I forgot to write the disclaimer in the first paragraph... I do not own anything Pitch Black/Riddick and obviously no profit is being made by this :)
Chapter two
"Am I allowed to go to the bathroom or is that against your hostage-policy?"
A smirk tugging the corners of his lips, he answered: "Leave the door open."
Lisa put the can on the counter rather loudly and made a mock-curtsy.
Riddick watched as she disappeared into the bathroom and got her purse. He found only an jPhone 20045 which he slipped into his pocket.
He looked around the tiny apartment and deciding that there wasn't anything she could use to cause trouble, sank on the sofa and begun tending to his arm.
Lisa splashed some water on her face and exited the bathroom. She returned to her previous spot in the kitchen and watched as Riddick wrapped up his arm in bandages. The gush looked quite deep… maybe she could use it to her advantage. She wasn't overly optimistic though, he`d probably be a hundred times stronger even when he was blind, deaf and disabled.
As Riddick finished wrapping up his arm, he noticed a photograph lying under a book on the coffee table. It was a picture of her, sitting on the ground in front of a pink rosebush, she looked tanned and relaxed, barefoot, wearing shorts and a simple t-shirt that had mud- stains on it. Behind her was a huge brick house, an ancient villa of a sort.
"Where`s this?"
Lisa almost choked on her beer and blurted before she could stop herself:
"Nowhere."
Riddick cocked his head at her.
"That`s an interesting name."
"It`s a friend`s house."
"You always keep framed pictures of your friends` houses?" asked Riddick nodding at the photograph on the wall opposite him.
Lisa stormed over to him and snapped the photo from his hands.
"It`s none of your business."
"I think it is."
"Well think again." She picked up the book from the table and hid the photo between its pages.
Riddick reached out his hand, gesturing her to give the book to him. Lisa hesitated for a moment before reluctantly handing him the book.
He flipped it open and looked at the photograph again. Turning it over he read out loud: "June 17th, Tsavo". He raised his brows in question.
Lisa shook her head.
"No. No, I wont."
"Oh you will."
She shut her eyes and ran her hands through her jet hair.
"No, No, I will not. You know, you kidnapped me, made me take you into my home... I will not take you there." She was nearing the brink of hysteria, the thought of going to Tsavo with him… the idea of being with him alone in the woods, without a single soul nearby… she couldn't, she wouldn't… it`d be suicide.
Riddick set the book on the table and walked over to her. Looking down into her green eyes filled with fear and defiance, he said in a low tone:
"You don't have a choice. Where is it?"
Lisa looked up into his impenetrable face and tried to calculate whether she could make it out through the door. The chances were slim… at its best.
"At the foot of Ngong hill... north."
He took out her phone and typed in the location. "Bus leaves in 40 minutes. Go pack your shit."
Reluctantly she had to admit that right now there was nothing she could do. She`d have to wait for a better moment to get out.
It took her about 10 minutes to pack her things.
Riddick watched as she emerged from the bedroom, a deep scowl he had become accustomed to covering her face. She was wearing a pair of grey snow pants and a black woollen high-necked sweater.
He watched as she struggled with the big backpack, carrying it in her arms. Taking the last sip from the black coffee he had made himself in the meanwhile, he put the cup down and picked up the book laying on the coffee table. "The Biological Roots of Altruism", smirking, he opened the book from where the photo was.
Lisa let her heavy backpack slip from her fingers to the floor and for a moment wished she could do the same. She was going to take IT (she refused to call it him) to her home, to her hiding place, to her sanctuary… most of her friends hadn`t been there. Her home, in the middle of nowhere … nothing but trees and the Ngon hill hovering over it… no one. Completely, utterly alone with IT there. Well, then again, he hasn`t hurt you so far… maybe he wont. Clinging on to that idea for dear life, she forced the panicking thoughts out of her mind and tried to calm herself. The one who worries beforehand, suffers twice. With that thought, she replaced her fear with resentment once again.
She took in the big figure who had invited himself into her life, taking up most of what she had previously considered a big couch, her couch, reading her book as if nothing was wrong, as if he belonged here.
"I take it by the holes you`ve burned into my head that you`re done?"
She didn't answer.
He rose, grabbed her backpack and tossed the book inside. Lisa put on her black snow coat and soon they were out the building in the empty streets, walking towards the bus station.
It took them about 20 minutes to get there. Riddick hid his face under the black hood of his jacket and had one of his arms wrapped around her middle. She struggled to match his long strides.
The bus station was empty, as was to be expected on a Thursday night. Riddick was relieved to not spot a single security guard. He wasn't overly worried about cameras, the hood was hiding his face pretty well. Everything was good so far, he didn't want things to fuck up now. He was no fool, he knew he was walking on thin ice. It was a fucking miracle nobody had recognized him so far. And that the doc had proved to have more brains he had hoped for. For once in his life it seemed like fate wasn't fucking him over. For now.
His newfound luck didn't leave him when they got to the bus - it was half-empty. They entered the bus from the back-door and he guided Lisa to the seats near the exit. Throwing her bag into the overhead compartment, he pulled out what seemed like a wallet and used the ticket machine installed into the elbow-rest to get their tickets. Sitting down next to her, he relaxed his muscles. Just a little bit more now.
"How far`s Tsavo?"
"About 1500 kilometres."
"So, that's about 30 minutes?"
Lisa nodded her head.
"Your house at Ngong, how far`s that from Tsavo?"
"About 12 kilometres."
Riddick snorted
"You ever thought about getting your own vehicle?"
His masked eyes were met with fiery green.
"So I could transport escaped convicts around?"
Again he grinned that impossibly huge, broad, white grin with one corner of his mouth tugging a bit higher than the other, making her dream about scratching her long nails over his face and …
Suddenly his face was very close to hers. Their noses almost touching, his eyes glued to her lips… up that close, she could see that much through his glasses. And then he moved his head. He moved his head to the left a little, the motion so slow it was barely visible. His cheek next to hers now, his nose almost touching her ear…her breathing stopped as she froze.
"No. So you shouldn't hike 12 kilometres in –25`c."
Turning a little in her seat so she could put some space between them, she said in a steady voice.
"Usually I don't have to hike. Usually I don't go there at 10pm. Usually I take the bus straight to Ngong… at noon."
Riddick turned back to his previous position, giving her her space back.
Smiling, he said:
"Fair enough."
Lisa stared at him for a moment and then turned her gaze away, out of the window. How she hated this.
Soon they were at Tsavo. Cold, crisp winter's night air hit her, much, much colder than she had expected. She had been at Tsavo during winter countless times but it never ceased to surprise her when she first came into contact with the bone-slicing cold. She followed Riddick off the bus into the cold dark night. As the bus drove away, they made their way across the road and started walking north to Ngong. Despite the darkness she could still make out the outline of the great hill of Ngong, looming in the distance.
They walked in silence, passing the dark houses of the small village. The white glow of sparkling snow made it easier for Lisa to grasp her surroundings, easing the darkness and her anxiety a little.
Shortly they were out of the village, surrounded by nothing but the wide snow-covered fields, the starry sky and the soft noise of the snow crunching under their feet. Lisa pulled the hood of her coat over her head and picked up her pace in an attempt to get some warmth. Riddick let her lead the way, walking a few steps behind her, allowing her some personal space.
Soon her face was hurting and she could tell by the feel of it that her hair had frozen around her face, probably looking all white. Her hands were terribly cold and it hurt a little to breath. She knew that soon her body would get used to the cold and tried to comfort herself with the idea. Turning her head to look back, she let out of a startled gasp. Behind her were a pair of silver eyes, glowing in the darkness. She couldn't help but to notice how similar the glow in his eyes was to the sparkling glow of the white snow around them. She had seen shined eyes before, hell she had redone a few but was still taken aback by the sight. Turning her head, she looked ahead again and resumed her pace.
It seemed as if they had been walking forever when suddenly Riddick`s hand reached out, grabbing her by the elbow and stopping her dead on her tracks.
"Wha…"
"Dog."
Lisa stared at the darkness before her, eyes trying to penetrate the black curtain. Finally she could vaguely make out the dark form of what appeared to be a big dog, a few feet away from her. A rumbling low growl was escaped into the silent night.
Lisa backed away instinctively, pumping into Riddick`s solid chest. She let out a startled yelp.
"He doesn't sound happy."
Riddick moved slowly in front of her and took hold of her hand.
"Stay behind me."
She gripped his hand and together they passed the growling dog. Lisa felt the adrenaline shot through her body, for the 10th time this day. The dog kept growling as they walked away, Riddick holding a slow but sure pace. It didn't follow them.
She didn't like him protecting her, she didn't want to see glimpses of humanity from him. She wanted him to turn back into the growling, dangerous, shiv-holding psychopathic killer. Things were complicated enough.
Finally they approached her house. A big silhouette of the house that had once in the distant past been a grand hunting mansion stood before them against the dark shadow of the Ngong hill. They made their way through the alley of bare oaks that led to the house. As they approached the door, Lisa reached inside her jacket pocket for keys.
"Who`s here?"
"Huh?"
"The road`s clear, someone`s been here."
Lisa glanced around her, acknowledging the fact for the first time.
"Um, I let a forester take care of this place when I`m not here."
Riddick sized her up and finally nodded.
"You better be right Doc."
Lisa rolled her eyes and walked up the large staircase leading to the front door. She pushed the heavy mahogany door open with a creak.
They entered a very spacious, very cold foyer.
"Lights 100%".
"Lights 30%" came a groan behind her.
Shooting him an annoyed look, she brushed the snow off her and disappeared through the big door on the right.
Riddick looked around him, taking in the high ceiling covered in ornaments, the golden chandelier, the old parquet floor. The walls were painted sky blue and white. Absurd…
The air was cold and damp. It wasn't below zero, somebody had warmed the place at some point but by no means did it feel comfortable. The house seemed old and antique but was carefully restored. Probably built by the first settlers. It mimicked the style of the ancient Earth settlers. In the middle of the big room stood a white imposing staircase that lead to the second floor. There were a total of five doors in the foyer. Riddick slipped the backpack off his shoulders and left it lying on the floor. Picking the first door to the right, he decided to follow Doc. He walked through the ridiculously large rooms, each coloured a different colour. The first room`s walls were covered with dark green wallpaper that had a golden pattern printed on it. The furniture was a few, a green antique sofa and a small round coffee table. The east wall was buried under bookshelves. A thick red carpet covered the floor. The next room appeared to be a study, walls covered with rich, dark red wallpaper, a big desk sitting under the window, a leather chair five sizes too big for her behind it. There was a leather sofa in the corner, the same dark red colour that her chair. He walked through the study and entered a dining room, the "blue" room. It was coloured dark blue and had a huge dining table with 12 chairs behind it. Shaking his head, he continued until he reached the kitchen. There she is.
The room looked surprisingly cosy compared to the rest of the house. There was a big stove in the corner, dried wildflowers and herbs hanging next to it. The floor was covered with a few stripped rugs that looked like they were handmade. The furniture looked as old as elsewhere but it was simpler. The overall feeling of the room was relaxed and inviting. He could tell right away that this was her territory, her fun-room. It had a well-used and loved feeling to it.
He watched as she took of her coat and scarf. Suddenly he found himself resisting the urge to grab her small waist and kiss those red, slightly pouted lips. It had been a long time since he had been with a woman. A real woman. Not some paid whore, but a real, independent, willing woman…not that she`d be willing, yet. Grinning, he watched as she walked over to the sink and got herself a glass of water.
Putting the glass down on the table, she turned those amazing eyes at him and snapped:
"What?"
He crossed the floor with soundless steps, reminding her of some graceful feline. He walked until he was far in her personal space, completely ignoring her discomfort, almost touching her. She refused to back away from him, instead holding her ground and staring up into his face with green, clouded eyes. How she hated these power games. Who the hell did he think he was, that bastard! She felt fury rising in her, growing momentum with every passing second. Remembering in the last minute who she was dealing with, she clenched her fists and did her best to keep her tongue behind her teeth.
Suddenly his smirk turned into a full grin. That cad was amused. She wanted murder and blood and cries for mercy. She wanted to wipe that snug grin off his face, claw her fingers across his dark skin. How dare he treat her like some personal entertainment…
"Aren`t you going to show me around?"
"You can show yourself… around!" Lisa said through gritted teeth.
A low chuckle escaped his chest.
"Now, that wouldn't be half as fun."
Suppressing a groan, Lisa stormed past him back to the foyer. Pulling the hood of her coat over her head, she grabbed the handle of the big mahogany door and pushed. And pushed. The door didn't give away one inch. Groaning with frustration, she kicked the door. Suddenly a large arm appeared in front of her face and gave a strong push against the reluctant door, opening it. She could feel him pressed against her back, seizing her body with panic and rage.
"You seem to have a thing with doors Doc."
"Oh just shut up, just SHUT UP."
Riddick took a step back and rose his arms in mock defeat, grinning. She was beyond amusing.
Spinning around on her heels, she shot him a piercing look and pointed her finger at him.
"You, you might have kidnapped me, but this is still MY house and you are still a guest, a fucking unwanted guest! So I suggest you to stop this male dominance shit and do your best to act civil… I know, an incomprehensible term for your ape mind to grasp but please, use your imagination and just TRY! And for crying out loud, stop stalking me!" Some little part of her screamed at her for letting those words slip over her lips, he was succeeding at the light of speed in making her forget all her training, all her maturity, turning her into a raging, screaming ball of hysterics… but she didn't care. She was royally pissed at him for putting her in this situation and for purposely stepping over the unspoken boundaries, for making her feel uncomfortable and having fun at her expense. What a dickhead!
The foyer was filled with his booming laughter, echoing off the huge empty walls.
"Don`t get your panties in a bunch over lil` ole me Doc."
Her eyes roamed over the room frantically, searching for something to throw at him, trying to find a way to wipe that arrogant smile off his face. Suddenly her gaze rested on the expensive piece of china, a white porcelain vase standing next to her on the little round table. Light blue angels drawn on it, flying around merrily. Before she could register what she was doing, she grabbed the vase and threw it with all her might at his direction. She saw him duck and the vase flew past him, barely missing his bald head, scattering onto the floor behind him, shattering into a million pieces.
She turned around and bolted out the door, into the cold dark night. Running down the stairs as fast as she could, she picked up her pace and started running in the direction they had come from before. She barely ran a few feet when he caught up with her. His hard body crushed into her, throwing her off balance. Lisa landed into the cold snow face first, his heavy body pinning her. The slicing cold wetness of the snow shocking her, she let out a bone-slicing scream into the night.
"GET THE FUCK OFF ME!"
She tried to turn around, kicking and screaming, bucking her body with all her might.
Riddick leaned into her a little more, letting his bodyweight paralyze her.
"GET THE FUCK OFF!"
Bucking a few times, she let another shrill scream into the night around them.
Riddick bent his head down until his lips were next to her left ear and said in a low voice:
"Shouldn`t have done that."
Lisa`s body froze momentarily. Her mind panicking, she thought if she had gone too far and if he would…would…kill her…
At the thought, her body found new strength and she started bucking again. Grunting, she moved her hips, desperately trying to shove him off of her.
Riddick grabbed her hands and put them over her head, holding them still in his. He moved, shifting his body so that he was straddling her. Careful not to put all his weight on her, he bent his head down next to her ear again:
"That was a reall-"
His sentence was cut off as Lisa turned her head suddenly to the side and screamed with all her might in his direction.
Raising up, Riddick swore.
"Motherfuck…"
"You dick! Let me go NOW! Get the fuck-"
Letting out a threateningly low growl, Riddick rose a little and flipped her around impatiently. He was taken aback by the sight he saw before him. Her emerald eyes alight, cheeks flushed, the raven, wet hair clinging to her beautiful face.
Words of threat and violence died on his lips.
Groaning, he rose up to his feet swiftly and yanked her up. Raising her by her armpits, he threw her over his shoulder as if she weighed nothing and made his way towards the house. Lisa resumed her kicking, pounding her fists against his back and kicking her feet into his chest.
"Put me down this instant! Rddick, do you hear me?! PUT ME DOWN! Stop….PUT ME DOWN! Riddick!"
He remained unmoved by her words. With a steady pace he carried the screaming and kicking Lisa up the stairs and back into the house. Pulling the door closed behind him, he locked it. Slipping the key into his pants pocket, he walked into the "green" room and dumped her unceremoniously on the sofa.
Turning to her, he said calmly:
"Don`t ever pull that shit again."
Lisa refused to meet his eyes.
"That looked like a fucking expensive piece of china."
The fire in her flicked again at his words. He didn't even consider her act a threat. He finds you amusing… she felt so powerless she actually wanted to stomp her foot.
"Shame it didn't serve its purpose." She gritted in a tight voice.
Riddick let out a small laugh and crouched before her.
"Look at me."
She rose her head swiftly and before he could stop her, slapped his face as hard as she could.
"YOU PSYCHO, WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE! WHAT RIGHT DO YOU THINK YOU HAVE TO-"
Riddick seized her wrists and pushed her down on the sofa so fast her head span.
"SHUT UP!" he roared.
"YOU THINK JUST BECAUSE YOU ARE BIGGER YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO-"
"Doc."
"YOU LOW BASTARD, SCUM- "
"Dickhead, I know."
At his reply, Lisa stopped her verbal lashing and stared at him, mouth agape.
Riddick took advantage of her momentary silence and bent down. A surprised yelp escaped her as his warm full lips landed on hers.
His touch was confident, vigorous. His mouth was demanding. She tried to fight him with everything she had in her, denying him access into the depths of her mouth. But he was persistent. Eventually she gave up, too weak to resist him, his skilled, bold mouth.
Before she could reflect on what was happening, she was kissing him back, her small tongue making its way into his mouth, exploring, probing. At her ministrations, he deepened the kiss. His movements sped up, intensifying. She could feel one of his hands leaving her wrists and moving down to her neck, tracing a line down her sensitive skin. Lisa felt warmth surge through her body, relaxing her. Her head started spinning, he kept on going, probing, exploring, caressing her in a possessive manner she had never been kissed before. Tearing her mouth away, she gasped.
"Wait… "
Riddick let go of her lips reluctantly. Lisa looked up into his heavy eyes, her mind slowly registering what was happening.
As if reading her thoughts, Riddick put a finger to her lips. Her lips. Her full, red lips that were a bit swollen from his kiss.
"No.", Lisa started to shake her head slowly.
"Shhh."
At his hypnotizing voice her head stopped. Her green eyes glued to his, wide.
Riddick bent down until his cheek brushed hers and lingered for a moment. Taking a deep breath, he inhaled her scent. Lisa shuddered. She watched him in wonder, unable to come up with a single coherent thought. He was captivating, his presence so incredibly powerful and overwhelming.
"Beautiful." His whisper sent another shudder through her treacherous body.
And then, just as suddenly as it had begun, it was over. Riddick released her wrists and got off of her.
Sitting up abruptly, she pushed the hood off her head and stared at her snow-covered boots, avoiding his gaze.
Riddick stretched his arm out, offering her his hand. Lisa raised her gaze slowly and was taken aback at the cold mask covering the face that had been lost in passion just a few minutes ago. Swallowing, she took his hand and stood.
"How do we get some heat into this place?" His low bass vibrated right through her, giving her Goosebumps. God, you must be developing a Stockholm Syndrome…
"Firewood…"
Riddick pinned her with a hard gaze.
"You`re kidding right?"
"No."
"God, woman. You`re supposed to live on one of the most advanced planets and you use public transportation and fucking WOOD to heat this monstrous place!"
"Less is more…"
"How the fuck is carrying piles of firewood less than punching a number into your heating system?"
"You`re not afraid of a little work are you?" Lisa wanted to slap herself. You are so not flirting with a PSYCHO MURDERER! Stop it!
Riddick grinned.
"You challenging me?"
Once they had gotten enough logs from the shed, Lisa instructed Riddick where to put them.
"How many stoves you`ve got here?"
"Too many. But we wont heat them all tonight. Just the one in the kitchen, in the foyer, in the study, in my bedroom and in your room."
Riddick waited before he replied. He didn't like telling her what he was about to tell, knowing the effect it`d have. But there was no choice. His body needed a decent sleep, it`d been too fucking long since the last time he'd rested. He`d need her close to him so he could rest, make sure she didn't get any funny ideas in the middle of the night about running to neighbor's….
"You`ll sleep next to me."
"Excuse me? The hell I am!"
Suppressing a smile, he said:
"Don`t worry Doc, I just want you where I can see what you're up to."
"What? I`m not up to anything. You can stay in your goddamn room!"
"This aint open for discussion Doc." He lowered his voice so she`d understand he meant what he said.
Riddick grabbed a matchbox from the kitchen table and started a fire in the kitchen stove. After an hour, the fire was cracking in all the stoves.
He decided to spend the little time left before re-stocking the stoves on looking around the house. It was much bigger than he had initially thought. A total of three floors, plus an attic. The living rooms on the main floor, the 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms on the second, a sauna and storage rooms in the basement.
He finished his tour around the house and got back into his starting point, the kitchen.
Lisa span around as she heard him entering. Hiding her frustration and fear, she took her jacket and placed it on a chair behind the table.
"You got some food here?"
"I wasn`t expecting guests."
Riddick dismissed her guip and rummaged through the cupboards, looking for something to eat. Well, Doc hadn't been lying, there really wasn't anything except for coffee and sugar. Fuck.
Lisa would have been satisfied if it weren't for her own growling stomach. She hadn't had anything since lunch… and lunch had been an apple and café latte.
"Some of those weeds of yours on that wall tea-material?"
Richard B. Riddick, convicted murderer, escaped convict wants tea… how lovely.
"Too bad I didn't pick daphne mezereum."
He walked over to where the herbs were and grabbed a handful of lime blossoms.
"Yeah, well, I`ve never been into puking my guts out. Boil the water."
Hiding her surprise at his extended knowledge of botany, she put the kettle on the fire and fetched a teapot.
They drank tea in silence and once finished, Riddick put their cups into the sink and got himself a glass of water.
"Time to rest Doc."
Lisa thought of running away, thought of putting up a fight… but deep down she knew it was fruitless. He hadn't hurt her so far… maybe he wouldn't start now.
Avoiding his gaze, she made her way to the bedroom on the second floor, Riddick on her heels. She grabbed the longest, ugliest t-shirt from the packback Riddick had brought upstairs and went to the bathroom to change.
By the time she got out of the bathroom, Riddick was already in bed, his clothes in a heap on the floor at the foot of the bed. Lisa carefully folded her clothes and put them on an armchair under the window, trying to avoid the inevitable. Riddick was laying peacefully on his back, an arm under his head, eyes closed. She could see his wide shoulders peeking from under the blankets, still covered with a shirt. Willing her muscles to relax, she pulled back the covers and climbed into the bed. Staying as close to the edge as possible, she pulled the covers over her and lay down. She`d have liked to roll onto her side, she liked sleeping on her right side but the idea of turning her back to him didn't seem wise.
"Lights off." His low bass vibrated through her.
Lisa swallowed and waited, dreading what would follow. But nothing happened. The room was quiet and dark around her. The only sounds the faint noise of fire cracking in the 200 year old fireplace and his steady, deep breathing. Eventually she lost her battle with sleep and fell into the blissful oblivion.