Chapter 6

Previously… Riddick shrugged. "My type too. Just don't like to bring money into it."

"I recall," Mal nodded his understanding. "Since you seem all right with a teaching position, I hoped you'd give her a few lessons on how to use a knife? Maybe the basics of guns? Like to leave her a bit better off than we found her."

"I can do that," Riddick nodded and smirked at Mal. "You know little girls tend to get crushes on their teachers. Sure you want to risk it?"

Mal laughed, "Yeah I'll take my chances."

They all had their roles to play. Mal must have had a word with River because she and Simon put on a performance worthy of an opera with River demanding Book marry her to her brother while pretending to be pregnant with a pillow. Then she turned around and accused Saffron of being a thief. It put Mal in the position of both defending his bride and then in turn lecturing same about being a strong person who didn't skulk about and take things. Riddick had stood watching them from the lounge doorway, trying to keep a straight face the entire time.

Simon had looked completely bewildered as River emerged from the room Book had made up for Saffron with the pillow, "What's going on?"

Book spread his hands helplessly, "Seems River doesn't want me making up a bed for our young guest. Or she's starting a pillow collection. I'm still collating data."

Simon sighed, his usual worried self, "I'm sorry. I'll take care of the room—"

Before he could finish his baby sister interrupted him, "It's not important!" She looked at her brother, "Tell him."

Simon's nonplussed expression, Riddick pressed his lips together to keep from laughing, "Tell him what?"

And then River looked at Book, all solemnity, "We want you to marry us."

The Doc must have hidden talents, or he was really just that appalled by the thought of marriage to his sister, could be both, "What? We-no! What?"

Oh, his little apprentice, so reasonable and sweet… "Two by two. Everyone has a mate, a match, a dopple. I love you." Riddick turned away, biting his lip…there…a little pain, clear his head so he didn't burst out laughing

"No, River, mèi mei," Simon protested, "Of course I love you too, but we can't be married." Mortification filling his voice as he looked at Book, "She's... really crazy." Of course River took exception to that and kicked him in the shin. Riddick had to wonder if that was in the 'script' or if she was improvising. Simon certainly seemed surprised, "Ow! Āi yā I don't mean fākuáng, that's just not something brothers and sisters do. I mean on some planets, but only pretty bad ones."

Riddick found himself nearly laughing again, this was priceless, too bad he didn't have a capture, because River had a response for everything, "The captain took a wife...

Book did his best to calm the troubled waters, "Well, that's also complicated."

Simon shook his head helplessly and Riddick caught a whiff of his own amusement as he spoke to the Shepherd, "I don't know where this is coming from..."

His sister had an answer for that too, "We'll take care of each other. I'll knit." Her face fell, "You don't love me."

At that point Mal brought Saffron in, maybe to keep anyone from breaking character with giggling, because Book seemed about to chuckle. "What's going on," The Captain looked at his Doctor and the other two 'passengers'.

Doc Simon shook his head as if exhausted, "I really couldn't say."

Mal nodded to the woman beside him, "I was gonna show Saffron her quarters, did they get squared away?"

"Once upon a time..." Book sighed.

Saffron protested diffidently, "I don't need anything, I'm really just fine—"

Riddick watched as his little apprentice turned a narrow-eyed look at the buxom woman, "You're a thief."

Saffron recoiled from River's accusation, shrinking a bit towards Mal who'd put a protective hand to her back. Riddick guessed this wasn't something Mal had planned for, because he got a certain testy tone to his voice, "Well, ho, let's play nice here." He glanced at Simon, "Your sister's got some funny notions."

Simon, to give him credit, just rolled with it, "That's not untrue."

"I'm sorry..." Saffron apologized, surprising all of them as she pulled a packet of protein chips from her pocket. Riddick covered a smirk with his hand as River stuffed the pillow under her shirt while the attention was on the Captain's bride. The Triumph woman handed the packet to Mal, "I didn't know when I was to be fed, and I was afraid..."

Now Riddick heard what had sent Mal running for Inara's shuttle, "You made that fine meal, didn't eat nothing yourself?"

The curvy woman shook her head, "That was for you. Weren't but pot lickings left, so I took this for later, I didn't know she saw me."

He doubted anyone without Furyan ears would have heard River mutter to herself under Book's words, "Didn't see you..."

Book was trying to smooth things over, "Well, there's certainly no harm done..."

Mal shook his head, his expression dark, "And I'd say there is. Good deal a'harm, and it's starting to tick me off." His bride's face twisted with fear, a little overdone compared to her scent, as Mal turned her to face him, "Now, I got no use for people sneak around taking what ain't theirs."

Shepherd's tone gave dry as dust new meaning, "Yes, we frown on that here." Riddick caught River's eye and her impish grin before she straightened her face and bit the side of his mouth to keep from laughing in reaction.

The Captain had ignored the byplay, continuing on his new theme, "But what I got even less use for is a woman won't stand up for herself. Five days hence we're puttin' you in the world, and you won't last a day by bowing and sniffing for handouts." He stared at Saffron pointedly, "You want something, you take it, or ask for it. You don't wait to be told when to breathe, you don't take orders from anyone. Except me—" He added as an aside in the middle of his rant, "And that's just 'cause I'm the captain, and people take orders from captains even in the world."

He got back on the track of his initial rant, "But for the rest, damnit, be like a woman is. Not no petrified child. There's more'n seventy little earth's spinning about the galaxy, and the meek have inherited not a one. Do you understand what I'm saying to you?"

As he watched her, Saffron's posture changed slightly, her scent flared with satisfaction and Riddick frowned as she spoke, quietly strong, "I do."

Mal tossed the food packet back to her and looked over at Book, "Shepherd, would you show Saffron her room please?" He headed out of the lounge, nodding to Riddick and giving him a wink as he passed, "Next time you see her out here…those lessons I talked about." He muttered the order in a low voice and Riddick nodded.

River still had the pillow under her shirt, "Now we have to be married." She put her hands on her stomach/pillow, "I'm in the family way."

Simon's horrified look defied description and Riddick shook his head in amusement. "You two are the best entertainment I've had in years," He smirked as he moved towards River. "Gimme the pillow little girl."

She pouted but surrendered the cushion while Simon scrubbed his hands over his face, "River that's just…"

"Disturbing," River grinned at him and her brother groaned. Riddick leaned around the corner of the hall and threw the pillow at Book as he exited Saffron's room. "All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players; they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts."

The Shepherd's face was creased with humor as he caught the cushion, sobering as he turned to place it in the room and closed the door. Riddick waited until the older man was into the lounge with River and Simon before he smirked at the priest. "So…we frown on taking other people's things?"

Book shook his head helplessly, "I'd… best…" He indicated River and Simon. "Food." He got the word out without laughing, barely.

"Yeah," Riddick chuckled low in his throat. "You three'd best head up to the galley. Reassure Mal you ain't all lost your minds completely. Think that little scene might've been more than what he expected even."

Thankfully they took his advice and he retreated to the cargo bay once they were up the stairs. Time to think over everything he'd learned about Mal's wife and figure out how he'd handle her during the 'lesson'.

After about an hour Mal's bride emerged from the dorm hallway into the lounge. That gave Riddick his opening, "Hey, Saffron." He jerked his head towards the bay, "C'mere. Mal says you need some schooling."

Her timid step didn't ring true to his senses and set his teeth on edge, "Schooling?"

"Basics of using a knife," He shrugged. "Some quick and easy moves."

"I…I'm not sure that's…" She took a step back.

"Cap'n says for me to teach you. That means I teach, and you learn," Riddick folded his arms. "Mal's right. Out of all the worlds in this 'verse, the meek haven't inherited any. You go out in the world you're going to need to know some way to defend yourself."

"He doesn't wish to be wed to me," Saffron murmured.

"I don't think he wants to be wed, period, end." He shrugged at her, "Doesn't mean he won't want you taken care of. That's why he sent you on to me."

She moved closer, almost a bit too close for a girl who was supposedly shy and sheltered, "Then I'm to be wed to you?"

"I did not say that," Riddick caught himself before he growled. "Those words never left my mouth. And they never will."

"But if he asked you to take care of me, and you don't find me offensive…" She trailed off, one finger tracing her collarbone and dipping slightly to her breasts in a way that was entirely too suggestive for a girl who was supposed to be a virgin.

"Look, you're all kinds of pretty and built," He informed her flatly. "But I'm not the marrying kind. And I don't take up with untouched little girls no matter how grown they look."

"I'm not a little girl," Her eyes snapped up in affront, so a little bit of fire there, touched a nerve somehow.

"Then take Mal's advice and act like a woman," Her scent was odd, something chemical beyond soap on her skin, medication maybe? "Timid won't get you anywhere out here."

"But if you find me to your liking, and the Captain has given me to you—" She persisted in that line of thought.

"He hasn't given you to anyone," Now he was getting a little irked. "I go balls deep in a woman it's because she asked me to, sweet like."

"Sweet like…" She murmured and pressed to his side. Her body was impressive, he could admit that much. And he was damn tempted. "How would I ask you…sweet like?" Her hands were moving over his chest dipping closer and closer to his belt.

"That is a very good start," He let his hand skim down her back to rest on her hip, curious as to how far she'd take this.

"Is there…" She looked around the bay, "Somewhere not so…open?"

"You're not allowed in crew quarters," He knew better than to let her anywhere near the bridge. "But there's spare guest space. Book made you up a room."

"He showed me," Saffron smiled up at him, still acting a bit shy. "If I'm not to have my wedding night with my husband…will you give me a night I can remember, make this night what it should be?"

She was really going all out with whatever she was trying to do. This would be interesting. He nodded, "If that's what you want. I can give you a good ride, make sure you enjoy yourself." He was careful not to put his back to her as they walked back to the passenger quarters, sliding the door to her room open and following her in.

"Please," She whispered, her arms sliding up shyly around his neck and she raised her mouth for a kiss (chemical smell on her lips removed any interest he had in kissing) which he quickly deflected by rubbing his lips over her neck and give her hips a squeeze. "If I'm to be sent away…don't send me away untouched."

"Let's get these clothes off you," He began to unbutton her dress, slowly, waiting for some protest but she only let the clothing drop and shyly covered her breasts with her arms as he got rid of the rest of it. She didn't smell scared, for all that she projected timidity there was nothing fearful or nervous in her scent.

Part of him was waiting for the other shoe to drop. To find a knife, a gun, something under her clothes but all he found were ample curves and soft skin as her dress fell to the floor. His hands teased at her skin, before nudging her arms aside to slide up and cup those outstanding breasts, teasing the tips to hard little points and startling a moan out of her. His mouth, careful on her throat and cheek, finding the sensitive skin under her ear and sucking gently. A hand threading through that soft hair as he turned her head to suck harder on her neck let him know she didn't have any weapon hidden against her scalp.

A little concern, she could still be a virgin, just ready for sex and willing, and less inhibited once her clothes came off. So gentle, a little more careful than normal until he could confirm just how innocent she was. Nerves might fade away, lust could overwhelm uncertainty but physically, even a girl who rode horses and used frontier methods to deal with her cycle would still have the remnants of her hymen. That would be the true tell as to whether or not this was an act, if his hand cupping her, pushing up into her, met resistance or caused her discomfort then he'd know. Last thing he wanted was to traumatize a relatively blameless girl being used as a honeypot.

He could smell her enjoyment of his mouth and hands, and his fingers slipped between her thighs confirmed that slick warmth of her. "That's it," He put her on the bed and knelt over her, putting his mouth to those tight tits and sucking. His reward was another moan and a roll of her hips. Sliding his fingers up between her thighs and into her warm wet cunt was entirely too easy when she was supposed to be untouched. There was nothing remaining of her virginity, that tissue meant to shield her opening, or she'd have felt some discomfort; he'd have felt resistance at her entrance. And she'd have stiffened up when he put his hand between her thighs, shy and shocked, likely squirming away from a couple thick fingers pushing into her and stretching her body if she'd never been touched before. She'd have some discomfort at least.

He smirked against her skin and sucked harder as her hands clutched at his head and shoulders, little moans vibrating in her throat. No surprise in her scent either, no hesitation, nothing shy about her at all. "So hot and wet," He murmured and reached to unbutton his pants, opening them and pulling out his prick. Untouched she was not, which meant she was a liar. According to Simon's encyclopedia no girl in a maidenhouse was less than a virgin. So, she was trying to play him, and in return he was playing her.

That had been his one worry, that she was mostly innocent and caught as a honeypot playing bait to a trap. She was definitely a honeypot but innocent she wasn't. Questions answered, doubts gone and he smirked. Any guilt over what he was doing faded away, not that he'd felt much to begin with considering her behavior. Now he could pretty much enjoy himself, within certain limits, which included keeping an eye out for any hidden blades. And avoiding pregnancy. That was a big one.

That she took three of his fingers inside and his thumb massaging her clit without protest or surprise; one more clue, not that he cared much at this point. "Gonna come for me Saffron?" He growled the question against her other tit before he resumed sucking. "Got a mind to taste you later on if you're up for it." He slipped a hand between those rounded cheeks of her ass and began to open her up. Still no shocked reaction, just lust in his nose. A virgin would likely be appalled at him playing with her rear. An innocent maidenhouse virgin would be disgusted and begging him to stop.

"Āi yā…hǎo jiā huo…" She was rolling her hips against his hand as he fucked her with it. "Yes…ohh…"

Judging her close he pushed her knees back and spread her wide, settling his hips between her thighs and (after a brief moment to pull on a condom) pushed into her without slowing down. "Fuck me blind," He cursed as she took him in without even a token protest and her body flexed around him. Slowing slightly gave him a moment to adjust and look down at her, slide a hand under that curved ass and squeezed. "Take it," He growled and kept pressing forward until he could feel her slick on his balls. She moaned as he hit the end of her and he rolled his hips.

"That's it," He held her in place, gripping her ass. "Nice and tight and wet… such a hot little cunt you've got." Her lack of surprise, or appalled shock, at his coarse language was another addition to all the things that didn't fit the innocent girl from the maidenhouse mask she wore. "Gonna give you a good ride, wanna feel you come around me."

"Wǒ de mā…so… āi yā…yes…" She was arching her tits up to his mouth and he growled, sucking on them again as he began to piston in and out of her. He set a hard, almost ruthless pace, feeling her body gather tight around his and then reached down to pinch her clit so she screamed as her cunt throbbed and flooded around his dick.

"Again," He snarled and kept going, slamming his hips to hers and meeting the end of her with each thrust. He could feel her, slick and wet, getting tight around him again as he fucked her and decided to screw with her mind a little more, pulling out of her abruptly.

Her confusion was obvious, a pretty little moan of protest, nothing false or put upon about her expression or scent at this point, and he smirked, easily picking her up and putting her on her hands and knees, pushing her legs apart with his thigh, "Ever see horses go at it?" He grabbed her hips and pushed her face to the pillow, exposing her wet pussy to his eyes and cock. "You'll feel it nice and deep this way,"

She nearly screamed into the pillow as he rammed into her and if she hadn't immediately come in a flood around him he'd have worried he'd hurt her. Well, worried for a moment anyway. But it was obvious that she was enjoying his attentions, even unable to move as she was. "Unghh… so fucking hot," He snaked a hand around her body and pulled on her tits roughly. "Put your hands on your clit, play with it. You're going to come over and over before we're through."

That she obeyed told him she was either still committed to the role she'd assumed, or she wanted to do what he'd told her anyway. But he could tell her own touch wasn't doing as much for her. Pushing her hand away he began to fondle her clit roughly between his fingers, stroking up and down until she was panting and gasping. "Gonna come for me again? Hmm?"

She was braced pretty good against the bed, unable to really move, so he let his other hand wander to her tits and play with them some more. The rougher he got the better she seemed to like it. "Such a naughty little girl, fucking a gunhand instead of her husband," He growled down at her. "And you're gonna come for me again. Aren't you? I can feel your cunt getting tighter and tighter, about to squeeze me dry."

"Oohhh… yes…yes… Cāo wǒ de jǐnz hāng de yīn bù…" She was moaning into the pillow and he pulled harder on her tits before doing the same to her clit. The shriek of pleasure erupting from her mouth as she came around him was thankfully muffled by the pillow, and he groaned long and low as he came in a series of hot pulsing bursts, forcing the head of his cock into her womb and grinding into her.

Now to really shock her, and if she was anything close to an innocent this would be almost terrifying. More than anything else he'd done. Pull out, tie off and discard the used condom in the disposal at the end of the bed, and he began to rub his already hard prick between her cheeks, squeezing her ass in his hands and snaking his other hand around, pushing it up her cunt. "Now this is something I like an awful fuckin' lot…and I'll bet you come real good and hard…" Pull on another condom before he went too far.

She moaned into the pillow and he tugged on her clit, hard and ready to really plow her now, setting the head of his dick against her ass and using her own slick to lube her up, a brief plunge into her empty cunt for a little more lubrication, pull out and spread those cheeks wide, driving into that tight ass with a force that made her scream into the pillow. Inhale briefly and fuck he'd been right, she was getting hotter the rougher he got. "Oh, you like that don't you…your ass is even tighter than your cunt."

"Ohhh…please…" She moaned again and he shoved three fingers back up her slit and began to fuck her in time with the thrusts of his prick.

"Yeah, I'll get you there…you just play with those tits, let me fuck this wet cunt with my fingers…" He squeezed her ass roughly and began to fuck her harder, "Such a bad girl, letting me fuck your ass… and you like it don't you?"

She moaned something and he smacked one soft white cheek hard leaving a red palm print, "Answer me." Damned if she wasn't some kind of glutton for punishment, her cunt clenched tight around his fingers, another wash of slick.

"Yes…oh god…more…please more…" Her moaning became more clear. "Fuck me hard…"

"Oh, you're gonna get it hard," He smacked her other cheek and grinned as she shuddered. That was it, she liked it rough, liked getting spanked, needed it like this he'd bet. Rough smacks of his palm against her ass and thighs, her slit getting tighter and tighter around his fingers as he plundered her ass. "You gonna come for me again? Hmm? You can do it. I want to feel you come when I fill up this tight ass." He slammed home again and forced his fingers deeper into her cunt, bending down to growl in her ear. "Now. You'd better come for me right, fuckin' now."

She whimpered and he smacked her ass again before ramming into her once more, reached around to pull and pinch her clit again, hard and meaner than he might usually have done. That did it, she screamed into the pillow, some obscenity in Chinese and her thighs tried to clamp around his hand, her body locking around his dick as he groaned and came in a long satisfying burst of fire in her ass.

Pull out again, give her one last little pat and remove his hand from her slit. Fuck she was messy. If he hadn't used a condom she'd be even worse. She was panting and trembling, and he couldn't help smirking again as he pulled the condom off and made sure it and his DNA were in the disposal slot. And safely out of reach of her mischief. With a wicked half smile Riddick picked up her skirt and wiped his hands and body with it before throwing it on the end of the bed. Buttoning up his pants he forced his expression into a slightly gentler expression, patted her hip and gave her flushed rear a squeeze. "You get some rest now. We'll talk about your lessons with a knife tomorrow."

"Hmm…you're not staying?" She was pulling the shy attitude back on like a shawl even as the remnants of her orgasm chased over her skin and her slick dripped down her thighs. If he couldn't smell the deception on her he might have been fooled. The only honesty he'd gotten from her had been enjoyment of being fucked hard and rough.

"Got a shift on the bridge in a half hour, need to get cleaned up before then," He explained.

"Then I'll see you tomorrow?" Saffron gave him a shy smile that would have been a lot more effective if he hadn't just fucked her as like a freight train.

"Damn right," He chuckled and left the room, locking the door behind him. That would slow her down a bit at least.

"What zài dìyù de dì qī guā yuē jī zhōng do you mean you took her to bed," Mal was glaring at him so hard by rights Riddick should have caught fire. Yeah, the Chinese was likely a curse, not that he'd get a translation at the moment, judging by the man's mood.

"I'm saying that if she was actually from a maidenhouse on Triumph she wouldn't have propositioned me, wouldn't have asked me to fuck her, and definitely wouldn't have taken me with nary a blink of shock or maidenly surprise," Riddick folded his arms and leaned back in his chair. "She's a running a scam of some sort. Or I'm a complete idiot and I'm going to the special hell."

"You took her to bed," Wash was staring at him in awe. Or it could have been shock. Could go either way really.

"She asked me to take her to bed," Riddick corrected him. "Didn't squawk about me undressing her. Didn't freak about being touched, didn't flinch away from my hand between her thighs, or any other gorram thing. I did about five different things guaranteed to freak her out if she was even halfway innocent. And that was before I put her on her back. If she was even close to a virgin I'd have felt it when I pushed into her. I'd have felt it around my fingers before I even fucked her. She'd have flinched when she felt my hands. She wasn't untouched, that's for certain. Far from it I'd say. Hell, the language I used would shock any kid from a maidenhouse and she didn't even blink at it."

"How do you mean?" Zoë frowned slightly.

"Anybody who looks at me tends to think the worst," He explained. "Even if they don't exactly know what the worst is or what that means. If I were sly they'd say I was rough trade. Nobody, not even the most open-minded, kind-hearted person, looks at me and thinks, 'oh yeah he'd be gentle and careful with a virgin'. I look like a mean bastard. I'm big, not overly mannered and I wear knives like Core women wear jewelry and makeup. Hell, I pretty much am a big mean son of a bitch. But she came to me for sex. Not Simon, who would likely be gentle and careful with a supposed virgin. Not to her husband who'd proved he gave a damn about her safety at least. To me."

He let them absorb that, "Means she knew what she was getting into and she still did it. And I made damn sure she knew I was an uncouth bastard. Language and all. She still enjoyed every minute of it. Likely thinks she'll be able to lead me around by the dick from now on. Only time she smelled annoyed was when I wouldn't kiss her. Some chemical smell on her lips…odd…I couldn't place it." He shook his head, "I got no idea what her game is. But whatever it is, she is not the shy, sweet, sheltered bride she's pretending to be."

"How'd you know she wasn't faking," Zoë folded her arms, still distinctly un-thrilled with him.

"Can't fool my senses," Riddick smirked. "I can smell lust, fear, nerves… everything people feel changes their scent. Thousand little tells even the most expert Companion can't help but give away. Damn hard to lie to me straight up. Heart rate, how someone reacts to my touch, even the sound of her voice. She doesn't have a clue who I am, probably thinks I'm as easy to manipulate as Cobb; figures she's got me hooked like a fish."

"Well the engine room is locked down," Mal still seemed a little disturbed by what he was hearing. "You had to take her to bed to prove it?"

"Mal, what kind of mixed message does it send that when I thought she was untouched I'd take her to bed, but when I figure out she's not, I back off? It would've completely given away that I was trying to figure out her game. No ignorant son of a bitch like she thinks I am turns down sex." He considered a minute and shook his head. "Hell, I don't know any unmarried man who'd turn down sex unless his life was in danger, and sometimes not even then. Sometimes even being married doesn't stop 'em." He snorted derisively as he recalled some of the idiocy he'd witnessed in his life. "And I checked Simon's encyclopedia. Even if she is from Triumph, she's not from the maidenhouse. She couldn't be."

"He's got a point sir," Zoë nodded. "I'd say we might think about locking down a few more places. Say the spare shuttle?"

"It's a good notion," Mal agreed. "Don't want to give her the idea we're onto her game, especially as we're really not. And if she's dangerous I'd rather not make targets out of Book, River and Simon sleeping not five feet away from her."

"I'll get on that," The First Mate left the bridge. Mal left a few moments after her, hopefully to warn Inara that his blushing bride was a con artist of some sort.

Wash looked at him again, "You really had sex with her?"

Riddick couldn't help chuckling, "Yeah. First piece of trim I've had in about six months. Too bad I kept expecting her to slice at me. Might have been more fun if I wasn't wondering what she'd try if my guard slipped."

"You've had a rough day," Wash told him faux sympathetically. "You're not on the bridge for six hours, get some rest."

"I just might," He chuckled and headed to his bunk.

Dreams were always odd, tangled memories, things he didn't recall seeing but somehow his mind stored away. He always woke abruptly, from sleeping to awake in a half second (it had kept him alive more than once), but this time he was greeted with flashing lights and an eardrum-piercing alarm.

Pulling on a pair of pants and stomping his feet into boots took a half second and he climbed out of his bunk, shirt in hand, to see Kaylee coming out of hers across the hall. Zoë was holding a half unconscious, thoroughly dazed Wash while Jayne was trying to get into the bridge. Everyone was talking at once, "Baby wake up... He's bleeding..."

"There's nobody in there—"

"What's goin' on?"

He'd barely gotten the craziness of that ensemble in his brain when Inara came charging down the hall and slammed Mal's bunk open, climbing down without a word to anyone else. "Jīdū zài guǎi zhàng shàng." One of the few Chinese curses he knew well came to his lips easily as he viewed the chaos.

He sighed as he heard her calling Mal's name frantically and walked over to the open hatch, "He all right?

"Get the doctor! Mal's hurt... he..." As he watched her she began to sag and turned to look at Mal, "Oh, you… stupid son of a—" She didn't even get the rest of the curse across her lips before she passed out.

He sighed, "Right." He turned to look at the rest of them. "So, I guess, despite me telling you she was up to no good, Saffron still managed to get one over on us?"

Wash winced as he woke up, befuddled and defensive, "Hey…I was shutting the door to the bridge when I got a boot to the head."

"Great," He helped the man up. "Go sit over there. Kaylee, go get Simon if he's not already on his way up here."

He and Cobb were, for once, working together to get the bridge door open. With both of them pulling it was pretty obvious it wasn't just locked. "Go get the blowtorch Cobb, we'd have busted through if it was only locked."

Again, for once, the merc didn't argue, heading back to the engine room and returning at a trot with the blowtorch, firing it up just as Mal and everyone else climbed out of the Captain's bunk. Apparently clown-cars had nothing on Mal's cabin. Kaylee explained to the rest of them as he pulled down his goggles and pulled at the door to expose whatever it was for Cobb to burn through. "She didn't just lock it, she fused it to something. Both entrances."

"Why the big act? What the hell was she after?" Mal's dazed expression made it obvious he was still groggy.

"Besides molesting innocent captains?" Book looked at him pointedly.

"You wanna stow it, preacher? We're in some peril here," The Captain had a valid point dazed and confused or not.

Zoë was frowning, "If she can fly this thing why just take Inara's shuttle?"

Wash shrugged as Simon joined them, "Maybe she likes shuttles." Riddick gave him the same look Mal gave him and the pilot shrugged again, "Some people juggle geese..."

River appeared at his elbow, "I told you." She looked at him, her lips compressed into a thin line, "She's a thief." This'd be funny if it wasn't so badly timed.

"Later," He growled. "You can have a fit later."

"He is a libidinous fèi fèi gāng mén," River folded her arms and added. "Hào sè de lǘ zi." If he couldn't tell from her posture, her scent would have informed him of her severely pissed attitude. Irritating, but not as irritating as the twinge of guilt in his gut. He hadn't even killed anyone. Fucking an experienced woman who'd been proven up to no good didn't even hurt anyone.

Why the hell he gave two shits what a skinny little girl thought of him… He snarled and pulled at the door again and was rewarded with the scream of metal tearing as the blowtorch and sheer force finally succeeded in getting it open.

River had, unbelievably, backed him into a corner of the bridge and her pointy little finger was jabbing him in the chest. "He has behaved badly," She informed him.

"Grown man. Grown woman," He reminded her as he jerked his chin at her delicate form. "Child."

"Yāo jing, evil woman," She translated with a frown and ignored his point. "He could have been hurt."

"Take more than a lying bitch like her," He took her hand and examined her knuckles. She'd been climbing through the vents again. "You've been following her?"

"Nothing else to occupy her," She was almost pouting. "Had to keep the crew safe. In vain."

"Yeah well, we both did our best. Think you're gonna have plenty to do for a while," He nodded towards Kaylee and Wash who were lying under the console looking up at the wiring.

"She's a pro," Kaylee sounded almost admiring.

Wash nodded, "This is a masterful job of muck-up. See how she crossed the drive feeds—"

"Yeah huh—" Kaylee agreed.

"So we even try to reroute it'll lock down," The pilot whistled, "Huī huáng."

Kaylee was pointing something else out, "And she went straight for the thermal cap!"

"Yeah… yeah! We are so humped!" Wash nodded.

"I'm glad you two are having a good time under there," Mal interrupted a bit testily, but it was his ship that was humped. "You wanna tell me what's going on?"

River turned and looked at the Captain, flat-voiced, matter-of-fact, "O that men should put an enemy in their mouths, to steal way their brains. You are attached to another object by an inclined plane, wrapped helically around an axis."

Well of course Mal had no idea what she was saying, "Huh? You wanna say that in plain old Captainy speak?" River rolled her eyes at him and turned her attention back to Riddick with a glare.

Riddick had mentally worked his way through River's little quip and nearly chuckled in spite of the situation, "Mal, she just told you that you're screwed. In her own unique way."

"We are very, very humped," Wash agreed.

"You wanna progress to the making it right?" Mal directed his attention back to the pilot.

Riddick sighed as their heads tilted to look up at the rest of them and turned River around so she could look at the console. "Work on that."

River sat down next to Kaylee and looked up at the wiring with a thoughtful expression on her face. "Expert job," She frowned.

Wash and Kaylee poked their heads out, with Wash giving everyone the bad news, "That's not gonna happen for a good long while, Cap'n."

"We don't have a good long while," The Captain reminded them pointedly. "We could be headed straight into a nice big solid moon for all we know so how's about you get to work?"

"Hey! You're the one whose big make-out session got us into this, sir," Kaylee snapped at him.

"I was poisoned," Mal snapped back.

"You were drugged," Inara rolled her eyes.

"That's why I never kiss 'em on the mouth," Jayne's pronouncement put a horrified halt to the conversation, such as it was.

"Told you, smelt something chemical on her mouth," Riddick reminded Mal. "And how she was annoyed I wouldn't kiss her? I wasn't just talkin' out of my ass you know. Got no doubt she would have tried the same on me. Not that it would have worked."

"Why…why wouldn't it have worked?" Inara blinked at him.

"Faster recovery times," He shrugged. "Goes with dialed up senses, strength and reflexes. Just part of what I am."

Cobb's mutter of, "Tā mā de freak," Was easily ignored, even if River did slant a glare towards the merc.

Mal, thankfully, returned his focus to important matters, "Well, what can you do?"

"Give us some time," Wash rubbed the back of his neck. "We could get the cortex and navcom back online, at least see where we're headed."

Mal nodded, "That's fine, except for the part where I give you some time. What about steering?"

"What about stopping?" Inara added.

"She humped us hard." The shorter man frowned, "We're gonna have to do a lot of—"

"Do it," Mal didn't bother to let him finish. "It doesn't help me to see where I'm going if I can't change course."

Kaylee was still examining the hatchet job, pointing things out to River, "The girl really knows her ships."

"That's not all she knows. She's well-schooled," Inara added.

Riddick nodded, "She's got as many faces as I've got shivs. I'd say she's been trained."

Simon looked intrigued, "You mean the sedative? The Goodnight Kiss?"

It was funny watching Inara fumble around a lie, Companion or not, she was still human and he knew a lie when he heard one, "I only hit my head but Mal... went through that but no, I mean seduction, body language, signals... she had training. As in Companion, as in Academy."

"That'd explain a lot," Riddick mused. "Not many women can deal with acting innocent and still making a seduction attempt. And she was doing very well."

"Our little Saffron's quite a wonder," Book commented. "I'm beginning to think she married beneath herself."

Riddick listened with half an ear as Mal and Inara went back and forth about Saffron, crouching next to River half under the console. Sounded like Mal hadn't had much of a chance at resistance, being asleep when the bitch got into his bunk and climbed on top of him. "Anything I can do?"

"Find us three new boards, wiring and a way to fix all this without shorting out the rest of the ship?" Wash requested whimsically.

"Sure, I'll just pull all that out of my ass, and while I'm at it, I'll shoot pigs out of the sky so we've got fresh bacon for breakfast," He rolled his eyes.

"But she was naked, and all articulate... I weren't even awake proper-like," Mal was protesting and Wash had enough of the distraction.

"Okay. Everyone NOT talking about their sex lives, in here. Everyone else, elsewhere."

"Rick, find me a splicer," Kaylee requested. "Jayne, go down to the engine room and get my tool kit."

Riddick rummaged through the tools until he found it, handing it off to Kaylee as Jayne took off. Book sat in the navigator's chair and regarded them thoughtfully.

Wash sighed, "Do you really think we have a hope in hell of fixing this?"

"Not by talking 'bout it, darlin'," Kaylee informed him grimly.

"She has an idea," River told them. "But as her education in engineering is incomplete, unsure as to the feasibility of the solution

"We will take any idea at this point," Wash told her as they opened the rest of the panels under the console. "Even bad ideas."

"Go dark," River replied. "Turn everything off. Even life support. Enables repairs without the possibility of overload or lockdown."

"Deliberately put the ship on the drift," Kaylee thought about it, tilting her head and tapping her chin.

"That is drastic," Wash agreed.

"Problem is we'd lose heat and we'd slow down as we worked," Riddick reminded them. "But…it isn't a bad idea."

"What about cutting power to the entire bridge," Book suggested. "River's notion is sound; without power you'd be able to work on the problem without the overload issue."

"And we cut the engines manually," Wash looked at Kaylee. "If we can throttle back even a bit, it gives us more time."

"Rick, Book, come with me," Kaylee pulled herself out from under the console as Jayne came back in lugging her toolbox. "Jayne, put that down and start pulling the panels off the walls by the stairs to the armory. We need to cut the power."

Riddick nodded, "River, remember, Wash is the boss."

"Pilot man is in charge of the girl's education." River agreed, narrowing her eyes at him. "Riddick is still a lecherous hump. Yù wàng chōng mǎn de lǘ zi."

"Yeah, tell me something I don't know," He shook his head as he followed Kaylee.

It took more time than any of them liked but they managed to make some progress. The screens came to life with a crackle, "Yes!" Wash nearly yelled.

Riddick helped River out from under the console so Mal didn't step on her. Book and Jayne were putting the panels back on the wall, temporarily for now so that no one would trip over them.

Mal ran onto the bridge not two seconds later, "You got it?"

Wash made a so-so motion with his hands, "We got life. We got screens. It's a qualified 'yes'. A partial."

"What about nav control?" Mal looked down at Kaylee who sat up under the console, miserably shaking her head. He looked back at Wash, "So where are we headed?"

Wash was still working on the screens, "Coordinates she entered... we're headed for something and it's not too far..."

Riddick frowned; he was getting a sinking feeling in his gut. Beside him, River put her hand on his arm, her fingers chilled and her face still and set with worry. That soft voice whispered beside him, "This is why you'll never be in charge, Breed. You don't see the whole. The parts are crap but you put 'em together, you got a Firefly. Thing will run forever, they got a mechanic even half awake…Some people ain't looking for flash. She's a good catch. She comes our way, you prep the nets." He looked down into those dark eyes and at Wash working the console. This was so very, very bad.

"Did she signal anyone?" Mal was looking down at the screens.

"Děng yī huìr..." Wash began tracking the outgoing transmissions. "She did. Same coordinates, no I.D."

Cobb looked confused, "Who's out there..."

"Let me see if her signal wave can translate to a visual, there might be a—" The pilot stopped short. "Āi yā. Heavy ionization, electrical interference bouncing the signal all... look at that... It's like a circle."

The sinking feeling in his gut combined with River's odd words (not even in her own accent now that he thought about it) suddenly made a helluva lot of sense. From the look on his face Mal knew exactly what it was. He and Book exchanged looks. Not so surprisingly Book knew too. "It's a net."

Jayne was still clueless even with Mal's explanation, "I don't get it. Where are we headed?"

Book's voice was heavy, "The end of the line."

"'Will you walk into my parlour?' said a spider to a fly; ' 'Tis the prettiest little parlour that ever you did spy. The way into my parlour is up a winding stair, And I have many pretty things to show when you are there.'" River murmured in a sing song tone as she stared at the screens, "She is the spider and that is her web." Riddick couldn't disagree with that assessment. It was certainly accurate.

The look on Cobb's face told everyone that he still didn't get it. Book looked at him and began to explain, "It's a Carrion House. Scrap shop, takes ships, pulls 'em apart or fixes 'em up."

Wash remained optimistic, "Doesn't sound that scary..."

River's head shook slightly, and she pressed against Riddick's side as Mal explained, "That pattern you're looking at is a net. We fly into that we're more than helpless. It'll turn the ship into one big electrical conduit, burn us all from the inside out." Riddick rubbed a hand up and down her back, the girl felt almost frozen.

Book added, "Some of the newer ones'll just hold you, then the scrappers'll override the airlocks, pull the Oh-two, or just gas you. They're not looking to deal with…survivors."

Cobb occasionally had a glimmer of intelligence, "One day you're gonna tell us all how a preacher knows so damn much about crime."

The Captain looked at his mechanic, "Kaylee."

She nodded, "I'm trying, sir, and River's helpin', but..."

"Well, you stay on it. We can't fall into that net," He looked around the bridge, "We need a plan B."

Riddick nodded, "Got something I think could work." He smirked slightly.

"Yeah?" Mal looked at him, "Be happy to hear it."

"Most powerful weapon on the boat is his Callahan," He nodded towards Cobb. "Won't fire without atmosphere though."

"So?" Cobb rolled his eyes.

"So, I make a point of not rendering myself helpless when I'm stuck out in the Black, especially when I'm on a ship without guns," Riddick sneered at him. "I've got a case. Should fit around the Callahan."

"Go get it," Mal ordered and hit the comms, "Zoë, get our suits prepped, now." He looked at the rest of them, "I figure we got one shot at this. Wash, get me a visual as soon as we're close."

"Won't be long..." Wash told him grimly.

The suit was something of a tight fit, but it would work well enough for what he had in mind. Wash's voice sounded on the comm in the suit, "We are two minutes out..."

"What are you doing?" Simon stared at him as he and Book worked on his encyclopedia, attaching it to the ship's cortex so they could use it as a visual aid.

"They're going to shoot at the ring," Riddick told him. "That case should hold for at least a dozen shots. I've got a plan C."

That caught Mal's attention, "Yeah? Mind sharin' that with your Captain?"

"Wrath," Riddick growled the word out. "I'm gonna launch myself off Serenity and fry that net with the Wrath. It tends to have a…sideways effect on machinery if I'm pissed enough."

"If you're pissed enough," Mal gestured towards the net and their imminent doom. "There's some question?"

"No… No, not really," Riddick nearly snarled. "People trying to kill me usually does the trick." He could already feel that energy welling up with his fury.

Simon held out the encyclopedia, "Here. We got it."

Jayne frowned down at the image of the ring, "What am I aiming for. The window?"

Mal shook his head, "That might kill some folk, but it won't disrupt the net. See these six points where it's brightest? Those're the breakers. Hit one and it should short it out."

"What do you mean, should?" Cobb sounded more than a bit alarmed.

"Should," Riddick elaborated for the idiot. "Meaning there's no fuckin' guarantee."

He frowned and helped Mal muscle the door open until the lack of gravity outside the ship let it float out of their hands with the momentum. "Right… Mal, put that tether on me, would you? I have to step outside to make this work. Don't want to short out Serenity."

"Any notion as to what we should expect," Mal asked as he clipped the safety strap to the metal loops on the suit.

"Freakish blue light, energy waves, you remember when we found out about River's implants," Riddick recalled the hot blue light that had exploded out of his chest. "First time it happened I passed out, fried some of the controls nearby, knocked out the guards around me with the energy wave. Killed a few of them."

"So be ready to reel you back in," The Captain got the gist pretty well. "Well we should see pretty quick if shooting the thing works."

Cobb had gotten himself braced pretty well with the gun, and as they got close took aim, "You see it?" Mal asked the merc.

"Clear as day," He nodded. "You see Vera? You dress yourself up, then you get taken out somewhere fun."

Riddick watched as the merc aimed, the net lighting up as the ship approached, and fired a good solid six large caliber bullets at the circuit. "Shit."

"Well, last ditch effort here," Mal nodded at him and he pushed his way out of the ship and floated, thankfully out of the line of fire as Cobb kept doggedly shooting at the circuit.

'This mark…carries the wrath of an entire race…but it's going to hurt…' Shirah's voice echoed in his mind, his blood heating as the energy built up.

'Why do you do this thing…'

'Who do you protect…'

'Why do you fight…'

'What will you destroy…'

'What do you allow to live…'

'What do you love…'

'What mercy would you give…'

'Who will you save…'

They were getting too close… he could almost feel the electricity prickling through his skin…no… He became the electricity, shaking with it, a soundless roar rising in his throat as power burst through him.

A tug on his body, pulling him back, blood pounding in his ears…try to stay awake Riddick, don't lose consciousness… too late… exhaustion and darkness dragged him under.

Author's Note: So… anyone see that coming? In a couple of my stories we had Riddick circumvent Saffron's tricks and keep the ship out of the net. I wanted to try something different this time. For clarification, in case folks were wondering about Riddick's salty language, he doesn't speak Chinese fluently. He's from the Outer Systems where it isn't as common. So, most curses and day to day language the crew uses he goes by their tone or waits for them to translate.

He is also an escaped convict and as such, I don't see him using genteel language during sex. Even once he learns Chinese I don't see that changing much. Let's face it, when the blood flow heads south higher brain function like translating tends to fall by the wayside. One of my favorite Robin William's jokes is 'God gave men a penis and a brain, but only enough blood to run one at a time'. Not that women can be much better, but it's a good joke all the same.

Chinese Translations:

mèi mei (little sister)

Āi yā (interjection of wonder, shock or admiration)

fākuáng (crazy)

hǎo jiā huo (my God! / oh boy! / man!)

Wǒ de mā (My mother! Mama mia! Similar to "Oh my God!" in usage.)

Cāo wǒ de jǐnz hāng de yīn bù (fuck my tight pussy)

zài dìyù de dì qī guā yuē jī zhōng (in the seventh sphincter of hell)

Jīdū zài guǎi zhàng shàng (Christ on a crutch)

fèi fèi gāng mén (baboon's asshole)

Hào sè de lǘ zi (lecherous jackass)

Yāo jing (evil spirit / alluring woman)

Huī huáng (splendid / glorious)

Tā mā de (fucking)

Yù wàng chōng mǎn de lǘ zi (lust filled jackass)

Děng yī huìr (Wait a moment! / after a while)

Quote Sources:

All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players; they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts. – As You Like It – William Shakespeare

O that men should put an enemy in their mouths, to steal way their brains – Othello – William Shakespeare

You are attached to another object by an inclined plane, wrapped helically around an axis. - The Graduation Transmission – The Big Bang Theory

'Will you walk into my parlour?' said a spider to a fly; ' 'Tis the prettiest little parlour that ever you did spy. The way into my parlour is up a winding stair, And I have many pretty things to show when you are there.' - The Spider and the Fly - Mary Howitt