Chapter 9: More food for thoughts on the night before.

Jack felt guilty because she knew she was going to use Danielle; but truly, she didn't see another way to leave Thalion with Riddick without it being suspicious . She wasn't sure if she was ready to leave behind all that she had known for the last five years. However, a voice inside her head told her to trust in Riddick, and until now that voice had always been right when it came to her own good. So she was as ready as she could be to begin a new kind of life with the most dangerous man in the Galaxy.

Jack sighed and took a seat on her bed with the box Dr. Morris had given to her. She leaned over and opened it. She pulled out a couple of t-shirts and a set of cargo pants. There were also a couple pairs of panties and socks. Jack inspected the clothes, they belonged to her, no doubt about it. They were her style but seemed small, however, they were from when she was fifteen. She felt tears rising but fought them back. Not now, she thought. She looked down at her body and sighed. Well maybe the cargo pants are short, but apart from that, I could still use the rest, she frowned. You definitely need to gain a couple of pounds here and there, Audrey…. err,… Jack, she chuckled at the thought of her name and put them aside. There were also a few credits, she thought she might need them that night at the club, so she put them inside her hand bag.

She looked at what was left inside and her eyes widened. "Oh my God!" she exclaimed, covering her mouth with a hand while with the other she pulled a black bear out. The Big Evil Riddick, she mouthed as she stared at the bear holding the shiv and the red heart. She hugged him against her chest tightly as memories of the day that Riddick gave it to her floated through her mind. How could I forget you my little big evil, she asked sadly with her eyes full of tears, staring at the little bear. This time she was unable to stop the tears from falling. Her mind was dizzy and her hands were trembling slightly. Emotions were overwhelming her and she felt like they were dragging her into a spiral of sadness and pain. She needed to remain under control for tonight, so she shut her eyes and tried to regain control over her breathing and her heart, which was now beating faster.

After a few seconds, she opened them again and looked inside of the box. At the very bottom there was something else, so she pulled it out and held it in front of her. It was a black leather sheath with a shiv inside. She was mesmerized, and without noticing it, she put the bear aside and slowly took the shiv out of the sheath, staring at it. It was made in all black. The handle was made with black leather, with a special treatment to make it hard. The blade was black steel. Black steel, she asked frowning. So it doesn't reflect the light in the dark, she said as she waved it in the air and frowned when she saw something engraved on both sides of the blade. She fixed her gaze. Six capitals letters were visible. R.B.R on one side and J.B.B on the other.

R.B.R, which means, Richard B. Riddick, …… but J.B.B, what would it mean? she asked herself. J, stands for … Jack?…… and B? probably stands for the same as in Riddick's name. But the second B,…… stands for what? She asked to herself. Baby? Baddass? Bitch? ……or maybe…, she smiled, … maybe it stands for beattheshitoutofbigguyslikeRiddick, she thought as she found herself laughing at that thought. Yeah sure, she rolled her eyes.

Suddenly she froze and thought about talking with Riddick last night, realization dawned. He was right, she said to herself. We met before. Riddick didn't lie to me, she frowned and sheathed the shiv again as she took the bear and hugged it tightly. Jack realized that they probably had been very close five years ago, but still, she didn't remember him. Just a few visions of him. She thought about the feelings that had overwhelmed her when she had seen the bear and the shiv, and concentrated on them. Happiness and sadness. Love and hate. Trust and treason. Hope and despair. Why are they so contradictory, she asked as her vision blurred with fresh tears.

She then looked at her hands, that now were trembling more and her heart was now racing. She thought about Dr. Morris' words and for a few seconds she panicked. It seemed that the more she tried to remember, the greater her trembling became. She growled in frustration and went to pull out the little black box from its hiding place, at the end of one of her drawers. Jack loaded the hypo syringe and gritting her teeth, she injected the red fluid into her neck. Oh, shit, she thought. I can't do this for the rest of my fucking life, she breathed deeply and went to her bed. Jack laid down and closed her eyes.

Ten minutes later the injection effects had passed, so she stood and put the ampoules, the bear, and the shiv inside her hand bag. Afterwards, she hid the clothes inside her wardrobe. The reason why Dr. Morris had waited to give those things back to her for five years had been going around in her mind the last few minutes, so she made a mental note to ask him about that some time in the future. Perhaps, he knew some things about her past, but she didn't understand why he hadn't told her about that matter before.

Jack heard the water running in the bathroom and knew that Danielle was back home. A few minutes later, she headed toward Danielle's bedroom and waited for her, sitting on her bed. She was thinking about her plan and all her thoughts were consumed by it. She sighed and did her best to stay calm and relaxed.

Danielle went in her bedroom. "What were you doing last night Audrey?" she asked as she dried her hair with a towel. "Watching old movies or something?" she looked at Jack.

"Or something" Jack answered with a big smile.

Danielle arched her brows in surprise. "Well, well. And that smile stands for?" she asked as she went to take a seat next to her.

"Don't know. I feel different." she said and went to look at herself in the mirror.

Danielle narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean?" she asked, suspicious.

Jack looked at herself in the mirror. "Different" she shrugged her shoulders. "I feel as if I need to make a change in my life. See new places, meet new people. Don't know. Be a new person maybe," she explained to Danielle.

Danielle's eyes almost jumped out of her face. "Holy Mother of God Audrey!" she exclaimed. "You're full of surprises lately girl!" she stood and went to Jack's side.

"And here I thought you weren't a religious girl" Jack teased her.

Danielle grinned and her smile widened. "Well, now I think I believe in miracles" she mocked. Jack laughed in response. "So, tell me my child, you feel ready to live your life?" Danielle teased her. Jack nodded so Danielle did too. "Ok then, as my grandmother used to say, whoever that bitch was, never it's late if it's you're fate" Danielle said faking seriousness. "So, my dear little Audrey, I'll ask you again. Are. You. Ready. To. Live?" she asked turning Jack so she was face to face with her.

Jack took a deep breath. "Yes, I mean …… I think I'm ready" she said finally and Danielle noticed a slight tone of doubt in her voice but let it go.

"Great!" Danielle exclaimed as she hugged her. "Because I know the right place to go to celebrate this change" she grinned.

"What do you have in mind?" Jack asked her suspiciously.

Danielle let go of her. "The best place for a couple of bitches like us, sweetheart", she showed a devil smile. "Let your mommy show you the way, little one" she mocked.

Jack remembered the name of the club that Riddick had told her. "The Eclipse?" she asked innocently.

Danielle wasn't thinking of that place but changed her mind in seconds. Hey, why not? What the hell! she thought. "Oh my God Audrey!" she exclaimed. "Now you're a mind reader too?" she teased her. "You know you're full of surprises tonight" she said in an ironic tone of voice.

Jack laughed and Danielle went to hug her again. She didn't know what had happened with her, but whatever it was, she silently gave thanks to whoever was in the heavens for this new Audrey. She certainly didn't want to spend time thinking about it. She was so happy she could've jumped up and down. Danielle was more than ready to show her what it was to live a real life. At this point Danielle was very proud of her and didn't care what had brought this sudden change in Jack's mind.

On the other hand, Jack felt like shit. She felt so guilty she wanted to scream. Jack was lying to her best friend, her only friend, but she had no choice.