Et Tu Brute?

All his life Richard B. Riddick had been betrayed. Betrayed at birth by his mother, a baby in a dumpster his umbilical chord wrapped tightly around his neck. Betrayed in his youth by his foster parents who had beaten him, betrayed even now by his humanity. He should've known better than to trust, to show signs of an existence.

All his life people stabbed him in the back, today being no exception. So as means of self preservation, he locked himself up and threw away the key. He was like a max security prison; calm, quiet, ready always for the riot to begin. Riddick learned early on in life if no one could see who he was no one could hurt him.

The plan had always been fool-proof...that was until there was Jack. The moment he saw Jack, her adoring eyes staring at him, idolizing him, Riddick knew he was in trouble. Somehow the once runaway had dug under his armor, way in deep and made her home where his heart had once lain. Like a roach she buried eggs in him, letting them hatch and grow. Parasite! She was like a tick, latching on and bleeding him dry. She reveled in his copper sweetness as he willingly gave her more. Why hadn't he ever noticed the parasite she was?

What are you saying? That's you Jack, your sweet, amazing Jack!

Riddick shook his head, how'd he let this happen? He use to be so free and now he was like a caged beast who had been bagged and tagged. How had he been so blind? He should've cut her out with a knife, gritting through the pain just like he would any obtrusion to his body, after all that's what she was wasn't it? An infection, a disease, a fucking bullet to the brain. What a waste. He'd set up a fortress and in a matter of mere moments, a blink of an eye, she'd catapulted her way deep within his castle's keep.

Riddick had been beaten, torn down, accused, condemned, hunted, locked up, and murdered fuck as far as the known galaxy had heard but nothing compared to the pain Jack had caused him. Infamous and feared...Jack brought the tower that was Riddick to his knees.

Riddick couldn't bring himself to move, instead he simply lay back into the shattered glass. He welcomed the pricks he received, at least they were self-inflicted and not caused by something he couldn't control. Riddick looked as though he were a deity, a god of destruction, ruling death, pain and deceit. He bled like a sacrificial lamb into the floor boards.

Fuck!

Riddick couldn't help to wonder, even in his current state of bitterness, how life would've turned out had Jack not gone away. He cursed himself for caring. He was like a battered child all over again, after he was hurt he still returned for more. After all he'd created to safe-guard himself he still couldn't shake Jack away. As Riddick lay motionless on the floor he was assaulted with an onslaught of painful questions: What if he'd kept her with him? What if? Would they still be together? Would she be the woman she was today? Why'd he come here? What was he doing? One word filtered through his wheeling mind...

Run...

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Jack stood on the front porch not sure what to do and that's when she heard the voice.

Run. it repeated.

And she did. Jack ran like hell. She ran like there was no tomorrow. She didn't know where she was going but all she could do was heed the call.

----6 years ago----

"Keep running Recruit! Don't stop! Don't you dare stop!" one of the Drill Instructor's screamed. "Recruit you stop, so help me God, I'll kill you!"

Jack was running; had been for the past hour. Most of her fellow recruits had already dropped out. Jack let her eyes drift to them, laying like dead bugs on the floor. She would not give in. All of Jack's body screamed for her to stop, she refused.

"Recruit, you wanna stop? You wanna go back home to mommy?" The Drill Instructor taunted.

"No sir! This recruit does not want to back to mommy, sir!" Jack panted in return.

"Well carry on then," the Drill Instructor stepped out of Jack's way...he'd be back, she knew it.

I want to go home to Riddick. Jack's inner voice pouted. That's not an option and you know it. Suck it up recruit!

Jack wanted to cry, she could handle the physical pain she'd endured through boot camp. It was the emotional tug, the need to run back to Riddick that did her in.

I want him back. But we can't go back. It was to save him. To keep him from being lost.

Jack's mind was becoming delirious from the exertion being put on her body.

Lost from what? Oh yeah, this recruit remembers...merc, tried to get him but he died, my hands. Bloody. I have to be strong, save him from me. Carry on then recruit.

Jack continued to run, her mind hollow and her heart heavy with longing; so heavy it began to pull her to the ground. She would not give in! She'd left Riddick to save him, or so she told herself.

Yes, there had been a merc, she had killed him but she didn't mean to. She hadn't really been trained with any self-defense and she didn't have a weapon. It just happened to be luck. She remembered a merc threatening to kill Riddick, she was angry and frightened. There was a struggle and she thought she'd lose the fight, she shut her eyes tightly...when her world came into view again she was the blood all over her hands. The merc had been impaled on a pipe. Jack wasn't stunned, she was blank. Then anger hit her...she had drawn the merc to Riddick, she would always be a chink in his armor. Jack was hit with a sudden reality: she had to leave Riddick before she got him killed or worse yet, put back in a slam.

Her reality check was partially true, but the whole truth was she was afraid he would realize this first and leave her. This incident was the icing on the cake. Jack would never again be the victim, not to a merc and definitely not to Riddick. She had to keep him her saint, her knight in shinning armor, she needed to keep that faith and if it meant she had to sacrifice herself then so be it. And so here she was now running for all she was worth with the devil on her tail...the story of her life.

"Recruit! Keep running. You stop again I kill you. You ready to die recruit?" The man bellowed in her face. "Run recruit, run home. Keep running!"

Jack stopped dead in her tracks and wheeled around to face her Drill Instructor, "I am fucking running!"

There was the thud of a fist to a face...everything went black.

------

Riddick had packed all his things was ready to roll the fuck out, he opened the door and began his long trip away from the one thing that mattered and then he tripped and nearly fell.

What the fuck? Riddick looked down at the speed bump..it was Jack, she was passed out on the ground. She she hadn't left him...interesting. Riddick knelt down and gathered her in his arms, taking care with her bleeding wrist. It was gushing pretty well and good, probably cut her a little deeper than he would've liked.

Once inside Riddick set Jack down on the couch, she was practically comatose. Riddick panicked for a moment but his cool quickly replaced the hurry. She was passed out, her body was rebooting and regenerating itself, she'd be just fine. Riddick went to grab the first aid kit, she'd need a few stitches here and there.

Riddick returned with the kit and quickly set to work; such scarred, calloused hands shouldn't be able to be so gentle but they were. Riddick stitched, cleansed and bandaged Jack until he was thoroughly satisfied at his work. He sat back and look at the sleeping beauty. The dangerous sleeping beauty. He cursed himself for caring. She was so peaceful...

You could squash that bug right now. Riddick's beast chimed.

He shook his head. He placed his hand on Jack's forehead, pushing a stray strand away from her fractured face. Without his command or notice it slipped to her throat.

End it. The parasite can't feed if it's dead.

No.

Squeeze.

No.

She can't fight back. It's easy.

No.

Fucking squeeze damn it! Should've ghosted her while you had the chance!

NO!

Riddick had the chance right this moment, it could be ended quietly and painlessly. He sighed heavily, resisting his primal instinct and instead walked out of the room in disbelief at his weakness.

Riddick could take out a whole slam, he could kill mercs by the dozen, murder a planet full of monsters but not for the life of him could he resist Jack. Something drew him to her, pulled him harder than gravity. Why'd I ever let her in?

He'd saved her countless times, risked himself when he knew he should've let her die and she left him then just like she had planned to do now. Jack had been right, he had become weak but no more. The voice called to him again this time loudly and feverishly...

RUN!

Riddick ran. Every question Riddick had about he and Jack would soon be answered and he didn't care. The guard he'd let down was now firmly back in place. No one would take advantage of him again.

For a moment Riddick was nearly saddened...He could still picture the skinny, bald, boy-girl... the trusting smiles she gave him, the way her faith never waivered. 'Never had a doubt'. Her words still echoed in his ears, if only she could've seen through.

The now was gone, the future was upon them.

-----------

Jack's mind stirred ever so slightly, beckoning her to return to the world of the waking. She didn't want to. There was nothing waiting for her there; he no longer belonged to her...she'd made sure of that hadn't she? Jack lay silently, her eyes darting around in her head, she listened intently for any indication of where she was. She'd passed out hadn't she? She couldn't remember. Jack was almost scared.

Jack let her fingers move a little, her wrist stiff and angry with her for the motion. Slowly she felt the fabric beneath her hand...slightly scratchy felt a little like a pattern, there were cushions. So she was on a couch, where was this couch? Jack listened again. Nothing. Just open your eyes damn it! Jack's brain screamed at her.

She opened her eyes slowly, upset by having to leave the fortress of solitude that lay within her dreams. She was in her house. How'd I end up here? Jack looked over herself, she was bandaged up, taking care of and laid gingerly on the couch. She flew up into a sitting position, her entire body protesting. Why am I here?

Jack couldn't remember a thing but she had been watched over in her weak state...was it him? She felt a slight stir of hope...was he here? Jack listened again, listening for him, searching the darkness for signs of his presence.

Tears stung her eyes...was she alone?

---Author's Note---

Another chapter done and out of the way. The end is near now my pretties. So, on to the thanking: thanks to those who reviewed, it is much appreciated. Thanks to Saphrin for like a flurry of reviews, they made me smile. I hope everyone is enjoying, I'm loving writing again. If you like or no like please drop me a line they make me glad. Mad props to my homie Ariel, without you this is most definitely impossible. Like I said you make my meager ideas into great ones. Okay, I'll stop now. Thank you all for reading and reviewing! (subliminal message there haha.). More to come soon. Boo-ya-ka-sha! (too much Ali G.)

DevilWithTheAngelWingsOn