Weapons of War

"You got everything? You're all buckled up and everything?" Riley looked up at Shea, who's eyes met hers in the rear view mirror, him in the driver's seat and herself in the backseat next to Isla, who was asleep in the car seat.

Riley smiled and nodded, "We're all good."

"You sure?" He asked as he turned the car on.

Riley nodded, and as she tickled Isla's stomach she said, "Wake up and tell daddy to take us home already, we're tired of the hospital and he has game to get ready for."

So with a smile Shea put the SUV in reverse and carefully and cautiously backed out of their space in the parking lot, and he headed home. It was a relatively short, and quiet drive home, Shea found himself looking into the rear view at his two girls in the back quiet regularly, and he was so glad when they arrived home and he put the car in park. All he wanted to do was get inside and pick Isla up and never let her go. 

Shea waited patiently at the door of the vehicle while Riley unclipped the car seat from the base, and he reached in and took the car seat from her, lifting it past her and out of the vehicle before he helped her out as well. With his arm around her shoulder, Shea left the hospital bag in the car and together the three of them headed inside the house for the very first time. 

Noah was squirming in Quinn's lap, trying to get to Riley and Shea when they walked in. Shea placed the carrier onto the coffee table and Quinn finally let Noah slip off of her lap and everyone was surprised when, instead of running to Shea or Riley, Noah came around the coffee table and peered in at Isla.

He wispered, "Home."

He wrapped his little arms around the carrier and Riley felt Shea wrap his own arm around her and pull her into his side gently. She looked up at Shea with a small smile before she looked over at Noah again, and then her eyes met Quinn's and her brow raised at the sort of sad look she had in her eyes. Quinn saw her look and smiled at her, but Riley knew something was up but this wasn't the place to talk about it.

So instead she said, "Thanks for babysitting."

James nodded as he gathered up Peyton's things from the floor and picked her up as well, and Quinn stopped long enough to take a quick peak at Isla, kissed Noah's head and gave Riley a quick hug before she said, "There's a bunch of food in your fridge and freezer, call us if you need anything."

"I'll see you later tonight, we'll order in since the guys won't be here." Riley said with a smile and Quinn grinned.

When it was just them in the house Shea looked over at Noah and asked, "Nap time?"

He nodded his head and Shea followed him upstairs to tuck him in. Riley locked the front door and took Isla upstairs. She changed into pyjamas and crawled into bed with Isla tucked comfortably against her chest and a fluffy pillow over her lap.

She rocked and bounced her gently, and once she settled on something on the TV she looked down at Isla and smiled. She ran her fingers gently over her puffy cheeks, and down her stomach, and she wondered what color her eyes would change to from the blue they were now, or if they would. Riley had quite a few pairs of blue eyes in her family.

Isla squirmed in her grasp, making a fussing noise that Riley knew would turn into a cry soon. So she lifted her a little higher and bounced her gently, saying softly, "You're okay. You're fine. Shh we don't want to wake up your brother, he's cranky when he doesn't get a nap during the day. Yeah, see, you're okay. That's my girl."

Riley glanced up when Shea walked into the bedroom and she smiled at him before immediately looking back down at Isla. Shea stopped in the entrance to the bedroom and watched Riley and Isla for a moment before his attention was stolen by the TV for a moment. He looked back at Riley and asked her, "Are you really watching Rocky?"

"Rocky four actually, and yes." Riley stated as he took the spot beside her on the bed. He leaned over and kissed Isla's cheeks and then he did the same to Riley, making her chuckle. She looked down at Isla and said softly, "Tell daddy he's annoying."

Shea rolled his eyes and told Isla, "Tell mommy she's mean to daddy."

"You need a nap." Riley stated and he nodded.

"Later." Shea told her, not taking his off of Isla. She smiled and rested her head against his shoulder, and he asked her, "How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay. I think things are gonna be okay." Riley told him and when he smiled and moved just enough to kiss her jaw softly she admitted, "I wanted another boy because having a girl scares me."

"What do you mean?" Shea asked her curiously.

She sighed and said, "I guess I'm afraid that because I never had a mom and never had that relationship that I won't…"

When she paused, unsure of how to explain it Shea asked her, "Know how to mother a daughter? I don't believe that for a second Riley. You're an amazing mom already, and I don't doubt for a second that you won't be amazing with her. We're all so lucky to have you."

"Stop making me cry." Riley joked, chuckling as she reached up with her free hand and wiped at her cheeks.

"Sorry." He told her, reaching out to smooth his palm over Isla's stomach as she got fussy again. When she didn't quiet down until Riley put her hand over Shea's, Shea joked, "Oh I see how it is, mom's touch huh?"

"Have your nap, you have a game to win us tonight."

- - -

Quinn and Peyton were sitting on the couch with Noah, Kelly was on her way, and Shea was still at home. He didn't want to leave, not on Isla's first night home, not leaving Riley alone with two kids so early.

Riley smiled up at him, leaned up, kissed him quickly before she told him, "You're gonna be late. Get going. Don't make me kick you out."

He rolled his eyes, "You're sure you're gonna be okay?"

"We will be fine. Besides Kelly and Quinn are here." Riley told him.

Quinn called out, "Change of plans. Just me. Kelly's parents showed up for a visit."

"See, I should stay home." Shea said, making both Quinn and Riley chuckle.

Riley turned him around and gave him a gentle push toward the door. Once he was out of the door she told him, "Go win us a game. We will be fine, I promise."

"Okay, but if anything happens you'll call right? I don't care if it's the playoffs." Riley was so endeared at how nervous he was to leave them alone for a few hours.

She nodded her head, "I promise."

He leaned down to kiss her and when he pulled away she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him back for not one but two more kisses before she left him go and waited until he was in his truck backing out of the driveway to close the door and head back into the living room.

"Did he finally leave?" Quinn asked her curiously as Riley came back into the living room.

Riley chuckled at the sight before her; Noah on the floor playing with toys, Peyton curled up on a couch cushion, and Quinn sitting with Isla against her chest. Curiously Riley asked her, "Stealing my new baby or what?"

"Babies are addictive, and she's so cute." Quinn stated. When Riley nodded Quinn told her, "I ordered dinner, my wallet is in my bag, grab it please? Don't argue, it's my treat. We have to celebrate this beautiful little girl."

Riley made a point to sigh loud snd dramatically and as she opened up Quinn's purse she heard Quinn laugh. She grabbed her wallet, but not before knocking two bottles of prescription medication out of the little pocket on the inside of her purse. When she was going to put them back Riley saw what they were and pulled them out of the bag.

She held them in her hands and asked Quinn, "What is going on?"

"What do you mean?" Quinn asked her, not taking her eyes off of Isla.

"You're acting different, you look sad all the time… and you're carrying around tramadol and anticonvulsants… Quinn what's going on?" Riley asked her and when Quinn glanced over to see Riley holding the bottles of pills she sighed.

Quinn got up, putting Isla in her bassinet and Peyton in the pop-up playpen before she sat down at the kitchen table. Riley took the spot beside her and watched her carefully as Quinn looked down at her hands and cried. Riley reached out and grabbed her hands and Quinn said, "I wasn't keeping it from you on purpose. I just didn't know how to tell you… I didn't want to take away from the… from her."

"So what is it?" Riley asked her.

Quinn let out a shaky breath and then took another one in, and she said, "I had that flu that wouldn't go away, so I finally went in to see a doctor and… they found some cancer cells again."

Riley stared at her in surprise for a long time, she didn't know what to say. She had never expected this. She let out a breath of air, squeezed Quinn's hands and asked, "Where?"

"Stomach lining mostly, but pretty much everywhere." Quinn told her, letting out a sigh as the tears continued to fall.

"How long have you known?"

"Two months. I didn't want to tell you with everything that was going on... I haven't even been able to tell James yet." When she said this Riley gave her hands another squeeze. Quinn looked over at her and asked, exasperated, "How awful of a person does that make me? I haven't told my boyfriend that I'm dying?"

"Honey-"

"Don't say I'm not. I am. I'm working on accepting it but I just… how do I tell James that I convinced him to start a family with me and now I'm gonna go die on him once we get a baby." Quinn stated through her tears.

"You just have to tell him. He needs to know Quinn." Riley told her, trying so hard to keep her own emotions at bay. She knew she was already emotionally charged and that this wouldn't help her and her crying wouldn't help Quinn.

"I will… after the playoffs. He needs to focus. They all do."

- - -

Hours later, when the game was over and Quinn and Peyton had gone home Riley had checked on Noah, making sure he was still asleep, before she crawled onto the bed in her room and cuddled with Isla. She remained that way, cuddling the newborn into her chest while she cried, until Shea got home from their win that night.

He gave Dug a treat and checked on Noah on his way down the hall, before he walked into the bedroom with a smile on his face. The smile was wiped right off of his face upon seeing Riley, crying on the bed with Isla.

He panicked, "What wrong?"

She looked over at him, sniffled and wiped her face, shifting Isla around before she told him, "Nothing, I'm fine."

"Bull." He told her, pulling his suit jacket off and hanging it on the closet door knob. He sat down next to Riley, reached out to wipe her cheeks and he asked her, "Why don't you tell me what's got you so upset?"

"I can't." She cried, and when Shea raised his eyebrow at her she sighed and tried to explain, "I can't tell you because it's not my place. It's not my news to tell. It has nothing to do with me or us or the kids I promise but I just can't tell you."

"Okay… but you're okay?" He asked her in concern.

She shrugged, "Not really but I will be."

So Shea got up, kissed the top of her head and changed out of his suit. He dropped onto the bed beside Riley and asked, "Can I take her? For a few minutes? I missed her."

She smiled and handed Isla over to Shea, before resting her head on his shoulder. She leaned down to kiss Isla's cheek before she kissed Shea on the lips and told him, "I've decided that, if it's okay with you, if like to try for another as soon as we can."

"Yeah?" He was surprised. After all of the complications and issues she had with this pregnancy Shea wasn't sure Riley would ever want to have another one. He would have been okay with that but he was glad she wanted more.

"I want at least one more. Two preferably." She told him honestly, so Shea leaned over and kissed her quickly.

"Me too. And whenever you want to start trying, I'm good with that. It's all up to you." Shea told her softly.

Riley wasn't sure when she had fallen asleep, but when she had woken up at five in the morning alone she was confused. So she got out of bed and headed down the hall, Noah was still asleep in his room. She went downstairs, to find Shea sitting in the living room on the couch with Isla in his arms.

He was talking to her quietly so Riley stood at the bottom of the stairs watching him, "You're gonna be such a lucky girl, growing up with your mom. She's the best person I know and I hope you take after her. You'd be really lucky to take after her, she's pretty amazing. She's like superwoman you know, there's nothing she can't do and she's amazing."

Riley smiled and stepped off of the last step, catching Shea's attention. He turned to look over his shoulder at her and Riley asked, "What are you doing up?"

"She was fussy, I didn't want her to wake you, you need the sleep." Shea told her honestly.

"I'm not the one who played a hockey game last night and has a plane to get on tonight." Riley stated and Shea shrugged.

She took the spot next to Shea on the couch and he said to her, "I'm not the one who just had a baby and surgery."

Riley leaned over to peer at Isla and joked to her, "Mommy and daddy both need sleep you little bug."

"Little bug, is that gonna be her nickname?" Shea asked Riley with a smile.

She told him, "It's better than booger or cone head."

"And parasite." Shea laughed.

"Thank you." Riley said and when Shea raised his eyebrow at her she smiled and told him softly, "For everything; being you and doing all that you do for me, for giving me these two beautiful babies… just... thank you for everything."

"Then thank you for all of those things as well." Shea told her, kissing the top of her head. He looked down at Isla and told Riley, "I'm so proud of you, for her. She's beautiful and I can't even believe that she's ours."