Part XII
Jack lay face down on her bed crying into the pillow. Why did it hurt so much? It felt like she was dying, but she wasn't… her heart was breaking apart.
Sil sat down on the bed beside her and put her hand on her back. Jack jumped a bit and sat up quickly. She looked to Sil with watery eyes. Sil frowned deeply and leaned in, hugging Jack tight.
"You still love him don'tcha Mama-cat?"
Jack's throat tightened a moment as she hugged Sil tight. She swallowed a lump in her throat as she nodded, closing her eyes. "Yes… I do…"
"Why don'tcha tell him that then?" Sil's green eyes peered up to her.
"I can't kitty-cat… I've tried to… but the truth kept gettin' in the way. He doesn't love me…"
"That's not true!," Sil frowned and pulled back from the hug to look at her.
"It is kitty-cat.," Jack forced a smile to her, "There's nothin' we can do about it. We can't change how someone feels…"
"But…. But….," Sil sighed heavily and hugged Jack tighter than before, "it'll be okay Mama-cat,… I promise."
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Sil got up from the bed slowly, a frown still on her face. She'd stayed there until Jack feel asleep… actually cried herself to sleep. She'd never seen Mama-cat cry so much and it worried her. She wanted to help her but she wasn't sure what to do.
Sil chewed on her lower lip as she quietly walked to the door. Maybe she could tell Riddick how Mama-cat felt. Maybe he'd listen to her. That or she'd knock some sense into him. Ehh… more likely I'd get hurting trying.
She slipped out the door slowly, wondering what she'd tell the big guy. Mama-cat really loves you. You're making her cry so much it'll prolly kill her. Don'tcha even care a little about her? If you don't then you're nothin' but a big meanie!! You better not make Mama-cat die! If you do then I'll… I'll make you pay! I won't let her go without a fight. That's why I'm doing this… I don't want to be alone anymore. Mama-cat makes me happy… I want her to be happy too…
Sil turned the corner headed for Riddick's room when she collided with Nova. Sil fell back onto her rear, peering up wide-eyed at Nova. Nova looked at the girl perturbed.
"What do you want kid?"
Sil got up slowly, dusting her pants off. "I was just looking for Mr. Riddick."
"Why?," Nova quirked a curious brow at the girl.
"I was uhh… just gonna tell him something."
"Well he's a bit busy, kiddo. Why don't you tell me what you wanted to tell him and I'll give him the message."
Sil frowned a bit at her and shook her head, blond hair swishing side to side. "I'll jus' tell him myself. It won't take long." Sil tried to step around Nova.
Nova stepped back into the girl's path. "Looks you can tell me and I'll give him the message or you can go run along."
Sil narrowed her eyes at Nova. What is her problem?! I just wanna talk with him! She tried to move around Nova yet again. Sil didn't notice the fist headed her way until it was too late. Sil was once more on the floor peering up at Nova. Sil tasted something metallic and touched her mouth. She glanced down to her fingers to see blood on them. Tears stung at her eyes as she scrambled to her feet, running off the way she came from.
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Sil carefully slid herself between two crates. She slid down the wall until her bottom rested on the floor. She hugged her knees to her chest as she let the tears fall.
"Hey you alright?," came a concerned voice from the front of the opening.
Sil opened her eyes to a young man with a flashlight. His skin was copperish and his eyes were as black as coal, just like his hair. Sil sniffled a bit and nodded to the young man. "Y-yeah… I'm okay."
"Why don't ya come out? Don't want you to get squished if one of the cables breaks.," he smiled warmly at her. "By the way, I'm Billy."
Sil stood up slowly and inched her way out from between the crates. "I'm Sil. Nice ta meetcha.," she smiled a bit, but winced after she did.
Billy noticed her busted lip and the little trail of blood going down her chin. "What happened?"
"I sorta collided with someone's fist." Sil smirked trying to be funny.
Billy laughed and smiled a bit at her sense of humor. "Cute. But you don't want to be doing that too often."
"Why not?," she blinked up to him.
"Well, someone as pretty as you getting hurt… it just isn't right."
Sil blushed profusely as she giggled softly. She looked down to the floor shyly, hair falling over her shoulders.
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"Brian!," Nova jogged up to him. "You'll never believe what that kid Sil just told me."
"What?," he looked at her almost skeptically.
"She told me that Jack likes you. I mean really likes you. Know what I mean?" She gave him her classic grin.
Brian blinked a bit in surprise at that news. He'd have to get some things straight with Jack. He only considered her a friend, but his heart would always belong to Nova. "I'll talk to you later Nova." He ran a hand through his short blond hair as he walked off towards Jack's quarters.
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He knocked on the door of Jack's room. Jack groaned a bit, being pulled from her sleep. "Come in. But you better have a good reason for waking me up."
Brian walked in slowly and gave her a nervous smile. "Jack we gotta talk.," he paused, "I know you think you like me but… I don't feel that way about you. I love Nova and I always will."
Jack blinked at him slowly. He thinks… I'm in love with him? A wide grin crossed her face as she laughed. "W-what made you," she took a breath as she continued to laugh, "th-think I felt like that about you?!" She was laughing so hard she thought that she'd start to cry again.
Brian got a puzzled look on his face, then frowned. "What are you up to now Nova?," he muttered silently to himself.
