I've been on the run for a year now. Not that being on the run is new. I've been runnin' almost as long as I can remember. This is different. Not runnin' from a merc or somethin'; this time, I'm runnin' from myself. From guilt. Guilt over their deaths. That's new to me. It's aged me, made me tired, makes me wish this run was over.

I watched 'em burn. The only two people I gave a damn about. Took the ship she had ready for me and split.

I stop to work on space stations only long enough to get the fuel cells recharged and get supplies. Damn I miss her. The way her black hair framed her, her smell, her scars, her eyes. Her eyes.

I killed her.

I unbuckle the harness and try to sleep. She comes to my dreams alot now. Sometimes she's with our son. Sometimes he's still an infant; sometimes he's the little boy he'll never grow to be. Sometimes she's alone. I welcome it when she's alone.

Fuck! I miss her. I try to sleep. Darkness surrounds me. I'm drifting off...

"Riddick..."

That soft voice that I know all to well wakes me. I feel her touch on my arm. I look over at the co-pilot's seat and expect it to be empty. Just another dream of mine. But...She's there. I smell her, see her, and damn it, I can feel her hand on my arm! I think: Rick, 'ol boy, your brain has finally cracked. She walks over to me, and sits astraddle my lap facing me, her legs hanging down beside mine. Just like she sometimes did when she would talk to me. She raises my goggles and looks into my eyes. She always said that my eyes were beautiful. She leans close and kisses me. I can taste her! If I'm dead, I don't care. If I'm crazy...Does it matter?

"I've missed ya Riddick."

"I've missed you, too. It's been a long year since you've been gone. It's been a long year, I've grown old. Am I dead or crazy?"

She smiles that easy smile of hers. "Neither, I'm really here. I've been sent back to ya one last time with a message. He's gonna let us have a little time together, too."

"Who?"

"The one that controls the universe."

"God?" I can't belive this shit. He's taken everything away from me, just to let me have her for a few hours?

Fucker.

"That's only one name. It dosen't matter. I'm here and that does."

I hold her close, putting my head against her breast. She has a heartbeat. This can't be real! But, I don't care anymore. I have her for a little while.

"Your runnin's gonna be over soon. Ya just have one thing left to do. Then ya can come home."

"Home?"

"I'll explain it later. I just wanna hold ya now and look at ya." There are tears in her eyes as she climbs off me. She extends her hand to me, and after I take it, leads me to my sleeping quarters.

We enter the darkness of my room; I call the lights to fifteen percent. Just light enough for her to see. She takes the goggles off my forehead and places them on the small table beside my bed. I let her take off my shirt. She runs her hands over my chest, feeling every cord of muscle, every indented scar. She holds me close with her head on my chest - feeling my warmth, my heartbeat. My chin is on her head.

Why did she have to die?

She kneels down to take off my boots, and I have to put my hands on her shoulders for balance. Standing slowly, she unbuckles my belt and removes my pants. She runs her hands lightly up my legs, across my stomach, finally stopping again on my chest. She takes my face in her hands and kisses me again. I sigh into her mouth and my want for her starts to build. I need to be in her again, to feel her body close around mine. Just one more time.

She breaks the kiss and holds up her arms, wanting me to take off her shirt now. I always liked undressing her. The shirt leaves her body and I look at her. The scars, left by the disease that almost took her life, are beautiful to me. I run my hands over them almost like I did our first time, nearly four years ago. Now it's my turn to kneel. I remove her boots and then slowly, do the same thing to her pants. Raising to my knees, I savor everything I smell on her. I stop at her scar- covered stomach and kiss her. Wrapping my arms around her waist, I hold her close and put my head on her belly.

I'm falling down, feeling like I'm falling to pieces.

Why did she have to go?

Forcing myself up, I run my tongue over her body, feeling her shiver. I kiss between her breasts and am tempted to do more, but I know that her neck and shoulder are more sensitive than where I'm wanting to go. Kissing her neck, I feel the shudder that I was waiting for. A kiss turns to a nip; a sigh-tinged moan escapes her lips as she turns her head to expose her neck more. She holds me tight. The nip is harder this time. I hear her gasp as soon as I taste blood in my mouth. Blood? No! I've never hurt her - never! Drawing back, I see the blood on her shoulder, and it hurts me. She sees the saddness in my eyes. Taking my face in her hands, she tells me that it's okay and licks the blood off my lips before she kisses me. It feels so good, I almost can't bare it when she breaks away.

She walks over to the bed, sits down and extends her hand to me. I crawl on hands and knees to the middle of the full sized bed - to her. Lying on top, I hug her and hold her, telling her how much I've missed her. My left hand runs down her side and cups her hip, tugging her leg up, until her knee is bent. She pushes me off of her and makes me lay on my back, looking at my body dreamily, like it's the first time she's seen it. Damn, I've missed her touch. Starting with my feet and working her way up inch by torturous inch, she massages away my worries. Pausing at my waist, this woman that I cherished - cherish - takes extra time with my sack and cock. That velvety touch always drove me wild. I don't think I can take much more. I clamp my palms over my eyes as that gentle touch brings me to full life. I growl. She smiles; I don't have to see her face to know that she smiles.

"So beautiful," I hear her whisper.

My soulmate, if there is such a thing, sits on my lower stomach. She takes those wonderful hands, and works her way up my stomach to my chest, my shoulders and finally my neck. A sigh creeps from me as what feels like the weight of a thousand years is massaged away. I wrap my arms sround her and pull her down until we're touching. I kiss her. I run my tongue across her lips, as she opens her mouth I slip my tongue in and enjoy the warmth there. She wraps her tongue around mine and we taste each other once more. Running my hands down her back, I grab both cheeks of her ass. She moans for me.

I don't think we can last too long.

Breaking our kiss, she sits up and smiles. My baby, my love, scoots back slightly and slides me into place. With one quick thrust, I'm completely buried. A loud gasp of pleasure is released from those lips that have given me so much comfort. Her head goes back with the sound. When she lowers her head to look at me, she smiles and there are tears on her cheeks. Tears of pleasure? She takes my large hands and holds them beside my temples. Looking me eye to eye, I can see how much she loves me. I can't take it any more. I buck into her hard, several times. With each thrust comes a cry from her mouth, a cry of pleasure. She never breaks eye contact. I buck harder, faster. I feel her clamp down on me. She screams her release; I roar mine. My back is arched as far as my body will allow. Neither of us have ever cum so hard in our lives. My body lowers down and I feel darkness cover me. This will be the first time that I've passed out. Slowly the dim light in out room creeps back into my vision. Her hair covers my shoulders.

I roll us onto our sides. "What do I have to do to come home?"