He Didn't Come

Jack whispered a soft good-night to Anthony and said, “Lights off.” They had commandeered a giant bunkroom, and Anthony had the bed nearest hers. He mumbled a sleepy, ‘G’night, An’ Jackie...” before dropping off. She smiled. He was so cute when he was asleep. She knew that he missed Riddick, though. Before the reality of the situation had hit them both, Riddick had played with Anthony a lot. In the past week he had practically lived in the lower level. She hardly ever saw him, except when he needed to grab something quick to eat or when she offered him some water, like she had earlier. Consequently, Anthony was getting lonely for his friend.

She checked on Nat, who was sleeping soundly in his little crib, before she moved out to stand in the hall. Riddick was in the head at the moment, but he should be coming out shortly. She had a few things to say to him… but she wasn’t sure how to say them.

She had accepted the fact that she was in love with him. She didn’t understand it, not by a long shot, but she knew it with an inner certainty that was only paralleled with the certainty that he would keep her safe. She had to know if he felt the same way. He had changed toward her. He was acting very strange lately, and she intended to figure out why. There was that whole thing with him calling her ‘baby,’ and he was even more protective of her than before. Not letting her out of the ship had really pissed her off at first, but when she realized just how time-consuming watching the kids would be, she was able to accept it, even though that wasn’t his reason for keeping her shut in. She wouldn’t be able to take them with her, certainly, and she couldn’t very well leave a four-year-old boy and an infant who was just starting to sit up on his own by themselves. The bodies would probably be starting to stink, anyway.

Riddick had wanted her inside the ship to protect her. She didn’t know what he was supposed to be protecting her from, but it didn’t really matter. He cared about her. She knew that much, and she could humor him with some things.

Riddick appeared by her side, as though by magic. He was as feral as ever. There was always going to be that side of him. The good thing was that she had no doubt that that side would take care of her, too.
“Hey, Jack.”

“Hi,” she said with a small smile. “Let’s sit down.” The bunkroom they had moved into was very close to one of the rest areas they had first encountered on the ship, and Jack took his hand as she led him to one of the worn-out couches.

Riddick said clearly, “Lights to ten percent.” The lights obliged immediately, and he slipped off his goggles. “There,” he said. “Now I can see you.”

Jack smiled again. “Good,” she said softly. “I always want you to see me.”

“I always will,” he returned.

Jack closed her eyes. She sure as hell hoped that what she felt was love, because if she was wrong… well, she didn’t want to think about that.

Before she could say another word, Riddick asked, “Jack, do you remember what we were doing on my ship before the ‘rats attacked us?”

Jack swallowed. “Yes.”

“Do you remember liking it?”

Jack closed her eyes. “Yes,” she said again.

She felt a hand, smooth through its rough textures, against her cheek. There was gentle pressure, and she allowed Riddick to pull her head close to his. His warm lips met hers. She let out a gentle sigh, but kept her mouth closed. His lips were soft and moist. She loved his lips. She loved the way this made her feel. There was merely the barest of contact, but suddenly all of her senses were blazing.

Her mouth slid open slightly, and Riddick met her, motion for motion. This time she was the one to offer her tongue, and the edges of her mouth turned up in a slight smile through the kiss when Riddick accepted. The kiss was brief. It lasted only a few seconds, but those few seconds felt like they would be forever imprinted in her mind.

“Jack,” Riddick whispered, pulling his head back slightly and moving down her jaw line.

“Yes, Riddick?”

“I have something to tell you,” he said in a soft voice, nuzzling her neck gently.

“Tell me.” Jack craned her neck back, trying to give him more access without quite realizing it. Only half of her brain was functioning. The other half was an electric puddle of things she had never felt before, had no words for.

“Jack….”

“What is it, Riddick?” When he was silent, she said, “It’s okay. I have something—ahh—that I need to tell you, too.” As she spoke, Riddick was licking and sucking on the skin of her neck. It was hard to think coherently. All fear seemed to have been wiped from her mind. She should have been afraid. She should have been terrified. She wasn’t, though. All she could focus on was how Riddick was making her feel.

“Jack… I….”

“Yes? Riddick—oh, God—just say it. Please.” Slight apprehension… a hint of panic—no! She wouldn’t let it ruin this. Not this time. She had to fucking control her fear. Enough was enough. It was way past time to get over this irrationality… though Riddick was certainly making it easy on her….

“Jack… I… love you.”

She pulled herself away from his ministrations and looked at him carefully. Ten percent wasn’t a lot of light by far, and she could barely see his expression. “You… you’re serious?” Jack asked.

Riddick nodded. The only way she could tell was by watching the motion of his alien eyes. “Yes. Don’t know how. Don’t know why. Don’t know what it means. But Jack… I need you. I love you. You fit me.”

Jack’s eyes closed again. She was in a pleasant state of shock, but that shock seemed to have numbed her vocal chords and frozen her lips. She couldn’t speak.

“Jack, I know this seems… weird. I’m sorry for that. But damn it, I had to tell you.”

Jack nodded gently. It all made sense now. Those terms of endearment. Accepting the responsibility of the boys. She understood.

All of a sudden, she realized that she still hadn’t said a word. She couldn’t just leave the man she loved hanging, could she? “I love you, Richard B.,” she said firmly. “I do.”

~*~

Just as she said that she loved him, Nathaniel began to cry. Riddick groaned. No fucking way!

Jack stood slowly. She said, sounding regretful, “Sorry. I have to check on him.”

Riddick nodded, and was about to let her go, when he placed a hand on hers, restraining her. “I’ll go,” he said. “Got to learn how to do this daddy shit sometime.”

Daddy. What the fuck had happened to him? From convicted felon and murderer, he went to a man in love… and volunteering to take care of a fucking baby. “Jack… this is what you do to me,” he muttered. Seeing her frown, he assured her, “It’s a good thing.”

She nodded doubtfully, and he smiled. She can’t see you, idiot. He gave her another soft kiss on the lips.

She clenched at his hand as he rose. “So what does this mean? For us?”

Riddick thought for a moment. He didn’t want to seem too indecisive, but neither did he want to appear arrogant. “It means that we love each other. We’ll be living together for a while, Jack. What do you want it to mean?”

She took her time with her answer. All the while, Nathaniel’s wailing kept going on and on. He pressed her hand. “I’ll be right back, okay? Hold that thought.”

When he got into the bunkroom, Anthony was kneeling by Nat’s tiny crib. “He won’t stop crying,” the boy said, sounding half asleep himself.

“Don’t worry about it. Go back to bed,” Riddick said. He looked at the squalling infant speculatively. Nat was pushing himself up on tiny fists, and looked, frankly, pissed off. “Okay, so how did Libbie do this?” he muttered.

“Support his head,” Anthony mumbled. “He can sit up, but Momma said to support his head anyway.”

Riddick awkwardly scooped his hands underneath the baby and lifted him. Nat was so small. So very small. So helpless. Riddick the killer appreciated the infant’s vulnerability. He was nearly awed by it. It was so easy to snuff out life. But… even Riddick the killer wanted to protect this particular life. It was important to Jack, and Riddick the killer had marked Jack as his own. He loved her as much as Riddick the man, but in a different way. While Riddick the man loved her, Riddick the killer wanted to protect and possess her. She was his. Consequently, everything she held dear was his, as well.

“Riddick?” Jack’s voice floated out to him from the hallway. “Is he okay?”

“Yeah, Jack,” Riddick answered, his voice even more gravelly than usual. “Nat’s fine. Now… he’s quieted down. How do I put him back to bed?”

She laughed, sounding tired. “I had to play that one by ear before I had it figured it out. Put him on his belly and pat his bottom.”

“Huh?” Pat the kid’s bottom? What the hell?

“Yeah. It creates a rhythm that kids need. I heard about it in Chap.” Jack yawned, and Riddick frowned. She looked suddenly exhausted. There went his romantically carnal plans for the evening.

“Let’s just go to bed, okay?” she asked.

Did she want to keep sleeping in separate beds, or was she ready to sleep next to him? She had done it when she was a girl, but that was completely non-sexual. Their recent admissions kind of killed the whole platonic thing that had been going on back then.

Riddick settled the child down in his crib again. He barely tapped Nat’s bottom. He didn’t know how hard to go, and while he had a perfectly accurate idea of his own strength, he had no idea how an infant would take it.

“It’s okay to go harder. Just pat his bottom, Riddick. Firmly, but not too hard.” Jack moved over to him. “Here, I’ll show you.”

She moved his hand and demonstrated. When Riddick was ready to try again, however, Nat had gone back to sleep. Riddick sighed. Finally. He was afraid he would break the kid if he tried again.

“Now. Where were we?” he asked, drawing her up with him as he stood.

“Riddick. I’m tired,” Jack said, sounding reluctant.

“I am too. So… where are you going to sleep?” The question hung in the air, turning speculatively.

Jack yawned. “I know what you’re thinking. There’s not enough room, babe.”

Babe? Yes! Riddick—both man and killer—growled possessively. “I know. There will be on our ship, though.” Riddick looked over toward Anthony. Good. He was still asleep. “I was hoping… there are only two bedrooms on our ship, you know. I thought the boys could have your room.”

“And where would I be sleeping, Riddick?” Her voice was coy and seductive. He wondered if she realized it.

Riddick grinned. “In my room.” He would take no for an answer if Jack balked, but not easily. Not at all.