AN: Thank you everyone for the great reviews. I am really happy that everyone responded really well to the plot twists I threw into the last chapter. This update is going to be shorter than the last few; I'm camping this week but wanted to post at least a little something for you guys. Hope you enjoy. As always, I own nothing, please don't sue me.

Chapter 20 Captain Daddy, Closer, and Lux Aeterna

XXX

River's POV

She wakes up to the blinding light of Serenity's infirmary. It takes a moment for her vision to clear, but once it does she sits up and looks around. Seated in the corner is Riddick, reading a gun magazine with his feet propped against the table.

"Bout time you decided to wake up." He says without looking up at her.

"How long was she out?" She asks as she swings her legs over the side of the table.

He gets up from his seat and moves to stand in front of her, arms crossed. You think the man could at least give her a few minutes before he starts drilling into her for answers, but obviously that is not going to be the case.

"Five hours. Had to give you a smoother at one point you were seizing so bad." He says evenly. "What the fuck was that River."

She looks up at him through her veil of hair, her last shred of armor, but it isn't much.

"Proximity to known weakness." She says timidly. She hates admitting it, hates that something is capable of breaking her.

"Weakness?"

She takes a breath, steadying her nerves. "The girl cannot explain why it is that close proximity to Reavers causes her to become…inoperable. She just knows that they are the catalyst. She believes it is due to a sensory overload from their neural transmissions, but is not completely sure."

"Isn't there a way to block that shit out?"

"She is unsure, the girl is not completely knowledgeable about what was done to her by the hands of blue…without her medical files from the facility there is no way to tell if said damage is repairable or can be further altered to…make her less defective. She was planning on asking Hermes to wave some of his old contacts to see if they could find anything."

"So…what the fuck do you suggest I do if that happens again before you find your files?" He asks with anger and concern evident. His head sings of violence and revenge for the ones who did this to her; it's beautiful.

She smiles a little and jumps up to wrap her arms around his torso. He is a little taken aback at the gesture, as if he has never received a hug in gratitude before, and kind of stands there unsure as to what to do.

"Nothing, just be there when she wakes up." He puts his hands around her and relaxes into the hug a little.

XXX

Riddick's POV

The girl lets go of me and returns to seat herself on the table. There is not a huge smile plastered on her face and I have a feeling I know why.

"I'm not gonna say it River."

"You don't have to, she's a reader remember?" She says with smug satisfaction.

I still don't say it though. I'm not gonna inflate her ego any more that it is. "Careful, your head gets any bigger you won't fit through the door."

"You're one to talk Mr. I'm the most badass motherfucker in the verse." She says in mimicking my intonation.

I want to throw something in frustration when she does that, but it reminds me of a piece of unsettled business. "Well I did put a point on my side of the board."

Her smile darkens at this. "It should not count. The girl did not have an opportunity to make the kill herself." She says as she folds her arms and glares at me.

"A kill's a kill remember? I seem to remember you being ever so proud of stealing Johns from me."

She glares at me for a moment before she concedes. "Fine." She grits out. "But I was still right about Captain Daddy offering…"

Hang on a second… "Captain Daddy?"

"His protective nature of his crew makes him like the father of all the gods on Mount Olympus. He rules with authority, but is still fallible. Hence Captain Daddy is a suitable nickname."

See this doesn't sit too well with me. "I don't like it."

"Too bad."

I don't have time to protest any before the Captain walks in though. Goddam reader probably did that on purpose to piss me off.

"So you're awake lil' bit?" He says as he steps into the infirmary.

"Affirmative."

"So you and I need to have a talk about some things." He says with sternness.

She smiles at him with a shit eating grin I would love to wipe of her face. "Yes Captain Daddy."

I have to say though, the look of shock and horror on that Mal gives her is priceless. This just makes her erupt into laughter.

"Captain Daddy?"

Her laughter dies down enough for her to answer him. "You act like a protective father…tries to take a serious tone to convey authority and scold the girl for her surprise."

"Well you blew up a string of grenades in front of my face! What am I supposed to do?"

She looks at him with puppy dog eyes now. "Thank her with chocolate or apples?"

"Like hell I'm not."

And that's when her features take on a stormy quality, and I can smell cloves. Poor Mal doesn't even know what he did.

"Then maybe the girl will allow you to be shot next time. After all, she can influence the probability of being shot either way." She says with a feral grin.

Mal immediately concedes after her not so veiled threat. "Alright chocolate or apples, I heard ya, ya damn lil' witch."

I shake my head at how easily she manipulates him. It is funny how damn scary she can be when she wants something.

"Anyways, you wished to discuss an employment opportunity with the girl. She takes it you found her audition satisfactory?"

Again he slips into the role of a scolding father. "Would have appreciated a warning you were plannin' on blowin' shit up in front of me."

"Repetition is irksome Malcolm." She says in warning.

"I heard ya, I heard ya,…I didn't get shot, so…I guess I can overlook that little surprise of yours."

Her frown turns into a beaming smile now. "Excellent."

"I told Riddick you could both have ten percent to start and your own bunks. He seemed to think you wouldn't…"

"He is correct in his statement. One will suffice." Again he reeks of an over protective father.

"You two seem to argue quite a bit, what happens when you two decide you want to kill each other?" He says in his defense.

"Highly unlikely. We may fight and cause bodily harm to one another, but it's usually for…fun." She says with a mischievous grin. Oh yeah, girl is all kinds of twisted.

The Captain catches on immediately. "AHH! I don't need to know that." He says as he shakes his head as if he is trying to dislodge the mental image she's conjured.

I just laugh at him. "Don't worry, it only seems kinky the first time."

"You know some would say you're borderline psychotic."

She just shrugs her shoulders. "Everything is subjective."

"Fine, but if one of you decides to kill the other, you clean up your own gorram mess, I don't want blood stains everywhere."

"Yes sir." She says with a mock salute.

"There is also the issue of what happened to you out there."

She looks at me then shrugs her shoulders a bit. "Epileptic seizure, a side effect of experimentation at the hands her captors, she does not know what brought it on."

Well played River, last thing you want your new 'boss' knowing is that Reavers make you go all wooly. She turns and smiles at me to acknowledge she heard my thought.

"Well you had us worried, glad to know you are okay now." He says.

"If that is all the girl would like to get some…sleep…Captain Daddy." She says as she winks at me and hops off the table and out of the infirmary.

"Don't call me that!" He screams at her retreating form.

XXX

River's POV

She can hear the music following, stalking her like prey; the beat slowly pulsating with each step, perfectly in sync with her movements.

She glances back towards him as she rounds the corner to passenger dorms. A come hither glance plays on her features. She opens the door to their bunk and steps inside. She doesn't bother to close the door though, knowing he isn't more than a few steps behind her.

…You let me violate you
You let me desecrate you…

Slowly she begins to pull of her dusty clothing, wanting to draw this out as much as possible. She hears him close and lock the door, and the lights in the room begin to dim. By the time she removes her shirt and bra she feels his hands start on her shoulders and begin skimming down her arms.

…You let me penetrate you
You let me complicate you…

She closes her eyes and leans into him, relishing his touch and his sweet music. She feels the grazing bites on her neck, his lips along the back of her shoulders. She can barely manage to kick off her boots, he's such a distraction. It's not going to be like last time, he wants to drag this out, make her writhe around in ecstasy.

…Help me
I broke apart my insides
Help me
I've got no soul to sell…

His hands move to her waist, slowly playing with the waistband of her pants, teasing along the skin.

..Help me
The only thing that works for me
Help me get away from myself…

"Tell me what you want." She purrs as she turns to face him. She slowly removes his goggles and lets them fall to the floor with her shirt. His mercury eyes look at her as if she is a dying man's last meal.

"I want to fuck you like an animal." He says as she walks backwards towards the bed, her eyes never leaving his.

He follows almost immediately, covering her body with his. "I want to feel you from the inside." He says as he begins to nip at her collarbone while his hands roam over her body.

She pulls at his shirt now and throws it somewhere into the room, not bothering to care where it lands. One of his hands has moved onto the buttons of her pants. She bucks her hips up to allow him to pull them down her body, and he takes her underwear along with it.

…You can have my isolation
You can have the hate that it brings
You can have my absence of faith…

Her hands move to his pants now, making short work of the button and zipper, as her feet come up and push them down his hips, but she doesn't bother with his boots.

She bites his lip ashe slowly starts to tease her core with his fingers. "You… can have…my… everything." She says between pants and whimpers.

He withdraws his fingers now, moving his tip to her now wet center. He slowly begins to push into her, but quickly withdrawing, wanting her to be at the verge of breaking before he finally enters her fully.

…Help me
Tear down my reason
Help me
It's your sex I can smell…

"…Riddick…" She gasps breathlessly. It's only then that he finally thrusts all the way into her.

…Help me
You make me perfect
Help me become somebody else…

There is no restraint now, no tender kisses; just pure animalistic lust. Each of them biting, scratching, clawing, and marking the other's skin. He pushes into her harder, faster, with less rhythm and she knows they are both close. So much for drawing things out…

"I want…to feel…you…come...River." He says between bites and kisses.

And with one more brutal thrust her eyes roll back and she moans loudly into his mouth. He follows shortly after.

…My whole existence is flawed
You get me closer to god…

He rolls off to the side now, wrapping an arm around her possessively. She can feel sleep slowly begin to claim her, feel her eyelids become heavy with each second that passes. But as she is falling into the land of nod, she hears the faint echoes of the music…

…Through every forest
Above the trees
Within my stomach
Scraped off my knees
I drink the honey
Inside your hive
You are the reason
I stay alive…

XXX

…A few hours later…

River's POV

The first few notes invade her sleep, and her mind wakes when the cello strings are plucked. It's hauntingly beautiful, but it's not coming from her, or Riddick sleeping beside her. It's further in the distance…she can vaguely hear it…vaguely hear the violins as she opens her eyes from her dreamless sleep. She crawls out of bed, careful not to wake him, and pulls on the nearest thing around; not bothering with her shoes. She climbs up the ladder to their bunk and opens the hatch.

It's still Serenity's night cycle and the running lights are dimmed to mimic the effects of night. She closes her eyes and traces her hands along the metal walls, allowing her finger tips to just skim along the surface; letting the building music guide her.

Each step she takes brings her closer, and she can hear it more clearly now, a beautiful requiem...lux aterna…but something feels…off. She opens her eyes and looks up at the source of the music...it doesn't make sense.

This should not be in her dreams. It's much too dark to be in her repertoire...

XXX

AN: That was an ominous ending huh? What could this possibly mean? Are they all doomed? Who's flying this thing? HAHA Oh that would be me ;) Till next time =)