A/N: Here we are again folks, thanks for keeping up with the story, ya'll rock, some of you are even linking to the story from your live journal pages and I can't tell you how freakin' cool it was to see. (I think my boyfriend is deaf 'cause he was sitting right next to me when I saw lol.)

Sabrina1204- you are fabulousness defined your reviews always send me right back to Microsoft word even when I swear I'm done writing for the night.

SexySadie88- thanks for the love, glad you're enjoying it 'cause I'm having a blast writing it, thanks for the review, each one drives me to keep on writing.

I've realized at this point we still have a long way to go in the story and I'm warning you now we're getting to the point where the lovey dovey romance stuff will be taking a back seat. There's going to be some character deaths in the upcoming chapters though I'm not giving any hints as to who and some more faces from the Riddick 'verse will definitely be popping in soon, maybe to stay or mayhap just a cameo haven't really decided.

Without further ado, and again I own nothing…here's chap 8 enjoy!

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Mal nursed his hangover with a cup of Zoe's cure all coffee, and her head was no better than his at the moment and they sat in silence each wallowing in their own particular form of self indulgent misery. They both flinched as Kaylee bounded into the mess her usual bright and chipper self.

"Mornin' Cap', mornin' Zoe!" She chirped.

"Little Kaylee it shouldn't be possible for one person to be so gorram happy all the time." Mal grumbled.

"Just one of my many talents I suppose Cap." She smiled plopping down next to Zoe and taking a bite into one of the apples from her secret stash.

Zoe winced at the sound of Kaylee biting into her apple, "What the hell do they put in the ruttin' whiskey on this world." She moaned. "And how is it you're a bouncing bundle of joy and me and the Mal are dying this morning?"

"Simon gave me some pills when I got up, something to metabolize or somethin' like that." She shrugged, "Worked like magic."

"Why do you get one and not me? I'm the captain 'round here, 'iffin anyone should be getting' magic pills it should be me." Mal whined.

"Sir, she is sleepin' with the Doc and all." Zoe smirked, regretting it immediately as smiling seemed to hurt this morning.

"Zoe, gorram it!" Mal snapped and they both flinched, while Kaylee giggled, "Ain't needed to hear 'bout it. Don't ever need to hear both any of it." He added more quietly.

Simon appeared in the doorway looking just as chipper as Kaylee had and Mal gave him his best captainy stare down, "Better have one of 'em magic pills for me too Doc."

Simon kissed the top of Kaylee's head and then handed both Mal and Zoe three pills each from his pocket.

"What are they Doc?" Zoe eyed the three pills critically; she could sympathize with River's distaste of medication.

"One is for rehydration, the other two are vitamin boosters, take them and in a half hour you should be feeling better than ever, worked liked a charm all through med school." He answered pouring himself a cup of coffee.

Jayne came stumbling in a moment later gripping his head with both hands and looking more than slightly ruffled.

"Mornin Jayne!" Kaylee piped.

"Gorram it girl! No reason to be yellin', what in the gorram ruttin hell do they put in the whiskey here?" He ranted.

"Figure it out you let me know." Zoe answered tossing back the pills.

Simon handed Jayne a set of his own. "Try these."

"What are they?" Jayne asked giving Simon the same look Zoe had given him.

"Oh hell, just take them." Simon groused.

Jayne shrugged and tossed them back, washing them down with a gulp of black coffee. Then, looking around carefully before he spoke added, "Where's little crazy and big crazy?"

"Probably still sleepin' it off, when Zoe and me left they were still dancin'." Mal smirked and took another drag of his coffee, "Never figured Riddick for a dancing man, but Mr. Beastman seems to be quite the twinkle toes." Mal chuckled, regretting it as another nail was driven through his head.

"Well somebody ought to wake 'em we got a job to get. Don't quite trust Bradshaw, it'd be useful to have River come along when we make the deal." Zoe said.

"Ain't that the truth, man's got somethin funny 'bout him." Mal said taking another deep gulp of his coffee.

"Well, I'll go wake River," Simon stood back up from the table, "and then I'll let her get Riddick up something tells me he might not be the most pleasant person with a hangover."

Jayne snorted, "Ow." He grumbled as the action caused a blinding flash of pain across his eyes. "Gorram ruttin' backwater whiskey." He muttered, "How long these things take Doc?"

Simon chuckled, "Give it another twenty minutes Jayne."

Kaylee jumped up, a thought occurring to her, "Don't worry Simon, I'll get River up, she won't throw anything at me."

"Finish your apple bao bei, I'll get her."

"I don't mind really, it'll give us girls a chance to chat anyway." She smiled but it was nervous and her eyes darted from him to the hallway.

"Kaylee," Simon paused pinching the bridge of his nose, "is there any particular reason I shouldn't be checking on River?" he frowned.

"Don't be silly," Kaylee forced a giggle swatting at his arm, "just want some girl chat in, that's all." She started to head out of the mess.

"Kaylee," Simon called following her, an idea forming in his head that made him want to be sick.

Kaylee turned trying to block the way to the passenger dorms, "Now Simon, River's a grown girl, she's twenty one."

Mal cocked an eyebrow at Zoe, "What I'm thinking is goin' on ain't really happenin' is it?" He groaned but had a feeling he already knew the answer.

Zoe smirked in an attempt to hold back her laughter because she knew it probably hurt, "Believe so sir."

"What?" Jayne asked looking up from his coffee his eyes still bleary and bloodshot.

"Kaylee, move out of the way," Simon asked her through gritted teeth.

"What's goin' on?" Jayne asked still confused.

"Simon, she's not a little girl anymore, you ain't got no right to butt into her life like this." Kaylee snapped.

Mal, Jayne and Zoe all flinched at Kaylee's tone, but the moment of pain brought a sudden clarity of mind to Jayne. "You mean that Kaylee's stoppin' Simon from goin' into little crazy's bunk 'cause big crazy and her been sexin'?" He scrunched up his face.

Zoe snorted in her coffee.

"Ain't need to hear none of it." Mal complained holding his hands over his ears.

"Kaylee," Simon warned.

"Ain't right Simon," She shook her head sighing in defeat, and then let him pass, not seeing any way out of the situation and hoping more than anything she was wrong for River's sake about where they'd find Riddick this mornin'.

Simon stormed down the hallway scowling.

River's eyes flew open and she furiously shook Riddick's arm. "You must wake the Ge-ge is coming and he is spewing crimson." She pleaded into Riddick's chest.

"Goin' find out sooner or later." He muttered into her hair.

River tried to extricate herself from his arms, an effort which she realized quickly was useless.

"Go back to sleep bao bei," He pulled her tighter against him.

River was going to try and protest again when the door to her room hissed open, revealing as she predicted one very crimson Ge-ge.

"Qing wa kao de liu mang (frog humping son of a bitch)!" Simon yelled, "Just what in the gorram ruttin' hell do you think you're doing?!" He demanded.

"Watch yourself Doc, remember who the fuck you're talking to." Riddick growled but didn't bother to roll over and face him.

"Get the hell out of my sister's bed!" Simon yelled, a part of him wanting to tear the brute out of it himself, but self preservation forced him to stay looming in the doorway, a safe distance from the shiv wielding assassin.

Riddick finally did roll over, but only to his back and stretching out his arms he crossed them beneath his head, "Don't really wanna watch me get outta bed right now Doc," He chuckled darkly.

Simon sputtered and River who had during the exchange been pretending to be a part of the wall thanked Buddha silently as Kaylee appeared behind him. "Simon, if you don't leave your sister and Riddick alone right now you can move your pig gu (ass) right back into your old bunk! Ain't got no right, none at all." She snapped tugging at his arm as he stared at her incredulously.

"You can't possibly agree with this?"

"Ain't my business and ain't yours, it's theirs and so long as he doesn't make her cry it stays that way." Kaylee paused from scolding Simon to glare at Riddick, "But, she so much as shed's a tear over you, I'll shove ya out the airlock myself, don't care how big and scary ya are."

Riddick barked out a laugh and gave the mechanic a small salute, "Ain't got nothin' worry 'bout little sunshine, learned my lesson after the shivs."

"See Simon, it's all shiny, now out!"

Simon looked from Riddick and his sister to Kaylee and then back to the occupied bed once more, "So this is it, this is what insanity feels like." He said in a disbelieving tone but allowed Kaylee to shove him out the door.

"Cap wants you both ready to go in an hour, and by the way River you looked shinier than shiny out there dancin'." She beamed at the girl.

"The girl owes the sunshine an entire crate of strawberries." River spoke up for the first time, peeking out shyly from behind one of Riddick's massive arms.

"Ain't nothin' girl, that's what Jie-jies are for." Kaylee closed the door behind her as she left.

"Knew I liked that Kaylee girl," Riddick chuckled searching for River's lips.

River obliged his search and after a moment, "We are a pack now, you will come to like them all."

Riddick smirked at her, "Don't hold your breath baby girl, their your pack not mine, only person I count as mine is you, the rest of them, well I'm kinda startin' to see them as entertainment of sorts, 'sides the fact each one of 'em thinks your theirs, that's just fucking annoying."

"The ju long (giant dragon) will see." River said quietly in that particular irritating cryptic way of hers, "The beast is not solitary by nature."

"Ain't solitary bao bei (treasured one), got you." He pushed a few strands of hair away from her face as she yawned against his chest.

"Resistance is pointless, the girl has seen."

"Or the girl could be making it up." He teased.

River glared at him.

"Or not," Riddick corrected himself, "Just don't see it happening babe, I'm not a good man, don't really want to be either."

River let out a sigh unwilling to argue her point further with a stone wall, instead she tried another tactic, "The girl is tired of talking." She said as she began to trail tiny kisses down his chest.

"About gorram time," Riddick smirked wrapping her up in his arms.

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Mal's eye twitched as he watched Riddick come down the stairs. On the one hand, he had a powerful itch to shoot the man and on the other, man could be mighty useful, he was scary as hell and he was skilled which could mean Mal would get shot at a lot less and that was something he could find himself being quite agreeable to. Then there was Albatross, Riddick had been on board less than a full week and already River seemed better. The dark circles under her eyes were gone, she was more coherent, in fact he couldn't think of a single moment since Riddick had boarded that the little 'Tross hadn't been happier than a kid at Christmas, and his little girl deserved all the happiness the 'verse could bring. Sure she was still talking in riddles, but they were the understandable kind if you listened, and that was a point in the man's favor for Mal not shootin' him.

There was the fact as well though, that Riddick had once been a working member of the Alliance which rubbed him sorely, but he clearly had no love left for them and had tried to break River out, so it broke about even there in Mal's mind. Riddick was a government trained slightly psychotic assassin, River was also a government trained slightly psychotic assassin begrudgingly Mal gave the man another point in his favor.

"Got somethin' on your mind Mal?" Riddick asked dropping a black duffel on the ground.

"Mayhap, just tryin' to figure you out is all."

"Ain't that hard Mal," he answered seriously, "I am what I am, don't profess to nothin' else, ain't a good man, if fact," Riddick smirked, "I'm a very bad man, but I like it that way. I take care of me and mine, the rest of the 'verse can go fuck themselves, just tryin' to live and do it free."

Mal watched Riddick crouch down and start digging through the duffel mulling over what the man had just told him and the way he saw it they weren't much different, besides the psychotic assassin part. He jumped at River's sudden appearance, distracted by his own thoughts, he hadn't even heard her approach which then again wasn't uncommon, "What I tell you 'bout making noise when you walk around the ship 'Tross?"

River giggled, "The girl is sorry."

"Don't look a mite sorry at all." Mal smiled as Riddick tossed River an extra two clips for her handguns.

"'Cause she ain't." Riddick smirked again, pulling a pair of goggles over her head and then checking her holsters. Mal gave him another point.

The rest of the crew had meandered their way down into the hold, each going through their pre-job routines. Kaylee was making a round over the mule, checking its fuel levels, tightening a bolt, twisting together a wire here and there and occasionally muttering a curse as it sparked or she shocked herself. Simon was giving Kaylee a hand having learned a thing or two since he started spending all his free time in the engine room with her, while Zoe and Jayne were arguing over the needed weapons, before finally agreeing to Vera and only the number of hand grenades Jayne could fit into his cargo pockets, Zoe warned him that it was only a meet and not to shoot Bradshaw 'til at least after they got the goods to deliver. A distant part of his mind registered the absence of Wash warning Zoe not to get shot at and to not let Mal get shot either, and Book's disapproving acceptance, but he kept it distance. A man life's was a blink in the 'verse, one day you're here and one day you're not, best to appreciate what you had and he had a damn fine crew and one hell of a dysfunctional family and that was good enough for him.

"Captain Daddy is feeling yellow." River observed.

Mal understood that one, "That he is 'Tross."

River skipped over to his side and standing on her tip toes she pecked him on his cheek, behind her Riddick growled and she craned her neck around, "Hush now, the girl is thanking her Captain Daddy for his approval." She turned back to Mal, "The girl is grateful he understands and that he wishes above all things her happiness. The girl has no plans to ever leave her home and her Captain Daddy should not worry as the Ge-ge does, it is unfounded. Besides," her smile brightened, "the girl has presents." River grabbed Mal's hand and dragged him over to the duffel bag. "Attention Serenity!" She sang out through the hold, "The girl has presents to keep her pack safe!"

A few glances were exchanged but the crew gathered around. "The Ge-ge and the sunshine already have their presents, but there are the same for the others." River said happily as Riddick handed Mal, Zoe, and Jayne their chest plates.

"Black market," Riddick answered their unspoken questions, "Alliance special forces don't even have 'em yet, treated with some new kind of chemical, weighs less than cotton."

"Hey shiny," Jayne admired the material, pulling off his shirt to slip the vest on.

"These must have cost a fortunate Riddick." Zoe said gratefully and Mal awarded him another point.

He shrugged in response, "Didn't cost a thing, when River-girl came and got my ass she accidently did a favor for a man on this rock."

"His name was George, he owed the weapon shop we went to, seemed real grateful to River, kept sayin' he'd never be able to do enough to thank her." Kaylee's explanation cleared away most of the questions Riddick's vague answer had left behind.

"There's more." River beamed as Riddick pulled out the two pump action shotguns. "For the Captain Daddy and his first mate," she announced.

Mal let out an appreciative whistle, while Zoe loaded hers.

Jayne was practically bouncing out of his skin with excitement as River turned to him, "And for the-man-named-Jayne," she said pausing, "even though he still calls the girl crazy when the beast is not listening." She teased and Jayne had the grace to look mildly reproached and more than mildly uncomfortable as Riddick glared at him through his goggles when he handed over the new scope for Vera.

"Albatross this was mighty nice of you." Mal ruffled her hair.

"The girl wanted to ensure her pack had optimal means of defense and offense, though the Ge-ge and the sunshine might hurt themselves with weapons so she did not give them offense."

Kaylee blushed and Simon shrugged.

River quickly added, "but that is how it should be, the Ge-ge is a healer not a hurter and the sunshine must watch over Serenity's heartbeat, without her Serenity would cease to exist, the sunshine must not be allowed into danger she is the most valuable."

"Mei-mei!" Kaylee scooped her up into a bone crushing hug.

"If I was a softer man I just might be hurt." Mal frowned, "Alright enough of this feely touchy family stuff we got a coin to make folks, let's get to it."

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Zoe pulled the mule into the storage yards Bradshaw had directed them to. If there had ever been a question as to how the man had afforded such an expense as the gaudy piece gou shi (shit) he had showed up in at the meet the day before, their answer was found in the nearly shabby looking yard. Bradshaw was the type of man that cut corners to line his pockets, something that was not missed by a single passenger on the mule. It created an identical sensation of distaste on their tongues as well.

Zoe parked next to the least shabby looking building in the yard, "Sir?"

"Let's just get the job Zoe."

"Yes, sir,"

"'Tross?"

"The man is green and cares nothing for the colors of others, he has secrets, his mind is a twisty place."

Mal looked to Riddick for interpretation, "Says the man is a greedy hun dan (bastard), don't give a fuck on the misery he 'causes so long as he gets his, he's shafty and a liar."

"Sir?" Zoe questioned again.

"Alright look, this far out ain't that many jobs to be had we take this then in three days we get to New Mecca finish the job and I'll wave Roderick on New Dakota and see 'iffin he's got a legit shipping run for us, won't deal with this hun dan anymore."

"Reynolds!" A voice barked out.

"Bradshaw." Mal had to try very hard to keep the sneer out of his voice.

"You're late."

"Well, you said the mornin, and the sun's still in the first half so I don't reckon we're late at all, but if you'd prefer the service of another transport crew, well you can go on looking." Mal defended, a part of him almost hoping the man would.

"Ain't like that," Bradshaw groused, "Lee!" He barked, and the same boy who had been with Marcus the night before came out of the building pulling three large crates on a hover cart. "Didn't mean no offense Captain Reynolds, just got me in a hellva pinch this mornin; that boy Marcus you saw yesterday got himself walloped good by a three big hun dan off worlders, shattered his jaw to pieces and snapped his wrist, boy's my nephew and his momma is riled something fierce, been hollerin' at me all mornin'."

Riddick suppressed the urge to laugh, River did not, "Three of 'em huh," said Riddick, "So much for a fair fight."

"S'not so bad as his momma is makin' it out to be, boy says he got a few good ones in during the fight." The boy Lee did not make eye contact with River or Riddick, instead after loading the crate he took to studying his boots quite thoroughly. "Anyhow job pays fifteen thousand creds, half now," He jerked his head and Lee tossed a bag of cred chips out Mal, not wanting to get too close. "And half when the jobs done, look for a man named Garrett, got a warehouse by the main docks, he's got the other half."

"Fifteens a might steep for moving a load of produce," Zoe remarked not so absently as she pretended to.

Mal shot a look at River who shook her head almost imperceptively to Mal's unspoken question.

"Ain't payin' you to ask questions," Bradshaw snapped, "Just get the crate to Garrett."

"This brings any trouble down on me and mine, we'll be back to have words Bradshaw, dong ma (understand)? And just as a warning Big Crazy over there," Mal used Jayne's nickname for Riddick and jerked his head towards him, "He ain't so good with words, he prefers a more physical type of discussion if you get my meaning."

"Threats, Captain?" Bradshaw asked.

"Ain't a threat when a man means to follow though, that makes it a promise." Riddick answered for Mal, his voice low and gravelly and full of just that, promise.

"Just get the job done."

"Pleasure doing business with you Bradshaw," Mal snorted climbing back up into the mule, after Zoe had pulled away from the yard he turned back and faced River, "What's really in the crates 'Tross?"

River glanced back at the trailer holding the crates, "Whiskey, consumption of alcohol is illegal on New Mecca."

"Ain't so bad." Mal shrugged, "Been a bootlegger 'fore."

"You know what the penalty on New Mecca is for smuggling it Mal?" Riddick asked.

"Ain't been to New Mecca ever, kinda agree with Jayne there, Crislam is just all sorts of wrong."

"Don't make a lick of sense." Jayne chimed in shaking his head, Book being a shepherd and all he could deal with, his god at least made some kind of sense, but the Crislams, well not many could find any sense in what they was goin' on about half the time, and Jayne didn't particularly see the sense of forcing women to stay covered up all the time. Hell if there was a religion that women could walk around naked with, Jayne was sure he'd be the first to sign up.

"Twenty five years in New Mecca prison Mal." Riddick answered.

"Ta de ma. (fuck)" Both Zoe and Mal swore in unison.

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"Jayne, Riddick, get those crates stowed away, 'Tross I wanna be in the air as soon as the mule is hitched, dong ma (understand)? Let's get the ruttin' hell off this rock." Mal ordered as Zoe guided the mule into the hold.

"Everything shiny Cap?" Kaylee asked.

"Shiny as it's gonna get little Kaylee, we ready to fly?"

"Yup."

"Good. 'Tross we got fuel for full burn?"

"Affirmative, Zoe had the ship refueled yesterday morning."

"Let's use it, wanna get paid right quick, how much time it save us?"

"The girl will have to run some calculations," River paused for a moment, looking up at nothing in particular as she ran the numbers through her head. "Serenity can break atmo in nineteen hours, twenty-five minutes, sixteen seconds, if the girl goes full burn and cuts through the major shipping lanes."

"Is it safe?" Mal raised an eyebrow.

"Odds of Alliance presence are less than three point five percent."

"Do it then."

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Riddick joined River in the cockpit after the crates were secured and Serenity was in the black. He watched in silent admiration as her fingers flew deftly over the controls, there was not a single moment of hesitation or uncertainty. River flew as if she was a part of Serenity and Riddick suspected on some level she was.

"Wash was better." She spoke without looking up, though she did pause momentarily to caress the tiny plastic head of a T-rex. "The dinosaurs no longer speak to the girl, they only echo."

Riddick wasn't quite sure how to respond so he grunted and moved behind her running his fingers through her hair.

"The beast is distracting his ballerina, if he wishes to remain he will sit himself down and behave."

Riddick chuckled but obediently took the co pilots chair and kicked his feet up on the console, waiting for her to finish inputting the new course.

"Why does the beast not wish the girl to know the-girl-named Jack and the Holy Man?"

Riddick let out a breath, "Got enough people makin' me share you, and I ain't particularly good at it as it is. Jack will want to come along, girl is a mite clingy."

"The beast does not like that they think he is a hero, they think he is better than he thinks he is."

Riddick growled, wasn't any point tryin' to hide anything for a Reader he had to admit.

"Not the girl's fault."

"Ain't sayin it is, know you can't help hearin' me most times, just like I can't help hearin' you. It's a lie River, how they see me. I wasn't going to go back."

"The beast would have, he just doesn't believe it, would not have left them behind."

"Carolyn, the pilot, one that tried to dump us from the get go, she died for me River girl, and Jack, Jack's no bigger than you were when they took you, some kind of bad happened to the kid to, don't go running around the 'verse alone and dressed as a boy if something didn't. Only went back 'cause I kept seein' your face over hers, thinkin' it was you I was leaving to die, just like back on Ariel."

"That is what the beast tells the man, but the girl knows better."

Riddick shook his head wondering for the first time if River was right about him not being all that bad, after all she was a Reader and probably knew his mind better than he did. What had Carolyn told him, time to rejoin the human race? Riddick smirked to himself, problem was he wasn't really all that human, wasn't no cause to rejoin the human race, and his was dead, or might as well be for the number of survivors that had made it off Furya.

"The girl is correct, she always is, one day the beast will realize this." Setting the auto pilot River stood up and curled herself onto Riddick's lap nuzzling her face against his chest, listening to the dragon purr in response.

"I'll take ya to see Jack, but we ain't takin' her on, she's stayin put on New Mecca with the Holy Man, girl's got a chance to be normal."

"She saved the beast from the woman who wished to make him art, the beast owes a debt, it is the way he wishes to repay it, gave the Holy Man money to help the girl-named-Jack, told him to take care of her, make her proper and legit. The ballerina will respect the choice of her beast, she agrees it is for the best."

Riddick wrapped his arms around their girl, burying his nose into her hair and inhaling deeply. In the last five years Riddick had had little time for self reflection, there had been one goal, find River, and fuck everything else. Now that she was with them, safe in their arms, wholly and completely theirs, all manner of thoughts had time to wriggle their way into his brain and dig beneath his skin, he wasn't sure it was such a good thing.

"It is." River said quietly and he snorted, "The beast is a protector and not a destroyer soon enough he will see."

Riddick didn't answer; he would protector their girl that was for damn sure, but anything else, everyone else? He doubted it. He tightened his grip and let his lips graze her hair, forcing all manner of uncomfortable thoughts from his head and filling it instead with the scent of their girl. He could get used to this.

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Endnote: Next chap New Mecca, might take a few days I have company coming, but I promise it will be worth the wait. 'Til after now, see you in chap nine.