Summary: This chapter continues the journey to New Mecca.

Disclaimer: The characters of Riddick, Jack, etc. in this story do not belong to me and I mean no infringement upon anyone's rights of ownership to those characters.

Chapter Two

Riddick watched Jack out of the corner of his eye and felt oddly at peace. He didn't feel exactly redeemed; the guilt when his mind drifted to Fry was still too sharp. However, he was certain of one thing; he wasn't going to let her sacrifice be in vain. She'd died to save them from that planet, and Jack had become a symbol of that sacrifice to him. He vowed to himself that he'd give her a chance at a happy life if it were within his power; however, he was certain leaving the kid behind was going to tear his heart.

As Riddick covertly watched her and pondered how best to help her, she suddenly frowned and started fidgeting again. Riddick noticed her growing discomfort and then was shocked when a look of revulsion crossed her face: Where did that come from? She rubbed her arms and looked at him with a frown. His brow furrowed slightly at her and he asked flatly, "Is there a problem, Jack?"

"Yeah! I don't wanna go into cryo like this," she said emphatically, gesturing at the grime coating her. "I feel like the bottom of a miner's boot! I never knew it was possible to be this filthy. I could totally use a shower."

The absurdity of her statement, in light of everything that had gone on in the past several days, struck a note with the big man. Riddick leaned back in his chair and laughed loudly with barks of amusement directed at the ceiling of the cockpit. An odd sense of relief-mingled with sheer amazement at the tenacity of this 13-year-old kid, who was now glaring at him with her fist on her hip-washed over him.

Imam looked up at them, startled from his prayers by the unexpected sound coming from Riddick. "Is something wrong, Mr. Riddick?" he implored, looking from one to the other with such puzzlement that Riddick only laughed harder. "Jack?"

"And what, may I ask, is so fucking funny?" Jack demanded as she whacked his knee with her fist. Turning to Imam, she tried to explain, "I just told him that I need a shower and he started braying like that."

Jack continued glaring at Riddick, but he could tell by the twinkle in her emerald eyes that she wasn't serious about her anger. "Quit laughing, you big lug!" Jack commanded, leaning toward him and shoving both shoulders with her small hands.

Riddick regained control of his sense of humor and a sly smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. He glanced quickly to a small, sliding door toward the rear of the cabin between two cryotubes. His eyes narrowed slightly and a wicked grin split his face.

"Riddick, what are you planning?" she said eyeing him suspiciously and taking a small step away with her hand raised. He moved lightning fast, scooped her unceremoniously over his shoulder, and started carrying her toward the small door.

"RIDDIIICK!" she shrieked while wiggling and pounding ineffectually on his back. "Put me down, Riddick. This isn't funny!

"Imam, help!" she implored, but the dark-skinned man simply smiled serenely at her and gave a small shrug.

"Be still," Riddick commanded, and she stopped struggling but not before whacking him once more for good measure. Riddick grinned at her spunk, then swung her lightly down and set her on her feet in front of the door with his hands resting on her shoulders.

"What the fuck is this?" she demanded mock-fiercely.

He leaned past her and slid the door open to reveal a small but surprisingly well-stocked sonic fresher unit. "You said you wanted a shower," he smirked at her puzzled look of wonderment. "Long range shuttle," he continued. "Designed for multi-day missions out of cryo. Plus, I think we happened on ol' Chillingsworth's personal shuttle, so…"

He waved his hand in invitation. "Riddick, you're the best!" she giggled delightedly and then surprised him with a spontaneous hug, before disappearing into the small bathroom. Riddick chuckled and turned catching a bemused expression on Imam's face. Their eyes held for a moment with Riddick regarding Imam levelly, daring him to comment, and then Imam's gaze shifted to the closed door, behind which they could hear the low thrum of the fresher unit starting.

"A child's capacity to deal with adversity is amazing; is it not, Mr. Riddick?" Imam asked, bringing his dark eyes back to meet the mercury gaze. Riddick gave Imam another wolfish grin before returning to the cockpit and settling himself in the pilot's chair.

"You seem to be growing quite fond of young Jack," Imam ventured, diplomatically cautious.

"Yeah, well, she's quite a kid." Riddick stared back at the cleric and a shadow crossed Imam's face. Riddick snapped his goggles into place and turned to face the controls, firmly conveying the message that he didn't care to discuss the issue any further.


Imam watched quietly as Riddick's hands moved over the controls of the ship. He worried about the growing relationship between Riddick and Jack. On the bright side, they related to one another naturally, instinctively, and that connection was obviously good for both of them in many ways. But on the other hand, Imam saw a growing darkness in the young girl that he feared might someday swallow her.

Jack had injured him when she dismissed his attempt to comfort her after they came on board, but Imam had expected that she would come to him when she was ready. To his consternation, she had instead turned to Riddick for comfort; however, it was Riddick's response that had truly astonished Imam. The big man had comforted her through her breakdown, cuddling her like a lost puppy. Imam had surmised that the self-professed "convict and murderer" felt vaguely responsible for their care, but he had not anticipated the obvious strength of the bond growing between Riddick and Jack.

Imam turned his attention back to the prayer beads in his hands, running his fingers lovingly over their well-worn surfaces. Earlier, he had sent praises to Allah for bringing Richard B. Riddick to them. Now, he prayed for guidance. What was he to do about the ex-con and the young girl?

His thoughts drifted from Jack to the three young men who had been lost on the planet and a wave of grief passed through him. They had lost so many bright lives in that dark place, and he knew that he would need time to understand fully how the loss could fit within the great pattern of Allah's will. He accepted that there must be some reason for Allah to bring him to this point, but acceptance did not mean understanding. Perhaps, I have lost my other sheep because Allah desired that I find a new flock in the form of Jack, Imam mused.

He looked up from his contemplations as the door to the fresher opened and a decidedly cleaner Jack emerged. Her clothing, while stained and torn in places, also looked much cleaner. Imam suspected that she had run it through the sonic cleansing system as well.

"You look like you feel much better, child," he told her with a warm smile and a gesture of invitation to join him on the bench.

Jack shrugged her thin shoulders and rewarded him with a lopsided grin but remained standing. "Well, at least a little less like the bottom of a miner's boot," she quipped, glancing at Riddick. Imam noted her gaze and was surprised to see that the big man had silently spun the pilot's chair around and was regarding them with an inscrutable expression.

"So, Mr. Riddick, what is the next step in our journey?" he queried.

"Figure we should make use of the cryo-tubes. We're still a long way out in the middle of nowhere. It'll take several weeks to get from here to New Mecca. That was where you were heading, wasn't it, holy man?"

"Indeed, Mr. Riddick," Imam answered. "And I feel even more strongly the need to complete my hajj to do honor to those souls we left behind us."

Riddick sat thinking for a moment longer and then gave a sharp nod of his head. He stood quickly and moved to Jack, casually resting his arm around her thin shoulders. Imam watched quietly as Riddick guided the girl toward one of the four cryotubes, which lined the walls of the cabin. Riddick efficiently opened the tube and then patted the plushly upholstered interior.

"Nap time, kiddo," he said grinning at her. "Looks like, you're going first class this trip."

Jack snickered, then climbed in and lay down in the chamber. Imam saw a haunted look cross her face as Riddick moved to close it. "Not yet!" she commanded and then swiftly hopped back out of the tube. The two men watched as she quickly searched the cabin and located the large gun that she'd used to kill Antonia Chillingsworth. She, then, climbed back into the cryo-tube, hugging the big weapon like a teddy bear.

Imam looked at her with a growing horror. How can she cradle an instrument of death so lovingly? Is she so far gone already? Silently, he prayed, Please, Allah, help me pull this child back from the brink!

Jack glared at him and he realized she must have read the look on his face. "You got a problem?" she demanded with narrowed eyes.

"N-no, my child," he stammered, struggling to find the right words. He moved over and patted her leg in what he hoped was a reassuring manner. "May the peace of Allah be with you as you sleep."

Jack turned back to Riddick and reached for his hand. "Stay with me. Just till I fall asleep. Then you can start up the cryo."

Imam watched as Riddick settled himself on the edge of the cryotube and rested his hand on her head. He slipped the goggles up to his forehead then raised his mercury gaze to Imam. The big man casually gestured toward the door of the empty fresher unit.

"You should take a turn, too, holy man," he stated softly. Imam knew that it was a command, not a suggestion.

"Of course, Mr. Riddick," he bowed slightly and then walked to the fresher. A sense of foreboding swept over him as he looked at the pair across the cabin before closing the door and turning around. His mind brought forth images of a lamb and a tiger, but he worried that the lamb analogy might be less than accurate for the young woman in the room behind him. He knelt in the tiny bathroom and sent up a most fervent prayer for all their souls before standing and making use of the small sonic shower.


Riddick watched as Imam reluctantly closed the door to the bathroom sensing the holy man's unease. He knew the man of peace didn't understand what Jack was experiencing; Imam had never taken a human life. Riddick understood, though—understood perfectly.

He turned his regard to Jack. Exhaustion had obviously set in and she was already drifting toward sleep. He traced the side of her face with the edge of his thumb and she blinked at him with a sleepy smile.

"G'night, Riddick," Jack mumbled sleepily. He felt her slide her hand up and down his muscular back in a fond caress, before she tucked it back around the big gun.

Gives new meaning to 'security' blanket, he mused silently. Riddick sat there for a few more moments as Jack drifted into a deep sleep.

"Goodbye, Jack," he said sadly. He then bent and pressed a kiss to her forehead, inhaling her unique aroma. She smelled sweet and clean, very much his Jack. To his great surprise, he felt a lurch in his stomach and his breath hitched a bit in his chest.

Confounded by the strength of his reaction, he stood quickly and expertly connected the cryo system that would support her for the next couple of months as they journeyed to New Mecca. He then closed and sealed the chamber, before moving back to the pilot's chair.

Riddick sat and stared pensively at the stars outside: his elbows resting on the chair arms, hands steepled in thought. He knew he had to leave Jack in New Mecca. The Chillingsworth incident had been too close-entirely too close-for his comfort. As they had sped away from the planet, he'd told Jack that Riddick was dead. At the time, he'd meant it. He had decided to use Carolyn Fry's sacrifice as an opportunity to start fresh. It was a nice dream. However, it was a dream that was shattered by Antonia Chillingsworth and her horde of frozen mercs.

Riddick now grimly accepted that the price on his head meant he could never just start over. Moreover, those mercs left on the bitch's ship knew he wasn't dead. They would try to track him. The thought of what could happen if Jack were with him if-when-they caught up to him caused unfamiliar tendrils of fear to tighten around his heart. Not fear for himself, he realized, fear for the girl about whom he was beginning to care entirely too much.

And what if, by some quirk of fate, we manage to avoid the mercs? What kind of life can I offer her? I have no idea how to take care of a kid, especially a girl, he reflected wryly. Yeah, a girl who's gonna turn into a woman before I know it. Then what the hell would I do?

Riddick heard the door to the fresher unit slide open and Imam exited. The holy man stopped briefly and rested his hand on the cryotube in which Jack lay peacefully curled around the gun; he, then, continued to the front of the cockpit where he stopped once more.

"Riddick…" he said firmly, placing a callused hand on Riddick's shoulder.

"Trouble?" Riddick asked, drumming his fingers together as he watched the other man sink wearily into the copilot's seat.

"Yes, but…" Imam trailed off and then turned to search the stars as if expecting to find an answer to his dilemma written among them. He turned back to Riddick. "It is nothing back there. What worries me lies ahead of us."

"Jack," Riddick stated flatly, forcing the truth into the open.

"I am concerned for her, Riddick. That she will become…" Imam let his sentence trail off once more.

Probably doesn't want to upset the big, bad, dangerous ex-con by telling him he can't keep his little friend, Riddick mused cynically. He finished the holy man's sentence: "Like me."

Imam didn't confirm the statement, but he also didn't contradict it. They sat in silence for a moment before Riddick turned to the controls. He typed on the keypad causing the star chart to spin in the display and flash up a set of stellar coordinates and a name: UV System.

"What is that place?" Imam asked as he stared curiously at the display.

"That's nowhere," Riddick stated flatly. He was unwilling to acknowledge aloud where he was going, but he wanted Imam to know. He quickly spun the display back to Helion Prime. "I'm dropping you guys in New Mecca. Then I'm gone. I think it's best if I leave before she wakes. I set her cryotube to keep her under for an extra day. We can offload it once we arrive."

"She will most likely be very angry, when she learns you have gone without saying goodbye," Imam ventured cautiously.

Riddick grinned at him. "I'm sure she will at that, holy man. She's a willful little minx. But, I'm sure you'll figure something out. God to guide you and all that."

Then, Riddick's face became very serious as he leaned toward Imam with his clenched fists resting between them on the console, "Look, I can't take the chance of her stowing away. I need to be there and gone like a ghost. I'm not gonna have time to turn around and bring her back, and we both know I can't take her with me. I'm always gonna have mercs chasin' me. It's a hard life running all the time, always watching your back. Jack deserves better than that; she's earned it."

Riddick held Imam's eyes for a long moment and then spoke in a low, forceful growl, "Promise, you'll take care of her. Help her forget all this fucking shit. Give her a home."

"By the will of Allah, it shall be done," Imam said firmly, and then bowed his head solemnly to seal his vow.

Riddick leaned back in his chair and turned away from Imam. He closed his eyes, rested his tented fingers against his lips and exhaled wearily, "Best be gettin' back to the cryotube, holy man. Got a long way to go."

Riddick felt, rather than saw, Imam stand from the copilot's chair. The robed priest paused briefly. He rested his hand lightly upon the crown of Riddick's head, then spoke, "You are more than what you first seem, my son. May the grace of Allah guide you and keep you safe. May you find peace."

The priest waited a moment longer. When Riddick did not respond, he withdrew his hand and walked back to an empty cryotube. He listened as Imam knelt in prayer for a few moments and then climbed into the chamber and engaged the cryo system. A moment latter Riddick heard the hiss and whirr of the system coming online and then the cabin lapsed into silence except for the quiet hum of machinery.

"You, too, Father. You too," he told the silence. "And Jack, especially Jack."

He sat thinking for several more hours before finally resigning himself to the hated cryochamber and the dreams he knew awaited him within it.