-Within the Absence of Light- ::Part Seven::

She ran the tip of her tongue along her lips, wetting them nervously as she tried to think of a way to Not tell him exactly what it was that she was running from. But she knew he could feel it…fucker had always been connected to her on a level neither of them would ever understand.

“So you holed yourself up on this abandoned rock in an empty colony, surrounded by acid filled pecker-heads that you’ve somehow gotten accustomed to your presence otherwise we wouldn’t be having this conversation right now. Not that I’m complaining…” He gave a rueful smile that finally caused her to roll her eyes at him. Seeing that loosened something in his chest.

“Yes, they’re accustomed to me because…” She didn’t know how to say it. Which is odd, considering just before Riddick reentered her life less then an hour ago, she wouldn’t give two fucks how it sounded. Now? There was a strange nagging in the back of her mind and she definitely didn’t like the way it made her feel.

Riddick waited patiently, knowing she was having an inner struggle with herself. Yet another good sign that his presence was getting under her skin.

She growled out a frustrated sigh and decided to just spit it out. “I raised them.”

He quirked a brow at this. “Raised them?” Riddick rumbled and watched her give a nod. “Elaborate.”

Wildcat took a deep breath, well as much as she could considering his big ass was still on top of her, keeping her pinned against the map. “I had a few captive bounties on board ship with me. I thought I could give them a chance at freedom and cut’em loose when I landed. They decided they wanted to stick close to me. Problem was they were three very large male ex-cons and one of the three had a taste for female victims.”

Riddick smirked, “you used them for bait.”

“No and for your information, the other two were decent men that earned my trust.” She shot at him, her anger obviously masking the remorse she felt for watching them die. “We touched down seven months ago. Roger and Morris wanted to keep an eye on Cason, didn’t trust him as far as they could throw him, especially around me. While on our first week out here on this planet, Morris had decided to take Cason out with him for a little recon. Roger stayed behind to help me figure out supplies and see if there was any information left on what happened to this place.”

Wildcat stopped for a moment, her gaze unfocused as the memories danced behind her eyes as if it were only yesterday. “It was nearly twelve hours before we heard anything and it got us a little worried. Just as we were about to head out, Morris and Cason dragged themselves back in. Muttering something about huge spiders that ambushed them when they found a derelict spacecraft that seemed to be on the planet for god knows how long. Roger and I immediately took them to med lab just so they could recoup when Morris mentioned something about a container they’d acquired at the crash site but they left it ten feet outside of the compound. Roger offered to retrieve it while I doped them enough to get some shut eye.”

Riddick interrupted when she trailed off again. “Roger went MA too.”

She nodded and regained her thoughts, “same thing but not for as long. Eight hours this time, but three hours too long.”

He could see a haunted look shimmer through her depths before it vanished and she continued. “Cason wasn’t a deep sleeper like Morris, and had managed to give Morris another dose when I thought he was still out. I was right here, when he attacked me. Didn’t quite make this table like he’d planned, but he did get me on the ground.”

He felt his stomach twist with disgust at the thought that he wasn’t there to protect her…but also disgusted with himself for pushing her like he had when she told him she didn’t want to be touched. Now he understood why she’d tried to gut him…

Riddick went to get up and let her loose when something in her voice brought him back and held him there, captive. “Right when things seemed like they were going his way, Cason suddenly jerked back like he’d been shot and convulsed in agony. Finally free, I took the opportunity to end his suffering by grabbing my knife out of his grasp and drove it so deep into his eye socket that I didn’t stop until I felt the crack of my blade hit the back of his skull.”

When she paused again, he took the moment to sit up and back, allowing her the space she’d asked for in the first place. But to Riddick’s surprise, she didn’t move. She laid there, her eyes peering off unfocused as her right hand clutched the black cloth of her shirt at the center of her chest, reliving those horrible memories as she spoke. “But he didn’t stop convulsing. Even when I ripped the blade out and knew he was dead, when his back hit the deck there was a horrible crunching sound deep inside his chest…as though something was trying to get out.” Wildcat finally sat up but wouldn’t give Riddick her gaze.

“That’s when the blood oozed out and something burst out of his ribcage with enough force to cause bits and pieces of broken rib, flesh and thicker things to spray all over the place. The thing that came out of him, a pink and eyeless creature with a mouth full of metallic teeth and a second smaller jaw where it its tongue should’ve been, jutted out at me as it took its first breath. I didn’t feel all that bad about Cason, if anything I felt remorse for not letting the creature escape when he was still alive. I did feel my stomach sink when I heard a faint gasp followed by something splashing on the table in the med lab.”

“Morris.” Riddick added in a low tone and she brought her eyes to his, an expression of pain appearing along her delicate features he wished he could take from her.

“And eventually Roger.” Wildcat said in a quiet voice and swallowed back a sudden lump of emotion from the back of her throat. “So all three dead by three new arrivals that for some reason…I didn’t have the heart to kill. If anything, they were the only living company I had. Maybe that means something isn’t right in my head, but I liked having them around. They kept me company, made my days on this rock less maddening knowing I wasn’t alone.”

“So they started out inside one of those, facehugger things…” Riddick started with a motion toward the med lab where the remaining corpses sat floating in those test tubes. “They latch on, implant one these bad boys, using us as an incubator and we end up human toasters.”

“Interesting analogy…” Wildcat mused softly and nodded, “but yea, that’s pretty much how they work.”

Riddick was truly fascinated. “How long did it take for them to molt?”

She thought about it for a moment and replied, “a little over 24 hours.”

“And they’ve been with you ever since.” Riddick stated but felt as if there was more here then even she knew about.

“For the most part. Lately they’ve only made an appearance once maybe twice a day.” She replied and ran a gloved hand over her hair that was pulled back in a long braid, removing her goggles from her forehead in the process. “Today was there first visit.”

“So there’s a chance they’ll be stopping by again.” He mused under his breath and quipped, “funny how they didn’t really react to my presence.”

This time Wildcat gave him a sideways look. “Riddick, don’t you remember?” She asked and watched curiosity crease his intense brow. “We share a similar scent…and if you were a real threat, you would’ve been dead before you walked off that platform.”

He quirked a brow and retorted in a flat tone, “that’s comforting.”

-End Part Seven-

-Within the Absence of Light- ::Part Six::

[Onyx's Note:: I really hope everyone's enjoying this story so far... I know it's not my best (I have gotten a bit rusty due to not writing in quite awhile) but I hope it's entertaining for you. Sucky or not, I will finish this and hopefully, it'll get better as we go along. And on that note I hope you enjoy ^_^]

…Currently…

“Wait.” She exclaimed quickly as the serpentine monster closed the distance between them, she took a step away from the wall and stood directly in front of Riddick, putting herself right in its path. A simple action that brought back memories of a similar situation from so very long ago.

Riddick wasn’t sure how this was going to play out, seeing as the other two had remerged on either side of them and were slowly advancing forward, closing them in.

A small grin etched across her lips knowing that Riddick was about to get one helluva show. “C’mere gorgeous.” She suddenly purred in a loving tone, her hand outstretched as the black death loomed over her and lowered its massive skull only to press its forehead against the palm of her gloved hand. “There’s my girl.”

Blue/fire orbs watched in silent fascination as the other two moved in and lowered themselves before her five foot and six and a half inch frame, acting like dogs wanting affection. Strange mewling sounds erupted softly from those terrible mouths and Riddick finally got a good view of the tongue inside. An inner jaw began to emerge as one of the creatures let out what looked like a macabre display of a yawn, opening and closing the inner maw before sliding back behind rows of metallic colored teeth, coated in drool. Just for a moment, the first beast rose up into its full height, standing a foot taller then he’d first expected, bringing it to well over eight feet tall and it appeared to be peering right into Riddick’s eyes. There was no threat of hostility, just pure animal curiosity as it seemed to regard him with a silent fascination.

“Alright, easy.” Wildcat’s soothing purr danced into the tense air as the remaining two hissed each other, annoyed that one was getting more attention then the other.

Unable to tear his eyes away from the black death that held his gaze, the creatures all seemed to tense at once. As if a voice had called out to them from somewhere deep within the darkness; a voice only they could hear. With a few last soft hisses they began backing away, retreating back to the hole in the ceiling they’d used to enter the room. The largest of the three stayed just a few seconds longer, its eyeless face unable to pull away from the big male standing behind its true mother.

With a flick of that scorpion like tail, it turned and bumped its forehead against Wildcat’s in a cat-like display of affection before bounding off after its siblings.

She knew he was going to have questions, mostly on how they worked so he could figure out how to kill them with minimal damage to himself. Wildcat knew her trio would never attack them, unless they felt she was threatened.

That was definitely something he’d never thought he’d see, but she’d always been like him; able to attract and communicate with even the most savage of beasts.

One, what the hell kind of creatures were those? And Two, where could he get one of his own?

Once he got his thoughts in order Riddick needed to find out what in the hell was going on. Light sensitive flying hammerheads were one thing, water activated creatures with a mouth full of pain was another. Now he had to deal with dick-headed black skeletons with acid for blood. Oh and let’s not forget they have Two sets of jaws. What other wonderful things was she Not telling him?

This was definitely not the kind of Reunion he was hoping for…

“They’ll come back tomorrow after sundown so you can relax.” She explained and walked over to a counter along the wall that happened to have a coffee pot ready to go. “They mostly come out at night.”

He watched her as she began prepping it for a fresh pot and paused long enough to add, “mostly…”

“Nocturnal. Not all that surprised.” He rumbled thoughtfully and let his eyes roam the curves of her body; noting how well those snug black pants hugged her thighs and that big beautiful ass. She’d definitely toned up over the years, more muscle in all the right places which only accentuated that hourglass figure he used to love exploring for hours with his mouth and hands. He wondered if she was still just as sensitive…if he ran his hands down her sides and gripped her hipbones…would she still buckle?

Thoughts of their time together began swimming through the catacombs of his mind. The moments she’d snap at him for being a monumental dick when no one else ever had the balls to call him on it. The quiet moments when she’d suffered a night terror and he held her as she fell back asleep. The innocence burning wildly in her gaze the night she argued to fight by his side, to save him from the fake badges that were about to descend. The last moment their eyes met, seeing her screaming behind that transport window…small splatters of red dotting the glass she slammed her small fists against at seeing him beaten and put into chains.

Riddick shook his head with a dark chuckle. “All those years I spent trying to protect you… Staying away to keep you hidden, thinking you’d be able to retain that spark of humanity I’d lost so long ago…” The tone of his voice made her turn and look at him; gold/crimson burning curiously into cold blue/fire orbs. The expression on his face made something in her chest hurt, “only to see you’ve gone down the same path as her.”

This confused her. “Her?” Wildcat asked slowly, showing him that he had her full and undivided attention. “What Her, Riddick.”

“She had allot of spunk, but was real wet behind the ears. Thought I saved her from this life, from the monsters that wanted to cut her up and use her for bait…” He stopped as Kyra’s last words danced through his mind. I was always with you…I was…

Brow furrowed, Wildcat searched his face and saw the guilt dance across his eyes. “Sorry for your loss.” She said with about as much sympathy as a wet rock and went back to staring at the coffee pot. Honestly, his remorse would’ve been touching, if she still gave a shit.

Riddick noted how unaffected she was by this and continued his thoughts. “Now I know why I wanted to keep her safe.”

“And why’s that.” She asked with a snide purr lacing her sultry tone; she could give two shits about some little girl who tried to play hardball with the big fish at the deep end of the pool and ended up drowning.

His thundering growl swept along her spine when he was suddenly directly behind her, “She reminded me of you.”

Wildcat was about to counter with a nasty remark when something made her stop. For a few moments, she felt an unknown emotion swim through her and it stung everything it touched. She let out a hiss of pain at the feeling of electricity exploding behind her ribcage and felt her knees buckle. She should’ve collapsed on the deck and landed hard on her ass… But a pair of strong hands had a hold on her waist keeping her vertical.

It took her a few seconds to regain her composure, but when she did he was already gone before she could retaliate for touching her again.

That pain she felt inside was suddenly engulfed by a rage she hadn’t felt in years…and it damn did it feel good. “Don’t flatter yourself Riddick…” Her voice was just shy of sounding like the growl of a cornered Wolf readying itself for an attack. “You think some sob story is going to make me what, break these walls and bring back the girl you knew?” She faced him then and revealed the dark fury he’d unleashed as it licked angrily within her fiery gaze.

Riddick glared back, knowing that this was only the beginning of her wrath before she completely fell apart. And when she did, he was going to be there to help her rebuild the broken pieces. “Don’t know what kind of poison you’ve been feeding yourself, Princess… But eventually it’s gotta come out.”

She let out an abrupt laugh. “Since when did you become Mr. philosophical?” Wildcat shot at him with a sneer and decided to pour herself a cup of strong coffee, not wanting to waste anymore energy staring at his face.

He was suddenly behind her again, “since you decided to become a cold-hearted, unfeeling bitch.”

With a deep growl, Wildcat grabbed her cup and was about to fling scolding coffee into his face when he ducked and in one swift move, threw her over his shoulder, brought her over to the large map of the compound built like an island you’d see in an expensive kitchen and laid her out on her back, pinning her legs between his thighs and kept her wrists securely above her head with his left hand, his right holding her chin to lock her gaze with his.

“Keep that shit up and I’ll just keep restraining you.” He explained in a casual tone and smirked when she bared her teeth in defiance. “Your choice.”

She hated how much faster he was…how much stronger. He remembered the way she’d react, the energy she gave off before she decided to move. It wasn’t fair…and royally pissed her off. Where the hell did this ‘softer side’ come from? Why was he so hell-bent on making her remember that pathetic waste she used to be? “Is this how you get your kicks, Riddick?” Her words were an attempt to cut into him as she glared hatred into his shined eyes.

“Shut it.” He snarled and pressed more of his weight against her, a small part of him enjoying being this close to her again, even if it wasn’t quite the way he’d pictured it would be. Still, Riddick saw this as a small opportunity and took it. It had been a very long ten years apart, he’d take what he could get.

“Let up, Jack Ass.” Wildcat growled deep in her chest and shifted beneath his heavier frame, “I can’t breathe.”

A wicked smile danced across his lips as he gave her an amused look, “You’re doin’ just fine in the air department if you’re still able to insult me.”

Glowing orbs of molten hatred narrowed at his smiling face. “And here I thought it was a term of  endearment.” She quipped sarcastically and noticed a familiar shimmer enter those silver/blue depths as her words danced through his ears. “Seriously Riddick, you weigh two-hundred and twenty five pounds of solid muscle, I weigh a whopping one hundred and fifty seven. That’s damn near seventy pounds difference, most of which is in your upper body. So please, be a gem…and get the fuck off me!”

He couldn’t help the roar of laughter that swelled through him; bouncing off the walls with an essence that was a little too intimate for her liking. “The ‘please’ was a nice touch.” Riddick mused and made a point to lift his upper body just enough so she couldn’t keep bitching. “Now, if you’d be so kind…” His voice was a deep thunder that swept through her nerve endings, touching her in places his hands had never reached. He could smell the reaction but kept the knowledge to himself as he continued in that husky growl, “mind tellin’ me why you’re all the way out here on this rock?” Riddick paused for a moment and searched her feral depths. “What are you really running from, kid?”

It was just a word…such a simple word… Kid. Something she hadn’t heard since the night her world was flipped upside down. And it’s the way he said it…with that damned voice of his that she was pretty sure should be illegal in more than a few systems for the affect it had on a woman’s body. Especially the way it still affected hers.

And she hated him for it.

-End Part Six-

-Within the Absence of Light- ::Part Five::

[Onyx's Note; Apologies for the delay, I had this ready to go a few nights back, but decided it needed something else...and ended up writing a whole new part in its place XD These two Definitely have history together (And yes the characters have been in other stories as well, but this is has a different back story :D) and in this part, you get a small glimpse into their past... And if it seems a little cheesy or Mary-Sue, no worries...they're both incredibly flawed. And on that note, Enjoy!]

…Twelve Years Earlier…

A living thunder swept through the cooling air as the last lingering streams of heat danced away from the steel walls of the cargo hold, “Red and green connect into the interface, not the yellow and blue.”

“Yes, Richard…I know.” She snapped at the ex-con as he proceeded to tell her how to rewire the air conditioning unit on their small rig, “I heard you the first time.”

“I’m just makin’ sure you did because if you cross the wrong wires, you’ll fry the mother board…”

She cut him off with a snarl, “If you think you can do a better job, then by all means…” she paused long enough to turn and glare pure venom in his direction, “if all you’re going to do is stand there and try to tell me how to fix My Fucking Ship, do me a favor and shut it before I lose my temper and slap that smug look right off your face.”

He quirked a brow at her hostility. “PMSing again?” He mused in her direction and ducked just before a wrench collided with his bald head, “Heh, I’ll take that as a yes.”

“Riddick.” She snarled through clenched teeth and prepared to launch a full assault when he threw his hands up and began backing away with a shit-eating grin on his face. Her voice dropped to a quiet and deadly tone, “Not in the fucking mood.”

He gave a slow nod and fought back the laugh bubbling in his chest at how adorable she looked when she was pissed. “Easy, Wildcat.” Riddick rumbled with a lopsided grin and smirked when she scoffed and went back to work on the wires, “Just givin’ you shit.”

She let out an irritated growl and forced herself to ignore his eyes staring holes into the back of her head. “Just go away so I can get this fixed. You’re distracting.” Wildcat announced under her breath and felt him give her another look. “And stop lookin’ at me like that!”

Riddick let out a laugh, “fair enough.” and decided to give her the space she required before she made good on her promise. As entertaining a thought it was to see her go into a full on rage, he was in too good of a mood to keep pushing. The last thing he needed was for his fiery counterpart to ditch him on that rock for pissing her off one too many times.

He trotted a few feet away from their shared craft and peered up into the darkening sky. Streams of fading sunlight clung in desperation to the horizon as the beginning of night used a gentle hand to sweep the lingering light of day from the heavens. He found himself in awe of the twin moons beginning to crest over the very tips of the black sand dunes to the east, reminding him of an obsidian sea; the eerie lunar light igniting the waves in liquid mercury as they curled a glowing silver against its dark surface.

Time trickled by quickly as Riddick stood motionless while facing the rise of those twin satellites. It was as though something in their heavenly silence spoke to him and held him, a wordless song that quelled the dark fury so deep inside.

Wildcat finally emerged from the ship and stopped just off to his side, her cat-like gaze focused on the moons slowly ascending the darkened sky. “Isis and Osiris…” She murmured thoughtfully and got a sideways glance from his direction.

A small curve pulled at the edge of his lips. “Very fitting.” Riddick replied and slipped his goggles off, enjoying the cool air as it swept over the small beads of sweat just along his eyelids.

She returned the smile as she removed her work gloves and stuck them in the left pocket of her dark brown cargos. “Seemed better then calling them Satellites A and B.” Wildcat added and crossed her arms loosely beneath her bust, a soft shimmer dancing through her irises as they’re eyes met.

Riddick enjoyed the silent exchange between them, the comfort in her presence, the way she peered into his metallic gaze and didn’t recoil in fear. He was also aware that her mood had shifted; which meant she’d fixed the problem and the hostility that had bubbled to the surface was now pouring out of her body like invisible streams of smoke.

“Fixed?” He asked the obvious and she nodded, her posture telling him she was relieved. “Good, cuz I don’t need you tryin’ to go shiv-happy on me.”

Wildcat chuckled and shook her head at him. “Definitely thought about it.” She teased and stepped closer so she could gently bump him with the left side of her hips. “You are an awful pain in the ass sometimes.”

“Funny, I was just going to say the same thing…” Riddick mused wickedly and received another glare followed by a small warning slap on the bicep. “What?”

“Don’t start.” She shot back, completely unimpressed with the innocent look he was giving her. “You know that doesn’t work on me.”

Riddick was about to make a sexual crack when he was stopped by the eerie sound of strange howls piercing the air.

Wildcat exchanged a look with those shined eyes, a silent understanding that they were on the same page. “Hope they’re friendly…” She muttered into the now tense air and watched Riddick turn in the direction of the howls which had risen from a few clicks behind them toward the west.

He could sense that was just the first of many vocalizations they’d be hearing while they remained on that rock. They had also happened to land in the only oasis for miles, which meant they wouldn’t be alone for long. “Guess we’ll find out.”

She scoffed, “that’s comforting.” and witnessed those blue/fire orbs shimmer in her direction. “You know I love critters as much as you do, but if they happen to be territorially aggressive, it’s gunna take an hour to get this hunk of steel warmed up and another fifteen to get her into the air.”

Another chorus of growling howls lifted into the early night, their voices sounding allot closer then the two would’ve liked.

Wildcat continued, “and by the sound of their approach, I’ll barely get the hatch up in time before their arrival.”

“We’ll just have to buckle down and wait.” Riddick mused in that terrible thunder that told her the darkness that inhabited the empty space within his mind was starting to make its way to the surface. That cold and calculated energy he embraced right before he killed. Wildcat knew that energy better then anyone…because it spoke gently to the darkness inside of her.

-*-

They didn’t have to wait long as quarter horse sized shapes bounded gracefully into their shared line of sight, making a beeline toward the sleeping ship. Probably the most beautiful creatures Wildcat had ever seen. They held the perfect blend of characteristics from her favorite Earth predators; Wolf and Lynx. Seeing them charging around the ship from her vantage point at the top of the craft made something inside her fill with a strange kind of warmth.

She had a sudden overwhelming urge to join them.

Riddick must’ve sensed the pull between the pack and his Wildcat because one moment he was crouched in the shadows at the back of their ship and was suddenly grabbing her around the waist, stopping her from leaping off the nose onto the sand below, which would’ve dropped her right in the middle of over twelve huge beasts.

A growl rolled through her chest and was about to make its way passed her teeth when he clamped his hand over her mouth, hoping the rumble would be trapped there leaving them unnoticed.

It wasn’t the betrayal of sound that brought a dozen iridescent orbs of liquid fire in their direction… It had been a familiar scent Riddick tasted on the back of his tongue when a breeze weaved through the darkness and chased it up and over the ship, right into his heightened senses. A puzzled crease entered his brow as his brain processed the information. It was eerily similar to the woman who struggled wildly in his powerful arms.

How interesting… His voice thundered inside his head when a loud THUNK echoed behind him; something very large had leapt up onto the back of the ship, its weight echoing through the metal frame like a giant tuning fork. The low rumble of warning swelled away from the advancing shadow as Riddick removed his hand from her mouth and began easing it down his side toward the deadly blade at his belt when delicate fingers halted his process.

“Don’t,” her voice was barely above a whisper as she tilted her head back enough to look up into his haunting gaze of intelligent starlight. “Do you trust me?”

Her question threw him for a split second as everything in him screamed to take care of the very large problem stalking toward them. “Now’s not the time…” Riddick began to counter in a gravely tone when she cut him off; her eyes pleading.

“Do you trust me?” Wildcat repeated, voice firmer as she started to turn toward him and began side stepping around him toward the thing that didn’t seem all that keen on pleasantries.

Riddick searched her depths and found himself growling, but easing away just enough for her to get past him. “It’s the bruiser I don’t trust.” He finally replied in that tense octave he only used when all he wanted to do was react with violence.

It must have been something in the gentle smile she gave him, the way it touched those feral eyes and revealed a flickering rarity hidden within her depths. There’s no other way to explain why he suddenly took a step back and allowed her to face the huge predator heading straight toward them. Wildcat wasn’t the type to initiate violence. She’d delay the moment, hold back the urge to sink her blades home if she could sway the situation in her favor. But this wasn’t some slick-shit wannabe bad-ass tryin’ to play who’s got the bigger pair. She was facing off with a beast with a bite radius that could take her head and shoulders clean off of her body in one lightening quick snap of its massive jaws. There was no way in hell she could talk her way outta this…

Riddick just blinked at what transpired next and couldn’t help the words that dripped from his full lips in utter disbelief. “You gotta be shittin’ me.”

The beast crept forward and bowed its head low enough for her to place her delicate hand palm flat, against the space between its glowing eyes. A strange rumbling growl poured from its chest, its eyelids drifting closed when she brought her face forward and mimicked the sound under her breath.

Seeing this happen in front of him… Witnessing this monstrous carnivore with enough power in its form to tear a hole in the ship, treat her with the same kind of gentleness it would one of its own offspring made him go completely still. Riddick’s approach was very different when it came to connecting with an animal. He could stare them down and get them to submit with the promise of violence if they didn’t accept him as Alpha.

He was taken aback by how she’d gotten the beast to submit… That flicker in her eyes, that hidden weapon he caught a glimpse of wasn’t aggression. It was innocence.

-End Part Five-

-Within The Absence Of Light- ::Part Four::

“What’s with the Merc ship?” Her voice suddenly brought him back to the present and as his thoughts realigned, that uneasy feeling deepened.

“Long story.” Riddick replied under his breath and narrowed his eyes. “What’s with the Assassin vessel?”

She finally smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “An even longer story. But to make it short, I acquired it from the Bounty Hunter who’d acquired from the assassin he’d ghosted. Better then that Piece of shit you got out there.”

“Not much of difference mechanically.” Riddick replied and watched an unimpressed curve enter her high arched brows.

“It’s still a Merc ship.” Wildcat snarled out, obviously not withholding the sheer hatred she had toward Bounty Hunters.

Riddick found this slightly amusing. “Being a little catty, aren’t we?”

The humor leaked out of her face as the rage began to surface, hollowing out her softness until she seemed almost skeletal. “You know better then anyone I got every fucking right to be when it comes to those bottom feeders.” It wasn’t just the tone she used, he could literally feel the animosity she held at the thought of Mercenaries. It made him wonder about those rumors he’d been hearing about…

“Been keepin’ yourself busy these past ten years…haven’t you?” Riddick rumbled out slowly and took a step toward her, completely dismissing the threat of violence she’d promised if he tried invading her personal space again.

Instead of tensing up, she remained as she was. Cool and collected with her arms crossed beneath her breasts. “Girl’s gotta have a hobby.” Wildcat mused in a low purr as he continued advancing. She wasn’t surprised, she knew he would try to get a rise out of her, regardless of the fact that she would make good on her promise and shank his ass if he tried. “Might wanna rethink your next course of action, Richard.” she made a point to emphasize his first name as it rolled slowly off her tongue in a warning.

“Actions speak louder then words.” He growled at her and inched ever closer, knowing that at any moment she was going to react.

She let out a mocking sigh, “Is this really necessary? You and I both know how this is gunna play out.”

Just as the last word fell from her lips, he moved in a blur and caught her hands from scissoring those hooked blades against his midsection. That wasn’t meant as a warning…it was meant to spill his intestines onto the deck.

The intent was to kill. 

He locked his strong hands around the delicate bones of her hands and glared fury into her empty gaze. “Lose the shivs and you’ll keep the use of those pretty little hands of yours.” His voice dropped to a threatening timber, hoping she was smart enough to take the hint.

The sound of metal hitting the grating by their feet echoed softly around them when he jerked her arms up and pinned both wrists above her head with one hand and pressed her up against the wall by the waist with the other. A slight smirk followed by a husky baritone growl, “Good Girl.”

But what made him falter, even just for a moment, was the look in her eyes. There was something there, silent and calm, staring back at him with the promise that it would end him. He realized in that moment that he wasn’t looking into the eyes of the monster he used to be… But of something far worse that held no remorse for its actions. Buried beneath that living black of a demon was that faint ember of innocence… Riddick suddenly hoped like hell he could bring it back to the surface before the darkness snuffed it out for good.

She let out an exasperated sigh and gave him an irritated look, “whatever you got rollin’ around in that psycho-fucked brain-pan of yours, you might wanna let up in the next 20 seconds before something unpleasant happens.”

“Is that so?” Riddick growled and pressed himself up against her, enjoying her heat radiating through the thin layers of clothing wrapped around her flesh. “How about you ask real sweet like and maybe I’ll consider it.”

“That wasn’t a threat, shit-for-brains…” She started to reply when he cut her off.

“Keep callin’ me names and I’ll gladly duct-tape that pretty mouth shut. Which would be a shame because I got all kinds of fun things you could be doing with it…”

This time she cut him off and finished her thought, “we now have less then five seconds before a few very unsightly characters fall through the ceiling.”

Riddick blinked at her statement but didn’t have time to think of a response when three loud Thuds echoed somewhere behind him, followed by an eerie chorus of inhuman hissing that caused the fine hairs along the back of his neck to bristle and stand on edge. “Friends of yours?” He growled under his breath when she gave the slightest nod. He slowly released his grip off her wrists and trailed his hand down her body, taking the opportunity to caress her before she pushed him away.

“Just had to cop a feel.” She snapped at him in a low whisper between her teeth and crept around him, lowered very slowly to the floor to collect her blades and rose back up in silence.

“Can you blame me?” Riddick shot at her with a sideways grin and turned to view the newcomers that had rudely interrupted them just as they were getting reacquainted.

Skeletal black shapes stood well over seven feet high with elongated craniums that would give even Freud nightmares. They were about ten feet back, looming close to the corridor that went into med lab. They didn’t seem all that interested in the duo on the opposite side of the room…at first.

“Stay still and make no attempt to cut them.” Wildcat murmured under her breath, her blades now hidden back on her person.

Riddick had a thought, “acid for blood.” He stated and she smirked.

“Makes one helluva defense.” She mused softly and leaned back against the wall, appearing as though she hadn’t a care in the world. But Riddick knew there was a reason for it and slid up to her left, making a point to press the side of his body against hers in the process. “You’re loving this, aren’t you?” She snarled at him in a hiss and wanted to back hand that smug grin off his face.

“Just following your lead.” Riddick rumbled back at her as they watched the obsidian creatures search three feet to each side; their long tails whipping lazily back and forth, flashing a nasty blade-like stinger at the ends before giving up to jump back through the hole in the ceiling.

All but one…

Riddick stood beside her and waited as the onyx nightmare turned its eyeless face in their direction, curled its lips back and let out a low, guttural hiss; its viper like tail whip lashing back and forth in agitation. Outwardly he remained calm, but inwardly he felt every fiber tense throughout his body as the creature lowered itself to the grating, another spine chilling hiss echoing past its drooling maw.

Without warning it became a blur, a flash of death charging through the darkness…

…heading straight for him.

-End Part Four-

-Within The Absence Of Light- ::Part Three::

A thoughtful growl reverberated from Riddick’s chest as she led him through a broken barricade and into the long hallways of the compound. Being just dim enough, he lifted his goggles and let them rest above his brow so he could survey his new surroundings. The echoes of a horrific battle were all around them as they walked, damage from a few explosives and small arms fire littered the steel piping along the walls and metal grating beneath their feet when they started to pass what looked like an acid burn that started from above them in the ceiling, and continued several levels down, as if something very large, had melted its way through the steel.

There was an air to this place that set him on edge, reminding him of the last two unknown planets he’d come across. Death whispered from the stillness, a silent warning that no one was safe and it’d be smart to leave before he’d even landed. But he had a feeling he wouldn’t be jumping orbit anytime soon, seeing as his Wildcat gave off the impression that she felt right at home. If she could hack it, than so could he. Besides, they had some catching up to do.

He continued to follow in silence, taking in every detail and filing it away in his memory. Noting every possible exit, any weakness in the structure that needed tending. At first he noted the makeshift barricade that was placed half-assed at the entry doors. It didn’t seem like they had a helluva’lot of time so they threw whatever they could find together and welded it in place. Apparently it had been pointless considering the walls and ceiling had been torn through as though the steel had been peeled away like it had been nothing more then paper. Whatever they were trying to keep out had no problem getting in and getting past their defenses. When it happened, it was fast, loud and violent. The thing that made him ever the more uneasy, was there were no bodies… Not a god damned thing. 

“This is probably the last place you want to be if you’re afraid of monsters.” Wildcat mused darkly as she led him through a med lab and started to glide at a leisurely pace as they began passing what looked like giant test tubes with strange spider-like creatures floating lifelessly inside. “Don’t worry, they’re all dead.”

Riddick didn’t say anything. He continued observing in silence as the wheels in his mind turned at a breakneck speed. Something was definitely off as she strolled down another corridor that opened up into a larger area, with several control panels and giant windows that peered out into the twisted landscape. He paused for a moment as she approached another smaller panel to the side and hit a series of buttons. A deep mechanical groan poured into the stale air as large steel shutters began to close over the bulletproof glass, shutting out the storm.

She turned, leaning back against the wall and crossed her arms beneath her bust, her head tilted just slightly as a strange kind of smile pulled at her lips. There was something new he now noticed, a deep scar that ended at the corner of her upper lip and continued just underneath the frame of her goggles leading up into her left eye. Made him wonder what was hiding behind those black lenses…

Just as though he’d asked, she let out a soft sigh, lowered her chin and brought her gloved hands to her face. Slowly, she lifted the goggles and placed them at the beginning of her hair line. “Don’t worry, I can still see.” Wildcat began as she raised her head, revealing two orbs of shimmering gold encased in glowing crimson, “if anything, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the upgrade.”

Riddick was suddenly there, his blue/fire gaze peering into her like terrible starlight. The color difference was muted due to the electric violet of his nocturnal vision, but he could still make it out. He wanted a close up, to see where that scar truly ended and where the work began. What threw him was the scar stopped just before there could have been any real damage done to her eyes… Which made him wonder how she acquired the new irises in the first place. No one can do a shine job like that…

“Bet you’re wondering how many packs of Menthol Kools I had to bag to get these babies.” She purred with a sarcastic tone held by invisible knives of resentment and pain that he felt with each word that danced through his ears.

“Eyes like yours aren’t made in a lab.” Riddick finally spoke in a devastating thunder he knew would curl along her nerve endings and send a shiver down her spine. “They’re hereditary.”

A pulse of light echoed in her eerie gaze as if he triggered an emotion she hadn’t felt before. Wildcat managed to play it off with an unpleasant smile. “Funny how DNA works… If you have the genes and the right environment, they get triggered and you find yourself waking up to one helluva surprise.” She paused long enough to slowly, wet her lips, “like I said, I’ve enjoyed the upgrade.”

Riddick searched her shimmering depths, reading the lines of her soul no one else could see. There was a deeper part of him that hoped she hadn’t lost that spark he’d fought to protect. The innocence that he himself lost so very long ago. For a moment he felt his stomach begin to drop, unable to feel that familiar warmth just inside her eyes…when something flickered. It was faint, like an ember buried beneath the ashes of an abandoned campfire. It was just enough to tell him there was still hope…she was still in there, hidden somewhere within that internal darkness.

That infamous grin began to form across the valley of his full lips as he inched forward, backing her up against the cold wall as he pressed his firm body flush against her. Feeling her heat, the gentle thunder of her heart beat echoing into his chest as he bent down to her left, only to brush his lips against the thin material of her shirt at the nape of her neck. Riddick breathed in that familiar scent, refreshing his memory of that unique aroma and fought himself from sinking his teeth into the big pulse just beneath the flesh. 

The scent of a very specific kind of metal made him pause as the tips of twin blades were suddenly pressed into two very delicate areas of his body. One pressed ever so lightly just below his heart, right along the edge of a fresh wound, its scorched edges still pulsing angrily while the other blade was tapping just along the thin material over his manhood. “You have my attention.” He announced and felt more then heard the dark chuckle roll through her chest before she spoke.

“Should’ve warned you that I’m not too keen on physical contact.” She growled softly and as he backed up slowly and received the full force of venom that rippled through the gold of her shined eyes. “So please, be a gentlemen and refrain from invading my personal space if you want to keep your personal bits attached.”

He brought his hands up in defeat and didn’t fight the amusement from his gravely voice, “No need for violence, kitten.” He mused in a husky tone, dropped his hands and took a step back, “all you had to do was ask.”

Her head fell back as a sharp, unimpressed laugh poured from her lips and echoed off the walls. “You and I both know that’s a load of horseshit.” She shot at him with an unpleasant grin, making no attempt to hide the boiling hostility that raged inside her. “You’d have kept pushing until I just gave in. Thinkin’ you could use your old tricks on me.” Wildcat added and slipped the blades back into their appropriate hiding places, “which would’ve worked if I were still the same person. Too bad for you I’m not. That ain’t my idea of foreplay.”

A single brow quirked at her statement. “Should I be afraid to ask what is?” Riddick shot back with a curious lilt to his growling octave and got a scoff in response. He smirked, “I’ll take that as a yes.”

She just looked at him with a deadpan expression. No roll of the eyes, no hint of a blush to warm those pale cheeks…not even a sigh. Wildcat was a mirror image of something he never wanted to see… It was like looking at himself just before the Hunter-Gratzner crashed on T2. That part of him that died on that planet…was now looking back at him through the eyes of the women he loved.

-End Part Three-

Within The Absence Of Light:: Part Two

“Sector LV-426, twenty clicks from target. Reestablishing set down in T-Minus forty.” The ship’s female voice echoed mechanically through the small ship as a figure sat in the pilot’s seat, expert fingers dancing gracefully along the ship’s main controls.

The view screen revealed an abandoned colony in the middle of a monochrome desert. Monoliths rose from the landscape like the dried bones of a sleeping giant just outside the crudely constructed buildings. Old structures by the looks of it. Probably early terraformers lookin’ for a new place to call home when Earth went south.

Why all the way out here? First time in years he’d caught a familiar scent and it led to this planetoid called Acheron orbiting an even larger planet. What drew her to this place so far away from the systems she’d been stalking for the past ten years? Had he really lost her?

He cut the thoughts short as the ship jerked; the beginning stages of breaking orbit and descent into atmo. With ease, he brought the hunk of metal through the chop and eased it through a blanket of billowing clouds. Just another drop, nuthin’ new. But what he hadn’t expected, was another vessel damn near sideswiping him when he finally broke through the cloud layer. It wasn’t easy to spot but every damned alarm went off and screamed against the walls of the cockpit like a whistle blown inside a tin can.

“Fuck.” He growled and maneuvered the ship to the left as the unknown craft flew at him again, this time swooping up to his right, paused long enough to match his speed only to barrel roll to his left, vanishing from his radar.

Stopping himself from getting his ship’s guns ready, he had a sudden itch to play along. There was just something in the back of his mind, telling him that if he did…his search would finally be over. Because there was only one person he knew who was just crazy enough to pull those kind of maneuvers with a shit star-jumper. At least, that’s what she always wanted to do.

A small curve edged across his full lips as a thundering voice poured into the air around him. “Alright Wildcat. Let’s play.”

 -*-

Turbulent skies opened up like the jaws of a black leviathan; ready to swallow all who dared venture past as two dots echoed in and out of sight; dancing dangerously close to each other as they spun through an angry darkness of howling wind and rain that slammed against their fragile hulls.

The ships spiraled and flipped, pouring in and out of the thick cloud layer while narrowly missing each other by inches. This went on for almost twelve minutes when the sleeker of the two cut its engines and began freefalling toward the ground, forcing the larger ship to go into a nose dive in pursuit.

Merely seconds away from becoming nothing more then a ball of fire, the smaller ship went into full burn and swept back up in a graceful arch over the colony walls, only to land expertly on a large platform without so much as a hitch as the landing gear touched metal.

A chorus of mechanical hisses lifted into the stormy air as the hatch finally locked down on the metal grating of the landing platform. A shadowed figure appeared, suddenly slammed by the sting of cold rain that fell across the landscape in sheets. But after being onboard that small vessel for so long with nothing between you and that empty void of silence but the thin walls of the ship, it felt amazing to touch land. With a slight roll of the neck and shoulders, the figure slipped something over its eyes, hiding them from the blinding orange landing lights that shown brilliantly against the gray haze of the alien planet.

Not moments later, that piece of shit Merc vessel started to ease down on an adjacent platform to the left, the roar of the engine’s thrusters drowned out by the howling wind. A smirk edged across full lips at the familiar face that strained to get a good view of her through the view screen of the cockpit. It wouldn’t do him any good with how hard the rain was falling and the way the wind created spiraling shadows of dancing mist, making visibility an almost impossible feat. But she didn’t need eyes to know where she was going on this rock she’d made her home for the past seven months…and she knew he didn’t either.

She could feel that familiar pull of energy between them, the one that told her when he was close, a gentle whisper beckoning from the back of her mind. There was a moment of stillness, sensing him as he cut the engines and prepared to drop the hatch. Knowing that he could feel her, a wordless voice calling out to him from the black. 

How after all these years, that it was Riddick that found her first? She’d all but given up on the search for her lost light… Biding her time by Hunting the very things she’d grown to despise. Had he thought of her the way she thought of him? Was there a sense of guilt for leaving her behind; letting himself get snatched up so she could have a better life? But how will he feel when he learns of the person she had become. That without him, she’d turned into the very thing he tried to protect her from.

Better to be the Monster then the victim.

With an expert hand, she worked the panel to her right and kept her gaze forward. With the last button hit, the pistons let out a whine, followed by the hatch rising back into the frame to lock in place. A few seconds later, the orange glare went out, leaving her standing there next to a sleeping beast as bright halogens of the Merc ship tried in vain to pierce through the heavy rainfall, making her appear as nothing more than a ghostly silhouette consumed in a swirling mist.

A calm coursed through her as those blinding landing lights dimmed and a figure emerged from below that hunk of metal. His wardrobe had changed, more of a makeshift getup she was sure he’d crafted himself while being stuck on some nameless planet. But everything else…was the same. His presence was deafening as he stalked toward her, his movements methodical yet graceful as the rain soaked his bronzed skin. As he closed the distance between them, she caught a whiff of copper, telling her he’d recently acquired more battle wounds and they were still fresh.

Years ago she would’ve bolted toward him and leapt into his arms, desperate to feel him flush against her, to hear his heart beat thundering deep within his chest. To feel that warm breath fan against her neck as he breathed her in, encased in those powerful arms where nothing could to touch her. Now she merely waited, calm and collected as he closed the gap, leaving inches between them.

She could see herself in those black lenses, her reflection having changed from the last time she stood before him. She wondered what unnerved him the most… Her stillness, her stone expression…or was it the goggles that shielded her gaze from him? Was it like looking into a doorway, an alternate reality and seeing a female version of himself? Whatever it was that ran through that calculated mind of his, she could feel his disappointment. As if a knife of guilt had just been shoved into his gut. She could almost hear his thoughts that she was nothing but a shell of the person he once knew. Riddick wasn’t wrong, but she was so much more now…

“Before the questions start, why don’t we take this Ten Year Reunion someplace dry.” She exclaimed in a cocky tone loud enough to be heard through the howling wind and watched him merely nod in response before she turned and began the short trek into the colony.

-End Part Two-

Within The Absence of Light:: Part One

Time seemed to pause, giving us a few precious moments to breathe each other in. Allowing us enough time to imprint this into our memories... To know that at one point in our screwed existence... We were loved.
 
It hurts me now to think of what transpired not more than a few hours after that single moment of peace. He not only dragged me away and threw me on the transport to another part of the 'verse... But as I sat in my quarters and stared out onto the dock... I watched the hounds descend. A group of bottom feeders, Mercs... Led by the Devil himself; Johns.
 
The engines starting up drowned out my screams as I witnessed them beat him down and put him in chains. I didn't feel the pain as I slammed my small fists into the metal siding of the view screen, nor the warm trails of red that streamed down my wrists from the cuts I'd inflicted out of despair.
 
I bellowed out his name, my vocal chords straining, but knew no one would hear me... Yet, for just a moment, he turned his head toward the transport I was trapped on and our eyes met. It was barely a few seconds, but I felt something rush through me.

This wasn't the End. There was no way in hell I was going to give up on him. No matter how long it took... I would find my way back to him.
 
Somehow...

*  *  *  *
 
Heh, how young and naive I had been... I had no idea what was ahead of me. The trials I would face that would change who I am. The innocence that died the day I witnessed him taken away from me. The heart that was ripped from my chest, leaving nothing more than an empty shell.
 
It's funny how things change. The terrified whispers of a New kind of Monster that Stalks the Darkness. An evil that at first was blamed on those shined eyes...until a handful of survivors saw the beast for what it really was.
 
I'm not saying I'm proud of the thing I've become, but what did you expect? For me to just give up? To just fade away? No...not hardly. I took it upon myself to Hunt those blood-thirsty bottom feeders that took my light away. One by one I've watched them fall... And after each Kill, each one that met their fate by the end of my blades... I realized it just wasn't enough. It would Never be enough. Their screams would never sate the hole they'd created by taking the One thing that gave me a reason to Live. They took his light away...plunging me into a darkness from which there is no escape.

So I've made it my personal mission to take out as many of those sadistic Merc fucks as I possibly can. And I gotta say... I'm havin' allot of fun doing it. I was sloppy at first, didn’t quite have the edge to sink the blade just a few more inches. Damn near got myself ghosted in the process. It was half-assed in the beginning being that I was still too wet behind the ears to understand how bad it really gets. One night the fates decided for me. Got jumped by a bounty hunter named Scarz (yes, that’s how it was spelt) basically using my inexperience against me… He had that do-right smile and devil blue eyes; which should’ve set the warning alarms off in my head, but I was young and very naïve. Exhausted from going on 72 hours without food or sleep, I let my guard slip and almost got raped in the back of an alley at a trade post station in a system I can’t even remember. It was in that moment of clarity, knowing that this was my reality…that something snapped inside. It didn’t register that I’d reacted until I felt something thick and coffee hot spill down my hand and along the front of my shirt. I’d grabbed the first thing to my right when he pinned me against the ground behind an old dumpster and jerked my arm in reaction. I honestly don’t remember the moments between the panic and then the frightening calm that consumed me.

My heartbeat was slow and steady, my breathing even. Everything had a crystal intensity to it. I could see the look of shock in his blue eyes as he wheezed, his blood bubbling over the gaping wound just beneath his jaw line as I jerked the jagged piece of steel from his paling flesh and pushed him off me. I was standing over him before the light drained from his eyes. I wanted to watch his last moments…I wanted to be the last thing he saw before hell opened its jaws and swallowed him.

After that moment, I finally understood what Riddick had tried to tell me. Killing wasn’t something you did for sport… He was good at what he did because he was forced to. He’d never wanted that for me, knowing it would kill something fragile inside me I could never get back. Thing is…can’t lose what you never had. Lost that when he was taken from me. The moment I had to kill to survive, something else woke up and moved in; replacing that innocence Riddick had fought to preserve.

Been Ten years since I watched them drag him away in chains…Seven after my first real kill and now, I go from planet to planet, picking and choosing the worst of the bottom feeders. Sick fucks that prey on the innocent; women, children and animal. The ones that should be in a different line of work generally get a pass…with a warning. I keep a few alive so the rumors can continue to spread. Gotta keep’em on their toes… Besides, nuthin’ spooks a Bounty Hunter more then a good ole fashioned ghost story about a monster that’s out for blood. Especially theirs.
 
I wonder...what would Riddick think of me now? To see the young woman he once watched over, the one he kept close to him, tried to protect against all the hate and all the pain, turned into a heartless predator. Nothing more then a shadow of the soul he once knew. Ya…I’d love to see the look on his face. Heh, too bad that’ll never happen…

But a girl can dream.

-End Part One-

-Within the Absence of Light-

[Onyx's Note: I started this Wednesday, January 23rd, 2013 at 4:00pm and literally forgot about it... Until last night. I had written only the prologue and two paragraphs of part one, and since last night and this morning, I've written almost 6 pages. I'm still writing. Why? I want to see where this takes us...and I want to finish it. So without further adieu, I present my newest Riddick inspired story. I have a feeling it'll be different from the others...because I bring out a whole new side of me through this character, 'Wildcat'. And on that note; enjoy!]

-Prologue-

"Look at me..." I snarled under my breath, teeth clenched in anger as his large frame refused to face me. I struggled to stay absolutely still; my knuckles showing bone white with restraint as I tightened my fists. We’d been through worse and he never once gave up, even when I had to drag him back to the ship. I proved myself time and time again that I was strong enough to be at his side, that I could keep up. I’d never seen him like this…a broken man being cornered by the demons of his past. I wasn’t ready to let him be taken. They’d have to kill me first.
 
"No..." His voice was a low thunder, a haunted voice I'd never heard rumble passed his lips. Was it guilt that I was hearing? Knowing that everything we'd been working so fucking hard for was about to be torn from our hands…over a lie?
 
I felt my chest ache with the anger that was coiling behind my ribcage like a volcano about to erupt as I took a quiet step toward him and knew by the slightest twitch between his shoulder blades, that he could feel my rage curling off of my smaller frame like streams of smoke.
 
"Don't." One word... Such a simple word... But hearing it roll in a thundering growl made my heart break as it danced through my ears.
 
"So that's it." I shot at him in a very careful, controlled tone that even I didn't recognize. "You're just gunna give up?"
 
This actually got a reaction. Not exactly what I would've wanted, but it was something...
 
His head turned to the left, a shimmer of silver/blue fire flickering toward me when his body followed the motion and I was suddenly standing face to face with not a man…but a beast.
 
At any other time I would’ve taken a step back, put some space between us at the intensity of his metallic gaze. A look I never wanted to be focused on me. But this time, I was too pissed to be stared down into submission. He knew me better then that. I locked my knees in place and defiantly stood my ground. I wasn't going to let him see how this was destroying me. I was stronger than that. I wanted him to see that I was Not going to let him go without a fight.
 
A strange curve pulled at his full lips at the sight of me showing so much defiance in the face of what I couldn't change. "You can't stop this, Kid." He mused in a low growl and there was something in his gaze that held me there, trapped in the wake of his words. "There's nothing you can do now, but run. Get as far away from me as you can."
 
"Riddick..." I started to protest but he shut me down with a deep growl that started in the back of his throat and rolled slowly passed his lips.
 
"No. This is not up for debate." He shot at me and paused, taking another step forward, completely invading my personal space. "You are getting on that transport. End of Discussion."
 
I could feel the sting in my eyes but fought the emotion from spilling down my face in useless streams of salt and let out a defiant snarl; "No, god dammit! I will not watch them take you from me, do you understand?!" My voice was straining at the edge of a scream as all of those bottled emotions came roaring to the surface. "How am I going to live knowing I could've done something?!"
 
It all happened so fast...
 
One moment I was standing there, feeling impossibly small and alone when the unexpected happened.

He was incredibly still…like a statue you can’t take your eyes away from, afraid that if you blink it would suddenly move. That’s the only way I can describe it… He moved at a speed that just didn’t register, because one moment there was empty space between us, tension coiling through the air like invisible trails of smoke. In the next, it couldn’t have been more then five seconds, I was suddenly overwhelmed; powerful arms enveloping me, forcing me flush against a living wall of muscle.

My initial instinct was to fight off my assailant, to wriggle free of my living cage of flesh and bone. Being held against him without warning, my mind filled with shattered pieces of chaotic emotions… I couldn’t respond. I stiffened, confused and enraged. What the hell did he think this was going to accomplish? As though I’m just some strung out damsel in need of coddling. The hell was he thinking?!

As rage coursed through me, knowing he was going to do the very thing that we both Swore we’d never do… Within all that warmth, the steady thunder of his heartbeat pouring into me, the smell of his skin; a rich, almost feral scent that made me think of jasmine and a hot cup of coffee on a chilly night in October. The heat of his breath fanning along the nape of my neck, just above my collarbone to the left, knowing he was breathing me in… I could feel something weave through him into me. An energy that spoke to the animal within…

Before I could stop myself, I buried my face against his chest and wrapped my arms around him; small hands stretching the back of his black tank top with lines of unhinged desperation. I shuddered at the feeling of his large hands placed on the back of my head; his fingers curled in my shoulder length mane as he held me flush against him. I struggled to keep myself together, but in that moment of broken silence, I fell apart. Knowing that the heart I could feel pounding within his chest, the heart I'd come to call home…was going to be ripped away from me.
 
And there wasn't a god damned thing I could do about it.

-End Prologue-

Realignment Of Sorts

Early morning, strong coffee and I have to take Ellie up to her mechanic again because...well, ever since I got her back, she hasn't been idling correctly. She sounds like she's constantly cold, her purr isn't stable and...well, she's randomly Shut Off while sitting at a red light (Right when it turns green) or while I've driven down the street. And she's been running warmer because of it too (last thing I ever want is for her to over-heat). She did Not have these issues prior to the ignition hiccup we had a few weeks back. So he basically needs to bring her idle back up and check and make sure he's got the timing correct on the spark plugs. That's it. 

Hopefully he understands that this was Not an Issue before I took her in the first time, because I can't afford to pay for it. But this is my mechanic, he's an honest and genuine person and treats me like one of his daughters, so I doubt he'd do that to me. I always recommend him when friends need a good mechanic, which says allot.

In other news, I know I haven't been writing all that much lately, at least not here. I've been...emotionally pushed to my limits and am Finally starting to settle. The crazy is definitely present but finally manageable. I just thwack it with a stick when it starts acting up and it whimpers and runs back into its cage with its tail between it legs. We have a new understanding ;)

I also go in tomorrow morning to finish paperwork O'Doom at the Halloween Store I applied for so I can figure out my new work schedule. I have a feeling I'm really going to love working there and so far, the people I've met are pretty damned awesome.

Also on the agenda today is to call our apartment management office and find out when they plan on doing their 'new' inspections. We were under the impression it would be this week but we haven't heard anything, so I figure it'll be around next week. I just hope they actually give us a day and that it's not Tuesday because I have to go out to a dental appointment in Santa Clarita at 3pm to get a new crown I've been waiting on since last month.

So ya, besides the small stuff to keep me busy I'm still working on helping my Dad. He's not as panicked when I'm home because he knows I'm here, which makes it a little easier. But when I'm not home, he tends to let his brain get the best of him and I'm constantly bombarded by urgent phone calls for things he remembered that he thinks I forgot or didn't think of. Being home is stressful because I feel trapped and helpless, being out of the house is even more stressful because I worry about him and end up getting phone bombed of him needing things or him asking me when I'll be home or making me feel bad when I don't come home right away because he needs my emotional support; my company.

I feel like I've lost a great deal of freedom right when I was starting to venture forward, away from home. Finally making a plan and trying to execute it and the fates throw a tsunami of debris in my path. It explains the crazy I've been going through, trying so desperately to adjust like a calm human being that I was suddenly chained down and thrown into a cage. Like a Wild Animal trapped without consent and forced into domestication. Naturally, I reacted on instinct. I went a little nuts. I have a serious problem with being told what to do, I've never wanted to conform or be apart of the collective, I've always walked my own path. So being forced to suddenly take care of someone who had done all of this damage to themselves because I'm the Only one around... Is hard. No matter how much I love my Father and how close we are, I felt betrayed. He always preached, "We brought you and your brother into this world, you owe us nothing." but I always told him if I had the means I'd take care of him. Honestly, taking care of my father Does Not Bother Me. It's just the entirety of the situation and the unfortunate reaction of my twisted emotions that's made it so hard.

Well, it's getting better. Even if I've been pretty dark and have felt negativity spilling from my lips, it has. Each new sunrise is yet another beginning, a brand new day. Another reason to get up and keep going. Life is not easy. It's draining, chaotic, hard and sadly very short. So instead of allowing myself to be beaten down by all the negativity, I'd much rather focus on positives of today. Cherish the fleeting moments because they go by so quickly.

I've decided to enjoy the time I have with my Dad, no matter how much he grates my nerves sometimes. Things will improve, they've already started to... So that's definitely something to be thankful for.

Alright, time to finish my coffee, idle Dad's truck to keep her battery warm, wake up Ellie and get her to her 'Doctor'. Hopefully it won't be an all day thing, but we'll see.

-Adieu-

Unhappy Munkee

I’m disgusted with myself. I woke up in a relatively good mood considering I haven’t in quite awhile. I was even compelled to start writing…then my Father woke up. The first thing he does is start grating on me about going to the store, he doesn’t ask me how I slept, he doesn’t ask me how I’m doing, he immediately wants me to do things for him. I held my tongue because my temper started to flare up. Told myself to stay calm and just relax. But then all I mentioned is that I need to get milk, that I will go to the store, I just want to finish my coffee and wake up first and he stopped and clipped under his breath, “Guess I’m not eating then.”

*sighs*

It’s one thing if Dad’s under the weather, it’s another for him to pick at me every chance he gets. It’s not, Good morning, how are you? It’s- Do this, do that. I just told him, not more then a few seconds ago, that he doesn’t talk to me like a human being anymore and talks to me like a fucking PA. That’s why I don’t want to be here. I know he’s stuck on thinking about getting things done, hence why he talks about it right away, but it makes me feel like I’m nothing more than a gorramed tool and not his daughter.

I had to tell him, and he apologized and didn’t realize he was doing that. I hope he works on it or I am going to fucking snap. This is something I couldn’t really explain to people about why this has been so emotionally trying for me. Yes, his health is what drives me to find a way to help him (I love my Father very much), but the constant barrage of verbal demands makes me want to drive my car into a fucking wall.

I didn’t mind so much before when he’d ask me to do something, because he asked and he treated me like an actual person. And right this second, he has literally been non-stop talking at me. He won’t give me a fucking break and I have no space to myself. He’ll talk and I can answer, even though I’m Busy trying to write (which is why I just don’t anymore) but then he stops me and asks me once again, to get him something because he just thought of it. Even though I just told him I will go to the store, I just need a little time to myself so I can fully wake up and maybe write a blog in the process. He heard me, but apparently that doesn’t matter. All I asked was for a few minutes and I’ll go do what he asked, it’s not a big deal. But he doesn’t really hear me, too caught up in his own head and will talk at me whenever he feels like it.

Well… Okay, that’s not fair, he’s become a bit more forgetful (due to the liver damage, it can’t process toxins properly so it effects memory and balance) but the thing is, he’s always been like this. For YEARS. Especially when he drank. Now it’s more persistent due to said cirrhosis, he’s just not Mean like he was.

So I’m losing my mind, and I’m trying to be normal and happy. I’m trying to buckle myself down even though every part of me wants to run, screaming off a fucking cliff. Maybe I’m just weak. Maybe I’ve never been strong and I’m just drifting because I don’t have the sack to do things by myself.

*growls at herself*

Apologies… I’m a little irate right now and my PMDD from Hell is hitting me sumthin’ fierce.

It really is frustrating… Because I actually and truthfully, love spending time with my Dad. He’s just grating my fleeting sanity more then he ever has before. Logically I understand the reason behind it, but emotionally it’s knocking me down.

Gawd I’m a fucking whiner. I really don’t like myself right now. I don’t enjoy these emotions. They’re useless at this point. It would honestly make life so much easier if I wasn’t so fucking sensitive. Why isn’t there an off switch? Why am I wired like this? It’s annoying and hinders my judgment. I just don’t want to feel anymore. At least, not this intensely. If I didn’t feel anything, I’d have taken off years ago. That’s just not who I am.

*lets out a growling sigh and takes a long drink of her coffee*

I’m running out of patience and that’s not like me. But I guess that’s just how it is right now. This is gunna suck until we can get him his own doc. So I’m going to be crazy for awhile. Well, crazier than normal if that’s even possible… *smirks*

Gotta get my shit squared away and stop bitching. I am attempting to vent, to release some of the crazy from my brain-pan so I don’t end up hospitalized for attacking random people at the park acting like a giant territorial goose.

Amusing image, no?

I need a change, even if it’s something small… I think that’ll help. What exactly? Not all that sure. Maybe dye my hair random colors, get a tattoo or new piercing. Something like that. Just a small change to help my brain-meats from imploding.

Definitely need to see Big Bad in the theatres, that’ll Definitely help. I needs me some Riddick goodness. *chuckles*

I do apologize for how all over the place I’ve been and continue to be. I really am forcing myself to adapt, it’s surprisingly harder than I’d like it to be, but it’s never easy is it?

On that note, I’m chug the rest of my coffee, shower and go to the store my dad. Afterward… No clue. But who knows, maybe just getting out of the house will do me some good.

-A few minutes later after speaking to her mother-

Wow... That was just...lovely. I love my Mother and really miss the hell out of her, but man...she get's wired she just talks over me every time I try to speak. I wanted to tell her what happened, how everything is because she asked me, but as soon as I went to respond, she started talking about something else.

*sighs softly; defeated*

I'm done. I love my parental units, I'm grateful to have them in my life. I think I'm just tired of not being heard. When I really want to speak, my words get trampled as their voices wash over me. That's fine. It is. Gotta just take it. I'm just another shadow on the wall. And that's okay, I guess. 

-Anon-