A/N:
Sabrina1204: I am having so much fun with this version of River and Riddick! It'll be a while still before we have a run in with the crew of Serenity and they'll disappear entirely probably after this update until then. I have so much more coming and ready to go but I keep trading of with B&B so nobody kills me lol! And again girlie thanks so much for your fabulousness!
Celticicegoddess: hehehe I love this Jayne, he was always one of my favs from the series, thought I'd give him a little bit of spotlight this time around. Keep truckin' on with your story momma, I anxiously await it : )
pyrobabe7713: Thanks girlie, for the review and the love, promise I got a whole bunch more Riddick n River up my sleeves even after the 2 I'm working on are done, I'm slightly obsessed myself (can you tell lol). Hope you enjoy.
carcrafter7: lol, I think the head banging made that scene, and I told ya I'd get ya another update, you can thank my boyfriend for not minding that I've gone off the deep end of uber-geekness lol.
Just a girl with voices that won't shut up in her head, not makin' any coin, all belongs to others much more talented than I.
Warning: Lemons alert, if you don't wanna read look out for the XXXXXXXXXXXXXX and skip on past 'til you see the line again.
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(Takes place as Riddick and River are leaving Greenfall)
"Found 'em Cap." Kaylee called over her shoulder.
"What we got little Kaylee?" Mal leaned in to take a closer look.
"Shikra class," she let out a low whistle, "Ain't no way we're catchin' up to that Cap, 'iffin that's what they got, little ship can do twice our speed and that's without any mods, man like 'im, prolly got it fully loaded."
"Where they headed?"
Kaylee turned back to the cortex screen and after a few seconds brought up the flight logs for the docking yards, "Says here Persephone, but yous and me both know what it says isn't where it's goin'."
"Well it's a start, be needin' the coin anyhap, might find some work, gotta pay for the fuel to track her pig gu (ass) 'cross the 'verse. Jayne have less reason to bitch 'bout doin' what he's paid to do 'iffin he's got some coin weighing 'im down."
"Think we'll find her Cap?"
"Ain't gonna be hard once the dying starts," Mal said looking away.
"You don't think she'd hurt nobody she's been better since Miranda?"
"Ain't no getting' better from what they did to our Albatross, girl needs her meds, needs to be supervised, ain't no tellin' what could set her off, remember that fit she had over Book's hair?"
Kaylee nodded, "You don't think Riddick will kill her?" She asked hopefully, fear etched evidently across her face, though her worry was more for what it would do to Simon and less for River.
"Can't say what he wants with the 'Tross, but I aim to find out, and 'iffin' he's harmed one gorram hair on her head, I'll put a bullet 'tween his eyes, 'fore he can blink."
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(Active timeline, four days past Riddick and River's departure from Greenfall, Johns has just boarded the HG)
If Feros truly did breed crime, Juno was where it went to become an art form. One of the few truly civilized Rim Worlds, it had all the polished and refined edges of the Core, but when one looked closer one would see how the edges picked up around the corners and all the ugliness swept away and hidden under the carpet.
"The girl wishes to know when we will meet the employer and begin more profitable endeavors." She asked, after an entire day of sitting in orbit around Juno. Since the night of the stolen kisses, as she had come to refer to it in her mind, an unnamed tension had fallen over them both, a dance in which neither partner knew the moves, and this she was uncomfortable with, River had always known the moves, even before the Academy had tampered with her mind, and at the same time she was fearful that the Riddick would leave her, if she did not learn the steps quickly enough.
Riddick laughed, "Ain't a single contact I have knows my face from anythin' other then the news feeds. What kinda criminals you been workin' with?" He asked with a smirk, as he moved his bishop, capturing one of River's knights.
At first having a chess partner again had been fun, but he was now so fucking sick of it he could barely stand to look at the board. It didn't help that there were a million and one other things he'd much rather have been doing with his girl, but the problem was she didn't think she was his and had told him quite plainly that she was not a toy when he had tried to kiss her again. It also didn't help that River had won every fucking game they had played, and the last time it'd been such a brutal and humiliating loss he nearly snapped the damn board in half, but River had read his mind and snatched it out of the way before he could.
She frowned, her brow furrowing, "In retrospect they were careless and inefficient, the captain has an proclivity for getting shot, kidnapped, and betrayed, his morality is both a strength and a weakness, admirable but misguided." She claimed the bishop which had just stolen her knight.
Riddick swore, "Fuck."
"If you do not meet the contact how is business arranged?" She asked suppressing a giggle, she could have ended it in the first three moves, however this way was much more fun, give the Riddick hope and then crush him. Also, the last time she had, the Riddick had attempted to destroy the source of his humiliation, and she could not allow that.
Riddick quirked an eyebrow, "How's it you don't know this stuff girl? Got the skill but you're workin' like a gorram merc." He moved a pawn.
River shrugged as she moved her rook without a thought, seemingly indifferent to its fate, "The captain and the warrior did not trust the girl, thought her only capable of doing what she was told. The man-named-Jayne appreciated skill but had felt the blade before and did not wish to risk it, he was wary, and rightfully so. The Ge-ge did not think her sane and his sunshine echoed his opinions as her own, while the perfumed woman felt pity, the girl detests pity most of all. They told the girl where to shot, when to read, never consulted her on other subjects. They oft dismissed her warnings as the ramblings of the insane, made them uncomfortable to listen to the girl talk, preferred her to sit pretty and quiet."
Riddick scowled, "Sounds like a bunch of ruttin' idiots, words make sense to me, I like the way they come out, like honey and barbed wire." His scowl changed over to a smirk as River's color rose.
"The Riddick has not answered the girl's question." She quickly changed the course of the conversation, she was his partner, and this knowledge was entitled to her. River could have plucked it from his mind, but the Riddick had been learning to block her and feel her when she pushed. It was actually quite annoying how quickly he had been able to do so and so she had stopped trying.
"After the game," he grunted, moving his queen and she felt the smugness radiate off of him.
River smiled, as she deftly collected his queen, her prize and announced, "Checkmate. Information, please and thank you."
"GODDAMN IT!"Riddick roared knocking the pieces off the board, "New rule, no more fucking chess!" He barked.
River giggled, "The girl has played 1,436,978 games of chess, versus both human and artificial intelligence, she has never been beaten."
"Gorram ruttin' genius," he muttered, downing the last of his beer and standing, "Well come on' girl, you wanna see how the big boys play or what?"
River followed Riddick into the cockpit, and took her designated co pilot's chair while Riddick leaned over her shoulder and brought up his private messages on the cortex screen. She was intensely aware of the heat which radiated off his skin, he smelt of sweat and blood, of wild fury.
The beast purred with pleasure at the sudden edge to River's scent, intentions change baby girl, he thought to himself, leaning in closer and taking the opportunity to graze his lips over her hair, covering the action with words, "I work on a referral only based program," he smirked against her hair, shifting so one arm crossed the back of her chair and the other leaned against the console, "One of my contacts will send me a name, I do my own kind of research, and 'iffin' the new guys clean and got the creds, I make contact. Each one of my associates has a separate encrypted frequency," Riddick dialed in a pass code, he didn't bother hiding it from River, she was a ruttin' reader, didn't see the point really. "This program has a virus written in, first incorrect entry and it eats itself, any attempts to link from a handheld and hack, trigger the virus."
"Cleanliness is next to godliness." River said softly.
"That's right baby girl, never leave a trail." He smirked, as he accessed a file labeled Jove.
"The king of the goddess?" River asked.
Riddick chuckled, "Sure is girl, Jove controls the black market on this rock, ain't a thing or person gets on or off without him knowin'."
"And Jove is the employer?"
Riddick nodded, "Sent him a message when we hit orbit, all contacts have one standard universal hour to respond, three minutes late or three seconds don't matter, one hour, after that I kick on. Jove responded," he pointed to a message line and clicked it open, "the Target's on a deep spacer, cryo-cargo transport, The Hunter-Gratzner, he's locating the ship and should have the coordinates within the hour now." Riddick said checking the ship's chrono.
River scrolled through the screen quickly reading the target's profile and offense. "The greedy always fall." She said absently.
"Little dogs should learn not to piss on the big ones," Riddick smirked, enlarging a picture of their target, a small, thin, pale faced man that looked as though he had no spine at all, "Meet Paris P. Ogilvie, antiquities dealer and momma's boy. Ogilvie got himself pinched for possession of stolen goods, decided to turn rat when he realized the Slam would eat him alive, made a deal with one of Jove's top boys, feds raided, Ogilvie made off with the money, the goods, and a clean record."
"It is unwise to anger the gods; their bolts will strike you from the sky."
Riddick chuckled, "Yeah, pissed Jove off powerful, ain't one that crosses him and lives, been thinkin' on tryin' myself."
River snorted and rolled her eyes, "The Riddick would not bite the hand that feeds it."
"Yeah, probably not," he conceded flopping into the pilot's chair, "Man's made me comfortable, but it'd sure as hell be fun."
River eyed the Riddick, her head tilted to the side, "The Riddick has all the wealth he would ever need, and yet he still dances for coin. Why?"
"Retirement's borin', ain't old yet, where's the fun in layin' low? Would ya wanna sit around and knit on a porch?"
River made a disgusted face.
"My point exactly," he chuckled.
"The girl cannot imagine the Riddick with knitting needles, unless he had no other weapon options. There are 97 different ways to kill with knitting implements." River said after a quick calculation in her head.
Riddick barked out a laugh.
River listened to the sound pleased with herself for being the source of it.
The cortex screen beeped, indicating a new message. "Right on time," Riddick smirked getting back up to lean over River's shoulder once more, "Headed toward Tangiers System," his smirk evolved into a grimace.
"Slam city." River pulled the random thought from his head.
"Prison colony in that system, did my first stint there, or started to anyway, 'bout as Rim as you get out there."
River's fingers moved across the screen and brought up a map of the known systems and with her fingertips traced out the Hunter-Gratzner's plotted course. "Here," she pointed at a track of dead space, "Sol Track Shipping Lane."
Riddick looked over the map and grunted in agreement, "Ghost lane, low traffic, no inhabited worlds, 'bout two weeks out, looks like perfect spot to me baby girl," Riddick said going back to sit in his chair. "Confirm the message's been received and accepted. I'm gonna plot us a 'course, gonna have to refuel," he paused and scrolled through the map, "here, Pathos Space Station, intergalactic truck stop."
River typed the message and then ran the encryption program. "Full recovery of goods is also a requirement." She frowned, heavy lifting not what she signed up for.
"Ain't the problem, gettin' on that ancient piece of gou shi (shit) is, might have to stash this and lift something on the station that's got a retractable airlock."
"The theft of a ship poses an unacceptable risk." River disagreed.
"Got a better idea?" He scowled.
River smirked at him, and brought up the specs on the ship's model, "The girl will pick the lock."
Riddick laughed as he guided the ship outta orbit, "Girl I don't know who let you go but I sure as hell ain't."
River radiated joy.
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Five days later….
River had waited until she was sure the Riddick was dreaming and crept out of her room and down into the hold, her bare feet silent as she moved across the grating. "Lights twenty five percent," she called out to the empty bay, and with a resounding click the computer obeyed her command, and using the Riddick's weight bar as a makeshift ballet bar, she began to stretch, enjoying the delicious pull of each movement.
"Music, search, Yeltskiv, Metamorphosis, volume forty percent," she told the computer as she completed her stretch and moved to the center of the hold. River closed her eyes, and listening to the slow build of the music, she pushed herself up en pointe, and let the music take her.
Riddick woke to the sound of classical music echoing throughout the ship, curious, he got up, not bothering for a shirt or his boots and followed the sound into the hold.
River became aware she was no longer alone, but she did not falter, the Riddick did not shake his head with pity as he watched her dance, he did not wonder about the little girl who had danced before the Academy and died there, or assume her dosages needed to be increased because she could not sleep, no, his only thought was, beautiful. The Riddick did not see her as flawed, he saw her as divine. The tempo of the music increased, the lyrical piano was replaced with the violence of percussion and rapid strings. River sunk low, and then rising she withdrew her curved shivs, using them as a normal ballerina would use ribbons and her dance became as violent and intense as the music which coursed through her veins.
Riddick growled low in his throat as he watched her, resisting the urge to reach out and take what was his. Restraint was a new concept, the beast was having difficulty. Riddick wasn't used to not being able to touch, what he wanted he took, but the girl, his girl was different. They'd already taken from her, ripped from her what was supposed to be sacred and untouchable, he would not leave himself open for comparison to the hun dans. He had to make her understand first that she was not like the others, she was not a toy, she was his. The distinction being toys were disposable, River was not, her scent was burned into his mind, better than any drug or whiskey he'd ever tasted, and the thought of its absence sent the beast into a snarling rage.
River danced as though she was unaware of his attention, as if his thoughts had not reached her, but they had, and the dance shifted from one of release for her, to a dance meant for her Riddick, and when the music faded to the final note, her shivs clattering to the floor, she raised her head and opened her eyes, fixating her gaze on the shadows her Riddick stood in.
"Beautiful," he whispered, knowing she would hear him from across the silence of the hold.
"They have called her many things, but never that." She took a step forward.
"Any fool with eyes could see," Riddick matched her step forward with one of his own, emerging from the shadows, his eyes taking in every detail of his girl. Not once in his life had he ever damned the eyes he had been born with, but he thought now, he would willingly give up every advantage they gave him, just to see her in color.
"And yet the Riddick would blind himself for the girl, for a vision of her in color." She echoed his thoughts and closed the distance between them quickly, standing en pointe once more, her fingers tentatively reaching out to trace the shape of his eyes and Riddick leaned into her touch, nuzzling her hand, a low deep purr rumbling from his chest.
"Your eyes girl," he growled out.
"Warm, they are the taste of chocolate melted by the sun," she answered his question in a way he could understand, and he did, recalling the taste of melting chocolate, he learned the color of her eyes.
Riddick ran his fingers through her hair, reveling in its softness, "Hair." It wasn't a question as he brought a handful of it to his face and inhaled deeply.
"It mimics the eyes but deeper, laced with black coffee."
Riddick purred, "Know what you smell like girl," again it wasn't a question.
"Wants to hear it," she whispered.
He chuckled snatching her wrist, and gently lifting it to his face, he inhaled and pulled her forward, his free hand wrapping around behind her neck, he buried his face against it, his nose nuzzling the pulse point behind her ear, and he whispered, "Like gunpowder and blood, sweetened sandalwood and bergamot. Smell like the earth girl, smell wild, fucking intoxicating." He breathed against her ear.
A small moan escaped her lips, and Riddick growled in pleasure, the sound sending tiny fissions of electricity down her spine as his lips traced her jaw line. He hovered above her lips, "Go to bed River girl."
River immediately withdrew, not understanding and burning with humiliation, she turned to flee when a sudden clarity set in as the Riddick's thoughts reached her, he was afraid of hurting her, afraid it wasn't what she wanted, afraid he wouldn't be able to stop the beast once he got a taste. She turned her head back to look at him, his eyes devouring her still, "Intentions change."
Riddick growled, and in the next breath she was swept up into his arms, back pinned once again to the cold metal of the bay wall, there would be no whispering voices to interrupt. He nipped against her lower lip, gently tugging between his teeth, "You sure 'bout this River girl?" He growled, nipping against her throat, "Changes everythin', makes you mine. Ain't no leavin' after this, what's mine is mine."
"The girl has no desire to leave what is hers." Riddick's lips crashed against hers, his kisses were hard and demanding, and River had not been aware they had moved until her back hit the mattress in her Riddick's bunk.
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River allowed her fingertips to roam free; tracing each scar and line of muscle they encountered spurred on by the way he arched into her touch and the constant seductive low rumble of his purr. Riddick pulled back taking her tank top with him, and ran his open out stretched palm from the waistband of her shorts up her abdomen, past the valley of her breasts and wrapping once more around the back of her neck, his free hand held her thigh, and he yanked her small frame up against him, searching out her lips in a savage abandon.
His bare skin felt like raw fire against her own, her pale and creamy tone glowing against his warm caramel coloring. Rather than pull away from the flames she pressed herself closer, willing herself to burn in them. She cried out in disappointment when his lips broke from hers, but the cry of displeasure quickly turned on itself as his hands tore away the last impediment to her breasts, and his mouth began to devour them in turn.
Her skin tasted sweeter than he could have imagined, and he growled against her nipple as he bit down and she mewled with pleasure, the scent of it driving him wild, the most primal of urges overtaking him, the need to mark her, to leave a visible sign of his claim for the 'verse to see.
River sensed his need, and bared her neck, pulling away her hair.
Riddick growled deep and loud, hunger alive in his eyes, and roughly he grabbed up a knot of her hair in his hand and pulled her head back further as his nose caressed the frail and delicate skin of her neck, "Tell me." He demanded.
She knew what he wanted to hear, and she believed it as truth as well, "The girl is yours."
Riddick sank his teeth into her neck, stopping just before he broke the skin and she cried out in pleasure laced with pain, a divine concept she had only yet begun to understand.
"Mine," he rumbled against her lips.
"Yes," she moaned, and the last impediments to their bodies vanished as if they had never existed.
Riddick took his time, examining, memorizing, worshipping every inch of her skin until she was trembling and then his lips and tongue sought out the source of her scent, the core of her heat, and the beast feasted.
River screamed out his name as her world shattered in an explosion of color and sensation, as her Riddick gripped her by her hips, holding her to him, drinking her in.
"Riddick," she moaned.
A low chuckle rumbled against her stomach as he nuzzled his face in, she pulled him up and kissed him, her taste still warm on his lips.
"Baby girl, this is gonna hurt," he warned her, regret heavy in his voice, "ain't no way around it." His lips traveling down her neck to his mark, his tongue tracing the indentations his teeth had left behind as his fingers probed gently her hidden depths.
She arched into his grip, moaning his name as her consent.
Riddick forced himself away from her neck and pressed his forehead against hers, "Open your eyes baby girl." He commanded, and as River obeyed he pushed himself past the last remaining barrier between them.
River bit her lip against the brief sensation of pain, before giving into the divine sensation of completion and fulfillment.
Riddick held still, every nerve ending in his body vibrating with tension, his lips demanding hers as distraction, as he waited for her to adjust, and her hips bucked forward issuing consent.
The time for teasing gentleness was past, and Riddick relinquished the last vestiges of his self control, the sounds cascading from River's lips urging him on, his thoughts wrapping around her and through her, mine, mine, mine, mine, his mind screamed.
Her Riddick, her beast and again he made her world shattered, filling her, absorbing her, and in a violent roar he came with her, and the entirety of the 'verse erupted from within.
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"Mal, I've been all over this gorram rock, ain't a single ruttin' trace of Crazy." Jayne bitched, stomping back up the ramp. He hadn't expected to find any, even he knew a gorram wanted con didn't actually fly where he told people he was goin'.
"Dropped a wave to Monty, told 'im to keep a look out for Albatross." Mal said from the walkway railing, "Didn't really expect much to come of this trip."
"Pai an jiao jue (wonderful)! Wanna tell me what in the fucking hell we're doin' here then?" He yelled. It was the height of summer on Persephone and he had spent the entire day in the stinking slums boiling damn near to death, he wanted a shower, a drink, and something to shoot, not necessarily in that order.
"Watch it Jayne!" Mal barked, "'Member whose captain of this boat."
"Can't forget when you keep reminding me captain."
"Well… Good. Got us a job, take us farther out on the Rim then we been in awhile, but the coin's worth it and we're headin' out that way anyhows."
"A job?" Jayne perked up instantly, "Am I gonna get to shoot somethin'?"
Mal shifted his weight, glad once more Jayne was on his side, well for the most part anyway, "Mayhap, we'll be makin' a couple of stops 'long the way."
"Oh gorram it Mal!" Jayne was instantly pissed off once more, "Ain't gonna find the girl 'iffin' she don't wanna be found."
"And what is she does Jayne?" Mal demanded, "What 'iffin' he's hurtin' her, you wanna just leave her to him."
"Mal, ain't nobody can lay a finger on that girl 'iffin' she don't wanna be touched. I learned my lesson, only need to be dropped once by a ninety pound xiao yao (small demon)."
"Dropped ya twice Jayne."
"Ain't the point gorram it Mal and you know it," Jayne stomped off toward his bunk muttering, "fucking wild Crazy chase 'cross the 'verse, ruttin' feng le (insane) idiots," pausing mid stream to yell, "Job better pay Mal!"
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Riddick lay awake, watching the small sleeping form of his girl curled around his chest, her breath warm against his skin, and Riddick was overwhelmed for the first time in his life with the need to protect another creature aside from himself. Girl had gone and crawled right underneath his skin, he pulled her closer to his chest, burying his face into her wild mass of hair and she let out a soft sigh, in response, her slender pale arms wrapping themselves tighter around his neck. Riddick traced the pattern of her spine, his hands freezing in motion as they ran over several pitted scars, he pulled the sheet back, needle marks.
The beast snarled, blinded by rage until River's shiver brought him back to himself and he covered her once more, pulling her even closer. Ain't a hand ever gonna touch you again that ain't mine River girl, mine now, don't like it when people touch what's mine.
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Three days later…
"My Riddick must cease his current train of thought if he wishes his girl to successfully dock the ship." River smirked, shooting an unrepentant Riddick a sideways glance.
He shrugged, "Ain't nothin' else to do."
"Idle minds are the devil's mischief." River blushed furiously at his next thoughts. "My Riddick wins! He may dock the ship."
Riddick chuckled and switched over the controls.
"He is a child." She pouted.
He laughed harder, yeah, girl had turned out to be all sorts of fun.
"Ship's in line for refueling and stocked. What's say you and me get a drink?" Riddick asked her.
River quirked an eyebrow, a small mischievous grin on her face, "Your girl has a more profitable vision of entertainment."
Riddick followed her sideways glance to a nearby sign advertising a casino and chuckled, "Lead the way River-girl."
Five hours, three casinos, and several thousand creds richer, a slightly inebriated pair of assassins began to make their way back to the docking yards, in a very sort of vague general direction kind of way.
"Baby you are fucking beautiful, ya know that?" Riddick asked her.
River giggled, spinning away from him and directly into a giant Sasquatch of a man, complete with wild hair and fuzzy beard. She froze.
"Know that laugh anywhere little bit, and know your Captain is tryin' to track your pig gu 'cross the 'verse too. Girl what you been thinkin', whole ships havin' a gorram fit over you up and leavin' stealin' a shuttle too, after all they done for you?" Monty grabbed hold of her arm.
River took a step back, twisting out of his grip, reassured by the growling wall of muscle behind her, whose arm shot out wrapping possessively around her waist.
"'Vise you to kick the fuck on, ain't fond of people touchin' what's mine," Riddick growled low, removing his goggles.
"Don't think I know you friend, but the little bit here got kin lookin' for her, girl needs proper care and she's been without it."
"Don't need to know me ,"Riddick snarled, pushing River behind him, "Girl ain't got no kin but me, and ain't nothin' she needs that I ain't been givin' her, only gonna tell you once more, kick the fuck on buddy."
"Ain't wantin' trouble," Monty said, unclipping his holster, "but I will be needin' the little runaway, see I know her kin well, consider me an extended member of the family…" Monty didn't have the opportunity to finish before he was slammed against the alleyway wall, a curved shiv pressed against his throat.
"Ain't fucking takin' what's mine!" Riddick snarled, the beast smirking as the man struggled, a look of surprised panic crossing his face.
River reached out and touched his arm, but locked her eyes on Monty, "You did not see the girl and her Riddick, tell the captain he would be wise to cease looking, the Albatross no longer flies with him, she stole the wings because they clipped hers, his gilded cage is a cage all the same."
Monty did not understand, Riddick clarified, "Means tell yours to stay the fuck away," Riddick growled, "Ain't wantin' her old life back, gots me now, and I'm all she needs." He smirked, slightly increasing the pressure of his shiv against the man's throat, a thin ribbon of crimson seeped out. "Next time you lay a finger on what's mine, she won't be able to stop me from slicin' clear through and shittin' down your neck, dong ma (understand me)? Monty muttered something incoherent that Riddick took for a yes, "Go on messenger boy, git," he smirked as he released his hold.
"River girl, ain't got to go with him, I'll take you home." Monty choked out.
Riddick snarled, "Girl's home is with me, she ain't goin' nowhere." He grabbed up River's hand, "Time to blow this heap baby girl, got a job to do."
"They do not believe the Albatross can survive outside of her cage, they are wrong." River told Monty before she allowed her Riddick to lead her away, "poisoned needles are poisoned needles, even if the intention shifts, they cannot fix what is no longer broken."
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"Gorram it Mal!" Monty snapped across the wave, "Coulda told me girl was with a ruttin' psychopath, woulda waited 'til my boys were with me 'fore I strolled on up, man damn near slit me throat!"
"You've seen her? How is she?" Simon pushed past Mal to get to the wave screen.
"Yeah Doc I seen her, girl's gone right back off the deep end goin' on about birds and cages, told me to tell ya to stop lookin'."
Jayne snorted from the doorway, "Been tryin' to tell 'em that myself!"
"Ain't mean you should, man was powerful tetchy on the subject of the girl, callin' her his and all that, don't know Mal, girl didn't look right, looked different, looked like a ruttin' killer she did."
"Cause gorram it she is!" Jayne barked.
Mal glared at him before answering Monty, "Where you at?"
"Pathos Space Station, last stop 'fore you hit the shippin' lanes, doubt they're still here though, said somethin' 'bout a job."
"Ain't no matter, know where they're headed now, outer systems, should have guessed as much if they wanted to stay hid."
"Yeah well listen Mal, I done what you asked, and take my word on it boy, man she's with got a powerful hold on her, gonna have to go through him to get your girl back, man's a mite tetchy 'bout what belongs to him and he thinks River falls in that category."
"Thanks Monty, be seein' ya." Mal said clicking off the wave, "Doc?"
"He's brainwashed her," Simon said, as if that explained everything and for him it did, the possibility of his sister willing travelling with Richard B. Riddick not once crossing his mind, "In her state, without her meds, she'd be open to manipulation, out there and alone she'd want someone to anchor her. I shudder to think of what kind of job he has lined up that he'll be using River for, she doesn't handle violence well."
Jayne slapped his hand against his face and drug it slowly down, "Ruttin' hell, ain't any of you got a single thought in your heads that makes a gorram bit of sense? Crazy found herself a bit o' trim, ain't nothin' else but that."
"Jayne!" Mal and Simon yelled at him in unison.
"What?"
"My sister is not some Jian huo (cheap floozy)!"
"Ain't sayin' that Doc." Jayne took a step back hands up.
"What are you sayin' Jayne?" Mal asked through gritted teeth and Jayne stared at him a moment before answering.
"Nothin' Mal, ain't no point in it," Jayne let out a sharp exhale as he turned to leave the cockpit, "ain't a fucking point to it."
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Six days later……………
"There she is," Riddick smirked as the large cargo ship came into view.
"It's wrong." River frowned.
"What do you mean it's wrong?" Riddick looked at the ship again, all the parts movin' and runnin'.
"It's all wrong."
"Gonna have to give me a bit more than that girl to blow off a job like this." Riddick scowled.
"It feels wrong," she stressed again, "your girl does not belong here."
Riddick spun his chair out to face her, "My girl belongs where ever I take her." He growled out.
"It's wrong." She insisted.
"Ain't nothin' wrong here baby," he checked the monitors, "scanners are clean, ship's runnin', we get in, get the goods, kill the fucker and get the hell out, two hundred thousand creds richer." He smirked, "Thought profitable employment was what you been wantin', well here it is. Ain't even gonna be much fun, everybody 'board that boat is asleep, not even a guard to play with."
River rolled her eyes and snorted at her Riddick's sullen look, and her hands began to fly across the screen, working her way into the Hunter-Gratzner's computer. "She is in, Bay six is opening, desired cargo located in Sector D-four," River suddenly looked up, "The blue eyed devil slumbers beside the greedy rat."
Riddick quirked an eyebrow, "You tellin' me Johns' is on that boat?"
"Your girl told you, twenty seven percent chance of escape."
Riddick snorted.
"Cryo-sleep in the ghost lanes, so much empty space, so many things may go wrong," her gaze drifted to the windshield, "the ship is ancient and weary, the chambers decrepit, an extra drip turns the sleeping potion to poison, makes the bones scream, zero percent chance of escape or survival. Your girl does not tolerate threats to her survival or that of her Riddick's, this time we play her way."
He threw his head back and laughed, "Fucking beautiful." He wasn't looking at the ship.
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Endnote: Well that was a long one, for those of you who don't like the lemons, sorry, promise only one per story lol, sometimes you just gotta have it, and I think this version of River and Riddick needed it.
'Til after now.