Disclaimer: I do not own anything Riddick related, I wish I did, oh how I wish. But I don't so please don't sue. What I do own is the plot and any characters that you don't recognise.

The dark black inkiness of space soothed the rough soul of a killer like none other. It was freedom, the cold metallic confines of a ship, the darkness studded with tiny silver pinpricks of light. It calmed, and relaxed the body into letting go of the tension that lay coiled in toned muscles. The ship wasn't old, but it wasn't the newest off the block either, but it would have to be sold on the next planet or mercs would be sniffing out its trail, following the scent hoping to collect a bounty and be remembered for catching a legend.

With the autopilot set and the gravity simulator kick started Richard B. Riddick threw off the harness that had strapped him to the chair during the takeoff through the atmosphere. It had been a necessary stop, he needed to restock and refuel before even thinking about the star jump to the Helion System. A small smile graced his face, when he had received the message from Imam, he couldn't believe that it had been nearly four years since he had left him and Jack in New Mecca after their escape from the planet hell. Now it was Jack's sixteenth birthday and Riddick had promised that he would be back in time for the celebration.

"Black Chimera you are permitted to land, please dock your ship in Port 178b. Welcome to New Mecca," the flat tired voice of a bored tower operator said over the comm. Riddick smiled to himself.
"Copy that tower, and thank you," he replied as he flicked switches and prepared to land. It was past midnight when Riddick was admitted into the holy man's warm home.
"How are you my old friend?" Imam asked clapping the wanted convict on the shoulder, Riddick smiled,
"Still alive, and you?" Imam sighed and his face spoke volumes.
"Still alive, young Jack is quite the handful," he replied to Riddick's amusement. A soft scent wafted in, almost unnoticed but Riddick turned towards the stairs and grinned at the girl that stood there.
"Riddick?" she breathed unsure whether to believe her eyes.

She had grown up; her hair was loose down to her shoulders the thick auburn tresses had a slight curl to the ends. Her large green eyes were exactly the same, her body still thin, but with the beginnings of womanly curves.
"Happy birthday Jack," he said as she jumped down the stairs and ran straight into his arms, hugging him tightly.

The front door opened and Riddick pushed Jack behind him and he moved into the shadows. A woman entered the room, her long blonde hair was tied back in a messy ponytail, and a smudge of grease marred her warm creamy skin across her right cheek. Her violet eyes were tired and she smelled of sweat and a workshop. She was dressed in mechanic boots her dark blue coveralls were tied by the arms around her waist and she had a white tank on that outlined her full breasts and showed off her toned arms.

"Hey Imam, what are you still doing up?" she asked, her voice had a soft lilting accent, Jack poked Riddick in the back, he ignored her and cocked his head, wondering why the woman looked familiar.
"I was just heading to bed," he replied. The woman smiled wearily,
"Jack, you don't have to hide in the shadows, bring your friend out and I can give you your present, it's officially your birthday now". Riddick's eyebrows shot up in surprise wondering how she had known he was there, but he stepped forward as Jack pushed against him. The woman was getting a glass from the cupboard and poured herself a drink of water. Jack waited patiently and Riddick folded his arms over his chest.

He watched as she went over to the box that she had carefully placed on the floor earlier. She lifted it and took it to the table, wrapping an arm around Jack's shoulders she pressed a kiss to the girl's temple,
"Happy birthday squirt," she said before stepping back to lean against the counter. Jack pulled the large red bow off and the top of the box was pushed open from the inside, Riddick tensed but relaxed as a small black and white head popped out, tongue lolling and floppy ears. The small puppy gave a high pitched yip and the adults watched as Jack's face lit up in delight.
"Imam said I wasn't allowed one!" Jack cried out but the woman smiled,
"That's because he didn't want two of them in the house," she replied dryly as she was attacked with a hug from an ecstatic sixteen year old.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. Oh AJ she's gorgeous," she said picking up the small bundle of hair and giggling as the dog tried to lick her face.

The woman, Ashlin Josephine 'AJ' Cortez smiled and caught the muscle wall's eye. She took in his appearance and smiled,
"You haven't changed a bit Riddick," she said, "Though the goggles are new, heard you got a shine job in Slam, guess the rumours were correct," she said unfazed by him quickly moving to her side and holding a shiv against her throat. Jack's eyes widened and the puppy trembled in her arms.
"And who are you? he asked. The woman smiled; a half smile that tugged at his memory.
"Think back dicky boy," she said and watched as his mouth dropped open and the shiv left her throat.
"Ash?" he whispered. AJ smiled,
"That's Queen of the pillow fights to you," she replied and was surprised by his low chuckle as he thought back to when they had first met.

"Danny!" a feminine voice cried and Riddick saw a small blonde launch herself at his best friend.
"Ash!" Danny had cried out dropping his bag and hugging the girl tightly to his chest as he stepped back to regain his balance. He spun her around laughing and Riddick watched slightly jealous that his friend had family he could turn to.
"Ash, this is Richard, Dicky boy, this is my sister Ashlin," deep violet eyes looked at him, taking him in as if she was memorising every detail. Then she smiled and it was like the sun breaking out from behind a cloud. Danny set her back on her feet and she shook his hand. Riddick almost pulled away when there was an audible crack and electricity tingled up his arm,
"Oops sorry," she said laughingly, Riddick grinned and shook his hand out when she let go,
"Must be the humidity," he said as Danny grinned and slapped him on the shoulder.

They caught a cab back to the Cortez family home. Frank, their father met them at the door, his wheelchair gliding forward to come to an abrupt stop so Danny could lean down and hug the older man who he looked like in so many ways, the only thing different was his eyes, which were the same as Ashlin's.
"Welcome to our home Richard," Frank said holding out his hand and Riddick shook it, surprised at the firm grip.
"Thank you sir," he replied. Frank grinned and waved away the formality,
"Call me Frank please," Riddick nodded and noticed that Ashlin had disappeared.
"Danny can show you your room, Ash has gone to make dinner, hope you boys are hungry,"

Danny and Riddick dumped their bags in their rooms and he was shown around the house. They entered the kitchen where Ashlin had her music turned up loud and she was dancing freely as she made dinner. Riddick stood transfixed as he watched her body sway seductively to the music. Danny hit him grinning, not seeing Riddick's expression, and snuck up on his sister. Both boys leant then that they shouldn't do that. Danny ended up on the floor in a split second, Ashlin crouched over him, pinning him to the floor with a knife to his throat and Riddick didn't even see her move.

"Danny, dear god, don't sneak up on me, I could've killed you," she said her voice shocked and whispered. She pulled the knife away and got off him, helping him to his feet.
"Jeeze sis, when you learn that?" he gasped, trying to stop the shaking girl in front of him. She stiffened and turned silently back to dinner and refusing to answer. Danny looked at her and lifted a hand to his throat and to the small nick that she had put in his throat. It was bleeding, but it looked like he had cut himself shaving.

"Go get cleaned up for dinner, it will be ready in ten minutes," she said, her voice flat. Riddick, understanding her mood all too well, pulled his friend out of the kitchen and they climbed the stairs where they washed and changed out of their uniforms.

They sat around the table, the four of them and ate dinner in almost near silence. Ashlin cleared the table and did the dishes with Riddick's help while Danny and Frank went to the grave of their mother and wife.
"You okay?" he asked a few minutes after the others had left the house. Ashlin shot him a look and didn't reply.
"Have you talked about it?" he tried again. She let out a deep breath and turned to him and he could feel the anger coming off of her in waves.
"Talked about what?" she demanded. Riddick looked at her calmly.
"The rape," she turned white, her eyes wide.

"No one knows, not Dad, not Danny, not even Mrs Jenkins who comes in to clean the house every Tuesday, how do you know?" Riddick picked up another plate and started to dry it.
"I didn't, until you just admitted it. I thought about why a girl who's got a loving family nearly slit her brother's throat just because he snuck up on her, her being raped was the most logical reason as to why she would work herself so hard to be so fast and skilful. When did it happen?" Ashlin sighed and went back to washing the rest of the dishes.
"Last year, just after Danny left after Christmas," she whispered. Riddick raised his eyebrows,
"Damn, you became that quick in a year? I'm fast and I've been at that bloody military school for nearly seven years, you're like lightning." Ash smiled and Riddick found himself smiling back. They finished the dishes and Ash went to have a bath. Riddick watched a movie.

She came back down halfway through the movie, Riddick sucked in a breath. Her hair was loose around her shoulders, and she was dressed in the skimpiest singlet and boxer pyjama set he had ever seen, not that he had seen many. Her stomach was flat, her limbs well toned and. She walked into the kitchen and came back out with a glass of water.
"Are they back yet?" she asked sitting herself next to him and pulling a throw rug over her knees. Riddick shook his head as he watched her throat work as she swallowed more of the water. He shook himself, thinking that this was his best friend's little sister. Ashlin placed her empty glass on the table next to her and settled back against him to finish watching the movie with him. "Thank you," she whispered a little later on. Riddick looked down at her,
"For what?"
"For listening and understanding," Riddick grinned and tapped her nose,
"It's what I'm good at," she growled and he laughed earning himself a pillow in the face. He was shocked and when she hit him again he grinned evilly.

By the time the Cortez men arrived home Riddick and Ashlin were in the middle of an all out pillow fight. Ash had him pinned in the front hall and was holding a pillow high ready to hit him again,
"Say it," she demanded a smile on her face. Frank and Danny came in just as Riddick yelled,
"You're the Queen of all Pillow fights and I am your most humble servant!" Ash looked up at her father and brother a sheepish grin on her face while Riddick lay underneath her blushing bright red. Frank and Danny took in the scene and started laughing.

He was brought back to the present when he felt someone in his arms and was surprised when he saw that he was hugging Ash tightly to his chest. Jack cleared her throat and looked at them with a raised eyebrow. Riddick ignored her and looked down at the woman in his arms,
"I'm sorry Ash, about Danny," she tensed slightly and he gave a quick squeeze,
"There was nothing you could do Riddick," she said softly. He pressed a kiss to her forehead and she leaned into him, relaxing against his chest.
"I'm sorry about the shiv just before too," he growled. AJ laughed and waved it off, Jack was shocked, she had never seen Riddick display any affection to another human being before unless it was her, he had never apologised to anyone not even to her, and yet he had done it twice in the span of five minutes to the woman that was boarding with her and Imam. To say she was slightly jealous was an understatement.

AJ hugged Riddick again and then pulled out of his arms, she excused herself and with a hug and another birthday wish to Jack, a scratch for the puppy, she scooped up her bag and wished them both a goodnight. Riddick watched her leave with a smile on his face. He sighed and rubbed a hand over his stubbly head when she disappeared from sight and turned his attention to the girl he had come back to civilisation for, if only for a few days.
"I think I might name her Sagira," Jack said, not looking at him. "How do you know AJ?" she asked, following his lead and taking a seat on one of the kitchen chairs. Riddick commanded the lights lower and pulled the goggles off his head, placing them on the table. He turned his often unsettling silver gaze on her and smiled.

"Her older brother Danny and I were in military school together, best friend I ever had. He invited me home with him on one of our few breaks; I met Ash…AJ, and their father Frank that first time. They were the family I never had, and I loved them for it," he said softly. Jack winced and felt ashamed for feeling jealous, she yawned and Riddick leant over to ruffle her hair,
"Go to bed kid, I'm here for a few days," he rumbled. Jack smiled and hugged him goodnight, she carried the puppy up to her room, leaving him the kitchen.

A/N: So? Whaddaya think? I know it's long, fingers crossed all chapters will be of decent length. Please review I need to know how I'm doing here. I'm working on the next chapter as you read this hopefully it will be up soon.