Disclaimer: There's a poem by William Blake called The Tiger that I quote bits of.

The Other Shoes

Arrangements were made. Lord Vaako's suite was released without his ever being aware that he was locked in. W'Rdah continued moving men and reordering units to suit their purposes. The Lady was removed from her cocoon but not her bonds, draped in her cloak and escorted out by Jaron, who had questions of his own.

Zemma started to follow them out.

"Where do you think you're going?" Riddick's voice was half question, half command.

Zemma nodded towards the cloaked figure. "I'm sorry you missed your appetizer but dinner isn't ready yet." She grinned to take the sting out of her words and turned to leave again. She felt Riddick's hand clamp down on her arm.

"Door close. Lock." Riddick wasn't smiling.

"Door open." Zemma retorted. When it did, she turned a level stare on Riddick.

Riddick returned it. "You're not running away again." But he let go of her arm.

Zemma frowned. She could see him nearly vibrating with tension again.

Now what? What'd I miss?

"What do you mean, 'again'?" Might as well get to the point.

Riddick looked at the open door, and back to her.

"Close. Lock. What do you mean 'run away again'?" Zemma turned and wandered away from his intensity into the perpetually dark suite. "It was the logical thing, to…"

"Left in the middle of the night, moved back into your father's suite. Come back here, didn't even stay the night. Then you're in Jaron's suite." There was agitation in his ordinarily cool voice.

Zemma turned and looked at him from across the room. He was standing where she left him, almost at military rest. Arms crossed in front of his chest, his head cocked over a little, he was watching her reactions. She tried to see those events, as he did, from outside her head

Hell, sweetie, even from in here it looks like running away.

"For two weeks you don't say a word, then you tell me you're in love with me?" He sounded incredulous, almost offended.

Huh.

"Pop me in the nose, tell me you'll chase me across the universe, and now you're as far away from me as the room will allow." He didn't sound mad now, but simply factual, mildly curious perhaps. Still, stating the obvious was not Riddick's habit.

Obvious to whom, Zem? Apparently it hasn't been obvious to you.

"I'm not very good at this, am I?" She smiled hesitantly.

Riddick laughed and shook his head. He dropped his arms and started to walk around the edge of the room. Zemma found herself pacing him, still keeping her distance, watching his reactions and trying to read him as he was reading her.

"You're not afraid of me; but you don't feel safe here, alone, with me?" Curious and… the challenge voice; the one she kinda liked.

Oh, c'mon. You love it when he challenges you.

Zemma stopped walking, shook her head, "No, that's not it." She didn't turn to face him; she let him walk up behind her. "I…feel… too safe here."

That made him pause; she could feel him right behind her, breathing on her.

"The gilded cage," she murmured. She wanted to step back into him, to be touching him. She could feel his hands barely brushing her shoulders, verging on contact.

No! Not falling right back into bed with him! That's too easy.

Zemma made herself take a step forward out of his reach.

"I spent most of my life either locked in, or pretending to be a non-person. You're almost the only one I've ever talked to as myself… and I hardly know who that is yet." Zemma turned to face him. "I don't resent you for… those Ladies." It hurt her, but she got it. "But I'll resent you if I have to become Min again…just to be safe… just to keep you company."

She hoped hearing his own words would help him understand.

"My whole life, I've wanted to be free…"

…Of this ship, of these people, of the madness that is their religion…

"To be somebody and do something, anything, that didn't involve hiding from people." She modulated her voice, speaking slowly, trying not to sound as desperate as the words made her feel.

He stared at her, a blank wall again. If he understood, he didn't show it. She could see tiny muscles in his jaw working as if he were literally chewing on her words.

Zemma sighed and thought of what Jaron called a 'poker face'; he'd never gotten around to teaching her the game. She didn't want to leave, but she wanted out of the uncomfortable conversation before she said something wrong and ruined the delicate balance between them.

"Do you know how to play the game 'poker'?" She tried a hopeful little smile.

Please, let's change the subject now.

Riddick's eyebrows went up and a slight smile tugged at his mouth. "Yes…" He drew the word out slowly, waiting for the punch line.

"Will you teach it to me?"

Riddick shrugged one shoulder, "I'm sure we can dig up some cards on a ship as big as this one. But what will we do for chips?"

Zemma didn't understand, but she could see he was suppressing a grin. Was he teasing her again?

"I'll have to teach you the modified game, called 'strip poker'." Now he wasn't even trying to hide the grin.

Zemma looked at him sideways, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

That came later.

End Part Four