A/N:
Information is incredibly sketchy and highly debatable on the origin of Shirah. Some say she's a Furyan survivor in hiding somewhere communicating with Riddick telepathically, another theory suggests that she is a blood relative of Riddick's, others say she is the embodiment of Furya, or a powerful elder caught in between the world of the living and the dead (which oddly enough I think is where the Necromongers are trying to get), but Twohy is quite vague on the subject himself and the story switches up a bit between the movies and the video games. So inevitably I had to go with my own version of who I think she is. I struggled a bit with this because I felt at times that I was stretching a bit too far from the Firefly 'verse with the added supernatural element. Then I thought to myself, well, technically what the Alliance had done to River would have given her Kluver-Bucy Syndrome and not made her into an empathic assassin. In fact Kluver-Bucy Syndrome actually causes extreme docility, hyper orality, hyper sexuality, visual agnosia, as well as a diminished emotional response; which is completely contradictory to what actually happened to her. So I went for it.
Now you might be asking yourself what in the gorraam hell is she going on about? I thought this was Our Mrs. Reynolds. It is, but here's the thing, River didn't actually have any speaking lines in this episode, the ones she did have were cut in the final edit and I thought the one scene was just a little weird anyway. So this episode may in fact read a lot like an Interlude. I'm throwing a lot at you this time around.
On a side note I got a record number of reviews on the last update. Daydreamer1982, sxevlbtch, Rachet, idlejim, CGrandChaz, Pyrobabe7713, serenitie1, Shadow Gal ANBU, librarywitch, hotagainstthewall, Elliesmeow, forestreject, Sabrina1204, Adara, Oppenhiemer, fallenstacieb, Just a Fan, angelwingz21; YOU GUYS ROCK. For real-zees.
Oh, and Sabrina1204 as much as you rock you also suck just a little bit. Thanks to your review on A Moment there is a feral plot bunny running rabid inside my head. :P
Thug-4-Less you are the shizz-nit, for real-zees, bees knees. My beta in shining armor.
Shutting up now none of its mine, their toys were just shinier.
"Iffin' we're hurtin' for cash so bad, don't see why we're risking our skins with this job. Folk can't even pay us proper." Jayne grumbled low to Mal in the seat beside him on the old Conestoga wagon.
"Gotta do some good to balance out the bad Jayne." Mal dismissed his merc's complaints.
"I'll admit there's a significant amount of satisfaction in seein' you in a dress." He chuckled.
"Think it's my color?" Mal smirked from beneath the floral bonnet he wore on top his head.
Jayne snorted in amusement as he guided the two horse team through the shallow river crossing. "Awfully quiet." He mused.
"Always is before the storm." Mal replied absently. "Keep your eyes open."
**
"So tell me why it is Mal's wearing the dress and not the one female gun hand we got?" Riddick asked Zoe in the back of the covered wagon.
"Captain knew better than to ask." She smirked as she peeped out the canvas. "Comin' up to the river crossing."
**
"Here we go." Jayne whispered low to Mal as six riders came barreling in from the woods to the east; armed to the teeth and all business as they circled the wagon.
"Pardon me for intruding," the lead man yelled as he slowed his horse. "But I believe ya'll are carryin' something of mine."
"T'ain't yours!" Jayne called back, his accent thick and his head low.
"You talkin' words to me?" The man snapped. " You ben tian sheng de yi dui rou (stupid sack of inbred meat), you're gonna mouth off after what you done? Did you think we wouldn't find out you changed your route? You're gonna give us what we're due and everything else on that damn boat." He snapped. "And then I think maybe you're gonna give me a little one on one time with the Missus." He sneered.
Jayne lifted his head as he smiled. "You might wanna reconsider that last point. I married me a powerful ugly creature."
"How can you say that?" Mal cried with feigned indignation in a high pitched, poor imitation of a feminine tone. "How can you shame me in front of new people?"
"If I could make you prettier I would." Jayne shrugged. He bit hard against the inside of his cheek; it would blow everything iffin' he was to fall over laughing.
"You're not the man I married a year ago." Mal accused.
The gang of bandits looked at each other in confusion during the exchange. Usually there was a whole lot more cowering and pleading for mercy. This little lover's spat was a bit out of their realm of experience.
"Enough of " The lead man had started to draw his gun but, before he could even finish his sentence, Mal and Jayne swung out their own weapons and stood. The bandits were a bit taken a back to say the least. Why in the hell was a man wearing a dress?
"Now think very hard. You been bird doggin' this township long enough and they wouldn't mind a corpse outta you. Now you could luxuriate in a nice jail cell but, if your hand touches metal, I swear by my pretty floral bonnet I will end you." Mal said evenly; his tone hard and his eyes harder. He didn't much hold for folk takin' advantage of those less powerful and, personally, he wouldn't mind makin' one or two corpses himself; he was just looking for the excuse. He wasn't disappointed.
"Take 'em!" One of the bandits yelled as he raised his rifle.
A shot exploded from behind Mal's head. Zoe's rifle smoked in one hand while the other held on to the wagon as she leaned outside of it. When confronted with a standoff situation it usually only took one shot to break the tension into violence. This was no different.
Mal and Jayne immediately fired; dropping the lead man as well as the other who rode beside him. Riddick leapt out from the wagon, tackling one of the mounted men, hurling them both to the ground. The man was dead by the time they hit. Jayne spun after firing his first shot and took out a man aiming for Zoe. Mal knocked him back and saved his life as a bullet embedded itself it in a wagon post. Riddick took out the last rider with his sidearm, as he had a natural aversion to throwing his shivs, when the brigand tried to make a run for it as soon as he was on his feet.
The silence which came after was broken only by the panicked neighing of the horses the bandits rode in on. Riddick chuckled darkly as he wiped the blood from his shiv off on his cargos. "Hell of the way to start the morning, boys." He smirked.
That night the small town of Ridings West celebrated the defeat of the local gang with a shindig for the records. There was no glamour or class to it, no frills or bells or whistles; it was a bonfire, a band, and more food, mulled wine and moonshined whiskey than could be consumed by an entire contingent of Alliance soldiers. Here, if you punched a man, he punched you back, none of that sword nonsense. The world was good and Captain Malcolm Reynolds found himself in a better mood than he'd been in months. Sure the whiskey and wine probably had a lot to do with it, but there was no denying the Captain was born to play the hero and he reveled in it.
"We'll head for Beaumonde in the morning." He told Inara as they circled the gathering, there was no real point to their conversation other than Mal appreciated the golden tone her skin took on in the light of the bonfire and wanted very much to keep appreciating it awhile longer. "Give you a chance to do some work of your own."
"I appreciate it." She thanked him with a smile; despite herself, and the lack of gold trimmings she was used to, she was enjoying herself greatly. "This place is lovely but "
"Not your clientele." Mal smirked as an old man passed out drunk by their feet. "I'm wise; you gotta play at being a lady and all."
"Well yes." Inara laughed. "So explain to me again why you were the one in the dress and not Zoe?"
"Tactics woman." He snorted; leaving out the fact that he doubted very much he would have walked away with all his limbs if he had ordered Zoe to do it. "I needed her in the back. Besides them soft cotton dresses feel kinda nice. There's the whole air flow."
Inara nearly snorted through her laughter. "Spare me the details."
"You can't open the book of my life and jump into the middle. Like woman I am a mystery." He grinned lopsided at her.
"I will concede to that." She smiled back at him.
"Care to dance?" Mal took the chance.
"I've danced with you before; my toes still haven't fully recovered." She teased.
"Hey."
"Go enjoy yourself." She said as she started to walk away, but she turned to walk backwards as she spoke next. "You got hired to play the hero for once. It must be a nice change." She finished and turned back around; walking off into the shadows and towards Serenity.
"That it is." Mal said to know one in particular.
**
Riddick kept himself on the edges of the party; partially concealed by the shadow of a large oak tree as he leaned against its trunk. His goggles were up as his eyes tracked a single particular form as she moved through the circle of dancers. A slight growl escaped him as he watched a boy get feely; it turned into an amused smirk as he watched her "accidentally" stomp on his foot in the middle of the dance. He knew, she knew, he was watching; every so often her eyes would catch his for a half of a breath before she spun off into another part of the dance.
He told himself he was only watching her because of The Contract; every time he had to pull himself back from stomping over to grab her out of the hands of some bu lang bu you (good for nothing) scrawny fei fei pi gu (baboon's arse) farm boy it was because of The Contract. A part of his mind knew it was bullshit but that part was drowning ever so slightly in the copious amount of whiskey he had consumed. That thing which itched at his skin from the inside was restless; tension ran heavy in his veins as he forced himself to remain where he was. If he took one step forward he wouldn't stop until he had broken the hands of every male who had danced with her; instead he took another sip of whiskey.
**
River didn't have to be a reader to feel Riddick's eyes on her. She knew every time he shifted his weight, she felt every twitch of his fingers to his side where his shiv was prominently displayed. His emotions were shifting rapidly; too quickly for her wine-addled mind to decipher them. The Sunshine had offered her a taste of strawberry wine and it was divine. She giggled to herself over the rhyme she had made in her head and her partner smiled wider thinking it was meant for him.
She ignored him; he was inconsequential, just a set of hands and a pair of feet to move with her as she danced. His face was nothing more than a blur of memory in a seemingly endless stream of hopeful dirty faces. She could hear his every thought; which is why, on the next spin, as he brought her back she "stumbled" and crushed his toes. Pain would help him focus. He was just a dance partner, discarded and replaced easily; those thoughts were not within his rights to have.
The world spun around her; a cascade of endless shadows and ribbons of firelight; the music was coarse; the people coarser. It too was inconsequential. She felt joy and love; she felt admiration and awe, these people were celebrating and drunk; their emotions flowed through her and enveloped her being. These emotions were artificial; tomorrow would come and they would return to their endless toil against the burning sun and earth which they would find next season to be dead. Hunger would come; but these people were no strangers to it and they feasted now while it was bountiful. Their joy stronger because they knew it was fleeting and so they embraced it.
The song ended and she disappeared from her partner's arms quicker than he could register. She was in search of more wine; the boy had none and she was thirsty. He was good merely for the dance and for the moment it was done; he had served his purpose. She drifted through the crowd and she felt another set of eyes follow her. She felt his legs move as she disappeared behind a stack of hay and towards the Sunshine. He was repositioning himself to keep her in the view. He kept to the shadows while she moved through bursts of lamplight; he fell into orbit around her, he was watching; beneath his calm demeanor was an animal coiled to strike; he did not like the crowd, he did not like so many people touching. He did not know why. A woman of curves and experience brushed against his side and he ignored her; his eyes were occupied.
**
Riddick ignored the whispered suggestions of the woman who pushed up against him; a low growl was all it took to send her scurrying away. She smelt like cheap perfume and sweat; the combination was nauseating. Alone once more, he repressed the urge to snatch the jug of wine from River's hand. The girl drinking couldn't be good. He looked away from her long enough to search out her brother through the crowd. Boy shoulda been paying closer attention. He snorted in contempt when his eyes finally rested on the source of his search; the good Doctor was face down in a pile of hay.
Figures, he thought.
He turned his focus back to River; she stumbled a bit. Her usually fluid motions were more liquid now but the control behind them was fading quickly. He smirked to himself momentarily amused by it; girl was drunk as hell. He watched her as she giggled with Kaylee and smiled at Jayne; oddly enough it angered him. Why should he care if she was laughing with Kaylee? Why should he care if she smiled at Jayne? He didn't know and he raised the small bottle he had been drinking to his lips to take another swig. It was empty and it pissed him off more.
**
River looked up at the sudden surge of jealousy which swept over her. Her blurry eyes tried to focus on its source. A pair of glaring silver eyes met hers and he was angry now. It confused her. What had she done? She tried to push deeper into his mind but it was beyond her and the effort caused a sudden jarring inside her own. She raised her right hand unconsciously to her temple; she was vaguely aware she had started swaying and the whole world began to sway with her. She didn't like the sharp edges caused by Riddick's anger; she needed to make it right. Her head swiveled a bit too quickly to evaluate her surroundings. A small smile graced her lips as she plopped down onto the bench next to the town Elder. Deception edged his mind but its cause was of no immediate concern of hers; in her experience men of God had many secrets, many lies, it was inconsequential. He had something which would soften the edges of Riddick's mind.
**
Riddick watched River rise from her seat and come skipping towards him, a broad lopsided smile on her face.
"You're drunk." He grunted; not bothering in the least to conceal the annoyance in his voice. River pinched him. "Ow, what the fuck?" He snapped.
"He is red and jagged. It hurts." She pouted.
"Make even less sense when you're drunk." He scowled at her.
"If he continues to be unpleasant she will not give him his gift." She said firmly. She moved to take a step backwards to lean against a wagon but misjudged the distance and stumbled over her feet; landing on her butt in a cloud of dust. She frowned at the ground unsure of how she had come to be there.
Riddick's scowl broke; a smirk replacing it as he shook his head and helped her back to her feet. "You been drinking all night girl?" He chuckled, forgetting his anger.
"So has he." She pouted.
"You're brother would rupture something if he saw you drunk."
"Not relevant." She dismissed the statement with just the trace of a slur. "He is incapac pac..pacitated."
"Yeah I saw that." Riddick laughed. "What was this about a gift?" He asked, quirking an eyebrow curiously. The last time it had been a jug of wine, this time he was hoping for something a bit stronger.
River's frown reversed itself and she produced with a rather dramatic flourish; which she stumbled through as she withdrew a plain silver flask from one of the pockets in her skirt. Riddick unscrewed the lid and took a tentatively inhale; an appreciative smile crossing his face as he did so.
"Where'd you find this? Sure as hell ain't the same gou shi (crap) I've been drinking all night." He took a sip; it was smooth and sweet, some of the best he'd tasted in a good long while. He was beyond curious as to where she could have found something on this moon which tasted like that.
"The Elder has many secrets." River giggled conspiratorially.
"Does he now?" Riddick asked; his mood drastically improved with the addition of good whiskey and River's company. "Care to share?"
River shook her head in the negative; her body jerking with the motion. "Too much to look; too fuzzy to care." She shrugged carelessly.
"So you haven't looked, but you still know he's a liar?" He questioned; realizing the conversation might be useless given her state but not wanting her to go skipping back off. He had her attention now and he was unwillingly to share it again.
"Liars-" she started before willingly dropping herself to the ground as her center of gravity deserted her. "-think in painted colors that aren't theirs. She doesn't need to know what they are thinking to know that it is untrue. She feels it is before she knows it. Emotion before thought." She was swaying slightly now even as she sat on the ground and propped herself up by leaning back on one arm.
Riddick for his part had not understood a single word of it; he shook his head as he laughed. "Come on girl, let's get you back to the ship before you wind up face down like your brother."
River eyed his offered hand uneasily. It wasn't that she didn't trust him; she didn't rightly trust her ability to grab said hand and propel herself through gravity as was required to stand. "It is unwise. The ground is better."
Riddick barked out another laugh. "Lightweight." He snorted as he reached down to pull her up. "Whoa " He caught her as she almost went right back down and easily swept up her legs to carry her bridal style.
River let out a sigh as she rested her head against his chest, "Gravity is failing." She mumbled.
"Nah girl, that's just the booze." He smirked.
"Don't tell Simon," She pleaded meekly soothed by the steady rumble in his chest; vaguely it reminded her of a growly purr.
Riddick smirked down at her mess of hair as she snuggled against him; the warm caress of her breath against his chest was entirely too distracting. "Keep my secrets, I'll keep yours."
**
"It makes the rain come when you turn it. The rain is scarce, and comes only when needed most. And such is men like you." Elder Gommen said to Jayne as he held up a long rain stick and tilted it; the soft melody of the seeds inside was almost hypnotic.
"Sounds pretty " Kaylee admired.
Jayne for his part looked to be on the verge of tears as he reverently accepted the stick. "This is the most.. .you," He stuttered as a result of both the drink and the emotion. "Friend. You're the guy. You see this?" He slurred to Kaylee.
The mechanic threw her arms around him and pecked a sloppy kiss on his cheek. "Told you, the shiniest of shiny! Even the Elder thinks so!"
"I'll treasure this." Jayne told the older man as he crushed him into a hug. Kaylee who was still slung around Jayne's neck was pulled into the hug by default.
"Well this is touching." Riddick half-smirked as he stopped in front of the trio.
Jayne broke away from the hug immediately. "Look Riddick, got me a stick! Something 'bout rain and great men!" He held out the stick for Riddick's inspection.
"It's a stick." Riddick said, unimpressed.
"But it makes rain!" Kaylee cried out.
Riddick looked up at the sky. "Looks clear to me." He smirked.
"Rain sticks ." River suddenly groaned as she looked up from Riddick's chest. "Used by primitive cultures of polytheistic religions on Earth-that-was."
"Huh?" Jayne looked at her.
"It is a nice stick, both of them." River acknowledged squinting.
"Both?" Kaylee giggled. "River, sweetie I think you're drunk."
"Yeah and whose fault is that?" Riddick raised an eyebrow.
"Don't know what you're talkin' 'bout, Riddick." Kaylee tried to seem offended but the sudden snorting laughter of Jayne ruined the effect as she couldn't help but join him.
"I'm going to take her back to the ship, if her brother wakes back up-," he jerked his head in the direction of the haystack, "-tell him so."
"She's looking a bit green there." Jayne observed as he cautiously scooted away.
River managed an offended groan.
"Aw, sweetie." Kaylee half-slurred as she struggled to stand. "I can take her, it's my fault anyways."
"No. I got it." Riddick answered a bit quickly and harshly; however everyone present was a bit too drunk to notice.
"Alright then " Kaylee's voice trailed off as she leaned against Jayne's shoulder. "Iffin' you say." Riddick however was already walking away.
**
"So the Preacher thing just ain't for show?" Riddick asked as they passed by the blanket covered corpses of the bandits on the way towards the ship.
"I am a Shepherd." Book looked up from his Bible. "Even the wicked deserve a proper word."
"How honorable of you, Commander," Riddick snorted sarcastically.
"I'm not that man anymore, Riddick."
"You keep saying that."
"Do you forget that you lived that life too, Riddick?" Book retorted though his voice remained calm. "It's a bit hypercritical to judge me, don't you think?"
"Blood doesn't wash off, Preacher." Riddick half-growled. River moaned against his chest again and his attention was refocused; his tone shifted and he gently lifted her chin. "Stay with me girl, almost there."
Book arched an eyebrow. "Does the Captain know the girl is with you in that state?"
"Fuck you," Riddick barked angrily. "Girl's no concern of yours."
"All of God's creatures are my concern, Riddick." He answered simply.
"Wuo jai jeong yi chi (let me repeat myself); she's not yours to shi guan (have concern/show concern for)." His voice lowered to a gravelly rumble and his eyes lit with a gleam that was all too familiar to the Preacher.
"All the same," Book said calmly as he went back to his Bible, "I'll be sure to tell the Captain you escorted River back to the ship."
"He's over there." Riddick jerked his head. "Wearing flowers in his hair and jumping around like a damn fool."
"Ren ci de shang di (Merciful god)." River moaned before trying to push away from Riddick's hold. At first he wouldn't allow it but the sudden retching of her body clued Riddick into the purpose of her struggle and he released her; taking a quick step back as he did so. River dropped herself to the ground and began to violently throw up every ounce of strawberry wine she had consumed.
"Hao, zhe zhen shi ge kuai le de jin zhan (well, this is a happy development)." Riddick muttered as he stood back to let River heave it all out.
"You should get her brother." Book suggested as he made a face and stepped back as well.
"Yeah, well he's back there, face down in a haystack. If you can wake him, by all means have him come and collect his puking, drunk, crazy little sister." Riddick snapped at him. When he was sure the girl had gotten rid of it all he bent back down and swopped up her small, trembling body into his arms again. He swore under his breath. "Come on girl; let's get you back to the ship." He ignored Book and started walking.
"Shuhn ming shi t'wohn gu jong (Life support failure)." River groaned at being jostled.
"Ain't dying." Riddick chuckled and River groaned in disagreement. "Puke on me, girl, and I swear I'll drop your ass."
**
"Hey Jayne, like my hat?" Mal yelled as Jayne and Kaylee stumbled onto the bench next to him. "A pretty lady gave it to me."
"I got me a stick!" Jayne said excitedly holding it out. "Makes the rain come," he frowned a bit, "Old guy gave it to me though."
Kaylee punched him playfully. "Don't need no pretty girls to give ya stuff."
"Think my hat's made out of a tree." Mal said as thoughtfully as his mind would allow.
"Wonder iffin' it's from the same was my stick?" Jayne asked with just as much thoughtfulness. "Does that make us tree brothers or somethin'?"
Riddick watched River sleep; fascinated by the slow rise and fall of her chest, he timed it with his own and inhaled deeply as he closed his eyes. What the fuck was it about this girl? A week ago he had been itching to put as much distance as he could between them, and now? Now he was back to inhaling her scent like a fucking drug. His body hummed with tension despite the fact she was sleeping before him now; the urge to beat a few of the rutting hun dans (bastards) who had touched her within an inch of the fucking lives was still raw. The fact that he felt that way at all made the urge all the stronger.
Why the fuck should he care if the girl danced with some jackass farmer? Why did watching her smile at Jayne make his blood boil? Why the fuck had Richard B. Riddick carried a drunk, crazy, puking girl back to the ship and put her to bed with nothing but the purest of intentions? The Contract, he told himself; but even he knew it was bullshit. The truth of the matter was ever since that girl popped out of that gorraam cryobox she'd been under his skin. What was even more incredulous was the fact she wanted to be there. She'd seen his nightmares, felt that thing which clawed inside his head, listened to his mind run on tangents of killing sprees; she'd felt his joy of the kill through his mind, the rush of warm blood down his arm, and still she felt safe with him. He was the first one she ran to, even before her gorram sissy Core bred brother. His eyes were the first she sought out when she walked into a room. He was the one she told all her secrets to.
Ever since Jiangyin she'd rarely left his side; she sketched while he worked out, danced along the catwalk while he worked in the bay, hummed broken bits of songs as he flipped through a book or cleaned his weapons, and at night, when he woke in a cold sweat with trembling hands she would be waiting outside his bunk door. Her presence had become expected, natural, soothing even; he became agitated in her absence. It worked both ways in that aspect though; since Jiangyin she hadn't had to be sedated once, she was calm in his presence, perhaps not always completely 'there' but undeniably more coherent and lucid than when he wasn't. He'd figured if he left he'd get used to her not being around; but River, she would crumble without him. She needed him or she was lost. That thought brought a certain amount of smug satisfaction.
River hadn't wanted to go with him on Tyrus, but she went because he told her too. She hadn't wanted to read minds, but she did so because he told her to; and that pink haired girl, she definitely did not want back in there, but she asked him not to make her. She would have gone if he had told her to. A slow smirk formed across his lips and he relished the possibilities. He was the Rock and the River could be made to bend to his will. Slowly all the questions of why faded from his mind. Why was no longer important; not when one of the most beautiful creatures in the 'verse had given him power over her.
Riddick did not look at her with lust, when he saw in her beauty it had almost nothing at all to do with her physical form; she was like a rusted shiv, fragile yet jagged and lethal. All one needed to do was clean it up, smooth away the jagged edges, sharpen its point. A plan began to formulate in his mind. He needed to get her away from her brother; away from any other that could influence her, but he wasn't dumb enough to try to jump ship with her yet. She wasn't ready. She trusted him, but she loved her brother, she loved the ship. It was an obstacle but not one he was overly concerned with. As far as he was concerned he was already half way there, he was her Rock, her shi ruo (strength); despite popular opinion he was capable of being extremely convincing even without the promise of violence.
That was a line he would not cross with her. He would never physically hurt her. The thought of doing so actually made him nauseous. She was too valuable to him; but even more than that he had no desire to make her fear him. He wanted devotion, loyalty, and he wanted it unquestioningly. It would take time, but he was a patient man, his life had taught him to be; it had taught him to wait for the moment and strike only when he could be assured of victory. River was not something he was willing to lose; she was his.
He rolled that thought along the edges of his mind. His. What had he ever held claim on that wasn't expendable? The answer was a resounding nothing. Acquiring material assents was a fruitless endeavor when you lived on the run. He had no family, no home world; his entire life fit into two duffel bags and there was not a single thing inside which could not be replaced. Now he had something that was irreplaceable and he knew without a doubt he would kill anyone who tried to take her from him; even her brother. Fuck the consequences.
He heard the airlock ramp open and made his exit; heading directly to his dorm, he collapsed on his bunk. He didn't bother undressing; he merely kicked off his boots and folded his arms beneath his head. The itch he'd felt earlier had dissipated entirely now that he had figured River's place in his life. A new sense of purpose washed over him not unlike the moment he and River had sealed a Contract in blood.
He decided he would sneak her off ship at every opportunity; maybe even pull a job on the side under the crew's nose, he'd need to start stockpiling coin again anyway and Mal was absolute crap at finding the jobs that paid good. It meant he'd have to come back from the dead. Rick Marshall was a nobody; Richard B. Riddick could make a grown man piss himself. Being dead had its advantages but with River at his side, he wouldn't need to be; with River at his side there wasn't a power in the 'verse that would be able to stop them. His last conscious thought before sleep over took him dwelled on River's scent; traces of which remained behind on his clothing from when he had carried her.
****
When Riddick opened his eyes again it was because the scent of wet foliage and sulfuric fumes tickled his nostrils.
He was not on Serenity.
Above him the thick canopy of trees nearly blotted out the sky but traces of the ever swirling violet clouds could be seen.
He knew what waited for him at the edge of the jungle.
He'd never seen this place awake; his mind concealed it from him then.
But now, now he could recall the name of every mountain chain, every jungle.
He knew this world as though he himself had created it.
This was Home.
This was Furya.
He came to the edge of the overgrown jungle; a clearing on a cliff face.
The violet clouds covered every inch of sky and cast the world in a never ending dusk.
A woman; her hair long and dreadlocked, bits of bead and bone knotted into its length; she was dressed in soft leathers, a curved sword on her waist.
Shirah. Riddick spoke her name with a reverence he did not know he was capable of.
Child of Fury. She acknowledged his presence without turning her gaze away.
Riddick stepped forward, away from the shade of the jungle; to see for himself what enraptured her so.
The darkness hid nothing from him and his blood began to boil.
The valley was littered with rotting corpses; men, women, children, infants, none had been spared.
Their bodies mutilated and faces contorted in endless agony.
They were screaming. Every last one of them.
A soft hand on his shoulder tore his focus from the sight before him and locked his eyes with a pair of that mirrored his own. They glowed beneath his ultra violet gaze. They were beauty incarnate.
She was the heat of the flame, she was anger, she was passion, she was the song of blood and vengeance,
She was FURY.
And he felt her presence more than he saw it.
Her touch brought that thing inside roaring to life. She called to his blood.
And once more, though Riddick never remembered doing so, he dropped to his knees before her and lowered his eyes.
You are not ready to know these things.She waved her arm and the bodies vanished, in their place a stone pillar, a grave marker, one for every body she had removed from his vision and the field was endless.
A time will come when our past will stake its claim. That time is not now.
I'm not a hero.
No, you are a Furyan.
Riddick's head jerked up immediately; her response all too familiar.
She hears the echoes of my words to you. She answered the question that had not yet fully formed in his mind. She smiled down at him and raised his chin to look at him better, much as a mother would her favored child. She is capable of more than you know, as are you. She dropped his chin and though her smile remained it was tainted heavily by sorrow.
She's got nothing to do with any of this! Riddick practically snarled as he found himself on his feet and ready to lunge though every fiber of his being screamed at him to stop.
Her eyes flashed a brilliant blue and Riddick found himself on the ground gasping for air.
You over step yourself.Her voice echoed and thundered through the valley, the earth itself seemed to quake before her. For all that you are, you are no one to challenge me. I have no desire to hinder my own cause. It was she who taught you to speak my name and it is she who sings my songs though all others have forgotten. It is her plight that will bring you to me. Her fate lies entirely with you.
Riddick forced his lungs to take in air. There was a burning sensation on his chest and he tore off his shirt to find to his horror a glowing handprint was centered there. He looked up at her; confusion laced with fear written across his face as the mark seared itself into his chest.
It is time for you to awaken, Furyan.
Riddick woke abruptly; a cold sweat covering his face and the scent charred flesh burned into his nostrils. His breathing came in heavy gasps and his hands trembled violently. All of his body seemed to hum with electric energy. He remembered everything. His hands moved toward his chest and ripped off his shirt. He stared incredulously at the perfect expanse of flesh. The only blemishes were the scars and burn markings he was all too familiar with; there was no sign of the hand print. He fell back against the pillow trying to slow his breathing. It was just a dream; only it had been different. Different then all the others, for the first time ever he could recall every detail in perfect clarity as if it had been more; as if it was an actual memory.
Who the fuck was that woman?
He wanted to desperately ask River; something told him she would know. She had been able to tell him her name long before he could remember it himself. Could she tell him who she was as well? Was she a real person? Had she ever been real? Was she from his past? Was she just a figment of his mind conjured by his need to remember? What was he supposed to remember? Who the fuck was he?
'She is more than you know, you both are.'
Just want the fuck was that supposed to mean?
'it is she who sings my songs though all others have forgotten.'
Was that what she had been humming all this time?
'It is her plight that will bring you to me.'
Did that have something to do with The Contract?
'It is time for you to awaken, Furyan.'
Is that why he could remember? Or was that the handprint? Or was it both?
Serenity was still grounded, but running in day cycle. He could hear the echo of footsteps and muffled voices with too many walls between himself and their sources to decipher meanings, but the noise was there none the less. It took a considerable amount of effort to peel himself out of bed. His head was throbbing which he had been expecting from the amount of whiskey he'd consumed last night; though he suspected it had a lot more to do with his dream. A headache was a headache. He had slept in the same cargos he'd worn last night and he reached into the lower left pocket for the flask River had given him and took a sip; hoping it would take the edge off the pounding in his head. His entire body ached like he had spent the entire night working out instead of sleeping.
No rest for the wicked. He smirked bitterly to himself as he exited his dorm and headed up to the mess.
Jayne and Kaylee were exiting as he entered. "Cap't wants us loading up in twenty." Jayne told him.
Riddick merely grunted in answer and moved to pour himself a cup of coffee. Simon was huddled over his own cup looking even worse than Riddick felt.
"Where's your sister, Doc?" He asked as he leaned against the counter; savoring the strong coffee.
The girl in question appeared in the door way before he could answer. She looked worse than her brother. "River, are you alright?" Simon asked concerned. "You didn't drink last night did you?" He asked as his brow furrowed. "I'm sorry I um... I got a bit carried away myself I should have ."
River silenced him by reaching across the table and covering his mouth. "Ssshhhhhh. Hurts." She groaned as she let her head fall against the table.
"River, you didn't?" Simon asked aghast.
Riddick chuckled from behind them.
River looked up and frowned at him. "He said he wouldn't tell." She groused.
"Gave it away yourself, girl." He smirked as he poured her a cup of coffee.
"River!" Simon said in horror. "You're not and with your meds "
"Relax, Doc." Riddick came to her rescue as he placed the coffee down in front of River and took the chair next to her. "I had my eye on her."
"Is that supposed to be comforting?"
"Watch it, Doc." Riddick warned.
"She shouldn't have been drinking at all." Simon snapped.
"Yeah, well, you're a shining example, aren't you?" Riddick shot right back.
River ignored them and groaned. Her head was simply not up to the task; there was a violent jarring inside and her entire body ached. She had decided upon waking up this morning that strawberry wine was not, in fact, divine; it was the beverage of choice for sadists and masochists and she would never again have any part of it. She could feel the jagged edges of her brother's anger begin to poke at her mind as the insults he traded with Riddick began to rise to a head rupturing volume. It took her another moment to realize she was only hearing and feeling her brother's; that Riddick was only emitting a low, steady hum. There were no images, no emotions, no random thoughts; his mind produced only an incredibly soothing hum.
It was nothingness, and it was absolute bliss. Slowly her head turned up to look at him; she reached out her mind much like she had done on Tyrus and wrapped herself tendril-like around him. There was no resistance; in fact she moved in him with more ease than before. There were no assaulting thoughts; no jagged edges, no swirling emotions, there was stillness and peace. To remain there was almost effortless. It was as though his mind welcomed the intrusion. She tried to push herself deeper but she moved through mists. There was nothing for her to read.
" You spoiled piece of " Riddick was practically snarling at the Doctor when his tirade was abruptly ended by River grabbing his head with both her hands and forcing him to look at her. "What in the gorraam hell are you doing?" He snapped but did not pull away. River rarely touched anyone willingly. He had been surprised she'd even let him carry her last night.
"Think." She ordered.
"What?" Both Simon and Riddick answered in unison.
River looked at her brother harshly. "Be still!" She snapped and looking back to Riddick she ordered again. "Think."
"What, at you?" He asked more than a little confused.
"Yes. Think with purpose."
"Okay ." Riddick looked at her skeptically but held her gaze as he pushed to her /I had a dream last night I can remember/
Shock rippled across River's face as she stumbled backwards. Every detail of Riddick's dream played through her mind. She wasn't just watching it, she was experiencing, she felt the wind, the smell of burning flesh, the sight of the woman called Shirah and all her magnificent glory; she saw The Marking, The Awakening. River opened and closed her mouth several times but she was unable to form words. Shirah knew of her. How? Shirah was supposed to be a figment. Shirah was not supposed to be tangible. It wasn't possible. It went against all logic and proven laws of nature. She had assumed the woman was memory, but she wasn't; she was so much more.
"River?" Simon asked cautiously.
Riddick remained silent as the dream replayed itself in his head. His eyes did not leave River's as he felt a play of emotions he wasn't entirely sure were his. It was strange; now that he focused, he could almost feel River inside his head. It wasn't an intrusive feeling; just the knowledge that he wasn't entirely alone in there. On Tyrus, he hadn't felt her until she needed him to help pull her out, but now he could feel it as though she was running phantom fingers through hair he didn't have.
"River?" Simon tried again; a bit more forcefully.
River pulled herself away, slowly recoiling her mind from Riddick's.
"River?" Simon called her again; this time standing and walking over to her. He forced her to look at him by gently grabbing her arms. "River?" He shook her slightly.
River looked past her brother to Riddick, the intensity of his gaze drew her to him and she could not look away. "Everything is going to change."
"River, what does that mean?" Simon asked his own increasing panic evident.
River ignored her brother; her focus remained on Riddick. "You are not what they made you to be, you are what you were born to be." She said softly.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Riddick asked through a clenched jaw.
She couldn't feel his anger. It was evident in his tone and the set of his features but she felt nothing save the steady hum which told her only that he was alive and nothing more. Nothing more than what he chose for her to hear. The Rock had dammed the River. "It doesn't make sense, but it does. How does she know? How does she stop the River?" Her questions were voiced to herself, though she didn't know if she was speaking of Shirah or herself.
"River?" Simon pressed again. "I'm going to get a smoother, you shouldn't have been drinking. You need to get some sleep."
"No drugs, Doc." Riddick said firmly.
"What?" Simon forgot about his sister momentarily as he turned on Riddick. "Just who the hell are you to tell me that?" He demanded.
"Sister's fine, she ain't going crazy, she ain't screaming, you pump her so full of that shit she doesn't remember who she is half the time." Riddick's voice remained steady and calm but he rose from his chair as he spoke.
"You're not a Doctor! You're a gorram murderer! You don't have the first clue ."
"Not a murderer." River stopped her brother. "A Furyan."
"River, you're not making any sense." Simon shook his head. "Let's get you to the Infirmary."
"What did I just tell you, Doc?" Riddick snapped; this time the calm was gone from his voice.
"And what did I tell you, Riddick?" Simon snapped right back.
"Silence!" It was River who yelled as she brought her hands to her temple. "It is too much too much." She muttered and without another glance at either one of them she turned and left the mess. "She belongs to no one but herself." She mumbled too low for Simon but Riddick heard it with perfect clarity and a low growl built in his chest. River for her part had no idea where those words had come from; only that she had felt they needed to be said. She found herself drifting; not walking; but drifting. She was on the catwalk; below her a flurry of activity in the bay she made no notice of.
She found herself in her room and she curled up on her bunk; pulling her blankets above her head in a futile attempt to hide from the world. Riddick's nightmare had become her own and over and over again she saw the glowing blue from the mysterious woman's eyes. The unseen blow that had brought Riddick to his knees and the mark upon his chest. The Contract; her plight will bring you to me. The Contract. She saw the truth behind Shirah's words that Riddick did not. A Contract made on a whim sealed in blood. Blood meant everything to the Furyan's. She didn't realize how right she had been when she told him the Furyans had become more. She hadn't known then what it meant; the River had brought her the words and nothing more, the dream had brought her their meaning. A Furyan Contract; again the River had brought her the words, but not the meaning. Now she knew and there was no unknowing. Riddick had bound himself deeply to her on Jiangyin; more deeply than they could have either imaged. The Rock had before just been imagery, imagery to explain a concept she was not fully sure of herself. The Contract had made the Rock tangible.
Why now had his mind changed? Why not then when it was first made? The answer had become clear even before the questions had fully formed in her mind. Riddick had made the Contract without fully accepting its meaning; he had accepted the surface value of it. Her plight will bring you to me. Had he accepted it more deeply last night? Had he accepted her? Or had he accepted being the Rock? There was no way of knowing now that she was blocked from his mind. For the first time in a very long time River felt the frustration of not knowing what someone was thinking. She had thought she had desired that above all things; to be a normal girl. Now she was, in this aspect alone, with this man alone; she had no idea what was going on in his mind. She did not feel relief, she did not feel happiness, she felt anger, she felt frustration, she felt unsure.
**
"What did you do to her last night?" Simon accused Riddick.
"Nothing, Doc," Riddick replied just as heatedly if not a bit more so. "Just took care of her when her gou shi (shit) brother got too drunk to stand. You should be thanking me."
"Gou shi (shit) brother?" Simon asked his face turning red. "Do you have any idea what I've given up for her? All I have done for her?"
"Hard to forget when you keep reminding everybody." Riddick growled.
Simon actually took a step back at that. "How dare you! Tell me what you did to her last night!"
"Don't like repeating myself, Doc."
"You obviously did something." Simon accused again. "Where are you going?" He demanded as Riddick headed out of the mess. "We're not done here!"
"Yeah we are." Riddick said darkly. "Got nothing left to say to you except stay the fuck outta my way, Core-boy."
"Well that's fine by me, but you stay the hell away from my sister, she's not your concern!" Simon shot back and turned to sit back down; he'd give River a few minutes before going to talk to her. He needed to cool down so he didn't lose his patience with her.
Riddick felt his blood heat; absolute rage flooded him at the doctor's words.
Simon found himself slammed against the wall of the mess; his face brutally crushed against metal. One arm was twisted up hard and he felt the tip of a blade pressed against his lower back.
Riddick leaned in close to Simon's ear; his voice was lowered to a harsh graveled whisper, every word dripped with the promise of pain and blood. "You're a doctor, feel that?" He questioned but didn't waste time waiting for an answer as he increased the pressure ever so slightly. His shiv cut through the fabric but stopped before the point of breaking skin. "Abdominal aorta, third lumber down. It's a gusher Doc, but you know that." He smirked. "All I have to do is just push, less than a pound of pressure to cut through flesh and by the time the crew found you it'd be too late. You don't issue orders to me, Tam. I told you, little Crazy's grown on me. She's your sister; I get it, I do, that's the only reason you're not bleeding out on the floor right now. Thank her the next time. Remember this moment though Doctor, 'cause if I have to remind you again, won't be no words, you won't even see it coming." Riddick released Simon and stepped away, the smirk never left his face as he watched the good doctor crumple into a heap on the floor. Riddick couldn't help himself as he planted his boot into Simon's stomach. "You even think of trying anything on me and I will kill you."
Simon pulled himself up coughing as Riddick turned to walk away. A mixture of fear, anger and humiliation on his face as he glared daggers at the killer's back.
"Smell that, Doc," Riddick called over his shoulder as he inhaled deeply. "That's fear, nothing better in the morning." His resounding laugh echoed through the mess and straight down Simon's spine as he left.
Immediately he began mentally packing their bags. What had he been thinking, taking up with thugs and criminals? He'd thought they'd be safe. He'd thought having the 'verse's most wanted watching out for them they would be safe. He'd gotten their new indents, hadn't he? The man was unbalanced, disturbed and for some god-forsaken reason had taken a liking to his sister. As he pulled himself together, he realized he was completely and utterly out of his league. The man had escaped numerous maximum security prisons, evaded the law for nearly a decade, faked his own death; how in the hell was he supposed to run from him? He had assumed the Alliance was the worst the 'verse had to offer and he had been wrong.
"Doc?" Simon was startled from his near panic attack by the sound of Zoe's voice. "You look like you've seen a ghost. You alright?" She arched an eyebrow at him.
"Ye..Yes. I'm fine, just well "
"Hung over?" She chuckled. "Hay stacks can't be all that comfortable."
"Uh no." He forced a chuckled as he raked a slightly shaky hand through his hair. "I wish I knew what they put in their whiskey." He covered.
Zoe laughed as she moved past him to head to the bridge. "Best not to ask, Doc."
Simon stared after her for a moment before his brain restarted. He took off towards the Infirmary at a near run, vaguely registering Riddick and the rest of the crew loading supplies in the bay. He paused outside of River's dorm and rested his head against the door; her room was silent and he hoped she was sleeping. Moving forward toward the Infirmary it was with trembling hands he loaded a syringe with enough sedative to take down one of those elephants he'd seen once at a zoo on Osiris. He capped it and slipped it into his pocket resolving to carry it with him everywhere. Riddick might have been able to physically crush him; but the next time Simon would at least have some means of defense. His mind whirled; he needed to get them off the ship without Riddick's notice. Maybe he could sneak them off the next time they were on a decent planet? River was not the soul of discretion however, so he would need to do it without her prior knowledge and leave most of their belongings behind.
He was loath to leave Serenity; as much as he complained about it and its crew, it was the closest thing to a home River had. Where would they go now? Who could they trust? Nowhere and no one were the only answers he could come up with. He physically shook himself. Now was not the time for fear or hesitation. It made no difference. He had broken his sister out of one of the most heavily guarded medical facilities he had ever seen; they'd escaped Alliance radar so far. He could do this. He would do this. Anything to keep River safe.