A Wish Is A Dream The Heart Makes.

Chapter seven: A Secret Revealed.


"Xander! Are you there? Did you hear something?" Zeke yelled again, "Back with the others, I'm sure I heard something, I think I'll just go and see. I don't trust Parris with her. I'm going back, are you coming with me?"

Xander felt his heart start beating again and felt Riddick un-tense behind him. He took a few deep breaths to calm himself.

"I didn't hear anything Zeke; I'll wait here for you. I'm sure its nothing, but I know you'll feel better if you check up on Shazza."

"I won't be long... Just keep yer eyes peeled... we don't know where he is."

Xander could hear Zeke moving further away as he spoke, soon Xander knew he was out of earshot... well if he couldn't hear him anymore, it was unlikely that he'd hear them. He pulled away from Riddick slightly, enough that he could turn to face him.

"Umm... Hi" Xander was unsure what to say he had a lot he wanted to discuss but he wasn't sure where to start.

"What? You scared to be alone with me now?"

"No! Never! Not at all," Xander was horrified that he'd even think that, "I know that you won't hurt me. I just have loads of questions and... I don't know where to start."


"You're not human. I know it, so what are you?" Riddick studied him his gaze was intense even through his shades, it made Xander squirm slightly.

"Okaaay. Good place to start. I know this is going to make me sound nuts but... I was human, I'm from another dimension and after a totally shitty day I made a wish... to be with you. I've been dreaming of you for a decade, well I say you I never could see you. I could sense you or I was you... but I couldn't see you. You see? But when I actually saw you I knew it'd been you all the time..." Xander trailed off into a confused silence. Riddick smirked down at him.

"Don't panic Xan, I followed you. I know about the dreams, I got some too. No details, just flashes. I know you. You're mine."

"Anyway..." Xander was blushing at the possessiveness in Riddick's voice, "I was living on the Hellmouth; all vampires and demons, I've had the dreams since I was seven, I was just talking to myself, I said I W...I...S...H... I could be with you and live through my dreams with you. Next thing I know there's demon next me saying 'Wish granted' and I was on the ship in front of you... Years back I saved another demon from some vampires, it turns out she was mated to the one granting my wish. She offered to make me one of your kind... said you were one of the last. I thought about it and asked some questions and here we are. The enhanced senses are... hard to cope with, there's so much going on. It's way too hard to separate it all." There was silence for a while before Riddick gave a slight nod,

"I believe you. I'd know if you were lying. Your scent is... wilder now than when I first scented you. Less human. Hot." At the last word, Xander gave in and pressed closer to Riddick's firm body. He tilted his head up and Riddick was there, his mouth was hot and pressed firmly against Xander's, his tongue thrusting inside insistently, duelling with his own for dominance... arousing Xander effortlessly. Dimly he was aware he'd heard something, but until he felt Riddick go still, he ignored it, Slowly Riddick began to pull back,

"Gunshots, back at the ship...screams too." Xander looked at him amazed he was coherent after the kiss, he was struggling to think; speech was beyond him. Riddick knew it too, if the smirk he aimed at him was anything to go by. Smug bastard.

"Someone probably thought they saw you... Johns said to let of a shot if we did... By the way, is he as much of an ass, as I think he is?" Riddick looked surprised for a moment before letting out a short rumble of laughter and nodding.

"He amuses me. One day I'll get bored with him and ghost his ass." Xander shrugged, indifferent to Johns' fate. He didn't like him anyway.


They stood silently until Xander asked, "Did you find anything? We have no water, don't have anything really."

"Bones, large creatures that way. They died sudden... running. Bones were stripped clean. Beyond that, a settlement deserted from what I could tell. I didn't have time to look around I'd have been trapped. I was going to ghost the woman."

"What stopped you?"

"Overheard her talking with Johns... turns out she's not one of the sheep, she was gonna ghost us so she'd live. Some guy...Owens stopped her. Turns out she's the wolf in sheep clothing. I only ghost the sheep. I fight the wolves. More fun that way." He gave a half shrug with the last, before turning slightly and letting go of Xander.

"He's comin' back; dragging something... do you smell the blood? It's fresh." Xander gave a brief nod, with Riddick pointing it out, he could identify what he'd been sensing. He suddenly remembered his breather after a brief explanation to Riddick he offered it to him, he watched him take a few pulls on it as they waited. Xander began wondering what had happened to Zeke, had there been a fight? Before he could speculate further he heard Zeke calling out to him;

"Xander! Xander, you still here? Have you seen or heard anything?" Zeke's voice seemed strained to Xander. He stepped forward even as Riddick faded back, staying out of sight.


"Hey, I'm here it's been quiet here... but hot!" He was referring to the kiss he'd shared with Riddick, Zeke couldn't know that however. Xander was going to ask what had happened but something about the other mans stance, suggested to him that it wouldn't be a good idea, "Wh...Was Shazza okay?" He said instead. Zeke nodded and without referring to the new body he'd brought moved to continue digging. Xander watched for a while, hearing Riddick move in closer to them. He knew that Riddick was deliberately making more noise than was necessary, to allow him to follow his movements. He jumped when Zeke let out a shout.

"What's wrong? You just scared the crap outa me, Zeke!"

"There's a cave here! It may have water"

Xander ducked under the cloth and dropped into the hole, "Where?" Zeke stepped to one side revealing a small dark hole, barely large enough to crawl through. Xander felt his earlier unease return, as he stared into the darkness. His three years as a Scoobie were screaming at him, warning him not to mess with what was in there. He also could hear Riddick's warning growl, he knew that he was warning him not to enter it. Not that he'd planned on it.

"Look, Zeke I really don't think this is a good idea. I'm getting bad vibes from that cave... I don't think we should mess with it." Zeke threw him a disgusted look as he knelt in front of it, using his hands to widen the gap. Xander moved reluctantly closer,

"I'm serious! I know it's a bad idea. Please come away!"

"Oh, don't be a baby; it's a hole nothing scary." With that, Zeke started to worm his way inside. Xander could here the clicking, louder now. 'This is going to be bad' He thought, as Zeke's feet vanished inside. Xander heard Riddick move behind him, as he crouched before the hole. He heard a muffled cry from the cave followed quickly by screams and shots. He leaned closer to the gap hoping to see Zeke and maybe, be able to pull him out. Instead, he was splattered with blood. He froze in shock. Zeke was dead. There was too much blood for it to be anything else and... he couldn't hear him now. He was in the same position, hardly able to see for Zeke's blood when two things happened; seemingly both at once, he caught a glimpse of something sharp, blade-like, heading towards his head and a strong arm wrapped around his waist yanking him back out of the blade or... claws path. Safe in Riddick's arms they both watched as the claw passed through a stray beam of sunshine and began to smoke. The creature let out a painful shriek and vanished, slithering into the darkness.


Xander began to shake, as it started to hit him how close he'd been to dying. He knew that if Riddick hadn't been so alert... he'd be creature snacks. "Thank you." He said shakily before reaching up with his good arm and trying to wipe some of the blood away. Riddick held him tighter for a moment before letting him go. There was a loud shriek of anger that surprised them both; suddenly Shazza was before them she took one look at them before shouting,

"How could you! You monster! What did you do to my Zeke? What did you do to him!" With that she launched herself at Xander and threw a strong punch at him. He was too stunned to avoid it; he just stood shaking his head at her. The punch never landed. Riddick had shot a hand out and caught hers, inches from Xander's jaw. He slowly tightened his grip, until Xander could hear her bones creaking. He then flexed his arm and she flew backwards to land several feet away against a shocked Parris.

"Do not try to hurt my boy again, Lady. One warning. Next time I ghost you." Xander laid his hand on Riddick's tense arm, trying to calm him, before he turned to Shazza,

"We never touched Zeke. I swear. He'd been nothing but nice to me, why would I? He found that hole and went in... I tried to stop him. Honest I did! But he...wouldn't listen to me. I went close to see if he'd need me and... God! The sound those things made, he was screaming and what got him would have got me to if Riddick hadn't grabbed me out of the way. All we saw was a claw... sharp like a razor blade. The sun burned it. You have to believe me. We never touched him, Shazza!" When he finished he looked at the hole and shuddered, the others followed his gaze. There was blood splattered in front of it, obviously, coming from the inside out, the rest of the hole was clear, further supporting Xander's word. After staring at the hole for a little while, Shazza finally turned back to Xander and grudgingly nodded at him accepting what he said...at least for now.


In the silence the cocking of a gun, behind them, was abnormally loud. Riddick spun in place, turning to face the new threat, before freezing at what he found. There were several gasps and Fry called out,

"Johns, What the Hell are you doing!"

Xander closed his eyes and took a deep breath from the gasps, Fry's outcry and Riddick's lack of ass-kicking; he had a feeling he knew what had happened.

"Riddick...? He's pointing that gun at me, isn't he?"