Standing Tall

Although the Flyers season was over, Scott still woke up every morning to workout with Kimmo. With the wedding approaching Scott had skipped a few days, and even though he was very tempted to stay in bed with his wife, he woke up Monday morning to start anew.

Rebecca had accrued a significant amount of vacation days from work so she took the two weeks surrounding the wedding off. She would use the remaining time off for their family honeymoon.

When Scott's alarm went off at seven o'clock, he quickly turned it off hoping that it didn't disturb Rebecca. When he rolled back over to her, she still had her back to him and her breaths were still deep and even. He ran his fingers through the ends of her hair that fell against the bed.

He sighed as he rolled out of bed, careful not to jostle it, and made his way to the bathroom. He brushed his teeth and hair, secretly wishing that he could walk into Gia's room to see her before he left. He wanted Tyler and Gia home just as much as Rebecca, but he would never admit that to her.

This weekend has been great for him and his new family, but there was a longing in his chest from not being able to hold his baby girl for the last twenty-four hours. He'd been away from her before, road trips were painful, but actually being in the house without her, that was a new kind of torture. Luckily, come dinner time they would all be reunited.

Scott exited the bathroom and crossed to the dresser. He pulled out a pair of boxers and shorts, along with one of his many Hartnelldown tee-shirts. He pulled the shirt over his head and pulled the boxers and shorts on one at a time.

He tiptoed to Rebecca's side of the bed, brushed a strand of hair from her face and gently kissed her forehead. As he gently closed the bedroom door behind him he heard her voice. "I love you," she said with a hushed tone.

He poked his head back into the room and said, "I love you too. Be back later. Go back to sleep." She nodded with her eyes closed and rolled over onto his side of the bed. He pulled the door shut and left the house.

Scott drove to Kimmo's house, who was walking out of his front door the same time Scott pulled into the driveway. Kimmo climbed into the passenger seat of the SUV, Scott shifted into reverse and drove to the gym.

"I want to thank you again for everything you and Johanna did this weekend. Rebecca and I really appreciate it," Scott said as they pulled away from the house.

"No problem buddy, it was our pleasure. Johanna really likes having a house full of people. It's alot different than a house full of kids," Kimmo chuckled.

"I bet it is. Although G, Schenner, Jake and Simmer can all seem like kids when they want to," Scott laughed.

"True, but she had them well under control. Even with the girls sleeping over after the wedding."

"Wait, what girls?" Scott asked quizzically.

"You know what girls...Erica, Tiffany and Lindsey," Kimmo said.

"Lindsey slept over too? Was she drunk?" Scott asked, trying to remember if he had noticed how much she had to drink at the wedding.

"She wasn't falling down drunk, she was definitely feeling good though. Schenner made sure of that," Kimmo laughed.

"Rebecca didn't say anything. I wonder if she knows. Not sure how she's going to react if they get back together," Scott said.

"Well I don't really know that they are getting back together. They just may have hooked up or something because of the day. You know how that is..." Kimmo smirked.

"Yeah yeah, let's not rehash all of the stupid mistakes I've made. Don't forget, I've got dirt on you too my friend," Scott joked.

A few minutes later they arrived at the gym for their daily workout. They spent three hours punishing themselves for the time they missed over the last week. There is no rest for the weary in the life of a professional hockey player. If they slacked off during the summer, there'd be hell to pay come fall.

After they finished their workout, Scott drove Kimmo back to his house, and then made his way back to his own. Scott opened the front door and knew Rebecca was awake by the smell of bacon and eggs wafting through the house.

He dropped his bag next to the closet, kicked off his shoes and snuck up behind Rebecca as she was keeping an eye on the items on the stove. She was wearing black yoga pants and a Flyers shirsey displaying his name and number on the back.

He slid his arms around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder. "I love seeing my name on your back," he breathed into her ear.

"You mean our name," she smiled as she turned her head to look at him.

"It's going to take me a while to get used to that," Scott smiled as he kissed her lips. "You didn't have to make breakfast for us, we could go out and get something."

"What us? This is mine. Get your own," she laughed.

"Mmmm I know what I want then," Scott said as he slid his hand over Rebecca's stomach and down between her legs, flexing his fingers over her pants-covered clit.

"Stop that!" Rebecca said as she squirmed out of his hold. "The food will burn...plus you're all sweaty," she giggled.

Without Rebecca standing guard in front of the stove, Scott stole a piece of bacon off of the griddle and chomped on it victoriously. "Do I have time to take a shower before it's ready?" he asked.

"Yes you thief. Just don't take an hour," Rebecca responded as he leaned in to kiss her cheek.

"Oh, by the way...Lindsey spent the night with Schenner at Kimmo's the other night. Thought you'd like to know," he smirked as her jaw dropped from this bit of information.

"I knew something was going on. They looked awfully close yesterday and she avoided being alone with me. Wait until I get ahold of her," Rebecca said.

"I have no doubt you'll get to the bottom of it," Scott laughed as he walked out of the kitchen and up the staircase to their room.

Rebecca mumbled to herself as she picked her phone up off the counter and sent Lindsey a text.

You. Me. Lunch tomorrow. We have to talk. Don't even think of saying no.

She put the phone back in its place to return to the food she was cooking. Two minutes later she received a reply.

I know. I'll come to you. 12:30.

Ten minutes later Scott was back downstairs, fresh and clean, wearing a different set of shorts and Hartnelldown shirt. He pulled glasses out of the cupboard and the orange juice from the refrigerator. He filled both glasses, quickly drank one, and then filled it again.

"Are we sitting or standing?" Scott asked. A trait that they found that they shared was eating the occasional meal standing at the counter. Rebecca usually ate that way when she was running late for work and trying to get Tyler off to school. Scott did it when he was rummaging for a snack or quickly eating before hurrying out the door to practice.

"Sitting," Rebecca answered. Scott took both glasses and placed them on the kitchen table. Then he pulled two plates and put them on the counter next to the stove. Once the eggs were finished cooking, Rebecca loaded a plate for Scott with the majority of food and handed it to him.

Scott picked a piece of bacon from the pile and shoved it into his mouth as if it were the first thing he'd eaten in a year. Rebecca shook her head as she shifted the remaining eggs and bacon from their skillet to her plate. She sat down at the table in the chair next to Scott.

"How was the workout?" She asked between bites.

"It was brutal. I'm going to feel it later," he responded.

"Lindsey's going to come over for lunch tomorrow so can you take Gia out for a bit?"

"Uh oh. That sounds serious. You gonna lay the smackdown on her for hooking up with Schenner again?" Scott smirked with a raised eyebrow.

"No, I just want to see where her head is at," Rebecca laughed. "And it'll be easier to get information out of her if you're not here."

"Oh sure. I see how it is. Just make sure you tell me all the juicy details after," Scott winked.

"Whatever," she smiled and shook her head. "So what time is your parents' flight?"

"Um. Nine I think. I told them we'd pick them up at six to take them to the airport," Scott said as he shoved a forkful of eggs into his mouth.

"Okay. I'll text Tyler and tell him we'll pick him up from Jay's on our way. Does that work?" she asked.

"Sounds good. Are we going to talk to him tonight or do you want to wait a couple days?"

"We can do it tonight if you want, it's up to you," she said.

"I think the sooner the better," Scott said as he finished his breakfast.

Once Rebecca was finished her meal, Scott stood and took both their plates to the sink. He rinsed the plates and the glasses that Rebecca brought from the table, and loaded them into the dishwasher.

"So what are we going to do for the next four hours until your mom brings Gia home?" Scott asked as he placed his arm around Rebecca's waist and pulled her into his side, taking in the scent of her hair. It was a mixture of strawberries and vanilla.

"Oh I don't know," she said as she slid in between Scott and the counter, pressing her back against his front and running a hand down his thigh.

Scott brushed Rebecca's hair to one side and started kissing her neck, pulling the collar of her shirt away to get further down onto her shoulder. Rebecca sighed feeling his lips on her as she pressed her backside into Scott's lap.

It only took a moment for his body to respond and he ran his hands up under her shirt, around to the front, and held her breasts in his hands. He groaned in her ear, "Baby, I don't think we should do this in here...we make dinner on this counter."

Rebecca laughed and turned around to face him. She draped her arms around his neck, and he placed his around her waist. "Let's go upstairs," she smiled and kissed his lips.

Scott lifted Rebecca up and moved her legs around his waist. She hooked her legs at the ankles behind him and slowly kissed and licked his neck. He cupped her ass with his hands and walked out of the kitchen and up the stairs to their bedroom.

*****************

At four o'clock Jean entered the house with Gia on her hip, bag over her shoulder, and carseat in her free hand. Rebecca and Scott were curled up on the sofa watching Independence Day. In the struggle for dominance of the television remote, Rebecca had lost once Scott resorted to cheating and tickling her until she threw the remote to the floor. She vowed that the next time she'd get the better of him.

"Mommy, Daddy, we're home!" Jean said, speaking for their daughter.

"There's my girl," Scott said as he stood from the sofa. He kissed Gia on the forehead and took the carseat and bag from Jean. She walked to the sofa and placed Gia in Rebecca's outstretched arms. Rebecca covered Gia in kisses and squeezed her tight until the child started squirming.

"Becks, you're going to pop her like a balloon if you keep hugging her that hard," Scott laughed as he came back into the room, taking a seat next to them on the sofa.

Gia stretched out her arms to her father, who gladly accepted her from her mother. "Did she give you any problems Jean?" Scott asked as Gia rested her head against his chest.

"No, she was a perfect angel as always," Jean smiled. "How was your time alone?" she asked, "relaxing I hope...."

Scott and Rebecca both grinned and said, "Definitely."

Jean stayed for about an hour, discussing the wedding and how wonderful everything went. She reminded Scott how happy she was that he and Rebecca found each other and gave her another grandchild. He agreed as he stroked Gia's hair.

"Well, I better get home. And you need to feed her before you take Bill and Joy to the airport," Jean said, rising from her seat and walking towards the door.

Rebecca got up to walk her out. "Okay mom. Thanks again. I'll talk to you tomorrow. Love you."

"Love you too sweetie," Jean hugged Rebecca. "See you later Scott," she waved to him as she walked out of the house.

*******************

An hour later, Scott pulled Rebecca’s minivan in front of Jay's house to pick up Tyler. Rebecca hopped out of the passenger seat and walked up to the house and rang the doorbell. Jay's mother, Trisha, answered the door a minute later. "Hello there newlywed!" Trisha said as she opened her arms for a hug.

Rebecca had met Trisha and her husband Dan shortly after moving into her old house. They had been married for a year, and Trisha was a few months pregnant. Rebecca would have Tyler six months after Trisha gave birth to Jason. After Brad left, Trisha and Dan helped Rebecca with Tyler whenever her family wasn't able.

When Tyler announced to his surrogate family that Rebecca was dating Scott, Dan almost fainted. Visions of hockey games and signed merchandise danced in his head. Trisha had to remind him that Scott was dating Rebecca, not him. Dan vowed that if Scott and Rebecca ever broke up, he would make it his life's mission to get them back together.

The next announcement Tyler made was that Rebecca and Scott were having a baby, and Dan didn't have to worry about trying to keep them together anymore. Dan celebrated quietly in his head.

"The wedding was beautiful, Becka," Trisha said as she hugged her friend. "I know I told you already but you looked gorgeous."

Rebecca laughed and said, "Yes you did, like a thousand times. But thank you again."

Trisha turned back into the house and yelled, "Tyler! You're mother is here!" A few seconds later Tyler came bounding out of the house, school bag thrown over his shoulder. He kissed Trisha on her cheek and said, "Thanks! See ya later!" as he made his way to the waiting van.

Rebecca and Trisha laughed, hugged again, and Rebecca returned to the minivan. She climbed into her seat and shut the door. Scott shifted the gears and made his way to the hotel where his parents were staying. Rebecca called Joy to let her know they were on their way.

Bill and Joy were waiting in the hotel lobby when Scott pulled up. Scott helped his father load their luggage into the back of the van while Joy climbed into the seat that Tyler had moved from. Scott climbed back into the driver's seat and Bill made his way into the van to take a seat next to Tyler on the back row.

They drove to the airport, Joy playing with Gia in the seat next to her, and Bill chatting with Tyler about school and plans for the summer. When they arrived at the departures terminal, Joy did not want to leave.

"Mom, we're going to see you at the end of the month," Scott laughed when his mother hugged him for the fifth time.

"I know, but we don't get to see you that much during the season, and now that you stay in Philly during the summer...I miss you," she said as she buried her head in his chest.

"Come on Joy, we're going to miss the plane if you don't let go of him," Bill said as he shook his head.

"Alright, alright," Joy said. She gave hugs to both Rebecca and Tyler and waved to Gia who was still in her carseat.

Scott, Rebecca and Tyler watched Bill and Joy walk into the terminal and disappear among the other travelers.

**********************

Scott, Rebecca and the kids returned home around seven o'clock that evening. Gia started rubbing her eyes and sucking her thumb around eight, a clear sign her day was done. Rebecca took Gia into her room and got her ready for bed. It only took her about twenty minutes to fall asleep in her crib.

Rebecca descended the staircase and found Scott and Tyler on the sofa, at opposite ends in each reclining section with their feet up. Austin Powers was on the television. Rebecca shook her head and took her seat next to Scott.

Before she could completely get herself curled into Scott, he whispered, "Now's as good a time as any..."

"Sure," Rebecca responded. Scott paused the movie and said, "Hey Ty, your mom and I would like to talk to you about something."

"I didn't do it. You can't prove it. No one saw anything," Tyler joked.

Scott and Rebecca both chuckled at Tyler's sense of humor. "It's not bad. Actually, we think it's quite good."

"Are you pregnant again?!" Tyler asked excitedly.

"No honey, we're not having another baby...yet..." Rebecca said as she glanced over at Scott with an arched eyebrow. Scott just smiled.

Rebecca started, "Tyler, first, just know that this is completely up to you. You don't have to do it if you don't want to."

"Ummm okay..." Tyler looked puzzled.

Rebecca sat up and turned so that she was facing Tyler. "Well, now that Scott and I are married we're officially a family. But, there's still a piece missing."

"What's that?"

"You. At least...your name," she answered.

"Tyler, I know I'm not your father, but I love you as if I were. The time I've been in your lives has been amazing and I think you are an awesome kid. I know this may seem odd but I was hoping...we were hoping..." Scott stammered as he rubbed Rebecca's shoulders, "that you would change your last name to Hartnell. To be my son."

Tyler’s eyes darted between Scott and his mother, not knowing if he understood them correctly. "I can do that? Like for real?"

"Only if you want to sweetie. It's just a matter of paperwork, that we'll take care of, but we wanted to know if you would be open to it. You're sixteen, everyone knows you as Tyler Parker. Had I known your father was going to leave us, I would have just given you my last name. But it is what it is. Now we have an opportunity to all have the same name," Rebecca rubbed Tyler's hand that was next to his leg on the sofa, "to be a family, the way it should be."

"We may not have another child, and if we did there's no guarantee that it would be a boy. I would like nothing more than to call you my son. And not just because you're my stepson. If you took my name, just like your mother has, it would let everyone know we're a complete family," Scott said. "That you think of me as your father."

Tyler thought for a second and then said, "Let's do it. I never liked my last name anyway."

"You're sure..." Rebecca asked.

"Yep. Positive. Plus, maybe now I'll get some girls..." he winked at Scott.

"Tyler John..."

"Oh leave him, he's a Hartnell now. He'll have to wait until he's in his thirties to find the right girl," Scott said as he kissed Rebecca's cheek. He extended his hand to shake Tyler's.

Tyler groaned as he shook Scott's hand. And then he smirked, "But it'll be fun spending time with the wrong ones until then."

Scott roared with laughter. "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea," Rebecca said as she shook her head.