Part III

Part III

Sil sat up on the bed and wiped away tears as she saw Jack ushered back into the cell. She sniffled and ran to her side wrapping her arms about Jack. Jack did her best not to wince as she returned Sil's hug.

"I'm sorry they hurt you Miss Jack. I'll go with them next time… I don't want you to get hurt again."

"Heh.," Jack grinned lightly down to her before moving over to the cot. Once Jack was seated Sil sat on the floor beside her. Jack reached out an brushed hair and tears off of Sil's cheek. "Don't worry about it kid. They ain't gonna be coming back to get you for anymore tests."

Sil blinked up to Jack shocked. Ren's eyes peered to them from the barred window between their cells. "How'd ya manage that?"

Jack glanced to the window and smirked a bit. "I got my ways. I'm good at making trades."

Ren was confused for a moment. "You didn't…."

"Didn't what?," a puzzled Sil looked between the two.

Jack looked back to Sil and smiled at her. "They won't be coming to get you anymore, Sil. From now on they'll be coming to get me."

Sil's faint yellow eyes widened a bit as new tears threatened to fall. No one had been as nice to her as Jack was… and now she was gonna go through all the pain she had. "No!," she threw her arms around Jack's waist and hugged her tightly. Tighter than was comfortable for Jack as she winced. Jack tried to pry the girls arms off but found she wasn't able to, which surprised her. Seemed Sil was stronger than she looked.

Jack sighed a bit and stroked Sil's hair. "Shhh… its okay kiddo. I can handle anything they throw at me. Don't worry I'll be okay."

Sil sniffled and hugged Jack tighter. She loosened her grip though when she felt Jack flinch. "I… it hurts real bad. It a-always made me wish I would just die."

Jack peered down sadly at her. "Hey," her voice was soft and caring, "it'll be okay I promise.," she tilted Sil's head up and slowly wiped her tears away. Jack stood up slowly by the cot. "Into bed with you."

Sil reluctantly climbed up into the cot. Jack knelt on the floor by her and stroked the hair off Sil's forehead. A soft sweet sound filled the air. "Hush little baby don't say a word, Mama's gonna buy you a mocking bird. And if that mocking bird don't sing, Mama's gonna buy you a diamond ring. And if that diamond ring don't shine…" the tune drifted off slowly.

***** ***** ***** ***** *****

"You don't know what you're getting into Jack.," Ren kept her tones hushed so she wouldn't wake Sil or Ash.

Jack shook her head as she leaned against the wall. "I had to do something. I wasn't going to stand by and watch them kill her piece by piece."

"You're crazy you know that, Reed?"

Jack snickered. "If you only knew the company I unwillingly parted with when I was caught you'd probably really believe that."

Ren laughed at her. "Would I? Why do you say that?"

A little glint flickered in Jack's eyes as she let memories rise to the surface for a moment. Jack's grin was a tad on the dark side. She shook her head then to clear her mind. "Never mind. I have an appointment later to see the Psychotherapist. Maybe I should play mind games, eh?"

Ren just shook her head at Jack. "You sure are a strange one. The Psychotherapist is a pretty nice guy… Least he was to Ash and Sil. I thought he was a total asshole."

"Maybe he realized that they were innocent."

"Ha! Now *that* would be something."

Jack just grinned at her as she heard footsteps headed their way. "Looks like it's time for me to go."

***** ***** ***** ***** *****

Jack sat silently in the comfy chair, letting her hand shield her eyes from the light. A thick layer of glass separated her room from the other one in front of it. Nothing much was in that room either. There was a chair across from hers, a desk and what looked like a diploma on the wall. She leaned back in the chair to wait for the 'shrink', wondering what he'd be like.

"Prisioner 7832Z594K." The man closed the door behind him as he stared down at her file, not bothering to look up. He moved to the chair slowly and sat down in it. She blinked a bit as she stared at the man before her, tall, lean, black hair, green eyes, glasses. Couldn't be him could it? The man pushed his glasses up with his thumb. Jack couldn't help but grin now. How ironic!

"So how you doin' Mel?"

The man had a puzzled look on his face. He looked up slowly from the file and seemed to pale. "Jackie?"

She smirked. "I ain't been called that in years."

"How did you… Why… What are you doing in there?!" Mel had a worried look on his face.

"Long story, Mel. Sure ya wanna hear it?" She leaned back into the chair folding her hands in her lap.

Mel nodded to her closing the file and putting it beside him in the chair. Poor Mel. He was always the big brother I never had. What's he gonna think about me now?

"Well I ran away from home when I was sixteen. Jumping from rock to rock looking for my dad. I managed to contact him once after I'd been looking for a year. He sent some Creds and I bought a ticket on the Hunter-Gratzner. On New Mecca all I had to do was catch a transport and I was home free.," she paused a moment to observe him. He knew about her running away which didn't surprise her since he used to babysit her and take her places, even though he was a good seven years older than her.

She continued, "But we crashed on this desert planet halfway through the trip. Eleven of us made it out of the crash alive but just three of us left the planet."

Mel broke in, "What happened to the other eight? Who were the other two survivors, Jackie?"

"The ones that didn't make it were killed. Imam, Riddick and me were all that got away."

"Riddick?!," he jumped up from his chair. "But a Merc said he died in the crash and collected on him." Mel looked confused.

Jack grinned to him and laughed. "A John Fry right?"

"Yeah…," he looked at her skeptically.

She snickered and shook her head. "An alias he came up with after we reached New Mecca. He left Imam and me there after he collected the reward."

He ran a hand through his short black hair. "Did he kill all the others? Did he hurt you in anyway?"

Jack laughed a bit at his concern now. If he only knew. "No, he didn't kill them. Fuckin' aliens did. They were a bunch of nasty motherfuckers. And no he didn't hurt me. He saved my life. He became my Savior."

Mel frowned deeply at the news. She looked up to Riddick? That wasn't good… not good at all. Maybe it's the drawback of the whole tramatic event on her causing her to idolize Riddick. "Jackie the man's a murderer. He's dangerous an-"

She cut him off, narrowing her eyes at him. "Look at the file again Mel. I've killed a few people myself, the most recent being a guard here. Riddick taught me how to survive, how to be strong. He believed in me… he knows who I am!"

"Jesus, Jackie, listen to yourself! You're idolizing him! … You're trying to be like him aren't you?," he frowned deeply, he looked hurt.

She stood up slowly, walking to the glass barrier that separated them. "I'm not trying to be like him. I'm just me. I'll do what it takes to survive. If you don't like it," she pointed to him, her tone raising, "then fuck you! I'm not the same weakling I was when you knew me. I don't need you to be strong for me Mel. I'm fine on my own."

He sighed and lowered his head shaking it. "Jackie…"

"Stop calling me that. I'm not Jackie anymore."

"The who are you?," he looked up to her with sad eyes as he sat back down.

"Jack… I'm Jack to everyone except one person. To him I'm Jacklyn."

"And who is that?"

"My lover…" she stated simply, tracing her finger over the 'R' shaped scar under her clothes.

He looked shocked and appalled as well as sad. He'd seen her trace the letter on her side. He wasn't quite sure what it meant so he pushed it away. He knew she wasn't who she used to be anymore. He might as well get on with the tests. "Look at the wall to your left. Tell me what you see."

She glanced to the wall as the first inkblot image appeared there. "Blood……, one of those fuckin' aliens……, someone holding a shiv……," she grinned at the fourth one, "the first person I killed asshole shoulda known better……, the pilot that raped me……, people covered in blood…… a woman being ripped in half…… a human skull……, another alien……, a corpse."

Mel nodded silently. "We'll have another appointment tomorrow and that will conclude our required sessions together. If you ever feel the need to talk to someone, or want to talk to someone I'll be here."