Chapter 2

Two years ago, about a month after leaving T2, Riddick dropped Jack and Imam off on New Mecca. Jack had thrown a huge fit and told Riddick that if he left her there she never wanted to see him again.

With the memory of Jack crying and screaming at him, combined with this new information, Riddick brought his fist down, almost slamming it into the console of his ship.

"Fuck!" he growled as he looked at the screen that held Imam's face.

"Say again, Mr. Riddick." Imam said not quite hearing what the other man had said.

He shook his head, "Forget it. Have you talked to a doctor? Isn't there anything that can be done?"

The Holy Man looked away from his screen for a few moments as a sigh passed his lips. "We have consulted many doctors here in New Mecca and on near by planets. I'm afraid they have done all they can."

"How long?" Riddick asked as he leaned back into the pilot's chair.

Imam turned his face back to the screen, "How long until what, Mr. Riddick?"

Riddick sat straight in the chair again, "How much longer they say you got before you finally meet your God, Imam?"

"There is a possibility that I won't last past one month, Mr. Riddick." Riddick's name came out louder than the rest as a deep wet cough shook Imam's body.

He watched the sick man and shook his head, "With everything that these doctors are capable of, you're telling me they can't help you?"

Imam tried to give his long time acquaintance a convincing smile. "I am at peace with the decisions I have made, Mr. Riddick. I am ready to meet the God that I have spent many years praying to. The final thing I need to do is make sure Miss Jack has someone to look after her."

Riddick sat there in silence. Imam had already asked him to take Jack. For some unknown reason he felt like he owed it to the holy man to take the kid. "I can be there in a week at the earliest."

A genuine smile graced Imam's lips, "Thank you, Mr. Riddick."

With that the call ended. Riddick sat there and stared out at the star filled sky as he had done many sleepless nights. "What the fuck am I going to do with a fifteen year old girl?" he asked into an empty ship.

For two years, he had respected her wishes after leaving her on New mecca. He hoped now that she wouldn't fight him when he returned.

Jack stood in front of Riddick; softly she repeated his name. "Riddick. Are you even breathing?" she asked and gently poked his rib.

Riddick's eyes adjusted back and he looked at her, "Hey, don't do that," he mumbled. "So, you're okay?" he questioned as though he had been in the present the whole time.

She smiled at Riddick as she nodded. "I thank you for that hug; it made me feel better."

"I still don't believe you, Jack, but I'm not going to push you to talk about it." He turned to get a glass of lemonade as he said it.

She stood there, watching him move over to their fridge, "I'll be over it by tomorrow. You know I will be." Her own thoughts flashed back to the dream last night, but quickly she pushed it aside. Instead she turned to concentrate on preparing dinner.

Riddick gulped down a full glass of the chilled liquid before he placed the glass in the sink. "And you know where I'll be if you want to talk about it. Day or night, Jack." He reached in front of her and stole a raw green bean, popped it into his mouth with a smile before he retreated to his room for a shower.

It was thirty minutes later when Riddick stepped into the upstairs hallway. The smell of a home cooked meal surrounded him. He inhaled a deep breath and followed the scent downstairs.

Riddick entered the kitchen and stopped. Quietly, he stood and watched as Jack started her yearly ritual of lighting candles in memory of those who died on T2. Each candle was about three inches high, three inches wide and white in color. The candles sat in individual glass containers with the flame barely peeking out the top as they sat in the middle of the table. The first year he had Jack with him, she said that white was supposed to help with healing. She later explained that Imam taught her the healing was for the living, not the dead.

He observed as Jack lit each candle and whispered the name of one person who had lost their life to the monsters before they could leave. A chill crept over him as he heard who the last candle was for. Big Evil.

Riddick's eyes followed Jack's hand up close to her mouth as she blew out the candle, "What about Johns?"

Jack sighed as she sat down and motioned for him to join her, "You ask me that every year, Riddick. My answer is still the same."

"Tell me again, Jack," Riddick said as he leaned his elbows on the table and watched her.

Jack looked up at him, "I can't light one for Johns, because he was willing to kill me just to try and save his own ass. Whereas Carolyn, Paris, Shazza, Zeke, Ali, Hassan, Suleiman, and Big Evil all tried in some way to help us off that planet."

"Why Big Evil?" Riddick asked; he already knew the answer, but still liked to hear it.

She looked at him again, "Without Big Evil, I would have been one of the candles that Imam lit that first year." She took a moment to look at him before she turned her attention to the meal in front of her. It wasn't long before her eyes met Riddick's silver ones again, "I'm just glad that Big Evil was able to find his internal moral code and that it didn't die with him." A smile appeared on her face while she watched his face for a reaction.

Riddick's deep laugh filled the kitchen as he nodded his head, "Me too." His smile never disappeared as they both seemed to stare at each other. "That's a newer answer than what you've given me before."

"It's weird, because I've seen it in you, but lately...Lately there seems to be more of it showing," Jack said, trying not to sound stupid.

He knew what Jack meant when she referred to Big Evil's internal moral code. Riddick knew that people didn't see him as a person that cared about others, or someone who had morals. But deep down, he knew he always had them, it just took someone like Carolyn and Jack to bring them out. Oh hell, even Johns helped him see that when he wanted to let the hammerheads eat Jack. Riddick would be the first to admit that he hadn't thought much about going back to get Jack and Imam from that small cave. But when he did, he got a glimpse of the humanity Jack saw in him, and throughout these last few years he tried hard to keep that humanity growing.

There seemed to be a comfortable moment of silence between them before Jack spoke.

"I hope you like the pork roast," Jack said, as she tried to change the subject. "I used some of the herbs we planted in the spring."

He had already taken a bite of the meat, "Mmmm!" Riddick half moaned, "It's really good. I think it's amazing how great you can make things taste."

Jack's eyes met his for a second before a slight blush crept over her cheeks. She looked back down, poked a piece of baked potato onto her fork and replied with a simple, "Thanks."