'When I find Aaron,' I think angrily as I march down the hall to the cafeteria, 'he's going to be in SO much trouble.' I rush through the door and hit someone, "Hey watch it!"

"Easy Arc, don't go crazy."

I look up at the guard who I had run into and roll my eyes, smiling. "Sorry Josh."

"Yeah you should be I sent some guys to pick you up so I could talk to you and you send them back scared out of their minds and not telling me what happened. I think you hurt their pride."

"Why did you send guards to fetch me? You should have come down to get me yourself or at least took into though what would happen to the two rookies you sent after me."

"Well they're rookies, they have to learn how to handle the inmates."

I glare at him, "I'll let that pass. But, God Josh, I think that coming after me with handcuffs was a stupid move, and in front of Riddick..."

"What about Riddick? What did he do to you? Are you ok?"

He continues with his ranting until I cant stand it anymore and pull him out into the hall, getting a few odd looks from guards and inmates alike. "Josh!" he stops. "Ok listen, I'm fine ok. I've had a hard time with some of the idiots around here and Riddicks' helped me out."

"Riddick doesn't help people unless he's wanting something in return."

"I know and what ever he wants, I'm not going to give it to him unless its good for me."

"You think you can control him? Your way over your head."

"Oh, shut up. You're bringing me down."

Josh smiles, "Well, I do have something that will make you very happy."

I look up at that smug look on his face, "Well, I always did like your surprises."

I look around at the old showers. "You're sure there aren't cameras or any other guards or inmates." I ask suspiciously looking around at the corners and stalls.

"Yep. Use to be a guard shower until they built a new one closer to the barracks. Inmates don't use it cause they still think we use it. Personally, I'm the only one who uses it. I don't trust the guys who shower together"

I sit on the floor and take off my boots and socks watching Josh blush and turn away, "Oh come on, you're the only guard here who turns red at an undressing girl." I laugh and stand up. "Just make sure no one comes in here ok?"

"Got cha." He gives thumbs up which he quickly puts down as I take off my shirt. He turns his back on me. "Why do you do that in front of me?"

"You're one of the girls my little Mexican friend." I step into the shower and turn on the hot water. "Oh thank god. No, Josh, you are a god."

"Yeah I know." He says cheerfully and I look around the corner to see him sitting on the floor, his back to the wall, and his eyes closed, smiling.

I go back to enjoying the water, not caring about the lack of soap or shampoo. Enough time under the water will take care of some of the grime. I start humming, the tune echoing off the tile walls.

"What music do you listen to?" Josh asks, obviously hearing me.

"Old music, classical. You wouldn't know it."

"What's it called?"

"Forsaken. Its by some guy named David Draman from a band called Disturbed."

"Hum. Wish I could hear it."

'This is my chance' "You can." I run my fingers through my hair, "Can you throw me a towel?"

An arm comes around into the shower holding a towel, "What do you mean I can?"

I take the towel. "I just have to get out of here and take you with me and..."

"Wait, Wait, Wait. Hold on a second. What do you mean 'get out of here'? You can't leave. You're in prison."

I turn off the water and start drying myself. "Josh, quit being a baby. I can't stay here, you know that." I speak as convincing as I can.

"No way! If I have to stay here, so do you."

"But you could come with me. We could take a ship and get out of here."

"Arche, I'm a prison guard. My job is to stop the convict, you, from escaping."

"Why don't they want me out?" I ask calmly.

"Because you killed a lot of people and are too dangerous to be out in society."

"I am not dangerous. We both know that. I could have gotten only a few years for self defense if it want for those other people who got in my way." I slip on my dirty clothes and get out of the shower.

I face Josh and wrap my hair up in the towel. "Either way, you're a murderer."

I shrug. "You would be too if they tried to do that to you. Kill or be killed."

"Make sure your hair is dry and go back to your cell." He turns and leaves me standing alone.

'Damn it. Well at least I brought it up.' I finish drying my hair and leave the showers, heading back down to Riddick. 'I wonder what he's been doing.' Before I enter the cell, I inhale and smell smoke. "What the fuck?" I whisper, walking into the cell. The red-orange glow of a cigarette lights up the a little area around its user. I put my hands on my hips. "So what? You smoke now?"

He puffs smoke into my face. "Menthol Cools. Don't get em' very often. Some guy got ghosted and was carrying one."

"Lucky you." I roll my eyes.

"Got somethin' for you too."

"Really. Oh gee. What could you possibly have looted from a corpse that I would want?" To my surprise he holds out a pack of playing cards. "Oh, wow." I whisper and reach out to them, checking to make sure they are really there or if I'm just going nuts. Just as my fingers touch the box, he pulls it away.

"Well I guess I could just trade the cards for some shit I might want." He holds the cards casually in his right hand.

"Don't you dare." I reach for them but he pulls it away from me again.

"I thought you didn't want them."

"I didn't say that! I want them!" I lunge for the deck of cards but he pulls away. 'This is getting embarrassing.'

"That sounded like sarcasm to me."

"It wasn't, now just give me the damn cards!" I act like I'm going for the cards again but move and tackle him, I reach for the cards in his hand but he doesn't even loosen his grip. I get back up, defeated for now and sigh. "Can I PLEASE have the cards Riddick?"

He hands them over, "See, that wasn't so hard." I sit on the stone floor and take out the cards feeling over them with my fingertips. "So what did your pet guard say about your future escape attempt?"

I look up at him, the glow from the cigarette and smoke making him look freakier. "Is one of your crimes stalking?" I wait for an answer even though I know I wont get one. "I did ask him to help me got out of here. I didn't tell him anything. Just mentioned it."

"That kid could be useful."

"You think?" I lay out the cards on the floor where I can see them and start the first of many games of solitaire. Riddick takes a long draw off his death stick and puts it out on the floor.