"Carolyn. Hey, wake up."
A female voice, whispering. A hand gently shaking her shoulder.
"What is it?" Carolyn rubbed her eyes and blinked up at the shadowy figure standing over her. "Hannah?"
"Guess again." The figure sat down on the edge of the bed, her familiar herbal perfume wreathing them both in its fragrance.
"Oh..." Carolyn groggily rolled onto her side to face her. "You just get here?"
"Yeah. Morrison said you were up here. You have a new foal, by the way, and the party's starting in about an hour. You comin'?"
"Yeah. Just lemme wake up first." Carolyn yawned. "What time is it?"
"'Bout seven."
"Wow, that was a long nap. Guess I needed it." Carolyn yawned again. There was something important she needed to tell her guest, but it escaped her sleepy mind at the moment.
"Hey." The young woman gripped Carolyn's wrist. "Shhh. What's that?" She sat tensely, listening.
"What's what?"
"That breathing sound. Is someone in here with you?"
Oh, shit. Riddick.
Carolyn sat up, holding the covers to her chest. Dammit, this wasn't the way she'd wanted it to go. "Listen, Jack, I have to tell you something."
"I didn't know you were seeing anyone."
"I wasn't." Carolyn sighed. How to begin...
"What, you just met this guy today or something?"
"Well...yes and no."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Look...we need to talk, okay?" Carolyn patted Jack's thigh. "But not in here. I don't wanna wake him."
"Who is it? Do I know him?"
"Yeah. Get up and lemme get dressed." Jack complied, standing back to wait as Carolyn felt in the dark for her discarded clothes. She hoped their whispered conversation hadn't roused Riddick from his slumber. That would really complicate things.
"You go ahead and I'll meet you in your room," Carolyn whispered, standing to pull on her jeans. Best to get Jack out of here as quickly as possible. A sudden rustling noise from the other side of the bed froze her in position.
Oh, no. Not now. Please not now.
The room was too dark for her to signal Riddick to be quiet. Carolyn bent down carefully and stuck a foot into her jeans.
"You gettin' up?" Riddick's voice, deepened by sleep, boomed out in the quiet room. "What time is it?"
Shit. Here we go.
Carolyn heard Jack's sharp intake of breath.
Riddick heard it too. "Carolyn? You ok?"
"Who the fuck *is* that?" Jack demanded, no longer whispering.
"Who's there?" Riddick asked, sitting up and squinting into the darkness. Right now he really missed his shine job - it would have come in handy. He just hoped whoever was in the room with them didn't have a gun.
"Carolyn..." Jack's voice wavered. "What's going on?"
"Shit!" Riddick jumped out of bed and felt for his towel, quickly wrapping it around his waist. "Who's there? Carolyn, where are you?"
"I'm here, next to the bed." Riddick heard the sounds of her hurriedly pulling her clothes on. "Don't worry, it's ok."
The darkness disappeared abruptly as a bedside lamp came on. Riddick saw Carolyn tugging her shirt on, and a slender, dark-haired young woman standing next to her. The woman's eyes widened when she saw Riddick, and she started backing away from the bed, shaking her head in disbelief.
"Jack, it's ok." Carolyn went to her and grabbed her arms, stopping her backward movement.
"Jack?" Riddick stared intently at the woman and walked cautiously around the end of the bed towards her, tucking his towel in. "Jack, is that really you?"
Jack's lips were trembling now, and a tear spilled over and ran down her face. "No..." she croaked, shaking her head. "You're dead." Her fingers dug into Carolyn's arms as she clung to her for support. "What's going on? Who *is* that?"
"It's him, Jack. It's Riddick."
Jack turned her eyes back to the towel-clad man before her. He stared back with an expression of wonder, apparently every bit as stunned as she was. "But how...?" Jack said weakly, looking at Carolyn again. "No, no way...his eyes...that can't be him."
"He got the shine job reversed. C'mon, sit down." Carolyn backed towards the bed, gently pulling Jack with her and wrapping a comforting arm around her shoulders as they sat down together. Riddick remained standing, turning to face the two seated women. Jack stared at him for a long time, clinging to Carolyn as she gradually calmed down. Finally she let go and reached up to wipe at her eyes.
"How do I know you're really him?" She was scared, but still bristling with suspicion. Carolyn said nothing, letting Riddick choose the best way to deal with this.
He shrugged. "What kinda proof you want?"
Jack thought for a few seconds. "Tell me something only Riddick and I would know."
Now it was Riddick's turn to think. He wracked his brain for something, anything - then it came to him. "Remember the times I sang you to sleep?"
Jack blanched and sat very still.
"He *sang* to you?" Carolyn turned to Riddick, her mouth hanging open in surprise. "I didn't know you could sing."
"What did you sing?" Jack asked weakly.
"My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean," he answered without hesitation.
"Sing it," Jack commanded, her face still doubtful.
Oh, boy. This was getting out of hand. "Look, Jack - " Riddick blushed and shook his head.
"I wanna hear you sing it. Right now." Jack's expression made it clear she wouldn't budge until he did as she asked. With his eyes, Riddick silently begged Carolyn for help.
"Don't give me that look," she said, waving a finger at him. "I gotta hear this for myself." She gave Riddick a prompting gesture. "Go on, we're waiting."
Riddick closed his eyes and sighed, running a hand over his bald head. I can't fuckin' believe this shit, he thought.
After four years of running, hiding and struggling his way back to New Mecca, the last thing he expected was being awakened from a sound sleep and ordered to sing in front of two women while wearing only a towel.
He turned his appeal to Jack now. "C'mon, don't make me do this."
She said nothing, just crossed her arms and fixed him with a determined stare. Carolyn was trying hard not to laugh.
"Aw, fuck," he breathed, letting his head fall forward. He stood quietly for a few moments with his eyes closed, mustering his courage. He had no choice, really. If this is what Jack needed to convince her, then so be it. Finally, he raised his head, took a deep breath, and began. He sang softly, but his pleasant baritone still filled the room:
My Bonnie lies over the ocean My Bonnie lies over the sea My Bonnie lies over the ocean Oh, bring back my Bonnie to me
Bring back, oh bring back Oh bring back my Bonnie to me, to me -
Riddick's voice stopped abruptly as Jack leapt up and launched herself at him, her arms gripping his neck like a vise. He held her as she laughed and wept loudly, her body shuddering against him. Carolyn still sat on the bed. - she wasn't laughing anymore. Eventually, Jack calmed down and pulled back to take a close look at Riddick's face before planting a couple of big, sloppy kisses on his cheek.
"I can't believe it...it really *is* you." Her chest hitched with another sob as she gazed adoringly at him. With a shock, Riddick realized the girl - the woman, he reminded himself - was as tall as he was. They were literally eye to eye.
"Why'd you make me do that, Jack?" Riddick sighed. "I felt like an idiot."
Jack laughed giddily and gave him another tight hug. "I know you did," she giggled. "That's why I know it's really you." She gave his cheek another big smack. "Only *you* would do something like that for me."
Riddick felt his towel come untucked and begin to slip. "Hey, Jack, you gotta let go for a minute, okay?" He tried to grab the towel and push Jack away at the same time, barely managing to catch it and hold it in front of him just as she stepped back and saw what was happening. Carolyn started snickering.
"You look great," she grinned at Riddick. "Maybe you should wear that to the party." Jack's laughter joined hers as he fixed them with what started as a severe frown, but dissolved quickly into an embarrassed, lopsided grin.
Jack laughed and wiped her wet face with her sleeve. "I wish I had my camera with me right now." She shook her head in amusement at Riddick's discomfort.
"I'm glad you don't," said Riddick, carefully maneuvering the towel back around his waist. "Be right back. I need some pants." He disappeared into the bathroom and closed the door. Jack watched him go, then sat down on the bed beside Carolyn again, her face suddenly sober.
"Why'd they tell us he was dead?"
Carolyn finished her quick explanation just as Riddick emerged from the bathroom, fully dressed and carrying his boots. He sat down at Carolyn's small table to put them on. Jack took the chair across from him, watching silently as he finished fastening them.
"You got us out," she said simply.
Riddick sat back and looked at her. "Yeah."
"We have all this because of you."
"Pretty much."
Jack looked down, deep in thought for a moment. "Whatever they made you do, it had to be pretty major. Am I right?"
"You could say that."
Jack nodded. "But you're not gonna tell us what it was."
Riddick shook his head. "Not now."
"Musta been somethin' shitty." She watched Riddick's reaction, noting the sudden tenseness of his jaw, the tightening of his lips. "Don't worry, I won't bug you about it," she said softly. "I guess you'll tell us when you're ready."
"Yeah. I guess." His reply was almost a whisper.
"Hey, you guys - we have a party to go to," Carolyn broke in as she walked over to the table. She stopped behind Riddick's chair and placed her hands on his shoulders. "We can talk about serious stuff later, ok? I think we all need to unwind and have a little fun."
Riddick laid one of his big hands over Carolyn's as she leaned down to kiss the top of his head. "I prob'ly shouldn't go," he said, rubbing her hand. "Don't wanna call too much attention to myself."
"Yeah, good point." She nodded thoughtfully. "But I have to at least make an appearance - that's expected. I won't stay long, though."
"Want us to sneak some beer up for ya?" Jack grinned. "Or whiskey - we have plenty of that, too."
Riddick laughed and leaned his head back to look up at Carolyn. "Girl's got her priorities straight, that's for sure."
"You gonna stay in here?" Jack continued. "They play really loud music and dance outside, too, so you can open the window and listen if you want. It's pretty cool. They even have a bonfire."
"Yeah, what the hell, why not." Riddick laughed again and looked over at Jack. "Bring me some o' that whiskey. Been a while since I had any."
Jack stood up and rubbed her hands together. "You got it! Want some food, too? You better say yes if you know what's good for ya - Nina's cooking kicks ass."
"Hell yeah, I'm starvin'."
"Good choice." Jack started towards the door.
"Hey." Carolyn stopped Jack before she could leave. "Don't say anything, ok?"
Jack gave Riddick a long, affectionate look. "Not a word. Promise." Then she was gone, closing the door quietly behind her.
Carolyn took Jack's seat. She and Riddick sat quietly for a while, lost in thought. Her eyes moved towards the window, then back to the floor.
"Night's not a good time for me."
"Yeah. Same here."
She sighed and looked up at him. "Abu comes to stay for a while every year."
Riddick nodded. He didn't have to ask which part of the year, or why. She took a deep, somewhat shaky breath and bit her lip - she was trying not to cry.
"I'm glad you're here," she whispered.
"Not half as glad as I am."
Carolyn smiled at that, and a tear escaped and ran down her cheek. "I really don't wanna go down there. All I can think about is staying in this room with you and not coming out for a really long time." She wiped at her face and sniffed, still trying hard to maintain her composure.
Riddick reached out a hand. "C'mere." Carolyn got up and settled herself into his lap, sliding her arm around his neck as he pulled her close.
"Tell ya what," he said, giving her a squeeze. "Have a drink with me, then go down and play hostess for a while. When you're done, come back up, and we'll watch the rest of the festivities from here. Sound ok to you?"
Carolyn nodded, resting her forehead against his.
"You'll need shoes, though." Riddick snuck a finger down and tickled one of her feet, making her jump and squeal.
"Stop it!" She laughed and grabbed at his arm. "I got more than enough of that earlier." With an evil grin, she slid her fingers onto his ribs and tried unsuccessfully to tickle him back.
"Sorry," he shook his head with an exaggerated expression of mournfulness. "Still doesn't work."
"Damn. You're no fun." Carolyn punched him lightly in the chest.
Riddick laughed and hugged her tighter. "Yeah, I know."
Both of them jumped as a sudden, monstrous burst of noise reverberated through the house, followed by a woman's voice yelling.
"What the fuck - " Riddick began.
The door opened, and Jack entered bearing a whiskey bottle, three glasses and two plates of food on a tray.
"What *was* that?" asked Riddick as she set the tray on the table.
Jack rolled her eyes. "Just Perry checking the sound system. I think he hooked something up wrong." She started laughing hard and had to sit down. "Scared the shit outta Nina. She's down there cussing him out right now. Almost made me drop the tray, too."
"Did they ask why you wanted the tray?" Carolyn gave Jack a nervous look.
"Nah." Jack grabbed a fork and tasted the food on one of the plates. "They're both in the party room, so they didn't even see me in the kitchen."
"Good." Carolyn got up and stretched, then went to Riddick's side of the bed, where she'd left her boots earlier, and slipped them on.
His hands now free, Riddick filled the whiskey glasses and gave her one when she came back. "What should we toast?"
"Hmmm..." Carolyn pursed her lips and thought about it.
"I know." Jack broke in quietly. "Family. We should toast family." A long silent moment ticked by as they all looked at each other.
Finally, Riddick nodded approvingly. "Sounds good to me."
"Damn good." Carolyn's eyes met his.
He raised his glass. "To family."
"Family," Jack and Carolyn said together, touching their glasses to Riddick's.