything right, to keep Daxter out of harm’s way. He even obeyed traffic laws, for once. They arrived just over a minute later, but Jak parked around the corner and waited until no one was around before making his move.

The hero was looking forward to seeing an old friend. If anyone could help Daxter, it was this guy.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

A/N: O.o Another update, so soon? I KNOW, it’s weird, right? T_T Don’t get too used to it, okay? :p

Outtakes:

Jak’s *other* thoughts about Razor:
//Well, he IS a chain smoker, that’s for sure. I bet he even SHOWERS with a cigarette in his mouth!//

-//-

Razor: B-I-N-G-O, B-I-N-G-O—
Dax: Is that supposed to be *threatening?*
Razor: *B-I-N-G-O,* and Bingo vas his name-o!

-//-

//Well, he IS a chain smoker, that’s for sure. I bet he even SLEEPS with a cigarette in his mouth!//

-//-

*Jak walks into the garage, carrying Daxter in his arms*
Keira: Jak, I’m so glad you’re okay! *sideways glance* What’s that?
Jak: Oh, ah... This old thing? It’s what’s left of my car. Yeah… Couldn’t bring myself to leave it out there.
Keira: O.o
Jak: Yeah, and, uh, something came up. I’m just gonna take this back to Haven City, and um… Look at it.

-//-

//Well, he IS a chain smoker, that’s for sure. I bet he even goes down on other guys with a cigarette in his mouth!//