Apprentice

Ardath Rekha


 


20. Jack: Checkout Time

Jack woke slowly, happily, feeling Riddick against her back and his arms around her waist. His chin was resting on the top of her head. By his breathing she could tell that he was still deeply asleep.

For four wonderful nights he'd shared her bed with her. It had been completely chaste, of course, but just having him so close to her was worth so much. The amazing thing was that she was starting to want much more than just this.

For the first time in years, she found her responding to stimuli in a sexual way, and realizing how completely vacant her life had been of such reactions. She'd finally asked Dr. Cartwright about it last night, while Riddick was out of the room for a few minutes. He made a point of absenting himself from those exams where she had to take off her clothes. She was kind of sorry about that.

Dr. Cartwright's response had been deeply enlightening. "That's very normal, Rebecca. A lot of women who have hysterectomies become sexually desensitized. It's not at all uncommon." Then she'd dropped the bombshell. "The regen procedure usually reverses the effect, of course. You and Colin should have some very lovely nights ahead, I think."

She'd blushed bright red at that, and hadn't been able to think about anything else since. Damn Riddick and his "ship rules..." She would love to take another shower with him, with this new awareness in her, but he would have none of it. He kept being the perfect gentleman...

Where the hell had he learned how to be that, anyway?

She snuggled back against him, imagining that they were naked, rather than fully-clothed at his insistence. Today was her last day at the clinic, which meant that it was the last day they'd be sharing a bed. Damn, if only she could get him to notice the way she felt about him now... if only she could get him to respond...

If only she could think of something -- anything -- else.

She was trying to resign herself to it. Riddick clearly still saw her as his little kid sister. It would probably never occur to him that she was a woman now with a woman's needs, unfortunately. She was stuck with his initial image of her, the dumb kid who'd shaved her head to imitate him. Now that she'd rediscovered another side of herself, she wanted to share it with him so much, but he was so fucking impervious.

She'd had to argue with him every night just to get him into the bed. He kept trying to come up with a good excuse for sleeping in the chair instead.

"Don't be an idiot, Riddick," she'd said. "You're always going on about verisimilitude. Get a grip. If one of the doctors walks in they're going to wonder why you're not in bed with your freakin' wife."

He never got the grip she really hoped for, of course. Damn it!

She kept daring herself to ask, to issue an invitation, but she always chickened out. The worst thing he could say was no, right? Wrong. He could say no and then start keeping her at an even greater distance. At least now she had a part of him, however small. If she lost what she had she didn't know what she'd do.

His breathing changed subtly and she knew that he had just wakened. "Good morning," she whispered.

"Hey kid," he replied as always, and moved away from her. Why did he always have to stop holding her right away when he woke up? Couldn't he wait a minute? Couldn't he?

He rose, stretching, and she couldn't help but admire the play of his muscles beneath the fabric of his shirt. Shit, that was her fault... she was the one who'd insisted that if she had to wear an undershirt to bed, he did too.

I am a total moron sometimes.

"You showering first or after?" he asked, as always.

"After, I think. You go ahead." She frowned up at him. "I think you need to shave."

"That's fake hair, Jack." He grinned.

"Yeah, and it's not sitting on your head right. I think you have too much stubble underneath it."

Riddick frowned slightly and rubbed at his scalp. They both started laughing when the hair swayed back and forth slightly. "Damn, kid, you're right. I'd better fix that, even if I won't be wearing it again after today."

"Don't want people getting any funny last impressions, do we?" she joked.

"Definitely not. 'Specially given what I'm doing tonight." Riddick headed for his pack and the portable disguise kit he'd brought with him. Behind him, Jack was silent.

Tonight Riddick was going to kill a man. She'd been trying not to think about it, especially since she knew without being told that the man was going to die very slowly. He'd already told her not to bother arguing against it; she didn't think she could come up with a good argument anyway, given what the man in question had done to her.

But it still disturbed her. As much as she would like to pretend otherwise, Riddick still had his old taste for blood.

She loved him anyway, of course. She watched him wistfully as he gathered his disguise kit and a fresh set of clothes and headed for the bathroom. He closed the door behind him, of course. Fucking "ship rules."

She sat on the bed, listening to the sounds of his morning ablutions and imagining how he looked as he did them. He was almost done dressing when someone knocked on their door.

She wasn't sure what she was expecting, but the young nurse with excited dancing eyes on the other side of the door wasn't it.

"Mrs. Tarsin! I'm so happy! We found your ring!"

She backed away from the door, nonplussed, and the nurse practically danced into the room.

"You what?"

"We found your ring! It must have fallen off of your bedside table and gotten swept up by the cleaning lady. It was in one of the vacuum bags." Pure delight was on the young nurse's face as she held out her hand. A ring glittered on her palm.

Jack took it after a moment. White gold. Three stones, a large ruby with diamonds sparkling on either side. Round, of course. It looked like an antique. As God was her witness, Jack couldn't think of anything to say.

Riddick rescued her.

"Thank you, Miss. We really appreciate it. You guys must've looked really hard to find it." He was standing in the doorway of the bathroom, smiling at the nurse with apparent gratitude.

"Yes, thank you," Jack managed through numb lips.

"Oh, it was nothing. We all knew how much it meant to you, and we couldn't let you go away without it..." Still smiling in delight, the nurse left and closed the door behind her.

"What the?" Jack finally managed to say.

A strangled sound came from behind her. Turning around, she beheld one of the most amazing, unlikely sights she'd ever seen in her life: the supposedly-unflappable Richard B. Riddick had completely lost it. He was lying on the bed, convulsed with silent laughter.

She glanced down at the ring in her hand. "Did what I think happened really happen?" she asked. That only made him laugh harder.

She stared down at the ring again. "I don't believe it." She began to get the urge to giggle herself. "They went out and bought a replacement for my stolen imaginary ring..."

Still unable to speak, Riddick nodded and thumped the bed with his fist. Jack had seen him laugh before, but never this hard. He couldn't seem to catch his breath.

She went and sat down beside him. His laughter was silent, another rarity. Usually if he bothered laughing at all it boomed out of him.

He must really not want them to hear his reaction, she thought.

"Do you think it's real?" she giggled.

"No," he managed after a moment. "It's obviously a hallucination, Jack." She swatted him on the arm and he began to laugh silently again.

"I mean, do you think it's real gold and real jewels? Shit, if it is, they had to have paid a fortune..." The full absurdity of the situation finally hit her and she fell onto the bed beside Riddick, covering her mouth with her hand to muffle her own laughter.

They kept setting each other off, too. They'd get themselves under control and then their eyes would meet and the laughter would bubble out again.

Finally Riddick managed to sit up. "Hey, does it fit? Because if it doesn't, this'll be even funnier..."

Still giggling, Jack tried the ring on. "Jeez. It's a perfect fit. How'd they figure out that one?"

"Dunno. Guess it really is yours, then." His eyes were still dancing with suppressed laughter.

"How much of our fee did they have to eat to do this, do you think?"

He chuckled. "I think you just got your scar removal done for free, kid. Assuming it's real, that is."

"Holy shit." They laughed together for another moment.

"You'd better get your shower in, Jack. It's almost time for our last breakfast here and then we check out." He gently propelled her toward the bathroom. "C'mon, scoot."

She gave him the finger and altered her course so she could grab some fresh clothes. Today she could quit wearing hospital gowns and could go back to her own things. Too bad she still had nothing fun to wear. She'd sold all of her really cool outfits back on New Ecuador, and still hadn't had a chance to buy replacements.

Oh well, maybe she'd get a reaction out of Riddick once she did.

The food had arrived when she emerged from the bathroom, and the two of them ate it with great enthusiasm. Jack didn't know how much longer they'd be on Troubadour, but once they got back to ship rations she was going to miss this cuisine. Throughout the meal, Riddick kept glancing at the ring on her finger and chuckling.

They finished the meal and Jack packed up the few things she'd brought from the ship, mostly toiletries. They were ready to leave. Her regen treatments were complete; her body had been completely restored to health and wholeness.

And oh boy did she know who she wanted to use it on!

She didn't even mind the people in the lobby, staring at her as if she was a snack they wanted to eat. She was too energized, too full of life. She only barely managed to keep a straight face when Riddick thanked the staff for their tireless efforts to find her ring.

The rough crowd outside of the clinic didn't seem threatening to her at all this time and she found herself frisking about like an excited puppy as they walked back to the space docks. Bedridden for a week, all she wanted to do now was run and jump...

...well, almost all she wanted to do.

She wondered what Riddick would do if she did pounce him. He was watching her with indulgent amusement. She had to find a way to turn "fraternal" into "fraternizing."

They reached the ship and got settled back in quickly. Riddick surprised her when he turned to her abruptly and handed her a card.

"Go get yourself some decent clothes, kid. This should see you outfitted properly." He was removing his Colin Tarsin disguise as he talked, careful to keep the hairpieces from ripping.

She glanced down at the card. "How much is on here?"

"Five thousand New Francs. Have fun with it. It's your first paycheck."

"Paycheck?"

"Yeah, don't you remember the deal? Full board and fifteen percent of the net profits. That's your cut."

"Holy... just what were you carrying here, anyway?"

"Don't ask. Just go have some fun. Be back before dusk, though... I want you safe inside when our friend Pete gets off-shift."

"Are you going somewhere?"

"Yeah, got a few things to take care of. I'll be back briefly, but then I'm gonna go see a man about his death."

She couldn't help the small shudder that passed through her. He spotted it and stepped closer, hugging her for a moment.

He tilted her head up so that she had to meet his eyes. "You know you're not the only one he did that shit to. You want him to keep it up?"

She closed her eyes and shook her head. Justification. Truth, but still justification. She knew that Riddick wanted to kill the man, that this was as much about his bloodlust as about any kind of justice. She knew that the man was going to die horribly, and that Riddick was going to enjoy every minute of it.

She felt his lips press against her forehead. "Go on, kid. Go have some fun. Just be back before sunset. I'll be here by then myself, for a bit."

She opened her eyes and smiled up at him. On tip-toe, she reached up and kissed his cheek. She wished she was brave enough to kiss him on his lips. Someday soon, maybe.

At least, she thought as she left the ship and headed for one of the nearby shopping centers, I know he loves me. At least I have that.

She was already coming up with a few ideas of outfits that might just make him feel something stronger.

 

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