Weapons of War

"Shea." Riley spoke softly as she balanced Isla in one arm and shook his shoulder with the other. He mumbled something incoherent but stayed asleep, laying on his stomach in the middle of their bed. She smiled down at him as she brushed her fingers through his hair, his nose twitched but he didn't wake up. So Riley shook his shoulder again and said a little louder, "Shea."

"Hmm?" It was better than nothing.

"Isla has a message for you." Riley told him and she watched as he opened one eye to look over at her, which was when she said, "She says get up daddy, nap time is over."

He closed his eyes and groaned as he rolled onto his back, letting out a gentle sigh. He then opened both eyes and looked over at Riley, he told her, "I'm up."

"Good. Now get out of bed." She told him with a smile, reached down to pat his chest gently.

"Give me the baby." He told her, his voice groggy and sleepy.

She shook her head, "No baby snuggles until you get up and get dressed."

He made sure to sigh dramatically as she walked out of the bedroom and he could hear her laughter as she headed down the stairs. So he heaved himself out of bed with a heavy sigh and slipped into the bathroom to shower and get dressed. He had two hours before he had to be at the arena, just enough time for a really good snuggle session before he got into game zone. He hated leaving, even if it was only for a few hours, road trips were even worse but tonight was an important game, if they won that would mean they would be going to round three of the playoffs, so he would allow himself a few minutes of being Shea the dad before he had to be Shea the captain.

Riley was in the kitchen, standing at the stove cooking, her hand wrapped around the end of Isla's bassinet as she gently rolled the bassinet back and forth to hush the fussy baby. She had Noah on her hip, and she was bouncing him up and down and he was giggling, right up until Shea appeared in the kitchen, and then his arms flew out in front of him over Riley's shoulder and he exclaimed, "Daddy!"

Shea swooped in and picked Noah up, lifting him high up and over Riley before he settled him on his own hip and Riley turned just enough to look at Shea with a smile. She watched as he carefully pulled her hand off of the bassinet and rolled it over to the living room with him, and so Riley turned and leaned against the counter top and watched as he sat down on the couch with Noah in his lap and he pulled Isla out of the bassinet, and tucked her into one arm.

She heard Noah's little voice ask, "Go to work?"

Shea nodded slowly, "Yeah, I have to go to work soon."

"Win?" He asked with a bright smile.

Shea smiled back at him and told him, "We're gonna try."

"No. You win." Noah told him with a nod of his head.

"Is that right?" Shea asked him.

This time Riley spoke to him, telling him with a smile, "Noah and I voted and you lost so if you don't win tonight you get to sleep outside with the dog tonight."

Shea looked down at Noah and asked, "Is she telling the truth?"

He nodded his head vigorously, "Yah."

"I thought we were teammates." Shea said, pouting for good measure.

Noah put his little fingers against his mouth and tilted his head for a moment before he shook his head and said, "No. Mama."

"Mommy's my teammate, sorry kid." Shea said, ruffling his hair.

Again Noah shook his head and said, "No, mine."

"Hmm...." Shea started, looking down at Isla he asked her, "What about you? Are you a traitor like your mom and brother? Or are you on dad's side?"

As if rehearsed her face scrunched up and she let out a loud wail, that made Riley laugh. Riley told Shea, "I think she spoke. You've been voted off the island."

"House full of traitors." Shea mumbled and Noah giggled as he reached out and smoothed his little hand gently up and down Isla's stomach. Shea watched him in surprise and confusion, and he was surprised when Isla stopped crying and peered up at Noah with big blue eyes. Finally Shea asked him, "Where did you learn that buddy?"

"Mama." Noah said, shrugging his shoulders as he leaned over and pressed a sweet, gentle kiss to Isla's nose before he crawled off of the couch and ran toward Riley.

When Noah held his arms up and she picked him up Isla started to fuss again and Riley grinned over at Shea and said, "Both our kids are my babies, sorry."

Shaking his head in amusement Shea smiled down at Isla, shifted her into a more comfortable position and said to her, "You're a daddy's girl, aren't you?"

She let out a squawk and Shea grinned, "Yeah, that's what I thought. That's my girl."

"You need to get dressed in your suit and ready for tonight." Riley told Shea and he nodded slowly, not even paying attention to her. She caught his attention by telling him, "Alright, give the baby to me and no one gets hurt."

He laughed, but what got him moving was Noah exclaiming, "I help!"

"Yeah?" Shea asked and when he nodded Shea got up and said, "Alright come on."

So Riley held onto Isla and finished up with dinner while Shea and Noah went upstairs. After nearly an hour, when it was getting too close to the time that Shea had to be leaving and they were still upstairs Riley glanced at the clock above the stove.

She looked down at Isla and asked, "What are they up to? Hmm?"

She fidgeted, and Riley turned the elements off on the stove and she headed up the stairs. She could hear voices from behind the closed bedroom door, so she knocked on the door and heard Shea call out, "Just a minute."

"I can't come into my own bedroom?" Riley asked with a smile on her face.

From the other side of the door Noah called out, "No!"

"Okay then." Riley said with a laugh and she leaned against the wall next to the bedroom soon. She shifted Isla in her arms and asked her, "What are they up to in there? What are our boys up to?"

Three minutes later Shea opened the door with a smile and told her, "We're ready."

"Oh I can come in now?" She joked and he rolled his eyes. He leaned over and kissed her cheek as Riley adjusted his tie before he stepped into the bedroom and let her in. When she saw Noah standing next to the bed in a suit matching Shea's she looked over at Shea to find him watching Noah with a proud smile. She asked, "What is this?"

Shea smiled at her, and he walked over to Noah and picked him up, before he told Riley, "Noah and I decided we needed matching suits."

So Riley smiled gently as she approached them, and she reached out to smooth out Noah's hair, before she told him, "You look so handsome."

"I like daddy!" He exclaimed and Riley chuckled.

"Very much so." 

Shea then told her, "I know, it's a total waste of money but I couldn't help myself."

"Don't apologize." Riley told him gently, adjusting Noah's tiny little tie for him. Shea's brow raised but Riley didn't elaborate on her comment, instead she asked Noah, "Is this what you're watching daddy's game in?"

Noah nodded his head vigorously so Riley lifted him out of Shea's grasp and onto the floor, where he immediately took off downstairs. She turned to Shea and he smiled down at her as he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her against him, he told her, "I wish you guys could be there tonight."

She smiled sadly up at him, ran her fingers through his hair for a moment before she said, "Me too."

"Maybe we can find someone to babysit for us one of these games so you could at least come to one. I feel it's been so long since you've been to a game." It had been, and Riley felt guilty because she knew she could count on one hand the amount of home games she had been to this year. Shea must have sensed her guilt because he was quick to tell her, "I didn't say that to upset you or make you feel bad."

"I know you didn't." Riley said softly, leaning up to kiss his lips quickly before she pulled away, adjusted the front of his suit quickly and told him, "Now, get going. You have a game to win us."

"Yes ma'am." She faked a gasp, and gave him a gentle shove, and Shea let out a laugh.

As they headed downstairs together she informed him, "I am so not old enough to be a ma'am yet. That's like thirty years away you crazy person."

Shea chuckled and when they were both off of the stairs, Isla tucked back into her bassinet, and on they were on the same level ground he wrapped his arms around her from behind, pressed a kiss to behind her ear and told her, "So I can start calling you ma'am once we're old and grey and all our kids are having their own babies?"

"You better not." Riley stated, reaching back to brush her fingers through the hair at the side of his head. She added, "I don't want to become one of those old married couples that does nothing but crossword puzzles and takes naps."

Shea grinned at her, "That sounds pretty good to me babe."

"Don't ever stop calling me that, okay?" She asked softly and he nodded, pushing his face into the corner of her neck. He kissed her skin, tightened his grip around her for a moment before he let go of her, smoothed out his suit and grabbed his wallet, phone and keys.

As he stuffed them into his pockets he turned to Riley and said, "I'll see you in a few hours."

"Good luck, kick some as-butt." She caught herself, glancing back at Noah who was sitting on the couch in his little suit, the TV already on the channel that the game would be on in an hour and a half.

Shea cracked a smile at her words, leaned down to kiss her quickly before he looked over at Noah, making sure he wasn't looking before he slapped Riley's butt and left the house. She shook her head in amusement and watched out of the front window as Shea pulled out of the driveway in his truck, she waved gently as their eyes met, before he disappeared down the street and Riley went back to Noah.

She told him, "Come on, time for dinner bud."

Just before puck drop Quinn walked into the house, she set her bag above the dishwasher as per usual, and Riley sat down on the couch while Quinn set Peyton up in the pop up play-pen again. Once Quinn sat down she let out a small sigh, and told Riley, "Sorry I'm late. She picks the most convenient times to spit up everywhere."

"Yeah she's at a good age." Riley said with a smile.

Quinn nodded her head, and asked Riley, "I'm nervous, are you nervous?"

"Oh totally." It was then that Quinn noticed Noah in his suit and she turned to Riley with her brow raised. Riley, following Quinn's gaze, told her, "Shea decided they should have matching suits, so while Shea got ready for the game tonight he got Noah all dressed up to match him and he refuses to take it off."

"Oh my gosh, that kid." Quinn said with a smile, reaching out and ruffling Noah's hair. 

He turned to her, crawled right across Riley's lap, and sat down in Quinn's. So while the game started, Noah sat in Quinn's lap while she ran her fingers through his hair and Riley watched them with a smile. Finally Riley couldn't wait any longer, she pulled Noah off of Quinn and instructed him to go play, and once he was on the floor with building blocks, building something while he watched the game Riley turned to Quinn and asked, "How are you?"

"Tired mostly. Most days I can't even go into the salon, some days I stay in bed all day." Quinn told her honestly, it seemed to Riley, like she needed to talk about these things but had no one to talk to about them and Riley didn't mind being that person no matter how much she didn't agree with Quinn not telling people.

Curiously Riley asked, "What do you tell James?"

"He hasn't noticed. With the playoffs he's been busy, he's barely home honestly. I just told him I decided to take some more time off, until the playoffs are over because she deserves someone home... I think... I think I just might not go back honestly." When Riley raised her eyebrow Quinn went on to explain softly and quietly, "I just... I've spent so long putting my career first, and I don't regret it at all, but... I guess I just... I want to be with my family you know?"

Riley nodded her head slowly, she tried not to cry, that was the last thing either of them needed right now; she knew Quinn didn't need to see that, and she knew if she started she likely wouldn't be able to stop.So instead she asked, "What about pain and stuff?"

"It's okay, manageable with a handful of meds I guess." Quinn told her with a small laugh. 

"Have you told your family? Your sisters?" Riley asked her curiously.

She shook her head, "I know that if I told them they'd get on the next flight here and I just... Riley I know you don't understand it but I can't tell James right now. It would kill him, and the cup is what he spends his whole career working for, I can't do anything that would jeopardize that for him."

"I get it. I mean... I do but I don't. I just...I don't want you to be dealing with this on your own." Riley told her honestly.

Quinn smiled and asked her, "Is it weird that a big part of not wanting to tell him comes from wanting as long as I can get where he isn't preparing for the worst? I want as much time with them as I can get before things change."

So Riley wrapped her arm around Quinn's shoulder and pulled her into her side, and Quinn rested her head on Riley's shoulder as Riley told her in a shaky voice, "That I do get."

Quinn reached up and wiped at her face, telling Riley, "Don't do that. I've done really well not crying over this."

"I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry I threw all of this at you, I don't want you to think that you have to deal with this, or anything." Quinn told her quietly.

Riley smoothed her hand over her dark hair and told her, "I kind of forced it out of you, but whatever you need I'm here. I haven't even told Shea."

This time Quinn did cry, and Riley looked down at her in surprise and confusion as she tried her best to tell her through the cries, "I don't want you to have to lie to him. That's not fair."

"None of this is fair honey." Riley told her as Quinn laid her head on a pillow in her lap and they settled into complete silence, neither of them doing any paying attention to the game.

"Mama! Mama!" Their attention was stolen by Noah, who was standing up now. 

"Inside voice baby." Riley told him, lowering her own voice. She knew Isla was asleep and the last thing she wanted was for anyone to wake her up so she would have to deal with a cranky baby all night, she didn't get enough sleep as it was.

"Mama!" He whispered-yelled, and Quinn chuckled at him. Before Riley could ask him what he was freaking out over he told her excitedly, "Win!"

Riley and Quinn both looked over at the TV to find that they had in fact won, and they had missed the whole last period and a half with their conversation. Quinn grinned and patted Riley's leg, saying, "Round three!"

"Yay!" Noah said, thankfully remembering to whisper-yell again. When the post game, on ice interview came on Noah exclaimed, "Daddy!"

Riley pulled Noah up onto the couch beside her, and together the three of them watched the interview. She leaned over and kissed the side of Noah's head, and then when the interview was over and Shea was headed back to the locker room she told Noah, "Alright, bed time for you."

This time, unlike so many others, he pouted at her, "No."

Quinn yawned, looked over at Peyton who was asleep in the play-pen and she announced, "I think we're going home to bed too."

Noah pouted even more, but Quinn simply leaned over and kissed the top of his head before she got up and gathered Peyton. Riley let Noah stay up until Quinn and Peyton left, and then she shuffled him up and into bed. It wasn't often she let him stay up to finish a whole game, it was well, well past his bedtime and she knew tomorrow she would likely regret her decision, but it was an important game. 

Once Noah was up in his bedroom, hopefully asleep, Riley went back downstairs to sit on the couch. She turned an old TV show on and glanced over at Isla, who was awake and staring up at the ceiling so Riley reached into the bassinet and rubbed her stomach for a moment before she grabbed her phone to text Shea.

Go out with the guys to celebrate. Just please be quiet coming home.

She received an answer much quicker than she expected to.

I love you, see you in a few hours.