"Imam...", she repeated to herself, rubbing a hand over her face, letting her body stretch itself out. She didn't bother hiding her yawn behind a hand as she stood from the messy bed and got dressed in fresh clothes for the day. Excitement fluttered around in her empty stomach, mingling with the hunger settling there. She'd get to see Riddick again...he was downstairs, and she could see him now.

With a nervous demeanor and a spring to her step, she hurried down the stairs to find him again. Oh how long had it been that she'd dreamt of this day, the day she would be back in the presence of her immortal, her love. But as she headed towards the kitchen, her smile began to falter at the angry tones she heard there. The not so holy man, arguing with her beloved Riddick? What was he thinking! It was bad enough she knew now that it had been Imam to keep Riddick and her separated, what was he aiming at now?

"Nothing has changed in these five years, Riddick! You're still a murderer, and I still refuse to let you ruin her innocence. Jack is not going with you, not then and certainly not now! She has a good life, you want to just ruin that?" he hissed through clenched teeth, rage in his usually kind eyes.

"Look here, Imam." Riddick curled the name up in his mouth and made it sound like a curse word, "I'm really not here for a fight...if you want me to kill you, then so be it. But I'd rather walk out of this mess free, huh? Jack's a big girl now Imam. She can choose these things for herself, so why don't we just ask her? The Pandora has plenty of room for her and I both." he crossed his arms over his broad chest as he left him sink in his words.

It didn't take long, because half a second after Riddick had spoken, the man was spitting venomously, "No! She shall not choose, she is not yet a legal adult, and I am still her legal guardian. I make her choices, not you, not her!"

"Exactly, because you know she wants to go with me!" Riddick growled, his hands forming into fists. He was seriously getting on his nerves now. "You can't keep her under your thumb old man!"

"Maybe not, but I'll do whatever it takes to keep her out of your clutches." he swore. "I'll still involve mercs, don't you dare think I won't."

Riddick rolled his eyes behind his goggles, "Fine. I'll be back next year, then you can't stop her."

Jack's eyes were wide in the hallway as she listened in. Imam was going to make Riddick leave her again? No! She refused to be away from him a second longer! Jack needed Riddick, he was her oxygen and she had been suffocating without him. Now she could breathe again, and she was breathing like she'd never breathed before. He completed her, he made her whole. If he left this time...

She shook her head and slipped back up the stairs quietly, packing a duffle bag as quickly as she could and throwing handfuls of clothes into it, going to the bathroom to grab her bag of personal hygiene products. Tossing that in with her clothes, she dug her credit card out of her desk drawer. Almost a million credits on this bad boy. She'd had money since she was a kid, something she'd stolen from her father before she'd run off. He'd been a stingy bastard, living in filth and buying only booze and food, so he'd had stowed away a pretty good amount on his card. After having Shazza open her own account for her, she'd transferred his funds onto her own card. Jack was proud of her card, proud that she could save every credit she had.

Not like she ever went out with friends, or bought pretty clothes to wear to school. Jack didn't worry herself with wearing make up or perfume. She had he essentials, Imam made sure of that, and she was happy enough with that. She didn't want to go out with other kids....they'd find out she was a freak. They'd leave her too.

Besides, she had an ulterior motive for the stash on her credit card, and it wasn't too surprising that the motive was a trip to find Riddick. It had been sort of stupid of her, thinking she could actually find the man who never wanted to be found. As a kid though, she had felt it well worth the effort. She dropped the card into the zipper part of her duffle bag, closing it up and listening downstairs again.

"Leave Now, Mr. Riddick, or I swear you will regret it!" he threatened, "To Jack, you'll be just another dream, do you understand."

Riddick grabbed him by his collar, "When I come back next year, old man, I'm gonna shiv you..." he muttered, dropping him and heading out the door angrily. How dare someone stand in the way of him and his wants. Especially someone like Imam, who did he think he was, threatening him? Richard Riddick of all people! He had a sack, that was for sure.

Jack was already gone out her bedroom window, and running for the docks, trying not to think about the weight of the duffle bag. Riddick...she was gonna be with him, she was gonna leave with him! She'd never have to look up at the stars, and wish on every one of them for his return....because he was back now. He wouldn't leave her now.

The Docks were bustling with business, and Jack went unnoticed as she walked down a row of ships, finally finding it. She touched her fingertips to the name painted on the side, a smile on her face, "Pandora..." What sort of things would she open, by hacking this door. Enough fantasizing, Jack. Her thought was a firm reminder of the press on time she had. Slipping a keycard into the card slot, she flipped open a metal handheld that was attatched to the card with copper wiring. She turned it on, and let it read off the pass code to her, punching in each number as it was stated.

Easy as that, the door to his ship opened and she smiled brilliantly, tucking her toy away and heading inside, looking around curiously. Riddick's new ship...it was nice. She breifly wondered who the poor sap had been before Riddick run into him and ship jacked him. A smirk settled on her face at the thought and she closed the door, setting her duffle bag to the side and hiding herself. Man he was gonna be so surprised.

There it was again, the fluttering in her stomach. The nervous twist that made her realize how much of an effect Riddick had on her body and her emotions. She wondered if he knew how much she felt for him, or if he was just guessing it to be childish obsession once more. She dreaded both outcomes, since she didn't exactly want him to know because that would have just been embarassing. Jack also didn't want him thinking she was immature still, she needed him to see her as an adult now. A woman, and not a child. Definitely not the Jack he had met on that planet.

God he was gonna have fun drivin' that blade into the holy man's fuckin' neck. Riddick bristled inwardly as he thought about the man keeping him from hat he wanted. He wanted Jack, and he wanted her now. But a year was no problem, small change in exchange for what he would be getting. She'd developed into a woman now, no Jack anymore. She had full breasts and long legs...Mmm Mmm he would enjoy getting a feel of those. It was then he began to wonder if it was for the best that she wasn't coming with him, what if he did something stupid like rape her?

Of course the way she had been eyeing him last night, he wasn't too sure it would be rape. But the point still stood, Riddick wasn't always such a coherent being. There was an animal inside of him that propelled him a lot of times, before he could even think. That's what kept him alive so long, the animal instinct inside of him. The animal didn't like being caged, and enough slams should have guessed that much by now. He listened to the heavy sound of his thick rubber soles on the metallic dock, keeping an eye on people around him out of habit. He was gonna crush her again...she was different this time though, he wasn't sure exactly how Jacky girl would handle this one. His lips curled as he thought of her murdering Imam herself, driving a blade into his chest and bathing in his blood.

The image was enough to stir arousal within him, and it wasn't until he paused on the thought of her killing himself that he sobered up. Gods he hated to admit it, but even he had a soft side. A weak side lying dormant beneath the beast's claws. He liked Jack, he liked her a lot. Too much maybe, but that wouldn't stop him from having her. If she killed herself over this....Imam's god would feel the pain Riddick would instill on him. Oh yes, no one fucked with his Jack. Heh, his jack...he really liked the sound of that.

Jack gasped as she heard the door opening, pressing herself into the shadows so he wouldn't notice her first off. Though it was no use, in her haste she forgot one obvious detail.

As the fascinating and yet terrifying Richard B. Riddick walked into his stolen ship, his nose caught onto the female scent, and his eyes found her in the darkness. "Are you honestly trying to hide from me in the dark? God you have so much to learn."

((AUTHOR'S NOTE : Yes, another revised Chapter. I am thinking I have found a way to extend this out, and change up the ending. Or I could do it in a sequel. Maybe you can review and let me know what you'd prefer?))