False Dawn

Riddick sat in Jack's bedroom for hours, reading until he was seeing double. He didn't move until he'd read everything. What Jack had told him, regardless of its simplicity, was all there was really. There were more details to be found. Pictures of Jack huge with her pregnancy even made him smile sadly to see, wishing he could have been there for her when she was looking so adorably round. But the past crimes didn't seem as important as the ones taking place now. Knowing that his son was a part of this made him ill, and seriously fucking mad.

Jack had only glanced at him when he had emerged from her room. He almost growled at her. What had she wanted to see? Him crawling to her, begging her for forgiveness? That idea almost made him laugh. Yeah, he'd never come to a point before where he could use a simple hug more than right now, but he wasn't so desperate that he'd beg for it. He loved this crazy little bitch of a woman, or at least he had. He understood her pain, even her hatred, but in the end he was only fucking human. If she'd put him on a pedestal that he'd failed to stay on, it wasn't his fault.

If by leaving her when she'd told him to made him guilty of all this, then fine. He felt pretty fuckin responsible, hated that he hadn't been there when she had needed him most. But that wasn't going to make him grovel to her. So she could keep her little bitchy attitude and he'd keep his.

The sleeping arrangements were a point of . . . interest. After the first night Jack made it perfectly clear that he was not welcome anywhere near her. He'd always thought their reunion would put them back where they left off, but she was not of the same mind obviously. They each had their own room, and then there was a third bedroom that was for an infant.

It had pulled at his heart to walk into the cheery little room and see the things she'd bought for their son. Mobiles and toys, colorful pictures in frames, and little rockets on the sheets all made him see what Jack had been wishing for, and missing.

For her own sake, and his, he wished he could just simply hold her. That they were both hurting so badly made it seem stupid that they weren't going to each other. He thought of taking her by force again, knowing the respite would be worthwhile to them both, but he couldn't do it. Half because he knew she needed to hang onto the anger driving her, and half because he was afraid that once he had hold of her he wouldn't let go.

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They reached the satellite field of Mars in six days. Carefully the ship was brought in to make the connection with the Ohanzee. Jack heaved a sigh when the connection was made and the two ships were orbiting as one. Deep space maneuvers made her nervous as hell. At least if she fucked up on a landing there would still be air to breath.

"Opening passage," Trow said over the intercom, which the two ships now shared.

Jack stood up and moved toward the portal, opening her side and smiling across at Trow.

"Hey, woman," he said, smiling as always, as he met her half way. That he held his arms out to her was unusual, but after the turmoil of watching Riddick pace the ship for days, it looked like a fuckin refuge.

She wrapped her arms around him too, their first official hug, but, Gods, it felt good.

"No more sending you out like this," he murmured into her hair, "I felt like a housewife sitting here waiting for you."

Jack chuckled, and squeezed him tightly before pulling back, constantly aware of a heavy silver gaze upon her back. "Who better to foot the bill than Chem themselves?"

He rolled his eyes, then Jack watched his gaze go past her, and she had no doubt what he was looking at. They were still standing with their hands on each other, so she easily felt him tense. "The legend lives," his voice nearly sounding awed.

Jack stepped back and looked at Riddick as the two men faced each other. The irony was not lost on her that this little pissing contest was over her, when at the moment she didn't want either of them. "Riddick, this is Septimus Trow, he hired me after I got out of the hospital."

Riddick paused for a moment, and she couldn't see his eyes behind his goggles but felt him looking at her. Then he shocked her by holding out his hand. Trow instantly took it, their muscles visibly flexing as they gripped each other's hand, but they were smiling. Hell, they were damn near grinning. Jack just rolled her eyes and turned, walking into Trow's ship, catching just the beginning of the conversation behind her.

"Septimus?" Riddick asked, one brow arching.

Trow grinned in his normal fashion, "Don't ask." Then, "I didn't actually believe Jack when she said she knew you," Trow said. "Hell, even with the pics of the kid I was still wondering."

Riddick chuckled, "Think it's every girl's dream to know the great Riddick?"

Trow grinned, "Don't know, but it was mine. I feel like I'm meeting a celebrity."

They began walking into Trow's ship. "Thanks for helping Jack out when she needed it," Riddick said, feeling slightly uncomfortable.

Trow just chuckled, "You know Jack. I accidentally startled her and was on the floor with a knife at my throat before I knew it. Thought I was dying for sure," he finished still grinning.

Riddick snorted, "Naw, her bark is worse than her bite."

Rubbing his neck at the memory, Trow shrugged, "Wasn't gonna test it just then."

"Probably for the best," Riddick agreed. "Where's the money going?"

Trow looked up suddenly at the change of subject and they both stopped, their heights nearly equal, as they looked at each other. Trow shook his head a bit, "She hasn't told you shit, has she?"

Riddick's head tilted, "She's . . . how shall I say, irritable."

Trow rolled his eyes and snorted, "Yeah, that's putting it mildly. She's been a real bitch for months." He frowned for a moment and then smiled, "Not that she was real fuckin' sweet before that."

Riddick grinned at this, liking that Jack had given this man a hard time. "So you tell me."

Trow nodded and they started to walk again, "Yeah, I will, but I'm gonna chew her out for not telling you. Walkin' in blind can't be much fun for a guy . . ." he raised a brow, "in your profession."

"I don't have a profession, and no matter how much of a bitch she is, I trust Jack."

Trow just looked at him for a moment, obviously understanding that Riddick didn't say that about just anyone. Then they continued walking, Trow leading the way.

When Riddick had first seen how easily Jack had thrown herself at this man he'd been livid. The green-eyed monster, or whatever. But Trow was an upfront guy. He was easily siding with him against Jack's treatment, and seemed to know a thing or two about Jack, which made Riddick want to smile. Seems that as Jack had been giving this man a hard time, Trow had been handling it and giving it back. He wasn't stupid enough to think that Trow didn't want Jack. Hell, he'd seen it! But Jack hadn't given any signs of this man being anything more than just a trusted friend, which was a hell of an achievement, since they couldn't have known each other for any more than a year.

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Jack looked up as Riddick and Trow walked into the room where she leaned over the chair at the computer before her. She was only able to get so close to Chip because it was apparent that he'd taken up showering as a recent hobby, though he still had the timing to work on.

Trow and Riddick were still chatting about mundane things like they'd been friends forever. She rolled her eyes at men being . . . men, and looked back down at the monitor.

Chip had brought up the floor plan of the facility that they would have to enter to get the baby, and they had been looking at the best route through. The two men came around to look at the displayed floor plan and Jack had to take a step back to keep from making contact with either.

"That's all good, but how do you plan to get in?" Riddick asked, looking up from the monitor.

Trow gave her a dirty look, which she ignored. "Trow has a friend that works at Chem Industries. She's just on the maintenance staff, but it's enough. We'll be able to use her pass to get through the atmosphere checkpoint, and then even into Chem's headquarters. She has been getting keys made and setting disabling programs in some of the easier key locks."

"So we're just walking in?" he asked, sounding a bit surprised.

"The best plan is usually the simplest. We know where the Gen 3 project is based, and should be able to get into the computers from the nearest link," she continued, her eyes on Riddick as he stared back at her.

"Gen 3?" his deadpan was in place, but she could hear the edge to his voice.

Her voice matched his, "As far as I know, that's his fuckin' name!"

"Jack," Trow said in warning, and her narrowed eyes turned on him.

While Jack basically had a stare down with Trow, Riddick dropped his hand on Chip's skinny shoulder, making the little man jump. "Good to see you, Chip. We wreck your place when we left?"

Chip smiled up nervously, "It's all good, man. Jack's been helpin' me out."

Riddick's head lifted to look at Jack, but she didn't respond. She didn't give a shit what he thought. She had needed Chip more than anything, more than Riddick even. Chip was making this happen.

"So that's it?" Riddick asked. "We walk in and grab the boy and walk out?"

Chip was the authority on what would take place. They would have comm. links on them so that he would be able to basically walk them through. He knew the path, the key codes, and the computer systems. So when he started talking, they listened. "Not quite. Firepower is going to be the most important. Jack's got an arsenal of silenced weapons to take with her, the less notice you get at first the better your chances. I should be able to disable some of the security from outside, but it's still gonna be a shooting gallery.

"The kid's on the sixth floor. You get in and get him, and then come down to the second floor to get into the systems."

"Why do we need into the systems?" Riddick asked.

Chip glanced up at Jack, making Riddick look at her as well, before he continued, "We have several programs created to shut down Chem Industries, hopefully for good. They have to be put into the computers inside the building, ones with access to their mainframe." He glanced up at Jack again for a moment. "There are three disks, each with a set of programs that have to run in order. Any computers will work, but the central desk on the second level will be your target. There are more than enough computers at that station."

"You're going to fry their system?" he asked with a touch a humor.

Chip shrugged a bit, "Sort of."

Riddick didn't ask any more questions and they were all silent for a bit. Jack stood up and took a deep breath. "Well, lets get dressed."

"We're leaving now?" Riddick asked, his surprise showing.

"Tonight, but I want to make sure everything is ready. Let's go through a bit of a dress rehearsal. I want to make sure I can carry everything. Chip, the disks ready?" she asked.

He nodded and patted a small locked box on his desk. "Waitin' on you."

She nodded and walked through the door. The sound of rapid steps behind her in the hall brought her to a halt and she turned. Riddick stopped before her and she saw Trow standing in the door she'd just left.

"I don't want you to go in there, Jack."

She smiled, "I didn't ask you, Riddick. And if you hadn't jumped ship with me back on Hezeweld I would have been going in alone, so I really don't care what you want."

Riddick frowned, "I thought Trow was going in too."

"We have to leave a pilot on board. Chip can't fly."

"Then you stay," he growled.

She chuckled, "Naw, Riddick, I think I want to go get shot with you again." She turned and walked away, moving through the ship to the room holding her special weapons.

As she pulled on the bulletproof vest she'd wear and strapped on the rest of her equipment she thought of going into the complex with Riddick. Trow had been right, they needed him, so that she wasn't going in alone. But she would have preferred going in by herself. She'd given her life for Riddick before, or had tried. Would she do it again? The answer worried her. She was terrified to think that she might say no.

**I've taken a bit of a break from this site while it was down. Glad to see we're back up and running. Love reading some good fics.