Night has always pushed up day
You must know life to see decay
But I won't rot, I won't rot
Not this mind and not this heart,
I won't rot.

And I took you by the hand
And we stood tall,
And remembered our own land,
What we lived for.

And there will come a time, you'll see, with no more tears.
And love will not break your heart, but dismiss your fears.
Get over your hill and see what you find there,
With grace in your heart and flowers in your hair.

And now I cling to what I knew
I saw exactly what was true
But oh no more.
That's why I hold,
That's why I hold with all I have.
That's why I hold.

~After the Storm by Mumford and Sons~

Carolyn awoke to the feeling of being pinned down. As her eyes fluttered open she saw an arm thrown across her waist and following said arm led her to a mans baldhead. She smiled at the sight of a sleeping Riddick lifting her hand to run it over his head. As soon as she raised her arm she gasped at the pain that shot through her shoulder grasping at it with her other hand. Riddick's concerned face was instantly in hers, his hand covering the one at her shoulder.

"Carolyn," he rasped out. "Are you alright? I'll get the doctor." He rose to leave but she grabbed his hand.

"Please, stay." She asked breathing heavily in through her nose. He nodded but before sitting down called out for Vaako. Carolyn turned her head in the direction of the door and saw the dark haired Mohawk wearing man step inside. His eyes widened as he realized she was awake.

"Get the doctor," Riddick quietly asked as he turned back in her direction to sit on the side of the bed.

"What happened?"

"You don't remember?"

Carolyn's brow furrowed in concentration as she thought back to the last thing she remembered. Riddick knew the instant she did as she went white as a sheet.

"Is the baby, ok?" she asked him grabbing the front of his shirt with her good hand, tears welling up in her eyes.

Riddick gathered her to his chest shushing her. "According the doctor the baby is fine. He just wants you to stay off your feet for a few days."

"Thank God," Carolyn breathed out. He could feel her tears falling on his shirt. He rocked her gently while stroking her hair. They stayed like that until there was a knock on the door.

"Riddick, the doctor's here" she heard Vaako say.

Riddick pulled her away from him and kissed her cheek laying her back on the bed. "I'll be right outside."

She nodded and the doctor stepped into the room as Riddick stepped out.

When the doctor finally emerged from Carolyn's room thirty minutes later it was with the same diagnosis that he had given when she was first injured. He was reluctant to give her any medication for the pain due to her pregnancy and recommended bed rest for at least the next two days. Riddick consulted with the doctor over a few more items and then sent him on his way. After conferring with Vaako over their timetable he made his way back to Carolyn who was sitting up in bed her back cushioned by bed pillows.

"How are you?" He asked, returning to the room, closing the door behind him.

"The baby and I are fine," she told him leaning her head against the headboard, her arm in a sling. "How are the girls?

"Worried about you. Aereon will send them in when they wake. They'll be happy to see you"

"And how about you, Richard? How are you?"

He knelt beside the bed and laid a hand on her stomach. "I almost lost you again," he whispered, bowing his head.

She reached over and rubbed his head, her hand drifting down to his neck. "Oh, Richard. I'm so sorry. I should have listened to you about the door. I remember being on the floor telling you that I'd be fine but nothing else. What happened after?"

"Dame Vaako and the guards involved with the previous Lord Marshal were executed."

"Richard, did you?"

"No. Soldiers killed the guards."

"And Dame Vaako?"

She watched his face turn into an unreadable mask. "Her husband. I watched him shove a knife between her ribs because of what she did to you. I don't understand this connection the two of you have. I know he's never touched you, but there's something there and I don't like it," he growled out. "You and our children are mine, Carolyn. I'll never allow you to be taken away from me and now that you're with me I'll never allow you to leave."

He had stood from the bed, backing away from her during his little speech, crossing his arms over his chest. When he finished, Carolyn looked down at her hands and counted to ten as she chewed on her lip. As worked up as he was right now and given her condition it was probably not the best time to get in his face about his assumed territorial rights over her and the children.

So, finally deciding to instead tame the beast, she lifted her head and held out her hand. For a moment he looked between her hand and her face like he would a coiled snake about to strike. Carolyn couldn't help but smirk a little. He finally took her hand and she scooted over on the bed to make room for him. Once he was settled she crawled into his lap so he could hold her.

She sat quietly for a bit just taking in the comfort of his arms wrapped around her. "Richard, I love my children. So much so, that I can't imagine being separated from them for even a day. So, if our children are always going to be with you and I'm always going to be with them, I guess you're stuck with me." She said sighing dramatically.

Riddick let out a throaty laugh and pulled her in for a kiss. When she was settled again she voiced her thoughts out loud. "I think Vaako is confused, Richard. He was brought into this life and told this was the way and embraced it but I think he's tired of it. The intrigue and suspicion that he lived with daily because his wife wanted more and wanted him to get it for her was wearing him down whether he wants to admit it or not. The way I see it you have two choices. Take him with us or make him the Lord Marshal."

Riddick sat silently playing with her hair while thinking about what she said. "So, even after telling you how I feel about him being around you, you would still advise me to take him with us?" He growled lightly in her ear, nuzzling it with his nose.

Rubbing her head against his Carolyn purred as his lips continued to lavish attention on her ear and neck. "Yes, just like Chode and the rest, I think that if given the chance Vaako will prove himself your closest confidant."

Slipping his hand inside her nightdress, being careful of her injured shoulder, he started kneading a breast. "You know I don't trust anyone but you Carolyn."

She took his hand out of her clothes so that she could twist around in his lap to straddle him. "But yet everyone knows what's going on around here but me." Pulling the hem of her nightdress up he lifted his knees so that she slid down and was planted firmly on his covered erection. Carolyn closed her eyes and moaned steadying herself with her good arm on his shoulder as he grabbed her hips, grounding her into him.

He slid one hand up to a breast and the other down to her center. "Still feeling lost?"

"No," Carolyn gasped out, using her free hand to wrap around the back of Riddicks neck pulling his mouth to hers. Lifting up on her knees far enough for him to plunge his fingers into her, she moaned into his mouth as he moved his fingers in and out of her, using his thumb to rub her clit working her up to the point of no return.

"Richard," she begged, practically sobbing "please, I want to feel you inside of me."

'No, not this time" he whispered gruffly into her neck watching as she pleasured herself on his hand. "I want to watch you come apart." Once he felt her walls start to tighten around his fingers he used his free hand to twist her nipple while continuing to pump the hand she was riding. It was enough to send her over the edge. She threw her head back as she let loose a long loud groan wrapped around his name. Riddick bent her back and laid her head on the bed by his feet. Keeping a hold of her hips he leaned forward planting his face between her legs lapping up all the juices that had poured out of her. His rough tongue caused shudders to rack Carolyn's oversensitive skin. Having thoroughly cleaned her, he let loose of her hips and made his way to her mouth.

She opened her eyes to look at him. "Hi," she said with a smile. Leaning in to kiss her, she tasted herself upon his lips. She pulled away with a yawn and a stretch causing Riddick to smirk. "Don't look so pleased with yourself," she said playfully, smacking his arm. He lifted her up and laid her head on a pillow tucking her in.

"Get some rest. I'll bring the girls in when they get up."

She smiled sleepily, hanging onto his hand as she drifted off.