Weapons of War

“How did you manage to sneak out of the house baby free?” Quinn asked Riley as they navigated their way through the mall. What had started as an afternoon for Quinn to get out of the house for an hour for lunch had turned into Riley taking her shopping to try to cheer her up, telling James had taken a very obvious emotional toll on Quinn.

Riley grinned and said, “Shea’s on daddy duty. The only thing I have to do is pick up his suit.”

Quinn’s brow raised, “New suit?”

“This marks suit number two that one of our blessings has ruined with puke.” Riley informed her as they stopped inside a baby store.

Quinn laughed and asked, “On a scale of one to taking a penalty with two minutes left in the game that causes a goal how mad is he?”

With a laugh Riley told her, “Actually, it was my fault. It was laying on the bed and my sweet little munchkin just projectile vomited over my shoulder all over it. Didn’t get any puke on the bed though, so that’s a plus.”

“It was Noah again?” Quinn asked, snorting with laughter when Riley nodded her head. She stated, “Its official, that one is my favorite.”

“Yeah, he’s pretty wonderful.” Riley agreed, nodding her head.

Curiously Quinn asked her, “So… how’s life with two babies?”

“Better than I expected. Noah’s pretty good about understanding that sometimes she has to come first, and that she takes up a lot of my time. I’ve finally learned to let go of a bit of that need to control everything and let Shea skip practices a lot more now, so between the two of us it’s a lot easier managing the two of them than I thought.” Riley told her honestly, and when they stepped out of the store and Quinn immediately sat down on one of the benches in the mall she sat down beside her and asked in concern, “You okay?”

“I’m fine, just a little tired. I just need to sit for a minute or two.” Quinn told her, and Riley nodded her head but she kept her eyes on her cautiously. Quinn chuckled at that and told her, “Really, I’m fine.”

“I know.” Riley said.

So Quinn changed the subject, “And how are you? With Isla? And you know… your stuff?”

Riley smiled, and almost chuckled. Both Shea and Quinn were so afraid to outright ask how she was doing mentally now that they always skirted around the use of that word. She told Quinn honestly, “I’m good. I was really scared that it would carry through once she was born and that I’d put Shea and I through even more but it hasn’t and I’m really grateful for that. It’s weird, because I was so scared of having a girl, I mean I wanted one but I had been hoping I’d get practice with another baby or two before then, and I think I’ve surprised myself with how easy it for me with her. Easier than it was with Noah even.”

“I guess there really is nothing like a mother daughter bond.” Quinn said with a small smile.

Riley nodded her head, wrapped an arm around Quinn’s shoulders and asked, “How are you?”

Quinn sighed and said softly, “Okay. Working on…everything. The shitty thing is that I think it’s gonna take time for me to really accept this and time isn’t something I have a lot of anymore.”

Resting her head on top of Quinn’s Riley told her, “You should let Shea and I babysit one night. Have a night just you and James, you know? I think it would do you two well to spend a night just the two of you.”

“You’re probably right.” Quinn said, nodding her head. She then told Riley, “You guys can take Pey one night, but only if you let me babysit Isla tomorrow night so you can take Noah to the game.”

“Really?” Riley asked her, and when Quinn pulled away from her and raised her brow and the slight hint of excitement in her voice Riley chuckled and told her, “I’ve been hating that I haven’t gone to any of the games yet for playoffs.”

“Well, see; I’ll babysit and you and little man can go. You need to be there, and Noah would love it. Plus I know Shea probably wishes you were there more.” Quinn said and Riley nodded her head slowly. Quinn was quick to tell her, “I didn’t mean to make you feel guilty.”

“No, no I know that. I think I’m always gonna feel guilty for this year. I don’t think I’ve ever been able to count on one hand the amount of games I’ve gone to in a season while Shea and I were together, and I know he wishes I came to more but I’m just glad he understands why I couldn’t. You know? When Noah was sick he couldn’t go, and I just couldn’t leave him at home sick with a babysitter, and then after his surgery he had to recover and build up his immune system again and then I was on bed rest and I just didn’t feel right leaving my newborn at home you know?” Riley asked, and Quinn nodded her head. It was something Riley had been feeling extremely bad about for a while now. The fact that she had been to all of four games all season, and that she hadn’t even been to one playoff game and they were on the sixth game of the third round already was making her feel extremely guilty.

Curiously Quinn asked her, “How are you guys? You seem better.”

“We’re much better. We’re finally starting to realize that we actually need to make time for each other and put the effort in and things are really good between us right now.” Riley omitted telling her that she and James and their situation played a big part in that, she didn’t need to hear that but it was true; someone else’s pain had a huge effect on Riley and Shea, in a positive way and it seemed like for the first time in a very long time they were on the same page and ready to make things work.

Quinn smiled and got up, “Alright, let’s go get this man’s suit and then pizza, please. I need pizza.”

Riley laughed and followed her lead, saying, “Pizza sounds great.”

“Food of the Gods I’m telling you.”

- - -

When Riley came home to a quiet house she wandered around downstairs looking for Shea but he was nowhere to be found. Dug was outside laying in the grass, too content with the sun and heat to even get up to come greet her so with a smile she closed the patio door and went upstairs. Noah’s room was empty, the nursery was so clean it looked as if it hadn’t been used in weeks, and she found Shea in the bedroom. He was standing next to the dresser, staring at his phone and he looked up when she walked into the room and smiled.

Riley asked him, “It’s too quiet in here, what did you get sick of them and sell our children on the street?”

He let out a loud laugh, and grabbed her shoulders, pulling her back into his chest and he wrapped his arms around her and told her, “They’re both at Pekka and Brooke’s, for the evening.”

Her brow raised as she leaned back into him and tilted her head just enough to place a gentle kiss to his jaw. She asked him, “You pawned our gremlins off on your goalie? We’re supposed to make them want to have a kid of their own you know.”

He chuckled, and kissed her temple before he informed her, “Mom and dad need a night out.”

“Oh we do, do we?” She asked him with a smile.

Shea nodded, kissed her quickly and then he told her, “Yes, so change, I’m gonna go try to convince the dog to come inside.”

Riley glanced at him as he walked out of the bedroom, enough to decide that his jeans and t-shirt outfit meant that wherever they were going it wasn’t dressy or fancy. Finally. So she kept her light wash jeans on, and replaced her long sleeve with a looser, comfier grey short sleeve, pulled her curly hair into a low pony tail and headed downstairs.

She hit the bottom of the stairs when Shea walked into the house with Dug following slowly behind him, and she smiled and asked, “Is this okay?”

He nodded and told her, “Perfect.”

So she slipped into a pair of flats while he threw runners on, and she followed him out to his truck, getting into the passenger seat while he got into the drivers side. Riley watched him carefully as he drove, trying to figure out what he he was up to. Shea turned to look at her, catching her watching him and when he raised his eyebrow Riley asked him, "What exactly do you have up your sleeve here?"

Shea grinned and told her, "I'm not wearing sleeves."

"Don't be a smartass." Riley stated and Shea let out a laugh at her. She was even more confused when he pulled into a restaurant parking lot and unbuckled without turning the truck off. She asked, “What are you doing?”

He smiled over at her and said, “Be patient, you’ll see. I’ll be right back.”

She rolled her eyes and he laughed as he got out of the truck and headed inside, so Riley pulled her phone out and busied herself with a game of Sudoku. Ten minutes later she jumped when Shea opened the door and got into the truck with a paper bag that she assumed was filled with food, and she asked him, “Seriously, what is the deal here?”

He chuckled and put the truck in reverse, backing out of the parking space before he put it in drive and continued driving without so much as a word in response to her. Riley continued to glance between him and the road, and her confusion grew when he pulled onto a dirt road between a clearing of trees. She turned to face him, brow raised, and she watched as he avoided looking at her until he put the truck in park, and then he turned to her and asked her, “Kind of like juniors, right?”

Riley turned away from him and looked out at the large patch of grass in what seemed like the middle of nowhere and she smiled gently. Shea got out of the vehicle and grabbed the bag of food and one of his duffle bags from the backseat as Riley got out and followed him ten feet out in front of the vehicle and she watched as he spread a big blanket out on the grass and sat down, motioning for her to do the same.

So she sat across from him, and watched as he pulled their food out and set it in front of them, and then he set a thermos down and told her, “Hot chocolate.”

Riley smiled over at him and said, “Just like juniors.”

There had been so many times in high school when they would go driving around Kelowna and find a deserted secluded section, that in Riley’s opinion reminded her of a scene from a horror movie, and they would spend hours there. There was always hot chocolate, and always a good cuddle session.

Shea grinned and joked, “I’m expecting to make out in the car before we go home you know.”

Riley laughed and told him, “If you’re a good boy, maybe.”

“I’m always good.” Shea told her.

“That remains to be seen.” Riley stated with a shrug of her shoulders.

“You must think you’re really funny.” Shea said, and when she nodded her head he carefully pushed their food to one side of the blanket before he grabbed Riley and pulled her into him. She settled in between his outstretched legs and she turned to him, kissing his jaw once more.

She reached up and ran the tips of her fingers across his bearded jaw and told him, “I love playoffs.”

Shea smiled and leaned down to kiss her for real this time, and then he told her, “I know you do.”

“I have a surprise that I can’t hold in anymore.” Riley told him excitedly, and Shea’s eyebrow raised at her excitement. She grinned and explained, “I was gonna not tell you at all and surprise you tomorrow after the game but Quinn’s babysitting Isla and Noah and I are coming to the game.”

His brow raised even more but there was no mistaking the happy, wide smile that crossed his face as he asked her, “Really?”

She nodded and smiled against his lips as he leaned down and kissed her quickly. When he went to pull away Riley reached up with one hand, placing it on the side of his face before she pulled him back down to her level for another kiss, this time much longer than the previous one. Finally when she allowed him to pull away from her Riley told him, “I miss being there, and this is an important time.”

Shea nodded his head softly, he had been trying to find a way to get her at a game this round since before it even started. He didn’t like the idea of Quinn being home, when she could have been at the game supporting James, and he voiced that quietly, “But, maybe Quinn should be there.”

Riley shook her head, “It’s hard for Quinn to be there right now, with the way everyone treats her, it makes her uncomfortable. And I get that. Plus she barely has the energy to watch the whole game from a couch, let alone in person.”

Shea nodded his head slowly, and as he rested his forehead against Riley’s shoulder he told her, “I just don’t want to take away from one of the guys having his family there so that mine can be.”

Riley rubbed his thigh gently and assured him, “Quinn offered. I think she prefers watching from home now anyway.”

So he nodded his head slowly, and he told Riley, “I’m really glad you’re gonna be there tomorrow.”

She smiled, “Me too. And I was thinking, maybe if you guys win tomorrow, we could see if Noah’s old ear muffs fit Isla, and we could all come to the home games next round.”

He surprised her by lifting his head and kissing her with so much force that had his hand not been on the back of her neck she probably would have fallen over. Riley smiled gently against his lips as she lifted one hand to lay on the side of his face, and when they pulled apart Shea’s cheeks flushed and he told her, “Thank you.”

“For that? You don’t think I’d miss the finals do you?” She asked, and Shea smiled gently, but sheepishly so Riley used her hand on the side of his face to pull his eyes back to her and she spoke firmly, “I know this has been a rough year, and I know I haven’t made the worlds greatest effort to make it to your games but Shea… I wouldn’t have missed the playoffs thus far if it hadn’t been for a really important reason.”

“I know, and I know that you know… being on bed rest and then giving birth and having surgery is a really important reason.” He said softly, and Riley leaned forward and kissed him softly.

She told him, “And like hell I would miss the finals. Even if I was still pregnant and on bed rest you bet your ass I’d be waddling my way into that wives room.”

He let out a laugh and then he told her, “I love you.”

Riley smiled at him, “I love you too, but our food is probably cold now you know.”

Shea rolled his eyes and joked, “It’s always gotta be about food with you.”

“Damn straight, it’s the second way to get to my heart.” Riley stated with a nod of her head.

He smiled gently as he asked her, “What’s the first way?”

“A very large guy with a very nice beard complete with a very perfect dimple.”