Beastly Bonds
Chapter XIV
Thanks to these reviewers:
Iridescent Twilight – yeah, AC is essential in my life. I keep it on even in the winter, I just have to be kept at a certain temperature. Too hot and I am some crazy biatch of doom. Not kidding.
That's my favourite line of the chapter by the way. Glad you like it too. Suppose I should make a Krent/Meth chapter or something.
ren3017 – really, I had a great time ghosting that fence, so well you put it. More dedication, check out small blog thingy below.
audran – this chapter deals with the Neunzhen/Riddick issues, thanks for reviewing. Yay for confused room mates! Always a fun past-time.
Note: Hey, kids, its about 4.10 AM. What the fuck am I doing up now you ask? Just got home from two hour ferry ride and some four hour drive. And because I just have to have you guys be happy 24/7, I pulled out Farfarello (name of my laptop) on the ferry and finished this chapter. And it's a damn long one too, so I expect nice reviews. Not that you guys don't give nice reviews. You really do inspire me to continue my stuff.
Oh.
QUESTION: Do you guys want a Meth/Krent chapter? There will be a Jack/Riddick chapter (of course) but please add in your review whether a M/K chapter would interest you. Thanks. Story now.
His eyes opened, blinking twice before his vision swam into focus. He could tell by the white light surrounding the room that it was daylight, but somehow right around the bed it was darker. Dark enough so he could see without pain. Sitting up, his arm stayed over Jack's body, but now he locked it to prop himself up. His back was to her as he viewed the room, picking up the scent of the hellhound that constantly prowled around the bungalows and had scratched him up twice. He wouldn't make that mistake again.
Riddick turned his head as he felt the bed shift and saw sleepy emerald orbs watching him. Of course to him it looked purple, but he knew her eyes were green. Her hand trailed down his back, resting on the bandage. With little effort she pushed herself up and hugged him from behind, resting her head on his back. Neither sensed animosity from the other, so a small conversation commenced.
"Head hurt?" she asked quietly, marveling at how smooth his skin was. To think probably the only major scars he would have would be from Neunzhen protecting her.
"No, doesn't hurt. Jack, when I said-"
"It's ok, think we both figured it out." She said, reassuring him immediately.
"Good to hear. That kitten of yours ain't so fuzzy." He commented, looking down at the good bandaging job Jack must've done on at him last night.
She laughed quietly, thinking of Neunzhen with fur.
"Nope, he isn't. Came with me from Crematoria, actually. After that shit place no one is kind and fuzzy." She spoke, breathing deeply. "I had to get out of there, Riddick. I did it, too. Has there been any news about it?"
"There was a brief thing on the news about a lack of report from the Crematoria guards and it was going to be checked out. It'll take 'em a while to figure out what happened." He said, twisting around to face her.
Her hair looked wind-blown and her skin slightly flushed with just waking up. He knew she had to get out of there, no one could really stay their entire life in a prison and stay sane.
"How'd you get out anyway?" He asked, surprising her.
"You want to know?" She asked back, somewhat confused as to why Riddick wanted to know.
"You took four men with you and a hellhound, managed to get away safely, make ID's and settle down to hid out for a while. Yeah, Jack, I think I would like to know." He listed, sounding a little sarcastic.
"Well, I want to wash up and get dressed. You should do the same then feel free to ask one of the four guys how we did it." She said, surprising him as she said 'we'. For his survival it had always been about him, alone and superior. Yet Jack was different and this he did know. She would sooner cut off her own hand then leave someone behind that mattered.
He pulled her down into his lap as she stood from the bed, ignoring her protests. Riddick knew he would never quite enough of her being near him. He felt complete with around, like a second half that if she strayed too far, he himself would start to fall apart. She seemed to sense the same thing, seeing how she loosely draped her arms around his shoulders and almost instantly relaxed in his embrace.
"This 'washing up', does it translate as 'sharing that shower'?" He asked, humor evident in his tone. She smacked his head lightly in response.
"Watching me like that was unnecessary and unneeded and you know it. No, not sharing showers." She added, seeing his face fall somewhat. "Yet."
"You can bet your shivs on it." He mumbled, helping her stand as she climbed out his lap. He stood as well, holding onto her hand. "Jack, you said we would explore today."
"And I meant it. No worries. Hey, you can swim, right?" She asked suddenly, taking him slightly by surprise.
"Yeah I can. Why do you ask?"
"Just curious." She replied with a devilish smirk.
/Oh beware the trickery of Jack./
Releasing her hand as she tugged, he watched her walk into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her. He stood completely still, just able to hear the soft sounds of clothing being taken off her body over the running of the shower. He clicked his jaw and wondered what he should do in terms of clothes. He could ask one of the other guys in the living room.
"And just as I was about to jump this monster just rose from the water, ready to snap my legs off for an afternoon snack accompanying his tea!" Tipner was in the middle of a story that he was telling mostly to Meth, who listened eagerly.
Riddick was startled to see that the four of them immediately realized his presence in the room and turned to see him standing in the doorway. Even the youngest, Meth, had sensed him. Jack must've been training them.
"May we help you?" The old man asked, his voice slightly accusatory and even sarcastic.
"Yeah, you can. I need a shirt. Pants, too." He said back evenly, not afraid of anyone in this room. But in the back of his mind that little voice spoke.
/Careful, Riddick, if you're mean to one of her crew, she'll be on your ass. Not to mention Neunzhen will be if you piss her off, too./
Had to play it nice then. He hated doing this.
"Please." He added.
"Don't think I've ever had the strange pleasure of a convict adding 'please' to the end of a request. Usually in my experience it ends with a weapon, whether it be a gun pointed to my head or a knife heading towards the nether regions. I must say, men who can castrate-" Tipner was cut off by Litman.
"I'm sure you know about those bungalows farther down the mountain, near the beach. Go through one of those closets, there are extra sets of clothing there."
"Thanks." Riddick said, walking towards the porch, passing Meth in the process, who was sitting on a couch. He lay a hand on the young man's head, ruffling his short hair. Riddick pretended not to notice the intense jealousy and possessiveness he sensed from Krent, who was standing not so far away.
"Sorry 'bout scaring you." He apologized, continuing his walk out the door.
Moments later Jack appeared, showered and fresh. She immediately saw how the room was quiet and unnerved. Riddick must've been through here.
"You guys alright?" She asked, fixing a strap on her pants.
"Riddick, as in the Riddick, just strolled through here, said 'please', 'thanks' and 'sorry'. I'm not sure if 'alright' is the right condition to ask about." Litman informed her, making a noticeable glance towards Meth and Krent. Meth was curled up in the older man's embrace and Jack smelled a sort of lingering fear on him. Seeing the man that had scared him just a day ago in flesh and just inches away from him must have sparked something in him. Luckily Krent was there, comforting and kind.
"I'll talk to him about that. Where did he go?" She asked, looking away from the two crew members.
"To our bungalows, needed a shirt. A shower too no doubt." Tipner replied, looking up from a book.
"Yeah, not surprised. Well he and I were going out to map out the island today. You all are now welcome to do as you wish. You're not under my control, feel free to just…wander. Thanks for sticking around, though." Jack added, pulling her hair back into a pony tail. She felt a little too lazy to braid it today.
"Why thank you, Captain Laurent." Litman said, mock saluting her.
"Just remember, when anyone else is here, we are who we are on the ID's. Krent, Meth, that goes especially for you. I'm not quite sure how they would take…incest here." She said, explaining it briefly. To her surprise Meth replied with humor.
"Of course, I mean if we were being incestuous, they'd start wondering about Litman and Tipner. That is something I'd rather not picture."
Jack laughed out loud, as did Krent. The two in question were scowling, not amused at all by the younger man's joke. As the laughter died down, Neunzhen prowled in, immediately sitting down next to Jack, who rubbed behind his ears.
"Uh, Jack?" Litman suddenly asked, making her turn to face him.
"Yeah?"
"You and Riddick…you're close, right?"
"Well, in a way I guess." She replied vaguely.
"No, I mean like close close."
"I was on an emergency skiff with him for quite a few weeks. I could say we're close." She replied, still oblivious to what she was getting at.
"No! Jack! Pay attention!" Tipner interrupted, sounding aggravated.
"What! What are you talking about, Litman?" She asked, annoyed herself.
"Fine. Let's do this the simple way. Are you having sex with him?" He asked outright, almost tripping over the couch arm when Neunzhen stood, snarling in his direction. He made a mental note to not talk about that particular relationship in front of the hellhound. Who knew they were so smart?
"No, I'm not." She replied almost as fast as Neunzhen had stood and snarled. "Doesn't mean anything, though." She added, almost taunting him.
"Great…gods…the things I don't need to know or imagine." Litman muttered, turning around and walking in the opposite direction, towards the kitchen to be exact.
"Alright, I'm going down to see Riddick. You guys play nice while I'm not around, alright?" She said, kind of mocking them as she went back to her bedroom to climb down the ladder to the rain forest floor.
Neunzhen followed her, using the method of descent they had used before. But Jack took the ladder, not worried about some stalker who would be trying to get into her personal effects. As she landed on the soft ground, she took time to look around. The huge trees that towered above the clouds in her imagination, their huge branches that only grew from the top, creating gentle shade. Smaller trees grew into them, green leaves fanning those who passed as they were waved back and forth in the wind. Small lizards paused on a large piece of the bark, whistling away when she approached.
Jack looked up when she heard the flapping of wings, smiling to see two blue macaws easily gliding in between and around the thick trunks. Their blue plumage added a splash of sapphire against all the different shades of jade that made up the tropical island. As they flew out of sight, she was greeted by a small family of what she was told were spider monkeys. Their white faces peered down at her from the large branches above. They curiously chattered over her head as she continued to walk down the mountain, following her for a few minutes before they found something else to be enchanted by. Neunzhen lazily wandered in front of her, the relaxation in his body clear.
Soon she walked out from the forest and into the clearing that led to the bungalows. Jack wished she could kick off her boots and just walk in the sand, but decided she should wait. Soon the bungalows came into view and she saw the steam of the shower still wafting out of small housing structure. Jack had no reason to bother him or wait for him in the living room, so she passed by the bungalow straight towards the beach. The clear blue waters greeted her, the gentle waves almost making no sound as they washed up the beach.
Finding a spot not too close to the water, she sat down, her knees propped up in front of her. She used them to hold up her arms, linking them together with her hands in the front. The small wind off the waves blew the stray strands of hair around her face, but Jack didn't mind, considering her thoughts were elsewhere.
Riddick and I are together, in a sort of paradise. All along, haven't I really been waiting for this and not the chance to wreck revenge on him? Sure he left, but he's here now, so there isn't a point in wasting the time. I mean, some fucked lucky merc is going to track him or us soon.
This was how Riddick found Jack, comfortably sitting on the sand, facing the water. She didn't move when he approached, but he bet that somehow her subconscious knew he wasn't a threat so she wasn't consciously alarmed by his presence.
"Hey, Jack." He called, making her glance at him, turning half way around.
/God damn it, there should be some universal law against looking that beautiful. At least I don't have competition./
He knew this well enough from just seeing Krent and Meth together and knowing that Jack showed no interest at all in either Litman or Tipner. He shuddered mentally at that thought, but reassured himself that she wouldn't go after Litman because he knew that there was only so much asshole behavior she could tolerate.
"See you're showered. Stitches ok?" She asked, looking up at him as he sat down next to her.
He nodded while trying to get comfortable.
"Good to hear it." She said, smirking. She was looking out at the water again when she said that.
/No profile should look that good. Sure mine was for prison, but all the same./
"Very funny. So, what's this whole idea for exploring?" He asked, motioning towards the water.
"I meant the forest, but sure. Wanna sit one more minute though." She added, glancing at him again. He was wearing his goggles. For once she wished that he didn't need them and he could see colour. Maybe she could ask Tipner about that.
He didn't reply but she knew he had heard. Jack rested her head on his arm, nuzzling it slightly. She really was one for animal-like affection. Didn't bother him, though.
Soon enough Jack yawned and stood up, offering a hand to him even though he didn't need it. He thanked her all the same as he stood, stretching out a few cricks in his neck. He followed her along the beach, trying not to watch her body easily walk through the sand. To him she was simply made to be in natural wilderness like this, always adapting to her environment.
/But doesn't mean she can do it alone./
Riddick shook that thought from his head, wondering where the hell it came from. Probably had some truth but he was too busy admiring Jack's backside.
"C'mon, into the forest." She said, not bothered by Neunzhen suddenly stepping out of the forest. He had wandered off before she had come to beach and she simply figured he had just wanted to explore. But Riddick stopped, this was the protector of Jack, almost like a father who refused to have anyone touch his daughter.
"Jack. Your hellhound-"
"Whose name is Neunzhen."
"Right, all the same we need to work some shit out. Twice he has taken a successful swipe at me and I don't want it to happen again." He explained, seeing Jack's calm face stay just that. He never ceased to surprise him.
"Neunzhen. You heard him." Jack said, sounding a little like a mother chastising her child for not understand what was being said.
The hellhound approached him, arrogantly confident in his walk, stopping in front of Riddick. Yet Riddick still couldn't 'talk' to him, seeing how if he took off his goggles the light could blind him. Riddick walked into the nearby forest, looking for a dark area. Neunzhen walked beside him and he knew Jack was lingering behind, knowing it wasn't her place.
He stopped in a small clearing, where the branches on both the tall trees and the shorter ones made a darkness that served its purpose well enough. Riddick removed his goggles and kneeled, looking directly into Neunzhen's eyes. The hellhound and he stayed like that for endless minutes, each trying to intimidate the other through staring. When Neunzhen growled, Riddick growled right back, not afraid of angering the animal. Jack wasn't far off and if worse came to worse, she could call Neunzhen off. Yet finally a sort of balance was reached and Neunzhen blinked, bowing his head slightly. Riddick did the same, not filled with a victorious feeling but with one that was somehow more important, one that was better. It seemed that they had come to an agreement of sorts, to protect Jack and yet Neunzhen would let Riddick be close to her. Riddick assumed within reason could he do this, but with a little work and bonding, he was sure he could push the limits the hellhound had mentally set.
"Ready yet?" A voice called from a tree, maybe four yards away. Riddick looked up to see Jack, who was illuminated by the gentle light that came down in rays around her. She would always be beautiful to him.
"I would say so. So, what's this about exploring?" Riddick asked, watching Jack easily leap from the tree branch, landing lightly on her feet. She walked towards him, a smile lighting her face.
"Mapping out the island. You're ok without your goggles?" She asked, sounding concerned.
"Unfortunately, no, I'm not. But we'll see. Let's go." He gestured forward. Jack took lead, Riddick following and Neunzhen crossing through their trail, often absent from their sight for five or ten minutes.
Riddick saw the same animals and trees that Jack had seen when she was coming down the mountain and although he could tell by the degree of purple what colour it should be, he let her describe it to him. He had to admit, her detailed descriptions of each animal or plant really did give him the proper image in his mind, in complete colour.
The day passed quickly and Neunzhen had found some edible fruit and led them to it for a sort of lunch snack. They ate it while sitting on a branch, looking out into the forest. Jack had been on a few small vacations as a child but had never really had one like this.
And I'm not about to ask if Riddick had been on any vacations. Not with his lifestyle, I'm sure.
"Jack, you said you had family." He brought it up after they had finished eating. She was quiet for a moment, looking thoughtfully out into the distance.
"Emphasis on had. Want to know about it?" She asked, sounding alright with it. He wanted to make sure she had truly come to terms with it. It seemed that she had but he had other questions.
"Not yet. First, escape from Crematoria." He reminded her, making her grin suddenly.
"Sounds like a bad flick from the late 1900's." She mused, tightening her ponytail. "Well, I guess it started with this one asshole prisoner. I mean a serious inmate who was going to cause trouble if we didn't get rid of him. And trust me, we did." She paused, looking at Neunzhen who was sunning himself on another branch.
So she went through the story, often diving into more accurate and detailed moments that had excited her the most. Riddick listened carefully, mentally comparing it to his escape from prison. She had used the hellhounds against the guards, something old and often successful. Use what they least expect.
"And I was going to be skullfucked if I didn't make it out of those shipping lanes, Riddick. I don't think I slept at all until I knew Caribi was in sight." She ended, looking very happy and victorious.
"Proud of you, Jack. Breaking out of prison isn't easy." He added, sounding like a very proud father. He was quite impressed with her feat, even dragging along four men who never seemed could quite learn to get along with each other. Jack had also included the progressing relationship between Krent and Meth.
When Riddick had been in various prisons, including Butcher's Bay, sexual relationships between men weren't unusual, not by a long shot. His primary concern had been survival, so whatever sex drive he had had was put to sleep for the time being. He had seen very painful moments between lovers as they were torn apart, always by death. He had never understood how they could just throw all caution to the wind and emotionalize their relationship. It was very dangerous in his mind, but he supposed that at some point you just had to live like that, knowing you would never get out of prison.
Riddick turned his mind back to the present, hearing different creatures around him stirring to life. Must mean dusk was close by, having a new set of animals hunting and surviving at night. For some, he knew, it was safer that way. For him night was his strongest ally, darkness giving him his unbeatable advantage. Vision in darkness was never a bad thing.