Chapter 2

The silence was almost unbearable as Riddick processed her words. He turned from the window to stare at her. She felt exposed, even more so than when the giant alien predators were picking people off one by one, this felt more intimate. And more dangerous.

"Riddick, I…"

"How?" He cut her off. He moved slowly towards her right and she suddenly felt trapped. He was moving nearer to her and she was beginning to panic. He wanted answers that she didn't have.

"I… I don't… I have no idea!" Her voice sounded high and unnatural. "I don't know what happened… only… I… HERE!" She grabbed the Pitch Black DVD off the shelf and thrust it into his hands.

Shit.

Why did I do that?

Fuck.

That was really fucking stupid.

She watched as he studied the plastic case. She knew he would be studying the image of himself holding two wickedly curved blades. The terrain and shadowed planets in the background of the image would look familiar to him. Adel backed up again, this time feeling a wall behind her. Nowhere to go now. Riddick turned the DVD case over, reading the back description.

"A vid?" He questioned. "About me… about what JUST happened?" He growled the last sentence, the flimsy case creaking beneath his grip. "Explain. NOW. Who are you?"

"I'm no one!" She exclaimed. He was in front of her now. Too close. She was overwhelmed by the scent of mud, blood and male. It was terrifying. "I'm no one. I'm just a girl who woke up in a dream. It seemed like a dream. I didn't even recognize where I was until I got home and remembered the movie." She gestured to the DVD in his hand at his expression of confusion. "I watched it the night before and somehow woke up in a movie. That's all it is. Fiction." Her voice took on a panicked tone as he drew closer. A low growl escaped his throat. He pressed his body against hers, pinning her to the wall. He had placed an arm on either side of her head which forced her to look at him. "I swear. I have no idea how you got here." She felt a tear slide down her cheek as his luminescent eyes bore into hers.

"Tell me what you remember, Adel." His voice seemed calmer though she was aware of the strain in his tone, as if he were just barely controlling his anger. He was way too close to her. His proximity was making it difficult to think of anything besides her fear.

And that other thing.

Like how sexy he is…

Are you fucking losing it, girl?

I mean, really.

Nope. She was not going to go there. Fear was winning out as she spoke. Her face felt like it was on fire under his scrutiny; nearly painful with the intensity of his gaze.

"I remember waking up on a crashing ship. A ship that has no comparison to anything I've ever seen or anything that's made today. People sleeping in tubes and the ship being torn apart. Crashing in the desert. I remember Carolyn…"Her breath hitched as her throat grew tight and her eyes burned with the threat of tears. One slipped down her cheek and she flinched as he brought his hand up, wiping away the errant fluid with his thumb. "Johns, Paris, Shazza and Zeke. All gone. And Imam and Jack… they were on that skif ship when I went back for you." Her temples throbbed and the left side of her head was burning. She involuntarily flinched again as his hand moved past her cheeks to her forehead.

"We'd better clean that up." He said. His voice sounded rough and thick as he spoke. She had to stop for a moment to figure out to what he was referring. She brought her hand up to the side of her face and when she brought it back down; her fingers were sticky with coagulating blood.

"'I'm hurt? I had no idea…" she whispered. "So it had to be real then, right? It has to be. HE'S here. If he's not then you're going crazy, Adel." She was talking more to herself as she found her feet moving towards her tiny bathroom. Under the sink, in its usual place, she found her first aid kit. It was so… normal. Her towels still hung where she had folded them on the rack. Her colorful IKEA shower curtain concealed the very average tub. She glanced in the mirror and noticed the rather large cut that traveled from the side of her forehead down to the top of her cheek. She shifted her focus to the man standing behind her; the fictional man who bore a striking resemblance to Vin Diesel.

A giggle escaped her mouth again as she imagined the look on Riddick's face; hell the look on Vin Diesel's face would be identically priceless!

If only the twain shall meet…

She laughed out loud this time and noticed that her hands were shaking again.

Okkkiee Doke. Time to sit.

She promptly sat down on the fuzzy red toilet seat cover.

"Let me do it." Riddick told her gruffly as he took the kit out of her hands. He looked at the supplies, holding up each item and reading. His gaze kept switching from item to item, unsure of where to start.

"Use one of those," Adel said pointing to a packet of sterile alcohol pads. He tore open the packet and promptly wiped it over the long injury. "Ouch! Damnit." She winced. He shot her a look as he set the alcohol soaked pad and wrapper aside. "Next, open that tube-y thing there." She gestured to a small tube of Neosporin.

Definitely getting a bit giddy here, Little Bird. Focus.

Big man. Tending wound. Pay attention.

"Put it on the wound and smear it to cover the whole thing." She sat still as he followed her instructions. When he was done, he set the tube aside. It was almost comical watching him fumble with the tiny tube. His hands were way too big and another giggle tumbled from her lips. Adel tried to suppress it but that wound up turning it into a snort. His ministrations were surprisingly gentle as she felt herself relaxing with his touch.

Big hands. They sure feel real.

Stop it!

"I'm sorry," she told him. "I'm trying really hard not to freak out. All we have to do now is put those bandages down the length of the wound." She gestured to the packets of butterfly bandages. "And then cover it with gauze."

When Riddick was finished, she stood to look in the mirror. She eyed the bandaged part of her face, which was surprisingly neat and tidy for such a large man.

"Thank you." She murmured quietly. He turned to leave the bathroom. "Riddick?" Her voice sounded small. He turned to face her. "This is really happening, right? This is reality?"

"Oh, it's reality, sweetheart. The question is whether it's yours or mine."


So there you have it. Chapter Two. What do you think? How will Riddick get back? Does he want to go back? And is Adel going too? So many questions! So much to write! Motivate me by leaving reviews! :D

Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. It means the world to me. And I think some of you who offered suggestions will find them in this chapter.