Chapter 19
Previously…He was given a round of solemn nods. "All right. Rick, you're on the bridge after dinner. River, if I'm not mistaken you still gotta finish that course you been workin' on so you're with him until lights out."
River nodded, "Shì."
Mal continued, "Everybody else, you got things need doing, let's get to 'em. Jayne, it's your night for dishes."
The bridge door had been repaired after the Saffron incident (part of the reason the catalyzer hadn't been fixed before they broke down) and he shut it behind River when she came onto the bridge with her notebook and pencil. "How much of that course work you got still?"
"Half hour worth," She smiled at him and took the co-pilot's seat.
"Good," He smiled as he checked their course and leaned back in the chair. Taking the goggles off he rubbed at his skull and watched his woman. He was actually looking forward to her having clothes that fit her. Sure he doubted he'd enjoy shopping except for the weapons, but those athletic bras couldn't be totally comfortable. And he really wanted to see her looking like the sexy, dangerous woman he knew she was. Of course that meant everyone else would be able to see her the way he did.
He smirked slightly. Watching her kick someone's ass could be fuckin' fun. And if she wanted him to put the beat down on a jerk that'd be fun too. Tough part would be reining in the animal (or what-the-fuck-ever Shirah wanted to call that side of him) if someone dared to touch her. His first reaction, even to the thought, was that someone would get a shiv to the sweet spot. River looked up at him with a wicked little smile and licked her lips. So maybe she didn't mind that possessive streak.
He hadn't considered the potential embarrassment she'd suffer if he'd tried to take her underwear shopping, so it was pretty good of Inara to offer, and to include Jack even if she didn't know his sister very well. Generally speaking Inara came across as a decent person if a bit…quirky now and then. The girls weren't going anywhere without him though; he'd stand outside the store if he had to. He began to make a mental list of things she'd need, and figured they'd make a list of what she had and what needed upgrading and replacing.
River closed her notebook and turned off the cortex, "Done."
"Good," The list of items flew out of his mind. "C'mere."
"Is it a good idea?" River stood hesitantly, "Not much privacy."
"Not planning on stripping you naked," Riddick shook his head. "Now c'mere." He patted his thigh.
She was watching him as if he was a large cat and she the mouse he would pounce upon, but she came within reach. Wrapping his hands around her waist and tugging her into his lap startled a little giggle out of her and he grinned. That giggle just got him hard, sexy little fallen angel laugh, "Now I've got you where I want you."
"And what will you do now that you have me?" River wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Gonna kiss you," He smirked.
"Lots of talk…" Dark eyes sparkled, and he pulled her closer, slanting his mouth over her lips.
Kissing River was…a helluva lot of fun. Even knowing that was all they were going to do, and he'd be playing over and over again in his head the look and sound and feel of her when she was coming at his hands. Just knowing that she liked his hands on her. That she wanted to touch him. Courting was going to be interesting. She agreed she was his. He was hers and he was more than good with that. But she was his.
Finally he drew back and rubbed a palm up and down her spine. "You doing okay with this?"
"She is his and he is hers," River smiled up at him.
"Just had the thought that this is an interesting start," He shrugged.
"Didn't realize he would want so much," River's gaze was shrewd. "That she would be intoxicating."
"You knew?" He'd wondered why she was so at ease, even blushing, shy, she'd trusted him. He had the vague idea that was something unusual.
"Older mind in a young body," She reminded him. "Always knew I would have little control over my reactions to you. Theorized that when you let yourself see me it could be similar for you."
"Yeah…" He sighed. "Been following my instincts with you."
"Been pretty on target," River brushed her lips over his. "Agreed to court her. Could have overwhelmed with lust, done whatever he wanted, seduced her into giving him everything immediately. Didn't. Very restrained."
"Just…don't stop standing up to me," Riddick knew himself, and he needed to be in control a lot. He was a possessive bastard and he never said he could do what he couldn't. But he didn't want anyone he could just roll right over. That was the last thing he needed in a woman, in a partner.
"No intentions of doing so," She leaned up to kiss him and he growled against her mouth.
"Good," He cupped her ass in one hand and slid the other up her shirt. The hand up her shirt got swatted down with a muffled giggle.
He was considering if he could put a hand down her pants and maybe make her come again when he heard boots walking down the hall towards the bridge. "Well fuck," He kissed her once more and sat her in the co-pilot's chair before taking his seat again. "Guess it's almost lights out anyway."
"Fifteen minutes," She agreed touching her lips.
"Too rough on you?" He didn't have a ton of kissing experience, but she didn't seem to be complaining.
"Like it," She smiled, still touching her mouth. "Phantom kisses echo even after his lips leave her."
"C'mon, that's Mal, I'll take you down to your dorm," Riddick knew she'd be fine walking two decks down. He still wanted to walk her. He was pretty sure that was what you were supposed to do after a date, take the girl home.
He got to the door and unlocked it just as the Captain arrived. River was sitting in the co-pilot's chair and doodling when he turned around. She smiled at Mal, "Lights out?"
"'Bout fifteen minutes," Mal shrugged. "Course still good?"
"Yeah it's fine," Riddick nodded. River closed her notebook and stood, "I'll walk you down to your bunk River."
That got Mal's eyebrows going up, but River smiled happily. So Mal could just raise his eyebrows until they went to the back of his neck for all Riddick gave a damn.
Working on the triggers wasn't easy for River. Not for him either. They'd set up in the bay, show her the Blue Sun advert, the crew would be up on the catwalks talking about the Core, what they could do there, and then one intrepid crew member would throw a printout of the Blue Sun logo down to the cargo deck.
Her scent would change, something chemical and metallic tainting the sweetness of her in his nose. Then River would attack Riddick with any weapon that came to hand. Fists, knives and on one memorable occasion, a wrench that had been on the ground. The first time she'd shown no signs of stopping even as Riddick fought her to a standstill. (And damn he was grateful she hadn't turned into an Amazon like Zoë, even he might've had some trouble with her then). Simon had needed to shout some ridiculous phrase and River had just…dropped. Collapsed into sleep.
When she woke up, disoriented, upset and frantic to see if she'd hurt him, Riddick had been right next to her. A black eye, already healing and a busted lip, also on the mend, were his only visible injuries though she'd gotten some good punches and kicks in. Easy to see the programing influencing her fighting, she didn't improvise as much. They'd been alone for the moment anyway, so he'd pressed his lips to hers and shoved the thought at her that he was fine. Some of her worry had dissipated at that.
That first time had been the worst. After that, they'd fight and sure that was fun but he began to see more of her fluid, damn near elegant, style of combat the longer they fought. Good sign to his mind. And River proved him right. She'd come out of the spells more and more quickly but after each one she'd throw herself at Riddick and frantically look him over to be sure she hadn't hurt him.
He'd be insulted if she wasn't so terrified when she did it. He knew how shedding that kind of programming felt, how he'd felt breaking down the triggers Strikeforce had tried to implant in him, so he just let her check him over.
Mal had expressed some confusion over why River still had triggers when the whole point of the 'boot camp' they'd put her through had been to eliminate the programming.
"Mal, it's two different things," Riddick had explained quietly. "That programming we undid, that was aimed at erasing her personality. Turning her into something they could control. An automaton." He tugged River's braid gently, "The programming that was ongoing thanks to those implants, so they could do whatever they wanted. But triggers are something that don't depend on programming to exist normally. A regular person can have something like that buried in their subconscious. There are these old stories of 'sleeper agents'. Seemingly regular folks with something deep in their brain, they hear a specific set of words and they're activated, carrying out a set of tasks."
"So they wanted her under control…why bother with the triggers," Mal hadn't quite understood that and neither had Riddick until he'd really put his mind to it.
"When they wanted her to do something, they needed to just say a word or phrase and she'd do it, rather than walking her through the task step by step," Riddick shook his head and his voice had darkened. "They weren't satisfied with her being under control, carrying out tasks in the best way she deemed fit. They wanted her to do things exactly their way. Like a sub-program. Want someone pick-pocketed, put in a trigger. Want her to break into a vault, add a trigger."
"Don't know why I feel so shocked and disturbed," Mal had sighed. "Alliance has always been about control."
"Yeah," Riddick nodded. "But knowing she's got triggers, just means we work to get rid of all of them. Find them and erase them." He'd rubbed River's spine gently. "We'll get it figured out." He promised her quietly.
It did put a bit of a crimp in their plans to date/court. Working on the triggers, if chores allowed, twice, sometimes three or four times, a day left River shaking, upset and sick. And even he wasn't enough of a dick to try and feel her up when she was clinging to him for comfort and under her brother's watchful worried eye. He didn't count holding her and having one hidden hand on her ass to remind her that she was his when it seemed to reassure her so much.
Yesterday had been a good day though because she'd looked at the Blue Sun logo lying on the deck and shaken her head. She hadn't attacked him, though she had needed to go and be sick. Apparently the stress of fighting off the trigger mentally was enough to induce nausea.
Today she'd listened to the crew in the morning and offered suggestions of her own, taking control of her reaction. The afternoon had gone the same. And though she'd felt ill she hadn't gotten sick.
Simon had gone to work on dinner with Kaylee so Riddick settled onto the couch in the lounge and tugged River into his lap. "Hasn't been a fun couple weeks for you has it?"
"For him either," She observed. "Not enjoyable to kiss someone with vomit breath."
"No fun to try and hump your woman when she's not feeling well," He rubbed her back. "I know Simon still thinks it's his job to take care of you. But you're mine, so it's my job."
"Mine to take care of you," River pointed out. "He has been very frustrated."
"Yeah, because you've been miserable and this was my idea, making you work to break down that trigger right away," Riddick didn't like feeling guilty for something he knew needed to be done but he hated how awful River felt after they went through that process.
"Needs to be done," She echoed his thoughts. "Helps her. Safe to go out in public. Safe to be with him."
That got a growl out of him that actually startled her, "You better not be doing this to fuckin' protect me River."
"Do not wish to be trusted to sleep beside him, triggered and slices his throat," That gorgeous husky voice he loved hearing moan his name held nothing but misery.
"Pretty sure I'd notice if you reached for a knife while we were in bed together," Riddick rubbed her neck with one hand. "Jī dū zài guǎi zhàng shàng, you're tense. C'mon, turn around, lemme help."
Getting her arranged with her back to his chest he began to take her hair out of the huge knot at her nape, unbraiding it and letting it fall over one shoulder. That was fun actually, next time they got some time alone he was going to take her hair down and watch it spill over his pillow. The scent of her hair alone was getting him hard. A kiss to her nape and he pushed back the urge to bite down and mark her as his.
"Someday," She looked over her shoulder with a smile. "His mark on her, hers on him. Showing everyone."
"Lookin' forward to that," Riddick admitted and began to carefully rub the tight muscles in her neck. He frowned as he realized the tension went all the way down her spine. "This position isn't going to work." He shook his head, "Let's get you on your stomach, I'll work on your back."
"Knowledge of anatomy is stellar," River murmured as she began to shift her position.
"Well it's handy if you want to kill people quick," He agreed. "You're the same way."
"Part of the training," She murmured as he began to work on her back. "And if a god will wreck me yet again on the wine-dark sea, I can bear that too, with a spirit tempered to endure. Much have I suffered, labored long and hard by now in the waves and wars. Add this to the total—bring the trial on!"
The next forty minutes were some of the most satisfying and yet frustrating at the same time. He was able to successfully massage away River's tension to the point of his woman being limp as a wet noodle. But the moans of pleasure as he massaged her… if she hadn't been a virgin he'd have licked her until she was begging and then fucked her until she was screaming his name.
As it was, she fell asleep and he scooped her up, tucked her into her bed and got his ass out of there before he crawled in and took a nap right alongside her. That would've put the cat among the pigeons.
Wash gave him an odd look as he sat down heavily in the co-pilot's chair, "All right there Rick?"
"You're married to Zoë," He looked at the shorter good-humored man. "How'd you get her?"
"Still not sure," Wash laughed. "Mostly persistence. She didn't like me at first you know."
"No?" Riddick smiled. Talking with Wash was always interesting. They didn't have as much in common as he and Simon did, though maybe they had more in common than he'd thought. Attracted to warrior women. Nothing sexier than a woman who could kick ass. "How do you deal with the fact that she's more dangerous than you are?"
"It's part of why I fell in love with her," The shorter man chuckled. "For me, a woman like that? Nothing better in the 'verse. And she needs me. If I tried to be the tough guy, she wouldn't feel comfortable enough to trust me. We balance each other." He considered Riddick for a moment. "River's grown up now, just about eighteen," He commented. Another reason he liked Wash, the man saw more than he let on, about a lot of things.
Riddick nodded, "She told me a little while back that her brain was always eighteen."
"Yeah she was pretty pissed that you slept with Saffron as I recall," Wash grinned.
"She was a seventeen to eighteen-year-old brain in the body of a fourteen-year-old," Riddick shook his head. "And I had no way of knowing that. There was no fucking way I was going to touch her. No matter how much fun talking with her or training her was. Or what kind of legs she had. Felt like a total skeevy pedo when she stripped in the infirmary and I saw her legs and ass. Hell, I had to braid her hair after our little jaunt on Triumph and I've never been that nervous touching a girl's hair."
The pilot nearly fell out of his chair laughing, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry." He gasped out as he tried to stop his chortling. "It's just… Rick you're pretty much the scariest person on the boat. And you were nervous braiding a teenage girl's hair."
"You ever know that you have absolutely no business thinking about something but you're thinking it anyway?" Riddick stared at him. He'd left River in his bunk when he'd been taken off Serenity and part of what had kept him going had been knowing that she'd be taken care of while he was gone. He knew that Mal and Zoë would keep training her, give her what she needed to have a life that wasn't preprogrammed by some fucking corporation. They'd keep her from backsliding, they'd know most of what she needed.
When he'd seen River in his visions, an adult, he'd hoped she had matured while he'd been gone. Having her adolescence compressed into four and a half months rather than four years had to have been hellish for everyone but he was damn impressed with the result. And he didn't have to feel like a pervert whenever he noticed those long dancer's legs. It had been bad enough when he realized River knew damn well he'd been dreaming about her, and what he'd been dreaming. She'd blushed so pretty. But she hadn't seemed to mind. Good thing too because the dreams hadn't stopped just because they'd started courting.
"Rick…what are you trying to say," Wash wasn't laughing anymore.
"You call Zoë your warrior woman," Riddick looked out at the Black. "There's one other person in the 'Verse that knows what it means to be Furyan. To be…different on a level that goes beyond intelligence or training." He pushed his goggles back so he could see the pilot without the tint of the lenses. "And then there's what I am. As much as Furyans are different from normal people, I'm different from other Furyans. She's my equal, or close enough to it she can match me."
"Pretty sure you being different is something obvious," Wash had nerves in his scent, like everyone who'd ever seen his eyes besides River and Simon. Even Jack, for all her familiarity with him now, she'd been unnerved the first time she'd seen his eyes. Amazed, envious but unnerved all the same. Strange and terrifying for a human to see someone who at least looked human with a predator's gaze. Like humans weren't the most dangerous predators of all, until Furyans came along anyway.
"Yeah, but you know out of everyone who's ever seen my eyes, River and Simon have never been freaked out about them," Riddick told him flatly.
"Okay…" Wash was taking that in. "And River is nearly eighteen now, body and mind." He leaned back in his chair, "So exactly what are you worried about?"
"She might be a fugitive but she's not a convict," Riddick reminded him. "Wasn't raised or educated in the penal system. She's got more manners than I have shivs."
"I don't think River really cares about how you hold your fork, knife or chopsticks Rick," He leaned forward and checked their course. "She likes you the way you are." He looked back at Riddick, "And if you want manners, there are books, there's Inara if you want help. Or imitate Simon a bit."
"Shit…" Riddick leaned back and cursed. He'd been working on cursing in Chinese more, it still didn't come as naturally but he was getting better, "Tián mì de xié 'è cào, you're not getting it." He glared at the pilot. "She's mine. All right? River is mine. Period. End. I'm hers."
"Yeah…" Clearly that hadn't been enough explanation for Wash. "Like…you're…what?"
Remember to curse in Chinese goddamnit. "Wèi le cào yuán gù," How much more fuckin' clear could he make it? "River is mine like Zoë is yours. Now do you get it? She agreed. I'm hers and she's mine. I said that I would court her." Wash's eyes widened and Riddick sighed, "She told me that she doesn't have any experience with sex. And asked that we date or court before we went to bed. She had to translate it for me since she said it in Chinese first."
He shrugged, "Problem is neither of us have ever dated before. So I've been trying to think of dates, things she'd like that I can do with her on Serenity or when we're dirtside. So far all I've gotten is giving her a back rub/massage that nearly gave me blue balls. She's finally relaxed and asleep though, without being exhausted or sick. Told her I'd talk to you and get some ideas. Discreetly since we're taking this slow. Trying not to freak out her brother mostly. Or the rest of you."
"I could tell you were getting worried about her dropping weight," Wash nodded. "Okay. I get it. You need advice on how to date a woman when you both live and work in the same place and have precious little opportunity for a change of scenery."
"Pretty much," Riddick nodded. "I mean, when she's with Inara and Jack, I'm figuring I can pick up some things as gifts. I read up on courting some these past couple weeks and presents are part of it. At least according to what I found about Osiris traditions."
"Okay…" Wash leaned back. "Now that I actually know what we're talking about I think I can help."
Wash had some good suggestions. Mal wasn't thrilled that Riddick had disappeared an hour before the meet and come back with a couple boxes just in time to leave again. But he hadn't specifically said Riddick wasn't to leave the boat while they were on Lazarus so he could get pissy but he couldn't exactly yell.
Well…strictly speaking that wasn't true. Malcolm Reynolds could yell with the best of them. He just didn't like looking foolish when he did. River came out of her dorm in her borrowed clothes and gently laid her hand on his forearm to get Riddick's attention. "Worries," She murmured looking at Mal. "Likes the convict, worries someone will take him away again. Doesn't want to lose anyone else."
"Got it," That made Mal's reaction fairly understandable. Cobb was uncharacteristically quiet as he strapped on his gunbelt.
"There a reason we're arming up for a simple exchange?" Riddick considered the amount of weaponry Cobb was piling on.
"New contacts," Zoë's brevity was in full swing. "Better to look more dangerous than less."
"Leastways 'til we know if they're planning a double-cross," Mal added. "River, you wanna come along on this one? Get yourself a bit more spending money? Part-time crew…get you five percent of the job."
Now that was a bit surprising but Mal's scent and expression were completely genuine. River's face lit up, "Cap'n wants the girl to carry guns?"
"Rim won't have any adverts blaring at us, not where we'll be meeting," The Captain gave her a half shrug. "Rick'll be there, me an' Zoë, all of us training together, you know how we move. You've seen Jayne work before."
"Man with girls name is not subtle," River nodded ignoring Cobb's inarticulate noise of protest at the appellation. "Retrieve guns and knives from the armory?"
"Guns yes, knives I suspect you've got a few on you already," Mal chuckled at her. "Go on and grab yourself those Ladysmiths you favor."
"Do you really think this is wise?" Simon descended the steps to the cargo bay. "She's… well…"
"Not totally well yet?" Riddick looked at him, "Simon, she's can keep up with Zoë or Mal. There's nothing out there to trigger her."
Simon nodded, "I just…I worry."
Jack was leaning over the railing, "Hey! Can I play too?"
"Cào dàn Mal, how many people you want on this job," Cobb grumbled.
"Jayne, your mouth is talkin' again," Mal looked up at his newest crew member. "How fast can you get ready?"
"Ready now," Jack patted her side-arm, grinning at him.
"Well better a big show than a little one," Mal shrugged. "You wanna come by all means."
Riddick had an idea of the stunt Jack was going to pull, though it surprised the Captain, First Mate and merc. Having seen her rappel down ropes and chains on Crematoria watching Jack leap for one of the chains dangling from the ceiling and slide down it to drop the final ten feet with obvious ease wasn't much of a shock. She stuck the landing well, bending her knees and straightening with a smirk at the surprise on the Captain's face. "What?"
"Somethin' wrong with the stairs?" Zoë's voice was mildly stoic for all the surprise he'd smelt on her.
"This was faster," Jack shrugged. "Didn't want to give you time to change your mind," She grinned at the Captain and the man smiled back a little sheepishly.
"You're on the stick with Wash when we get back though, so don't get shot," He reminded her.
"Not planning on it," Riddick's little sister retorted saucily.
"Neither'm I," Mal shrugged.
"Yeah an' what you plan's always 'xactly what happens," Cobb muttered in annoyance. The fact that he'd made an accurate statement in no way helped the tension he'd created.
"So more guns is good," Jack stared at the merc coldly.
Turned out she was right about that. Not that their contacts were the ones trying the double cross. They were actually pretty straightforward. Maybe too much so since they'd attracted the attention of a rival group.
River had stiffened at his side and he'd looked at her in concern, "What's wrong?"
"Ambush," She frowned looking past the smaller group they were meeting. "Followed them. Think to steal the money and the goods. Behold, on wrong Swift vengeance waits; and art subdues the strong."
"How many," Riddick looked over at Mal. "And where?"
"Six, heavily armed," River frowned, and he got a sinking feeling. "More though…split their forces." For the first time he smelt panic on her, not fear, something more manic, near terror. "Saw Serenity land. Even cutthroat bandits who raid foreign parts —and Zeus grants them a healthy share of plunder, ships filled to the brim, and back they head for home —even their dark hearts are stalked by the dread of vengeance."
"How many going there?" He jerked his head to Mal and looked at the sky, it was near sunset. The rapidly dimming twilight had been deemed a good time for a meet.
"Think eight?" She shook her head, "Hard to count with the thoughts of others. More there than here. But the great leveler, Death: not even the gods can defend a man, not even one they love, that day when fate takes hold and lays him out at last." She took a breath, "Riddick…Simon is the only one who knows how to use a gun."
"Nǐ tā mā de tiān xià suǒ yǒu de rén dōu gāi sǐ." Damn he hated remembering to curse in another language. But he didn't want to stand out. Adapt Riddick, adapt. He scowled and the oblivious group across from them flinched. "You idiots."
He wasn't entirely sure he wanted everyone to know River was a Seer/Reader. That was her business and if crew figured it out okay, but he didn't need everyone on the fucking planet to know. "Uh, Rick?" Mal was frowning at him, "Something crawl up your pì gu an' die?"
"Yeah, the six-man ambush waiting to take them out and us with 'em," Riddick snarled, pushing his goggles back. The wash of fear that wafted towards him from the gang they were to deal with just pushed his annoyance to a higher level. He'd normally enjoy it but these guys were such idiots he just wanted to gut them out of sheer aggravation.
River looked at Jack and then at him, "He can handle this. They must go back to Serenity."
Riddick nodded, "Go. I'll be right behind you." He jerked his head at Cobb, "C'mon merc. Let's go kill some folks." He started off towards the shadows. It would be easy to disappear into them. Cobb was actually following him, fairly quietly, and he waited for the merc to draw abreast of him. With his eyes it was easy to see six figures, all of them slightly concealed behind brush. They'd come on foot, likely from a drop point from a mule or on horseback and used the noise of the shuttle and the buyer's mule to get into position. "There, there, there," He pointed them out to Cobb. The merc was squinting but nodded. "Try to get at least two with that rifle before you start taking fire. I can handle the rest."
"Can do more than two," Cobb grunted as he got into a good stance to shoot.
"Not with muzzle flash giving away your position," Riddick liked to assume that anyone he fought was at least half as smart as he was, kept him from getting taken by surprise most of the time. He could see Jack and River scrambling into the shuttle and taking off, that startled one of the assholes waiting in ambush and he moved slightly.
He couldn't help the smile that curved his lips and didn't want to, "Let's play." He murmured. Behind him Cobb was taking his first shot. Before the bullet hit Riddick was on his target and the man bleeding into the dirt from a slice to the throat.
The next was just as easy, Cobb taking another shot just after Riddick took out his target. The return fire from the would-be ambushers began when they caught the second muzzle flash and Cobb moved faster than Riddick would have thought him capable of doing. But if they were shooting at Cobb they weren't paying any attention to the shadow with glowing eyes taking them out.
Four in five minutes wasn't a personal best but it would do. He came out of the darkness from behind the buyers and called to Mal, "Wait 'til the sun comes up or the girls get back. I claim the four knife kills as mine, the bullet wounds are Cobb's. Want their gear and cash for my girls."
"Where're you goin'?" Zoë wasn't so much asking as demanding an answer and the tone set his back up enough that he growled his irritation.
"Back to the boat, give the girls a hand," He told her as he broke into a run.
"Where'n the hell's he goin'?" He heard Cobb's voice before he got twenty yards.
Running fifteen klicks over flat land wasn't much of a run, at least to him. He had the idea that when River's nanites were done with her she'd be able to keep up easily. That could be fun, a race with his woman, nice little prize at the end.
The two mules and three horses outside of Serenity didn't bode well but Inara's shuttle was gone. He hoped like hell that she'd at least gotten Wash or Kaylee onto it before she'd evacuated. Someone in heavy boots running along a catwalk, he could hear the metal vibrating, gun shots echoing, and under it all a masculine groan of discomfort. The smell of blood.
River would hear him, hopefully she and Jack were close enough together that she could warn his little sister not to shoot him. Walking right into the cargo bay would be the easiest way to get onto the boat. From the sound of it the girls, and Simon, since he heard the distinctive shot of the Doc's Python barking in the back of the ship, were doing a nice job of distracting the invaders.
"Let's play," He walked up the ramp and flicked the lights on and off from the control station by the doors. River's laugh echoed from the upper deck and he grinned.
Working his way through the ship he found Simon in the engine room defending Kaylee. They'd managed to get the door shut most of the way and Simon was aiming through the five-inch crack. He could be doing much worse than he was.
Two bad guys were outside of the engine room, trying to edge closer when Simon reloaded. Soft and fast as Riddick moved, they were dead within a half-minute, though they'd have a helluva mess to clean up.
He could hear River on the deck below, Jack muttering to her as the two of them snuck up on four men. The invaders must have overridden the locks and immediately scattered through the ship to find whatever crew was left on board.
Riddick frowned and moved down the hall towards the bridge. He could smell blood, thick in the air, two of the assholes were trying to unlock the door while one kept watch. Not a very good watch because Riddick was on him before he could squawk an alarm. A shiv in the throat tended to prevent that. The man's gun fit his hand nicely and he had three shots left. He only needed two and again, bit of a mess. "Wash," He began to key the code into the lock, thankful that Mal had sprung for a code rather than a key lock. "Don't shoot."
The pilot was barely conscious, a belly wound seeping between his fingers. Likely the only thing that had kept him alive was that he'd fallen half on his back. No exit wound so the bullet was keeping him from bleeding out completely. Riddick grabbed the comms and opened a channel to the engine room, "Simon, Wash's been gut shot. I've cleared the way. You've got a three-minute window."
He didn't bother to wait for an answer, moving back towards the galley so he could keep an eye on the stairs. Simon pried the doors to the engine room open and ran down to the bridge. Doc had a hasty bandage around his upper arm and another on his lower thigh. Riddick watched to be sure he got onto the bridge and closed the doors to the stairs, heading down to the mid deck through the shuttle airlock.
Along the way he found several bodies, but the shooting was coming from the cargo bay. He didn't hear the girls shooting anymore, likely they'd run out of ammunition. He found River and Jack, River with a gunshot to her side and Jack bandaging her up in the lounge. River looked up at him and smiled, "Brisk run through the countryside?"
"Yeah, missed ya," He took over bandaging and handed Jack a gun he'd taken off one of the bad guys.
"Four left," River told him. "Two on the catwalk near Inara's shuttle entrance. Two by the doors."
"How many can you take if you get a gun in your hand?" Riddick taped the bandage tight to her skin. The bullet had plowed through her, a deep furrow that bled a lot but ultimately wouldn't do too much damage.
He fucking loved to watch her brain work, her gaze faraway as she tracked the movement of the bad guys in her mind, "One is behind sufficient cover that she needs a better angle. Could take three easily. One bullet each."
"Picked up a Marakov for you," He handed her the gun. "Got six shots. Take your three, I'll get the fourth." He helped her up, "Move okay?"
"Pain is negligible," She shrugged. "Adversity feeds triumph."
Her way of reminding him that the more a Furyan suffered the stronger they became. By his reckoning he and River ought to be damn near unstoppable right now. "Tài gāi sǐ le," At least he'd gotten that sort of memorized, fucking Chinese. He kissed her forehead, "Take 'em out."
Confident that she could do exactly as she said he didn't even turn or watch, taking the stairs two at a time and watching as one of the two invaders by the shuttle entrance crumpled, a bullet hole in his forehead. Five seconds later he was on the other, a jerk of his hands snapping the man's neck.
"Jack, pick up their guns," He called down. "River, get up to the bridge, help your brother, and tell Kaylee to get us ready to go. I'll be up to give you a hand getting Wash down to the infirmary in a minute."
He made a quick round through the boat, just to make sure there weren't any others hiding out in Serenity's little corners and nooks. Between he and the girls they'd gotten all eleven of the invaders.
Simon's expression didn't lighten as Riddick entered the galley, "I need to operate Rick. He's lost a lot of blood." River's hands were covered in it as she held pressure on the wound.
"Yeah I saw," He bent and easily lifted the pilot. "Go on, get ready, I'll be right behind you. River, go give Kaylee a hand." River took off for the engine room. Simon didn't wait, flat out running with a limp and Riddick still nearly met him at the infirmary. He knew better than to put Wash on the table, setting him on the side bed over the cabinets.
"Get the dirty clothes off him," Simon instructed as he scrubbed up and pulled a gown on over his clothes. "Wipe him down and get him on the table.,"
"His color isn't so good," Riddick observed as he got the smaller man to the table.
"He needs a transfusion," Simon observed worriedly.
"I'll send River down to give you a hand," Riddick pressed the comms to open. "River, if Kaylee doesn't need you, come give Simon a hand. Jack, get us warmed up. And somebody fuckin' wave Inara an' let her know we're moving."
All the training with River had done more than increase her speed and stamina. He knew Serenity like the back of his hand. He could be on the bridge in less than a minute at a run. Jack was already on the bridge, her butt in the co-pilot's chair, flipping the switches that would get them off the ground when he took the stick.
Kaylee's voice came over the comms, "Rick we're good to go."
That was all he'd been waiting for, two seconds later they were off the ground and moving them fifteen klicks to the south where Mal, Zoë and Cobb were waiting. Mal could wear a rut in the ground pacing, Zoë had a look of 'no good will come of this' on her face although Cobb didn't seem too surprised to see them.
The mechanic had come up to the bridge when they landed and explained that Inara had an appointment to act as a mediator and when her client had heard they had a Shepherd on board they'd asked that he join her. So that at least explained why they weren't on the boat. She'd gone back to the engine room at a run after that and yelled that she'd be down as soon as she was sure Serenity was all right.
"Let's go an' face the music," Riddick shut the boat down.
"How'd River know 'bout the men who came onto the boat," Jack muttered the question as they walked down to the cargo bay.
"Know those feelings I get? Let's me know mercs are close by or trouble's coming?" His instincts screaming at him weren't on par with River Reading or Seeing what was coming but nobody knew that.
"River gets the same?" Jack slanted a look at him, and he could tell she was taking that with a grain of salt.
"She's Furyan," Riddick shrugged and admired the center forehead gunshot in one of the bodies by the cargo bay doors.
Mal stood at the bottom of the ramp, "Rick, what'n the hell are you playin' at?"
"Wasn't playing," Riddick waved towards the cargo bay. "Go see for yourself. Bodies all over the fuckin' place."
"What?"
Jack stopped in front of the Captain and began to speak to him in a low voice. Riddick listened with half an ear as Jack explained the bad feelings Riddick would get, that River had gotten one, and what the girls had found when they got to Serenity.
"Zoë," Riddick nodded at her. "You'll want to get to the infirmary quick. Wash has been gut shot. Simon's working on him. Lost a lotta blood."
He didn't need to say any more than that, the First Mate hurried past him into Serenity. "Rick," Mal's voice had him turning back to look at the Captain. "Jack here tells me if you hadn't sent 'em back, I wouldn't have a pilot, Doc or engineer. For that matter, might not've had a ship either."
"River got a real bad feelin'," He didn't have to lie. "I could hear the guys set to ambush us. But River… she got a bad feelin' about Serenity. I get one of those feelings… I move on it. Figured if she was wrong, no harm done."
"Eleven armed men against three of my crew and only one of them good with a gun, only one even carrying," Mal scrubbed his face with his hands. "And him a greenhorn and our only Doctor."
"Would've clued you in but it would've let the guys lying in wait in on it," Riddick shrugged.
"No, you did right," Mal waved his hand dismissively. "Me an' Wash are the same blood type. I better get in so Simon can give him a transfusion." He ran a gentle hand down Jack's arm and kissed her head, almost like he would Kaylee. "Thanks for explainin' Jack."
He headed into the ship with a long stride, his voice loud, "Jayne, stop messing around with the guns and come on in to help with these gorram bodies."
"Them's yers," Jayne nodded at the four bodies with knife slits in their throats and other body parts. "I ain't touched 'em. Mal an' Zoë went over 'em."
Riddick nodded and wrapped an arm around Jack's shoulders for a moment. "You okay kid?"
"Yeah," She looked at him. "There's something else going on with you and River."
"Yeah." He wouldn't lie to her. Not Jack. But he didn't have to tell her everything, "Appreciate you not asking."
"Eh, with all the stuff you can do, figures whoever you'd fall for would be just as unusual," Jack shrugged and began to loot the bodies.
"Fall for," He repeated the words as if he'd been turned dumb as Cobb.
"Fuck Riddick, what did you think was happening?" Jack shook her head at him, "You should see your face when you talk about her. Knew back on Crematoria that there was something going on, or about to go on." She smirked and began putting all the loot in a bag.
"Uh huh," In the back of his head Shirah was laughing. He fucking hoped River didn't think this was funny. "Holy fu—" Stop, remember to curse in Chinese, practice all the time so he didn't stand out like a sore thumb. Of course sometimes it came easier than others, like when he had River in front of him to remind him of why he didn't want to stick out like the aforementioned sore thumb. "Wǒ cào." No wonder Shirah had been so damn smug and patient with his delaying and thinking. He'd lost the argument (never mind that it had been with himself) before he'd even begun it.
"Yeah," She shrugged. "Could be worse."
"Oh?" He headed into the ship and began to carry the bodies out, dumping them down and letting Jack strip them of loot.
"Well yeah," She gave him River's patented 'you're a boob' look. It seemed to be something all little sisters applied to their big brothers without any tutelage required whatsoever. "At least she's just as gone on you."
"Seems like it," If she wasn't he was well and truly screwed. He shook his head as he headed back in for another body. He could see Mal hooked up to tubes, River running lines between him and Wash. Zoë was hovering while Simon worked. He could see Kaylee pacing in the lounge. Cobb was carrying a body down from the catwalk, casting concerned looks at the infirmary. "It can always be worse."
Once Simon finished stitching Wash up Riddick commandeered him. "Zoë, need your help." Giving the woman something to do would be better for her than pacing and worrying. "Simon took a couple of bullets. The one on his leg is just a graze. But I think he's still carrying the other bullet around in his upper arm."
"What?" Mal stared at his doctor. "Are you gorram crazy?"
River smirked, "No, that's me."
Mal flipped his hand irritably at her and Riddick sighed, "He's not crazy. The bullet's keeping the blood from coming out. Wash needed the surgery more than Simon needed the bullet removed."
"Yeah all right but now that Wash is sewn back up can we pull the bullets out of my Doctor?" Funny how Mal would make something sound like his idea even if he came in the conversation halfway through.
"Kinda what I wanted Zoë for," Riddick rolled his eyes and River giggled at him.
Kaylee came in with a glass of juice and handed it to Mal with the admonishment. "Drink that. It'll help keep you awake."
"When're Inara and Shepherd Book due back?" Jack asked, leaning against the infirmary doorjamb.
"S'posed to only be a four-hour appointment," Kaylee answered. "Why?"
"We got a pile of dead bodies outside the ship," Jack reminded her. "It'd be nice to be gone before someone misses them?"
"Jack's got a good point," Mal nodded. "How long ago was it Inara left?"
Kaylee considered, "'Bout three'n a half hours maybe?"
"Could always move the boat back to where it was," River suggested.
"Jack, you and Rick go an' do that little thing," Mal ordered.
Jack grinned at the Captain and nudged Riddick as she left. "Come on. Pretty sure they can dig bullets outta the Doc without you breathin' down their necks."
Riddick pointed at his woman, "After Zoë's done with Simon, she takes a look at you."
She rolled her eyes at him, "Bandages will suffice."
"No they fuckin' won't," He snarled and headed for the bridge. It was a good idea to move the boat back to where it had been. A pile of bodies wasn't exactly subtle.
Jack looked at him once they got Serenity back near the town, "So who pissed in your porridge that you're in a bad mood all of the sudden?"
Only his little sister, and River, could ask him that sort of question and not get a snarl in reply. He pushed his goggles up and rubbed his temples. "River tried to say the bandages we stuck on her are fine and she doesn't need Zoë to look her over."
"Pretty sure between you and Simon she'll give in," Jack consoled him.
"Hmm…" He looked over at her, "What's going on with you and Mal?"
Her blink of surprise was genuine enough, so was her blush, "What're you talking about?"
"You're turning pink," He pointed out. "And I've only ever seen him that affectionate with Kaylee. Only he doesn't seem to be looking at you like a daughter."
"Fuck if I know," Jack pressed her palms to her red cheeks. "I really don't. I mean… Christ Riddick, Simon said there's nothing physically wrong with me. Gave me some stuff to keep me from getting pregnant if sex ever becomes something I'm actually interested in. But…"
"I just wanna know if you're okay with him touching you," He would gut the man if Mal scared Jack and to hell with the consequences.
"Yeah," She nodded slowly obviously thinking about it. "Didn't feel like my skin was crawling like when other guys besides you try to touch me."
"Who?" Now he really wanted to gut someone, "Anybody here?"
"What? No," Jack looked at him as if he was crazy. "Book's celibate and treats me like he treats Kaylee or River. Wash is married, and a sweetheart, plus I could kick his ass. Simon would never, he's… I've never met anyone so respectful. I mean I don't go up and hug on them but if they brush against me I don't jump a mile or feel sick. I don't want them to touch me on purpose, tenses me up."
"And Cobb?" He growled.
"Makes my skin crawl when he looks at me," Jack shrugged. "Hasn't tried to touch me though."
"You want, we could see if Simon can recommend anybody you could talk to," Even as he said it he was trying to figure out how they could manage it.
"Right," Jack shook her head. "A wanted fugitive needs to see a therapist. Let's ask another fugitive to arrange it."
Riddick sighed, "Yeah, gotta give you that. Not my brightest idea."
He looked over his shoulder as he heard Mal's step in the hall, "What's not your brightest idea? Because you've had your brain on straight all day."
"Finding me a therapist by asking Simon to recommend someone," Jack told him with a grin.
Mal sat a bit heavily in the navigator's chair worry filling his scent, "You all right?"
"I uh…" Jack shrugged, glanced at Riddick who shrugged back that it was up to her who she told and sighed, "When I went looking for Riddick… I did something really stupid. Signed on with mercs. They turned around and slaved me out to some 'Golls. I killed 'em, and some of the mercs, and that's how I ended up in prison."
"You couldn't've been more than fourteen," Mal's outraged expression could have set the mercs on fire. "They sold you and when you kill the raping hún dàn gǒushǐ duī gǒu niáng yǎng de they put you in jail?" Incredulity thy name was Malcolm Reynolds, "Who does that?"
Jack stared at the Captain for a minute before looking at Riddick, "Translation?"
"Bastard dog shit sons a bitches," Riddick shrugged, he'd heard all of those curses before. He looked at Mal, "River let Zoë look at her side?"
"Last I saw she was still saying she didn't need it and Simon was guilting her into it," Mal shook his head. "No. I'm not havin' this," He stood and stomped down the hall to the stairs.
Jack exchanged a confused look with Riddick, and they followed Mal down to the catwalks and the door to Inara's shuttle, "Mal, what're you doing?" Riddick leaned against railing behind him.
"Yes Mal, what are you doing?" Inara's door opened to reveal the very irritated Companion.
"That healin' house we took River to," Mal didn't let her expression stop him. "Your friend. Need you to wave her. Tell her we got someone needs some help. Simon ain't gonna turn the trick." He turned and looked at Jack, "Got enough nightmares on this gorram boat. Can at least try to help you with yours."
Mal took ornery, contrary and stubborn to new levels and his plans depended entirely too much on other people acting according to his expectations but when it came to the people he decided were his crew there was nothing he wouldn't do for them. He would have flown after the mercs to take Riddick back. He'd taken Jack in because Riddick claimed her as his sister and now… Well, now Mal was proving that the mental wellbeing of a crewmember mattered more to him than his pride. Asking Inara for anything always stuck in his craw but good, Riddick had figured that out his first month on the boat. And Mal was doing it anyway because Jack needed the help.
Riddick had rarely seen Jack speechless. That Mal had managed it made him wish for a capture. When she found her voice it was to apologize for the idiot captain, "I'm sorry…he… well we didn't know he'd react like…this."
Mal turned in outrage, "How'd you expect me to react? You might look like a grown woman and you're a gorram adult but it happened when you were a kid and that's the sorta thing'll mess you up the rest of your life."
"Yeah but…uh…" His little sister's astonishment again had her stuttering for words.
Riddick put a hand on her shoulder and gave her a gentle squeeze, "Jack, why don't you get some rest." Her entire body was shaking, "I'll explain things to Inara."
Mal took a good look at his newest crew member and sighed, "C'mon Jack, I'll walk you down to your bunk." His palm rested on her lower back as he began to gently guide her down the stairs. "Thanks Inara."
Riddick found it very telling that even upset as she was, Jack didn't flinch from Mal's palm on her spine.
He turned back to Inara, "So. You wanna do this now or talk in the morning?"
Inara sighed and beckoned him in, "Now I think."
Author's Note: I always thought that selling the take from Ariel would be slightly more complex (with the potential to go spectacularly wrong) than the show made it sound. They just skipped merrily about the 'verse selling ill-gotten gains and nobody noticed? Or tried to rob them? Niska was their only problem? Sorry, I just don't see Mal's luck being that good.
Anyone agree or am I creating drama for the sake of drama?
Chinese Translations:
Jī dū zài guǎi zhàng shàng (Christ on a crutch)
Tián mì de xié 'è cào (sweet unholy fuck)
Wèi le cào yuán gù (For fuck's sake)
Cào dàn (damn it! / fuck! (vulgar))
Nǐ tā mā de tiān xià suǒ yǒu de rén dōu gāi sǐ. (Fuck everyone in the universe to death.)
pì gu (butt)
Tài gāi sǐ le (too damned right)
Wǒ cào (holy fuck)
hún dàn (bastard)
gǒushǐ duī (a person who behaves badly (lit. "a pile of dog shit"))
gǒu niáng yǎng de (son of a bitch)
Quote Sources:
And if a god will wreck me yet again on the wine-dark sea, I can bear that too, with a spirit tempered to endure. Much have I suffered, labored long and hard by now in the waves and wars. Add this to the total—bring the trial on! – The Odyssey – Homer
Behold, on wrong Swift vengeance waits; and art subdues the strong. – The Odyssey – Homer
Even cutthroat bandits who raid foreign parts —and Zeus grants them a healthy share of plunder, ships filled to the brim, and back they head for home —even their dark hearts are stalked by the dread of vengeance. – The Odyssey – Homer
But the great leveler, Death: not even the gods can defend a man, not even one they love, that day when fate takes hold and lays him out at last. – The Odyssey – Homer