Serenity
Dead Space
Three days later
"How is your sister?" Book asked Simon over the chessboard they had set up on the mess table.
"Surprisingly well." The doctor replied with a slightly furrowed brow. Whether or not the expression was due to the game or the conversation, even he wasn't entirely sure. "She's been a bit quiet perhaps, but it's not the same kind of quiet as before, if that makes any sense at all."
"I suppose it does." Book mused as he took Simon's bait and captured his rook. "More of a serene quiet than-"
"The creepifying, crazy quiet." Jayne interjected from the small alcove where he was attempting a game of Mahjong with Kaylee.
"Be nice." Kaylee scolded as she completed another book.
"Didn't mean nothin' by it. Can't argue it was creepy as hell when she just sat there and stared." Jayne grunted; scowling more over the game than the conversation.
"I was going to say 'unsettled'." Book offered. "Your move." He prompted the doctor who had been distracted by Jayne's remark. "She has seemed more aware these last few days."
"The medication is helping significantly. I'm hoping, over time, she'll be able to develop a mental shield so to speak. The medication can only do so much; she'll need to learn a degree of control herself."
"And the side effects?"
"They come and go. I could give her more medication to counteract them, make them easier to deal with, but I can't fathom she would want them." Simon sighed. "Unfortunately, treating a psychic is beyond my realm of experience."
"Ever think maybe she don't need to be treated?" Kaylee interjected.
Simon looked up from the chessboard, his brow furrowed slightly. "What do you mean?"
"Well, ya'll talkin' like she's got some kinda disease or somethin'. Ain't nothin' wrong with Riv, 'sides the fact she gets confused. I know she's your sister and all and ya worry but, seein' as how Riv's a Reader, she feels all that worry and fear. We don't mean to but sometimes we all tip-toe around her like she's made of glass. Iffin' all the time every day people are just waitin' for you to crack, sooner or later you're gonna crack."
"That's surprisingly logical." Simon blinked several times.
"All I'm sayin' is give her some room to breathe." Kaylee shrugged. "Gotta trust her and, when she feels that comin' offa ya instead of worry or fear, she's a whole 'nother person. Why ya think she's so calm with Riddick? 'Cause she knows that he trusts her. He ain't just sittin' around with one eye on her and the other hand on a needle."
"I don't sit around with a needle in my pocket, thank you." Simon lied. He felt he was entitled to; after all, Riddick was also walking around with a syringe in his pocket. He wasn't going to correct her though because that meant revealing why the needles were necessary.
"Just an example." The mechanic shrugged again. "Me and Riv spend alotta time in the engine room together and she ain't never once had a fit with me in that room. Why? 'Cause we got a job to do in there and I trust her to get it done. Serenity trusts her."
"I do trust her." Simon argued, though even he had to admit it came out as more of a whine than an argument.
"But ya spend all your time trying to fix her. Time to realize there ain't nothin' to be fixed." Kaylee pressed her point. "She's Riv, might not be exactly the same as ya remember her, but she's still Riv."
"Just got herself a whole new skill set." Jayne chuckled as he finally managed to complete a book. "Maybe she could show you a few things." He suggested to Kaylee, surprising everyone in the room. "I mean, ya'll the same size, she can show you basic defense. The way I fight won't do ya no good and, seein' as how this last run in with Niska played out, I feel a lot better if ya knew a thing or two."
"Ain't a half bad idea, Jayne." Mal said suddenly as he and Zoe entered from the foredeck hall. "I'd feel a lot better if everybody on board carried from this point on. Been thinkin' these bigger jobs Mr. U will be sendin' our way means we'll be cuttin' into the bigger crew's profits. May be a few that won't take kindly to the competition." He added as he poured himself a cup of coffee and sat down at the table.
"Been thinkin' on that myself." Jayne grunted.
"Soon as Riddick's up and movin' around, we're gonna have a little ship meetin' I think." Mal mused openly.
"Wouldn't hurt to have some Plan B's set up." Zoe agreed.
The game in front of Simon was momentarily forgotten by him. On the one hand, he could clearly see the points being made; on the other, he was still River's ge-ge. Just because she had proven she could handle herself in a fight didn't mean he wanted her anywhere near one. The bigger issue being he didn't think exposing River to even more violence was such a good idea. He remembered the night before Ariel when she had come for blood all too clearly and, while her assistance had quite possibly turned the tide on Niska's Skyplex, he couldn't help but be slightly afraid for her. What if one day she was faced with something she couldn't handle? What if one day she couldn't turn it back off? How much was too much?
"Got ourselves a Reader we ain't been usin' to her full potential. Gonna need to develop a system of codes or signals; this way the Bit can tell us when something's about to go down." Mal added, seemingly lost to his own train of thought.
"How often do you plan on taking her on jobs?" Simon tried to ask neutrally.
"As often as she's needed." Mal dismissed him. He wasn't going to get into this conversation with the doctor again. River was a grown woman, albeit slightly confused at times. She wanted to work, be a part of Serenity, not just a passenger. Mal wasn't going to deny her, not after their previous conversation. "Where is the Little Bit this morning?"
"Where do you think?" Simon snorted, perhaps slightly bitterly. He couldn't decide if it was the doctor, the brother, or the sane human being in him that didn't like Riddick. River had asked him to trust the man so he would, but it didn't mean he had to like him.
"Might consider easin' up on the man." Zoe remarked.
"Excuse me?"
"Just sayin'." The first mate shrugged. "Man took a handful of bullets for Jayne back there, stuck around when they tried to burn you and your sister, not to mention that job on Ariel. You keep thinkin' he's dangerous for her to be around but, so's far as we've seen, he's done nothin' but put her and the crew first. For a man like Riddick, that says a lot."
Simon couldn't argue the point. "I'm her brother. I'm entitled." He chose to dismiss the argument altogether and tried to refocus on the game in front of him.
*T*F*C*
Riddick wanted to talk to River about Shirah. He had successfully walled off his last vision and he knew River was curious. He could feel her probing the wall; testing for weakness but she wouldn't find any. Allowing her access to the greater part of his mind freed up the energy to effectively seal off a much smaller part. River was not pleased over the fact, but had accepted it when he had told her he would tell her, he just needed to twist it around a few times first. The truth of it was, at the moment, he wasn't really twisting anything around in his mind except for the feeling of River's hair running through his fingers. The truth of it was, he was fighting the urge to say 'fuck it all' and run into the Black with her. It wasn't really an option. He knew it. It didn't stop the thought though. Talking about taking The Company and The Alliance head-on with Book was one thing, and entirely another when River was wrapped up in his arms; when the cost of the venture was a tangible concept he could feel breath against his skin.
"Where's your brother?" Riddick rumbled against River's ear. Jayne and Wash had helped him get the hell out of the infirmary and back into his bunk for the remainder of his recovery earlier that morning. The lights were dimmed to their lowest setting and River's body was spread out across his as his fingers twisted into her braids.
"Chess." She replied distractedly as her fingers traced the lines of his bicep, savoring the warmth of his skin. Riddick felt her head shift and her heart-rate lower. The aimless wandering of her fingers turned to a series of numbers traced out against his skin. He didn't bother trying to follow them; the calculations made no sense to him anyhow. "Should the Shepherd continue along his chosen strategy, Simon will claim victory in one hour, twenty-three minutes."
River listened to the rumble in his chest with a serene satisfaction. Mother was humming, her tone matched that of Sunshine, and warmth emitted from the usually cold metal walls. It was the calm before the storm. River knew this; she felt no need to inflict the knowledge on others. Her precognition was still inactive; it was not foresight which told her trouble lay ahead. It was inevitable. There was no need for calculation.
"Thinking about talking to Mal about making some changes." He rumbled.
"Daddy's mind has already begun to travel along those trails." River replied disinterestedly.
"Creepy as hell when you call him that."
"Dao."
Riddick, quite frankly, did not feel like expending the energy on that particular topic and so he ignored it to continue along his original line of thought. "Man likes to plan as he goes; makes me itch."
"Failsafes, protocols, rally points; not just the prized birds and those that chase to be wary of. Reputation comes at a cost."
"Won't take long for word to spread that Serenity is the ship that took down Niska. Between that and that weird little shit Mr. Universe, won't just be the law looking for us now. Don't really think anyone will care to try to get blood for Niska, but we'll be stepping on a few of the bigger dog's toes once we start cutting in on the bigger jobs."
River propped her head up on her elbow to look at Riddick, an amused smile twitching at her lips. "Thought he was the biggest and the baddest in the darkness?" She teased.
Riddick smirked darkly. "Oh, I am. Doesn't mean it'll stop them from trying to make a name for themselves."
"Pride. Greed. The fall of men." River replied absently as she buried her face back against his chest.
"Had an idea, River." He mused after a few moments of comfortable silence passed between them.
"It is a viable theory." River yawned against his skin and it took Riddick a moment to recollect his thoughts.
Riddick had been toying with the idea ever since Book had brought up the fact she had shot with her eyes closed. Given River's mental capabilities, he had a feeling she didn't need more than a peek. He figured it wasn't precognition. It was more calculation. She pinned their positions and then tracked their movements as they shifted through a combination of tracing their thought patterns and calculating probabilities. If River could step into his long-term memories, who was to say she couldn't do the same with his short-term? River wouldn't have to see. As long as he could see, so could River; it all centered on how quickly see could access what he was seeing.
"It is you that cannot keep up." River muttered faintly.
It was more than loud enough however for Riddick to hear. "That so?" His voice held a dangerous, yet amused, quality to it.
"Fast like a freak." River yawned, halfway to sleep already.
Riddick gave her no warning. She let out a small shriek as he flipped her beneath him and had her hands pinned above her head. "So much for being faster and we already know I'm stronger." He rumbled darkly against her ear; his chuckle trembled down her spine making her hyper-aware of her position.
"Riddick." His name left her lips as nothing more than a whisper.
The convict purred at the sound of it. He was unaware he had ripped the IV from his arm in the process of pinning River; though had he been, it would have been just as inconsequential. He had been telling himself she wasn't fully there yet; that he had to wait, let her come to him. Those resolutions vanished at the feeling of her body bending beneath his. Her scent was shifting and he inhaled it deeply; his lips moving from ear to her jawline and from her jawline to her lips of their own volition.
"Riddick." She whispered again as he broke free for air and the low growl that rumbled through his chest caused her to forget the point she had been trying to make before he kissed her. Not that she didn't want his kisses; in fact, she very much did. It was the fact that his quick movement had not only torn out his IV but reopened his stitches and he was now bleeding on her, which she found unpleasant. "Riddick." She tried again.
"Stop talking, River. Stop thinking." He whispered to her as he felt her hesitation. "Haven't thanked you yet for saving my ass." He rumbled against her skin.
"You're bleeding." She deadpanned when he leveled his eyes on her.
Riddick froze; breaking himself free from the heady trance her scent had caused. His nostrils flared and he could smell his own blood. He hadn't felt the tear of the stitches or the IV; he was however, now brutally aware of both. "Fuck." He growled as he dropped his forehead against hers. It took him a moment to fully regain control of his senses. It was River's giggle which made him raise his head to see her clearly. "Not funny, girl." He pressed himself against her body to illustrate exactly why it wasn't funny; waves of frustration rolled from his mind into hers.
River blushed furiously as he pressed against her. She may have been naive on the actual physical act of love but she was a mind-reader. The human mind spent a considerable amount of time contemplating sex. In Jayne's case, the vast majority of its time. When Riddick rolled back off of her, she felt the loss immediately.
"Can you fix this?" He rumbled, beyond pissed off at himself. River didn't dignify his question with a response; Riddick saw quite clearly the boob look as it etched its way across her features. Riddick chose not to dignify the look with a response. "Bleeding here."
River snorted as she swung her feet off his bunk. "His own fault."
"Bi zu (shut up)." He growled as he watched her leave in a torrent of giggles. The door closed behind her and he fell against his mattress as he unleashed his own torrent of Mandarin. He made a mental note to show Jayne absolutely no mercy during their next spar. If it wasn't for the merc, he wouldn't have had the stitches and right now River would be moaning underneath of him instead of trying to snatch a suture set out from the infirmary. Fucking mercs.
/It is of value to note, had he not taken the bullets, I would not have been in his bed at all./
/Fucking Readers./
/Think quietly./
/Oh, fuck you./
/He was trying./
Her response threw Riddick completely and he barked out an audible laugh. Girl was all sorts of fun.
*T*F*C*
One Day Later
"Well, look who it is." Wash joked as he swiveled in his chair to see River walk onto the bridge. "What brings you to my humble palace at such an hour?" He asked with an exaggerated wave of his arm.
River smiled genuinely at him. "He has a gift for her."
Wash's smile faltered momentarily. "You really do take the fun out of it, don't ya?"
River shrugged. "Can't help it. Think quietly and it is harder to hear."
"Think quietly?" Wash furrowed his brow. "Like whisper my thoughts in my head?"
River nodded as she hopped up on the railing. "So many thoughts." Her voice took on a dreamy quietly. "Always. It never stops, even in her dreams she can hear them."
"Dreams, huh?" Wash stuttered nervously. He might have escaped the room on the Skyplex but a part of his mind had never left it. Every time he closed his eyes, he could feel the cold metal of the table.
"She killed him. Sleep peacefully." River said softly, though with a surprising amount of detachment.
"Hence the present." Wash said quietly. "So, quiet thoughts." He added quickly, feeling the desperate need for a change of topic. "Guess if I whisper my thoughts, the volume of the others drowns it out then?"
River simply nodded still awaiting her gift patiently.
"Think quietly. Huh, I can do that." He mused as he idly fiddled with a dial.
"Not as easy as you think. Sometimes the loudest thoughts are the ones you don't know you are thinking."
"What's it like, Riv?" Wash asked seriously.
"Loud." She shrugged. "Confusing. Sometimes she sees things, things that aren't there. Echoes. Echoes of pain are the loudest; echoes of laughter are like a breeze on the wind. Energy doesn't die, it simply goes elsewhere."
"To The River?" Wash asked.
"Yes." She fiddled with a ribbon hanging from her hair. "You never told her."
"Huh? Told who what?"
River gave the pilot a pointed look.
Clarity replaced confusion on Wash's face.
"Told you, sometimes the things we never think are loudest."
"I wasn't in the war, Riv." Wash shook his head.
"Still played for the team."
"I worked on a crew that ran black market goods. Hardly the same thing." He snorted. "Not a hero, Riv. I never joined because I didn't want to die. Didn't have it in me."
"You're her hero." River said sagely.
"Zoe's?" The pilot replied with a half hearted smirk.
The Reader nodded.
"Zo don't need a hero."
"Needs you." River argued. "You chased away the sound of the screams that never stop; you chase away the smell of old blood from her nostrils. She needs you. You brought her back the light."
Wash tipped back in his chair, thinking over River's words. "You know, you were right. She walked right into that room and, when Niska told her just one, she didn't even hesitate."
"He wishes now that he had never asked for proof. Should have trusted her."
"Yeah," Wash conceded as he fiddled with Lucy. "There gonna come a time I don't think about that room?"
"Actively, yes." River answered. "The memory will, however, always remain."
"Coulda been Zoe if we didn't have that fight."
"Shoulds, coulds, what ifs; diseases of the mind."
"Sounding awfully 'there' tonight." Wash chuckled halfheartedly, making the quotations around the words with his fingers.
"Comes and goes." She shrugged. "She is learning how to not listen to them all at once; how to channel and filter. Riddick knows how to build walls and lock doors. She is learning from his example. Compartmentalize, validate, evaluate, and assign."
"Speaking of Riddick?"
"He heals well."
"Good." Wash nodded.
"No." River added.
"Huh?" Wash looked up from the windshield.
"He won't let you ride his bike."
"Oh." Wash huffed. "Pilot never gets to have any fun." He tipped back against his chair and reached behind him; pulling out a small, poorly wrapped, wrinkled package. "Guess I really didn't need to wrap it." He added sheepishly as he tossed it to her.
"The gesture is appreciated more than can be expressed." River smiled softly as she fingered the tattered brown paper.
"You gonna open it?" Wash asked.
River giggled softly and tore open the paper to reveal an orange and purple floral printed button-up shirt. "He bought it on Persephone. Zoe never lets him wear it."
Wash chuckled. "Figured you could pull it off."
"Thank you." River's small smile rapidly spread across the rest of her face, lighting up her eyes.
"Sorry it's not a crate of apples or a brick of chocolate. No stops 'til we hit the cheater's moon." Wash joked.
"Would have been you at the top if he had not hacked into the records; you should thank him. Your story would have changed if it had not been for that."
"Suppose you're right." Wash answered absently as he swung back and forth in his chair.
"She is." River said with a soft sigh as she tugged the shirt on over her head.
"You up for a round of Dinosaur Wars?" He looked up hopefully.
"Can she play Frank?"
"Don't ya like Lucy?" Wash asked, confused.
"She is tired of being right." River sighed rather dramatically as she hopped down from the bar, "No one listens to Lucy."
"I listen." Wash defended. "I trust you, Riv. Learned my lesson."
"Teach her to fly." River asked abruptly.
Wash looked at, her slightly confused. "Do you even need to be taught?"
"She would like to listen."
Wash grinned. "Alright then."
*T*F*C*
Two days later
"This shouldn't be possible." Simon spoke more to himself than Riddick as the doctor removed the last bandage. "How is this possible?"
"Always been a fast healer." Riddick shrugged. "This mean I'm clear to work?"
"Hardly." Simon snorted as he inspected Riddick's stitches. He frowned, realizing it wasn't his work. "When did you tear these?"
"Tell it's your sister's work, huh?"
"I hate to say it but her work is neater than mine." Simon found himself smiling slightly although he wasn't exactly sure why. Simon stepped back from the infirmary bed and pulled off his gloves; tossing them into the waste receptacle, he picked up his handheld to take down some notes. "You do realize you were shot three times and lost an obscene amount of blood? I mean, I was plucking metal shards out of your muscle tissue and yet here you sit before me nearly completely healed in less than a week."
"I can count, Doc." Riddick rumbled.
"I'll let the captain know you're cleared to be up and around; no weights, no work outs, no sparring, no lifting-,"
"Got it." Riddick cut him off as he slid from the bed and pulled his shirt back over his head; wincing only slightly from the effort.
"By the looks of things, another week and you should be fine."
Riddick studied the doctor from behind his goggles as he watched him take down what seemed to him an excessive amount of notation. He was bracing himself. He was about to swallow one bitter ass pill. "Never did thank you, Doc."
"Just doing my job." Simon replied without looking up from his handheld. "If it wasn't for River though, I wouldn't have gotten there in time; not to mention, it's her blood that kept you alive."
Riddick stiffened. "What do you mean?"
Simon looked up, startled. "She didn't tell you? She's O-neg; a universal donor. Your blood is interesting, to say the least. To be honest, I wasn't even sure it would take, but it was the only option at the time."
Riddick was unsure as to why he felt so deeply disturbed over having River's blood in his veins. He wondered briefly if it was a Furyan thing; both River and Shirah had gone on and on about the importance of blood to Furyans. Hell, it was the damn Contract that had gotten him all wound up with River to start. He supposed, if he had to have anyone's blood but his own, River wasn't a bad option. Was that why Shirah had gotten so pissed? He filed it away for later, it was unimportant now.
"You know-," Simon began, "-if you really wanted to thank me, you'd let me run those tests."
"Not a chance in Hell, Doc. I'm not a guinea pig." Riddick rumbled.
"Maybe then, you'll answer another question? I did save your life and all."
"Thought that was your job?" Riddick countered with a slightly cautious quirk of his brow. He wasn't sure if he liked where this was heading.
"What are your intentions with my sister?" He asked, undeterred.
"Been through this, Doc." Riddick answered as he rolled his neck.
"And you have yet to ever answer the question."
"I'm not going to run off with her." Riddick replied as he leaned against the counter. "Maybe that was the plan at first." He wasn't at all sure why he was being so honest with the man. "Not anymore. I'm good, but I'm not dumb. Might heal quick but it won't help if I take one between the eyes."
"Still not an answer." Simon said firmly.
"You and your sister; fucking annoying as hell. Can't ever just be happy with the answer you get."
"It's a Tam family trait. Be grateful you'll never meet our parents." The doctor deadpanned. "You do realize you are more than a decade older than her and a convicted felon with violent psychotic tendencies?"
"You do realize your sister is a government-crafted psychic assassin?" Riddick countered calmly. "It ever occur to you I'm just want she needs?"
"Did it ever occur to you that a life of violence is the last thing she needs?" Simon shot back, his voice rising slightly. "How many men have you killed, Riddick?"
The convict shrugged nonplussed. He and the doctor had been having this same conversation, just with different words, for the last several weeks. "Lost count." He replied simply. "Know how many your sister's killed?" He challenged a dark smirk crossing over his lips.
Simon paled and visibly balked.
"I do." Riddick took a step closer. "Sixteen before she ever left the Academy." He took another step closer to the doc, shortening the distance between them. "First one was with a pen. Know that? Straight through the jugular. Don't get any bloodier than that. One on Canton, fourteen on the Skyplex alone. Makes thirty-one, Doc. Still think your sister's all sweet and helpless?" He rumbled.
"Canton?" Simon managed to stutter out.
"Long story, Doc," Riddick replied, the smirk faded from his lips when he spoke next. "Point is, I'll kill for her, Simon." He rumbled darkly. "Don't doubt it." His voice lowered and dripped from his lips. "I'll die for her, too." Riddick paused a moment before continuing. "I don't really give a shit what you think of me. Only person I give a damn about is River." He turned to head out of the infirmary.
"Riddick." Simon stopped him before he could leave. "I have twenty-four different meds in here that can, and will, kill you. Fourteen of those would make it slow and extremely painful. You hurt her and I swear you'll never see me coming."
Riddick threw back his head and barked out a laugh. "Might be hope for you yet, Doc."
*T*F*C*
Inara sat with River in her shuttle; both sitting on their ankles, arms outstretched and resting on their knees before the Companion's statue of Buddha. River inhaled deeply; the scent of sandalwood which drifted from the burning incense sticks was strong as her breathing fell in time with the older woman's next to her. She had underestimated Inara in the past, never looking beyond the surface of her mind; doing so now, she discovered another woman entirely. There was so much more to the Companion than her title. However, River refrained from delving too deeply. In the meditative state, it was done too easily; it felt as though it was an invasion to do so. Respectfully, River attempted to build the walls around her mind; an action, much like Reading, that was so much simpler to do in her current state than outside of it.
A soft electronic bell chimed and the Companion opened her eyes slowly; breathing in deeply several times before she spoke. "I think that's enough for today. How do you feel, River?"
River slowly opened her eyes, a soft smile gracing her face. "Balanced."
"Good." Inara returned her smile and both women rose fluidly in a startlingly similar fashion. "Tea?"
"Please." River nodded gratefully as she sat herself on the Companion's sofa. "Three cups. Riddick comes searching."
"Riddick is a tea drinker?" Inara asked with a raised eyebrow as she lit the small hot plate and placed a kettle on it.
"He will frown and wish it had something stronger in it." River answered idly.
Inara laughed lightly as she set the tea things out on the tray. "Your hair looks lovely today." She complimented.
"Thank you." River replied sincerely as she inhaled the literal serenity in the atmosphere of the small shuttle.
"You seem well today." Inara remarked causally.
River merely nodded, growing weary of people remarking that she seemed "well" or "there" or "sane", as if it was truly a compliment.
"Girl's always well." Riddick rumbled from the doorway to Inara's shuttle just as the kettle began to boil.
Inara pressed her lips together in a thin smile. "Tea, Riddick?"
Riddick frowned as he eyed the cups. "Got anything stronger?"
River and Inara exchanged a look, as Inara shook her head and poured the three cups.
"What?" Riddick asked suspiciously as he stepped inside.
"Nothing at all, Riddick." Inara dismissed him with a wave of her hand.
Riddick didn't remark further but eyed both women warily as he sat down next to River and across from Inara. "Smells in here." He wrinkled his nose. It wasn't done because it was offensive, Riddick actually enjoyed the scent of sandalwood; the expression was due more to his enhanced sense of smell which caused him to taste the incense on his tongue rather than the tea.
"Incense." Inara dismissed his complaint, used to Mal's remarks on it.
"Knew a Companion once-," Riddick began, "-former anyhow, she kept flash-bombs as incense." The convict raised a brow at the Companion.
Inara smiled coyly. "We're not helpless women."
River's head tilted to the left, her eyes glazing slightly; the action drew the attention of both Inara and Riddick.
"What is it, sweetie?" Inara asked cautiously.
River shook herself free at the sound of Inara's voice and frowned. Her frown turned to a scowl as she looked at Riddick.
"Don't like my memories, stay out of my head." Riddick smirked unapologetically.
Inara had a good idea of the memories which could be related to a former Companion and River's dark look was only further evidence of what she assumed. "Companions are trained in several different forms of self-defense." She added quickly, hoping to redirect the conversation. "Sometimes it is necessary for when a client steps out of line." She frowned slightly, remembering the one and only time she had needed it. "There are also several skills which are considered to be hobbies among the wealthy which come in use out here. Archery, for one, is a competitive sport among the upperclass."
Riddick actually looked interested now. "Crossbows?"
Inara rose and walked over to a large trunk; Riddick's eyes bulged slightly behind his goggles as she withdrew a large crossbow. "That's not exactly competition grade." He arched a brow at the woman.
"Details." Inara dismissed him lightly as she handed the weapon over for his inspection.
"You have a scope on this thing." He chuckled slightly. "Full of surprises, Inara."
River was still however frowning at Riddick. "Nandi." She spoke the name almost as though it was an accusation.
"Stay out of my head if you don't like the memories." Riddick dismissed her.
"Nandi?" Inara asked startled. "That's the former Companion you know?"
"Old friend of yours?" Riddick asked.
"Yes. Yes she is." Inara answered. "The universe is so much smaller than it seems, isn't it? River, honey, where are you going?" She asked abruptly as the young woman rose and began to leave.
River didn't answer. She merely unleashed a tangent of nearly incoherent muttered Mandarin as she stormed out.
Inara looked at Riddick with a frown. The convict looked entirely too entertained by River's display.
"Jealous." He shrugged.
"Couldn't you have made the effort to not think about Nandi?" Inara asked archly.
"Could have." Riddick shrugged as he handed her back the cross bow. "More fun this way."
"Riddick-," Inara began carefully as she returned the bow to its home, "-what are your intentions towards River?" Riddick growled slightly in annoyance. "I mean no offense. She feels rather deeply for you."
"You say that like it's a bad thing." Riddick answered her as he tensed.
"I won't lie. I don't approve in the slightest." Inara answered confidently as she retook her seat across from Riddick. "River's happiness is my only concern."
"Why?" Riddick challenged.
"She deserves it." Inara answered simply. "If anyone in this 'Verse deserves it, she does."
Riddick exhaled deeply. "I answer you; we don't ever talk about this again, dong ma?"
Inara nodded and picked up her tea cup.
"Everybody on this rutting ship always wants to talk. Always wants a fucking answer; an explanation. Never talked more in my gorram life then I do here."
"Perhaps you should think of it like this, Riddick; have you ever been around people who cared to hear you speak? Around people who thought enough of you to want to understand you? My questions aren't laced with suspicion, Riddick; they are based off of honest curiosity and a desire to understand you. River trusts you. Her gifts aside, for a girl who has been hurt as she has-," Inara paused momentarily, "-well, it inclines me to want to see what she sees."
Riddick was honestly taken aback and he swirled the contents of his cup, wishing wholeheartedly that there was something stronger in it. "If you're looking to share some kind of moment with me, Inara, its not gonna happen." He put done his cup and rose from his seat. "You want to know I'm not gonna hurt River, tell you what I just told her brother. I'll kill for her. I'll die for her. There's nothing else that needs to be said."
"I think that alone says more than you think." Inara answered knowingly. "I think you care for her very much." She added with a bit of smug satisfaction. "Don't worry-," she continued off of Riddick's tense look, "-your secret is safe with me."
"Fucking women," was the only reply Riddick could bring himself to make as he turned and stormed out of her shuttle.
Inara rolled her eyes at the convict's retreating back. "Men."
