Runaway

Summery – Jack's thoughts as she runs away from New Mecca to find Riddick.

AN – Based on the Linkin Park song 'Runaway'. All those who know the song might just notice something in the words of the story…

Disclaimers – Not mine…I'm no where near that lucky.

…

The first time I met him?

Earlier than everyone actually thought.

I met him before Zeke died on T2. Before the other guy, the somebody else, was killed. I met him when Johns was passing around guns and advice. I thought to myself why is everyone making such a big deal? If he were really so bad, we'd be dead by now. I know how young and dumb and naïve that sounds, but it had been true.

I was sat next to a chunk of the trashed Hunter Gratzner, doodling graffiti decorations on a charred edge. I mean, come on, there's no one's gonna care that much. A little more damage to a wrecked ship sitting on a dead world under a sky of dust.

A constant wave of tension seems to be rolling from the group. If it wasn't for that, I'd go up to them, ask what's going on.

I think right then I would rather have come face to face with a psycho.

And I did.

I saw you, and I know you saw me. You were watching them, just as I was. You were hidden in the shadows of the Hunter Gratzners remain's, you had your goggles off. If it weren't for that, I never would have seen you. Your eyes make you easy to see though. I think there was a moment there, before you knew I was watching you, before the shields and the walls went back up. I saw something in your eyes, something I didn't see again until the Skiff on the way off of that planet.

I saw you.

I saw a shoddy life built on top of broken trust and broken dreams.

You saw me, and your eyes changed. They hardened. You slid your goggles back on, and in an instant, you were gone.

I saw you later, of course. I bonded with you, did the adoring fan shit. I thought you were so cool, especially when the others weren't around. You were different away from Johns, and different still when you were away from everyone else.

You got a soft spot for kids, huh Riddick?

It's okay, I won't tell anyone.

I never told anyone about what you told me. I never told them about the instructions you gave…how to handle a shiv, how to flip someone three times your size and weight.

Useless.

I learned.

The lessons that you taught me I learned were never true…because you can teach me to kill and to fight…

But you cannot teach me to live without you.

Now I find myself in question…

Should I have listened? Should I have called out to you when I was attacked on T2? Would it not have been better for me to just let myself be killed? Sit up there in the sky and watch you guilt trip yourself.

Is it wrong that I now stand here…three feet behind you.

I don't belong here on New Mecca. Every time something goes wrong, they point the finger at me again because they think I'm yours. I'm guilty by association here.

Every time they do, I almost believe it's you. You point the finger at me again, and I know how badly I've done, how much I let you down.

I don't belong here, Riddick.

I belong with you.

I wanna run away. I wanna never say goodbye to you again.

I wanna know the truth behind why you left instead of wondering why, what went wrong, what did I do?

I wanna know the answers, Riddick. No more lies.

I wanna shut the door on this fucked up life of mine, open up my mind and my eyes, and see you there.

I know what I must do.

I wander through the streets of New Mecca towards the space Ports, surrounded by paper bags and angry voices, back under a sky of dust. Imam knew what I was going to do. We faught, and the old feelings, another wave of tension, has more than filled me up in my surety that I must leave.

He said that all my talk of action, of following you, would never happen. But then, you said that you'd keep me safe. You'd protect me. You wouldn't leave me to get hurt again…you remember?

Then you'll know these words were never true.

Now I find myself in question…

Should I have let you leave? Should I have let myself be lost when you did? Would it not have been better for both of us if I could just let you go?

I don't belong here, where you are not. Every time something goes wrong, they point the finger at me again because they think I'm yours. I'm guilty by association here.

Every time they do, I almost believe it's you. You point the finger at me again, and I know how badly I've done, how much I let you down.

I don't belong here, Riddick.

I belong with you.

I wanna run away. I wanna never say goodbye to you again.

I wanna know the truth behind why you left instead of wondering why, what went wrong, what did I do?

I wanna know the answers, Riddick. No more lies.

I wanna shut the door on this fucked up life of mine, open up my mind and my eyes, and see you there.

I know what I must do.

I'm gonna run away from this life. I'll find you, and never say goodbye again.

I still can't believe I'm gonna do this…

I'm gonna run away, gonna run away, gonna run away, gonna run away…

I'm gonna run away and never wonder why I didn't do it sooner.

I'm gonna do it, the voice in my head tells me over and over…gonna run away, gonna run away, gonna run away, gonna run away.
I'm gonna run away and open my mind to find you where I end up.
I'm gonna do it…gonna run away from here, gonna run away from them, gonna run away from Imam, gonna run away from this life, gonna run away from the life you left me with, gonna run away from a life that never was mine, gonna run away from it all…

I don't belong here, Riddick.

I belong with you.

I wanna run away. I wanna never say goodbye to you again.

I wanna know the truth behind why you left instead of wondering why, what went wrong, what did I do?

I wanna know the answers, Riddick. No more lies.

I wanna shut the door on this fucked up life of mine, open up my mind and my eyes, and see you there.

I know what I must do…