I had zoned out, probably from the pain in my head, and when I zoned back in Johns was in the room with us. He was talking to Riddick, who had taken his foot back, and I looked up at them. Johns was trying to strike a deal with Riddick, and at this point it seemed a bit suspicious. But of course like any deal with Riddick there was going to be a gun involved. At first Johns shot the chains holding Riddick, holding out his goggles, then Riddick snatched the gun from Johns and held it to his throat. Johns didn't seem phased at all, and when Riddick tossed the gun aside he stormed over to me. He easily snapped the thin cables around my hands and feet, and when I tried to pull my shoulders forward I gasped in pain. My head started throbbing worse and I had to squeeze my eyes shut.
"Come on. To your feet," Riddick said quietly, hauling me to my feet, which made me stumble and I tried to steady myself.
I reached up to my head, to add pressure and hopefully stop the throbbing, but I felt something wet and sticky and when I pulled my hand back to look at it I froze. There was blood all over my hand, and I looked to Riddick who was not happy.
"That's a lot of blood," I mumbled, swaying on my feet.
Riddick instantly scooped me into his arms and carried me out of the wreckage. He seemed a bit suprised at my groggy and dazed behavior and when Fry came rushing over to see what was going on she gasped.
"Shazza! Get some cloth! She's bleeding really bad!" Fry shouted, pulling a bottle of liquor out of Paris' hands and opening it.
She poured some of the liquor on my head, and to be honest I didn't even feel it. Riddick laid me down on the ground and held my head up, while Shazza quickly wrapped my head. At one point everything started to get blurry and I felt one of my hands reaching for Riddick, and when he held it I felt safe. And then my world went black.
RIDDICK'S POV
I stood guard over Alex. No one got within five feet of her without my say so. Johns and Fry had guilty faces, as well as the lady that had kicked Alex in the first place. Alex was lying in the shade, sleeping soundly with some pain killers and a fresh bandage wrapped around her forehead. She had stayed awake longer than any normal human could have, and I couldn't help but feel a bit a pride that she toughed it out as long as she could. The damage wasn't too bad now that she was resting, but she would be weak for a while. Head injuries are nothing to toy around with. She would need constant supervision should a blackout occur. And I wasn't going to let any one of these idiots near her. Except Imam. He was wise enough to give directions in treating her wounds, and for that he had my thanks.
I glanced over my shoulder at her sleeping form, angry that she had to suffer like this. But also suprised that I was getting so attatched to her. Never before had anyone gotten into this chest of mine, but seeing her struggling for life made it ache. She hadn't complained, had been brave, and would have faced it even if I had caused it. She had stayed true to me, even until the end. She was unnatural, and worth more than any one of the lives saved from the crash.
Suddenly I heard her shift behind me and when I turned to see what had changed I was shocked that she was sitting up and looking around with a confused expression.
ALEX'S POV
I was someplace new. With a bandage around my head, and Riddick standing just a few feet from me, as if he was acting as a guard. Which was odd. But I wouldn't question it. I stretched my legs, and Riddick turned to look over his shoulder at me and when he did he seemed very surprised that I was awake and looking around.
"Hi. How long was I out?" I asked, looking up at him with a small smile.
"A few hours. How's the head?" he asked, coming to kneel on one knee next to me.
"Hurts like a bitch. But better than before. What are we doing way over here?" I asked, looking around.
"I don't like you so close to those idiots," he growled, seating himself next to me so that he could lounge on one arm.
"I see. Who did the patch job?" I asked, picking at my bandage.
"Shazza, with the help of Imam," he answered, reaching up and readjusting it so that it fit a bit better.
"Huh. Wasn't Shazza the one who kicked me?" I asked, frowning a bit.
"Yeah. Bitch move if you ask me," he chuckled, just staring up at me.
"Uh, yeah. I would have just restrained someone in my position, but the kick wasn't necessary," I grumbled, rubbing at my eyes.
"Yeah," Riddick laughed, giving me a big smile.
"So, anything interesting happen while I was down?" I asked, letting out a sigh.
"They plan to take a power cell back to the scientist settlement they found before the whole Zeeke thing. And they want me to drag a sled of supplies behind them. Care to join us?" he said, laying back on the ground.
"Sure. I can still walk," I said, smiling a bit brighter at him.
I slowly got to my hands and knees, then pushed myself to my feet. It was no surprise that Riddick was right there when I nearly fell over from a wave of dizziness, but I pushed myself off him and regained my feet.
"That feels good. So, which way?" I said, looking to Riddick.
He pointed to the group and I started for them. But Riddick grabbed my shoulder and pulled me to a stop.
"Before you get over there, I want you to stay close. Don't know what kind of damage could still be in that head of yours. You say anything if you start to get a weird feeling," he growled, his muscles tensing as he spoke.
"Riddick. I'll be fine. I got you looking out for me. And if I start feeling wierd I'll grab onto your pants so you can just drag me along as you go," I said, giving him a bright smile.
He laughed and gave my butt a mild swat, making me giggle and start for the group. The trek to the settlement was a long one, and we had just begun half an hour ago. I was already tired, and trailing behind Riddick who was at the back of the pack. And he was pulling a sled of supplies. Which made me growl out of frustration. I had never been this weak before and it was starting to piss me off. Riddick must have heard my growl and stopped ahead of me, turning to watch me trudge up to him.
"You gunna drop?" he asked, frowning at me.
"No. I'm gunna break something if my legs keep feeling like wet noodles," I grumbled, making him chuckle.
"Wanna ride?" he asked, gesturing to the sled.
"I'd rather ride on your back. But I can walk," I joked, giving him a brave smile.
I heard him shift something as I trudged ahead of him, not thinking much of it. So when he suddenly pulled me to a stop and then dove between my legs to make me squeal in surprise, in turn making the rest of the group pause to look at what was going on, I couldn't help but blush bright red. He jostled me into place, making my legs hook around his hips, and I wrapped my arms around his shoulders so that I wouldn't choke him. Everyone gaped at us and I buried my face in his shoulder.
"What are you doing?" I asked in a hushed whisper.
"You said you'd rather I carry you on my back. So that is what I am doing," he chuckled, starting back up in his trek.
"I meant it as a joke you big oaf!" I hissed, and I could feel him grinning even though I couldn't see it.
"Jokes aside, you'd just ruin the sled," he said over his shoulder.
"Are you calling me fat?" I asked, gaping at him in shock.
"Not fat, just heavy," he chuckled, ducking my swat to the back of his head, and laughing the whole time.
"You ass! I knew it was too good to be true! Put me down!" I nearly screeched, wriggling on his back.
"Hold still! I don't want to drop you!" he growled back, giving me a mock glare.
"Put me down this instant! You called me fat! I don't want to speak to you!" I snapped, wriggling even harder.
Johns jogged over, giving the two of us a glare and I gave one right back to him.
"What the hell is going on?" Johns asked, clearly not happy with the situation.
"He called me fat!" I said before Riddick could respond.
"I did not!" he snapped at me, adjusting my weight on his back.
"Yes you did! I heard you! Just cause you used different words doesn't mean it meant different. Heavy and fat are similar, and you used them in one sentence!" I growled, pouting and looking away from Riddick who was shaking with laughter at this point.
"Alright. So I called you fat, what are you gunna do about it?" Riddick asked, trudging past a shocked and dumbfounded Johns.
"I'm gunna make your life miserable," I growled in his ear, shifting my hips against his ass and he froze in place.
"You wouldn't dare," he growled, looking at me over his shoulder.
"I would, Riddick. Don't tempt me," I purred, reaching down with one hand to tweak one of his nipples through his shirt.
"Hey. Stop that. Those aren't yours," he snapped, tightening his hold on my legs.
"No? Then how about this?" I asked, rubbing the back of my foot against his groin, not hard, just enough to casuse a bit of friction.
"Alex. Stop. I don't want to hurt you," he growled, releasing my legs so that I would get off his back.
"See. That was all you had to do," I grumbled, pushing past him.
The rest of the trip went by in awkward silence, with Riddick and I in the back. Once at the settlement Johns kept a close eye on the two of us, and I made sure to keep busy. I welded pieces of metal to the wings for a patch job, and Riddick just wandered around until Johns gave him something to do. At one point Riddick had wandered off, and I hadn't noticed his lack of presence, and got down off the skiff for a break. I wandered over to a really dark container for some shade and I plopped down onto the ground and let out a heavy sigh.
"Payback time," Riddick's heated growl echoed through the container an instant before I felt him drag me further into the darkness and close the container.
I could see a bit from a broken window, and when Riddick's metallic eyes practically glowed in the darkness I shivered. He was straddling my legs and had my hands pinned up above my head. I bit my bottom lip, watching as his eyes locked on my mouth.
"You gunna get started or what?" I asked, bucking my hips upward so that they hit his ass.
"You're playing with fire, Alex. And this time, you're gunna get burned," Riddick growled an instant before he bent and claimed my mouth with his.
His kiss wasn't gentle or slow, his kiss was hot and demanding. His tongue licked, teeth nibbled, and hips began to grind against my own. I whined into his mouth, squirming beneath him. He let up to give me some air and I panted as he slowly made his way down my throat. He would have gotten to my breasts, but someone opened up the container and interrupted our moment alone.
"Riddick, now is not the time to play with your whore. Get moving and check out the rest of the containers. And Alex, there is still some welding to do," Johns snapped before he stormed out.
I let out a groan and just laid there underneath Riddick. He let out a growl and looked over his shoulder, evey muscle in his body going tense. I slowly slid my hands up his arms, coaxing a purr out of him as he turned to face me again. He bent and bit my throat, not like a little nibble, no it was an open mouthed fitting my whole throat between his teeth kind of bite. It was exhilarating. I gasped beneath him, arching into his big body, and his teeth tightened on my throat.
"Riddick," I whined, my fingers digging into his shoulders.
"Mine," he growled after he let my throat go, metallic eyes locked on my lavender ones.
I could only watch in awe as he came to his feet in turn pulling me to mine, and when I swayed a bit from the rush of blood his hands came to my gave me one last open mouthed kiss on my throat, perhaps a parting gift, and then swatted my ass to get me moving. I only got to take three steps out of the container when one of Imam's kids came running over, shouting something in his language. Then Imam came over and was all smiles. Which meant a good thing.
"We have water. Come, the both of you!" Imam said, gently taking my hands and pulling me along after him.
Riddick suddenly appeared in front of me, effectively making my hands slide out of Imam's and the growl that escaped Riddick's chest made my womb tremble.
"Riddick, lets go get some water. I'm so thirsty," I said quietly, placing a hand on his forearm.
He gave a slight nod and pulled me along after him to where Paris was motioning us with a couple big containers of water. Riddick made me wait until everyone else was in the room before he let us in, probably to make sure that no one was going to surprise us by coming in last. Once inside Riddick leaned against a door jab, and then let me go get us some water. I brought him a glass and waited until he drank some before taking a gulp for myself. I groaned softly as the water slid down my throat and leaned back against the wall next to Riddick. He downed his glass and set the cup aside, then looked to me. I looked up at him, my cheeks pushed outward by all the water I had in my mouth, making me look like a squirrel with a hoard of nuts. He shook his head with a little smirk on his lips and listened to Johns and Fry start talking. I wasn't interested in the conversation. Asking questions about the previous settlers. I already knew. I could read the signs of death, having seen more than my fair share of it. The people before us never left, they died here from the things that had gotten Zeeke. I shifted on my feet when Johns scolded Jack for cussing, after Riddick made a quick comment. And when he made another statement I shifted my weight again. Riddick looked to me and I swallowed the water in my mouth, grimacing as I lifted a leg to try and stop some of the cramping.
"Where is Ali? Has anyone seen the little one?" Imam asked, suddenly frantic with worry.
"Has anyone checked the coring room?" Riddick asked, as if it wasn't a matter of life and death.
I faintly heard a scream and Riddick placed a hand on my shoulder when I straightened off of the wall. He shook his head when I looked up at him and I settled back against the wall. We watched as everyone scrambled to go outside and find the missing boy. Riddick gently led me out of the container by a hand at the small of my back and I reached behind me to hook a finger in his belt loop. We stayed a few feet behind the group and once they had the doors open to the coring room I froze. I knew Riddick could smell the fresh blood, and when it reached my nose I tensed. A fresh kill. He left me as he entered the coring room with Johns and Imam, searching the darkness. I waited for Riddick to give me the all clear, and when I entered the coring room I was tense. Darkness had never been a friend of mine, and though I wanted it to be it always held darker things in its hiding places. Riddick came back to me after he had found Imam and the chewed up corpse of his son, and I watched as John's and Imam carried the carcass out of the settlement. I wasn't phased by this death at all, since it wasn't my first, and Riddick took notice.
"Not the first time you've seen a dead body, is it?" he asked quietly, slowly walking around the place with me trailing behind him.
"No," I answered simply, not wanting to elaborate on the subject.
"Also not the first time one has been that banged up," Riddick stated, goggled gaze never leaving my face.
"No," I replied, turning to peek down a long mining shaft.
"Just what have you seen to make you so calm about this shit?" he growled, as if he was asking himself.
"I'll tell you if we ever get off this rock," I said, frowning down at the pit.
I could see bones at the bottom. I tapped Riddick's arm when he started to walk away and then pointed down into the hole when he looked back at me. When Johns came back in he came to a stop beside us.
"What do you see, Riddick?" Johns asked, holding onto some chains and leaned a bit over the edge.
"Bones. Lots of bones," was all Riddick said as he turned away from the pit.
As Johns lit a flare and dropped it inside the pit I left the coring room, hoping to get back to work. I left Riddick in the coring room, climbing back up onto the skiff's roof to take a look at the harder parts of welding. I was up there for the better part of two hours before Riddick showed back up, appearing right behind me, with a shiv. I glanced over my shoulder at him and shut off the blow torch.
"What you got planned now?" I asked, turning to face him.
"I'm gunna go mess with some people. You stay here and keep working. Gunna need those wings to get us out of here," he said, sliding the shiv into his boot and looking over at me.
"Alright. Don't cause too much trouble. I need you alive," I said, shrugging it off and going back to my work.
"And why do you need me alive?" Riddick asked, pushing his big body up against mine and bitting on my shoulder.
"So I can fuck you. I thought it was obvious," I said, giving him a mischievous grin.
He just stared at me like I had grown a second head. I let my grin fade and quickly turned away from him, not wanting to hear his rejection.
"That is dangerous talk, Alex. You don't want to tempt me. Cause when I get my hands on you, there's no holding back now," he purred, practically pushing me onto my stomach with his chest and then grinding his rock hard erection into my ass.
"Never said I didn't like it rough," I purred back, pushing my ass against his groin.
He growled at me and suddenly pulled away, sliding off the skiff roof and disappearing inside the ship. I could hear Fry working, doing a hull safety check since the door closed, and then I could hear Riddick talking. So he was messing with Fry. I was curious if he was going to act like he did around me, or act differently. I could tell he was just as interested in Fry as he was in me, and it was unsettling to know that I had competition for survival. If Riddick lost his interest in me he would just let me die by the things that killed Zeeke, or finish me off himself. Which I wouldn't really mind. He'd be quick and that was all I could ask for. I was interrupted from my thoughts when the door to the skiff opened back up and Riddick came back out.
"Hey! Toss me that flat plate!" I hollered at him before he could disappear on me again.
He gave me a grin and picked up the large flat piece of steel and strolled over to where I was leaning over the wing. Just as he lifted the piece up and as I was reaching for it Jack hollered, making me flinch and loose my balance. I let out a yelp as I crashed into Riddick, who caught me and we hit the ground hard. We both gasped for air since my elbow hit him square int eh chest on the way down and I hit chest first.
"Jack!" I roared once I had my breath back.
"What?" Jack asked, coming around the side of the skiff and just staring at us.
"What the hell were you doing?! I was up top and you yelled which made me fall off!" I practically growled, rubbing my chest as I came to my feet.
Jack looked guilty and I coughed for a few moments before I had everything under control. Riddick gave the kid a disappointed expression and jack went off grumbling further into the settlement. I looked at Riddick and wiped off some of the dirt from where I had hit him and he just grinned.
"You sure got bony elbows," he grumbled, readjusting his goggles.
"Oh yeah? Mister slick shit killer, you could have moved," I grumbled back, dusting off my pants.
"But then you'd have hit the ground," he stated, sounding pleased with himself.
"Oh yeah? Wouldn't have been the first time," I laughed, picking up the piece of metal that I had asked for and headed back over to the skiff.
"Just where do you think you're going?" Riddick growled, wrapping an arm around my waist and pulling me back to him.
"You said to get the wings done," I said, looking at him in confusion.
"I did. But you were done with those for a while, right?" he asked, arching a brow quizzically.
"True, but it gives me something to do," I grumbled, flipping the metal end over end in my hands.
"Not right now though," he growled, grabbing onto my upper arm and pulling me towards a dark container.