Pillars and Pyres

Chapter 10

When Riddick woke, he couldn't help but smirk. Reaching up over his head he untied his wrist from the headboard, tossing the scrap of tattered fabric to the floor. Reaching out to pull Carolyn's back to his front, he had just flung her leg up over his and buried his hand in the sticky, wet warmth between her legs and his face in her neck when he heard Persephone's voice calling for him from near the lift. With a sigh he dipped his fingers into Carolyn's warmth once more before rolling to his back licking his fingers off. When he heard Persephone start to walk he called out to her. "Stay there. We'll be out in a minute." Causing Carolyn to sit up with a jerk, scrambling for a moment as she oriented herself.

Riddick could have sworn he saw a blush as she held the sheet up to her chest with one hand.

"Hi."

"Hi' he replied back reaching out to pluck the sheet away from her.

"Why were you yelling?"

He jerked his head towards the door. "Persephone's here." He said watching as she turned into a raving lunatic.

"She's here? She's here right now?" she asked jumping off the bed.

Riddick simply nodded.

"Oh My God." Carolyn ranted, picking clothing up off the floor and throwing them on the bed. "She's going to know!"

"She's going to know what?" Riddick asked with amusement as he sorted clothing.

"That we were together." She said wildly waving a finger between them, "that we…I smell like you! WE smell like sex! This is not the way I wanted to meet her, what is she going to think? What KIND of impression is that going to make?" Carolyn threw a hand to her forehead closing her eyes.

Slipping his feet into his boots, Riddick buckled his belt as he approached her taking her by the shoulders. "Carolyn, look at me."

Carolyn opened her eyes and Riddick could see how upset she was. He reached down touching her hips before pulling his shirt off of her and placing her own in her hands. "We're her parents. She's going to be thrilled that we we're together."

"Parents?" Carolyn parroted wildly as they both put on their shirts. "We don't even know each other. How can we be parents?"

"Daddy?" he heard Persephone call out again. "Just a minute, Seph!" he yelled back as Carolyn stood staring at him like he had grown another head. He held out her pants. "One step at a time, Carolyn. Get dressed and then let me introduce you to your daughter." He watched her swallow hard and let out a shaky breath. "Unless of course you want to meet her in your underwear."

Carolyn huffed and quickly finished dressing. As Riddick was about to open the door, she stopped him, placing a hand on his. "Do you think she'll like me?" she asked looking up at him.

"Carolyn, she already loves you."

He opened the door and walked out, backtracking to grab Carolyn's hand and pull her along with him till they stood a few feet away from their daughter. Riddick squeezed her hand and took a step back. Carolyn nervously licked her lips before attempting a smile. "Hello, Persephone." She said reaching out with her hand before dropping it back to her side in a fist. "You're so beautiful," She whispered. "May I call you Persephone?"

Persephone nodded, a shy smile flitting across her face. "What should I call you?" she asked.

Carolyn reached up to tuck a piece of hair behind her ear, anything to keep her hands busy. "Carolyn or Demeter." Carolyn shrugged before asking, "What would you like to call me?"

Persephone looked at her father and Riddick held his breath.

"I'd like to call you Momma, if that's all right?"

Carolyn raised a hand to her mouth before nodding her head and holding her arms out to her daughter who went willingly, being held for the first time in her memory by her mother.

Riddick felt his throat tighten with unspoken emotion as he watched his normally stoic daughter collapse in her mother's arms and they fell to a heap on the floor, Carolyn holding their daughter tightly, as she soothed her with softly murmured promises.

Once both of the women in his life seemed to have themselves under control, he moved to stand beside them. He'd never seen Persephone happier. "Why don't we go have some breakfast?"

Persephone looked at her mother. "You'll come with us? Back to our home?"

"Of course I will," She smiled letting Riddick help her to her feet.

Persephone took her by the arm and led her to the lift where she talked non-stop from the time they entered it to the time they arrived at the doors to Riddick's quarters.

"So, you're going to move in here with us, right?" Persephone asked Carolyn as they sat down to eat. Carolyn glanced over at Riddick.

"Your Dad and I really haven't talked about it." Carolyn replied looking between her daughter and her plate. Using the word Dad in relation to Riddick left a heavy taste on her tongue. One that would take some getting used to.

"But you have to! We're a family now. Families live together." She demanded even as she covered a large yawn. "Excuse me. I didn't get much sleep last night."

Carolyn reached out and squeezed her hand. "I'm sorry. I had no idea you were waiting up for us."

"It's ok. I'm sorry for barging in this morning, but I just couldn't wait anymore. Daddy promised he wouldn't let you leave and I just had to make sure."

Carolyn smiled, "There's nothing to be sorry for."

"Seph, why don't you finish your breakfast and then take a nap while your Mom and I get the living arraignments sorted out." Riddick suggested.

Mom. That was twice now that he had used it and another word that would take some getting used to, especially coming out of Riddick's mouth.

Carolyn stood and accepted Persephone's kiss to her cheek and promised not to run away in her absence, vowing to go no further than back to her rooms to get cleaned up.

She watched as Riddick walked her to her room and leaned on the door frame speaking to her in hushed tones. Surveying the room, a stack of papers caught her eye. Walking over to the desk they were on, her breath caught as she quickly riffled through them.

Closing the door behind him Riddick turned to see Carolyn's face and the papers she held in her hands but chose to ignore it. "I'll have someone move your things over this morning and you can start staying here."

"What makes you think I'm staying here?"

"It's what Seph wants. You heard her."

"What I heard was a teenage girl who wants to have a family. She'll come to understand that she can have that without us living together."

Riddick took a step towards her as Carolyn held up the newspaper clippings waving them in her hand, her voice low and ragged, the emotions from the last fifteen years dripping from the words flowing out of her mouth. "Do you know how many times I've stood in hell and held deaths hand since I've met you? More times than I care to remember and half of which because men wanted to use that little girl in there as a pawn against you. I thought I was going to die on that planet so I gave in and fucked you. Do you know how many times over the years I wish I hadn't? We didn't know each other then and we don't know each other now."

"Are you finished?" Riddick asked backing her up against the wall, holding her there with a thigh to her crotch where he could feel her moist heat and still smell the faint aroma of their joining. "I am the ONLY one who has walked across fire you, or don't you remember that? I can assure you that I didn't do it out of the kindness of my heart for either the holy man or the kid. I did it for you. Those demons that you're still running from? They don't exist here. You're running from the wrong thing, we're your family now Carolyn; you are just as much damaged goods as I am. Do you even know how many people you've killed trying to protect your secret, starting with yourself?" he said grabbing the hand holding the newspaper articles, "It's time to prove that what you did wasn't just about you and your survival."

At that last dig, Carolyn reached her free arm up to slap him. She heard Persephone's voice ring out even before her hand left Riddick's face.

"Stop it! Why are you being so cruel to each other?" She asked before dissolving into tears, running back to her room.

Carolyn's head slipped forward to lean on Riddick's chest even as the warmth from his hand encircled her wrist where her hand still rested against his face. "My first hour as a parent and I'm a total failure." She moaned.

She felt his chest vibrate with a chuckle. "She was five when I found her. I can assure you she's been through worse. I'll go to her." he replied letting go of her.

Carolyn caught his arm. "Can I? Please?"

Riddick nodded, stepping away from her so she could pass.

Carolyn knocked softly on the door, waiting a moment before pushing it open. Persephone had thrown herself on her bed, curled up, facing away from the door. Carolyn slipped her shoes off before getting comfortable, leaning back against the headboard.

"I'm sorry that you had to see that. Would you like to talk about it?"

"Why does it get so complicated when people make love?" Persephone asked with disgust rolling to her back and staring at the ceiling.

Carolyn managed to keep her calm. "And what do you know about making love, sweetheart?"

"Just from what I've observed. Not from any experience," she assured her mother with a quick look in her direction.

Carolyn silently blew out the breath she had been holding. "And just what have you observed?"

Seph shrugged her shoulders. "Well, there's the Vaako's. We're around them a lot and Dame Vaako isn't very nice to Vaako. She looks at other men and insinuates things to make Vaako mad and then in the next breath she's hanging all over him promising to do things to him in the throne room in Daddy's chair."

Carolyn felt a headache coming on and used a finger to rub between her eyes as Seph continued to talk. Carolyn could tell she had thought about this long before she had come along. "And then there's Daddy."

Carolyn wasn't so sure she wanted to hear it but couldn't back down now. "What about your Dad?"

"He's had women through the years. They'll stay here for a while and once they start getting territorial or clingy he kicks them out and it's always so awkward around them afterwards."

Carolyn was using her whole hand now to massage her head as she listened to Riddick's exploits through their daughter's eyes, until she turned the tables on her. Seph rolled over to her stomach and looked at her mother. "Have you had any lovers?"

Carolyn could swear she heard Riddick snort from the next room and frowned in that direction. "Yes, I've had several over the years."

"Did they last for very long?"

"No. Not until the last one."

"What happened?" she asked, seeming to hold her breath as she waited to hear the answer.

"He was a member of my crew and I found out he was using me to get to your Dad."

"After all these years?"

Carolyn nodded.

"Where is he?"

"I killed him."

"Oh."

Carolyn reached out to stroke her daughters face. "Your confusing sex with making love. Very few people make love. Most people are looking for something else. Whether its power and control, a need for release or just a human touch to let them know that they're alive. It's complicated and messy at best and some people handle it better than others."

"Which is it with you and Daddy?"

Carolyn leaned her head back against the wall behind her. "For me it was about feeling alive. He's the only person that's ever made me feel that way."

"Is that why you never married or had more children?"

A pained expression crossed Carolyn's face before she smiled. "There are many reasons for that, your safety being first and foremost."

"But you're not willing to say it didn't play a part in it." Seph asked with a raised eyebrow much like her fathers, but Carolyn could see through the ruse. The little minx was trying to play matchmaker to her parents.

"Persephone, your Dad and I are broken. We won't ever marry or live in a house and have matching dishes; he won't come home and kiss me at night. That's not us and I'm so sorry if that disappoints you."

"But you're both here now! With me! Can't you at least try? For me?"

A movement at the door caught her eye and she saw Riddick casually leaning against the wall listening. He slowly pulled off his goggles and looked at her, his arms at his sides, his body language speaking volumes. Carolyn met his eyes.

Looking back her daughter who had been watching, Carolyn smiled reaching out to cup her cheek. "I'll try for all of us."

Months later.

A ship hurtled through space on its way to pre-arranged coordinates. The ship so black you would be forgiven for missing it in the darkness of space. Only it's nose plate sparkling in gold to reflect any light off of. A back winged horse in flight; it's flowing main a nest of snakes. The Aganippe II was the newest in personal cruise ships with a state of the art weapons system, plenty of living space and a concealed cargo hold. Everything a family of Mercenary Transporters could ask for.

Slowing the ship down, Carolyn cursed. He was already here. She'd never hear the end of it after insisting on going over this plan again and again. If that damn port inspector hadn't been so nosey Carolyn might have been on time and might have escape unmolested. As it was, she desperately needed a shower. Several in fact, the thought making her shudder. She had decided in the long run it was easier than killing him which would get them off on a ready-made bad foot.

Easing back she made gentle contact with the other ship, connecting the two before pressure sealing the hatchway. She stayed in the pilot's chair while Seph ran down to meet him ensuring the transfer went as planned and to say goodbye to Vaako, the newest Lord Marshall. Seph called up a few minutes later. "All clear, Mom. Hit it!"

Carolyn chuckled at her daughter's flair for the dramatic, but did in fact hit it, hurtling the cruiser away from the Necromonger ship, not wanting to take a chance of the two ships being seen in the same region. Setting the autopilot for their next port of call, she was just standing when her family appeared on the deck of the bridge.

"Hey honey, I'm home," Riddick quipped as he bent down to kiss her. "You're late."

"Yeah, tell me about it," she muttered as he looked at her questionably.

Seph piped up. "And this is where I to go to my room."

Carolyn glared at her as Riddick, snaking an arm out to keep Seph from high tailing it out of there, raised an eyebrow looking between the two of them.

"What happened?" He demanded letting Seph go and crossing his arms over his chest.

He and Carolyn had a staring contest as Seph told on her mother.

"The port inspector was getting a little nosey and Mom had to do something to distract him."

With a growl Riddick was instantly in her space, a hand between her legs. "Do you mind?" Carolyn snapped at him, batting his hands away.

"It didn't go that far, Dad, I was in the room with her the entire time, but I know I'd want a shower." She said with a shudder and a sympathetic look towards her mother. Carolyn watched as she turned and slid down the stairs to the next deck. She looked back up at Riddick who hadn't taken his eyes off of her.

"Where's our room?"

Carolyn pointed. "This floor, the entire back half of the deck."

Taking her by the hand, Riddick began walking briskly in that direction.

"But I bought matching dishes! Don't you want to see?"

"No," he growled swinging the door shut behind them before pushing her down on the bed.

The next deck down, Seph leaned over turning up the music in her cabin with a roll of her eyes.

The End

a.n.~

F.y.i., I'm almost finished with the sequel to "And Death..." and hope to have it posted no later than than the 1st of next month. Everythings done except the middle section which is giving me fits. If it continues, I may make it work without it and get on with my life. I've got a family vacation and Dragon*Con to get through before the new Riddick comes out and I want all my loose ends wrapped up :)