Disclaimer: I don't own Pitch Black's universe or any of its characters, but the ones you can't recognize are all mine. I'm not making money, just having fun.

Author's note. Well, childrem this is the last chapter of "Soul Mates". But…I'm not done with all of you …. Yet…. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, LADIES!

njrd

E,

I have no words to express my gratitude to you for your help. So, I just going to say THANK YOU VERY MUCH, WOMAN!

I would like to say thank you to all of you who have been reading this story but not leaving feedback. If you are still out there, what are you waiting for?

ClaudZion, sorry, love. No smut, but I'm going to tie a few loose ends, only thing not all of them, by now. Thank you, honey.

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Wildfire6962000, Hey, love! I really missed you and I know that we are almost at the end, but what a hell of a ride has been, Wild. Thank you, honey.

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tamekabu, yep, that was a real twist, huh? Thank you, honey. I love you.

Ok, with that said, let's enjoy the last chapter.

Chapter 36 Rejoining the Human Race (Part I)

Riddick made his way back to the space port through deserted alleys and almost empty dark streets. After so many years out of Onix, Riddick felt strange walking those places once more, even though he never suspected he was going to come back, and for some unthinkable reason, he didn't feel comfortable at all. Anyhow, Riddick felt unease.

Maybe it was the way he had took care of the doctor; not allowing the beast within him to satiate its thirst for blood, or maybe it was the many memories that those same streets were bringing back, dancing inside of his brain. However, while walking with long strides with his five senses on silent high alert, Riddick couldn't push aside one bizarre sensation. He didn't feel like himself anymore .

It wasn't that he felt in danger, quite the opposite. He felt more out of place; like if he didn't belong to them anymore. They hadn't changed so much over the years. However, dark alleys were always similar in each and every planet, no matter how civilized the place at hand or how much security was present at that moment.

After what it seemed at eternity but little more than ten years, these same dark places had been always his home; the only places where he felt comfortable. The kind of places where his shined eyes were his advantage over those who wanted to hunt him down; where he was the predator while the others were his prey. The place where he had been fighting for his own survival.

In spite of all those events that had took place in his life over the years, the ones which had led him to be who he was today, Riddick didn't feel a wild rage burning his soul alive anymore. For the first time tonight, he had been able to control his animal side while and in the aftermath of a death. Of course, Riddick could sense its presence as strong as ever, but also as restrained as never before in his entire existence.

"….Must be some part of you that wants to rejoin the human race…" Suddenly, Carolyn's words echoed faintly inside of Riddick's brain as he thought about his past actions. "Truthfully, I wouldn't know how." His own voice resounded with his words back then.

Still lost in thought, but on guard, Riddick reached the space port and headed directly to "The Darkveil". As soon as he was in front of his ship, Riddick hacked her security code. He knew full well that Jack had followed his instructions, activating the panic code on the ship to keep herself locked in and safe while waiting for him to come back.

The ramp of The Darkveil lowered down with a metal hiss, and it had not even touched the ground, when Riddick lifted his head. A grin graced his lips as soon as he saw Jack at the top of the ramp, smiling broadly at him. No matter how many times he would see her smile, it always had the same effect on him. His heart skipped a beat just to match Jack's heartbeat, and, slowly, Riddick lifted his goggles and rested them on his forehead, locking eyes with her.

Jack felt a strong shiver, crossing her spine at the sight of his silver eyes, looking at her directly. She swallowed hard, feeling her heart beating faster; her chest moving in time with Riddick's even breathing. They both froze, motionless, just looking at each other; their eyes flickering. And all of sudden Riddick understood that Jack was the only one who had been able to make possible his redemption, his rejoining the human race. That was the miracle; the ultimate consequence of his change. He was human. Not anymore a heartless beast. Not anymore a cold bloody killer. Just a man.

His grin grew wide as he thought about the implications of that realization, and without hesitation, Riddick walked up the ramp and grabbing Jack's waist, he pulled her to him, holding her tightly against his chest. Jack smiled even more broadly as she encircled his neck, capturing his lips, demanding his surrender, and once again, Riddick obliged. When they released their lips, Riddick lifted his head, staring at the open sky above him. Now, I know how, Carolyn, he said silently, grinning.

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Riddick inserted the codes to take off from Onix while fixing his mercurial gaze through the front window of the cockpit. After a long moment, a voice at the other side of the com allowed him the clearance. Jack let out the air she had been holding for quite long time while waiting in complete silence. Riddick glanced at her from the corner of his eye, grinning as he set the coordinates to their next destination.

As soon as The Darkveil was in open space, Riddick engaged the autopilot and swiveled in his chair, cracking his neck bones, easing the tension on his muscles. Jack smiled broadly as she stood in front of him, looking down at his silver eyes.

"Where are we going to go now, Riddick?" her voice sounded slightly tinted with concern. Riddick narrowed his eyes, growling and in one fast move, he grabbed Jack's waist, pulling her to him. Jack gasped as a huge shiver of anticipation crossed her body from head to toe. Riddick noticed and his grin widened.

"Now, we go back home, Jack." He answered as he made her sit, straddling his hips. Jack made herself comfortable in his lap as she encircled his neck. "Back to New Mecca." Riddick added as his hands stroked Jack's back up and down. Jack pressed her body down, causing a low growl to escape Riddick's lips as soon as his incipient erection made contact with Jack's body. In response, she moaned softly as she pressed down a little more, feeling through the fabric of their clothes the so familiar bulge starting to grow.

They had ahead of them around six weeks of trip until they reached Helion system and both of them knew exactly how they were going to spend the time on board of The Darkveil.

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Scorpion system. Planet Onix. The Firm's main building.

Mr. Koemborn walked with long strides down the hallway directly to his office. He was dressed in his usual outfit, an indecently expensive dark suit. Two soldiers at each side of him were escorting him. As he walked, he was playing with a small disc between his fingers, his lips spread in a slight grin. Mr. Koemborn finally reached his personal assistant's desk and one of the soldiers moved ahead of him, opening the door. Mr. Koemborn nodded firmly and entered his office. Afterward, the two soldiers proceeded to stand on guard at his door.

He went directly to his personal computer and inserted the small disc followed by a security code. In seconds, the information enclosed on the disc started to be printed. The disc had a report of the transmissions that had been made over the last twelve hours. Alexander Koemborn was looking absently the screen, his fingertips tapping the desk when something that shouldn't be there caught his attention. Frowning, he read silently. Transmission to Alhaur system. Mr. Koemborn narrowed his eyes and his jaw tightened. Continuing to gaze at the screen, one of his hands pressed on his vid com.

"Good Morning, Mr. Koemborn." General Owens' voice and his salute greeted him. Mr. Koemborn, turned his head slowly and fixed his eyes on the General.

"General, I want to know the current state of the tracking chip located at Xela," he said coldly. In response, General Owens knit a brow, slightly confused for a second, but nodded firmly 'yes'.

Tapping the keyboard of his terminal, General Owens inserted a code and waited for the intel requested. Frowning, he noticed that it wasn't the one he was expecting to receive. Son of bitch, he said silently. His hands closed in fist so tight that his knuckles turned white under the pressure as he narrowed his eyes in suspicion.

"Mr. Koemborn, the tracking ship had been disassembled, sir." General Owens said as he sent directly the information to Mr. Koemborn's personal computer. Just a moment later, the screen showed the intel he had requested. Fixing his eyes on the screen, Alexander Koemborn read for himself.

"Protocol Security Code: 25710290 / Q. Location: Xela. Planet Zul. Alhaur system. Current tracking chip status: Disassembled. Authorization: Alexander van Koemborn III."

Mr. Koemborn locked eyes with General Owens. His gaze was hard and cold. It held no emotion.After a few seconds of tension, he spoke.

"Where's The Darkveil?" Mr. Koemborn asked as he reclined on his comfortable chair, making a supreme effort to control his rage while waiting to confirm his sudden suspicion. General Owens inserted the codes to track the ship's destination as his eyes were wide open.

"Sir..There's…there's no sign detected." The General finally answered as he checked one more time the protocols to track the exact location of Riddick's ship. Mr. Koemborn arched a brow as he leaned forward, feeling his blood boiling inside his veins with blind rage.

"What did you say, General?" His voice sounded tinted with banked anger. General Owens stiffened uncomfortably on his chair, concern written all over his face.

"The Darkveil is nowhere to be found, sir." He replied as he frowned deeply. "The beacon had been hacked, Mr. Koemborn. Riddick is missing." General Owens added. In response, Mr. Koemborn tighten his jaw even more.

"That's all." He muttered through clenched teeth as he closed the connection. Taking a deep breath, Mr. Koemborn leaned back on his chair, with his fingers entwined, tapping his chin, pondering the meaning of Riddick's acts.

Mr. Koemborn had said to Riddick on one occasion that there was just one thing that he was never going to tolerate from anyone, much less from his own blood. Disrespect.

It was one thing to be a cold assassin who was more than just skillful and worthy for The Firm's interest, but a completely different thing was fucking with his own father, playing his game and rising victorious.

For a second, Alexander's mind went back to those old images he had seen hundred of times in documentaries about the wild life on the Old Earth. A vision of two lions fighting to keep the control and power over a herd popped inside his mind as a deep growl let his lips. The Galaxy wasn't big enough for two alpha males.

After a long moment, he finally managed to regain his usual coldness and inserting a new code, he typed a small text that would be sent to each and every prison across the galaxy as well as to all the military bases.

When, he was done, Mr. Koemborn made himself again comfortable in his chair. "Richard, Richard, Richard..." He trailed off as he fixed his gaze in a spot only he could see. "We will cross paths soon, my son."Mr. Koemborn murmured to himself, chuckling silently as an evil grin graced his lips. In front of him, his personal computer was flashing The Firm's Board's official report.

Top Security Protocol number 952415296

State: Activated.

Subject: Riddick, Richard B.

File: Classified A+

Current state: No bounty in force.

Going into effect: Actual date.

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Alhaur system. Planet Zul. Xela city.

Alain took a seat in front of his computer as soon as a beeping sound alerted him that he had received a classified message. Typing a security code to prevent any tracking of it, he downloaded it. In two seconds, the screen showed a picture of a woman. Alain's shined eyes were wide open as he gasped in shock. His heart stopped dead, racing wildly at the vision in front of him. Alain couldn't give credit to what his eyes were seeing.

Mariel was smiling broadly, her green eyes sparkling with their unique brightness, just like when she was young. Without even being aware of that fact, Alain mimicked her smile while fixing each and every detail of her face.

Mariel was still as beautiful as she was the last day they looked at each other. Nevertheless, her hair, tucked up in a simple bow, showed a few tufts of white spread in it and around her lips and eyes there were a few wrinkles, the only evidence of those years that they had been torn apart from each other.

Alain felt overwhelmed in seconds with feelings, visions and memories. Betrayal and anger were mixed with loneliness and pain. Rage and sorrow with love and hope. All those emotions were spreading inside of his veins like liquid fire, making him feel more alive than ever before.

Flashes of visions of where they both were together walking hand in hand, talking, laughing, making love?popped all at once as clearly as a sunny day, warming his aching heart, bringing peace to an internal turmoil that it had been taking place since the day they were separated. His mind was busy trying to put some order on the chaos that Mariel's picture brought to his heart and soul when unnoticed tears were shed. Just then, he fixed his mercurial gaze on Mariel's neck, allowing his mind to understand what he was looking at. The necklace. Mariel was alive.

It was then when Alain noticed for the first time that there was a message printed at the bottom of Mariel's picture. Frowning deeply, he read aloud.

"All roads come to New Mecca."

Almost immediately the message blinked and the letters vanished on the screen to show another message. With suddenly trembling fingers, Alain tapped the keyboard and enlarged the letters, swallowing hard. His silver eyes almost jumped out of his face as he blinked furiously, clearing his blurry vision when the meaning of those written words sunk to his brain. I knew you had it in you, tiny-boy, he said silently while fresh tears were shed unrestrained, but this time, those tears were full of joy. Finally you rejoined the human race, Richard. A few seconds later, Alain burst out laughing hard at the top of his lungs unable to believe what Riddick had done for him on his own will.

Tracking chip number 25710290 / Q.

Current status: Disassembled.

Enjoy your freedom, old man.

Tiny-boy.