Hello everyone!

So I'm sorry for being lame and telling you I'd update more, and then disappearing into the abyss. Life just started to suck, and then school exams came up. It wasn't a pretty picture. Then to make it better I got complete writers block. I actually started writing the beginning of this chapter a while ago, then discovered that I didn't know what to do next. Then when I went back to I decided I didn't like it, changed it. Then yesterday I changed it again, before finishing it up today....

So I really hope you like this chapter!

Saismaat, hehe kitten poker… I don't think it would have flown, but that is funny. And yeah, some things probably could have been tied up quicker, actually, it's probably a bit of a problem somewhere in this chapter too. Still thanks for the reviews, I'm glad that you still enjoy this little fic.

Riddick's Sita, Thank you for the reviews and the confidence. I'm glad that you like it so much. Also yeah, I'm very proud of that "somewhere angles are crying" line even if some others might have used it before me. And you know, you have a point, I might have Riddick picking up Jack, just a little too much. I'll work on it. Thank you again.

FluidDegree, I'm glad you liked it, also I think that Riddick is very... "fair", he's probably equally pissed about both. XD Thanks for the review.

To everyone else who is just lurking and reading, thank you again, and feel free to drop me a line I'd love to hear what you have to say, even if it isn't just praise.

(Disclaimer: I don't know anything of the Riddick verse, including the lines I took straight from TCOR movie.

Jack didn't blame Riddick for leaving her at Toombs' and Pip's mercy, not even month later. After all she had yelled and begged for him to leave her, when she knew he was there watching. None of them had guessed that Jack was really talking to him though, and she was thankful…

Knowing that Riddick was safe, and that he hadn't gotten caught up in her mistake was almost enough to get through what Pip did…

Almost… but not quite

"Jack do you know what a snuff film is?" Pip asked as he set up a portable movie player in front of Jack on a table. Jack being tied and gagged had no choice but to answer silently. She nodded a bit, but then shook her head, unsure. Either way she looked at Pip like he was crazy. "What was that Jack I couldn't understand…"

Pip walked over then and pulled the gag off of her. When prompted again Jack said, "It's a murder movie or something. Why? You going to show me my job?"

"Oh, you've never done something like this," Pip said with some kind of sick satisfaction. Jack didn't like the psycho worthy smile on his lips, and she liked it less when he started talking again, "You see, snuff films, at least the ones I'm talking about, are when young teens, or even children who have been kidnapped, stolen, etcetera are raped, tortured, and finally killed."

Frowning Jack asked, as she lost some self confidence, "Why do I need to know this Pip? Have you turned into such a sick fuck since I've been gone that you want to show me some of your dirty merc work?"

Pip glared at Jack for a moment and glanced back at the other merc that had been sent with him to get Jack to Crematoria. Actually the other merc was more or less there to make sure Jack got to Crematoria. When it seemed that he was being watched Pip growled and merely went on. He said, "Shut up Jack, or you won't know what to expect."

Jack knew that the only reason she didn't have a face full of Pips fist was because she needed to be in one piece so they'd get the highest price for her. Life expectancy counted toward the bounty. So she just looked at him.

"Good, now Jack, this is not my work. Not MINE." He stressed moving and leaning in close to Jack. "However, this is, despite what I said, your fault. You didn't physically do it, but believe me it's your fault. All yours."

Jack's eyes widened and she struggled asking frantically, "What are you talking about Pip? I never went after kids, no one under eighteen. What are you talking about?!"

Despite the other person Pip punched Jack in the face. He hit her hard in the cheek; it would no doubt bruise…

"Pip, watch it!" The other merc called as he moved into the back of the cabin after making sure the autopilot was set. "Get your kicks with the kiddy porn, not by beating her face in."

Pip glared at the other merc, Johnson, before he glared at Jack saying, "You know who I'm talking about. She's the star in this little flick, fucked in every hole, then every finger, and every toe gets cut off, then sewn back on," Pip paused and pulled on Jack's hair to make sure he had every ounce of her attention, making sure he didn't lose her to some dark recess in her mind, "And that was only the first forty-five minutes of Tasha's death. They had to stop a few times, there are a few hours missing, when they had to make sure she'd live a little longer, but" Pip patted Jack's abused cheek before finishing, "I'm sure you'll like it anyway…"

Coming back to the present Jack peered at the hellhound thing stalking back and forth in front of the cell she got in. It peered back at her with vicious teeth, and silver eyes that reminded her of Riddick. She wondered if she should just open the door for it. The only things that stopped her was the bell that called the beast back and Riddick's voice in her head daring her to kill what was his. Like he'd find a way bring her back just to punish her for killing herself.

ooo

Riddick had everything set up… His shipping gig was done, the money for everything he promised Jack was safely stashed under a fake name in the bank, and he even sold the old skiff. Of course it didn't sell well after he destroyed the interior, but what was done was done his beast tore it apart like Jack would appear if he did. Then to top it off he had someone almost reliable on Pip's trail so he could go after the little shit later.

This knowledge is what got him to calmly let Toombs and his little group, minus Pip who Riddick learned went AWOL, chain him down and kick off. He enjoyed mind-fucking the little group as they headed for Crematoria, especially when he led Toombs right into taking him to the triple-max slam instead of one of the closer ones, like maybe back to Butcher Bay.

They were just so skittish, it was funny.

Oh and the girl merc he had with him. Riddick couldn't help but mess with her after she thought she'd try her hand at touching him. No, that was a Jack thing. Only Jack could crawl right up on his lap and not suffer any consequences…

Now he just had to get Jack off Crematoria and back into space…

Right now though, he was just glad to be out of space. Toombs' nut job crew was barely able to land the shitty ship they had. Their ship com saying something like "angle of approach, not good", no shit, he thought coms were supposed to be more helpful now a day's…

All Riddick said though was, "Skittish, Tombs, very skittish."

Low and behold he was proven right when the whole team went about leading him down to the tunnel-car with big gauges in their hands. Really he was thinking about telling Toombs he wanted into Crematoria, but that would just ruin the man's fun. Then everyone would have to deal with his bitching, so he kept quiet mapped the way out in his head.

ooo

"What in the bowels of Christ are you talking about 700 k?" Toombs said as he stopped the rope lowering Riddick down into Crematoria, where the inmates and convicts were already starting to notice him. Banging wrenches, pipes, and even cups to let everyone know some new meat was there.

Riddick could hear the conversation going on above him, something about him being trouble or some other bullshit. Trouble or not seven-hundred K could have been a little low, but Riddick was a bit biased, and Toombs was taking forever…

"I'd take the money Toombs!" Riddick called up at the merc. After all he was one to give fair warning. If Toombs stuck around too long, he'd meet the end of his shiv sooner than planned. Not a bad thing for Riddick himself, but hey Toombs and his skittish crew might feel differently.

Still after being stopped for the second time Riddick decided he'd just let himself down. Being left with cuffs on his hands was a small price to pay, and hopefully it would get the idiots down here to knock the banging off. It was an old welcome, and Riddick didn't much care for it himself. There were better ways to freak someone out…

So, Riddick swung himself up and got the rope to twist around him. Once he let go the inertia on the way down was enough to break the chain linking the cuffs together. Like he thought, the cuffs remained just the same around his wrists, but they could be dealt with once he was off the heap, when he could find a blow torch.

Of course a fight ensued. People rushed him; others just watched to see what would happen. He took them down, even the pesky one that came up behind him. Then of course someone had to come in with a speech…

"There are inmates, and there are convicts. A convict has a certain code, and he knows to show a certain respect. An inmate, on the other hand, pulls the pin on his fellow man. Does the guards' work for them. Brings shame…" The man stopped and kicked one of the guys on the ground in the gut, earning him a grunt of pain, "To the game." He then pause once more, stopping in front of Riddick before asking, "So, which are you gonna be?"

"Me?" Riddick said, feigning thought as he looked around, "I'm just passing through."

ooo

"So you seem like a man on a mission," The man who asked him if he was a convict or an inmate said calling Riddick's attention to him. "They call me the Guv, maybe I can give you a hand."

Riddick took a moment to look the man over. There wasn't very much to lose, the guy either knew where Jack was or he didn't. In the long run it might save him some time. "Okay Guv, I'll level with you. I'm looking for a girl; she probably got here a little under three months ago. She has dark hair and a slight build," Riddick told him as he watched the man walk closer.

Guv thought over the newest arrivals to the slam. There was only one girl, and she did fit the description, "Don't know her name, but yeah I know where she might be. She has a cell she likes." Riddick nodded, and followed after Guv when he motioned for him to do so. "So Riddick, tell me, did you come all this way just to see a girl?"

"Yeah, I came all this way for Jack," Riddick said, and when he received a look for her name he just shrugged a bit insisting, "I didn't name the girl, but saving her ass keeps me in shape." There was no reason to go into detail. There was no reason to show that his weakness was one girl.

"You have some weird taste in exercise routines," Guv said with a shake of his head. He didn't know if the man really did get into slams just to break out in the name of fun, but he wouldn't put it passed him. Even in slams, word gets around. Riddick got out of Butcher Bay, maybe he was crazy enough to try Crematoria. "But no one's ever escaped from Crematoria, just so you know…"

ooo

"Well she didn't look… right when she got here, but I know she's alive," Guv said as he continued to lead Riddick towards the cell Jack supposedly occupied. "After all I haven't seen the hell hounds toting around body parts… well," Guv paused looking over at Riddick, "not hers anyway."

"You seen her lately," Riddick asked in monotone. He didn't doubt Jack was alive, but he was worried about her wellbeing, both mental and physical. Your first time in a slam could do weird things to you. Jack's first slam being a triple-max was probably not good on for the psyche.

"Not really, she's like a ghost. Don't blame her, best to just get lost here if you're a girl," Guv said as they neared. "Really I only know she favors this cell because it's where I've seen her rushing in when the hounds come in for feeding time. Then, once I saw her drag a body out, but that's about it. I don't even think she really sleeps in there."

Riddick let out a noise akin to a grunt to show he was listening as the Guv stopped and pointed to the cell in front of them saying, "This is it." Riddick looked around, and at first glance he didn't see her in there. Just a bed suspended from the wall with a beaten down mattress on it. The whole place was covered in debris, blood, and other questionable contents.

"Not in I guess," Guv said with a shrug. "You could wait around until the hounds are let through to see if this is where she'll hide today, or you could go looking for her. Good luck though, she is a cute pi-," Guv frowned when he got the large guy's full attention before he reevaluated what he was going to say, "She's a cute… kid." Once Riddick nodded Guv thought it was best he go off and let the guy inspect by himself.

Riddick lifted his welders' goggles after Guv started walking off. He then looked the room over again, looking for small details. Anything Jack might have left, and eventually his eyes fell to a thin piece of wire like string tied in front of the door, hardly even noticeable. It led under the sheet hanging off the bed, hiding what was underneath. Of course the sheet wasn't big enough to do the whole job, but there was other stuff bunched around the bed making it hard to see under it. To someone looking in though it wouldn't look too suspicious, maybe just like someone wanted more floor space.

To Riddick though, it did look suspicious.

To Riddick it looked like Jack trying to hide.

Stepping over the string Riddick had to hand it to Jack, if she was under there she had guts. If someone else had been looking for her and noticed, she'd be in trouble. As it was, he was just going to scare her if she wasn't awake… She'd certainly live.

After readying himself for anything that might come flying out from under the bed, he lifted the sheet. It wasn't dramatic, there was no noise, and no big flipping of the sheet, he just moved it up. Then once Riddick peered under he was rewarded with the sight of Jack. She had a shiv clutched in her hand, but she was out…

She looked exhausted, and underfed. Riddick could tell this was the sleep of someone who stayed up for as long as they possibly could, ran on nothing until nothing couldn't cut it. Actually, knowing Jack, if given the chance she'd eventually jump up, afraid that she had missed something because she had drifted off. He'd seen her do it numerous times on the way to New Mecca.

Still, Riddick was going to show her he was there, even if she obviously needed the sleep. He reached under the bed, one hand hovering over the hand she held the shiv with and the other ready to pull her out to him. He paused a second looking her over once more, and then he noticed that the string was tied to her boot, but it looked ready to fall apart, it would break the second he moved her.

Then he grabbed her hand and pulled her from under the bed.

Somewhere in the room the noise of the twine breaking sounded, but it was less pressing then Jack who instantly started to struggle. She elbowed him; she even abandoned the shiv when she found she couldn't get at him with it and just tried to crawl away. It kept up until Jack just… stopped. Jack just stopped moving like something suddenly occurred to her.

Riddick watched as her head moved slightly as she looked at his legs, and the hand that still had her wrist. If it didn't look like the mere sound of his voice would break her he would have said her name. Still after a moment she moved to turn around, and Riddick let her.

Jack nearly buried herself against him, and that was when Riddick realized that she hadn't made a noise. Jack didn't yell when she was trying to get away, and she hadn't said his name when she realized it was him… Not a noise.

"Jack, what happened?" Riddick asked as he tried to gently pull her away from him. When she wouldn't let go though he prodded, "Come on, kid, what's happened since then."

Since then…

Since they parted…

Since Pip…

Jack attempted to pull together something, but she couldn't find the right thing to say, the right words. What did you say after not making a single noise for almost three months? As she hesitantly looked up at Riddick, Jack realized she didn't know what to tell him…

What could she tell him anyway?

"Tasha was raped and tortured because of me…"

"She screamed for me the entire time, hoping I would save her, but I was in space with you…"

"They only let her die when she couldn't scream anymore…"

"I only stopped begging Pip to shut it off after the third time he played it… then I shut up for good."

"I was almost raped because I didn't care, but snapped out of it before the guard put his dick in me…"

"I almost fed myself to a hellhound with your eyes…twice; the first time was because they had your eyes…"

"I killed seven people since I've been here… One to save my almost non-existing virtue, three to save my life, two to pass the time, and one because I snapped when I found out he'd done a snuff film like Tasha's…"

"I can't hate you for any of it…"

"I've missed you so much…"

"Riddick…" Jack cried as she pressed her face into the crook of his neck.