Chapter 7: Self Loathing is Not Allowed

He still couldn't believe this shit. There was no way in hell he deserved someone so perfect as his Jack. His Jack. She said she would never leave and he knew she meant it. He'd do anything to make her happy…and amazingly there was a part of him that wanted all that shit too. The kids, the house, some dog running around your ankles…and Jack. A home. His home. But how could they…he was lucky they had survived this long without having to run. Was it possible?

"Baby…I do want that…with you…I don't know how great of a father I'd be…but…I'm willing to try."

She almost fainted…Richard B. fucking Riddick, the most wanted man in the known universe had not only bared his soul, spilled his guts and confessed his love for her, but now he was saying he wanted a family and wanted to be a father. God he was beautiful, inside and out.

"Baby, you'll be the best father in history."

"I dunno about that," he chuckled.

"I do."

"There's no way in hell I deserve you."

She hit him! She fucking hit him.

"Ow! What the fuck was that for?!"

"Don't you ever fucking say that shit again!"

"What?!"

"That you don't deserve this shit, you deserve every fucking bit of it…if not more!"

"Calm down baby, I didn't mean to piss you off…what's wrong?"

"Damnit Riddick…" now it was she who hung her head. "I just…I hate it when you put yourself down like that. Especially after everything you just told me. You're beautiful. You're the best man I've ever met. I don't know why you blame yourself for all this shit…I don't. And you know damn well everything you did had a reason, you did it to survive, to protect people. It's not like you're my father. What he did was wrong. What you did doesn't even begin to compare…and it hurts. When you put yourself down like that…I hate it."

Wow. Part of him wanted to crush her in a hug, part of him wanted to hit himself for hurting her, and part of him still argued he didn't deserve her.

"I'm sorry…I didn't know…I didn't realize it affected you like that."

"I know…I didn't mean to bite your head off." She said with a smirk. "I just wish you wouldn't blame yourself…I wish you could see the man I see…not the man the government and mercs portray. I mean, it'd be like me blaming myself for what my father did…"

"Jack, that's not your fault."

"Exactly. They way you feel about that is the way I feel about you blaming yourself."

He grunted. "Yeah, I guess that makes sense."

She just nestled back into his arms. "I love you Riddick, don't you ever fucking forget that."

"No problem babe." He smiled.

He almost got up the nerve to start exploring her body with his hands when she jumped out of bed.