By: MataruDoukotsu

Taming the Beast

Chapter Six

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of the Riddick universe, no matter how sad it is. One thing is for sure, Riddick is hot. The one man who can pull off buff and bald is Vin Diesel and the character he plays in this series.

Now on to the story.

When Jacquelyn Audrey Fox woke up this morning, she had the butterflies fluttering from within her stomach. And while waking up in a certain convict's arms did make her smile, it was not the reason for her nervous but happy feeling. Silently she got up right after Riddick and began to get ready for her forty-sixth day of training. When she entered the room they had deemed to be the "dojo", she started thirty push-ups and thirty sit-ups; then did it over again to complete sixty each. Lining herself up on the running track, she completed the standard twenty-five laps before sitting down to drink some water and wipe down her slightly sweating face.

"So Big Evil, how far and fast today?" she questioned.

He looked up for a spilt second before continuing to diligently clean his amazing collection of hand-made shivs. "Two miles in twelve minutes."

Without replying, she heard the stop-watch being set up. Lining herself up again, she readied before taking off and vaguely hearing Riddick start the watch. Suddenly she felt her body sink into an almost forgotten instinct. Leaning forward as if she were trying to fall on her face and her arms down at her waist, Jack propelled her body forward. Her mind went deliciously blank; set on one thing: running two miles in twelve minutes.

One minute she was just starting off and the next she found herself coming to a very sudden halt at the marker. Her two miles were over? Did she make it?

"I didn't make it, did I?"

"Didn't make it?" he repeated before shaking his head and glancing at the stop watch. "Kid…you did it in ten minutes three seconds. What I don't understand is that the way you were running, I was half afraid you were gonna fall flat on yer face. But then, it looked as if it worked, so I won't really comment. Did you learn it somewhere, or did you make it up?"

Still blinking from surprise at her time, Jack quickly shook her head and answered him. "It's called a samurai run; those people on Old Earth who lived by the sword in Ancient Japan. They always had to be ready to draw their blades, so one hand, like my right, would always be on the handle of my sword that would rest on my left hip, while my left hand would be on the sheath to stead it." Shortly she showed him how it would look before sitting down on the ground. She wondered for a split second why he himself didn't know this tad-bit of information, before she came to the conclusion that he was more of a highly knowledgeable street fighter.

"You seem to know a lot about that. Who taught you?"

"A friend of mine; she taught me a great deal and still has more to teach me, I'm sure. The problem is, I've got to find her before the law does." Jack smirked, "Then again, she excels in just about everything including hiding away, so I think it's safe to believe she's alright."

A companionable silence fell over them as both were lost within their own thoughts. Jack felt the full weight of Riddick's stare on her, but she paid it no mind. She knew that he was too immersed in his own mind to actually pay attention to the little things that she did. Well, if you call getting up and creeping to the door and leaving…then yeah. As Jack got dressed in her boy get-up, she made sure that the shiv that Riddick had given her was tucked safely in the waistband of her pants; just like she saw how Riddick did.

Or maybe he just let me leave. She thought as she went through the cargo bay to the ramp and then spirited away into the city at dark.

A/N: Yeah, it doesn't seem like something important, but at least in the chapter after the one after this, you won't be wondering how she got out into the city. nods Yesh, so don't question it's importance, while not big, it is a minor but very appreciated detail.

Flamers excepted. Please review.