Sometimes it was while sitting in the cave where he had left them. They would watch as the flame quivered in the dark, growing smaller and smaller, until it would finally disappear. That's when she would hear the boulder slowly roll away from the entrance. The black air would be filled with the monsters' cries. That was the worst part, knowing that they were surrounding her, but at the same time, not having a clue where they were.

Sometimes she died right as the suns set, when the hatchlings emerged from their nests and tore Shazza apart. Sometimes it was her body that was carried up into the sky, torn in half as her guts fell to the earth, staining the dirt with her blood.

A few times it had been as she was helping Zeke dig a grave for the dead from the wreck. He'd ask her to crawl into the hole and see if anything was there, since he was too big. She would stick her head in and instantly be dragged down a long dark tunnel, filled with nothing but dirt and her screams.

And once it was while they were making that terrible trek through the darkness. Riddick and Johns were ahead of the rest of them, arguing over whether or not to leave her behind to distract the beasts. Only this time, Riddick and everyone agreed with Johns, and she was left in the dark all by herself, listening as death approached her from all around.

Her most common death, however, was in front of the skiff. Everyone was inside waiting for her, including the ones that she thought had died- Zeke and Shazza, Imam's boys, Paris, even that cold-hearted bastard Johns was reaching out his hand for her, urging her to run faster. And she would try, she really did. She would run as fast as she could, faster than she had ever thought she could. But it didn't matter because no matter how quickly she'd move her legs, the ship kept moving farther away. She would slip in the mud and fall, her tears mixing with the rain. Then Riddick would appear beside her and he would lift her up into his arms. She'd look into his face and for just a moment, she knew that everything would be okay. That's when she'd feel the hot burning pain in her abdomen and the talons in her back, hooking into her skin. Then the sharp tug backward as the creature carried her away from the light and into the black void.

Every night she died.

And every night she woke up screaming, as if trying to convince the Fates that no, she was alive, dammit, she was!

And every night Riddick would appear by her side. He would wrap his arms around her and let her cry out her pain and anguish against his chest. Even on the nights when she would try to push him away for fear of appearing weak, he would still hold on to her as tightly as possible. Because the one time he didn't hold on to someone tight enough, she was torn from his arms, leaving him standing with nothing but bloodstained hands.

So that was why every night Riddick would cradle Jack in his arms, gently rocking her until she fell asleep again. He would lay her down and tuck the blanket under her chin. And he would swear to himself that he wouldn't, he couldn't let this one go. As long as he held onto her, they would make it, as long as they were together. He would protect her from her demons because she did the same for him. And if she had nightmares every night for the rest of her life, so what? He would be there for her, every single night.