Chapter 16
Previously…Riddick nodded, "Well she seems to have gotten through it without killing anyone. Or with any of the crew trying to kill her."
"We did," Her brother shook his head. "Be glad you weren't here to overhear some of the 'conversations' she and Kaylee had. Or the weeping rants that none of her clothing fit. Or how ugly she looked. I seriously wanted to put in earplugs."
Riddick couldn't help chuckling, "Yeah…think I'm growing more and more glad about that the more I hear."
Mal's presence on the bridge came as a surprise when Riddick went on shift but not much of one. Mal had a love for the Black that rivaled that of born spacers. Maybe because it and Serenity were all he had. Or maybe because he, like Riddick, equated the Black with freedom.
"Comin' up on Oberon," Mal kept his voice low, a kindness considering the sensitivity of Riddick's ears. "Been thinkin', better we don't sell the drugs right away. Lay low a bit until we hear if there's any blowback from the heist."
"Makes sense," Riddick nodded. "Kinda screams 'guilty' if we show up selling pharmaceuticals a week after you knocked over the hospital."
"That'd be my thinking. So we wait," The Captain considered the Black of space before him for a moment. "So on Oberon, drop the cargo we got… then we gotta find some work. Had somethin' lined up but seems to have fallen through. We don't do a lot of business on Oberon."
"Think it'll be a problem?" Riddick took ran his regular system checks as he took his seat.
"Might could, we don't find work quick enough. Need to fuel the ship and crew, find a way to keep flyin'," Mal stood. "I'll put some thought into it."
Riddick nodded his response, "There'll be something, always is." He sat back in the chair, routine corrections of the auto pilot done and did his best to put thoughts of a certain pale skinned brunette out of his mind.
He managed to avoid thinking of River until he was off shift and in his bunk. But when the hatch creaked open and the ladder slid down bringing those legs and ass and that gorgeous fuckin' scent it was hard to keep his thoughts off her.
One of Kaylee's shirts, no bra to judge from the pebbled tits poking through the thin fabric and the old limp skirt he'd seen his little protégé wear a dozen times before. "He has said she may meditate here," Damn that voice, husky and sweet.
"I did. Didn't mean when I was in the bunk," He muttered. Transfixed, he couldn't move when she came closer and knelt at the end of the bed between his legs.
"His thoughts and dreams wash over her, like waves in an ocean of bliss," That beautiful dark mouth parted for her tongue to lick over her lips and she moved forward, straddling his hips. Pale hands, soft on his skin, sliding up his chest to caress his muscles before she bent and began to kiss where she'd touched. Fuck he could smell her, wet and hot between her thighs and he had to see.
"Take those fuckin' clothes off," He growled and she simply smiled and continued to kiss his chest. His hands caught the hem of the skirt and pulled, ripping the thin fabric up to her waist and exposing those slender legs and with another jerk it was on the floor, her stomach, hips and pussy on display for him, dark curls slick over her cunt.
He always had a shiv nearby, didn't care that she'd have to borrow his clothing in order to leave, (wanted that, the claim of his clothing on her body and seen by the entire crew) sliced up the front of her shirt and pulled the damn thing off her. "Fuckin' beautiful," He groaned and sat up to pull her closer, lifting her to put her tits at a level with his mouth so he could suck the wrinkled tips. A hot gasp of shocked pleasure as his lips surrounded the sensitive flesh and he began to suck, hot pulls of his mouth on her tits as her hands gripped his shoulders and scalp in an unspoken plea for more.
Wrap one hand in her hair, tug and arch her spine, pushing her tits up to his mouth while the other hand found her slick tight cunt and pressed two fingers in, his thumb finding her clit. Fuck, so hot she'd burn him, mewling and gasping his name as he sucked on her breasts, back and forth until she writhed and begged for more.
"Mine," He growled the order and pulled his dick out of his shorts, spreading her over it, reveling in her moan as the head began to probe and stretch her channel. Clinging, tight, balls aching to spend in her as he gripped her hip and ass and pushed her down to meet his thrust upwards.
Tight, hot, so fucking wet, and he put her on her back, pushing one thigh up so her knee met her shoulder and ground his hips to hers, bottoming out inside her as she shuddered and writhed under him. Suck on that slender neck, mark her with his mouth, find those pretty tits again and roll his hips to hers, every movement dragging her clit up against his pubic bone.
"My woman," He snarled as she began to quake under him with a wail of his name as he pounded into her. So tight, he was never going to stop fucking this woman, wanted to see her come for him over and over, so close… fuck…
The alarm jolted him out of what he hadn't even realized was a dream and he growled as he realized he'd been humping the goddamn mattress. Less than five minutes of fantasizing how she'd feel coming around his cock and he was done.
And goddamnit this was ridiculous. He'd left his sweaty stupid teen years behind decades ago (more or less).
Well he was up now. Time for another shift and the accompanying mental debate about River Tam and what he wanted to happen between the two of them.
"If we didn't have bad luck we'd have no luck at all," Wash quipped dryly as they all trooped through Theseus to a bar Mal knew of close to the docks.
Riddick privately agreed with him, though he didn't think saying so aloud would endear him any to Mal. The Captain had been running hither and yon for the last two days trying to find a job, even a little job. Oberon wasn't exactly backwater but it wasn't thriving with export business. If he thought they'd have any better luck he'd suggest the capital, but the only thing Titiana might have more of than Theseus was city blocks and people.
They'd all split up, except for three of the four fugitives who'd remained on the boat, looking for work, any work that would pay more than a pittance to get off planet. Mal had split them into teams, Jack with him, Zoë with Wash, Book, Jayne and Kaylee together. The longer the boat stayed the more expensive the dock fees so finding work sooner than later would be best. And every single member of the crew had come back with nothing to show for their efforts. Inara had appointments booked for the last couple days so she'd been in a good mood. And she'd promised to keep an ear out for any jobs for Serenity but so far she hadn't waved with anything. Though Kaylee and Jayne had made a respectable amount of pocket change fixing some machinery while they'd looked. The good relations they'd developed might pay off someday. Just not today.
River had offered to cook for them, so they'd have a meal when they returned, triumphant she'd added, probably to give them confidence. But that had made Mal and Zoë look more alarmed than anything. Riddick guessed that adult though she looked, there were somethings River had yet to learn, protein cooking being one.
His offer to make the meal and teach River and Simon while he did it had been received with a healthy dose of skepticism. His pointed reminder of several meals he'd made, with Book helping and without, and no one had died of food poisoning or unhappy taste buds yet, had Mal reconsidering. So when the crew (and Book) returned, a distinct lack of triumph in their postures, they'd at least had a decent meal.
Simon had done his best to help by scouring the cortex for contacts to whom they might sell the drugs they'd purloined and had come up with one or two possibilities. River had decided to keep him company in the galley, learning how to cook a bit more. By the time they were done and the crew returned (again, not victoriously, sad to say) Inara was able to join them for the meal. Though she did decline to accompany them to the bar. He guessed if she'd had to deal with people all day that a little solitude would be more restful to her than a drink in a crowded tavern.
Mal had been ready to get his back up at the refusal until Riddick had pointed that out to him. Then the Captain had changed his tune a bit. Leastways they hadn't gotten in another fight right before they went out, so Mal wouldn't start trouble just to get his frustrations out. Not that fights couldn't be fun. Riddick had a helluva good time sparring with River. More than he was entirely comfortable with if the truth had to be known.
Riddick had to admit as they walked towards the bar, Browncoat friendly, or so Mal recalled, that River had grown up damn gorgeous. His little apprentice didn't quite fit that description anymore. Just like Jack, she'd matured, and those slender curves and long legs were quite a distraction. Not so distracting that he didn't feel the hand trying to pick his pocket though.
A hard grip on the wrist, half turn to glare at the would be thief, and the pickpocket thought better of raising a fuss. Ahead of him Mal had done the same though he'd grabbed hair and scruff of the neck to stop his thief, taking his wallet back at the same time. Not completely unexpected, the bigger the city the more likely thieves were about.
"Well that makes a man thirsty," Mal commented as they drew closer to the bar, the Space Sprocket.
"Would like to learn," River announced quietly.
"What, how to make a lift," Zoë turned in question and River nodded.
"Could be helpful."
"We'll see about some lessons," The First Mate nodded, and Riddick's little apprentice grinned with pleasure. And anything that kept her mind occupied and sharpened her fine motor skills was good. He might even sit in and see if he could learn a thing or two himself.
"All right let's stow that conversation until we're back on the boat," Mal ordered as they entered the bar.
Riddick had heard what seemed like an inordinate amount of noise even for a bar before they'd walked in, but even he hadn't figured on walking into a fight. "Oh for f—" With an effort he switched to Chinese, "Wèi le cào yuán gù," He cursed. "We can't even walk into a damn bar without finding trouble." In an effort to not stand out he'd been trying to cuss in Chinese but correcting his first impulse wasn't easy.
Mal seemed to be in agreement with the sentiment as they stood just inside the door, staring at the altercation. It appeared to consist of an older man, likely with twenty years on Mal at least, swinging a barstool to keep three much younger men at bay. The crowd the crew stood behind wasn't doing much to stop the fight, catcalls and encouragement seemed to be the order of the day.
"Sir," Zoë had noticed something and from his response Mal had too.
"Yep, I see it too," He pushed his way through the crowd, the crew following him with a combination of reluctance, worry and excitement.
"Hey, a tussle," Cobb observed in his usual intelligent (not) fashion.
"So we see," Riddick retorted. Three against one, coward's odds really. And three younger, fitter men, space-going sailors by the clothes they wore. But of the four combatants the three younger men seemed the worse for it. The older man had a split lip but the other three had bruises and blood. "Mal, what're we lookin' at?" Clearly the Captain knew something he didn't.
River was the one who enlightened him, and the others who didn't understand Mal and Zoë's sudden interest in fisticuffs they weren't personally involved in. "Theodore Harold Edmund Fox," She tilted her head. "The Black Fox. Independent. Most effective commerce raider of the war."
That answered that and he looked at her for a moment before looking at Mal, "Cap'n?"
He'd nearly gotten a reply when the biggest of the spacers noticed the crew and snarled, "This ain't none of ya'll's affair! This liú kǒu shuǐ de biǎo zi hé hóu zi de bèn ér zi done took my Pop's boat and cost my family everythin'! I figger it's time for a reckonin'! Ya'll keep movin' an' none of ya'll will get broke!"
"Mal," Riddick growled. "You want this taken care of or not?"
"If you feel like a little exertion," The Browncoat tipped his head. "Don't expect they're up to your usual standard."
"Oh they ain't," Riddick smirked at the three spacers. "You want 'em dead or just broken?"
"Let's avoid the lawman shall we?" Zoë put in. "Rather than take another planet off the list."
"Just makes it more fun," He glanced at River. "Pay attention. I haven't put you up against more than one opponent, so this'll be useful. We can work on practical application back on the boat."
Her dark eyes dancing with mischief and amusement belied the respectful nod of her head, "She will pay close attention to her esteemed teacher." Smart ass little girl, taking the mickey out of him and even as he had the thought her eyes narrowed, "Not a little girl."
Damn, he liked the scent of her when she got that look in her eyes. Not a little girl, like he could fucking avoid noticing that ass, those legs and those tits…and that luscious mouth. Diving into the fight and putting himself between the old man and the three young bucks seemed like common sense. It might just divert the blood trying to drain to his dick back to his brain. He hoped River really did pay attention because this wouldn't last more than five minutes at the most.
Dodge the first blow, sweep the legs out from under spacer number one. Spacer number two coming from behind, trying pin his arms. Grab spacer number two by the scruff and shoulder, and pull him off his spine, over the shoulder, slam him to the ground and leave him winded. Duck the kick of spacer number three and grab his ankle, upend him and push. Down. Just in time for number one to launch himself at Riddick again. Give him a solid push backwards, let him stumble a second.
He could have kept going for a while, until his opponents got tired. But that would just draw more attention. Number two hauled himself to his feet and both he and number one tried a rush at Riddick. Take the jab to the jaw and return it with interest, bone crunching under his knuckles. Number one's jaw, definitely fractured, and he was also likely concussed. He stayed down when he fell. Number two swung wildly, step back, duck, punch hard, once, twice to the ribs, and a final to the belly, doubled over, number two went down.
Number three had finally climbed to his feet, pulling a knife, just to make things interesting maybe. Restraint. Don't pull a shiv of his own. Lock his hand around the wrist when number three slashes forward, squeeze hard and jerk downward, listen for the crack of bone breaking, knife falls on the ground. Kick it away. Draw back and rocket knuckles forward, connect with the jaw.
Number three went a satisfying four feet backwards before he sprawled unconscious on the ground. Pulling his punches to keep from killing folks wasn't second nature but he'd managed. He'd even made the fight last near five minutes.
"It ain't even U-day," Kaylee mused as Riddick returned to the crew.
"How's that?" He tilted his head curiously and allowed River to examine his knuckles before her brother took over.
"Cap'n always finds us an Alliance friendly bar come Unification Day," Wash explained and nimbly stepped over the groaning spacers. "He and Zoë get some of their frustrations out."
"Might have to bring him with next time," Mal nodded and followed his pilot.
"I'll add it to my calendar," Riddick quipped and tugged his hand away from Simon. "Doc, you wanna hold my hand you gotta buy me a beer first," He smirked.
"Not as pretty as the girl," River added with a grin of her own. Simon for his part, took the teasing in stride with a half smiling shake of his head.
"Well folks I do thank you, especially you, young man," The older man they'd 'rescued' nodded at Riddick. "Ain't many who'd take my part these days."
"Cap'n's a Browncoat," Riddick shrugged off the thanks. "If I hadn't done it, he or Zoë would've. I'm just faster."
"Browncoats, eh," The fellow looked them over as they each got a drink, Riddick handing River his beer to sample and taking it back with an amused smirk when she made a face. The grin he got when he ordered her a lemonade sans alcohol more than made up for the price of the drink.
"Mal and Zoë," Riddick nodded towards the two ex-soldiers. "Cobb's a merc. Wash's our pilot. Kaylee keeps us afloat."
"Simon's our doctor," Kaylee added with a smile. "River's his little sister."
"I'm Jack," Riddick's baby sis introduced herself. "Me and River are…learning the tricks of the trade."
"And you," Knowing eyes in a slightly weathered face rested on Riddick.
"Call me Rick, co-pilot and gunhand," He replied. "Jack's my little sister. And this's Book. He keeps an eye on all us heathens."
"Oh now I wouldn't say that," Book smiled amiably.
"I'm sure I heard you say once that you had heathens aplenty right on the boat," Mal remarked.
"And I did," The Shepherd chuckled. "I meant that I don't exactly keep an eye on all of you. Only the troublemakers."
"Hell preacher, that is all of us," Cobb commented and got a laugh from everyone in the crew, including Riddick. It really couldn't be denied.
"And what brings all of you to Oberon?" The fellow regarded them curiously.
"Forgive my rudeness," Simon bowed slightly in apology. "But I don't believe I've heard your name sir."
Riddick had a new appreciation of how folks underestimated Doc Simon. He looked the picture of a gentleman. Talked like one too. Probably since he was one. Made it possible for him to get away with questions when no one else could just because he talked so courteous.
"Theodore Fox," The older gent introduced himself.
"Well Mr. Fox," Simon smiled genuinely. "It's a pleasure."
"Haven't heard that said in a while," Fox's lips twitched in bemusement.
"I imagine not," Simon nodded. His gaze flickered over the Zoë and Mal, the two of them discussing places where they might find work lucrative enough to merit leaving Oberon without cargo.
"We just offloaded some cargo," Riddick answered the original question. "Trying to pick something up to make it worth our while to leave."
Fox nodded his understanding, "Not much call for anything less than legal if you're not known to the black-market folk."
"So we're finding," Mal put in glumly. "Don't do a lot of work on Oberon, an' it's comin' back to bite us."
"Might be worth it to leave, sir," Zoë kept her voice low. "Dock fees and all."
"Cut our losses you mean and sail on for greener, or at least more well known, pastures," Mal rubbed his chin.
"Could always take on passengers," River suggested with a wicked little smile.
"Yeah 'cause that went so smooth last time," Cobb sneered as he drink.
Simon chuckled, shaking his head when Mal groaned in dismay and would have commented but for River tilting her head and looking towards the door. Riddick looked in the same direction and concentrated on listening past the noise of the bar. "Hey Mal," He put his nearly empty mug down. "Now that we've all had a drink—"
"The better part of valor is discretion, in the which better part I have sav'd my life," River interrupted pointedly.
That got Mal's attention but good and he nodded, "I think it's time we headed back to the boat."
"Best to do so unobtrusively," Fox advised. "There's a rear entrance. I can lead you to the docks through the alleys rather than the streets."
"I think that's a sound notion," Mal agreed and took the empty mug out of Cobb's hand.
"Hey," Cobb began to object before Zoë cut him off.
"You'd prefer to luxuriate in a jail cell rather than your bunk," She asked as Wash paid for their drinks.
"No, uh…yeah, time to go," The merc agreed hastily.
"Follow me," Fox nodded and led them out the back.
It took a bit longer to reach the docks via the alleyways rather than the streets, but the alleys had the virtue of being empty of Purplebellies. Fox got them pretty close to Serenity too. "Would you have room for a passenger? I have some coin, and a powerful urge to leave this rock rather than be constantly harassed. Sooner or later, I'll end up back in prison, through no fault of my own."
"Thought you did well enough for yourself before the war," Mal commented as they walked casually towards the ship. "Got experience enough in the Black that work shouldn't be difficult to find."
Fox shook his head bitterly, "The Feds were 'kind' enough to parole me seven years into my twenty-five-year sentence, but they just couldn't let the past stay in the past. They let me out of prison true enough, but they decided that I was still enough of a traitor that they felt it was okay to not return to me my land on Hera. So sure, I'm a 'free' man, but I'm also an impoverished man and that group back at the tavern shows that I haven't got a hope in hell of being able to find legal work anywhere near a ship."
Riddick chuckled darkly, "A sad but familiar tale." He shook his head as they arrived at Serenity, "The Alliance giveth and the Alliance taketh away."
Mal frowned, "I hadn't heard they seized your land."
"Along with voting rights and other assets," River murmured from Riddick's side as Zoë keyed in the entry codes. In a slightly louder voice she reminded the captain, "Busy being a prisoner of war. Newswaves not a high priority."
"Yeah that's true enough," Mal nodded.
Simon nodded, watching the ramp come down. "I never understood the point of stripping all Independents of their rights and property. Grinding someone under your heel just because you can… sooner or later that person has nothing to lose and an attack seems inevitable. Like cornering a predator, nowhere to go but forward."
"Ain't ever credited the Alliance with an abundance of brainpower," The Captain shrugged.
Fox hesitated and seemed to push the words off his tongue as the crew began to board, "Seeing as how I am in your debt already, it pains me to be put in a position to have to ask you this, however, you know my situation. As one Browncoat to another, I've got to ask you for a favor. When the war first started, I made a little money off of selling the first couple ships I captured and, as it turns out, I was smart enough to sock some of that money away when things started going bad for the Independent cause."
He shrugged slightly before he added the caveat, "Only problem is, I stashed the money on the grounds of the one thing I thought would always stay mine, namely, my home." He paused with a wry smile, "Now, before you all go getting excited, it's not like I stashed a 'pirate' hoard or anything near enough to make even one person wealthy, but enough for me to live on if times got hard. I'm willing to cut you in for some of my stash if you are willing to help me travel to Hera and recover only a small part of what, by all the rights the Alliance likes to claim exist, should already be mine."
"Rick," Mal looked at him a silent question in his eyes and Riddick nodded slowly.
"Seems honest enough regarding his chances here," Vividly conscious of Fox's eyes on his face and curiosity written across the elder man's expression he added. "Not telling us everything, but what he has said is true enough."
"Got yourself a ride then Mr. Fox," The Captain gestured for the man to mount the ramp.
Fox nodded slowly, his eyes still on Riddick, thoughtful and far too wise. "Thank you."
Riddick followed Mal up the ramp, River's hand on his arm, and hoped they hadn't just welcomed more trouble onto the boat.
"Wash get on the bridge and get us off this rock. Set course for Hera and everybody else, look to your chores and get started on 'em," Mal began issuing orders as he closed the ramp behind them. "Jack, I'd be obliged if you'd go with Wash, get some more hands-on experience with take offs. Rick, you an' River, show Mr. Fox to the passenger quarters. Find him a bunk ain't filled up with sundries an' odds an' ends. Simon, you get the infirmary ready, I expect Mr. Fox might could use a bone mender or two."
"At the very least a looking over," Simon nodded and headed for the place on Serenity where he felt the most comfortable.
"Captain, I'll start on the evening meal if you like," Book offered.
"That'd be appreciated Shepherd," Mal nodded and grabbed Jayne. "You an' me will get this area organized Jayne. Like to have room for cargo if we manage to find it."
Riddick exchanged a half smile with River as Mal strode off towards the messier part of the cargo bay. "Captain can be…mildly autocratic at times," He shrugged at Fox. "Part of his charm."
River giggled and the accent she used when she spoke was pure Shazza or Badger, Dyton colony, "Sounds like a charmer."
"I…see…" Fox nodded, and Riddick shook his head.
"Nah, you don't, but you will, eventually," He chuckled and led the man towards the back of the cargo bay, steering him away from a precariously perched crate and up the steps to the lounge. A shove of his hand on the crate and it didn't look as if it would fall at any slight breeze. "Mal," He called quietly. "By the steps to the lounge, got some crates ain't as secure as they could be."
From the other side of the bay he could hear Mal muttering about méi yòng tǔ lǎo mào dockhands and gave River a quizzical look.
"Useless yokels," She supplied the translation.
Fox regarded him with an odd and disturbingly speculative gaze and Riddick turned the full power of his eyes on the old Browncoat, waiting. It didn't seem to faze the old man, but from the read Riddick got of the man, not much would. "Not usual to see someone who doesn't know even basic Chinese," He commented finally.
Riddick shrugged, "Spent most of my life past the Rim, in the Outer Systems. Lotta time in cryo. People speak Chinese less and less the farther out from the Core you get." He didn't give the man time to respond to that. He hated small talk and they were dangerously close to descending into it. "This's the passenger lounge. There's books or games if you like. Infirmary's right there as you can see. Head's there, off to the right." He pointed at a door as they passed it. "Passenger quarters. This's Doc Simon's bunk. River's right across from him. Book's off the hall on the other side, opposite River's. My sister Jack, she's just behind Simon." He looked at River and considered where the best place to put Fox might be. He wasn't sure he wanted anyone they didn't know and hadn't vetted personally near his girls.
"Bunk next to the Shepherd's is a good size," River offered in her quiet elegant voice. "What stronger breastplate than a heart untainted? Thrice is he armed that hath his quarrel just; and he but naked, though locked up in steel, whose conscience with injustice is corrupted."
"Yeah," Riddick couldn't be exactly sure what she meant but he got the gist. Fox was decent folk according to his little apprentice. Who wasn't so little anymore… Not the time for those thoughts. He wasn't thinking of her that way, not yet, not on fuckin' purpose at least. He heard the echo of Shirah's laughter in his mind and sighed. "Yeah, and I don't think anyone stored anything in there either."
He led Fox around Simon's bunk to the other corridor and showed him the room. "Got all the basics. Since we kinda took off without your luggage me an' River'll scrounge around, see if we can find you a change of clothes and some gear."
Clearly Fox hadn't expected that, given the widening of his eyes, but Simon came up behind them as he might have replied, "Rick, you want a weave on those knuckles?"
"Doc, the day I need a weave on my hands for a little fight like that you may as well just put me in the ground," Riddick waved off Simon's offer with a grin. "But Fox is all yours. River an' me are gonna scrounge for him."
"Mr. Fox, if you'll come with me?" All courtesy, that was Simon, and under it, that steel will that said manners were just one layer and best to do as he said before he got less than polite. The Captain had ordered Fox be looked over and woe be to Simon if he didn't manage to do it. A religious objection from Fox would be the only thing that would keep an exam from happening.
"Thank you," Fox just nodded.
River grinned at him, "Bet she can find clothing faster than he can." She raced out of the passenger area towards the bay.
"'Cause you cheat with your genius brain," Riddick called after her and waved towards Simon. "Simon, give us a shout when you're done, we'll show Fox the galley. Hopefully dinner'll be ready by then."
Genius brain, yeah and he must have been suffering from temporary mental disability to think watching River climb and bend would be at all helpful to his peace of mind. Damn the girl had an ass he wanted to fuck and legs that just didn't quit. And watching her bend just brought back the dreams… Not thinking about that, he told himself firmly as the girl in question bent nearly in half to grab something at the bottom of a crate. "Lemme get it," He growled before he grabbed her hips and dry humped her ass.
Her blink up at him, surprise at his tone, reminded him that it wasn't her fault he found her so enticing now that she'd grown up. "Just…" He shook his head and as gently as he could picked her up and set her aside from the crate, easily reaching the fabric at the bottom. A shirt that likely would fit Fox pretty well. "Good find," He praised quietly.
"He finds the situation a conundrum," River looked up at him with those eyes, dark as the Black, seeing too much. He really needed to rein his shit in. She'd gotten her mind back, mostly, and he still didn't know exactly what it was he really wanted.
"You might could say," Riddick nodded. "You saw the visions I had while I was gone?"
"Of Shirah, of Furya, possible futures, and the girl," She nodded. "Returned to see she had grown to be in truth what his visions showed."
"Yeah," He indulged himself, the animal side, by cupping her jaw and rubbing his thumb over the silk of her cheek. "Just…resolving how you are now with the little apprentice I left."
"Still his apprentice," She assured him with a smile. "Still smaller than the Furyan."
"Yeah," Riddick half grinned. "Just… bear with me all right? I don't want to fuck this up. And believe it or not I don't want to hurt you." Whatever he started with River…he didn't want either of them hurting because of it. Whatever he decided had to be worth the risk of maybe losing everything. Because if they started something and it went wrong, he had no illusions regarding his welcome on the boat afterwards. Fair as Mal tried to be, there was no question as to who could more easily make their way in the 'verse alone.
"More than I, if truth were told, have stood and sweated hot and cold, and through their reins in ice and fire fear contended with desire," River covered his hand with her own for a moment, eyes closing, the two of them breathing in unison before she looked up at him again. Damn those dark eyes, seeing too much. Making him want to do things he had no business doing yet. "Conflict must be resolved. And dinner is ready."
"Go on up," He gathered the clothing they'd scrounged into a pile. "I'll bring these to Fox and collect him for the meal."
River stood and stared at him another moment, "Shake hands, we shall never be friends, all's over; I only vex you the more I try. All's wrong that ever I've done or said, and nought to help it in this dull head: shake hands, here's luck, good-bye." She tilted her head, the words that fell from her lips somehow framing every thought and fear he had of what could go wrong, "But if you come to a road where danger or guilt or anguish or shame's to share, be good to the lad that loves you true and the soul that was born to die for you, and whistle and I'll be there."
Damnit, she was right, if he went after her and it went wrong, if he had to leave, if she needed him, he'd be back in an instant. He'd never be able to completely abandon her, no more than he could Jack. Riddick blinked and realized that while he'd been mulling over those words and their meaning River had slipped away without a sound. Maybe someday he'd figure out how she moved so soundlessly. Though being Furyan surely argued for innate ability.
He took a moment to shake the clothing out and fold it. He'd been the recipient of enough charity as a child to understand that small kindness would mean more than new clothing with tags still on but jumbled in a bag. At least the clothes didn't smell of the preservative folks used sometimes. And they were clean.
Fox smiled gratefully and excused himself to change out of his now very worn clothes. Riddick leaned back against the wall of the passenger quarters and thought. His little apprentice, psychic, Seer, whatever she might be, sensed or saw enough of his thoughts that she knew he'd been going back and forth in a mental argument ever since he'd felt her body against his back in the hospital.
Young, beautiful, smart and deadly… you couldn't get a better combination. And Furyan on top of that. That side of him, the primal, the Furyan, or as mercs called it, the animal, howled to have her. Like a fucking heartbeat, constantly battering against his resolve. And Shirah laughing in the back of his mind as he resisted.
And the other side, the one that could ape civilized behavior, said she was pretty young to take up with a bad man like him. Pointed out that she couldn't possibly know what she was getting into. That he'd only just come back and immediately taking her to bed would not endear him to anyone, possibly not even River. He'd come back to this boat for a reason and it would be a fucking shame to get kicked off it, or kill someone for trying, just because he couldn't keep his dick in his pants. And everything she'd just said told him she understood his reasoning and why he was still thinking rather than taking some action.
"Fuck me," He muttered aloud, and Fox's door slid open. "Hey," Riddick greeted the man. "Fit okay?"
"Very comfortable," The older man nodded. "I imagine the galley is on the upper deck?"
"Yep," Riddick began to lead the way. "Nice old boat, but it can get a little like a maze sometimes."
"Fireflies do tend towards it," Fox agreed. "They'll run forever though, you get a good mechanic and pilot."
"Well we've got the best floatin'," Riddick smiled as they entered the upper deck hall and Kaylee came out of the engine room, wiping her hands.
"Aw, you say the sweetest things," She smiled at him happily.
"Ain't sweet if it's true," Riddick denied. "And I ain't sweet."
River's giggle on hearing that, uttered as they entered the galley, drew his eyes to her like a magnet to steel. "He is not sweet. Strong, tough, dangerous bad man. Lóng Wáng."
"Too fuckin' right," He nodded. "And don't anyone forget it."
"Just acts sweet sometimes," River added mischievously, and he rolled his eyes.
"Thanks so fuckin' much," He should have known such immediate agreement was too good to be true. "I'll get the plates. Fox, have a seat here." He indicated a place next to Kaylee. Book usually sat there but Shepherd wouldn't mind sliding down a spot and between the two of them awkward never had a chance. Unless Simon got involved, 'awkward around Kaylee' should probably be tattooed on his forehead. River's soft giggle told him she'd Read that thought easily enough.
Setting the table didn't take long really and soon enough they were all around it, talking quietly about the likelihood of picking up work on Hera. Mal had a few contacts there so he'd wave and see if anything shook out. None of them wanted to discuss the hospital heist and resulting goods in front of Fox so it went unspoken that they'd be sticking with the plan of waiting to sell the drugs for a while.
"Well Mr. Fox, since we're sailing you to Hera, I'd appreciate a bit of…" Mal paused, presumably to find the right word and River filled in.
"Context," She tilted her head and added. "Background, history, circumstances leading to a three to one fight."
"Yeah, that," Mal pointed a chopstick at her.
Fox nodded reluctantly, setting his chopsticks down and took a breath, looking them over thoughtfully before his eyes fired with some decision, "Okay, I'll tell you my story. I do not like to flatter myself, but I believe, at least some of my reputation proceeds me. I am a ship captain."
"Not to alla us it don't," Cobb interrupted with his mouth full and got an irritated look from nearly everyone.
Riddick nodded slowly, "Jack an' me, not as well versed in history as the rest of you, recent or otherwise.
River half smiled, "Sided with the Browncoats in the war. Known throughout Alliance space as one of the best privateers the Independents had. Take a boat, minimal loss of life, maximum amount of salvage."
"That's it in a nutshell," Fox nodded to her. "The details…well I'll get to that." He took a sip from his mug and continued, "I signed with a wallowing lump of fèiwù freighter when I was seventeen and have made my living in the Black ever since. Even though that first ship was a public eyesore, I loved that ship and by the time it gave up the ghost six years later, I was first mate. I had some cash saved. Not much, but enough to buy my own ship. God, I look back and wonder what I was thinking when I took that rust bucket out of atmo for the first time. Thing shook so bad I couldn't tell what was screaming louder, the ship or the mechanic trying to hold it together.
"Despite being small and in terrible shape, that rust bucket held together long enough to get a better ship. I named that second ship after a sweet sail powered vessel on Earth-That-Was called the Cutty Sark. She was bigger, faster, and maneuvered as smooth as Sihnon silk. Well after ten years with my shiny new ship, I was doing pretty well for myself. Not rich, but not wanting by any means, but by that time even a blind man could see war clouds brewing and I tried to steer clear of them. In the name of God and all the apostles, I tried. I sold the Cutty Sark, brought me a beautiful home on Hera and even got to live there for two whole years raising horses before that storm broke on the entire 'Verse.
"The urge to jump in at the beginning was powerful itch I had to fight off, but I kept to my homestead and tried to live a normal life. Well imagine my shock when none other than the Cutty Sark herself drops in for a landing about three months after the war started and my entire crew wants to talk. Her new master was my old first mate and he'd brought in General Josiah Taylor in for a visit. Taylor says he needs a few fast ships fitted out as commerce raiders and would I be willing to captain one of them. When the commander of Independent forces for all of Hera asks you something like that, you can't say no.
"Next thing I know I'm a privateer and it turned out that I was a good one. Took forty-six ships and I can proudly say, not a single life was lost doing it. When Serenity Valley finished playing out, I surrendered the Cutty Sark to the first Alliance ship I could find. I'll spare the details of the trial, now this new love-fest the Parliament has got going on about forgiving the past got me freed, but as I said, the Feds haven't seen fit to forgive the lien that allowed them to seize my homestead leaving me flat broke and on the drift.
"I already told you how I stashed some money in a hidden safe and if I can't have my homestead, I mean to have that money. We'll just have to slip onto the grounds quiet like and I can empty that safe before anyone is the wiser and I'll be glad for a lift to anyplace you happen to be going before we go our separate ways."
Riddick glanced at Mal and Zoë, half expecting them to leap at the chance to offer Fox help. Instead Mal was studying Fox and looking at River thoughtfully. Riddick could only hope the plan Mal came up with didn't rely too much on luck.
"Little River, just how good are you with that cortex of yours," He asked carefully.
"Generate false paperwork, history of purloined beef," River's eyes flickered rapidly as she did some mental calculating. "Reconnaissance?"
"Yeah," Mal nodded. "Before we commit to helping you Mr. Fox, it'd be a good thing to see what we'd be up against. Going onto that estate I mean. Whatever security you had it's a good bet whoever lives there now has changed or added to it."
Fox nodded, standing, "Fair enough. Now if you don't mind, I'd like to lie down. Those toughs at the bar smacked me around more than I like admit and at my age, a good bar brawl doesn't sound as appealing as it did when I was in my twenties."
"Jayne, show Mr. Fox back down to his bunk. Make sure he's got everything he needs for the night," Zoë commanded seeing that Cobb had finished his meal.
"Well come on then," The merc stood and headed for the door clearly expecting Fox to follow along, which thankfully he did.
"Captain, not to speak out of turn," Book began carefully. "But is this wise?"
"Wise," Mal shook his head. "I'm fair certain it ain't. Wise thing'd be to set him down on Hera and leave his business to him."
"Sir, you really mean to do that?" Zoë seemed to have more of a stake in this than Mal, which was damned odd.
"Well let's get on the cortex and suss out truth from fiction," Wash suggested.
"He was telling the truth," Riddick told them. "I doubt he told us all of it but what he said, yeah, that's the truth. Didn't smell like lies once."
"Well that's a step saved," Mal seemed relieved. The Furyan guessed that more than once he'd seen old comrades fall on hard times enough to let go of whatever scruples they might have once had.
"So let's take a look and see what we can find about his homestead, who owns it now, if it changed hands at all and the security on it," Riddick suggested. "Knowledge is power after all."
The bridge could feel a bit crowded at times, and this turned out to be one of them. Zoë, Wash, Mal, River and him all on the bridge gave it a squeezed feeling. River didn't seem bothered, sitting at the navigator's station and engaging the ad filters before her hands began to move like lightning over the keyboard. Which reminded him that any work they wanted to do on the triggers, presuming he could figure a way for them to do it safely, would be put on hold while Fox was on board. Mentally Riddick made a note to ask about the ad filters. River always engaged them while she used the cortex and there had to be a reason.
"Truthful," She pronounced after a few minutes. "Paroled after seven years of a twenty-five-year sentence. Alliance confiscated his lands in order to pay for an attorney. Which did him very little good."
"And his house, his lands," Mal reminded her, as if she needed prompting. "What's the security like on them?"
"Nothing that cannot be circumvented," River murmured sending the specs to another screen. "Magistrate owns the property now. Extensive remodeling done to the main house. Could be problematic."
"I'll say; if things are rearranged who's to know if that safe is still untouched," Wash nodded his agreement.
"Well we'll let him know there could be problems," Mal's gaze had fixed to the schematic. "River, any more information you can get about the Magistrate and his staff would be helpful."
"Will work on it," River looked over at Riddick. "If he does not mind company while he is on the bridge."
"Fine by me," He shrugged. "Hopefully we'll have something by morning. Or at least we can see if Fox knows anything more."
"River don't stay up all night," Mal ordered. "You give it a couple hours then head off to bed. You still need rest your brother says."
Riddick watched in amusement as River rolled her eyes before she replied, "Shì Cap'n."
Wash pushed himself up from the pilot's chair and followed his wife out the door, "See you in about six hours Rick." He waved his farewell and Mal followed him out.
"Something else," Riddick looked at his little apprentice, or maybe protégé was a better term for it since she had gotten more to journeyman status in their training together. River always got a slightly different note to her scent when she had Read or Seen something.
"Magistrate who owns Fox's home is the same one who sentenced him to twenty-five years in the penal colony on Dyton," River murmured. "Potential for conflict…increases."
"Think Fox knows that?" He leaned back in his chair thoughtfully and considered the likelihood of that. "He'd be carryin' a grudge, that's for certain, though whether or not he'd do anything about it…" That could be more trouble than anyone would want.
"Breaking and entering is one thing, but if Fox wishes to cause harm to a Magistrate…" River looked at him.
"Yeah, breaking parole would be the least of his worries, and add to ours," Riddick agreed with her unspoken concern. "Guess we tell Mal before breakfast and see if Fox comes clean about it when we ask."
"Another day and a half to Hera," River nodded as she continued working. "See what shakes out."
He nodded. Funny how River's way of speaking mixed Core and Rim speak. She'd picked up plenty from Mal and Kaylee and even Cobb. No accent, unless she chose to use one the way she'd imitated Badger back during the duel SNAFU but he'd bet even money if River got dropped out on Deadwood or Lilac that apart from her delicate looks she'd fit right in.
River slanted an amused look at him, "Academy trained for combat but also included other training that emphasized infiltration."
"Guess picking up speech patterns and accents isn't too hard for you then," He half smiled.
"Easier when surrounded by the culture," She explained as her fingers clicked over the keys. "Badger's accent… simple when standing right beside him. Washes over her like the tide, leaves the damp behind, easy as lyin'." She grinned and Riddick recognized Kaylee's manner of speaking.
"Could come in handy," He smirked and got a wicked tilt to her grin in return.
"Could."
Author's Note: So… Riddick's Furyan side is trying to tell him something. And (I think much to his surprise) he's trying to do the right thing for the long term. So he's got something of an internal debate going. I also rather deliberately made his language regarding sex fairly crude. Mostly because as someone educated in the penal system, he wouldn't really have heard much else.
Fox is a character from one of the RPG modules called 'Fox Hunt' and I thought it was a way to bring something we haven't seen before into the story.
Also, still job hunting but an in person interview today as well as a couple over the phone so I'm hopeful.
Chinese Translations:
Wèi le cào yuán gù (For fuck's sake)
liú kǒu shuǐ de biǎo zi hé hóu zi de bèn ér zi (Stupid son of a drooling whore and a monkey)
méi yòng (useless)
tǔ lǎo mào (hillbilly / yokel / redneck / bumpkin)
Lóng Wáng (Dragon King (mythology))
fèiwù (rubbish / waste material / useless person)
Shì (is / are / am / yes / to be)
Quote Sources:
The better part of valor is discretion, in the which better part I have sav'd my life – Henry IV Part I – William Shakespeare
What stronger breastplate than a heart untainted? Thrice is he armed that hath his quarrel just; and he but naked, though locked up in steel, whose conscience with injustice is corrupted. – Henry IV Part II
More than I, if truth were told, have stood and sweated hot and cold, and through their reins in ice and fire fear contended with desire - Others, I Am Not the First - A. E. Housman
Shake hands, we shall never be friends, all's over; I only vex you the more I try. All's wrong that ever I've done or said, and nought to help it in this dull head: shake hands, here's luck, good-bye. – Shake Hands – A.E. Housman
But if you come to a road where danger or guilt or anguish or shame's to share, be good to the lad that loves you true and the soul that was born to die for you, and whistle and I'll be there. – Shake Hands – A.E. Housman