Weapons of War

"Up daddy!" Shea was woken with a start when Noah pulled himself up onto the bed and crawled onto him while yelling. He rubbed his eyes, rolled onto his back and slowly opened his eyes to find Noah sitting patiently waiting for him, he glanced to his right to find Riley leaning against the door frame with Isla cradled in one arm. She smiled over at him and Shea eventually yawned, and reached out to grab Noah, pulling him into his grasp as he tickled his stomach causing the toddler to thrash around and giggle.

"Good morning buddy." He said softly as he stopped tickling him and simply tucked him into his side before they both relaxed into the bed. Shea glanced around before he looked over at Riley and asked her sleepily, "What time is it?"

"Eight thirty." She told him, and he let out a puff of air. She smiled gently and said, "We figured you deserved an extra hour and a bit of sleep in time today but that we'd get you up in time that you could have breakfast and a little hang out time before you have to be at the rink."

He nodded his head slowly, and looked down at Noah and asked him, "Wanna go back to sleep?"

Noah nodded his head but told Shea, "Hungry."

Shea let out a laugh and nodded his own head, "Me too buddy. Maybe mommy was nice and made us breakfast."

They both turned their hopefully expressions to Riley and she chuckled, informing her two boys, "Well you'll just have to get your butts out of bed and downstairs to find out."

With that she turned around and made her way back downstairs, leaving Shea and Noah in bed upstairs. Shea looked down at Noah, who shrugged his shoulders as if answered a silent question with an even more silent answer before he wrapped his arms around the toddler and got out of bed, carrying Noah right into the closet as he giggled. Noah sat on the floor and occupied himself with a pair of Riley's shoes while Shea threw a pair of sweat pants and a t-shirt on, and then when Shea was ready to go Noah raced him downstairs to the kitchen to see what was for breakfast.

Riley handed Shea a plate and she waited while he brought it to the table before she held a second plate out for him and she rolled her eyes when he ignored the plate and swooped Isla right out of her arms. So Riley took her and Noah's breakfasts over to the table and got him set up to eat his pancakes while she and Shea had their breakfasts, all the while Shea eating with one hand, Isla tucked into his opposite arm.

Riley couldn't help but joke, "You know, she's not gonna change if you put her own for five minutes while you eat."

Shea looked over at her and stated, "I know, but it's a special day, give me a break."

With a smile Riley said, "I know, ask Noah how excited he is to go to the game tonight."

Shea looked over at Noah, who was watching him almost expectantly and asked, "How excited?"

He held his arms out wide to the sides of him and said, "This."

Shea chuckled and put his fork down, reaching out to ruffle Noah's hair before going back to eating his breakfast. Riley simply leaned back in her chair and watched him interact with both Noah and Isla seamlessly, going from jokes with their two and a half year old and baby talk to their newborn. She surprised Shea when she asked Noah, "Noah, how do you like your baby sister?"

"We keep her?" Noah asked, making the two adults laugh.

Shea nodded his head and told him, "Yeah, we're gonna keep her."

"I like!" Noah exclaimed with a grin.

Riley smiled and she glanced over at Shea to find him watching her with a slightly raised eyebrow, she asked Noah, "So how do you feel about maybe someday having a few more little siblings?"

His head tilted to one side as he asked, "More?"

Nodding Riley said, "Yeah, maybe two more?"

Noah shrugged his shoulders and Shea let out a booming laugh when he asked, "Do we have to keep them if they're baby sisters?"

Riley couldn't help but laugh herself, and she said, "Yes, we do."

He let out a dramatic sigh and said, "Okay."

"What are you trying to say here Riley?" Shea asked her, brow raised.

She let out a laugh and said, "Not what you're thinking, I promise. I just wanted to know how he felt about us having a couple more when the time is right."

"Like... tomorrow?" Shea asked her with a wide grin.

She rolled her eyes, but smiled as she said, "Tell you what, we get through tonight's craziness and then we can talk championship babies okay?"

Shea chuckled and nodded, asking her, "You promise?"

"I promise." She said with a nod of her own head.

He grinned wickedly when he stated, "I'll be sure to put it in my calendar. How does one o'clock tomorrow afternoon sound?"

"You're such a dork." Riley told him, making both of them laugh.

Noah glanced between the two of them, and asked, "Dork?"

Riley nodded her head and Shea told Noah, "Mommy's mean to me."

"Mama not mean." Noah stated, shaking his head vigorously.

Riley looked over at Shea, stuck her tongue out quickly which made him laugh, and then she smiled over at him triumphantly as she said, "He may look like you, but this kid is totally mine."

"Yeah, yeah. At least this one won't be a traitor." Shea stated, looking down at Isla. He tickled her stomach and asked her in a soft, quiet voice, "Right? Yeah, at least you love me."

"You're such a drama queen." Riley joked, and he narrowed his eyes at her. With a grin she corrected herself, asking him, "Drama king?"

Shea chuckled and told her, "You're lucky you're cute."

"Nah, you're lucky you're cute."

Hours later when Shea had come home from the rink, had his pre-game nap and meal Riley occupied both kids. Noah went down for a nap at the same time as Shea had and Isla simply stared up at Riley with wide eyes for the entire hour that they sat on the couch waiting for their boys to get up. Noah had come barrelling down the stairs talking a mile a minute when Shea had woken him up, and Shea followed a few seconds later, just long enough to kiss Riley quickly before he grabbed a glass of water and disappeared upstairs to do whatever pre-game thing he had gotten into this month.

She gave him his time alone, but when it came close to the time that he needed to leave by Riley decided it was time to wander upstairs so with Noah occupied with his blocks and Isla finally asleep in the bassinet Riley took the stairs slowly and poked her head into the bedroom to find it empty. The light on in the closet told her that Shea was in there, so she went into the bedroom, and took a moment to pick up the clothes from the floor by the bed and put them in the hamper.

That was when Shea called out, "Ry?"

"Yeah?" She asked as she continued to clean up a bit around the bedroom.

He stuck his head out of the closet and he looked at her as he asked, "I think I lost my other-"

She held up the tiny gold cuff link between two fingers with a smile and asked him, "Cuff link?"

He grinned over at her as she approached him and placed it in his palm, and he asked her, "What would I do without you?"

"Crash and burn." She stated with a straight face.

His eyes narrowed and he informed her, "That was a rhetorical question."

Riley grinned up at him and told him, "Nothing is rhetorical around here."

He sighed dramatically as he secured the second cuff link in place and that was when Riley reached out to tighten and adjust his tie carefully, she smoothed it out by dragging it between her thumb and index fingers and then she picked at lint on the shoulder of his suit. As she smoothed out the lapels of his suit jacket Shea reached out and grabbed her wrists in his hands and he told her softly, "Stop it."

"Sorry." She said with a small smile. He released her hands and she told him, "I'm just so proud of you, and I hope you know that."

"I do know that, but your nervousness is making me nervous." Shea informed her, and Riley looked up at him with a soft smile, and when their eyes met her eyes filled with tears and Shea laughed, telling her, "You promised you were gonna wait until after the game to do the emotional stuff."

Laughing at herself Riley blinked away her tears and she told him, "I know, I'm sorry. I can't help it. I'm just so proud of you, and I'm so excited for you and I just... I love you."

Shea smiled down at her and said, "I love you too."

She leaned up and kissed him softly, before dropping down to the heels of her feet, which was when Shea wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into him tightly. She smiled against his lips as he leaned down to kiss her again, and when they parted Riley asked him, " How do you feel?"

"A little nervous honestly." He told her, watching as she nodded her head slowly.

She reached up and fixed his hair before she told him gently, "Just remember that all you can do is do your best and do it right, and at the end of the day what matters is that you tried, you did it your way and you didn't go against who you guys are as a team. I'm so proud of all of you, and I hope that you know that won't change no matter what happens tonight."

Shea smiled down at her, and told her, "Thanks for the pep talk."

"Thanks.... I like to think I would have made a pretty great captain myself." Riley joked, making Shea laugh at her.

He tightened his grip around her and he told her, "You're my captain and I think you make a pretty damn good one too."

Riley joked with him, "Stop it, you're embarrassing me."

He leaned down and captured her lips with his softly, before he pulled away and he told her, "Now it's time for my pep talk."

"Oh?" She asked him curiously.

He nodded and he said, "I just wanted to make sure that going into this game you knew something important."

"What's that?" She asked him with a raised brow.

"That I love you, and I appreciate everything. That I may not know personally but I can get how hard it must have been for you to put your dreams aside to help mine come true and that I have a newfound respect for that. I know all that it takes to be the wife in this situation and I appreciate every sacrifice you've made to get me here because there's nothing better than having you and those two rugrats downstairs with me right now. when all my dreams might come true." Shea told her, reaching out to wipe her tears as they spilled out onto her cheeks.

Riley smiled up at him, and she told him, "I appreciate that, but I think you should know that I didn't put my dreams on hold for you Shea."

His brow arched, "Oh?"

She shook her head and she told him softly, "I didn't have to. It's taken me a long time to realize this, but this; our family, you, Noah and Isla those are my dreams. I never had to put my dreams aside for you and your career because you gave me my dreams."

"Now you're gonna make me all emotional." Shea told her, and she chuckled before she wrapped her arms around his back and leaned up to kiss him softly.

When they pulled apart she reached up and rubbed his cheeks gently with her thumbs before she told him, "You gotta go."

"Yeah, I know. I'll see you soon?" He asked her, and Riley followed him out of the closet, and through the bedroom and downstairs to the foyer.

Riley called out, "Noah, come say bye to daddy."

Noah came ripping around the corner and launched himself at Shea, who caught him with ease and lifted him up to his hip as he straightened up. Shea reached up with his free hand and pushed it through Noah's hair, smoothing it out before he told him, "Be good for mom okay?"

Noah nodded and wrapped his tiny arms around Shea's neck, and Shea wrapped his own around Noah's body as they hugged and then when Noah decided that was enough he pulled himself away from Shea and said, "Luck daddy."

"Thanks buddy." Shea said, leaning forward to kiss his forehead before he bent back down to set Noah on the ground. Noah went running back to the living room and Shea turned to Riley, and with a smile he asked, "Do I get a good luck hug and kiss from my wife now?"

"I thought you'd never ask." Riley joked with a smile as he held his arms out. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, running her fingers through the hair at the back of his head as Shea's arms wrapped tightly around her waist and pulled her into him. She wasn't sure how long they stood like that, but eventually Shea sighed and she told him, "Good luck, you're gonna be great tonight. Just remember to play the game your way, not theirs."

Shea nodded his head and he joked, "Always the hockey wife, right to the end huh?"

"Damn straight. I've been doing this for sixteen years, I think I know what I'm doing by now." Riley joked back, and she leaned up and pressed a soft kiss to his lips.

Shea glanced at his watch before he pulled her in and kissed her once more and then he said, "Alright, I'll see you in a few hours."

"I love you, no matter what." She reminded him as he pulled the front door open.

As he stepped outside he asked her, "No matter what?"

She nodded her head, "Just go out and give it your all, it doesn't matter what happens after that."

"I love you." He told her as he headed down the driveway to his truck.

Riley stood with the door open as he backed out and she waved gently at him when he looked over at her once more before disappearing down the street. She took in a deep breath and closed the door as she walked back into the house, intent on her next task of getting the next group of Weber's ready for tonight's game seven.

The minute she walked into the wives room Riley was flocked to, she smiled and was polite and engaged in conversation for a few minutes before she trudged over to her usual seat where Quinn was already sitting with both of her sisters and James' mother next to her. Riley greeted them all, before she dropped into the seat and she set Isla in her carrier in front of her as Noah crawled up onto Quinn's lap.

Quinn kissed the top of his head and then smoothed out his hair before she asked him, "Are you excited for the game?"

He nodded his head and stated, "Daddy win."

Everyone around them got a chuckle out at that, and Riley reached over to fix the sleeve of his jersey, which had gotten stuck to the long sleeve he had on underneath it. She then reached out and took Isla from the carrier, cradling her in one arm against her chest as Quinn turned to her, glanced at Isla with a smile and then looked back at Riley and asked her, "How was today?"

"More emotional than I think I ever expected." Riley told her, adding in honestly, "I think I almost cried like thirty times before Shea was even ready to leave."

Quinn nodded her head and said, "I think I cried that much before we even had breakfast."

Jess nodded and informed Riley with a grin, "It was like water works every time she looked at James. I think it was driving him crazy."

Riley nodded her head and said, "Yeah, Shea told me that my nervousness was making him nervous and to stop it."

Quinn chuckled, "James actually told me that if I didn't stop crying he was going to the arena four hours early."

"Sounds like James." Riley joked. As the guys came out for puck drop Riley took in a deep breath and she smiled when Quinn reached out and grabbed her hand, without looking away from the ice as the puck was dropped Riley said softly, "Here we go."

It was quieter than usual in their section through the first two periods, usually everyone was having conversations and yelling at bad calls and making comments when one of the guys made a bad play, or a good one. This time it was almost completely silent. They had all cheered for the first goal by Forsberg, but then the room went quiet with Detroit came back with not one but two unanswered goals. Everyone was on the edge of their seats through the first intermission, and all of the second period when the play went back and forth from one end to the other without a single goal from either team. Riley was relieved when the clock wound down and the second period came to and end.

That was when Noah announced, "Thirsty."

She went to get up but Jess beat her to it, telling Riley, "I got it."

So Noah took her hand tightly and followed her to get some water, and that was when Quinn turned to Riley and asked, "How do people do this? Like how are they getting through this game? I want to throw up."

Riley nodded her head and said, "Tell me about it."

"Tell me something to get my mind off of this." Quinn told her, turning better in her seat to face her.

Riley reached out and held her hand out for Peyton, who latched onto her finger tightly and then Riley told Quinn, "Shea has apparently penciled in a time for us to talk about having another baby tomorrow."

Quinn let out a laugh, "That sounds like Shea. Are you guys gonna do it?"

"Yeah,we talked about it a while ago. My only requests were that this next one was planned, and that we wait until all this craziness settles down." Riley told her with a small smile. She then told Quinn, "I asked Noah about having more siblings and he asked if we had to keep them if they were girls."

Quinn laughed again, and she told Riley, "Oh I love him."

"Yeah he's pretty great." Riley mused softly as she looked over at Noah, who was sitting next to Jess drinking some water. She then turned to Quinn and asked her, "How are you feeling?"

"Okay. I'm a little surprised that I haven't fallen asleep yet. This is well past my usual bed time." Quinn told her with a smile.

Taya leaned over and joked with Riley, "Yeah, grandma here is usually out cold by like eight at night at the latest."

Riley chuckled when Quinn pinched Taya's leg, making the youngest sibling jump and reach out and do the same to Quinn. Quinn then turned back to Riley and told her honestly, "Things are good. I'm better I think right now. My doctor wasn't too sure about me coming here tonight but he gave me the green light and I'm just really grateful that I get to be here no matter what happens."

"Not to be a negative Nancy or anything but... are you guys going back to Pittsburgh after this?" Riley asked her curiously.

Quinn shook her head, "We're staying here for the summer. James wanted to go back to Pittsburgh but I didn't want to. This is home now, and hopefully it will be for a really long time for him and this is where I want to be."

Riley rested her head on Quinn's shoulder and she told her, "Shea and I decided we're gonna spend most of our summer here too. We weren't sure about all that travelling with the kids and so his dad decided he was gonna come visit here instead and we just decided maybe we'd just go back to Kelowna for a few weeks before training camp starts again."

"Hey Riley?" Quinn asked her softly.

"Hmm?"

Quinn was quiet when she spoke, clearly not wanting anyone else to hear this, but Riley's eyes welled up with tears as Quinn told her, "Thank you, both you and Shea for everything you guys have done for me and James."

"Of course, that's what family is for." Riley told her, rubbing her leg gently before they both straightened up as the game started again.

Noah climbed up onto Riley's lap this time as she put Isla in her carrier to finish her sleep, and as the puck dropped for the final period of the game the room resumed it's quiet nervous energy. Riley held onto Quinn's hand gently as they watched the numbers on the clock get lower and lower and there was a simultaneous sigh around the room when Detroit scored their third goal with thirteen minutes left in the game.

Riley glanced over at Quinn, who was watching the ice intently, and then she looked over at Noah who was doing the same and she smiled gently, and everyone cheered when Johansen scored to make it three to two. That goal seemed to liven both the wives room and the players out on the ice because it was suddenly like they all remembered they were playing a must win hockey game.

Quinn asked Riley, "Do you think they can do it?"

Riley took in a deep breath and said, "I think so."

There was a buzz in their section as the clock wound down to the final three minutes of the game, and then everyone jumped to their feet when a shot from the point went in and the red light behind the goal lit up. Quinn turned to her and asked, "Did you even see who's shot that was?"

"I don't think anyone did." Riley stated with a smile as they watched the replay on the jumbotraun.

Everyone seemed to remain silent and hold their breath for the final two and a half minutes of the period, praying that Pekka could hold out just a few minutes longer to take them to overtime and when the final buzzer went and the guys disappeared down the tunnel to prepare for sudden death the entire wives room seemed to be able to breath again.

Riley looked at Noah and asked him, "Does it get any better than this?"

"Huh?" He asked, making everyone around them laugh.

She tickled his stomach for a moment and then said, "Overtime in game seven."

"Yay!" He exclaimed, clearly just following Riley's excitement.

Riley laughed when Quinn informed her, "I do not like this. I don't need any help in the nausea department."

Rubbing her thigh again Riley assured Quinn, "Someone probably has puke bags hanging around here. I could ask for you, no one would judge you."

Narrowing her eyes Quinn told her, "I'm gonna tell Shea that you were mean to me."

Riley grinned, "He'll just be glad that I'm not just mean to him."

"You two have such an odd relationship." Quinn stated with a nod of her head for good measure.

"Ain't that the truth." Riley stated with a nod of her head. As the players all made their way out onto the ice again and the puck was about to be dropped Riley grabbed Quinn's hand and squeezed it tightly as she said, "Here we go again."