Chapter Nine

"We shouldn't have done that." Anna said as she lay with her head on his chest. Riddick was running his hand over her hair and down her back over and over again.

"But it felt good." He said and she looked up at him, he looked back.

"We still shouldn't have done it."

"So you're admitting that it felt good."

"It felt wonderful, but wonderful is subjective."

"Explain."

"When a morphine addict gets a spike, I bet you anything it feels wonderful but its still bad."

"Don't compare what we did, to that." Riddick said and she placed her head back on his chest.

"I'm not even going to be able to face Jacobs after this."

"So end it with him."

"But he's so sweet and he loves me."

"But you don't love him."

"No I don't."

"Anna look at me." Riddick said and she did. "Jacobs is a civilian, you need someone who will be able to take care of themselves in times of crisis. When push comes to shove, could you count on him to save your life?"

"Truth is, he'll be dead at push."

"Exactly. It's only going end bad if you stay with him."

"You're right, you're always right. I've got to leave him." she said and put her head back on his chest.

"That's my girl, always seeing the smart choice, even if it takes a little bit." He said and her heart lurched when he said 'my girl'. Anna took her arms from around him and sat up.

"Where's my underwear and flight jumpsuit?" she asked and began searching for them.

"Hey, what's wrong? You were fine a second ago."

"There's just something I have to do that's all, something that's just come to my attention." She said and found them on the floor under the bed. She put her underwear on and stood so she could slip on the flight jumpsuit. Riddick sat up and began to look for his boxers and sweatpants as she left the room. In normal circumstances he would have just gone after her completely naked but it was cold in the ship, so that was out of the question. He finally found them and put them on grabbing his old sweater out of his bag and pulling that on too along with his goggles.

He found her in the pilots' chair, plotting a course. He leaned against the chair, with his arm around the headrest. She looked up at him and her eyes flicked to the shoulder that was exposed by the worn out collar. Her mind flashed back to when she had run her lips over that shoulder and stroked it while he worshipped her body. She looked back out and continued to put in coordinates.

"Where are we going?" Riddick asked but she didn't look at him.

"We are going to Helion 5, where I am dropping you off. I am then going to tell HQ that I wasn't able to find you no matter how hard I looked and no matter what I did. I'm going to admit defeat. You will stay on Helion 5, find a nice girl settle down and have lots of little babies. I will go back to Terra Prime and spend the rest of my days with Jacobs; we will get married and have kids. Do you understand me?" she was in mercenary mode now, pretty much if you didn't listen to her and do what she said she will put a gun to your head and pull the trigger. But he's encountered mercs before and this tone of voice didn't faze him.

"No I don't understand you." Riddick said. "I'm not going anywhere."

"This is nonnegotiable Riddick. I am dropping you off and that's that."

"Riddick? What happened to Richard?" he asked smiling slightly and she looked at him but didn't say anything. She looked back out and finished putting in the coordinates. When she was done she stood and he straightened, blocking her path.

"Move, now." she said in her most threatening tone of voice. He didn't move but whipped off his shades holding them in his fist pressed against the wall. "Riddick…"

"Do you want me to leave Anna."

"No."

"Then why…"

"I need you to leave, now get out of my way." Anna said but he didn't, he just stepped closer, looking down at her with a murderous look in his eyes. Usually that look made people flinch or cower away but she just looked right back. Riddick was furious, how dare she tell him to leave, now that he's found her again.

"I. Am. Not. Going. Anywhere." He said slowly and she glared at him.

"Yes you are." She said and tried to push past him but he wouldn't budge. She pushed against his chest but he didn't even stagger. "Get the fuck out of my way Richard." He kissed her abruptly and she pushed him away. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?" she asked and he kissed her again. This time she didn't push him away, she just gave in and kissed him back.

They were back in her room, he was lying on top of her, kissing her neck and shoulders finally pressing his lips to hers.

"We made the same mistake twice." She said breaking the kiss and he looked at her, a slight grin on his face. "Okay three times." He perked his eyebrow, the grin widening. "Okay, okay! Four times, geez you don't need to rub it in."

"I believe I did that the third time around." He said kissing her neck and he felt it warming, telling him that she was blushing. He laughed and she slapped his shoulder lightly. He caught her wrist on the retreat and grabbed her other one. Holding them in one hand he stretched her arms above her head and held her captive.

"Now what exactly was the point of this?" Anna asked and Riddick shrugged.

"I don't know, I like being in control I guess."

"You'll never be in control of me Richard Bradley Riddick." She said smiling and he groaned.

"You actually remembered my middle name?"

"You can bet your sweet ass on it Brad." She said and he smiled kissing her lightly on the nose. She gently and slowly pulled her wrists out of his grasp and touched his hips, the bones jutting out sharply. "But you know what?" she asked smiling sweetly at him.

"Yes?" he asked, his head descending for a kiss.

"We're still going to Helion 5." She said and shimmied out from under him running for the door. His whole upper body turning he watched her run out and he spread his arm, his other arm holding him up.

"Oh come on!" he exclaimed and jumped out of bed, chasing after her. He found her in the bathroom about to get in the shower, he snatched her up in his arms and she laughed.

"Come on Richard, let me get in the shower, I'm cold." Anna said and he nodded.

"Okay." Riddick said and stepped into the shower with her still in his arms. He closed the shower door and watched her as she wet down; he put a palm-sized amount of her shampoo in his hand and massaged it into her hair, making sure he got all of it. When he was done he put his hands in the spray to rinse them off and she turned facing him and rinsed her hair with her head back and eyes closed. He ran his fingers through her hair and gently wiped the water from her eyes and she looked at him. She wrapped her arms around him and they turned on the spot so he was under the spray. She soaped up the loofah puff and started to wash his body, moving the puff in slow small circles on his chest and abs and downward. Riddick turned and she washed his back, seeing faint scars, pale lines on his tan skin. They were on his back and shoulders and she could see one creasing his earlobe. He turned around and she tossed the puff behind her to be rinsed out later.

She took down the nozzle and ran the spray over his chest, the soap running off of him and down the drain. She then noticed a thick scar on his right leg, several lesser scars branching off from it as if something had bit him, something with big teeth, big sharp teeth. She touched the scar and looked up at him in question.

"It's a long story." Riddick said. "I'll tell you later." Anna nodded and he touched her cheek lightly, almost lovingly. They kissed gently then harder and the nozzle fell from her hand, clattering against the porcelain sides of the tub as she wrapped her arms around his neck.