A/N: yay! new chappie! enjoy!

Chapter 3: Confessions

Vaako watched from a shadow as Riddick dragged Lenore into his room and felt his hands clench into fists at his sides. He knew it. Damn Furyan thought that because he was Lord Marshal he could say one thing and do another. He should have known Riddick would be unpredictable. He knew there was nothing he could do about it. It was the Lord Marshal's right to have a harem, even if he never used it.

He took in a breath and tried to turn and walk away, not wanting to have anything more to do with it, but the thought of Lenore in Riddick's bed kept him in his spot, his temper beginning to flare to unbelievable heights. His hands ached from clenching his fists so tightly he was sure he'd break his own fingers. Vaako moved to take a step toward the door but it opened, stopping him in his tracks.

His hands released from their fists as he saw Lenore stagger out of the room, glance around, then head back to the harem chamber.

No man is that fast, Vaako thought to himself and finally came unglued from his spot to head after her, his pace a touch faster than her own.

When he came closer he heard her sniffling and coughing, softly. He was a few yards away when she stopped and whirled around to face whoever was following her. Her eyes widened as he stopped and stared at her, his gaze cold as she trembled from sobbing, her red, teary eyes mirroring his glare.

"Well, Commander Vaako," she shuddered, "What have you to say to me? Come to tell me I'm nothing but a whore, maybe? Save it. I don't need it."

She turned and attempted to march down the hall again, but Vaako was faster and marched toward her until he was directly next to her and he gripped her arm to pull her into a room they nearly passed. He shoved her inside and she stumbled into the room before he shut the door. Lenore stood tall and casually turned to face him.

"You had best be careful, my Lord," she mocked. "Your wife may see us and become jealous."

"What happened in there?" Vaako asked, ignoring her comments and coming right to the chase.

"What do you think happened, Vaako?" Lenore spat back. "You've already decided what's happened! Why are you asking me?"

"No man is that quick when he takes a woman," Vaako retorted. "Not even Riddick." He took long strides toward her and stood inches from her as they stared each other down. "I will ask once more: What happened?"

Lenore stared at him, tears beginning to well her eyes again but she quickly shook them away before gazing at the floor to her side.

"I told him I couldn't give him what he wanted," she murmured, making Vaako's eyes widen slightly at her. "I told him that I was…saving myself for the man I love. He laughed at me, but he let me go."

Vaako grabbed her arm and dragged her toward one of the walls, shoving her against it and making her gasp in shock before he pressed his lips over hers, attacking her mouth with more passion than tenderness. She couldn't help but moan and slip her arms around his neck as his lips trailed down hers. She moaned again, but when he reached a certain point on her neck, he froze and pulled away, licking blood from his lips. Lenore's eyes met his in realization and he took her chin in his hand to gently move her head to see the cut on her neck.

"What happened?" he asked, lowering his hand and looking back at her as she nearly glared at him, but he knew he wasn't the cause of the glare.

"Your wife paid me a visit today," she ground out, and Vaako's green-hazel eyes widened in shock as she continued, "She threatened to kill me if I didn't stay away from you."

Vaako's hands clenched into fists against the wall on either side of Lenore as his gaze turned dark. How dare his wife do such a thing to someone she knew was dear to him? It would not stand! She was getting out of control, and he knew why. She was having a childlike tantrum because she hadn't gotten her way. Her husband hadn't become Lord Marshal, and she was furious enough for the both of them.

He looked back at Lenore and tenderly pressed his lips to hers before dipping down and gently pressing a kiss to her cut and breathed, "I shall take care of it, Lenore. She will not harm you again."

"But Damon-"

"Trust me…as you once did," he murmured into her ear. "Before we lived as Necromongers you trusted me with your life."

"I've always trusted you with my life, Damon," Lenore whispered, her hands on his shoulders to keep herself pinned between his body and the wall. "I trust you with my whole being."

"Good," he growled, making her moan and arch into him as he moved his head to the other side of her neck to trail kisses over her skin. His hands moved to her hips to press them into the wall behind her as his mouth came up to hers and he kissed her long, and deep before pulling away and slid his arms fully around her waist to whisper into her hair, "I'll take care of you, Lenore. I promise."

"You can't take care of me if you are not with me at all times," she retorted, and Vaako gripped her wrists to pull them from around him to step back as she frowned at him.

"I told you, I can't go back with you," he nearly snarled, lowering his hands from her arms and trying to head toward the door but Lenore caught his arm and pulled it hard enough to turn him around, their burning gazes meeting.

"What happened that was so bad?" Lenore ground out. "What do you think you did that has you believing you can't go back?"

"You don't want to know, Lenore," he insisted. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have things I have to do. Riddick will want to get to identifying everyone and getting them to their rightful places as soon as possible."

He turned to walk away again but she caught his arm again and swung him back to face her, both with burning gazes, again.

"Don't you dare dismiss me, Damon!" Lenore snapped. "I'm sick of your brooding! What happened?"

"Stop asking, Lenore. I mean it," he ground out.

"I'm sick of the secrets and the lies," she spat. "I thought you needed me. If you need me, why can't you tell me-?"

"I led them to you!" Vaako boomed, making her step back in shock then frown in wonder.

"What?" she breathed in wonder, though she had a feeling she knew what he was talking about.

"When your family and the neighbors found a place to hide, when they came to our planet, I led them to you," he replied, softly.

Lenore's amber eyes widened in disbelief as she shook her head slightly, Vaako only staring at her.

"No," she breathed. "That's impossible. You-You stopped them from hurting me. They were about ready to kill you."

"And they would have, if I hadn't led them to you," Vaako murmured, not moving.

Lenore's mouth was slightly agape as she played back past events.

They'd both been teenagers when the Necros invaded their home planet, and when their families, along with some of their neighbors had found a basement of an abandoned house to hide in, they'd stayed there for at least one day and night. Vaako, known as Damon back then, had announced he was going for food and water supplies, and though Lenore had begged and pleaded with him to stay, he left anyway, assuring her that he would be back soon.

It had been at least four hours before there was a knock at the basement door, and Lenore's father had answered it, only to be shot by a pulsar gun. Screams echoed as Lenore was shoved into a corner by her mother, but not before she caught sight of a Necromonger gripping Damon's arm and dragging him down the stairs. She recalled with perfect clarity that he had been struggling against the grip, and after the screams silenced, she remembered vividly one of the Necromongers standing in front of her, his gun aimed at her.

She had curled into a ball in her corner so as not to see her fate, but she heard Damon's voice shouting at the Necro in front of her to stop. Lenore remembered looking up and seeing Damon standing in front of her, facing her attacker, arms spread in the air. It had been then that she had fallen in love with him.

Something she recalled about the event turned on a light bulb and Vaako could see it in her eyes as she still stared at him and breathed, "You didn't go for supplies, did you?"

"Yes, I did," Vaako replied, defensively. "My intention was supplies."

"And you came back with them on your tail!" she spat. "What was your intention then, Damon?"

"They forced me to tell them where you were," he answered. "I know that does not excuse my betrayal-"

"Your parents were there, Damon," Lenore shuddered as tears started welling in her eyes. "My parents were there. They killed them. You watched them die, you had to have-!"

Lenore was cut off when Vaako marched toward her and grabbed her arms to shove against the wall, his dark gaze burning into her slightly frightened one as she realized her feet were off the floor and she was level in height to him.

"Yes, Lenore," he ground out. "I saw them die. I watched them take their last breaths as they both tried to take my hands. Your parents asked me why. Why they were dying, and I could see in their eyes their dying wish. Yes, Lenore, I saw everything, but I couldn't bear to see them kill you, and I had to fulfill your parents' dying wish. I had to protect you because you were the only one I could at least try to protect that day."

Lenore swallowed as he came back to his senses and lowered her to her feet, his hands loosening their grip on her arms, but not letting her go completely as she lifted her hands to his chest.

"Maybe…" she trailed off in a breath before licking her lips as their gazes met, and she found herself unable to finish her thought. He looked so lost, almost the way he looked when he was confused, before they had been converted. "Maybe we don't have to go back there? We could go somewhere else."

Vaako's eyes scanned her face before he asked, "We?"

"I can't leave you to that woman who dares to refer to herself as your wife," Lenore shot back, and he couldn't help the small smirk that twitched over his lips as he slid his hands to her waist. "Please, Damon, come with me."

His eyes scanned over her face again as her hands came up to rest on either side of his head, behind his ears. He suddenly became lost for a moment in the feeling of her thumbs stroking his head and gave a small sigh, his eyes locking with hers.

"Only if you promise to stay by my side, like you have since we were children," he agreed, and Lenore burst into a grin, nodding vigorously as she leaned up and kissed him, deeply.

"I promise," she breathed after pulling away. "I swear, I'll never leave your side, ever! I-!"

She cut herself off making Vaako give a frown of wonder as she bit her lip and shook her head in dismissal, but his curiosity was piqued.

"You, what?" he inquired, but she shook her head, looking away from him and he gently gripped her chin to bring her gaze to his. "Tell me. What were you going to say?"

Lenore swallowed and stared at him with wide eyes before murmuring, "I love you, Damon."

Vaako's hand fell from her face as his eyes widened slightly. He knew she cared for him but love? He had been sure any trace of the emotion had been void from hers, and his being since they'd been converted, but apparently not. He felt…relieved by it.

"I know you're 'married'," Lenore continued. "I don't expect you to feel the same-"

Vaako cut her off when his lips planted to hers, making her squeak in surprise as his arms slid around her and she melted into the kiss as his tongue attacked her mouth with passion she had no idea he still possessed. He pulled away for breath and pulled her close to hug her tightly, his face buried in her hair.

"I have not heard those words in so long from anyone," he breathed as she hesitantly returned the embrace. "I'm glad you said it."

Lenore gave a smile as she nuzzled her face into the crook of his neck, holding him tightly.

"I'll see what can be done about my…'wife'," he murmured against her ear and her grin widened as she gripped him a little tighter.

"Let's hope it won't come to the worst," she murmured, making Vaako frown and pull away enough to look at her and she explained, "I may have to keep what I kill."

"Don't say that," Vaako ground out. "I won't have you doing any such thing, do you understand me?"

"And what of Dame Vaako?" Lenore hissed. "You think you can keep her from attacking me?"

"I told you I would take of it," he replied. "Trust me."

"I do," she reiterated. "It's her I don't trust."

"That makes two of us," Vaako smirked, ever so slightly as he lifted a hand and moved a strand of auburn hair from her face. "Now leave ahead of me. I shall find you when I've taken care a few things."

Lenore nodded and stepped close enough to press a tender kiss to his lips which he tried to deepen but she pulled away before he could and headed toward the door.

A/N: ta-da! sorry this one came up late. i thought i had posted it! shame on me. reviews?