"What do you mean he's unconscious?" Jack snarled into her cell, obviously scaring the emergency unit operator for the port. Her anger was covering something else, something that she could feel curling through her limbs to her toes and fingertips. Something that she'd never had since she had been living with Riddick. Fear.
"Miss, he landed and did not respond when we asked him to move his ship to a lot. We checked it out and our scanners show that there is only one form on the ship and it is unconscious." The operator explained.
"How'd you get my number then?"
"Every ship is licensed with emergency contacts, your number was the only one there."
Jack tried not to feel touched by that and to focus on the situation.
"And I should…" she trailed off, already walking towards the port.
"Get here as fast as you can, you can probably open the door and by law we are not allowed to go into the ship or disturb its occupants."
Jack thought to herself that in this case, that was a very good law.
"Alright, I'll be there." And with that she hung up and dropped her phone into her cargos which she had stolen from Riddick. More like borrowed without intending to return, but they were hers now.
She broke into a jog and kept going faster until she got to the port and just by sense she found the ship. The emergency unit was outside it, analyzing it thoroughly. Riddick wasn't going to like that.
"Are you…Jacqueline?" One man approached her and she nodded, a little out of breath. "Alright, do you have any requests?"
"What lot should the ship be in? I can put it there." She said and the man checked the number and gave it to her. "Good, also, no need for any med units, I can take care of whatever happened to him. He's a tough guy."
"You sure?"
"Positive, thanks for everything, though." She said and waited until the team pulled back completely before entering in the ramp code. It hissed open and she boarded the ship and immediately closed it.
"Jack?" A tired gravelly voice echoed in the ship and she went straight to it and found Riddick lying on the floor, nursing a few serious wounds. He looked up at her and smiling, she knelt on the floor next to him.
"Just me, no one else. Lights full dim." She ordered and she could just see the shadows of his body, but her eyes had grown accustomed to such darkness. "Here we go," she murmured, gently sliding back his goggles and taking them off his head. She tucked them in a pocket and went back to observing the wounds. She shook her head as she gently prodded and tested, glancing up at his face when she felt muscles twitch in pain.
"I'm fine," he growled, pulling himself up into a seated position and brushing her off.
"No you aren't, Riddick, let me-"
"If you want to be helpful, go find the med kit," Riddick snapped, pulling himself into the pilot's chair. He started up the ground engines to park his ship and glanced at Jack, who was angrily glaring at him. She turned on her heel and stalked back into the ship, obviously pissed at Riddick's reaction to her help.
She felt the ship's engines being cut as she emerged from the med bay, kit in hand. Jack quickly walked back up into the control room to find Riddick breathing shallowly and with too much time between inhale and exhale.
Jack didn't even ask this time and flicked out her blade, slicing down the front of Riddick's shirt and pulling it out from behind him and tossing it to the ground. She hissed when she saw that there was an old-style bullet in one of his wounds and checked the other ones.
Standing up, she quickly went back into the med bay and fishing out a bottle of water she was carrying, set it on the counter. She rummaged around in the drawers and finally found the tranquilizer liquid and quickly mixed it in with the water. Grabbing a spool of surgical thread, she headed back to and was glad to see that Riddick had moved to the floor. His silver eyes watched her as she knelt down beside him.
In silence she held his head on her lap as she tipped the bottle into his mouth. After a few seconds of gulping, he tasted the tranquilizer, but she had been gently rubbing his throat, so he had already swallowed the mixture.
"You're in big trouble after this, kid," Riddick snarled at Jack, who smirked slightly as she capped the bottle and set it aside.
"Right," she moved out from underneath his head and checked on the wounds, glancing up to see Riddick fighting off the sedative.
Jack cleaned the wounds as best she could and stitched two, one deep scratch across his chest and another on his arm. It was the bullet wound that worried her and by the time she got there, he was sleeping.
"Well, three doses of tranquilizer meant to put down at least twenty full-grown men should," she mumbled, wondering what she should do. The bullet had to be taken out, but she didn't have the right equipment.
Use what you have.
Riddick's voice growled in her mind. She flipped open the blade again and carefully pried open the wound with her left hand. Resting the blade on the floor, she used her other hand to feel in the wound exactly where the bullet was. Removing her right hand, she picked up the blade and slide it into the wound horizontally. She could feel the flesh around the blade and then the solidness of the bullet. Jack turned the angle slightly and slowly began to nudge the bullet out of its place.
Jack bit her lip when she heard Riddick groan. She had put him to sleep, but he could still feel pain.
She thanked Imam's god that the wound wasn't too far in because she didn't know how to stitch muscle, or if that was even possible in the first place. Finally the bullet came out and clinked onto the floor, rolling towards her. She set the blade aside and removed her left hand, picking up the spool of thread and starting to unwind it.
She easily threaded the needle and began to sew the wound closed, doing her best to ignore the fact that one of her hands was splayed across his toned stomach, the muscles relaxing under her touch. Just as she was finishing, she nearly yelped when she felt one of his hands close over hers. Jack looked up to see smoldering silver eyes watching her.
"One second," she said softly and finished the sewing, cutting off the thread after tying it correctly. "I should bandage that, you know-"
"I don't need bandages." He gruffly cut her off and tried to sit up, but she firmly pressed him down, both of her hands on his chest. Jack swallowed and blushed, quickly turning around and fishing out bandages from the med kit. "I mean it, I don't-"
"And I mean it too, you crazy shit, if you died because I let this get infected, I'd never forgive myself, hell, I'd barely…just sit up so I can do it," she mumbled and he followed her orders, but she could feel his burning gaze on her as she bandaged his middle. Jack swore she heard him growl appreciatively when she tore the bandage with her teeth, tying the ends together in a professional knot.
Jack quickly packed the med kit and nearly stumbled as she stood, jogging to the med bay. The door whooshed closed behind her and she tossed the kit on the counter and slid down next to the door.
"What the hell, Jack? What the hell…" she mumbled to herself, looking at her hands and seeing his blood on them. Standing, she walked over to the sink and began to rinse her hands clean of his blood. As she was toweling them dry, the door opened to reveal him, now dressed in a loose-fitting wife beater.
"You need to get home," he rumbled at her and she shrugged, folding the towel and neatly placing it on the steel counter.
"And you need to rest." She finally replied.
Jack was relieved the next morning to find Riddick still sleeping on her loft bed. She had slept next to him and was afraid that she would wake him when she got out, but he was out. She buttoned up the damned shirt of their even more damned uniform, stepping into her leather shoes. She leaned down and pulled up the back of the shoes before picking up her bag and leaving the room, quietly closing the door behind her.
Jack opened the fridge, eyeing the contents before grabbing a soda and snapping it open. She could get a muffin or bagel on the way to school. Glancing at her watch, she realized she had about five minutes to kill before heading out the door. She ordered the television on, sipping her soda as she approached the holographic screen a few feet away from one of their kitchen walls. Tapping in her desired station, she stepped back as the connection was made.
Jack paled completely when she saw what was on the screen. With a shaky voice, she ordered it off and grabbed her cell out of her bag that was sitting on the counter. She quickly put on her jacket, holding the phone against her ear.
"Hey…Tyler?" She asked and breathed a bit better when she heard the response. "Yeah I'm fine…well, bit of an overstatement. Look, wanna meet up for coffee and bagel before school?" She shouldered her bag strap, "Great. See you there."
The door closed behind her and in the room behind that, she had no idea that a pair of silver eyes had been open and completely aware of its surroundings. At least for the phone conversation.
She nervously stood in front of the apartment door but throwing all caution to the wind, she unlocked it and turned around to lock it when she was on the inside. Looking up as she turned around, she stifled a scream when she nearly walked straight into Riddick.
"Tyler?" He snarled and backed Jack up against the door.
She didn't answer but he could see her icing up inside.
"Don't freeze up on me, Jack, who is Tyler?" He asked, a edge as sharp as his shivs in his voice.
Jack did her best to hold back a whimper, but just pushed herself against the door, wishing she could just fall through it if she willed it hard enough. Didn't seem to be happening. Not by a long shot.
"Now. Who the FUCK is Tyler!" Riddick roared and Jack squeezed her eyes shut. "You never told me about him, who the hell is he? Why didn't you tell me? Why are you even seeing a guy anyway? What does he have-"
"Who the fuck did you kill! Shit, it's not even singular, Riddick, all those people! They were innocent for christ's sake! It was only supposed to be that merc, right? Just that one merc! But no!" She was screaming by then and didn't even care that tears were falling quickly from her eyes. "NO! You had to kill ALL of them! Not all of them could've been in relation to the merc!"
"Jack, listen-"
"NO! Why should I listen to you! You didn't kill criminals this time, you killed fathers! Husbands! Family members! You've shattered families, Riddick!" She was nearly hoarse by this point and pushed past him, slamming the door to their bedroom.
Suddenly the guilt was on him stronger then ever before.
Flash of bloodied glass of a cyro-sleep chamber.
Mutilated body parts strewn across the dark metal grating.
The last choking breathes of an innocent man.
The silent peace of those who died instantly in their sleep.
Wide open eyes, filled with unexplained terror.
The drip of blood barely audible over the running engines.
Plip.
Plip.
The crimson blood, dripping from the grate, dripping from unnaturally twisted body parts, skewered onto broken glass. A broken wrist, twisted into a grisly hand. Blood dripping from the fingers.
Plip.
Plip.
Plip.
Jack woke up wheezing, barely catching her breath. She shook her head as she lay back down onto her mattress, not wanting to believe that that was the scene he had left behind.
Another knock.
That must've been what had woken her up.
"Yeah." She called out and the door opened and closed. Jack looked over the edge and saw him standing at the side of the loft, his silver eyes mixing with the heat of guilt and the coldness of confusion.
He climbed up without invitation and sat in his corner, watching Jack reposition herself on her mattress, watching him watching her. Moments of silence passed and finally one of them spoke.
"On the news…the media…pictures…" Jack explained in a broken tone and he looked at her. "I shouldn't of yelled, I-"
"It happened, it's ok." Riddick said clearly and moved over so he was sitting on the mattress.
"And Tyler…he's…a possible candidate for a boyfriend." Jack explained and Riddick stiffened for a second but Jack didn't notice.
"Boyfriend? Jack, you just got out of those weekly detentions for beating up that Conner kid, don't know if you need a boyfriend." Riddick replied and Jack smiled softly, leaning against his shoulder.
"We'll see. He's coming over." She added and Riddick looked down at her.
"Tonight?"
She nodded.
"You're going out?"
She nodded again.
"With some smallfry kid named Tyler?"
"Yeah, what's the problem?" Jack asked lazily, stretching out on the bed, watching as Riddick copied her action. He found that he couldn't answer her question. "I should probably get ready."
He watched in silence as she descended from the loft and pulled open the doors to the closet. She dug around in the back of the closet and pulled out a pair of decorated jeans and some black shirt. Something stirred in him when she just carelessly lifted her shirt up and tossed it to the floor. It began to spread when she unbuttoned her skirt, pulling on her jeans that hugged too tightly. She finally pulled on the shirt, which turned out to be a decently cut black halter top. The shirt was a silky black material, but the loop around the neck was made out of two silver chains that hooked together, leaving ten or so links hanging down her bare back.
"What do you think?" She asked, turning around before bending down to pick up her other clothes.
Riddick wanted nothing more then to refuse to let her see this Tyler and to take her out himself, but she was just eighteen. She had turned eighteen not so long ago and he had presented her with a silver beretta, her initials inscribed along the barrel of the gun.
"It's good." He said, jumping from the loft to the floor, landing without a sound.
"Good? That's it?" She asked, brushing out her hair and letting it fall loose behind her.
"Jack, you know I've got to talk to this punk before he takes you out." Riddick said, changing the subject. Jack spun around and stared at him as if he had said something along the lines of: "I was John's secret lover".
"Your cover?"
"Twerp won't figure it out."
"Wear sunglasses, those goggles are too trademark. And throw on a hoodie or something." Jack consented and perked when the doorbell rang.
"Got it," she said, dashing towards the door. Riddick pulled off his goggles and quickly tugged on a hoodie, slipping on a pair of sunglasses Jack had bought him. He heard her talking to this Tyler, her voice muffled by the door.
"Richard! Hey, Richard!" Jack called out and he walked into the room and just felt the floods of fear unlock in this punk. He watched as Jack pulled Tyler forward. "Tyler, this is Richard, Richard, this is Tyler."
Jack glared at Riddick when he 'accidentally' made Tyler wince when they shook hands. A few minutes of silence passed before Jack piped up.
"I'll go to the car, meet you there," she said, walking out the door and Riddick growled when Tyler tried to follow her, making him stop dead in his tracks.
"Sit down." Riddick said gruffly and Tyler nearly stumbled back into a chair. He didn't like how weak-minded this boy looked, as if he could be easily persuaded and just didn't have a strong spirit. Not what he wanted for Jack. "If she isn't back here by midnight, there will be consequences. Hell, I shouldn't even let some half-assed chick like you take her out. I'm giving you a chance, kid, take it and use it. You fuck this up and hell's fury is on your doorstep."
"Sir, I promise, she'll stay safe and out of harms-"
"The fact that you have to reassure me of that is bad enough." Riddick continued, wishing that it would be him to get into that car with Jack, not this punk. "And one complaint about you from her and consider yourself rejected."
"The weakest link?" Tyler joked and Riddick grunted. "She'll be back, no worries. Hey, least it's me taking her out and not Conner."
"He's still bothering her?" Riddick nearly lunged at the kid who now looked like he was about to piss in his pants.
"Look, it's weird, alright? She always gets him for going near her, but he doesn't get it. I ain't got shit to do with it." Tyler defensively explained.
"Watch your mouth, kid." Riddick replied instantly, then added, "If someone comes up to Jack tonight, what are you going to do?"
"I don't, man, glare at him?"
"Glare? At a rapist?" Riddick laughed at that. "Jack say why she likes you anyway?"
"Says she can talk to me, we're friends." He emphasized the word and that ticked Riddick off. He was getting a little too pissed about this entire situation. "So, old man, you can just relax while I take Jack out for a good night of fun."
He was on the floor with Riddick's boot as his neck in seconds.
"a) Old man? You've got a fucked up sense of time. b) Jack, night of fun? Lay one hand on her and I'll-"
"Richard!" Jack's voice rang sharply in the room. He looked up to see her standing at the door. Tyler couldn't see it, but Riddick knew that amused light in her eyes was glowing brightly. "Feet off Tyler!"
Tyler scrambled up off the floor and walked straight to Jack.
"Be home by 12, Jack." His voice left no room for discussion.
"Got it. C'mon, Tyler, let's go." Jack said, pushing him out the door and locking it behind her.
Shaking his head, Riddick fell down onto the couch and ordered up the television screen. He relaxed into the cushions as he watched images flicker up into air. 'Besides', he thought, 'if that softie can't take care of Jack, she can take care of herself'.
Little did he know that that would be the last thing on his mind not four hours from now.
Thanks to these reviewers:
Seriously, this wouldn't be in existence if it weren't for you guys.
TRO – Well, got your wish. No worries, there should be another.
njrd – Interaction! Yep, good times with that. J/R is getting there.
XXXevilgrinXXX – I love muffins. Have a pref? You think Riddick has a pref with muffins?
AliasSpyCrazy – another installment! Glad you liked it.
unkown – little lofty indeed. Glad you like it, though.
NightmareWeaver – Captured your interest with a muffin. Now what if it were a coffee thermos that eternally refilled itself with coffee? And a free muffin?
eva – Thanks for pointing that out, I've been trying to incorporate a little bite more of the friendly Riddick, but his muder side isn't lost.
SueBe – Beginning a new trilogy then? Glad you like it.
Sarra – Whew, wasn't sure if that progressing relationship thing was really there. Thanks!
White-Dragon-of-Hope – Ha, you got that. Had that in mind actually.
IT – Course you love it.