Across the Hall
Chapter 8
**A Year Later**
Things between Dayla and Riddick were still good. It was like they were the perfect couple. Of course they had their problems but nothing that couldn't be solved. The only burden that couldn't be solved was Dayla's nightmares. They'd still been a difficulty she couldn't get a grasp of. Riddick hated the fact that the woman he loved was in so much pain. Pain he couldn't take away. No matter how many times he told her Ethan couldn't get to her, she still believed he was out there looking.
Waking up early, Riddick just lay in bed and watched her sleep. That was one of his favorite pass time (among others). He touched her slowly but stopped when he say her stir. Her lips were full and a deep pink from all the kissing from the previous night. Leaning down he softly pressed his lips against his. Moaning a little her eyes fluttered open. Smiling she looked up at him. "Mornin love" she says. "Morning" he rasps softly. "Make me breakfast?" she says in a little voice. Laughing he says, "I was about to ask you the same thing." Turning over she gets out of bed to get her robe "Fat chance I have to get to work. My boss says that if I'm late one more time he's putting me on dish detail." "Want me to 'talk' to him?" Riddick says half jokingly and half serious. Wrapping her robe around herself she crawls back on the bed "Thank you sweetie but I think I can handle it." She leans down to kiss him. She leans back on her legs and stares at him. "What are you looking at?" he finally says "I'm sitting here waiting for you to get my breakfast." She says with a giggle. Pulling her down he starts to tickle her. "Is that right?" he laughs. "Riddick stop! I gotta get ready for work!" she says between laughs. Yanking her up out of the bed he smacks her on the ass. "After your shower your breakfast will be waiting my lady." "That's what I thought!" She says as she turns to the bathroom. "What was that?" he says as he starts to get out of bed. "Nothing, I said nothing" She laughs as she runs the last few paces to the bathroom.
Getting out of bed, he picks up his boxers from last night and slips them on. Not bothering with a shirt he heads for the kitchen. As he begins to cook he hears the shower turn off and Dayla coming into the bedroom humming. Smiling he begins to call for her but before he can the phone rings. Picking it up he continues to cook. "Hello?" "RIDDICK?!" "uh, yeah who is this?" "It's me! It's Jack" "Jack! How tha hell are ya girl?!" "I'm fine, god I've missed you Riddick. Look I'm gonna get straight to the point. I'm 18 now and you once said that when I became legal I could come and work with you. Whadda ya think?" Sighing deeply he pauses. "C'mon Riddick, you promised" she whines "Okay Jack, I guess we can fix up the spare room." "We?" Just then Dayla walks in with her robe on and she's toweling her hair. "What are we fixing up the spare room for?" She asks. Riddick holds speaking part of the phone. "It's Jack, she's gonna be staying with us." Going back to the phone. "Hey Jack, when you gonna be here?" "Sooner than you think." With that Jack hangs up there's a knock at the door. Dayla rushes to get it. Opening it Jack's smile fades slowly "Who tha hell are you and what are you doing here?" Jack spats. Dayla gets a 'no she didn't' look on her face then she looks down at herself and then turns to the door and looks at the apartment number. "Gee last time I checked I was Dayla Solange and I lived here. Now I think I have every right now to ask you the same questions." Suddenly Riddick walks up behind Dayla and pulls her into him. "Down girl! Jack this is my live-in girlfriend Dayla" Then turning to Dayla he says "Dayla this is Jack, the little brat who wants to be like me." Jack's eyes go big "Oh shit! I'm so sorry." Laughing Dayla extends her hand "It's okay, I've gotten worse." Jack takes her hand as she walks in and drops her bags. Surveying the apartment, Jack whirls around in amazement. "Whoa Riddick this is some pretty snazzy shit." Dayla laughs harder before saying "I'm gonna get ready for work., I'm gonna have to pass on breakfast" Riddick nods then turns to Jack. "Well I have to confess, Dayla did all the decorating and brought me up to date. Jack marvels at the entertainment center. "Well I like her already." Jack spins around to Riddick. Smiling she runs to him and gives him a big bear hug. "How tha fuck are ya, ya bastard." Laughing he picks her up and spins her around. Dayla re-appears in her uniform. "Hey you guys don't break anything." She says. Putting her down he clears his throat, "Yes, dear." Laughing Jack chokes out "whipped!" Riddick grabs her and pretends to choke her. Dayla walks over to Riddick, "I'm going to work now sweetie. Why don't you two stop by on my lunch break and we can get to know each other better." She kisses Riddick then moves for the door. "Oh and it was nice meeting you Jack." In the midst of that Dayla disappears. Jack slumps on the plush carpet. "So, Where'd you pick that one up, she seems nice." "Across the hall." He replies as he sits in a nearby chair. Shrugging her shoulders she says "Is it serious?" "Yes, very" she nods "Cool, Does she know about you and how you make your living." "Yes" "Shit riddick this is serious, What does she think?" "She doesn't like it but she doesn't keep me from it, she knows that I have to do what I have to do." "Speaking of which, I HAVE to see my room." Getting up he grabs her bags, "You're right across the hall from us. I guess it's good enough. We didn't get to get ready for your arrival so I guess you'll have to make due." He sets her bags down. "Get settled in and come on out so we can start training." "Already? Why can't we catch up on old times?" "We don't have time. I have a job to do in about a month and I need to get you into shape."
The next few hours were rough for Jack. Riddick took no mercy when it came to getting it right. Jack was so tired she was about to pass out. He taught her moves, made her life weights, and taught her the proper way to handle a shiv, all this and it was only day one in her training. Jack was seriously re-thinking the whole situation, until Riddick said "Okay, lunch break." The sound of those words rung off her ears. "Oh, thank god!" She screams as she runs to the kitchen. "So how's Imam?" Riddick asks while getting things out to make a sandwich. Jack begins to spread the mayo on the bread slices. "Well, you know Imam. Of course he didn't want me to leave and he especially didn't want me following in your foot steps." "Why are you?" "I have my reasons." She simply says. Slapping his sandwich together, Riddick leaves the conversation as that.
Chapter 8
**A Year Later**
Things between Dayla and Riddick were still good. It was like they were the perfect couple. Of course they had their problems but nothing that couldn't be solved. The only burden that couldn't be solved was Dayla's nightmares. They'd still been a difficulty she couldn't get a grasp of. Riddick hated the fact that the woman he loved was in so much pain. Pain he couldn't take away. No matter how many times he told her Ethan couldn't get to her, she still believed he was out there looking.
Waking up early, Riddick just lay in bed and watched her sleep. That was one of his favorite pass time (among others). He touched her slowly but stopped when he say her stir. Her lips were full and a deep pink from all the kissing from the previous night. Leaning down he softly pressed his lips against his. Moaning a little her eyes fluttered open. Smiling she looked up at him. "Mornin love" she says. "Morning" he rasps softly. "Make me breakfast?" she says in a little voice. Laughing he says, "I was about to ask you the same thing." Turning over she gets out of bed to get her robe "Fat chance I have to get to work. My boss says that if I'm late one more time he's putting me on dish detail." "Want me to 'talk' to him?" Riddick says half jokingly and half serious. Wrapping her robe around herself she crawls back on the bed "Thank you sweetie but I think I can handle it." She leans down to kiss him. She leans back on her legs and stares at him. "What are you looking at?" he finally says "I'm sitting here waiting for you to get my breakfast." She says with a giggle. Pulling her down he starts to tickle her. "Is that right?" he laughs. "Riddick stop! I gotta get ready for work!" she says between laughs. Yanking her up out of the bed he smacks her on the ass. "After your shower your breakfast will be waiting my lady." "That's what I thought!" She says as she turns to the bathroom. "What was that?" he says as he starts to get out of bed. "Nothing, I said nothing" She laughs as she runs the last few paces to the bathroom.
Getting out of bed, he picks up his boxers from last night and slips them on. Not bothering with a shirt he heads for the kitchen. As he begins to cook he hears the shower turn off and Dayla coming into the bedroom humming. Smiling he begins to call for her but before he can the phone rings. Picking it up he continues to cook. "Hello?" "RIDDICK?!" "uh, yeah who is this?" "It's me! It's Jack" "Jack! How tha hell are ya girl?!" "I'm fine, god I've missed you Riddick. Look I'm gonna get straight to the point. I'm 18 now and you once said that when I became legal I could come and work with you. Whadda ya think?" Sighing deeply he pauses. "C'mon Riddick, you promised" she whines "Okay Jack, I guess we can fix up the spare room." "We?" Just then Dayla walks in with her robe on and she's toweling her hair. "What are we fixing up the spare room for?" She asks. Riddick holds speaking part of the phone. "It's Jack, she's gonna be staying with us." Going back to the phone. "Hey Jack, when you gonna be here?" "Sooner than you think." With that Jack hangs up there's a knock at the door. Dayla rushes to get it. Opening it Jack's smile fades slowly "Who tha hell are you and what are you doing here?" Jack spats. Dayla gets a 'no she didn't' look on her face then she looks down at herself and then turns to the door and looks at the apartment number. "Gee last time I checked I was Dayla Solange and I lived here. Now I think I have every right now to ask you the same questions." Suddenly Riddick walks up behind Dayla and pulls her into him. "Down girl! Jack this is my live-in girlfriend Dayla" Then turning to Dayla he says "Dayla this is Jack, the little brat who wants to be like me." Jack's eyes go big "Oh shit! I'm so sorry." Laughing Dayla extends her hand "It's okay, I've gotten worse." Jack takes her hand as she walks in and drops her bags. Surveying the apartment, Jack whirls around in amazement. "Whoa Riddick this is some pretty snazzy shit." Dayla laughs harder before saying "I'm gonna get ready for work., I'm gonna have to pass on breakfast" Riddick nods then turns to Jack. "Well I have to confess, Dayla did all the decorating and brought me up to date. Jack marvels at the entertainment center. "Well I like her already." Jack spins around to Riddick. Smiling she runs to him and gives him a big bear hug. "How tha fuck are ya, ya bastard." Laughing he picks her up and spins her around. Dayla re-appears in her uniform. "Hey you guys don't break anything." She says. Putting her down he clears his throat, "Yes, dear." Laughing Jack chokes out "whipped!" Riddick grabs her and pretends to choke her. Dayla walks over to Riddick, "I'm going to work now sweetie. Why don't you two stop by on my lunch break and we can get to know each other better." She kisses Riddick then moves for the door. "Oh and it was nice meeting you Jack." In the midst of that Dayla disappears. Jack slumps on the plush carpet. "So, Where'd you pick that one up, she seems nice." "Across the hall." He replies as he sits in a nearby chair. Shrugging her shoulders she says "Is it serious?" "Yes, very" she nods "Cool, Does she know about you and how you make your living." "Yes" "Shit riddick this is serious, What does she think?" "She doesn't like it but she doesn't keep me from it, she knows that I have to do what I have to do." "Speaking of which, I HAVE to see my room." Getting up he grabs her bags, "You're right across the hall from us. I guess it's good enough. We didn't get to get ready for your arrival so I guess you'll have to make due." He sets her bags down. "Get settled in and come on out so we can start training." "Already? Why can't we catch up on old times?" "We don't have time. I have a job to do in about a month and I need to get you into shape."
The next few hours were rough for Jack. Riddick took no mercy when it came to getting it right. Jack was so tired she was about to pass out. He taught her moves, made her life weights, and taught her the proper way to handle a shiv, all this and it was only day one in her training. Jack was seriously re-thinking the whole situation, until Riddick said "Okay, lunch break." The sound of those words rung off her ears. "Oh, thank god!" She screams as she runs to the kitchen. "So how's Imam?" Riddick asks while getting things out to make a sandwich. Jack begins to spread the mayo on the bread slices. "Well, you know Imam. Of course he didn't want me to leave and he especially didn't want me following in your foot steps." "Why are you?" "I have my reasons." She simply says. Slapping his sandwich together, Riddick leaves the conversation as that.
