Keeping Faith 4

Riddick had expected some sort of welcome, whether it was a fiery hatred for him leaving her behind or a content happiness that he had returned. But what he felt was completely unpredicted as Jack accepted his hand and he pulled her towards him, surprised to feel how light she was, ignoring the backpack she was wearing. As he breathed in Jack's scent, he felt intense compassion and devotion and smelled not a trace of fear. Shaking these thoughts away, he helped Jack out of the straps of her backpack and as she set the pack on the floor he caught her completely off guard. He had wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and with that vice hug, Jack tried to turn around but found she couldn't. Giggling, she viciously poke him, ignoring the warnings he gave her.

Suddenly she found herself on the floor, facing his silvered eyes. There was silence as they stared at each other, their next actions a mystery to the other. Without warning he began to tickle her and she tried not to shriek with laughter, but soon found herself crying because she had laughed so hard.

"I give! I give!" She yelled, hands up in defeat.

As she settled down, she was pulled into a gentler hug and she rested her head on his chest, wondering how she had forgotten what it felt like to hear and feel his heartbeat all in one flowing sensation.

"Got my presents, I assume." His rich voice sounded like a deep feline growl to Jack and she relished the warmth that flooded her as the sound fell around her like a warm blanket.

"Hmm, you bet. I really missed you." Her voice fell a few notches of volume when she said that. He wasn't as intimidating as their encounter on T2, but he was still completely capable of being that man.

"Yeah, I know, Jack. That little episode in the hospital and the doctors analysis was proof enough. Imam been treating you ok?" He asked, wondering if there had been some underhanded scheme of Imam, but he highly doubted it. Jack's reaction was evidence enough that that idea was completely false.

"Huh? Of course! You've been in my room, I'm doing fine." She reasoned, thinking 'what the hell is he getting at?'

"Having expensive curtains doesn't mean you're being treated right. I'm sure you were, but doesn't hurt to ask, now does it?"

She looked up and shook her head in negative response and remembered something.

"Hey, I bet I have something you want." She didn't realize it sounded so perverse, but it didn't get past Riddick. Raising his eyebrow he shrugged in return.

"No, seriously, I bet you're just dying for what I can offer." She still wasn't picking up on the subtext of what she was saying.

"Jesus, Jack," he said, standing up and helping her up in the process. "Just tell me."

"Let me settle in first." She set the compromise and he figured it could wait, how good could it be?

As she dragged her huge bag to the room he directed her to, Riddick watched her and realized he was strangely glad to have a companion. He quietly walked to the cockpit and was sitting down when he thought he smelled something out of place. Sniffing the air again, he caught a fainter scent, but it was still there. He kept sniffing and got up out of his chair to track it down. He ended up following the path Jack had just took moments before and the smell continued behind her door. Which was closed.

Typing in the lock, he cursed when it denied him entry. He tried again, then a few different scrambled codes, but he still wasn't allowed in. This smell was very rich and tempting and he wanted to know what it was. It had sparked some memory that had sunk to the very bottom of his mind, most likely forced there to protect it. The few good memories he had were there and he wasn't surprised to see that almost all of them had Jack in them. He found himself staring at the door, as if he was going to melt it with laser vision. Growling, he banged his fist on the metal door a few times.

The smell still tortured him and he heard no footsteps of Jack, or any movement at all for that matter. Smashing at the door again, he bellowed Jack's name. Still no reply. Turning on his heel, he decided to override it at the main controls. Mean, but it had to be done. He usually wasn't bothered by smells, but this one was killing him.

Within the room a feminine figure was standing stock still, her hands halfway up her torso, as if she were frozen in the process of removing a shirt. Jack bit her tongue as she heard Riddick stalk back to the cockpit. Why had she had a lack of control over her body when he was behind her door? Her heart had jumped and a feeling had beaten a warpath in her blood, overwhelming her with emotion. As he moved farther away, the feeling ebbed and Jack quickly took off her shirt and put on another. She had been wearing clothing that wouldn't attract attention when she had gone to look for Riddick's ship and know that she was safe within, she had decided to change.

Swallowing, Jack padded barefoot to the door and listened. Still no return of Riddick. Moving to the food she had organized in pyramids on her bed, Jack picked up a few parcels of dry food then a few of food with spicy sauce that Imam had made just for them. Smiling, she easily balanced the packages and with a voice command, opened the door.

When she entered the cockpit, the silver-eyed god of her dreams was not in sight. Slightly disappointed, Jack set down the food on a table behind the main controls, where a few old paper maps were curled up and shoved to the edge. Taking out the silverware she had taken from Imam's kitchen, she set them down on top of a napkin she had also 'borrowed'. Figuring he would get the idea, Jack left to finish unpacking.

Moments later, the missing convict walked into the room, wondering why he couldn't override the pass code to Jack's room. He stopped short when he found the source of the smell sitting on his plan table. Packages of still-warm food sat in a few small pyramids, next to a napkin and fork. So this is what Jack was hinting at. Home-cooked food. He had been a bit lonely for it just a few weeks back, when he had first landed here to look for Jack. The debate between plotting a course and eating was quickly ended as he stood in front of the packages of food and took up a fork.

"Christ, a waste of time if you ask me." He mumbled, looking at the small silver-plated instrument in his hand. He would have eaten with one of his shivs, but Jack had been nice enough to bring him this.

Jack. Whoops. Riddick put down the fork and went to her room, standing in front of the door as he had done just minutes before. Rolling his eyes he moved to knock when the door opened and revealed Jack.

"So?" She asked, crossing her arms over her chest, looking victorious.

"You wanna join me or are you going to act all smug til I eat it all by myself?" He asked, inwardly grinning as Jack looked a little disappointed.

"Well, I mean…if you…would you…I'm still…" she began to stutter as that feeling came back full force, almost as tangible as the man in front of her.

"No, I don't mind, yes, I would like you to be there and you can finish unpacking another time." He finished, raising an eyebrow in amusement. It went down when Jack frowned.

"Lights full dim." She said, knowing the darkness wouldn't hurt. Riddick didn't move an inch as she slowly reached up, not afraid, but treating him as a predator to be respected.

Jack didn't miss the invisible muscle twitch beneath his skin as she rested her hands on his face. With gentle hands she removed the goggles, letting out a breath she didn't realize she was holding when his silver eyes met hers.

"Much better. I guess you have more then one pair." She commented as she put the second pair over her head and let it rest on top of the first.

"Hey, I don't have an endless supply. I'll be needing one pair back. I'd figure you'd be wanting to keep the other." He replied, walking down the hallway, pleased to be unable to hear Jack walking behind him. She had been training in his absence and that served him all the better.

"Well, for sentimental value, yeah. But…" she drifted off, keeping that emotion under tight control. Yet as she tried this she couldn't push away the childish one. The desire for a shine job, to be exactly like her idol. But was he an idol now? Or something more? These questions plagued her as she followed him, fingering the goggles around her neck.

"Thanks, by the way."

This caught her be surprise. Jack looked up to see Riddick standing with fork in hand and scanning the room for a chair. She realized that this was possibly the first time he had said thanks to her and actually meant it. Shaking it off, she nodded in reply and looked around, taking in what was going to be her new home.

"Hey Riddick." She addressed him a few minutes later. Jack had taken a comfortable position on the table while Riddick had found a chair and was eating the food. More like wolfing the food but Jack wasn't to be picky about manners.

"Hm?" He barely got out, reaching over to the next container, but stopping, wanting to save what he could.

"First, I've got more then this, so feel free to eat what's here. Second, what did you mean before when you said I could keep the other pair of goggles?" Jack asked, slightly amused to see Riddick having trouble taking off the top of the container. As he began to respond, he had taken out a shiv and was in the process of plying the top off.

"You still want that shine job?" He asked, glaring at the container as the side he had already opened closed once he had finished opening the other side. "A shine job without getting thrown into the slam. I'm asking because we're going to be going to some dark places."

"Suppose I'll be needing one then. Can't keep track of your ass if I can't see it." Jack replied, unable to resist the taunt. She began to laugh when he stopped attempting to take of the top and looked up at her, silver eyes fired in offense at the mockery.

"Very funny, kid." He shot back, making her laughter stop short and turn into an insulted glare. But unlike before, he felt hurt and saddened when her laughter ceased. Pushing this away from thought, he smirked at her.

"Go to hell, Riddick. Wake me up when we're leaving." She snarled, launching herself off the table and angrily taking leave of the cockpit, her footsteps still making no sound.

This last comment had even hurt his beast, who had winced and cowered down, much like a dog who realized he had upset his owner. Riddick slammed the container down on the table and was about to do the same with the shiv when he saw that the abrupt movement had opened the food holder. Taking up the fork, he walked to his seat facing the window and control panels and propped up his legs. The eating hardly consoled him, knowing that just down the hallway an angry lioness tossed and turned in restless sleep.

Finally he stood up, almost fuming with rage as he angrily walked down the hallway, stopping short at Jack's door. The lock. He almost yelled with anger and then breathing heavily, he found a solution to the problem. Looking up, he took down the grate from the air vent and lifted himself into it. He had made sure every room had a vent for escape if it called for it. Quietly crawling through, he found Jack's room and looked through the grate to see her trying to fight demons away in her sleep. Just like in the hospital. Riddick unsuccessfully ignored the guilt that whipped the beast within as he pushed out the grate and caught it before it hit the floor. Falling into a crouch, he softly lay the metal grate on the floor. He stood to see the sleeping form tense and uncertain.

Walking to the side of the bed, he easily slipped behind her and held her, immediately noticing the calm that overtook her. Being more familiar with this, Jack nuzzled his chest. But still he felt the fear in her and pulled her closer to himself. Soon her body relaxed as if under sedative but he didn't move. This time he didn't have to leave, she was protected within his ship and by him. As he looked down at her now content face, it became clear that although beasts were usually creatures to be wary of, one could comfort another.

Note: Sorry this took so long to write…I just had a sorta malfunctioning in that part of the brain so it was hard to do anything. But, as promised, chapter. AND on another note, this will be finished in the next chapter. No buts, no bribes and absolutely no business of "It's so good you have to continue!". I have another story in the wings and I would like to complete that. So bah.

Thanks to these reviewers (whether ye be new or ever-faithful):

Satanic Versus – You've played the waiting game long enough. My apologies, good reviwer.

NightmareWeaver – Thank you! I was itching for something a little different and I thought "SPECIAL SECRET GOATS! I MEAN CODES!" Yes, I wrote that part with unhealthy amounts of coffee.

TotallyRiddickObsessed – Why thank you.

sara – yes, I am a diehard Jack/Riddick fan

lily – my thoughts exactly. Thanks for reviewing.

FluidDegree – seriously, it almost scared me that you got it right. Didn't think of the parallel scene when he held out his hand for Carolyn. Must be because I don't really like her. At all.

buecha – hello! Thank you for liking my story. Makes me fuzzy. Inside. You know, happy. No more do you have to wait!