Disclaimer: It's still not mine.
Side note: If you haven't seen the director's cut of the film then there's a part of the story that you won't be familiar with. If you haven't seen it...GO get it. It was soooo much better than the theatre release.
Thanks for reviewing! Please let me know what you think!
Dhampir Elf: Hey, I love your enthusiasm! Keeps me going...really!Remember, story ain't over yet.
bluemoon-175: Thank you soooo much for the review!
He picked her up over his shoulder and took her to the gym and she wiggled trying to push herself off of him. He unceremoniously dumped her on the floor and knowing what was coming she tried to get away.
He laughed. "Like you can get away from me." He grabbed her ankle and she shrieked as he pulled her under him, then attacked her ribs with her screaming, crying and laughing all at the same time.
"Stop! Riddick! Oh God...let me go you big bald oaf!"
"Oaf? You talked me out of it yesterday. Not a chance in hell this time Jack."
Gasping for air she pleaded but laughed her way through it. "I'm begging you!"
"What do I get if I stop."
"What…you want a piece of candy little boy?" He went after her again. "A story! Shit! I've got a good one, too." He stopped.
"This better be good."
"Oh it is. How about the story of how your whites turned pink?"
"I know how." He went back after her.
"Oh, then why they turned pink." He got off of her and reclined on his side with his head propped up and she did the same. "First, how did you know it wasn't an accident?"
"Your face."
"What?"
"I can read your face like a book. Especially when you chew your bottom lip."
"I do not chew my lip!"
"You're doing it right now."
Shit! I am. "Ok…so when do I chew it?"
"Let's see...when you plot, getting ready to open that smart ass mouth of yours to say shit you shouldn't,and when you're trying to cover something up."
"Plotting or covering something up? You make me sound like a politician. Guess I'll have to work on my little lip biting habit."
"It's cute Jack."
"Cute Riddick? First of all, cute is for fucking kittens and second I can't believe I even heard it come out of your mouth!"
He poked her ribs. "I'm waiting."
"OK! I'll tell, but you're going to laugh, at least I hope you do."
"For your sake, I hope I do, too."
"Ha ha. Ok. I knew from the time that we started running together that whenever we were in a port that you…well…took care of matters." He looked at her like he didn't understand. "Please! You found a woman or visited the local whorehouse to get your rocks off, OK?"
He laughed. "Rocks off?"
"You know damn well what I'm talking about so shut it, this is my story. Anyway, I never really thought anything of it. I did the laundry and I had a good sense of smell. Between the perfume and the scent of sex…did you know that clings to you and clothes…but that's beside the point…I knew what was going on."
"And."
"It never really bothered me…until I followed you one night to the brothel and I-."
"You what?" He lay back flat on the floor and covered his eyes with his arm. "Why?"
"This wasn't long before you brought me back to Iman. I was feeling my own hormones, my body was developing and I was curious. After the experience I had with my step-father I just didn't get why women wanted to whore themselves out. Sex was all sweat and grunting from my own perspective. I couldn't see why a woman put herself through that if she wasn't trying to have kids. The only thing I saw that might be halfway enjoyable was kissing. Marcus had never kissed me, thank God, so of course I was curious about that, too."
"Fuck, Jack! Do I even want to hear the rest? Tell me you didn't see everything...make that anything."
"Sorry sweety...I knew from the age of thirteen was a sweet fucking ass you had. Mmmmm."
Riddick got a horrified look on his face and she busted out laughing. He pounced on her with half a smile on his face. "You lying little-!"
"I swear to God I did follow you! But I didn't see much."
He still didn't believe her. "Prove it."
Kyra's grin was challenging. "Let's see, your little tart was tall, brunette...wait, wavy brunette hair.Attractive. Curvy." Riddick started to look a little uncomfortable again. "Sit up."He didn't know why but he did. "There now." She stood up. "Now, you were sitting on a sofa when she came into the room. You didn't get up though. She came over to you and straddled your lap like this, then ran her hands up your chest, then around your neck."
She had him and he knew it. "Jack."
"I'm not done yet and you said prove it. Then she leaned down and got about this close to kissing you." He felt her breath on his lips. "Then she stopped...you sank your hands into her hair, really took her mouth and started running your hands all over-." Riddick grabbed her wrists and his face was actually a light shade of red.A triumphant smile lit her face. "Bring back any memories?"
He leaned back but didn't remove her from his lap. "Does this story get better? Scratch that. Tell me it gets better."
"Depends. I remember feeling funny about what I saw. I guess I was turned on by it and curious how it felt. I went back to the ship and fantasized about you doing those things to me. Those things and whatever else I didn't see that I knew or guessed went on in bed."
He laid back and groaned and she was thoroughly enjoying his discomfort. "I'm not fucking believing this!"
"It was the first time that I had….gotten myself off. That's why I was in your room that night. I wanted to feel close to you, so I could smell your scent."
"Then what. What does this have to do with my fuckingbriefs going pink?"
"Come on...I was always crazy about you but as I got older it developed into something more as you knew. I got really hurt especially because you were going to the brothel more often and because you were being a total ass. When you'd come home, you would check on me and I could smell the perfume, cheap fucking perfume and sometimes I wanted to scream because I was jealous and upset because you were ignoring me. Then I had to wash your clothes and smell it again. It finally got to me. I couldn't tell you how I felt and I wasn't about to try and seduce you. So I decided to wash your briefs with a few red shirts that I bought just to stain them pink. That way when you went to the brothel you'd be forced to wear pink briefs."
He flipped her onto her back and pulled her underneath him and smiled despite himself. "You naughty little bitch."
"Hey now! That's not nice." She laughed. "True, but not nice. What did you wear out anyway?"
"Not a damn thing…not like you left me a choice."
"Riddick. We were messed up weren't we?"
"I was the fucked up one…you just had a normal teenage crush."
"How can you call a thirteen year old girl almost throwing herself at a twenty-five year old man normal? Please. She took his face in her hands and slowly kissed him and then wrapped her arms around him and looked at him. "Riddick…thank you. Thank you for letting me grow up on my own." A smirk lit her face. "Hey, but I'm glad to know my thirteen year old efforts weren't completely in vain though."
"Jack!" He rolled her a bit and popped her ass hard.
She pushed him back and then rubbed her skin and shot him an angry look. "Dammit! That hurt!"
"You deserved that and more since you were eleven! Why I never did that before is beyond….never mind. I know why I didn't do it." Kyra laughed knowingly.
"By the way, where the hell are we headed?"
"Korosi."
"Why there?"
"Because it wasn't too far from Helion-5. We'll dock at their largest port, Haleyton. We've got to get supplies. I was going to get supplies when I came back to see you on Helion-5 but my plans changed."
Kyra's heart raced. I got to him and he didn't even know it was me. "You were coming back to see me?"
"Yes, I was."
Kyra grinned and kissed his cheek. "I was missing you, too. Goatee and all. Oh, and about your plans changing? Any idea how we can find out who's after me?"
"Maybe. I've got some people I can contact there who might be able to get us some information. But it's a longshot."
"Riddick, I don't want you getting involved to the point that you'll compromise your identity as Ragin. I can't have that happen. I went through too much to set those up."
"If the merc has you figured out he may have me nailed already."
"I can't think about that. I'm betting that he's working alone and that only he knows. I have to believe that."
"Don't worry about me. I can get the information I need without being Riddick."
"Shit! You don't look a thing like yourself…like Ragin."
"Would you calm down? I've got it covered."
She blew out a breath and smoothed her hair back. "Sorry. Everything is so fucked up right now and I will NOT have anything else taken from me."
On Korosi
Kyra and Riddick came back to the ship after three hours of shopping and now for supplies. This was all for her since she came on board with only four articles of clothing. He dropped her stuff the minute they got in the ship. "When you were a boy…you weren't this damn high maintenance."
"You'd rather sleep with a boy?"
"Hell fucking no!" He grabbed her and ran his hands in her hair. "I like this hair too damn much."
"Let me change into something more suitable and put my high maintenance shit away. Then we can eat and get the rest of the stuff."
Thirty minutes later Kyra came out wearing a blue low cut v-neck shirt, tight black cargo pants, boots, and had a black jacket on her arm. She had kept her hair down and looked like a woman who would bust a man's balls first and ask questions later.
Riddick took a thorough look at her half smiling, half scowling. Now that is closer to how I pictured her grown up, minus most the hair. Damn woman.
"Interesting clothes. Never seen cargo pants hugging an ass like that though."
She looped her arms around his neck. "You don't approve?"
"Jack, you were dressed in my clothes when we went out to get some for you. You looking like this is just not gonna make it easy on me."
She gave him a curious look. "What do you mean?" She was completely serious.
"You're fucking with me right? You're beautiful and I'll have to keep an eye on every man out there and make sure they keep their paws off what's mine." She was struck speechless for a moment and he laughed not believing it."If I knew calling you beautiful would have shut you up like this I would havesaid it a long time ago."
"Prick. Way to spoil a nice moment."
"I have a bad reputation to protect."He kissed her throat and took her face in his hands. "You are beautiful." He kissed her. She blushed and he laughed.
"What now?"
"You blush."
"I hate it."
"I like it. Love making you blush, too."
"You're impossible. Can we go now?"
After ordering their supplies and eating lunch, Riddick was ready to do some digging into the merc after Jack.
"I'm going with you."
"The hell you are." The look on his face and the tone of his voice said he wasn't going to debate this with her.
"This is my fucking ass we're talking about here."
"The ass that I'm trying to protect! Last damn thing I need is you flaunting yourself."
"Wha-? Flaunt myself? Just what the fuck is that supposed to mean? What…you think I'm going to go in there with a sign on my chest advertising who I am and what I'm worth if I'm turned in?"
"Dammit Jack, no! These fucks aren't stupid. Wouldn't take much for them to put it together that I'm talking about you. They find out what your payday is and they wouldn't think twice about trying to ghost me to get to you."
She stood silent for a minute thinking. "Fine. But I still don't like this. Promise me Riddick."
"Promise you what."
"Don't play dumb with me. Be careful."
"Hey, this is me you're talking to."
"My point exactly. How long will you be gone?"
"Couple hours tops. What are you gonna do?"
"I think I'll head back to that tech store we passed earlier. Looks like they had some vintage stuff that I haven't seen before."
"Take a shiv."
"Or two or three? Check for me at the store before coming back here. If they've got some great stuff I'll probably be there for a while."
He gave her a quick kiss then one on the forehead and he left. She picked up her bag and headed for the tech store that was a couple of blocks down. Looking in the window she was amazed at some of the pieces this guy had. She went in and began looking around. The store owner was helping another customer and she just went about on her own. Her eyes gravitated to something interesting that she had not seen in years. She knew what a gem it was though and a smile crossed her face. She grabbed a hair tie out of her pocket to put up her hair in a ponytail, then picked up the component and started examining it more closely. Her smile grew bigger and she grabbed her bottom lip with her teeth.
The customer had left and the owner looked at her oddly and then approached her. "Hey you.We don't allow your kind in here."
Kyra froze at the tone of his voice and looked up pissed off. "My kind?"
"Yes, you no good bad ass hackers."
She took a long good look at the guy and her mouth dropped open. "Holy shit! Blake?"
"The one and only Audrey girl."
"Shit! I can't believe it's you. It's been eleven years at least." She was dumfounded.
"I can sure as hell say the same for you. Damn, you sure grew up. Look at you…a fine piece you sure turned out to be, too."
"Why thank you. You're not looking so bad yourself."
"Can I have a hug?" She nodded and he gave her a quick hug. "Audrey, what the hellhappened to you? You gathered a lot of creds and the next thing we knew, you were gone and then your face was everywhere for your dad's murder. None of us believed it though."
"Step dad actually. He was a horrible, sick bastard. I-, I did kill him but it was self-defense."
"What did you do?"
"Disappeared. I had no choice. I turned myself into a boy, shaved my head, and changed my name."
"You know they cleared your name about a year later."
"I didn't know I had been cleared until I was almost fourteen. I had left Earth and things didn't go so well. I ended up in other trouble and by the time I found out, it was too late to go home. I couldn't have anyway. Audrey had been dead a long time by then and I had become a very different person. I go by Kyra Bennett now."
"I had no idea. If we had known, we would have helped you. You really shaved your head?" She nodded. "I wasn't sure it was you until you put your hair up in a pony tail and saw you chew your bottom lip. Guess you haven't outgrown those little habits."
"So I've been told." She smiled.
"So, what brings you to Korosi?"
Careful what you say. "It's a layover. We needed supplies and we're headed out tomorrow after they are delivered."
"We? You're with someone then?"
"Yes…he's an…old friend."
Blake eyed her funny. "Just a friend?"
Kyra blushed despite herself. "You're a nosy son of a bitch aren't you?"
"Ok, ok. Look, if you're leaving tomorrow, could you two come to dinner tonight? I'd like you to meet Margie and the kids."
Kyra was dumbfounded. "You're married and have kids? I didn't see a ring."
"Yeah, hate the thing but she doesn't mind."
"And is she a hacker, too?"
He smiled. "You could say we met online. By the way…I saw you admiring that antique component."
"I haven't seen one of those in years. I would have thought they all would have been destroyed by now."
"You want it?"
Play it cool. "Maybe."
"Want to see more?" Her eyes grew big. "I'll take that as a yes. I have to stay up front, but go on in the back…there's more."
Kyra looked at her watch and she had been in the store over an hour. She came back out front holding another piece. She was behind the counter standing shoulder to shoulder with Blake and that's when Riddick walked up, looked at the window and saw them.
He scowled and his mood immediately darkened. What the fuck is going?
He entered the store and Kyra looked up and smiled. Then she saw his face. Shit…not good. She came out from behind the counter and grabbed his hand, speaking quietly too him. "Down boy."
He looked at her and scowled. "Who the fuck is this guy?"
If I didn't know any better, he sounds jealous. "That guy runs the shop. His name is Blake Markham. Do you remember the kids on Earth I told you about? The ones who taught me how to hack?" He nodded still not looking happy. "He was one of those kids."
He relaxed a little but still wasn't completely appeased. "So you know this guy."
"Yes and I trust him so you can quit scowling."
"Not fucking scowling."
"Then what would you call it when your face looks like that? Come on, let me introduce you." Kyra pulled his hand but she could tell he still wasn't happy. Blake had not taken a good look at Riddick while she was talking to him. He felt the man's eyes on him and it unnerved him. "Blake, this is Ragin. My friend I told you about. Ragin, this is Blake."
The two men just nodded at one another; Riddick not wanting to shake the man's hand and Blake afraid to.
As she was introducing them Riddick's hands went to rest on her shoulders. Blake was very aware of the possessive gesture. They were far more than friends judging by the way he touched her and how she looked at him. He quickly got the message and tried to explain his relationship with her
"I was shocked as hell to see her here. Audrey, sorry, Kyra met me and my friends when she was what ten…eleven? I think I was eighteen. She annoyed the hell out of us wanting to learn how to hack. She finally wore us down though and got good at it."
"She's good at that…being annoying that is." His hands on her shoulders finally relaxed.
"Thank you so much for the glowing report of my character! I prefer persistent, not annoying." She knew Riddick was still wary but hopefully knowing Blake was also married would help. "Oh, Blake has invited us to dinner with his wife and kids tonight."
Blake quickly interjected. "I've already called Margie and she's anxious to meet you both. She remembered the stories I've told her about the group but has never met any of them. I hope you guys can make it."
Riddick paused for a second then answered him. "We've got time."
Kyra let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. "What time do you need us there?"
"Six? It's four now, I live on some land outside of town and I'd be glad to give you a ride if you want to meet me here say at quarter til'?"
"Sounds great. We'll be here. Oh, and bag those parts. I especially want this one."
Riddick's curiosity was piqued. "And this would be what?"
"Well, it's…illegal. It's a vital component that can beused to create an electromagnetic pulse weapon. It doesn't have a lot of range or power but it has enough kick to knock out any electrical based devices within thirty yards."
"You sound like you're in technology geek heaven."
He didn't smile but he was kidding her which was a good sign. "Technology genius heaven and yes, I'm having fun."
"So you'll be okay if I meet you here before dinner?"
"And you're going where?"
"Few more things to check out."
"I'm fine."
He brushed the side of her face with his hand and quickly kissed her. Blake watched them and was amazed that a guy looking like him handled her so gently. After Riddick had left the store he couldn't resist asking. "I got my answer about whether he was just a friend or not but how long have you two been together?"
She turned to him and grinned. "You want the long or the short version?"
She and Blake worked on building two magnetic pulse devices while they talked about how she came to meet Riddick. She cleaned up a lot of the details and left others out completely but he was shocked by what she had gone through.
"So let me get this straight. You two hooked up, didn't recognize each other, then he comes back after seven months or so, kidnaps you and thinks you had something to do with the disappearance of yourself?"
"You got it!"
"Wow. That's one hell of a love story."
"Love story? That's an odd thing to call it."
"Why? Anyone with eyes can see how crazy he is about you and you about him."
Nice to hear that someone else sees how he feels.
"Anyway, we can test these out at my home. I'm far enough outside of town and we don't have any neighbors so no one will notice a thing."
"Can't wait to see how they work. Listen, Blake I want to thank you."
"For what?"
"For helping me with this, for still being a pal."
"No problem. It's just good to see you again and know you're OK."
Riddick and Kyra waved to Blake as he dropped them off at the port after their dinner with his family.
"Well?"
"Ok, he's a good guy."
"Yes he is. Everyone in that group was."
"You weren't kidding about all men liking you were you?"
"Nope. And that's one wife that I would get to know. I never got the chance to ask. How did your investigating go?"
"Not good."
"Did you find anything?"
"Yes…and it's not what I expected. No one is offering a bounty for you."
"I don't like the sound of this at all."
"I don't either. Mercs don't go off on their own without a payday involved.
"Then why come after me? He'd have a hard time convincing anyone that I'm Jack Landers now that I know you were picked up several times and let go."
"Do you have anyone that you really pissed off?"
"When I was Jack?"
"Whenever."
"Why are you asking me this?"
"I think this guy is after you for personal reasons."
"I liked it better when I thought a payday was back on my head. Can't think of anyone right away that would be out to hurt me. This makes no sense."
"That's why we're going to New Mecca. I want answers and I'm banking on Iman for help."
That Night
They had both been asleep for a while and it was now three o'clock in the morning when Kyra was woken up by Riddick's movements. He's having a nightmare. She didn't want to touch him knowing that he could lash out depending on what he was dreaming of.
"Riddick."
"All of them gone."
"Who is gone?"
"All of them."
"Riddick. Please wake up." Even knowing she shouldn't, she reached out and was going to run her hand over his head, just to see if she could gently rouse him. His eyes were completely closed but when her hand passed near his face he snatched her wrist in a vice grip hurting her. She cried out, more in surprise than in pain. He opened his eyes, and sat up staring at her.
"RIDDICK!"
He blinked at her and released her wrist then settled back down to sleep with his arm around her.
What the hell is going on?
She heard Riddick mumbling but couldn't make out what he was saying. She turned over in his arms to face him and caressed the side of his face. He breathed in deeply and said one word.
"Shira."
Early the next morning Riddick woke up and saw Jack wasn't with him. He felt the bed and it was cold. She had been gone for a while. He got up and went looking for her and she was nowhere to be found, then he thought of one place. "The roof." He found her up there in a robe watching the sunrise.
"Jack. You're up early." She didn't look at him. He put a hand on her shoulder and she flinched. "You Ok?"
"I've been up since three. Out here for the past hour." He came to stand in front of her and bent down so he could look at her on eye level.
She doesn't look herself.
Finally she looked at him. "You had a nightmare last night." His face went dark. He remembers.
"You said something about all of them being gone. You repeated it several times. Your eyes were closed and I went to touch your head and you grabbed my wrist in a death grip. You looked at me and blinked then went back to sleep after I yelled your name."
Riddick saw her wrist and it was bruised. "Are you OK?"
"Fine. Well, at least until you had me back in your arms. You were mumbling. You called out a name, a woman'sname.Shira."
It was almost imperceptible but she saw his eyes change as he recognized the name. "If you've got someone else Riddick, let me know right now. I've got Janus's money, I can pilot, and I can damn well buy my own fucking ship and be on my way. I don't need this shit."
How do I explain this to her? He placed his hands on hers before talking. "Fucked up dreams started right after I left you on Helion-5. Always the same. I see a woman dressed like some kind of warrior…amazon or some shit. She's telling me that they are all gone, every one of them and that someone has to even the score. Whole damn place is in ruins, headstones everywhere. The woman is Shira. Don't know who the hell she is…some kind of witch…something. Every time she's coming at me like she's gonna touch me with an open palm and her hand isglowing. That's when the dream stops."
"She's not anyone you've ever met?"
"No. Never! Every dream or nightmare I have, I'm in it but I never fucking see myself in these. She talks right at me. Lost count of how many times I've seen it. Each time another piece shows up."
She removed her hands from his and got up. Not wanting to let her get away he pulled her back against his chest and wrapped his arms around her. "Dammit Jack." He kissed the side of her face until he tasted a tear and he turned her around cupping her face.
She took one of his hands and kissed the inside of his palm. "I'm tired. Take me back to bed."
A relieved smile crossed his face. "Now you're talking sense."
Kyra and Riddick went back inside the ship. A man using binoculars pulled them down from his eyes and smiled. He went back inside his hotel, turned on his computer and contacted the man he worked for. The message was simple. "I found her."
I'm working on the next chapter...hopefully up in the next few days. Please review! Takes 2 seconds, no painand it makes me write faster, too. ; )
