Summary: Wasn't expecting that.

He couldn't have pulled out of her even if he'd wanted to. Riddick considered the sleeping woman in his arms and wondered if she had any idea what she'd asked for when she begged for the Furyan.

How could she know when he hadn't? In the back of his mind, in the place where Shirah dwelt, he felt things, knew things, and they came out with his instincts. Those feelings had been guiding him for years. They'd gotten stronger, harder to ignore when Shirah had ignited the Wrath.

Funny, ever since then he'd been a lot pickier about the women he slept with. But he'd never sunk his teeth into one, never felt his body change and lock into hers when he came before this. Of course, no woman had ever begged for the animal, the Furyan to possess her. Begged for him to have every part of her. Did one follow the other?

That felt right, correct, that claiming her as his woman, her answering that she was his… Furyan… big damn mystery sometimes but those instincts hadn't steered him wrong yet. She'd have to get used to him being around because there was no way he'd be able to let her leave him.

"He is…" A tiny yawn interrupted her. "Hmm…he is thinking too hard, worrying too much." Her hand slid to cover his, pressing to her belly, "Body has feline elements, the animal is more than theory."

"Yeah," He'd figured that out with the flood of thoughts and instincts from last night. He'd felt his body hook into hers, keeping her womb open so he could fill her. "Problem?" He had no idea how he felt about it, would she be all right with it, how could she be okay with it.

"Hmm…" She wiggled back against him. "Claimed her." She sounded as smug and satisfied as he'd been when he woke up for their second round. "Very pleased," She Read his thought and answered. "Riddick is feeling pleased as well?"

"Feel good," He nuzzled the bite mark at the curve of her neck. "Just a little…worried about what all this means. My instincts generally guide me… but this's new."

"Doesn't regret, but is concerned his woman might after time passes," River's lips brushed against his jaw. "No regrets." She smiled, "You worry what barbing me means. Worry my belly will round and make me vulnerable."

"Fuck," He dropped his head to her nape, the image of River Tam with a round belly filled with his kid damn near setting his blood on fire. "Yeah. Never thought I'd want that."

"Does when he thinks of her with a round belly he's given her," River sounded pleased. "Glad."

"Yeah?" Riddick looked down at the woman he'd claimed as his. "Isn't that sorta against the whole independent liberated woman equality thing?"

"Wouldn't want me if I wasn't his equal," River pressed her mouth to his firmly. "Question is, will he come to Serenity with me or should we find our own boat."

"Let's see how your Captain Daddy feels about the convict claiming his little Albatross," Riddick chuckled. "I'm with you no matter where we end up."

"She is with him," River agreed. "Always."

"Suppose we oughta get up, someone's gotta fly this thing," He could hear folks moving around in the common area.

"Leave before Waller and Flag take it into their heads to hunt for us," She nodded. "Waiting for a while when they believed we would run immediately has worked but we don't want to delay too long."

He wasn't thrilled to be getting out of bed but he could see the necessity. "Yeah, let's move out before someone comes and throws us in jail."

He wasn't surprised to see Lawton and the rest of the squad waiting in the common area of the boat they'd appropriated from the Alliance docks. It wasn't as if the Colonel, Waller and the Purplebellies would be stranded. Another transport would be en route to pick them up faster than they could spit. Not that any of them spat. Reynolds sat at the table, a not entirely pleased look on his face. "Riddick," The Browncoat greeted him. "Albatross," His half smile faded as he took in River's kiss swelled lips and the bitemark at her nape. "River…"

"Do not fuss," River patted her Captain Daddy on the shoulder as she passed him on her way to the coffee. Waylon inhaled deeply as she rounded the table and looked at Riddick with a tilt of his head.

"Yeah," Riddick knew exactly what the other half animal meant. "She is."

"Good," Killer Croc grunted. "Good to have someone to guard your back." Lawton looked at the two of them shaking his head. Harley laughed with insane delight and Harkness just watched River's pì gu and licked his lips. Waylon growled at the boomerang wielding nutjob, "You're crazier'n Harley if you're eyeing Riddick's woman like she's a meal. He'll gut you."

"I could just open him up, balls to breastbone," Riddick snarled. "Or River might."

"No harm in lookin'," Harkness protested. "I ain't touched her."

Harley rolled her eyes, "She's a Reader." The 'you moron' at the end of that statement need not be spoken it was so heavily implied. "Geez, you're thinkin' so loud I can practically hear you."

"Very loud," River agreed and brought coffee over for all of them. "If Richard will get us into the Black, I will obscure our identity and we can chart a course."

Riddick took his cup and sipped, curling his other arm around her waist possessively. He couldn't help the smug smile he could feel curving his lips. He had a right to be smug, a beautiful, intelligent (genius), genuinely good woman had agreed to be his.

"And he is hers," River looked at him, eyes sharp, jaw setting in a manner he knew too well. She set her jaw like that and it meant all that gorgeous steel in her spine bent to her will. And damned if she couldn't get him to bend along with her. Not that he particularly wanted to argue on this point.

"Well yeah," He nodded. It went without saying. He wouldn't put his mark on just anyone. And she wouldn't have anyone who wasn't her equal.

"Under the thumb now mate?" Harkness smirked.

"Tiresome," River rolled her eyes and patted Riddick's shoulder. "We should get moving. Discussion and pissing contests can be postponed until after we are no longer within the atmosphere."

"Yeah," Riddick squeezed her hip as he stood with his coffee. "Let's not loiter near the scene of the crime."

At least the coffee had given him a bit of a jolt. Not that he generally needed it, but he liked the taste; he burned off caffeine like any other drug. Liftoff and the pressure of gravity trying to hold him, triumph as he broke away, the stillness and peach of the black. Better than caffeine or any other drug. Programming in one course for the comm buoy to read, he waited until they'd passed it before shutting the ship down.

They could drift in the black for a while and River would be able to husk the boat's systems, plug in a different identity. Disengage the pulse beacon and restart the ship and they'd be none the worse when he charted in the new course.

He chuckled as he heard the Squad exclaiming over the sudden emergency lighting and Reynolds explaining what was going on with a 'I'm-so-gorram-tired-of-explaining-my-genius-daughter's-genius-tactics-and-when-will-ya'll-stop-askin'-dumb-questions' tone to his voice.

"Ready when you are," He turned silver eyes on River, rewarded with a smile and a gentle kiss.

Author's Note: So one more chapter and this story will be finished. I hope you're enjoying it. There's been some concern as to what will happen to the Squad afterwards and the next chapter will deal with that to an extent.

Chinese Translations:

pì gu (butt)