A/N: I apologize for the long hiatus, but want to thank all my readers and those who leave me reviews. I appreciate you taking time to read my story. Hopefully, the matters that kep me distracted for so long will no longer interfer with me posting the remainder of this story. Again I'm sorry for the long wait, enough words. Hope you enjoy. Leave a review if you want, too.

Chapter 14

This is the most beautiful place I have ever seen; I never thought a place like this existed. As I looked over the topography as we flew over the water and islands, I saw clear seas, colorful reefs, exotic plants with beautiful flowers of various hues ranging from golden yellows to deep purples. There were no towering cities, and harsh grey wastelands like the places I've usually travelled to. This was a tropical planet unblemished by the technological advances that were part of everyday life in this time.

We landed at one of the few hangars on the island. Once we landed, I had noticed more modern advances that showed they were more connected to the outside systems than I thought. However, overall they were free of the other problems that most planets endured, such as pollution, chemical waste harming the fauna and flora, and other man-made catastrophes. The people were also the most beautiful I've ever seen. They had tanned skin from the sun and dark brown hair; most of them had on very few pieces of clothing leaving a large percent of their bodies uncovered. The clothes they were wearing were brightly colored and were either made from animal skin or what appeared to be a blend of the plants manufactured in the same way that cotton was on Old Earth.

What I admired the most was the jewelry. As we wandered through the tropical town looking for a place to stay, I saw a jewelry store that I had to go in. Arianna was excited too, but Riddick surprised me. I thought he would be frustrated by our diversion, but he simply stood by the entrance leaning on a column with his arms crossed over his chest, watching us and our surrounding.

The jewelry was made of shells and pearls mostly, but there were also pieces with crystals that must have come from somewhere on this planet. Later Arianna and I each walked out with one piece of jewelry. She had purchased a pair of pearl earrings, and I picked out a pink conch shell bracelet.

Afterward, we continued looking for lodgings. The housing was all simple and similar, but the problem was tracking down the contractor who built and leased them. We met a man in a shop that lead us in the right direction, but catching up with the man, Felix, was proving to be a difficult task. We ended up having to stay in a hotel, which was actually a one room shack with a large bed, living room furniture, kitchenette, and bathroom. For now it would suffice, but I wanted to get a better place soon.

Later, Riddick went out to do whatever he felt he needed to do; meanwhile, Arianna was cooking dinner with the fresh food she had bought while we were in town together. I sat in the living room looking over my arsenal. I needed more ammunition, needed to fix a few of my guns, and needed to sharpen my blades which were looking very dull and worn. I started with the knives; I took out my sharpening stone and carefully moved it along the weapon's edge. I was almost finished polishing the knives when Arianna informed me that she was finished cooking.

I went to the dining table and began eating the food she had served me. I was happy to have a cooked meal for the first time in a long time, it seemed. Arianna was an excellent cook when she wasn't hunting, and she enjoyed the activity as much as I enjoyed eating the fruits of her labor. We were cleaning up when Riddick returned. Arianna informed him that she had saved him some and it was still on the stove.

While he ate, the two of us finished cleaning up and then headed outside to sit in the two chairs on the porch. We sat there and looked out at the beautiful, starry sky that spread across the now dark waters. I felt at ease for the first time in a long time. Then I had to ask, "Ari, how did you find this place? It's perfect."

She nodded in agreement then answered, "I was sent here once. Remember the time I left and hadn't come back for months after I was anticipated to return?" I nodded in remembrance. "I was sent here for this twenty-three year old. It didn't take long to find him, but I was so mesmerized by this planet that I didn't want to leave. I didn't stay in the lodgings, though. I camped out on the beach most of the time, the other time I was in the ship."

I couldn't blame her for not wanting to leave this place. Even now I hoped that I could stay here in peace with no problems. I'll be heartbroken if we leave here. I can stay here with my baby, with Riddick. I turned and looked at him through the window; a smile crept onto my face. That would be nice. I touched my stomach after I turned back around. I could see Arianna looking at me. "You know, Jaz, we should find a doctor or something to check you and the baby out." I looked at her and nodded. That would be smart, and best for the baby. I tried to figure out again how far along I was. It was a shame that I didn't know; then again I hadn't expected this, so I wasn't paying much attention to my body with everything else going on.

I sat there a moment longer in silence thinking. I remembered when I had first taken the test; it was about four months ago now. I smiled again at that thought while I lifted my shirt and looked at my swollen stomach. I glided my hand over where I thought the baby was. It was still hard for me to believe that there was another human being growing inside me.

The next morning, Arianna and I went about town looking for a doctor. Riddick had decided to hunt down Felix to find us proper lodgings for our stay on Paradis. We didn't know how successful Riddick was with his search, but ours wasn't going too smoothly. There were many doctors in this town, but none were suitable to assist me with my pregnancy; at least that was my feeling. They practiced homeopathy for the most part and only a small percentage used modern medicine and robotic surgery. I trusted that group the most, herbs and home remedies may have lasted through the centuries, but I preferred the modern methods. However, with my baby I was being extra careful and didn't want just anyone to handle my child's and my health.

We stopped and took a break for awhile before continuing our search. We visited a small restaurant on the shore just outside of town on way back to our hotel. While we were eating, a teenage girl came up to me and placed her hand on my stomach. I gave her a surprised look which she answered with a warm smile. "You're five months along," she stated; a disconcerted frown formed on my face and a curious look was on Arianna's.

"How do you know that?" Arianna questioned, truly curious and a little worried.

"My mother taught me everything about pregnancy and child birth," she answered while she gently rubbed my stomach. "She has taught me other medicinal practices, too." She removed her hand and stepped back before continuing. "You're new to Paradis. Do you have an obstetrician?"

"No," I answered her.

"Then you should come with me." The young girl grabbed my hand and pulled me to my feet. Meanwhile Arianna took out some cash and put it on the table before following us out of the door.

"My name is Aniya, by the way." She introduced herself, then we followed suit telling her our names. "Nice to meet you two," Aniya said with a bubbly smile before turning around to lead us towards the outskirts of town. After a fifteen minute walk through the flora, we reached a medium sized, well kept house sitting in a clearing. Aniya began to call out in her native tongue after we all entered the front door.

A woman began to descend down the stairs. She and Aniya spoke while we were waiting near the door. I was skeptical about this for two reasons. One, we were too far from town and other human beings for my comfort; and two, I still didn't want a homeopathic doctor treating me. After a few minutes of talking, her mother motioned for us to follow her. Arianna locked arms with me and pulled me towards the room where Aniya and her mother disappeared into. With my free hand I felt to make sure my knife was still on my side in its sheath. My hand didn't stray too far from it.

Inside the next room, Aniya's mother was washing her hands and Aniya was getting something out of a cabinet. Arianna took a seat next to the bed placed on the wall farthest from the door; she motioned for me to sit on the bed. I slowly walked over and sat with my feet swinging off of the high bed. Aniya came over with a small electronic device in one hand and a bottle of odorless lubricant in the other. She stood next to me and began to speak. "My mother only speaks Paradician; I have to translate for her."

I nodded before asking, "What's that?"

"A doppler- lay down, please," she interjected and I listened. Once I was on my back, she continued talking. "You're far enough along on your pregnancy to hear the heart beat of the baby." I was fascinated by her news and excited that I would be hearing my baby's heartbeat. "My mother won't do an ultrasound on you, but she will run a few tests to make sure you and the baby are healthy." I nodded to let her know that I understood. Meanwhile, her mother came over and began.

She lifted my shirt up to expose my stomach, then she took the tube of lubricant from Aniya and squeezed some onto my stomach. The older woman took the device, turned on the doppler, and then moved it over my lower stomach. She stopped when she found the heart. I was ecstatic when I heard the rapid beating of my baby's heartbeat. My mind zoned out while Aniya and her mother worked. Arianna was looking over, intrigued by the process and constantly asking questions. I paid attention now and again, but was too happy about hearing the beating heart of my unborn child.

By the end of the examination, I was informed about several facts that I had not known and was told what to do from here on out. I told myself that I would do everything that she was saying, and Arianna promised to make sure that I did. I felt a weight lifted when Aniya translated for her mother that my baby was healthy and growing normally. As I was sitting back up, Aniya asked if I wanted to know what I was having. Arianna wanted me to find out, but I wanted it to be a surprise; I didn't mind it being a boy or a girl. Then I thought back to a conversation Riddick and I had; to sum it up, he said he'd prefer to have a daughter to a son if he ever did have a kid. He thought a daughter wouldn't share the curse he had the same way a son would; I had no idea what he meant when he said that, though.

It was night time when we got back to our room. Riddick was there sitting on the couch cleaning weapons. He asked about our search and I was happy to inform him about our success. I was giddy and overwhelmed with joy, but he didn't seem too fazed. He simply said, "Good," then went back to what he was doing. My mood came down a little bit after seeing his reaction. Then I reached over, took his hand, and placed it over my stomach. I knew he felt what I wanted him to when he looked up at me.

"It's called a quickening," I told him. I had been feeling this for a few days now, and Aniya told me what it was. "That's the baby moving its muscles because they're just starting to develop." I smiled at him when he looked up from staring at my stomach.

"You should get to bed," he suddenly said before standing up. I quizzically stared at him, wanting to ask him where he was going. Riddick was gone before I got the words out. I sighed to myself before leaning back against the couch. Arianna came from out of the bathroom and asked where Riddick had gone. I shrugged my shoulders and sighed again. That man is still a mystery to me.

A couple hours passed and Riddick still hadn't returned; Arianna and I were up talking about various topics, most of which concerned the baby. Once we ran out of things to talk about and started to feel tired, we lay in the bed under the covers. I thought she was asleep, but didn't know for sure. I, however, didn't want to sleep until I saw Riddick again. A few hours passed before I fell asleep; he had not yet returned.

The next morning I woke up expecting to see him asleep on the sofa, but he wasn't there. I looked around the room and all of his stuff was still there, excluding the effects I knew he always kept on him if he could help it. I was worried about his absence and decided to wait a little while longer before going to look for him.

Arianna tried several times to assure me that everything was all right and he would be back in no time. That had yet to happen, so I went out on my own to look for him. The first place I checked was the hangar where we left our ship. It was still there so I assumed he was still on the planet. But where did he go and why?