A Note of Warning from Me: Okay here we go. The PC i'm on does not have spell check or that auto-grammer correction thingy, it doesn't have microsoft word at all cries . So armed with only the thesaurus i recieved from leaving junior school and the limited dictionary on my mobile, it is almost certain there will be spelling/grammer mistakes. This is your warning so please don't badger on to me about how crap my spelling is, help me by pointing out where the mistake is and i shall recetify it.

Disclaimer: Welcome to my fanflick, i would start it now but i have some legall stuff to disclam about. The charactors are not mine nor is any PB.Movie and Novel related objects, words, subjects, history, planets and etc. These my friends belong to the big cheese's at universal studios. All of this is based on the screenplay by Jim & Ken Wheat amd Davis Twohy, also the novel by Frank Lauria. No money is being made from this just peace of mind and something to do on a rainy afternoon.

Summary: Earn Her Keep is set after PB but before DF and COR.

Finding it hard to find their place in the future the three suriviours try to entangle themselfs from the past and the people they used to be. Riddick, seeing a younger version of himself in the poor runaway takes it on himself to teach her all about living in the undergrounds of the universe. With this he relives his past and the actions that caused him to be the man he is today, Richard.B.Riddick, escaped convict and murderer.

The only person against this idea is the holy man whom owes his life to the said convicted murder. Confused about where his loyalty lies, Iman must choose between his belief of doing the right thing and the protection of an inoccent. Through the vally of the death only his God will hear his cries.

Stuck in the middle of all this is the child who doesn't want to be a child. Batterling her own background and the hardships of living as a criminal, Jack wants to be stronger. She doesn't want to be the weak girl of her past. she wants to be just like her idol, Riddick. Providing for herself is a task that dauts her at the best of times but what takes up most her thoughts is how she will prove to Riddick she is no longer a child. To prove that she is strong enough to Earn Her Keep.

A/N: A few page brakers to go through with you...

(0o0o0o0)- means different time/location

POV - Means different POV, charactor change.


EARN HER KEEP

Prologue

Riddick lips curled as he watched the small kid pull a mean face as she pushed the curved needle through his skin. After Riddick had got the passenger ship off that devil planet and into safe space he finally allowed himself to relax and discover what damage had been done. The dull throb from his leg told him all he needed to know. Pain like this was something he hadn't felt in years. When his human side shut down it took his emotion with it. Yes, he still felt pain in his primal days but didn't care. Now he did, he had rejoined teh human race, his emotion had broken free of the box he kept them in. Richard.B.Riddick, murderer had died on that planet, taking along the animal within him too. Now he was just a man. He had searched the ship top-to-bottom looking for a medic kit; he had scared the kid with his thrashing around. All he could find was a very basic kit that looked like it was older than the ship. Inside was a roll of bandage, a reel of thread and a needle. He had laughed as he picked the thin piece of steel up to examine it. That had scared the kid more. He guessed that being trapped on a ship with an escaped convict who was laughing over a very sharp piece of metal was something to be scared of. He was glad she was scared, she should be. He had asked the holy man to patch him up first but he had refused and muttered something about religion so the kid offered. That hadn't surprised him, her skill at patching him up did though.

She wasn't doing that bad of a job, he had had medics patch him up worse, and apart from the odd flinched she didn't mind the gore of it. In fact she seemed some what fascinated with it. She was a good kid, strong, independent, could look after herself but her emotions let her down. If she learnt how to control that she could be really good. He watched as she finished him up, snapped off the needle, cleared it up and than wrapped it. By the way that she handled it all Riddick could tell it wasn't the first time she had had to stitch up a wound by this medieval way. He wondered again how a kid like her had come to end up on her own pretending to be a boy. She defiantly had some potential in her. She reminded him of himself when he was in the Penal System. It could have been that recognition that made him want to nurture her, teach her to be better, teach her to be the best. It would be the question that consently plague him in the future. What had lured him to her all those years ago?

(0o0o0o0)

"Riddick, wake up. We're being hailed!" Jack said as she pulled on his arm. She was lucky he was only napping cause if she had done that while he was deep asleep a shiv would have sliced her neck open before she could tug on him again. He would have to teach her not to startle a sleepin killer.

"Open com-link" He got up and went to the front of the shuttle, he hoped it was good news, they was going to run out of fuel soon. His hopes died when the haggard looking woman appeared on the screen. "Hello Jewels."

"Riddick? Is that really you, I heard you had died." Jewels voice was gruff and wheezy.

"Sorry to disappoint." Riddick answered with a cocky grin. "After my bounty?"

"Oh no, your not worth anything to me. You should know me better-" Jewels started to cough uncontrollable. "I only- I only go after the ones who aren't worth credit."

"Not worth credit?" Jack questioned looking puzzled at both the bizarre bounty hunter and Riddick. "Then what's the-"

"Jewels like the more…materialistic bounties. Like animals, slaves, ships, etc." Riddick grunted. "She's like a gypsy of the sky."

"Oh…" Jack mumbled and moved so that she was hidden more by Riddick.

"What can I do you for Jewels?" Riddick asked getting to the point. He could feel the kid trembling behind him. She needed to learn how to put on a front. He wouldn't have her hiding behind him all the time. How long was 'all' the time any way? What would he do with her once they reached Lupis 5.

"I think the question is; what is it that I can do for you?" Jewels smiled baring her teeth; well what few teeth she had left the rest was just her gums. "I see your ship is a Aries5000. A very old ship indeed. Would be worth a few credits to the collector's but the condition is poor, wont last long out in deep space like this. Plus you seem to be almost out of O2 and H2O. Power cells nearly dead. Looks like your in aright pickle my dear."

"And you plan to help us from the goodness of your heart?" Riddick finished for her.

"Exactly, i will let you and your friend's stay on board free of charge, eat my food and breath my air. Take you to whatever planet your heading too and not tell a soul about my good deed." she wheezed, her beaded eyes lighting up in sardistic pleasure. "Might reedem me for my past sin's and what not."

"At what cost?" Riddick bit out, the cold feeling in his chest telling him he already knew the answer.

"I want that pretty little boy you have hiding behind you. There's a high market for young flesh like that." her eyes focused on the tremberling figure half hidden.

"Not gonna happen." Riddick growled, almost a whisper, a clear warning to the old hag.

"Really? What a pity. I suppose i shall leave you to die in peace then. Well it won't really be peaceful, quite the opposite in fact" she laughed, a deep gruff bark. "Unless you can think of anything else that is worthy to trade."

Riddick watched from the corner of his eye's as Iman tried to blend into the ships walls to avoid the notice of the mad woman. It would be a hard thing to do considering the brightness of his robes and turben. For all his talk of God he did Iman wasnt showing much faith in Riddick. Jack had moved from behind him and had taken refuge in hiding behind the co-polit chair. He had both of them to consider in this barter, he wasnt prepeard to sacrifice either of them being as Fry had died for all of them. "I doubt that flesh of any kind is worthy of the trade to save three lives. The ship? Well it is abit weather damaged but its been hardly used. Would fetch quite the sum at auction, even in its current condition its worth alot more than the skin of a kid or a holy man. Even my bounty isn't worth that much compeared to this. You said yourself that collectors would go ape-shit for a ride like this."

"No good im afraid. I could just wait around till you all die and then just tow the thing home."

"Now I'm not too keen on going out like that, a big bad wolf as i am. I should go out with a bang. So if you dont take the ship I will just drive it right into that passing comet on your left. Ship wouldn't be much use to you then and you wouldn't risk shooting at us to stop me, damage to the ship will lower the price dramatically. And of course we both now what will happen if you decide to jump aboard and kill us yourselfs." Riddick moved his hand and did one slicing movement against his throat while shaking his head and tutting. "So I think one ship for three passangers to the nearest porting system is a worthy trade."

"You drive a hard bargin Riddick. Its a deal but you get one room between you and one meal a day. You'll have limited access to the ship, you can go to the mess hall, rec room and gym. For the rest of the time you will be locked in your room." She looked hard around the room, eyeing the occupents with malice. "Dont give me a reason for one of your friends to meet an early grave. Stick to the rules and we'll get along famously."

"Like one big fucking family." Riddick agreed, Jewels didn't reply. The link was dropped and Riddick felt the small ship shudder as the tunnel was hooked up.

Riddick moved to where the holy man was comforting the girl. He could hear her quiet sobs, the ghost of whisper's clinging to her lips as she mummbled to her self over and over again. Riddick concentrated on trying to catch her words. She would not be sold off again. As much as the words made sense to Riddick they also confused him. She had ran away from something big, maybe slavery? By the way she had reacted to Jewels words and her current condition, Riddick would bet the best part of his credits that Jack had been sold off into slavery. What exactly was this kid's past? Either way she was right by her words, she wouldnt be sold off again, not while he was around.

As if the holy man had been reading his thoughts, Iman spoke. His words soothing the child and reinforcing Riddick's determination to keep them. "Mr Riddick will not trade you child, hush now. You are quite safe. Nothing to fear."

No, she will have nothing to fear while he was around.

POV

Jack felt the fear crawl up her spine, turning her inside's to ice. She had thought she had gotten away from the past. It would seem every where she went she would get shitted on. Her parents were the first in the many to hurt her. A half sob and half laugh escaped her throat at Iman's words. Nothing to fear? There were and still is, many things that made Jack pull the covers over her head at night.

"Holyman's right on this one kid." This voice was gruffer than Iman's. It was one that rummbled with power and strengh. One that suited the owner very well. Riddick continued. "Your safe for now."

"I'm not a kid!" Jack bit back. She had lost that title in another life, before she had ran away.

"I'm sure yuor not darlin' but your hardly an adult either,"Riddick paused as the sound of the hatch opening and men entering the small space "now wipe away your tears. You've got to put on a brave face and come say hello to the welcome committey."

(0o0o0o0)

In the days that followed Jack kepted to the small box room that the three of them shared. The others on board scared the shit out of her, this way she stayed out of their way and they stayed the hell away from her. She felt the bed move as Riddick got up. The only thing in the room was this single bunkbed and a battered chair. Iman slept on the top bunk and Jack had the bottom, Riddick would sit in the chair in total darkness as they slept. Sometimes he would still be there when she woke up and other times even the big evil needed a rest and he would be dozing on the bed next to her. On the times when she had catched him before he left in the morning she would watch as he went through his morning ritual. It made her feel safe watching him, knowing that he was there to protect her not like the other men she had known. It would start the same each time, like it was now.

He had sat up but hadn't moved yet. As soon as he awoke he would be fully alert. Jack wondered if he had been awake as he laid next to her, it would explain why his body didn't take as long as her's did to regain fuction so early. Jack watched him silently as he rested his head in his hands, his eyes were closed too. It was still the same, the first time she saw him she had thought he was praying. She had scratched that idea out after all the times she had heard him curse God, he might believe in religion enough to curse it but not enough for worship. What was it that he thought about then? Was it about all those people he had killed? Before she even knew what she was saying Jack slipped out a question "What you thinking about?"

"You awake already." It was a statement not a question Jack noticed but at least he hadn't told her to mind her own busniess. It meant that he didn't mind her asking but wasn't going to give the answers easly.

"Looks like it." Jack answered back her attitude coming like second nature to her, it would have sounded better though if her voice wasn't still dry, it just made her sound sleepy. "Thinking about breakfast?"

This earnt a laugh from him, it was short and deep in his chest. He looked at her, the room almost pitch black so it was only with silvery eyes he regarded her with a smile on his lips "No."

"So what then?" Jack asked again as she sat up better to interigate him, the shirt she wore as bedclothes draping her small body. "You gonna tell me?"

"That depends on how much you want to know." At her puzzled look he explanded more. "If I tell you I'm gonna have to kill you."

"I'll risk it. Think I can handle a wimp like you." Jack laughed.

"If you say so. I think about all the things I need to remember to survive." Riddick answered sincerly. "It's not every day that a baby found abanned in a trashcan turn's into a man like me. There was lesson's I learnt as I went from one froster home to the other, and those lesson's continued once I got dumped in the penal system. Each of these lesson's were followed by a rule, a rule you had to live by in order to survive. I remember these rule's each day, its one of the reasons I'm still around today."

"What are they?" Jack piped in quickly. Riddick had never spoken about himself before. Educated in the penal system must have been tough...

POV

Riddick saw the hunger for knowledge in her eyes. He had baited her enough, it was time to reil her in. He was right, she could be great. He would teach her all that he knew, make her be the best. She would be able to give hell to all those who had shitted on her. He could make her what she wanted so badly. "I cant tell you them, Jack, you can only know them as you learn them. They are lesson's just as much as a way of live."

"I want to know them, teach them me Riddick! Please!" Jack was up on her knees, her hands pleading with him. It was just too simple.

"I dont know Jack, your just a kid. It would take alot of work. You would have to do everything i told you. Train with me, eat differently. I dont think you will be up for it." Riddick rubbed a hand over the stubble on his head as he regarded the young woman before him. She has a few years to go before she would be a true woman but she would be a knock-out. In every sense of the phrase once he had trained her.

"I want to learn! I'm not a kid. I can do it i swear! Just give me a chance!" Jack urged.

"You really wanna? Fine, I'll give you a week. You gotta do everything i tell you to. No back chattin. It anit gonna be easy but you've gotta give it your all. I wont half anything less Jack." Riddick smiled as he watched Jacks face light up with excitement. It was going to be fun training with her, everything was so new and exciting to her. "Now go have a shower, we've got breakfast waiting for us."

"yeas sir!" Jack smiled as she ran from the bed to the small bathroom attached.


A/N: So there's the introduction, four chapters are already written up ready to go, i'll try to update at least once a week. Drop a review if you have a spear minuite

thanks!