Wherever You Are, You Can Come Home to Me.

Chapter 26

Riddick crossed his arms over his chest, squaring his feet beneath him as he watched Royce lie his weapons down on a table and unzip his vest. "Do you really want to do this?"

"Yeah," Royce said gruffly laying his vest down on top of his weapons.

Riddick looked around at the rest of the men. "Seriously? And you're just going to let him do this?"

Grinning, Carlos pulled up a chair, while Jason propped himself against a tree. "You left her" Varro said quietly, "and left us to pick up the pieces."

Riddick chuckled. "Pick up what pieces?" he drawled out slowly. "You can't expect me to believe that she was actually upset by my leaving."

"The hell she wasn't," Carlos spoke up.

"She's pregnant with your child," Royce ground out. "Does that mean nothing to you?"

"Why should it?" Riddick replied unemotionally.

"You're the one person she has left from before. You're the one she cried out for at night when her nightmares came back. And whether they were nightmares from your world or this one she ended up in bed with me and Isabelle more nights than not that first month. She still has nightmares but refuses to let us in now."

Riddick looked the man up and down with a smirk, "I didn't know you had it in you."

Varro shook his head in disgust, "You're an ass."

Riddick let out a laugh just as Royce took his first swing.

"So to what do I owe this visit?" Carolyn asked as women piled into her living area. Destiny started squirming in her mother's arms when she heard Carolyn's voice so Carolyn reached out to take her, putting the baby on her shoulder as she rocked.

Not one for beating around the bush, Isabelle told her. "Riddick's back."

Carolyn gave her a sad smile, "I know. He was here in the house earlier."

"He was?" Nicky asked with a frown.

Carolyn nodded, "While I was resting. He thought I was asleep."

Chloe grabbed her free hand. "Are you alright?"

Squeezing her hand, Carolyn nodded again, "I'm fine. So that begs the question, why are you all here?"

"We were basically told to get inside and stay." Rachel answered.

Carolyn looked at Isabelle, "What happened?"

"Nothing yet," the woman told her just as the sounds of a fight reached their ears.

"Royce and Riddick?" Carolyn asked no one in particular. Isabelle just shrugged.

"Chloe, come take Destiny," she instructed the younger woman.

"What are you going to do?" she asked as Carolyn maneuvered herself out of her chair.

"I'm going to go stop the idiots from killing each other."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Rachel asked.

"No," Carolyn growled, flinging open the door to her home, stalking her way across the compound to where Riddick had Royce pinned on a table knocking the crap out of him. However, from Riddick's appearance Royce had been holding his own. Carolyn marched up to the table leaning right over Royce's face causing Riddick to let go of his shirt pulling his punch. "How you doing Royce?" she asked the man, her breasts hanging in his face, muffling his answer.

"What are you doing?" She asked Riddick as he backed up wiping blood from the corner of his mouth.

"You going to put those up?" he asked pointing to her exposed chest.

"What do you care?"

She felt Royce's hands go to her waist and squeeze. She stood and backed away from the table so he could sit up. "Sorry," she mumbled.

He waved her off and got to his feet swiping blood away from his nose. Walking over to Riddick he stuck a finger in his chest. "Fix it or leave. She doesn't deserve this shit." He walked away without a backwards glance as Isabelle hurried to catch up.

Suddenly, everyone had something to do and somewhere to be, but none leaving before either giving her a kiss on the cheek, a pat on the back or a squeeze on the hand letting her know where they would be or what they would be doing should she need anything. Anything at all.

Carlos was the last to leave and she twisted in his arms bringing her mouth close to his ear as he bent down to meet her, wrapping his arm tight around her shoulder just to piss Riddick off. "Have you seen Bob?"

"Not since he brought you and Destiny in at lunch."

"Thank you." She whispered as he placed a kiss on her cheek before shooting a look at Riddick and walking off.

"What was that?"

She sighed, "That was a kiss," as she sank down onto a bench. "What are you doing here, Riddick?"

Throwing out his arms he turned in a circle. "Last I checked this was home in this little corner of the verse."

Carolyn looked at him, shaking her head sadly, as she got back to her feet. "I'm going to go help get dinner on the table. I'm sure everyone is looking forward to hearing about your trip. We'll get you set as well."

He watched as she made her way to the kitchen before going to clean up after his tussle with Royce. The little bastard packed a mean punch he thought with a grimace working his jaw back and forth before dunking his head in a bucket of water. Taking a cloth he dried his head, wiping his face and arms off.

Back in the courtyard the others were making their way to the tables. Jason and Varro greeted him and he sat at the table with them making small talk as the women started bringing dishes out and Carlos washed up after tending the animals.

Carolyn made her way over to let Isabelle and Royce know that dinner was ready. Royce opened the door to her and she winced when she saw the bruises that were already blooming on his face. "Ouch"

He leaned down kissing her forehead. "It was worth it if it causes him to pull his head out of his ass."

Carolyn grasped the back of his neck. "Don't let it stop you from enjoying his company, you're friends and I'm sure you want to hear all about his adventures." Raising his hand he brushed her cheek with it before making his way to dinner.

Isabelle stood in the doorway watching the scene between her lover and her friend. "I need your help," Carolyn said to her.

"Oh yeah?"

"I need help getting one of the single huts ready for Riddick."

"Whoa! Kicking him out already?"

Carolyn crossed her arms, "He did that when he left."

Isabelle nodded. "Now or after dinner?"

"Would you mind if we did it now while we still have some light? That way we don't bother anyone."

"Nah," Isabelle smiled, linking her arm with Carolyn's. "It'll just take us a few minutes. You dust and sweep, I'll wrangle the bed to submission."

Carolyn giggled as they walked by the others, Isabelle yelling at Royce to save them some dinner. Riddick watched the interaction between the three as he listened to Varro and Jason tell him about Bob. He grinned with a shake of his head. Leave it to Carolyn to first name and then adopt the damn thing. All he had hoped to accomplish by leaving was for her to get over her fear of the thing, not make it part of the damn family.

Carolyn and Isabelle reappeared making themselves a plate and as the two women ate and the others cleaned up there was a ruckus somewhere outside. Carolyn ignored it and continued eating as Isabelle just gave a passing glance as the men picked up weapons to go investigate. They returned a while later with Bob trailing behind.

The gate was shut and secured, and lights hung around the perimeter. Bob came to Carolyn, mandibles clacking, grabbing her wrist. When Riddick stepped forward to protest, the creatures arm shot out grabbing him by the neck, roaring at him.

Slapping Bob to draw his attention back to her, Carolyn jerked her arm loose hissing at him and making motions with her hands. Looking at Riddick, Bob let go and shoved him backwards before turning back to Carolyn, grabbing her wrist again.

"I get it!" she told the creature.

"Carolyn!" Riddick called after her, a black look on his face.

"It's alright," she said raising her hands in a placating motion. "He wants me to put the bracelet on but it's in the supply hut."

"Here," Nicky said appearing out of nowhere, handing her the very thing she needed.

"Thank you, Nicky. Bob's a bit agitated about something tonight."

"Hey Bob!" Nicky said making a hand motion. Bob tilted his head and clicked at her. She smiled. "Glad to have you back home." She waved and returned to the kitchen where she was helping Chloe and Rachel clean up.

Carolyn snapped on the bracelet and activated it, holding out her arm not knowing what he wanted from her. He punched in the controls causing the personnel locater to shoot up in front of them.

The men had formed a circle around them but kept their distance. They watched as Carolyn and Bob engaged in a conversation that included a lot of grunting and hissing on Carolyn's part and clicking on Bob's. Carolyn finally flopped down in the dirt pulling Bob with her as a knife popped out of his wrist. Riddick surged forward but was held back by Carlos and Varro.

"He's not going to hurt her," Carlos said near his ear. "Just watch."

Bob started dragging his knife through the dirt with Carolyn by his side, as Royce and Jason stepped closer to watch. When Bob was through drawing he stood, clicked at Carolyn a few times and left the way he had come. Carolyn who was still kneeling on the ground looked up at Isabelle and asked her to shut and secure the gate. If Bob wanted back in he'd find a way. Isabelle nodded and rushed to get it closed. Royce squatted down in front of her looking at the drawing.

"The blue ridge?"

She nodded and held up the bracelet so that they could all see the hologram. "Twelve survivors so far," she said looking at him.

"And at least half that many Predators." He replied grimly.

She nodded. "They're herding them in our direction but they're being much more aggressive this time," she said to the group. "The initial drop was evidently much larger as well," she interpreted pointing at the drawings on the ground. "The survivors have taken out at least two predators so far."

"Where's he going?" Royce asked tilting his head to drawings in the dirt.

Carolyn met his eyes. "He'll go to the edge of the ridge and wait. I don't know if he'll let anyone through or not."

Royce nodded grimly and looked up at Riddick. "Looks like you got back just in time for all the fun."

"Looks like," he replied grimly, his eyes locked on Carolyn kneeling in the dirt.

She was struggling to her feet when two hands grabbed her elbows helping her to stand. Riddick was standing so close she could feel the heat of his body as his chest pressed up against her back. She turned her head to the side closing her eyes as she felt him hold a strand of her hair to his nose. Varro, who called Riddick over to the table the men were gathered around, shattered the moment. Carolyn felt his hand brush lightly against her side as he let go of her joining the men.

Isabelle approached her with a smirk.

"Oh shut the fuck up, Izzy," Carolyn snarked, causing Isabelle to laugh out loud.