All right, I've slightly miscalculated here. Jack closed her eyes.

You're a fucking idiot. This isn't a miscalculation; this is a major screw up. This is so screwed up that --- well, she didn't know what.

She wondered how long she'd been out of it. Not too long she guessed because her arms hadn't gone to sleep even tied above her head. Wiggling around and yanking as hard as she could hadn't gotten her any looser so at the moment she was reclining and trying to think of a way out.

The big question in her mind was; where the hell was Riddick and what was he doing? What if he just docked the ship and left her here to die?

A deep breath. Another.

Okay, get a grip. He's not going to leave you here without finding out who you are. Riddick may be a total bastard but he's a smart bastard. He'll want to know how he got caught and who the hell caught him.

At least she wasn't naked. That would've been truly embarrassing.

Footsteps coming down the hall. The door was left open but the cell was closed so she watched through the bars as Riddick glided into the room. How was it possible for someone that big to move that gracefully?

He stood in front of the cell with his feet planted squarely and an evil grin on his face. Glasses pushed up and dangerously gleaming eyes stared at her. Jack waited for him to say something. Anything.

The lock clicked open as he slid in the card and he stepped into the small area, his arms crossed over his chest. Strange how she was tied, probably about to die and the only thing she seemed to notice was that he still hadn't put on a shirt. Goddamn, she was losing it.

Finally Jack couldn't take the silence or his arrogant smile anymore. "Don't get too cocky. This isn't over yet."

The grin got bigger.

"Fuck you!" She wished that she could've just ignored him but he was taking up all the room, the air, everything. It was too much.

"Is that what you want? You want me to fuck you?" He leaned down over her and she stiffened immediately. Oh shit!

"Well, if this is the only way you can get a date----" She plastered a sarcastic smirk on her face.

A warm hand landed softly on her knee and smoothly rounded to her calf. It should have terrified her but something in her memory of him told her that he was bluffing. Riddick wasn't a rapist. She knew it. At least, that's what she told herself.

She laughed softly. Look at me big guy, I'm not scared of you.

Two furrowed lines appeared in his forehead and he tightened his grip on her leg.

"Give it up Riddick. You're not going to rape me and we both know it. Why don't you untie me and ask me your questions. I know you must have questions." Jack was taking a big leap of faith here.

"You're a real fuckin' know it all, ain't ya?" The surprise was evident.

"I know who the fuck I'm dealing with." She willed him to remember who she was. Remember the monster he'd killed to save her. If he realized who she was, he might let her go and then she could get him back in here where he belonged.

Unreadable, his face was like a stone.

His hand slid up, back over her knee and over the soft skin of her thigh. Her eyes closed, a painful throb started behind one eye. Her plan had backfired. He had no idea who she was and he was a Goddamn rapist. Fuck! She just couldn't get a break.

Warm air hitting her, his body leaning over her. A rough cheek brushing her ear. Jack bit back a whimper.

"You've grown up Jack." Riddick whispered.

He hadn't thought of her in years. Just a little blip in his memory of that place, of that darkness and here she was. She'd obviously come lookin' for payback although he seriously had no idea why. He'd saved her ass back on T2. Twice.

As soon as he said her name her eyes snapped open. They were really black with those lenses and he found himself wondering again what color they were. She looked relieved.

"Surprised I made it to adulthood?" She bit out.

"No. Too bad you grew up so stupid, though." He sat on the edge of the bed and she tried to move away.

"At least I'm not a homicidal maniac." She glared up at him.

Riddick chuckled deep in his chest. "Not yet."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Her eyes were flashing. Shit, she was gorgeous when she got riled up.

"Well--- unless those restraints were some kind of kinky sex thing, you must've been planning some nasty shit for me." He looked pointedly at the wall where the cuffs were attached. "The question I got is why?"

"WHY!" She shouted.

This day was getting better as far as entertainment went he thought to himself cynically.

"I'll tell you why you self centered asshole! You left us there with nothing. Nothing! We had to beg for food. I thought I was going to have to sell my ass to get off the streets. You fuck! You miserable fuck!" She was seething and he really enjoyed the show.

Riddick chewed on his bottom lip and looked at her thoughtfully. What the hell? Imam had given him the money. Told him to get out. Besides, from the look of Jack, she certainly had done well enough on her own. Probably a hell of a lot better off because of his leaving her. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, right?

Okay---I'll just explain this nice and slow. She'll figure it out. "You're pretty damn tough, aren't you?"

"You haven't seen anything yet." Her eyes narrowed and lips thinned.

"Take anything life throws at you?" He questioned quietly.

"No prob!"

"Then you should be thanking me Jack. Not trying to ghost my ass." He was rather pleased with his logic. He watched while she took a deep breath, her nostrils flaring slightly.

"I'm sure I'm going to regret this but would mind explaining that fucked up idea."

"Me leaving you there, no money, nobody to whine to; that was good. Now you can handle yourself whatever shit happens"

She stared up at him. "------I see."

Riddick looked at her gritted teeth and locked jaw. Every muscle in her body was tensed and he could see the heat radiating off her with his altered vision. It would seem that she didn't agree with him.

"Calm down." He was starting to get pissed. After all, she was the one that had stunned him and tied him to a wall.

"Untie me you motherfucker." It came out in one-syllable growls.

"Didn't Imam teach you any manners girl? Ask nicely and I might think about it." Riddick cocked his head to one side and watched the flares of rage induced heat shooting off her.

Jack turned her head away.

Obviously she wasn't going to chill out anytime soon so Riddick got up and walked out of the cell. "I'll tell you what, I'm going to get us to a safer place and then you and I are going have a sit down. Get this shit straightened out."

Jack was so furious she could hardly breath. "Fuck you Riddick!"

His loud laughter echoed down the hall and back into her room as she lay there. This was unbearable.

She mimicked his deep voice. "Oh yeah, little girl. I saved you from the horror of having food and a place to sleep. Whatever!"

At least he's not going to hurt you and he'll eventually untie you and then; bing bang boom, he'll be back in this cell and I'll be the one delivering the sermons on life. She tried to shore herself up with positive thoughts. Just bide your time Jack!

Waiting for him to return she slowly replayed the conversation in her mind. He'd seemed genuinely surprised that she wanted revenge. It made her feel slightly stupid for hating him all these years when he obviously hadn't thought about her at all. She recalled the feeling of his warm hand on her leg. Little tingles went up and down her back. He had big hands. She remembered that from T2. He'd used those hands to protect her, to push her up a muddy slope away from danger.

Those same hands had murdered all across the known worlds.

Still, they'd felt gentle when on her.

Oh Christ! Stop doing this Jack. He's a murderer no matter how sexy he looks or feels. She groaned. Sexy-----where the hell did that come from. He wasn't sexy---he was a walking nightmare. He was death incarnate. He was the enemy.

She worked herself back into another rage and then finally got tired enough to sleep. It had been a rough day. She smiled as her eyes drifted closed; any day with Riddick would be a rough day.

He stood in the shadows of the hallway watching her sleep. Startling how sweet she looked when she wasn't screaming obscenities at him, how soft. What was he going to do with her? He couldn't just let her go. She'd probably hunt him down again and he wasn't about to take the chance of her getting lucky next time.

X her out? He rubbed a hand over his jaw. Only as a last resort.

The only thing he could come up with was to make her forgive him. If she got over her anger then he'd let her go.

Great idea Richard! Just how the hell are you gonna pull that off?