Riddick pushed through the crowd outside, waiting to get in, and took a deep breath of cold night air. In his head he could see her, like a reed in the crowd, naturally shifting so that she was always moving, always the center of attention. She was a woman in that club, full of confidence, a strength he hadn't known she possessed. He rubbed his bald head in frustration and let out a groan.

"I'm going to hell." He muttered, not for the first time in his existence, but for the first time really meaning it. She was beautiful surrounded by those lights, he'd felt his heart almost burst as he watched her. Automatically he'd gone down to drag her away from all those people, she was his, and he didn't want to share.

The second he'd grabbed her wrist he'd seen the fear in her eyes; the tears that almost popped to the surface, then the hidden shame as she looked away. It was the shame more than anything that made him back up. Why couldn't she share this with him? Was she afraid of him? Really?

Jack continued to dance, to sing, to refuse offers of rides home from strange men and to sway with them anyway. When one became to grabby she'd pull another persons arm and be rescued. She'd had a long experience with night clubs since traveling with Riddick. He'd always forbid her from leaving the room, but she never gave him her promise. She'd been to so many clubs while Riddick was working that she knew every song that T played and then some. Sometimes she would sing, sometimes she would just dance, but it all equaled freedom to her. She'd never told Riddick because she knew he wouldn't like her going out by herself.

She was a target. She knew that. Not only from Riddicks past, but from her own. Sitting in a hotel room or waiting in the ship though was boring. Not only boring but dangerous, is what she told herself. If anyone knew where she was they would come get her when Riddick was gone, occupied. So she would leave and slip back in before he returned from whatever he was doing.

Maybe as she got older she should have let him know. But she was so used to keeping it to herself that when she did think of it she'd dismiss it to a different time.

Now he knew. She stopped dancing and walked to the edge of the floor. Leaning against the bar she pushed the heel of her hand over her heart.

He was pissed. She knew it. He'd leave her…

Riddick was thinking just the same thing. She was growing up, she'd leave him… He growled, what did he care? Its not like she was important to him or anything. He didn't even really like her. He was so caught up in debating with himself that he turned into a dark alley and slammed directly into a tall black man who stood in the middle of it.

"Move now." Riddick hissed at the mans chest. He was not in the mood for obstructions. The muscles in his chest wiggled, Riddick noted, as he flexed his biceps.

"You gonna make me short stuff?" the voice was deep, and somewhat familiar. Riddick sighed and trailed his eyesight up the chest to the throat, over the long scar that ran from the bottom of a fat lip to the top of the left eye.

"Don't make me hurt you Chi." Riddick smiled. Bounty hunters were so predictable it was scary. First his hand shot out to wrap around Riddicks throat, then he squeezed. Riddick didn't claw at the hand as it cut off his air. Instead he pulled a shiv from his waistband and planted it in the back of Chi's hand. He immediately released Riddicks throat and started screaming.

Lilly passed Jack a glass of water, taking a sip of the scotch that Riddick had left behind as she leaned over to talk to the singer.

"Your friend paid for his drink but didn't really drink it. Is he coming back?" Jack looked up from the water and looked back down.

"He's mad at me." She mumbled. "He's never going to talk to me again."

"Naw. He's just confused darling." Lilly patted Jacks hand and smirked, "He doesn't know what to do with you. Trust me, I've seen that look on so many mens faces its almost funny."

"What look?" Jack looked up and grabbed Lilly's hand. The bartender took another sip and smirked.

"I'd say he swallowed a big chunk o'love and doesn't know how to wash it down."

Riddicks hand clamped over Chi's mouth, effectively cutting the scream down to panicked whimpers.

"I'm really not in the mood to play with you or your friends Chi. I'm telling you to cut your losses and get lost before I have six more notches to add to my bedpost." The five shadows around the mouth of the alley suddenly lessened by three. Only two of them had been professionals, the others had been city scum who'd been bribed to play distraction while the three man team did the real work.

"Didn't pay them enough for a funeral huh?" Riddick laughed. The remaining two didn't move until Riddick pulled Chi up and shoved him at his partners. "get him out of here, before I change my mind." They were gone before he realized that his favorite shiv was still stuck in that bastards hand.

"Love?"

"I don't know what kind of love, but the dudes got feelings." Lilly nodded and ignored the bopper at the other end of the bar, waving his hand at her for service.

"Well…"

"Honey, I'm a bartender, I'm more sacred to some of these guys than a confessional. I hear so much and see so much that its an instinct now. I got the impression that he was a guy who was really, really internal."

"Yeah…"

"So the fact that I saw anything flicker on his face came as such a shock… I wouldn't misinterpret. Trust me doll." Lilly looked over at the bopper and flicked him off, "I'll get there when I get there!"

"He didn't know that I left the house. He's pissed!" Jack looked down at the bar, and Lilly followed her gaze. She grabbed Jacks hand and examined the bruise.

"He did this?" Jack nodded, "When he grabbed it out there?" she nodded again, "Dudes got skill." Reluctantly admiring. Jack grinned.

"You have no idea." Suddenly she felt so much better. The guy who'd been waiting for drinks moved down the bar and slapped his hand on the smooth surface next to Lillys. Lilly raised her eyebrow and cocked her head.

"What?"

"I want a drink. Now."

"And I told you I'd GET there." She turned to the woman on the other side of Jack who'd just walked up. "Whatya want honey?"

"Bitch, NOW." He grabbed Lillys hand as she started away, but released it abruptly when not only Lilly, but Jack pulled back their fists and simultaniously punched out. Jack got him in the kidney while Lilly bloodied his nose.

"Wuss." Jack scoffed and winked at Lilly. The bartender mearly took another sip of Riddicks drink and cocked an eyebrow.

"Totally."

so, just fooling around right now. hope you enjoy! btw- thanks for reviewing!