Imam walked through his house, lighting candles as the sun set and darkness approached, he didn't noticed the silver eyes that glinted from the dark corner of the room. It was only when he went to light a candle in that direction did he notice the man who stood in the corner watching him. Imam jumped slightly, startled, dropping the skewer he used to light his candles, the tiny flame extinguished as it hit the ground, Riddick took a step forward, into the dim light.

"Where's Jack?" he demanded in his deep voice, his shaved head shining in the light like his eyes.

Imam looked up at him. "I am unsure, she disappeared a while ago."

"You were supposed to take care of her." Anger infiltrated his voice as he stepped forward again.

"Jack runs through the city." Imam explains. "I cannot stop her, not that I haven't tried, she disappears for days on end, returns covered in bruising and bleeding, she does not explain where she goes."

"Where is she?" he asked.

"She should return soon, she always does." He said. Riddick looked around the room with his shining eyes, as his gaze fell upon the nearest candle, he winced as the flame burned brightly, he extinguished the flame with a hand, throwing his tall frame into more darkness.

"I'll wait," he said. "It's time me and Jack had a little conversation."

"You mean to take her with you?" Asked Imam.

"Depends on how pissed she is with me. We'll see." He said.

"This isn't twelve year old Jack anymore Riddick." Imam cautioned. "She grew up, she changed, she didn't like the fact that you left her for five years, only the thought of you returning stopped her from leaving New Mecca and searching for you on her own."

"I know, you should get out of here." Riddick advised.

"Why?" asked Imam.

"Mercs, the saw me come here, they'll come after you and your family." He warned.

"What of Jack?" Imam asked.

"Relax holy man, you've done your job, I can protect Jack." Riddick said, he cast a hand over another candle, the light disappearing, when Imam looked back to where Riddick was standing, he had disappeared.

Jack pulled herself up onto the ledge outside her room. She hadn't been back in three days and the fatigue was getting to her, she needed clean clothes, food and bed, preferably in that order. She jumped through the window, landing on bare feet without even making a noise, she smirked, that was something Riddick had taught her.

Going over to her cupboard, she pulled out a set of clean pants and a shirt, heading for the shower, she paused to listen for signs of life around the house. She heard nothing, this was no surprise, Imam would no doubt be at his mass like always.

Turning the shower on, she stepped under the hot water and involuntarily groaned with relief as the hot water hit her skin and loosened the muscles in her neck, shoulders and back. Her face suddenly stung as water hit it, and Jack raised a hand, feeling a short, shallow cut that followed her cheekbone. Inspecting the bruising that coated her ribs, she found with some relief that none of her ribs had been broken, as they had with past encounters of this sort.

When she finally stepped out of the shower, she noted that a cut on her forearm was bleeding freely, she walked over to the medical cabinet and pulled out bandages, wrapping her arm securely. Dressing in lose cargo pants that sat lightly on her hips, and a shirt that stopped below her belly button, exposing a fair amount of tanned, toned flesh. Shivering in the cool air, she walked back her room to find a light jacket, carrying it downstairs with her and throwing it over a chair as she walked into the kitchen, she looked in the cupboard, she no longer had an appetite after touching her blood covered clothes. Walking over to the sink, she poured herself a glass of water, bringing it to her lips, she paused.

Riddick looked up at the roof above him, he could here footsteps, too light for a normal person to hear, but then again, he wasn't normal. He could smell the blood from down below, some was hers, some wasn't, then it was all washed away by the shower. When she had begun to walk down the stairs and into his view, Riddick had almost expected a scrawny twelve-year-old girl, instead, a seventeen-year-old woman walked into the kitchen, where her head had once been shaved, now she had dark brown curls that tumbled over her shoulders and down over her back, still damp from her shower, her green eyes were alert and scanning the room. She looked briefly in the cupboard, then went to the sink, pouring a glass of water, she bought the water to her lips, and then hesitated. That's when Riddick knew she had sensed him, he watched as her hand drifted to her side, no doubt seeking the knife she had left upstairs, her hand went to the draw to her left, where Imam no doubt kept the kitchen knives.

Riddick moved quickly, stepping from the shadows, he took hold of the wrist that sought out a knife, twisting it behind her back to stop her from stabbing him, the knife she held fell uselessly to the floor. She winced and then used her free arm to elbow him in the stomach, he unintentionally released her and she spun around, kicking him the abdomen as she went, Riddick grunted, then grabbed her shoulders and slammed her into the nearest wall. Pinning her shoulders with his hand, he used the rest of his body to stop her from kicking him, she looked up into his shining eyes and instantly stopped struggling. When she was still, Riddick released her and took a step back, regretting it instantly as a fist flew towards his head, connecting with the side of his face. Grabbing her, he slammed her against the wall again, this time she continued to struggle.

"Stop!" he roared at her. She struggled to free herself from him, finally he let go and stepped away from her, out of reach of her fists. She watched him warily, panting slightly, brown curls falling into her face. With a hand she swiped them back angrily, Riddick looked at her, she had grown up, where she had once skinny limbs, she now had long legs and strong arms, she had filled out in all the right places and let her hair grow out, he had no doubt that she would have trouble passing for a boy again.

"Where's Imam?" she asked.

"He left." Riddick replied, still watching her, she didn't ask for an explination, instead, she walked back over to the sink, drained her glass of water before walking upstairs away from Riddick. He watched her go, hearing the door slam loudly. Smirking he thought about the way she had fought him. she was faster than he remembered, and stronger, not strong enough for the mercs he knew were coming, and soon, silent as ever, he went up the stairs, following Jack's scent, it was time they left.

Jack flung open the window, with every intention of jumping out, onto the ledge and over the gate, she did it all the time, however it was the shadows that lurked beyond the gate that stopped her. Closing the windows, she flipped her mattress over, underneath was an assortment of weapons, mostly shivs and knives, she pulled out a bag and began to pull clothes into it.

"Nice collection." Came a voice from the door, in her packing she hadn't even herd Riddick open the door.

Better pay more attention Jackie girl. He thought, as he looked at the blades under her bed.

"What do you want Riddick?" she asked, not looking at her.

"To get you off this rock, away from the mercs outside your gate." He said in his deep voice.

"I can take care of myself." She muttered, still not looking at him.

"Yeah, I can see how good you are at that." He said, walking forward, he took her chin in his hand and inspected the cut on her face, she jerked her face out of his hands and stepped away from him.

"Why now Riddick?" she asked softly. "After five years, you dumped me here and took off, why want the big fucking happy family reunion?" her voice rose.

"I told you I had-" he began to say.

"Mercs on your neck, you'll always have mercs on your neck." Jack interrupted. "I'm sick of hearing the same old bullshit Riddick." Before she could say anything else, a fist flew towards her face and she fell unconscious.

Riddick caught her before her body could hit the ground, he grabbed her bags and carried her downstairs, placing her limp body on the couch, he walked outside, as he did so, his hand reached for his shivs.

Five minutes later when he returned for Jack, there were no longer any mercs outside the gate. He carried her through the city and to his ship where it waited. It was brand new, he had bought it with money he made from shipping illegal goods, always trying to throw the mercs from his back, it was larger than his previous ship, but still unnamed. Carrying Jack into the larger of two bedrooms, he laid her on the bed, leaving her bags beside her. Returning to the cockpit, he started up the controls, once cleared he took off, waiting until they were free of the atmosphere before setting eh autopilot controls, then reclined back in the chair and waited for Jack to wake up.

When Jack opened her eyes, all she could see was darkness, it haunted her, she couldn't sleep in darkness, not without nightmares, yet here she was in a strange place surrounded by it. She could feel a bed underneath her, sliding her legs of the end, she felt her feet connect with the cold metal floor, hesitantly she took a step forward, then her shin connected with something and she swore loudly.

Down in the cockpit, Riddick heard her swear and smirked, Jack was awake. He stood up as she staggered into the cockpit, calling for lights. When she reached him he offered a hand to steady her, instead he received another fist to the face.

"Do that again, you'll regret it." He threatened her.

"I regret a lot of things." She said, "That was not one of them." She said.

"Feel better?" he asked, smirking.

"Yes, I do." Jack said, sliding into the co pilot seat next to his.

"Where are you taking me?" she asked, studying the diagnostics on the screen.

"As far away from New Mecca as possible." Riddick said simply.

"And that would be?"

"I have to stop at Hellion Prime, got a delivery to make, then on to wherever I have to go."

"And your just going to drag me along with you?" she asked.

"Whatever it takes." He said, looking at her, she didn't look at him, only stood up.

"Where's the bathroom?" she asked.

"Down the hall, third door on the right." He said, watching her, still not looking at him, she walked down the hall and slammed the door shut. He smirked again, some things didn't change, and she still wasn't a morning person.