For you I'd wait till Kingdom come

I've been to ancient worlds, I've scoured the whole universe,

And caught the first train home to be at her side.

For no bonds could ever keep me from she.

~Peter Weller~

As Aurora grew, she began to have dreams. When she was old enough to walk and talk she would come to Carolyn afterwards and snuggle up.

"I saw her again, Mama."

"Saw who baby?" Carolyn asked, her eyes still closed, stroking her daughter's soft hair.

"Shirah. She was talking to Daddy on a ship." Carolyn's eyes opened as Rory continued to move the ring on her thumb around in circles. Carolyn had never hidden who Rory's father was from her. The few pictures she had, had been copied and placed in nearly every room of the house. Rory and Ziza's favorite bedtime stories were the ones where one father saved the other.

"What were they talking about?"

"I don't know, but there was a bad man and he wanted to hurt Daddy." Carolyn pulled her in close. Usually when Rory dreamt of Shirah, the woman was telling her stories of an ancient race and showing her places on the planet Furya, lush with vegetation and shrouded in white clouds, where she said they had lived. It sounded like this time her dreams had frightened her. Carolyn wondered if the girl had overheard her talking to someone about the news they had been getting from other systems. Entire planets killed, billions of people dead or missing. A race of warriors called Necromongers. Carolyn knew that she was terrified and her daughter had obviously picked up on it.

Carolyn was going to a meeting at Imam's today. Some of the Elders were meeting with an Elemental envoy and Imam had asked her to join them. The woman was already there when Carolyn arrived with Rory. The elemental took one look at Rory and turned to Imam.

"That girl is a Furyan." Aereon told Imam who simply nodded, rubbing his chin in thought.

"Excuse me?" Carolyn demanded indignantly, "Rory, go upstairs and play with Ziza."

"Yes, Mama." Rory ran up the stairs shooting looks back down at the Elemental as she went. As soon as she was out of sight Carolyn turned on Imam.

"What's the meaning of this?" She hissed at him.

"Carolyn, please, hear us out." She gave him a mutinous glare and threw herself in a chair. Imam related to her what Riddick had told him while the Elemental filled in all the rest. The story they told her was both wild and preposterous but scared the shit out of her. When they were finished Carolyn jumped up and started pacing.

"You expect me to believe this bullshit?" she bluffed.

"Carolyn, even you have to admit that it is all too much of a coincidence." Imam pleaded with her.

"So what? What good does this information do? We still don't know where he is!" she fumed. Suddenly Imam found the floor very interesting. Carolyn would have laughed if she hadn't been so badly frightened for her daughter and just plain pissed off at these people for fucking with her life in general.

"Imam?"

"I might have an idea of where he may have gone after he left us. Aereon has already sent bounty hunters after him." He admitted.

"You know he's going to kill you when he realizes that you've betrayed him."

"That is a possibility. I know"

The Elemental appeared in front of Carolyn. "This is no longer just about you and your daughter. This is about stopping the Necromongers and Riddick is the only person who can do that."

Carolyn got in her face. "No, this is about you using the man I love to do your bidding." She turned to Imam snapping at him. "I'm getting Rory and going home."

He put a hand on her shoulder stopping her. "Carolyn, let the child stay a few hours. Ziza's been looking forward to her visit all morning. As her Godfather I swear to you she will be safe in my home. I'll send her to you in a few hours." Looking him in the eye, Carolyn nodded and stumbled out the door into the harsh sunlight deep in thought.

The door was unlocked when she arrived. She thought she had locked it but after the last hour could not be sure of anything. She went upstairs to wash her face. She needed to pull herself together in the next few hours before Rory got home. Carolyn propped herself against the sink and turned on the water looking at herself in the mirror. "Oh, Richard," she whispered. "What am I gonna do?" She closed her eyes and bent down to splash the cold water on her face. She turned off the water and used a towel to dry her face. She looked back into the mirror and screamed. Grabbing her around the waist the man put a hand over her mouth. "I thought you got over your fear of me?" He growled softly. Carolyn's eyes widened, a shock of recognition bolting through her as she looked at his reflection in the mirror. She tugged on the arm that was holding the hand over her mouth. He slowly lowered it and she twisted so that she could actually look at him. A wild man was standing in front of her with a beard and dreadlocks halfway down his back.

"Richard, is it really you?"

"Yeah, babe. It's me. A little worse for wear though."

Running a hand across his forehead and down his cheek she let out a deep sigh of relief. Taking his hand and she lead him back into the bedroom turning a lamp on low and closing the shutters. "Show me your eyes Riddick."

"You're going to have to come a lot closer than that." He replied watching her closely.

Carolyn used his shirt to pull him down to her "Close enough?"

He pulled his goggles off throwing them onto the dresser where he used to keep them. "Not even," he shot back grabbing her ass and lifting her. Carolyn instantly wrapped her legs around his waist and he carried her to the bed.

Carolyn lay with her head on his heart and a hand fiddling with the sheet that was pulled up to his waist.

"Did you know he sent someone after me?"

"No, I had just found out before I arrived home. I didn't even know he knew where you were."

He grabbed her hand that was toying with the sheet and raised it up looking at the ring on her thumb.

"It was the only finger it would fit on," she explained.

"I'm surprised that you still have it."

She raised her head to look at him. "Why wouldn't I? I love you, Richard." She said leaning down to kiss him.

Grabbing her shoulders he sighed, "I need to talk to the holy man."

"I know, but Richard please hear him out. He thought he was doing the right thing."

She rolled off of him and the bed moving to hand him some clean clothes from the dresser and gathering her own from their various resting spots around the room.

"What do you know about these Necro's I've been hearing about?" he asked her while getting dressed.

She shrugged. "Bad News."

"Carolyn, bad news is a rabid dog in the neighborhood. From what I hear they make hell look like a picnic."

She turned to face him. "I'm scared."

"Come here," he motioned for her to stand between his legs where he was sitting on the edge of the bed. He took her hands rubbing his thumb over her ring. "When I leave here I want you to board the house up. Keep the lights out and stay inside. Do you understand?"

"Yes." she whispered.

"You don't open the door to anyone but me or Imam. One of us will come for you. Whatever is going to happen is happening tonight, be ready to go when I get back. I'm not leaving you again." He grabbed a handful of her hair with a growl pulled her to him. Latching onto her exposed neck he bit down hard enough to draw blood causing her to cry out and the smell of her arousal flooded his senses. He soothed the pain away with his tongue before pulling her back again, looking her in the eye.

"You do what you have to do to stay alive. No matter what. I will find you. Stay. Alive." He demanded from her gruffly.

Carolyn could only nod and cling to him as he stood up and kissed her once more. He walked to the door and stopped putting his hand on the frame. He lowered his head for a moment but never looked back. Then hitting the doorframe lightly with his hand he walked out.

A few minutes later Imam's housekeeper arrived with Rory as daylight was quickly turning into dusk.

Rory. Damn. She had forgotten to tell him about Rory.

Carolyn quickly made them some dinner and listened to the little girl talk about her afternoon. Afterwards, Carolyn sent her upstairs to get ready for a bath. She quickly locked and bolted the doors and closed all the shutters, locking them as well. Going upstairs she drew the little girl a bath and left her playing while she took care of the upstairs windows and doors. Gathering Rory some clean clothes and shoes she laid them on her bed and went to help her finish.

"How come I'm getting dressed to go to bed?"

"We may have to go somewhere later and I don't want to have to spend time getting us dressed." Carolyn told her with a reassuring smile. She lifted Rory onto her bed and she immediately picked up the picture of Riddick, Carolyn and Jackie off of her fathers nightstand.

"Mama, do you think I'll ever get to see Daddy or Jackie?

Carolyn finished turning all the lamps down and got onto the bed with her. "Yes baby, I think you will."