Age of Nox

Chapter 16

Toombs slept on, outside the med bay, only collapsing into exhaustion after attempting to stay awake as Jack underwent emergency surgery. He tried his best to stay awake, his head jerking up when he realized he had fallen asleep. The events played over and over in his mind and soon enough, it was impossible to fight sleep off.

-"Jack, Jackie, babe, no," Toombs just stood over her bloodied body, which lay still on the metal table. "Do not pull this mother fuckin' shit on me!" He was becoming short of breath, suddenly unable to touch her. He had gotten her into this mess, she was gone because of him, the only woman who had given all she had to him and the only woman who had ever loved him.

"Get out of the way," Riddick's gruff voice spooked him. The convict had silently stepped in and viewed the situation with well-controlled emotion, but Jack's laid out and unmoving body had shocked him and his beast more than anything he'd ever seen. And he'd seen all sorts of people dead, young, old, tortured, single gunshot, he'd seen it all, but seeing her motionless like that had sparked something different.

Toombs still hadn't moved.

"Get out of here! You want her to live, then get out!" He nearly yelled, but finally the merc moved, his eyes on the table the entire time.-

Toombs twitched in his sleep and slid almost completely to the floor.

-Finally they had gotten out of bed, Jack insisting they needed to shower, especially herself. She made a joke about Riddick being able to smell Toombs and sex all over her if she didn't clean up. Somehow, only she found it funny.

She had been partially dressed, as had he and all laughter fell silent when they went to shower. Jack had turned on the water while Toombs had watched her the entire time, pulling her to himself when she stepped away from the stall, wiping her wet hand on her shirt. Jack's bare legs rubbed up against his pants, as his bare chest was flush against her shirt, both creating friction.

Her mouth opened to his without resistance and they fell back against the wall, Jack's hands wandered, memorizing his body that she had been mapping out all of today as well as last night. Toombs held her head in one hand and wrapped his other arm around her waist, anchoring her to him. Her fingers hooked in the waist of his pants, tugging on them slightly and growling into his mouth, she let go and broke away.

"Still gotta shower," she breathily managed, her face flushed with the heat of the kiss. He said nothing as she pulled off her shirt, dropping it to the floor. "You can join me," she was about to step into the shower when she leaned back out again. "If you can handle it." And with a smirk, she disappeared under the hot spray.-

Choking on his breath, Toombs awoke, glancing around suddenly. He listened, straining his hearing to see if anything had changed in the med bay. The clatter of one instrument being changed for another confirmed that the surgery was still underway.

He blinked away the sleep, suddenly remembering what she had said to him seconds before the ship had gone into hyperdrive. Leaning back against the wall, he shut his eyes and let the shaky breathes go, not even caring to suppress any tears.

--"I love you."—

"Gotten yourself into a fine mess this time, kid," Riddick thought to himself, carefully stabilizing her shoulder. He had easily relocated it, but it would be very tender, especially with the rough job Jack had done in getting the bullet out. The stitching was thorough and he did all he could to keep any infection from setting in.

There were multiple other injuries, many of which had cost her a lot of blood. She was on an IV, since there were no blood packs there, but rarely could anyone get them unless they broke into a hospital.

He worked through them, cleaning the one on her leg and carefully stitching it. Her hands were bloodied and scraped, as were her wrists and ankles.

Riddick breathed in deeply and looked at her ribs, the bruising and discoloring worrying him. Without a doubt one or two were broken, but her breathing would've been much worse if one had punctured a lung. He had broken his ribs a few times, more like he had had his ribs broken, by a few none-too-welcoming inmates of Butcher Bay. From what he saw, her rib injuries weren't too different and it would heal on its own.

Standing back, he rubbed his head, feeling exhaustion kick in. He'd have to get Toombs now, who had been sleeping for a better part of the time.

"Toombs! Get in here." He called out and he heard shuffling outside before the door slid open. "Take her to rest and watch her ribs."

He made no verbal note of the man's tears, but did carefully watch as the merc lifted Jack and with painstaking patience, carried her to their bedroom, never disrupting her sleep in the slightest. Riddick carried the IV from behind and set it up in the room.

But Riddick couldn't ignore the blatant mixing of Jack's and Toombs' scents in this room. He left Toombs to watch Jack, only after tossing disinfectant and bandages at him.

The door whisked shut and Toombs chuckled to himself.

"Well, Jackie, looks like Dickey boy actually does care."

She had been asleep for a long time, around a week at this point and Toombs was going crazy. He didn't understand how Riddick could go without speaking for days at a time, but he had yet to resort to the helkin. That helkin had lasted a long time and there was still about a crate left. But Riddick did laugh when Toombs related the story of how the helkin had found its way to this ship.

But finally, the tension broke.

"We gotta land soon," Toombs announced, walking into the main room where Riddick sat, looking asleep. "Dick." He looked up, a glare present. "We're almost outta coffee."

"Why were they after you and Jack?" He asked, taking Toombs by surprise.

"Not the point, I-"

"I've added it up in my head but your bounties don't fit in." Riddick narrowed his eyes.

"You've always been bad at math, Riddick," her tired voice came from the hall.

Both men whipped around and saw Jack leaning against the wall, a tired, but true, smile lit her face. She looked worse for wear, but neither could have been happier to see her. Pushing herself off the wall, she slowly made her way to Toombs, who welcomed her with open arms.

"Don't you dare do that again, we clear?" He growled into her hair, pulling her against him. As he sat down, she sat into his lap, grateful for the support.

"Riddick, thank you." She nodded in his direction and he returned it. "Truly, I'd be dead now if it wasn't for you and your…surgery skills."

"Don't worry, I haven't considered becoming a doctor." He quirked a smile as she laughed. But she tired easily and her breathing was unsteady for a few seconds, her eyes closed. It would be a long recovery.

"So what is this about being out of coffee?" She turned in Toombs' lap, looking down at him. Truly, she was more attuned to his arms wrapped around her waist. For a while, during her imprisonment, she had wondered if she would ever feel them again, keeping her safe and secure.

"What it sounds like," Toombs replied, wanting nothing more than to sweep Jack up and have his way with her, but he realized that with Riddick around, that would be more than a bad idea. "While you're recoverin', you shouldn't drink it, but we're almost out."

"Hmph." Jack wasn't interested in what he thought she should and shouldn't do, she was just happy to be alive. But she itched to shred every piece of clothing off his body and renew every passion she had felt that night. She glanced over at Riddick, who had been seeing the interaction and desires between the two of them the entire time. He didn't look all that interested either.

"Jack," Riddick started, standing up. "All I'm gonna say is that your ribs won't heal well if you're getting banged up."

She laughed outright while Toombs looked on, confused and oblivious. Riddick left them, going down into the workings of the ship to find something to do. Jack breathed deeply before turning around and straddling Toombs, linking her arms around his neck.

"Missed you," she whispered, leaning her forehead against his.

"You got no idea how much I missed you, babe," Toombs gave her a quick tender kiss. It quickly became much more and when she finally pulled away, she was breathing heavily and had to rest for a few minutes before speaking again. "Jackie, 'm thinkin' we should take it slow, just for a while," he added, relieved to see her nod.

"And I'm thinking we should lay off the business for a while, go under the radar til we this whole bounty shit wears off," Jack mumbled with her eyes closed. She felt his muscles tense as he maneuvered her around until she was being carried.

She finally opened her eyes when he had laid her down in bed, turning his back to her to take off his boots. When he faced her, their eyes locked for a minute, both drinking in the sweet sight of one another. Finally Toombs lay down, carefully gathering her in his arms. She relaxed against him, her head pillowed on his shoulder. Her eyes had closed again as Toombs weaved in his hand through her hair, gently rubbing her scalp.

"Love you, Toombs," she murmured, snuggling closer to him.

"Love you too, Jack," he kissed her head, grinning as she purred. Pulling up the blankets over them, he closed his eyes only after he was sure she had fallen asleep.

"You gonna be alright, Riddick?" Jack looked around the small cabin, clearly not pleased with the state of isolation he was putting himself in.

"I was here for a while, I'm fine." He growled at her, not surprised when she growled back.

"I just don't think this is very good for you, that's all. Rejoining the human race isn't quite the same as solitary confinement in some cabin the middle of damn freaking nowhere."

Frye flashed before his eyes and he shook his head.

"You know I don't belong out there, Jackie," he started. "It ain't my place, walking in daylight in the streets like you." He was unpacking all the things he had sealed before he left to find her.

"You ever tried?" She countered, wrapping her arms around herself.

"No and I don't plan on it any time soon." His voice was getting short and angry. Jack sighed and approached him, pulling off her gloves and stuffing them in her back pocket. He froze up as she lay a bare hand on his forearm, easing him away from the crates he was working on. Her other hand stretched up and cautiously rested on his face.

"Whatever makes you happy, Riddick. That's all you deserve." Jack whispered, standing on her toes to kiss him on the cheek. She let her hand drop from his arm and as she pulled away the one from his face, his hand shot up and grabbed it, holding her there.

"Stay outta trouble, alright?" His silver eyes bore into hers.

"I will." Jack smiled up at him. She curled her fingers around his thumb as he did around her hand. "I'll be good."

Riddick brought her knuckles to his lips and kissed her hand, only after letting her hand drop and pulling her into a hug. Both stood for a moment, silently thanking each other for everything. They broke apart and Jack took out her gloves, fastening them after she put them on.

"Hey," Riddick suddenly said, making her look up. "If that merc-"

"Toombs," she corrected.

"If that merc gives you any trouble, come here, got that?"

"You sound like some badass older brother, Riddick. But I will, don't worry." She gave him one last smile. "See you around, then."

He nodded in return, watching her turn around and walk towards the door. Just as she opened it he called out to her one last time, making her turn. He threw something at her which she caught in midair, her gloved hand closed around it. She looked down at it and smiled, stowing it away beneath her coat. He saw the white flash of the bone shiv as she re-buckled her coat.

The door locked closed and Riddick saw another chapter of his life come to an end.

"Took ya long enough!" Toombs exclaimed as she walked on board, shaking the snow from herself. "But we're completely restocked and refueled."

Jack didn't answer until she had unbuckled her coat and laid it over a chair, trying to warm up. He frowned, sensing her unhappiness. He sat for a few more seconds and watched her, about to stand when she crossed the distance in a few steps and nearly fell into his lap. She buried her face in his neck and began to shake, her quiet sobs the only noise in the room.

"Shh, Jack, it's alright, it's gonna be alright," Toombs soothed her, whispering in her ear. "You're gonna be just fine, babe, it's alright." He continued this until she was still, a few sniffles the only evidence that she had been crying.

"He's all alone up there! What if somethin' happens to him? No one would ever know!" She exclaimed, clenching her hands in his shirt.

"I don't think that's true, Jack."

"What do you mean?" She pulled away from him and looked down, his blue eyes concerned.

"You'd know. Somethin' would happen and you'd know. Two of you are tight enough to just…" he gestured vaguely with a hand. "Instinct shit…you get me, right?"

Jack laughed and nodded.

--A few days later—

"Wake up," Toombs growled at her, making her blink a few times. She grumbled and stretched, forgetting she was sleeping directly atop him until he hissed and grabbed her hips. "Without torturin' me, Jack."

"Why the hell are you gettin' me up anyway?" She moved off of him and swung her legs around, her feet hitting the cold floor.

"You'll see," he sat up and copied her actions, instead pulling her back into his chest as he sat on the bed. Still half-asleep, Jack lay her head on his shoulder, kissing his neck. She remembered that he had come to bed later then her, smelling a little strange. Not bad, but it was a scent that was from a long time ago and she couldn't place.

"So what reason am I up?" She asked, standing upright. Toombs followed suit and said nothing, pushing her out of the bedroom.

Rubbing sleep away from her eyes, Jack was instantly hit with the name of the smell.

Pine.

Looking around, she grinned when she saw a small pine tree, haphazardly decorated and various blinking strings of lights wrapped around the ship's pipes.

He hadn't forgotten Christmas.

"Toombs!" She turned, finding him right behind her. "It's perfect!" Jack pulled him down into a passionate kiss, breaking only for air.

"You really like it?" He looked around, pleased with his work.

"Nothing could be better." She replied, eyeing the presents on the floor. "But…I couldn't get you anything." Jack looked back at him and he shook his head.

"You gave me you, Jack, that's all I want." This merited him another kiss and soon they sat on the floor, next to the small tree. "So go ahead, open 'em."

Jack inspected each, finally picking a larger one. Toombs laughed as she tore at the string with her teeth and treated the paper in just about the same way. But he couldn't resist grinning when she opened it and looked confused. Jack reached in and pulled out a small piece of paper that was folded in half. Opening it, she read aloud,

"Try the next one."

"Well, get to it!" He gestured at the rest of the presents. It took her about fifteen minutes to go through the all of them and about ten open boxes lay on the floor, all with the same piece of paper in them.

"Is this your way of avoiding finding a gift for me?" She smirked at him, inwardly pleased with his lazy and creative streak. "Cause this one says the same as the rest and I don't see another box."

"You sure?" He looked genuinely confused.

"Yeah I'm sure!" She looked under the small tree again, the pine scent sticking to her clothes. After a few minutes of searching, she turned back to him. "There isn't one other box, Toombs."

"Why don't you try this one?" He pulled a small box out of his pocket and tossed it at her. It had different wrapping, definitely professional.

Jack took her time, sliding her nail under the wrapping, not ripping it once. Pulling away the paper, she saw a small black box, the outside soft to the touch. Realization hit her fast and hard. It was velvet. Biting her lip, she slowly opened the box and let out a soft gasp at what lay inside.

"Jack," he moved closer to her, wrapping his hands around hers. "Will ya marry me?"

Smiling, she looked up into his eyes and nodded, not trusting her voice yet. Jack watched him take the ring from its soft bedding and slip it onto her finger, the diamonds safely embedded into the band. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him, knowing that the feeling of pure elation was in both of them.

"Love you, Jack," he kissed her again.

"Love you too, Tums."

- - - - - - -

And that, my readers, is the end of Age of Nox. I hope everyone enjoyed it and I'll tell you it was one of my favourite ones to write.

I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed (njrd, thanks for everything).

And of course, if anyone has ideas for a next story for me to write, tell me in your review!

Thanks again, everyone.

-Shamrock