This is a whole new take on one of my stories called How to Break a Girl.It was so sad I decided to write this happier ending, which mean that chapter one to four is the same as in HtBaG, and Jack is waking up in Riddick's arms. This time there will at least be a happy middle, if not a happy ending.

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

It's been a while

Since I could hold my heard up high

And it's been a while

Since I first saw you…

And it's been a while

But all that shit seems to disappear

When I'm with you

(Staind "It's been a while")

She woke up in Riddick's arms, half sedated by lack of oxygen, half dazed by her blood loss. His grip around her tightened, just a bit so that she would know that he was awake and had registered that she was too.

His body was warm, strong and comforting and she allowed herself to feel safe for the first time since she could remember. She wanted to press her body as close to his as she could get, wanted to feel his breath on her neck and his hand on her body.

For some reason she could feel him pulling away, just a little, and his body tensed. Then she remembered that he could smell lust and she tried to get away, confused by her own feelings, but Riddick let out a groan and pulled her tighter into him. "Schh…" he hushed, and buried his nose in her long mane of hair. She let out a calm sigh, but swore silently to herself. So she had found Riddick, so he seemed to want her around, so fucking what? What now?

She knew there would be no happy ending; there just wasn't room for one in lives like theirs. Question was whether there would even be a happy middle. Course she'd never admit to it, but she knew Riddick had been right. She was becoming a woman, and as a woman she would be a liability to him.

She got up and walked feebly to the exit door. Riddick raised his head to look after her, but lay back down, when he was sure she could stand all right.

The first gasp of air was intoxicating and she took in deep breaths, drinking in the cold night. They had left the ghost city behind and had docked at a makeshift port in the middle of nowhere, where the dock workers were milky-skinned and white-haired and spoke in whispers as they moved around the cargo of the dodgy ships, which docked here.

She learned against the cold metal, feeling the wind on her face. It had been weeks since she had last felt the wind blow, weeks since she had last stared out into darkness. The ghost city didn't have wind, and it didn't have darkness either.

She wondered what could have brought Riddick to a city with out darkness. The merc he had killed? Perhaps. Her? Not likely. He had probably just stumbled across the scent of her blood and followed it to the apartment.

"Feeling better?" She turned around with a start. She hadn't heard him, he moved so softly. Riddick smiled and placed a big hand on her head. "Running made you jumpy." He said and stroked her dark hair. "I'm surprised you didn't hear me."

"Lot on my mind." She whispered. She could feel his body close to hers; she could feel his body heat, his breath on her, hear his blood pound. His smell and pulse stirred something in her, something animal, which she wasn't ready for. She moved her feet around nervously.

"Like what?" he asked in a deep, tempting voice. The smug sonuvabitch. Like he couldn't smell and feel exactly what she felt right then. But that was Riddick. He'd ask you to paint him a picture even though he was looking strait at the motif. Then, quietly, almost soundlessly he growled. She could feel the sound working its way through her body, setting in motion feelings she couldn't imagine she owned.

She knew what he was doing; she was older now, and thought she would be less affected by his rough charm and animal appeal. She was horrendously wrong. The effect was far stronger than she had feared and longed for, and for a few seconds she would have let him do anything to her. But he didn't use those seconds, and she forced herself out of that trance.

She turned around to face him, but the goggles hid his eyes, and even if he hadn't been wearing them, she'd still only see that silvery shell, hiding his soul. She let her eyes down and pushed past him, feeling the touch of his skin burn her.

"I can smell your anger." he said, looking out into the darkness, not on her clenched fists and tense back. "And I know you hate me for busting into your life, Jack. But I couldn't stay away." He turned and looked at her, removed his goggles and looked strait at her. "Because you and I need each other."

She spun around on her heals, hot with anger and spite. "Don't you fuck with me, Riddick. You left. Proving very clearly that you don't need anyone, least of all me. What you need can be bought!"

Riddick jumped at her so suddenly that she stumbled back, defencelessly. He showed her against the wall and locked her to it with his arms. "I could buy or force myself upon every whore in the populated world." He growled fiercely, his face just inches away from hers. She kept her face cold and ignored the fact that he was staring her down.

He lowered his arms, took a step back to let her breath. "But you came to look for me, Jack. Because you trusted me. Despite of what I am." He looked into her eyes.

She clenched her jaw and bit back a sob, determined not to let him see her fear. "No, Riddick. Not despite of what you are. Because of what you are." She pressed against the wall, whishing he would back away even more. "But I was wrong. I'm not strong enough to handle you!" She pushed him away and ran out of the ship, into the night, forgetting that he could watch her every move even after the darkness had consumed her.

She woke up in the darkness of the skiff. "Riddick?" she tried to force her eyes to see through the dark. "Riddick?" He appeared at her side.

"Don't you ever sleep?" she asked. Riddick just smiled. "No. Why? What is it?"

"Nothing." She bit her lip and turned around, so he couldn't see her face.

"You used to be a better liar, Jack. What's the matter?"

She kept her back turned, and pulled the blanket up to cover her mouth and nose. "Don't wanna talk about it."

Riddick looked at her back, at how it rose and dropped with every breath the girl took. "Is it a girl's problem?" he asked and looked at her shaved head.

"Sort of." Jack said, her voice failing her to say more. She sat up and Riddick squatted down next to her. She looked at his face. "I'm scared." She finally said, and it felt so wrong to hear those words said out loud. So she covered her mouth.

"That's not a girl problem, Jack."

"But it feels so wrong. I mean the worst part is over now. We're off the planet. We're safe."

Riddick sat down next to her and put an arm around her shoulders. "You know, there are many monsters in this world, Jack. And sometimes people feel safer around monsters they can see and more scared around people who they can't tell is monsters, before it's too late." He squeezed her lightlyand let her put her shaved head on his shoulder. "But you know, there will always be monsters, Jack. So you've gotta learn to fight them, all of them, no matter how good they desguise themselves." Jack looked at Riddick, her hero and mentor. She knew he'd keep her safe, that he would never let anything happen to her...

Eamon. I changed this for the 2. time, first to make Jack more tough and hard, then to add this last bit about her and Riddick back at the skiff. Humm… She is older, haven't seen Riddick in a while. She realises that they can't just take off where they left their relationship. She's a fully fledged female now, Riddick is well aware of it, but Jack isn't ready to be one. Riddick is a real man, and a lot to handle.

Could have made her fall into his arms, but we've seen that. I want Jack to be scared and then attain the courage to go back to him and become a woman.

Weird? Wrong? Stupid? Pointless? Dreadful? Review!