The ghosts that we knew

Chapter 24

~And my heart

Was colder when you'd gone

But I found the one that I love

Under the sun~

As the sun rose on the horizon, Riddick was staring out at the river lost in thought, Carolyn still in his arms when she sat straight up with a gasping breath, causing her to slip out of his grasp.

He gripped her arms pulling her back to him "Carolyn!" he said turning her towards him, grasping her face in one of his hands.

She looked around wildly, her chest heaving as she tried to process her thoughts. "Riddick?" she asked incredulously as she looked at him in confusion.

"It's me. I'm here."

Carolyn shook her head, her eyes darting around the surrounding jungle, before landing on Riddick again. "What happened to me?"

"I don't know, but I'm going to find out."

There was stunned silence as Riddick emerged from the jungle into camp, a sleeping Carolyn in his arms.

He made his way to the hospital, waking Sam and causing a haggard looking John to turn away from the child in front of him.

"Put her down here," Sam said indicating the bed she had just vacated.

As Riddick laid her gently on the bed, Carolyn latched onto his shirt keeping him with her. "Shh, It's ok," he murmured near her ear stroking her face.

"She's alive?" Sam asked a hand flying up to cover her mouth as Riddick turned on them.

"Now." Riddick said lowly stalking towards them.

"Would either of you care to tell me how a woman who died in my arms, suddenly came back to life hours later?"

"Oh my God," Sam said as John pushed her behind him.

"It's my fault. My responsibility," John said.

"I suggest you start talking."

"Carolyn didn't tell us she was pregnant. She managed to keep it hidden from us till about three months ago when she almost lost the baby."

"C-24" Riddick guessed.

John nodded tightly. "I couldn't bear to see anything happen to either one of them. I knew it would kill Carolyn if she lost her. I made Sam inject the baby in-utero and it worked. We had no idea what effects it would have on Carolyn."

"So you just decided to play God?"

"Yes. And I'd do it again."

"Good." Riddick growled, "Because I'm next."

John looked at him incredulously. "You're not serious?"

"You just told me that my daughter and her mother can't die. Do you really think I'm not going to be around to protect them?"

John tightened his jaw and nodded at Sam behind him. Looking between the two men, she shook her head and went into the other room.

Riddick turned his attention to the bassinet behind John, looking at the man before making his way to its side.

In it lay the smallest human being Riddick had ever seen and with just a look he was already wrapped around her finger.

He ran his finger over her head, feeling the soft tufts of brunette hair, before tracing her tiny ear.

"Carolyn didn't have a name picked out."

Riddick's face softened, "She told me to name her."

John snorted softly at that news. "She really was dying, wasn't she?"

Riddick ignored him, smiling as the baby wrapped its tiny hand around his finger.

Sam touched his arm getting his attention when she came back into the room. "You're going to want to lie down," she said pointing to the bed next to Carolyn's. "You'll take care of her?" He asked Sam stopping by Carolyn's bed.

"Of course." She replied sitting on a stool prepping his arm before plunging the syringe into his vein. Leaning over him as his eyes began to close Sam asked, "What's her name?"

"Rhiannon," he breathed out as unconsciousness took him.

Waking to the sound of a crying baby, Carolyn opened her eyes. John was sitting in a rocking chair throwing suggestions out to Riddick who was pacing the floor in front of her bed, an infant in his arms.

"Um, guys?" She heard Sam say from beside her, where she sat filling out charts.

Riddick turned to look at her and Carolyn cursed out loud at not being able to see his eyes. Her eyes roamed over him and the baby.

Standing, John held out his arm to Sam who joined him. "We'll be back in a bit." John said with a grin leading Sam away.

Carolyn's eyes flicked to their retreating forms before shooting back to Riddick who was walking slowly to her bedside. "Can you sit up?" He asked her quietly.

Carolyn nodded as she sat up, scooting backwards. Riddick leaned down transferring their daughter into Carolyn's arms. Satisfied that she had a hold of the baby, he reached behind her adjusting her pillows so that she could lean back, before settling himself on the edge of the bed watching mother and daughter inspect each other. He reached out wiping a tear off of Carolyn's face as she unwrapped the child counting her fingers and toes.

"She's hungry," he said. "She doesn't like the formula Sam has for her. She needs her Mother." He said reaching out to undo the front of her nightgown.

Carolyn looked into his face before letting him help her adjust the baby to nurse. "I didn't think I'd ever see her again." She sniffed looking between Riddick and the baby. "What happened?"

"It's a long story." Riddick said gruffly as he watched his daughter hungrily gulp at Carolyn's breast. "We'll tell you all about it when Sam and John get back."

Carolyn nodded. "What did you name her?"

Riddick chuckled, "Remembered that did you?"

Carolyn patiently waited as she watched her daughter nurse, Riddick helping when it came time to switch sides.

He reached out laying a hand on their daughter before looking up at Carolyn.

"Rhiannon."