Frank took Keira to town in the sand car,
"On the way back I need to stop by at Imam's place for something," Frank explained.
"Well, why not drop this stuff off first and we can go together, I wouldn't mind seeing him and I can give him some of this cash, oh, I almost forgot, here," Keira counting out $5,000. Frank swerved the sand car.
"Keira, that's way to much," Frank shocked,
"No, its more than fair, I took business away from you so its only fair I give you something I made off that guy you are taking it, that and when I fix that ship up you can have her, and I am not taking no for an answer," Keira strongly.
"Alright, fine, you know, you can be so bullheaded and stubborn sometimes," Frank parking the sand car.
"Its only because you are much like a father to me," Keira strongly, Frank smirked,
"You are a good kid, and you are like a daughter to me, I try to look out for you the best I can," Frank getting out, Keira got out and they walked around,
"I do appreciate that, and I'm just trying to look out for you and Imam as well, that's why I am giving Imam the same amount," Keira strongly.
"Just trying to do what any daughter would huh?" Frank hanging his arm around her shoulder.
"Yeah," Keira smirked, they shopped for about two hours, then took the stuff back to the ship.
Birthday surprise
"So, think you can cook all that without burning it?" Frank laughing.
"With Marius I can do anything, he is great," Keira smiling,
"Thank you gorgeous," Marius's voice sounding full of pride,
"You're very much welcome handsome," Keira putting the food away.
"Well, the rest can wait, god only knows what time Imam goes to bed now," Keira ready to go,
"Or he may already be in bed, with his wife," Frank smirking,
"You have a sick and twisted mind you know that?" Keira laughing a little.
"Yeah, but you wouldn't love me so much if I didn't," Frank stepping out of the ship, Keira stepped out,
"Hold down the fort Mar," Keira patting the ship, the door closed and locked,
"Always do my little care bear," Marius explained.
"Good one," Keira laughing, when they were down the street a little ways Frank laughed a little,
"What?" Keira asked,
"Do you and him do the dirty?" Frank asked, Keira laughed,
"You just did not ask that, no, me and Marius are best friends, I can trust him," Keira explained.
"He is a machine with intelligence Keira, he isn't alive," Frank seriously.
"So your point is?" Keira asked, Frank shook his head,
"You ever think if you let him take care of the stress you have you wouldn't be so…" Frank being interrupted,
"I was raped by my biological father, it was when I was a kid, I cant just do something like that," Keira softly.
"I didn't know, I'm sorry," Frank strongly,
"He's not a problem anymore," Keira explained,
"Alright, well cheer up, you don't want Imam thinking I'm not treating you right," Frank patting her on the back.
"I'm going to tell him how you make me slave for you 24/7," Keira smirked,
"I let you have piss breaks though," Frank laughed a little. Keira laughed they walked into Imam's place, it was dark.
"Oh god, Frank you don't think he's already in bed do you?" Keira asked as a mental picture of Imam and his wife getting it on in bed popped in her head.
"Imam?" Keira softly,
"Surprise happy birthday Keira!" everyone shouted as the lights flew on. Keira laughed,
"You ass," Keira slapping at Frank,
"I try," Frank hugging her. Everyone came around hugging Keira, telling her happy birthday, some friends were telling her how much they had missed her. She hugged Imam tightly,
"Hey, I've been missing you my child," Imam clinching his eye tightly as he hugged her,
"I have missed you as well my father, I have something for you," Keira explained.
"Later, right now its all about you," Imam smiling,
"And those who I love and hold dear," Keira picking up Ziza,
"Jeez kid, you have grown," Keira putting her back down,
"Not a kid no more, I'm 8 now," Ziza showing her with her fingers,
"Yeah, and how much you weigh, a ton?" Keira tickling her,
"Its good to see you smiling," Imam's wife smiling,
"Wow, look at you mom, you are glowing, are you pregnant?" Keira asked,
"We are having a boy," she rubbed her belly, Keira hugged her,
"Congrats!" Keira feeling like she would break the woman if she hugged her too hard.
"Yeah, we are going to have a baby brother!" Ziza hanging onto Keira,
"How about that? You can help mom out with the stinky diapers!" Keira laughing as Ziza's face twisted into a nasty expression. A few minutes later Keira got to checking out the house, she found a huge pile of gifts for her, it was good to be home again but memories of her and Riddick started to take over again,
"Hey, you okay?" Imam asked,
"Huh, oh I'm fine, just fine, its just been a while, before I forget," Keira taking the $5,000 out she promised herself to give him,
"Here, I got rid of Jack, so I figured since I had some extra cash and you having another kid, you could use it, for Christmas for Ziza or to pay some bills or whatever," Keira shrugged.
"I thought…" Imam being interrupted,
"I cant just dwell on waiting for him to come back for me, besides, she was just sitting there and gathering rust," Keira shaking her head,
"You know he did the right thing leaving you with me, he knew you would be hurt," Imam explained.
"I know Imam, listen, its my birthday, lets have some fun instead of dreaming of things that can never be," Keira trying to put on the best smile she could.
"Thank you Keira for looking out for me, you are a good daughter," Imam pocketing the money,
"I just wanted to help you guys out, you have been a great family to me," Keira smirking. She went to catch up with her friends to try and relieve herself of the memories that were eating at her. They had their snacks and drinks, then the cake.
"Make a wish Keira," Imam having lit the candles, she frowned as she wished that Riddick was there, celebrating her 21 birthday, it was the most important one to a girl, a special one, she deserved something special, from someone special. She blew the candles out, everyone clapped, when the lights were turned back on she had tears in her eyes but she smirked,
"Alright, gifts," Frank giving her his, she opened the leather wrap to find two brand new shivs that she had been eying at the market,
"Thanks Franky," she laughed a little,
"I dove for them when you weren't looking, thought you would catching me buying them," Frank trying to make her smile. She cracked a small one and opened the rest, most were blades she had been wanting, and then some girly clothes from Imam's wife, Ziza had made her a special friendship bracelet from a kit that she had to play with,
"See, I have one too, now you cant forget about me, and every time you look at it you can come over and play with me," Ziza having missed her big sister.
"Of course, but I didn't forget about you, I was just busy at the garage, I promise I will sneak away and see you more often," Keira whispering to her,
"Good," Ziza hugging her. They finally cut the cake,
"Before you guys dig into the cake, me and Marius are having a Christmas party at the ship, you guys are all invited, it starts at 6 on the night before Christmas, bring gifts, we are doing a game with them," Keira smiling.
"When did we get so special that you are going to spend so much time with you?" one of her friends asked,
"Just say I have missed you guys and I want to see you for party," Keira smirked. A few minutes later after things were winding down, Keira snuck up to her old room which had been given to Ziza now. Keeping a smiling good mood front in front of everyone on her birthday was exhausting, living had been exhausting for her lately, so many questions she couldn't answer, she didn't want to answer, only a few people knew the truth about her, and why it was so hard to carry on, they couldn't even understand, she hit play on the radio, then walked out to the balcony.
I don't know where I'm at
I'm standing at the back
And I'm tired of waiting
She lost herself, she didn't know where she was at, just standing at the back of everything and she was tired of waiting for him, of waiting for him to come and get her.
Waiting here in line
Hoping that I'll find
What I've been chasing
She had waited patiently in line for hope, hope that she would find what she hadn't really chased, if she had maybe she would have found him, and he could see she wasn't just some kid who was scared to death of the hammerheads that had chased them on that planet so long ago, maybe he wouldn't have had to die to keep her safe, she could fight now, she had instincts of a killer animal now.
I shot for the sky
I'm stuck on the ground
So why do I try
I know I'm gonna fall down
This morning she woke up and was determined it was a brand new day, she was going to be happy, have a positive outlook on life, she knew she still had people who cared about her, family that she hadn't seen in a year, but had sent money to so she could help them out. She had smarts, she had three degrees, one in electronics, one in piloting, and one working on the ship engines. She had shot for the sky for Riddick, but she didn't understand why she was stuck on the ground, she didn't know why she tried when she knew she was going to fall down at the end of the day.
I thought I could fly
So why did I drown
I never know why
Its coming down, down, down
She had spread her wings today in a long time, with the feel good attitude, and she had shocked Frank and it felt good to feel the warmth of the sunshine, it felt so good that she thought she could fly, so why was she back to the same place, why was she drowning in all her hopes of him coming back and the doubts taking that hope away and telling her that he was dead, that he was dead and that's why he wasn't coming back for her. She never knew why, and it was coming down, coming down like that hard cold freezing rain.
Not ready to let go
Cause then I'd never know
What I could be missing
The truth was she wasn't ready to let go, to let him go, cause she then she'd never know what she could be missing, she wanted to know what he had done through those years he had been absent from her life, did he ever think about her? She knew that he thought about her, it was because of her that he had ran, to keep her safe, but had he ever wondered what she had turned out to be like? Didn't he know that she was still there waiting for him, waiting until he deemed it was safe for her to have her by his side, or did he even want her by her side? Was she just some kid to him, some weakness in his life?
But I'm missing way too much
So when do I give up
What I've been wishing for
She was already missing way too much of her life, she could have a potential relationship right now, or she could be up there in space with Marius running loads, or traveling from planet to planet to see what else was out there, there was more than just New Mecca. But when did she give up, when would she give up what she had always wished for in her life? All her life she had wanted one thing, every birthday she had wished that he would have been able to be there to share it with him, for him to give her the okay that she could come along with him, and that she wouldn't have to worry about him leaving her again.
I shot for the sky
I'm stuck on the ground
So why do I try
I know I'm gonna fall down
I thought I could fly
So why did I drown
I'll never know why
Its coming down, down, down
Oh why
I'm coming down, down, down
Cant find another way around
She had tried to pick herself up when standing was not an easy task, but she was still coming down, down, just like the rain, and down just like her hot angry and sad tears that fell so many times for that man. She couldn't find another way around it, she was always on the ground where she had started from, the ground.
I don't wanna hear the sound
Of losing what I never found
She knew Imam was behind her making his way out onto the balcony,
"Beautiful night out tonight isn't it?" Iman asked,
"Yeah, a nice clear sky, makes navigating by the star system a whole lot easier," Keira explained softly,
"So why are you still here Keira, why not go look for him?" Imam asked,
"Did once, not long after the crash, I went to the planet he crashed on, searched for him on that planet but never found any sign of him there," Keira mumbled.
"The man you tear yourself apart over, he isn't…" Imam being interrupted,
"No, Imam I don't want to hear the sound of losing what I never found to begin with, I know he is out there somewhere, he is still protecting, still running because he is so afraid that I will be captured and I will be used for information of his whereabouts or be used as bait to lure him out, he isn't dead," Keira walking away.
"He was here just last night Keira," Imam explained, Keira gasped, slowly she turned her head, but didn't look at him,
"How do you know?" Keira's voice trembled.
I shot for the sky
I'm stuck on the ground
Why do I try
I know I'm gonna fall down
I thought I could fly
So why did I drown
I'll never know why
Its coming down, down, down
Keira didn't know if she wanted to shoot for the sky of information Imam had about the man who had saved her and him a long time ago, she couldn't be given false hope of him actually being there in the same house she was in right now, just so she could be stuck on the ground again where her tears and the pouring rain had been soaked on so many times. Why did she even think of trying to get this information when she knew she was going to fall down?
"He must have came through the balcony because he had told me to protect you and not have you replaced with another family and he used your name, Jack, he called me holy man," Imam explained. It had sounded a lot like Riddick,
"What did he look like," Keira turning her back to Imam, she felt him come closer to try to comfort her.
"His eyes weren't shine, he had long dark hair in a pony tail, and facial hair, a huge man, with raw and brute strength, but the same bellowing deadly voice, it was him Keira," Imam so adamantly set on that this man had been the one she had longed for over the years. Keira let out a breath, a breath she didn't know she had held, she fell to her knees to the floor, she held herself as she cried so hard. He had been the man known as Blake, and he had been there the entire time by her side through her pain, though he had no idea she was in pain over him. Imam held her tight trying to shush her, she wasn't crying out of fear of never seeing him again or the thoughts that plagued her that she never wanted to believe, she cried because he had came, cried because he had gotten the ship that she had made for him anyways, and cried because he had left without her.
I shot for the sky,
I'm stuck on the ground
