Just Jack

Jack was wrapped in torn blankets, her form scrunched up on the hard floor, but she didn't mind. In fact, she rather liked it; she felt like she was on an adventure. A small smile passed her lips because Jack wasn't on any adventure; she was on the Mother of all adventures. Yes, Jack B. Badd was flying through space with Richard B. Riddick, an escaped convict and murderer.

Jack emptied her thoughts now. She had no idea what time it was, but knew that she really should be asleep. That was the problem with adventures in space, though. There wasn't much to do, except sleep, so when Imam recommended that it was time she went to bed, Jack wasn't tired at all. So, like she did every night, she kept up the pretence of sleep but, really, she was laying still and listening to Imam's and Riddick's conversations. Normally, there were hardly any words spoken, with gaping silences filling the in-betweens. However, this wasn't a normal night and Jack found herself straining to hear.

"Mercs are on my trail. It's the only option." Riddick's deep, demanding voice was instantly recognisable.

"New Mecca? How far away is that?" Imam asked, his tone much more reserved.

"We will reach it by morning. You don't mind taking care of the kid, do you?" Although it was asked as a question, Jack could detect some sort of underlying tone that she couldn't place, but didn't dwell on it for too long; the conversation subject had captured her full attention.

"You know I don't, Mr Riddick. Jack is a great kid, I don't have a problem with it." Imam impressed upon the Furyan. A low growl was given as a response, and also indicated the end of the conversation.

A hundred things swam around Jack's mind at once, but none of them were intelligible. 'New Mecca?' The foreign words banged in Jack's thoughts. She concluded it was a place, a place they'd be reaching pretty soon. Something clicked, and Jack's expression froze. Of course, in her little corner, no one could see it, but it was one of shock and betrayal. They were Imam and herself. Nobody else. Not Riddick. Tears threatened to spill over. He was leaving her, abandoning her. Shifting her onto someone else, making her someone else's…problem.

'I'm just a problem.' She thought to herself, miserably. 'Stupid, stupid, stupid.' The word resounded in her mind. Jack had honestly believed that, together, they would roam the Universe. Jack and Riddick, the two most infamous rebels ever. Jack rolled her eyes. She had been so stupid.

Sometime during the early hours of the morning, Jack had fallen into a fitful sleep. A gentle hand, belonging to Imam, roused her from her slumber. Bleary-eyed, Jack looked up and realised that they weren't moving. "Time to go?" Her voice was more dead-pan than she had intended, but she didn't really care. Surprise blatantly crossed Imam's expression, but he recovered quickly and gave a short nod. Standing to her feet, Jack headed towards the exit of the skiff. "Lets go." She instructed, her walk confident and purposeful. Passing Riddick, complete with goggles, she gave him the most withering look she could muster.

"What was that for?" He demanded, his hand on her shoulder, stopping her in her tracks.

"Whatever." Even with his goggles on, Jack knew he had narrowed his eyes. "Y'know, if you'd wanted rid of me, you should've just said!" She sighed in annoyance when this elicited no response, stomping down the skiff's ramp. Imam and Riddick both followed, humour evident in both of their expressions as she stepped onto the planet's surface, arms crossed and visage thunderous.

"What's so fucking funny?" She demanded, earning a warning of "Jack…" from Imam, but she ignored it.

"And you wonder why I'm dropping you off." Riddick spoke, his tone level as usual.

"Whatever." She responded, feeling immature but not really caring. "Are we going or what Imam?" She turned to walk, but before Imam could properly respond, she whirled around again. "I thought you liked me!" She burst out with, her glare defiant.

Riddick stood stoic, his goggles covering his silver eyes. "I do." He retorted simply. "A lot."

"Then take me with you!" Jack felt no shame in her pleading manner.

"I can't. I like you." Was Riddick's vague response, cut short by Jack's inconsistent spluttering.

"But we can have loads of adventures through space! Jack and Riddick, fighting aliens and crime!"

The humour was definitely evident on Riddick's face this time, but he said nothing. "Fine, go. Be lonely, see if I care." As soon as she said it, Riddick turned to board the ship again, and Jack felt Imam's comforting hands on her shoulders. Tears welled in her eyes but, once again, she didn't allow them to fall. He was really going, this was it.

"See you later, kid." His booming voice greeted her ears as the skiff roared back to life. Jack watched as it hovered above the ground, before taking off. That was when the tears finally tumbled and she tried to hate him, but couldn't. She knew he had done it because, as he had said, he liked her. Could she really blame him for leaving? After all, he was Richard B. Riddick, escaped convict and murderer. A regular badass. And she? She was Jack. Just Jack.

She responded, watching the skiff eventually disappear from sight, with a "See ya later." And she knew she would.