Wondering

Jack sat on her bed, thinking of the day she met Riddick. She had first started to analyze him when the others became afraid. It was something she had learned a long time ago, before she ran away from home. Often times, the ones most feared are not to be feared at all. That was Jack's motto. Riddick was no exception in this case.

He was chained, arms spread wide, talking to Fry about who had killed Zeke. She wanted to see his eyes.

It was amazing when he had shown her, launching out of his seat like a lion at his prey. Fry had all but jumped out of her skin.

Jack snickered aloud at this memory.

Here she was, six years later, a completely different person. Between slams, mercs, Riddick and Necromongers, Jack had become Kyra.

Everything about her now was fluid, fast, catlike. She was a triumphant woman, hardened and bitter. But she still had a heart. Like Riddick, she killed only out of necessity. Her death count totaled almost forty. It included her father, more than a dozen mercs and their allies, topped off with the scum of Crematoria.

Kyra ran her fingers over the scars on her neck, a brand of the Necro conversion attempt. It had worked, in a sense, simply because Kyra had given up. Riddick went down on the landing strip of Crematoria and her life became bereft. In her one chance to leave, she ran and jumped aboard the Necromonger ship.

Her greatest fear confirmed…every last person she cared about had abandoned her. Riddick had done it twice.

But in one blissful moment, he returned. She hadn't truly believed it was him when the guards had led her into the hall of the Bascilla. She left. Then he said it again.

"Are you with me, Kyra?"

She wondered what would have happened if he hadn't said it that one last time. It snapped her out of the hypnosis she was in.

Realization hit her several minutes later. Finally, she turned, returning down the long all to aid in the fight.

"I was always with you," she whispered as she lost consciousness.

Kyra woke up from the deep slumber she had been in. "Shit!" she exclaimed. Tenatively, she lifted a hand to her neck, running her fingers over the smooth skin there, feeling behind her ears for the marks she was sure were there—

Nothing. She met only smooth, silky skin. "Riddick!" she yelled. No response. "RIDDICK!"

He appeared out of nowhere, leaning on the doorjamb. "Morning sunshine," he said with a smirk. "You're obviously feeling better."

"What the fuck happened? They converted me, I know it, but I'm normal again, I don't get it. Why, no, how am I back? I should've died from those wounds, there is nothing it the damn universe that could fix me up that good, and undo everything that they did, but I still hurt like they did it…."

"Jack, I don't know what happened. I gave you a shot of a special medication that heals you up…you were practically dead. So I hit you with that and I guess it just…fixed everything that was wrong, including the conversion." Riddick thought for a moment. "Leukogen heals the wound…it can't necessarily take away the pain that was caused by it. Your body will hurt, but not be wounded."

She gaped at him. "So…is that how you came back too?"

6/14/05

A/N: You love me! I hit this nail on the head. It's yet another chappie inspired by 15 Minute Ficlets Livejournal Community. YAY! Jackie is back!