Jack accepted the change in her status with a fair amount of equanamity. When she met Riddick in the morning, she still wore her loose fitting cargo pants, and her heavy boots, but her shirt was a boat-neck with long-sleeves. It was women's clothing, he noted, and besides the cut, she wore it differently.

"Happy now, Riddick? I'm a proper fucking lady," she said slinging her bag over a shoulder and skipping the last few steps on the stairs. She flopped down on the couch with a cheerful little hop over the back. Her voice was bitter but it lacked any real bite. The kid was just being obnoxious. He did what he always did when she was like this: he ignored her. The eggs were a luxury, and not one he intended to waste on teenage temper tantrums. Cooking over a hot plate was chancy business anyway and he was going to be seriously pissed if he busted a yolk.

"What did you do with your old clothes?" he asked. Couldn't have her leaving a trail laying around for any idiot badge to poke through and kids clothes as beat up as Jack's laying around would bring up questions. Like where was the kid who was supposed to be in them? And more importantly, who was that more-likely-than-not-dead-kid with the last time anybody saw the brat?

"I left 'em near some trash bins behind the hospital and smeared menstrual blood all over them first," she retorted. "As you're so fond of pointing out I'm short, not stupid. Everything I brought on this rock is coming off it with me."

Part of him wanted to smack her, but he let the urge pass and flipped his egg. She was in a bad mood. Shit, he'd be in a bad mood too if someone had just told him his cover was blown. And she was probably nervous about having to be a girl now. Fear could make sweetest the tongue sharp, he knew. This was one of those make-it-okay-moments where he was supposed to say something to make the kid feel better. He hated these fucking moments.

Feeling extremely awkward, he said, "You look good." Her blank face and wide eyes were better than candy. He felt a wicked smile curve his lips and Jack turned an interesting shade of puce. Good job, dickhead, he thought to himself, You're flirting with a thirteen year old. He slipped the egg onto a small plate and cracked the next into the tiny skillet. Very unusually, Jack didn't snatch it up right away.

"Uh...thanks," she muttered, suddenly very busy with the contents of her bag. Both of them knew she'd packed it last night. Neither of them felt inclined to point that out. "So, the ship?"

Riddick knew she was changing the subject and he was damn grateful. "Belongs to a smuggling company who jacked it from a rich bitch on Seti IV." The blush vanished in the face of intellectual curiosity and her skin was its usual pale cream again.

"You fly, I find?"

"You got it." While he was getting them off the ground, it was Jack's job to get rid of any tracking gear hidden in the underbelly of the ship. Skinny as she was she didn't have to take anything apart to get to wherever the beacons were planted. Saved him a lot of time and left the ship looking much more respectable. Meant they could sell it again if necessary. It also meant she carried her own weight, something he could respect. "Once we break orbit we'll make mock stops, change the registration and refuel."

"Going to clue me in on our final destination yet?" she asked blandly. To her credit there was no accusation in the question, just some wry amusement. They both accepted she had a higher risk of capture and consequently he never told her where they were going until they were underway. Safer. For him. Jack had never grudged Riddick his self-preservation, and he knew she had back up plans for getting by until he could find her, or for hiding if she didn't want him to. He could probably find her anyway if he really wanted, but just like she didn't grudge him his self-preservation, he liked to think he wouldn't grudge Jack hers either. At least he probably wouldn't. Unspoken, the option to go at any time existed for them both. No questions asked. No strings attached. Also unspoken was the fact that each day they woke up with the other, they had chosen to stay together.

He didn't bother answering the question, justed slipped a second egg onto the plate and started another.

"How many of those do I get?" she asked shrewdly.

"Two."

"And how many do you get?" Her eyebrow was somewhere near her hairline.

"Four." Her eyes narrowed and she opened her mouth to argue, but he went on, "You see, I brought home this half dozen, and that makes these my eggs. Bird eggs are pretty damn hard to get out here in the middle of a water-based system. It could be our last time getting eggs for a while, so my giving you two is a generous offer and the more I think about it, fuck, Jack, maybe I'll just keep all six to myself." Her jaw snapped shut and she glowered half-heartedly, but took the two eggs without complaint. She knew he wouldn't really deny her a share. When she was feeling amiable she'd even admit that he was bigger and needed more protein. It was just his way of keeping her from trying to negotiate for more. He also knew the hint would keep her quiet, trying to figure out where they'd be going that they wouldn't be getting eggs.

As she took her first bite the glower melted into a gleeful grin. Jack was like that, mercurial.

"What kind of bird is this anyway?" She was taking small bites, savoring the taste. She didn't really need an answer so he didn't offer one. It was just a way to kill time and stretch out the meal. He noticed she was saving the yolks for last.

He finished up the last one and dug into his share, also saving the yolks. He had a strong suspicion Jack was holding out on some bread, and she was. Riddick didn't ask for any -- he didn't have to. When she pulled it out she broke the roll in two and gave him his share. She wasn't even stingy, it was an even split.

When they were finished they cleaned their plates and utensils without speaking. Sometimes with them there was no need to fill the silence. She finished first and when he was done Jack arched a brow at him -- her favorite non-verbal expression.

He answered in kind with a small, anticipating smile. "Let's go."