Title: I Try
Author: Kari Summary: Riddick and Jacqui, six months post-PB.
Rating: Adult General
Spoilers: Post-movie, vague spoilers
Word Count: 1287
Notes: Written for aliaspiral, prompt 20 Menthol Kools.

Jack -- Jacqui, she was Jacqui now -- rubbed her hands together. She was strapped into the copilot's seat, but she didn't harbor any illusions that Riddick would ever let her near the controls. She snuck a glance at the man next to her, licking her lips unconsciously. Riddick's hands rested lightly on the yoke, his body relaxed in the way a predator's was: calm, but ready to spring at any moment.

She looked away, her eyes straying to the stars just past the safety glass. "Where are we going?"

Riddick didn't move or acknowledge her in any way, and at first, Jacqui thought he hadn't heard her. She opened her mouth to ask again when he interrupted. "Cammarre. It's a moon off the government radar, and more importantly, off the mercs' radar. We'll head to back to New Mecca when shit cools down." He fell silent, not offering anything else.

Jacqui sighed and leaned her head back against the seat. She closed her eyes and started to drift off. Even before she was truly asleep, when she floated between waking and dreaming, she heard them. The feral screeches and the sounds of tearing flesh and breaking bone jolted her from sleep with a gasp. She jerked out of her seat, the straps holding her close, panicking even more against the confining safety belts. She scratched at them, trying to free herself. Long red scratches appeared on her skin from her nails.

Suddenly, strong hands gripped hers, keeping her from hurting herself further. "Jack. JACK!" Her eyes snapped open, locking on Riddick's silvered ones. Confident that she wouldn't do anything more damage while he was there, Riddick knelt and unbuckled her harness. Jacqui spilled out of her seat, clutching at the man like a lifeline. He awkwardly held her until her breathing slowed to normal. "You, uh, you okay," he asked as he pulled away.

Jacqui nodded shakily, holding her arms close to her body. She watched as Riddick backed into his seat, eyes forward to avoid looking at her. After a moment, she lifted herself back into her own chair, pulling her knees to her chest in a very childish gesture.

"You still seeing them?"

She nodded again. "But really just hearing them. I didn't really see them much."

Riddick nodded, looking over at her again. "They were pretty damn ugly."

Jacqui managed a laugh. "I guess." She felt her heartbeat slowing, and sleep tugging at her eyelids again. "Tell me a story, Riddick."

"I'm not your fuckin' babysitter, Jack."

She sighed. "I know that. I just…if you don't want to keep waking me up when I start freaking out, just fucking talk to me." Her words had more of an edge to them than she intended, but it did what she wanted. Riddick glared at her then started to talk.

"I was in and out of Slam since I was 18. Before that, I was in and out of juvie, which isn't much better." She looked over at him, noticing that his hands were tight around the controls. He was tense. "When I killed ten people in three months, they tossed me into Slam for life. Lucky me, the planet I did it on didn't have the death penalty," he said, laughing bitterly. "I was down there two days when the motherfuckers tried to break me. I gutted the first couple, and they didn't want to mess with me much after that. At least not until I got back from the year in solitary. The Hole makes Slam look like a fucking church picnic."

Jacqui bit her lip. She wasn't sure this was better than her nightmares, but her morbid curiosity for all things Riddick kept her silent.

"Got out, though. Came out with a chip on my shoulder and a reputation. I should'a been grateful. All I was was pissed. The guards thought solitary would make me crazy. They didn't realize I already was." His knuckles were nearly white around the yoke. Jacqui's chin trembled, and she had to look away. "Most of the other inmates kept their distance. Guess Richard B. Riddick scared the hell outta even them. Sometimes a tough guy or one of the newbies tried to show how bad they were, but they learned damn quick. Only way to get me was to sneak up on me in the dark."

She closed her eyes, knowing what was coming.

"So I said fuck that. There was a man down there, used to be a doctor, a surgeon. Apparently he got drunk and went crazy, killed his wife and her boyfriend and got locked up for life. Not sure who he pissed off to not get a cake-walk minimum security place." Jacqui turned to see Riddick close his eyes and rub his temple. "Guy'd do stitches, set bones, that sort of thing so the guards didn't look too close at the ones who fought. Kept him mostly safe, him being a little guy and all. Was one of the only ones who didn't end up joining a gang inside."

"Did you?"

Riddick snorted. "Didn't have to. They were for guys who couldn't protect themselves. Anyway, you gonna let me talk or go back to sleep?"

"Talk, Riddick."

He looked sideways at her, a small grin on his face. "So pushy, kid." He turned back to the window, and she could see that his hands relaxed a little. "This guy was scared of me, but I finally got to talk to him one day. Asked him what he knew about seeing in the dark. Doc was scared as hell to give me the shine job; if the guards found out he was doing 'em, they'd take away his doctor kit. But I promised him protection for a month and a pack of cigs--"

"20 menthol Kools."

Riddick turned and glared. "You tellin' this story or me?"

Jacqui raised an eyebrow, not really intimidated by his growls anymore. More than just her haircut had changed in the last six months. "You."

"Then let me fucking tell it." He paused for a minute. "Do you remember everything I tell you?"

Jacqui shrugged. "Yeah, pretty much."

"You're a weird kid."

She snorted. "Coming from you, weird has a whole new ring to it."

The corner of his mouth twitched, but Riddick didn't smile. "Yeah, 20 menthol Kools. Wasn't worth much in terms of trade, but the protection more than made up for it. He gets me in his cell; was used to bribing the guards for this shit. I wouldn't let him put me under--don't know that it would have done any good anyway." He stared straight ahead, as though an errant star was going to jump into their path this far out in the black. "Hurt like a bitch even though he numbed it, and I was blind for three days. Being blind in Slam isn't safe; I went to the infirmary, told them it was a fight. They didn't believe me, but what the fuck were they going to do?"

Jacqui looked down at her lap. "How long before you escaped?"

"Thirty two days. Protected the doc, like I said, and then got the fuck out of that hole."

His story finished, Riddick fell silent. Jacqui leaned her head back against the seat and closed her eyes again. She slid away from consciousness, muttering.

"What'd you say, kid?"

A few seconds later, she answered, repeating her question in that same, dream-like voice. "Do you always keep your word?"

Riddick didn't answer, just glanced over, watching her fall into sleep. When she didn't jerk awake, he let out a soft sigh and turned back to the window. "I try, Jack. I'm gonna try."