September Eyes Chapter 4: Bravery, a pitch black / riddick fanfic

September Eyes Chapter four

Disclaimers: I don't claim to own Pitch Black – though I would like to own Vin Diesel

Bravery – Riddick

And I see no bravery,

No bravery

In your eyes anymore.

Only sadness.

(James Blunt – "No Bravery")

She past out halfway back to her motel room, and I knew her blood loss had been dangerous. I'd seen her room and the blood allover the floor and walls. I picked her up and carried her to a ship at the docking port. She was out cold for at least a few hours. It was night, but that didn't matter, not here. The city was so brightly lit, and the sky was blocked out by a constant mist covering the buildings, making the whole goddamned city look like a ghost city.

I took a look at the cut in the back of her head and the other serious wounds, thigh, back and chest, where she had been cut. There were old scars everywhere; one bullet hole; two cuts, which looked to have been deep; several smaller cuts all over her body. She had been in more than just cat fights. These had been fights for life and death.

I'd always told myself that as long as she was not with me, she'd be safe. Guess I was wrong. Interesting.

She had grown. She was taller, more muscular. She had hips and breasts and she had let her hair grow long; all those woman things. And I couldn't help but notice that she somehow smelled different too.

As a furyan I noticed the animal trades much more than other people, and for that very reason the smell of a woman intoxicated me that much more. I sat there looking at her, at the fine lines of her face, the little twitches at her eyes and her lips caused by her dreams. I saw every little scar. I watched how her childish hands were clenched at her side, how her chest would rise and sink as she breathed. I smelled her sweat, her blood. Then I left.

I walked out into the city, needed to clear my mind.

She looked like the woman from my nightly dreams, but, and I knew this, only for as long as she was asleep. When she would wake, she'd be the tiger again, and this time she would be rested, this time she would have the strength to hurt me if she wanted. And she would want to.

I considered for a moment if I should even keep on trying. What was the point? I had already half decided not to go looking for her, when I heard that she was here, in this city. And if I left her again now? She couldn't hate me more than she already did.

When I returned to my ship – well, it was my ship now, I had decided – she was just waking up. I crouched down in a corner, in the dark, where I cold look at her without my goggles. From where she was I knew she couldn't see me, but I knew she'd still know that I was there.

She looked a little dazed at first, but I knew every part of her mind was buzzing with awareness. Instinctively she scanned the room for exits and immediate dangers. When she felt safer, her eyes fell on me. I knew her mind was working overtime, figuring out if she should yell, hug me or just leave. As I had predicted she decided on the last option, getting to her feet with a catlike movement. Unluckily her body wasn't ready for this, and she fell to the floor with a thump. I tilted my head, a gesture that at children was endearing, but with me was just plain vexing. It got her attention, worked her nerves and made her mad. I could smell it.

But even though her anger was overwhelming, I could smell other things as well. Fear… My little Jack was afraid.

She got to her feet, and this time she stayed there. I was blocking the door, but she calculated her chances and decided to give it a shot.

I calculated my chances, grabbed her and slammed her against the wall. She was scratching and biting, but she didn't make a sound. I knew my grip was leaving a bruise on her wrist, but she didn't seem to notice. Finally she relaxed and looked into my eyes. And just then I realized that what she was afraid of was me.

I let go of her wrists, grabbed her shoulders and pulled her close to me. For a few seconds she relaxed. Then she was ready again and fought her way out of my arms, running for the door. I caught her, but she just hissed and bit me.

"Don't make me hurt you, Riddick!" she said.

I laughed. "You hurt me?"

She kicked out, aiming for my crotch, but I grabbed her leg and sent her to the floor on her back. She got up, as if nothing had happened. This wasn't about her being angry or scared anymore. This was power play. This was her wanting me to know that she didn't need me. And me showing her that she was thoroughly wrong.

It was an unfair fight, until she somehow found a switch and turned on the light in the room.

"Glad I never got eyes like that." She taunted and moved, so I couldn't follow her voice.

She launched at me from the front, sending me to the floor with her squatting my chest. I tried to catch her hands, to turn the fight around, but she was faster than me, so I used my legs and got to the part of her that I knew where was: her butt. I wrapped my legs around her hips and rolled, and in less than seconds I had her locked beneath me. She was sweating and panting, and she knew she had lost.

She lifted her hips to find a more comfortable position and she pushed against my groin. I felt my body react and got up off her. I found my goggles and stepped outside, to cool my self down. She came out and stood next to me.

"You know I hated you for leaving." She said. Nothing I didn't know. "But I hated you even more for coming back." I looked away. Shocking me with the truth - always a good tactic. She'd learned it from me.

"I've been looking for you for almost four years, and you just find me in a matter of days…"

"Four years? Did you ever live with the holy man?"

"Ran away right after you left New Mecca."

"I think you have trust issues."

"Wonder where I got those!"

"What was I suppose to do, Jack? Have you tag along. It's not like it's been safe…"

"I wouldn't be tagging along. And it's not like it's been so fucking safe alone either!"

"I didn't ask you to come find me!"

"No you asked me to be a nice little girl! What the fuck were you thinking? That I'd go buy my self a doll and wear a dress? That I'd do what you said? Why? Because you said it?"

"I thought you'd do as I said, because it was the sane thing to do!"

"When the fuck have I ever done anything sane, Riddick? Hu?" She was at the top of her voice and I could smell that she was bleeding again. She tilted backwards, and I caught her before she hit the floor. I took her up in my arms and carried her to the backroom, where there was a bed. She didn't fight me this time. She just curled up in my lap, like she had that one night back at the skiff. I couldn't stop my body from reacting to the closeness of her body and her sent, but she didn't notice. She just fell asleep and had nightmares, where I couldn't protect her.