Gyn Wolf's Story: Chapter Fifteen-The Last Pain

Crip-Ornay loomed on the horizon and Riddick watched their approach through wary eyes. They would be landing ten miles away from Gyn’s old home in two hours and he didn’t know what to expect, and that made him edgy.

Gyn sensed the edge on Riddick and Jack did as well, apparently, for she had been getting quieter and quieter as they approached Crip. Both females were tense, but Gyn hid it far better than Jack could. Riddick had been hovering over Gyn protectively ever since they’d left Dres a month earlier. They’d spent three weeks in cryo-sleep, but he was back at it now, his eyes seeking her out whenever he felt she wasn’t close enough to him.

He’d been talking to Jack more as well, noting that she didn’t seem to want to hang on him nearly as much as she used to. She’d been distancing herself from him and becoming closer and closer to Gyn in the short time they’d been awake. For once, even he’d slept. He figured it was fatigue from months of running finally catching up with him. He turned to find Gyn’s eyes resting on him, looking worried.

“C’mere,” she murmured. He stepped close to her, feeling the heat of her body seep into his senses. She laid her hands on his chest and closed her eyes. He felt intense heat rake his senses and suddenly he wasn’t tired or sore. He felt better than he ever had before. He felt refreshed and relaxed. Gyn opened her eyes slowly and slumped against his chest. He caught her, instantly concerned.

“Are you all right?” he questioned, his deep voice rolling over her senses like a blanket.

She smiled wanly and nodded. “You were tense. No good, I’ll be good soon, though. Don’t worry, just need sleep.” And with that she fell asleep. He carried her to a cot and laid her sleeping form down gently.

On his way back to the main deck Jack shot him a worried look. “What’s wrong with her?” she demanded to know.

“Nothin’, she just exerted herself. She’ll be good by the time we land. She just needs some sleep,” he answered, glad to know Jack cared about Gyn. She should after what Gyn did to save her back on Dres.

Jack nodded, looking frightened, the cynical wary look he always saw in her eyes momentarily gone. She nodded again, absently, and then the frightened look was gone, and the old cynical wary one was back, locked firmly in place and ready to flash a cold smirk at him. The little girl with the tough attitude was gone. Now there was a young woman, with big fears, who really was tough standing in her place. The kid knew to much about how things were; she knew nothing was easy, everything was hard, and nothing came for free. He wished she didn’t, because she had the same look he’d had at that age, and he hoped she didn’t end up like him.

Jack averted her eyes and curled back into her chair, opening the book in her hands to a dog-eared page, slipping back into the fiction that helped her distance herself from everything going on around her. She knew they’d be landing soon and that made her feel better. In this land of little light and quiet company she felt cold and empty. Gyn talked to her about anything she wanted - but only if Jack asked a question. Riddick started conversation sometimes. The first time had given Jack a start she didn’t think she’d ever forget. He almost never talked unless he had to, and now he did it with her at least once a day. She wasn’t sure if she should rejoice or ask him if he felt all right. Jack decided to just keep quiet, though, ignoring the whole thing and acting like he’d always been willing to make pleasant conversation.

With a sort of tired resignation she had begun to feel her romantic feelings for him diminish. The fact that him and Gyn disappeared into the same room to sleep helped it - or rather stomped on it and rubbed it into the ground. She’d woken up screaming every night for the past year, but now when she did Gyn came. Riddick came, too, but he’d only stand in the doorway a few moments then leave her with Gyn.

Gyn understood her, but Jack didn’t know why she felt that way, or why Gyn understood so well. Gyn had never told Jack anything about herself, except to call her Reese Drake and that she was a convict with a bad record. A weird feeling of irony came over as she realized where she was. Back on “Hell” everyone had been scared out of their wits of Riddick, the bad ass murderer. She’d been fascinated by him, but also terrified deep inside.

Now she was traveling with him and another Slam City escapee to a planet she’d never been to, but had been told was wild and savage and full of all sorts of life threatening goodies. Irony, she repeated to herself silently. I’m safer with two killers than I am anywhere else. What a life.

And with that she fell asleep.

~~~

The landing was smooth, the craft taking the brunt of the atmosphere impact easily, and setting them down at the right coordinates without even waking up its passengers, who were all sleeping soundly in their bunks.

Gyn woke first, stretching with animalistic grace and letting out a low purr of satisfaction. Riddick twitched an eyelid at her, lifted one corner of his mouth in a half smile then closed the lid and drifted off again. She continued to stretch then grabbed her goggled off the counter on the main deck then hit the hatch button to open the door. Gyn drifted quietly into down the cargo door and onto the green grass that came well above her knees.

She wanted to see her old house, but they were miles away from it still. It had been a good sized establishment, boasting four bedrooms, two baths, kitchen, den and living room. It had taken Gyn a lot of work and money to have the place built. Ven and Brand had helped bring in the cash, too. It was obvious no one had been there for some time. No trampled grass and the birds were loud and sang joyously for the sun. Gyn took a deep breath of the fresh air and grinned, despite the seriousness of her mission.

A sharp pang suddenly clouded her vision and she dropped to her knees, clutching her temples with her hands, her head lowered until her forehead touched the ground. A heavy hand dropped to her shoulder and she lashed out, swinging wildly, a growl of frustration and pain ripping from her throat.

“Gyn!”

Gyn forced her eyes to focus as she crouched in the grass protectively. Riddick’s harsh face swam into view and she shook her head violently to clear the fog clouding her senses. “Riddick...” she breathed and fell sideways in the dirt, wrapping her arms around herself. Riddick leapt forward and scooped Gyn up against his chest.

Damning sixth senses and Gyn’s love of family, he carried her back into the ship and stalked silently past Jack, who wore the usual worried face.

“Is -”

“She’s fine,” Riddick cut Jack off before she even finished her thought, and placed Gyn carefully on the cot where she seemed to be spending most of her time. Jack came in to find Riddick sitting on the edge of the cot staring down into Gyn’s face and pushing the hair away from her face. It had grown a lot since he’d found her and he wondered if she’d cut it again.

“I don’t know how she’s going to help her brother and sister if she keeps getting these pains that knock her flat,” Riddick said after a prolonged silence.

Jack started at the low growl of his voice and shook herself out of her reverie. She’d been thinking the same thing. She shrugged. “Maybe they’ll stop when we get close.”

Riddick lifted one massive shoulder and sighed. “You’re going to stay here, Jack.” He lifted his head to look at her, his eyes shielded by the goggles. “Here in the ship. I’m not putting you in danger again.”

Jack narrowed her eyes at Riddick. “I might be here with you, but I’m here for her.” She pointed meaningfully at Gyn. “Her brother and sister took care of me, and Brand isn’t any older than me and he takes care of himself. So can I. I’ve been doing it for four months now, Riddick. You don’t have the right to tell me what to do. You left me already.” That said, Jack swept out of the room and Riddick heard her leave the ship. He knew he should go after her, but as she’d so adequately put it, he’d left her already, and she could take care of herself.

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